Each month for the past couple of years, Marsha at Splenderosa has dreamt up themes for a group of bloggers to write about simultaneously. Yesterday was the last theme before the summer break and I am catching up … one day late!
Marsha invited us to talk about five things that make us crazy. I don’t like to dwell on the negative aspects of life, so I shall share five things that can fill me with energy that can sometimes make me appear a little crazy
number one … my children. No surprise there I guess. Who hasn’t done crazy things for their kids? From over elaborate birthday cakes when they were little, to driving miles at impossible hours to pick them up from parties, to building tree houses, to decorating bedrooms, to making party dresses …. it is easy for a doting mum to go over the top.
number two … entertaining. We love to entertain here, opening the house to friends and family is an essential part of life, and I can go a little crazy preparing for a big dinner. Of course I love a quiet dinner for four in front of a winter fire, but come the summer, and the warmer weather, I really adore laying the long table by the barbecue and going all out with flowers and crockery and candles and flatware.
number three … taking photos. Writing the blog opened up the world of photos to me. I discovered so many talented stylists and photographers who can create magic and make us dream with one picture of a few well styled pieces. I started putting together my bouquets, some large and some small, and learnt as I went how to use the light and where best to shoot. I’ll never be able to compete with the professionals, but I don’t mind, it still makes me crazy happy!
number four – my book …. I told you last month that I am preparing a book. And I still can’t give all the details, but let’s just say that the logistics for the photos and text are ambitious, and are leading me on a veritable tour de france, and that if you saw my diary right now you would most definitely say that I am crazy.
number five – treasure hunting. Some of my friends would certainly say that I am crazy to drive the distances I go, and get up at the unearthly hours in the hope of finding some special brocante treasure in a country fair
But who cares if they say I am crazy?! I am convinced that we all need a little crazy in our everyday lives, that it is only when we push the boundaries and extend our comfort zone that we manage to achieve the extraordinary.
If you’d like to see what makes the other bloggers crazy, just pop over HERE. But first of all, do tell me please, what crazy things are you capable of doing to achieve a personal goal or just indulge a whimsy?
42 comments
I love your kind of crazy Sharon… 🙂
Can’t wait to hear about your book… sounds very exciting… xv
thank you Vicki , I loved your list too
xx
I, too, love what you are crazy over! Doesn’t it make life interesting and much more fun? One thing is for sure . . . you’ll never be bored nor will you be boring!!!
I am rarely bored Vicki, but I may well be boring … my friends are very polite people! 🙂
xx
I think ‘crazy’ is relative. Some people think we are crazy for giving up our life in Australia to move to France. We just think we are crazy about France and all it offers us. Looking forward to your book.
crazy is definitely relative Kerrie, one person’s crazy may well be another’s everday
Your kind of crazy is my kind of crazy Sharon
…. I have stayed up half the night and risen at dawn making party dresses ( for myself never mind the children) ditto to do flowers and thought ( think ) nothing of spending hours creating……for clients family friends
But its all so much nicer when shared……. Finding creative kindred spirit through reading and sharing so much beauty with you enables us to all live a happier and more joy filled life…..so thank you, you have inspired me so much
Being busy in a good way is what it’s all about….you say it so well, hear hear :))
thank you for your kind comment sally
x
What a great take on our BIO subject this month Sharon ….. I just love the way that we are all so different ….. we are such a diverse bunch, aren’t we ? XXX
you are right Jacqueline, each member of the BIO group brings along something very different
x
What a clever take on the subject! Absolutely agree, motherhood makes us completely bonkers. So lovely to meet such a talented bunch – your pictures are stunning!
Thank you !
Our crazy is getting up whilst it is still dark. Making bacon and egg rolls and then driving 2 hours to our favourite game park and getting there as the gates open, which can be as early as 5am. Then we take a leisurely drive to a dam marveling at all the wonderful sightings of game along the way. Once at the dam we sit quietly (still in our vehicle) and watch hippos enjoying the water and the acrobatics of the birds as they dash after insects. Then, we keep our fingers tightly crossed, if we are lucky a family of elephants will saunter down and entertain us whilst they have their morning bath. We love it when there are babies in the herd as they have not yet learned how to control their trunks so they wave them hysterically about. After this we follow the dirt roads hoping to find the shy leopard or elusive buffalo. Early afternoon we stop for a picnic lunch and at dusk we return to Johannesburg refreshed and grateful.
Amazing.
Oh my goodness Trisha, you stopped me in my tracks … can I come too please?
xx
Sharon, you would be more than welcome. Let me know your flight number. xxx
Like you I attempt to focus on the positive so refer these “drive me crazy” things to irks or quirks. After reading reading your book I was struck by how you translated that positive attitude into each chapter addressing issues that are so personal in such a positive way. Inspiring women to take control of their lives and their bodies to be the best that they can be not necessarily the ‘best’ as dictated by some obscure female ideal. Thank you.
