hello ... long overdue blog post ♥

hello to all of my blog friends out there.

it has been far too long since i blogged here and for that i sincerely apologise.

so much has happened over the past couple of months my head is spinning.....and therefore you are in for a seriously LONG blog post. lots of "show and tell" to get through !!!

ready...

• one....Balingup Small Farm Field Day market stall
• two....prioritising one's health 
• three....Denmark Art Markets on the Easter Weekend
• four....Walpole Market with the Peaceful Bay Beanie Co.
• five...Easter with friends and family at home
• six....enjoying being a Mum to my teenage boys while they are home from school/uni.
• seven....soldering art charms for orders
• eight....Basketball Road Trip to Perth
• nine....making more greeting cards for "le papier"
• ten....countdown to our Bali break
• eleven....painting "Flora Style" in studio
• twelve....family time, via skype:) and a splash of paint
• thirteen....my baby girl has Bieber Fever!!
• fourteen....road trip on Mothers Day (taking myself to the children !!!)
• fifteen....packing my holiday bags and squeeze in a bit of painting
• sixteen....my lucky number...off to Bali now......
• seventeen....home sweet home full of inspiration (and dexter dvd's)
• eighteen....painting overload and joint exhibition??...whoop whoop!!

had enough yet ????? 

don't worry...i will try not to RAMBLE...

ONE

i headed off to the Balingup Small Farm Field Day feeling very unwell, but decided to push myself to honour the commitments i have made to myself as part of my new creative business journey. a dear friend from Walpole accompanied me and without her i probably would have "pulled the pin". what seemed like a big weekend became far easier to deal with once i was surrounded by good friends and lots of support. fun was had setting up the gazebo for my stall on Friday night using the headlights of my car to see !! there were some fantastic exhibitors from the great garden sculptures, the french bakery, local artisians to the children's toys and gifts on Saturday and I met up with the lovely ladies from Henry and Hope with whom i shared some great conversation. it was sooo great to connect with MORE like -minded creative people.....topped off by an amazing steak and chips at the local pub on Saturday night for dinner and my friend sharing the long drive home...the weekend was all good. a great kick start to the market stall success i am hoping for.

TWO

so, i have mentioned that since blogging last i have been unwell. everything has caught up with me. my iron levels have bottomed out, i have had Ross River Virus and i have been struggling with "letting go" of my beautiful teenage sons as they venture from home and into the big wide world. it has been very hard to remain positive when at times i have not even had the energy to get out of bed in the morning. but with the help of my husband, my doctor and a very supportive group of family and friends i have tried to remain positive. i kept reminding myself that so many people in the world have much bigger issues to deal with on a daily basis. i told myself to be kind to myself and gently accept that i would have to pace myself through the tasks in front of me and that rather than not honour the commitments i had made to my business, myself and my children, i needed to move forward....but SLOWLY.

THREE

it was with great trepidation that i took part in the Denmark Art Markets. once again i was accompanied by a very close friend who helped me set up and hung out with me for moral support. this market draws a huge crowd and i was nervous about "exposing myself" to a wider audience. i am SO GLAD that i did. all the questions i had lurking in my mind like "will anyone buy my goods?" " will people like the products i am selling?" etc. etc. were silenced when i was surrounded with support for my wares and lots of positive feedback 

(oh, and lots of sales too!!) JOY......was found.

FOUR

the very next day i had a stall at the Walpole Easter Market with my gorgeous friend Jo from the Peaceful bay Beanie Co. spending this day chatting and hanging out with her made me realise just how much i have missed her since she moved from Nornalup to now reside close to the "big city" lights of Perth. 

i miss you Jo xo

FIVE

 at the end of those two busy days on the Easter weekend i was so very grateful to come home to family and friends who were staying with us for the holiday. 10 adults and 6 kids hung out over the weekend and our home was filled with laughter, good food, music, great coffee, possums, wine and sharing of stories :) thank you universe for the best family and friends a girl could ask for.

our home where we hung out together at Easter time :)

SIX

having my two boys home over the holiday break was a "warm and fuzzy" time for me. my boys give the best hugs, make a mean basil and tomato bruschetta and never cease to amaze me. their constant laughter, love for each other and devotion to their "little sister" is such a joy.

 truly special times xo

SEVEN

soldering art charms is so much fun, especially with my NEW soldering iron. my lovely husband has made me a stand for my tweezers so that now when i solder on the jump rings to complete the necklaces i can work alone.....i am really not sure if this was to help me or ensure he gets out of having to juggle tiny jump rings in his big man hands whilst i repeatedly say " it's not in the middle...you moved it again...can you help me with the jump rings today ????" 

what do you think.....helping me out or helping himself ??? 

i say the latter...what a patient man he has been !!!!

