Inspiration

One of the most common topics amongst girlfriends is what latest diet is anyone on? Does it work and how much have you lost?

As females it seems to be that we have a perpetual craving for diets and loosing weight.

Now I will be the first to admit that I don't follow diets, well maybe I follow that "Sea Food Diet" you know the one "See Food will eat it diet"!
I have always been happy with my weight, however if I am not happy then it never seems to bother me enough for me to want to do anything about it.
I liked my weight when I got pregnant the first time and even though there were a few more kilos involved when I got pregnant the 2nd time, I was not bothered.
I have certain clothes in my wardrobe that in fact look fabulous on me, not sure whether I have learnt to dress for my shape or whether they just suit me, I don't know, but damn I look great in them.

However if anyone does want to go on a diet then I think they need to be in the right mind set for it, I do also think that you can only diet when you are ready for it, when it hits home to you and you know you want to do something about it, not just the "I really should go on a diet but I can't be bothered" moment.
You always hear about people who saw a picture or tried to do something and then suddenly realised that something had to be done. Almost like they got inspired.
I feel that that inspiration is what puts you in the right mind set.

Well that inspiration has hit, I have seen the light or the picture or the video what ever it was that gave me inspiration.
Those 10 extra kilos I have from my 2 kids are now at war with me. They want to stay and I want them to go!
I am not going to be wild and try and get them out within 10 weeks but they will be leaving bit by bit.

Steve is all behind me on this, well he was until he realised that by default he is involved as well!!
He suddenly has to be aware of what he is eating too. Not going to do him any harm to loose some as well although we have to consider his diabetes in all of this and make sure it is all still managed sufficiently, however loosing some weight will be good for his diabetes.

He told me that he needed to get his fitness in shape this year, so I got him a pedometer (we both have one; 10,000 steps a day here we come) and I am amazed at how much it has been used so far. He has worn it from morning till night religiously and comments each night on how many steps he has completed that day. maybe this will be his inspiration to reach his goal.

Let's just hope our inspiration can stick around for a while

Enthusiasm

This is a word that seems to be affecting my life at the moment.
Don't worry it is all positive enthusiasm, getting my sewing mojo back, being positive about a piece of work at work, having happy meetings at work.

It is amazing how enthusiasm rubs off from one to another.
How one person can bring you down but then the next can lift you up higher than you were before.
Yesterday I got paid a huge compliment and it made my day, it gave me enthusiasm to keep going as it made me feel good. Someone told me I looked "scrumptious" it made my day and I walked around with my head held high, smiling to all and everyone.
Today I have had several meetings, 1 was hard work and deflated me a little but the next suddenly renewed me and got me thinking again, all about the same subject. Funny how one person brings you down and the other lifts you up.

In my mind we need more people around us who lift us up, it is more productive, more positive and leads to more creativity.

Blogs are the same, I think we follow certain blogs as they show us creativity and enthuse us. We see a picture of something someone has made, completed or that we just like and suddenly creative juices are flowing and we want to partake of said activity.
Life runs on enthusiasm, people like to be excited, delighted and inspired.

So the next time you get inspired by something, let us know, you just never know who will read it and get enthusiasm from you.

Inspiration has Returned

My mother is a crafter, she can turn her hand to just about any craft (with a needle or thread) if she tries, so it is no surprise that by the time I was 8yrs old I had started to stitch.
I gained my first sewing box filled with threads and material at this age and I have never looked back!
Of course when first starting out I didn't do much sewing but in my 20's sewing took over and everyone got presents for weddings etc cross stitched and personalised.
Go check out my quilting page to see pictures of my first stitchings and more about my story of stitching.

When I moved to New Zealand 14 yrs ago I actually started quilting and the cross stitch got put a side. Then 9 yrs ago I gained the first of the 2 reasons that everything went away. The boys!
Stitching on a regular basis more or less disappeared out of the window. I neither had the inspiration or the time but I decided that the pay off was 2 wonderfully growing boys who had lots of attention and loads of loving as they grew.

Well I can honestly announce that this Christmas my inspiration returned.
My interest in stitching suddenly appeared and showed some interest.
I have done some stitching, I have finally put needle to thread.

And I loved it!

Steve brought me some DMC threads for Christmas, I now have more than I realise I actually need but then everyone always needs every shade of pink or blue that is available because you just never know when you might need a shade just 1 tone darker or lighter than the one you were previously using!
My inspiration has come for only cross stitching at present not quilting but I am happy to start with one and know that eventually other types of stitching will hopefully show through.
So for now I am checking out stitchings I would love to complete, I am happily reading stitching blogs and finding even more inspiration and I am getting some stitches on the fabric of a pattern I started many years ago. It is a large pattern but every stitch helps. I will blog more about it an little later.

So for now, happy to stitching to all

Inspiration

I was amazed with myself the other week, when I was suddenly ploughing through a lot of stuff I needed to get done.
Ok it did help that the boys were at Daycare so I had the time to get it all done.
But I suddenly realised the following.....

'You get the best inspiration from the places you don't realise"

Inspiration was flying from everywhere and things were getting done.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

To find out more about this lovely poem, then visit here

New Blog

Over the time I have created a list of blogs that I like to follow.
Ok I follow some more religiously that others.
In my favourites list on my computer I have a file called 'Blogs'. These are ones that I don't check out every day, just when I have some time to browse.
As always, these are blogs that I have come across whilst reading another blog, and have decided that I like what they are blogging about and decide to check back on them every now and then.

One such blog is Grace Violet
A wonderful blog about a crafty person, who manages to explain how she did all her crafts at the same time as showing you.
The inspiration that people seem to comment they have received from reading her posts and viewing the pictures is wonderful.
I always wanted to decoupage, I know what it is, I know sorta how to do it, but was never actually sure, yet here she has several posts all on the same thing showing you step by step what she did and how. Check out here, here, here and here for examples of how well she details things.

Perfect, my own reference manual for the future when I have that little thing called TIME to do something.