Sunday in the City

Nothing like a good Yum Cha on a wintry Sunday afternoon. Met up with friends and scoffed way too many delightful morsels with the a view of the Yarra and the weak sun bathing the table. Isn't the jelly amazing?
After lunch went to the Ian Potter to see the Deborah Halpern and Paris End exhibitions - both well worth seeing. I love Melbourne in winter...so grey, stormy and atmospheric.
Saw French film Hidden...still not sure what to make of it...but liked it. Couldn't come home without a book on robots! Enjoyed taking some random snaps, including part of a work by Mirka Mora. Hope everyone had a fab weekend.

I can't help myself. As soon as the temperature starts to drop, I make soup. I don't usually use a recipe, just start off with a big pot and keep adding. Sunday afternoon was so sunny and freezing, the perfect day for my version of Minestrone...and I can't stress how much flavour the alphabet adds - especially the b's. The rest of the day was spent crafting. Finally got around to making a Mini Moopy and the little dog pattern came from the talented All Sorts.

Birds Now Bees Later

I found a fantastic old bookshop in New Zealand in the small coastal town of Oamaru called Slightly Foxed. I couldn't resist these bird books.


By the way, thanks for your lovely comments on the brooches! I can't wait to try a MiniMoopy this weekend. Thanks Moopy and Me.

Finally got round to some crafting this weekend. Thought I'd lost the will to craft...but it has returned. It's been about 14 months since I quit smoking and took up the evil Knititng Nancy - another highly addictive way to pass the time. I've made more button brooches and a new kind...made up of different buttons (I think I like them better). I'm a big fan of Button Therapy, so spending time immersed in their colours, shapes and textures kept me happy.

Wings And Things

I was lucky enough to get one of Melissa's lovely tiny dolls and yes they are even more amazing up close. So much work. Makes me smile every time I look at it.

The angel is Emma's - she saw it in a shop called Outre in Dunedin and had to have her. I think she's really lovely (Emma and the angel!).

The Gin Fairy was made by the very talented Jam Fancy. Again, detail is incredible. Her legs are bendy, too. The Gin Fairy was part of a exhibition with Loobylu and Van Sowerwine

Poem

I haven't written much for so long. I hope you enjoy it.


Drawing a Bird

Step off something high.
Hold your 2B aloft - downward strokes
for the stretch of the wing.

Pressing hard
to bring out the tiny, weightless bones
thin as sewing pins.

The beak slightly hooked when closed
or a thin petal pink tongue
for warbling.
A negative space when open -
the same shape as a roof over a house.

Draw up sharply
towards the feathery throat.
Each plume running in the one direction

ruffled by
buffeted by -invisible trade winds

Pencil and bird are born aloft.

Legs are easy.
And if you turn the paper over
you can trace
something like a mountain range
with your thumb.

Free Book Friday

Been too long! If you would like a copy of EAT PRAY LOVE : One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, reviewed favorably here by Africankelli just do this:

1. be the first to post here saying I Want This Book!
2. email me a postal address to spindle2@tpg.com.au asap
3. wait for your book to arrive.

I'll post the book for free anywhere.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

The Lake

New Zealand (yes, still banging on about my holidays) has so many amazing bodies of water. I love the lakes we saw - especially in Autumn. Water was like glass - full of mystery. They changed constantly. Early in the mornings they were coated in a thin layer of fog, when the sun shone you could see all the way down to the stony floor, when it was cloudy they were gun metal and cold. Here are some pics of Lake Wanaka and Lake Tekapo.

Toyland Can Be Scary.

While Em and I were driving around New Zealand's South Island we happened across a massive toy museum...okay, I might have grabbed the wheel hysterically screaming "TURN, TURN!". We didn't stay long. Some amazing tin toys but the place was a total shambles...stuff everywhere. Lots of the toys looked kind of sad and lonely and - angry. But that could just be my imagination. Anyway. I had fun taking some photos. I think my favorite is the little bear with his glasses.

