I Fell Off the A.I.P. Wagon…

Tags

adversity, AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Blogging, life lesson, Self Sabotage, set backs

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing. – German Proverb

I forgot to keep the main thing the main thing.

It had all been going so well, too. Almost three months on the autoimmune protocol. Feeling great. Sleeping well. Autoimmune symptoms well into remission after over 20 years.

And then I got complacent. Or maybe, life just got in the way.

First, my Mum came to visit from New Zealand. And, because I love my family – and I especially love when they come to visit – I indulged in a little red wine, a little coffee with cream, and some home made chicken liver pate. Bad idea. VERY bad.

Within 12 hours, my autoimmune symptoms were back.

Once you get into a routine of eating healthy, it hurts twice as much when you fall off the wagon. (Carrie Underwood)

Carrie was right.

But, here’s the thing. Rather than getting straight back up and resuming my strict protocol, I made it worse. Talk about self sabotage.

Last weekend, we celebrated my little brother’s birthday. In Auckland. It was a big one. There was a zero on the end of the number. It involved an extended weekend of ‘TSL family time’ (read: seriously good food). I was weak. What can I say? – I’m only human.

And, in the midst of all this visiting, LM and I moved house*. It was a pretty big job. I’m no longer an inner-westie. A lower north shore-y doesn’t have quite the same ring! 

Along with moving, we’re also downsizing. The teenager has moved out. We no longer need such a big house. It’s taking time. More than I would like. Frankly, my new kitchen is still not a place in which I want to spend time. I have yet to find a home for all my stuff. So, the upshot is I haven’t been following my AIP routine – no bone broth bubbling away; no vegetables fermenting; no slow braises on the go.

And, while I haven’t exactly been scoffing down cream doughnuts, I have been familiarising myself with the local cafes. Eggs have featured (a big no-no on the AIP). So has coffee. A little high quality dairy. A little dark chocolate. A few nuts and seeds.

And, as with every form of self sabotage, it’s not complete unless you beat yourself up about it. So, I’ve done that, too!

So today, I’m starting again. Two weeks of strict autoimmune protocol before I start a structured reintroduction process.

And I’m back in blog-land. Sorry for the short absence.

* we still don’t have a landline or internet connection, which goes a small way to explain the lack of blog correspondence. Apologies.

The One About Housekeeping (and Some Gratitude!)…

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Blogging, Diet, Format Change, Gratitude, Health, Nutrition, Thank You

(Image from here)

I hate housework. You make the beds, you wash the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again. (Joan Rivers)

A two-pronged post today. A wee bit of an administrative update. And then, some gratitude. From me to you…

First up – administration…

I had my Mum visiting from New Zealand last week. She came without Dad, which was unusual. But it did provide a different dynamic. Funny how that happens.

We had a lovely time. Like my Dad, Mum’s a fan of the blog. Only she’s not quite as confident with technology as he is. She mentioned that sometimes she finds it difficult to find recipes that she remembers from earlier posts. So, I’ve added a recipe index page. All my recipes are now listed in one convenient spot so you don’t have to go hunting for them.

You can access them through the TSL Recipe Vault link at the top of the page.

And then, because I was on a bit of a roll with the recipe index AND because TSL is now in its third year, I thought perhaps a page of my most popular posts ever may be in order… Just in case you’re interested!

Some of these are remarkably consistent in their popularity. Jamie’s lamb shanks post STILL gets more hits than any other. Unsurprising really – his recipes just work. And, Luke’s osso buco isn’t far behind. It’s still LM’s preferred go-to recipe (especially as we hurtle towards winter down here in the southern hemisphere). But, the very talented Dan Golden and his ‘Positive Energy’ remains a favourite, too. Just goes to show that clever humour is always in style…

If you’d like to know what people keep coming back to, check out my TSL’s Greatest Hits page link at the top of the page. I’ll keep this page updated as the landscape changes. Checking out some of the older posts made me a touch nostalgic..

And now, for some gratitude…

Something’s going right here in TSL land. Numbers are up – almost double in under a month – and I’m having fun sharing more foodie-oriented musings. Especially at the moment on this crazy caper that is the Autoimmune Protocol.

I want to say a HUGE thank you to you for your support in continuing to check in here with such regularity. It makes writing my posts so much fun – especially when you comment (or e-mail or call).

