this is ... something I'm surprised that I like

Gardening.

Or, more specifically, weeding the garden. The damn weeds and especially the buffalo grass grow so much more quickly than I have time to remove them. So I look at the garden and feel sad that it so out of control.

Yet, when I do get a chance, I realise that gardening is fun! Such a good way to unwind.

This week, I have started a new morning routine whereby Olive plays in her sandpit, the chickens come out of their coop for a bit of a scratch and I crawl around in the garden pulling out weeds. Bliss.

this is ... my favourite film

I am finally going to make the effort to get back into the "this is" meme. I have extended my vacation for far too long!

I could not possibly choose just one film as my favourite. I'm afraid the best I can do is to narrow it down to a shortish list of favourite directors/creative teams:
* David Lynch (Eraserhead; Blue Velvet; Twin Peaks (the tv series); Wild at Heart; Lost Highway; Mullholland Drive)
* Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands; Ed Wood; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Sweeney Todd)
* Jeunet and Carot (Delicatessen; City of the Lost Children; Amelie)
* the Coen brothers (Raising Arizona; Barton Fink; Fargo)
* Peter Greenaway (The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover; The Baby of Macon)
* Alfred Hitchcock (Rear Window; Vertigo; Psycho; Marnie)

Hmmm. Looking at that list, all of my favourite directors have a fairly dark and distinctive vision, and their films are aesthetically beautiful. The mise-en-scene is much more important to me than the plot! In the spirit of which, I shall choose one film that is especially beautiful:
Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love.


Love, love, love the wallpaper! And the frocks. And the food. The soundtrack's not bad, either!

this is ... what makes me happy

Warming up in front of the heater.

Collecting freshly laid eggs in the morning. I especially enjoy it when all of the chickens come out of their yard and follow me in a line.

Cooking with ingredients grown in our own back yard. And making a healthy meal for the people I love.


Being there when Olive does something for the first time.

Lining up books in height order.

A warm shower - my best thinking time.

A little bit of time to create.

I look for my happiness in the simple pleasures of everday life. As much as I can, I want to live in the moment and appreciate what I have. There is no point in always looking forward in anticipation of some imagined future happiness, or defining hapiness as something that only happens on special occassions. There is so much to appreciate every day.

Special thanks to Jacinta from One Little Acorn for her great topic this week.

this is ... what scrambles my brain

Crochet patterns. For the life of me, I simply cannot read them.

Which is funny (strange, not ha ha) because I have no trouble with freehanding crochet and frequently turn to it when I can't find a pattern to follow. Like these:

A toilet doll roll made as a housewaming gift for my sister. I was aiming for super-tacky but I still think I've seen worse.

Owl rattle.

The inaccesibility of crochet patterns has become doubly frustrating since I joined Ravelry because there are so many cute amigurumi creatures I'd love to be making. Like these little guys:
striped turtle
snail
duckling
gnome

So, if you know of a good online crochet tutrial or can recommend a book, please let me know. Cheers!

this is ... my treasured childhood possession

I'm only five days late with my meme post this week. Still not great but getting better ...

I'd like to introduce you to Seranja. I'm not quite sure of the spelling of her name because I invented it before I learnt my ABCs.

Admittedly, Seranja is quite a scary looking girl. I think it's the teeth that does it. In fact, my partner insists that I ensure she is hidden in a fully closed drawer each night for fear that she will come to life and strangle us in our sleep.

I wouldn't exactly say that Seranja was well-loved but I did treasure her as a child because she was handmade by an aunt, and again as a teenager because I realised that she had provided me with much of my sense of style. (Thank goodness that Barbie was banned in our house!) Note in particular Seranja's black boots (I was a doc Martens devotee), stripey tights, petticoat and dress.


As a child, I as always fascinated by Seranja's knickerbockers too. Luckily, I never took my mimicry of her that far.

And now that I have a child of my own, I find myself wearing ric-rac-embellished aprons.

Thanks to Angela of Three Buttons for the "this is" meme and Danielle of teacups on treetops for this week's topic.

this is ... my best op shop find

Only six days late! Ah well, at least I guess it could be worse ...

I do love to op shop because it is a quick, easy excursion that gets us out of the house. And of course, no matter how much I spend, it's always a bargain! Best op shop find ever is a very tall order so I have instead focused on my best op shop find this year. My prime hunting target at the moment is vintage board books and this is my favourite so far.

What is it? is a golden book printed in Japan but I can only guess at the date. Intended as a picture dictionary, it is instead a sweet illustration of how much some things have changed.

These are a couple of my favourite pages.

Things for baby. Check out the chair!

Friendly animals. Puppies and kittens were insanely popular subjects.

Things to ride. I love the driving goggles!

