A Girl Called E

Hey Emmaline, you'll be looking forever

2011-06-16T23:38:00.001+10:00

Hi hiiii!!

Just popping in to let you know I've started another little blog for my teapot business Hey Emmaline! It may or may not contain a few rants and ramblings of my day to day life as well.

If you think you might be interested in checking out my teapots or the ravings of a mad women you can find me here!

A Girl Called E might be revived sooner or later too... guess time will tell. Hope you're all well! xx

It's a bunny thing

2010-10-08T18:22:00.005+11:00

I'm a tad obssessed with bunnies. I can watch Youtube clips of bunnies doing inane stuff for hours. And I had been eyeing off these lovely artworks by Kozyndan at Outre Gallery for quite a while. After visiting the Kozyndan website I realised I could buy the posters for US$15 online (must take advantage of that strong Australian dollar!) so now I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of even more bunnies to my home. yay!

More french than fries

2010-09-24T18:43:00.004+10:00

When I saw these tres adorable totes from Chip Chop, I knew I had to have one. I'm that annoying person who drops french words and phrases into their conversation for no reason whatsoever. I especially love saying random words that have no relevance just because they're fun to say. Bibliotheque anyone?

The age old debate is over and it ended in overalls

2010-09-09T10:31:00.000+10:00

The werewolf vs vampire discussion is getting seriously tired by now. I'm pretty sure most of us are sick of feeling slightly guilty over being attracted to a 17 year old boy in a tank top, or alternatively Cedric Diggery with white makeup and a poor American accent. Personally I've been too busy watching what the grown-up vampires have been getting up to in Bon Temps to give werewolves a second though. Well that's until someone introduced me to Alcide Herveaux... Warning - Total fan girl moment approaching

Eric Northman? I seriously couldn't care less (blasphemy for anyone who has seen Ep 9 of Season 2 of True Blood...). This girl is fickle, but it's Team Alcide all the way.

As a side note, don't you think Stephen Moyer must be pissed? Each season he is superceded by someone hotter which is a shame because the man looks hot with a tan.
As another side note - Terry Bellefleur has my heart for life.

Shameless self promotion

2010-09-06T10:33:00.000+10:00

Teapots have unexpectedly become a big part of my life in 2010. One turned into thirty and it's been simultaneously fun and stressful... a little more of the latter maybe. I promised myself I'd get organised and branch out a little more when I got home from my US jaunt. Er... six weeks later I'm still as disorganised as ever but I've actually posted some new teapots!

This one is pretty darn simple but I think it's cute seeing as we're on the brink of all the good stuff Spring has to offer.

You can have a looksee at the rest... here!

Pretty, pretty please

2010-09-05T11:08:00.000+10:00

Why is it that the more I try and save money, the more I want to spend money? All these gorgeous things are coming out of the woodwork, flaunting their cuteness and urging me to buy them. And sadly (or gladly, depending on how you look at it) I cave in pretty much every single time.

The latest thing to catch my eye was this gorgeous polka dot plate by The Storybook Rabbit (aka Kelly from Made By White). I didn't even consult my conscience or my budget on this one. As a result it's now in my happy little hands. No regrets here, it's even better than I imagined!

Money changes everything

2010-09-04T12:41:00.000+10:00

Just how crazy is it to shell out $350 on a dress you can't try on? This is the internal war I'm currently waging with myself over this dress from Posh Girl Vintage. I've looked at it every day for a week and I just can't decide.

It's perfect! Just awfully expensive...

My song of the week.

2010-08-30T17:00:00.002+10:00

Home, sweet swinging home

2010-08-19T15:33:00.004+10:00

Oh how I wish it was possible to get Urban Outfitters furniture sent to Australia. I would come home to my converted warehouse apartment with exposed brick walls and original floor boards, mix myself a martini and sit on my mid-century rocking chair with J D Salinger book. How neat!

When I grow up I want to be...

2010-08-09T16:41:00.001+10:00

I'm a bit of a wedding tragic you see (and I'm not the engaged one... go figure) so I'll often wander over to Once Wed and check out the amazing weddings they feature. This one particular wedding caught my eye - Max and Margaux's wedding styled/crafted by Ashley Meaders. It's bright, relaxed and so fun - all the things I think a good wedding should be. The photography by Our Labor of Love is equally amazing. Again, let me lament the fact that all this cool stuff happens... in the northern hemisphere.

All her little details are so sweet - like these teabags with little hearts...

And the swing? Well the swing is to die for.

So in summary, when I grow up I want to be Ashley Meaders! Being able to make such gorgeous things for a job? Yes please!

Source of fun...

2010-08-04T12:22:00.000+10:00

Hello there!
I've been a little absent because I took myself overseas to LA, San Francisco and New York for a few weeks. So I'm back feeling refreshed and inspired - nothing like a few weeks of summer warmth to make the remnants of Sydney's winter a little more bearable.

I was a particularly slack traveller and took hardly any photos (save for about 10 of the Kwik-E-Mart in Universal Studios...). My lovely dad was actually in San Fran before me and scouted out this amazing paper shop - Paper Source - for me and was even kind enough to get a quick photo.

How amazing is their window display?! If you look closely they're made up entirely of envelopes - so quirky yet resourseful. The shop was a crafty girls Mecca, I literally thought I was going to implode with inspiration. We left with only a few bits and bobs, including this very fun wreath flower kit mum bought for us to make.