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude. (A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh)

I’ve made so many wonderful connections through this wee blog. This blogging escapade has opened up a whole new world of interesting and supportive people around the globe. And, every day it is different.

You just never know who’s going to swing by.

And I owe it to you. So – again – thank you. Please don’t stop!

On a personal note…

I’m studying this year.

This interest in how diet (and lifestyle) impacts on my health has become a bit of a passion for me. As I pick my way through all that I’m learning and try on different theories to see what resonates most, I’m posting some of the articles that are of particular interest onto my This Sydney Life Facebook wall. There are some common themes – mostly around gut health and auto-immunity, but the way the food pyramid is failing us also features! If that sounds like it may be something that tickles your fancy, I’d love for you to swing by and check it out. Please don’t be shy about ‘liking’ the page, either!

Well, that’s all for today. Regular transmissions will resume later this week!

Change is Afoot. A Personal Post…

Tags

Allergies, Blogging, Dairy allergy, Diet, food, Gluten intolerence, Life, Reflection, Roald Dahl

(Image from here)

This is my third year in TSL land. Sometimes, I surprise even myself.

At the time I started this blogging caper, I was dipping my toe in the waters of things design oriented. I completed a couple of tours at the International School of Colour and Design here in Sydney.

And, I learnt a few things. Mainly, I learnt that I am not a designer. I just have a strong sense of what I like!

Along the way, despite protesting that this is not a food blog, my most popular posts – by a considerable margin – have been those about food. Perhaps I should have read between the lines…

I was lucky enough to grow up with a Mum who is a great cook. She experimented with new dishes. She was making her own taramasalata years before it became fashionable in wee New Zealand at the bottom of the world. And, she had some favourites – as a family, we still think her chicken liver pâté is the best. Every year, my sister asks Mum to make her version of Zuppa Inglese* at Christmas. And, speaking of Christmas, her Christmas mince tarts are widely acknowledged as THE BEST IN THE WORLD. (No bias here.)

Until I left home, I never really appreciated that not everyone ate like we did.

George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl
(Image from here)

As a result, I have always appreciated good food. But, it has taken a bit of time, not to mention a reasonably circuitous road, for me to understand just how important food is in my life, and how much I enjoy cooking for those I love. Sounds a little hokey when I see it written down, but it’s true.

Here at Casa TSL, over the past year or so, we have been evolving the way we eat. This is the direct result of a few niggling health issues – mainly LM’s strong allergy to all things cow juice, and my intolerance to gluten. I have done a serious amount of reading in an effort to understand what it all means, not to mention how it happens.

And, you know what? – It takes work. Putting nutritious and delicious food on the table takes work. But, when you add the removal of all things gluten and dairy, it complicates the cooking experience further. And, dining out becomes MUCH more of a challenge.

The more I learn, the more I realise that these allergies to food are on the increase. They are not going away. So, rather than fight it any more, this year TSL is going to have a change in direction. The focus will be more towards food – both here in at Casa TSL, and dining out in Sydney. I haven’t quite worked out what it all means in blog-terms, but I promise you’ll be the first to know!

I hope you’ll stick with me for the ride…

* My Mum’s Zuppa Inglese is nothing like the linked recipe. But, hers is a safely guarded secret!

Italian Almond Cookies the TSL-Way…

Tags

Amaretti Biscuit Recipe, Baking, Biscuit Recipe, Biscuits, Blogging, Christmas Baking, Coconut Sugar, Cookies, CutterLight, Dairy Free, David Lebovitz, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Baking, Paleo

LM’s Choc-drizzled Italian Almond Biscuits TSL-Style
(Image by TSL)

David Lebovitz is surely an icon in the world of food blogging. He’s a man with much style. And, if you’re a bit of a foodie and don’t already subscribe to his blog, I urge you to go and check it out… (here)

There’s a big difference between lucky and fortunate. Luck is a winning lottery ticket blowing in your window. Fortunate means that you’ve taken the initiative and done something. And because of it, there was a positive outcome. (David Lebovitz)

Last week, I bookmarked his Italian Almond Cookies post to try at a later date. With the silly season fast approaching, and in this dairy-free (LM), gluten-free (me) house we live in at Casa TSL, finding Christmas baking recipes that fit the bill can be a little challenging. These looked seriously yummy.

