REVolution

barbies' poncho. serious.

yes. seriously. and Barbie is naked underneath her poncho. rad girl.

Sanne thought it was about time i crocheted a little poncho for her Barbie. and so i did. like a real puppet. remember, she's my master.

want to create one too for your little devils? you can score some exra bonus points, promise :)

need:
crochet hook 3,5 mm
catania yarn in any color you like
for the edging at the bottom i've used some kind of fluffy material, don't know the brand. sorry.

start:

1. make a chain of 28 and join with a slip stitch
2. crochet 1 single crochet in every stitch, join with a slip stitch again
3. chain 3, 2 double crochets in 1 single crochet, chain 2, 3 double crochets in 1 single crochet (that is one of the 'corners' of the poncho (there are 2 to make)
4. skip 2 single crochets, double crochet 3 times into the following 3 single crochets, chain 1
5. skip 2 single crochets, double crochet 3 times into the following 3 single crochets, chain 1
6.  skip 2 single crochets, double crochet 3 times into 1 single crochet, chain 2, double crochet 3 times into 1 single crochet (hey, there's the second corner!) woop woop
7. skip 2 single crochets, double crochet 3 times into the following 3 single crochets, chain 1
8. skip 2 single crochets, double crochet 3 times into the following 3 single crochets, chain 1

slip stitch into the top of the chain 3 of the first round. now slip stitch your way to the next 'open space' and start the next round. you can simply repeat what you did from point 3, and there will be more open spaces to crochet the sets of 3 double crochets. you simply crochet 'corners' where the corner was in the row before. got that? if not. loose control. send me some snappy emails and get over it. ha. or just ask me nicely what the frig i'm meaning. 

on the agenda today: sneaking in another REVolution day to work on that big fat huge canvas which is hunting me in my dreams. whoa. and in between i'm painting little pots. for plants. too cute for words. let's get this thing moving.

life is good. let's get your barbies a poncho.
rev

and then there was magic love.

Ohh that moment when you hold your child in your arms for the first time. those chubby arms & legs (well, both my kids were kinda BIG, so they were uber chubby!). that feeling of ever lasting happiness & love combined. most precious time. ever. 'and then there was magic love'. for sure.

 

{spread a little love today, #3}

and then they grow up. ha. but seriously. the last couple of weeks have been rough. Sanne and i aren't getting along for some reason. and you know what, most of it is because of me. i get that now. ofcourse i was all like "i'm the mommy, and i know best.. yadieyada (you pull that trick, don't you?). and then i just sit and thought. 

what if she just isn't like me. like. at all. she is 100% Sanne and is completely different. and that is just totally fine. i need to accept her, embrace her, love her for all of that. and i'm being completely honest here: it brought me to tears that i've made her feel miserable, just i had 'thought' about how to raise my children. how to be a loving & caring mom. and while doing that i completely forgot she is a person on her own. she has her own thoughts. her own feelings. and she's not afraid to show them. and i should be thankful for that. so thankful that she's brave enough to tell me, 'hey you rocking mom, maybe you need to point the finger at yourself, in stead of me'. and i am thankful. although it hurts. i am thankful. and i told her that. and she frikking understands and told me she loved me. so much. bliss.

don't get me wrong, i love both my kids like crazy. but she's 10 and he's 6. he's like "whatever you want". she's like "NO". i know part of our discussions are to do with her age, the stage she's in now. she's finding her own place. has her own things she feels are important. and it seems we are not on 1 level. but that's ok. that's totally fine. we can love eachother like crazy. it's just me. i accept that she is the way she is and she's gorgeous. with all her NO's and NEVER EVER. with all her mess in her room. it's her room. with all her "i'm wearing my soccer-jacket while it's freezing now", with all her "attitude". she's just finding her place in this wicked world, and i need to guide her. comfort her. be there for her. not point her in some direction. she needs to find that for herself. pfew. that brought tears. 