Hi Corinne
Your comment is lovely, but I think you confuse me with someone else – my book isn’t out yet!
xx
I too am chomping at the bit to hear more about your book – and of course it is ambitious! No surprise there. What you do, you do with your whole heart and that is lovely…
You are always so generous in your comments Heather, thank you 🙂
Hi Sharon, I love, love, love how you approached this topic and turned it into a positive. I love your kind of crazy! Am totally right with you on entertaining-crazy, photo-crazy and treasure-hunt crazy. Am also travel-crazy (especially if it involves France). I’m so excited in anticipation of your book! I know it will be wonderful. XOXO
Love your brocante plates w/an “R” initial. Would you ever consider selling those?:)
Sorry Patti, they were sold a long while back, I just still have the pictures 🙂
xx
I too adore the R plates!
We are all awaiting your book!Your photos are STUNNING!I was just talking about you yesterday at lunch how your home and flowers and photos are gorgeous!I am New to the BIO group hope you will stop by my site!
I too love your “crazy”, it really shows how we can take what may be a negative and turn it into something inspiring and wonderful.
I like your idea of crazy. I just AM crazy. Ask my husband, he’ll confirm it. I find it interesting how everyone has taken a different angle on this post. I suppose I make myself crazy trying to follow what I perceive to be the rules. And then I find, there were no rules.
Your book project sounds exciting
Sharon,
I call that a life well lived. Enjoy every minute of the crazy!
Christina
your “crazy” is my kind of “crazy” + children yes + entertaining yes + treasure hunting yes (adore the R dishes)xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
This is a most beautiful table setting! And your kinds of crazy sound pretty good to me, bringing beauty and joy and love to daily activities — the world needs as much of those as it can get.
I’m IN,too, with your brand of “crazy”. Taking an entire day to start and finish a man’s shirt (I did that twice in a previous life!). Many times spending inordinate amounts of time to complete just the right halloween costume for my daughter or a special dress for that “special photo” or to create and make that unique card for a loved one! What else is life for ???
Mary in Oregon
I love the positive spin on “the crazy”! Currently my “crazy indulgence” is intentionally digging deeper (4-6 inches) in my yard where I am building a chicken coop. I’m new to the state I live in and I’ve found that there is an incredible layer of glacial round rocks down there in an array of colors that would be fantastic for an artistic walkway. My husband and kids think I’m silly to create extra work for myself….I just see the scrolling rock walkway!
Sharon, of course, you would have your own special take on this. I am so in love with the beautiful table settings, it’s one of my favorite things to do. And, the way you entertain sounds just wonderful, warm and friendly. xx’s
Hello Sharon, your blog brings a bit of normal to my daily crazy’s. Yes one woman’s crazy is anothers normal, so its nice to see that there are more ladies all over the globe that feel passionate about the same things as you and I do. I love your daily blogs.
It would take me a book to write all the crazy things I’ve done mostly for others, my kids, my mother, clients, etc. One of the craziest is while I was in the process of painting a mural on a clients wall, driving home one evening, someone rear ended my brand new SUV & totaled it. I had to rent another vehicle. There was a deadline for a charity benefit in this home so I had to pack my neck & shoulders in ice the entire time I was on a ladder completing the project. It took me at least 7 days to complete this in the middle of a cold winter no less. Yes, I was paid well but not entirely enough for what I went through.
An interesting interpretation of the theme…or should I say a “crazy” interpretation perhaps…following your line of thought…
“Crazy” seems to be almost interchangeable with” enthusiasm & passion” for the many aspects you have focussed your obvious talents onto….and it’s always wonderful to see people who are willing to live their passions as well as to dream them.
Crazy is good! I am one of your group- obsessive too.
I was very curious about the brass tea kettle that you posted in the aforementioned post. I have one just like it that my parents gave me and don’t know anything about it.
Hi Sharon, I have recently discovered your blog and I really love it! Your sense of style is gorgeous which is reflected in your beautiful photos!
I look forward to reading more of your adventures and would love to do one of your brocante tours one day! Michelle x
Hi Sharon it’s unanimous we are all crazy about your crazy and we all absolutely love that you take the time to take such beautiful photographs of beautiful subjects and share them with us. I can only imagine how stunning your book is going to be, can’t wait. Thank you for sharing. Regards Esther from Sydney. My husband thought I was crazy for my obsession with collecting tassels this was not long ago I’m still obsessed (can’t seem to find smaller ones) and a while back my mum and my sister were worried about me because I bought all these black and white pictures of my favourite cities (these pictures are a part of my treasures) ..they did despair for a while. Does this sound crazy or boring? Till next time Regards Esther from Sydney.
Hi Sharon,
I love your crazies…family, entertaining, the thrills of collecting, photography (who can resist a beautiful picture) and flowers. I’m very good at planting and growing but not arranging and my photos could need some help. So your crazies are mine…with some help with the last one!
Rita
I agree that all of us who love to design and or decorate can be crazy…and I do relate to your crazies too! Just ask my husband he works with designers all the time and says we are all crazy…I just smile! lol 😉
LuAnn
May I add my voice to the chorus? I deeply appreciate your take on crazy. I am naturally a “cup is half empty” personality. Believe it or not, it has its advantages, but I don’t like the downside, it drives me crazy, so I have spent many years filling that cup to overflowing. It takes years and a lot of grace to transform a habit, and I hope that I have done so.
Meanwhile, I cherish the spirit of grace I find in others. The most worthy kind of gracious living is the kind that comes from within oneself. Yours has been inspirational. Thank you.