And while I'm at it, why not take a look at some of the other books I have picked up?

Let's Talk

A bunny talking to a deer. As they do.

Baby Animals is another golden book but is more recent, with a 1980 copyright.

Little Kitten Mischief was printed in Tokyo in 1968. See what I mean about the puppies and kittens?

Puppies was printed in Holland in 1974. It is Olive's favourite because it is small and she is obsessed with dogs. I wonder where she gets her obsessive nature from? ;)

this is ... the space in which I create

I thought seriously about not participating in "this is ..." this week. I like Michelle's topic and will be doing the rounds to see how everyone else fared but when I looked into my craft room I was embarrassed, nay even ashamed of the mess that it has become. And I have promised myself that I will not sew or otherwise play in my craft room until all of my TAFE homework is done. Luckily the homework is reasonably fun (tapestry weaving and painting with gouache) and it is due in less than two weeks so I should survive. Just.

Anyway, rather than slinking quietly into a corner I thought I would expand the topic a little and show you some shots from my whole house. Because, after all (and much to my partner's frustration), my crafting rarely stays confined to its designated room. So here it is:

Double French doors (behind Beaker, who thinks it's all about him). We have three sets of French doors: two in the lounge room and one as the front door. They are beautiful but not very practical as they take up an awful lot of wall space and are probably not overly secure. But they're pretty.

Radiator on the bathroom wall. There are matching heaters in the kitchen and second bedroom. I'm not sure that they even work any more - I would never actually use them because they guzzle too much power. And yet I do like knowing that they're there.

Lino on the kitchen floor. We also have killer vintage lino in the second bedroom and the toilet.

I fell in love with our house from the moment I first saw it thanks to these features and more. It is a genuine 1940s time capsule with only one set of owners before us and almost no modifications. I didn't even show you the wood oven! The really sad thing is that it is sitting on a huge block so I know that when we sell it will get bulldozed to make way for two or three ugly new townhouses. There is even a proposal to turn our road into a six lane highway, which will spell forced acquisition of either the whole block or just the front yard, leaving trucks to whiz past just inches from our bedroom. We're not budging yet though. We must protect the picture rails, the ceiling roses and the extra-wide timber floorboards!

this is ... my favourite travel memory

Ah, what a great topic this week. It was a great excuse to go back through all of our holiday snaps and I was pleasantly surprised to realise that one of our best overseas trips was also one of the easiest and cheapest. New Zealand was abound with fun things to do and spectacular scenery but the undoubted highlight of the trip was our day spent on the Franz Josef glacier.


The view from partway up the glacier. Can you see the tiny people on the half day trek? And the river of melted glacier water going out to the sea?

Yes, the steps really were as steep as they look. We had ice picks on our shoes but it was still pretty scary, especially coming down.

Sliding down a wormhole - a naturally occurring tunnel in the ice. It was cold and wet but so much fun!

A kea. These parrots are notoriously cheeky. Our guide warned us that they like to steal lunches and told us about a bird that once stole one of his party's lunch out of their bag then came back later to drop the empty container on their head.

Still on the topic of travel, we are planning a trip to Europe with Asian stopovers in August. I've found lots of crafty things to see in London but wonder if you can advise on any particularly good shops or lesser-known museums in any of the other cities we will visit: Shanghai (I know there's a shoe museum there but frustratingly can't find an address!), Barcelona, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris and Singapore.

this is ... my pets

We have many pets (ten at the moment!) but Muzzle is our most beloved. She is part whippet, part mutt and very, very bouncy. So bouncy that she can jump most of our fences so we can't leave her unattended in the back yard but instead have to lock her in "jail" during the day - a space along the side of the house where we have extended the fence and installed a gate. She doesn't seem to mind though, obediently trotting in when we command her to "go to jail". Muzzle suffers from a common whippet behavioural disorder known as "excessive greeting disorder" - she gets so excited when anyone she knows enters the house that she dances on her hind legs howling "He-wo!". The other word that she knows is "walk". If we pick up our house keys, pick up her lead or mention the word she dances again, this time saying "A waaall. A waaall." Not perfect diction, I know, but hey she is a dog after all.


Another pet worth mentioning is Beaker, our cockatiel. We never had the patience or inclination to teach him to talk but he has learnt to make the sound of the telephone ringing, water going down the drain and my sister's laugh. He adores taking a shower with me and has decided that I am his mate - he will only sit on me and bites anyone else who comes near. Like Muzzle, Beaker is also good at greeting - he recognises the sounds of our cars and starts chirping as we pull up in the driveway.

If you want to get to know our pets better you can join my partner's social networking site for pets, My Star Pet.

