A change of direction...

It’s been a while since I've done a blog post (crumbs I just checked, it's over a month) and almost as long since I've read anyone else’s. I'm sorry about that... I'm sure I've been missing out on wonderful things while I’ve been missing in action. And no, the change of direction does not involve me becoming a vegetarian!

I've been struggling with what to do about the blog.  To be honest, I've lost a bit of interest.  Perhaps it’s because I've lost interest in some of the related things...if you’d told me six months ago that I would have so many not just unread magazines, but actually unopened ones I would have thought you were the one who was bonkers, not me!

(and that's only a few of them!)

I don’t want to give blogging up, but nor do I want it to be a pressure, or heaven forbid a burden. So I've decided to give it another direction.  I want to focus (no pun intended, or maybe just a little one) on photography. I've been taking lots of photos. I have a new DSLR, I’m also a bit addicted to using the iPhone and posting pictures on Instagram and Streamzoo, and I'm studying.

I’ve tried a lot of things in my life. I'm a "let’s give it a whirl" kind of girl, but the truth is I don’t often stick to anything. Let me see...there have been courses in painting, sewing, writing, styling...although to be fair I did pick up fairly quickly that schlepping around the place with a bunch of props wasn't for me! 

I’ve knitted, crocheted, sewed, glued, drilled. I lose interest quickly I'm afraid.

I’ve been working with a life coach on this...why it is I don’t pursue anything to its proper conclusion, why I don’t persevere. But with photography I’ve finally found something that I want to become really good at, earn some money from sometime down the track, and continue to be thrilled by. And as I heard someone say on the radio the other day "if you don't know where you're going, where you end up is exactly the right place". I like that. It sits well with me.

(my fabulous table tonic necklace...love it to bits)

So my dear friends, the blog is likely to turn into a place where I can post my own images, not shots that other people take. This seems to be to be a sensible combination of keeping the blog going, keeping my interest going, as well as forcing me to do my assignments in the photography course I'm currently studying.  And I promise I will do some interiors down the track! I have just the house in mind.

I hope you stay along for the ride and see where it takes me. Game on!

all images: a tranquil townhouse/Kerry Martin (some using the Canon, some the iPhone)

Jackie French's garden...

I spent yesterday with a group of lovely friends on an Open Garden Scheme tour of Jackie French's garden...

For those who don't know, are too young to know, forget they ever knew, never knew...

Jackie French is a well known and award winning author, columnist, speaker, presenter. She's been on the tv and on radio...she writes and talks about a lot of things, especially the bush and fruit trees...and historical fiction and non-fiction, children's stories, gardening...she's pretty extraordinary.

Jackie's home in the beautiful Araluen Valley near Braidwood NSW was open over the weekend and she was the hostess. So generous with her time and clearly an expert with a vast knowledge honed by an inquiring mind...

 

I lost count of the hundreds of trees, shrubs, plants that she and her husband Bryan care for. You can read a lot more about it on her website as well as about the 140 books she's written...yes 140!  It was a fascinating talk, most of which went right over my non-horticultural head, but wow, what a lovely place to spend a few sunny Sunday hours.

Of course I had to buy a book :-) 

This is part of the foreword ...
"Once upon a time I bought some land. I wanted to build a house, an orchard, a world of peace and plenty..."
Can't wait to read it.

Bless.

soul food friday ~ being in the garden

I have to say that the little townhouse garden is excelling itself so far this spring...

I wouldn't call myself a brilliant gardener...I'm certainly not very knowledgeable about trees and plants and flowers...not like Sarah

But I am completely convinced of one thing...

  ...there are few things more restorative to a sad heart, a tired body or a worried brain than spending some time in a garden...

 admiring the perfect loveliness of a simple little flower and being grateful for the chance to sit for a while and just look

 even if it's only in the confines of a small courtyard garden. Actually, especially in a small space...it reminds me that we don't need all that very much to be happy.

Gardens allow us to just 'be'.

...even if that small garden is inhabited by a mad cat :)

The slayer and I send you our best wishes for a wonderful, serene weekend. Go and smell some flowers  if you can. And as Elvis says...

 This week for the first time I'm joining in with maxabella loves...

all images: a tranquil townhouse

blessings to you and yours at easter...

from me and the vampire slayer...

