Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Rest assured

I love this sign:


- apparently it still adorns the walls at the historic National Hotel in Jamestown, California.

Wesley has recreated it in GIF and PDF (vector) formats so we can print our own - I think I'll frame one and hang it in the hallway near the front door (it's nice to be able to reassure our guests ....)

Monday, March 30, 2009

Book drive update

I'd like to say a really big thank you to all the lovely people who contributed books to my bushfire book drive. So far I've collected 1027 books (many more than I expected!), and I think I spied some more in a couple of the tubs that I set up in cafes around Brunswick ....

I've sent out most of the books with the help of Borders Books, who will not only distribute them to libraries and schools in communities affected by the fires, but are also donating $200,000 in cash.

Children's author Alan Bowater has also generously offered to send me some copies of his book 'A Cat Called Kitty', which relates the adventures of a purple flying pig who meets a fluffy white cat from Kathmandu. Thank you Alan!

Dear friends, if you have any books to spare that are in good condition, please don't hesitate to contact me and send them on over (I'm also happy to collect them if you're not too far away). So many communities lost their homes, schools and libraries last month, I'm sure that a simple gift of books will put smiles on many faces.

Hooray for books!

Monday, March 23, 2009

More of Geninne ....

*sigh*

... to me, this girl can do no wrong.








Her artworks are exquisite and her sense of style is just delightful. What a gal!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Flocking together

I found these birds, made by Abby Glassenberg, on Flickr tonight:

(this one's feathers are actually little hands...)






~ I think some are available at Abby's Etsy shop.

Feelin' stitchy

After a hectic Saturday morning running errands and preparing the house for visitors, I set off across town to an informal sewing/crafting/chatting/cooking session in South Yarra. My lovely new friends Helena and Theresa hosted a relaxing afternoon filled with much laughter and delicious exotic drinks, and I met some wonderfully inspiring and entertaining craftswomen. We finished off the day with a fabulous Mauritian banquet (for 15!), and I came home feeling encouraged to get back to my sewing projects.


Thank you Helena!

(pic from ohmykozy)

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

"I was badly brought up ..."

This story of a wayward dog's adventures with some sweet potato made me laugh many moons ago, so I decided to look it up again tonight. I can't remember if I've posted about it before ....


... but it's sure to strike a chord with anyone who has spent time with a cheeky dog.

(Pic of Sammy's magic nose from here.)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Stewart vs. Cramer

Did anyone catch The Daily Show the other day, when John Stewart got really serious with CNBC's Jim Cramer? Ouch!!!

Click here to watch him standing up for common sense - a refreshing challenge to all the dodgy financial news reporting that gets served up to us daily, disguised as expert advice. It's not a short clip, but it's interesting to watch Cramer's woeful attempts to defend the industry gradually getting whittled down to nothing by Stewart's no-nonsense approach....

Hooray for The Daily Show!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Tag! You're it!

I've been tagged by the very lovely Rina

These are the rules:
1. respond and rework: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
2. tag eight other un-tagged people.

Eight??? That's a lot, but I'll play along as best I can.

What is your current obsession?
Northern hemisphere landscapes, and the idea of travelling/living in France or Scandinavia.

What are you wearing now?
My standard weekend wear - a black long-sleeved top with jeans, and I'm snuggled under an alpaca blanket 'cause the weather has finally cooled down a little.

Do you nap a lot?
In comparison to my younger years, perhaps yes, but I still don't feel that I get enough sleep. I'm a night-owl for sure.

Who was the last person you hugged?
My sweet, extremely huggable husband

What inspires you?
Sunshine, trees, plants, and landscapes, things that sparkle, the night sky. My dad was definitely a wonderful inspiration to me too ...

What's for dinner?
Aw, I feel guilty 'cause I know I shouldn't support the meat industry in this age of mass environmental devastation, but I'm cooking roast beef with lots of vegies (and looking forward to it too!).

What was the last thing you bought?
A lovely cream-coloured Swedish bicycle, bought yesterday from Kronan Cycles in South Yarra, complete with a cane basket just waiting to be decorated. I'll take some pictures soon.

What are you listening to right now?
The sound of rainbow lorikeets (Australian parrots) chattering loudly in the tree at the front of our house, my cat purring with satisfaction after dinner, and my dog snoring after a big day running and swimming in a local park. I can also hear people across the road talking and laughing as they sell their clothes and furniture at a garage sale, and a child skateboarding on the footpath. These are the sounds of Sunday evening in Brunswick.

