:: spices for violet ::

I've moved!

2009-06-25T13:07:00.001+10:00

I've moved blogsites to Tumblr:

http://spices-for-violet.tumblr.com/

I won't be updating this site any further.

Steph xx

Couldn't find Atticus anywhere...

2009-04-30T15:47:00.002+10:00

... until I looked in the only patch of sunshine left in the lounge room and found him inside the knitting basket...

Couch Cat

2009-04-29T19:24:00.000+10:00

Atticus le Catticus

2009-04-27T09:33:00.004+10:00

Atticus it is. Kitson sounded really silly to call out.

Atticus is proving to be quite a distraction - I have done NO school work all weekend, plus my sleep is very interrupted. He kneads my hair and neck and purrs for about 20 minutes before nodding off, then is wide awake at 6am playing with my hair again. I am trying to get him to stay out of my bed but he is a wriggly little thing who managed to weasel his way under the covers. A kitten nose in your belly button at 6am is a bit strange. Well, it's strange at any time of the day or night really...

Eagles of Death Metal

2009-04-27T09:23:00.003+10:00

No, they don't play death metal. They play good old dirty rocknroll. They covered the Stones, they played that song that goes "here I am, stuck in the middle with you", the audience stomped on the ground to call for an encore, their lead singer is hot in a dirty old rocker kind of way, and the crowd was generally pretty cool. (Except for the girl in front of us who smoked throughout the entire show, despite people around her saying it was now illegal. She tossed her head and said that she was from Germany, and we were a bunch of tight wankers. Basically. Hmm.)

Kitten Name

2009-04-26T09:13:00.004+10:00

I think I am leaning towards Kitson, after my favourite comedian Daniel Kitson...

Both hilarious and slightly bumbling, plus I love the play on 'Kit'.

I think he isn't perhaps refined enough to be Atticus, or cutesy enough to be called Frankie.

Last night he was fascinated my the laptop, today he is doing battle with a bra on the floor (still a boobs man all the way).

He has also taken a liking to sitting on my bedside table under the lamp.

Still no name...

2009-04-25T17:10:00.000+10:00

Sleepy Kitten

2009-04-25T15:36:00.000+10:00

A new arrival... Meow!

2009-04-25T15:04:00.003+10:00

Today I adopted an 8 week old male kitten from a shelter in Wallan.

He is currently scooting around the kitchen, chasing a ball, his own tail, looking out the window, making a bed in a washing basket... When I am able to get him to stop for a second, for a cuddle, he climbs up onto my shoulders, and happily settled onto my chest for a sleep just before.

He has very blue eyes, grey and white stripes, and white chest, feet and tummy.

Best of the V-Fest

2009-04-05T18:26:00.003+10:00

Some phone pics of my Polaroids...

2009-03-29T17:02:00.001+11:00

Miss Piggy’s AEROBIQUE Exercise Workout Album

2009-03-21T15:15:00.004+11:00

America’s most talented and glamorous superstar shows you how to keep fit and stay slimme and trimme with a few minutes of daily dance movements so simple you can actually perform some of them in your sleep!
- No heavy lifting things
- No boring calistheniques
- No getting-out-of-breath
- No messing up your clothes
- No dippy double-talk from know-it-alls
- No Smart de Pants lectures on “bad food”
- No brain-numbifying instructions before you can begin
- No feeling like a wet noodle after you have finished

Luckily...

2009-03-21T13:22:00.003+11:00

OK this meme is making the rounds, but I do find it amusing!
Google "Luckily (your name)" and see what comes up!
Here are some of mine...

"Luckily, Stephanie has a good sense of humour and the bad date didn’t sour her toward Andrea at work."
(Phew, I was worried about what Andrea would think)

"Luckily, Stephanie doesn’t have the task of looking for Ranger. She’s got her own cases to track and a family situation interfering with her personal life."
(I'm so relieved I don't have to look for Ranger!)

"Luckily, Stephanie brought along some snacks: caramel popcorn, mixed nuts and chocolate covered raisins, plus Patti brought some sugar cookies."
(Thank Christ for Patti's sugar cookies. I know my popcorn, nuts and raisins just weren't enough)

"Luckily Stephanie got away without having to pay for damages."
(Yeah, it's true)

"Luckily, Stephanie is still talking to me."
(Yes, you ARE lucky - bitch)

"Luckily, Stephanie still has plenty of wit and grit (and a full wardrobe of spandex)"
(HOW DID THEY KNOW?!)

"Luckily, Stephanie not only did what I wanted, but I think she was able to magically read my mind, hence the great haircut."
(If you take the haircut bit out, it's soooo much better)

"Luckily, Stephanie was already up and dressed. She was there in under 10 minutes."
(Somehow I doubt that very much)

"Luckily, Stephanie is tough. She gritted her teeth and smartly made a big effort to join some local English speaking groups."
(Closer to the truth than you realise)

"Luckily, Stephanie finally gets to display her weeping skills."
(HURRAH!)

"Luckily, Stephanie and I had a conversation last week that reminded me that I forgot."
(WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!)

"Luckily, Stephanie was available to do the project with him."
(And just what IS this project?!)

"But, luckily Stephanie came to my rescue and we went to a Snow Patrol show at Canes in San Diego."
(I am that kind of girl, what can I say?)

"Luckily, Stephanie stopped her Whale song when she began speaking real words."
(PHEW)

DIY Bunny Mansion

2009-01-18T21:26:00.008+11:00

Today I completed a project I have been thinking about, planning for and procrastinating over for some time... Milo's hutch renovation, taking bunny accommodation to the next level!

The wire squares are from Bunnings and over 4 years of rabbit ownership they have been remodeled into many different configurations for 2 bunnies, as well as temporary enclosures for holidays and sick bunnies. I can't remember how much they are - I remember getting some from Big W for about $13 for a pack of 8. I suspect Bunnings was cheaper. They can be tricky to come by but bunny owners are notorious for hoarding them for various structures to house our little munchkins.

So, the hutch is made from these squares that are about 35cm square... 5 in length, 2 high and 2 wide. I used hardwood garden stakes (some cut to size, some not) - $13 for 6 from Bunnings. I got 10 small stakes for about $3 as extra supports. I drilled through them and attached them to the wire structure with cable ties.
The top deck is simply 7mm plywood cut to size and attached with cable ties after some strategically drilled holes were placed around the edges. The plywood was about $10 from Bunnings.
Milo is quite attached to the blue storage crate on its side, which he has used as a shelter since he was first adopted and brought home. It fits perfectly in the wire squares, and was about $7 from Kmart. (He has chewed through the handles - maybe for windows?!)

The roof has been a tricky thing for a while now - we need to be able to reach in to get him out when necessary, amongst other necessities like cleaning etc - so I used a garden stake as a central support, and created a tri-fold roof section. It’s held down with clips (surprisingly secure) and works quite well.

The roof is a salvaged piece of ‘Colourbond’ roofing in a delightful olive green (splattered with plums that recently fell from the tree above!) that just sits on top over night. Sometimes I weigh it down with a brick if there is wind about!

These wire squares (Google “NIC cubes”) are great because they are plastic-coated so that they don’t rust, and little paws can’t be hurt on thin wire. It’s important to have a wire floor as bunnies are natural diggers and can at times escape an un-floored hutch on the lawn. They are structurally very sound for smaller enclosures, but now that the hutch is more of a mansion, I needed it to be very sturdy for being moved around on the lawn on a daily basis.

The other advancement in bunnyland today was the purchase of a portable/indoor hutch. It was $120 from a pet store (ouch. But I did shop around) and means on hot days or cold nights or holidays, Milo can be enclosed safely but have some room to move. Also good for mansion renovations or times when a certain fluffball is being naughty inside when running free, chewing cables and armchairs and hiding in bookshelves… a time-out hutch, one might call it…

Op Shopping Adventure MOSAIC!

2009-01-12T21:27:00.001+11:00

Op Shopping Adventures
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

Here they are in condensed form... Lovely!

Op Shopping Adventures

2009-01-12T18:56:00.000+11:00

Today I made use of being in a country town on a week day (only happens in school holidays!) and had a lovely time fossicking! I've given up on clothes, which means when I DO find something that I like and that actually FITS me, it's a bonus! Being a 14-16 means that there are many things that I don't just slip into anymore... anyway... today's finds will be posted from Flickr, it's just easier for now...

Close up of vintage apron print

2009-01-12T18:50:00.003+11:00

Close up of vintage apron print
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

Vintage Apron and Dress

2009-01-12T18:50:00.001+11:00

Vintage Apron and Dress
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

This apron was WAAAAAY too cute to walk past!

Vintage Dress

2009-01-12T18:49:00.005+11:00

Vintage Dress
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

It's a perfect fit!

Basket

2009-01-12T18:49:00.003+11:00

Basket
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

My new handbag!

