Bucket.

I've bought myself another present. Honestly, I'm very serious about my word for the year - I strive to be always present in the moment and thinking of possible presents. I just couldn't resist this clever bucket stool by  Pedersen and Lennard.

Very sturdy, comfy, and you can lift the lid to reveal  storage space. How clever is that?!

Tea and the greatest lemon meringue pie ever.

The girls came for tea a few days ago. And my dear friend Ms Whipping It Up brought  the most delicious lemon meringue pie - honestly, I have never eaten one so good. Ms Whipping It Up is a woman of many talents and accomplishments, but the most important one to me (and my stomach) is that she is a pastry chef extraordinaire. Properly trained and all that. Now when will she bake her next pie? I will have to be there. Yummy yum yum.

 


(Photograph by Grace Stead)
In the background is a bowl of koeksisters, a traditional South African confection. And in the foreground - The Pie. For the recipe, and a look at her marvellous blog, see here.

Have a great weekend, dear friends. Eat something sweet. C'mon - you know it's good for you!

Knit 3.

I am knitting up a storm. Can you tell that I'm stressed? (Work, and some decisions to make.)

At least with my new book, I can knit interesting things, instead of  the long rectangles of the past, which I invariably labelled "scarves" and proudly  presented to husband and sons as gifts (to their horror, I suspect, which they bravely concealed. The horror that is, not the scarves. Well, perhaps the scarves as well.)
This is my beanie. It was meant for Le Husband, but the only one in the house who was willing to model it, was ...

... Le Buddha.
Which was very kind of him. I think I will present it to him as a gift.

Knit 2.

I have finished my 2nd knitting project from this book - a notebook cover. I also handmade the notebook that I sewed into the cover. Actually, the pattern is not very practical - the front and back covers flap open - so it is not something you can just pop into your handbag. Next time I'll adapt the pattern (make it wider) and fold the left and right sides over to sew pockets into which I can tuck the front and back pages of my notebook.

Wow - an entire week went by without me posting anything on my blog. I have been quite busy with work, but I have also been feeling the desire to spend my free time making things, rather than posting about or looking at things.  Hmmmm - is this perhaps the start of that downward spiral that marks so many of my projects and passions ...?
Enjoy the remainder of your weekend, dear friends!

Diary.

One of my creative projects this year is to draw a tiny (6cm x 6cm max) illustration in my tiny moleskine diary of an aspect of my day. Here are some recent ones.

I am not sure how long I will keep this up. I remember trying it before, and it only lasted five days. At least I am on Day 14 now. Yay! I beat my own record.
Have a lovely weekend, everyone. Go beat a record!

Lantern.

Work has reared its ugly head and once again I'm swamped with words.
Words, words, words.
So many words!
I am quite tired of them.
However, I do try to live up to my word for the year and be present in the moment (of editing, in this case), but every now and then I escape and spend time doing something else. Via annekata I found these divine vessels by Sylvia Marius (click on the Made By Hand link - they are incredibly beautiful!) and decided to try out my own version - changing it into a lantern.

I made the circular wire shapes too similar in size, so it ended up as a long tube. Also I did not have a lot of wire to experiment with. (I have since found some in the garage which I will use for my next attempt.) The fabrics used are bits and  pieces I have in my box. But it looks quite pretty over a glass hurricane lamp with a candle inside.

Hot.

What is better than ice-cold watermelon on a hot* summer's day?

Not much, I think.
*We are experiencing a minor heat wave in Cape Town. And no wind.

A word for the New Year (or maybe two)

Last year I chose 'bold' as my word. Well, I did not always act boldly, but I am getting better, I think.

This year I choose 'presence'. Not 'presence' as in 'imposing', but presence as in 'being present'. Here, now, in the moment, paying attention, taking in and living each experience as fully as possible. Bringing something of myself to each experience and encounter. Less multitasking; less speed; quality rather than quantity.

On being asked what my resolutions for the new year were, I told a friend that rather than making a list of resolutions, I will focus on one word - 'presence'. 'Oh golly,' she enthused, 'that is rather nice! What a marvellous word! Good for you! So what did you get?'

Hmmmm.  I patiently explained my word. 'Presence ...  you know .... as in being present ...?'

'Ooooooooooh,' she said, disappointed. 'I thought you said  presents.'

Jolly good idea. So I immediately went out and bought myself a New Year's present - a beautiful vintage Kuba cloth from the Congo.

 

 

I should probably get her something too ...

Let there be light.

Oh my goodness - I ended 2010 with a post about dishcloths. I will certainly have to be more eloquent and insightful with my first post of 2011.

We had a little party - L'Usband & Snous & I. I switched on every string of fairy lights I have; we looked at the sky as the last light of the sun coloured the clouds; we drank champagne. I put on some jazz and Snous and I danced a little. We watched Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, and then we fell asleep, Snous between us. But luckily we all awoke at a quarter to midnight, just in time to burn a sparkler to welcome the New Year.

I wish you light in this new year, dear friends. Light to see the way forward; light to see within; the light of love; the light of friendship. Yes, may you always have ample light.

xxx Anairam