A conversation with Corinne.

V: I have SO looked forward to have this conversation with you Corinne and i want to thank you for saying yes!...*smiling*. First i think it would be lovely if you could tell a bit about yourself.
C: Hello! Of course I would say yes! *smiling back* I was thrilled when you asked and have been looking forward to this ever since! A bit about myself.... I'm a 30-something wife, mother, knitter, occasional writer, nature lover, tea enthusiast, and general lover of beauty. That about sums it up!


V: I know that i have told you before but i need to say it again: i LOVE your way of writing Corinne. Your writing deeply appeals to me, it is so honest, deep and essential....you write about the real things....no "pretending" and i LOVE that!! Very often i also feel that what you share through your writings makes me connect with myself on a deeper level and that is something that i find very unique and precious! I would love to know more about your writing "history" and maybe also some dreams?
C: Ever since I was little I've loved writing. I've always been better at conveying my thoughts through writing than speaking. When I was young I wrote stories and kept journals...and up until college I wrote poems and other creative works. And then I stopped. I didn't write much other than essays through college. But when I had children I started keeping a blog about our days, and I got the itch for writing again! Knowing that people were reading my words and connecting with them really pushed my writing for quite awhile. Just this summer I've felt almost a drought in my words... and I'm trying to lean into that and honor this season of thought (and more knitting!) and less actual writing. As for writing dreams, I used to dream about having books published, but as soon as I put a label on my writing, or start writing a bigger "thing" I get turned off. When I write, I just write.I don't think I'm cut out for much other than that, and honestly I'm okay with that!

 

V: In one of your blog posts you have written: "I truly believe in sharing our stories and writing out our truths and being open with them so that we, and anyone reading or listening, can not feel so alone. I do my sharing via writing because I've always written better than I speak. True story. So in writing this blog, I fulfill a need to be heard. A need to be seen and also to see others. I want to live openly and honestly and this blog affords that reality to an introvert who gets tongue tied easily." I find these lines so beautiful and i admire your honesty Corinne! Honesty is a quality that i find very precious....and this honesty is something that i clearly notice (and are drawn to) when reading your writings. I am SO happy that i came across your blog a while back, since then it has been a must-read for me! There are, among many others: Facebook, blogs, Flickr and Instagram. What made you chose a blog and are there any other places or sites too where we get to read more of your writings?
C: Oh, Vibeke, I feel the same way about your blog! I'm so happy that we have connected, as your blog is like a breath of fresh air in this online world! As I said above, I started a blog when the kids were little. It began as me telling their stories for the grandparents, and then it morphed into me telling our stories. And then I started another blog that was still based on motherhood... and then I started different one when that felt old... and then I finally started the one I keep up with today! The process that got me to where I am now in my own little space took about five years. Once I figured out that I was holding myself back keeping a "theme" to a blog, or trying to create to my title or blog name, blogging became enjoyable and very stress free! I love it! I am on Instagram, where the simplicity of sharing photos and a few words is just lovely. But otherwise I try not to stay too connected because it really takes me out of my own life.



V: I would guess that you have quite a lot of authors and poets that you like. Could you share some of your favourites?
C: I do... I love the poetry of Mary Oliver and Robert Frost, their words linger beautifully and are soaked with nature. I've been on a bit of a Jane Austen kick, I'm reading Emma right now and enjoying the old language and timeless humor. Susanna Kearsley is my favorite fiction writer at the moment. She weaves beautiful tales of historical fiction mixed with present day adventures!