I'm a little frustrated that we don't have anything this exciting in Sydney. Paper Source offers up inventive and original products at reasonable prices which is something we're really lacking here. They even offer classes! I'm green just talking about it. And something else that was really refreshing? The shop I went in was manned by two young and trendy guys. Love it.

In summary - check them out here!

What is a marmot anyway?

2010-07-28T14:58:00.003+10:00

Got to love this ridiculously chubby marmot eating a cracker. I wasn't kidding when I said I was bored at work you know.

Amuse me Mr Shark

2010-07-28T13:36:00.006+10:00

These new pendants from Made By White are made with layers of perspex and laminate which gives them a 3D effect and means the little little pieces inside move around when you shake them, such as the snow flakes in the forest and the contents of the sharks belly. Distraction and amusement while you're bored at work, like I am now.

Building blocks to my stomach

2010-07-05T10:05:00.000+10:00

I'm firmly of the opinion that the world should be made of Lego - I think we'd all be much happier! For instance, if I had my sandwich in this cute pink lunchbox I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be feeling so glum on this miserable winter day.

Animated

2010-07-02T16:13:00.000+10:00

I love animation. It's more powerful, for me personally, than live action could ever be. I guess it's the ability to make the impossible possible because you aren't restricted by that little thing called reality. I've spent the last hour trying to describe the feeling I get when I'm watching a really incredible animation and I just can't put it into words. So here are a couple of my favourites and maybe you'll understand. My only request if that if you're watching an animated movie that's not in English... use subtitles! Forget dubbing, it ruins a movie's carefully crafted feel and makes it sound like Claire Daines or Billy Crystal. Yuck.

The Triplets of Belleville - just take my word for it. Amazing.

My Neighbour Totoro - this movie has my heart, forever and ever. I literally feel my heart flutter when I watch it.

Coraline - the right mix of creepy and crafty (plus Dawn French always wins me over)

The Missing Key - Jonathan Nix (still due for release)

Just a note on this one - Jonathan Nix almost made me pack up my life move to Melbourne and study animation. He doesn't know who I am nor that he inspired this in me, but back in 2006 when he spoke in our lecture I was so inspired that I considered changing my entire life based on his work. I don't have a speck of this guy's talent so I didn't follow through but his movie "The Missing Key" looks incredible. He was working on it back in 2006 and it's still not out so you could definitely say this was a labour of love. From what I remember he was drawing/painting every still himself. This movie is due for release in 2010 (I believe production pushed it back from its 2009 release date) and I can't recommend highly enough that you hop to and see it when it's out!

And of course the one where it all began... Sailor Moon.

Going somewhere?

2010-06-30T14:01:00.002+10:00

Well maybe your tote is. This Apple and Bee bag makes me want to climb inside and mail myself somewhere exciting... if only I was so small.

All the colours of the rainbow

2010-06-25T17:06:00.000+10:00

I'm not exactly fashionable - with a figure like mine (all hips and thighs) it's just not feasible! So I'm never really taken in by catwalk fashions, magazine spreads or designer fashion.

But there is one designer who captured my heart so completely, so even if I was interested in any of the above, there simply isn't any of my heart left!

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada isn't a sleek or elegant or sexy - but my god she is so FUN!

Her clothes are so loud and kooky and just plain silly at times (see the egg dress). When you break it down she has a pretty simple design aesthetic - bright colours and simple shapes. But somehow it's carried off with such panache and bravado! I mean how many designers shun black in favour of bright pinks, yellows and oranges all in the one outfit? I think fashion should be fun and should make you smile... Chanel doesn't tend to make me giggle. Beware - picture heavy...!

Over time I've tracked down four pairs of her shoes and these green ones (scuse the awful picture... this was a few years into their life and they look a bit grubby) will most likely hold their place as my favourite pair of shoes ever, despite their departing into shoe heaven. Agatha's goods painfully impossible to find here in Australia and expensive to boot, but I love wearing my heart on my sole. Get it? Oh okay - too cheesey huh?

You had me at molten

2010-06-21T13:57:00.005+10:00

It's so hard to get out of bed on a rainy day like today, and even harder to force myself to stay out after work rather than running straight home to my snuggie, but the lure of tapas and wine is also hard to resist.

Who can say no to duck & shallot pancakes; zucchini fries; pork belly; bread & butter pudding with lemon curd; a big, warming glass of pinot noir from the Mornington Peninsula and molten chocolate fondant? Needless to say, I'm very looking forward to my next visit to Firefly in Neutral Bay.

I'm missing you like candy

2010-06-12T12:24:00.000+10:00

I was so taken by this Liechtenstein inspired candy packet I found in Thai Kee IGA in Market City last night that I ignored the $5 pricetag and bought them anyway. Sure they're really just super sour War Heads that are actually kind of uncomfortable to eat for the first few minutes. But when I saw the comic strip of instructions on how to eat on the back, the rest, as they say, is history.

I wouldn't necessarily advise buying these unless you like shrivelling your face up like a lemon and exclaiming "Oh! Powerful Candy!". They remind of the early ninties and washing my War Heads under the bubblers at school because I couldn't handle all that sourness. So why did I buy these? Damn Gruen Transfer. I bought three fun new Kit Kats too! But I'll save those for next time...

