Stop thinking, Start doing - beating my creative procrastination.

A typical Sunday in my house revolves around second-hand markets, breakfast with friends and making stuff. I'm fortunate enough to have a great bunch of friends who love trawling markets and garage sales looking for the next house decoration/vintage bargain.

Sunday afternoon is making time. I'll usually screen print or sew and generally tinker around my studio trying to make something. Yesterday I just couldn't get my making mojo on. I printed a few shirts, distracted myself on Pinterest/replying to emails/facebooking etc. Procrastinating my way through two hours. (you know you've all done it before!)

I googled 'help with procrastination', looking for a miracle cure and found the positivityblog.com's 'how-to-stop-procrastinating-7-timeless-tips' post. I read the first tip 'Stop thinking, Start doing' and I picked up my camera and started shooting, 1 hour later I had these photo's for this blog post ready to go. Such a simple theory, but it worked for me.

Here's the seven steps that they recommended, I never got to the others. Maybe this will help with your creative procrastination.

1. Stop thinking. Start doing.

2. Don’t blow a task out of proportion.

3. Just take the first step.

4. Start with the hardest task of your day.

5. Just make a decision. Any decision.

6. Face your fear.

7. Finish it.

Other site's recommended Eliminating Fear and Cultivating Desire, it all seemed a little convoluted and
painful these 7 seven steps are easy enough to follow. (I told you i was looking for a quick miracle cure!)

Here's my afternoon pics, taken at my house, affectionately known as 'The Lodge'. The Lodge is actually a 1901 built Masonic Temple on the outskirts of Newcastle. It's has loads of history and cool quirky design features like a single porthole window (you can see the window in the 3rd last picture) and a tessellated Masonic flooring. I'll keep you posted on more images when more renovations start happening.

The Potato that keeps on giving!

Look what I bought at the Newcastle City Farmer's Markets on the weekend, an organic heart shaped potato from the lovelies at Organic Feast  See, organic does equal love! I dont have the heart to eat it (pun totally intended here!).

Sunshine on a Rainy Day! - Yellow Etsy finds

It's gotten brrrrr chilly here in not so sunny Newcastle. I'm loving yellow at the moment, here are some handmade yellow finds from Etsy to brighten your day!

1. Necklace $25 from Venicia Creations  |  2. Polka Dot Bridesmaid Clutch $36.00 from Felicity Allen Designs

3. Custom Chair Slip Cover $178 from Fresh Nesting  |  4. Yellow Dress $155 from Fritillary

5. Yellow Leather Handbag $150 from Artsoncrafts  |  6. Bright Yellow Felt Wool Shoes $98 from ekohaus

7.  Yellow Dahlia Cushion $35 from Bedbuggs     (Note: all prices are in USD)

The Trash & Treasure Tour

Here's some more photo's from our road trip to melboune via ballarat and Daylesford. There were lots and shallots of stops at antique and op shops along the way! Our wonderful friend Tim introduced us to The Mill Markets, they are gigantic antique mega stores with lots of locations in rural Victoria. We got lost in their daylesford store for almost 2 hours.

Some super cool blogs we are lovin' this May.

Here are some blogs that i'm trending at the moment... most of them found through pinterest, my new interweb drug of choice =)

The Uniqueness of Being - is a fun blog run by Ashley. Ashley is from New York and loves moustaches, tatoo's and has a love of vintage sheets just like me!

Studio Home is a design blog all about home grown down-under design. Julia is a New Zealand based blogger who is passionate about promoting creative talent from Australia & New Zealand.

Oooh! this blog hits me at the heart strings... FABRIC! Kim Kight runs and she's just a little fabric obsessed, her blog is filled with swatches and latest fabric from new designers. It's great for graphic inspiration!

mmm... The delicious Smitten Kitchen has been in my life for a little while now, I figure I better share it too. Smitten Kitchen is a food blog hailing from the great food city New York. Deb Perelmen is the a Writer, Cook and Photographer behind this scrummy blog full of really great food photography and amazing recipes.

wish, wish, wish is more like a dream than a blog. 21 year old Carrie is a fashion student from London who blogs about daily london life, vintage fashion and 'whimsical encounters'. I'm hooked.

The Minimalists are Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, blogging superstars who managed to change their lived by getting rid of their consumer lifestyle and living minimaly. They have blogged their journey and have become an internet sensation, spawning 3 books.

Vintage Fabric Round-up #11

I've been tidying up the fabric cupboards this weekend and photographing them for the archive. Here some more goodies from my retro / vintage fabric collection, I love #3 just like a rainbow!

Over on Pinterest I have a retro/vintage fabric board if you want to see more from my collection or take a squizz at the other fabrics that I've found on the interwebs. =)