change is on the wind

*

like so many others this time of year, my thoughts turn inward. what do i want this new year to bring me? to be filled with? what ever shall i do with myself? no matter where my mind drifts, it always comes back to one word: change.

oldies will recall that change & i do not do well together; i am a creature of habit. in fact, there was talk of crowning me queen of habitton. or was that hobbiton? i can never recall which. at any rate, i know that as difficult as change is for me, it is something that i want. something that i need. it is the what that has me stumped.

i do know some of what i want to change. last year was one of health woes; both body & mind. i am determined that twenty-thirteen will see me well. no. not just well - i want to thrive. much easier to type than do, but as thirteen is my lucky number, this is the year for it.

the rest is fuzzy. i know that i want to move across town, but that requires more money than we currently have on hand. so how to earn that money?

i want to write. i want to re-open kats in the belfry. i want to finally open the hogwarts homeschool shop. i want to design & sew vintage-styled clothing. i want to learn photography. i want to get my farm back on track. i want, i want, i want, & there are only so many hours in a day that is already filled with a teen & a toddler, both of whom homeschool, & only one me.

ye olde blogge needs a change, most definitely. i want to write more in this space, to really write. the other day i was searching for something, & came across a post that i wrote shortly after my mother died. reading that post made me cry. not just for the loss of my mother, but because somewhere along the way i forgot that i was a writer. do not mistake me, i enjoy sharing photos, & babbling about my day, but it is not who i am. rather, not only who i am. for now i think i shall post less, & write more. or not. honestly, i do not know. sigh.

until i do better know what i most want to change, & how, i am concentrating on what is easily managed without much thought. like moving my vintage camera collection, i shall move me about & see what looks best. change is on the wind, my one & only reader. but to where will it blow?

~peace.

random randomosity

*

good whatever it is where you are. here, it is just after five in the morning. the house is pitch black, my menfolk are sleeping, & the rain is softly falling outside. i don't know why i just typed outside. where else would the rain be falling? though with all the quirks, shall we say, of this old belfry, i imagine i am lucky that it is only raining outside.

i am closing my etsy shop at the end of the month, did i tell you? it was not a decision i made lightly, & it brings me great sadness to do so, but it is for the best. at least that is what i am telling myself. i am not closing my bizzie entirely, just this construct of it.

we have been indulging in a bit of holiday crafting. thus far elfling's most favorite activity has been stamping. i learned at hallowe'en that if i wanted something holidayish to hang on the art wall, i needed to set out only the appropriate stamps & colors, not the entire tin. so for this round of stamping i set out the santa & star stamps, & the colors: green, red, silver, & gold. after elfling declared his holiday art complete, i let him have the rest tin. that boy of mine can spend quite a long time stamping.

i did manage to make those magnets we chatted about. mine aren't nearly as cute as the ones in the tutorial, but i was short on time. the choice came down to a) forgo painting them, or 2) risk not getting them finished by xmas. i chose the former. that's them in the photo. they are good enough; there's that pesky good enough again; for a toddler -  i doubt elfling will care that he can see the wood grain.

once the sun rises i need to get sewing. my mother-in-law is coming for an early christmas, & i realized only last night that her gift was not finished. she travels a lot, so i am making her a large, flat-bottomed pouch that she can toss in her suitcase. to make it special, i had elfling draw on the fabric with permanent markers. he is only two, so basically it will look like someone scribbled all over her pouch. that said, she is a grandma, therefore will adore it as if rembrandt himself has done the scribbling.

that is all for this morning's random chat. i am in desperate need of coffee. thanks for visiting.

~peace.

return of the wayward girl

*

let us pretend, if you will, i was unable to post because i was on extended holiday in the south of france. there was no internet access at my chateau, & had there been i don't know that i'd have been able to get online much.

you see, the lazing about by the pool, the many garden parties thrown in my honor, the daily naps in my hammock - it all left me little time for much else. as it was, the governess had to track me down every so often, so the children would not forget what i looked like. i'm sure you understand.

now that i have returned, i look forward to chatting with you on a regular basis. i must admit, my one & only reader, that i have missed you.

