Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A Purple Paisley Pair..

good morning!

thank you for popping in to see me.
i don't know whether i've told you lately
that i really appreciate your visits...
and a big welcome to you
new friends and old!

well, if you popped in to my real house this morning,
you'd find me hibernating a bit today.
the heater's on 'cos it's cold outside..
a kind of dreary looking day.

i've got a throat, slightly scratchy and sore
so i'm nursing it with rest
and the house is comfy and cosy
even though it doesn't look it's best!

yesterday
i was quite industrious
having got this purple paisley in the mail...




i made a pair of purple paisleys..
and called them 'paisley 'if' and 'y'...



"if"

&

"y"



i reckon you'll dig these
if you're a real hippie chick
or just a girl lovin' those sixties and seventies kinda days.


i've matched the backs...


so they look just the same..





one each way...

or maybe with this georgeous fancy pink plate
that my parents gave me for christmas one year.



this purple paisley pair
will look great anywhere!

i'm stocking my little 'madeit' shop
with these two today..
they are 40 cm or 16" square
and being sold as a pair.

{i've had to take action,
as my shelves in there..were getting bare!}

i hope your enjoying a terrific tuesday
whether lying low like me
or as busy as can be...


naturally Carol xox



Sunday, June 26, 2011

Grateful For...

a miracle!

i hope you're having a great weekend...
despite the weather being maybe not too sunny where you are,
or that you're not feeling a hundred percent...
are you up to seeing past that
&
able to have a good weekend anyhow,
being grateful for the things in your life that are good
&
precious?



it is easy to focus on what is hurting
than remember
and be grateful for
all those bits of us
that are still working perfectly.




it is easy to forget
those days of summer when
the sun was beating down relentlessly
and you were sweaty and hot
and wished for a cold day..

when you're fed up and ready to complain about winter!

{or vice versa}



it is easy to focus on the problem

&

forget about the big picture!



the big picture in my life
is that
despite the challenges
i see
 growth in my life
&
in the lives of my family
&
the richness and wealth of all kinds of things and experiences
that we enjoy
in our everyday lives.

i believe in miracles..like tuesday.
when mr m rang early in the morning
asking for help,
as well as putting a little cash in the bank for him
i prayed
asking God to fill his car with miracle fuel...
'til he got to a petrol station.

he had 7 km to get to work
after putting all he had..$2.50 in the tank...
{his gas guzzler still registered on empty!}
he made it.

then he had to get to a petrol station
during his break..
a little money was in the account by ten in the morning,
after a dash by me ..to the bank.

he mentioned his dilemna to a mate at work
and was told there was a closer petrol station
than what he had thought.

a hundred metres from the petrol station
the engine spluttered for the second time
and he was just able to make it
by driving exceedingly slowly and coasting where he could..
into the driveway to fill up!

he was able to refuel his own tank then too..
after a weekend without food.
{he had shifted into another house
he had no money - due to a pay glitch over the queen's birthday weekend-
and his friends mum
had emptied all his food out
while helping to clean out the fridge!}

but i am grateful for miracles
i am grateful
it all worked out in the end.

i am grateful for 'maxabella'
and the opportunity
to focus on gratitude at least once a week..
and put everything back into perspective
when we can't see the trees for the forest!


naturally Carol xox


Friday, June 24, 2011

Under the Pecan Tree..

good morning!

under the pecan tree today
are two bleeding hearts cushions
with irises...

just sitting around
waiting for someone to enjoy their soft cushiony goodness
&
soak up a few morning rays of sunshine!

{maybe with a good book or mag in hand..  :-)  }



the pair on a chair...




next to the ferns,

on the fallen leaves...



basking in the morning sunshine...



navy back..elegant!



aqua & fun!



have a heart!



same but different!

they are like sisters
same family
but different...

i hope you and your family
have a fabulous friday!

{if you ain't got one..befriend one or adopt one..
everybody needs a family of some kind..don't you  think?}

naturally Carol xox


ps..i'm joing up with 'kootoyoo'..a bit belatedly..i hope she lets me!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Theodore Kids 'n' Cushions!

good afternoon!

as most of you know,
earlier this year
i organised a collection of handmade cushions
for theodore ...
a town in central queensland
that had been badly affected by the floods in january.

after sending quite a few up there
we found out that there was a need
for cushions in the youngest classes of the local primary school.

with a lot of help from my bloggy friends
we sent along 35 cushion covers
which were filled by jenny sams and her friends up there
and given to the nanango primary school.

a couple of days ago
jenny emailed me with this photo
of the kids at school
with their cushions...