English china plate

2009-01-12T18:49:00.001+11:00

English china plate
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

(Shadows make this look "inside-out"!)

Woodsware Plate

2009-01-12T18:48:00.003+11:00

Woodsware Plate
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

Johnson Brothers Plate

2009-01-12T18:48:00.001+11:00

Johnson Brothers Plate
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

Too cute!

More Vintage Patterns

2009-01-12T18:47:00.005+11:00

Vintage Patterns
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

Vintage Patterns

2009-01-12T18:47:00.003+11:00

Vintage Patterns
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

Children's Picture Book

2009-01-12T18:47:00.001+11:00

Children's Picture Book
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

Beautiful black and white illustrations.

Little Golden Books

2009-01-12T18:46:00.001+11:00

Little Golden Books
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

I had some of these as a child - The Saggy Baggy Elephant, The Scared Little Kitten... oh the memories!

Picture Dictionary (inside)

2009-01-12T18:45:00.001+11:00

Picture Dictionary (inside)
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

GREAT for cardmaking and collages!

Picture Dictionary

2009-01-12T18:44:00.001+11:00

Picture Dictionary
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

Leather Belts

2009-01-12T18:43:00.004+11:00

Leather Belts
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

These are great on the waist, and at that price, for LEATHER, I could not pass them by!

Vintage Chair

2009-01-12T18:43:00.001+11:00

Vintage Chair
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

$10! How could I pass this up?!
AND it fits in the back of my little car - BONUS!

Kootoyoo's Op Shop Finds

2009-01-11T16:24:00.001+11:00

This Is by best Op Shop Find
Originally uploaded by kootoyoo

NICE photo.

Shop-love

2009-01-11T16:20:00.001+11:00

vintage party dress
Originally uploaded by Wonderlane

Found this on Flickr...
I wish I could teleport to this shop asap!

60's vintage dress

2009-01-11T16:17:00.001+11:00

60's vintage dress
Originally uploaded by Yara

I'm dreaming of my op-shopping adventures tomorrow here in Warragul, where my dad lives... I can't wait to delve into the moth-ball scented racks of country op-shops again!
Today I'm posting some vintage pics from Flickr just to update the blog - after a number of months lying low, being busy...

Prettyness

2008-08-15T14:43:00.001+10:00

Flowers in Tilba, NSW
Originally uploaded by Spices for Violet

I was just uploading some nice pics of a seaside holiday in NSW and found this little gem.
We did some lovely meandering in the township of Tilba when the weather had turned on us and learning to surf for another day just wasn't an option. Outside an antique shop I found a beautiful cottage garden and couldn't resist taking photos of these flowers. My mum grows them in her country garden and they always make me smile. They stand over a metre high!

Cupcake Day

2008-08-14T14:03:00.008+10:00

In keeping with my theme of cupcakes today, I learnt how to make a mosaic using bighugelabs, thanks to the tutorials on meet me at mikes' blog.

1. Cookie Monster Cupcakes, 2. the happy cupcake face [Emma Magnolia: 320/365], 3. alice in wonderland cupcakes

Pics from Flickr

2008-08-14T11:08:00.003+10:00

Yes, I know, I am slow. Behind the times. Etc etc.
I have just learnt how to upload photos straight from Flickr. Hurrah! Thanks to Pip's tutorial I was able to post the cupcakes below. I'm going to sucessfully waste more time at work by learning how to make a mosaic of images.
The best thing about uploading photos from Flickr is that Blogger photo uploader takes AAAAGES, but blogging straight from Flickr is super-easy-peasey.
I have also been perusing the other craft blog tutorials on meet me at mike's blog - look on the right hand side-bar of the blog for the other links. Thanks Pip!

Woolly Cupcake

2008-08-14T09:50:00.001+10:00

Birthday Cupcake - knitted
Originally uploaded by wenjomatic

I imagine if you tried to eat this you might get fluffy stuff in your mouth. Best not to try. Best just to look me thinks.

Bunny Cake Anyone?

2008-08-14T09:35:00.001+10:00

Bunnies
Originally uploaded by Nati's Cakes

These are veeeeerrry cute! And they look delicious too!

First Etsy Purchase...

2008-08-08T10:31:00.002+10:00

Oooh, this could be bad. Very bad. Etsy browsing is very addictive, more addictive than eBay and Applebox browsing. You know why? Because I LOVE all things handmade - it's why when I go to markets, I am only allowed to take a certain amount of cash, because I will buy waaaaay too much stuff. And to be honest, as much as I love 'stuff' of all kinds, there comes a point when one probably has enough 'stuff'. I realised this when I moved house a few months ago (hence my lack of posts in blogland - things were a bit stressful for a while there) - I had to pack box after box of my STUFF and when I finally got to my new (beautiful) house, I was so tired and busy with work that only my essential items were unpacked. The boxes labelled 'stuff' and 'misc.' were left untouched for some weeks before I found the time and energy to deal with them. And when I did, I found it hard to put them in their new homes, in shelves and on mantles and on my desk... and my dressing table, and in the kitchen, and even the bathroom. (Every bathroom needs knick knack stuff, don't you think?)

Anyway, I digress...
I have decided to only buy things from Etsy that I really, truly, absolutely love, or things that I can make into other things. I love looking at everything in the supplies section, it is heavenly, not to mention inspiring!
I haven't snapped any pics of my purchases yet but I will be sure to over the weekend and add them to the post. It is just so exciting to receive packages in the mail after buying them days before. It's delayed purchase-gratification!

Must continue working my 'real' job (which pays for all the 'stuff')... Hooray for Friday! xx

Etsy!

2008-07-27T15:59:00.003+10:00

Alright, so I FINALLY set myself up for selling on Etsy and I've listed some of the badges I made with the Kaotic Kraft Kuties (waaaaay back in March!)
Hopefully having stuff for sale online will prompt me to get moving with more making!
Visit the store here.
Yippee! xx

Wordle!

2008-07-02T22:38:00.001+10:00

Wordle

New Polaroids

2008-04-23T22:35:00.004+10:00

A Week of Frenchness - 3 - La Tour Eiffel

2008-04-23T19:09:00.007+10:00

1. La Tour Eiffel gates, found here.

Drawing of the Eiffel Tower (love it!) found here.

I just love the Eiffel Tower.

I arrived in Paris on a rainy Friday evening and was a bit culture-shocked after my walk from the Metro station to my hostel in the 18th Arrondissement (a near-mugging amongst other things). After getting myself sorted, I worked out how to get to la Tour Eiffel on the Metro (three changeovers, yay for being in an el-cheapo backpackers hostel way out of the city).

When I first saw the tower, it was lit up in green and gold, and I actually gasped! It was absolutely one of the most magical sights I have ever seen (of the man-made world anyway).

Above is the first picture I took of la Tour Eiffel. Lovely.

Frankie + Frenchness = Fabulous!

2008-04-22T10:39:00.005+10:00

I audibly squealed like a piglet when I got home to find my latest issue of Frankie mag sitting on the coffee table!

I stayed up too late reading it but decided to save some for later. It took a magazine to teach me this... years ago when I bought a dollar's worth of lollies, I never saved any for later!

Seeing as the image of the new issue is not up on the site yet (subscribers get in first, ner ner ne ner neeerrrrr!) I thought I would post a CUTE-E-PIE pic from their wallpaper selection...

And after realising just how much I like carousels (see yesterday's post - Whimsical Paris), I found this lovely pic online when searching for the correct spelling of the place...

This photograph was found here and is by Pascal Agneray.

A Week of Frenchness - 1 - Whimsical Paris

2008-04-21T21:39:00.006+10:00

After (only) four amazing days in Paris last year, I figured I can contribute to this theme, as seen on Meet Me At Mike's blog.

I will start off with my favourite photos from Paris, and then move onto some more interesting little snippets from my very short time there... (I just have to fire up the scanner after work and rummage through all my mementos!)

From the top...
1. A band plays in the street next to Notre Dame
2. Children are led on donkeys in Jardin des Tuileries
3. A mime artist on stilts on the bridge over to Ile St Louis
4. Carousel de la tour Eiffel by night
5. An amazing solo street performer in Montmartre (she was ACE!)
6. Jardin du Carousel (at Jardin des Tuileries)

Skirt and Shirt Market - Peta Pledger

2008-04-20T15:30:00.004+10:00

Today I ventured to the Shirt and Skirt Market at the Abbotsford Convent after seeing the flyer for Peta Pledger on the Meet Me At Mike's blog.
I found a lot of the stuff there very arty and "samey" - lots of jewellery, clothing, bags and other accessories, but nothing really that I hadn't seen before... EXCEPT for Peta's little stall... Gorgeous! I have decided I like shirts a lot more than just t-shirts - something with flow or structure suits me far better than clingy tops or certain stretchy fabrics.
The amazing thing was, before I even began looking at her stock, Peta asked if I was a friend of Gemma Jones... which baffled me until I realised it was probably because I was wearing some of the badges I made at Gemma's Kaotic Kraft Kuties badgemaking day a month ago! Peta recognised the Wonderwoman badges from somewhere online, which was a bit flattering... aw, shucks!

