Slow Living - Doing It Old Style!

leftatthetrafficlights

@Wednesday2000 - snuggling on the sofa with the dog sounds blissful! 🥰 I used to love doing that when I had dogs even though I had large dogs who thought they were lapdogs!! 😳😂 

@Brie - art class sounds lovely 😁 are you starting a new painting? (asking because of the gesso 😉) How fantastic that your work allows mental health days!! Don't forget to book it!! 

@Slowdown - the glass work is truly beautiful!! 😍 what an amazing talent! I imagine that you are constantly busy with commissions so having a break from that and just giving your amazing creativity free rein is understandable 😁 

@zcrat41 - I've never heard of Nancy Birtwhistle 🤔 I'll have a mooch on YouTube - thank you for the tip! 😁 

Welcome @slm6002, @~FlowerPot~, and @Asparklierblonde 😁 

@Florafauna - your evenings sound fabulous 🥰 we've had our open fire on every weekend this January and it really does relax me - I get mesmerised by the flames!! 

So, today is my 'me' day of the week- nowhere to go, no one to see - and I have designated it as my weekly 'home spa' day. That would normally consist of a walk; yoga practice; dry skin brushing; defurring; exfoliating; face mask; hair treatment; reading; no tech other than music; fruit and salad to eat; water, herbal teas and smoothies to drink; and an epsom salt bath before bed. However, it's pretty treacherous out there today so the walk is off and I'm obviously on here so the 'no tech' isn't exactly working 😂 I've also already made the dinner for this evening and somewhat overdid the quantities so I'm going to have to adapt my day!! 🤦‍♀️ 

bellabella

@ Slowdown wow just wow you are talented we have not long ago had a stained glass window in our house removed from the metal frame  cleaned and restored and put back in a UPVC frame this is my childhood home and i could not bear to loose it to the extent when we move it will be coming with me

Wednesday2000

Wow, the stained glass is stunning! I do like stained glass as I was brought up Catholic.

leftatthetrafficlights. I did just do a double cleanse and then use a face pack and I'm going to have a bubble bath too.

It is chilly, but sunny so I will venture out for a walk later. I'm hoping to have another NSD today. I'm going to start my new book after my walk.

Katiehound

absolutely stunning stained glass- looks fabulous. Congratulations

Siebrie

Gorgeous glass! My Aunt used to do it, too, and I have a glass parrot window hanger in my bedroom.

Willow1983

Hi, just jumping in to say I have sent a message to you slowdown.

Slowdown

@Willow1983

I’ve replied! 

everyone else 
Thank you for your lovely comments. I thoroughly enjoy it but mostly when I'm
following my own designs and colour choices. 😊 

I seem to take endless photos of glass and mosaics and patterns I see anywhere in case I can incorporate ideas generated from them into my work. It’s just fun. 

Hope you’re all keeping warm. 

Slowdown

@Asparklierblonde
I do remember that thread.  I tried really hard and then was given some money by my mother who had been advised to pass on money left to her in a will. I felt a total fraud talking to people about not buying things when I was spending up on the house and garden! I felt terrible just leaving the thread but it’s a long time ago now. The money was spent on improving things and now my life is about slowing down and appreciating what I have and not buying more. My DH recently retired and our income has reduced enormously, our grown up children sometimes need financial help. None of them own a house and one still lives at home. He probably will for sometime yet as he is single and has a health condition. 

I have discovered the Stoic philosophers and their teachings are unbelievably relevant to life today despite being a couple of thousand years old. I’m trying to live calmly and well. I don’t want to succumb to our consumerism and in doing so help out the planet too. 

I’m a happy soul these days and long may it last. 😊

Asparklierblonde

@Slowdown I only mentioned it because I find it a great source of inspiration when I am struggling, and I dip back into it sometimes. I will always be grateful to you for starting it. One lady, I think she was called Greyqueen, wrote beautifully on there. I wonder if she is still on the boards sometimes. 

So pleased you are happy xx

Brie

leftatthetrafficlights said:

@Brie - art class sounds lovely 😁 are you starting a new painting? (asking because of the gesso 😉) How fantastic that your work allows mental health days!! Don't forget to book it!! 

@Slowdown - the glass work is truly beautiful!! 😍 what an amazing talent! I imagine that you are constantly busy with commissions so having a break from that and just giving your amazing creativity free rein is understandable 😁 

We tend to do a new painting each week in a two hour class - only possible as it's watercolour but when we do something different like using gesso we get out the hairdriers to hurry the process rather than waiting for it to dry naturally.  (fyi - gesso is an acrylic base but is great for adding texture to the paper and you can then paint over with watercolour, it can be very unpredictable which makes it both fun and challenging to use.)

I didn't much like the result this week and the teacher's comment was something like "oh my, that's very David Hockney!"  Last week's was much more satisfying and might get framed up.  Wish all my stuff was as lovely as Slowdown's!!

fyi - the day off at work is termed a "Discovery Day" in that we can take the time to discover something in ourselves.