Words of Wisdom - Small Steps

It has been quite a while since I last blogged - time has definitely slipped away from me!
This weeks Words of Wisdom were actually posted by someone I follow on Pinterest and I loved it.
I have just started teaching a community learning/adult education/night school class at a local high school in crochet. It's all very exciting and I'm very lucky to have a class of awesome ladies. 
For me, this is one more step along my journey towards my ultimate dream of making crochet and craft a full time career.  I'm definitely not there yet and, sometimes, I find it frustrating that I can't just skip to the completed end goal.  I have to remind myself that every step I take is one closer to where I was before.
For my students, all eager to master crochet, they have had to learn to walk before they run (or chain before they treble crochet!) Learning anything new can, at times, be frustrating as you know what you want to be able to do but aren't quite there yet. You have to take those small steps and build them slowly.
So this week, whatever you are aiming for in your life, remember that all the small steps are 1 step closer to where you are going.
Until next time,
Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - A Repeat

This week's Words of Wisdom is a repeat from week 2 (which happened to be way back in January when the weather was a whole lot different to how it is now!)  I'm repeating these words for 2 reasons:

1 - They are relevant to something that happened today

2 - They hold a completley different meaning to me now to what they did then.

Back in Januay, I had just finished my full time job and was embarking on a new stage in my life of part time working through supply teaching and tutoring so that I could spend more time developing The Gingerbread Bunny.  'Things will work out' was the part of this quote that really spoke to me.  Now, 7 months on, things are really different (and I didn't realise how different until I started writing this post).  The part that speaks to me today is 'Don't get discouraged'.  Sometimes things happen that you weren't expecting and that are a bit of a stumbling block on the path.  One such thing happened today.  Instead of feeling downheartened, I actually looked on it as a learning curve and an opportunity to reassess what I was doing and to consider how I might move forward and not to be discouraged by it but to learn from it.

So this week, when things aren't quite working out for you, or one of those nasty blocks pops up, don't be discouraged because things will work out!

Until next time (it won't be as long this time!)

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - Yarn

OK, so today's Words of Wisdom aren't quite as sensible or inspiring as usual but they are relevant!

This week is a particularly yarny week.  Today I taught a beginners crochet workshop at The Coven (an amazing vegetarian/vegan/gluten free cafe in Wigan).  It was amazing and very challenging.  I really enjoyed sharing my love of crochet with some awesome ladies who, hopefully, have now gone away hooking away and creating some gorgeousnesses!  They worked really hard and, at times, you could have heard a pin drop!

Friday and Saturday it is Woolfest!  Yay!  If you have never heard of Woolfest then where have you been? It is an annual fibre festival held in Cockermouth in Cumbria.  There is plenty of yarny goodness, demonstrations, talks about sheep, entertainment, ewes milk ice cream and local produce.  You can easily spend all day there.  This year I'm going up on the Friday and from 10am-11am you can find me on the Artybird stall chatting to people about the fabulous courses they provide (if you are there, pop along and say hi!)

Saturday is knitting group, The Coven Stitchers, in The Coven, Wigan and hopefully the sun will shine and we will be able to sit outside and knit and natter.

A very yarny week I'm sure you'll agree. And so here are my Words of Wisdom!

Until next time,

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - Shut Up!

I apologise for the abruptness of the title if this post but, as you read on, all will become clear!

This week's Words of Wisdom have been inspired by me and what I've been doing far too much of this week - thinking the worst. As someone who is prone to periods of anxiety, every now and again I think the worst. I jump to conclusions. I overthink and over analyse situations.  I know when I'm doing it that I shouldn't and then have to spend time talking and reasoning with myself and thinking the situation through logically to make myself feel less anxious. Later, I often find out that actually my initial thoughts were completely wrong and that I've wasted all this time and energy dealing with something that never was. 

So, this week I'm going to follow these words and tell that negative committee, those anxious thoughts, in my head to shut up!

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - Inspiration

It has been a while since I wrote a Words of Wisdom post. Maybe it's because I've not been inspired to? 

We all need a little bit of inspiration now and then and I've had bucketloads this past week.  Just getting away for a week and recharging my batteries has filled me with inspiration.  We spent a lot of time outside exploring and I took lots of photgraphs, mainly of flowers and views.  I relaxed, I sat in the sun, we enjoyed picnics by the river and I took time to draw in charcoal and pastel and to crochet for me. 

I found that lots of ideas came to me as I was sat in the sun, and I returned home ready to get creating and hopefully will be able to share some of these ideas soon.

So today's Words of Wisdom are inspired by my inspiration - you have to get out there and live life to be inspired!

What is inspiring you at the moment?

Until next time.

Sarah x

P.S - don't forget to enter my birthday giveaway - It's the post before this one!

Words of Wisdom

This weeks words of wisdom reflect something I did on Friday. Something that I shocked myself with but am now pretty proud of myself for doing (and which shows I'm definitely much better than I was months ago!)

On Friday I said no! This might not sound like a big deal but historically, I'm the person who does everything they're asked and never says no.
I was asked to do something that I didn't agree with for a number of reasons, most importantly that it was completely inappropriate for the children I've been working with.

