Bold.

I decided to choose a word for this year ... bold.
No ... bold.
No ... BOLD.

Because I am quite a bit taller than average, people think I am bold, fearless, someone to be reckoned with. Also, I have a strong nose, inherited from my father. And an embedded frown, which I suspect people think is bad attitude or sullenness. Actually, it is because I am fair-skinned and blue-eyed and from a very young age I can remember the sun hurting my eyes. So the frown is really a squint against light. Someone I worked with once told me that I inspired awe, marching down the corridor, coat-tails flapping, frowning fiercely...
But truth be told, I am as timid as a mouse. 
Squeak, squeak.
I don't speak up. I don't really stand up for myself. I avoid confrontation when I can. I am always afraid of offending people. I am sometimes too aware of What People Might Think. I am embarrassed to show people the things I create.
Instead, I hide. I belittle my own efforts, making a joke of it. I compromise. I bend over backwards so far that you can tip me over with a tap of the forefinger. A pushover ...
Blogging changed some of that. I am not afraid of showing like-minded people my journal pages and doodles and drawings anymore.
Also, reaching this milestone helped. I started not caring as much what people think of me - my opinions, the things I do and make and wear and think.
A start.
This year, I hope to live more boldly.
I hope you do too.

My New Year's Wishes for You.

I have redone my mood board especially for the New Year. And so, dear friends, I wish for you ... (click pic to make bigger)

1. A happy and creative home (photo by Asiya of l'Atelier)
2. A comfy chair to rest in when you are weary (Humphrey Ocean)
3. The love of a good person (magazine advert, photographer unknown)
4. The courage to do what needs to be done (sculpture by Angus Taylor)
5. The means to travel - also beyond your comfort zone (Sally Chance)
6. A creative, stylish sartorial year (female festive jacket, British Museum)
7. A job that you love (Edward Hopper)
8. A view (David Bloomer)
9. A friend to grow old with (birthday card, photographer unknown)
10. Books, books, lovely books - and the time to read them (Tom Cullberg)
11. A pot of tea, a bunch of flowers & the love of a dog when you most need it (artist unknown)
12. Good food (Carol Mangiagalli)
13. A healthy body (Claudia Donaldson-Selby)
14. The ability to see beyond the obvious and below the surface of things (Brett Shuman)
15. More good hair days than bad ones (Lucy Pooler)
16. Peace. Everywhere. (schoolchildren from Cape Town and Devon)

Xmas

Meet the Big Dog

Yesterday Snous went to meet Simon's Town's famous Great Dane - Just Nuisance. To read more about him, click here.

Some more Stuff

This Saturday was ... car boot sale! Yayyyyy!! This is what I bought:

A half-used starter felting kit. It included some coloured woolly bits, a felting needle and a rectangular sponge. I am not quite sure how to use it, but I have already made a wonky heart. Stab, stab, stab. Quite good for working off aggression, I can imagine ...

A set of pastel-coloured plastic mugs. Interestingly, not made in China as I imagined, but in Thailand.

These lettering manuals. Who cares that I don't own a Speedball pen? I just love letters!

And an old set of metal signwriter stencils - I used them this weekend to make a colourful garland for a lovely, sweet friend who celebrated her birthday on Sunday - we had the most divine lunch at La Colombe to celebrate!

New family member!!

Meet Snous.

Dia de los muertos

For the past 6 years I have made an offrenda on the 1st of November.

Offrenda - 2009.

Weekword: History

A (quick) History of the World - mine. Starting at the top with grandparents on both sides; my mom, a student teacher, meets dad, a dashing fighter pilot in WWII; me in high-chair and as a toddler, the littlest of three sisters. A brother was later added to this ménage. Unfortunately this union (my mom and dad), no doubt a romantic and happy one to start off with, did not last. Such is life. The rest (from toddler to now) is not included - it is not history, it is my life.

For other participants, see:
Linda Sue, Sarah, Leenie , Anne, Valentina, Aris, Aimee, Esti, Alexandra, Veja Cecilia, Nicky, Sarah the jeweller (who is having another amazing giveaway of a beautiful pendant), Line, Cindy and Fruenswerk!

Time Off

I'm taking a week off for a much-needed break. Will see all of you beautiful people next weekend! Have a great week, my dears - read, eat, drink some wine, take a road-trip (even if it is just around the block), sit in the sun, draw, paint, think, dance a little (even if it has to be by yourself), dream, make lists, sing. Because that is what I'll be doing!