What is your favorite weather?
I love virtually all kinds of weather .... sunshine usually lifts my spirits and I love cold chilly weather when I'm all rugged up and cosy. I would love to have some snow again one day ...

What is on your bedside table?
Books, magazines, a photo of G & me, a remote control for the stereo and a water bottle.

What's your style?
I love 30s and 40s style, as well as rockabilly, but I can't always present myself in this way. Perhaps a little arty, a little retro ... ?
I'm not sure.

What is your most challenging goal right now?
To keep up with the pace of my new job and feel comfortable with what I'm teaching. It's pretty difficult to balance my work and home life at the moment :-(

Say something to the person who tagged you
Rina, I might steal your response to this question and send it right back to you: I think she´s great, smart and I feel very close to her even though we are miles miles away and we've never met each other.

We seem to have a lot in common and a very similar outlook on the world.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where do you want it to be?
Paris, Berlin, Istanbul, or Boston.

Favourite vacation spot?
Oh this is much too hard to narrow down to one place. I love Thailand and have been there many times .... but then again I want to go pretty much anywhere in the world. I also love staying at a friend's farm on Victoria's south-east coast in cold weather.

Name the things you cannot live without.
My husband, friends, books, dogs, plants, colour & innovation, curiosity, a sense of humour ...

What would you like to have in your hands right now?
A fully-paid round-the-world airline ticket, complete with some accommodation booking confirmations and a list of quirky places to visit.

What would you like to get rid of?
Clutter in my house, and the bad habits that stop me from being as healthy as I could be.

What was the last book you read?
? - not sure what it's called - it's a history of the European settlement of the 'wild west' in America

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
If it's only an hour (i.e.: not long enough to soak up a new culture), then perhaps to a beautiful spa to get a massage

If you had one word left to you in the English language, what would you like it to be?
If ...


I have to scoot off now - will come back later to tag some other lovely blogettes and bloggers so that we can find out a little more about them ....

It's that New Orleans thang ...



I love a bit o' nostalgia mixed with unihibited joy ... so I checked out Clint Maedgen and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to see what they were getting up to over here.



(love the bicycles in this one)

Saturday, March 14, 2009

21st-Century Kilts and other things

The other night we went to a friend's book launch. Her partner was wearing a beautifully tailored suit, pairing a well-cut, grey pinstriped jacket with a very snappy (pinstriped) kilt. It looked ... well ... pretty darned sharp.

Apparently the suit was from 21st-Century Kilts in Edinburgh, a small company that makes high-quality outfits for those who wish to bring a new approach to business attire. G is considering whether or not to order a kilt suit himself (I wonder how his conservative banking colleagues would react if he did? - with dismay I hope!). I like 'em.


This morning I did a little bit of shopping myself. I bought some rather gorgeous red boots and a little item that should make my commute into work more enjoyable....

Yay!

(proper pics to come soon)

Friday, March 13, 2009

Whump!

My moods have been up and down of late. On the tram this morning the sadness just came and whumped me upside the head, and I got stuck with that dreaded "uh-oh-my-chin-is-trembling---please-don't-look-at-me-or-ask-me-a-question-'cause-I-might-start-blubbering-and-you'll-think-I'm-a-madwoman...." feeling.

I will miss my dad so much. I wish I could give him a hug and continue our cheerful, fun-filled conversations.

I guess I'll just keep on enjoying the little things while waiting for time to work its magic and take the edge off a bit ...

Meanwhile, here are some snapshots for you (from Rarotonga last month):














.... wish I could show you the sublimely beautiful night sky ....

Monday, March 09, 2009

Mad hattery

I think my husband might be a hat addict.
And I'm an enabler.

Most of the new hats and caps that enter our home become part of Godfrey's ever-expanding collection.
Last night, however, I peeped over his shoulder as he was browsing through Lock and Co.'s delightful collection. I saw that women's millinery was also on offer ....








How very tempting!

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Soft olive and green




So pretty!

Thanks Kris, for pointing me in this direction.

Friday, March 06, 2009

3191 Miles Apart

I just found this blog (I think it's quite new).

I'm going to keep an eye on it, 'cause I like it.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Raindancer

To whoever did a rain dance this week: thank you!
We've only had a couple of light showers so far, but it's lovely to feel a cool breeze and see the glimmer of puddles.

Please don't stop dancing....

... also ...

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