Why I'm doing daily drawings

{All photos taken with my iphone4}

I'm not just doing daily drawings for the sake of a fun challenge; they are an essential part of my new existence as a mother.  

Just before Christmas I was diagnosed with post-natal depression. I felt like I couldn't recognize myself in my new role.  I went to my GP and was referred to a therapist.  The options seemed to be weekly therapy (which wasn't possible without childcare) or antidepressants.  I wasn't sure what I was feeling was acute or chronic enough to need medication, so I decided I needed to construct my own method for recovery. (Note: Had I thought what I was experiencing was severe enough, I would have accepted medication without question).

Daily drawings were my answer to the problem.  

So far I've managed to draw every day this year but one (when I was just too exhausted to lift a pencil).  Each small drawing is like a shot of creative happiness into my veins.

This practise is, quite literally, art therapy. 

Do you have any creative endeavours that lift your spirits?  What are they?  I'd love to know. 

How and why to keep a reading or book journal

When I was a teenager I discovered an old notebook of my grandmother's in which she had written down the title of every book she had read as a teenager in her gorgeous, florid handwriting.

Seeing her notebook inspired me, and shortly afterwards I bought a small notebook from our local dollar store and started keeping a reading journal of my own.  I have recorded 715 books that I read for pleasure since October 30, 1999 (which is weird, as I just realized that my daughter was born exactly 15 years later!).

I didn't realize when I started how much that little reading journal would influence my life. It has become a bibliography or road map tracking my personality, my worries, my likes, my dislikes and my fascinations.

Why you should keep a reading journal: 

1. To remember what you've read.

 Sometimes I'll remember a story I read, but won't remember the title.  Or I'll want to recommend a book that I loved three years ago... It's handy to be able to open my notebook, flip to the relevant page, and find the title and author.

2. To track your changing personality and reading taste.

 Certain books speak to us at certain times in our lives.  When I look back at the books I was reading a year ago, three years ago or 10 years ago I can see exactly who I was at that time and how those books nourished my personal quests.

3. To keep track of how much you've read.

If you're like me, you are a competitive reader.  Each year I want to read more than the year before.  The goal isn't always more books, but to read with more discernment.  One year I read all of Shakespeare (except for the history plays).  Other years I have had other challenges for myself.  Keeping a reading journal keeps me accountable for my reading goals.

4. To record your impressions of a book.

 My reading journal started out as a simple bibliography (Title, Author, Date Read), and hasn't expanded beyond that.  However, I also keep a "Commonplace Book" where I collect quotes and passages that inspire me.  This is like an extension of my reading journal.

5. It makes you a better reader and a better writer.

 When you keep a book journal you are practising conscientious reading.  You're reading with purpose, and giving focused attention to something invariably makes you better at it.

How to keep a reading journal:

1. Selecting a container.

The decision here is digital vs paper. When I started the digital world wasn't nearly as advanced as it is now.  I bought a little notebook from our local dollar store and started recording the books as simple bibliography entries. As that's how I started, I don't think I'm going to change my system.  You could get a slightly larger notebook and include your favourite quotes, if you wanted.

I know that Moleskine does a special reading journal notebook, which might be a nice option.

If you want to go digital, you could open a word document, or even use one of the reading log websites such as goodreads or librarything.  The thing with goodreads that frustrated me is that you can't record books twice, which means you can never record when you've re-read a book. (My husband always teases me about how often I re-read books.)

2. Decide how much or how little you want to record.

This is completely up to you. Do you want to write a book review and collect quotes for each book? Or do you simply want to record the title, author and date you read it?  Those three entries are the absolute minimum.  You could also record how you acquired the book or who recommended it to you (bookstore, library, borrowed from friend, found on the train seat, etc). And you could have a system for rating the book.  I usually put a small dot beside titles I really enjoyed.

If you do decide to copy quotes, make sure you write down the page numbers for each one, or you'll never be able to find the original again (I've learned from my mistakes).

3. Number the books.  

Your first entry will be # 1.  Then number each subsequent entry so that you can keep track of how many books you've read since you started.  I've read 715 books for pleasure since Oct, 1999.  I didn't include the innumerable books I had to read for academic papers and research, as all those books would have been recorded in the various research bibliographies appended to my essays and dissertations.