I've always wanted a pet panda!

2010-06-10T17:11:00.007+10:00

If you love pandas and puppies, then click here.

This post is brought to you by the letter...

2010-06-10T16:52:00.000+10:00

Love these letters from Urban Outfitters (who now ship to Australia!) - particularly the red one with the lights!

Marie Antoinette was on to something...

2010-06-09T13:15:00.001+10:00

I love parties! I think I even like planning more than I do attending. I love the anticipation and organising every last detail - which is ironic when you consider how incredibly disorganised I am.

But parties are different - they involve lists, hand-made invitations and lolly bags - all things I'm rather fond of. Oh and cupcakes, I'm very fond of those.

So you can imagine my delight when I recently stumbled upon these cupcake kits by Meri Meri. Holy crap they're cute huh? I think these would need to be reserved for really special parties with really special people who appreciate really special things. But which ones to pick?!

A walk-on part of a background shot of a movie I'm not in.

2010-06-08T15:49:00.000+10:00

I'm aching to see this movie! I bought tickets to see it at the Bondi Open Air, but for some reason I've long chosen to forget I didn't go - I think I double-booked myself, as I'm prone to doing. It's nothing to do with popularity, but entirely to do with disorganisation (my middle name, as you have it). Have you seen it? It looks really cute and quirky, and let's be honest you can't really lose where Alison Janey is involved.
I'm also kind of excited to see Scott Pilgrim vs The World. It looks so ridiculous and nerdy. I've moved on from my Michael Cera love and am firmly in geek-love with Jason Schwartzman instead (listen to Coconut Records...AHHH-mazing!)

This weather gives me the Wellies!

2010-06-04T13:10:00.003+10:00

What is with all this rain?!?!? For someone who loves to wear ballet flats so much, the flooded streets of Sydney present so many complications. The water is constantly flowing over the sides of my shoes and making the leather soggy (and not so pleasant smelling) and the lack of tread on the soles of my shoes means I'm always slipping and sliding. Hello gumboot! I bought a tres cute pair of gumboots in New York to trudge around in the snow, but I don't know if they translate to Sydney. What do you think?
Wellies Online stocks some wellies with serious personality. Adore the toile and stripey ones. So cheerful for such miserable weather. They make me want to do some puddle jumping.

But she makes me feel like roller skating...

2010-05-25T12:43:00.000+10:00

No one has ever called me graceful. I know I've mentioned it before, but my inability to remain upright and injury free is an every day battle. Just yesterday I was running for the tram when I was suddenly sprawled flat on asphalt - palms grazed, eyes watery yet stockings miraciously un-laddered. Other memorable splats involve me carrying a tub of yoghurt and a punnet of cherry tomatoes past the cafe in Town Hall, only to end up on my bottom with yoghurt everywhere and cherry tomatoes gleefully escaping.

So all of the above considered - why on earth am I even considering buying these?!

Catch of the Day has these cute little skates for $34.95. I have no idea if that's a good deal or not, all I know is I want them. But let's be realistic, I'm going to need wrist-pads, elbow-pads, knee-pads and possibly shin-pads if I want to get out of this unscathed. Somehow the visions I had of gliding along the Glebe boardwalk are fading into memories of failed attempts to ride bikes and painful falls at Skate Plus. Maybe I should give the skates a miss...

Wait.... email I just received from Oh about my yearning for skates "You can’t have those. It’s for your own good. When you can walk down the road without losing skin then we can think about it.". Well now I really want them.

It doesn't get better than home now does it.

2010-05-22T13:47:00.001+10:00

I still live at home with my parents in one very messy bedroom (actually I'm sleeping in the spare room because I can't fit on my bed with all that crap... another story for another day). While attempting to clean my room for the 18th time this year my mother said "You really need a house for all your things". And she's right! I have no intention of moving out anytime soon because I love living with my parents. But I wish I had an entire house to fill with all my things... but I have a feeling it wouldn't be long before all my things would magically expand so much so that I'd need another house. A house full of these goodies... (Modcloth you have a lot to answer for. How will I ever afford NYC?)

Peas in a Pod - Salt & Pepper Shakers

Love Heart Chopping Board

Flowerpot Measuring Spoons

Oh... and I think maybe a Hey, Emmaline! teapot might feature too... (wink wink)

Me and my cousins and you and your cousins...

2010-05-17T15:17:00.000+10:00

I'm not sure what's cuter - the gorgeous red polka dot cupcake stand my amazing aunty bought me or the very sweet looking cupcakes adorning it?

Okay, wait - I think this chief cupcake decorator out-cutes them all.

It was so much fun helping my little cousins decorate the cupcakes I quickly baked on Mother's Day morning. I took the cheat's option and bought a tub of Betty Crocker ready-made frosting and simply split it in half colouring one lot pink and the other blue. They then used some little marshmallows, musk sticks and fruit tingles to finish them off. Strangely enough they were more interested in decorating than eating - clearly not my children (I don't have any, for the record).

This made my day...

2010-05-14T13:08:00.001+10:00

Only one month to go....!

