Secrets of a Butterfly

EnJoying the moment

  I've been making a few new things lately,this little book for secrets and notes,which i added to my etsy shop along with some new cards. I did some batches of valentine's cards for the boutiques too . It is a grey day here,in contrast to yesterday's blue sky,strange how it can change in the blink of an eye. The postman brought some interesting things this morning.. the new cath kidston catalogue had an appropriate cover for the rainy day!  but had some pretty things to browse and window shop.I've cut back on a few magazines lately as i wasnt finding them as good as they used to be,but i still like Grazia on a Tuesday with its mix of fashion and news stories and a bit of celebrity features. I also got a few things from Belle & Boo a new mirror mandy is doing and a postcard of a sweet little couple ...A birthday gift of a ring from Shelbi came at the weekend,she made it for me isnt it lovely and so kind of her to choose the butterfly especially. we have become really firm friends since meeting on Flickr and i'm just wishing, as i so often do with my friends, that we lived just around the corner instead of in different countries! her little ones are so adorable and enjoying what i sent for our swop,which makes my heart smile to think of them.

This image from the charlotte ronson new collection is very sunny and i really like the yellow cardigan, a nice warm day in spring this reminds me of.(well ok maybe summer when it comes to living here) Cassie sells Charlotte Ronson its one of the more casual ranges she carries at the boutique. She also has see by chloe and M by missoni,Sass and Bide and Catherine Malandrino which are more expensive. But you can often pick up good sale items from them. We havent been across for a while with both mam and i needed quieter days. Healing wise there's been alot going on, and different things to take into account so we havent been out and about. But those times will return and i progress in other ways it doesnt all have to be measured in terms of new things achieved. Someone thought i may be moving into my own flat or place in the near future, but no, thats some way off and not something i would choose to do.I'd prefer to live with someone.

I take pleasure in the little things and in enjoying the moment now that i can, i am not thinking long term,  just taking things as they come, always i'm grateful for this new way of being and for the opportunity to build confidence and renewed trust in how i feel.

my little blog and my posts, they are for me as much as to share with others.thankyou for taking the time to browse today,for appreciating what i do and who i am. its so very nice to have a listening ear. i enjoy your words and pictures too,so much, it makes me feel connected and a part of a community.....with gentle Joy and love Kat x

 

Thankyou so much

Thank you so much to everyone for the lovely birthday messages,cards and gifts. Especially to mam for all her care in making my birthday a special day and for baking a cake at short notice, its so good to have your baking again mam and i hope you feel up to doing some more through the coming year because i know it gives you alot of pleasure to create in that way XOX. .

i have quite a lot of photos so its hard to pick out which to share! its my first birthday while blogging as i didnt start this till march so it has an extra specialness to it because i get to record my memories of it on here.I felt everyone of my friends from around the country drop in at least 'in spirit' to share a cuppa and a slice of cake,here is where you would have visited,our living room with some of my cards up around the fireplace and a heart paper garland which i got from RE and use every year now .You can just make out the JoY letters that anna sent me in the centre of the shelf. and this sweet birdie in a nest was off Luigi!

here's a close up of the cupcake card julie made isnt it beautiful what a special treat it was to recieve,thankyou J

I was also especially blessed to recieve a handmade box which my dear friend Mary made. She chose special papers that she knew i would like,and made the box with paper folding techniques which she's perfected over last year. It also has little silver charms attached one of which is a butterfly! i can't believe the skill it took to craft it,and i will certainly treasure it Mary thankyou. It means all the more as for so long mary couldnt have made this or written a card to me as she was so ill with ME. Now our friendship has bloomed because we can be in touch and share our feelings.here is the box..

You know how i've had a poorly throat lately well Shelbi made me this scarf to keep it warm and sent it for my birthday! it was so lovely of you Shel,thankyou sweetie i LOVE it. When you send things off to people and friends in the mail, you don't tend to think of them on the other end doing the same for you things,so when something comes its such a happy suprise and lifts your spirits. Its something thats always meant alot to me within the group of friends i've had, that when anyone is extra poorly we support each other even if the communication back from them has to go silent for a long time till they are able to reply as it did with me a few spells. Now to get to share things and crafts with both some of them and new friends in  blogging makes it even better. How precious a digital camera is for sharing all this.Mine is now exactly one year old!i got it last birthday and have recorded so much through it since. Keep dreaming and believing,love kat xx

 

Birthday girl

Just wanted to share a little of my birthday. This is what mam and dad gave me, a beautiful bracelet by alex monroe who they know i like, as his designs are all nature themed, this one has a hummingbird on it, along with other flowers and leaves and tourmaline and prynite gemstones. I love it! some gifts and below a philosophy set with such wonderful wording as always! i am having a lovely day.. thankyou for thinking of me and stopping by.

love kat x

You're invited...for tea and cake

You're invited.......to pop by anytime for a cuppa on my birthday on (i'm 32 on the 23rd) wednesday,wrap up warm as its been snowing here today  and when you get here we'll have the kettle on and the fire, and we can catch up on whats been happening and have some birthday cake.look forward to seeing you my friends.