4. Record the book when you've finished it.

If you don't, you'll lose track.

5. Keep a page or two at the back to record books you want to read.

Whenever someone recommends a book, or I read a book review that sounds interesting, I write the title of the book down in the last pages of my reading journal.  That way I'm never stuck for something to read when I have no books on my bedside table.

Have you every kept a reading journal?  Do you have any tips? 

Are you Happy Right Now?

How happy are you right now? In this moment?

Take a deep breath.  Close your eyes.  Then open them and look around.  Really take it all in.

Are you reading this on your laptop, sitting on your couch and sipping a cup of something? Or are you hunched over your cell phone on a bus, shoulders supporting your head (and all your worries)?

There are times when we feel like we have things more or less figured out: we have a daily routine, we're content, and we feel like we can handle whatever life throws us.  Other times life can feel difficult, overwhelming and confusing.

In those moments, do you know what really makes you happy? When it comes to an awareness about the little, specific things that bring a smile to our faces and contentment to our hearts we often draw a blank.

Can you list a few things that trigger a feeling of delight in your daily life?

I'll be honest: life right now has knocked me sideways. (Some of you may have already figured that out by reading between the lines).  Motherhood, as amazing as it is, is a huge adjustment, and I've never been one to enjoy change. I feel like I've forgotten what makes me happy in the storm of trying to cope with day to day challenges.

So, I've decided to approach life with the spirit of a detective to figure out what's missing.  It's difficult to experience happiness when we're not able to savour small moments or be aware of our surroundings.

We need to curate the happiness in our lives like a museum director.

So, in this quest I've discovered that I love:

Keeping a journal

Shoes  (this surprised me, as I'm not much of a fashionista)

Sipping a glass of wine after dinner

Flowers on my coffee table (currently I have a blushing sunrise of roses and tulips)

Red polish on my toenails

Drawing, anything, every day (watch my facebook or instagram to keep up with those)

Reading  (Books, blogs, magazines....)

Living in London

Poetry (my local library doesn't even have one poetry book aside from Shakespeare... so I need to go on a hunt)

Organizing

Ballet (watching; dancing)

Yoga (I now do my sun salutations with Little M watching with amusement in her bouncy chair)

Photography

Lattes

Snow  (it snowed in London this week!)

Beautiful artwork hanging on our walls  (we're starting to collect South African artists)

Hearing church bells pealing in Sunday morning

Plus more

(I'm still investigating, I'll keep you posted)

What do you love? Can you make a list of small things that bring a smile to your face? Maybe it's listening to your favourite album, or watching the sunset over the rooftops, or selecting the perfect croissant from your local bakery each morning... Get creative, put on your Sherlock cap and get thinking.

We should all investigate what our personal preferences are so that we can recognize and embrace moments of happiness that our unique to us.

Now... take another deep breath. And try to find one thing to do today that will fill you with child-like joy.

Bon courage!

Valentines printables! and new daily routines

{PDF printable Valentine available

HERE

}

Today is a quiet day.  The snow is muffling the busy sounds of the city. All I can hear are the bewildered birds chirping on the pollarded trunks of the plane tree across the street. 

Baby is sleeping too, for which I am very grateful. 

A few years ago I remember reading a book (touted by Oprah) called Simple Steps. The basic premise was one would add 4 new habits each week, for several weeks (say 12, maybe).  I remember two of the habits for the first week were drinking water and cleaning out one drawer or cupboard. This book has stuck in my mind, because I feel like I need to make similar small, daily/weekly/monthly steps towards building a new healthy routine. 

Despite all my searching, I can't find that book anywhere now. It's almost like I imagined it, and it never existed at all. (It had a daisy on the cover, so if you know of it, please let me know where to find a copy!)

This week my simple steps are: drinking water, doing yoga (or a few ballet barre exercises) each morning, drawing each day and posting the sketches to instagram and facebook, and making a to-do list each evening (which I try to adhere to the next day).  

What are your small daily routines that keep you sane and on track? 

On my list today was to write a blog post... 

So here we go...

February is the month of love, and I thought I'd share these valentines printables I designed a year ago.  

I'd love to design a few more printables to post in my etsy shop this year. What types of things would you like? A few ideas I had were: perpetual calendars, recipe cards, party invites, thank-you cards, gift tags....

do any of you fabulous readers have any other suggestions?

