Manic home-making

So I got home four days ago, and was greeted by balloons and banners and a lovely message, and so many hugs, and I blubbed and blubbed.  Ooh it was good to be back!  And my garden looks so wonderful... I'll have to do a pic of that next week.  Flowers, flowers, flowers!

....and have hardly sat down since.  So much to doooo!!!

First things first.  After all my arty-farting in Christchurch, I knew I had to have a painting place, stat. So on Friday, Mutti, Bunce and I went out desk-hunting.  Ugh, everything was either too ugly, or too expensive - after all, it's a painting desk and likely to suffer some horrid mistreatment.  I was becoming despondent, and then we went to BUNNINGS.

Oh yeah!

Why BUY a desk when you have BUNNINGS and BUNCE?  Bugger that.  We* MADE one!!  And it's awesome!!

* I assume you are translating that WE to BUNCE?  Good oh.

Is it not most fantastically Industrial and Cool?  And the stool was a find too, at the good ol' Warehouse with 40% off.  Nice.

Today I modpodged the wooden box that the school ladies presented all my presents in, and it shall live under The Desk with all my art bits.  Well okay, not ALL of them.  But the most high rotation ones.

Oh, and we also took down the lounge curtains that I have loathed for two years (see all the LIGHT pouring in?!?!?!) and shabby-chic'd the TV cabinet.  And I bought some cool paint for that wall - it's just off-black, like an off-white only lots darker.  Can't wait to put it up!

Today we went to the art show and bought a very cool resin painting called "Saturn".  I think it's more "Jupiter" myself but. As you can see, it's VERRRY SHINY.

Meanwhile, Seb has decided that Cool Guys Wear Glasses and I have been forced to remove the lenses from an old pair so that he can walk around in them all day.  Yup, he and Pearl are DEFINITELY related.

And lastly, here's a cute crab-hunting pic, thanks to Lily and Jack's mum Nicole.  Seb went to Mutti and Bunce's Holiday House for the last weekend... sniff!  It's been such a very dear little house!  With such very dear people.

Last of the daffodil days

So this is what five weeks of appointments looks like.  And there were three before these, that I didn't have on a bit of paper.  Seems like a lot... but tomorrow is the last, and tomorrow I go home to my darlings who have kept those home fires burning while I shambled my way through this marathon.

Two things got me through it: my  family, and my rediscovered painting mojo.  It was a painting feast!!!  By today, these are the things I had to take down from my walls:

First up: a revision of a painting of Marcia-the-house-mother's boys, based on a drawing one of them did when he was fourteen, "in colour please, but not the car or the skateboard, and they're the same size now, and not sunnies either".

I think mine look slightly less likely to stab you in a dark alley, too.

Another commission!  This was for Jinzy the cleaning lady, because she really liked  the one below it.

Ma soeur et moi.  Ma soeur est moi.

First oil painting in 2.5 years, whoot!

While I did that one, Fuf did this one, and it was just a wonderful day that made me very happy.

Later I did this one...

... which looked great up on the wall next to Original Red Annie.

Mermaid experiment in a more graphic style...

And a bit of pre-Raphaelite copying.  

But I also demanded artistry from my guests!

This one was from Sophie and made me extra happy because it is such a great saying, and I feel so honoured that she thought it applied to me :)

Will surprised herself by getting quite happily carried away with hers.  Isn't it beautiful?!

Seb and I did this one together, based on a sticker he got from the hospital team.

 So those were all the pictures... and here are all my Christchurch people.  Thank you so much, for being so kind and giving and funny and just awesome.  I'm so lucky that you're my family.

And Anna, I'm so damn sorry that this is the best photo I have of you.  Still - it captures a bit of your lively charm I think :)

Of course, the other two that I've depended on so very much aren't shown here.  Mutti and Bunce, how I'm dying to see you!  I can't begin to say thank you for what you've done and how easy you've made this on the little boy who could have found it the hardest.  You are beyond wonderful.

I'll see you tomorrow :)

My love

How handsome is this little creature?

Woof woof!!

Since you've been gone...

The ducklings and I are missing my boys!!

It's very quiet without them, and all the excitement that Seb brings to life.  Such as this awesome moment when he lost his tooth unexpectedly!

The less awesome moment was when I realised that I'd tidied his tooth up with all the napkins and lunch detritus and had to go diving into a big green bin to retrieve it.

Also, I miss these lovely faces.

Chch is still not too ugly though.

A hot day in Christchurch

The boys went kayaking on the Avon, how Chch!

Then we went out with cuzzies to C1, where they deliver your food in capsules via a vacuum tube dispensing system.  How steampunk!!  Or if you are Sebby, how Iron Maiden, apparently.

Shot of the tubes overhead... the boys are pinballing.  AWESOME!!!

So the temperature yesterday was officially 29 degrees, though the car showed 30; tonight, however, there's a low of 1.  Yes that is not a typo.  Chch is crazy!

Park Life

On a sunny Saturday in Christchurch, you go and have lunch beside the Avon.  It's just the done thing, don't you know?

If it's too sunny you go full burqa and cover your face with your scarf.  Your aunt will be highly amused by the resultant attempt at a selfie.

Alternatively, for those with a huge hot mop of hair, there's the Carmen Miranda approach.

But mostly you just snooze.  Mmmmm.