Then, in this wonderful global world of blogging we inhabit, yesterday my special northern-most blogging buddy, Barbra of CutterLight posted about her take on David’s recipe.

Italian Almond Biscuits TSL-Style
(Image by TSL)

So, we have David Lebovitz, who lives in France. Barbra who resides in Alaska – sometimes on land and sometimes at sea. And, now I am putting my spin on Italian Almond Cookies here in Australia. We should see how many countries we can add to the Italian Almond Cookies list…?

Here at Casa TSL, I made my cookies biscuits (biscuits: because I don’t come from America) with coconut sugar*. It’s more like brown sugar than white in consistency, so my biscuits were sun-tanned versions of the original, and probably a little more caramel-y in flavour.

And, of course, LM thinks everything tastes better with chocolate…

Nude Italian Almond Biscuits TSL-Style
(Image by TSL)

David Lebovitz Inspired Italian Almond Biscuits TSL-Style

Ingredients

for the dough

3 cups blanched almond meal
1 cup coconut sugar
3 large egg whites (fresh as possible and at room temperature)
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons jam (I used Cornersmith’s Crabapple Jelly)
a few drops of pure almond extract (a little goes a long way!)

 for finishing the biscuits

1 large egg white
About 2 cups slivered almonds
About 150 – 200 g dark chocolate (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

2. Mix the almond meal and coconut sugar together in a large bowl.

3. Using your electric mixer, in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they start to pile up into soft peaks.

4. Fold your beaten egg whites into the almond mixture. The egg whites will lose some volume. Then fold in your jam and almond extract. Mix the dough until it comes together into a smooth ball. I used my hands to ensure the jam was evenly distributed throughout the dough.

5. Using a tablespoon measure, roll each biscuit into a ball in your hands, then roll them ovals.

6. Whisk your remaining egg white in a small bowl to break it up. Pour the slivered almonds into another small bowl. Roll each biscuit in the egg white, followed by the slivered almonds. This part is a little fiddly and requires some gentle coaxing to get the almonds distributed all over your biscuits. After coating each of your biscuits with the almonds, put them on a baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.

7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets in the oven so your biscuits bake evenly. Let cool.

8. If having your biscuits ‘LM Style’, melt your chocolate (in a bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water or in the microwave). Drizzle melted chocolate over your biscuits.

LM’s Choc-drizzled Italian Almond Biscuits TSL-Style
(Image by TSL)

*Coconut sugar has a lower GI rating of than sugar. This way I can kid myself into thinking these aren’t quite as bad for me!

The Hiatus is (Finally) Officially Over…

Tags

Alexander Smith, Australia, Blog, Blogging, Culburra Beach, Navel Gazing, New Zealand, Sydney, Trey Anastasio

A special friend to TSL
Taken in paradise at Culburra Beach, January 2013
(Image by TSL)

If there’s one thing I discovered since I came back from hiatus, it’s that you can’t go backwards. (Trey Anastasio)

Trey may be right in that you can’t go backwards, but you can certainly try to hold onto the feeling for as long as possible… And, that’s my excuse for not posting sooner. Apologies. But, I’m here now!

It’s been a pretty fab’ e x t e n d e d break involving a trip to NZ for Christmas with friends and family, followed by a fortnight at the wonderful Culburra Beach with some of my favourite people in the world. And then, another trip to NZ for the wedding of a special mate…

A wonderful, windy wedding on Waiheke…
(Image by TSL)

And, in between all that activity, a little time for some navel gazing.

A man gazing on the stars is proverbially at the mercy of the puddles in the road. (Alexander Smith)

Last year in blog world was a wonderful time for me. I kind of launched myself into this blogging thing at the beginning of the year, completely unprepared for all the wonderful people I would meet along the way. (That’s you! – You know who you are…)

This year, I’m going to shake things up a little. First off, I will be posting on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the next wee while. (That’s Australia time, for those of you up north!) Perhaps, if the mood strikes, I may surprise you with an extra post here or there, but Wednesdays and Saturdays will be the norm.

Qantas Flight Over Sydney)
(Source unknown)

Next up, I’ve decided to tweak the focus of the content a wee bit. Since this blog is about ‘This Sydney Life’, this year I’ll still bring you design, art, good craft, food, fashion style and things with wee bit of a quirk factor. The difference is that I’ll focus more locally than globally – that is Sydney, with the wider Australia and New Zealand geographies thrown in for good measure. How does that sound?

