berry-ness

Mulberries :: enjoyed and quickly photographed before they were all gone.

Little treasures of deliciousness, from our backyard. Only a tiny tree, but we are getting about 10 or so berries each day. Sharing and enjoying them just as they are - full of warmth from the sun. Despite her funny facial expressions, she really does love them. Her stained mouth says it all.

Memories of my childhood, of days spent in the branches of ancient trees with school mates. Filling our bellies, and returning to the classroom with red lips, tongues and stained clothes.

waiting

for these beautiful new season nectarines to ripen.

Bought yesterday at the organic farmer's markets, where we do our weekly shopping. I couldn't help myself when I saw the baskets of red.

The aroma of them, sitting in our kitchen, is almost too much. Sweet and delicate.

Waiting for breakfast tomorrow.....

Also enjoying Ari coming and showing us his random assortment of letters he has written. Asking what does this say.

almost four

Ari will be four in just over a month.

At the moment he is such an intensely sweet boy. He brings me flowers, and little leaves; when we were at a park party this weekend past he went off with all the big boys to look at the jumping-off-bridge, and he came back (the smallest one, wrapped in my sister's jumper) with a cluster of leaves he had picked up for me. They looked like a flower. He handed them to me with a matter-of-factness, yet a simple lovingness as well. And then went on with doing his playing of running around with his cousins and friends.

The other night, while I was lying with Mishi on her bed giving her milk, he lent his head over his bed railing and said "I can't stop thinking about you". Every night he needs me to hop into bed with him, after I've fed Mishi. And he says that I can't forget, I have to make sure that I do lie with him too. Even though he's fast fast asleep I lie down beside his warm and tossing body and listen to his steady child breathing.

He gives me the most delicious kisses. Sometimes little kisses all along my arm. Such sweet tenderness. I truly know that he loves me. Mishi doesn't like to give kisses very often, but Ari always does. And hugs too.

We have fantastic conversations together. In fact, he rarely stops talking. Even in his sleep. He notices everything, observing more than I expect a four-year old to; I know he gets that from me (in fact, I think he's taken that from me, as I seem to have lost it!).

He always knows whats going on, listening and asking. Constantly asking. Wanting to know about so many things. I tell him I don't know, that we'll find out.

Just now, when he went out with Sam to go skateboarding, he came and gave me a kiss goodbye. He lent against me, eyes closed, lips on mine. 'Bye, see you, see you soon.' Such maturity, and depth in his look and his voice.

I can't fathom who he will be, even in year, let alone as a young man, or a father, an adult. I know he will be opinionated, wise, loving, gentle, funny -on so funny that boy of mine.

He seems to have a definite artistic leaning, which is to be expected considering our whole extended family has talents in many creative fields.

Some times he talks little stories, the whole time he's playing or just doing something random he'll be talking out what he's doing as if it's a story bout someone else. Things like (but not these exact words, as I can never remember the exact words) :: 'then the boy went and he talked on the telephone. And he was drawing a picture of a robot. And the boy was wearing a blue shirt.....'. We often have shows to watch, performances in the loungeroom. He and Mishi rehearse; Ari sets up stage lights using things like pieces of lego or some colourful coasters or rocks. We have to sit and watch and listen and clap. Of course we enjoy it.

He is melodramatic too. On the weekend, he fell and hurt his foot. Blood, and scrapes, and exposed flesh. I wasn't allowed to put any teatree oil on it. He lay on the couch for almost an hour, moaning extravagantly. He wouldn't get dressed for the party we were going to, lay there in his pyjamas. Flopped across the couch cushions, calling me to help him. And for days he talked about his blood, that he couldn't walk properly because of his sore. Oh, I remember doing things like that.

He talks about when he's older. How he and Ashy will live together, and will I live with them too. about when he can drive a car. And that I told him I would take him to the snow one day. Yet the other day he asked me why big schools don't have toys (toys are what he calls play grounds, swings and things).

Lately he's been planning his birthday party. Pretending to phone people, on his own no longer working mobile phone (kids nowadays have many playthings don't they?). Telling me what sort of cake he wants. And what games we will play. He knows the street name of the park we have decided to have his party in; and tells people 'the party will be at W*** St'.

