dizzy

I think one of the things that can hinder us from productivity is the internet. Tumblr, emails, blogs, google, twitter, facebook and all those other social networks.

 That we can find, see or say anything in a flurry of text and a click of a button - it scatters us. It makes us impatient. And, I believe, it makes us numb. 

Scrolling through tumblr blogs has trained my eyes to flicker lickety-split over the beautiful photographs. I fly through a blur of colour and creativity until something captures my eye. In barely a second I size the photo up. Does it have that special something? Is it interesting enough? Is it me? If so, a click or two and it appears on my blog. If not, I'm back - skimming through the pages of exquisite beauty.

Someone has taken each one of those photographs. Every one is unique, special and so lovely. Yet "I don't have time", I tell myself, to look closely at each one. To notice the details. Admire the composition and light. To imagine the stories that lie behind. 

Yes. Life is short. Time is precious. And this is why we can't afford to whiz through it all, dull our senses by demanding the best, seeking the perfect. 

We seem to thirst after perfection. Spend our lives chasing after it. Look on anything that isn't perfect as useless, or ugly. We're becoming almost Nazi-like in our outlook on life. Selecting the best out of the mass, adding it to our collection - discarding the rest. Don't we do that with people too, sometimes?

Are they interesting? Smart? Funny? Creative? Do they 'click'?
Yes?
In they go to our exclusive group of friends. Someone who we would be happy to share our time, money and love with. What if they don't suit our standards? We drop them. Let them go. Keep searching. 

Abortion is another example of this relentless hunt for flawlessness and our stinginess with what we have to give. Tens of thousands of lives are being wiped out around the world each day. 

Each one full of potential. He could have made his grandfather laugh. She could have written a song that touched the hearts of thousands. His dad could have taught him cricket in the backyard. He could have saved a life. 

But those precious lives are cut short before they even have a chance. 

Why?

Not enough money. Not enough time. Not enough love. Or, sometimes, it's just not what was wanted. She was a girl. They wanted a boy.

We are spinning faster and faster, spiralling out of control. Busy, stressed, instant, easy, quick....' I've noticed these words more and more lately. In advertisements for wrinkle cream. On soup packets. On billboards along the highway. In book titles. People want it perfect, and they want it pronto. 

Slow down. Look closer. Marvel in the details.

'How has practice been this week?'

I'm unwinding my bow, watching the snowy hairs lose their tautness until they are perfectly relaxed. I slide it into its case and pick up my violin.

'Good.' 

My teacher looked up, waiting. 'But?'

I slowly rubbed the tiny flecks of sparkling resin from the warm, honeyed wood of my violin.

'I just don't feel...creative, or something. I can't feel the music. I'm playing this beautiful Beethoven Romance and it's just...I don't know. Blank?'

She takes off her glasses, her blue eyes wise and pondering. She leans back in her chair.

'With art, you can't always feel creative. Impossible! The feeling part - that will come. In the meantime, don't wait around for inspiration to come to you. Revel in the miracle of each note. The wonder that, by drawing the bow across the string you create sound. Beautiful sound. Feel the pleasure of your fingertips pressing into the steel. The very bones of violin playing.'

On my way home, I pondered that thought - gazing out the window at the autumnal sunset. 

'Marvel at the miracle of each note. The wonder that, by drawing the bow across the string you create sound. Beautiful sound.' And by adding notes, high, low, dark or light, slow and brooding or skittering merrily after each other, lightning fast - all these fitted together make up an exquisite melody. Music.

The next day I am up at dawn to practice. Tiny wrens flit from branch to branch outside my window, and I hear a magpie warbling lustily somewhere in the garden. Do birds wait around for inspiration to sing?

I open my case, gently lift the instrument from its velvet bed, the cool wood familiar against my skin. Just play. Fingers poised on the strings. I start to play, releasing the first pure line of a Bach Partita into the clear silence of the morning. Just at that moment, the sun slipped its radiant head from the clouds and a beam of warm light filtered through the window, resting on my violin and making it glow.

I smile. 

Inspiration.

creating an atmosphere

image via lucette.tumbr.com

It's a stormy afternoon here - trees are tossing wildly about in the wind, rain is streaming down the window panes and the view from our house is shrouded in a grey mist. Inside though, all is warmth and cosiness with Chopin piano Nocturnes and a hot pot of tea and warm apple cake by my side.

I love creating atmospheres. Recently, I had two friends come up and stay for the weekend. We had planned for bonfires and camping, but it poured rain for the whole time. Instead of tents, we slept in the cubby house up at the top of our garden. It could have been musty and cold and miserable - but after a quick sweep and tidy, we lugged up armfuls of blankets and pillows, set about dozens of jam jar lanterns and made a thermos of hot cocoa. In no time at all, the atmosphere had been completely changed. As the rain beat down on the roof, we sat inside - woollen blankets about our shoulders, steaming mugs of cocoa warming our hands, and the candles casting a beautiful flickering glow around the room. The time we spent up in that cubby - huddled together and chatting until the early morning hours - will always be a precious memory.

