i've been posting about this over at my facebook page (a more reliable source for updates on what i am doing creatively than here), but realised i haven't yet shared on my blog !
faith, liz and i have banded together to create a weekend retreat in a seaside cottage on cape cod ma - i am so mindful of the power of a circle of women gathering and sharing and having the space to open up creatively and am excited to help facilitate this weekend.
we are offering 5 classes over the weekend ~ faith will be teaching painting and dreamcatchers, liz will be teaching jewellery making and i'm offering nuno-felting and mixed media prayer flags. we are packing a whole lotta making good stuff into one weekend !
a local friend rebecca who twirls and hoop dances with fire is coming to bedazzle us with her magic skills and guide us in getting our hoop dance on !
there will be good healthy food, walks and laughter on the beach, yoga for those who wish, bonfire medicine, nature mandala making and good connections with new friends.
i haven't really been selling online for the past few years - i'm not very good at the juggling/balancing thing with mama duties, craft fairs and to be honest taking banjo as a toddler to the post office was more than i could handle for a while. and, i just didn't want to sell on etsy anymore.
i've plodded away taking email skirt and flag orders now and then along with a few instagram sales (#shopembers if you want to follow for updates on sales), but have recently opened up a square market shop and am liking it so far.
limited tiger maxi skirts are now featuring !
the ingall's family weren't kidding about the 'long hard winter' ! it's been a particularly rough one for us aussies - not having grown up in a climate anything like this ! the locals are all complaining...we are just kinda dazed and confused (frozen?) - winter is winter here, despite my mini escapes to warmer places (bali and az), i've found it a challenge to stay um, positive ! amidst a whole lot of sickness spells in our family along with animal loss.
sadly, with all the love and joy that comes from owning animals we have witnessed some intense loss. this winter our dear mama goat died of cancer. it was difficult to take, especially after nursing her back to health in the house (yes, a goat living in my house for 10 days), worrying, rejoicing over her recovery and then a few months later she suddenly became ill again and passed away. only a month later some neighbourhood dogs ran into our field and killed all of our chickens and our poor sweet blind goat, right in front of my children. it was devastating.
we have spent a lot of time huddling by the fire feeling the heartache. and sure enough with time passing we don't feel quite so heavy. the weather has finally warmed up a wee bit and spending time outside breathing in the spring air and hearing the sweet birds is definitely healing. little shoots are starting to pop up. and there are conversations about planting things and getting a rescue pup and then there was the trip to the feed store that resulted in us walking out with 4 adorable little chicks. they are chirping away beside me as i type.
as you may or may not have gathered from my occasional ramblings and photographs on this blog, i love to travel. l o v e ittttt. and so in order to get places i dream up ways to fund my trips - usually offering workshops or sales (which also make me very happy, especially when collaborating with friends to do so - i love bouncing off juicy creative souls), which is what i did last weekend to visit my good friend liz. i took my littlest person with me (we are usually a package deal) who slotted right in with liz's 3 boys and all their boy stuff. it felt so good and cozy to be with an old friend. let it all hang out. which i had to actually as i got quite sick while i was there. i made it through our workshops (just - one class did involve some mime when i was unable to converse using words - lucky i have that drama degree under my belt after all hey), and then collapsed allowing liz (true friend that she is) to take care of me. she loaded me up with pills, supplements, oils and who knows what else and let me rest while adding a 5th child to her family !
on our last day we got a babysitter for the morning and i finally left her house for the first time - with a basket of art supplies and smoothies we sat blissfully in the sunshine of a local park making art. OH IT FELT GOOD! totally nourished my soul. i love being around creative people. and being barefoot. and seeing grass and feeling warm.