Sydney Travel Poster
(Source Unknown)

Armed with my trusty iPhone AND with the fabulous camera LM bought me (when I work out how to use it), I hope to keep you engaged with bits ‘n’ bobs from around Sydney-town and a little further afar…

Roll on 2013!

The One Where TSL Has a Bad Blogging Hair Day…

Tags

Bad Hair Day, Blogging, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Quote, The Don

Donald Trump Shares a Bad Hair Day With TSL…
(Image from here)

Do you mind if I sit back a little? Because your breath is very bad. (Donald Trump)

A wee admission – with all the excitement of parental visits, Christmas fast approaching and ducted air-conditioning units being fitted here at Casa TSL, today’s post has fallen by the wayside.

Like ‘the Don’, I am having a bad blogging hair day.

Normal communications will resume tomorrow!

 

Blog-world Friendship and Klockwerks

Tags

Abraham Lincoln, Art, Bertrand Russell, Blogging, Clock, Homewares, Roger Wood, San Antonio, Shopping, Steampunk, Texas, Time, Toronto

Exploding Alarm Clock by Klockwerks
CAN$360
(Image from Klockwerks)

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. (Bertrand Russell)

I have a friend. She is a blogging friend. We have never met – in fact she lives in Texas, so it is somewhat likely we never will. I don’t know what she looks like (Possibly, Jennifer Anniston?). I don’t even know her name. I do know she is a forty-something mother and teacher living in San Antonio.  I do know that despite the fact that she writes a hugely engaging blog, she hates giving personal details about herself, so she is happy to have her readers fill in any blanks with their imaginations. I don’t think she knows how vivid my imagination can be…

Oh – and I also know she is very funny. At times laugh out loud. You should go and check out her blog. You can find it at WHATIMEANT2SAY. It might even behoove you to read WHATIMEANT2 NAME EVERYONE, too. It explains who Dimples and Wonderbutt and Cap’n Firepants are.

Anyhoo, my anonymous Texan blog buddy sent me a link to Klockwerks. I clicked and found the whimsical world of Roger Wood – clock sculptor. It’s kinda’ wild.

Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time. (Abraham Lincoln)

According to his bio, Roger Wood creates with time in mind. Yet even though the clock can be a consistent element of his work, it’s often secondary to its creation. Whether it’s a curious timepiece or a unique assemblage, Wood thrives on working with an immeasurable array of findings from the tarnished and forgotten to the odd or intriguing. He is a devoted collector of usual and unusual objects with one thing in common, a history.

Apparently, the source of all Roger’s inspiration lies in the hundreds of curiously labelled drawers and boxes brimming with artifacts of all description that line the shelves of his Toronto studio. He plays with an arrangement from his myriad of treasures until the precise moment that it feels right. Then he glues them all down so they can’t escape.

The result is quite magical…

Shoe Mold Clock by Klockwerks
CAN$340
(Image from Klockwerks)

Clock in Glass Box by Klockwerks
CAN$1,590
(Image from Klockwerks)

Big Brassy Clock by Klockwerks
CAN$570
(Image from Klockwerks)

Steampunk Mantle Clock by Klockwerks
CAN$620
(Image from Klockwerks)

If you’d like to see more of Roger Wood’s creations, check out his website here.

By the way – I’ll be in New Zealand for the next few days, so my communication and response times may be a little more intermittent than usual.

Blog Stalking Letters of Note

Tags

Advice, Blog, Blogging, Correspondence, culture, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Letters of Note, Literature, Scottie, Snail mail

Letters Of Note Blog Banner
(Image from Letters of Note)

IMMHO, (In my most humble opinion) if you only ever read one blog, Letters of Note is the blog you should choose to read. A big claim, I know. I stand by it, despite the fact that I have some fabulous blog buddies here in the Blogosphere whom I risk offending by making such a bold statement.

What is it about, you may ask? Letters of Note is a blog-based archive of fascinating correspondence, complete with scans and transcripts of the original missives. And, it is fascinating. Truly. It’s also variously enlightening, funny, clever, educational, thought-provoking – and, so much more.

Let me give you an example from Wednesday, 21 March:

F. Scott Fitzgerald with his daughter, “Scottie” and wife, Zelda
(image sourced from Letters of Note)

On August 8th of 1933, author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the following letter of advice to his 11-year-old daughter, “Scottie,” who was away at camp.

