All posts filed under: Life Adventures

Weekly Photos 2017.8/52

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1 – 2. Presidents Day was a sunny warm day and we went for a jaunt around Forest Park (along with the rest of St Louis!). 3. Following the strangely warm weather, the apricot tree was in full bloom by mid-week, unfortunately the warm spell was followed by a couple of nights of freezing temperatures, so the flowers are looking a little droopy, but hopefully they will hang on and we will see some fruit. 4 – 5. I met some friends for coffee at Rise coffee and we chatted and drank coffee with a pretty design in the frothy milk! 6 – 8. It was estate sale treasure hunting time on Saturday morning, I didn’t buy the giraffe or the amazing rainbow art (someone had bought that already), but I did get a few bits and bobs.  I usually look for paper I can print or draw on or books I can use as journals, so I found a few books and some old typing paper with a lovely texture. 9. These are some …

How did 2016 go? A personal year review.

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I have precisely three memory cells in my brain, so I keep a daily Moleskine planner for each year. Not for artistic endeavors (although I plan to try this in 2017), not for meaningful goal setting, but for pure and simple remembering what the heck went on that day.  I have a collection of filled diaries and I like to look back and see what we were up to on this day in years past or check what presents were bought or received for a birthday or Christmas. Because no, my three memory cells can’t hold it all in.  I don’t record each day minute by minute, some days I miss altogether, but I do manage a few words or a sentence or two most days. So when I thought I little 2016 review post would be a good idea, the first thing I did was grab the Peanuts Moleskine from 2016.  I have immediately learnt that I need to be a little more specific in my diary entries – goal for 2017. Here is …

Bag of entertainment for kids big and small

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When my boys were younger, I always carried a bag with us whenever we went out for a meal or an appointment or on a train journey.  Ours is a fabric drawstring bag from the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, small enough to fit in another bag but big enough to hold plenty of things to do.  An innocent looking bag which contained all I needed to keep the kids occupied and happy while we waited for food or the doctor or travelled on the train or a plane. Of course there were often phones and iPads involved too, especially on plane journeys, but I always brought the fabric bag as ‘non screen’  back up. So what is in this magic bag of entertainment? No magical unicorns I am sad to say. One of the best and simplest things I always had in there were the drawing books, plain paper, lined paper and the mini doodle book.  Enough for one each or we would draw on the same page or take turns adding to a picture. The …

Some joy is needed today, here’s what I am doing.

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Maybe not all of this will be achieved, but I will give it a go! Making butternut squash risotto for family dinner. Drinking tea. Making a colour palette. Drawing manatees and reading myths about them. Art Journaling. Putting photos in their album. Laughing as I listen to Just a Minute on the Radio 4 iPlayer. Cleaning the kitchen floor… Knitting my scarf which I keep neglecting. Read some of the pile of library books I have just borrowed. FaceTime my mum and dad in the UK. Hanging clothes to dry in the sunshine. Looking forward to my kids coming home from school. Going metal detecting after school. Watch ‘The Big Bang Theory’ tonight with a glass of wine. I hope you are doing lots of good things today. Happy Wednesday  x      

What do I want to do when I grow up…

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My teen has a field trip to a career fair this month and it is not the first he has been to, they are very keen on careers and knowing what you want to do when you grow up in this country. Blimey, I am not sure I know what I want to do when I grow up even now, maybe I need to go to a career fair! I do remember talking to the career advisor at school and getting a print out (on green striped paper with holes down either side) of possible vocations. Milliner was top of my list along with lots of other options I can’t remember. Pretty specific, milliner.  I am not a hat maker, but I am fully submerged in the art, making and creative aspect of my world. What about a money making choice though? I would like to follow a path into the world of art and illustrating, maybe stationary, postcards and colouring sheets.  I like to write about all kinds of creativity, doing it, finding it …

Weekly Photos 36/52

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1-3. We visited Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Park on Monday last week as it was Labor Day here and everyone was off school and work in our house. It was an impressive bridge over a creek where kids can paddle and look for rocks and arrow heads. 4. Near the park was The Old Curiosity Shop which sadly was closed as it was a Monday. I wonder what treasure is in there! 5. We spotted this old sign in a field so of course I had to snap a photo. 6. Lunch at Fozzies,  a local sandwich shop with a trailer along with the raised beds and vegetables and herbs. 7-12. On Saturday I was up with the lark (and the dog) to go to Mount Pleasant Winery for a fundraiser for Pedal the Cause hosted by Core 3 Fitness.  I took photos for the event and I got to visit the wine cellars which were amazing. The cellars sounded like crickets and smelt like well, wine. I got to explore the winery and …

Topping up Creativity.

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I am pleased to say that my creativity levels are usually brimming and this week was no different. Just to keep everything bubbling and brewing in my imagination I decided to get myself onto the Metrolink, jump off at Skinker and scamper across Forest Park to the Art Museum. In fact I scampered to the Missouri History Museum first catching a couple of Pokemon on the way (for my son, I know, I am a good/crazy Mum!).  It was a lovely day, not quite cool, but certainly better than it has been in the humidity department. The Little Black Dress exhibit at the  History Museum is about to close, so the pressure was on to see it.  I wandered the dresses for a few minutes, sketched one or two and snapped a couple of pictures. Honestly I was underwhelmed, I mean it did what it said on the can, there were black dresses, but it was nothing amazing. No matter, the St Louis Art Museum had been calling to me all morning, so even though …

Postcards from the Past.

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Sending postcards from holidays has always been a mainstay of my travels, don’t forget your address book and a stock of stamps or be prepared to find a local post office. I think this is a British thing, postcards don’t seem to be a big thing here in the USA. I always spent an hour or so at the beginning of any travels writing postcards then searching for a post office to post them!  Of course they always arrived home after I did, but it is the thought that counts isn’t it? I suppose anything in the mail is no longer a big deal, until you get something like a surprise postcard or letter.  I love to get a card from a friend, for no reason, just because.  Handwritten and chosen for me! I try and send out cards regularly too, I will grab a few postcards from Ikea or some vintage cards and send them off into the world. I have collected a few old cards over the past few years and I really …

Weekly Photos 30/52

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  Today we are enjoying slightly cooler temps and some rain.  I walked the dog in light rain this morning and we both were grateful for the relief from the scorching weather we have been having lately. Having said that we are going to see more heat for at least the rest of the week.  Sunscreen and hats always at the ready! In the meantime I am sitting on my porch writing this and listening to ‘Steve Wright in the Afternoon‘ on the BBC iPlayer. Crazy lady sitting on the porch listening to the radio! Here are some photos from the last week. 1. Some weeds I picked up along the dog walking route.  I sketched them and took this snap. 2. This leaf was almost glowing with colour as it sat on the floor of the path through the woods.  Is Autumn coming?  Not yet I don’t think! 3. We have seen some beautiful cloudy skies this week, these yellow leaves are the perfect contrast. 4. Fabulous tomatoes at Tower Grove Farmers Market here …