V: "I've long been a fan of daydreaming. Meditation? Eh. But daydreaming... letting my mind wander... surprisingly, it settles me. There's power in meandering thoughts. There's power in giving ourselves the nod of approval to sit and seemingly do nothing...........You need room to do that. You need space. You need to give yourself permission to do nothing but let the mind wander, and the dreams to surface, and the willingness to follow their lead." These lines are from one of your blog posts and i LOVE them, i can so relate to this! I know that for many of us it is such a huge challenge to manage to slow down and not to mention to allow oneself to seemingly do nothing... Something so simple as this has become so hard, i believe it to be one of the "back-sides" of living in this highly effective society that we have created. Can you share some more of your thoughts and experiences around this topic?
C: This is a wonderful topic. I can really only speak from my experience, and that is that when my family and I are busy with so much doing, we don't connect with each other. When I am busy with so much doing, I don't connect with myself. And when our society is so busy doing, none of us connect. We might think we do. We have all these great ways to stay in touch, to keep up, but they only hit the surface. You simply cannot grow relationships with surface level chit chat and hurried hellos. So I think it starts with each of us, the slowing down so we can connect with not only each other more, but ourselves. The benefits of cultivating a quiet, soulful relationship with ourselves will trickle out towards our relationships with others, and soon. And that's where daydreaming and giving ourselves permission to do nothing comes into play! Sometimes the only way for me to figure out what I am actually thinking and feeling is to do nothing and see where my mind
goes. It's not always fun, but it's almost always a bit enlightening.


V: I like collecting quotes and i have found some new ones at your blog that i like a lot. like fex. this one: "Whatever the present moment contains, embrace it as if you had chosen it." -E.Tolle. Do you have a favourite quote to share with us?
C: The one you just listed is a favorite of mine as well. There is a saying floating around that I just adore "It's okay to be happy with a calm life." These words by Anais Nin always resonate: "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom." And also this by Anne Lamott: "Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and the discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns." This by Jack Kerouak: "One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple." Lastly, I love these words by Alice Walker: "Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise."

V: Other passions than writing?
C: Knitting. Knitting. More knitting. I love it! I love good yarn, I love
good needles, I love good patterns... I'm finding that I'm terribly
passionate about the whole process!

V: Currently reading and knitting?
C: I'm currently reading Emma by Jane Austen, and I'm working on knitting
up a Cara sweater in Osprey by Quince and co. I'm also midway through
designing a little boys scarf for my son.


V: On your want-to-knit list?
C: There's so many... I've been eyeing a newsboy type hat for myself, and as soon as my holiday knitting is done {yes, it is August, and I am already talking Christmas knitting... there's so much to knit!!} I want to spend a good deal of time knitting socks for myself and my kids! But really, I've been wanting to knit the Cara sweater for so long that I'm just enjoying having it on my needles right now!


V: What inspires you Corinne?
C: Beauty, in words and visually. I love spending time on Pinterest looking at images of simple beauty, whether it is nature scenes or steam rising from a tea cup. My kids inspire me to be more creative as I see how they are at their happiest when they are creating, both imaginatively and physical creations. After spending time by the ocean I am always full of a calm soulful inspiration and try to bring that home with me.


V: Autumn has arrived here in norway now and i am blown away by it's beauty: the colors that the nature is painted in now....the crispness of the air....the taste and smell of autumn apples. Is it one season that you are especially drawn to and if so, why?
C: Autumn is by far my favorite time of the year. I love the smell of it, the sound of leaves underfoot. I love being cozy, wearing sweaters and boots. Having an excuse to curl up under blankets and sip hot tea. Hiking in Autumn is one of my favorite activity Each year I'm left in awe at what Mother Nature has up her sleeve! My body is not made for heat, so I feel like I can actually move and be productive again when the cooler air comes in!

V: A new school year has just started. and as a closing of this lovely conversation i want to ask you if you could tell a bit about why you have chosen to homeschool your children? And also what you find as the most challenging parts about it and also about the biggest blessings of it.
C: Homeschooling just felt like a natural extension of parenting for us. I am so thankful that it's an option! Around us it seems like public school is less about the education as it is more about evaluations and test scores, and it doesn't seem like a good environment for our kids to have a love of learning instilled. Yes, it can and does happen, but for us we wanted a different lifestyle for our family. One that thrives on our intuition and cultivating creativity and freedom and intellect in a safe, warm environment. It is definitely not for everyone, but homeschooling works for us!
The most challenging part of homeschooling for me is that there isn't a break. We are together, always. And while that is also a blessing, I'm having to figure out ways to protect my introverted self from getting burned out quickly. The blessing is being a part of my children's education. I get to see all of their "aha!" moments and help them through whatever issues come up. They're still dealing with conflict and strife, but it's such a blessing to walk with them through challenges every step of the way. Plus, we get to play and go on way more adventures than if they were in school all day!

Vibeke, thank you so much for the lovely conversation! It has been lovely exploring these topics with you!