I was here.

Friends!

The lovely Anne of Frayed at the Edge (that is such a clever blog name, I wish I thought of it. Although of course Anne does fantastic sewing and quilting and knitting and stuff, so there is that needlework connotation, whereas I just feel (and look) frayed at the edge most of the time) ... oh, let me get to the point ... and now of course I've lost my thread, which is as close to needlework as I'll ever get.

Okay, she gave me this award - thanks so much, Anne! I love the fact that I meet new and wonderfully creative people here all the time, and I sometimes wish that I can permanently emigrate to Blogland. People just seem so friendly here - giving, sharing, supporting, advising without harsh criticism - it is the kind of community that I want to build in RealLifeland ...

I am passing the Circle of Friends on to some lovely people I've met recently: Lady P, Nathalie, Trinsch, Valentina, Lea and Candace! There are so many more, but I am limited to five. Oops, I see I have chosen six. But the great thing about Blogland is that no-one will mind if I bend the rules just a little! No fines, no jail sentences, no dirty looks or swear words or rude hand signals.

That is it, I am emigrating ....

Exposed

I have decided to join Misty Mawn's self-portrait Wednesday. Just for this week. I find it quite terrifying to expose myself in this way. Psychologically speaking, I mean. I have also discovered that the desire to look pretty, good, attractive, or at least to present one's best profile, does not diminish with age. I have discarded the first pics I took, which were all meant to show me in a more desirable light, and kept the bits that I think are brutally honest. Well, here you have it.
Me.

Sick ...

Poor L'Usband has the flu and I am nursing him back to health (poor L'Usband, indeed!) No, actually, I am quite a good nurse - very patient and supportive and all that. Fluffing up pillows, making hotwater bottles, timing medication, taking temperatures - that kind of thing. So much so, that blogging will have to take a backseat until he is better ...

A paper package full of yumminess ...

I just LOVE getting mail! And a package is even better!! And a package from overseas just thrills me to bits!!! Last week I received this from the lovely Linda Sue of All I Ever Wanted. Illustrated dictionary pages (enlarge the photo to see what a South African duiker is); a collection of the most beautiful papers; anatomical drawings (love them!); printed papers and the lovely St Lucia - she of the eyes; flower cutouts from textured paper; an art magazine and a book of the architectural drawings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. I can't wait to get my scissors and gluestick and hands (and mind) into these - I foresee a lovely collage-project coming up! Linda Sue, thank you for knowing exactly what makes a paper-girl's heart beat faster!

A Happy Birthday

To ME!!


I am ancient today. Ancient!! But who cares? I had lots and lots of roses, I had friends and family, I had love, I had wine. I danced the tango in my living room, I had hugs and kisses, I had a beautiful, beautiful day!

Long overdue ...

Some very nice bloggers have given me some very nice awards/tags recently (my definition of recently is very flexible) - the wonderful poet Khaled KEM gave me a Fabulous Blogger award, Jesse, she of the amazing tea towels and fantastic drawings, gave me a Kreativ Blogger award, Anjie of Pompom Emporium whom I met during the TAD challenge, and who makes all kinds of lovely goodies, most recently a lemon drizzle cake, yum, gave me a Fabulous Blogger award and now Lynne (who has a clothing store in CT which I will have to visit soon!) has also given me a Kreativ Blogger. Wow, I feel quite overcome, thank you all very, very much!

I have to list 7 things (but I'm going to make it 8) I love (or are addicted to), so, here goes ...
1. Coffee. First thing in the morning. Especially Woollies' Italian blend, plunged in my plunger. For a cup out, definitely vida e caffe or Seattle Coffee shop
2. Car boot sales. I am addicted. Especially our local one where I always manage to find some quirky, amazing bit of junk.
3. Reading. Love a good book. Just love it! Just finished José Saramago's the History of the Siege of Lisbon and Kate Atkinson's One Good Turn, almost finished with The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, halfway with North and South (Elizabeth Gaskell). I have to read two or three books simultaneously ... not sure why ...
4. Movies. What can I say? I obviously have a desire to live other lives vicariously through books or movies. Last night I finished the mini-series, The Line of Beauty, based on the Alan Hollinghurst novel. It was jolly good, if somewhat depressing. Have also recently finished the BBC series Cranford, as well as North and South, and Wives and Daughters (all based on Elizabeth Gaskell books). They were all fantastic. North and South just has the most romantic kiss on a station platform, oh, I shiver just thinking of it ...
5. The view from our living room across the bay to Simon's Town. It never fails to uplift me.
6. Making things. Or thinking of making things.
7. Synchronicity and discovering unexpected connections.
8. L'Usband. Always.