~peace.
ps. the above photo is unrelated. i know how you pout when you see photoless posts, so pulled one from the archives. i have been having camera/laptop woes - of which i'll spare you.

shh, i'm not really here

*

my plan to take a wee break for the remainder of the year has failed miserably. i've already: snuck into my nook to sew, worked on a project for elfling, sketched a ton of valentine ideas for theshop, placed two orders for supplies, & now am here with you.

i haven't anything fabulous to share, i just wanted to say hello. so, hello!

that's all :)

~peace.

ps :: if anyone asks, you never saw me here.

everything old is new again

*

so much is new around thebelfry. mostly it's elfling-related - words abilities, etc - such is the world of a bébé. i shan't bore you by gushing over how brilliant he is. i mean really now, what mama doesn't think her offspring is the next einstein? of course mine is. i also have some new treasures to share.

the above is a gorgeously tattered quilt. it was made by manlyman's grandmother's older sister. how's that for a mouth-full? my mother-in-law rescued it eons ago, when her mother was going to throw it away. gasp!

recently she nearly made me cry by passing the quilt on to me! i think i was actually somewhat near to being ever so slightly speechless for a moment or two. never was i so happy that manlyman's siblings don't like old things.

this sweet little shelf for the bathroom is my latest thrift shop find. i think it is the perfect shade: not quite white, not quite beige. its shallow shelves aren't the most practical, though it does manage to hold a few daily necessities.

                      

for years now i have wanted this poster, & now i have it! in a wonderful old frame to boot! well, sort of. look more closely at the photo & you'll see it is, in fact, printed off my computer - frame & all. i know!

coming up, i have a tutorial for making frames such as these - though in card stock, not computer paper like mine. speaking of which: am i the only one who makes things better for others, than for herself? do you do that as well? please tell me you do. lie to me if need be.

rats, i had more to chat about, but a certain elfling has decided to wake early from his nap. thanks for visiting!

~peace.

in which we went to a wedding...

*

... & though we knew a great many people there, i took mostly photographs of things.

my mind wanders easily, & i find myself pondering a neatly lined-up row of pews,

or wallowing in the beauty of a wilting bouquet.

instead of watching the events unfolding before me, i get lost in crumbling details.

but occasionally my eye is caught (as is my breath) by the people, & i am brought back to the moment.

oh what a moment...

~peace.

edited to add :: those beautiful men, looking for the bride, are mine.

on how to waste time...

... fiddle with blogger's new template designer, knowing full well you will change it back in a few days.

off to discover how to make my header centered. that would be time-wasting, the second.

~peace.

there's no place like home

*

photo :: constant companions on my trip

i have much to tell you, & many photos to share. too sleepy today though. instead, here are a few places kitb has been spotted of late:

soulemama

german dolls

curly monkey

see you all soon :)

~peace.

wish i was here

right here, to be exact:


my children bring me immeasurable joy, & i love every single moment i spend with them. ok, that last bit was not altogether true. i couldn't even type it with a straight face. let's try that again, shall we?

my children bring me immeasurable joy, & i love spending time with them. every now & again. heeheehee.

as much as i love being a homeschooling, attachment parenting mama, there are days when it can wear a person out. today was such a day.

i shan't bore you with the details, suffice it to say i wish their daddy-o was home from work, they were with them at the far end of the belfry, & i was soaking (quietly) in a hot bath.

i'm just sayin'.

~peace.

i see. you see. see?

i like the photos showing bloggers' views: out windows, down at wips, & of course views of scrumptious desserts when out on the town. i've wanted to join the fun, but my camera is never with me when i have a photo-worthy view to share here with you. until now..

that is my view, pretty much any time my eyes are open. actually the above photo was taken by thehobbit, so it was his face getting peered into. i don't know how thehobbit managed to take such a tiny photo. most likely he was messing with my camera's settings again. ah well, it would make for a very cute letterhead.

i want to see what your view is today. it can be anything: window, wip, computer screen, book you're reading, laundry, etc. take a photo, post it on your blog, then come back here to leave the link in my comments. let's spread the joy - have your readers play with us. come on, it will be fun!

we all can use a bit of frivolity.

~peace.

thursday things - the launching thereof

i thought, since i'm on the internet quite a bit these days (thanks to a certain someone who still insists on napping ON me), i should share some of the cool/interesting/fabulous/odd/etc things i find. not that i don't already share some of it, but this would be done purposely. sort of a weekly feature thing.

so - drum roll please (yes i have my own live band) - i bring you the 1st installment of thursday things!

this week i'd like to feature something fabulous from one of my newer favorite blogs: just something i made. cathe holden is a talented graphic designer, & an enormously generous one at that. not only does she do tutorials, she regularly offers free graphics, buttons, & the like. for free! as in she isn't charging money for her amazing stuff! clearly she drinks.

her alcohol habits aside; you have to make her one of your regular stops. you'll see why she is our (haha i wrote 'our'. why did i do that? i'm not deleting it, let my other personality do so.) choice for this week's thursday things at the top & bottom of this post. pretty, aren't they? they are free people! you can put them, & a bunch more like them, on your blog, or website.

if you like vintage graphics - & who doesn't - get over there, & have a look. then! then come back here & tell me how to personalize them. she says you can, but i'm so hopelessly technotarded (real word).