So, I got this top for a song, and as a token of friendship, a little brooch that says "sweetheart". I owe Peta some Wonderwoman badges as a thank you!

Why I like the little empire of Peta Pledger:

1. It's cute.

2. It's VERY well made.

3. She makes clothes in sizes for all kinds of ladies, including D-cup boobies and rounded bellies!

4. Her colours, fabrics and cuts are gorgeous.

5. She's friendly & super-generous, especially with encouragement!

I will post some pics when I have marked more essays... boo hoo to working on a Sunday!

Peta and I also had a chat about me starting to sell some stuff on Etsy and/or Madeit.com, and some of the ways I can make contacts.

Thank you Peta for a lovely, encouraging chat, and for a fantastic item of clothing at a brilliant price! xx

Blogsville and Other Thoughts

2008-04-08T21:43:00.006+10:00

I've been perusing some new blogs and have come across some new pages of dedication and loveliness -

Bluebird Makes Her Nest - by a lovely lady named Tamara who writes about her children, her craft, her businesses and her journeys in blogsville. This is my favourite (recent) post on her blog (I'll admit it, I got a little teary!)
Belle and Boo - by Mandy, an illustrator in the UK. I love her work, it's so adorable. She also has an Etsy store. I have this poster of her work from Frankie mag.
The Complete Adventures of Violet and Rose - How can I go past a blog with violet in the title?! I like this lady's crafts, especially her choices in fabrics. Cuteness.
Oriettacat - first of all, I like the name of her blog. Also, I like her art. It's all very cool.

I am so glad I spent time reading blogs tonight - What I should have been doing was writing my annual review in readiness for my review meeting with the principal on Thursday, so I can get a payrise - and what I wanted to do was upload my photos from our Monday night meanderings in the city last night, but I am at Jag's place and I forgot my camera and the USB cable for it! Botheration!

I have decided that my work-life balance is in fact completely unbalanced, and it's time I did something about it. Last night we discussed various things such as me honing my voice so I can sing properly, me owning a scooter (yes, I want a Vespa!), and Jag and I screenprinting for a living. I'm also considering teaching part time in order to have an extra day or two a week to fulfill my creative urges. Instead of thinking of what I can't do, I need to start thinking of what I am capable of achieving. I now know that despite being terrible at drawing, I can actually do another kind of visual art - screen printing. And that despite my sewing skills needing more practise and fine-tuning, they are skills that are improving. The key is TIME. I am very time-poor. Teaching is one of those full-time jobs that you take home with you; if it's not the corrections, planning or thinking, it's the emotional exhaustion of having relatively close relationships with so many individuals.
And whilst yes, the holidays are fantastic, it takes a few days to catch up on the normal cleaning/family/house/garden stuff, maybe go away somewhere or head to mum's for cups of tea and chats... and then in the last few days of the break I get the creative urges again... and then it's back to work!
There is space for creativity at work, in a sense, but of course there are restrictions. Today after work I was painting the sets for the school production, which was highly therapeutic, free and fun... but it meant I got home at 7.30pm, hungry and covered in paint, after being at work since 8am. Who has the energy to sew or screen print or make collages after that?! I could barely make dinner let alone be creative!

I am in one of those writing modes where I could just keep going, but I need to consider the time and the (few) people who might be reading this thinking, "come on, where are the pretty pictures?!" ... well, I'm sorry, no pictures today, just the thoughts that have been floating around my head all day...

Sweet dreams to all the night owl readers out there - I am hoping for some comments now that I am back in blogsville - they sure do make my day! xx Steph

Mixtape!

2008-04-08T10:22:00.002+10:00

Thanks to Pip at Meet Me At Mike's for the inspiration to make a little mixtape! I even found out the artist of a song I was singing all last night as I wandered the city streets taking pictures - more of those later - I have LOTS of work to do today... (by the way, the song was "New Soul")

Screenprinting Saturday

2008-04-06T17:37:00.007+10:00

Jag and I spent Friday and yesterday at mum's house to do some screenprinting. It was something that was fairly new to us both and mum was a great teacher. We created our stencils on Adobe Illustrator and then cut them out by hand. We screen printed t-shirts for ourselves and friends, as well as printing on lengths of fabric and some paper. I am going to use my fabric prints on bags I think.

What a great team!

Mum demonstrates the hand position.

My pink owls turned out really well - super-cute!

My favourite pic - mum and I being arty together!

Below: Jag's fantastic stencil of a shooting target.

The pink top above is one of my PJ tops - I thought it could do with sprucing up!

Below are my favourites - the black bunny worked out so well. On the slightly ribbed fabric it had a more washed out appearance. On plain cotton it looked great.

Above: My prints on paper.

Below: My face-washing bunny print on a blue top.

(NB: I got my tops/t-shirts from Rivers, except my Bonds chesty singlet. Jag got his men's t-shirts from Kmart.)

Above: Face washing bunny on purple spotted cotton poplin, and the black bunny face on white cotton poplin. I think they will make excellent panels or pockets on bags!

Badge makin' with the Kraft Kuties

2008-04-06T17:13:00.002+10:00

My sister Eliza and I had a fabulous afternoon at Gemma's studio in Yarraville making badges! We loved it so much that we want to hire a badgemaker again and make trillions and billions more badges for our market stall in the future.

All the badges pictured here are mine except for the glam flapper girl, which was made by Pickles and swapped for one of my many vintage swap cards that she took a liking to!

Untitled

2008-03-10T21:49:00.000+11:00

Photography Adventures

2008-03-10T21:31:00.004+11:00

Jag and I spent Sunday and today (Monday - public holiday) in Colac and Geelong. We went on a little adventure to take many pictures of Lake Colac (now almost completely dry due to the drought) and its surroundings.
Below are the best of our shots. Jag "stitched together" a panorama of the lake as well, it's excellent. In total we took nearly 370 digital photos and I took some Polaroids as well.

To see the captions on a photo, hover your mouse pointer over it.

PHM08 LAUNCH

2008-03-01T14:40:00.002+11:00

I recently went to the very cool launch of a space called PenthouseMouse in Collingwood. It's a mix of fashion, design and installation art. It's a huge factory space that has been gutted and fitted out by the artists, and is only open for a month.
Below are the pics I took on the launch night...

Valentine's Day Polaroids

2008-02-20T21:17:00.005+11:00

Ah what a lovely Valentine's Day!

ALOHA: Dashboard dancer broken... uh oh

MY STREET: Richmond. Slade Knitwear

ABOVE: The flowers I got for Valentine's Day

ABOVE: Me

ABOVE: My first Polaroid ever - Jag and I on Valentine's Day

ABOVE: The card I made for Jag for Valentine's Day. Machine-sewed vintage swap card and sheet music.

After months of talking about Polaroids, dropping hints about Polaroids, admiring Polaroids, researching Polaroids... I finally got one!! I have the greatest bf ever!

Ever since I was flowergirl at a wedding when I was four, I have wanted a Polaroid camera. Someone at the wedding had one and I was fascinated.

A week before Valentine's Day, Polaroid announced they would be stopping production of Polaroid film. There is only enough (estimated) to last in regular retail outlets until next year. Currently Polaroid users all over the world are signing petitions and discussing how to get another company on board to take over film production for Polaroid cameras.

If you would like to sign a petition, (please do!), click the link below:

"Request that Fujifilm manufacture Polaroid instant film types"

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/LicensePolaroidTechnology?e

New ideas... New design

2008-02-20T19:58:00.003+11:00

This bag was made for my lovely friend Angela as a birthday and farewell gift. She has just flown back to her hometown of South Queensferry, Edinburgh, Scotland, for 9 months.

The fabric is all new (from Spotlight) and I made up the pattern as I went along. I have never unpicked so many stitches - I made the same mistake twice! The logistics of sewing still baffle me sometimes.

I spent WAY TOO LONG making the little belt loops for it. I have now worked out a better way of gathering the bag with a 'belt'.
The inside pocket on the lining was so easy but such an essential thing for a handbag these days!

I learnt heaps making this bag... Can't wait to find time for another one with modifications... Spare time... what's that again?!

All in Moderation, unfortunately...

2008-02-13T16:41:00.002+11:00

Recently, my blog has had a lot more traffic than ever before. For this, I am grateful and excited - I love the feedback I have been receiving from people all over the world in the craftster community.
However, in the past 2 days I have had some spam comments left, which make me mad. So I've added the 'comment moderation' thing - I'm sorry, but it had to be done. It was lucky that when I clicked on the link left by a spammer (unbeknownst to me) I was at home and not at work or I would have been sacked for sure!
Anyway, when you leave a comment, just know how much I love them from people who have something constructive to say, and that they will all be accepted once I have worked out who they are from and what they say!

