Sunday splendour: 27 March 2011

Ah, Lovelies! I’m so delighted so many of you had a ball at the inaugural Aussie Bloggers Conference in Sydney last week. I really hope to make next year’s so I can finally meet so many of you all in person. This week on Planet Baby was a heady one for Mr PB and me as we made some life-changing decisions which I can hopefully reveal to you all sometime soon (sorry to be a tease ☺). We’re taking a leap of faith and it’s a little scary but it will involve firmly taking the tiller of Planet Baby’s boat and steering it into uncharted waters which will benefit us all. Crossing fingers and toes it all comes together. And soon! So, apart from those distractions, let me share some of the splendid things I’ve enjoyed this week.  

 *I feasted upon* these luscious cherry tomatoes, fresh from our garden, last night. The pixies were just besides themselves when they found these jewelled orbs, just waiting to be picked. Talk about satisfying! Here they are after having been sprinkled with sea salt, red wine vinegar and olive oil, marinated and topped with some flat-leaf parsley, also from our garden. Scrummy!

* I discovered* the fabulous Jean-Pascal Patisserie (in Lenah Valley) for the locals. Ah, be still my Francophile heart! We were exploring an unfamiliar suburb for us (there’s a little hint for you related to my cryptic comments above!) and chanced upon this treasure. Sweet serendipity as Felicity would say. Not only is it a patisserie, it’s although a purveyor of French fabulousness and has a vibrant florist shop up the back. I adored it so much, I‘m going to post about it soon. But as an entrée, look at these darling little bottles I just *had to* take home with me.

At $6 each, they were in my bag lickety-split.  Now to decide how to use them – bath salts, maybe? Any suggestions? They’re just so delicate, pretty and the stoppers work really well. Here’s a close-up for my fellow Francophiles. Sigh.

 * I enjoyed* finally finding a simple white frame for this gorgeous little French print I gave Mr PB for Valentine’s Day. I need to get it properly mounted but for the moment, I’m enjoying gazing at this.

Here’s a close-up.

I bought it on Etsy from Jess Purr at Purr. Her work is just divine and so reasonably priced. I could pretty much buy everything she has on offer. Do treat yourself and have a peek at her treasures!

* I created* a space for me to record what I get up to on my ‘Magic Mondays’ – the one day of the week when Joshua is at school and India and Sam are at daycare (he still cries when I leave but only for about a minute so that’s an improvement!). I pressed one of my treasured Kikki K notebooks into action.

I added some blue (are you surprised?) butterflies to start my flight of fancy.

I think I need to do this both to ensure I actually *do* something for myself instead of just wandering around Blogland but also as a record of my journey. Something tangible, I guess, to show for my efforts and dreams. Here’s my first entry – I felt quite self-conscious writing it but at least I started it! I wonder what tomorrow’s entry will contain…

* I read this* thought-provoking post at Scoutie Girl, one of my favourite ‘go to’ blogs for inspiration and support. Michelle’s post was *exactly* what I needed to read right now as I grapple with the demands of our full life on Planet Baby whilst also making sure I ‘allow’ myself time to express myself creatively.  She suggested these ways to ensure we make creative time for ourselves:

* Replace something in your current schedule;

* Write down your ideas;

* Keep track of your inspiration;

* Remember why you love being creative; and

* Make it a priority.

I haven’t picked up my paint brushes for nearly a year. When Sam was younger, had two sleeps a day and was immobile, I cherished my Wednesdays with him as I had time to paint while he slept. Now he only has one sleep, is forever up to his ‘Quicksilver’ exploits and can climb onto the kitchen table where I used to paint, I can’t paint on Wednesdays. I think I’ll now try to paint for even 30 minutes on my Magic Mondays – a good start for me to build on. Here’s a painting I did last year – I relished the freedom of the broad sweeps of the brushes across the page and building up the tones and layers of colour.

* I watched* the last of our summer flowers blooming as autumn gradually descends on Hobart. Here’s a selection of them.

So, lovely Planetarians, what was splendid in your week? Do share – let’s start the new week on a positive note!