A good friend suggested I take a look at this blog - The Vegan Lunch Box. I admire her dedication. She's turned the lunch box into an art form.

"Tell me Frank...was she rarrrelly beautiful?"

In New Zealand we celebrated my birthday by spending a night at Lanarch Castle in Dunedin. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is one of my favorite books/films and this castle reminded me of the grand house, Mandalay. Built in 1871 by a cranky, rich Scotsman, William Lanarch - Lanarch has a pretty sad history. After his first wife died, William married his dead
wife's sister (that never works) and spent most of his time in town. She was miserable rattling around the castle. The staff hated her. She started drinking and was often spotted staggering around the estate. One night William took his pistol and shot himself. It's a beautiful castle but not a happy one. It's reportedly haunted...I didn't see anything but some of the upstairs bathrooms gave me shiver. After breakfast,
Em and I walked around the grounds just as the sea mist moved in...

The Birds

Okay. I must admit, I'm not much of a twitcher (isn't that what they call birdwatchers?) but the birds in NZ were impossible to ignore. Frankly, they were very pushy. Every time we did a walk or stopped at a look-out, a bird would show up, demanding to be photographed. Admittedly, the water fowl showed more restraint. Here are my birdy photos. I'm afraid I can't identify them all...but there's a baby (chick) albatross, shag and a pukeko.

Planet Melbourne

Here's a pic of Melbourne from the plane on our way home from NZ.

Flying into Melbourne early on Saturday morning was like approaching a sci-fi metropolis from outerspace - the city appeared to be built on clouds.

New Zealand holiday was amazing. I bought a new camera before we left. I took over 300 photos but I promise not to post them all at once. Whatever happened to the slide night? Anyway, NZ was incredible. People were so friendly, food was incredible, scenery, mind blowing. Went to Milford and Doubtful Sound, Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin and so many small towns in between. Craft scene is pretty big, especially in Dunedin - saw lots of crochet and fantastic jewellery using rocks/silver/greenstone. Fronting up to work was hard today...so forgive me if I keep banging on about What I Did On My Holidays...pics coming tomorrow. You've been warned. Thanks for your all your good holiday wishes, too.x

Holidays

...two weeks here. Fly out tomorrow. I'm so excited - seven-year-old-girl-night-before-her-birthday-excited. Hope to find some NZ crafty goodness. xx

Five - My Lucky Number.

I've been tagged by Louise at Elsewhere.

FIVE

Five minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally?
Ideally?
A quick coffee in Mexico.

Five bucks to spend right now; how would you spend it?
Pretty paper.
Ball of wool.
Flowers.
Mouse.

Five items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn’t thought of already?
1. Old pair of shoes I seem to move every morning as I look for the shoes I want.
2. Chutney in the fridge...been a few weeks.
3. Lint.
4. Those things you use to tie up garbage bags...seem to have 1000s of them.
5. Wonky coat-hangers.

Five items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house?
1. Toby
2. Photos
3. Blythe
4. Rebecca dvd.
5. My grandmother's chair.

Five words you love?
1. Icicle
2. Adorable
3. Recalcitrant
4. Sparkle
5. Eclipse

Five folk I'm tagging in return:
red felt flower
Dots and Loops
Jam Fancy
craftapalooza
crafty badger

Thanks Louise!

Easter Chocolate Bliss Out

It's all a surgery blur but E and I had such a fun Easter. Went up to my sister's farm with the rest of my family - 26 of us in all. Hight moments include helping my brother in-law round up sheep, watching my Dad's face as my sister walked out with a cake to celebrate his 76th birthday, making 35 cupcakes with pale green frosting and fluffy chickens on top, eating chocolate from koko black and playing spotlight tiggy with my 11 nieces and nephews. Hope everyone had a good one.

Changing The World: One Dog At A Time...

Look who snuck up onto the bed for a bit of quiet time...he knows I don't have the heart to chuck him off when he looks like this!
Here are some more lovely dogs; Molly Chicken's cute little pup and Camilla's Morran. What a sweet hound.

Window.