Thanks for the feedback, I love it and it inspires me to keep going! x

Message from across the seas...

2008-02-10T22:24:00.001+11:00

OK, so the story goes that when I was in Paris in September/October, I came across this street performer. So impressed was I to see a French mime artist in Paris (on stilts too!) that I gave him some coins and he kissed my hand, then I took this picture.
Months later, once the photos had been posted online, the performer found this image on Flickr and left the comment, "cest moi!" (it's me!).
I wrote to him via Flickr mail, "Hello, How did you find the picture of yourself in my flickr collection?! It was great to see you performing in Paris - you kissed my hand!"
And today I got this response:
Désolé de répondre en français mais mon anglais est trop faible.
Je trouve la photo magnifique et suis content que ma performance vous ai plu.
I kind of knew what he was saying but I had to run it through a translator to check (which is always good for a laugh...) and got this:
Afflicted to answer in French but my English is too weak. I find the photograph splendid and am content that my performance liked to you.

The wonders of modern technology!

Keep your knickers nice!

2008-02-10T17:12:00.000+11:00

I made this little underwear travel bag for my lovely friend Kate who does an awful lot of jetsetting about to see her fiancee & family. I wanted to make her something pretty and useful because she is only recently engaged and her fiancee is in India for work, so she is always living out of a suitcase!

Above is the bag stuffed with fabric - I guess this is what it will look like with undies in it! The sewing machine is my $1 gem from Jag's mum, who found it at a garage sale. I love it!

And this is my swing tag with the Spices for Violet stamp that Jag had made up for me as a surprise last week! I was so thrilled that it fits perfectly on the tags I got from Officeworks for my last market stall (which I think was 2 years ago...) The back of the tag reads "Keep your knickers nice - underwear travel bag, made for Kate with love".

... And this is how I packaged it up for her.
She was thrilled and her sister has put in an order for a handbag!!

Below : The mess of experimentation & excitement!

Cutting up books! What?!

2008-02-09T18:28:00.000+11:00

This is lovely.
I like that she hacks up books like I do!!

Snip-happy

2008-02-09T17:44:00.000+11:00

After the recent interior-vine-removing episode, I was a bit snip-happy with the secateurs and went into the scary backyard to prune the iceberg rose that had grown outrageously criss-crossy and silly. I am always amazed at roses, how they just grow back after vicious, ruthless & unskilled pruning. I cannot take any credit for looking after this poor thing, beyond the occasional snip and a bucket of washing water here and there. It is the only decent plant in our entire backyard and seems to grow and (even flourish sometimes) without a problem.
Unfortunately the lovely pink rose my Mum gave me one Christmas has well and truly died after a hot summer of neglect in said scary backyard. She assures me she is not offended and that "at least I still have the pot" (and indeed it IS a lovely pot, on a beautiful stand no less). I guess this means I have to dig the poor thing out and lay it to rest, and perhaps start again with something new.
Anyway, after pruning the white rose without reservation, I realised there were some pretty rosebuds still intact, so I rescued them and popped them in a vase. They are now on my desk at work... cos everyone knows that all teachers need flowers on their desk!!

Mag Racks Galore!

2008-02-08T23:21:00.000+11:00

One of my lovely vintage magazine racks (a Christmas present), filled with unopened newspapers... oops...

... and the OTHER vintage magazine rack I got for Christmas... it was strange, believe me - two different people gave me these. But I love them both and they serve different purposes.

Oh Sew Cushy

2008-02-08T23:06:00.000+11:00

The cushion covers (above) were made by moi, from vintage sheets. They were inspired by the ones below, which were a Christmas gift from my cousin Ryn. She made them from vintage curtains. Ryn is MUCH better than me at these things and most weekends she's at Camberwell and/or St Andrews Markets selling various creations as well as bits and pieces from op-shops that she has scrubbed up nicely. My old cushions are exactly that - old - and flat, not nicely plump, but that cotton is SOOOO soft and lovely to lie against after a long day at work.

I learnt a lot while making cushion covers -

1. I can't cut in a straight line, even if my life and that of others depended on it.

2. Old sewing machines are temperamental and have issues with regulating their speed no matter how steady a foot the driver has.

3. There are a number of ways one can 'close' a cushion cover and I am not very good at any of them.

4. I like making cushion covers because they are quick & easy and they totally change the look of the lounge room in a few hours!

5. My olive green velour lounge suite (thanks to Dad & the Trading Post, $40) is a wonderful old thing and strangely, many colours complement it. Plus the couch is the BEST EVER to lie on.

I've been tagged!

2008-02-08T21:42:00.000+11:00

I got tagged by newenglandquilter to write 7 things about myself on my blog. I think I may have done this one before but it's so exciting that someone else has read my blog so I'll do it again and try to write 7 different facts!

1. I have an addiction to vintage floral bedlinen. There, I said it.

2. I am learning to sew but I am very inconsistent in my efforts to sew regularly and finish things properly.

3. I feel I am in a constant state of indeciveness and semi-chaos, yet I manage to hold a permanent full time job as a high school teacher and generally maintain the charade of being an upstanding citizen of the community, ha ha ha!

4. I went to Paris last year and didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as I wanted to/expected to/thought I would. Now I look at my photos and wish I was back there.

5. Sometimes I cry in advertisements, like the Saab one at the moment with the dog chained up & the whale in the pool... it's all so sad, then you realise it's a car ad and you feel cheated because the bastards made you cry. Oh, and there used to be an ad for the bank with a girl who swam competitively (I did too, for years) & it was about reaching for your goals... then you realise it's an ad for a bank and again, you feel cheated. Humphf.

6. I love the sound of rain outside - it gives me an excuse to stay in and mooch around.

7. Words like 'mooch' and 'squiffy' (my little sister taught me that one) and 'squircle' (a square-ish circle that kids make when you ask them to stand in a circle in class) appeal to me very much.

This was quite fun. I could easily add more... For example, I enjoy a glass of sauvignon blanc but I hate chardonnay......... I like dark chocolate but not the 70% dark chocolate - you might as well eat unsweetened cocoa from the tin........ My boyfriend is a minor celebrity and gets recognised sometimes which makes me get very excited........
Anyway, thanks to newenglandquilter for tagging me and commenting on my blog. Much appreciated.
:)

Tag Rules
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Lucky Seven Tagged by Me:
1. drewzel
2. curly pops
3. Amelia
4. nikki-shell
5. green olive
6. aunty shabby
7. Jill

Little Shop of Horrors-esque

2008-02-05T22:15:00.000+11:00

This is the naughty grapevine that found its way into my kitchen recently and grew very quickly! Aside from being a little bit creepy (no pun intended) it did actually look quite pretty...

Oooh, look at the pretty banner!

2008-01-28T23:07:00.001+11:00

Oh I love having such a clever boyfriend who makes my ideas into reality!
Jag took my initial (soomewhat crap) design & there it is, a proper banner! Thanks lovely!
And thanks Drewzel for helping me to get it up there too!
Now I have to start thinking about what my first post will be at the new Melbourne Op Shopping Blog... so many great op-shop finds... I think I'll take lots of photos after work in the nice afternoon light. Stay tuned and keep checking!
Let me know what you think of the banner & logo too, I love feedback & tips! xx

HELP!

2008-01-28T14:53:00.002+11:00

Dear Blogger friends,
Please help me to put a banner on the top of my blog... I am going nutty not being able to do it!

Also, when randomly and whimsically "e-baying" me (like "googling" someone), Jag found out that there is a label of my exact name selling checkered shirts. Humphf. Lucky I'm not in, or intending to be in, the checkered shirt industry trading under MY OWN NAME!

And why would one's bf search for one on e-bay?! The world is going a bit topsy-turvy for me today... I need a cup of tea...

Etsy browsing...

2008-01-27T20:36:00.000+11:00

Not that I have ANY money to speak of until pay day, but I have been browsing Etsy, just to window shop, and as always I LOVE Catherine Campbell's work (a.k.a. my folk lover)...
I WANT THIS SO MUCH! It really is beautiful, and as much as I would like to use it, I would in fact frame it and put it on my wall. Now go over there and have a look! (But don't buy it, please, because I want to when I get paid on Wednesday!!)

I've been spying on what other craftsters do with their cards, and then of course comparing them to what I do. I think there are a lot of great artists using their own artwork on their cards, as well as some people using scrapbooking-type materials to create cards as well. I need to make sure that what I cut & paste together is original & appealing... my brain is really ticking over at the moment!

Hot Saturday afternoon... & good news!

2008-01-26T18:06:00.000+11:00

Today I am spending the day listening to the radio - Triple J - listening to the the top 100 songs of 2007. We've had a BBQ of "Aussie burgers" (rissoles shaped like Aus.) & Haggis burgers, a tribute to our Scottish lass friend Angela. I'm currently sitting at Jag's PC with a glass of wine, radio turned up, sweat beading on forehead!

