RedWork

Finally got round to trying some Red Work.I found the birds on Martha Stewart Living. Anyway, here's my effort. I'm going to turn the bird in the cage into something...no idea what. The pattern is from this fantastic Japanese caft book, pictured above.

Harper Lee

Like millions of people, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of my all time favorite reads. I usually re-read it once a year - in summer because it's one of those hot climate books. I don't know why I love it so much; so many themes, so many remarkable characters - the book just seemed to seep into my life and never really left.

I'm often suspicious of unauthorized biographies but couldn't help but get excited when I saw a copy of Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields

I'm only about fifty pages in but I'm really enjoying it. He's done a lovely job of describing Lee's early life growing up in Monroeville, Alabama. There's always been a rumour that Lee's childhood friend, Truman Capote - helped her write TKAMB and then later, Lee helped Truman write In Cold Blood...so looking forward to what he has to say about that.

I nearly fell off my perch when I saw the July edition of Oprah - inside is a letter written by Miss Lee to Oprah - talking about where her love of words and books came from. It's only about 500 words but it has that same wonderful cadence that's in her book.

I love the film too - I think it's one of the best book to screen adaptations ever done.

Here's a comprehensive site about Harper Lee, the book and her life.
If you haven't read To Kill A Mockingbird - I envy you.

Days of wine and ...

The mornings are still dark and cold but the weekend was full of weak, winter sun and if you stood in the right spot, closed your eyes and tilted your face towards it...you could almost feel the next season on the way.

We had friends up for the weekend and had lunch at a winery not too far from us...Tahbilk. It's a stunning spot with a great cafe over-looking a 8km long Billabong. We took a boat ride up the river and walked back through the wetlands then made our way to the cellar door...down, down a steep, wooden staircase to see the massive oak barrels of wine, like the hull of a huge ship. You could smell the spices in the wood. After a few tastings (''Arhhh. I theenk I'll just trryy one more Chrazzz'') we headed home to sit by the fire.

I did do a bit of craft - just slip stitched a red bird. Not sure what to do with it now...but will take a pic soon.

Fantastic Billabong photos by Em.

Robot Love

Picked these two rust buckets from the Camberwell market a few weeks ago. I've always loved Robots - takes me back to Lost In Space WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! Will Robinson...

Congratulations Cascade, book is yours, thanks to Pixie and Weird Bunny. Happy cooking, Cascade!

I don't usually log on over the weekend so I was thrilled to find so many comments. Thanks so much for the feedback and the birthday wishes. Spent this weekend in town -while Em and I are 72ks from the cbd, my sister reads the time by looking our her apartment window at the clock on top of the Forum theatre! Up early Saturday and had breakfast at the ACMI (Aust Centre for the Moving Image) cafe. Then wandered over the the Picasso Exhibition at the National Gallery...which I loved. Between 1935 and 1945, Picasso painted his muse, Dora Maar over and over and over...it was nice to see the Weeping Woman again, too. Saturday night we saw River Queen, a new film made in New Zealand by Vincent Ward. I really, really wanted to love this movie but it was long and repetitious. The scenery, however, was brilliant and Samantha Mornton and Cliff Curtis were great. Sunday morning we went to the fantastic ReadyMadeMarket, which was on as part of the Melbourne Design Festival. I had a feeling it was going to be great and it was. There was a massive turn out and each stall and loads of people jostling to get a look at stuff. Jessie Tucker, Penelope Durston, Emma Coast, Pipduck, Little Salon to name a few. Birds were everywhere: on t-shirts, stationary, vases, jewellery - lots of trees and ships, buttons, too. So glad I went. It's only on once a year and I'm going to start saving for the next one. Made some more button rings (and an owl brooch) and finished off the weekend by watching the BBC version of Bleak House and woke up to hear Italy had won the World Cup. Yayyy.
Here are some pics of the weekend. PS: I've had a few emails about the rings - so I thought I'd sell them for $10 each. Email me at spindle2@tpg.com if you're interested. x

Rings and Things

I suppose it's my personality - it was a weekend of not one but many. Em and I watched not one, but many, many episodes of West Wing (up to season 2), we ate not one piece of chocolate, but many pieces and I made, not one, but many, many rings! Thanks for the blog wishes, you're ace. Oh, and here some photos of my favorite buttons.