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Lifestyle – Handmade macrame pot holder

June 15, 2020
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Sometimes the Universe has a way of providing, and this post is about one such situation (kind of). I will explain: I am still sat in London, waiting for borders to open and travel to become a possibility once again… but that doesn’t preclude me from making plans and thinking about what I would like to have in my future home. I even got a new rug, that I had delivered recently – just look at it, isn’t it gorge? One thing I know: I don’t want to have a home that’s completely furnished with IKEA items (even though I know we will be getting some anyway) and personal touches are always a good idea.

With that in mind, I had been thinking I wanted a suspended plant in one of the areas of the living room. Lo and behold, Lovecrafts contacted me and asked if I would like to test one of their tutorials, one of them being, you’ve guessed it, for a macrame pot holder. Talk about serendipity, right?

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They sent me the material I needed – some soft cotton yarn in orange (the colour I picked, there are a lot of options to suit any colour scheme). Apart from the yarn, you will need scissors and something you can use to work on- I had a bit of balsa left lying around and I used that. I also found it useful to use painter tape or masking tape to gently secure the yarn, as I was doing it by myself. If you have a friend or family member to help, you might as well ask them to give you a little hand instead. I also had a pot lying around, that I thought would be useful to check for the structure and how it looked, even though I think it could use a slightly bigger pot.

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I started by reading the instructions and watching the video tutorial for the macrame pot holder and started preparing the materials, by cutting the necessary lengths. I used my metal ruler but I guess that some measuring tape would also do the trick.

Once I laid out everything and started the middle section, the more complicated part started – the actual knotting! Don’t let it phase you though, it seems more complicated than it actually is.

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After enough rows of knots were completed, it was time to finish the bottom and trim the excess yarn and voila!

 

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A new potholder ready for the new home! I didn’t have an adequate plant so I Photoshopped a fake plant on it instead, I think it gives you a pretty good idea of what it could look like!

This was an easy and great project to make – between cutting lengths and finalising it, it took under two hours to finish, making it a perfect project to do on a weekend, for that good sense of accomplishment that comes with making your own stuff.

Disclaimer: The materials used in this post were gifted by Lovecrafts.

 

 

art, Lifestyle

Art – Starting the year organised

January 9, 2020
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Happy New Year everyone!

One of my goals for 2020 is to be a bit better organised, as my art career progresses, it is necessary so I am able to keep working to my full potential and not drop the ball on deadlines and projects, as well as keeping a decent social life. This is something that I always say, you don’t have to work harder, you have to work smarter in order to obtain results and that’s what I would like to accomplish.

You may remember I have worked with Colorland previously when I created a photo book so when they approached me to create a wall calendar I couldn’t say no, as it was just what I was looking for! I do use a diary to keep track of things but I always find that it lacks the possibility of seeing how full the calendar is at a glance, when travelling is happening, etc.

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A wall calendar is a perfect way to see what is going on, when the busiest time of the month will be, etc. I picked the largest format available, as I find I always need space to write things – I am not good at writing small and neat, I’m afraid. As you can see it allows me to have enough space to write what my plans for the day are. Or the main ones – I find that the diary is the best way to go granular and write more detailed to-do lists. As you can see, my first quarter is already filling up… No wonder I need to stay organised!

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The ordering process is very simple, you can upload photos directly from your computer or get them from your social media accounts by connecting them to the Colorland site. All you need to do is pick the right template for you and add a photo to each page. I picked a few of my art pieces to add to the calendar as I think it would make sense, to keep me inspired to keep working! I love the result and I am sure it will be a great help to keep me organised. Another interesting feature is that you can start the calendar anytime you like. We are already in January so if you are ordering something today, it wouldn’t make sense to order it with a January page, right? You can start it from any month you like and just have the subsequent 12 months on it.

As a brand ambassador for Colorland, I have a code for you:  MUSHROOMCAL – just enter it at checkout and you will get a discount. The usual price for an A3+ sized calendar is 23.94 GBP, using the code you would get it for just 4.49 GBP + 5.99 GBP shipping cost. Good deal, no? Since many people asked before, this offer is UK only, I am afraid.

To see more pages of the calendar, head on to my Instagram, as I’ve posted a couple of videos on there.

 

 

 

Lifestyle

Lifestyle – Home improvements

November 15, 2018
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In the last couple of months, I’ve been working on improving my surroundings. In this case, my bedroom! You may recall a post I did a while back where I showed you when I painted and added some much-needed shelving to the spare room.

This time the work was to get a new mattress in, deal with the black mould proliferation and increase the storage/display space for my collection of knickknacks.

The first job we did was to clear out the whole room – here’s a before photo of some of my art collection:

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These are mostly pieces that have been gifted or traded with other artists.

After clearing everything out, it was necessary to wash and repaint and get rid og that nasty black mould, which is not only ugly to look at but also extremely unhealthy. I chose a warm pink, that I think ties the whole room together by creating a focal point on two specific walls where the art will be hung.

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I did the painting mostly by myself, with some help from my boyfriend, who was a sweetie and also helped me with the heavy lifting.