We'll both be doing a bit of this over the next few days I suspect :)
I hope you can get a load of relaxing in as well. We all deserve it don't we. Yes, we do.

Just like I deserved to get these left over easter flowers from a work lunch we had on Wednesday. 
Perks...I don't get many but I like it when I do :)
I'm taking a little break. Take care and I'll catch you on the other side. I'm off to eat a hot cross bun...or two...or who knows how many before the 22 year old wakes up :)

a cyclamen from the farmers market...

I don't often go to the Farmers Market near my house...goodness knows why...it's a two minute drive away on a Sunday morning.

It's probably precisely because it's a sunday morning that I don't!

I did this week though...as you can see. A pretty $4 cyclamen and $2 pots of coriander and baby spinach.

I bought vegetables and a venison, porcini and hazelnut pate too. Eaten before photographed. Sorry about that. And I'm very partial to an ice bucket plant holder. And garden urns used as ice buckets now that I think about it :)
I'm linking this retrospectively (I do hope that's allowed) to Sarah's link party...good life Wednesday. Because what's better than a $4 cyclamen...except of course, a free one!

cheap thrills...free flowers

I do love a flower arrangement...especially when it's free.  I nicked these flowers from work yesterday...it's ok, I'm allowed and we get new ones every Monday :)

I never put flowers in this spot in the house...they're normally on the dining table.. but I really like it.

And that's what it looks like at night time...

The light is made from a bamboo lantern that I took the candle out of,  wrapped the fairy lights in tulle and just shoved them in. It doesn't appear to be a fire hazard:) I wrote about that here and here.
I got the fairy light wrapping idea from Simone's beach vintage blog (but she'd made a fantastic lightshade with white tulle for her daughter's room). 
Have a wonderful weekend won't you...

flowers, a little painting project...and blogging friends doing it for the floods

I finally picked the last of the sweet peas yesterday, pulled out the bushes and planted some tomatoes...probably too late, but with this weather who in the heck would know! 

My gardenias have been going gang busters and the roses aren't too shabby either...not bad for such a little space and I am enjoying them on the coffee table.  I managed to get my butt out from its perch in front of the tv yesterday and start a little painting.  You know how it is...if you can't have a real one, you paint a pretend one...:))

And for the real crochet deal, head on over to the very wonderful Tina's and buy one of her beautiful garlands with all proceeds from January sales going to the flood appeals.

I'm very much hoping she has hot pink cotton somewhere in her stash! 
And if that's not enough, one of my other BBFFs Kerri at Driftwood Interiors is offering the proceeds from January sales of the awesome prints in her Etsy shop as well...which artwork to choose...that's the question??

And...even more, gorgeous Janette from My Sweet Prints and her assistant Will are offering 10% of profits from sales over the next two weeks...click here. Here's a sample...

I love these girls :)

Have a lovely weekend everyone.
image 1 and 2 by a tranquil townhouse; image 3 by Tina; image 4 by Kerri with an 'i'; image 5 by Janette

glimpses of the townhouse garden...

The weather was so great on the weekend I thought I'd do some much needed weeding in the courtyard. And while I was there...take some photos as well...

This fabulous terracotta sculpture was done by Canberra artist Vivien Lightfoot...who's the first born's best friend's mum...got that! I'm patiently waiting for the jasmine to cover the lattice...because no way am I painting it!

The water bowl is a fairly recent addition that I love....well I loved it once I'd waterproofed it...who in the heck sells you a water bowl that leaks!!

And this is the first time I've had any success with sweet peas...so I'm pretty pleased about that...

Lobelias...so simple but I love them.

The maple I planted earlier this year...that I was told wouldn't grow where I put it....ha! I knew it would :) 

It was only half this size when I bought it for $14 at Bunnings...bargain.

And pelargoniums, or are they geraniums...I never know...but I think they're great too.  And in my opinion, you can't have a garden without a buddha or two...

And hey everyone...thanks so much for all your suggestions and support for the TT subtlety diet...I'm putting some of them in place and I'll up date you from time to time...

But more importantly...I've got some plans for the courtyard over the summer break...which may or may not involve painting out the ugly mission brown on the back of the house and installing some floaty curtains on the pergola!!

Tranquil, yes?

...and of course it's not a courtyard photo shoot without you know who is it!!