In other news, Jag has designed the lovely logo for me for "Spices for Violet" and we have looked into getting it made into a rubber stamp, so I can stamp the cards I make, as well as getting some fabric paint/ink and stamping fabric garments that I make... the best ideas and conversations emerge after a few glasses of wine!

Also, Amelia has invited me to contribute to the Melbourne Op Shopping Blog, "I Op, Therefore I Am", which is quite exciting! I hope anyone who reads my blog will also read the other blog, as it's exciting to see what others have found in op-shops as well as reading the good banter that goes on. I look forward to writing my first post (with no wine beforehand, he he he!) and hope it keeps me lurking around op-shops on a regular basis.

As you can see, my blog has undergone a bit of a transformation as I have begun to focus far more on "makings & findings" as opposed to random thoughts. I'd really like some feedback on getting my stuff out there - Cards & bags are my strengths - so if you read this and have some advice on where to sell, how to get it out there and how to run it all, please leave a comment.

Happy Reconciliation Day! (I like to say that, as opposed to Australia Day - we can only hope that one day it will be a reconciled country with our indigenous Australians)

Cheers! x

Vintage Sheridan!

2008-01-26T12:42:00.000+11:00

I found the quilt cover (vintage Sheridan no less!) in a Healesville op-shop. It is by far the SOFTEST and LOVELIEST quilt cover to sleep under, despite the hot nights, I am still inclined to snuggle up under it. The top end is quite worn, probably from being used so much, but I really don't care. It is a lovely floral print... all for a grand total of $5. With a good wash and some sunshine, it smells lovely too!

The pillowcases don't match but they are the same era I suspect, and in the same kinds of colours - mauves, blues, greens - I love my new hotch-potch bed!

Note the pics of Jag & I on the wall - all our photo booth snaps from our time together. Aw...

Cabbage Patch Sprinklers

2008-01-26T12:19:00.000+11:00

I drove past this on my way to a friend's place in Bacchus Marsh yesterday... I wanted to jump the fence and run under the sprinklers!

FINISHED!!

2008-01-26T11:57:00.000+11:00

Please welcome, Squiffy the Owl!
After being started eons ago, Squiffy (previously known as Paisley the Owl) has been given a face and some stuffing. Ta da!!

One Dollar Bag

2008-01-24T00:48:00.000+11:00

Fabric from the op-shop - $1.

Bag that mum loved, and was subsequently given to keep... Priceless!

Oh Sew Busy!

2008-01-23T20:25:00.000+11:00

OK, so I have picked up sewing again... the most experience I've had with sewing until 2 weeks ago was year 10 textiles when I made a lovely a-line skirt, button holes and all, and then I ironed it too hot and it went shiny and yucky. Hmm.

Recently, I've had an OVERWHELMING urge to sew, so I holed myself up at mum's in Leongatha while she was away, hit the country op shops in search of fabric, sheets and pillowcases, made an almighty mess and sewed up a storm!

I'm not sure where the obsession with printed sheets & pillow cases emerged from but I have built up quite a collection... Here is the first of the pics... more to come!

Practising various stitches & learning to sew something! Pillowcase (above) & sheet sets (below) both op-shop finds.
Sheets from the op shop (below)

Nice orange table cloth from the op-shop (not sure what to do with it yet!)
Pillow slip (below) from the op-shop...
...has found a new lease of life as a beach bag! (& now has a little zippered purse to match too!)

Oh Sew Op-Shoppy & Lovely!

2008-01-23T20:14:00.000+11:00

I found this lovely gingham table cloth with gorgeous hand stitching in an op-shop for $2 in Korumburra. I made 2 bags out of it - one with bamboo handles & one for all my fabric scraps.

Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of the finished products - stay tuned!

Little Luxuries & Life

2007-11-25T23:25:00.000+11:00

A few things I have been up to lately... Little Oliver and I.

Oliver and his mum, my friend Claire. Very cute. We went to the Mind Body Spirit Festival, where I felt rather weirded out by many things... Claire saw a psychic, I had reiki, which was really interesting. I felt quite calm afterwards.

My new bedlinen... mmm, 300 thread count Esprit (a bargain from the Sheridan factory outlet!)
Close up of the bedlinen print. Reminds me of berries.

The Teachers' Strike on Wednesday 21st November at Vodafone Arena.

10,000 teachers attended!! I felt like I was really part of something bigger and more special than just the insular environment of my school.

My little overseas extravagance for my birthday... DKNY sunglasses! I was so frugal with my money while I was away that I spent the rest of it on duty free before I flew home!

A new fashion mag I picked up Borders on Saturday. It's quite intellectual, almost too much so, and no pics, not a glossy page in sight... but it does raise some interesting ideas, and I love the illustrations. As far as I can tell it's Melbourne based.

The novel I just bought and started to read last night. Douglas Coupland is fast becoming my new favourite author.

Bunny Love from Milo

2007-11-25T12:09:00.000+11:00

Paris in Pictures (finally!)

2007-11-25T11:43:00.000+11:00

Queen of the Unfinished...

2007-11-24T18:45:00.000+11:00

I cannot believe I haven't posted for over a month!

It's a been a big month...

~Career choices to be made.

~Relationship decisions... trouble in paradise.

~Assessment 'season' at work, therefore many an evening and weekend spent marking essays and exams and other school-related things.

~Teachers' Strike on Wednesday - I hope you saw my mum on TV! Intergenerational Unionism, I like it!!

~ The depression battle continues to rear its ugly head at times... certainly disrupts one's life on occasion.

~ Two friends leaving for Norway for a year or two, and another two friends have just arrived from Scotland.

~ Year 8 Camp for a week... fun and games (and lots of stern teacher-voice-talking-to's-and-angry-eyes) in the bush with the mozzies and leeches and tents and camp food (yuck!) but lots of laughs, plus 6 hours in emergency with a student who had broken his arm on the first day, poor little possum!

~ The Chill Island Festival at Phillip Island... blissfully relaxing and great music. (and clearly lots of dancing as you can see below!)

~ Spring Racing Carnival - Stakes Day at Flemington with the gorgeous Elissa and then the Healesville Country Races with a busload of drunken teachers from work (they are the worst kind of teachers - drunk, sunburnt and rowdy!)

~ Domesticity such as new bedlinen (mmm!) and a wardrobe cleanout. I've decided that domesticity is not a necessary part of my life, but it is indeed the way in which I procrastinate best. "Oh, I have to change the sheets, vacuum the house and clean out my wardrobe before I can mark those exams. I HAVE to have cleanliness to work!" - that's my justification!!

:: just browsing ::

2007-10-12T23:11:00.000+10:00

I'm spending a quiet night reading a few online things and found this at the Frankie website which I think looks really cool, in a voyeuristic kind of way!

... Also found this at Frankie and must bookmark for future reference!

:: I found this artist whose work I like quite a lot ::

.And another cute site for further reading, I'm curious.

:: And after being in London last week, I liked this blog too ::

... I'm listening to Camille which seems appropriate given the time I spent in Paris...

... And have been listening to this for a little taste of home... and PS, the site is tres sweet!...

Paris - Day 2 - Sunday 30th September, 2007

2007-10-11T21:37:00.000+10:00

By the second day, I had grown a slightly thicker skin and was more prepared to take on the world... well, to take on Paris, anyway. At breakfast in the hostel I met Sheena, another Australian, and we chatted about doing a bike tour of the city together later in the evening... but more on that later in this entry!
I had heard that a boat cruise of the Seine would be a great way to acquaint myself with the city and have a relaxing, less polluted ride than Metro-ing from place to place, so I hopped on the Batobus ferry for the day. It was 12 Euros for the day (a little less than $20 AUD) and you can hop on and hop off as much as you like.
So, first stop, Notre Dame! Tourists EVERYWHERE, I battled the crowds and walked the perimeter, enjoying the architecture from all angles, and the gardens... oh the gardens were beautiful - but nothing on what I was yet to see.
Back on the ferry, I hopped off at the Louvre, just to familiarise myself with what I was to encounter the next day. I was absolutely speechless at the enormity of the building itself, let alone what it might hold inside. The Jardins des Tuileries (the gardens in front of the Louvre) were stunning. Amusing that you cannot sit or walk on the grass in most of the gardens! It was a glorious day, I was, in fact, working up a minor sweat, and all I wanted to do was lie on the grass in the shade and cool off... no such luck. I made the trek down the centre of the Tuileries towards the Champs Elysees and just as my feet gave out, I found the ferry stop by the river and hopped on again for a rest. That was 12 Euros well spent! The Tuileries were full of people enjoying the Sunday sunshine. Some, I imagine, may have been locals - they had their own chairs, bicycles, kids running around, wine, picnics, blankets, shoes tossed aside... It really was a beautiful day, and a gorgeous place to spend it. I wish I had my photos to post now! Can't wait for them to arrive...
I wrote in my journal on this day; "Today I realised just how huge the city is and how I would need about 2 weeks here... maybe next year?!"
Fat Tire Bikes Night Tour
I waited for Sheena under the pilier sud (South Pillar) of the Eiffel Tower and we signed up for the bike tour. The bikes were some kind of cruiser or something, they had high handlebars so we didn't have to hunch over, we could sit up straight and watch Paris from the comfort of our extra-cushioned seats! Our American tour guide was very well read, highly amusing and thoroughly enthusiastic. We rode to Notre Dame (gorgeous in the night-light), Ile St Louis (where Johnny Depp lives! I nearly fell off my bike when he told me that!), the Latin Quarter, stopped for AMAZING ice cream, the Louvre (at night, with no one else around, it was the warmest vibe there, beautifully lit and very peaceful), Jardins des Tuileries, Eiffel Tower, a boat cruise with wine and lots of great conversation, St Chapelle, Academie Francais & Pont des Arts...
This bike tour was possibly the BEST thing I did in Paris. I felt safe, I had the breeze on my face, I made friends, and I saw the city of lights at night, all lit up, with a guide explaining the history of it all to me. And his American-ness didn't annoy me one bit, and neither did my bright yellow safety vest!