i know i'm doing ok. i love my kids, Arjan does too so much. and they love us. we are a very loving, warm family. but we do struggle from time to time. and i totally understand i need to get that mirror and see what i'm doing. i need her to find her own path. i will.

life is good. we all need to find our own path.
rev

feel more.

the second one in my series #spreadalittlelovetoday. not going to put any pressure on myself, but let's see how long i can keep up with my own daily love message.

we just need to feel more. with all the distractions we can get lost so easily. i want to feel the wind. feel the rain. feel happy. or sad. but really feel it. don't run away for it. we need to feel more.

on the agenda today: an extra REVolution day so i'm gonna work on one big fat huge canvas. Ohhh happy days!

life is good. feel more.
rev

Spread a little love today

Ohhh sweet December, i love you already! fun stuff on my agenda this month and i will update as soon as i can. things are changing, stuff is happening, magic is working. and more vague yadayada.

life is good. december, let's create magic
rev

for one special little girl.

a few weeks ago, maybe even months ago, i got the request to make 2 custom made canvasses. a very sweet grandma wanted to give them to her grandchildren. what a lovely hartwarming idea!

i feel so honored to get these kinds of questions. i'm proud i'm able to create something, that the one ordering really loves. ofcourse it also brings a ton of stress with it to. my thoughts while creating? 1. ahhhh this is going somewhere. 2. this is genius. 3. i'm freaking brilliant. 4. what are you thinking girl? 5. this sucks and i need to get my act together 6. i will never get another order again if i keep coming up with this shit 7. ahhhh this is going somewhere. 8. i'm genius. that's about my brain rolls while creating. 

i'll show you the other one in another post. there's just so much you can handle, right?

on the agenda today: meeting with a sweet client, who is more a friend. than much needed office work, but hey we are lucky to be busy! things arent' looking that good for lots of companies. so i know we are lucky. and maybe in between i can squeeze in some REVolution time. got some fun ideas, like REVolution PILLOWS. i. die.

life is good. i know we need pillows.
rev

don't put off your happy life. really. don't.

message from the universe for you today. whatever it is you are thinking off, whatever your heart desires, whatever you dream off, just do it. there never is a perfect moment.

are you thinking:

"well when i have that other job, then i will...." 

"when i loose weight, then i will...."

"when my kids are at school, then i will...."

"when my kids are older, then i will..."

caught yourself thinking that? uhuh! me too! and you know what? it will never work. because when you'll get that new job, there always be another hurdle to conquer. and when your kids are in school, and you THINK you have more time, think twice. you won't. you simply need to make it happen. for you. right now. here. with the means you have at hand. just start. there never will be a perfect time. oh, that's not right, there is. it's NOW.

on the agenda today: i hope to have a little conversation with Sanne's teacher, because Sanne is being bullied at school. she has a really understanding teacher, so i know i can talk to her about this. it has just started, and i am on top of this. this is not going to happen. i'm not going to let this just be. my girl is so precious, i will not allow anybody to hurt here intentionally. he's messing with the wrong mommy. we are going to make this end today and you can hear me roar saying that! 

ofcourse there will be some office thingies, but hey, i'm busy scanning lots and lots of canvasses i made (geesh i make tons of stuff!) and there will be new prints & cards available soon. new notebooks. new art journals. hey, and the christmascards are ordered and will be delivered next week. hallelujah.

life is good. just don't put off your happy life. <3
rev 

and that makes 3. have yourself a merry little christmas.

and the third of my 'trilogy' is finished! i forgot how fun it was to stamp on canvasses. i love the look of those imperfect little stamps.

they are send to the printer and i'm hoping to get my christmascards by the end of this week, or early next week. than pictures need to be taken, files need to be uploaded, and shops need to be filled. and you can start your orders. wieheeeeee. happy to have them again this year. close call. i know.

on the agenda today: REVolution day! woop. and i'm trying my hand on a birthday calendar. wouldn't that be nice? all my cute creations in one big birthday calendar on all of your toilets :). so i guess i'm going to get busy now. music on. internet off. that's the way to do it, remember. i wanna rock my to-do-list today like a champ.

life is good. christmas is around the corner.
rev

ohhhh just let's make this a merrier world.

the next edition to my christmas card collection. ohh so happy to be making them after all. i thought, since i'm always running behind, it was a no-go this year, but all of a sudden i put my act together and started making them. and then it goes so smooth. i think this is my favorite. i love the bright brilliant orange color. and the sentiment. let's just make this world a little merrier. we can. we must.

