Tuesday 7 June 2016

5 things I learnt on my weekend away

If you don't follow my instagram or facebook page (why not?), you might not be aware I went away last weekend. From 8.30am Friday, until 4pm Sunday I was child free.

It wasn't the first time I've gone away without kids (hello ProBlogger) but it was a whole new bunch of people (although Caitlin, Anne, Tonya and a friend from my old craft group were faces I knew) and a chance to sew all weekend.

Friday started out drizzly and wet. I picked Amy up from the airport the night before, and being the foodie that she is, she wanted to start the day off with breakfast. My little part of the suburbs has a complete lack of cafes and coffee shops, but after a little bit of facebook sleuthing, I found a coffee shop that wasn't too far from home. Only problem was, it had terrible reviews! Amy did a bit of instagram sleuthing, and found nothing but praise, so we decided to take the chance. And it was good!

Lesson 1 - don't always believe the reviews, try it out for yourself
It was a rainy wet weekend. If you know South East Queensland geography, we were at the top of the hill, on the edge of the Darling Downs, one of the wettest, and coldest, areas of Queensland. While we completely bypassed autumn in Queensland, winter is well and truly upon us, and I was grateful I remembered my rain coat and an extra blanket.

Lesson 2 - you will always need fuzzy socks, and slippers
I really wasn't sure if I would actually get any sewing done. When Amy first mentioned the retreat weekend almost a year ago I had a dream about creating a quilt from fabric I purchased about five years ago. But as the date grew closer and closer I wasn't even sure if I was actually going, let alone knew what projects to take. At the last minute, I shoved in a couple of unfinished projects just in case. And I'm really glad I did, because once the meet-everyone-and-chat-about-everyhing stage was over, I decided to just get stuck in and start sewing.

Lesson 3 - just start. Find an unfinished project, and just start.
I heard several women say over the weekend that it "felt weird to walk away from the dishes left on the table" which sounded weird to me, because I don't clear the table or wash dishes. As often happens when women get together, people share their stories - from stories of illness, mothers-in-law, teenagers and toddlers, everyone had a story to share, and in the privacy of a weekend away, they were happy to share.

Lesson 4 - you don't know someone's story until they tell you
One of the best things about getting together with a wide variety of women was all the different knowledge available. My first crafting love is scrapbooking, but I was determined to work on my quilt, so I packed a few different photos and papers, but wasn't really feeling he urge to scrap. Ronelle, from Cute&Sweet Designs, is a papercrafter, and she powered through layouts one after another. Caitlin made stuffed toys after finishing her dress, Amy made bags, Tonya and Jodie crocheted. And everyone was happy to answer questions about their crafting or help others out with issues.

Lesson 5 - everyone knows more than they think they do, and wants to share their knowledge with others.

bonus lesson - it's always wonderful to get home, thaw out, and hug the kids.

What lessons did you learn from going away?

linking with Essentially Jess for IBOT
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10 comments

  1. which cafe did you go to close to home?! I'm intrigued!

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  2. Giving time for you when its always spent on others is the best gift ever. I am so glad you did this and I know from her updates that Anne enjoyed it too. Pity about the weather!! Denyse #teamIBOT

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  3. It was a brilliant weekend and was so good to craft with you again. Can't wait for the next one.

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  4. Fabulous weekend- I can't wait for the next one

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  5. This sounds like a fun weekend and that quilt looks fab!

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  6. Sounds like a lovely weekend. And away from kids to talk and create?! Bliss!

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  7. Sounds like a great weekend. I also had my annual yoga retreat weekend away. Getting away with like-minded people/friends is good for the soul. And the kids missed me (as I did them) which was nice.

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  8. What a lovely getaway you had! It would be nice to do some quilting; I haven't done any in so very long.

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  9. Sounds like you had a great weekend away! It's nice to get away and get a break every now and again. Thanks for sharing your insights of the weekend with us and linking up for some #mommatime!

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  10. Sounds like you had a great weekend away! It's nice to get away and get a break every now and again. Thanks for sharing your insights of the weekend with us and linking up for some #mommatime!

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