Yesterday morning I woke to the sound of really heavy rain. And immediately thought how glad I was that I'd brought the washing in the evening before :))

And as you do (well, as I do anyway), I started thinking about washing, and clothes lines and how evocative they are...

How the simple act of doing a household 'chore' can actually bring you immense pleasure...pleasure in the every day.

And how artists have captured this for one reason or another. So I went searching for images to share with you...these next two were done by my friend Sally...I've written about her work before...

Maybe it's only me who thinks a line full of washing flapping in the breeze is lovely...but I suspect not!

via home

these next ones are glass...I kid you not!

 ok, this one's not in the breeze...but I love it nonetheless...

Have a great day...whether it's one for washing...or not.

The ironing? That's a whole different story...!

all other images found via flickr, we heart it or google

I've been told a few times that I'm a doer. And that's true...up to a point. It might be more accurate to say that I'm a starter. I start lots of things. It's quite possible that I am guilty of having a short attention span or a low boredom threshold. Although I was told yesterday that I was very patient...that's because yesterday, believe me, it was very necessary!

But it has occurred to me lately that perhaps I need a focus. Perhaps all the trying my hand at this and that is distracting me from being really good, or at least a lot better at something, one thing...any bloody thing!
To illustrate: here are a few of the things that I have started and not quite finished...

• my design course (but to be fair, I have officially deferred while I sort a few things)  

• the crocheted blanket...all the squares are done, they just need to be put together (this may be because I'm not quite sure how to do it!)

• the silver chair...remember how it started off silver leafed and I did, to my credit, see the error of my ways and just paint it silver.  But have I reupholstered the seat yet? No I have not.

• the bottom part of my bedroom. I got the plastering done months ago, I bought a beautiful rug, the reading chair's been there for yonks...but have I painted it yet so that I can finally finish that room? The one room in the house that will actually be finished. Guilty as charged.

• Grace and I did a parallel post on what colour I should paint my study to highlight the red accents that are in there. Have I done anything about that? Again, no. But I have decided on white, including painting the bookshelves. The question is: what white?
• Note the 'stuff I need to deal with' file...that's now stashed somewhere under the desk so I don't need to see it!! This room has changed quite a bit since then, just not in the ways I need it to :)

• Have the chandeliers sourced by the chandelier fairy been put up? Afraid not, but I have decided where they'll go...I think. Now where's that electrician?

• Oh, and here's something REALLY funny. A few weeks ago I decided I'd write a novel. I kid you not. I've done three very impressive paragraphs. Silly bugger I am :)

I'm sure I'm not the only one with this lack of focus disease. Am I? What do you do to get stuff finished? I'd love to hear. But right now I'm off to tackle the blue and white tapestry pincushion commission...or maybe I'll go and pick up my new dining room chairs...yes, will definitely do that. Then there's the washing. I have a few new painting ideas...there's fabric galore just waiting to be made into cushions and bags...you can see my dilemma can't you!?! Sigh.
Have a lovely weekend everyone. I'll be back on Monday, hopefully with something that's finished!

I'm here for the next two days...

 yep...a casino

working with a client...with connections to this place. For.no.other.reason. Nope. 

At least I don't have to sleep here...the first born's putting me up.

I'm not doing this...

or this...

 

or even this...

  

because apart from anything else, I doubt that this would go very far...

As it's Wednesday, I should be at home doing a bit of this...I've been asked for a blue and white pincushion...bit excited about that

But instead I'm working. Work work. Seriously.

I wish you could have come with me

...casino 'decor' is in definite need of you blogstar decorators. Which makes me wonder...is there such a thing as a chic casino?

I've been to this one...

Monte Carlo...I thought it was so glamorous...I was young...I didn't know any better :))

Back some time on Friday bloggy peeps. Till then I'll try and stay out of trouble in the big smoke...shouldn't be hard. I'm much less adventurous than I used to be!

I think the addicition to pink may have resurfaced this week...

hang on a mo...I can't get blogger to move this neutral one...but I am pretty taken with those eggs...I hope the blu tac holds!

ah, there you go...more pink...

there's less of it here, but still my eye was drawn to the cushion and flowers...but eek, there's lots of blue. I don't really 'do' blue!

 

 but then, I surprise myself with the neutrals...or perhaps it's just the bath...

 or the rusticity....or perhaps just wanting to use that word...

 

but then again...a bit of boho never fails to impress me...and a faded textile or three doesn't hurt...

 or the glam of a chandelier in the kitchen...and a stuffed peacock doesn't go astray either...

it's the art in the kitchen and the doors that are doing it for me in this next one... 

and the art in this one too...

I may be a bit of a decor flibbertigibbet...

but I know what I like when I see it!

Thanks for popping by...I really wish these pictures were of my house, then I'd invite you all over for a cuppa (or something)

And by the way...it seems I can no longer count!

And don't forget this...

images via the awesomeness of: a punch of color; alkemie; belgian pearls; brabourne farm; centsational girl; glimpse of style; la maison boheme; lanalou; the decorista; the diversion project (I try really hard not to include a diversion every single week, but dammit...that Jules is too good); ticking and toile

Nat, a work colleague had her first baby a few weeks ago...Willow Elizabeth...how gorgeous is that. And...get this...she was born at 10 p.m. on the tenth of the tenth, 2010! Now that's impressive timing and I'm sure must be very lucky.
I wanted to do another 'like no other...' painting like the one I did for a friend's baby boy...that one was cars...you can see that and the explanation for why I went with 'like no other' here. But I thought...perhaps not cars for Willow, so...

...babushkas this time. Nat likes bold colours so I wanted a reasonable contrast between the first eight and then the ninth...the 'like no other' bushka babe! I hope the first eight aren't too pastel-ly, but the contrast is the point. I started by doing all the similar ones first, after a little trial run...and some lovely feedback from my Facebook page when I posted the beginnings...thank you Tina, Kim, Jane and Sharon! Oh, and the 22 year old thought it was ok too :)

The faces were the hardest bit...I'm sure at least one of these poor 'bushkas is cross-eyed...oh well :)

 

But all in all I'm quite happy with how it turned out..just need to frame it now. And I look forward to making some more.  Perhaps butterflies? Different coloured pencils? Flowers? Any ideas you clever blogsters?

Off to work...don't the weekends fly by, more's the pity!
I'm linking up to Somewhat Simple and Someday Crafts. Please go and see what others have been up to :)