Friday 22 March 2013

Focus on life–week 12–observe the curve

This week Sally directed us: “take a moment to focus on all the different kinds of curves that surround you everyday”.  Curves, wonderful!  I was raised in a house full of paisley – curves are my briar patch. 

focus on life week 12

Looking at this photo now I’m also seeing a bit of yin and yang going on, although that casts the table as the good and the mug as the evil and that is ass backwards. Ok, getting ahead of myself, let me explain.  I’ve sat down several times at my worktable to get moving on a variety of projects.  There’s usually at least a handful of different ideas going on in my workspace, I like to flit from one to the next as down time arrives.  Well lately, whenever I’ve sat down, I’ve turned around some ideas mixed a few colours, done a little obligatory experimenting (not the fun kind) and things haven’t been clicking.

Hubby walked in at one such moment of frustration and casting his eyes about me, about my space, and said, “how do you work like that?” I shook it off not wanting to really hear that thought, but by the time it was lying in bed that night I was already rearranging the room in my head.  Naturally, the next day I was pulling all sorts of stuff out with a rough idea how it would all go back together again.  Well it’s far from done and I’ll save all the nitty gritty for another day, but the part that makes it hard to arrange is this table. 

I did not by this table on purpose.  I was at the Salvation Army thrift store just before we moved into our house.  I was looking for a pair of chairs for our kitchen, having already chosen a small square table.  I found one that I loved the lines on, the wood (teak?) was in ok shape and the seat was an easy single screw to pop out and recover.  Perfect! There were three sitting there so I grabbed two and headed for the cash to see how much.  I was informed they were part of a set.  I argued that three chairs would not be a set.  She reassured me it was part of a set that included an oval table (missing a leaf) that was up against the wall legs removed.  As she gathered the legs I tried to negotiate just the two chairs.  She wouldn’t budge there was one price and there was no way she was letting me leave without this table.  Of course I was alone, and this was solid wood but I hauled that sucker and three chairs somehow into the car and through our apartment parking lot, up the stairs and into our storage locker.  All that to say an oval table would have never been my choice to fit in a studio workspace, but it’s hard to pass up free.
 
Silver lining moment though finding my favourite handmade mug that I had bought for my day job specifically.  When I moved form a work office to a home one I knew it made the trip but somehow I misplaced it.  That was about five years ago.  The best part is the handle, it fits my two fingers so perfectly, a very good curve indeed. the glaze is very pretty too although the shadows here hide all that.

Those are the curves on my mind at the moment.

Thanks for all your sweet comments about my little dancer, I fought the urge to show you the curve of her eyelashes… mustn’t make it all about her.

Now off to see the twist, turns and curves every has come up with this week, linking up on Sally’s beautiful blog

23 comments:

  1. My work table sounds like yours. I really should organize it. I wonder if I would find a beautiful mug like yours. :)

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  2. I love the table and the store about how it came to live with you.

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  3. I don't have a work table yet - maybe mine will come to me in a similar way. I just have to get my husband to finish the work room!

    A great tale of its arrival

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  4. Great story about the table! I also have a mug that fits my hand and fingers perfectly. I don't even want to think about life without it, lol!

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  5. Oh, how I love your thrift store story!! And also your mug, that perfect fit, perfect curve, it is fantastic isn't it? Wonderful post! Gracias

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  6. I'm glad you found your mug! I love when something fits perfectly! I hope all comes together in your workspace!

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  7. I have taken over an entire room in the house (16ft by 18ft) there are beads everywhere... (they are actually hidden in corners of other rooms too) I occasionally try to organize things but quickly realize that I'm just moving the clutter from one spot to another! Good luck with your clean up... It's always nice to find something that was missing.. it seems to make the wheel spinning worth while!

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  8. You must have really wanted those chairs. Good luck on organizing your work space. I am always trying to reorganize because I have more stuff than the size of my studio.

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  9. Well, I totally love that table, and hope you've found a way to make it work for you. I do love curves, and can't wait to read all the curvy stories this week.

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  10. Your urge to take pictures of your tiny dancer is a beautiful one - she'll enjoy those pictures in years to come as my two tiny dancers have ... as they've grown up. Keep snapp'n 'em!

    I love your yin-yang table. It does look like a beautiful table, but I confess my table is rectangular. And as I think about it, it would be tough for me if it were round ... all my things stacking up in the middle! hmmm, perhaps the problem isn't the shape of my table - maybe it is my organizational skills!

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  11. First of all - I immediately saw the Ying and Yang in that photo! I have several favorite mugs I gratitate towards...some days, it has to be the thin, porcelain type. But today, I am drinking from a big ol'chunky ceramic mug from long ago and life is grand! I would have liked to have seen her curvy eyelashes! How come the little ones always seem to have better eyelashes than the adults??? You can barely even see my eyelashes anymore without artificial augementation of mascara....frustrating!

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  12. Wonderful curves! You need a good mug to be able to work!

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  13. Ah, a round table - love the idea. Glad you found your mug - it's beautiful; we have mugs like that for one beverage only: mulled wine in the winter (Christmas time). A tradition back where we're coming from - mulled wine apparently tastes better from pottery mugs (it does :))
    And while it might not be *all* about your little dancer - I surely would love to see the curves of her eyelashes :)

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  14. LOL! I have to laugh at your husband's comment. Mine says that to me all the time. It's not worth trying to explain, because they'll never understand. : )

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  15. Great post! I love Salvation Army thrift stores. And this is a great pic of your treasures great curves:)

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  16. It's great that you found your mug Emma. Eyelashes would certainly be a pretty curve to see.

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  17. What a great mug, table and post. :)

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  18. Fun story- I like the table and the mug too!

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  19. Anything that follows you home like that of its own accord is MEANT to be yours...you'll find its purpose some day! :-)
    Glad for you that you found your mug. :-)

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  20. I truly love your photo this week - the perspective and the curves are super! Glad you found you mug (that's important - seriously important!) and as for the oval table, I feel that one day it will fit in perfectly to your home and life just like the last piece of an awesome puzzle!

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  21. I have ran myself away from all my work tables, because of all the stuff that needs to be put away, now I work from a tray that sits on my lap. I enjoyed reading about how you came to own the oval table, which from what I see looks like a very nice table. Coffee does not taste any better then when drank out of the perfect cup.
    Therese

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  22. I’m part of the bead soup party. Looking forward to the reveals. I'm now following you. I have a new blog. Please consider following my jewelry blog. Thanks.
    http://vintagememoriesjewelry.blogspot.com

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  23. I couldn't even imagine trying to get an oval table to work in my studio. As much as love curves there would just be too much wasted space. The mug on the other hand... I collect tea mugs and it is hard to find one that really fits the hand.

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I'd love to hear what you think, thanks for taking the time to join in the conversation