a year ago today

this is
what
I captured
through my lens

a day full of love 

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I love posting about interior design, home accessories, crafts, baking, Etsy, and sharing with my sweet readers my ongoing projects including inspirational photos and more. Sponsors are chosen based on their relevance to Torie Jayne readers and the topics covered here.

Torie Jayne was chosen last week as one of the Top Ten Uk Interior Design blogs.

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Have a sweet day!


I like Chinese mothers



This article in the Wall Street Journal* by Amy Chua is brilliant. It presents a completely different view on parenting, one that to me seems so radical that I am still taking it in. I literally did a double-take at some of her words. There are many ways to parent and I don't think we talk about the different styles enough. I am fascinated when a new way of doing things is opened up to me.


Key quotes from the article include:


What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it.


To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work...


Chinese parents demand perfect grades because they believe that their child can get them.


As a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up.

 The techniques used by Chinese parents are completely different to our Western parenting style, but possibly not so different to the way our own parents were raised.  They make sense. They really do. I liked what Amy had to say, but I wonder how 'success' is actually defined by Chinese parents. It seems they have more of a focus on 'succeeding' in academic and professional life than I have. Certainly the parents appear to strictly define what their child's life will be like and then mold their child to suit this expectation, which I have quite an issue with. But I can also see that there is a strong emphasis on insisting their child be the absolute best they can be and I think that has enormous merit. "They assume strength, not fragility," explains Amy.


I just wonder if LOML and I would ever have the stamina (and the guts!) to parent the Tsunamis 'Chinese-style'. It would take a lot of patience and fortitude. I wonder how differently those Tsunamis of mine would turn out under the Chinese method? Would I be pleased or faintly horrified? 


It makes you wonder about the influence we have as parents and the critical role we play in shaping our children's lives. I think a balance between the Chinese and Western styles would be the ideal. Strict, but gentle. Conform... but in your own way. 


Do you think that sort of balance would even be possible?


* I can assure you that The Wall Street Journal is not a daily read for me. That's why I married a banker! I often get a funny little article sent to me via LOML who has very different reading preferences to me. Always food for thought.

[Image from weheartit- link through is some blocked Russian site so can't trace the origin any further. Sorry!]
Community spirit and a smile...




The spirit of community is alive, overwhelming and simply amazing...i feel so proud and constantly moved by so much of what I am seeing right now in our home town.
One day before the devastating floods, we had news that made us smile!
Our little winter baby due in July is healthy and strong...we can't wait to hold you little one x

vintage delight!


Step away from the window... Sometimes a girl needs to remind herself that there are bills to be paid.
"Vintage Delight" is located at 448 King Street, Newtown.

Ding Ding Ding!

It's Friday! Time to unwind and kick up our feet! We have no real plans this weekend and I can say I am happy about that. It's been a slightly stressful week at work and I'm ready to relax and spend time with the hub. Though we don't have a three day weekend like many I'm still thankful to have two full days of being a home-body.

DSC_0016c
(I can't remember my steps to this edit but a texture was added and I believe I used one of PW's actions. Sorry I did this a couple days ago!)


and then, she {snapped}

Posting this picture again to enter into LEM's photo challenge: Cold.
Snow 1/11/11


Enjoy your weekend!



This week I'm grateful for... hope


The chips were down this week, no doubt about it. It makes me even more determined to be grateful for the things I have.

This week I'm grateful for...

1. Hope - That spark of light that never gives up, never accepts defeat, never goes out.

Share some hope with a softie if you can...


2. Community - We rally. When things are rough, the human spirit really begins to shine. We work tirelessly into the night to help those around us, we give up a treasure in order to help out with money. We are the reason that we can look at destruction all around us and say 'we are blessed, we are lucky, we are okay'.

3. Love - my beautiful husband who I cried together with at our friend's funeral this week. It was so hard to say goodbye, but with LOML by my side I could do it.


 So, what's making you smile today? Grab my I'm grateful for... button from my sidebar if you like, add your Grateful post below and please add a link back to me in your post. Then pop over to visit other bloggers who are spreading a little sunshine. Happy day to you!


[Image from NestaHome]




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I've linked up a 'January' post at the Fibro today. It's not really a rewind as this is the only January I've ever blogged in, so the post is from last week...