Shining

Lighthouse, taken by Ingrid, rufusandco.

• Photo taken August 28, Southwold, Suffolk, Uk
• Quote by Ann Lamott, 'Bird by Bird'
• Reminder to not try too hard - just be ones self.
• Making it meaningful on a Monday 
• Hope you will join me, love to hear your comments.

Acting as if ......

• Photo taken August 2010, Beijing, China
• Making a difference? ... trying
• Making it meaningful on a Monday
• Would love you to join me and add your link in the comments via flickr or blog

PS Happy Birthday Astrid xxx

Fill a field with friends

What a concept ... to fill a field with friends.

It took my breath away 

when I clicked on Julie's inspiring blog Room for Dessert 

and read her post about Outstanding in the Field.

Sitting here in Beijing 

I can only dream of being seated at the table, 

but what a vision.

Read on to find out what to expect if you were dining in the field

All images sourced from Outstanding in the Field

 or follow their blog, like me, if you can't catch their bus.

You are an explorer....

Photo by Ingrid Duffy, quote seen on Tabletonic

• Quote found on Pinterest see here 
• Photo taken at Southwold, Suffolk, UK
• Exploration ... done by you and me
• I'm making Mondays my day to share good thoughts - starting the week the way I want to continue.
• Want to join me?

I am in love!

I really am in love with this new way of making online pin boards 

at Pinterest.

 Pop over here to read more about it 

and if you want an invitation to join

just send Pinterest an email and they will hopefully oblige. 

I think you are going to love it too.

I have made 116 pins in the 36 hours since I joined!

Screenshot of some of Ingrid's pins

Pinterest - I can't wait!

An early morning read of Haus Maus really inspired me to do more with all the pages I tear out of magazines for interior ideas. Holly makes such beautiful pin boards with them. No wonder her blog is such an inspiration.

As I am about to make a comment I read the last one from Jodi who mentions something called Pinterest.

 I impulsively Google it and I am so excited by this new online site that allows you to collect your online  inspirations and pin them on a virtual pin board. Not only that but you can be inspired by others collections too.

Only one problem - 

I am on the waiting list - 

seems like I have to learn patience as well as organisation.

If this sounds like your sort of thing then I suggest you get over and add your name to the waiting list... hey, we can chat while we are waiting in line!!!

Pin·terest (pĭn'trĭst): n. a place to share visual collections of things you love

Bread -an essential companion

Breaking bread together is a metaphor for social interaction. 

It's been important for several 1000 years.

After all the word companion comes from the Latin meaning one who eats bread with another.

Too often people cut bread out of their diet entirely - moderation is another possibility.

Making your own bread for family or friends is a way of celebrating that friendship, 

you don't need to eat the whole loaf!

My thoughts are on bread today after reading the latest post from The Sunday Collector.

I knew 'Bourke Street Bakery' was a cook book I would love from Briar's description and photos. 

An amazing sour dough recipe and the prospect of pain au chocolat 

were enough to make me click 'Buy' on Amazon!

Well, that is easier than flying down to Sydney to sample the bakery itself.

Book's now ordered and on its way to my sisters postbox in Suffolk. Thanks Jen!

How to dress a table in 3 easy steps

Just a few photos to show how I turned my less than perfect table - 

marks and and all 

into something more.

 If your table is looking worse for wear as mine is...

 Start with a plain cloth , black for me. Make it 6inches shorter than your table top.

This way the natural wood shows at the ends.

 Now add a runner- easily made from a nice piece of fabric or as I have done a piece of printed hemp!

Add a tray in a colour that highlights the cloth

 and arrange some things from your collection on top.

I hope that this simple little series shows how each stage 

adds a little more than before, 

but the end result is still simple.

So don't just stop with a tablecloth go further!

PS. I designed a new label to go on my products, see my other blog where all is revealed!

PPS. This black table was originally an IKEA birch table that I had lacquered in China -
but its surface is marked now and needs a cloth to cover most of it.
So never give up on a table- just disguise it!

Back to Tables!

August 5th - a selection, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

All this talk of hemp has taken me away from the main focus which is to look at ways to make your table work for you.
Just a few small ceramic pieces and a lovely piece of fabric rolled out and you see instant transformation.
Have fun with your table today.

More on the hemp story

I thought you might like to join me in a little centre of fabric heaven - Warorot Market in Chiang Mai, where I bought several of the hemp runners that I wrote about a few days ago.

This little shop has a great selection of hemp cloth, ranging from rough, undyed rolls to beautiful batik printed lengths.

Yesterday when we dropped by, the sister of the owner - known as 'Auntie' was paying a visit. She was sitting at the front of the store, winding hemp in the age old fashion, on a wheel that had clearly been round a few times.

Auntie lives up in the hills of Mae Hong San, a good day's journey away by bus, 

close to her hill tribe roots.

Hard to believe that the rough looking 'twine' can produce such interesting fabrics.

Rolls of undyed and dyed hemp cloth

 Auntie winding hemp

A glimpse of the treasures stacked in store. 

The young man on the right is Nuek, the helpful son of the owner.

Making it personal - threads of time

Isn't this just the neatest way to remember a special get together?

 I saw this vintage tablecloth on Flickr, posted by Flymissy, you can check out her lovely blog here.

Take a nice plain linen or cotton tablecloth and ask your guests to sign their names in pencil onto the fabric. 

Then either during the event or at a later date embroider over the names to create a work of art/ memory of that day.

I am going to start this Christmas with one of my own.

It will be the first Christmas in our new home in Suffolk, with our first granddaughter Matilda and with new friends at our table. 

What better way to remember each year than to add new names to the cloth?

It would be fun to ask the guests to start sewing whilst at the table - but maybe not popular with hungrier ones. Perhaps it could be an optional activity- instead of washing up after the meal!

We'll see. 

The possibilities for this signature cloth are endless- birthdays, weddings, new home gift - I just can't wait to get started.

Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. --Rumi

Hemp - a natural choice for your table

indigo and natural woven, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

I love these handwoven hemp fibre runners I found in Chiang Mai this week.

The indigo dyed fibre together with the natural colour looks old and yet modern. 

Perfect to run up an antique oak or a modern IKEA table - 

whatever takes your fancy!

hokusai style, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

plum batik, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

batik x1, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

indigo batik, originally uploaded by rufusandco.

 All one of a kind textiles, 

each piece just 8 metres long

handwoven on a narrow loom

in Northern Thailand

using hemp fibres

which make a strong fabric

perfect for running up your table!