If you've read through this list, you're tagged!

Me ...

(picture above: temporary tattoos that kendalee sent me, left: wind, right: water)
Esti tagged me to answer the following questions about myself:

what is your current obsession?
matching colours to paint chips, re-inventing signs and symbols, thinking about my zine

what are you wearing now?
black cotton drawstring pants, grey long cotton prayer shirt, black leather cuff. big silver ring, bare feet, reading glasses

do you nap a lot?
no, but I may take a little nap on the sofa if I've had a long walk in the morning or if I'd gone to bed after 2am.

who was the last person you hugged?
l'usband

what is your favourite tree?
i don't really have a favourite real tree. My favourite tree would be an imaginary one with a door in the trunk leading to a cozy little room with books to read and thoughts to be thought and hanging from the branches would be chocolate cupcakes and strawberries and making music amongst the leaves would be a tiny jazz band and there would be little stairs going up to the branches with a platform where I could lie watching the clouds in the day and the stars at night and from where I could see see four different views - the sea in the south, snow in the north, the desert in the west and the mountains in the east.

what´s for dinner?
bread baked by l'usband and soup made from leftover curry - butternut, potato, carrot, lots of chillies, coconut milk, vegetable stock

what was the last thing you bought?
an ice cream for l'usband

what are you listening to right now?
the very loud and strange-sounding hum of the desktop computer - i hope it is not also going to give out on me ...

what is your favorite weather?
sunny and warm, with a very light breeze

what is on your bedside table?
reading glasses, book (richard dawkins's the god delusion), perfume, two chinese fans

what is your most challenging goal right now?
to make a living freelancing

say something to the person who tagged you.
your art is beautiful

if you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where do you want it to be?
i already have it, right here

favorite vacation spot?
I don't really do vacations. I prefer holidays at home. But weekends away: Karoo (Prince Albert), Napier, Riebeek Kasteel

name the things you cannot live without.
l'usband, lindt chocolate, coffee, books, a sea view

what would you like to have in your hands right now?
all of the above!

what is your favorite tea flavor?
Five Roses Chai Spice

what would you like to get rid of?
hatred, unkindness & prejudice in people

if you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
a tango hall in buenos aires

T-A-D #10 The 21-Year Request

Rehash of an old one - albeit with new hearts & new embroidery. (I am running out of ideas.) Maybe I can hang this on the wall opposite our bed so that it is the first thing L'Usband sees when he wakes up tomorrow. (Tomorrow is the anniversary of our first ever date, 21 years ago. 21 years!!)

...fabulous ...

I got this lovely award from Khaled over at Khaled KEM - he writes moving and clever poetry that always makes me think ... Thank you so much, Khaled! (Plus now I have a little puppy, even if it is only in the picture!) I am going to change the rules a little and allow myself some time to think about my list of 10 nominees ... but I will be posting them by the weekend, I hope!

On Being Connected / Disconnected ...

Dear friends! The building that has been going on next door has turned into a bit of a disaster when the grader ripped our telephone cable and ADSL line to pieces earlier today. Let's just say that new and rather interesting swear words have seen the light of day!

Our neighbour (who is building) has now temporarily reconnected it with an old piece of telephone wire he found in his garage, so my words to you are winging their way along a scrappy piece of wire lying out in the open amongst builders' rubble! I am very grateful to him, as Telkom (our phone and internet service) will probably take several days to respond. Maybe he got tired of the dirty looks I was casting in his direction through our window!

The solution is not ideal (and I am already looking worriedly at the clouds gathering in the sky - can a piece of scrappy wire survive rain?), so if my posts disappear for the next couple of days, you will know why...

Strange how I've come to rely on this blogworld contact - I really felt quite suicidal at the thought of not being able to post for a few days! A bit obsessive I know ... Also, I have to finish that T-A-D challenge! I HAVE to!