weekend gone...

My little sister is visiting from Cairns, so I've showing her my favourite sites. We went to the collingwood childrens farm & the slow food market at the convent on saturday. Here are a few shots of our day. There are more to see on my flickr.

this is... my favourite op-shopped find

I do love a good pyrex number & I've been lucky to find a few at the oppies. This one is my fruit bowl. For more of my favourite op shop finds, check out these previous posts.

flashback friday

Joining in with the lovely three buttons.
This is me 10.5 months with my big nanna, probably christmas 1982. I had 2 nannas, one was little and one was big. Simple childhood logic.
Boy, wasn't I a chubba bubba!

friday archives...

Another dress sketch from my archives. I like this one, it's a little less gaudy.

thrifty thursday

Check out my scores at the oppy today. A circa 1982 netta lamp... $8.

Cute little shoe stretchers... $2

& 4 johnson-ware saucers... 5c a pop.

I think one of these days I'll have to open my own shop to sell my finds.

king arthur

Everyone, this is Arthur... Arthur, this is everyone.
This is Arthur... you've probably figured out that much already.
He is our new dog, he is two years old & we rescued him from the pound... in Armidale (northern new south wales).
My Samuel had a dog called Suzie, who passed earlier this year. She was 14 & had been his best friend. So when flitting through the ether, he came across a cattledog rescue page... & when he set eyes on dear Arthur, it just had to be. We organised for Arthur to be flown down & since he arrived last thursday night, he has been a true darling. He adapted to us straight away, is quite obedient, very quiet & just loves a cuddle. Every morning, he gets up with the Samuel & hangs out at work with him all day. A trip to the park on the way to & from work, then home again to cuddle on warm laps.
I do like him very much.

on my desk... on a wednesday

A little project I've been working on... it entails ripping (carefully slicing actually) the innards out of old hardcovers. Shown above is one eighth of just one desk. While I may have just tidied up most of the studio... the desks are still a disaster zone.
I feel very accomplished today. After my little hectic spell earlier on in the week, I seem to have calmed down a fraction & get stuff done. You may not believe it but today I did all of the below...

1. emailed two different celebrants regarding our big day
2. emailed the dj to check availability
3. sent out overdue invoices & caught up on other random emails
   
4. started & completed the graphics of 2 advertisements for my fiances business
5. started on the design of our wedding stationery
6. did the grocery shopping (hadn't done a proper shop in a while, so it was a big shop today)
7. cleaned the apartment (well I haven't vacuumed yet, but that can wait til tomorrow)
8. put through a load of washing
   
9. read some of the new frankie mag & a few blogs aswell
10. drank 4 cups of tea & knitted a bit
    
11. & organised some stuff to sell at camberwell market, I'm having a stall there on the 6th of july

Wow, do I feel accomplished now! I still have tomorrow off aswell to finish off my cleaning.
My little sister arrives from Yarrabah on friday night, she's staying for ten days. On the top of our list of things to do together is to visit the zoo. This is why I must do so much this week, so next week I can just hang out.

mmm, gelati anyone?

I am the proud owner of a Betty Jo brooch, just couldn't resist it... could you?

this is ... my most favourite outfit, that expresses my personal style

This is me waiting patiently for the bloody photo to be taken, so I don't have to stand still anymore with this silly smile on my face. I think perhaps I am not a very willing model, I prefer to be behind the camera for sure.
So... in the wintertime, my favourite outfit consists of
white converse -in this case my new cuties
daggy jeans -that are saggy around the bottom area
layers of cotton tops (3) -for warmth & breathability
a woolly jumper - in this case an old Benetton hand me down from my best mate
a scarf -this one is vintage 1960's
clement, my big black jacket - for in-clement weather
old grand papa hat - from flea market, my head is sooo small that whenever I find a hat that fits, I buy it automatically. I love hats & now have a collection of 8, never too many I say!
& several brooches - a crown brooch holding my scarf together, a willy wagtail brooch upon my lapel, & hiding under my jacket, attached to my jumper is a santa maria ship brooch.
So what does this say about me? I don't like too much colour, I'm very sensible & have layers to keep warm, I'm not really a heels girl & I'm not too fancy.
Thank you so much to everyone who posted their outfits & to Angela for putting up with my theme. x
And a big thank you for your support from the last post. I'm feeling a little calmer tonight.

