Birthday Wishes

I turn a year older in a week's time! 

When I was younger, this was much cause for celebration. I remember a friend who would anticipate and plan her birthday with an almost vengence-like glee every year, announcing to all that her 'celebrations' or 'festivities' were a series of many dinners, parties, get-togethers with different groups of friends, lasting for as long as two weeks. 

And children (mine certainly) so often look forward to their birthdays simply because it's the perfect opportunity for them to lay claim to presents or privileges that their parents may otherwise consider too extravagant or indulgent.

For someone whose family circumstances meant that birthdays throughout childhood and teenage years largely passed unnoticed like any other day, I am now simply grateful for that obligatory song and cake routine, the chance to 'make a wish' and blow out the candles. And that birthday wish? For many more years of laughing, loving, learning and living to come, surrounded by all my wonderful family and friends.

'Twenty years from now 

you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do 

than by the ones you do. 

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. 

Catch the tradewinds in your sails. 

Explore. Dream. Discover.'

                                                                                                        - Mark Twain -

Sheon

A Custom Fit for a Princess

Hi there!

How have you been? Hope February's been great for you so far...

It's always been a real pleasure to be able to make something for babies. So when sis-in-law requested a custom order for a pair of baby booties to go with one of the headbands in the shop, I was excited. As usual, the creative juices started flowing and wouldn't let me re-hash one of the old designs...so it was back to the drawing board...and here's the result...



The booties were supposed to go with this headband...

The 'fuzzy' looking yarn (interestingly called 'SOOKY') from the headband was also used for the bootie sole. Despite the 'fuzzy' look, it is amazingly soft to the touch, as verified by the 'face test'.
-- this involves putting the yarn to your face, literally! (read about this some time ago in a crochet book). My daughter gave it the thumbs up after I 'put it to her face' : ))

Despite the nature of crochet products giving the booties some stretch, I 'concealed' an opening in the flower decoration ....

here you can see one of the flowers 'unbuttoned'

A regular cake box was modified to contain a 'window' for final packaging of the 2 items...

What do you think? If you have ideas about packaging booties and such, I would sure love to hear them.

Serena

Heart to Heart

With Valentine's round the corner, have you planned a gesture of love for the special people in your life yet? 

Nothing grand or expensive for me, but sending some heartfelt sentiment on this day dedicated to love is a must, not only for my significant other, but also for dear friends, co-workers and those whose lives are closely inter-twined with mine. 

Not only is it a chance for me to show my gratitude to them for their love & friendship, it is also a reminder that I should appreciate these wonderful people who fill my days with laughter, encouragement and meaning.

And, the die-hard romantic in me would like to share this poem with you. It never fails to move me - the persona gives voice to an experience of awakening that is so tenuous yet so intense and moving at the same time... somewhere i have never travelled
by e.e cummings
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond any experience,your eyes have their silence: in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me, or which i cannot touch because they are too near your slightest look easily will unclose me though i have closed myself as fingers, you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens (touching skilfully, mysteriously)her first rose or if your wish be to close me, i and my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly, as when the heart of this flower imagines the snow carefully everywhere descending; nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals the power of your intense fragility: whose texture compels me with the color of its countries, rendering death and forever with each breathing (i do not know what it is about you that closes and opens;only something in me understands the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses) nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands Happy Valentine's Day! Sheon

Timelessness

Have you ever felt that you had so many things you needed / wanted to do and wished that you either:
a) had 36 hours a day - that should just be about enough time to fit everything (work, family, friends, hobbies, entertainment, exercise...) in
OR
b) had a magic pill that re-energised you everyday so you did not have to 'waste' time sleeping...


Wishful thinking of course.
No matter how hard we try to 'utilise' our time fully, it invariably slips from our hands...
Before we know it, the fridge needs re-stocking, it's a new week at the office (feels like we never went home?), an entire month of 2012 has flown past and all too soon, our children have grown sooo tall...


Here's a peek at how I try to make my moments count - with a little handmade calendar for the year, featuring none other than my favourite people of course! 
I'll be journalling on the reverse flap of each month so it's a keepsake of special memories even after the year is up. 

Before I dash off, a little quote to share:

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

The Summer Day by Mary Oliver

As for time, well... let's see how little sleep we CAN make do with ya!

Sheon