Saturday, May 31, 2008

vice free month

Starting tomorrow we are attempting a vice-free month. Chocolate, coffee and wine feature way too much in my everyday life and are all banned during June. Thankfully tea and crack are allowed... just kidding about the crack. Hoping to fell less gluggy, but it will be difficult.

Soaking a bunch of borlotti beans to make homemade baked beans tomorrow. Haven't made them before, any tips?

Friday, May 30, 2008

knitted softie discovery


My little furrow is packaged up ready to be posted to Mikes for the mirabel appeal.

Through a long train of blog-hopping I found Debi van Zyl. Her unique knitted beasts are just so special. Have a peek at her blog, it is gorgeous.

school chair, goodbye school yard.

I love old school chairs. This one I picked up randomly wandering home when I was at uni. Back then I started to"collage" on it, and it got stuck in some tacky limbo for years. Finally I have began stripping it back, to be stained and waxed. This is it in a halfway state, it is taking a long time to sand back.

Monday I start my new job, (wish me luck), and therefore it was my last day working at primary school today. It was an extremely insightful and rewarding experience. Human behaviour is a curious thing and I had never realised children were such individuals. I will miss being in such a refreshing environment, and a space that has so many honest and imaginative thoughts floating around. (I hate goodbyes).

One of the boys asked me yesterday if I was going to be a normal teacher when I grow up? Just because half of the students are taller than me doesn't mean I haven't
grown up yet does it?

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

furrowed for a reason

The yellow fellow is furrowed-brow number 2. He will be donated to Softies for Mirabel. He and furrow number 1 have been saying their sad goodbyes to each other.

This lady has been knitting boobs for a good cause.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

not sure why

Perhaps because I was inspired by a photograph in an old National Geographic.
Perhaps because I just wanted to think about the different patterns of scarf she wears.

Monday, May 26, 2008

this is something i still haven't used


I am a hoarder. Still unpacking I found a collection of erasers, pencils and sharpeners I used to collect as a child. I hid them away and never used them because I didn't want them to be ruined. This habit was a hard one to break, but I try not to do it anymore.
Thank you flossy-p for this theme.

curls get girls

Boys who scrawl scientific equations everywhere are somewhat alluring too.
Happy 6 eb.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

cat in spain


Little G sent us this postcard from Spain. Cute.

fence






Walking about I have been interested by the shadows that people's front fences have been throwing on the footpath.

My heart wanders seems like a good reason to play around with our new digital camera. Found via Kirsty who is already seeing hearts in new places.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

about a girl (ferment)

Did I really just type that tragic post title? Anyhows, this lovely lady tagged me. So here is the Q and A.

1} What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was in grade 10 at high school. I was a teenage girl, I don't think I need to elaborate. I like to think I have evolved quite substantially since then. (Did you know our frontal lobes don't stop developing until the age of 24/25? I was told this recently).

2} What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
I am bending the rules and listing 5 things I want to do tomorrow as I have a day off work:
  • Sand back the frame of my old mirror.
  • More unpacking.
  • Washing.
  • Decide on, and start making a special birthday present.
  • I have to get an injection.
3} Snacks I enjoy:
Chocolate, granny-smith apples, pistachios.

4} Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Travel, indulge in my hobbies, invest/donate in some community projects, buy more art and music, the list goes on.

5} Places I have lived before:
Sydney, Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Regina (Canada), London.

6} 6 people I want to know more about:
Well I would love to know more about anyone who reads my blog, so tag you are all it if you want to play. Let me know so I can go visit your answers.

"so thank you genevieve"

About a year and a half ago Eb got me to listen to Kimya Dawson's ' i like giants'. Intrigued to know who inspired such a gorgeous ditty I found my way to the striking yet fanciful artist and musician Genevieve Castree. I just loved her work. Recently the black apple blogged about her, which reminded me to check Genevieve's website for updates. In there I was able to sign up for her bulletin, (above) which arrived today in the letterbox. She believes snail mail is the way to go, and I was taken aback by the beautiful booklet and handwritten note. She is touring Oz in the spring, hope I can go.

Monday, May 19, 2008

furrowed brow


This little furrowed brow is finished. I quite like the idea of characters with mono-brows. He is the first knitted softie I have made from my own head.

