Fate or Destiny?

Do you believe that our lives are based on Fate and events happen to us whether planned or not? Or do you believe in Destiny, that we all create our own and it is up to the individual on how their life is lived? I have for a long time believed we create our own destiny, life is what you make it.  There is no such thing as luck or chance, just windows of opportunity that open fleetingly for us to grab.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jafnharr/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Lately I have been wondering . . .
Last Friday I sat at the computer and googled "Textile Design".  I don't know why.  A Diploma course popped up and intrigued, I had a look.  It looked good.
Saturday morning the neighbours dropped in the newspaper for us to read, and I sat down with a coffee to discover "second chance" offers at TAFE and Uni courses.  My mind twigged, and I scanned the pages to find the course I had been looking at had positions available.
My mind became so absorbed while sitting outside with the children playing in the sand, they could have created a three tier wedding cake and I wouldn't have batted an eye.
Today I have been ahming and ahhing about these events.  On a whim I asked my lovely sister to print out the application forms for the course, and she dropped them around tonight on her way home from work.
My dilemma is this.  Do I plunge in and take the chance at what feels like a dream opportunity? My confidence wavers.  Can I do it?  With two small children? Part of me wants to take the risk of feeling failure if I don't get accepted, and feel the potential fear of success if I actually do!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/reway2007/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

I am laying myself bare here, kind of sending it into the atmosphere.
This blog started as another whim that felt right and now has become something of a lifeline of creativity.  I want to inspire others.  I would love to pass on the excitement and enthusiasm I feel for being a mum, doing craft and sewing, all things decorating and colour.
Doing this Diploma feels like an extension of that.  What a life it would be if I could design and produce my own fabric lines, and create craft/quilt patterns to use them with!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/splityarn/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Any advice???

Velvet Pears by Susan Southam

Ok, Book Review today . . .

If you have a love of gardens and need fresh ideas or are new to the hobby and would like some inspiration, this is the book for you!

Less like a "step by step" and more of one woman's account of making her dreams a reality, this book is a little like dipping into someone's personal thoughts, loves and ambitions.

I really fell in love with Velvet Pears; the story, the gorgeous photographs, and the idea that anyone can hold a dream in their mind of something special, and make it come to fruition with a lot of hard work and passion.

The book is set out in seasons, and the author describes her experiences gardening within each one.

Just look at these colours, as a crafter I can find a lot of inspiration for future quilts, as well as my future garden!

Maybe it is Susan Southam's love of full blown roses that attracted me to the book (they are my favourites!), or maybe it was the beautifully crafted book that was lovely to hold and to read.

Whatever the reason, "Velvet Pears" has motivated me to visit Susan's garden "Foxglove Spires" in Tilba Tilba one day.  It is top of my Destination List! If you would like to see more of her place go here

Motivating Read

Hi there,
If you love books like I do, you probably find them a great source of inspiration and motivation in your life.  I am a full-fledged bibliophile, so fortunately I re-discovered the local library.  It was becoming very expensive feeding my addiction!!

Here is a lovely book to inspire:

Written by Lena Corwin and published 2008, it is a fantastic source for printing in different mediums on various materials.  I would LOVE to get into this in a big way one day soon, imagine the possibilities!!  The idea of creating a project entirely from scratch gives you the freedom to produce something totally unique and special.  What a great skill to have. . .