hectic...

is exactly what my life has been lately. I can't quite establish when it became this hectic, perhaps it happened gradually over the course of the last few weeks. I have so many unfinished projects, emails not sent, invoices not sent, parcels not mailed, books to be bound, friends not seen & house not cleaned. I haven't even had time to post my this is for this week & I came up with the theme! I am making conscious effort this week to rectify the majority of the above. I'm trying to reduce my stress levels, by tackling one thing at a time rather than being freaked out by the whole. Even if I'm on the executive B, stress still creeps up on me. So if my posts are few and far between this week, it's because I'm running like a banshee catching up on all of the above. I hope everyone is coping with their stresses & please know that you are not alone.

fresh from the friday archives

Check out this beauty!
This one was designed for my sister because her name is Melissa I created an M neckline.

I can't believe how many of these dresses I drew, surely I was unwell.

"melissa magic"

work in progress

Stay posted for a little girl meets guy craft, coming to this space soon.

thrifty kitty strikes again

I did the rounds of my local oppies yesterday & I must say, they were a little dry. Or perhaps I couldn't justify buying much that I saw. However, from three different shops I scored a little at a time. From mecwa I found the patons woolcraft book, at the salvos I found a handful of buttons & a pussycat tin & at the mission, I found a vintage apron. It looks as though it's never been worn & it's label is still crisp & attached. All up I spent $4.50, what a score.

on my desk... on a wednesday... a day late

Packages from the postman.
A beautiful pay it forward gift from the lovely libby of zoesquid, which included handmade lavender satchets & pincushion. Both way too cute for their own good. Thank you so much for your pay it forward kindness.
& a little parcel of the cutest retro deer fabric, how big is it's head & how skinny is the neck. Hee hee it makes me giggle. The other piece is a section of a bedsheet.

"this is" update

I just wanted to make sure that nobody was feeling nervous about this weeks "this is".
Individual style, does not need to be fashionable. Fashion changes with the season & realistically imagine the cost to us and the earth if we just turfed our clothes after every season.
So yes, we all have jeans we've been wearing for years, held up by an old belt bought in our uni days, that is ripped & slowly falling to pieces. A favourite shirt that has a stain that just won't come out no matter how much you wash it, but hey it can't be seen when you put nannas old cardy over the top. The hair that hasn't been cut in months that hides under a $20 grandpa hat found at the market. To the cute designer necklace that came from your best mate for christmas in 2005.
Mismatched?, from many seasons (years more like it), unique colour combinations, whether it's designer or from the cheapo shop... if you feel good & it is comfortable to wear, then who gives a flying hoot. If you are happy in your clothes & in your skin, your smile & energy is what will draw people to you & this is your style.
And if you are not comfortable to show a photo, our lovely host has offered a great idea of finding an image on the web that depicts your style or how you would like to dress. So do not fear, there is always option B.

this weeks "this is"...

So, my name has been drawn to choose this weeks "this is".
At first I was excited, all of the possibilities. But when I finally started thinking, I absolutely flat-lined. No thoughts came to mind & I've been trying very hard. However, today when I was trawling the streets for some cheap but awesome fashion inspiration... I failed to find it. So I think this weeks theme should be...

this is... my most favourite outfit that expresses my individual style

& yes ladies, I want to see the whole get-up head to toe. That's not too much to ask is it? I can't wait to see them all.
Here below are some peeps with individual style, found on the satorialist. We can't all be this stylish... or maybe we can.

beauty in the mundane...

