The work of a conscientious mother is never done. So, to mothers passed, who have raised generations and to mothers present who are raising the future generation, Happy Mothering sunday! Today, I celebrate you, appreciate your hard work and want you to know, that your hard work will never be forgotten. You're a motivator, an organiser, thoughtful hero, an encourager and a resourceful nurturing champion!

As we brace ourselves for the tempestous hurricane Eunice, I urge those on my side of the pond to stay safe, as we patiently wait to get a glimpse of her. It's a pleasant name for a storm don't you think? Since Eunice means good victory, let's hope it's us, not her, that gets the victory by the time she passes!

And what's a great way to weather the storm? Having a warm drink, (not a hot one, since it could go flying out of your hands) if you're out and about. Followed by some mouth-watering, guilty pleasure, comfort food. They're simple creature comforts, but could go a long way to keep you warm and nicely fuelled, in time to combat the oncoming storm.

That said, my perfect remedy to weather the storm, comes down to two simple things. That is, 'Tea and Pie'. Once I'm armed with an aromatic blend of Yerba Mate and organic peppermint tea, coupled with a comforting piece of home made traditional Nigerian pie, the storm can melt away. Because, with this deliciously scrumptious combo tantalising my senses, I'll surely be ready to weather the storm. How about you? 

It would be a fallacy to say I have a big space because I don't. What I have is the opportunity to work with the space I've got and be creative with it. So, when the opportunity came to minimise my furniture to create a little bit of space, I jumped at it, like a rabbit who's just spotted a dangling carrot. I was only too happy to get rid of my tired-looking sofa and Divan bed that's served me well for so long I couldn't possibly squeeze any further use from them. And my decision to replace them wasn't on a whim, it was a long time coming!

As I pondered on how to replace them, I knew I didn't want to fill that space with two new furnitures. Instead, I wanted to get one multifunctional piece, to sit, sleep and use as storage. Which brought me to the conclusion that what I needed was a sofa bed and began the hunt for one that was sturdy, durable enough to withstand daily use and could last a while.

This was how I came across the most sensible piece of furniture, a three-seater sofa bed, made by Cocoon. It was a simple idea, but one that solved the problem of my limited space. It was a well thought-out piece of furniture that was a sofa by day, a double bed by night and came with added storage, in the form of two chunky arm rests, located on either side of the sofa.

When I went to Cocoon's showroom, I took one look at the sofa and was sold! Just goes to show that gifts and talents are meant to be shared. Clearly, Cocoon thought of people like me, living in minuscule spaces and invented a functional piece to help us utilise our space. It's why I love functional pieces, as they always meet a need and serve a purpose, no matter how little or big the product is.

I've posted a video below to show how this fits into my space and help free up some space in my tiny hub. Hopefully, this could inspire more forward thinking in someone else to create things which could be of great use to others. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention and this piece of furniture, invented for small spaces, certainly met my needs.

A huge thanks to those who helped me research the best sofa, by literally running around and testing out different sofa brands till we found Cocoon. Also thanks to the staff at Cocoon’s showroom, who answered my twenty questions! You guys are amazing!!

Whether making a book from scratch or customising an off-the-shelf journal like this one, the key thing for me is 'functionality'. A principle I apply to everything I do. This journal ticks all the boxes in terms of functionality and aesthetics, which means there wasn't much to change.

Then, I had a funny thought. What if someone has the same journal as me and we happen to be using our journals in the same space, at the same time. How would we tell our journals apart? The answer was simple, 'customisation'. So, I customised the journal with minimal change to its aesthetics, since the aesthetics was what drew me to the journal in the first place.

All the journal needed was a personal stamp, to make it unique and easily identifiable. For this, I used some wooden lettering, masking tape, black acrylic ink, and a sponge. That was it. I’ve posted the before and after video of the journal below, to show you don’t need much to personalise your book or journal.

I personally believe the joy of an artist comes from creating works that people can engage with. And creativity involves a great amount of toil, which is not always obvious to the people engaging with the artwork. This is why I enjoy talking to artists about their work, because hearing them explain their working processes makes me appreciate their work even more. As their working process illustrates the effort they put into creating their artwork.

Last week, I took an impromptu walk and came across an art exhibition by Pullens Yards featuring works from various artists. I met two of the participating artists and was given a tour of the exhibition. I even had a brief chat with one of the artists which you can see in the video posted below. They had woven pieces, ceramics, abstract paintings and many more. For anyone interested in seeing the exhibition, it ends on 12th December 2021 and you can visit www.pullensopen.org for more details.

Customised this USB with resin pieces I made from another project for someone with visual impairment. My aim was to make it easy for them to locate it if misplaced and also to help them identify the contents on their USB. I made a couple of these USBs which they now use to listen to  music and audio books. To help them distinguish the contents on each USB, I attached a different-shaped resin piece to each USB. I then used a jump ring to attach the resin piece, so that if they mistakenly dropped the USB, they could hear the metal sound and know they've dropped it. It was a simple idea, but one that worked nicely for the user. Just goes to show, that you don't need a grand idea to solve a problem. By thinking of what is needed, you could help  create the solution that's required.

Mama, today I celebrate you. You taught me and all your loved ones how to smile when life is far from perfect. Because of you, we've learned to smile a little bit more. Knowing that no matter how trying life gets, it won't crumble us. Mama, we've all come to the realisation that you were the love of our lives because you showed us what it truly meant to love unconditionally. Happy birthday Mama! Your baby girl, Princess number 3 (Aka Kemi-kemeh).