Last week I did a quick sketch of all the teacups that I currently have in my home. Only 14 in total! This collection represents my favourite cups to sketch and drink from and includes fine china teacups for my black tea, breakfast cups/ X-Large cups for my herbal tea and some earthenware for drinking coffee.
And BTW I’ve never sketched more teacups in one sitting than this! 🙂
But where are all the rest of my teacups gone?
Well, I’m moving to a larger apartment (close to my parents – which is super special) and the rest of my teacups are already there.
I won’t be moving to the new place until the beginning of March (once the Live Version of Watercolour is completed) but taking my teacups over was a symbolic way to make it mine.
This is a photo of the first few teacups I took over – they were the first things in my pantry. Note: This is a temporary location until I get a shelving unit so they can be on display.
Over the holiday season, we set up some picnic chairs and tables so I could host my full family for afternoon tea. It was rather special to be able to use so many of my teacups at one time (I can’t host more than two people in my current place).
Here is the collection that we used on Boxing Day – it was a delight to hand wash them all after everyone had left.
The weeks ahead…
A lot of people have been telling me how terrible moving is – ‘the worst thing ever’ – and I’m well aware of what a massive undertaking it is. However, I’m trying to enjoy the process of going through my stuff!
I don’t have a tight timetable to move, so (at this stage!) I’m able to go through my possessions carefully. And I’m actually really loving the process of reducing and sorting everything. I know that a degree of craziness is ahead of me but I’m trying to be as prepared as I can be.
And I constantly have in mind a verse from the Bible:
Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.
I used to quote this to my architectural colleagues in the office as my ‘filing verse.’
So with lots of packing in the coming weeks, I’m not sure if I will be able to keep up my regular rhythm of 3 blog articles per week. I am trying to keep my sketching up – doing very quick drawings to record the process, but it will be hard to put together long blog posts. I’ll do what I can! 🙂
22 Comments
Liz
Moving may be stressful for many – or even most – people. But there are some of us in the world who love it! Welcome to the club. Maybe you can do a quick sketch of something you pack each day and just upload the photo of that as your blog post….a record without the words.
Hi Rachael – I’m not sure I’m quite in that club yes but I would sure like to be! 🙂
Good luck! It will all be worth it, and you may enjoy it! I love reorganising things and sorting…I hope you will too. Hoping it all goes smoothly for you, Liz.
Thanks Lesley!
Praying for you, Liz xx
Thanks so much Ruth! And now that I know where I’m living I’ll be able to think about travelling again. So overdue for a Tasmanian trip!
Good luck with the move, Liz! We moved a year ago. While it was stressful at the time, it was great to go through things to select what we wanted to keep and what we wanted to release. Hope all goes smoothly for you.
Thanks Georgy! It’s amazing how much stuff we constantly collect it’s it. I’m looking forward to that great organised feel you have! 🙂
What a super coooool blessing to live close by your dear parents.
I’m REJOICING with all of you!!!
LORD BLESS.
lois
Yes Lois – its a real answer to prayer to be so incredibly close to them!
Best of luck, Liz, and may your new home be filled with the joy of the Lord’s presence! Moving is definitely easier when you can stretch it out over several weeks. Enjoy!
Thanks Lynn!
Having the time to move at a reasonable pace will make all the difference in stress levels, I’m sure. It’s the fast and sudden ones that really knocked my stress into the stratosphere. And with your teacups already there? The whole process is clearly already blessed! Your sketches will be such a wonderful record when all the dust settles! Think of the end of year review or the three years from now review! What fun! I’m looking forward to seeing your sketches, as always!
Thanks Jamie and yes! I’m hoping the time will dramatically reduce the stress levels!
Wishing you well with your move. You certainly have the right attitude for it to be successful. Hope you can still hear the birds where you are moving I seem to remember many lovely remarks about noisy kookaburras during your lessons online. And I could see leafy green trees from your windows.
Thanks Jean – yes there will still be birds at the new place but not quite so close as that tree which the birds love to hang out in
Best of luck with your move!
I love your tea cup collection. May I know where you find them? Do you have any favorite stores?
Thanks Xue. The teacups are Australian brands – T2, Ashdene, Cristina Re and LyndalT. My Royal Alberts have been purchased from Peters of Kensington and Amazon.
All the best Liz. It looks like you’re off to a great start. I also love sorting and re-arranging. So if you have the time to do that I’m sure this joy will out way the times of not knowing where things are and feeling a bit discombobulated. As always all these experiences will be enhanced, or eased by a pen, and brush in hand!
Thanks Ginie! I do find that a lot of packing and sorting is not really compatible with painting (so much to do and not in the mindset to sit down quietly)… so a deliberate act to do a sketch, even a quick one!
The Ecclesiastes verse is gold! And how fortunate you are to be able to move at a relatively “leisurely” pace! Sure beats spending 65 hours (with just 12 hours’ sleep in there) in a madcap packing frenzy, which was my most recent experience. (Never again…)
I too love the hand washing after guests leave; for me it’s a moment to reflect on the riches of conversation, connection and community.
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