from somewhere in my imagination

Changing Things Up

Over the past few months I have slowly been building up my running again.  I’ve talked about running and how it has played a role in my life over the years before.  About 18 months ago I was starting to feel like my feet were sprouting their wings again and then, blammo, they got flattened by a pretty bad case of tendonitis.

I learnt my lesson that time around.  My body is actually getting older, I have also had a couple of particularly nasty foot sprains in the last 5 years and too much too soon is bad.  Very Bad.  I also learnt how important it is for me to work on my strength as well as my fitness because if my body is strong it's better protected against injury.

With the 2012 Melbourne Marathon as my ultimate goal I am pretty pleased with my progress so far.  I’m starting to change things up a bit, pushing further on some runs and faster on others.  Tonight I put together my longest run for a very long time.

I’ve been trying out different running apps on my phone with mixed success.  I’ve also been working on my strength and fitness in the gym.  I’ve been managing to squeeze in 30 minute sessions in my lunch hour. Once upon a time I wouldn’t have considered it worthwhile because it was only 30 minutes but I can actually feel the difference it’s making because I’m making it count.

I’ve been working with Supertrainer Stef, you’ll have heard about him if you read Lauren’s blog.  I feel stronger.  I actually want to do push ups for the first time in my life.  I can almost do them on my toes but my back isn’t quite letting me yet.  After having 4 babies my lower back is definitely my biggest point of weakness but it’s getting stronger as I improve my core strength.

I’ve seen even more people taking up the C25K this year and discovering running for the first time.  Do you have a running or fitness goal, short or long, you have set yourself this year?

Open Studio

So...more than a couple of days later my Studio is finally approaching a point at which it finally feels organised....what better time for a tour!

My room is a touch over 3m wide x 5m long.  It was the only room I really planned out in my head before we moved.  I didn't want to overcrowd it with furniture and for the most part I wanted to keep it uncluttered.  Difficult when you have as much paper and fabric as I do but I'm pretty happy with my organisation right now.

Furniture is pretty much all from Ikea...the drawers were in the kids' rooms but they all have big built ins now so I claimed them to replace the sideboard I'd been using for the past 4 years and now takes pride of place in the hallway.

I have 2 long tables, one old and one new.  A 4x2 expedit which was surplus to our needs inside and 2 new 2x2's

We had 4 billy bookcases all in a row in our last 2 houses but we can only fit 3 in a row in our new house so I grabbed the spare (sorry Lauren & Jess).

The sewing table is out original kitchen table, $99 including 4 chairs from the reject shop in Mt Isa, it has served me well over the years!  The table cloth hides a paint & glue splattered, slightly beaten looking tabletop.

Steven, having painted the long side wall cream to replace the rather overwhelming red colour it was, has not yet been coaxed back into the studio to put a few screws in the walls.  I'm particularly waiting for him to hang my thread rack for me so I can get rid of the shoebox that is currently holding all my threads.  I'm also yet to track down a powerboard to plug in my sewing machines.

The 'rainbow bowls' on my table are $3 glass salad bowls from Kmart that I am using to sort my 'bits' into.  The leftover bits with no homes are always my biggest barrier to a proper clean up job.  One of the classrooms at the kids' school has textas and pencils sorted by colour in jars along the window and it makes me happy whenever I see them...that was my inspiration for the bowls.  Steven is troubled by the 'wasted space' underneath them.  I told him not to worry, it's not his concern and to kindly stop rearranging them.

A cheapie wooden tray (also from Kmart) is home to a bunch of pasta jars I have been saving for several months now.  The Woolies Select ones are a great shape with a wide enough mouth that you can fit your hand inside.  I have sorted pens, pencils, tools, brushes and more into them and filled the rest of the tray with tape, adhesives and other tools.

I've set up my painting and fabric cutting mats at one end of the table, invested in a new paper trimmer and marvelled at the sheer quantity of patterned paper I have collected over the past (nearly) 7 years.

I've got a few little artworks here and there and will collect more to hang although I want to keep the long blank wall mostly blank.

The hanging rack is all set up ready for me to start hanging things on when I fire up the sewing machines again.

The hideous pink chairs need to be replaced, all in good time.

There is room for 2 to scrap without any reorganisation and I could happily fit 4 with a bit of shifting around.

All in all I'm pretty happy with how it is looking at the moment.  The drawers still need some organisation, but I'll tackle them one at a time.  At the moment I'd say 5 of the 12 are organised, but they all shut ;)

Looking forward to spending time working and chatting out there, enjoying it and making it my own.

Tatum xx

 

Rediscover

Each year now for about as long as I have been scrapbooking Ali Edwards has selected and lived her way through each year with a focus on One Little Word.  She has prompted many thousands around the world to follow suit and choose their annual word to live by.

For the last couple of years I have chosen a word.  Last year it was move forward.  I didn't write about it but when I look back I lived it.  2011 saw much forward momentum in my life.

2012 for me is all about rediscover.

I wasn't planning on choosing a word for myself this year but in amongst all my thoughts over the past few months it seems to have found me.  I think it popped into my head one day a few weeks ago when I was vacuuming, or something equally mundane.

There are so many things I am looking forward to rediscovering this year.

From a professional role to my favourite crafts. 

My home town.  T

he simple joy of living near my family and being able to see my mum or one of my sisters every.single.day. 

Strength and endurance. 

Fresh food, after so many years living in remote locations the availability, abundance and choice of fresh food is a constant source of inspiration. 

Old friends (and new).

Passion (and that probably doesn't mean what you think it does ;) ...passion in all I do is something that has always been important to me)

I want to spend 2012 with my eyes and mind wide open.

I have some big goals for the year.  I am still very much in the stage where I am trying to find acceptance within myself that I can actually achieve them.

2012, bring it on.

Have you chosen a word to live by for 2012?

Tatum xx