It's rainin' but there ain't a cloud in the sky
Musta been a tear from your eye
Everything'll be okay
Funny thought I felt a sweet summer breeze
Musta been you sighin' so deep
Don't worry we're gonna find a way

I'm waitin', waitin' on a sunny day
Gonna chase the clouds away
Waitin' on a sunny day

Without you I'm workin' with the rain fallin' down
Half a party in a one dog town
I need you to chase the blues away
Without you I'm a drummer girl that can't keep a beat
And ice cream truck on a deserted street
I hope that you're coming to stay

I'm waitin', waitin' on a sunny day
Gonna chase the clouds away
Waitin' on a sunny day

Hard times baby, well they come to tell us all
Sure as the tickin' of the clock on the wall
Sure as the turnin' of the night into day
Your smile girl, brings the mornin' light to my eyes
Lifts away the blues when I rise
I hope that you're coming to stay

(Bruce Springsteen)

Hmm...

Pottering around on teh interwebs today I came across this post about a company called Lu Flux refashioning vintage linen into clothing.  How intriguing, thought I.

I'm not convinced the shirt works...maybe it's all about the styling, but to me it screams 80s soccer mom horror, and brought to mind the poor doiley jacket I rescued all those years ago.

However, I did like the shape of this frock:

Again though, I'm not convinced it's something you'd actually wear...how would one wear this and not feel like a tablecloth?  Not that dressing like a tablecloth is a bad thing, given I think it's perfectly acceptable to dress like a doiley.

I think I'll stick to recycling my tablecloths into curtains.  Full credit to Lu Flux for their creativity though!

Whattayareckon?

Crochet rug

While out shopping today, I picked up the latest (well latest to Australia off the boat) copy of Inside Crochet.  One of the patterns was for this:

[Image: Doily Rug by Tracey Todhunter© Tailor Made Publishing Ltd]

How gorgeous is this?  I think I'll have to make one for the Casa as soon as I can find a suitable wool.

The more I knit, the more I love crochet...haha.

Any yarn suggestions?

Mitteny things

I couldn't help myself when I saw this wool on Bendigo's site...so I ordered an exploratory ball when I was topping up my crochet cotton for blankie malarkey. Pudding was quite interested:

 
(sorry it's blurry, that's what happens when the dog gets near the camera).

Much like Pudding, I wanted to chomp the wool. Courtesy of Bendigo, I made the pattern for the "ribbed mitts" which was NICE AND EASY and didn't break my brain. Win all round. Here's a pic of one of the finished mitts (obviously the other one was holding my phone to take the pic):



I love the blocks of colour, and it's beautiful to knit with.  Now I'm pondering some sort of easy matching scarf.  Yummy.

Tea party

#22 Miss Kitty, originally uploaded by paintedbooklady.

The Tea Party

I had a little tea party
This afternoon at three.
'Twas very small-
Three guest in all-
Just I, myself and me.

Myself ate all the sandwiches,
While I drank up the tea;
'Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to me

― Jessica Nelson North

PS. Isn't that teapot adorable? It reminds me of my biccie barrel.

You remind me

It’s an inkblot world -  a Rorschach test
You make your way, you try the best you can
You remind me who I am

Hello May

(source)

Hello May...already! I found out today that I officially have a "new" job in Ballarat (I type "new" because it's with the same organisation, at the same level, but I still had to put in an application and go for an interview and get it on merit).  So things are moving along.  I try to be patient, but I think May is going to be a long month.

All take, no give

Photo from State Library of Victoria

Things have been quiet on the blog this week, as I've found myself with nothing I really want to say. It's one of my beliefs that if you have nothing to say, then don't say anything at all...I don't feel the need to blog for the sake of it, or push anything...so I've been quietly reading and digesting other people's efforts.  This includes this book, and this blog, among others. I've been filling my Blog Lovin' up with new favourites, such as this girl, and this one. And I keep checking in on these two and this lovely to see what's new with them, as I'm in a similar headspace. 

