messyart

Instagram has made me a bad blogger

It's true! It's all instagrams fault! 

Not that i was the best blogger anyway ;) I do try to be, because i love the idea of keeping a daily record for my family / childrern /me to read back on years to come, but life just always seems to get in the way! I constantly feel sooooo busy. Too busy . My struggle for balance is a constant one. 

But thats why i LOVE instagram. It's just a matter of posting a picture. Take a pic, add a filter, and post! Maybe add a few words or a description, and your done. You've kept up with your friends and your family and a few random strangers and all is good in the world :)

For those of you who dont have an iPhone, but that love instagram....did you know you can view peoples feeds on the computer now? There are a few different site, but Gramfeed is my fave. I find it easiest to use and i love the look of it.

It allows you to look at your feed, or others feeds. You can veiw all your photos at once or one at a time. You can see whos liked your photos, and  People can comment on your photos staright from Gramfeed, as well as Pinning it, Tweeting or FB'ing it! It also allows you to download your own photos straight to your computer. My user name is zzkat, or you can follow me on messyart (i have 2 feeds....one thats got family and one that doesnt ).The zzkat feed is set to Private, but thats just a small attempt to keep any weirdos away :) 

However, i do plan on posting more regularily on this lil ol blog of mine. I tend to sit down when i have time abnd do a whole lot of posts at once, usually catching up opn the last few weeks. Not the best way to blog, i know.

Happy Tuesday Ya'll!

Life lately.... (via my iPhone)

It feels (and looks) like it's just been me and little man lately. I've been studing at night and the Mr has been pulling extra shift, and the kids are super busy with dance and sports, so it has been a bit crazy around here! The only time i can really take pics is through the day when it's just me and little man. But the rest of my family is still here, i promise! I really and truly have not killed them all and hidden them under my house ;)

* mental note: pull out iPhone during the crazy times too and snap pics 

lookie what i got......

My very first slr camera! Now maybe i can stop taking all my photos with my iPhone :)

Although i have NO IDEA how to use this thing, so i dare say it will be awhile before i am sharing any amazing pics with you ;) Oh, and i welcome any tips !

Today i went up to visit my sister at her shop, and to do some signage on her window for her. It was a rush job, and i've never written on a window before, but i was pretty happy with the result. (not the best pic, but you get the idea)

 

Afterwards we had dinner together and them little man got a treat for being so good all night. Well dad ate most of it, and then gave little man a lick, but once tj got it, he just wouldn't let it go!

Oh! That sweet little tongue!

I could eat him up !

After we came home and everyone went to bed, i completed a task i had been dreading for a very long time.

7 years of photos, backed up and organised...thankyouverymuch!

Feels good to finally get it done :)

 

the smallest oragami swan ever

Biggest bro loves his oragami. Well, loves anything much to do with paper, really (a child after my own heart). He's always making some kind of creature. Awhile back i got him a couple of paper crafting books for boys, and they were... and still are, a huge hit with him!

{found here}

{found here}

He's always making me little creatures. I love alll his little creations. A few days back he made some teeny tiny oragami swans. How he even managed to create such small folds is beyond me! There was an even smaller one, but he gave it to a friend.

I held up a coffee cup so you get an idea of the size.

I also love these little box creatures he came up with all on his own....

In fact, if you ever come to my house, you'll find tiny paper creatures everywhere. Sitting on frames, hanging off walls, even decorating out tiolet! I hope he never grows out of making things, for i can imagine my home not full of these wonderful creations!

 

a missing coffee tradgedy....and other stuff

So on the weekend i attended/helped with my good friends daughters birthday party. This woman never ceases to amaze me with her talent. Just so creative! Unfortunatley i can't post any pics....but hopefully she will soon! And then i'll add a link to her pics :)

But the morning before i was supposed to go round and help her set up was a terrible morning. And to top that, my coffee machine was dead.

D.E.A.D.

Not cool.

So in the middle of all the craziness i told all the kids to get into the car, in thier pjs, no shoes on....just get into the car quick, quick , quick! Wedrove down to my fave coffee joint and i grabbed the largest takeaway available. Ahhhhhh.....the peace within me was restored. Life was ok now, i had coffee.