This is one of my favourite mantras & while fossicking around on this blog I found a most perfect example of this very phrase. She collects bread bag ties & aren't they displayed so beautifully.

a date!

Yay! We have finally set a date for our wedding, the 28th of March 2009. We have booked a venue for the ceremony, now I just have to get down to business & start organising everything else. Our theme is focused on the old-school, 50's 60's 70's, anything goes. Me being me, I want everything to be as handmade or vintage as possible. I also want to involve many friends & family in the creating process. My dress will be made by my mother in law & the stationary etc will be designed by the man & myself, the wedding cars will be supplied by numerous friends (having a mechanic for a future husband does have benefits) & our reception space also will be created by us & friends.
We're getting quite excited. Stay tuned for further advancements.

image found here

new shoes

Yesterday I passed the converse store in centreway & fell in love... with these shoes. I splurged & bought them, I just couldn't resist. The illustration on them is by Camilla Engman, isn't she super. Check out her blog too.
Today I shall wear them & skip with glee, they do make one quite happy.

this is... the space in which I create

I posted these pics are short while back, but here they are again fo the sake of this is.
I am very lucky to have a whole room to myself. A few things have changed since I took these pics... a) it's alot messier & b) I have quadrupled my fabric stash, thanks to the opp shops.
For more creative spaces go over here.


I am a little short on words today, we had a birthday bash for my loved one & I am now feeling worse for wear. Thank the lord I had the brains to do most of the cleaning last night whilst drunk. Because today, hungover the little cleaning that we had left was soooo painful.
I expressed my feelings on not having another party until he is forty, that's fair enough I think.

today my man is 30

Here are my gifts for him, all wrapped in opp-shopped fabric. He received the taste part of his gift last night, we went to Da Noi on toorak rd for a sardignian feast. Delicious food, beautiful wine & wonderful conversation. Happy birthday to my wonderful man. You mean the world to me.

friday archives...

Inspired by a summer sunset over the water, this outfit combines playful lines with an engaging palette. A sensual look for a day at the track. This is another piece I re-worked to perfection... see below.
p.s. do you like my design statement?

this is... a) my favourite travel memory & b) very late

When I first moved to Melbourne in 2003, I spent alot of time walking streets & laneways. I wanted to familiarise myself with the city, to reach out & capture it as my own. I have taken alot of photographs of what I now call my home town. The photos below are from my first year here, & still now you can often find me wandering the streets, camera in hand.

1.looking up in flinders lane, 2.forum theatre seen from hosier lane, 3.waiting on st kilda rd

4. on elgin st, carlton, 5. out of my window on elgin st, 6. old gunshop on elgin st

7. in carlton gardens, 8. on swanston st, 9. in hosier lane

10. on rathdowne st, 11. when the walls were bare in hosier lane

on my desk... on a wednesday

Today I spent 9 hours doing my motorbike learners course..... & I bloody well passed! Can you believe it? I was quite the wreck of nerves, but pulled up fine & dandy when it came to test time. I can't believe that little old scaredy cat me, accomplished what I did today. Here is my temporary license until I receive the real one in the post.
And despite not posting much lately, I've been up to some crafty things. Here is a tote I made on Saturday, from opp-shopped grey wool & 50c pillowcase. Sure it's not super perfect... but it is super cool, because it even has a pocket on the outside & it's lined with pillowcase too. I'm still not that flash in the sewing department, but if it looks ok & doesn't fall apart I'm content.
And just now, I made this wee purse. Again, not perfect... but if you squint... you won't notice where the whoopsies are.
So that's all for today my dears, til I babble on again.

tim tam wars

We bought a share pack of tim tams to share... and then I had to go to work... so I threatened dear samuel... that if he dare eat all the tim tams before I arrived home... that I would do something horrendously horrible to him... so this is his way of showing which were mine and which were his... so that way we would get equal share... because apparently if I don't gobble my twelve up straight away & then I leave the house... they could be anyones... so just so you know... the ones that say kitty... are mine!