Quietude...

As the year end approaches,

I find myself in a quiet place...

a state of rumination,
reflecting and letting go.

Gosh, what a year.

2011 has been the hardest year of my life.

Hands down, the hardest.

Hope and heartbreak has been the recurring theme,

with December bringing more heartbreak than I thought I could possibly bear.

But if there is anything I have learnt this year,

it is that no matter how tattered your soul may feel,

there is always a chance to heal...

if you allow this of yourself.

~*~

This week Anthony and I clocked up six years of wedded bliss...
(and I can say, without an ounce of doubt, that we will still be blissfully married in 60 years time...the health Gods willing!)

Despite the turmoil around us this past year

(and really, just about every year of our marriage)

we are stronger,

more in love,

more devoted

than ever.

When you marry the man who has a heart as expansive as the sky,

and as warm as the sun...

the man who knows just what to say,

just when you need to hear it...

(or when to just be silent)

the man who worships you for all your shortcomings,
yet never makes you feel as though you are anything less than perfect...

the man who takes the heart you have entrusted him with,

and cradles it away in his own stronghold of flesh and blood...
(where you know it will be safe, cherished, always...)

the man who tells you that you are beautiful,

when you are feeling anything but...

the man who makes you feel like a queen,

every day,

yet who you would still be utterly content to spend the rest of your days with should you ever become paupers...

...then you will never, ever spend a day unhappy in your married life.

If you know a man like this, ladies,

grab him and never let him go!

But sorry, this one is already taken ;-)

(Of all the anniversary gifts I received this year, I cherish this one the most...)

~*~


In other news,


India is still a princess...





and Jett still loves dirt...








*le sigh*


Such a girl.


Such a boy.





Oh, and let me introduce you to Bruce...





He is our resident water dragon...


he hangs around in the yard (or the pool),
and jumps up on the window sill outside the lounge room when he wants some dinner...





I love his armour...





And if you ask India, Bruce would make the best pet *ever*...


~*~


And finally, in studio news...


My Etsy shop has been closed for a few weeks,


though I hope to re-open sometime in January.


I won't be accepting any custom orders,
at least not in the immediate future.


I just don't have the heart for custom work.
(Nurturing my family and caring for the terminally ill is just about all my heart can bear right now)


Though these two hands of mine cannot remain idle,


so there will be new work...


...soon.





~*~


Good bye, 2011...


...see you on the other side, my friends!


Much love,

Time for play...

Spring is in full swing here in Sydney,

so trips to the playground are a daily event.

Our favourite playground has a view...

I mean, LOOK at that VIEW...!

Spider Girl loves climbing...

(note Jett sitting quietly on the slide...bless his cotton socks!)

...when she's not busy keeping a look out...

...or counting...

Jett likes the slide best...

...bottle in one hand, and he didn't spill a drop!

And, of course, there are the swings...

...which is MY favourite!

;-)

I hope there's been a big dose of fun in your day too!

My Creative Space...

I hate wasting metal,

particularly as the price of silver keeps going up and up.

So, the question arose about what to do with the centre I sawed out from my *Moroccan Trinkets* motifs...

The answer?


Make Moroccan Charm Bangles!

Simple and sweet,


and guaranteed to sing a tune every time you move!


I wish I could take all of the credit for these,


but I did have a little help from my apprentice...

He's very enthusiastic!

To see what other creative people are up to, head over to Kootoyoo

P.S.  Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

M is for Moo and D is for Dirt

An exciting little parcel arrived in my mail box last week.

Wanna see?

My Moo MiniCards!

Aren't they sweet ♥

The front of the card features a photo of my new *Desert Flower* Ring in turquoise (but more on that later!)

The arrival of these little cards means I'm one step closer to officially launching my Etsy store.  

Exciting!


By the way, if anyone is interested in having some Moo cards printed, I have a voucher code which entitles you to 15% off your first order.  Send me a message if you're interested!

~*~

One thing that is apparent about selling online is that excellent photos are essential.  

So to hone my photography skills, I've been taking the camera with me everywhere, capturing photos of everyday life, at different time of the day and in different lighting, and experimenting with settings on the camera (I'm convinced you need a university degree to work the darn thing!).

A wee spider decided this rusty old bell was a good place to call home.  I have to agree.  Although I imagine it gets rather noisy when the wind blows :-{

Seems I'm not the only one with a door obsession at the moment!

I never knew it was so difficult to take decent photos of clouds until I tried!

Mother Nature creates the most exquisite shapes, don't you think...

Rust is made up of an amazing depth of tones, that only time can create...

Some of my Grandpa's old tools, probably even more charming now than when they were new...

And whilst I was busy taking happy snaps, Dirt Boy was at it again...

Boys will be boys!

Unlike last time, India decided to join in the fun.  She was happy to sit and collect stones for a while...

...until she saw Jett covered in dirt, and decided she wanted to paint a dirt moustache on her face...

One thing I've learnt is that it's difficult to hold the camera still when you're laughing your head off! LOL


~*~


A few new Moroccan-inspired creations have been churning away in the tumbler for the last few hours, so I will to have some new jewels to show you soon!