Thanks so much to sweet Kyla for suggesting this week's theme. Check out three buttons for links to everyone else who is playing along.

this is ... something I haven't used

Wow. As soon as I saw this week's this is topic from flossy-p I immediately thought of my fabric stash. I potentially could have spent half the afternoon sorting and photographing but thought better of it and did some actual sewing instead. So, this is just one of the very many pieces of fabric that I have bought but not yet put to use.


Clearly, it is currently a vintage sleeping bag. In the future, I hope to help it become another warm comfy skirt like these.

this is ...my way of recycling

Finally, a nice easy "this is" whose answer immediately sprang to mind.
I have a bit of a thing for old bedding. I am currently lining some little girls' dresses with vintage sheets and pillow cases. They are so pretty and soft.
But what really makes me excited is a good bedspread, which becomes a skirt once I get my hands on it.

this is ... the pair of shoes that I would sleep in if I could

Being vegan, my footwear options are seriously limited and sadly, I don't own any shoes that I am paticularly fond of at the moment. So instead, I decided to go looking for a suitable pair that I could fantasise about wearing. Predictably, the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto came up with the goods. (I went there in 2004 and the Shoe Museum was one of the highlights of my trip. That, along with their Textiles Museum. What a great city!)


This pair of mojari were worn by the Nizam of Hyderabad in India in the early 1800s. They are embellished with gold metal thread, sequins, rubies, diamonds and emeralds. How's that for fancy? But what I really like is the curly elf toes.

this is ... my favourite book

It is always a difficult task to choose just one favourite. (Olive seems to have inherited my indecision. If we offer her more than one thing at a time she hesitates for the longest time, hand poised mid-air.)

I was a real book worm as a child and have gone through many favourites over the years but have lost any interest in fiction more recently. I can't quite see the point of making up a story when real life and the present are so much more important and compelling. So I knew that my curent favourite would be non-fiction - most likely art or craft - but to find out which, I had to go to the book shelves and see which one I most wanted to hold. And the winner?

The Taschen 25th anniversary edition of Hundertwasser by Harry Rand. I have blogged about Hundertwasser's architecture already but hadn't mentioned how much I love his paintings and prints too. All those beautiful colours and sinuous lines. Makes my toes wiggle with pleasure just to think about it.





"This is" meme brought to you by three buttons; this week's topic was by Dees of Daisy in La La Land.

This is ... my perfect dinner party guest list

Late again but at least I'm still trying!

Lily and Agathe wasthe source of this week's "this is ..." theme and it's a real doozy! I get to choose six people to invite to dinner. In reality, I think I would feel much more comfortable inviting established friends and family but that's probably not so interesting for you to read about so I shall have a crack at a rather more exotic list.

The number one thing I want at a dinner party is lots of laughs. Dear Mr Larry David, will you please attend? He would be sure to add some controversy to the evening's procedings too.


Next, the conversation needs some intelligence. And as I can choose absolutely anyone, why not also make it someone whose invention has changed many lives. There's an awful lot I'd like to talk about with Louis Braille.

Of course, I need someone to talk textiles with. How about Liza Dalby, author of Kimono and The Tale of Murasaki? I am seriously fascinated by the idea of having a different wardrobe for every two-week season throughout the year, or wearing seventeen layers of skirts all coloured to suggest a certain element in nature.


Now to make sure that everyone is happy, we need a caring, grandparenty-type person. What the hey, why not invite Santa Clause?

For our entertainment, a musician would do well. For something acoustic and an intriguing life story, I would like to invite Nick Drake.


Call me lazy, but my idea of a perfect dinner party does not include me cooking, so I'd better invite a vegan chef along as well. Miriam Kasin Hospodar, author of Heaven's Banquet, would be great not just for her cooking but also to explain a bit more about Ayurvedic cooking.

I've just realised that I've listed six of the qualities I value most. How interesting. Now to go see who everyone has chosen ...

this is .. my jewellery/trinkets box

I am late with my meme post again, this time becuase I have been working all week. I'm not used to this full time business and very glad that it's ony temporary!

This is my jewellery/trinkets box. You will notice that it is empty, due to the fact that I don't wear jewellery. But I love the box because it was made by my extremely talented mother.

this is ... the contents of my handbag

wallet
keys
mobile (when I remember it)
That's all!

Actually, I don't even have a handbag. I just transfer the above three items from one bag to another depending on where I'm going and what I'm wearing. The bags are much more intersting than their contents:

A nappy bag made by my sister using Miffy fabric she bought in Japan.

A Shinzi Katoh tote that is big and sturdy enough to carry my TAFE supplies.

A homemade knitting bag with pockets just the right size for needles, scissors and measuring tape. I have been using this bag much more in recent days and hope to be able to show you the results in a couple of weeks.