{PDF valentine available

HERE

}

A Drawing a Day update #2

I had intended to write a post for my usual Wednesday blog slot, but this week carried me away in a tidal wave of diapers, soothers, and unfolded laundry.

It's not that time is rushing, because it isn't.  In fact, I sometimes feel like time has never passed so slowly since Little M was born.  Each second seems new and strange, and something to adjust to. I'm grateful for the apparent change in pace, for I can savour each delightful moment in its fullness (both length and depth, for time is not just linear).

And, when I can, I sketch.

In time, I want to focus on writing as well. And I was thinking of writing a series of posts on journalling.

Would that be of interest to anyone?

Follow the growing sketchbook on

Instagram

or

Facebook

.

A Drawing a Day

As you might expect, adjusting to life with a newborn hasn't been easy. Amidst all the joyful cooing and smiles, there are teary meltdowns and wakeful nights. At first I thought I would never be able to draw or write again. But as Little M grows, week by week, I'm finding that we're feeling more comfortable with each other and our new routines. 

As an effort to nourish all the creative facets of my soul, I'm trying to draw something every day. Even the smallest sketch, or the action of picking up my pencil, makes me feel more whole. 

I've been posting each tiny sketch on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and the words of encouragement from all my followers are giving me the courage to continue. If I can... if I'm brave enough... I want to challenge myself to post a drawing every day this year. 

Do you think I can? 

Looking back on 2014 - and my word for 2015

This is the time of year when the world is full of actionable plans (seven steps to a healthier body, five ways to be happy, 3 secrets to conquering the world... you know what I mean) and I found myself wondering if any of these well-laid plans ever come to fruition. Can we actually shape our futures by following lists? When you look back on the year, did any of last year's resolutions come true?  And if not, what else happened? Probably something more wonderful than you could have conceived on that dark, midwinter's night a year ago.

My dad used to say, "When you make plans, God laughs."  It isn't malicious laughter, though, it's joyful laughter, because God's plans for us far exceed our own limited imaginations.  Our little lists and goals can never encompass all that is meant for us.  At least I choose to believe that.

Last year I chose the word "

build

" as my guiding word for the year.  I intended to build my career, my relationships, my homes... never in a million years would I have imagined that I would actually spend the majority of the year

building

my daughter in utero.

Words are powerful things, they can change who we are.

I've pondered my word for 2015, and I'm proceeding cautiously. At the moment "

embrace

" seems to be fitting for my situation. I want to embrace motherhood, embrace my new life in London, and embrace new routines for my studio practice; in short, I want to embrace all the wonderful, new possibilities.  But is embrace the right word?  What other meanings or applications am I overlooking that might surprise me in a few months' time?

There's the big structure for the year, and then there are the small goals that knit the days together: knit, purl, drop a stitch... clickity-clack, pull some more yarn.  These little rhythms are what give our days structure, they are the warp and weft that catch the minutes.  Some of my small goals are: to drink more water, to do sun salutation yoga sequences daily, to write (and write and write), to draw every day for my own amusement (or my own amazement, as an elderly friend once remarked), to read, and to kiss my little girl's cheeks at every opportunity.

Are you choosing a word for the New Year? And, what are a few of your small goals? Please share it in the comments below!

2014 by the numbers

Number of books published: 1

Number of illustrated books completed: 3  (2 are coming out next year)

Number of flights: innumerable

Number of cities visited: 5 (Cape Town, London, Winnipeg, Amsterdam, Delft)

Number of babies born: 1

Number of books read: 39 (My goal is always 52, one for each week, but this year I faltered)

Number of diapers changed: don't even ask....!

Also! Start off the New Year by refreshing your social media streams... I'm trying to post a sketch a day on

Facebook

,

Instagram

, and

Twitter

.  Make sure you follow along and feel free to leave comments and suggestions!

Life in A London Flat #4 - Christmas Decorations

December in London is bleak. We wake up in the dark, and come home from work in the dark (or at least M does).  Bookended in the middle of that darkness are gloriously sunny moments, but they are few and far between; otherwise, rain prevails.

Adding a little bit of light and sparkle to the flat is an obvious choice.  But how much?  We don't have much room, especially now that Little M's paraphernalia covers 90% of every surface.