He'll come home happy about having been skating, telling me the things he did. And then he'll be tired; dinner time, and bed time. Upset that he can't come out with me and Mishi when I go for craft night. Yet understanding and accepting, and having a lovely time at home with just Sam.

And then falling asleep as soon as he lays his head on the pillow (like I used to). And sleeping, and dreaming...........

this is finally off my to-do list

Have had this little project sitting in my head, and then half completed sitting about waiting to be finished. Finally late last week I just DID IT!

I am so so so happy with the results, that I've wanted to use the bag every day. And show it off to the lovely ladies in the lift going to the supermarket, or down at the swimming pool.

Ari drew the picture straight onto the easy-cut stencil paper. It was similar to a drawing he'd done a few days earlier, and I gave him strict instructions to make it a good drawing. (You know when they have the 'good paper' to make a card for a relative and they just scribble, when only moments before they'd produced a 'masterpiece' on a scrap).

So, I hand cut the stencil. Which I love doing. Really fun - maybe I should do more papercuts and work with that more.

Then that stencil sat around while Ari and I waited for some time together without Mishi. So that he could help me with the screen printing.

Ultimately I think he got a bit bored with the whole process of setting up - taping up the screen, mixing the ink, setting up all the fabric and marking it all out. But finally we got to the fun part of pulling the squeegee across that silk stretched taut over the frame. And that perfect sound it makes.

And even though the prints aren't perfect I love them. Actually, it's because they aren't perfect that I love them. I love that my son, my not yet four year old drew (we call it designed), and then hand screen printed his own bag. And I sewed it up for him. We also made one for a friend's birthday, which we gave with a sweet little book about a platypus.

I used the hemp / organic cotton that we use in our Red Seed Studio cushions. The natural as the main bag body, printed with blue ink, and then teamed with blue handles and a blue collar (well, the inside top bit of the lining - as the bag isn't fully lined due to the fantastic weight of the fabric on it's own).

More bags will be coming soon. I do think we have enough bags in our house, but I love them. So, more gifting needed. Also, if anyone is interested in a custom design bag or purse or cushion, I'm really interested in moving in that direction.

bedside table

Now, to a lot of you, a bedside table may not be such an important or noteworthy thing. Not even the actual table itself, but the fact of having a table. Of having the space for a bedside table.

For about the past almost four years we have shared our bed(room) with one and then two little children. When my son was born of course he slept in our room. First in a little bassinet, then in a cot that was pushed up against our bed. But mainly, really, he slept in our bed. Actually, he spent quite a lot of time sleeping on my chest. Which, really I loved and miss so much.

We managed to move him out of our room, and into his own room before my daughter was born. Mostly he did stay in his room, with times of coming into our bed half way through the night. Yet when Mishi was born Ari wanted to come back into our room. He didn't want to be on his own, with the rest of his family in one big bed together. And I understand. I didn't want him in his own room. I wanted my whole family in with me.

So, that's how it's been for the past 19months. Four in the bed. Ari in his own little kid bed, but pushed up against our bed, so easily rolling and tossing into our bed. And Mishi in our bed too, generally right beside me, generally drinking lots of milk from me a lot of the night.

But there comes a time when you say enough is truly enough. And you need to kick the kids out of your room! Does anyone know where I'm coming from? I so want them to be able to jump into bed with us, but not until at least 7am (or okay, 6am I'll put up with...).

I have lovely memories of sleeping in the bed with my mum and dad, or of climbing into their bed in the morning. Those lovely talks and tickles that a family has before they have to get up and go out into the world. The way, as a kid, you can lie and listen to your mum and dad talking, and be part of that adult world for a few moments. As things talked about in the family bed are precious and true and love and warm. Memories. I hope there are lots of kids out there that have the opportunity to have such warm memories as I have of those moments of my childhood. I hope my own children do.

Yet - I know for my own sanity that I need to have the space for a proper sleep, without kids tossing and turning or kicking or suckling or waking me endlessly. I need to have a decent night's sleep to continue to be a better mother during the day. Finally, I have no guilt at putting them in their own beds, in their own room.

And boy have I liked having our room to ourselves again. Of having the space for a bedside table, With flowers - jasmine flowers have filled our room with the most intoxicating aromas of spring. Of having a lamp, and possibly night time reading - though the reading hasn't quite happened with all the sleepless nights preparing for Red Seed Studio!