Because I'm a girl who lives with a boy.. (ii)

2010-05-10T23:10:00.004+10:00

Here is yet another item that my boyfriend doesn't understand. A geisha matryoshka set purchased from a market in Kyoto. So cute I had to buy two sets and give one to my fellow girl called e. Their smiling little faces and rosy cheeks make me happy everyday.

To market, to market...

2010-05-05T10:12:00.000+10:00

This weekend is important for two reasons -
1. It's Mother's Day - don't forget to spoil your mama rotten! If your's is anything like mine, she well and truly deserves it.
2. The Finders Keepers Markets!

If you live in Sydney I strong urge - no - insist that you get yourself to Carriage Works in Eveleigh to check these markets out this weekend. The market is full of the best and brightest up and coming designers and artists Australia has to offer... like for example the lovely girls over at Made By White.

Personally I've got my eye on their gorgeous Wooden Collar necklace. It's so intricate and sweet and a complete steal for $55.

So what are you getting your mama this Mother's Day? I can't tell because she reads my blog!

Sweets for my sweet

2010-05-04T10:15:00.000+10:00

I've been drowning in teapots lately - you won't believe what a little mention in a newsletter can do for business! But no complaints here, it's been exciting to actually try and sell something I've made.. and for people to buy it! You can always check out my Made It store here. Shameless plug much?!

Suffice to say the girls called e have been busy - me with my teapots and Liz with her amazing engagement party! I'm so excited to see how it all turns out. I'm having visions of an Amy Atlas styled extravaganza.

(Imagine found at Amy Atlas)

Seriously, whoever thought of the idea of a dessert bar has my heart for life.

Why do you let me stay here?

2010-04-30T11:31:00.000+10:00

Guess who just bought two tickets to see She & Him at the Hollywood Bowl in July? Yes - that would be me! They're supporting The Swell Season which will be pretty magical I think. And all for the sum of $40 USD. What?! As if we'd ever get such a sweet line-up here in Australia, let alone for that kind of price (okay admittedly they aren't GREAT seats but I'll take what I can get). Taking my darlin' mama with me so it will be great!

I've been preparing by watching some She & Him live videos on YouTube and Zooey looks like she's concentrating so hard when she sings. I think that it's kind of cute that she's so seemingly nervous!

City love

2010-04-26T15:20:00.002+10:00

Hello hello! I'm so hooked on this teapot thing - I made a new one with a city scape around it. It's up for sale on Made It in my little store hey, emmaline! I'm such a wanna be perfectionist that I kept re-doing it, but I like it now - with all its imperfections.

Gone campin'

2010-04-23T17:24:00.000+10:00

Tomorrow I'm going camping! It's a rarity that I use exclamation marks in the same sentence as camping except perhaps to say - I don't want to go camping! But this time I'm genuinely excited because I'm camping overnight on Cockatoo Island in the middle of Sydney Harbour.

My mumma bought a camping gift voucher for me at Christmas. It includes your tent, bed and chairs so it's minimal fuss, which is great for someone like me who has is more likely to lose an eye than successfully pitch a tent. And guess what? There is a cafe as well, so no potato salad in a can for this girl!

I can't wait to explore the island (which actually used to be a convict gaol/jail) and enjoy time with some of my very favourite people. Oh and enjoy this gorgeous view

All the nice girls love a sailor

2010-04-22T07:39:00.000+10:00

I'm really diggin' Mod Cloth's recent foray into nautical themed dresses! Not sure if I could actually pull any of them off, but it's fun to dream. I love that sailor look - perhaps harking back to my die-hard Sailor Moon fan days... yes I was that girl who still dreamed about Tuxedo Mask when I was 17.
What about you? Would you go for the sailor girl look in day to day fashion or do you think it slips into costume territory?

You'll need a cup for that tea

2010-04-20T00:10:00.003+10:00

Em, I love love love your teapots. How coincidental that I spent the weekend scouring Vinnies stores for teacups. But these aren't to drink out of, these are to make candles for my "high tea" themed engagement party. I was lucky enough to visit one Vinnies store on half price day. Woo hoo, I went beserk.

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.

2010-04-19T22:46:00.003+10:00

I'm so hooked on this teapot thing! I'm thinking about trying to sell a few to some friends for Mother's Day. I'll customise to whatever text and I have a few different tea-pot shapes to choose from! Let me know if you're keen! xx

...but you can have my milk!

2010-04-15T16:37:00.003+10:00

The humble popper. Sure, it looks innocent enough - a box full of juice, or that weird UHT milk, with a very cute but practical straw glued to the front. The perfect thirst quencher after a double period of Geography, spent studiously writing notes to the friend who sat directly next to me (carefully decoding hidden meaning in all those completely meaningless things adolescent boys say). But how many times would I reach into my backpack, hand fossicking around for that box, only to find it deflated at the bottom of my bag, while my science textbook greedily drank it all up? More than I care to remember. The night would be spent with hairdrying in hand, holding each warpled page apart so that they didn't stick together. Your science textbook never looked quite the same and always smelt faintly of oranges.

How my problems could have been solved if I'd had a log cabin in my bag! Okay, well a log cabin lunchbag. This lunchbag/cooler would be perfect for a little one's backpack - not only would it have saved my science texbook, it would have kept it cool as well. Made 590, you've done it again! I don't understand how one place can have so much stuff I want... but they do, clearly with no regard for my savings plan.

