Productivity

Well I guess I went AWOL a bit this week . I've just been really productive.

Spent a lot of time knitting my lovely cardi which I mentioned recently. Finished the back and have started the left side. This is great to knit up while watching Le Tour. Then I don't feel quite so much like I'm wasting time.

On Monday I got inspired and spent most of the afternoon tidying up my attic/studio space. It has got messier and messier as it is SO hot up there that I never want to spend more time than I have to-at least that was my excuse. But with Kit as my assistant, I finally did it, and guess what-I've been loving it up there ever since, even though I sweat bullets the whole time.

Having MY room tidy inspired me to tidy the rest of the attic. This space has so much potential, but it is unfinished, one lightglobe, cold in winter, hot in summer etc. It's where we store our out of season stuff, but everything had just been DUMPED ALL OVER THE FLOOR. Really truely. I nearly killed myself tripping over stuff just to get to my room. So I spent hours, picking it all up, putting it on shelves, sorting through clothes to donate etc. This is the storage side...

Then I vaccuumed like there was no tomorrow-it really has only been done once or twice in the last year and the dust is out of control up there. And then I thought it was looking so pretty that I got out my trusty staple gun (actually not so trusty at the mo-need a new one that doesn't chew through staples) and some sheets I found for free (my neighbour was tossing them-knew they'd come in handy) and covered up all the exposed roof and insulation batts (what few of them there are) to create this play space for Ella.

She's had the turret "room" for her Barbies for the last year, and spends a lot of time up there, but there is no light, and it's hot in there in summer. So now she has more space for all her toys, and she loves it. And she wont be rubbing up against insulation or getting splinters from the exposed beams...and it's lighter up there with the fabric.

So I've also been making stuff. Finally finished my bag made from recycled jeans and scraps of fabric. I love it. The jeans pocket (one inside and out) are perfect for a mobile phone. It's lined entirely in denim. A pair of jeans goes a long way- I also made my belt out of this pair.


Plus I've been making more t-shirts. And I thought I'd give some baby wear a go too. Bibs and little "onesies". These will go into my etsy shop eventually too (in the hope that I may sell SOMETHING).

AND (told you I've been productive) I've been making more paper squares to go into a new painting I'll be doing once I get the canvas frames (and a new staple gun). It will be more or less like the big brown one I did last year. In greens and greys.

It's been AGES since I've painted and I'm really looking forward to doing it again. I have a friend who always says "I'll comission you to paint one like that for me", so I'm hoping that she'll like the colours and will actually buy it. It will be BIG, and thus nearly impossible to sell on etsy.

I'm loving being able to go up to my studio and just do everything I want to up there. I crank Pandora radio and the day just passes me by. I even totally forgot to take the kids to gymnastics lessons last night-OOOOOOPPS!

And on top of all that, we've had our dancing lessons-one already this week and one tonight. I can't say I'm loving it, so 3 more lessons will be enough for me. For those who've asked, it's started with a bit of waltze, then rumba, then swing, then tango, cha cha, meringue etc... you get the picture. We just learn the foot work of the steps, to work out what we want to do when our introductory lessons are finished...but that's not going to happen. I have to say, though, that it's a great workout and my legs really feel worked by the end of the lesson. And yes they are private and OH SO expensive.