Winter days...

... can sometimes be fun. Not always, and I'm not really a winter person, but at this time of year sometimes there are days when the sun comes out and you get a hint of spring in the air. It never stays, because it's really far too early, but nonetheless, it's a bit of warmth and light in this grey season.

The last time this happened, a few days ago, we spent a happy couple of hours in the garden, and there are signs of life! Bean spotted a ladybird, and we all went round to spot all the fresh green shoots of daffodils and bluebells and the little white flowers of the snowdrops.

Then I tried to take a few pictures of the lads so I could get a canvas print done for my dad's birthday. It didn't go so well...

The little monkeys have decided to become photo-shy...



I'm doing a knitting update soon, but it's been so dreary that it seems just impossible to get a decent photograph of anything.

Ten on Tuesday...

... well, Ten on Friday, really.

Since I missed last Friday (it's been a crazy couple of weeks) I thoguht I'd use the 'Ten on Tuesday' prompt to list a few more of my current favourites.

I'm really into family, vintage, and design blogs at the moment. Probably because I'm STILL shuffling things round in our house. Hey! It's only been 4 years or so since we moved here and considering we still haven't finished doing the house up I think I'm doing OK. Brought a whole stack of picure frames downstairs today, washed the fine black dust off that's covering everything upstairs in the attic ever since we had the lath and plaster ripped down in one of the rooms up there, and have started putting new pictures in. I'm envisioning a kind of collage of lots of small pictures with artwork in them in the lounge above the sofa. We'll see if I can convince D, since it will be him who will attempt to put the necessary nails in our brittle walls. Our walls are terrible, which is why I'm not permitted to play around with hammer and nails - every time you knock those walls too hard a chunk of plaster seems to fall off. I guess that's what you get when you cut corners (and save money) and just put a skim coat of plaster on some really rubbish walls...

Anyway, as I said, design blogs are IT right now. I'm still reading my regular blogs, but I thought I'd share some of my new (and old) favourites. Here we go:

Soulemama - this is an old favourite. I just love everything about this blog. The writing, the photographs, how inspiring Amanda's take on life and family is.

The SleepyTime Gal - beautiful photographs, inspiring stories and ideas.

Made - it celebrates BOYS this year. I happen to have to of those at home. Need I say more? ;-)

Procrastination Mama - lovely blog, interesting links to other places on the web (MORE design blogs, heh!)

No Monsters in My Bed - again, lovely blog, pretty photography, interesting links

A Beautiful Mess - Vintage, yay!!

Design*Sponge - I've liked this blog for quite some time. It's a good mix of new design, vintage, revamping of old things to give them a new look, and it always has good links to all sorts of design websites and shops online.

Bluebirdbaby - inspiring posts with beautiful photography

The Coffee Lady - quirky, funny and thoughtful.

Prairie Mouse - crafts AND food. Need I say more?

Drago[knit]fly - crafts, sowing, quilting.

(Picture is of Kipper, lounging on a fence top, surveilling his territory)

Blog Inspiration Friday...

I was organising and tidying up my sidebar today. So many dead links... it makes me sad how so many beautiful blogs have disappeared over time. It shouldn't be, but it's always a shock to me how temporary everything is on the internet. There one day, gone the next. I like things to be constant, solid, possessing an object nature, a physical presence rather than this etheral lightness and lack of permanence.

It's made me think that I also need to celebrate what is there, and what I love now, today. So every week I want to post a link to a blog that inspires me, makes me think or act or that simply makes me happy.

I've picked Schlitzohren for today's post. There were many others I could have picked, but this is a new find and it was mainly this post that resonated so much with me, with what I've been trying to do these past days and weeks, sometimes succeeding more sometimes less, but always trying. It's always worth it. x