I started writing a couple of posts recently, but quite frankly on re-reading them they sounded so whiny and glum I’ve decided to scrap them and start again. Basically, I’m still trying to hunt down my mojo. Lots of bad things keep happening to good people I know and I’m struggling a bit with the whole life isn’t very fair thing. Still, for my immediate family, life is good, we have no complaints and on the sewing front, I’ve decided that part of my slump is that dreaded sense of ‘the list’ not reducing, in that I’ve got things I know I need to make but just don’t feel like it, so I sit in my studio and half heartedly stare at them, not really making progress but feeling that I can’t go and work on something more fun.
Sod that. Today I decided to work on things that I’m actually interested in, which means beaded spiders, sequined black silk and getting the acorns finished. At least this way, I might miss Easter (again!…heck I managed new Flower Brooches and Lavender Birds in time for Mother’s Day, so it’s not all a disaster) but I will be waaaaaaay ahead come next autumn.
On the subject of Mother’s Day, this arrived today and it contains…
a little sweet gift from me, to me, because I’m worth it. M is away so I’ll be begging the boys for a lie in past 6am, come Sunday, and I’m hoping with a little xbox bribery I might get to at least sit in bed drinking coffee and scoffing chocolates, whilst pretending I can’t hear them argue.
I other news, I’ve had a birthday since I last blogged and in the new tradition I got frocked up for a day in London, courtesy of my generous sister; browsing shops, eating lunch in Liberty’s and then going to the Opera. It was great. Also, a new tradition of recent birthdays, I took a photo, as I pretty much never take photos of myself as I don’t like having my photo taken but think the once-a-year shot is a good record of me getting older time passing. In this case I asked M to do it…..where? no not here, the sun is too bright and there’s a wheelbarrow of garden rubbish in the background? Sorry, it’s fine? It wont show in the photo? Ok husband-of-mine who is a MUCH better photographer than me…..that he might well be but he’s crap at choosing backdrops. I love this skirt, it’s from Viviene of Holloway and the shoes are Chie Mihara (of course!).
Oh and I also took a glitzy bag by Orla Kiely that I’m in love with. I don’t get out much, so when I do I really enjoy dressing up. Sad, I know.
Right, I will attempt to catch up on replying to comments, reading my blog list and proper regular sewings posts again soon 🙂
thelinencat.wordpress.com 
Good to see your post pop up in my email Beth. I’m sorry to hear that life is not so sweet at the moment. It does have a tendency to bite us in the backside on regular occasions doesn’t it. I really liked the sod it attitude it’s good to do things just for you sometimes. You look so glam and beautiful in your photo, I love the vampish red lips and nails ;0) Enjoy your chocs in bed on Sunday and I hope the boy bribery works. My boy went off skiing this morning and I think he is totally oblivious to Mother;s day being this Sunday…LOL ;0) xx
Oh no! and your boy has no excuse as he is a ‘big’ boy. I hope he has remembered and you get an unexpected surprise….I’m guessing I will get a nice hand drawn card with a picture of sonic on it, the boys are actually quite sweet like that and Felix made me a bookmark for my birthday, which was a drawn cut out flower sellotaped to a paperclip, which made me rather happy. I was quite mean and teased my husband asking him what he’d bought the boys to give me on Sunday, knowing full well nothing was the answer, he’s rubbish at things like that. I hope you have a lovely Mother’s Day! Bethx
Lovely to see you Beth, you scrub up well! So very glamorous too.
Hope you get a lie in on Sunday, and I love those spiders! Xxxx
Ha ha – thanks! It makes a change from the usual bag lady look 🙂
Don’t you look pretty :0) Wow! You looking cracking in that outfit – especially loving the shoes!
I definitely need a sister, to take me shopping and for lunch in London, followed by a trip to the Opera. Brothers just don’t like that sort of thing!
Sounds like the perfect trip and I’m sure you celebrated your birthday with style.
Wishing you belated birthday wishes Beth. xxxxx
Thanks Jill 🙂 I really don’t dress up at all on a daily basis, in fact if I wear even a hint of makeup for school run I can guarantee someone will ask if I’m going somewhere nice, which always makes me laugh. Yes, sisters are handy like that, I also have a brother who is rubbish. It was a lovely day out – she really spoils me and it’s so nice to be out without having the kids with me! Bxx
Sorry things have been a bit rubbish lately but that’s life and things are sure to take a positive turn soon!