  Thanks for your lovely words on my last post and your well wishes. Its been quite a cathartic time during the virus,so i am taking things easy,and will be glad to feel more myself by mid week. I so appreciate everyones concern , its good to be remembered and thought of isnt it. Today i want to say a special hello  to my dear friend  Shelbi at keeper of the chocolates  as i know she's been under the weather too lately and i'm so glad you loved your parcel Shel! it made my day to hear from you,i havent been checking my emails till tonight and yours was the first i read and it was So lovely to hear from you, kisses xxx x Since you have opened it now its safe to post a picture of the mini scrapbook and canvas collage i did for you and the family as part of our swap.

Thats my all for tonight i need to turn in early ( :  speak soon,kat x

Unconditional Love

Hello my lovelies,i have been a bit quiet as i have a bad throat over the week and am achey.Thankyou for the wonderful words on my knitting it is almost done but has had to wait an extra wee while till i can feel better to finish it off.i have been up today gently but am not sure how it will progress as doesnt seem to be just a cold. Still there is at least time to feel better before next week. I have found i've been thinking back over my life as a whole picture these past few weeks, thinking about how different things turned out and developed the way they did. Its been quite a powerful time for me as sometimes does occur around this time of year. whether because of my birthday and the alignment of the stars in relation to that,or because of the influx of hope we all feel as a new year begins afresh, i'm not sure. But i have often found changes take place in my perspective on things during January's.

I was looking back through some older journals and found this little picture of myself and wanted to include it in this post as much for myself as for anything, i just want to get a sense of who i am being all of the facets and all of the ages,from the little kathryn here, right through my childhood,into a teenager and then into first being ill and then the years of trying various ways to heal and all the soul searching and seeking answers,into the more poorly time when things were very hard and i felt almost forgotten in terms of help,into the stage where i learnt LP and Eft and the assistance and changes it gave me, and then into now where i am learning more about my self in terms of how internal love and praise are important to our health and healing.

How can i help myself even further to feel safe and fear less i wonder.. and above all how my first thoughts about love being the answer whatever our question, has turned out for me, to be the truth. taking that simple phrase and expanding on its meaning to us, it can be such a light and enables me to gain further understanding in how to change things how to make them easier in my life,and how to feel better.        I've always thought of myself as loving myself but i'm seeing now with stronger clarity just how important it is. my own unconditional love is very much what i need and that by giving myself assurance of that being there no matter what, then i relax and feel safe and feel no fear of internal or external judgements or withholding of approval, nor any pressure to be a certain way in order to recieve love and acceptance for who i am. all facets of me,all ages of me,feel free of fear,to just be me.

i think alot of people probably feel external pressure whether to be a certain way in their job or in their family,or for their weight or clothes to be a certain way, before they feel they are then acceptable and lovable, and this builds up a tremendous amount of internal stress in us, that comes out in our lives in various ways. sometimes we run these beliefs about ourselves not being good enough unless we...or we.... and we don't even realise its going on inside us.sometimes we even feel more judged by those around us than we do by ourselves. yet alot of the time it starts within first.

its so previlent, but its changeable too. i dont know why i have typed this today..well maybe i do, its because i decided in a way to do this post for myself and to remind myself of where i'm at and what i'm working with at the moment and out came my thoughts onto the page, now i'm unsure whether to upload it or not. because its personal and in a way because its just words and they can only say so much. Its my inner thinking and that isnt always what other people need to read is it..but maybe its where you're at too and maybe its meant to be that i help myself by doing this today so i will be brave and post!and i will thankyou for your dear and kind listening hearts as you read it.

Just before i go,here i am with my brother. ..i like the way the light falls across this picture as it comes through the trees behind us.alot goes on in our little hearts and minds when we're this age doesnt it,some of which is so carefree and some of which is forming our beliefs and thoughts about ourselves and life around us, that lasts for a long time after.I feel warmed looking at us here, i loved my childhood i have so many happy memories.Each day can be as fun i remind myself now,not to look too far ahead and to live in the moment like we somehow do naturally when we're younger and to remember as i look at this type of photo of myself that i am fine just as i am and that i love me just for being me,no pressures!....love kat x

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Pictures,pretty colours and my new knitting

Here's a close up of my mood board that i did recently. its a magnetic one so i can change it all round again when i have some different pictures to add. Its similar to what i compile in my discovery journals. From pictures in magazines mainly,but also any writing i come across and want to keep to read again.

