My creative space...

A little sneak peak of something that is winging it's way around the world.  Umbrella's are feeling appropriate at the moment. There's a tingle of autumn on the air. I'm wearing cords and a long sleeve top. I've got my fringe cut back in, it's my morning off and I've got the music up loud and I reckon I'm gonna do some baking.

Join in with the lovely Kootoyoo

Reading material...

I've just finished my awesome stack of books I received for Christmas. Now I'm onto the penguin classic that was on the shelf. It's called 'And the ass saw the angel' by Nick Cave... it's a bit odd, but I'm intrigued non the less.
Recommended reading from my chrissy books are:
The Book Theif by Markus Zusak. Oh my. I don't think I've ever cried so much! An absolutely wonderful, magical way of story telling. And one of the more original books I've ever read.
The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards. Lovely sad sweet story, well written.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Again a really lovely, fun and drama filled story. The structure is a bit obvious and clunky for me, but a beautiful sentiment and original tale.
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell. This author can do no wrong for me. I love his style. He's different and original and quirky without being a wanker. This story conjured up so many vivid teenage memories.

S

Get into 'em.

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Stories

It's funny how we change truth to tell a story. I realised today as I told someone what happened in my accident... A "douche bag opened his van door on me" when actually... the guy really wasn't a douche bag... he was really lovely and terribly upset and it was early and there wasn't much happening on the street. He just didn't look. He didn't hit me on purpose. So why did I call him names? All week since it happened people have been tutting and saying oh no what an idiot. The guy drove me and my bike home and was practically in tears to my husband about the whole incident - he was genuine. But it got too exhausting telling people he was. Because he was at fault - everyone has decided he's a a bad person - and to keep my story of the whole affair short I say so too. I'm getting sick of repeating it now to be honest - but then it is the most exciting thing thats happened to me recently so...
Anyway - the point is, I think I do this all the time - I think people probably do. Don't let the truth get in the way of a drama, a good story. But I also want people to know that being a bad person isnt a prerequisit for hitting some one with your car. .. anyone can do it - and may be that truth is worth ruining a good story for.

Things to be thankful for.

* Sunday sleep ins.
* Headphones. A bus trip with music is such an improvement.
* The lack of effort I have to put into my appearance for work.
* The crisp sweetness if a really good apple.
* I'll avoid being political, but atleast Sydney has kept Clover Moore.
* Autumn leaves.Sublime.
* The colour of our porridge saucepan.
* An awesome new pub discovery.
* My mum. Happy Birthday mumma!!!

Link Love for Friday...

So apparantly it's Saturday. But i'm at work - and I have tomorrow off so according to me it's Friday today! Here are some links for you to love! 

* Bicycle wheel experiment.
* Amazing images od Detroit in decline..
* One man singing all the disney movie parts!
* Make "a collection a day" desktop wallpaper.
* Godfathers of rock.
* Into fort building? check out these guys.
* mmmm pretty wedding.
* Cutest baby giggle in the world!
* Loving this tumblr right now.
* Messy 5 yr old party idea!

Speaking of...

...bikes. I got back on mine today! I cruised very slowly, and mostly cycled one handed because my left hand is so weak still but... I got back on. And it felt soooo good.

Apologies for the lack of posting and the regular content... *insert long whinge about my job and hours etc here* I'll spare you the details. I'll just say... the bags under my eyes are humungous.

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Ohhhh I'm in bicycle heaven... Check out Beg! So cute!

Build a Rocket boys...

We just got the new Elbow album. It is beautiful, elegant, heart wrenching, so so good. Seriously this song gives me goosebumps.

Cupackes on a rainy day...

 

Because it's been raining so much, I'm even more inclined than usual to bake. I had some leftover butterscotch (stranger things have happened...) so I made Nigellas cupcakes with added butterscotch and cream cheese icing. Mixed with a cup of dark coffee to sip... it's not a bad way to kill some time while the rain patters on the roof and the garden leaves.

Things to be thankful for*

* My bike accident could of been so much worse than it was.
* Sleeping in to the sound of rain.
* Fun creative endevours in theatre with friends.
* Mexican food.
* Antiseptic, antibiotics.
* Work cover.
* The Libyan no fly zone.
* Porridge weather.
* New music to listen to (Elbows new album - highly recommend!)
* My squeamish husband caring for my gross wounds. What a guy.

* Photo's from my 24hr trip to Geelong.

Wish List for Friday...

 * This bag.

* This print.

* I wish I could levitate.

* This bag.

* This print.

 

*These puppies.

 

* This chair.

 *This Dress.

 * This comfy sweater.

 A bit different this week... this week I'm getting all wanty* and craving stuff... mostly a nice bag because I need one and mostly prints because I'm dreaming about my new home.

* Its my new word okay?!