(Source: F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters ; Image: Fitzgerald with both his daughter, “Scottie,” and wife, Zelda, via.)

La Paix, Rodgers’ Forge
Towson, Maryland

August 8, 1933

Dear Pie:

I feel very strongly about you doing duty. Would you give me a little more documentation about your reading in French? I am glad you are happy — but I never believe much in happiness. I never believe in misery either. Those are things you see on the stage or the screen or the printed pages, they never really happen to you in life.

All I believe in in life is the rewards for virtue (according to your talents) and the punishments for not fulfilling your duties, which are doubly costly. If there is such a volume in the camp library, will you ask Mrs. Tyson to let you look up a sonnet of Shakespeare’s in which the line occurs “Lillies that fester smell far worse than weeds.”

Have had no thoughts today, life seems composed of getting up a Saturday Evening Post story. I think of you, and always pleasantly; but if you call me “Pappy” again I am going to take the White Cat out and beat his bottom hard, six times for every time you are impertinent. Do you react to that?

I will arrange the camp bill.

Halfwit, I will conclude.

Things to worry about:

Worry about courage
Worry about Cleanliness
Worry about efficiency
Worry about horsemanship
Worry about. . .

Things not to worry about:

Don’t worry about popular opinion
Don’t worry about dolls
Don’t worry about the past
Don’t worry about the future
Don’t worry about growing up
Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you
Don’t worry about triumph
Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault
Don’t worry about mosquitoes
Don’t worry about flies
Don’t worry about insects in general
Don’t worry about parents
Don’t worry about boys
Don’t worry about disappointments
Don’t worry about pleasures
Don’t worry about satisfactions

Things to think about: 

What am I really aiming at?
How good am I really in comparison to my contemporaries in regard to:

(a) Scholarship
(b) Do I really understand about people and am I able to get along with them?
(c) Am I trying to make my body a useful instrument or am I neglecting it?

With dearest love,

Daddy

P.S. My come-back to your calling me Pappy is christening you by the word Egg, which implies that you belong to a very rudimentary state of life and that I could break you up and crack you open at my will and I think it would be a word that would hang on if I ever told it to your contemporaries. “Egg Fitzgerald.” How would you like that to go through life with — “Eggie Fitzgerald” or “Bad Egg Fitzgerald” or any form that might occur to fertile minds? Try it once more and I swear to God I will hang it on you and it will be up to you to shake it off. Why borrow trouble?

Love anyhow

And, this is just one example! I get one of these fascinating snapshots from somebody else’s life delivered to my in-box daily. I love it.

The man behind Letters of Note is Shaun Usher, a Manchester-based, 33-year-old writer. He is the self-titled curator of correspondence. He is also currently putting together a book on the best Letters of Note to date. It is due for release in November. If you don’t already subscribe, go and check it out for yourself here.

(I am off taking a wee sojourn to sunny Queensland over the next few days which means my response times to your comments may be a little slower than usual. I do love hearing from you, so please don’t stop! – It may just take me a little longer to get back to you. Cheers!)

TSL Hits 100 Blog Posts! Blogging Lessons Learned

Tags

100 Posts, Benjamin Disraeli, Blog, Blogging, Blogging Lessons, Chris Garrett, Darren Rowse, Ed Sheeran, Feedback, Nike, ProBlogger, Rita Mae Brown, Starting a blog, Sydney, Thank You, Wordpress

I began ‘This Sydney Life’, my ‘starter blog‘ on 2 February. That’s almost four months ago now. Today is my 100th post. It’s a bit of a milestone for me, so I thought perhaps it might be time for a few moments of navel gazing reflection…

Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.  (Rita Mae Brown)

I had been thinking about starting a blog for a while. If it wasn’t for LM suggesting I ‘just do it’ (Nike – you can pay me later), or for WordPress offering such an easy entry into blog-land, I would probably still be thinking about it. Often, it is best to learn by doing. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but that’s all part of the learning. That was my first lesson.

My second lesson is that even a technologically challenged girl like me can blog. You don’t have to be a whiz on the computer. And, while it may not be perfect, it’s actually not that hard. Near enough sometimes can be good enough. Not always, but sometimes.

