Giving Money as a Present
I’ve got money on my mind. Our nephew will be 18 soon and we don’t know what to get him. Money is the obvious thing but is it a bit of a cop-out to give money as a present? Can’t we be more imaginative. Can’t we be bothered. Aren’t they worth more than that. The thing is that money has its uses it can be: A resource with which someone can use for what they really want. An exchange of energy, you earned it and now you are passing that energy on. Empowering, I remember getting money as a child...
read moreCreative Up-date
Wow I just realised I hardly ever write about my creativity any more. So just to show that it’s still ongoing here’s some of what I’ve been up to in the last while. Weaving with birch bark: What a great experience it was to go on a course which took me into a new realm. Trying to remove bark the other day I sliced my thumb so lots to learn but it got my out for a lovely walk. Made this little felt panel to try different techniques. It was lovely to just play with no end destination in mind. Collage: Set an intention, such...
read moreCould I Be a Minimalist?
”I have come to define minimalism as the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.” by JOSHUA BECKER at Becoming Minimalist. If that’s the case then I find myself an aspiring minimalist. Okay, I can hear the guffawing and sniggers from some of you. But that was then and this is now. Then I was suckered in by all the consumer society had to offer, I was feeding low self-esteem with things, trying to be someone, live some way, I thought would make me feel ok;...
read moreAnother Simple Card Idea
Making cards IS super simple. Here’s another idea: Fold a piece or card or fancy stiff paper in half to form the card. Choose two pieces of paper from your stash. In this case I had some paper saved from a birthday present and an old chocolate wrapper. Choose something to add-on top. I choose some pearl buttons but it could be anything you have to hand, some string or braid, leaves, a pressed flower or simply a shape cut out of another piece of paper. Cut out some shapes from the paper and glue them on to your card. Add...
read moreLast Minute Card Making
I found myself staying away from home, without my usual stash of papers and bits and pieces. WHAT DID I DO? I asked for and was given a piece of A4 printer paper which I then folded in half and then half again, voilà a card! I then cut out pictures I thought he’d like from a free magazine I’d picked up in the supermarket. I borrowed glue and stuck them on the front. I borrowed pens and wrote Happy Birthday and my message inside, and just for added extras I wrote the number 3 all over the front. Card making can be as...
read moreLast Minute Present for a 3 Year Old
Despite my best intentions I left getting a present for my 3-year-old nephew to the very last-minute. The reasons why this happens are endless but happen it does, here’s what I did about it. I found myself, the evening before last posting day, shopping in a well-known supermarket, were I remembered: NO PRESENT! Determined not to cave in and head for the toy aisle, I carried on with my shopping holding the intention that there would be something I could get. BINGO Firstly I bought a small bag of chocolate eggs, what child doesn’t...
read moreFear!!!!!!!!!
What if I’m making a big mistake and regret getting rid of something? Fear has raised its ugly head. Could it be that I am in some sort of madness; that I’m possessed with a crazy notion which I will snap out of only to discover that in my haste I have turned my life upside down and inside out and there’s no going back? The “what’s if’s” are flooding in. What if I’m making a huge mistake. What if I regret getting rid of something? What if it turns out I did need that thing? What if I...
read moreSquirming With Stuff
Clearing out “Stuff” is certainly confronting me with myself. BIG ENORMOUS SQUIRM I mean, it’s ridiculous how much I have and even more squirmy all the reasons why. When you start to shift the physical stuff it loosens all the emotional attachments and allows you to see more clearly what has gone on, and how on earth it all got here in the first place. Yesterday’s junk: I couldn’t say NO when people offered me things. I’ve got lots of gifts I never liked or wanted but felt I couldn’t get rid...
read moreI Do Not Need All This Stuff
After 10 days living out of my rucksack I am convinced. I DO NOT NEED ALL MY “STUFF” I’m fed up feeling bogged down by it all; cleaning it, tidying it, trying to organise and store it, mending it and getting mad with it. During 14 months away living on a very small boat I hardly missed any of it. BUT what did I do? I came home unpacked and re-attached to most of it. I’m a little frightened actually it’s not so easy as it sounds. I cleared out masses of stuff before we went off sailing so now we’re talking...
read moreSimple Decorations for Home-Made Cakes
Bringing this over from an old blog to show just how simple and delightful home-made cakes can be. These started with a simple Victoria Sponge recipe and I added tonnes of chocolate, sweets, buttons, time and love and they will be delighted. “THAT is very nice Mummy, it’s VERY chocolatey” ” Wow, it looks great Mummy.” “It’s fantastic Mum, thanks.” Go on have a...
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