And now, with only one bed and a "proper" bedroom set up, I have been making the bed each morning. It feels lovely to see a fresh, neat bed, and not a tumble of sheets and mixed up doonas.

Of course, Mishi still spends many hours in our bed, but slowly I can feel that will ease. They both go fairly happily (mostly) into their own beds. In their own lovely little room, a room for siblings to play and read and make believe and sleep and tell secrets!

summery market day

Well, after a busy and tiring two+ weeks preparing; the Southbank Young Designer's Market has come and gone.

We had quite a lovely day (albeit tiring, standing all day in the hot afternoon sun).

Only a few photos of our stall. First of all we forgot to take photos, then when we remembered the sun was too shiny on all our things. Oh well. More markets to come. This coming weekend, in fact. Our stall wasn't set up quite as we would have liked, due to market restrictions and the wind - so next time we'll take more photos, as I know it'll look more like we imagine - more the way it should.

I am so pleased and proud of what we produced. The work that Sam particularly put in these past weeks to get all our work done is amazing. And the results are simply stunning.

I for one, really like everything we had for sale. And, you know what - it's all us. Looking at what we made (and believe me, we made everything ourselves*), I see us in it all. You know when you see something and think 'hey, that's cool, or beautiful or funky or.. whatever word you may use - wish I could do something like that'. Well, that's what I think when I look at our own things. The tag we made to sew onto the cushions (and when I get to making our own screen printed bags and purses and things) is so cool - I love it. I'll take a photo tomorrow to show you.

Canvas artwork :: Sam's original hand drawn images, scanned, then printed, coated and stretched. Also matted prints of same images - right size to fit into a normal photo frame.

Hand screen printed hemp / organic cotton cushions :: Again Sam's designs, hand cut stencils, then hand screen printed (by both of us) and sewn into cushions by me. This fabric is so soft and textural to touch. I loved cutting and sewing it; using this fabric is more than just the feel - it's the thing of trying bit by bit to use things a little more environmentally conscious in their process and growing and manufacture.

Little by little we know how we want this small business to try and evolve. We have so many ideas - and can talk and talk about them together. I hope we can watch it unfold happily and successfully over the coming weeks, and months.

I have my regular fortnightly craft night tomorrow, with some lovely friends, at my beautiful sister's house (her house is beautiful, and so is she!). So, I'm off to bed to dream up what craft I can take and work on - this seems to be the only dedicated "me crafting" time of late.

Memories for Ari :: these last few days you have been saying "I don't have any time for me" or "I want some me time". You say it with such meaning, as if playing with Mishi is simply too much and you want to play on your own - and that no one ever lets you play on your own (or read a book, or listen to your own music once in a while or....).

*I do have to admit that some things we had a little bit of family help with, to get it all ready in time. Sam's parents for so helpful. His dad stayed up late helping with the printing, and his mum looked after the kids for both weekend days (long days too). And Sylve helped with kid caring (even though she was sick, and is was her only day off work), and she made a few fabric covered buttons too.

Introducing

Here is the reason I've been absent lately ::

It's going to be a rush to the finishing line - as usual. But I'm quite (well, sort of) confident that we'll get it all done, and be happy with it. And we keep talking positively about how well we'll do there (and that we'll actually make some decent money after all our hard work).

I'm still working on the blog for our new business. Finding time in between sewing and choosing fabrics, and finding wholesalers, and watching plays in our lounge room, and learning screen printing, and making cubby houses. And rearranging our whole house. And .....

So, if you don't see me around here much over the next little while, you might find me over here. Or at least, hopefully here. Possibly I'll be visiting you, when I steal a few moments for my guilty pleasure of blog surfing.

Mostly I suppose I'll be sewing or printing or planning or budgeting or just looking at the lovely fabrics (hemp and organic cotton), or having fun buying wholesale(!). Or at least playing with the little ones.

PS - In other exciting news, today I am officially a real driver. My P's (provisional) license is up, and I'm on my proper open license. When I drove today, in the pouring rain, without those green P plates on my car I felt a little loss of security. Though Sam assured me that the P really didn't make much difference to to drivers around me.