For me, the things that really make an atmosphere are the people, music and the actual setting. Whenever it's my turn to make dinner, I usually begin by tidying up the house to make a clean canvas. When things are messy and cluttered, it makes my mind feel messy and cluttered too. There is something so peaceful and welcoming about a tidy home. Next, I like to pretty things up a bit. A jug of flowers from the garden, a candle or two, turn the lamps on and set the table. Then the music - usually jazz for the evening. Ella Fitzgerald is one of my favorites.  By the time dinner is on the table, the atmosphere is complete. Instead of an ordinary dinnertime we have a family feast with delicious food, good conversation and beautiful music.

What are the things that make an atmosphere for you? Do tell!

P.S. I have made a tumblr blog - the beautiful is as useful as the useful

on words...

I love words! Here are some of my favourites:

conversation

marvelous

glow

sweet

dear

darling

ducky

quaint

bookish

dreamy

shimmer

inevitable

motherly

lovely

hope

illustrious

luminous

rustle

intelligent

dedicated

ambition

success

posy

petal

scent

music

warm

bouquet

elusive

friendship

solitude

classy

unruffled

reflection

suave

bright

float

clink

splash

charming

delightful

jaunt

explore

cloud

flit

billow

listless

Just reading through them makes me happy!

 Do you have any favourite words? 

Hello World // Just for Fun

Hello there! It's been a while - again. We've got a bit to catch up on, my blog and I. Firstly,

Happy Spring (for back in September!)

Isn't that frothy creaminess exquisite?! Peonies are one of my very favourite flowers. Spring was a lovely time this year. One of the loveliest things was that I had my birthday - and an Edwardian Garden Party to celebrate. More on that later.

Next, Happy Summer!

I am just loving the summer holidays. Sea breezes, sailing, wind-swept hair, fresh watermelon, long bike rides at dawn....these are just a few of my favourite things of this season.

Happy Christmas!

How was yours, lovelies? I spent a blissful few hours hidden away in my room, humming along to Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald as I let loose with the brown paper and string. It's such a beautiful time of year.

Lastly, Happy New Year!

This year has been a big year. Probably the hardest, but also the most exciting and blessed. I'm so looking forward to the year ahead! What are you all doing to celebrate? Any New Year's resolutions? This year I'd like to get better at French, read a lot of good books, and make more time for the things that really matter.

One more thing, before bedtime, for fun. :) By this person, via Carlotta

Things That Say a Lot About People

the way in which they treat the waiter/waitress
how they feel about the weather
whether they dog ear pages or highlight in books
fingernails
and hands in general
their preferred creative outlet
how much they dread/enjoy talking on the phone
whether or not they drink coffee
if they ever forget to eat
how honest they are with themselves (and others)
if they correct your grammar
and whether or not they get nervous before haircuts.

I. I think waiters and waitresses should be treated politely, but not too chattily. Putting yourself in their shoes, I'm sure it's refreshing to meet a costumer who returns a cheerful hello. Everyone matters. But I rarely make conversation with strangers. 

II. The weather is a big thing for me - it definitely effects how I feel. I like both rain and sunshine, but after more than three or four days of drizzle start to feel a little Eeyore-ish. I love being outside in the fresh air, and I absolutely adore walks in the pouring rain. I prefer warm weather to cold, as it's so much more motivating!

IV. I have to keep my nails fairly short because of violin and piano, and they're usually painted with clear or a very pale pink polish. Fake nails send shivers down my spine.

III. I don't think I've ever dog-eared or highlighted anything in a book, apart from my Bible. I've started keeping a literature journal though, so if I read something that grabs my attention I can jot it down to mull over later.

V. I have quite big hands, with long fingers. They go purple when I'm cold!

VI. I have a lot of creative outlets, music probably being the main one. Photography, writing and cooking are my other favourites.

VII. I don't talk on the phone a lot, but when I do I usually love it. My best friend and I can talk for four hours without stopping.

VIII. I've just discovered coffee. And how incredibly wonderful it is. I rarely drink it though, as I want to avoid too much caffeine while I'm young.

IX. The only time I forget to eat is if I'm really immersed in doing something creative. Sometimes when I'm practising violin or piano I'm having so much fun I lose track of time and just can't stop!

X. I think it's really important to be honest with everyone, including yourself. I only share personal things with my closest friends, but there's a fine line between pretending everything's perfect, and burdening people with your problems. I think one should always be open, but positive.