Link:
Corinnes's blog.

A conversation with Liesl

V: I am excited about getting to have this conversation together with you Liesl. Your blog is such a beautiful and inspiring place to visit and i can't wait to get to get to know more about you through this conversation. It would be lovely if you could start with telling us a bit about yourself.

L: Hello, and thank you for inviting me to have a conversation with you here on your lovely blog. Well, my name is Liesl and I’m in my twenties. I live in New Jersey, in the USA. Most Americans don’t think too highly of New Jersey but we live a small pocket where it’s very rural, beautiful and isolated. I like a lot of homey, crafty things, like sewing and knitting and cooking and gardening and strive to live a creative life.

V: Your home is land that has been in your family for over a century, that must feel quite special?

Is there a special story, family history or memory about this place that is often being told in your family?

L: It is so important to me. Almost too important. I know, in the end, home is not a place, it’s a feeling but I can’t deny the feelings I get from this place. Most of the houses right around us were built or lived in by someone in my family. It amazing to see how things have changed even in my twenty some years knowing this land. Even as our family has grown and moved, this here has always been home-base and everyone has so many memories of this place I wouldn't even know where to begin!

V: Five words that you would chose to describe yourself?

L: I would say: Quiet, loyal, creative, sensitive and stubborn.

V: What inspires you?

L: In a broader sense: the need to grow. In a more specific sense: the natural world around me.

V: What makes you happy?

L: I’m finding this handmade, homegrown lifestyle is making me happy, happier than I’ve been in a long time. I sincerely feel like I’m headed in the right direction.

V: There are so many things that i love about your blog and one of them are your Gratitude Sunday post's where you acknowledge all the things, the big and small, that you were most grateful for in the past week. Would you like to share with us what it was that first inspired you to start doing these posts and also what you are most grateful for in your life right now?

L: I saw a fellow blogger joining in Gratitude Sunday and thought I would try too. I firmly believe grateful people are the happiest. It’s hard to be angry or bitter or jealous or sad when you stop and think of what all you do have. 
And right now I’m most grateful for the support system I have: great family and great friends who encourage and nurture me.

V: When one visits your blog one easely notice that you have quite a lot of creative skills and interests, if you were to learn a new craft what would that be?

L: I’d love to learn more about fiber arts in general, spinning yarn and dyeing and weaving and printing on fabric … I’d like to dig a little deeper and start making some of my *supplies* from scratch. Especially natural dyeing with plants I find or grown.

V: What is your first knitting memory and who did learn you to knit? 

L: I wish I had some lovely memory to tie to my first knitting experience. But knitting is another thing I pretty much taught myself. I think I learned the basic knit and purl when I was in my teens but it just never stuck. I didn’t understand it and found the mash of numbers and letters in patterns so confusing. But in September 2011, I decided I would try again. I aimed for small things like dishcloths out of cotton yarns my Grandmother gave me and when I got the hang of those, I went on to bigger projects. Ravelry.com has been an immense help!

V: Like me you enjoy knitting and reading, if you were to chose two books and knitting projects as your favourites so far which ones would that be and also why?

L: Each new knitting project seems to be my favorite. But right now, the Puerperium cardigan and the Rocky Coast cardigan might be my current favorites. I guess it has to do with the notion of wrapping yourself (or another) in warm wool and the comfort that can bring. Two of my favorite books are probably Franny & Zooey by JD Salinger and A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole---both tug at your heart in a sweet, thoughtful and humorous way.

V: I know that you have your own studio and i always find it very exciting and inspiring to get a peek inside peoples studios... can we get to see some images from yours?

Can you also tell us a bit about how you have decorated/organiced this room and how you like to have it around you while working?

L: I used to sew in my bedroom but the opportunity arose where I could use the spare room in the basement for my sewing studio and I took it. The first year I did great in there and sewed so much stuff but in early 2012 I started missing the natural light (there is a tiny window but it doesn’t let in much sun.)
My studio is small but I have managed to get two book shelves, two cabinets and two tables in there. I’m currently trying to thin down my fabric stash because it’s getting pretty crowded. Doing so has rekindled my sewing interest lately.
I’m a big fan of light, airy decor in general but even more so since it’s a basement. I love a neat, clean studio in theory but in reality, I need a little mess around me to actually feel comfortable enough to get into my work. I daydream about a small shed to convert into a studio or about building a studio in our barn. With big, big windows.