{sorry about the quality..
i don't have winzip on my computer
so couldn't unzip the original file
so just had to copy the little pic that was sent}

anyway...
all of you who made these covers
can be proud of the work you've done
to bring smiles
{even if staged, some of them..lol}
to these little faces.

what can't be accomplished on our own,
can be done together!


have a wonderful wednesday today...


naturally Carol xox

Monday, June 20, 2011

Thinking of my Boys!

good morning!

it's a fresh and crispy cool morning here
and very beautiful
with sparkly frosty bits
and blue skies.

my mr w slipped through the pay system
at work last week
&
i got a phone call this morning
to say
he hadn't eaten all weekend
and was 7 km from work
hoping he had enough petrol to make it there...
so
as mum's need to do in a crisis
i'm running to the bank this morning
just as soon as it opens!

have you ever been called up like this?

another son
is snuggled up in bed still,
next to this...



my husband and his boss drink this brand of stuff
every day at work.
mr w would get his bosses labels and his own
and send them off.
we received four..yes 4 towels from them
over the life of the giveaway.

they are not very thick ones
but are soft and velvety
and make a great cushion cover!

i took a few inches off either side,
wrapped it around the cushion insert
&
secured it with sewn in bits of velcro..
easy peasy!


the ads said that 'things go better with'..this brand
so mr p
will be sleeping like a baby..lol!
{he's allowed to this morning..it's his day off}

i'll let you know how mr m went...

i'm on my way!

to all you superwomen out there
saving your corners of the universe...

have a supercharged monday!
{with no kryptonite in sight...}


{super}naturally Carol xox


update 9.50am..made it to work..one prayer answered! money in bank..1.7km to nearest servo for petrol and supermarket...to put fuel in his tank and his cars tank at 10.00 am morning tea break!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Saturday Gratitude!

hi everyone!

i am so grateful for saturdays,
so am joining 'maxabella' & friends
at her gratitude link up.

it's a glorious sunny day here today
so i took the time to just drive ...
taking the long way around
on the way
to do my shopping for the weekend!

these are a few things that caught my eye...


don't some things just catch your eye..
i just loved this sweet yellow '50's house
with its white picket fence
and glorious neat green hedge.

then there was this...


a poinsettia bush
covered with bright bracts of deep pink...
fabulous!

then i drove past this...


fm 91.5 broadcasts
music all through the night
so that when mr w is away
i don't have to listen to creaks
and noises under the house...
wondering if they're rats..yuk
or worse still people
creeping there!

i went and picked up a nice hot chook for lunch
&
then called in to hungry jacks
for a saturday treat...


a choc top for a dollar..
yum!

saturdays are different.

i like to keep them free
for
spontaneity...

yippee for a spontaneous saturday!
wishing you the same.


naturally Carol xox

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Soul Rest...

good morning!

usually
i post everyday
except on weekends.

it is rare that i go
more than two days without blogging...

but
i am just slowing down at the moment...
please forgive me
if i take it easy for a while

&
post every few days.


i just need some time
to think.

i'm always interested
in what you have to say...
&
love you just as much!


"come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
"take my yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
"for My yoke is easy
and My burden is light."

matthew 11: 28-30


do you know what your soul is?

it is your mind, will and emotions...
you
are made up of three parts;
your body
your soul
your spirit.

rest for my soul..i'll be in that!

have a deliciously restful day...
see you in a little while
when i've something else to say.


naturally Carol xox

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Glorious!

hi!







these pics were taken
yesterday in the front garden
of
 poinsettia flowers in the afternoon sun...