I do not have a desk with a view. To my left is bank of open plan offices. The top of a coat rack sticks up like the very top of a mast. We have quite a few indoor plants - but they look fake. I suppose they're meant to make us feel better about being inside but all they do is remind me of what I'm missing.

The ceiling in my office is quite low (anyone seen Being John Malkovich?). Okay, so not that bad. If I push my roller chair away from my desk and scoot to the right, I can see a high window in the distance. At this time of the afternoon, and when it's sunny, like now - the red brick buildings across the way turn this liquid honey colour - seriously, it's such a beautiful, thick, buttery red - you can't believe that sun and brick can make such a thing.

Easter Cards

This weekend was the first of cooler days. Sun was around here and there but mostly is was rain and dark clouds. All the elements were saying "snuggle down". We had a good friend up for the weekend, so it wasn't hard to do. Good bottle(s)of wine, glow of the heater, hot-cross buns with real butter, rain splashed windows and watching the remarkable The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Japser Morello, a short film by Anthony Lucas and the latest Pride and Prejudice.

Toby (wonder dog) got a great run when Em and I went for a short bike ride, but he was happier leaping from lap to lap. Ever tried knitting with a Jack Russell on your knees?

Anyway. Easter cards. I made some. Pictures from a great book called Happy Kitty Bunny Pony.

Days are getting sweeter.

Hip Hop

Here are my first two attempts at making Hilary's Wee Bunnies. It's a great pattern and I'm looking forward to making a few more.

Falling In Love Again

...with the city. Over the last five days I had the chance to get re acquainted with town. With so many events colliding (Next Wave, Comm.Games) the city was humming with colour and things to see. The lane-ways, already crammed with tiny shops, cafes and bars - continue to expand at an amazing rate. I didn't get lost, exactly - but Melbourne has a lovely, dreamy way of spinning you around that leaves you bumping into unexpected places.

Accidentally came across Hedge-Mony at the forecourt of the Melbourne Museum. I love them - women in black dresses walking around with a perfect green sphere covering their heads.

The Beach is a new installation near the Art Centre featuring real sand, water, beach boxes, life-savers and women dressed as ships. So mesmerising to watch - the walked (but seemed to float) over the sand, gently dipping their "masts" towards the breeze.

Next Wave Festival

Going to the opening of The Anti Mascot Project very soon. I love the city on a Friday night.

It's All Your Fault

How am I supposed to get any work done with such amazingingly cute stuff around like this and this? I just want to pack up desk and leave the following message on my work answering machine.

"Hello. You've called Fran. I can't take your call right now because I've just left work to go home and make bunnies and elephants. It's my calling. Thank you for yours. Goodbye."

Fashionista.

This week we're looking after a friends house near town. What a novelty. At work in 15 minutes instead of over an hour. I almost feel like I'm on holidays. I had great plans about using my spare time to catch up on some sewing. Everything was on track until I discovered The TV. I knew my friends had cable but never thought about it much...until I mastered the remote.

Initially I just watched Project Runway which was so much fun.Then it was re-runs of Flipper and Bewitched, then a heap of UK DYI shows about renovations and finally Fashion TV or as I like to call it, the Eating Disorder Channel.

But seriously. This is a TV Station with a 24 hour broadcast of nothing but models and the latest fashion from around the globe. The music is endless euro beat that loops forever.
Scornfully, I kept skimming over FTV and then suddenly I'd been watching it for 30 minutes without really knowing why. The models were wearing all these Nordic inspired clothes the colour of snow, ice and milk. Their hair was all white and blonde and long, their make-up was clearly frost inspired. I know it was bad for me because I started to have an internal dialogue that went like this:

"All my clothes must be cream. Do I have frosted eye-shadow somewhere? I must get myself a dog sleigh, why can't I have cheek-bones like that?, where did I put my vodka and huskie?." This world started to look better and better.

After watching for another hour I almost mastered model speak - that peculiar Eastern Block tone that makes them sound worldly and fascinating when all they are saying is "this shoes are really fabulous".