Paris - Day 1 - Saturday September 29, 2007... Montmartre

2007-10-11T14:15:00.000+10:00

I navigated my way to Montmartre, not that far from where I was staying in the hostel, but a lot nicer and with far more atmosphere! Once I arrived, I had to look like a complete tourist by studying a map to find my way to the Salvadore Dali Gallery. On the way, through narrow streets, up steep hills, tiny paved squares with trees that seemed to grow from the cobbled pavement, I relaxed as I blended into the crowd of tourists. Many a wrong turn later, I found the gallery and spent a number of hours learning more about Surrealism and Dali's influence on the art world. I was amazed that we were allowed to take photos of the artworks. My favourites were the Alice in Wonderland illustrations and Dali's floppy clock sculptures.
After the gallery I explored more of the streets and found street performers and artists wanting to draw a caricature of anyone who passed... again, I had to say, "non, merci" over and over again!
I found my way to Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart), the church on the hill in Montmartre. Inside, you have to be silent. I actually felt something strange when I saw all the candles lit for all the saints inside the church, it was quite magical. I'm not a religious person at all but I did really like the quietness and solemnity of the church, despite the thousands of tourists. For the first time in Paris I also felt very safe.
In Montmartre, being traditionally an artists district, I found many fabric shops. Upon reflection, I wish I had bought some to take home - there was one that was white cotton with a print of sketched bathtubs... That was definitely my favourite.
I then walked for ages to see the Moulin Rouge... and was sadly disappointed... I guess at night it would be better, but it is a venue for semi-naked showgirls, which is fine, and if I had a spare $150 dollars and a friend to giggle with, I would have gone and had a few champagnes and a look-see inside... I hear the decor and costumes are amazing. However, with a lack of cash (or so I thought) and a lack of company, I just photographed the outside and moved on. (My Paris photos are yet to arrive from London, after a memory card debarcle.)
I remember walking for such a long time, admiring all the Parisians on bicycles scooting up the paths on the hire bikes which are everywhere - a result of the Mayor of Paris wanting to reduce the use of motor vehicles by 40%. The hire bikes ("velibe") are available only if you have a credit card with a chip (Europeans have these, Aussies do not!) and it can be quite cheap.
I popped into a lot of the super-cheap department stores on the main strip in Montmartre, which I hear are every Parisian's bargain-hunting shame. Still worrying about my money, I decided against buying anything, much to my annoyance later when I found out I was working at way under my "budget"!
I braved the Metro out the Puces St Ouen (the flea markets) and wandered for hours, buying a few little gifts for family & friends, and then I stumbled on the antique markets... Oh... French antique furniture... what else did I need?! (Except a new pair of feet or someone to carry me!) Can't wait to post the pics to show what was on offer. Obviously I couldn't buy anything - I could hardly bring back an antique chair to Australia, could I?!
The blisters on my feet were taking their toll so I battled my way back to the hostel on the Metro to read my book quietly and hopefully make some friends...

London in Pictures

2007-10-11T13:32:00.000+10:00

Tuesday 2nd October 2007 - Saturday 6th October 2007

Switzerland in Pictures

2007-10-11T10:26:00.001+10:00

Sunday 23rd September 2007 - Friday 28th September 2007

First Impressions of Paris

2007-09-29T07:20:00.000+10:00

After so long waiting for this, here I am and it's not everything I thought it would be!
I've heard so many stories about being ripped off, robbed and lost that I am totally suspicious of everyone around me.
I am in a hostel quite a way out, in the 18th district, and I got here from Switzerland at about 8pm. The Metro rail system is super-easy to use, which was a relief.
I got here and suddenly felt very alone, so to quell my beating heart, I decided to get out amongst it!
I caught three trains to the Eiffel Tower and took lots of photos with a billion other tourists. I was tempted to buy waffles or crepes but the fear of not being able to speak decent French was too much.
The stereotypes surrounding Paris are actually quite true:
- One lady asked a man at the Metro ticket booth, "do you speak English?", to which he responded, "parlez vous en Francais?" and she stumbled her way through asking for her tickets in French.
- French men tend to make their opinion of women well known. It has been a very long time since a man on the street made a comment of the positive variety regarding my appearance... five minutes down the street from the hostel I had to employ that "don't fuck with me" stare that I haven't had to use for a long time.
- Tourists are targeted for everything... tacky Eiffel Tower souvenirs, caricature drawings, "mademoiselle, you are so beautiful, let me draw your face!"... er, no thank you...

On the last train back I experienced two very different things... 1. A man dropped his dacks and exposed himself to four teenage girls, who promptly ignored him, and I stared at him in that nasty way I have rediscovered... thank God he got off the train at the stop before me. 2. Two men got on the train and began playing an accordian and a violin... then swore at us when we didn't give them any money!!

So I have made it through one evening unscathed, except for an unpleasant lasting memory of the flasher... ho hum, such is life in Paris...

Oh, the fun!

2007-09-28T03:03:00.000+10:00

Today I drove in Switzerland to a nearby town, where Jo lived with her first host family, and everything is opposite here on the road!! I freaked out a little but it was actually really fun after I got used to it.

We have spent lots of time together, more time than we have since I lived at home years ago, so it is intense and refreshing.

Yesterday we spent the day in Zurich and shopped, took lots of photos...
... went to the Frietag shop... a store full of bags and wallets made from recycled truck tarps, and the store itself is made from shipping containers stacked on top of one another...

... saw the most enormous churches...

... discovered gorgeous shops in back alleys (one that was a lot like Mikes, it's called Lilli Tulipan)Above The outside of Lilli Tulipan's... and below is the inside. We spent about an hour giggling and looking at all the pretty things...

And I bought one of the deer, below in the photo, left, under the chandelier... adorable!
We also ate (more) German food again (love it!) and walked for HOURS... We got home in the late evening after the rain washed us out of the city and onto a train.

Above: A paper goods shop we found in a back street of Zurich. We watched the lady cover some boxes and folders in old maps and pretty paper. She was very clever.

Today we went to Basel, where Jo goes to school, and I went to one of her English classes, which was such an eye-opener, seeing as I am an English teacher! After a quick tour of her school and meeting some of her friends, we battled the rain again and gave up, heading home to learn how to drive on the opposite side of the road... ah, 'twas fun!
This evening I need to do some washing and re-pack for Paris. I am catching the very fast train from Basel to Paris tomorrow afternoon and have just confirmed my accommodation in Paris, which was a HUGE relief... typically of me, I have been thinking the worst... "The hostel doesn't really exist! I will sleep on the street and be robbed!"... ha ha, but no, it would seem all is well.
At some point I will post photos but for now, I have wine to drink, cheese to eat and German to learn!! Adieu... (Photos posted on 12/10/07)

Switzerland part 2

2007-09-26T05:09:00.000+10:00

Ah, here I am again...
My sister Jo and I have spent 2 days being tourists, and I have been trying very hard to learn some basic Swiss-German... I can say please, thankyou, sorry, "mineral water with bubbles" and have learnt to read some of the signs in train stations and in the cities!!

Yesterday (Monday) Jo's host mother Maggie took us to the Rheinfall, waterfalls on the Rhine, very close to the German border. (See photo above) It was pretty amazing, so loud and absolutely huge. The Rhine is the greenest water I have ever seen, it's like the ocean but clear. We took a boat ride out to a huge rock lookout in the middle of the falls and climbed the steepest stairs ever to the top with about 30 other people all speaking different languages.