Just quietly, how gross is the thought of drinking warm milk that's been in your backpack all day? And yes... I still drank poppers in year 12.

These shoes were made for dancing

2010-04-12T12:30:00.007+10:00

Maybe it's because Angelina Ballerina was my favourite book when I was little, or maybe it's because my attempts to learn even jazz ballet were foiled by my lack of coordination, or maybe it's because now I look at girls who did ballet when they were younger and envy their long limbs and perfect posture... whatever it is, I am officially obsessed with Ballet flats. It could have something to do with the fact that I'm already tall enough for a girl and that when I wear stilletos I walk like a drunk wombat on a rocking boat, but it's not just any flat shoe I love, it is specifically the ballet flat. Bloch does a lovely ballet flat with a twist and in an array of rainbow colours. I just wanted to share their styles that are on my shopping list!

Put the slice down and your hands above your head...

2010-04-11T09:47:00.000+10:00

The only bad thing about a four day week is that you still have to squeeze the full five days in! Which is why it's taken me so long to get to this incredible masterpiece made by my brother's gorgeous and incredibly talented girlfriend, Rachel.

Words fail me at this point. When Rachel normally makes a caramel slice, it pretty much needs a police guard to keep me away. But adding chocolate easter eggs on top? I'm sorry, but you all need to step back from the slice and leave us for some alone time. A week later, it's no surprise it's all gone really. I miss it terribly, all those happy little egg heads looking up at me, begging to be eaten. But I look forward to next year when we can be happily reunited... right Rachel? x

Three thirtyitis

2010-04-08T15:29:00.005+10:00

The best thing about working in advertising is having magazine sales reps bring in afternoon snacks. This is also the worst thing because it means an expanding waistline and a dependency on a three-thirty sugar hit. Today Donna Hay Magazine brought in their 50th Issue with a picture of an amazing four layered chocolate cake on the cover...and they also brought in the cake itself. It's taking all my self control not to run back into the kitchen and stuff the rest of the cake into my mouth. The chocolate cream cheese icing is to die for.

Ladies who lunch...

2010-04-08T14:07:00.001+10:00

It's a beautiful day in Sydney and although I'm cooped up in an office for the majority of it, I'm excited to be catching up with my favourite girl called e tonight. We're headed to Mamak to eat a tonne of roti and catch up because we haven't seen each other at all this decade. Shameful huh?

One of the things I miss about my old job is being able to see Liz daily and gab over lunch. There were quite a few long Friday yum chas and dirty Shark Bar lunches, followed by desserts of Puffy or bags of freckles. Lunch is a great!So are lunch boxes (wow... great segue hey?)

How sweet are these little lunch boxes by Shinzi Katoh? They're 1,260YEN and from memory the YEN to AUD exchange rate is pretty ideal at the moment. Tempting... but remember my spending strike? Boo-urns.

I'm wondering if Owen will recognise that very cute tree lunch box- it looks an awful lot like the one he broke two years ago and promised to replace... funny that?

With a little sweet and simple numbing me...

2010-04-04T13:01:00.001+10:00

Forget chocolate (okay, maybe don't go that far...) - it's all about marshmallows this Easter. My very sweet Papa bought me a delicious bag of Sweetness marshmallows. Above we've got raspberry, lime, mango, strawberry and passionfruit and I can safely assure you they taste as good as they look. Do yourself a favour and track some of these down. Their gingerbread range at Christmas is amazing - think Chai Latte flavoured pillows. Happy Easter! x

Once upon a fold...

2010-04-01T19:16:00.008+11:00

If you click on this link, you will be taken to a website full of the most beautiful and fantastical paper creations. If you love paper then you cannot go past Upon a Fold. The stock in their online store is absolutely lovely and so different. It will definitely make you thin twice about buying a card at a newsagent's and then it will make you think twice about even buying a card. Why buy a flat card when you can give someone a pop up castle, or a jack in the box, or a build your own London/New York/Tokyo postcard?
If you look on their blog then you'll see that paper is somewhat of an obsession of theirs. As an Easter gift they've created two sheets to download with instructions on how to make your own origami bunny or chick. Thanks!

Because I'm a girl who lives with a boy..

2010-03-31T00:01:00.012+11:00

... all of my cute little homewares are wasted on him. So from now on I'm going to post about random things that live in my cupboards that I feel aren't getting the love that they deserve. First post is this strawberry jar from a shop in Narita airport, purchased because I was trying to squeeze every last bit of shopping out of my Japan holiday. Too small to be useful but very pretty.

Sock it to ya

2010-03-30T16:50:00.000+11:00

Oh you silly seasons... decide what you want to be already! As Kelly mentioned over at Made by White, in our first month of Autumn we've experienced a little taste of winter and then a fully fledged summer revivial. All of this (y'know, that little thing called climate change) makes it kind of tricky to anticipate what tomorrow's weather will bring... and thus whether a coat and/or umbrella is needed, or if the havianas and a cotton dress are all that's necessary. Well, pardon my french, but bugger it - I want an excuse to wear my new coat and boots! And although I'm on a self-imposed spending strike for the next month or so, I wouldn't mine warming up my tootsies, when the time does come, with these ridiculously cute (or just plain ridiculous?) socks I found via Sock Dreams. Giant pencil feet!