Having just moved back home, I ventured into our mysterious, dusty attic to search for our Christmas ornaments.  I was sure we'd stashed some before we left on our African adventures. After a lengthy search amongst old, zipperless suitcases, broken picture frames, and bags of clothes destined for the charity shop, I found our tiny crystal tree, a string of twinkle lights and a few baubles.  Not much, but exactly enough to inject some light and cheer into our tiny flat.

It seems to me that the key to minimalist Christmas decorating is to put up those things which you love, which are beautiful, or which have special stories to tell.  For example, the "Noel Santa" on the right hand side of the mantle-piece was given to me by a mosaicist named Mohammed who used to work with us on our archaeological digs in Tunisia. Whenever I look at the tiny pattern of pebbles making up the design I remember the hot, dusty summers spent sifting through Roman remains, the early morning calls to prayer from the mosques, and hot cups of mint tea shared with Mohammed and his family at the end of the day.  The memories have nothing to do with Christmas, but that little ornament brings all that light and heat back into these cold, wet, December nights.

Perhaps as Christmas draws nearer I'll stop by the local florist on my way back from the coffee shop to buy some holly and mistletoe.  I'll pop them into a vase and place them on our coffee table to add a little cheery green into the wintry atmosphere.

How do you decorate for Christmas? Elaborately? Simply? Why not share links to photos of your Christmassy home in the comments below? 

Making my list...

... and checking it twice.

Some days I feel like little M and I are the best team in the world, and the two of us can accomplish whatever we set our minds to. Other days it feels like everything is unravelling and I'll never pick up a pencil again, or turn another page of a book, or fold another sock (not that I want to fold socks, but it has to be done, doesn't it?)

Today was a good day. I made a delivery of

Magic at the Museum

to the Courtauld Gallery here in London for their Christmas displays while my mom watched little M. On my way home I popped by the post office to mail

a few etsy orders.

It felt liberating to walk briskly through the snappy December air treading on the yellow leaves scattered on the sidewalk like golden coins.

Other days I can barely get out of bed or have a shower, as every waking moment is spent consoling my little inconsolable daughter.  This is a big adjustment for everyone, including her.  I imagine that from her perspective, life seems very overwhelming (it is for all of us, isn't it?).  That's the thing about life; we don't choose life, it chooses us.  We have to tense our legs and make the jump into the unknown whether we want to or not.  We can't think about how far the drop might be, or where we'll land.  We can only make the leap with the faith that everything will be ok. I'm telling that to little M every day... life is hard and overwhelming, but we're there for her every step of the way. She's survived the most difficult part, she made it here, now comes the fun of creating a wonderful, colourful, exuberant life.  I can't wait to see how she shapes the world around her.

So that brings me to the last point on my list: enjoy Christmas.  No matter what happens, or how difficult the day is with my little one, I'm determined to enjoy Christmas with every vibration in my soul.  This is her first Christmas, and though she won't remember it, it is the beginning of a long chain of memories that we'll share together.  

So with that in mind, I'm off to cuddle her and then sharpen a pencil and draw a few lines in my sketchbook.

What are your plans for the weekend?

And, speaking of Etsy orders.  All you readers can

get 10% off in my shop

with discount code MAGIC10 .

A little bit of gratitude

I usually try to make a list of all the things I'm thankful for on the second Monday in October, as that is when we celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada. However, life caught me by surprise (I'm not so fond of surprises, generally), and now I'm making my gratitude list in November, on American Thanksgiving.  It's all the same really, when it comes out in the wash.

I'm sitting on my couch in the gloaming. I'm surrounded by wash-racks filled to overflowing with clean laundry languishing in the damp weather.  Will the towels, flannels and baby-grows ever dry? Little M is curled up in her bouncy chair, chewing hard on a soother and fighting sleep.

Things are slowly starting to return to a new equilibrium. I cherish these stolen moments when I can spend a few minutes reading, writing, drawing or working on a project.

Here are a few things I'm grateful for right now:

1.

A minute; a second; a moment

in which I can take a deep breath and feel like myself again.  Sharpen a pencil; turn the page of a book; open my mind to thoughts that are wider than these four walls and those 10 fingers.

2.  

Those 10 fingers.

Darling little hands that are now learning to hang on tight to our fingers, or her favourite blanket.

3.  