We then went into Germany to one of the very old villages, Laufenburg (above), where it suddenly occurred to me that I was in fact on the other side of the world!! More dollhouse buildings, painted in different colours, each with coloured shutters and window boxes of geraniums. So many buildings in this area have that, even the most glamourous or most dilapidated buildings have geraniums growing in window boxes!... the village also had cobbled, narrow streets and flags everywhere... Swiss, German, French and Italian. People drive their little European cars up these tiny streets and everyone says "achtung!!" (careful/watch out) and jumps out of the way.
We ate at a swanky German restaurant, where everyone says "guten Targ" as you walk in, and we ate wurst and käsesalat (basically sausage meat, but we ate it cold and chopped up... tastes like stras from the Coles deli at home... and cheese salad). We ate this whilst overlooking the Rhine, and someone's yard which had four HUGE rabbits grazing on the grass (I miss my bunnies!!)
We then walked through the old village of Laufenburg and crossed the Rhine on a footbridge into Switzerland to the Swiss town of Laufenburg... much like the German one but with more Swiss flags! It was really warm yesterday, about 24 degrees again. I don't think the concept of being sunsmart exists here, and neither do smoking laws... everyone smokes everywhere.

Last night Maggie and Jörg invited Jo and I to their choir, and much to Jo's disgust I agreed and dragged her along. Despite the choir conductor giving all directions in German, I managed to figure out that he said I was an alto and l Iearnt some of the songs. After my jangled nerves settled, I sang along and really enjoyed it. Jo even sang and translated a few things for me. We walked home through Frick, the town where she lives, and crossed the autobahn (freeway) where the speed limit is 120km/hr!
I had been awake since 5am so by the time we ate rösti for dinner (my new favourite meal), I was sound asleep, fully clothed, at 10pm.

Jo and I got up early today and caught the train to Zürich (50 mins) then another train to Lucerne (another 50 minutes)... what a beautiful city! (Photo above is the chapel bridge in Lucerne) Built around Lake Lucerne, and surrounded by alps (not that we could really see them, it was 10 degrees, cloudy and raining), the city has some amazing buildings (yes, more shuttered windows and geraniums!), bridges, little paved squares behind main streets and various museums. When the rain came down we disappeared into the Picasso museum to see an exhibition of the photographs taken by Picasso's friend Duncan in the 60s and 70s. There were also three small rooms housing some of Picasso's original works.
No trip to Europe would be complete without venturing into H&Ms, where I bought a summer top, on sale for CHF8 (less than 8 Aussie dollars) and a black beanie for the wintery weather that has descended on Switzerland in the past 24 hours.

We caught a bus to the Lucerne Lion, a huge carving into a rock face of a wounded lion who is a symbol of protection and rememberance for the city. It was HUGE and set behind a large pond, surrounded by gardens- very picturesque.
One of the most random things to have happened so far was that we were asked to be interviewed about the musical "Hair" by some girls, after much confusing talk in German and English... something about a school project... not sure what kind of school studies the musical "Hair" but anyway, that was an interesting conversation.
Dinner tonight was more Swiss food, cheese and potatoes of course, and more wine... Maggie and Jörg are going to make me fat and an alcoholic in no time.
I had a funny moment in a shop where I went into French mode, saying "excuse moi" to a lady who responded with "pardon" in a thick accent, to which I replied "merci beaucoup" and then suddenly realised what I was doing.

These blog entries are partly for my own benefit, as I don't want to forget a single moment of this trip, it is truly mind blowing, despite shitty weather. Jo is incredibly fluent in Swiss-German, which I have been told is rare for an exchange student - mostly they speak "high German". She translates everything for me in shops and asks questions for me. I really do now understand what people mean when they say you can learn a language so much more when you are immersed in it overseas. I have picked up on so many little things, and I knew no German at all before I left, except for maybe Volkswagon...

I haven't had the chance to upload photos, and may not bother until I get home, so for now I hope my descriptions and ramblings will do to let some of you travel vicariously through me, as I have done through so many people before! (12/10/07 - am now uploading photos to complement the entries!)

Switzerland

2007-09-24T05:07:00.000+10:00

I finally made it to Switzerland to see my sister... Leaving Melbourne at 11pm Friday, three blood noses and 2 hours sleep later I arrived in Hong Kong and stretched my legs and back on the plane for another 12 hours, another blood nose, more films and very little sleep... Needless to say by the time I got to Heathrow I was cranky, sweaty & tired. My first withdrawal of Euros was exciting, and when I bought a magazine and a Peter Rabbit toy for Jo from Harrods, I got my change in Pounds! Aargh, I was so confused!
The flight from London to Zurich was OK - nice and short, 1.5hrs, and full of Swiss students who had been to an English language camp in Turkey (go figure). They were loud and funny, I got talking to one of them and she was lovely.
There were no customs people at Zurich airport, I felt naughty walking straight through, and there was Jo, all smiles and long hair, and we were both in tears and hugging for ages. Probably tears of relief for me, and I suspect Jo was pretty overwhelmed.
I had torn my pants on the plane within the first few hours (I had a dodgy arm rest with a sharp bit on it, so I had a hole which showed my thigh for the flight - classy!) so I was desperate to change before meeting Jos host family. (Please note there is no apostrophe to be found on this keyboard & there are a few letters swapped around!)
I bought them some wine and managed to buy myself a ticket to Frick, where Jo lives, without much help from her.
The train took about 50 minutes... more sitting on my sore bum!... and then meeting Jörg and Maggie was lovely. I got a bit stressed about the whole driving on the "wrong" side of the road, I must admit!
Their house looks like it should be from a storybook, cream with blue shutters and a view of the church which chimes every fifteen minutes, and goes on forever on the hour, and some "hills", I have been told they dont qualify as mountains here!!
We at raclette for dinner - melted cheese and sausages, onions, potatoes and salad, and the wine got to me so I was in bed at 10.30pm Saturday night, which is 6.30am Melbourne time, and slept like the dead until 12pm Sunday... feeling SOOOO much better now.
Maggie made muesli (minus the sultanas, yay!) for breakfast and I had my first coffee in a few days. Jo and I took the dog Bipo for a walk up the hill and I saw some new, very modern houses being built, as well as some older houses with nice gardens. Lots of vineyards around here too, and roses, sunflowers & cows that look like they should be in an ad for chocolate. Speaking of chocolate, Maggie bought me a HUGE Toberlone with a Swiss flag, and a huge box of Lindt chocolates too!
Tonight we have 10 people to cook for - risotto and chocolate cake, my specialities, and probably more wine.
Its about 24 degrees here and I am in shorts and a tshirt, sweating after our walk.
So, thats about it for now... We are off to Basel tomorrow, Tuesday we may be going to Lucerne to see REAL mountains, Wednesday brunch with Rhea and Carmela who are coming back from Tanzania (Rhea is Jos host sister), then Zurich in the afternoon, Thursday we are going back to Basel to Jos school, some markets, and maybe Jörgs school. Friday I think we will relax and then I am going on a train to Paris at 3pm... How I will say goodbye to Jo, I do not know, but I am SO glad to be here with her. Its strange, it doesnt feel like the other side of the world but then again, it is rather amazing.

Researching Paris & other odds & ends...

2007-09-12T21:20:00.000+10:00

Despite spending only 4 days in Paris, I am obsessively researching it! My Lonely Planet French Phrasebook and Paris Encounter Guide arrived in the post today, which was very exciting - like opening a present!
I've discovered Fodor's Travel Guides thanks to another traveller who blogs, and from this I have found this and many other delights.
Right, that's it. I'm going to pack now. (Even though I leave in 9 days!)

In other news, on a more bland, grown-up, less adventurous note - I bought a fridge today. It was kind of exciting but not really. Rather a grown up purchase, I must say. Something a little more exciting was the purchase of a 2GB memory card for my camera. Phew! That's a lotta pics!

And something that is far more exciting than a new fridge is the fact that my wonderful boyfriend, who has recently discovered ebay (welcome to the 21st century, honey!) has been secretly buying me collectable swap cards and playing cards! They were presented to me last night just before I fell asleep, still bundled in bubble-wrap (the cards, not me!)... Ah, boyfriends are great... 'specially mine!

Sunny Saturday

2007-09-08T13:16:00.000+10:00

I am starting to realise the benefits of rabbit poo, which ordinarily is the bane of my life... I lazily sweep stray poos into the garden and recently realised I have now cultivated quite the worm farm!! So today I thought I would dig it over a little and see how the soil was... despite being quite dry, I think the quality has improved. Perhaps I can actually grow something in the GROUND instead of everything in pots!
Meanwhile, my two furry friends Milo & Cookie were rather curious about the whole fiasco in the front yard, (outside their palace) and I managed to snap a few very sweet shots of my favourite bunnies. (Yes, Cookie is poking her tongue out... or licking her "lips". And Milo is licking his foot in that other picture - a feat only animals can do, thankfully... oops, no pun intended)

My aunt & uncle & three year old cousin Tom are in Melbourne to visit this weekend. We had a lovely lunch at Red Lemon Cafe on Swan Street & wandered around Richmond. Tom and I went up and down the escalators in Dimmey's (just for fun) and looked inside the fridges at the second hand shop. Tom was quite taken by the fact that there were fridges "on the road!" I found a large piece of grey polar fleece fabric for $5 in Dimmey's which I thought would come in handy for... something... like a rabbit blanket... or eyes for my owl softie (which I am yet to finish)... or a scarf?... or even a blanket for the couch; something soft to curl up under. Mmm.

