Update

Very disappointed with my modcloth stuff. Don't think the sizing chart is accurate, and the quality is not impressive. meh.

Frock me

Today, from my permanent spot on the couch, I indulged in some dress shopping from ModCloth. I'm pretty sure everyone is familiar with their variety of gorgeous clothes. They seem to have a good range of sizes too, so I thought I'd take a gamble and order a frock or two, including this one:

[Dress pic from ModCloth's site, obviously that's the frock in a Size 2 or something.]

I'm somewhat concerned though, as I fear after paying the ridiculously large postage ($30 US!) they won't fit my fat arse and it will be a case of this:


Wait and see, I guess.
....

In other news I've done a few rows of my crochet jumper and am not liking it. The edges and colour joins look too messy, and I'm not sure if I want to pursue it. I might show it to the Knitting Knazi and see what she advises. I'm not feeling optimistic.

Molly was very pleased with her cross stitch

source

Hooray

Further to this post of mine, finding this post of Amanda Palmer's made me chuckle this morning.
Although the 'keep calm' amusement was overshadowed by her confirmation that the Dresden Dolls are touring next year. Hooray!!

And here's a gratutious AFP photo from same blog post:
While we're on the subject of Amanda Palmer related thingys, (if you recall this post), last night Hubert bought home Vegemite flavoured potato chips from the supermarket. Given that I hadn't been fond of the meat pie flavoured chips, the pizza or the bacon ones, I was dubious. However, Vegemite chips were just like a vegemite sandwich ~ only crunchy ~ and all scoffed accordingly. Buy some. If you like Vegemite that is.

More "this"

Further to this post, I got this message on FB last night:

[wants you to know].. that it's time to STOP going through the motions of living, and START living. Are you willing to do that now? Or are you going to wait until all life energy drains out of you and your loved ones who are trying to support you at this very moment? You were not born to follow rules and regulations. Living starts with dreaming. So dream, dream friend, and let dreams show you the path to your bliss.

Death paste

death paste, originally uploaded by crafty & devious.

Oh no I didn't make this. But it is pure awesomeness!
More so if you're familar with this song:

PS. I quite like Vegemite...but only a thin scrape, with butter, and I have to be in the mood.

Hmm...

...this quote just popped up on my FB feed from something or other:

Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Does that mean when you're not looking in the same direction the love goes?
I don't know.

Oh my giddy aunt!

Delilah the Beautiful, by Badbird, originally uploaded by giddy99.

Sometimes you find something on Flickr that really inspires you. I can't believe I hadn't found this girl's photos before! In this case it's the embroidery by Giddy99... I have no idea who she is, if she blogs, or anything really, other than that she lives in the USA and her embroidery is PHENOMENAL!! This gorgeous version of Badbird's Delilah pattern puts my weak effort to shame.

life

This

was a "horoscope" that a FB application gave me at random one day last week. I copied it into a draft post at the time, because it spoke to me in a spooky sort of fashion.

"Today God wants you to know that humans learn only by trial and error, and that includes you. You've got to live life, not think about it. Step into the midst of things, try and fail and learn and stand up again. The question is not whether you will or will not make mistakes - you will. The question is do you want to learn and grow, or do you want to shrink back and be stuck? Take that step you've been avoiding. You can succeed, or you can get feedback that it didn't work, but in either case you are sure to feel alive."

Even FB is trying to tell me to get out of my rut. Argh!

At the moment

...With New York's Favorite Beer, originally uploaded by What Makes The Pie Shops Tick?.

I am so glad it's Friday again. I seem to be dragging myself through each week. Hubert suggests that I make some goals to give me some focus and something to work towards, so that's on my list of things to do.

...
No bowling this weekend, that was last Saturday night...it's one of my new favourite things to do. I'm not sure why, unlike the photo I don't have a colour coordinated bowling outfit, don't do leaps of joy, and certainly don't drink beer whilst bowling. Perhaps adopting all these practices will improve my game? Maybe the appeal is that I just enjoy smashing things down. Most of the time. When I actually hit the pins, that is.
...

Been thinking of another name for the blog...haven't got anything yet. Meh. The only thing I can't thought of, I can't really use, as it's a bit inappropriate. My friend the Knitting Knazi was telling me how her boyfriend has a tattoo (one of many) on his arm that says "Hello fuckers". What a delightful name for the blog, thought I. Maybe it would look lovely as an embroidered blog header.

...

Just finished reading this book, as I bought it here for $5. If you ask me, is it good? I'd say with all sincerity "Yes, you should read it", but at the same time, I didn't really enjoy it, and couldn't "connect" with the author. Oprah would probably say "Oh you're not ready for it yet, or you don't want to change blah blah" but I think it's more a case of "One man's meat is another man's poison"...well in this case, not quite poison, but maybe I'd prefer the chicken or fish to the meat. It should be noted that I recently started reading a Deepak Chopra book on death and abandoned it three quarters of the way through because I thought it was both boring and uninspiring. Also I didn't feel that his examples were logically proving his arguments. I don't know if Deepak is chicken, fish or maybe even lentils. My favourite "improve yourself" type book that I've read in the past year is this one.