Starbucks

.  I'm not generally a fan of big, chain coffee-shops, but our local Starbucks has become my new best friend.  Not because of their coffee (which is still mediocre), but because they have loads of space inside to park our chariot of a stroller so baby and I can sit comfortably and not feel like we're in anyone's way.

4.

Three people whose names start with M.

You know who you are. You are the anchor around which I'm floating at the moment.

5.  

Watching the leaves turn colour and gently float to the pavement.

Autumn is my favourite season.  Everything about it feels so rich and layered.  I especially love taking a turn around the Quiet Garden in Queens Park, where the caretakers are busily cleaning up the summer flower beds and planting their winters blooms (cyclamen, being a favourite).

6.

A new sketchbook.

 And lots of blank pages waiting to be filled with new ideas.

7.

Online grocery deliveries.  

I don't know what I'd do without it.  We get our shopping delivered every Tuesday afternoon. I'm so relieved that I don't have to trek to the grocery store, push a shopping cart around the crowded aisles, and then haul the heavy bags home on the bus.  Yesterday I told our delivery man that he needed to be quiet because my baby daughter was napping.  He winked and obligingly whispered and tiptoed as he unloaded all the groceries.

Amazing

.

8.

Coffee table art books and exhibition catalogues.

I'm spending stolen moments pouring over the glossy pages of gorgeous illustrations and artwork.  So much to inspire and nourish the soul.

9.

Naps.

All the parenting books say: when she sleeps, you sleep.  

Amen

.

10.

The fact that I can be grateful.

 Sometimes life can seem pretty fuzzy, and it's hard to focus and see all the small blessings abounding. But they're there, if you only look for them!

What are you grateful for today? This moment?

Long Fingers...

Welcoming Baby

Just over a week ago we welcomed our precious little daughter into the world.

She has a head of thick dark, almost reddish hair, curious eyes, and the longest fingers I've ever seen on a newborn.  (In that, she takes after her mom).  After a very long, difficult pregnancy, I'm so relieved to finally be holding her in my arms and resting at home.

Right now I'm sitting on the couch and catching a few minutes of peace before I have to wake her for her next feeding.  She's swaddled warmly in her bouncy chair in the corner of the room.  It's so quiet that I almost forget she's there until I hear one of her squeaky stretches or whiffling snores.

Now that a week has passed, I'm trying to figure out how to get back into some sort of creative routine.  If I'm not drawing, painting or writing, I feel like a shadow of myself.  Once I've recovered from the birth, I want to start a sketchbook for pleasure; I want to fill it with drawings of my little daughter, and all the other joyful things I see daily.

I'm in the process of writing a list of (small and achievable) goals for the next few months. Blogging is definitely a priority, as is writing and drawing for pleasure (not for a deadline), playing piano (which I neglected sorely when I was pregnant), and going for walks in our nearby parks.

But right now, the most important thing is that in 20 minutes I'll wake my little darling and gaze into her eyes as she breastfeeds.  Every facet of these quiet moments shines with perfection; I want to save them like jewels, and wear them forever near my heart so that I will always remember her as this quiet, sweet, cuddly little babe.

For those of you who have had babies, what were your best coping mechanisms for the first few months? 

Turning over a new leaf

This weekend is the autumnal equinox here in the northern hemisphere. Even though it's still unseasonably warm and humid, I can already feel a breath of winter in the air.  The leaves are starting to turn, and the local flower shop is selling vibrant chrysanthemums by the fist-full. 

Change in the natural world is relentless and inescapable.  We may not notice the hours and days whizzing by, or feel the earth turning under our feet, but one day we look up from our to-do lists and notice that the trees are turning colour.  

This is the time to turn over a new leaf, so to speak.  

Ever since school, I've taken time to make a few personal resolutions in the autumn.  These resolutions always seem more spiritually motivated and positive than the resolutions made in the thinness of January (when I'm feeling worn out and slightly desperate).  Autumnal resolutions hold the lushness of harvest festivals in their heart.  

If January resolutions are about conquering our wills; September resolutions are about nurturing our authentic needs.  

This autumn will be particularly life changing for us in so many ways, so I'm trying to indulge in soul-care at every opportunity.  

It's difficult to write a list of goals and intentions when I have no idea how all these changes will actually impact our lives.  Instead, I'm trying to remind myself to open my heart to whatever opportunities and experiences come our way in the next few months.