PS I don't know WHAT is going on with this post, the photos are all over the place!

I heart cards

2007-09-04T21:02:00.000+10:00

These are the vintage swap cards and various finds I have accumulated over the past 2 weeks... very exciting!
Some are from the Wantirna Trash and Treasure Market, which was quite an experience, and I bartered the man down by a few dollars! Some are from my wonderful boyfriend Jag who came across a box of cards in a country antique shop for a bargain price. Many of the ones he found are actually old playing cards so I have lots of multiples which will be great for doubling up and giving more dimension to my bits and pieces that I make.
Seeing as I have little time to be making things at the moment (yet find time to blog late at night) I will have to just look fondly at all my lovely things and wait for a rainy day when I can sit down and cut, paste, hum to the radio and possibly even improve my sewing skills.
Leave a comment and let me know which cards you like - I love the big pineapple one, the Fiji one, the ballerina one.... and.... and.... OK, I like all of them. *sigh* I love finding stuff.

Procrastinating again...

2007-09-04T18:10:00.000+10:00

I have my best ideas and inspiration to create lovely things when I am at my busiest.
This Friday we have a major school event being organised by the students and overseen by myself and a colleague, plus I have 24 essays on Macbeth to read and assess. Sometime tomorrow I have to buy giant pirate flags, find a replacement celebrity judge & make "backstage passes" for students.

Meanwhile, I found myself in class (supposedly teaching) doodling a design for a passport pouch and matching travel documents wallet. I even have the ideal fabric - pink cotton with big red cherries on it!
Plus my poor owl Paisley sits (well, flops) in a sad, forlorn way, on my desk at home, unstuffed, no eyes attached...

Why do all the good ideas come when I am so busy? Perhaps it's because my brain is so overactive and there are so many thoughts whizzing around that certain creative things explode from all the whizzing. Hmm.

I must not procrastinate further...

Jo & Steph

2007-09-03T23:05:00.001+10:00

Jo & Steph
Originally uploaded by Spice & Violet

So this is my little sister, whom I am going overseas to see...
See any similarities?

Miss you Jo! 18 sleeps to go! xox

Creating my Owl Softie

2007-09-02T21:11:00.000+10:00

This is from the pattern I pinched from Pip some weeks ago and have only just had access to a sewing machine today at my parents' place!

I haven't sewn anything this fiddly before and am eternally grateful to my step mum Rosemary for her patience and knowledge. The sewing machine did have a mind of its own at times and took off at great speeds, however for the most part the Owl is coming along well.

I got the fabric from a remnants bin in Spotlight for $1 and figured that if I mucked up the whole thing then I haven't lost much.

I am in the process of handsewing all the extra bits, and need to buy some stuffing to fill him up, and felt for his eyes.

So this is Paisley Owl, thus far...

Wondrous Blogging... thanks Suzanne!

2007-09-02T20:06:00.000+10:00

The wonders of blogging never cease...
I received the email below in response to my last post... and I am totally chuffed! To think that someone on the other side of the world likes to spend a little time reading the crafty-vintagey blogs that we all like to dabble in (or make things of worth & write on a regular basis... I know I fall into the "dabble" category!).
Thank you Suzanne for writing to me... I am very pleased. You must set up a blog!!
Here is the email she sent me:

Hellooooo ....

I am a (sadly, 'mature') student studying a textiles and surface design degree in England (how lucky am I?!!) ........ and I must confess I am an avid reader of the blogs which centre in and around Meet Me at Mikes. (can't help it - love all the stitching, vintage and crafty stuff going on!) ..... and am plucking up the courage to start my own blog! (so could only contact you by email -sorry)...

Anyway, I noticed you are about to come over to europe - and were asking about places to go. So I thought i'd just let you know some of my fave places in London and Paris - cos they are a bit designy and a little bit textiley....

In Paris the Musee D'Orsay (eat cake in the cafe right at the top under the clock!!!) is full of lovely stuff (I like it better than The Louvre) - and so is the Museum of Decorative Arts - which is free (round this area a walk along the Tuileries from the pyramid of the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe is lovely) . There is also a little museum called the Cluny which has lovely bits in - and is worth a peek. But you MUST go for a wander round the little streets in the Latin Quarter cos its full of tiny lovely shops selling really lovely stuff. If you go here in the early evening the shops are open and the restaruants are just FAB! For real french vintage stuff The Saint-Ouen flea markets are a bit of a trail ..... but once there are amazing!!!!

In London (which bizarrely I have gone to less than Paris cos its cheaper to fly to Paris than to go down to London from up here in the north!) .... The Victoria and Albert Museum has just got the most gorgeous gorgeous stuff in it .......... (the cafe in the basement is nice!!) - and go to Liberty (just one of the best shops in London!) - all of their fabrics are based on their old old designs. And if you are in the Kings Road area - Designers Guild and Cath Kidston stores both sell the most gorgeous fabrics which are very vintagey and luvvllee and v v rouleaux in Sloane Square has ribbons to die for! The best bits and 'finds' are in the markets though - which no doubt your friends will take you to!

Anyway, I'll shutup (or I could bore you forever!)... Have a really lovely time..... (i'll keep my fingers crossed for the weather for you - it really has been quite tragic this year)!!!.

All the best!
Suzanne

Europe draws forever closer!

2007-09-01T21:10:00.000+10:00

20 sleeps to go!
I have just booked my hostel in Paris and am hoping that I don't get ripped off!
We almost have the train from Switzerland to Paris worked out too - My sister is booking it for me over there, which means I can potentially save up to $120.
Now that I have everything booked, I need to work out what I am actually going to do when I am in each place.
ANY RECOMMENDATIONS? Please leave a comment!
I will be in Switzerland with my sister for 6 days, mainly in her area of Frick/Basel but we are not far from Zurich.
I'm in Paris from Friday-Tuesday... Lots to see but, a) maps are hard when in French, b) not sure what are THE BEST things to see? c) I don't want to spend heaps and heaps but certainly HAVE to see Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, etc. Any other highlights?
London - I'll (hopefully) be hanging out with friends and hope that they can show me around but any recommendations would be appreciated!

More updates as the day draws closer... I am beginning to get VERY excited!

My Nan, circa 1950

2007-08-30T21:06:00.000+10:00

My nan, on the right, was crowned Queen of Rochester, and won a trip to Tasmania on Australian National Airways. My great grandmother is on the left.
This was before Nan met Allen, my grandfather. He is 77 and she is 73, so I think she was still in her mid-late teens in this picture. Pretty special!
This image was found in a library archive by my dad's cousin.
I got a bit overwhelmed by it, I love my nan!

Tasmania Trip with the year 11s

2007-08-28T21:43:00.000+10:00

This is why I haven't blogged for a long time - I was away with the year 11s on Tassie Tour!
Here are the best of the photos...

Tuesday

2007-08-17T14:10:00.000+10:00

I know, I know... I've writing about Tuesday four days after the fact. Slack blogger.

Tuesday...

Most commonly the day I wake up and wonder if I could take a sneaky sick day, then I haul my lazy bones out of bed and begin the day.

Tuesdays are busy at work. There are never any meetings on a Tuesday, so that's when we have our rehearsals for whatever show I am working on.

Every second Tuesday there is a fair chance you will find me with no money whatsoever as it's pay week and the fund have run dry (except for the Europe savings of course)

Monday

2007-08-17T13:49:00.000+10:00

Well... here I am on a Friday writing about Monday. Hmm. Let's just say it's been a busy week and there have been some frustrations and tears, so I am going to keep this short and sweet. I don't like starting something & not finishing it.

Mondays are... A fresh start. I don't suffer from Mondayitis, as some people do. I like my Mondays at work, I have the afternoon to prepare the week ahead, which I should have done the previous Friday. We have yummy morning teas in our staffroom on a Monday. Two people bring far too much food - usually one brings sweet and the other brings savoury. AND the best thing is that I share a staffroom with Food Technology teachers (yes, that's what home economics teachers are called these days!) and some very keen chefs and foodies. Yum!

Mondays are nothing spectacular, but comfortable all the same. The weekend is too far away to be be bothered thinking about, and usually I am still thinking about the weekend that's just passed, on a Monday.

Monday gets its name from the Moon. The Japanese word for Monday is getsuyōbi (月曜日) which means day of the moon.