Its my birthday in a few weeks time and my brother's is the day after on the 24th so i have been trying to find some interesting things to give him. It was always handy having our birthday's together as we could have joint parties when we were little. Later it was better to have one each, as he had a 5 aside football one, and i prefered the swimming pool. I've found a frame on urban outfitters which has squares to insert various photos on, which then can be moved about, like one of those puzzle games. I also got a bag from Ted Baker in the asos.com sale. Its a flight bag in khaki canvas and i thought it might be handy for his travels on holiday.If anyone has any other tips or suggestions about anything i'd be happy to hear.. .

I am so delighted to share this next photo with you,as i have started to knit! Its going to be a cushion cover.I used to knit when i was young but havent done any for a long long time. Here i am using 20mm needles and Rowan big wool tuft in soft pink. I found the wool on ebay for just £1.50 a ball. The inspiration is from a pattern in the book Pretty Knits by Susan Cropper of Loop(on my list)

i will post a picture when its complete!i am finding it soothing to do and i know it'll give me a good sense of achievement when its made up. The big needles and wool are strange at first but they do mean you get much quicker results. .Before i finish today here's a picture from this month's Living Etc magazine that caught my eye,i just thought the colours work prettily together on the page and the bird cushion is so sweet. I think thats my favourite combination soft pink and soft turquoise,or maybe soft pink and pale grey together.

I hope you are having a lovely(i keep miss typing this as lovley in my emails lately!and in a way i think it has more of a special-ness to it when its spelt that way!)lovley January so far,love kat x

Welcome Veronica,my shabby chic bunny

We( that is Julie with Hortense, Jane with Miss matty and Rima with Frozen racoon and little blue bear) seem to be sharing are plush cuties after christmas so i thought i would join in,its a special bunny that Anna(thankyou honey) gave me She's called Veronica and is fromTiddly winks on etsy. It looks like her body used to be a bedspread and her ears have the most beautiful vintage rose pattern of cotton fabric. She is a shy bunny having travelled so far to join us, and has been pleased to find some other bunnies to make friends with. The little cotton rabbits are very welcoming as they know all too well what its like to come to a new place. I will keep you posted on any developments amongst the gang which is getting rather big now with all the latest additions!

I also want to say thankyou to Hazel of Blossom Hill for the adorabe felt bunny she gave me, he is just like my sweet rabbit that used to live with me called bailey,here is a little pic for you all to see the resemblance.. .Another sweet present that has found a beautful spot on my craft room shelf is the candle in a teacup that Julie so kindly gave me at christmas too.(thankyou so much J it matches the wallpaper!) You can see on the photo i have been collecting some pretty fabrics and its one of my wishes for the new year that i can get into using the sewing machine at last and make some things from fabric like my friend in Germany Jasna. Here are some of her handmade things which i got before christmas.. .This is how one came wrapped isnt it beautiful. ....this is what Jasna says about the inspiration that goes into her creating...

"The main themes of my work are light and love. All my handcrafted things have this character. I scoot the light from my dream world, the fantasy, the places where I am when I meditate or speak with nature, and I bring it into our hardened world. The people and the life today are very yang (I love the Oriental philosophy), so I make things that are yin.

I want to create an antidote to our busy lives, so my projects have the character of silence and calm, freedom and peace, softness, light, love and openness. A lot of people have lost these feelings. The best inspirations come from Croatia, my home country (I’m living in Germany), at the sea. There is no better place! My style is like "a day at the beach".

My name, Jasna, means clear,fresh, pure, and my second name, Marija, stands for love, softness and a feminine touch. This describes my style perfectly. It’s important for me to have my own style -- the Jasna style!! I’m just a beginner in sewing with the sewing machine, so my style is still developing."

Do check out her flickr pictures on the link above if you get a chance her home is beautifully decorated too,shabby chic at its most simple and best.

As a first step I have been making my little crafty space a bit more organised and inviting,there's too much in there really,in various boxes for various types of craft,jewelry,stamping,lace,ribbon,vintage images,canvases,all take up space which is fairly limited! The room itself used to take just a single bed and small cupboard so i think i've made quite good use of the space.I have the desk you can see which underneath i've stored boxes and i have a small sofa to the right of this. On the opposite side i have two narrow shelving units from ikea in white.Where would we be without Ikea!there just wouldnt be anything small enough or the right price otherwise would there. And i do like the scandinavian style and lightness. Here's a picture of the wall shelf re arranged, its the area without any clutter covering it at present ( : So its a good start and i'll share more with you again soon....love kat( and cuddles from Veronica)

Ps Anna's little boy Luigi is feeling more himself and has his bounce back,so was involved with everything Christmassy on the Day i'm pleased to say. you may remember i told you about him being ill with croup in an earlier post,thanks so much for all the supportive healing messages at that time. Much appreciated.