Book,
beautiful book,
smallest forest,
leaf
after leaf…
–Pablo Neruda’s Ode to The Book
My name is Nat. I’m Filipina-American. I live with my Russian husband—a writer and adventurer of epic proportions—and our fat cat, Dude, on a fishing trawler in crocodile-infested Darwin, NT, Australia.
Born a dreamer, though life has taught me to balance that with a dark brand of cynicism. If I had a “super power” I think it would be my sense of humor. Oh, and cleaning is my secret talent.
I’m a bookbinder, mainly, though I will frequently dabble my fingers in a dozen other pies, besides.
I feel compelled to articulate living and loving with my hands, love the challenge of learning something new or figuring out how to turn my imagination into real things, and I love the singular quality of the handmade, creative, and self-reliant life.
“And I said, with rapture,
here is something I can study all my life,
and never understand.”
—Samuel Beckett, Moloy
Aww your husband is Russian, how awesome! I am Russian and my husband is American! So glad I found your blog!
xo
Yes, he’s Russian AND he’s awesome! Thank you for the visit, I know I have been to your blog, as well! Happy thrifting to you!
Hi^^! I’m a new follower and just wanted to say I really love your site
I do crafts too; I make handmade jewelry & figures from polymer clay ^.^
Hi, Augustine! Love polymer clay things, I don’t use it myself, so I’m always impressed. Thanks for visiting! Looking forward to seeing more on your blog (keep it up! It takes some time!)
Thank you! I’m currently working on my little brothers birthday present, It’s a Majin Buu figurine from Dragon Ball Z. I can’t wait to show you (and everyone who reads me) ^.^
Ok Nat so here now is a piece of my mixed-up mind. Nalito! I think I was lost and you found me. You have no idea how hard I’m laughing at this moment. You’ve just made my @#!*+! Monday great. And it’s already 5pm. Next time brighten it up a little earlier. And i’m shouting Thank You like a rockstar now. Thankeeeeeeewwww.
Elmer, The Queen of Rock and Roll does not get out of bed before 5 p.m., anokaba! But fine, I will try to get my Flower in The Sun to you in time for merienda. I said try.
Try oh yeah (just a little bit harder)
Whoa I gotta try some more,
I said try yeah, aw I said try,
I said try try try try try try,
;D
♪ стараться стараться стараться ♫
LOL show off
Your works are amazing, thank you for hudge grasp od inspiration.
greetings
from Poland
Molla
Good morning .. such a lovely artistic and inspirational blog! And thank you for visiting mine. You have a very interesting lifestyle, living on your boat, surrounded by crocodiles! I look forward to following your blog!
Thank you! the lifestyle looks better from the outside…it’s an inconvenient life, in many ways, and uses a lot of energy. Some mornings I wake up tired. But I couldn’t go back, now, to life on land, surrounded by the ‘burbs…especially not here in Darwin. And there is much that is beautiful about the life, too. It certainly saves us a heap of money, living this way!
Hello, I’ve just discovered your blog. I work in the rag trade myself, and love the craft you’ve immersed yourself in. I’ve subscribed, but I’m finding that your script is really faint. Is this something to do with your font or is there something I can adjust on my computer?
hey terri-anne, thanks for subscribing and the visit, but I’ve no idea about the font, it’s a fairly normal wordpress template, they all use a dark grey font, rather than black. Try upping the magnification in your browser? Maybe it’s just too small. Sorry about that.
It’s okay, you’re not missing anything, the pictures are eye-candy enough! Cheers, N.
What a find! So much beauty in one place… my heart is also singing. I’ll be back.
Lovely of you, Kelly, thanks! I shall see you around!
The Smallest Forest is a blog after my own heart. Your words are so lovely and your visions are stunning. You’ve filled me with inspiration – which is the nicest way to start an otherwise dull Canadian winters day. Congratulations on being FP’d. It is well deserved. And now, thanks to you, I have just been catapulted into a desire to embroider.
You have a gorgeous blog, yourself, and as I’ve commented over on yours, I envy that you do design and art and all those pretty things for a living.Amazed that someone with such entitlement comes to my blog for inspiration…you’re too kind. Thank you so much. Embroidery is easy, and with a natural flair for color and line and all those groovy aesthetic things, you will do something amazing, I’m sure.
Your blog is very lovely. From the content to the layout everything is just creative. Thanks for dropping by mine.
I am so excited to discover your blog!
Gorgeous work!
Just followed Craft Gossip to your blog today to find another super talent. I will be back to read more.
Thanks, Lynn! Hope I can keep you interested.
What a pleasure to see your work! Such imagination. Such talent.
Would you send me just a tiny bit, PLEASE?
Joking – but I wish it were possible.
Anna in Maine, US
Sorry it has taken me so long to look at your blog… but now that I have, I’m so glad I dropped by ‘cos I love it. Are you still in Darwin? I will be going over there soon! It’s my home town.
Hello! No problem, we’re all a bit busy, I often don’t/can’t reply, either. Yes, still in Darwin, looking forward to the wet! We’ve had a few days rain, but mostly just hot steamy build up weather, no doubt familiar to you!
I came across your amazing blog thru ‘cut n keep’…so glad I found this blog! truly inspirational! love from Malaysia – pc
Thank you, pc! I am lightly embarassed that you think it amazing, but okay, I will try not to discourage you! So nice of you to leave a comment, and to make the visit from co+k. XX Nat
Stumbled upon your blog by accident…..but what interesting writing and subject. I love the stitching of your camera! Congratulations.
It’s late and I am a bit slow, but I thank you for your comment and I have enjoyed a quick scan down the first page of your photo blog…scenes so familiar to me because I am half Filipina and grew up in Manila, and we are not so different from our other Southeast Asian neighbors.
The “Alteration Specialist” was a great deja vu image for me!
Natalie: I am Teresa Bragg from Nashville, Tennessee!
I have loved looking at EVERYTHING on your site and would like to ask you if I could commission you to create a journal that I would like to buy. You see…I would like to purchase your 1000th journal and if you could agree then I’d like to discuss this with you and pay $100 US for this journal. I know it could be many months until you reach your 1000th journal and if you think such a wonderful journal would be worth more than $100 US then I totally understand but $100 is most likely my limit. 
Just let me know what you think. I would totally understand if such a “landmark” journal could be sold for far more than $100. I can be very patient for such a wonderfully constructed journal so you can just let me know your thoughts. 
Cheers, T.
just thought I would ask how your going with the storm, cyclone and RAIN
Rain came under my daughters door last night… She is doing a double shift at the hospital because people have called in sick , so they are really short of staff. the hospital is so full tonight ….
It seems Darwin has shut down….breathing deeply waiting to see what Carlos will do to them.
keep safe guys
shazz
Wow, I love how you got your title! I chose the title of my blog (Nouns and Violets) from an e.e. cummings poem. Your title is just perfect!
I just clicked on the “about” link and man I am glad to have read this beautiful description.
mmmm… smallest forest, I second Mimsy on making my heart sing!
oh and i meant to say congratulations on having your website up.
I love you! and the work you do! you are inspiration and make my heart sing.
Congratulations!!!