XI. I love good grammar. So yes, I do mentally correct other people's mistakes!

XII. I've never felt nervous about getting my haircut, but then again I've never got anything very drastic done at all. I'm sure I'd feel a few butterflies if I was about to get bobbed!

That's all for now folks! Have a wonderful week. 

holidays

       Today was a grey day, but of the best sort. Of the sort that doesn't matter if you don't feel motivated and disciplined  - because, for once, you don't have to be. Today was the start of the holidays. That blissful feeling of knowing that you don't have to do anything, flooded my soul from the  moment I opened my eyes  this morning. And so I didn't do anything. I closed my eyes again. I didn't go back to sleep, just lay there, revelling in the luxurious sound of rain pitter-pattering on the roof.

At about 10 o'clock, I enticed myself out of bed with the thought of a cup of tea, which I got - along with a book - and returned to my bed. And there I stayed for most of the day, until in the late afternoon I sprang out, got dressed, scribbled down this post, swept the floor and made an enormous batch of creamy potato and bacon chowder for tea.

Sometimes it's doing absolutely nothing - thinking nothing, planning nothing - that replenishes the inspiration and enthusiasm for work and creativity. Yes, too many lazy days can dampen and snuff motivation, but if rare, they are just the thing for refreshment and inspiration. Now, after a day of nothingness, I feel not only ready, but enthused for a productive holiday. My head is brimming with plans and ideas - without my trying to put them there.

Happy holidays.  

Hello

What a horrifyingly long time it has been since I last blogged! Dearie me...

Unfortunately, my head has not been stuck in the Lord of the Rings for the whole time. 

Violin practice, maths, geography, music history and theory, violin practice, English, French, Biblical history, violin practice,Aristotle (yes - I am determined to broaden my literary horizon!) violin practice....and oh! did I say violin practice?

 These and many other things have been filling my life to the brim. 

Another post coming soon! 

I promise.

In the meantime, have a look at this

It's directed towards storytelling/writing but I found it applicable to other areas of life as well..
It's very encouraging - highly recommendable.

J

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas, everybody!

May your weekend be filled with joy, laughter and many happy memories.

More photos to come...

Blueberry & Almond Cake

There is something immensely satisfying about baking with your very own home-grown, hand picked produce.

Our blueberry bushes are laden with fruit this year, so yesterday afternoon I whipped up a delicious Blueberry & Almond Cake.

Blueberry & Almond Cake

4 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup self-raising

150g melted butter

1 cup almond meal

250g blueberries

Preheat the oven to 160˚C. Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 8-10 minutes or until thick, pale and tripled in volume. Sift the flour over the egg mixture and fold through.

Fold through the butter and almond meal. Pour the mixture into a 20cm x 30cm slice tin lined with baking paper and top with blueberries. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Turn onto wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Pink Party

Yesterday afternoon, we had a party in the orchard for my sister’s 10^th birthday.

She had a few friends over to help celebrate, and we all had a lovely time playing games, eating the delicious party food, and opening presents.

Here are some photos...

The Cake

Musk Lollies

Cucumber Sandwiches

The beautiful table in the orchard

The Birthday Girl and her friends

Pink lemonade!

Sally was under the table, waiting for some manna to drop from Heaven

3-legged races in the garden, which somehow turned into a hopping contest!

Pink Jelly Lamingtons

Last week, my camera lens broke because I dropped it (!) so while it's getting fixed, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite photos I have collected over the years. Enjoy!

Images via lucette

The Lost Art of Letter Writing Part I

I orginally wrote this as a guest poster on Holly's blog but for some reason a whole paragraph was cut out and I couldn't fix it.

I was going to post part II this week, but I've lost it (!!!!), so here's part I while I re-write part II.
Enjoy!


After arriving home from a holiday last week, I picked up the pile of mail that lay on the kitchen table and shuffled through it. There, among the colourless business letters and gaudy Big W catalogues, lay an envelope with my name on it, the address written in beautiful swirling handwriting. Turning it over, I noticed an exquisite seal of red wax, with a pretty 'A' imprinted on it.

After dinner and a hot bath, I made myself a cup of tea, lit my bedside candle and - feeling like a heroine in one of Jane Austen's novels - broke the seal of my precious epistle. It was a letter from my friend Alice; two delightful pages of amusing stories, news and questions.

In this era of emails, texts and social networking, the experience ofreceiving a handwritten letter is rare. People no longer take the care and time to sit down and write a proper letter, or even a thank you note. There is nothing more delightful than getting an unexpected letter from a friend, it makes one feel so special and loved knowing that someone has taken the time and effort to create something just for you!