Are you making any resolutions for the changing of the seasons?

 What are they?

And how do you hope to keep them in the forefront of your mind so you don't slip back into the old grooves of thinking and being?

AND.... Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win a pretty princess from my shop!  You have until the end of this month.  

Enter HERE.

{And old autumnal sketch, as I can't show you my other top secret paintings at the moment}

Today is.... a blur

This has been one of those weeks that has passed by in a blur.  I was excavating my studio table this morning and found my to-do list for Tuesday.  "Hmm," I thought, "I haven't accomplished many of these items.  What day is it today?  

What?

Friday?

"

I suppose the week got caught up in a whirlwind of illustrations that wouldn't dry (it's been humid), midwife appointments, antenatal classes and other general (mostly happy) chaos. 

Right now I'm sipping a cup of decaf, listening to the washing machine gently sudsing our household towels (glamorous, I know), and contemplating all the things I need to write on my weekend to-do list.  I don't think I'll have a non-working weekend until baby comes, as I have so much to accomplish in the few weeks that are left.  

I loved your responses to my last post! I've been tallying up all your comments for what you want to read here into an ideas book for future posts. I can't wait to share more glimpses into my studio and life in London! (

And please don't forget to enter the print giveaway, you have until the end of the month!

)

What I'm currently up to...

Reading //

"Poetry Please," which is an anthology of poetry that has been read on BBC radio 4.  I've been feeling poetry starved lately.  Sometimes I want to sink deep into the rhythms and nuances of the words in order to slow my busy brain down.

Anticipating //

The arrival of baby! We're feeling a combination of excitement and fear.  This morning the diaper bag we ordered online arrived, and I can't wait to pack it for the hospital.  

Anyone have any good tips for what should go into a hospital bag?

Working on //

The last remaining illustrations for the second book in the Mattie's Magic Dreamworld series for Random House Struik.  If I can keep on schedule, I'll be able to finish it all well in time. If only my paint would dry more quickly!

Grateful for //

Afternoon naps.  I came up with the theory the other day that something that might take me three hours to do when I'm tired, would take me one hour if I were rested. That's reason enough to take a nap, don't you think?

Listening to //

BBC radio 3 (classical) or Jazzfm while I work.  Sometimes I need the soothing strains of Haydn, and other times I need the be-bop beats of Coltrane to give me energy and inspiration.  

What are your favourite online radio stations?  

Feeling //

Baby pirouetting under my ribs, especially if I've eaten anything spicy or sweet. The other evening we made chili con carne and had chocolate for dessert, which made little one do the Mexican hat dance all night long. Baby had fun, but mum wasn't so impressed.  

What are you up to this weekend?  

Thank-you for 600 followers! {Plus a celebratory Giveaway!}

The other day I checked my blog stats and was blown away to see that I have over 600 followers on Bloglovin alone!  I'm not sure how to count everyone else who reads via other platforms, so I assume there must be considerably more of you out there. 

I'm flabbergasted and overwhelmed, and I want to send a little love to you via the cyberwaves.  

In celebration, I thought I would give away this princess print, especially embellished with 24 carat gold leaf (which is something I only do for

very

special occasions). All you have to do is scroll down to the bottom of this post and enter.

I'm still figuring out this whole blogging and social media milieu.  So, I thought I'd ask you for your opinions.

Do you have any questions or topics you'd love to see me cover on this blog? I'd love for you to send me a few ideas.

Do you want to read more about the creative process, how to find inspiration, working in children's publishing, living in London, glimpses into my studio... anything else? 

What are you curious about?

(Leave your ideas or questions in the comments)

If you want to follow along in more places here are some links:

Facebook

for friendly inspiration

Twitter

for short conversations

Instagram

for glimpses into my studio and my life

And please say hello so I can follow you back!

{All that glitters 

is

gold...}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Life in a London Flat #3

Small green things make my heart soar.

The thing about living in London is that you spend most of your life surrounded by bricks and concrete. The city might be famous for its languid parks that operate like green lungs pumping oxygen into the air, but there is still a lot of pavement to contend with on a daily basis.

The solution is to bring a little green into your home to add life and colour to forgotten corners. Houseplants can become your best friends.

