A return

I've been thinking of reawakening my blog.

It's been a long time, but I feel like it might be a good thing to have a place to set goals and share the things I manage to get done.

I'm in quite a different place to a few years ago when I was last around here, but in some ways still similar, echoes of the past. I've had another baby and am about to be back full-time studying, and as ever I am trying to fit more crafting into my life while balancing the fact that crafting causes me pain (lack of crafting also causes me pain, but emotional/psychological rather than physical).

So goals for the next month/wee while?
1. do a little bit of something crafty every day. I have long skirts to make, clothes for Miss S (who's now 4!!), a bit of knitting that has been waiting to be finished for a few years that I am determined to get done.
2. Take photos more, of said craftiness, baby Miss A, not-baby Miss S, and other things that catch my eye.
3. My book pile is growing rather than being kept up with, so I want to be a bit more deliberate about it.
4. AND there's that pesky PhD to work on ;) Might do another post of goals for that one. Though I'm not officially back into it till 1 May, I'd like to be able to ease my way in.

To help enable number 1, I've got my sewing machine sitting out all the time, with the laptop away, instead of the previously usual other way around, though bits and pieces still need to be put away from curious little hands.

Another thought of getting back into blogging is to get myself writing more, even just blog posts, and to help myself 'think on paper/keyboard' again which will help my PhD writing.

We'll see how we go :)

photos go on holiday

I'm so glad I'm finally on holiday, I'm in real need of a break, though I have plenty of assignments and readings to get done over my break.

I've been really enjoying taking photos lately, exploring my camera a bit, and I've finally worked out how to do the cool depth of field photos that are all over the place. Here's one of my sewing machine...


and one of Miss S's latest toy.


I took this third photo on our duck feeding trip last week of the sunshine sparkling in the paddling pool.


I've finally got a bit of sewing done, maybe more on that later. Enjoy your Easter weekend.

feeding laughing ducks

We had the most fun I've had in so very long last Tuesday with a bunch of old friends getting together and laughing all evening - I highly recommend it. Though my cheeks were sore for the next couple of days from all the laughing and smiling.

On Friday it was an absolutely gorgeously sunny day and we seemed to be making a collection of stale bread and crusts so we went to feed the ducks. It was a fun adventure with Miss S fascinated by the ducks crowding around demanding food.


After we'd run out of bread we wandered over to the paddling pool...


...where we dipped Miss S's feet in, before heading back to the car and home.


It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon as a family - sunshine and fun all round.

wordless wednesday

washing day

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday

Does anyone even know who started this?

Photo Challenge - Humanity

Over at Dr Cason's blog, she has regular photo challenges, February's theme is "humanity". I took these pics of Miss S and her grandparents.


I really enjoyed the contrast of the small-newness of Miss S, and the more tanned and weathered grandparents.

Pics are clickable for bigger versions.

I look forward to seeing what March's theme is over with Dr Cason.

brain food

Not much happening around these parts, as I've been busy filling my brain with random info about itself and how it can study itself (or others like it).


University has begun with a vengence, and all my lecturers seem to want me to read two massive chapters of textbooks each, so much brain is being overloaded. But I'm still enjoying noticing the little things:

Like speckled eggs.

What interesting things have you come across lately?

have books... will study

It is a miserable wet and gloomy day here, and, after dropping the darling husband off at work, I took Miss S adventuring out in it to Uni to get my books and study notes for the semester, both of us arrived home rather damp. So to brighten our days, here's a few pics I've taken recently on a much sunnier day:

Some of the trees in our street think it's autumn.
(apologies for the hideous smudge, I took this photo through my car's windscreen - it obviously needs a good clean!)

The cross on local Our Lady of Lourdes catholic school and church.

What do you do to brighten gloomy days? -Especially all you Northern Hemispherians hanging out for spring.