show me the light

it had been five months since any outing (with the exception of a couple of medical appointments i only just made it to).  and i could feel my soul withering with every extra day that passed.  i felt that if i didn't escape the house something inside me was going to die...and so i escaped.  and payed for it - bigtime.  but at least i got to see this magical sight, the amazing light thrown by approaching dark stormy skies on a river still as glass.  

'when you perceive that an act done to another is done to yourself, you have understood the great truth.'

— lao tzu

kia kaha christchurch - one year on

wooden ornament in the shape of the iconic stained glass 'rose window' of the cathedral

 

 

 

 

 

 

the real 'rose window' of christchurch cathedral - before the quake

ceramic dish from mudbird's 'emerge' range (with some pieces from my favourite christchurch jeweler, darrell of jakana jewellry)

today marks the one year anniversary of the deadly and devastating christchurch february 22nd earthquake.  my heart is still so much with the people of this beautiful city who continue to endure constant aftershocks (10 000 and counting, i believe) as well as all the layers of uncertainty, grief and trauma.  i have been spending time this morning remembering all that was lost, but also celebrating what remains - including the wonderful creative spirit that has always been so evident.  above are a couple of my favourite handmade things that have come from the dust (literally, in one case - mudbird's 'emerge' range contains liquefaction silt.  ingenious.)

thankyou, thankyou, thankyou to 'that vintage'

a package full of handmade gorgeousness turned up in my mailbox today - a prize won by my friend marzi and very generously donated to lucky moi.  

the giveaway was from a lovely lady named sophie hill, the talented tasmanian behind  'that vintage'.  i'd long admired her work, especially the whimsical and delicate designs.  however i knew the lighter versions wouldn't work with my colouring ... and so i resisted temptation.  then i saw a photo on her facebook page which not only had a  darker pair of earrings with a pattern named 'monarch' (which reminds me of damask) but also a fantastic fabric-wrapped bangle.  the caption:  'you want?'  my answer:  'yes, yes, yes!'

i so wish that i could find a way to share the scent i am breathing in right now as well as the wonderful packaging and presentation.    the fragrance is absolutely divine - as soon as i opened the packets it hit me.   (after a little investigation i think it's actually the huon pine in the middle of the bangle rather than the tasmanian myrtle of the earrings as i had assumed).  a very unexpected added pleasure.

so, a huge thankyou to both sophie and marzi for sharing the love and brightening my day - these beautiful pieces of jewelry will always be extra special because of the way in which they came to be mine.  

things can only get better!

this is the first crafty adventure i have had in a long long time - and i figure that things really can only get better!  let's just call it 'organic', shall we?

i'm quite a fan of these tree pendants (well, anything tree-ish for that matter), and had some jewelry-making supplies lurking in a cupboard that hadn't been put to use properly yet.  it seemed a good project to try and ease me back into the creative realm...something that looked a little forgiving, not too complicated and that i could do sitting in bed.  the best tutorial i found was by camille sharon -  she's an engaging, fun and natural teacher.  

i decided to start out with torched copper wire - the torching gives a 'rainbow' sort of effect - simply because it is much cheaper than silver alternatives.  (put it this way:  i anticipated some failures.)   the amethyst chips used came from a bracelet a friend gave me which fell apart a few years ago now.   i'm going send her the reincarnated version - figuring it will at least give her a laugh.  

please read

a post from my other blog about something very important...please take a few minutes to read.

http://onelifeintheshadows.blogspot.com/2011/12/desperately-in-need-of-christmas.html

belles fleurs - the abstract series

belles fleurs

one of the great pleasures in life:  unexpected floral deliveries from very special friends.  (another pleasure:  photographing the flowers to enjoy long after they have gone).

my favourite (eco-friendly) things

my quest to find natural products that actually work has been a long and winding road.  at times it seemed impossible to find things that matched both those criteria, and i wondered if anything even existed 'out there'.   having, eventually, discovered these (now) favourite products, they seem worth sharing - hopefully it might save someone else a bit of time and money along the way.

(clockwise from the back)

giovanni hair products - my favourites are the shampoo and leave-in conditioner from the 'smooth as silk' range.  in the past i've bought these from healthfood stores or biome, however i've recently discovered i can get them for a third of that price at the place i buy my supplements from in the US.  and that makes them incredibly affordable.  

hemp organics lipsticks and lip tints - also available from some healthfood stores, and i am sure online.  i can hardly remember the last time i wore lipstick but it's nice to have one there 'in case'.  the liptints are lovely textures and i have a couple of colours i particularly like.

sante eyeliner - again from biome, although i have had my sister act as personal courier and bring some me straight from germany when she comes home to visit.  (i have tried some of their other products too but was slightly put off when i realised they included ingredients that aren't regarded are truly 'natural')

honeybee gardens 'truly natural mascara' - granted, it's not waterproof, however it's the only natural one i've tried that doesn't clump and i will happily buy again and again.  you can purchase this through their australian online site although, again, it is far cheaper to buy via the US (well, as long as our dollar remains strong anyway).

pure cosmetics mineral foundation - this was the product that caused me the most angst along the way.  all the mineral foundations i tried seemed to cake and look heavy and fake, as well as being incredibly expensive.  i happened upon this one on ebay in a last ditch effort one day.  as well as having what i consider to be the best finish also comes in the most amazing range of colours i've come across.  and - even better - it is an absolute bargain compared to most other mineral foundations.   there are usually samples available so that you can make sure you have the right colour and try before you buy.  refills are available at cheaper rates and they're always happy to put up a custom listing for you if you send them a message.  (the pure cosmetics store carries a huge range of eyeshadows, blushers etc too for those who might be interested)