craftjuice

status report: sunday, 28 february, 8.54am

my pet Golden Orb Spider who guards the dog food from the Indian Mynas

Finishing: feeding the doggies - they had a tasty treat of left over lamb shank stew!  lucky ducks.

Thinking about: the tsunami!

Just discovered: caterpillars have completely eaten my favourite asian lettuce overnight - shake of the fist to you!

Cooking: doing more lamb shanks in the slow cooker to make risotto tonight!  I'm on a shank-a-thon.

Planning: to clean up downstairs...soon...

Checking out: the BOM for more tsunami updates - I don't think its going to be too bad. If it is, I might have to go into work.

Listening to: the local ABC radio - how I love listening it on the weekends! (Newsnerd)

I really must: clean up downstairs - I really just don't want to. Motivation zero.

Watching: Mr S's vid of mud soaked ravers at Above and Beyond last night - crazy mofos!

Wanting: for Winter to come - thank goodness its (supposed to be) the last day of Summer today - this heat and humidity just makes me sweaty and cranky.

Have just finished: wishing my friends Yoka and Susan a very happy birthday today!I hope they get spoilt rotten!

Needing to: put on some lippy and get going over to pick up my mum - we're going to see Valentine's Day this morning! My first adult movie in about 12 months! Mmmm....Bradley Cooper...

Missing: my earrings - where did I put them? 

Hoping: to get out and do a bit more gardening this afternoon - the front garden is starting to look a bit more tidy and decent. Its only small, but its all I've got to be proud of.

Looking forward to: getting in the air conditioning at the cinema!  And maybe a choc-top icecream...

Ciao!  Have a great Sunday! (Especially you Kaz! x)

lustful object of the day - teresa green anything

 

Teresa Green's collection of screenprinted kitchen and table linens, bags, purses, aprons, cushions and these little girl smock dresses are to die for.  Mmmm...tea towel....

Yikes.

status update: sunday, 21 february, 8.27am

The last time Miss M and I went to the museum, I took lots of photos of the specimen boards - I love these - the detail of them is fantastic and I love how each species is placed oh-so-carefully next to one another in such a uniform, yet interesting way. I often think that these specimens (just bear with me on this one) must be so proud to represent their species for everyone to see and look in detail at them, when if they landed on your picnic blanket, you'd probably only give them a cursory glance. These boards freak the freak of my inner curator! (And is it just me, or do they also look like button sample boards...?)

Finishing: tidying up the morning mess...how can my house get so untidy in only two hours?!

Thinking about: what we're going to do today - I know what I NEED to do, but what do I WANT to do?

Just discovered: that my dogs have a love of fresh herbs.  My newly planted herb pots have all been chewed down to tufty stumps.  Apparently the Vietnamese Mint is a huge favourite.

Cooking: Vegemite toast. I like leaving the toast go cold before I put on the butter and vegemite. I don't know why. I just do.

Planning: I'm not planning anything actually, just flailing about aimlessly this morning. I need a plan.

Checking out: one of the new fashion mags and feeling less than adequate. I could never look like that in a thousand years. Although I could probably put a little more effort into trying to.

Listening to: the washing machine beeping at me because I need to re-balance it on its spin cycle. Sheets and towels wash.

I really must: do something constructive. Instead of...

Watching: morning cartoons with Miss M.

Wanting: to re-paint my green wall downstairs in bold, colourful, horizonal stripes - is that a good idea? I've chosen five colours - too over the top?  I'll post my colour choices and you can let me know.

Have just finished: my coffee - not sure one is enough this morning.

Needing to: make a start on the de-cluttering!  Thanks everyone for their tips! Most helpful and motivating.

Missing: my crafting mojo.  I think I need to have a really big project to get me started and work through to get me back in the swing of it again. I'm thinking a big quilt for Miss M using my jelly roll. Go bold I say.

Hoping: that its not so hot and humid today. I need to mow the lawn.

Looking forward to: an afternoon family BBQ at my brother's house.

status report: sunday, 14 february, 11.05am

Zucchini flowers are prettier than a bunch of daffodils...and tastier when filled with cheese and dipped in batter.

Finishing: my shopping list for today...and it even includes some things for me! New make up and new lipstick! Red of course.

Thinking about: how I choose to celebrate Chinese food and wine over hearts and flowers today :) Gong xi fa cai!

Just discovered: all three of my little elkhorns have new little light green leaves spreading across their composty mass - must have been all that rain last week. I just put them up a few weeks ago so I feel happy that they are happy in my garden! I've strapped them directly onto the tree with my nude colour fishnet stockings - saucy gardening!

Cooking: nothing! I'm fasting for tonight's Chinese New Year feast!

Planning: the same stuff I was planning to do last week. Oh dear. Me needs some motivation.

Checking out: some sexy new legs for Winter!  Mmmmm....yum.

Listening to: Sola Rosa - Wellidub at its best! Perfect tunes for a Sunday morning.

I really must: find the perfect Chinese New Year t-shirt for our feast this evening.

Watching: the dogs chase a mouse in my house (Mouse 3: Dogs 0). I live very close to Toohey Forest, so mice in the house are quite common unfortunately...time to become a mouse hunter once again. At least the goannas don't hide under my oven...!

Wanting: to de-clutter my life - anyone have any good tips on where to start?! A simple life for me.

Have just finished: having a coffee by the pond and scooping out all the bamboo leaves.