And don't hesitate to remind me that I was egging on Winter when I'm complaining mid-June about how stupidly cold it is...

Attention all tea cup humans

2010-03-29T16:50:00.000+11:00

We're only a couple of months away from True Blood season 3 - exciting stff! Each week HBO are putting out a new poster to pique the interest of all us who believe that "real vampire's dont sparkle"... instead they explode into a messy pile of goo.

Money won't keep you warm... unless you buy a coat with it

2010-03-26T13:55:00.000+11:00

Let it never be said that I'm an impulse purchaser. Last night for example, I was of sound mind and body when I handed over my credit card to a pairs of boots... and a coat. Okay, I concede, the winter coat might have been driven... by impulse.

I can't help it! I get caught up in the moment and I have this distinct ability to find SOMETHING to buy ANYWHERE I am. Yesterday I tried to rationalise buying bulk citronella candles in Homeart (search me as to why I was in there in the first place) because Owen's house is quite welcoming to the occasion family of mozzies. This same rationalisation saw me buy 150 yards of ribbon (yes yards...and yes 150 of them) before Christmas - because surely it would come in handy over time? Or the giant cupcake tin that I swore I'd use for everyone's birthday... yes well, a fair few birthdays have come and gone without the tin's involvement.

This brings me to my second skill - the ability to justify anything and everything. Except today... considering I've just spent quite a bit on the above, even I can't justify buying these... but oh I want them!

Leave it to Fred to make me weak at the knees and have my bank balance hiding in the corner, a quivering mess. These silicone TeaCupCakes are so ridiculously cute! They'd make such a great centrepiece for a birthday party, or the perfect end to a garden tea party. But you know what? I don't have a birthday anytime soon... and I've never thrown a garden OR tea party, let alone a garden tea party... so for now I'm going to try and resist. But you? You should totally buy them (and invite me over for tea!)

PS. I know I sound incredibly vapid, materialistic and self-indulgent. I'm all those things and more, but I promise I'm not THAT bad. I only shop a few times a year (hence the buying of multiple things at once) and I do save - really I do! Justify... justify...

Book v eBook.

2010-03-24T18:03:00.007+11:00

Ok, I need to ask your opinion on something. To kindle or not to kindle, that is the question. I love books, especially the older ones. I love the way they smell, I love the way they look on book shelves and coffee tables, I love their quirky covers, and I love the dog eared pages of a much loved and well-read book. But the digital age is here and so is the ebook. Having developed a permanent sway in my back from lugging around books in my handbag there is something so compact and tempting about an ebook. So sleek, so convenient and just so, well, futuristic! Does the feel and smell of a book add to the enjoyment of reading? Or can a Kindle, iPad or Nook do the job even better with handy internal library. I'm torn!

(image from We Heart It)

And it called that calculation perfect love...

2010-03-22T14:00:00.002+11:00

It's a rare thing that a Monday starts well for me. For starters my working day begins before 8am, it takes me almost 1.5 hours to get to work and I'm usually coming down with a severe case of the Post-Sunday blues. But this morning was different - I slept in til after 7 and Owen drove me to work. The joys of your boyfriend living much closer to work than you - really it's amazing.

Another thing that added to my great mood is that after six long years of sharing a single bed, Owen has finally graduated to a double bed. This is life changing, as I'm sure you realise sharing a single bed three nights a week for six years requires a certain level of patience and skill. We celebrated by ceremoniously jumping up and down on said bed - something we couldn't do on the single without fear one of us might fall off and break something important (be it a bone or lava lamp).

Oh also surprised me with tickets to see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros which I'm really, really, really excited about. And later in April I'm seeing the lovely Regina Spektor again too. A good music month ahead for me so I'm going to celebrate/spam you all with some of their fun music videos!

Ahhh Merlin

2010-03-19T10:51:00.004+11:00

You worked your magic on me. You are the cutest bunny ever. I wish you lived at my house.

Too adorable not to share. Check out Merlin's "profile" at Bunspace.

If the shoe fits...

2010-03-18T17:05:00.000+11:00

In my heart of hearts I really dislike Perez Hilton and everything he stands for. That somehow hasn't stopped me looking at his site every morning of my working life for the past 3 years. But today something good came of it... I stumbled across these sweet shoes, all while fulfilling my inherent need for trash and gossip.

You can buy them at Moxsie (along with a bunch of other cute stuff).
Perfect for an Autumn walk in the park I think!

Happy St Patricks Day!

2010-03-17T17:49:00.005+11:00

MMMG Lucky Heart card from NoteMaker

Shamrock dress from Modcloth

Shamrock necklace from Shiho Yamashita on Etsy

(And I just had to include this lovely picture of a bunny eating clover from We Heart It)

Thank You Martha!

2010-03-16T14:31:00.007+11:00

My work lunchbreaks (ok, and much of my actual work hours) are now spent planning/freaking-out-about-how-much-planning-there-is for my wedding. I got off to a bad start with a Cosmo Bride magazine which really wasn't my taste and almost convinced me that I'm not a wedding person. I have only just started visiting the Martha Stewart Weddings site and it has already rocked my world and reinstated my love of all things bridal. I am particularly enamored by these Cherry Blossom themed ideas which make me want to elope to Kyoto.