I have to say you do look great, so glad you had a good birthday. 🙂
Sew what you feel like sewing, make yourself happy, you’re the boss! 😉
Wishing you a lovely Mothers Day, enjoy those chocs!!
V xxx
Thanks Vivienne and you are right, that is life and if it didn’t have downs the ups wouldn’t be there either. Bx
I’m very intrigued by those spiders…..no doubt all will be revealed in time.
It is horrible the way life goes sometimes isn’t it. I do hope things go a bit more up soon.
You look wonderful for your big trip to London. I think taking a record is a great idea – think John and I would have the same problems re backdrops! Juliex
Hi Julie, I probably should have said the spiders are bought applique ones that I fell in love with for a Halloween project, I’ll have to see how they work out as they were quite expensive to buy, I just couldn’t resist them! Bxx
Your acorns are just adorable and the spiders are so beautifully detailed, I’m impressed by your amazing talent! (I also think I am more than a little in love with your shoes!)
Thank you, I’m so glad you like the acorns, they are one of my things that I really feel I got right. I am slightly embarrassed about the size of my shoe collection and am making an effort to wear them more regularly so I don’t feel so bad….but I do LOVE Chie Mihara shoes, I find them difficult to resist. Thanks for saying hello and leaving a comment 🙂
Happy birthday dear Beth 🙂 you look gorgeous in your photo! I love the shoes!!! I’d be very happy if I looked that good in pics 🙂 I had a pic taken in a photo booth recently for a rail card and was consoled that it could’ve looked worse! I also don’t like having my pic taken but I know what you mean, it’s good to record time as it goes so quickly.
Your sewing looks gorgeous, the spiders! And the beloved acorns! I love mine and they hang in my bedroom at home. The silk and spiders are intriguing… I know what you mean about feeling glum lately and not motivated, I am having a similar thing with my craft work at the mo, just not feeling it. Also a bit up and down with life here, so I hear how you feel. But am trying to ignore the worries and keep plodding on. Love the chocolates too Beth 🙂 I hope you get to have your lie in on Mother’s Day, you deserve a break, safxxx
Hello Saf 🙂 You’re too kind, I like dressing up when I do get to go out, but if you saw me in my usual day gear you’d be less impressed. I look awful in photo booth images, I had to get my driving license renewed a while back and it is sooooo bad. The boys tried hard on Mother’s Day, only waking me at 7am, which considering the clock change is a bit of a miracle, and bless them they arrived upstairs with cards they’d made at school so that was lovely. Bxx
love!
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I love your vintage style Beth and I’m glad you got a lovely day out for your birthday. Beaded spiders?? Awesome!
Thanks Jane – I feel bad as the spiders are bought beaded ones, not my own, but I do have a sneaky project in mind….Bx
Looking very glam and I love those shoes. Hope you get a lie in on Sunday, you never know your other half might surprise you, but I’d be very happy with those chocs! Julie x
When I read this I thought unlikely, but he sent flowers on the Monday as a belated gift, so apparently all my on-line moaning worked – ha ha! Bx
Those spiders look really cool – as, indeed, do you! Very vintage glam. Hope life picks up for you soon. I’ve been very low; things just gradually easing now. Hurrah! Abby x
Thank you and I’m so sorry to hear life has not been treating you kindly recently. I hope black dog has gone away, I really do. I’m slightly worried he’s landed in our house, but time will tell. Bx
You look fabulous! And lunch at Liberty’s? One of my favourite things to do (as well as shop there too of course). I had to laugh – or maybe cry – when you said you teased your husband about mothers’ day. Mine is exactly the same, doesn’t get anything for Gwen to give me. I had a birthday recently too and she was so upset on the day when she didn’t have anything to give me. Men are rubbish! I have a feeling my mother has taken things into her own hands for Sunday, as there was much whispering and sneaking of things upstairs going on yesterday. I can live in hope! Anyway, I hope you have a good day. I’m sure it will be bittersweet for you. x
I LOVE Liberty’s too, the lunch was heavenly, but then I am a very food oriented person so it’s always a highlight for me. Oh glad it’s not just me, M forgot my b-day one year completely (it’s a rule in our house that the birthday person gets breakfast in bed….a rule I started in an attempt to get some form of treat on the day!), luckily the boys had drawn me cards and that was sweet. I hope you did get something on M’s Day, my boys let me have a small lie in and I think due to all this online moaning I got belated flowers from M!!!! miracle and a first (and probably last). Bx
Delicious looking chocolates! I did buy myself some daffodils today, though in fairness I have been told I need to ‘keep out of the way’ for a bit tomorrow… I have offered to hide in my sewing room for three hours 😉
They were yummy and I was good and shared them with the boys as we watched The Voice. Hope you had a lovely M’s Day. Bethx
Aw happy birthday Beth! You look fabulous in that photo, I absolutely LOVE your outfit. Enjoy your coffee and chocs in bed on Sunday! x
Thanks Jane, it really needs a nice What Katie Did cone bra, but I struggle to fit into their sizing, ideally I need a visit to their shop 🙂 Bethx
Gosh your photo cheered me up! Was feeling down as I am a reubenesque woman and nothing was looking good on me lately. Love your style – so 1940’s glam! Can I do it? I wonder! But I am sure encouraged.