Needing to: take the clothes off the line.....*sighhhhhhh*

Missing: Miss M so much - although I talked to her on the phone this morning and we had a good chat about her wonderful weekend at Nannie and Peepa's house. She has requested bagpipes this morning, so their next door neighbour will give her a rousing bagpipe recital from his deck across the valley. The power over others that little one has...

Hoping: for just even a little love today ;)

Looking forward to: tonight's Chinese New Year celebrations with my favourite peeps at our favourite restaurant - almost a fifteen year tradition for us of feasting, wining, buying cheap (yet fabulous) souvenirs, feeding the dancing lions our money in little red envelopes, laughing, eating and generally being unruly. So much fun!

From this water rat, gong xi fa cai to you all and welcome the tiger....

(And love to you all for Valentine's Day) x

status report: sunday 7 february, 8.45am

My most favourite photo I took at Nezu Shrine, Ueno, Tokyo. This gorgeous old man was on his (I can only romantically assume) daily pilgrimage to the shrine that's hidden in the photo on the right. On the way he and his well behaved little dog fed the pigeons from his bread scraps in the plastic bag he's carrying down the path. He stopped and took his hat off and prayed at the shrine. It was one of the most beautiful and moving experiences of my life and I was so pleased I could capture it forever. Look at the light too - it is magical. I keep this photo in my kitchen and look on it every day.

Finishing: putting away the morning's kitchen clutter

Thinking about: how I was recently reminded of wanting to flit away to Tokyo and how this is now preoccupying my thoughts over the past few days. I think it has been made worse in that its raining here today and, well, I love Tokyo in the rain.

Just discovered: that the rain has filled up my pond to bursting and the fish are beside themselves with the cool and fresh new water.

Cooking: making Miss M's porridge and a coffee for me. We slept in a bit today.

Planning: what I'm going to do today. I need to do the groceries, another load of washing (doh! the rain!) and get some little packages in order for posting - Jaq, Tiff and Maya should all recieve packages in the next few weeks!  I also need to make some little 'welcome to the world' pressies for new babies by Fiona, John and MJ. And I might even tackle getting all my baby stuff out of the house. Baby is now big girl and the baby-stuff clutter is driving me insane.

Checking out: my leaking roof in at least four places, wet ceilings, soggy carpet in my bedroom and growing sense that a phone call needs to be made next week...

Listening to: some music from Canadian band Metric and assessing if I like it...I think they sound a bit like Garbage. As in the band, not that it's rubbish!

I really must: clean out the retreat upstairs - its a shocker.

Watching: Shaun the Sheep its just so funny!

Wanting: to get my body moving and get my 'old body' back, but wondering how I can do that with the limited time I have available to me when all I want to do with that time is flop on the couch, breathe and watch tv!

Have just finished: feeding the dogs and wondering how I can get Zebbie (who is a little piggy) to stop eating Max's food (she's a grazer)

Needing to: file my bills. They are paid, but just all over the house.

Missing: a ticket to Tokyo!

Hoping: that the rain continues...

Looking forward to: seeing Pablo Francisco at The Tivoli on 20 April! Woot!

lustful object of the day: iPad

Why wouldn't you?

This is so good, it makes my touchpad finger throb with lust.

F*ck the Kindle.

open garden schemeing

 
which path to take Dora?

Today Mum, Miss M and I went along to one of Brisbane's amazing Open Gardens as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme.

The local garden 'Lynwood' belongs to a lovely guy, Hugo, who has planted out about an acre of land, connected by a labyrinth of pathways (some secret!) that wanders down, around and across Mimosa Creek - a little bit of paradise in the heart of our sprawling suburb! It is truly beautiful. And some amazing plants.

Here's Miss M down a little secret path to some amazing orchids...

The Scheme opens amazing private gardens to the public for a weekend and is a great opportunity to visit, talk to the owner, wander about and get lost in all the ideas you have for your own garden, no matter how big or small! Its a great opportunity for amazing local gardeners to share their knowledge and often you will see amazing specemins of plants you can only dream of growing or even a rare plant or two.

So I couldn't help but on the way home drop into Bunnings to pick up some new veges for my little slice of dirt.  I planted out a variety of rocket (my favourite), mixed and Asian lettuces...

...as well as some green and yellow zucchini and corn (just for fun, who knows if it will grow there) for the 'bigger' garden. 

I've also noticed some tiny tomato plants popping up from where I dug in the last lot - yum. My little garden out the back is starting to come along nicely now.  Mum gave me quite a few plants to start getting it looking a lot nicer and my little baskets are currenly full of glorious pink and purple petunia colour - which makes me very happy to look at them!

PS At Bunnings, I also bought a new screwdriver set because I can't find my trusty Phillips Head anywhere...its a great set with...wait for it...detatchable end bits! How very domestic goddess of me.

PPS By the way, if you haven't lately, catch up on What Is James Wearing... I'm addicted.

yo yo flower singlet

My very talented friend Belinda and I are sending a little welcome package to brand new bub Evaline in Sydney.

I've made her a little yo yo flower embellished singlet!  Here's the start of the yo yos...

and here's how it turned out...

Too cute!  Be cute under a little cardi in the cooler months too.

I'm also a bit excited because this week sees the return of Crafty Craft Nights with Susan and Gail. Baileys on ice, trash talk and crafty mojo...here we come!