Fabric from the op-shop - $1.
Bag that mum loved, and was subsequently given to keep... Priceless!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Oh Sew Busy!
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)
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!
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!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Little Luxuries & Life
A few things I have been up to lately...
Little Oliver and I.
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.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Queen of the Unfinished...
I cannot believe I haven't posted for over a month! 
~ The depression battle continues to rear its ugly head at times... certainly disrupts one's life on occasion.
~ 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!)
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!!
Friday, October 12, 2007
:: just browsing ::
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!...
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Paris - Day 2 - Sunday 30th September, 2007
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!
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
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...
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...
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