 "Holy, Holy, Holy,
is the Lord God of hosts,
the whole earth is filled with His glory."
Isaiah 6: 3



enjoy the beauty of today!




naturally Carol xox

Monday, June 13, 2011

On Form!

good afternoon!

today is queen's birthday weekend in australia..
with the exception of western australia.

it's a bit funny really
as the queen's birthday..queen elizabeth that is..
is really in april, i think!

anyway, it's been a lovely weekend.
mr w came down on friday
and so did mr m..
so we have enjoyed beautiful dinners
and our family around us once again..
with the exceptions of mr s..in taiwan
and miss b in canada..and they were missed!

last week my monitor was mucking around
and sometimes deciding to put on a display
and sometimes not..
so we've dumped him
and got in a new model.
i've never had a screen show like this before!

i also got a new hi definition box for my tv
so i can get all of the free to air channels now..
so i've been spoiled in the tech area this weekend.

i did get around to sewing a little though
and used some of the delightful 'dress form' fabric
i've had sitting there for a while...


i love all the fifties shapes of these
and the sharp contrast of black and white on this fabric!



i used the most dramatically shaped black buttons that i had
and some plain black fabric to show up the design more.
today we are enjoying some of this again...

and the day is warm.

i'm so glad it's a good day for the boys to travel with..
i hate it when they have to go on roads that are wet
or foggy!

have a sunny monday...
wherever you are in the world,
if the weather is not
i hope it's sunny in your heart!

naturally Carol xox



ps...this one's still available   sold here...www.madeit.com.au/NaturallyCarol


Thursday, June 9, 2011

This Swings With That...

...at naturally carol's..lol...

good afternoon!

a while back
i made a rectangular cushion
with fabric featuring
little girls swinging on swings
under pink trees with pink hedgehogs walking by.

i have been thinking that this cushion
needed a mate,
a little square cushion
with more ruffles and prettiness...




i think they swing pretty well together..don't you?

where are the ruffles, you are asking...


the ruffles are on the back!

this puts it all in perspective...

i can tell you
that even here in queensland..the sunny state...
it is freezing today
and you may want to wear a scarf
like these,
well actually i wouldn't mind one of mels lovely infinity type scarves!
{mel @ 'loved'..makes very desirable crocheted scarves and hand warmers}


swing to your heart's content little girl in a red dress!

if i were you i'd swing all day
under my pink tree..
in my pink forest,
with all the other little girls!
{and hedgehogs..}

'loved' is on my blogroll..if you want to swing by and see mel
or any of my other favourite bloggers
though if i showed all my faves
there'd be a list that would go on and on..and on.

i'm joining in with 'kootoyoo' today
'cos its thursday..despite the cold!
brrrr...


naturally Carol xox


ps..a few cushions have been bought by very kind souls recently...so if you ever drop in to see me here..thank you..and if you think they need tweaking don't be afraid to drop me a note by email!

pps...both swinging girl cushions sold at www.madeit.com.au/NaturallyCarol.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Basking in the Sun!

good afternoon!

&

it is a very good afternoon.

{no, not weatherwise..it is weatherwise
very dull and getting colder by the minute..haha!}

but
i am feeling a warm glow
for making my little speech
last night
and getting through it ok!

just getting all my
jagged feelings out there on monday
helped enormously
to bring my focus
to the task at hand.

so this morning,
is the morning after...
i did a bit of sewing to relax and celebrate
the completion of this task
{and overcoming that little fear of speaking in public
and having a group of people think about what i said!}

this is a shocker..
or at least the colour is!


in 'person' it's an acid yellow
reminding me of new leaves in a rainforest..




the reverse side
reminds me of looking down at the tops of a hundred palm trees...

her name is 'island girl'!

if you're needing a bit of pop, fizz and pep

this cushion is just for you...


it lives "on the edge"!!

i have just had a bit of an epiphany
re the last few days..
and am thinking that sometimes the very things
we procrastinate on
{because they are risky
or take a lot of thought
or are a bit scarey when we haven't done them for a while
or at all...}

can be the most worthwhile!

'just do it'
&

"bask in the sun"

with a grin on your face...

looking for another mountain to climb!


have a lovely wednesday...


naturally Carol xox



ps...'island girl' cushion available at www.madeit.com/NaturallyCarol




Monday, June 6, 2011

Dancing In the Shadows...

good afternoon!

i'm reflecting today
and doing a bit of navel gazing..
join me if you want to.

i have a list of excuses a mile long...

but they just don't cut it.

i have a talk to prepare for tomorrow night
&
for a week
various ideas have been swirling around in my head...

i've been asking them
are you the one..
the theme?
the topic?

...and then my thoughts progress
through other stages
of excitement
and angst.

after a few days i have found
they keep returning
to a particular reference
so
i think i've got a topic now.

but
have i written anything down?

no!

my brain is screaming at me...

write it down!

research
&
organise those thoughts..
but still i don't.

what's wrong with me?

procrastination...