Saying no can be the hardest thing to do, but when it's a matter of what you believe, we  need to have the courage to stand up and be counted.

Until next time,

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - Glitter

I love glitter - it is shiny and colourful and sparkly. 

Just before Easter, a little girl in the class I am currently teaching was asked how we could make our school better.  her response was to decorate it. 
"How would you decorate it?" she was asked. 
"By painting it with glitter." was her reply, and a wonderful one at that. 
I loved her answer and, infact, I think that if we painted the school with glitter it would look awesome and would make everyone smile.

This weeks Words of Wisdom are inspired by that:

So this week I'm going to make sure I leave a trail of glitter everywhere I go.  I'm going to be sparkly and shiny and make people smile!

Until next time.

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - Find the Time

Time is something I often feel I don't have enough of (and I'm sure you do to!)  I find myself saying that I wish there were more hours in a day to get all the jobs on my never ending to-do-list done. 

When I read this weeks Words of Wisdom, it really made me think that this is what I need to be doing - making more time for the little things in my life.  The big things, like work, take over and leave very little time to do those lovely little things like going for a walk or reading a book.

So this week, I'm going to be making a big effort to make time for the little things - reading more of that book I started 2 months ago, baking a cake (which I've been wanting to do for weeks), meeting up with some friends for a coffee and making a little more progress on my wingspan shawl that has sat in the bag for weeks untouched!

So, what are you going to be making time for this week?

Until next time

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - Genius!

Today's Words of Wisdom come courtesy of a genius (in more ways than one) - Albert Einstein! This quote speaks to me in so many ways and gives us food for thought.

Everyone is good at something.  We know that we aren't all great academics, some of us are good at maths, some at English, some people are great at sports or art and some have amazing social skills.

We often measure everyone against the same standards (currently I feel, as a teacher, that all children are being measured against academic standards and the other talents and skills they have ignored) and, when we don't feel like we measure up, it can make us feel stupid!

We forget to look at each others individual skills and to appreciate them and to remember that we are all a genius at something!

Words of Wisdom - The Simple Things

I have come to realise, over the past year or so, that it is the little, simple things in life that are the most important and the most precious.

On Friday night, me and Mr Bunny went for a walk in the snow.  It was freezing and I got soaked but it was amazing.  It turned out to be so much fun and quite magical as everything around us was transformed by the snow. Just spending time, with Mr Bunny, enjoying the snow and a walk made me smile.

It wasn't quite as much fun for the poor people who couldn't get their cars up the hill. However, a group of local teenagers where helping to push cars up the hill.  This was lovely to see as reports of teenagers throwing snowballs at people in other areas were all over Facebook!  The simple act of helping someone out definitley made those drivers smile. 

So this week I'm going to make an extra special effort to appreciate the little things - flowers, blue sky, conversations with friends, a cup of tea and a sit down! 

Why don't you spend a bit of time appreciating the little things this week?

Until next time.

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - Giving Up

I'm going to keep this short and sweet as it is the 3rd attempt as Blogger keeps crashing (rather apt actually!)

My friend posted this weeks Words of Wisdom on her Facebook wall earlier this week and I recognised a little bit of me in it!

When we set ourselves goals, we often spend a lot of time looking at where we are going. Of course we need to do this but it can actually have a negative impact. We see just how far we have to go, how much more needs doing, and we get discouraged and then we give up, choosing something 'easier' instead.

What we forget to do is to look back at how far we've come, what we have achieved. This often gives us the encouragement and motivation to keep going and to reach our goal.

I'm going to be more mindful if this and spend a bit if time reflecting on how far I've come not how far I have to go!

Until next time.

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom - The Doctor!

This weeks Words of Wisdom come from The Doctor!  Doctor Who? I hear you say - you just said it (as the terrible joke goes).

This quote makes me laugh but is so apt - 'normal' people (whatever passes as normal anyway) aren't half as interesting as those of us who consider ourselves a little mad. 
Until next time.

Sarah x

Words of Wisdom

This weeks Words of Wisdom have great meaning for me and, I've had to keep telling myself that things will work out in the end regularly this past week. 
I am in an exciting, but also pretty scary place at the moment.  Choosing to give up a full time job as a teacher to work as a supply teacher, private tutor and, the biggy, to be a business woman and grow The Gingerbread Bunny, was a massive leap.  This week, it's hit home like a sledge hammer that I no longer have a very regular income to pay the bills at the end of the month.  Also, I'm still waiting for my CRB to come back for the 3 supply agencies I've registered with - this means I can't work until they come back.  In addition, I have absolutley no idea how much work I'm going to get or how frequent my work will be - eeek.  I don't regret my decision at all - my job has made me very ill for a good number of years now and there came a point where I had to decide if it was worth it anymore and whether my job was more important than my health and happiness.  I chose health and happiness.

I keep reading this quote to remind me that my decision was worth it and, even when times are tough, I need to keep trying!  It's also a great quote to keep reading with regards all of those New Year's Resolutions we've all made.

Until next time

Sarah x