Weekending

A profusion of purple

Easter daisies from the markets

Friday Favourites and a FO

A perfect sunny late-winters day. Sky so blue you could reach right out and touch it.

Dancing angels to watch over the wee one as he sleeps.

Happy Imbolc!

Today we're celebrating Imbolc/Candlemas. I don't know if these two festivals are actually the same thing, but in my mind they are. It's a time to celebrate the promise of spring and new beginnings. I have taken down all our winter decorations. Our nature table is bare, save for a plain white silk and a single candle. For the time being candles are our only decorations to symbolise that this is a time of preparation, hope an expectancy. They also serve as a reminder of the little flicker of flame burning inside the earth ready to burst forth in new life at spring.

The six weeks between Imbolc and Ostara are when I embark upon a thorough spring clean of the house. Trying to get everything sparkling and decluttered so we can enjoy the lightness of the summer months without having to do any major housework (it's waaaay to hot in summer for that!!). It's also a time to dig over and prepare the garden beds.

This is also said to be an ideal time to visualise and dream about what you hope to bring forth this coming year.

Finished Object Friday

Finished the little gnome celebration circle. Here they are dancing away:

10 little gnomes stand up straight

10 little gnomes make a gate

10 little gnomes make a ring

10 little gnomes bow to the king

10 little gnomes dance all day

10 little gnomes hide away

WIP Wednesday

The wee one took an early nap so I got in a little bit of morning crafting. Taking a break from the red socks (one down!!) and working on one of these gorgeous little rainbow gnome celebration circles.

Waldorf Mondays

On Monday night I made beeswax lanterns with my oldest son using Morning Sun Rae's tutorial.

Although we didn't decorate ours, the soft golden glow of the beeswax looks unbelievably beautiful in a dark room.

Waldorf Mondays

On Mondays we do wet-on-wet watercolour painting. As its winter we are currently working only with blue.

I paint alongside the little one. As an adult I sometimes find it hard to let go of the need to create 'form' in my painting, so before I begin I like to keep in mind these words from Sharifa Oppenheimer (Heaven on Earth) "I paint, slowly and with curiosity, watching as the red moves around the page. my purpose is not to crate a formed image, but rather to really experience the feeling of red!"

And a picture of my beautiful yellow roses bought from the farmers markets on the weekend, because I love them so much.