&

the deadline grows closer...
closing in on me
by the minute.


shadows & reflections...

i'm dancing in the shadows of life...
not participating...

that's what procrastination produces,
shadows and reflections...
nothing concrete, nothing real...
time slips away with nothing produced
except guilt!

i confess i'm guilty,
now to repent and get on with the

doing!



i'm so tired of procrastinating..lol,
why is trying to do nothing so wearying?

i even feel energised just making up my mind
to get on with it..
&
 just do it!

see you around..
i have work to do.


naturally Carol xox



Sunday, June 5, 2011

Grateful for a Weekend Afternoon!

good afternoon!

what do you like to do
when the weather is dreary
{or even if it's not!}

&

you have an afternoon free?

this is what i like to do...


blockbuster or dud?

i don't know yet..
but that's half the fun!



i'm just getting into this one...
looks promising!

these plus a little blogging
&
a chat to my sister..hopefully..

and sunday afternoon looks scrumptious.

i'm grateful for free time!

&
i'm joining 'maxabella' and her grateful friends...




hoping you're having a simply serene sunday!

naturally Carol xox

Friday, June 3, 2011

Fly With Me!

good morning!

i got off to a flying start this morning..
sewing up two cushions
from a fabric made just for people
who enjoy flight
in a slightly vintage way....

nothing but blue skies from now on!

did you ever think there were so many songs
which are flight connected?

they keep popping into my head...lol


zoom! zoom! zoom!

there are a few 'red baron's' in there too...



come fly with me,
let's fly, let's fly away!

even king david in the bible said

 "oh, that i had wings like a dove!
i would fly away and be at rest..."
psalm 55: 6

at a time when he was stressed out...



"but i will trust in Thee"
ends the psalm,
as david decides that he will complain in the Lord's ear
and will be heard by Him,
and the Lord will save him as david trusts Him to...

like a soft landing after a rough flight...

happy landings this friday...

naturally Carol xox


ps...both plane cushions sold at www.madeit.com/NaturallyCarol



Thursday, June 2, 2011

Out of the Box!

good afternoon!

this is the box that was delivered yesterday...



this is what was in it..under all that bubbly packing!




i won!

nicole mallalieu's new book
hot off the press...
"you sew, girl!"

i will...thank you nic...i've learned some things already.

this is my favourite project in the book
at the moment...


just the sweetest thing..
'the wristlet'.

thank you to jodie at ric rac
for making three of these available for us to win.

must get back to my reading,
and sighing over the pictures...
oh to have skills like that.

the rest of us will just have to make do
with what we have!


naturally Carol xox

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Adventure With 1000 Homes of Happiness!

good morning!

early this morning
i had a mission in mind.

a couple of weeks ago
i made a request to '1000 homes of happiness'
to be able to release one of their origami homes!

i had in mind to call it

companionship


here is the little home of happiness..'companionship'
that kellie sent me...thank you
for this priviledge of being able to send one out into
the wide wide world...
why don't you go and say hello to her today.

it is sitting on the dashboard of my car..
ready for it's adventure.

there are a certain couple of benches downtown..
in midcity gympie..lol
that attract a certain group of older gentlemen
outside the westpac bank.

they sit on those benches and chinwag
about whatever is passing by...
just taking stock of the day
and solving the world's problems, i presume.

so today
early in the misty morn...


the little home of happiness and i
set off to start an adventure...

we went down to mary st
and found the bench on which 'companionship'
was going to sit...

just outside the westpac bank.

there were a couple of lurkers there already...
dressed in there fluoro work vests and steel capped boots,
waiting for the bank to open.

i placed 'companionship' on the end of the bench
propped up sitting in a little groove
so it didn't fall down onto the pavers.

so there she sits
comfortably waiting for a new friend
to take her home!

it looked like the street was pretty empty...

but as i drove off...

i saw the old fellas
just standing around the corner of the bank...
with curious eyes and little smirky grins
waiting for me to drive off!

probably thinking that i may be strange
with my camera in hand
placing little paper houses on their favourite bench in town..lol

that was a lovely bit of adventure
for a misty wednesday morning
with promises of sunshine and beauty...

&
just now a brown box was delivered by courier...
i'll show you what was in it,
tomorrow!!

have a lovely wednesday...


naturally Carol xox