I love writing letters. the ritual of sitting down at my desk, carefully selecting the pen and paper, and contemplating the words to be written, makes me yearn for the "old days" in which text-talk and Facebook were as unheard-of as walking on the moon. I keep all my papers and stamps in a beautiful box with a sachet of lavender, so every time I lift the lid, I am greeted with that distinct fragrance that brings so many precious memories racing to mind.

I keep my letters in a drawer of my desk, all tied in red velvet ribbon. Among them are letters from my older sister Kate, who wrote to me while she was studying at university in Sydney. I loved racing up to the mailbox to see if the long awaited-for letter had arrived. Her letters, written on thick cream paper and with a proper quill pen and ink, often made me laugh out loud, and I treasure them lovingly to this very day. I also have letters from my darling great-grandmother, who is now 100 years old (and the best letter writer I know!). Her letters hold a special place in my heart, and though she is now unable to write, I still keep in touch by sending her long newsy letters about the latest escapades of our family.

One of the most exciting letters I have received was a letter from Queen Elizabeth's Lady-in-Waiting. I wrote to the Queen for her birthday in 2009 and a few weeks later received a reply on thick white paper with the Royal Coat of Arms embossed on it.

Dear Elizabeth (it said)

The Queen wishes me to write and thank you for the letter and kind message which you have sent for her Official Birthday.

Her Majesty was very pleased to hear from you, and I am to thank you most sincerely for remembering the Queen at this time.

Yours sincerely,

Susan Hussey.

Lady-in-Waiting

I was so excited that I had got a letter from somebody so famous!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Part II coming soon....

Party!

A few weeks ago, my friend Holly threw a party for her 13th birthday. The theme was that you had to come dressed in a costume from any period before the 20th century.

As you can imagine, it was HEAPS of fun! Everyone looked amazing and we all had a fantastic time.

Here a few photos of the dress I wore. To read all about the party, go to Holly's blog.

Guest posting over here today...

Tagged!

Both Lauren and Alice have tagged me with the Lovely Blog Award. Thanks girls!

In this tag, you have to list seven things about yourself that people may not know, then tag 15 other bloggers. Not sure whether I can come up with 15 different people to tag but I'll give it a go!

Seven Random Things About Me That You May Not Know

1. Kevin Rudd is my fourth cousin twice removed
2.I wrote to the Queen for her birthday in 2009 and got a reply from her lady-in-waiting

3. I have extremely weird dreams all the time. The other night I had one about mum making me swim 5 kilometres while carrying my handbag and water bottle.

4. I absolutely ADORE mint and chocolate biscuits

5. I have really long toes

6. I started playing soccer but after one game I quit

7. Everyone who knows me calls me 'Eebee'


Okay! So now I'm going to tag just a few girls - Bri, Kenzie, Briony, Alexandra, Jessica, Bria, and India.

Have fun!

Happy Spring!

Goodbye Winter!

Well, today is the very last day of Winter. I am so looking forward to Spring, but there have been some things that I love about the cold season. Things like:

♥ Curling up by the fire with a good read

♥ Long, brisk walks with the dog

♥ Bokeh

♥ Cute flannel pj's

♥ Snowdrops

♥Beef Bourguignon

♥ Endless games of Scrabble and Take Two

♥ Beautiful white mornings

♥ Nursing a cold with an enormous pile of Donna Hay magazines and steaming Peppermint Tea

♥ Crisp, clear nights with an amazing view of the stars

♥ Hot chocolates

What are some things you like about Winter?

I love this!

Image courtesy of That Kind of Woman

I love roses...

Couldn't resist capturing this beautiful rose this morning.
I'm really sorry for the delay with the Kusodamu Ball tutorial. It's coming!

Kusodama Ball Tutorial, Part 1

And finally, the long-awaited Kusodama Ball tutorial! I'm planning to do this tutorial in three parts over the next few weeks. Have fun!

Kusodama Ball Tutorial, Part 1

In this post, I'm showing you how to make the individual petals for the flowers. All you'll need is 60 pieces of paper cut into 8x8cm squares.

Step 1. You start with a square of paper.
Step 2. Fold it in half to form a triangle.
Step 3. Fold the left corner up to the middle corner.
Step 4. Do the same with the right corner.

Step 5. Fold the left point in half again so the edge of it is exactly in line with the outside edge of the square.
Step 6. Do the same with the right side.
Step 7. This is where things get a bit tricky! What you have to do now is open up the left flap you've just folded, and flatten it out.
Step 8. Do the same with the other side.

Step 9. Fold the top of the left triangle down so it's level with the edge of the paper.
Step 10. Do the same with the other side.
Step 11. Fold the left triangle back together again along the crease you've already made.
Step 12. And the same with the other side!

Repeat with the other 59 squares.

I'm still trying to work out how to make my photos bigger, but in the meantime, if you click on each photo they'll come up in their full size and you'll be able to see the individual steps more clearly.