Wednesday 22 February 2012

A Magical Garden


I've been jazzing up my back patio area that is shared with the clothesline and have been attempting to create a focal point, so that the clothesline recedes into the background.  Eventually I will organize a screen of some sort, but in the meantime a frangipani tree in a pot and some gardenias will do the job.  Today I found a copper coloured bird bath that I filled with shells and pebbles and a pottery starfish.  It looks just how I want it to look!

I took my car in for a service today and across the street was the most amazing and magical garden I have ever seen.  Large jacaranda trees out the front, stephanotis climbing along the picket fence, beautifully tended beds and a house that you could barely see for lush greenery!  There was a huge frangipani tree with decorative, sparkly hangings on it.  It was a peaceful scene that has stayed in my head all day!  'The gardener' popped his head over the fence and I had the opportunity to tell him what a beautiful garden he had.  He thanked me and went back to patiently tending his garden.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Indigo Tree

Indigo Tree

I had a much needed day off today.  I saw 'The Descendants' at the movies (loved it!), then wandered over to the Art & Craft shop where I bought a set of Prismacolor  pencils.  I've had a fun afternoon experimenting with the beautiful creamy smooth colours.  I bought a prismacolor pencil sharpener too, so that I can get a really sharp point or a rounder point for blending (need to practice this some more!)

I don't think I will ever get tired of making art with bright colour.  It makes me feel happy.  The man who I send my art to for framing commented that my house must be very colourful - and it is!  If I had to name my favourite colour, I would find it really difficult!

Good to be back being creative & colourful again!


Monday 13 February 2012

Rain Bed & the Garden


This is the "Sun Bed", my christmas gift to Max last year, sans cushion.  Because constant rain has plagued us this summer, we have re-named it the "Rain Bed" LOL!

The sun has been coming out every now and then in between shower bursts, which means we've been able to get into our garden.  The plan is to pull out overcrowded, leggy shrubs (quite a job!) and re-plant more intelligently.  We have pulled a few already, with a few more to go.  Max and I have endless discussions about plants and garden design while sitting here on the front veranda over coffee in the mornings.


A couple of bird attracting native trees will be going in, so that the lorikeets that visit us every evening will continue to come.  Looking forward to planting time - it's one of my favourite things!

Tuesday 7 February 2012

In the Store



Working in the shoe store is good honest work.  And I love it!

My jobs range from serving a wide spectrum of customers (toddlers, kids, teenagers, young adults, mums and dads, middle aged and the elderly), specialist fitting of shoes on difficult feet (wide, large, narrow, small, painful with bunions and needing orthotics etc) to processing (checking & ticketing of new stock) & moving stock to various storerooms (ie piles of shoeboxes) to the mundane like vacuuming the carpet, polishing mirrors.  Then fun jobs like window dressing and creating in-store displays, all in a store that is a family owned business roughly 72 years old!

It's challenging and mostly very rewarding dealing with those customers and the diversity in the job is far from boring.

Today I received a bottle of champagne as a thankyou for a period of very hard work.  The gesture was much appreciated!

Saturday 4 February 2012

Going Shopping!



I'm enjoying preparing for a black-tie wedding next month.  The boys are easy - a black suit and tie with a white shirt and they're done!  And they'll look gorgeous!

Me, I need to go shopping!  I've already found a pair of shoes and put them aside at work - my niece says you should always buy the shoes first, then work your way up!  They are black satin peep toe slingbacks with a flat bow to the side with a small but elegant heel. 

The outfit itself remains a mystery.  If you get too solid an idea of what you want, you'll never find it.  Best to remain open I think!  My daughter says she will come with me on a shopping trip so I will have her as my second opinion.  Fun!

Art has been a non-event for me these past couple of months and it will be good to get back to an art journaling class soon.  So you'll forgive me for using an old painting of mine I'm sure I've blogged before - I really miss smooshing the paint around......!