V: Your dad creates fine, handmade wood items for home and family, i LOVE his bobbin holders. Are there many people in your family who is doing handmade crafts and did your dad, or any other familymembers learn you different crafts when you grew up? 

L: My family has a lot of artists in it (my twin brother is a painter) and we were raised to encourage and appreciate handmade and do-it-yourself mentalities. Another thing I’m grateful for is that my parents never pushed my brother or I into being something we weren’t, like athletes or scientists. They knew were artistic types that needed to make things, in one way or another. Looking back, my parents mostly gifted us supplies and tools (like sewing machines, drafting tables, sketch books, paint brushes, tablets, dress forms) to help us create.

Pretty much all the crafty things I do, I learned on my own, through a lot of trial and error. This has a lot to do with the fact that I’m more of a closet learner---meaning I like to research something, maybe watch someone do it, then try it out quietly, on my own. I’m sure my Mother would have shown me more about sewing or my grandmother would have taught me to knit or crochet if I had let them.
Though, my Grandma used to do German Scherenschnitte and I’d love for her to someday show me some techniques and ideas so I can learn a bit about it too.

V: I have discovered so many beautiful poems, sayings and quotes through reading your posts that were new to me....oh and not to mention lovely music/musicians that i have never heard of before and LOVE! Have you discovered something new in any of these "categories" lately that you have liked and that you want to share with us? I am also curious if you have a specific quote, saying or poem that has a special place in your heart?

L: Lately, I haven’t been finding too much new-to-me music but rather rediscovering some of my favorite music or enjoying new releases from some of my all time favorite artists, like Laura Marling and Alela Diane.
My favorite quote seems to change with time and what is going on in my life. But I tend to go back to this one by Tennyson: "I must lost myself in action, lest I wither in despair." Despair is a bit dramatic at times but I do believe in keeping busy and active.

V: Can you tell us about the 52-weeks self portrait posts that you are doing on your blog and also why you wanted to start on this project?

L: 52 Weeks is basically a year long project to take a portrait a week that represents where I am at that week---was I hopeful, ill, busy beyond measure, quiet? It’s very hard to me to remember all that happens, especially in the course of a year. A lot of other bloggers are doing this with their children which I think is so great but I don’t have children plus I feel that as we get older, there aren’t so many *obvious* milestones. Our victories and actions often appear smaller but they are still important and important to document and celebrate. At the very least, this project encourages me to pick up my camera and push myself as a photographer.

V: I want to thank you for this lovely conversation sweet Liesl before i ask you my last question!

My grandparents had a huge vegetable- and fruit garden when i were a child and i loved being there. Some of my most treasured childhood memories are from the times i spent there together with them. I would love if you could tell us about the vegetable garden you have and also about what is happening there these days.

L: I think part of my draw to the garden is that it is so tied to my past. Sometimes when we are in the garden doing something, I’ll ask my Dad: Is this something your Dad taught you? They had a big garden when he was young and that is where he learned a lot of what he knows.
When I was a teen, I used to hate having to work in the garden, but in recent years it’s been very therapeutic and rewarding for me. The food we harvest is often put away and supplies us with homegrown vegetables all winter. So far we have been enjoying lettuce, spinach, radishes, snow peas, kohlrabi and summer squash. As well as lots of berries. We just harvested all our broccoli and cauliflower and are just starting to pick and eat green beans. There is a lot more growing in the garden, waiting to reach maturity, like potatoes, tomatoes, red cabbage, winter squash and carrots, beets, cucumbers and more. This year I am trying to grow garlic for the first time as well as trying to save some seeds.
We are very simple people when it comes to cooking our garden food. In the summer, when the veggies are so fresh and delicious, we don’t do anything too fancy with them, just steam them and add some salt and butter or sauté them and add some herbs and garlic and maybe a little cheese. We have all winter to perk up frozen vegetables into something more interesting. The red cabbage we make (the traditional German way) might be my all-time favorite. This year we have 24 heads so there will be plenty in the freezer for the winter.