Starry night

In order to off set some of the hurly burly aspects of frantic living I have promised myself that on the next properly starry night we will wrap up warm, light the outside wood burner, toast marshmallows and star-gaze. I am hoping the skies will be clear tonight...

Star Struck by Rebecca Campbell

Autumn Bliss

Autumnal walks up dusty end-of-summer tracks and past hedgerows bursting with colour. 

September is often a time for new beginnings and now all the boys are wrapped up in school life I have a little more time to do some things I like. Last week I went to the Highlanes gallery in Drogheda to see Abigail O'Brien's With Bread exhibition of wonderfully up close and intimate photographs taken in some of Ireland's bakeries. There are also the most beautiful silver plated bread sculptures laid out on tables with some under glass domes like so many treats waiting to be slipped into shopping baskets and taken home for breakfast...

These fantastic paintings and drawings are from the Texaco children's art competition which is also being exhibited in the Highlanes. I love children's art and not in some soppy or worse, patronising way. That wobbly lighthouse is by a six year old and the exquisite drawing of a girl is by a 16 year old boy. Just love! 

To my sisters

I can't remember when I first came across the work of Phoebe Wahl- it was some time ago anyway and I have been following her since. Her wonderfully detailed pictures evoke a sense of home, of warm embraces, of security - rosy cheeked babes in arms, families around the table, clapboard houses tucked up in snowy woodlands, checked shirts papas and plump kneed mamas... Wouldn't you love to live like that, to be loved, cherished like that?

supper

neighbourhood

sleigh ride



And so to my three dear sisters - I know Christmas time is ages away and it's way too early but...I am asking if you would like a Phoebe Wahl print as your gift- the first three images are available. In the next few weeks I'll show a couple of other artists as options (I know my taste may not necessarily be your taste!). Sorry to be starting so soon (too soon) but it will take a while to organise...

night lullaby

f is for fox

Have you seen these beautiful intalgio prints from Kelvin Mann a New Zealand born artist who is based in Dublin? I think they would make a gorgeous baby gift for a nursery wall or for a child's bedroom. I especially like the foxy fellow- his doleful expression is lovely!








If you get a chance to see this you should go. I went a few weeks ago with a friend and we howled with laughter...although it did have a sting in the tail...you'll have to watch it to find out!

This weekend I'll be bringing a gaggle/herd/screech of eleven year olds to see The Lone Ranger (please help, someone) for Hugo's birthday although I would prefer to be tucked up beside the fire continuing A Writer's Diary by Virginia Woolf. Alas, mummy-ing duty calls and that trumpet sound cannot be ignored.

Scrabbling for words...

At the family Scrabble game last night Hugo unintentionally had a great two-word score. Can you spot it? It gave him (and us) a good laugh.

And have you tried fitting all your family onto the Scrabble board?

This week

This week...

We enjoyed sitting out til late with the fire and candles, wine, books and magazines for company.

Mide turned five...five... I would like to know how the hell did that happen?? I blinked and now I have no babies...The newly minted five year old requested a dinosaur chocolate cake. Only a cruel heart could have ignored that.

Jam got made-apricot and lavender as well as blackberry and blueberry. The blackberries are plentiful, fat and luscious. And they always remind me of this...and of course I cried over this.

September is one of my favourite months-one season wanes, and there are changes afoot as the air cools, the leaves blush and turn away from green and the nights draw in one inky dark footstep at a time.