& that brings my very first thursday things to a close! see you next week!! or, um tomorrow.

~peace.

in which she further breaks her 'no faces' rule...

sort of.

a few weeks ago i took a photo of my brand new, very own, yet-to-be-named laptop. had i known the reflective quality of her screen, i would have made sure to clean the room behind me, & get my be-jammied self out of the shot.

oh well, it's not like i hadn't told you how messy the belfry has become since the arrival of a certain teeny person. the messy reflection is proof that i wasn't exaggerating. & now you all have what you've been longing for lo these past few years: to see my face.

sort of.


but which is more glorious? more beautiful? more stunning to behold? sigh. i know. the laptop is.

you could lie to me though; tell me that the yet-to-be-named laptop doesn't hold a candle to my beauty. lie to me. i won't mind. i'll even believe you. um, you know, as a favor to you. so you can feel good that you were kind to me. i'm nice that way.

~peace.

*note ::no, i did not fail the challenge. the yet-to-be-named laptop was my xmas prezzie from manlyman & my mother-in-law. oh ye of little faith.

a challenge of challenging proportions

it's quite easy to stick to the rules of the challenge when i'm not out, visiting my favorite shops. i did get a few yearnings when doing my online holiday ordering for the menfolk, but i stayed the course.

what nearly did me in was a trip to my beloved japanese dollar store!!!!!! they were so sweet to stock their shelves with all the things i love. being there was wonderful! it also was horrid, evil, painful agony.

i don't know how, but i did it. i kept from buying things for myself, & let me tell you: it nearly brought me to tears the entire time we were there a few times.

why kat? you're saying to your computer screen, why did you torture yourself by going there? well my dearest one & only reader, thehobbit wanted to get holiday prezzies for his bestest friends, & he insisted that was the place he needed to go.

he wanted special things, cause they're special. how could i have not taken him there after hearing that? so the belfry clan piled into bella, & spent a few hours shopping for special prezzies.

thehobbit bought them all notebooks & sketch pads; choosing styles & patterns he thought each friend would best like. i'm not sure why, but the japanese store has the best notebooks & pads. i know i've chatted about them before. i'll try to get a photo of the ones he chose - you'll like them.

so you don't feel too terribly sorry for me: manlyman bought me a few things i was fondling. new tongs, linen oven mitts, & a teapot that matches these - though he not only won't let me have them until xmas morn, i'm not even allowed to photograph them.

what are you getting for the holidays this year?
~peace.

sorry for the lack of photos, i'm stranded beneath a sleeping bebe.

she's got the whole world

on her wall! (that song will be in your head all day. you're welcome.)

that's right - after years of staring at the little, ugly, freebie map; the kind with the advertising cluttering the oceans; i finally treated myself to this beauty:




oooh. aaaah.

it's not nearly as gigantic as i'd like, but at 32 x 50 (inches), it suits the space well.

don't you just love the colors! yes, i know the ocean is actually blue; as regular maps show; but the beige ocean of my map is much prettier.

who knew france was lavender?

oh kat; you're saying to the computer screen; france again? why don't you just put up a map of france, & stop pretending you even acknowledge the rest of the world exists.

silly you! the map of france (paris actually) is on the wall in my bedroom.

~peace.

new around the belfry

before we get to what's new, i want to thank everyone for the support from my last post. your comments & emails were much appreciated. i definitely have the kindest readers in all of blogland. probably the most intelligent & good looking as well :-)

***

i finally got around to photographing some of the new things i told you about. they aren't the best of photos, but considering i was balancing a squirmy bebe at the same time, i'm surprised they are even in focus.

this is lemondrop's freakytall dresser. it began its life as 2 dressers, but after grammie & thehobbit dragged them in off the street (a neighbor was getting rid of them), she suggested i remove the legs of 1, then stack them. well yeah!

it's much too contemporary for my taste, but i couldn't pass up free. plus it sits in their playroom, so it's not as though i need look at it constantly.

here we have the giant mirror - oh i cannot tell you how much i love this!



click on the photo to see it in all its shabby glory! i love, love love it. did i say that already? well i do. sadly the mirror is much too heavy to hang on our pathetic walls, so it needs to sit on the floor.

what is that reflected in my new mirror, mirror on the floor?! that would be the beautiful blanket that auntiepaper crocheted for my teeny bebe. i'm very picky about colors, preferring more dusty versions. i was thrilled to see that she chose the 1 shade of blue i actually like! it's like a dusty periwinkle. i'm not sure if i'm describing the color well, but there ya go. by the way; the blanket is so soft & cozy!

