Welcome - thanks so much for visiting my planet!
I'm Jane. I live in my hometown of Hobart, a pretty waterfront city on Australia's island state of Tasmania, with my husband (Mr Planet Baby or 'Mr PB') and our 3 young children, Joshua (7), India (5) and Sam (3½) ('the pixies').
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| Me sitting at my desk in *my room of my own* |
Both Mr PB and I grew up in Hobart. After marrying in January 1999, we moved to live in fabulous Sydney, Australia. They were glorious, heady days as newly-weds discovering life in a big city, making new friends and then being there for the 2000 Olympic Games. I worked as an insurance litigation lawyer in several big city firms. You can read more about our time in Sydney here.
Then in November 2005, Joshua was born. We really felt like we had been transported to another planet. Not just to another country where things were vaguely familiar enough to allow you to get by. No, another planet. Planet Baby.
Joshua was followed by India in December 2007 and Sam in July 2009. Suddenly we had 3 children under 3½!
We moved back to Hobart when Sam was only 6 weeks old. I was soon diagnosed with post-natal depression - no great surprise given all the pressures we were under. Nearly three years later, with the help of dedicated health professionals, my PND is lifting and I am rediscovering who Jane-the-person is. I'm enjoying life as a stay-at-home mum but also contemplating what direction my career might take once I return to paid work.
What is my blog about?
When I started blogging in July 2010, I wanted this to be a pretty little haven, somewhere to record precious moments in our family life, have a creative outlet and adult conversations and connect with like-minded souls around the world. You know – a pastime to ease the loneliness a SAHM can have, especially with 3 littlies and severe PND.
But the biggie in the list was my desire to rediscover my identity. Blogging has allowed me to discover my latent creative side, to my absolute joy and surprise. I love sharing my crafty handiwork here.
The joy of blogging
Blogging has played such a pivotal role in my recovery. Having people reach out to me across the international divide in friendship, from all corners of the globe, absolutely lifts my spirits and enriches my life. When I first clicked on 'Create blog', I had no idea how life-changing blogging would become for me. Read my post for my first blogoversary to get an inkling of how much pleasure it has brought me.
I've also had the delight to meet and befriend some local bloggers - it's such a thrill to put faces to names and expand on the conversations, both online as comments on each other's posts and offline as private emails. It's so funny - as we've shared so many thoughts and experiences through blogging, it's just like meeting old and treasured friends who 'know my story'. We can speak in shorthand, like real friends do, as we don't have to fill in many gaps. Just astounding!
What can you find here?
My blog covers some of these things which make my heart sing:
* my gorgeous husband and our 3 pixies, Joshua, India and Sam;
* foreign languages and words (I'm a logophile);
* stationery;
* painting, especially watercolours;
* cross-stitch;
* maps;
* making Liberty fabric covered words, ribbon-wrapped words and symbols;
* papercraft;
* reading;
* watching art-house films (especially French ones);
* typography;
* classics like etiquette, courtesy, elegance and grace;
* handwritten letters (nothing beats snail mail!); and
* ribbons, buttons and notions (in fact all haberdashery makes me go weak at the knees).
You can click here to read what Planetarians (my followers) think about my blog.
I also passionately believe in openly sharing the joys, frustrations and realities of motherhood. The more we support each other, the less alone we can feel. Motherhood is a hard enough gig without adding extra pressures such as 'mother guilt' and worrying about other people's expectations. I hope you feel welcome here and realise that I'm a mum who's learning on the job, just like you!
Of course, you don't have to be a mother to find something you enjoy here. I have some gorgeous non-mum Planetarian friends who are like-minded souls, sharing many of my other passions. This isn't *just* a Mummy blog ☺.
How often do I post?
I post about 2-3 times a week, mostly at night when the pixies are asleep!
What are my feature columns?
On the occasional Wednesday, I post about some of my favourite Planetarians in 'Down the rabbithole'.
On the occasional Thursday, I post 'Blogging 101' where I share tips I've road-tested and applied here so you know they work. I also share useful links to other blogs and websites.
On Saturdays, I post 'Some Saturday soul food' where I look at a quotation I've found inspiring and discuss why.
On most Sundays, I post 'Sunday splendour' which looks at my highlights of the past week.
At month's end, I also host the enjoyable 'Post of the Month Club' international linky party where bloggers link their favourite posts from their blogs for that month. It's dead easy and you can meet so many wonderful bloggers through it - feel free to join in!
How can you contact me?
Please feel free to contact me - don't be shy! Just click here to email me. You can also find me on Twitter and Pinterest.
I've made the most serendipitous discoveries through blogging, making treasured friends the world over. I look forward to meeting you!