With the help of my housemate, I picked up a wider wooden plank to use as a shelf – which meant that I was then able to unpack some stuff I had stored away. You see, I can’t be let loose in a charity shop or a car boot sale as I will immediately find cat and deer figurines that I must bring back home!

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I still have some back home in Portugal too, maybe one day they will all be reunited in some place!

Here are a few more images with the contents of my beloved junk collection, that I’ve been amassing in the last 8 years in the UK. They are a collection of memories, gifts and little things that inspire me an that I like to keep around.

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The spray can art is by Ruth Knapp and the kitty by the lovely Swenya, a yarn artist from Cologne.

I was also able to put back my nail polish collection on the wall already:

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My boyfriend continues to be the best and he gave me a new duvet cover – featuring art by Tom of Finland. I love it so much!

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The next steps will be to change the bed – I already have a new IKEA bed, which I think will look nice in my girly girl room, which will be complete with fairy lights and all. Hopefully will be able to do the switch to the new one in the next few days, as it will get me some super good extra storage space under the bed!

Then I will be able to continue adding back the art – with some changes, for sure:

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The painting in the gold frame is by my friend Keone and was a piece he created by a show I organised earlier in the year to celebrate (or not, depending on your opinion) the Royal Wedding. It was funny that I ended up in the German press over it.

Once the bed is its place, the rest will be dealt with and hung. Can’t wait to have all nice and organised! It’s a lot of work, but maintaining a house and keeping everything clean and organised is hard – kudos to those who manage to do it!

As this house that we are living in is fairly old (Victorian, actually) and London is a humid city, the whole house could do with a once over, actually. At this point, the area that needs more attention is the kitchen – the last time it was refurbished, they added a fake ceiling and the light spots are embedded in it. Now that it’s deteriorating and the connectors are not working properly, we are getting less and less light – and to fix it means the landlord probably rip everything out. I keep dreaming of having LED ceiling lights or something – that would be easy to maintain and make our kitchen nice and bright! If I had the funds, I would also replace the whole cabinet unit, make space for a larger fridge and freezer (there’s 6 of us in the house and only have the tiniest under counter units, how stupid is that?) and get some decent pullout kitchen faucets and better storage altogether.

As this is a rental, the amount of work and money we are willing to invest in making it better is also limited, so at this point I’m focusing more on my room, which is where I spend the most time in, especially that currently I work mostly from home. I’m happy that at least I can make my own living space nicer and that I can finally feel more at home in it.

What are your best bedroom decoration ideas?

Lifestyle

Life – Goodbye 2017, hello 2018

January 12, 2018
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It might be a bit of a cliche’, to write year overviews and all that but considering that I haven’t been looking after this corner here as well as I have in the past, I thought it would be worth doing it, even if only to remind myself of all the good things that happened in 2017. While a lot of people complain that it’s been a horrible year, I honestly think that I can’t complain too much – sure, there have been challenges but when isn’t life challenging?

This overview also comes a bit late (January is well underway) but I have been working without days off for a few weeks… after being ill. UGH! Better late than never, that’s what I would say.

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2017 has been a very eventful year… I managed to get a lot of things done and I’m happy with what I see when I look back. So, what have been these amazing things that I’ve accomplished last year? Here’s a list, that’s not exhaustive but comprises the main highlights.

  • left full-time employment – due to my health and after last year’s burnout, the thought of corporate life induces mild ptsd symptoms in me.
  • been the poorest as a result – but I’ve learned to live with less and spend my time and energy on more creative endeavours.
  • stopped taking anti-depressants – I’m poor but happier!
  • got into several group shows – been showing my work all over London and in New York.
  • got my first solo show – and it was fairly successful, as many friends came and it was a lot of fun
  • met amazing artists – that I can now consider friends.
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  • went streaking with a friend down Millenium Bridge on a warm Summer night – don’t ask, but it was a lot of fun
  • found love – after kissing a few frogs after my separation and divorce, I think I have finally found the most caring and supportive partner one can ever ask for
  • became a stepmum – said partner came with a readymade family and they’re super cool!
  • worked on very interesting projects – one of the good things about working as a freelancer is the opportunity to work on several different things, which has provided me with more knowledge and more skills
  • turned 40 – damn, I’m old
  • still cancer free – possibly the most important item on this list!

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(does my butt look big in this? Yes, yes it does.)

2018 promises to be an equally eventful year, and there are a few things that I’m looking forward to:

  • my solo show in Berlin – my efforts to go international are paying off and managed to organise a show that will happen next month
  • spending time with A – we have a lot of fun stuff planned for the coming year, including a holiday back home in Portugal with the children
  • blog some more – I miss blogging and I want to do at least one post per month, mostly to support my practice
  • spend less time on social media – it’s a great vehicle to connect with likeminded people and to promote my art but considering what has been happening in general plus the level of censorship artists face (I’ll have to write about the silly episode I was part of), going back to self publishing is the way to go
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  • no shopping – not having lots of money means less shopping and I’d like to do a year of no shopping, as I still have enough clothes and shoes that fit me to last me a few years
  • continue decluttering – I’ve posted about decluttering a lot in the past few years, I know. It seems that it just never ends but I’m seriously letting go of a lot of things, to make more space for art materials, etc.
  • continue creating and improving my art – an ongoing project for the rest of my life, I suppose!
  • continue cancer free – not a lot that I can do towards this goal except take my meds and keep an eye on how I feel but it’s nonetheless something to look forward to

I’m sure that a lot more could be said but I don’t want to bore my readers too much.