At the moment I have a basil, a miniature rose, a convalescent lavender, and a few sprigs of ivy calling the top of the fridge home.

The rose completely surprised me. I bought her thinking she would be a demanding mistress, like the rose in the Little Prince, but she's turned out to be a wonderful flatmate.  She never asks for more than she receives, and quite literally, seems content to bloom where she's planted.

The basil is also a very easy houseguest.  I forgot to water him the other day, and he never complained. Though he did sulk for a few hours before forgiving me.

I'm starting to root the ivy shoots, as I remembered that I used to love all the ivy plants in our house when I was growing up.  Don't tell anyone, but I stole the shoots from a mass of ivy growing in a neighbour's front garden.

And the lavender? I'm not sure exactly what his issue is.  He was doing fine for weeks (weeks!), and then he suddenly started losing needles and drooping. I'm doing my best to reconcile whatever differences we might have, but worry that I might lose the battle.

The most important thing is that I love the way the air feels cleaner and more alive with them around. They make our little London flat so cheery.

Do you have any favourite houseplants?  Where do they live in your home? 

More tips for London living HERE

.

Let's paint the town...

The other day I was walking home from the grocery store and I saw a blank billboard above one of our local cafes.  

I wondered, "What if artists could take over the billboards of London for one day? What would the city look like?" 

Sometimes I get tired of being forced to stare at advertising for phones, cars, musicians, movies and car insurance packages. I'd much rather wander down the street and stare at beautiful, inspired work by local artists. 

So, I came home and placed one of my own paintings on the billboard in photoshop.  

It's fun to dream, isn't it? 

A few snapshots of my studio

These past few weeks I feel like I've been participating in a triathlon, but instead of three sporting events I'm working on three creative endeavours.  The first is book one of Mattie's Magic Dreamworld for Random House Struik, the second is book two in the same series, and the third is baby!  (You can see a few watercolours from book one above)

Let me tell you, creating a person is a lot harder than I expected it to be.  It is both physically and emotionally draining.  Much of my creative energy is being siphoned off into the task of building a this little human, which is such an amazing and inspiring process!

In the meantime, I'm enjoying home-made lattes and the post-storm rainbows I've been seeing above the rooftops of London. 

What's been happening in your life lately?

I'd love to know! 

Adventures in... the Netherlands

{The North Sea near Bloemendaal}

I was going through my hard drive the other day to back up my files, and I found the photos from my Easter Break trip to the Netherlands. It seems ages ago; almost like it happened in a dream. Even though it was so long ago, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite pictures, or else they'll keep gathering dust inside my MacBook. 

At the time I was newly pregnant, and suffering severe nausea.  I tried my best to make the most of the holiday and enjoy being a tourist, but to be honest, most nights I ended up curled up in bed wishing I were home.  

Having said that, the Netherlands is one of my favourite countries in Europe.  I love how small it is, and that you can cover its terrain from one side to the other easily in a day; practically any town is accessible as a day trip.

My mom and I stayed with a good friend who lives in Bloemendaal, a small town just outside Haarlem, and a short train journey from Amsterdam.  It is a gorgeous community nestled beside the blustery North Sea. In the evenings we took long drives along the coastal roads to admire the sunsets, the swaying beach grasses, and the brave kite surfers. 

A few of my favourite things to do in Amsterdam...

Amsterdam is not my favourite place in the world.  Every time I visit the Netherlands I resolve to find something to love about the city, but aside from the museums, I always find it hard to warm to the place. As far as I'm concerned it's full of noisy tourists, hippies and teenagers that reek of weed, street trams and bicycles racing in every direction (so you never know when you might be run over), drifts of litter, and annoyed dutch people (I'd be annoyed too, if I had to deal with all the aforementioned).  

If you want quaint canals, gorgeous dutch architecture and tulips, there are much more beautiful places to visit than Amsterdam.  

However, if you're in Amsterdam...

1.

The Rijksmuseum.

It has a stellar collection of Vermeers and Rembrandts, and much more. Plus a great cafe if you want to rest your eyes, feet and sample some nouveau dutch cuisine. 

2.

The Van Gogh museum.

 Van Gogh's paintings are so full of life and emotion; seeing them always leaves my heart both full of joy and a little raw.  

3.

The Amsterdam Flower Market.

 This is the only floating flower market in the world.  It blooms with fragrance and colour in any season. 