My third lesson in this ‘learn as I go‘ blogging adventure was that ideas for blog posts are everywhere. Almost all of these ideas are not new and have already been written about before. The challenge is to put my handwriting on it. Add my voice. I think we human beings are naturally drawn to things that are more personal, but as a blogger, I’m still coming to terms with this. It continues to be the hardest lesson for me. I’m sure I’m not alone in this – it requires a level of bravery to share bits of yourself when you write. What if people don’t like it? What I do know is that the more of myself I put into a post, the more comments I get*. And, comments are blogging gold. I love it when you guys take the time to comment. Thanks for every time you do.

I feel a very unusual sensation – if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. (Benjamin Disraeli)

Before I took my leap of faith into blog-land, I had done some reading on the subject of blogging. I even went as far as to read Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett’s ‘ProBlogger’ book. A girl should always be prepared, I reckon’. Every article I read said I needed to find my ‘tribe’ or ‘posse’. The people – often fellow bloggers – who would stick with me as I fumbled my way through learning about blogging. I had no idea how I was going to achieve this. I didn’t even know where I should look. It turns out I needn’t have worried. They found me. My blogging buddies are the biggest reason I am still blogging and (inside my head) I thank them for their support every day.

My band of blogging buddies come from all over. Some have been with me almost since I started, and some have come on board more recently. Their blogs are dedicated to a variety of things – food, health, photography, every-day life, quirky finds, design, and more. To date, I have never met any of them in the real world. I don’t even know what most of them look like. Yet, they check in with me almost like clock-work. They tell me when I have written a good post, when a post has made them laugh or when I have made a particularly special find. I can often tell when a post hasn’t been as successful by what they don’t say. They are warm. They are supportive. They are funny. They are consistent. They know who they are and I thank them, every one.

(Image sourced from here)

The other thing all the articles and books say about creating a blog is to find your niche. I’m not so sure I’ve been entirely successful in this. ‘This Sydney Life’ is written from Sydney, but it’s not exactly about Sydney. It has morphed into a blog about stuff (read: design, good craft, art, performance and very occasionally food) that turns me on. I’m sort of OK with that; it is my blog after all. But, I am interested in learning what you think I could make better? What do you like? What don’t you like? Is there anything you think I should change? Do you have a favourite post? I would greatly appreciate some feedback from the people who matter – those who check in and read my blog (that would be you!)… And, if you do, I thank you (in advance!)

One last thing before I finish up. If you have somehow made your way here because you’re thinking about starting a blog (and you’re still reading – Wow!), all I can say is ‘just do it’! Really. If I had known how much enjoyment I would get out of this blogging gig, I would have started so much earlier. I just love it.

That’s it for the navel gazing. We will resume our usual programme tomorrow!

*Please note I said comments. Not hits. If I just want hits, I’d be posting lots more about things like a video clip of Ed Sheeran‘s Lego House!

Blog Stalking ‘Were I So Besotted’…

Tags

Blog, Blog Stalk, Blogging, Brooklyn, craft, creativity, culture, Design, Embroidery, Fibre Artist, Iviva Olenick, London, Photos, Pratt Institute, Social Commentary, Stitching

When I lived in London, I remember walking home from work in the wintertime after the sun had gone down.  I loved it. It was dark enough for lights to be turned on, but not late enough for curtains to be drawn.  I could see into the windows of houses as I walked past. Those small snap-shots into other people’s living rooms were fascinating to me.  It was especially wonderful at Christmas-time…

I suspect many of us in the online world take the plunge to enter the blogging fray after a period of blog stalking*.  I will admit to my share of this.  It’s a little like looking into other people’s living room windows.  You get a wee taste of their world.

One of my earliest blog finds was Were I So Besotted.  Brooklyn-based Iviva Olenick is a hugely talented fibre artist who creates the most beautiful and original narrative embroidery.  She calls her small-scale, usually autobiographical pieces her ‘hand-stitched blog’.  Her work is both charming and honest.  I love it.

'Williamsburg Hug'

'How We Met Sunset Park'

'Fulton Park'

'Cowboy' (for friend, Sarah's birthday)

'Sweetie'

Iviva is active within the embroidery community.  She runs workshops at venues like the Textile Arts Center and teaching stitching at the Pratt Institute.

If you have some time, go and check out her blog, Were I So Besotted.  It’s gorgeous.

(All images sourced from Iviva Olenick’s blog here)

*blog stalk: to religiously check a particular blog of interest for any new content