All in all, I've been stressing myself silly this week, but have had good news from the bank, so the new Casa Pudding is going ahead...which is both awesome and scary.  I have an job interview early next week, so I've been brushing up on the relevant skills for that position. Hubert is regularly job searching, the Pudding snoozing, and I've been plodding along on crochet blankie. 

I know I'm always first-with-the-last, but I found this craft book (Panda Crafternoon) online last night, and am a bit taken by some of the projects...must pick up a copy next time I'm out a-purchasing. None of it is new and exciting, or earth-shattering, but I like the presentation, and I like the idea of a few nanna-crafts together in an easy format for me.

Ye olde standards.

Why does the little girl look so freaked out? 

[images from here]

So daily life is a bit limbo-ish at the moment, I've started to mentally say "Oh I won't do that now, will do that at the new place."  I don't know if that's good or bad, but I guess I'm trying to rein everything in before we prepare for THE BIG MOVE.  (See, scary!!)  Anyway, back to the blankie...

Blog lovin'

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Hope this makes my blog trawling easier!

Waiting

Just wanted to share this delightful picture from 1941.  Found via Shorpy.

They're waiting for a streetcar, I'm waiting on the bank.

More tapircraft

I wholly endorse the crafting of tapirs, in any form you care to choose. I've crafted a few myself.  But this one takes the cake (or mango, if you will.)  I found this via the World Tapir Day's Facebook page and had to borrow a couple of photos for the blog here.

WTD said "Katie Shea Stevens made a life size tapir out of paper mache for the Belize Zoo. Don't forget that April 27th is World Tapir Day, and the Belize Zoo will be having special activities for it. The paper mache tapir is currently on display at the zoo."

I'm a bit adverse to the use of the word "awesome" but this truly is. Love it.

Who could resist this face?

Paper mache tapir is a Baird's tapir native to Central America and northern South America.  Like the other three tapir species, Baird's tapir is endangered.  In Belize, Baird's tapir are called "mountain cow" and are the country's national animal.  Hence the Belize Zoo's enthusiasm for paper mache tapirs.

Nice rump.

The full set of photos can be found here. I think this effort would make Belize Zoo tapir April happy, she looks quite pleased here:

[source]

Plus WTD is always celebrated on April's birthday, April 27th.  Yes, there will be cake.

The link

...that saved my sanity earlier.  I HAD started this blankie project, but the tension on the foundation row had messed it right up, for it was all tight along the bottom and then starting to ripple up top.  I did a few rows, but pulled them out in disgust on Thursday night (after a few drinks, no less) and tried to start again.  Same problem.  So I trashed that effort too.  And got cross. And then I found this link and it was so easy-peasy I almost jumped for joy. (Note the "almost"...I don't enter into wanton physical activity lightly.)

Now I am four rows into crochet blankie, and all is going well.  So far...

And I've also discovered a delightful blog in the process.  All good.

(something you'll never hear me say)

Today

This is my view as I sit here and drink cider, read blogs (this one today), watch a live Bruce DVD and work on a crochet blankie I started the other night. It's a bit chilly outside, and we've been out for a cupcake and coffee, to visit the Grandpuddings* and to look at some chairs in their local oppy that Mum thought were worth buying. (Hubert pointed out that we haven't necessarily even got a house to put chairs in yet.) One thing they did have at the op shop was a rather delightful little bedside cupboard/washstand, but it wasn't out for sale yet. I asked Mum to keep an eye on it for me. Although it did need a total repaint. I didn't buy anything from said op-shop as the things I was interested in (ie. old china) had ridiculous prices on it. I know it's charity, but I'm not paying $20 for an op-shop plate. Meh. 

Crochet blankie is slowly growing, I decided to try and put some cotton yarn I'd bought back for my granny malarkey to some use and have a go at something that isn't squares. (Granny malarkey to date will become a bath mat, methinks. I have to crochet an outer border and sew in all those annoying ends.) Anyway...see if I finish this one...I won't be putting any bets on. Still though, it keeps me amused while we're waiting on the result of the housing hoohah. 

 PS. Banks do my head in.

* Spike's grandparents, no, I don't have any grandchildren.