A few of my favourite day trips... 

These are the small towns and cities that epitomize everything I love about the Netherlands: glittering canals, gracious city squares lined with cafes and restaurants, amazing museums, and friendly people.  

1.

Haarlem:

 Visit the Frans Hals museum and wander the narrow streets tracing webs around the wide canals. 

2.

Delft:

Visit the Vermeer museum and buy some stunning blue and white Delft ware china.  The central square is long and narrow, and has a tall tower to climb so that you can see the whole town laid below you, as well as the all horizons of this small, flat, little country. 

3.

Leiden:

A bustling university town filled with trendy students and great restaurants and cafes.  It was the birthplace of Rembrandt. 

4.

Den Haag:

The centre of Dutch government. Every street is lined with chic boutiques, gracious palaces and government buildings. 

5

. Keukenhof gardens.

 In the spring, this is the ultimate place to see more tulips than you could ever imagine.  We happened to go on the day of the flower parade, which made the gardens and nearby town very festive. Go early in the day to avoid the crowds. 

6.

Utrecht.

 A gorgeous university town with lovely cafes, boutiques and a church tower near the main square that plays a full carillon (a song played on the bells) at midday.  It's the perfect place to sit for lunch while listening to the pealing bells and water lapping in the canals. 

What to eat... 

1. Make sure you try a stroopwafel with your coffee.  This is a small biscuit or cookie made with two thin layers of waffle filled with caramel.  To soften the caramel you lay the waffle on the rim of your cup so that the steam warms the sugars.  There's no need to dunk. 

2. Vla.  This is a dutch version of pudding or custard, but so much better.  

3. Go to a Pannekoeken Huis.  The dutch serve their pancakes almost like pizzas, with numerous sweet and savoury toppings.  The best pancake houses are in the smaller towns and rural areas. 

4. Cheese.  There are cheese at every corner with windows stacked with delicious looking blocks and wheels of cheese.  Make sure you pop in and sample some of the local delicacies.  

Have you been to Amsterdam or the Netherlands? What's your favourite thing to see or do?

Or, Do you have a favourite holiday destination that you keep going back to time and time again?

You can find other

Adventures in...

posts

HERE

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{Blooming trees in Bloemendaal}

{Delft cheeses}

{the clear, slanting light of the Dutch masters was everywhere}

{Delft from the tower}

{Haarlem}

Life in a London Flat #2

Two days later, Maureen woke to a bright sky full of promise and a light breeze that played at the leaves.  The perfect washing day. She fetched the step-ladder and took down the net curtains. Light, colour and texture over the room as if they had been trapped in the space behind the nets all along. The curtains were white and dry within the day.  Maureen folded them into bags and took them to the charity shop.  

-- Rachel Joyce "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry"

London is a city filled with 8 to 15 million curious people (depending on how you count it).  They're all busy living their lives, and avidly watching everyone else as they do it.  With so many people-watchers around, it's vital to carve out a private space just for yourself.

Windows are wonderful, don't you think?  They let the light in.  You can sit by them and daydream while watching the sky.  But also, since people can see in, they can become like mini-theatres where passers-by watch the dramas of our lives unfold.

So, how to let the light in, but not the prying eyes?  Net curtains, of course.  

I find it interesting that in Rachel Joyce's book, net curtains were a symbol of the repressed life that the character Maureen wanted to leave behind.  She thought she was hiding behind them and not letting anyone or anything new into her life.

To me, they are a symbol of safety and freedom, and they are an absolute necessity for London living. With gauzy curtains in one's windows, one can live freely and uninhibitedly without worrying that other people are watching.

There is a lovely family who live in the flat across the road.  (You can see their window boxes in the photo above).  They don't have net curtains (or any curtains at all, as far as I can tell), and in the evenings, I actually have to make a concentrated effort

not

to look at them as they sit and watch TV or eat their dinner.

Perhaps in the small village where Rachel Joyce's characters lived there were fewer prying eyes, making net curtains unnecessary.

I don't know. But I certainly love the privacy; I love way the sun catches them at certain angles transforming them from ordinary netting into gossamer lace; or, the way the wind makes them billow and dance like summery ante-bellum skirts.

What do you think? How do you keep passers-by or neighbours from peeping into your world?

Curious about London flat living?

More here

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