So i get back home and get everyone back inside and continue my morning craziness but this time at least with..... what.....wait... Where's my coffee??????

I looked everywhere, the bathroom, the car, the fridge, the stove.......WHERE WAS MY COFFEE!!!!!!!

After a good 20minutes of looking i realised i was wasting time (i was already late) and gave up. But it was like some kind of sick joke, so desperatley needing coffee, knowing there was a damn good one somewhere in my house, but not knowing where.

Torture i tell you.

Anywho....the party was gorgeous (of course) and the girls all had a great day.

Happy belated Birthday Miss Abigail!!!! You are quite simply AMAZING and we love having you to brighten our days :)

After the days craziness i get home, open up my pantry cupboard to start on dinner and guess what i found.

not cool.

 

Life lately via my iPhone

Happy Monday.

only 8 years of wanting , waiting and dreaming....

and i finally have it!

What is it, you ask?

brace yourselves.....

...

...

..

.

Photoshop cs6!!!!!

This is my first photoshop EVA!

I've never even used Elements. The only way i've ever edited any of my photos was through Picnik (which is no longer) or an iPhone app. Would explain the lack of quality in most of my photographs. Now, really it probably doesn't make sence that i bought photoshop BEFORE i even have a decent camera. Yep, thats right y'all, i'm still taking pics with my iPhone only! But i wanted it for my prints (handwritten stuff). I am saving for a camera next. I've already almost finished saving for a new laptop (mine can't support photoshop), and will hope fully have it soon :) But for now, i'll put it on my desktop.

So when i finally start selling my prints again, please buy some....cause every print sold brings me closer to my camera ;) So it's for a good cause! haha.

So in preperation , i am backing up my computer on my new hard drive.

I'm a bit ashamed to tell you that i probably haven't backed up anything for over a year now! Yes, loooooong overdue....

And to make things even better, mum dropped round this morning with a small surprise of the BEST kind!

 

But i had a surprise for her too! This print from Katie Daisy, which looks so cute that i'm really thinking i might have to get myself one too!

So now i am off to try and tackle the daunting process of backing up, and installing photoshop.....wish me luck!!!!

nesting

So latley i've been nesting like crazy (NO, i am not pregnant!)

We've been in this house for a year now and i just need to feel like we are not still unpacking! (yes, we are still unpacking). So i've been working hard trying to get rooms finished.  I've been hanging stuff up on walls, decorating, moving stuff around (a thousand times) driving the Mr. crazy....i'm sure. But slowly, slowly it's all coming together! We are on a limited (aka non-existent) budget too, so i am having to get a little creative.

I'm also cleaning....cleaning out cupboards, cleaning out drawers. The kind of cleaning that actually creates more of a mess. You know what i'm talking about, right? When you empty ALL your cupboards and drawers and get them super cleaned and organised... leaving you trying to figure out what to do with this.....

But your cupboards look great ;)

But it's not all bad....

painting was a gift from my sister from @ NZKAT Designs
Hook from Urban outfitters, headphones from Typo

cute baby from me :)
books are a garage sale find, my collection of Frankie
Painting a gift from an artist who once came into my resaraunt, painted box from Urban Groove, books and jar are thrifted, oragami is from my son.
rocks (top one was a gift from my daughter)
crates: urban outfitters and thrifted
wall map and decor: Typo
Moustache: Typo, Ties: The Pickle Face Place

print : Katie Daisy

Love print: Katie Daisy
I also whipped up a little chalkboard for my coffee/tea station. I picked up the board for less than $10 and it only took me 5 minutes to write on it...and i am so please with the result!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

a weekend in instagram pics

a rainbow spotted whilst driving

cute giggles
playing on the beach
coffee and cake with my girl
teaching lil' brother the ropes
eating with the big boys
climbing on mummy
what i wake up too
tired eyes from a (good) busy weekend
words of wisdom ;)

 

Hope you had a lovely weekend too!

word

We've been having some issues with our internet connection. I've been without internet for a couple of weeks till now (thus the break from posting). Hopefully everything sorted now and our internet will behave :)

I've been working on some new print ideas for the shop. These are just works in progress, but i'd love to know what you think.

You'll see some random posts come up here and there (out of order) as i try and catch up on some half written posts i started while we lost our internet.  It's all good :)