Hot cross buns

2010-03-15T09:34:00.002+11:00

As Easter approaches why not try to make your own hot cross buns? Mozi have been kind enough to make this limited edition tea towel that is both recipe and practical kitchen companion, not to mention cute.

Tea for two and two for tea

2010-03-13T11:25:00.000+11:00

Two sweet friends of mine are taking that brave step and getting married! Except it's not such a scary step for them because they're so ridiculously in love and happy that you just know it's right.

I always find engagement presents tricky. Wedding are easy - there are registries, god love them. But engagement parties are a different story - you're left to your own devices. So I took matters into my own hands and bought some of these amazing Porcelaine pens and made them a teapot! It's not a masterpiece by any means, but it is easy as pie (maybe easier, it only goes in the oven for 35 minutes to fire)

Money, it's a gas...

2010-03-12T12:12:00.000+11:00

I get the feeling 2010 is going to be an expensive year, but I can't complain because it's all of my own making! For example... I need root canal because I hid from the dentist for FOUR YEARS. Take my advice, don't do that.. it doesn't end well, painlessly or cheaply for that matter. Secondly I'm going to LA and NYC in July. Thirdly... I can't stop buying things on the internet, namely on Fridays.
Today's catch... and let me tell you, I'm not too remorseful about this one.

Check out Honey Bee Vintage's Esty for more cute, pants-free options!

Do you go wild about strawberry? Or perhaps you're more prone to going ape over grape?

2010-03-10T10:37:00.001+11:00

Look I know I'm in my mid-twenties but I'm yet to outgrow Lip Smackers or teen dramas and I'm not really that ashamed on either front. For example, last Christmas I received no less than 12 Lip Smackers from various gifters, and I love each one equally... er... except for maybe this baby.

Vanilla Coke Lip Smackers may (or may not, hey it's just a tube of lip gloss after all) change your life. Either way they smell sweet and spicy, and all thinks nicey (oh god...did I just say that?)

I love those little wind up tubes of joy - they bring back so many memories. The Vanilla flavour takes me back to a Skate Plus party in year four where we ate white chocolate mudcake (it seemed so gourmet at the time!). Strawberry Kiwi Comet is pretty much 1999 in waxy, lip gloss form - ready to bring in the new Millenium.

Were Lip Smackers an integral part of your adolecense? And more importantly, is anyone else trapped in the late 90s or am I on my own here, watching Saved By The Bell on Saturday mornings?

A light bulb moment

2010-03-08T12:40:00.002+11:00

Don't you think this is such a cute idea. I first spotted this cute little vase on Star Redesigns Etsy page but then I noticed that she takes you through the process of making one on her blog, which is very nice of her to do considering she is also selling them. If I had the time, patience and some tools to make this then I totally would, but at the bargain price of $10 I think it might just be easier for me to buy one.

Two heads are better than one

2010-03-08T09:43:00.007+11:00

I love anything that is the "brainchild" of two best friends. I imagine it would be very nice to have a job that allows you to work on something creative with a close friend. Though for me it would be fraught with temptations- coffee breaks, long lunches, distracting conversations on what's happening in each others lives. But I digress. Lola&Bailey is one of those creative conceptions of two best friends. You've probably seen their ampersand tote bag and shadow puppet brooches in numerous magazines. Their web store also reveals other punctuation marks and letters on their totes and this lovely art deco looking jewellery. Well worth a look.

Sweet Darlin'

2010-03-07T11:07:00.000+11:00

I think every second person with a blog is at least partly in love with Zooey Deschanel. There is something in her quirky style that seems to resonate so well amongst a lot of females out there, myself included. I can't put my finger on it - all I know is that on occasion I wouldn't mind swapping places with her (except for her extreme vegan, gluten and dairy-free diet.. I'll be eating my beef pasta with a side of cheese, thanks all the same).

Anyway - I digress! What's exciting is that March marks the release of her second album with M.Ward. She & Him, Volume 2.
Volume 1 made me nostaligic for a era I didn't even know, so I have high hopes for for Volume 2.

I'm going to pre-order mine via JB Hifi because you get a freebie CD that has a tonne of music I think I'd like (including Middle East's "Blood").

Old fashioned girl in a gingham gown

2010-03-05T10:20:00.000+11:00

So Summer has up and left us with some pretty crummy Autumn weather. Never fear - Modcloth is brightening up my gloomy, Sydney Friday with fun gingham and stripes (my favouriteeee!)

These make me want to go on a picnic so badly - despite the crummy weather and ants. (I'm not a big outdoorsy girl, mostly because my bottom tends to always find an anthill on which to sit.)

Owen is always asking me to fix up his pants or re-sew a button... and I'm a pretty crummy girlfriend because I haven't done any of the above (to be fair, he's a pretty crummy boyfriend for asking - do it yourself!). Maybe I need one of these cute tins to inspire him? Doubtful. But I want it anyway...

Seriously, a dog wearing a beret? You had me at hello. But a dachshund no less? I'm sold. I want to buy this for Liz!

Anyway - HAPPY FRIDAY. I'm going home tonight to sew more donuts and hang out with my ma!

D'oh!

2010-03-02T09:28:00.000+11:00

I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I am probably the messiest person you will ever meet. I hate hate HATE cleaning my room. Anyway an upshot of this is that on the odd occasion that I do clean I'm constantly discovering things that have been buried and long forgotten in my room! Example A - felt donuts I made a few years ago. Good for the thighs...

