To Blog or not to Blog

This is the question? This journey into the modern world has been just over a week long for me. Should I continue? Maybe some of you have some thoughts about that?

Does anyone have some advice about bathroom reno's. How it went well or wrong for you. Is using a complete package company a financial rip off or is it worth the money spent? Please write a comment as I'd love to know. We need to decide in the next week how we approach this.

Right I'm off to scream around the house and clear up a weeks mess, after 2 soccer practices, scores of homework, washing and beds, find the kitchen bench and make a cake to take up to school for a shared lunch. Pop in on Mum and give her meds, and walk the dog. However I did spend 15 minutes on my face this morning and am wearing my $8 second hand top from savemart and I feel a million dollars.

Cheerio, Carolyn

Keeping up Appearances

Well I did the hot chocolate at the garden center this afternoon before I picked up the kids from school. It was 'lick'alicious. Then I briefly enjoyed the visual feast of interior decor items on my way to the door without buying anything. I must score a brownie point for that one.

A friend and I were talking about keeping up appearances today. Finding and taking the time to put on a little makeup to brighten the face and keep our husbands noticing us. So we don't just fade into the wallpaper. I think a lot of the time we just can't be bothered when it's not a work requirement. But have you noticed how confident you feel when you've finished and stride out the door with the eye shadow and a striking lipstick on.

Womanly confidence is worth bottling, especially for those days when life seems dull. Its a good pick me up. No the preschooler won't notice but your husband will. Valuing ourselves somehow helps others value us too.

So gather up all those pieces of your make-up kit, no matter how old and desperate they look, or how far flung they are! Re-instate them in your handbag. Find a space in your morning even if its after you've left the house to make a striking difference to the way you look and feel. Often the only thing that needs to be airbrushed is our confidence.

A Photography Challenge

I've been thinking I need to pick up an old hobby for a day and revel in it. I'm sure most of us don't have room to breathe in life, let alone pursue a hobby. Being woman, our lives are full to the brim with work, family and relational demands, too many voices, no empty spaces. Just cramped! We need to get away sometimes and the mall just doesn't cut it!

I did a photography course when I was living in Brisbane and it was the most thrilling thing. It brings alive every creative juice, especially developing one's own shots, very much a science and an art form but even to the most unskillful the magic is always there as the image emerges on the blank paper.

So here is the challenge to all you budding image makers, who desperately need to get away, pick up your camera sometime in the next week and head off by yourself to create. Step 2, send me a copy of your 'best of the best' shots on facebook. We'll see what we get back. Step 3 attach a comment about how it felt to be out there again with a camera in your hand.

Life can always be livened up by doing something out of the ordinary, where time gets lost and the soul takes flight.

Foggy Days

Its a foggy day in Auckland, the Queens birthday actually. Happy birthday Elizabeth. My washing machine and dryer keeps churning and after 3 hours of housework I have returned a few layers of clutter to their right spaces. What does one do with the mundane! It just keeps coming back.

Part of being a woman seems to be dealing with everyone else's stuff. You can tell I still have young children who'd rather play computer games than pick up after themselves!

I am enjoying the autumn hues though. Looking out my window I see the ornamental cherry tree boasting bold orange tones. We see the summer green leaves and the winter bare branches for so long, but the autumn leaves are fleeting. We could almost miss them.  I'm thankful for the little things that bring colour to mundane days today. A piece of music, a chat with a friend, a hug from a child, a sense of achievement, a walk with the dog, a clean bench, views to my garden.

Find sometime to see autumn this week, if autumn is happening in your part of the world, colour is such a gift to the soul.