My "turf bag", which I made from a square of fake grass that I found in Lincraft many years ago.

And many, many more ...

P.S. Sorry about the scarcity of photos today. Olive has decided once again that she won't sleep unless she's lying on top of me so my free time has been radically diminished. I know it's just a phase, but I'm hoping it won't last too long. And trying not to guiltily think that it's a sign she's become insecure since I went back to work :(

this is ... my demon

Another tricky this is ... this week.

Being a non-smoking, teetotalling vegan who doesn't even consume caffeine, I don't have terribly many vices. I do eat rather too many fizzy lollies than I should but surely that's a small indulgence I can allow myself.

But I do have a sneaky little demon who pops out just when I don't want him to: I am shy. Not enough to ruin my life but certainly enough to stop me from reaching out when I could potentially be making a new friend and expanding my world. It was a big plunge for me to launch myself into blogland and even now that I am here, I am very nervous about the protocol for comments (is there one? what is it???) and have not taken enough opportunities to tell you all how much you entertain, encourage and inspire me. I truly do appreciate the time that you take to read my ramblings and really enjoy being able to take a peek into your worlds too.

While I don't think I'll ever conquer my demon, I can continue to try to ignore his voice and take steps to counteract his evil doings. So today I am changing my "blogs I visit" list to a list of "friendly blogs". If you are reading this - that means you! If you would like to be added to the list, just let me know and I will be able to visit you too.

[The beautiful Blythe image above is from Gina Garan's This is Blythe site.]

this is ... looking out my front door

I am soooooo late with my this is ... post this week.

I had thought that I was coping well with the transition from full-time mum to still-breastfeeding-and-expressing mum who is also a part-time student and office worker, but it seems that I was operating on a knife-edge, easily thrown off balance by the slightest little thing. So when Olive had a cold and blogger refused to upload my photos, something had to give. I'm hoping you will forgive me ...


This is actually looking through my front door. We have a lovely set of double frech doors as the front door and two sets in the lounge room. Beautiful but not so practical, really. Beauty wins!


These are the Christmas decorations on the front porch I told you about that have been up since 2006!

Actually, the main view we have from our front door is of traffic. Lots and lots of traffic, all banked up and with nothing better to do than sit in their cars and look at us all weekend. I used to have terrible trouble trying to mow our buffalo grass with a hand mower (wearing a skirt, as always) because everyone seemed to feel the need to either honk or yell out comments and advice.

We have been known to do our own share of staring back out the front window though. Because there is also a bus stop at the front of our house and more than the average number of nutters. The most entertaining of all, though, were the white trash couple across the street. They seemed to save all of their arguments in the front yard. Like the night when we were woken by a "whack, whack" at 2am and looked out to see the woman hitting the guy's car with a broom stick. Or the day when the guy was locked out in the throes of an argument so he threw his shoe through the front window and climbed in that way. The next day he moved out and amused the movers greatly by insisting that they carry some of the larger funiture out through the window. Two days later he moved back in ...

Ah, I am such a gossip!

this is ... my inspiration board

Okay, I confess. I didn't do my homework this week. Because I don't have an inspiration board and I don't really want one - the only wall in my craft room is taken up by floor to ceiling shelves stuffed full of stash and my table looks onto this:

a window looking out into the back yard that provides ample distraction and inspiration.

A do have a visual diary though, which is where I keep pictures that inspire me along with my own doodles, experiments and ideas. So I some of the things that are in my visual diary but could just as easily be on an inspiration board include:
* ink drawings by Gottfried Helnwein. I love his large scale photographic portraits too.
* paper cutting by Rob Ryan and Cindy Ferguson
* vintage and retro wallpapers from designyourwall, johnny tapete, interior1900 and 5qm
* Japanese patterns from these books here and here

While we're on the topic of memes, I should mention that I was thinking of joining in on the Wedneday "On my desk" meme started by Kirstie of Kootoyoo but when I surveyed my desk with an objective eye I was horrified to realise that it is almost completely covered in unfinished projects. And while I agree with the Amitie crowd that it is perfectly okay to be working on a number of projects at once, I seem to have a strange aversion to the very final finishing stages. So if I want to find anything worthy of photographing on my desk, I'm going to have to do something about my UFOs. And I have already made a start! Witness:


skirt waiting only for bias binding to be added to the waist


completed skirt


bibs waiting for the snap fasteners to be attached


completed bibs ready to join their friends in my etsy site (although you may have noticed that I cheated with the photo - this is one I prepared earlier)

Watch this space to check on further progress (and give me a nudge if you don't see any).

Do you have lots of UFOs too? Which is your favourite part of a project: planning, starting, the meaty middle or finishing?