A Country Wedding

 My niece Katie and her beau Anthony were married on Friday at Mudgee in country NSW.  It was a perfect wedding and the day was a warm blue sky one.  We stayed in Mudgee for a few days and enjoyed all that this lovely town has to offer, eating out at little cafe's serving delicious local produce.

The wedding was perfect in every way and Katie looked so beautiful! Gorgeous old wedding cars....

 The reception was a black tie affair and we enjoyed champagne on the lawn at Bunnamagoo Winery as the sun went down, moving inside at nightfall into the marquee decorated with chandeliers. Lovely food and wine, good company and plenty of dancing!

We reluctantly headed home after a fantastic few days.  Thanks Katie and Anthony!

Finding a Rhythm

Bookmarks

I've been cross examining my time this past week and I've found that early morning (6am to 9am) is my peak productive time.  For anything really.  Who would've thought?  Now, after breakfast - oats, blueberries and greek yoghurt...I enjoy a cup of coffee, then art! I'm working less days in the shoe store, so the pressure is off there for a while, giving me more time at home.  I'm in the studio in the afternoons & evenings too, but doing different things that need less concentration.  A good time for planning etc.

The result is I am back into the rhythm of making art again.... And the exciting thing is, that I've found an outlet to sell my art & designs.  More to come on this....  Right now, everything is too nebulous to share. Definitely an exciting development!

These bookmarks were made purely for the joy of colour!

Have you ordered your copy of Seth Apter's  The Pulse of Mixed Media .  I have and can't wait for it to arrive!

Creative Process

Star Jasmine

Our garden renovation continues with more plants being pulled out today.  Gradually a plan is emerging as to how we want it to look.  A mass planting of star jasmine will give us a beautiful carpet/ground cover (see above) and an informal hedge along our fenceline of Murraya Panniculata is on the list.  Both are fragrant and pretty.  We will need a couple of tall feature shrubs and I am researching those to find the right ones for the spot.  Something with colourful flowers ......

Murraya

Right now the garden is full of weeds and looks quite ugly and messy.  My garden buddha sits calmly in its midst, waiting patiently for it all to happen.  Creating is all about the journey however, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the process, however long it takes!

Managing Time

I need to work on my time management.  My beautiful niece Eliza is an expert at this, fitting absolutely everything into her day.  She multi-tasks with elan - Uni assignments, social things, time with her man and family, things that nourish her.  She is as happy as can be!

So I need to emulate her somehow.

I work random days, anywhere from three to five days a week and travel (drive) nearly an hour each way to work, not returning home till around 6.30pm.  I do get tired and need down-time to recharge my batteries.  I fit in some cooking, shopping, housework and gardening.  Then there is art to be made.  Or not, as has been happening for the past few months.  I miss it and would like to somehow find the energy to fit it into every day, like I used to.  There is time there, I know it!  Ditto for morning walks with Jess the Border Collie!

And energy giving Yoga, where has that gone?  And reading books - it's been an age since I've read anything more than a magazine!

I need to up-pedal and grab some up-time, making sure there is still down-time too.  It's that balance thing again!

Plan of Action:

• Ditch TV in the evenings - and make art after dinner
• Wake up earlier in the mornings - and take the Jess the Border Collie for a walk before breakfast.

Your thoughts and suggestions on time management are welcome...................