I sent you an email reply – thanks so much, again, for such a lovely comment 🙂
Happy Birthday to you, dear Beth. LOVE this retro outfit. I’m glad you could have a day out with your sister!! Everyone needs a break and a birthday photo, too.
Happy Mother’s Day and weekend. Enjoy your lovely chocolates. Happy creating in late March.((I liked the boy’s Alice in Wonderland hats, in your last post)). Please send some sunshine our way.
Anne xx
PlumCreek Studio
Thanks for the b-day wishes, our sunshine has since disappeared under a cloud of pollution and smog, which is quite unusual for these parts 😦 I hear it might return again soon, so roll on spring! Bx
Hello dear Beth,
You pretty birthday-girl (a bit belated wishes but…), I am so happy you got to get to your traditional opera&all wonderful-day with your sister. Traditions are great, and we really need to spoil ourselves every now and then (so the chocolates are also more than needed). And I so so so (did I mention SO?) agree with you the idea of sewing what makes you feel good, I just the other say complained to my sis that I didn’t quit my day-job to make something I like even less – so back to good stuff!
Wishing you a wonderful and sunny days, and HAPPY sewing!
Yours,
Mia
P.S. There’s a little Moomin-giveaway at my blog open still, the winning parcel would work both you AND the boys 🙂 please pop in, if you have a minute!
Hello Mia, thank you for the b-day wishes and glad it’s not just me on sewing for fun, I guess it’s about getting the balance right, I only started sewing as I enjoy it and to keep my creative side going and it’d be a shame to find it a drain. It can be hard when there is the pressure to make sure the money keeps coming in though, luckily I’ve never needed to make huge profit, but it does have to feel like there is some benefit to it or I’d just sew for myself instead. Bethx
What a fabulous Birthday tradition. I definitely need to start a similar tradition. Birthday is not till the end of August so I have plenty of time for planning.
My husband is equally as good at photography…I am thinking of getting better acquainted with the timer on my camera as a result!
It’s lovely having a ‘tradition’ and I enjoy any excuse to go out without my boys…who I love, but it’s nice to have adult only company sometimes (and rarely happens around here). Ha ha, love the timer comment, think I had better get acquainted with mine as well 🙂
Ha! I have written and scrapped a few of ‘those’ posts myself! Hope your mojo is back to stay – just LOVE your little acorns! You will be ahead of the game come Autumn, as you say! xCathy
Glad it’s not just me, I have to check myself sometimes, I like to try and ‘keep it real’ but without being a grumpy pants as no-one wants to read that. Come Autumn, I will be so happy to just be able to open my new winter shop….I hope 🙂
Looking fabulous!! A very happy birthday to you! xxx
Thank you!
Oh so stylish…what a glam lady! And lunch in Liberty’s… dreamy. Do hope you enjoyed munching chocs all snug under the duvet! I received a Star Wars card from P – a birthday card which he and his Daddy had to customise with post-it notes so it was suitable for Mummy’s Day. Love it