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Some of the clothes I’m wearing in this post have been courtesy of Simply Be – the jeans and the long black shirt. I’m actually loving my new jeans and I think they fit rather nicely on my butt – no one wants ill fitting jeans, right?

Many thanks to A for taking the outfit photos – in true blogger’s boyfriend fashion!

Lifestyle

Lifestyle – Burnout, depression and how I’m dealing with them

January 13, 2017
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  • In the depths of Winter, I finally learned that within me lay an invincible Summer.

    -Albert Camus-

Happy New Year! I’m glad to see 2016 behind me, as it was such a difficult year personally. Ever since I got diagnosed with cancer in September 2015, I kept pushing forward to get back to normal and regain my energy and had so many plans for my life… But like heavyweight champion Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” And what happened feels like it.

The last two months of the year were spent off work due to burnout. I had been feeling ran down physically and ended up having a lot of symptoms that turned out to be burnout.

It was easy to understand why: coping with a long-term illness, the treatment side effects and stress at work led me to a state of complete mental exhaustion. Turns out I’m not even on my own on this, and there are other countless women suffering the same things that I have been.

So, my GP upped my meds, sent me home and I had to find a way of pulling myself out of it. I am not one to think that positive thinking alone can resolve all your problems, especially when the problem is depression or cancer. If that was enough, anyone with depression would merely just think themselves better and that’s not how it works. But I also knew that I had to take active steps to get better.

The good news is that I’m back at work and feeling a lot better, after a couple of months of taking care of myself and taking steps to improve wellness in my life. Everyone is different and I don’t think that what I’ve done is an infallible recipe for everyone but if by writing down what I did gives anyone else some ideas on how to deal with their own situation, it will be worth it.

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How I’ve been getting over it:

  • Reduced my commitments, social and work – rest is precious and if you are able to reduce hours at work, do so. I am currently working 4 days per week and although I don’t get paid as much, the extra time does a world of difference.
  • Took time off work – as long as I needed to feel better. If you’re exhausted you’ll only get worse and your productivity will dip anyway. Ask your doctor for help, they are usually understanding and happy to help you get better.
  • Sleep well and enough – sometimes it’s easier said than done if you’ve got a tendency to be an insomniac. Take naps when you feel you need to. I spent two weeks mostly sleeping initially and it did me a world of good. Don’t overdo it though, as you can’t just stay in bed for the rest of your life, as tempting as that prospect might be.
  • Pampered myself – Had my nails done at the salon and had myself a facial at Mayfair Aesthetics. As I had health problems, I am not allowed to do any laser facial rejuvenation treatments but I had a regular facial and it’s extremely relaxing. I’m happy that they were careful to advise me not to do anything more complicated that could have consequences.
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  • Went out for walks – now that I live in East London, it’s a lot easier to go out and walk for a bit to get the cardiovascular system pumping and the endorphins flowing by going street art hunting.
  • Avoided isolating myself – Even when I was mostly sleeping, I was using social media as a lifeline to not feel so isolated. Also have a lot of good things to say about my housemates, who were lovely and understanding during this low time. Slowly I started going out for short periods of time and seeing friends and that really helped.
  • Started eating better – I saw a nutritionist doctor (an actual NHS doctor, not just someone who read a couple of books about nutrition), courtesy of Mayfair Aesthetics. I did a food journal for a week and then together looked at the things I was doing wrong and doing well. At this point, I wasn’t interested in weight loss as much as i’m interested in feeling more energetic and just maintaining my weight, as the meds made me a bit heavier. I came back with personalised advice and feel a lot better for it!
  • Examined my priorities – I’ve started putting myself first and tried to eliminate superfluous sources of stress and complication.
  • Started doing more art – I’ve written before about how I got into street art and my therapist had advised me to spend more time doing art to help rebuild my confidence and sense of personal well-being. I did so and ended up doing an art market, getting a piece into an exhibition in a gallery in London and sold a few pieces to a couple of US Instagram friends. This did wonders for my self-esteem and confidence. Art really is the best therapy!
  • I am now kinder to myself – I avoid stressful situations and try to not be too hard on myself when I don’t accomplish all the items on my always endless to-do list. Taking it easy is my motto for 2017!
  • Simplifying my life – I love clothes and shoes but as before, I’m working hard to reduce the amount I own, by not buying as much as before and passing items on to friends or the charity shop. I still have too much for the amount of space I have but it’s definitely getting a lot better! Also, the Mari Kondo folding method is the best thing ever.

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I’m sure there are many other things I could be doing to recover (if you have any great suggestions, please let me know in the comments) but these so far have been helpful. I’m not entirely well just yet as I have some difficulty dealing with stress still, but it’s a work in progress and I’m doing my best to help myself.

PS: I was a guest at Mayfair Aesthetics but words and opinions are my own.