Sanne got her braces in last Tuesday and she's sooo brave. she has so much muscle pain, can hardly speak (she normally is a real chatterbox, she's a bit more quiet now. but she still manages to talk more then average, all gooey she goes on and on :)). but she's such a brave little girl for wanting them in as much as possible. she knows, the more she wears them, the sooner she is done with them. at least 6-12 months. sigh. big fat sigh. don't like seeing her struggling with this. but i know she can. yesterday night it was extra difficult for her. sleeping with that big thing in your mouth is no fun, and she was afraid to sufficate. i promised her i would sit by her bed, till she would fall asleep. i rub her feet, i feel her relax under my hands. she fell asleep and i felt so warm. it's such a wonderful thing to love your children to pieces. to be there for them. really be there for them. i am needed and it feels good. 

Tuesday was also exciting and energy-taking for me, because i had my EMDR therapy. and this time it was just the right subject. sometimes you just have to be ready.

i managed to change the images i'm seeing to positive images for me. less pain, more strength. not sure how to explain it. it's just like a transition in your head, you know it's happening, and you are in control. but the thoughts pop up in your head, and you can't control them. but my therapist sais i'm doing it all by myself. i manage to change my traumatic experience of my youth, into something i can handle with. i can think off without freaking out.

i can imagine you don't know what i'm talking about. that's okay. i just wanted to let you know, it's good to face your fears. to face the demons. you can handle them. if i can, hack, anybody can handle it. it's frightening and good all at once. i know i'm strong now. and in fact, i was strong when i was a little girl for going through all of it, and remaining to keep my spirit. to keep my joy. to keep my humor. to keep myself. and to keep loving myself. that saved me. so. if there's something you are struggling with, remember, you are not alone. you can do this. you are strong, no matter what other people might say or think of you. that belongs to those people. the only important thing is how you think about yourself. you need to love yourself. spoil yourself. hug yourself. surround yourself with the best people possible. and keep on marching. 

on the agenda today: FULL workday ahead, but hey, pssttt i already planned in some creative fun for ME ME ME, because hey, i need to love myself ;)

life is good. i love you.
rev

believe in the magic of christmas

ohhhh trying to keep up with my own deadlines. always starting too late. that's just how i roll i guess. but it's okay. i'm totally in love with this sweet little angel, aren't you? ohhhh christmas is around the corner but it's only October. well. near November anyways.

working on 2 more at the moment, so i will have 3 christmascards with those lovely envelopes again this year.

on the agenda today: REVolution day but also filled with all sorts of appointments. EMDR for me around noon. that's kinda heavy. but i know i'll feel better the days after. it's no secret i had a not-so-lovely-childhood and images from what happened to me keep hunting me from time to time. with EMDR i'm trying to break those hunting images. it's getting better and better. i'm a survivor that's what i know now. and proud of it. who would know 20-some years ago when i first flee from home. Sanne has an appointment with the orthodontist and will get her braces (?). milestone sort of day. she will have trouble speaking for the first few days. YES. haha. i'm looking forward to the quiet :). and tonight i'll work this body into sweat and the workout. 

life is good. let's do this.
rev

don't put off your happy life

and that's exactly my mantra this week! because it's autumn holiday for the kids, and for the first time in well... 13 years, i'm taking a week off. just. because. oh the benefits of en entrepeneur huh? it only took me 13 years ;).

love to sneak in little girls into my canvasses here and there.

on the agenda today: whatever adventure will take us. and the weather is going to be gorgeous, so outside it will be for sure!

life is good. don't put off your happy life!
rev