Double

Illustration Friday theme this week is 'double'. When I was a kid, we used to say, "I'll double you," which meant two people on one bike. Usually on the back carrier but sometimes precariously balanced on the handlebars. I did a search for that expression but couldn't find anything... did anyone else say this or is it some weird archaic New Zealand thing?

Fabric Love

Treasures from our Tauranga opshop adventures. Lots of fabric, and some plates. I've always loved patterned things, and my cupboards are full of fabric that is waiting for its final destiny as some incredible upholstery project which possibly will never happen. Here are some addictive little links that regularly feed my fabric love:

Retro Age Vintage Fabrics

Revival Fabrics 

Print & Pattern        

Spoonflower            

Sad

Two people I knew died this week. One was a family friend, part of the fabric of our childhood, growing up in Wellington. He had Parkinson's, and died suddenly.  His name was John.  The other person wasn't a close friend, but she was someone I often met in the theatre world. She was an actor and director. A person with presence and charisma, and kindness. She always asked how L was, even though she didn't really know him. It's hard to believe she was here, and now she is gone. It happened fast - she had problems with her vision, she went to see the doctor, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and two weeks later she is dead. Today I caught myself growling at L, and felt sad that so many moments are spent acting without thinking, when really they are so precious. Today I also came across a wonderful story, with photographs, on a site called 'Days With My Father'. Beautiful. Truthful. It's been a strange and unsettling few days.

Breakfast

This week's Illustration Friday theme: Breakfast. I enjoyed doing this one because I gave it more time, and more thought, and less fretting.

Road Trip to Tauranga

Holiday. Car stuffed with bags, duvets, extra pillows, and one small boy with huge excitement and an ability to eat a week's worth of food in two hours. Perfect golden driving weather, strangely warm. Stops for iceblocks, duck feeding and scenic photographs.

We stayed in a rambling old motel at the edge of the sea. We visited Mum, who brought us a gift basket of grapes, mini chocolate bars and magazines. A veteran opshop lover, she patiently carted us around to all her favourites and encouraged L's new opshop addiction by slipping him money when I wasn't looking. Back at home, he has now set up his very own personal bedroom shop  with carefully priced armies of stuffed toys set up in rows and an 'Open' sign on the window. (And hopes of making vast quantities of money).

It felt calmer down there. Sedate. Or maybe it was because I was away.  Going away always starts up the 'I wonder if I could live here?' fantasies. It doesn't really matter where I am. It's like trying on a place for size, like a pair of shoes. Tauranga, although warm and comfy, would get a bit tight around the edges, I think. But going away - I love it. Shakes things up a bit. I'm back feeling inspired to make some changes, dig myself out of a few more ruts, jump in a few more deep ends.

Snow is in the Air

There's snow in the air, drifting up from Mt Ruapehu. It's freezing, but it doesn't snow. It doesn't snow in Auckland. Has it ever? I just had to look that up, and yes, it did snow once, on July 27, 1939. I would quite like it if it snowed again. It would be an historic occasion. 

These are the colours that are part of our winter blanket supply. They are also the fabrics that remind me of when I was very little - candlewick, chenille, flannelette, wool. I love the labels on the woolen blankets, which are harder to find these days. They have become a bit trendy and are being made into cushions and soft toys. I have been collecting them for ages and like the sight of them piled up in the hallway cupboard in all their icecream-coloured glory.

Colouring In

The weather gods heard me mention the words 'oasis' and 'spring'. They rubbed their gnarly grey hands together and cast another gloomy blanket of rain over the land. "Ho ho ho," they said, "That will show her."

It is the second day of the school holidays. The rain buckets down. This is our envelope for The Envelope Project. It was a collaborative effort between L and me.  I would like to say that we spent a pleasant morning colouring in companionable silence, a pot of delicious soup bubbling away on the stove. No. The concentration lasted all of five minutes and then it was back to explosion noises, whacking hard surfaces with cushions and shooting aliens with gigantic rocket blasters. I did like digging out my old box of coloured pencils - now I have to decide what to put in the envelope! You can look at the entire project on its own Flickr page.

Winter Saturday

Winter trees, frost on the car. Sometimes in the middle of winter there's a little oasis of blue sky and sunshine, and it feels as if spring could be just around the corner.