Dog and mog

It's chilly, grey and windy today, with occasional showers spattering against the windows. I think Gus and Emerson have a few good ideas for staying cosy on a gloomy Sunday afternoon:

1. Find a sunny corner and soak up that sunshine whenever you can


2. Wriggle around on the floor in front of the gas heater


3. Close your eyes tight and snooze in your bed


4. Sneak into some warm, unsupervised bedding while it awaits fresh covers (even though you know this is strictly forbidden!)


5. Share a bed with your best friend and snuggle up tight


6. Don't forget to put on a scarf before you go out in that wind!

The life aquatic

Initially used to promote Silver Springs in Florida (home of the fabulously kitsch Weeki Wachee mermaid shows),


photographer Bruce Mozert's sparkling underwater images present a cheerful view of suburban Americana:






They're like the cheescake alternative to this beautiful image from the December 1947 edition of Harpers Bazaar:


(click the pictures to enlarge - the last one is particularly pretty in larger format)

Wonky

My sister-in-law and nieces are staying with us this week.
Among their many pets they have a bison called Wonky.



He's very big and a bit smelly, and apparently he's quite clumsy too.... hence the name.

Until he came along, I didn't know that there were any bison in Australia.

Childcare

Oh, Antonia, you crack me up!

A camel is a horse designed by committee

I made another softie for a little girl who loves camels. He's made from high-quality fleece, and is quite large (at about 50cm tall). There's something about him that makes me think he has a cheeky, sweet character ...

Naked camel:



Camel dressed and ready to join the caravan:



I think I like camels too.

Elsie

G's grandmother passed away on Sunday. She was a dear old stick, and will be remembered with love.



I visited my grandmother today - we talked about my dad and both ended up in tears as we miss him so much. It's been a rough 6 months for this family. I'm looking forward to brighter times ....

Soul Prom '69

We got all dressed up on Friday night to celebrate our friend Troy's 40th birthday at his Motown-themed Soul Prom. It was fun!

UNIFORM Studio

I've found a clothing designer who seems to have somehow peeped into my brain and created collections just for me!







I'd really like to learn how to create clothes like this (they don't look too complicated ....). I hope I gain the confidence and patience to keep on trying.

Unfortunately ....

I just spied a fun little meme over at Iris & Lily, which doesn't take long but is enough to amuse small minds such as my own. All you need to do is type "unfortunately, [your name]" into Google, and see what comes up.

Here are a few of mine:

Unfortunately Justine's rocker boyfriend has moved in too, and he isn't kicking in a penny.

Unfortunately, Justine's most effective moments are not those of the novelist but of the poet.

Unfortunately, Justine's German sportswear maker's outfit looked more Sailor Moon than regal RG queen.

Unfortunately, Justine not so at all, I am despising her more and more.

Unfortunately, Justine was a bit sick, but she soldiered bravely on. (And is much better now, thank you.)

... unfortunately Justine is so eager to be reunited with Vincent that she takes a drug and dies before the Doctor has a chance to brief her properly.

Unfortunately, Justine will also learn the consequences that her new relationship will have, and how the tottering of her carefully-balanced life affects the delicate illusions of life for those around her - Holden, her husband, and even Bubba.


Ha! Love it!

Plant fetish

I'm tellin' ya, we horticulturalists like to live life on the wild side ....

This is the kind of thing that really rocks my boat:











~ a small selection of Karl Blossfeldt's ethereal botanic photogravures (via Dee Beale).

Yep. I'm a real wild child.

Autumn bliss

Yet again the Easter weather has been absolutely magic, with warm, sunny days consistently following dewy nights. Heavy rain a couple of weeks ago has prompted local parklands to restore their cloaks of green, and soft light gleams gently through quaking leaves wherever we go.


On Saturday G and I worked in the garden, tidying and replanting (..... I do have a habit of moving plants around every year, and of bringing home too many plants and seeds to fit in my little garden). Our garden is small but it is an intriguing and ever-changing system of form, fragrance, colour, movement, growth and decline. I love it.

Yesterday afternoon we took Gus to the beach, where he swam to his heart's content in the soft golden light as the sun dropped low on the horizon - a wonderful way to end the day! Today was lovely too - we popped Gus in his little pup-mobile and cycled to a cafe in Carlton for lunch (I love meandering with my husband, soaking up the local atmosphere, especially when we don't have to stick to a schedule). Later, at Royal Park, Gus jumped out and raced as fast as he could alongside our bikes for several laps of the park. When I watch him at full gallop, streaming through the grasslands, I know I'm witnessing pure puppy joy! What a shame I didn't have my camera to capture his antics (which were a bit like this):


Riding home in the dappled sunlight through the avenue of old elms along Royal Parade I felt truly happy. This weekend was a good weekend.

Eggy delights

(click to enlarge these lovely pics)

1. easter egg, 2. bowl of knitted easter eggs, 3. Easter Eggs | Macro, 4. Easter Egg, 5. easter egg plant, 6. Easter Eggs, 7. wild easter egg, 8. Easter Eggs Dyed by Nature, 9. Easter Eggs, 10. Easter eggs 5, 11. All of my eggs, 12. found photograph, 13. egg shaped water drop, 14. The last egg, 15. Egg-shaped moon.

Easter egg rolling on the Whitehouse lawn, 1911

~ from Shorpy.com

(click on the image to view the larger version)

Things that go bump in the night

My sister sent me a link to this amusing post from Antonia of Whoopee.


Oh yes .... I think I lived in the same apartment a few years ago (the memories are flooding back!).


(Staircase image from here)