Liebster

Aww I've been handed a Liebster blog award by the superb Estelle over at Curbside style, which is just dandy, because really, I'm incapable of thinking of any blog posts for myself this week, and Liebster is German for awesome.

"The LBA award aims to spread the word about great blogs with less than 300 followers. The idea is too nominate other blogs that you love that meet the criteria and hopefully everyone gets a few new followers along the way."
*On a side note: Does anyone remember LBA the computer game - little big adventure? My little bro was really into it... I was more of a sim city girl myself... now I know I'm far too OCD to get myself into computer games, it wouldn't be good* 

Okay here are my nominations! 
Delightful: Regularly and consistently posts the prettiest things to her blog. It's inspiration galore!

The Letters I wish I'd written: Is pretty much an all time fave for me. Wonderful funny, cryptic, thought provoking letters - which always make me go 'I wish I'd written that...' 

Home Made Rainbows: Leanne has the most amazing life.... well what she shares of it makes me green with envy and green with hope that my garden might one day be as abundant as hers! 


Go check 'em out my pretties - plus there are heaps of other gold that I love reading in the side bar just over there...

PS. Thank you so much for all your sympathy and well wishes - it's all rather itchy and scabby over my end at the moment (TMI?) but I'll be back on my bike in a few weeks I reckon. *s*

Car doored.

After seven years of being a cyclist in Sydney (deemed one of the least safe cities for cyclists in the world) it was bound to happen. After countless upon countless near misses and other various light accidents something was coming my way. And so it did at very early on Sunday morning as I was heading to work (Sunday morning, I know, that's a whole other thing). I was grouchy for various reasons - not least of all the time of day it was and where I was headed, but stoked to have a green light half way down the big hill that it sucks to stop at, in my piddly little "cycle lane" yes that picture of a bike squished between parked cars and traffic. When bam my bicycle meets a van door. Normally I'm hyper aware of these things. People have a sixth sense for things being about to happen - a slight movement in the door way causes you to pre-emptively swerve but not for me, not this time. I was happily belting down the hill, probably at 30kph and then I was in the air and my bike was not underneath me and I was thinking "ummm"...
The big islander man was absolutely mortified and drove me and my bike home. Now I'm nursing some impressive gashes and a bruised hand... normally I put nice things on my blog, but if you are intrigued by the gruesome and graphic ( I do find wounds pretty impressive myself), do click on after the jump for photos...

Things to be thankful for*

With so many natural disasters at the moment, not to mention the unrest all across north Africa and the middle East it's hard to not feel petty and trite with this list. I think that's why today I'm grateful for the big things. The things it's obvious I'm thankful for, but worth re iterating anyway.

* My home.
* My husband.
* My family.
* My job.
* My friends.
* My relative wealth.
* My health.
* My hope.
* My freedom.

Link Love for Friday...

 

* A lovely stationery blog.
* Creative competition going on at Umbrella Prints.
* Love this French fasion.
* Crustless cheesecake? Hell yeah!
* Pretty new web design for Kate Spade.
* Awesome knit wear..
* If only all public art was like this.
* Check out this house...
* Social norms across cultures article.
* Another beautiful house.
* Beautiful photography...

More marvelous Links...

My creative Space...

Look TWO buttons this week! Thats a 100% output improvement guys! Go me!
Unfortunately I decided to just go with my eye and some vague hand span measuring for the spacing on this and what do you know but it's totes wonky. Ach well - I'm just glad that something in my head has eventuated into something real - I'd eventually love to make these out of pure felt and not the blend I'm using. What do you reckon? You got room for a sweet cushion like this on your sofa?

ps. This is the umbrella cushion in the background...

Join in with the lovely Kootoyoo

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Just a few pictures from our trip today...

What you can see when you wake very early...

* Smelling; baking gingerbread.
* Waiting; for my boys meeting to hurry up and finish already.
* Feeling; anxious, overwhelmed, sleepy, lucky, happy.
* Hearing; the new Interpol album.
* Aching; in the horse riding muscle department. Ouchy.
* Travelled; on 5 planes in one week.
* Wearing; My new $4 op shop find.
* Thinking; lighting, plumbing, gardening, future, work, dogs, don't forget the cakes in the oven!!!

I feel like I've been all over the place for agggges now. How do you cope when things feel overwhelming? I tend to write lists and try and dig around for an inkling of time to remove myself, breath deep and calm my mind. Also, isn't whelming a lovely word?

ps. That second picture is from a lighting consol I used in Adelaide... this is what it greeted me with when it turned on in the morning... confronting no?!

Flea Market Finds...

 

I know novelty spoons are not every ones cup of tea but, you've got to admit, these two are pretty gosh darn cute! Found on our trip from a huge antique shop in a village in Victoria.

More flea market finds here...