Brooooooooooce!

Yesterday was a good day for two special reasons 1) Hubert's birthday and 2) Bruce!

I'm not going to attempt to write a review of the night (actually writing about music irks me considerably, it's near impossible to do well), so anyone interested would do well to read this instead.  This was my first time seeing Bruce live, as I couldn't go last time he toured (which was a long time ago).  I hope it's not my last time...come back soon Bruce, we love you. 

[image source]



Happiness.

Casa Pudding Mk 2

Could we have found a new house?  After being bitterly disappointed by a structural inspection finding our previous potential house too poor to proceed with purchase, we regrouped and spent Saturday house hunting.  There were two possibilites, but we went for the one both Hubert and I agreed on.  So pending the bank actually giving us the money (we have pre-approval, but I trust no-one) and the inspection not finding any major problems, we will have a new Puddingstead.

Cross your fingers (and toes!) because house hunting stress is starting to wear me down.

[source - unknown, please let me know if you have the info for me to credit]

Yet more faded days

You could be forgiven for thinking that all I do on the blog these days is compare photos of then and now... at the moment we're frequently trawling the real estate sites for potential homes, and then I get distracted by things like this.  This, of course, is not a viable option for us, but I like to daydream...I'm sure I'm not alone in having a yearning to live in an old converted schoolhouse or church.

So when I found this "schoolhouse" as the listing said, I felt a need for a quick Google (sounds rude!) which  led me to discover that this building is the old Caralulup PS974.  (944 Lexton-Talbot Rd, Burnbank 3371).

 Here it is in 1909 (I've borrowed the photo from here).  Better days - for the school at least.

Some information on the school is as follows (I've borrowed this from the same site.)

63 students at one stage.  If my memory doesn't fail me, that's more than was at my primary school in the 1970s. The "destitute children's clause"...oh dear.  I do think 'Caralulup' is a delightful name though.

So it closed in 1928, and appears to have been converted to a residence - when?...and here it is now, yours for $90,000.

Needs a bit (!) of work inside though.

Was this the old shelter shed?  There's also a derelict tennis court.

I guess I romanticise things, but I do hope someone buys it and gives it some love...imagine how delightful it would be!

Just a quick one

...does anyone still read this blog? Or would care if I moved it?  I'm just feeling like I'm a different person than when I started it and feel like a change.
*cue crickets*

One step back

Today was a very hard day.

Sometimes

You stumble across someone's blog that's at a very similar place in life than you (although I've got 20 years on this lovely girl)... but you can RELATE and they INSPIRE you.

I'm very much looking forward to regularly reading this blog.

Autumnal

So so SO glad the weather's cooled down FINALLY.  As I type, the Pudding is asleep on his bed in front of the heater, and I have a nice cup of (tapir) tea.

I borrowed this photo from Green Eggs' Facebook today, because it made me think of one the things I like about early Autumn (that is NORMAL early Autumn weather, not this freaky stuff Melbourne has been having so far)...it's still sunny and warm-ish, but not melt your brain hot, and there's a nice chill in the air in the mornings.*  Plus a sunny afternoon field of chickens never goes astray.

I was pondering my craft mojo as I was on the train this afternoon.  It's still missing in action. But then I thought, "Maybe it's never coming back?"...maybe I just took refuge in excessive crafting and the crafty community at a time in my life where I was very unhappy and finding little fulfillment elsewhere.  Perhaps my NEED for crafting is gone...although the desire is still there, but no pressure, just when I feel like making something or merely doing something tactile.  So I decided not worry about my long lost mojo, and just resign myself to being a dilettante crafter. C'est la vie.

*Of course, I'm loathing getting up for work in Winter already...I don't love everything about the cold weather!  When can we win Tattslotto and retire?

Then and now

Playing around on the internet I found some old photos of Creswick...so I thought it was time to play Find-the-shop-on-Google-Maps.  Currently melting into the couch (hate hate hate the hot weather), so at least this is keeping me amused.