The other thing I'm reading in bed is this...and golly it's slow. I enjoy a nice Agatha Christie novel on the tram, and was hoping the autobiography would discuss her writing process in more detail, but it's more like "around the same time that we were holidaying in Torquay, I worked on 'The Man in the Brown Suit', and it was eventually ready for the publishers." Hence, it gets me in a very sleepy mood before bed each night.

...

In other news, I bought Hubert this as a pressie.

He had a guitar years ago, and had to sell it... he told me that he was told at the time something to the effect of "You should grow up now anyway". This made me both indignant and sad. I found the guitar on ebay, so it was a bit of a bargain. One of my ambitions it to learn the piano, and Hubert has offered to give me a hand with that. Wonder if he realises what he's gotten himself in for?

...

In other news, still trying to overcome my fear of "rolling". Let's hope I get there. This girl is encouraging me lots.
...

Happy Friday, whatever you're up to this weekend.

Kittens

Rosemary, Peter and Leo with kittens at Mt Eliza, originally uploaded by State Library of Victoria Collections.

Is this a kitten race? Who knows? But proof everyone loves a kitten!

Source : Photographer unknown, possibly Una or Violet Teague.
Gift of Ms Felicity Druce through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, in memory of Una Sybella Teague, Kenric Teague 2009.

The Clarke Sisters

The afternoon world, the bees have stung the softball girls.
The midnight world, the crystal ball down the wooden hall.
The treehouse stands, their early childhood, were treehouse plans.
And right above,

The Clarke Sisters, handed down to love.
Handed down to love. Handed down to love.

Bit o'crochet

Today during a somewhat aimless wander in Lincraft, I bought this pattern book:




There's also a crochet blankie pattern in there, and a granny square one too. I know the rest of blogland seems to be madly in love with granny squares, but no, I don't really want to make a cardi trimmed with them, or a scarf, or slippers.

But each to their own.

What I did start is the long stripey v-neck jumper...which basically looks like a straight multi-coloured blankie worked in treble. The yarn is somewhat yummy. Of course, it remains to be seen if I will actually finish it.

This afternoon

Not well, so am at home pottering about in a lacklustre fashion.

There is tea:



Finally finished (?) a little wall hanging, yes a Sublime Stitching artist series one:



In situ next to roadside chair:


Apologies for the awful photos, the light in here is not so good at the moment, and I'm just using the iThingy.

for Jodie

Following on for yesterday's post, here's a couple of the uncensored ones...



Sorry to anyone easily offended. Hehehee...

And last but not least:

amusing myself

This was one of the ones without the f word in it.
Found this poster generator via Buttontree Lane. Cheers.

dainty

Found via Facebook.

So...

I'm off to post some parcels, and I stop into Typo to get some deco tape to make the boxes extra secure. And I come out with this. Oh dear. I am a bit pleased with the Yellow Submarine though.

[I bought the hoop artwork because when I was fussing over where to live, Hubert would say that to me. I'm going to attempt to embroider over it.]

Acquired

Man and woman on a Malvern Star abreast tandem bicycle, c. 1930s, by Sam Hood, originally uploaded by State Library of New South Wales collection.

[source]


A wee yellow pushie, that is.

now you're really livin'

Rant

Hubert and I just returned from a trip to our local Savers...mostly with books as they're the only thing that one can afford there. Is it just me, or WHAT THE HELL are Savers thinking? Old CDs that I used to have in my collection (for example Mechanical Animals, and Mellon Collie) $7.99 each. What?? I could go to JB Hi Fi and buy them for $10 brand new. So they stayed there. Oh look, vintage 30s Grindley dinner plates, a design I would have loved to own called "Acacia Bloom"...$9.99 each. So for the 3 dinner plates and 5 breakfast plates, ah, 80 bucks?! A cute pair of shoes, hmm my size, fit too...$14.99. Nah. I bought a couple of old Agathas for 99cents each, and two old Kylie concert programs for my sis. Savers, you can FRO, because you're beyond ridiculous now.

Random blog content #2

rides1, originally uploaded by drewzel.

Today I am peeved as I went to get the showbag guide out of the work paper, and someone has pinched it! Before it even got to our office...and even wrapped the papers back up to look like they'd been untouched. Colour me disgusted. Now my plans to peruse the showbags and plan imaginary purchases are thwarted. Grr.

However, all is not lost as I messaged Hubert who has a copy of today's Herald Sun for me to plunder. He sent me a message back "we can go if you like". Hmm, a quandry, to show or not to show? There are animals and showbags. (Like like) There is craft to um, err, wonder at. (Like) There is fairy floss. (Like) There are rides and lots of people. (Do not like.)

