I've been sparing you any number of things since my last post, and one of them is the slow, sad decline of my cell phone battery, which has severely hampered my efforts at photography. So let's open with some throwback photos of socks I've practically worn out the last few weeks, from their playful infancy:
I love sock knitting so very much.
But I also love a new-to-me art project, and this one features universally applicable positivity:
Recently I watched a planner-setup video from Quoth the Crow which ends with the use of tracing paper for letter stamps. Spoiler: the video is MUCH more inspiring than my washed-out cell phone phone might make you think. I saw it and thought, I can do that - I just spotted all those items in my last stationery cupboard overhaul! (one of the things I've spared you - it took TWO DAYS). Admittedly, the ink pads in the stationery cupboard have seen better days, the last of which was probably five years ago, but it still mostly worked. I liked that the messages can be compiled or viewed individually and still make sense, assuming a person can make out the words.
Another fun item I've been sparing you: my Filofax obsession. Oh how my family longs to be among your number. Here is a small assortment of my small-size planners, which I am using as reference books for story ideas, characters, research, submissions, and so on.
There are more. One of them is actually in service as a planner, and I'm finding it incredibly helpful in keeping me on top of real life while my brain is mostly writing. This is a third thing I've been sparing you: my winter of writing, which turned into three months of incredible productivity. I've been using a larger Filofax to keep track of it all and Wow! So many short stories and submissions and progress on longer projects.
The larger-format Filofaxes are also accumulating, though I really only need two at most, one for work and one for the house. One of the extras isn't officially out in circulation yet... I think I justified its purchase as an Easter present, in lieu of chocolate, which I am trying to avoid. I should probably be avoiding Filofax shopping. Thing is, it's just so darned fun to create my own books, without going to the trouble of learning book binding. And creating a reference volume is not as time-consuming as knitting socks. In fact, I've bought most of these planners for less than the cost of a skein of good sock yarn.
Huh. That hadn't occurred to me, and now I feel like I have license to buy more planners.
I think I'd better slowly back away from this section about Filofax now.
One day in the winter, after a series of heavy snowfalls, I spotted my chance to fulfill a years-long dream. So I went outside with a shovel and built a snow fort sofa.
Clearly, I didn't finish it before the sun dipped below the roof of the house, but the sun patch almost hit my teacup, so I still call this a win.
The sofa turned out to be surprisingly uncomfortable to sit on, so we never used it as a venue for hot chocolate consumption - that was the hoped-for outcome of my snowfort dream. But after the next snowfall covered up the grey and icy bits, it looked very attractive from the living room window. Yay!
And now it's all melted away and that's another Yay because it means hammock season is on its way. Hammocks are VERY comfortable.
Okay I am wrapping up here - just wanted to let you know I'm still in one piece despite the long silence. Hope you are too! I'm going to close with another throwback photo, then go make a note in one of the Filofaxes to sort out my cell phone soon.
Happy spring, and take care till I see you again!