Draper's shop, Creswick, circa 1865 [source]  I love the thought of a draper's shop...when I was growing up in Creswick, there was Pat Burke the drapers, and I remember buying ribbon there for my Miss Piggy doll. It was in a beautiful old building, and inside it still felt like it was 1960. I can't remember if this impressed 1970s me or not, I was more interested in the ribbon and getting out before Mum ran into someone she knew and started chatting.
This drapery appears to have woollen clothes (?) and hats on offer...and a barber shop next door. We'll assume the man out the front in the impressive hat is the proprietor, with his faithful shop boy, Patsy.

This pic is sort of weird though, do the people to the right look ultra teeny tiny? Or is this just a fault of early photographic perspective? Having a look at Google maps, I'd confidently say it's one of these buildings (currently a estate agent and a French bakery next door):

 

Here's another photo I found of a bakery, circa 1930. [source] Why is it called the Perserverance, I wonder? Life was so hard and crappy that perseverance was a virtue?

 

This one I couldn't quite work out which building it is, although I do know it's Albert Street as well, as I found reference to a Miss Ida Bowley of Albert Street Creswick, in an newspaper of 1919. (She won 1 pound in a newspaper competition, surely very exciting at the time!) Is this Ida in this photo?  Was CC her father?
Here's a probate notice for CC, from The Argus, Wednesday 17th August, 1938.

Anyway, I do digress...is the building still there?
At first I thought it was this one:

But the more I think about it, I'm going for this one:

Another view:

Any thoughts? *crickets chirp*

This post reminded me not to neglect my stitching this year...so far I'm not so successful, although I did finish a cushion cover with the Sublime "Marcel Wave" pattern on it, I'll post a pic when I'm not so lazy.

Lust Have It - Feb 2013

First time I've tried Lust Have It.  I've subscribed to BellaBox since the start I think, but never gave it too much thought, it was a nice surprise when it arrived every month, and always fun to see what's inside and test new stuff.  I must confess I love beauty products, but over the past year or two I've tried to confine myself to things like Paul and Joe, Clinique and anything vintage-y styled.  I've started reading the beauty blogs where girls review their purchases and the sample beauty boxes and they're a lot of fun.

Anyway, I was a bit disappointed that Australia Post appears to have played football with my parcel...although happily it doesn't seem to have affected any of the contents.

There's been a few complaints on the FB page about this particular box, but in all honesty, I think people are just whinging. Maybe a full size fake tan isn't your thing, but to get it when it's worth 29.95 and a full size nail polish that's worth 9.99 still seems to be to be pretty good value for $15. Of course you're not going to always like/be able to use what's in the box...it's a beauty lucky dip...and if you're so hung up on not getting what you want, just take your money, go shopping and buy EXACTLY what you want. Me, I like the surprise element of these boxes and I just see it as a bit of fun in the mail every month, for the cost of about three take-away coffees.

Things are afoot

David Jones Winter beauty bag

After this post and this post alerted me to the existence of this great offer at DJ's, I staggered down to the Bourke St Mall in my lunch hour and picked one up. What beauty product did I buy to qualify for the offer? An adorable shower cap, hehe. Big spender, huh?  I had a bit of a snoop around, but the range was a bit overwhelming and I was a bit wobbly (due to an infection in my leg), so I bought something I NEEDED and left it at that. The OPI bar was very appealing, but again, couldn't commit to a colour. I must say I'm delighted at the colour of the nailpolish...I actually went through the bags on offer until I found it. Another blogger has reviewed it here, and I understand what she means, about it looking a different colour in the bottle compared with on your nails, as it is more olive than blue... but that said, I still really love it. I'll have to check what the name of it is again (aforementioned blog reminded me that it's 'Just Spotted the Lizard'), I know it's in the Spiderman mini-pack (which I almost bought). My only gripe with it is that you need lots of coats to get decent coverage...I've put 3 on so far and it still looks patchy. I haven't tried any of the other products yet, besides the David Jones brand moisturiser, which is lovely...I really like their brand of skin care and makeup, it's very good quality and very well priced. Anyway, just a bit of indulgence for me on a day where I was feeling very ordinary, so a good quick pick-me-up never goes astray!