Author Archives: paulainauckland

Journal, day 3

Posted in Journal by

an update on yesterday – I HAVE learnt how to spell existential. Woo hoo.

Prompt 3

Make a fashion statement! What’s your style? Jeans? Jersey? Jacket? Tell us what makes you comfortable – or SMART!

I’ve reversed yesterday’s process in that this is a shot of my journal with the tags, stitches and textures, but the text is also below:
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OK, so I read this and came to an abrupt halt. I’m not really a fashion person at all, I prefer individuality – hence today is a mix of purple chucks, skinny jeans, long black cardy and a beautiful blouse that was made in a little Hong Kong boutique (thanks much to my SIL, it’s one of my favs). Yay for casual Fridays 🙂

What got my brain storming was the word I took out of the prompt – FABRIC. I think stitching, embroidery (yes, they are different to me), LOTR costumes (I love the texture, layers & detail), glamour, warmth, comfort, aida, linens, evenweave…

I take a project along with me pretty much wherever I go, be it work or the car. I’m trying to embrace new things, like surface “free” embroidery – I went to a class earlier this year with Zeb, to the Stitchsmith and my head is overwhelmed with new ideas. I’m loving the creative buzz!

My samples? Aida (the white and blue square-like fabrics) – what new stitchers can learn on. Easy to work with & I’m currently stitching with Zac. A DMC wrapper – they make my fav threads. A pink ribbon – lots of focus on ribbons these days. Quiksilver tag – my new dress already for summer. And cream evenweave – reverse chainstitch, long/short fill & my most common stitch, the cross over 2 threads.

LINKS – Zeb’s blog : http://www.ixari.net/about/
– The Stitchsmith : http://www.thestitchsmith.co.nz/
– Write On, home to the prompts: http://fabrilicious.wordpress.com

READING: The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir. Apparently my brain had enough trash inbetween the solid stuff to absorb more facts.
LISTENING: iPod is still on shuffle. I can’t settle on anything so it pops from Nickleback (don’t judge hastily, the early stuff is great and non-commercial) to Alanis to Toby Mac to Ministry of Sound to Seether. Ooh, Duran Duran – lets hit that fast forward, shall we?
CRAFTING: on week three of the Mirabilia pattern Stargazer. So pretty, she reminds me of Maria in Elizabeth Goudges’ Little White Horse.
MISSING: Still cut up the the MIL killed my red tailed shark.

Riding Without Training Wheels

Posted in family by

something I read today that held meaning 🙂

I am jealous of those families that manage to work thru all the “steps” “haves” “have nots” and all the other day-to-day minutae of shared parenting. Unfortunately I didn’t get that option from my eldest’s father and while things all worked out for me, someone out there is missing out and I wasn’t able to protect my eldest from as much as I would have liked.

existitchialism's avatarExistitchialism

Disclaimer: This isn’t a post about stitching, although I suppose I could weave a stitchy metaphor into it, if I tried. 😉 I decided to post this here anyway, as it gives a glimpse of the person who holds these hoops in her hands and pulls these threads through. Read on, if you like. If not, here is a picture of my couch as it looks right now. Stitching carnage:

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Background: My immediate family consists of me, my partner Pritts, and my son Eliot. Eliot’s immediate family consists of Pritts and I, and his dad, his stepmom, and his half-brother. Eliot is the link between our two little families. He lives with me and Pritts half the time, and his dad’s family the other half the time. Yesterday, with his dad’s family, he rode his bike without the training wheels for the first time ever.

Story: I…

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journal, day two

Posted in Journal by

Prompt 2

If all the world was chocolate – what would you miss?

I guess I might miss my couch – sitting in a melting pool of chocolate would be pants, if you’ll pardon the visual pun. What about wine, books, my stitching? Or do I get really existensial, and point out that I wouldn’t miss what I don’t know.

Popping off now to find out how to spell “existensial” – leaving you with this image 🙂 a chocolate pinata from http://www.gayleschocolates.com

Thumb_WorldPinata_20100630_0114_fixed<

you do know the trick with pinatas, don't you? blindfold the adults, spin them around a few times and make sure your pinata is on a pulley system. yes, slightly cruel but very, very funny.

jOURNAL day one

Posted in me by

So obviously with the calendar difference my day one has started on an odd calendar day…

The prompt lives here: http://fabrilicious.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/july-1st/

Prompt 1

Take some time today to be quiet. Maybe you will have a chance to sit in the garden – or at the window – or even on the bus. Wherever you are, just take time to LISTEN.

Write about what you hear.

So closing my eyes, what do I hear? My fingers typing. Nicky Romero’s “Like Home” (Ministry of Sound Annual 2014) on my iPod. The printer in the buyer’s assistant’s area. Alex talking to a supplier. Sarah talking to a store. The clatter in the lunchroom.

And this is a relatively quiet morning too!

Journalling Prompts

Posted in books, me, project 365 by

In the aftermath of man flu I am struggling a little when it comes to creativity. So I found this little gem, and am hoping that the daily prompts kick start some thinking and more to the point, some journalling. I am woefully behind when it comes to Project Life but yay! at least found the printer cable yesterday so that excuse is now gone.

http://fabrilicious.wordpress.com/

Sign up and see what it brings you 🙂

On a reading note, I have slogged thru Julia Fox’s excellent Jane Boleyn and Alison Weir’s well researched, detail heavy The Lady in the Tower. Interesting to compare the two very different views of Jane, Lady Rochford, who supposedly betrayed Anne Boleyn and her own husband, Anne’s brother. Ewuu. However I’m not sure she is as clean as Fox portrays her, and she was certainly very stupid when it came to her role as Katherine Howard’s court.

amazon links:

You might want to read the Weir in print however, as all the Appendix notes are annoying in e format, and I have not read many at all…

 

Catching up

Posted in me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, Uncategorized by

So last week I had the brilliant idea that I should follow Anne’s example and rotate stitching. So I planned a start to Stargazer, kitted up another Nora Corbett/Mirabilia (Mediterranean Mermaid) and planned on working on Tapestry Cat in week three.

It’s week three and I can’t be bothered with TC. Part of this is a reluctance to pick up the confetti like stitches, part is the flu. I have the man flu! Managed to get one of the strains NOT covered in the injection, which was not clever of me at all. Stink bro, as Gish sings…

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Mermaid after one week

Learnings from today

Posted in Uncategorized by

I am trying to compile Terms of Trade for the business as a whole and I’ve realised two or maybe three things.

1. Parent was right – I should have been a lawyer.

2. Then-boyfriend was also right – just because I like to argue doesn’t mean I’m any good at this stuff.

3. I freaking hate this legal shit. What if I miss something out?

4. I’m not paid enough for this crap.

5. Maths maybe isn’t my strong point. Good thing I only analyse the numbers, right? Right?