PS. yes, I can hear you thinking "Wow, tackling the big issues of our time there Drewzel." To which I say, yes, I know, but I'm really not capable of anything much at the moment. I don't want to think any more. Maybe I can rename the blog "Vacuous and Mundane"?

Random blog content

Ninja wants to know, so it's mini interview time. In the chair today is Chris, who was in the right place at the right time.

Q1. why do you live where you do

Q2. favourite song ever

Q3. purpose of life

Q4. julia gillard?

Q5. strawberry or chocolate.

the end.

1.because I live where I love and I love where I live

2. Am I ever gonna see your face again (no way get fucked fuck off)

3. The annual ute muster and B&S ball

4. would be a top root

5. VB

I trust you are suitably enlightened now. Thank you.

Om nom nom

Sunday brekky, this was joined by hashbrowns 3 minutes later. Ta Hubert.

Father's day

We've still got him around, I'm fortunate.

Oh Daiso!

As we were in Templestowe for a family lunch today, I suggested to Hubert that we go to Shoppingtown for a look. My master plan was to go to Daiso, as I'd been promising myself I'd go and check it out for ages now. So after feeling a bit lost in a panoply of shops (as I hadn't been there for years) we found it, and it was as 2 dollar-ariffic as I had hoped. Of course, our green friends should turn away now, because basically it's full of plastic crap. But it's fun crap, with kawaii characters, untranslatable packaging, and random stuff for kitchen and bathroom stuff that I'd never think to do in the first place (eyelid glue?!) Hubert obligingly carried the basket for me and said at the checkout "I think you've got about XX bucks worth of crap", and he was only 9 dollars under my final total. Oh dear. But my kawaii urge/Japanese goods fetish has been satisfied for a while, and now the kitchen has four new chair cushions made out of cute Japanese fabric (bunnies, turtles and dragonflies) as well as a bunny table runner. (Apparently it was a hand towel, but I'm sticking with table runner.)

Picture o' tons o' crap:





Ninja approves of this black cat notebook that I bought for my sis:

Here we've got some peony bath salts (in the box with the girl), bear shaped pump bottle, wooden based pincushion, pink bento box, and various notebooks. You can see the green bunny seat cushion underneath.



The beauty section is good fun too, with lots of little travel bottles and baggies, and all the false eyelashes you'd ever want (in my case, none). Plus I bought myself some concealer and eyebrow "glue". And for fans of Kawaii stationery, there's lots of supercutesy bits and bobs. I think we'll take Miss C for a visit when she's in town next. They also had crockery, mugs, plastic containers, cleaning products and and all your other useful two dollar type stuff. Hubert was pleased to find some filter bags for making his herbal tea. And I grabbed some innersoles and foot patches. So I'd definitely recommend a visit if you are inclined towards some Japanese frippery.

More tatt-ery

[source]



No, I'm not rushing out to get my Spikey dog tattooed onto me, I just thought that this was pretty cool.

minus mandrills

This blog is always minus mandrills...actually I don't like primates much at all really. Anyway, last weekend we journeyed to Adelaide for a visit to Hubert's daughter and very much enjoyed seeing her. Can't say I really enjoy the outer Northern suburbs of Adelaide, but that's by the by. One of the joyous things about Adelaide is that their zoo has not one, but two species of tapir! This of course, probably does not excite you, as you have have to be a tapir lover, and I'm guessing that the mandrill fanclub has more members than the tapir lovers, but I am not bothered by this. I was excited. And that's all that counts.





The tapirs remained indifferent to my presence, the Malayan ones (above) content to stay dozing under their fig tree. The Brazilian tapirs only perked up when a keeper bought them some leafy matter to munch on.

before

after

But nevertheless, I had seen real live tapirs! Cheers all round.



PS. the other big attraction at the Adelaide Zoo are the giant pandas, Wang Wang and Funi. They are very cute. But they don't have proboscises. Proboscides?!

like

I found this blog post via a link on Pip's blog. And really liked this pic.

Long time, no tea

Indeed, the casual observer will note that the blog has been quiet. This is because I've been uninspired, uncrafty and unmotivated. It's been Winter. Bunker down. Some happy things have happened, life has gone on, a terribly tragic thing has happened, which I must confess has made me re-evaluate many aspects of life.



But anyway, today is the first day of Spring, so let's see if I can attempt to blog again.

Love this pic

Source

house inspiration

source
I love this - so much retro!
photo source

And a great story about their house here.

tapircraft

Once upon a time, the lovely Ruth drew a tapir, and it was cute. So Steph offered to embroider it for her. And some time around Easter, a tapir pillowcase was born. And Ruth was pleased. And Steph was happy.