In the mood.

This is photo above is of my handbag which I purchased in Japan in 2005. In it is a make-up bag from the Ripponlea school fair I purchased for $5 and my wallet, kindly given to me by my sister after my handbag was stolen in 2004!



I have been working on a small tapestry to start me on my creative journey. I commenced it whilst in my last week of pregnancy, I was resting and needing something to do with my hands as I found in the heat I felt cumbersome and tired after exerting myself. and had to spent intervals resting on the couch, not wanting to watch TV. The tapestry became
some time out. The tapestry is quite cute, eventually it will have a little house with a pathway to the garden. It certainlyhasn't been difficult and I find it's like reading a good book you think "I'll do one more colour/row then put it down" only to find you have been working on it for over 2 hours. This is timed by the childrens sleeps. The difficulty has been ensuring I have tied up my loose threads at the back correctly. I could never show the back because to a professional embroiderer it would look very ameuterish, but I'm doing it not to become a professional embroiderer more as a keen hobbyist. When this is finished it will be a bookmark. I am then going to attempt a cushion cover and will also have to purchase a 'hoop'... any new toy is exciting, I find thateven though it is a little acquisition, it's still
something to look forward to.

I do find it amazing that after years of prolific outpouring of drawing, painting, sketching and collages, I just haven't done anything really creative in well over 2 years. It is disappointing but I am finding I am slowly starting to be re-inspired... I just need to reclaim my work space which has been sadly overflowing with papers, folders and all various items that don't need to be thrown, but thoughtfully put away. Yet that is my dilemma, storage space, a least one I have been gradually working on. I have this theory that every time I go to Ikea I will purchase one item at the very least that is for storage. Since I go there at least once a month, I should have my goal of having the house organised by the end of the year. One item I would absolutely love to purchase is a set of architectural drawers, you know the 
timber ones that any budding Antique store (Think on Chapel Street Prahan/Windsor) will sell
for an absolute fortune. There must be a bargin out there for me, otherwise I have seen a handy
modern set at Ikea (suprise, suprise) and that may be an alternative for the moment.

I have a picture of one of my silk paintings that I started this time last year! and I have placed the frame in the hallway still to be finished..this year!!



Funnily by the time I have this house organised, I would like to move. I am really craving (yes like food) timber floorboards! Oh how I am not a fan of carpet in the living areas. Our previous apartment had timber floorboards with carpet in the bedrooms. In my dream home I would timber throughout. I'm not fussed whether we ended up with an older style home as in an Edwardian or Californian Bungalow or a newish home, like our current abode which is a 70's modern townhouse, but there's at least 4 requirements I have that must be on the list for our next move! They are:

• Timber floorboards throughout (or compromise at least in the living areas)
• At least two toilets, We currently live with a bathroom, ensuite and powder room and it is fantastic to have the facilities so no-one is jumping up and down waiting when they need to go!
  
• Kitchen to have a dishwasher (we have one now and it's a life saver)
• A larger backyard.

In retrospect I could keep living where we are but now as we have been here for more then
two years and I'm comfortable here, BUT I  do feel frustrated that we can't alter anything and we are starting to run out of space! 
( I'd make an offer to buy the place and may consider that option down the track, say before we move?, otherwise we would move!) Anyway running out of space as an example, My computer is in the lounge room, and I have my office/creative stuff in the study which is a studio/nursery which hasn't been set up properly for lacking storage space, so I have all these beautiful gifts for my baby girl strewn on my 
drawing board.  The problem is the studio space is so small, I thought of swapping it with
Orion's room but it seems alot of effort for not much space gain. I've even thought of the kids sharing but it doesn't seem to solve any space dilemma's and 
not really fair to shuffle Orion and on top of that have a noisy baby in his room.
Really I'll have to add to my aforementioned wish list.

• Larger bedrooms and preferably four of them! Could I be really be hopeful and request with built in robes too!

We had mooted going to the 'dark side' which is north of the Yarra so not so much a 'sea change' but a 'life style' change! I'm still not opposed to it, it's just logistically would it work? I'm scared of wether it's the right thing to do, about leaving my mother's group friends who reside all around us! Having just joined another local playgroup and being close to the ocean. But I guess we see how we are placed by the end of the year, you never know what's around the corner and I certainly am teaching myself not to try and reflect on the "What if's?", when it hasn't even happened.