In Not-So-Real Life

As many of you would know acting, speaking, performing are things I love doing and things that ultimately I would like to make up a large part of how I make my life in the world.
So I thought I would share what our team got up to this year during the V48 Hours film making competition.
Each team is given a genre - ours was found footage.
Each team must also include a person - Nicky Brick and unlucky person, a shot - slow motion, a prop - a leaf and a line - 'I did that'. There are other demands on the team as well but you can check all of that out online if you want to. Including reviews etc.
We didn't make the regional finals but we did make a film.
Here it is!
Honeymoon from The Brainy Corporation on Vimeo.

Enthusiasm

This week I am thankful for enthusiasm
I love how my boys have bucketfuls of enthusiasm
How kids are SO enthusiastic

How they haven't decided they are too cool to show how really excited they are about life, presents, surprises, snow, dancing..... and the rest

Being naturally enthusiastic makes it difficult for me understand how adults can be so underwhelmed when they win something or are given something or see something amazing - I wonder if it is a way of responding they have learned, to be underwhelmed, is it self-consciousness or something else?

Me I'm all for enthusiasm. I love the quote that says

 'nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm'

What emotion do you love to witness in others? These photos will be more properly explained in my B.M.W.B post next week - it's a good one!!






Joining in with other people exploring gratefulness

Read more:
Becoming the Mama I Want to Be B.M.W.B posts
Gratefulness posts

Snowflakes That Stay On Your Nose and Eyelashes

On Wednesday we had a 2 hour school day and whole lot of magical

beautiful
whirling

swirling
snow

and a friend coming for the night - whose plane was diverted to Nelson,transferred to a bus which got a flat tyre, stopped in Kaikoura for food to find there was no power and nothing could be bought, and all this for a work meeting.....

6 days into winter and we have SNOW!!

The awesome Atlas took all these pics. He's one of those Dad's that takes his boys to the park for an hour when he comes home early on a snowy day.

Wardrobe Wednesday and Make My Week #23

So this month for Wardrobe Wednesday we can pick whatever we like - which means you have no excuse not to sign up if you've been putting off because you don't fit the theme my friends!

This is my June make.....It is from a 1950s re-production pattern from Simplicity and it has 12 darts, yes 12!! but other than that it is very simple to make.

I may also have a confession to make... at the beginning of this year I put myself on a self-imposed fabric embargo for 6 months and I have been going very well but in May I was given a $30 spotlight voucher at the same time as receiving a 'spend $100 get $40 off voucher'. This meant for $30 of my own money I could get $100 worth of product. So I thought a lot, truly!, and I decided that $100 worth of notions was do-able but not really that necessary. I bought 3 pieces of fabric. This is No.1. Please don't feel too disappointed.

This fabric is taffeta which means it sticks out nicely and has that crisp rustly feeling. It also frays like a mad thing but I was very disciplined and overlocked every seam.

I wore it to our screening of the 48hours film we made (I believe in over dressing) with my grandmother's mink cape - say what you might about fur (I wouldn't buy it new but I'm happy to buy leather shoes??)  but the animal has already been killed for no good reason so I might as well make it's life count for something.

And this is how I wore it to church on Sunday on a cold winter morning.

Dress - made by me - approx cost including notions and the pattern $30
Belt - hand-me-down/ on loan? from my Singer Sister
Shoes - ages old No.1 shoes I also have a black and red pair
Corsage thingy - from a cheapie accessory shop
Cape - Mink from my grandmother
Black undertop - Zara UK
Black opaque tights - probably had them since high school!
Black sequined sneakers - The Warehouse - slowly but surely coming apart - sob!

I joining in with Nin the Seamtress/Designer at Wardrobe Wednesday

and other 'show and tell'ers over here

 Click here to find  my other Wardrobe Wednesday posts

Find more things I have made with 'Make My Week'

Why Yes I am Looking Great - Thanks for noticing!

As you know I am fairly new to blogger and I'm not familiar with layouts, templates and all the computer jargon-y stuff! And yet, I am sporting a new header and a fancy new colour scheme......

Let me let you in on a little secret - Sophie Slim. Sophie is a Christchurch Mama, Blogger and all around computer designer expert type and she's been pimping my blog.

What's even cooler is that this same Sophie is doing a series on how to make your own blog more gorgeous. She also has a great giveaway to have your own header sorted if you are keen.

Head over and meet Sophie and her gorgeous blog.

B.M.W.B #23 - Memories

When my boys are men and people ask them about their childhoods  I know there will be things they want to do differently for their own families but something I really hope is that they will have many 'tales to tell'.
I want them to have memories that are rich in laughter and intimacy, shared moments, family in-jokes. No because we are an exclusive set but because we 'belong to each other'.

Last Friday morning we told our boys that we were having a family sleepover by the fire that night - they were beyond excited. That night we dragged out the mattresses and read stories in front of the fire before going to bed right there.
Flip decided Bounce was too noisy (which should come as no surprise because they share a room!) and ended up in his room, I decided it was too hot and ended up in my room but we all had the fun of, almost, falling asleep together on our 'winter camping adventure'.

What do you hope your children will say when they talk about their childhood?
This year I am making more of a conscious effort to have quality moments with my boys. B.M.W.B (becoming the mama I want to be)  is my way of recording and hopefully inspiring other mama’s too. Please inspire me with the little moments you are snatching with your little people OR with ideas I could do with mine. If you have blogged about it please leave a comment so we can all visit and encourage each other.

Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be.

Perspective

Often times it is so easy to get caught in the stream of concerns and cares.... and these are most often about nothing important. Our perspective on life is so limited to the direct moment, confrontation, desire, frustration that is immediately in front of us.

How quickly we forget success past, perfect moments, carefree days and get stuck in the swamp of stuff that is right now.

There is a gorgeous verse in the Bible that says, 'Who of you by worrying can add a centimetre to your height or even one extra day to your life?' Age-old wisdom, relevant.

Today I am grateful for this little man who sits on my back and plays with my hair, who is absorbed in every moment, present and connected. I am grateful for the age-old wisdom I see played out perfectly in young-life.

Other grateful people at Meghan the marvellous photographer's blog.



What has captured your thoughts this week?