lastly we come to what is no longer around the belfry. at last thehobbit agreed to have his long hair cut off!


ok agreed may be the wrong word here. we actually did a bit of bartering: legos for hair. that's right, he got a new set of legos & i got a pile of hair. & yes, technically i bribed him. but! i phrased it in a way that didn't appear (to his 11yo self) as though he was being bribed. so far as he's concerned, we bartered. oh the cleverness of me ;-)

what's new with you?
~peace.

stuff, then blah & blah

i haven't forgotten my promise to show you my new mirror, i've just been caught in a whirlwind of visitors & to-dos. the giant mirror did make it out from the middle of the bigroom, & now leans against a wall, looking simply perfect in all its shabbiness.

the giant bookcase; that was supposed to be moved to the studio, but made it only as far as the diningroom; was finally brought to the studio, & partially filled! i changed my mind about using it to house fabric though, & have instead been filling it with baskets, bins, & boxes of work supplies.

now i am back to searching for a tall, skinny shelving unit, with freakydeep (real word) shelves. it's out there, waiting for me, yearning to overflow with fabric. *insert dreamy sigh here*

as i said above, we've had loads of friends over to play; giving both thehobbit & i a break from each other our current routine.

we are also getting ready for our hallowe'en party. not one of our usual themed bashes; just a wee gathering, with close friends. that's what today's focus is: house prep & errands. also known as blah & blah.

& now to bring this ever so exciting post to an end. have a glorious day, do.
~peace.

my new best friend in a cup

this is what got me through all of yesterday, & today:

lemon & honey tea. my doc suggested it (as did oddsox & paper), to help me muddle through the daytime without any meds. then early yesterday paper lovingly left a bag of lemons on my porch, for which i'm ever so grateful.

i have to say that i've grown quite sick of the taste of hot lemon & honey, but i'll stick with it because it does work. i need to get more ice cream honey today though; so shall have to brave the world beyond my little belfry.

i'm going to use the power of positive thinking to make me all better by tomorrow because: a) i'm beyond sick of being sick, & 2) we have dinner plans with friends i haven't seen in ages. clearly both excellent reasons for getting well quickly.

& now i'm off to make some more of my new best friend. what are you doing today?

~peace.

looking at the bright side of life

yesterday was an ever so dreadful sort of day. we had to be across town all day; for morning & late afternoon doc appointments; so i planned errands & a thrifting excursion to fill the hours between. without going into all the ridiculous happenings, i will just say that the majority of the day went wrong.



by the nightfall i was so miserable, that i was unable to focus on positives. in fact, had you asked me then, i would have insisted that not one good thing came out of the entire day. that, of course, is not the case - but i think a bit of dramatics is ok once in awhile.



today is a new day, & though it's not going as well as i would like, i am able to focus on being positive. for example: although our thrifting was cut hideously short, i did manage to come away with 2 treasures. the footstool needs to be painted & recovered; otherwise it's in excellent shape.





the basket needs no work whatsoever - it is simply perfect. & the lid! it has slits for the handles to poke through, & lifts straight off. baskets drive me wild in general, but with lids?!?! according to our new rule, we must have a purpose for everything we bring home. i need to think of one quickly.

i'm grateful that yesterday is behind me, & that today's crud is vastly more tolerable - beyond that, i'm just going to take the day as it comes. not an entirely pollyanna attitude, but at least i'm looking at the bright side of life. mostly. ish.

~peace.

look what i can do!

that's right dear one & only reader - i am my own table. let's ignore the fact that i'm eating the hummus from the container, & focus only on how very talented i am.

~peace.

summer

has finally made an appearance. those who've been reading for some time will remember that i don't do well when temperatures go higher than 70f soar to ridiculous heights. still, i do want my summer veggies to grow, so am content with the change in the weather. for now.

thehobbit is thrilled for the coming of warmer days. he loves playing in water, making ice cream & pops, bbqs, heaping bowls of melon, & the spirit of summer. in that way he is more like his daddy-o. not that i don't love those things as well, it's just that i'm more of a spring-gal.

to celebrate the season we bought a new kiddie pool last weekend, in which he spent most of his time. until he got his first nasty sunburn, that is. since then he's played at the pool, but hasn't gone in. this is a good thing really; because the water became foul rather quickly. we've begun emptying the pool; by the bucket-full; into the gardens, but it's slow-going.

i will say that one thing i do love about summer is the light. coming in through our many windows, the sunlight seems almost magical.

what do you like best about summer?

~peace.