Pleased to discover the work of this lady via this inspiring blog.

this is how i recycle


Wormies make good use of our kitchen scraps. In our family recycling was always a part of life and now I continue to recycle as much as I can. Did you know how much household waste can be recycled in the recycling bin? Almost everything. I also keep packaging, paper etc to re-use, and dig the op-shop to both buy 2nd hand or donate. I try to make use of recycling depositories for things like mobile phones or placcy bags. I am sure I can do more, and look forward to browsing the 'this is' list for other's ideas. Thanks to three buttons' mum for the theme this week.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

sunday at the manor

Today was eb's grandparents 60th wedding anniversary, and to celebrate, a lunch party in the library of a grand hotel that was opened in 1882. There were some gorgeous furnishings such as the textured blinds, and carpet above. I am not usually one to goo over wedding related things, but N still has her wedding dress and it is exquisite.

Friday, May 16, 2008

someone took all the leaves away


Today has been strangely emotional.

I had a job interview this morning that left me feeling somewhat lost. The people were lovely, but it all scares me. It also made me feel guilty for trying to leave my current one…

Today M left to return to Austria. He is a sweetheart and we will miss him. P held a great going away do for him last night. Tears were shed whilst we were washing up together for the last time this morning. Sad to see his room empty now.

Walking home the park, (above), was as sombre as me. I stopped off at the craft guild shop with $3 for therapy. I bought myself some homemade rocky-road.

Thankfully then came the haircut. It is interesting the importance a relationship with your hairdresser has, beyond the superficial. Yes my haircut is hot, (my hairdresser is a genius with the scissors), but I always walk away as I did today feeling lighter. Nice end to the afternoon.

Glad it is the weekend. Hope everyone has a lovely one.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

i heart irana




No, i really REALLY heart the work of Irana Douer.
Line and texture and popping colour. Art of vividness.
The attitudes of her femmes speak.
Very inspiring.

Thank you to the lovely Irana for use of her images. Didn't I enjoy choosing from here.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

beach.house

One of the good reasons for being blog-absent was that eb and i had a weeks holiday. Most of it we spent at the special place above. It was overcast and rainy until the day we left, but I can never decide if it is more enticing with sunshine or moody weather?

A nice execution of a provoking idea in this LucyandBart project. Found via Notcot, via Krissy.

Wawaya
's inspiring softies.

Monday, May 12, 2008

no junk mail please!

Someone left one of those awful catalogues through which you mail-order useless tat at our house the other day. Today was the day to leave it out to be collected, and on my way out to work this morning I scrawled a small note to request they respect our 'no junk mail' sign. As you can see, they felt a need to reply. Oh dear! I will refrain from saying anymore.

third and 1937


Yesterday afternoon we took a peek at the new property eb's work will be moving to, which has a divine old blue stone building on it. The inside walls were covered with graffiti, some stating it was from 1937, or the 50's. The pioneering Fafis and Banksies huh?

This arrived today. A fitting soundtrack as the storm is threatening to strike outside.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

this is mother's day

her advice ; live your life.

happy mother's day lovely one.

(thanks for posing in strange photographs over the years, but why didn't I inherit your slim long legs?)

Saturday, May 10, 2008

mount, lake, wine, cider



m is returning to Austria soon, so the mission began to catch him up on all the goodness he hasn't experienced yet in our town. sandwiches by the lake, top of the mountain, wineries and a cider house. continues tomorrow.

Friday, May 9, 2008

any advice - bathroom art and compacts?

He isn't a knitted balloon, but that gives me an idea...
He is waiting to be sewn to his body and appendages. The suspense is killing him, hence the furrowed brow.

Anyone still reading the blog after the hiatus, thank you.

I wanted to ask for some advice if I may.
We are in the market for a digital compact camera. I have two film SLRs, which I will continue to play with, but having borrowed a little digi for a while we have discovered the joy of a camera that can be carried around, not lugged. I had illusions of getting a compact with a range of manual adjust-ability, but they hardly seem to exist? Would anyone recommend a particular compact, with quality shots and adaptability. (For example it would be used to photograph crafty objects so macro is important, slung in our jackets at the snow, for happy snaps, or capturing anything that takes my passing fancy).

Second question is about framing prints in the bathroom. Any neat tricks so the damp won't get to the paper? The house came with a hideous print in there, I am talking geese with bonnets, but it became a good excuse to search for something new.

Hope I haven't been too demanding.

Thursday, May 8, 2008