retrospective: january - create

retrospective, looking back in time [L. retro, back, specere, spectum, to look.]

I've been thinking a bit lately, about Christines' Slow Living idea from last year. I really loved thinking back over the previous month to what I had done/achieved/created and kind of felt that it would be good to do something similar again this year. I didn't get to join in all the months as I was away for a few and then December just raced by and took January 2013 with it!! But I kept thinking that some sort of record might be good - cathartic even - to remind me that I have done more than just cook, clean and chauffeur; wash, weed and ahem.... whinge! 

While I loved Christines' style, I often struggled with some of her categories when it came to typing them up, so I had an idea - why not just do individual posts on say, three topics? I've been meaning to do a garden update (grow)..... and I've taken some nice shots of foodie bits lately (eat)....... and I've even managed some creative endeavours this month (create)! 

So out of my random thoughts and haphazard photos, this retrospective idea was born!! 

I would love to have a similar thing happening where you can all link up here but I"m really not sure (a) if I will be as regular as clockwork each month (I'm not renowned for pre-organisation) 

(b) if I can find photos and items for all three categories each month 

and (c) how to add links to a sidebar thingy, like Christine did. 

So having said all that, if you do want to join me in a bit of retrospection and remind yourself of what wonderful things you achieved in a month, please join me - perhaps leave a link in the comments so that we can all have a peek at how clever/busy you've been!!  

   

So here's my little bit of creativity for January -

I crocheted. This month has been busy with extra tasks for me due to Stuy being away, and while I do need to sit and relax more often, I can't sit and do nothing! There have also been a few stressful moments, so what better than something simple and mindless - dishcloths! (I also read books to quieten the thoughts, but theres not much achieved when I do that, as I mostly read trashy novels!) 

I used two strands of thinnish cotton yarn, bought as short ends of skeins from op shops and this pattern from Tanya at Suburban Jubilee. I cast on 40 chains and hooked until it was square, then a single row of double crochet around the edge. Viola! 

They are so thick and fluffy and a friend commented that they were too nice to use for dishcloths and need to be made into a blanket..... but thats a major endeavour and not something I'd like to attempt right now!  

As you see in the pic above, I had a tiny amount of yarn left and finished it by hooking a few tiny hearts to add to gifts. Oh my, it felt good using up that ball of yarn right to the end!!! 

With a completely different end result in mind and with a different medium, I also conjured up this little diary. I've been browsing through a few German and other European blogs and have found some interesting ones which I will share another time....(what? you cant read German? haha, they all have translate buttons!!) 

It's that time of year, you know, and it doesn't matter which country you are in, you start planning and acting on your New Year Resolutions.... and so I stumbled on this post which led me to another page and I discovered the 2013 Incredible Year Workbook and Planner. by Leonie Dawson who happens to live in Australia. 

When I started using a Steiner based lesson plan for my Fairy, we purchased a good quality wire binding machine to bind up the various books I'd bought as ebook's. As I hadn't yet discovered a new daily planner for this year, I thought I'd use a page from the Incredible Planner and make a little personal one for myself. I printed out a lot of double sided pages, cut them in half with my quilting cutter and scrounged through my old Country Style magazines for a pretty cover. Thats the front cover in the above pic. 

I have to write in the date and day on each page but I don't mind at all. I use a pretty pen and colour in the peaceful mama and the wildlife as I'm thinking about what to do for the day! 

This is the back cover - front and back both looked so good with the plums on our table, that I couldn't resist using them as props! The rest of the Incredible Planner is also excellent and a lot more colourful than this page and I'm looking forward to having some spare time finding the time this coming weekend  to really delve deeper in its pages! 

This colourful artwork was not created by me but I thought it needed showing anyway! My 15yo Elli made it using a cheap canvas, even cheaper crayons and a borrowed hairdryer! They must be all the rage right now because if you Google 'melted crayons on canvas' in images, you'll find heaps! It's sitting on our mantle shelf for now but will need moving when the fire is required in Autumn - otherwise the rest of the crayons will run to the bottom!! 

So here it is..... my bit of creativity for January. Not a great deal but enough that I can look back at the photos and say, "yes, I did do something that made my heart sing"!! 

Thank you to all of you that take the time to leave a comment here - some regulars and some just once - all of your thoughts are very much appreciated and although I might not always answer, I do read them all.... twice!!!! 

Im Januar war ich recht beschäftigt aber immer hin hab ich noch etwas zeit gefunden zum ein paar Sachen her basteln! Zuerst drei gehäkelte Spüllappen aus baum wolle. Sie sind so dick und weich und fast zu schade zum verbrauchen! 

Und dann ein kleines selbst gemachtes Tagebuch. Der umschlag ist von alte Magazinen hergestellt. 

Und ganz unten ist ein Kunstwerk von meiner Tochter - einfach Wachsmalstifte mit Hitze verschmolzen und schon hat man ein buntes Bild!!