EIGHT

i accompanied my youngest son as his team manager for a weekend Basketball trip/competition in Perth. it was SO MUCH FUN. i was Mum to a whole gaggle of teens and they were a constant source of entertainment. they played well. they slept well. they sang on the bus trip and they enjoyed having each other to hang out with. so blessed to spend the weekend with some amazing kids and adults..thanks guys.

NINE

greeting card overload. after almost selling out at the recent markets it was time to print, stick, ink, tape and package greeting cards to bring my stock levels back up. take a peek at the photo below that shows some of the studio chaos during this time....

TEN

organising kids itineraries, travel documents, food shopping, medical needs, travel insurance, changing money, sun screen, ear plugs, digging to the back of the cupboard for the swimming togs, getting someone to cover my netball coaching role and tidying up the house in readiness for a holiday "break away" with my husband and four great friends to Bali soon....counting down the sleeps.

ELEVEN

because my head has been so full of business and obligations lately i decided to take a slice of "creative time out". i have just made a few backgrounds ready to layer up all "flora" style once i am home from my holiday...i cranked up the stereo and got messy...yay.

TWELVE

our family has finally discovered skype. what a revolution. now when we chat to the boys (one at boarding school for year eleven and twelve and one away at university) we can see their smiling faces...makes it easier to handle; seeing them smiling :)

i also managed to splash just a little more paint on canvas as i walked past them in the studio each day.

you smile=i smile

THIRTEEN

it's official. my 12 year old daughter has BIEBER FEVER. she is off on a 5 hour road trip with two of her besties and one dedicated mum to his concert in Perth.

purple jeans. check. justin bieber t-shirt. check. pre-teen innocence. check.

please don't change too much :)

FOURTEEN

i awoke on Mothers Day to no children. for the first time in 18 years. one guy 5 hours away at university. one guy 1.5 hours away playing football. on girl recovering (5 hours away) from her first music concert - the Bieberfest!!!

decided to take myself to the closest child. in the car and off we go to the football. i need a hug from at least one of them...it was the best hug i have had in a long time and he played a fantastic game of football that day!! i also enjoyed long distance phone conversations and laughter with them all.

i am learning that being a great Mum can mean letting go. 

allowing your children as young adults to find their own voice. 

i have given them two gifts in this lifetime, the first is roots and the second is wings.

FIFTEEN

everything is packed for our holiday...

i will just add a little bit of paint to that canvas as i pass the studio.....there, that feels GOOD. 

SIXTEEN

my favourite number.

on a plane to Bali. 7 days of banana pancakes, beautiful locals, massages poolside, sharing with friends, temples, cocktails, nasi goreng, coastal road trips, sunsets, markets, beach walks, pool bars, bartering, scooters, day spa indulgence at 

prana spa 

i ♥ bali

SEVENTEEN

home sweet home and full of inspiration. so much culture, ritual, colour on the island of bali. below are some photos i share with you from our trip...

 EIGHTEEN

so, since i have been home from holidays i have encountered an inspiration overload.

the colours, textures and sights of bali have definitely fed my creative soul. below are some examples of the layers i have been building up on my canvases this week. i am going to stop for a while and look at them before i add the next layer...i wonder what mystery awaits. i am looking forward to getting out the paint for the next layer already !!! i must learn to be patient.....with time comes a little more perspective. i suppose that could be said about many things hey. life. painting. love. friendship. growth.

i hope you enjoy these images. stay tuned to see how they evolve ...

and finally...i am looking at taking part in my very first joint exhibition in October...details to follow soon xo

i know i felt more than a tad overwhelmed over the last couple of months, but i have also began to see things a little clearer over this past week of "slow down" time and reflected on the lessons i have learnt over this time.....

• trust your inner voice.
• know your limits.
• spend time with those you love.
• eat well.
• immerse youself in goodness.
• let yourself be scared.
• embrace positive thoughts.
• bake cakes.
• set those you love free.
• be yourself.
• dream big.
• trust.
• eat chocolate chip biscuts and banana pancakes.
• listen.
• be grateful.

love from leanne ♥