Everything's going to be allwhite

2010-03-01T11:11:00.006+11:00

This weekend I'm planning a visit to the White by Kikki K store in Sydney's The Strand. As much as I love colour, colour and more colour, the store just looks so lovely and simple. A friend of mine has the white leather bound 2010 diary which is very pretty and classic. Although I don't think all this white would be a good option for you Em due to your propensity for spilling things.

White by Kikki K- The Strand

Shop 22, Ground Floor
412-414 George Street

Japan-i-am

2010-02-26T15:04:00.000+11:00

Reason #8349834 I wish I was in Tokyo with a heck of a lotta yen right now.

Found at Five &Ten (which was found via Hello Sandwich)

Curiouser and curiouser...

2010-02-25T14:26:00.000+11:00

The world has gone rather fittingly mad for all things Alice this year, in the lead up to the release of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland.

Swarovski have released a range of Alice In Wonderland inspired jewelry, and while I'm not usually a big Swarovski fan... some of these are uber cute!

Those thread spools and scissors are so sweet, but it's unlike me to pass up a donut of any kind.

And OPI are on the bandwagon too, ranging Alice inspired nail polishes such as "Off With Her Red" and "Absolutely Alice".

What about you? Have you been struck by Alice mania?

A vested interest...

2010-02-24T16:32:00.000+11:00

Cute or what?! This is what is currently catching my eye on Modcloth... But I think it would look best with jeans... and yes, you know that story by now!

Did you ever think of marrying just for fun?

2010-02-24T10:29:00.002+11:00

This photo has me tickled pink. It's of Clarke Gable and his then wife Carole Lombard tucking into a big hunk of watermelon. They look like they're so much fun, don't they?

Lombard was known for her wacky parties - one was hospital themed where everyone dressed up and doctors and nurses and food was served on a make-shift operating table. The guests ate out of bedpans (hmm...) and used operating utensils to eat.

I like that someone with so much spunk and humour was the woman who captured Hollywood's ultimate ladies man. And from all accounts she was the love of his life.

Supposedly the main reason he even considered Gone With The Wind was because he needed a divorce in order to marry Lombard - so took the role of Rhett to earn enough money to pay out his ex-wife and move on with Lombard.

Their seemingly blissful marriage ended abruptly when she died at 33, in a plane crash during WWII. From all accounts Gable was never the same, reportedly searching for her engagement ring for an entire year after.

And that is my story for the day. I'm a bit obsessed with the Golden Age of Hollywood...can you tell?

How sweet it is

2010-02-22T23:14:00.003+11:00

My lovely boyfriend Mike propsed to me the weekend before last, while we were watching that Darwin sunset that I'm so obssessed with. So now I'm planning my dream engagement party and I've decided that one thing is for sure... there will be sweets and lots of them! I'm thinking miniature lemon meringue pies, macarons, pastries, chocolate cocktails, and jars of lollies. Over the weekend I had a little practice run with the multi-coloured M&Ms I bought in New York, so now I'm more excited than before!

Pianos are cool, but lessons aren't.

2010-02-22T10:39:00.001+11:00

I just love these slightly haunted looking pieces from Paula Walden. The black acrylic headpieces are amazing don't you think?

The "Haunted House" and "My Grand Youth" rings in solid sterling silver are my favourites and the pianio ring actually does remind me of my youth, since I did piano lessons for about 8 years (though you'd never be able to tell today).

The pieces are made in Australia and carbon neutral and you can buy them at the online store.

In the summertime...

2010-02-21T09:44:00.000+11:00

Today feels like it's going to be a hot one so I woke up and cut myself a big hunk of watermelon. But you know what I really felt like?

This watermelon ice-block mama and I discovered in Harajuku and ate while wandering around Yoyogi Park - a sweet watermelon ice-block with chocolate chips for seeds. Sure ice-blocks and choc chips sound like an odd combination but they were delicious! Here's hopin' the Japanese are a little more understanding when it comes to ice-blocks and eating while walking, otherwise we made a nice social faux pas. Let's be honest, I'm sure I made plenty...(blowing my nose in public... look I'm sorry but I'd just finished an awfully sad book!)

Friday's child...

2010-02-19T10:34:00.000+11:00

I think I was born on a Friday (I'm too lazy to look this up) so according to that random poem, the one that everyone somehow knows but isn't sure how, I'm of loving and giving. Hmmm I'm not convinced but I will give you the gift of telling you what I'm loving this Friday.

Pinafores! Since I'm a Pants-Free-Zone, I'm a big fan of pinafores, tunics, jumper dresses - whatever you want to call them. I love that you can wear whatever you want underneath them to give them a bit more life and personality. Just last week I picked up this cutie from victoria 'n bird for a measly $75 AUD including postage... and it's handmade! It's pretty much going to be my new staple for winter.

(PS that isn't me. I wish!)

If you know me at all, you would know my love for Tony Martin. He is, without a doubt, my favourite comedian/radio personality/geek/whatever ever (he even beats Shaun Micallef in my book of cool). So I was extremely glad to open my latest issue of Frankie and see an article dedicated to the man himself. Buy it, read it, and love him. And then go and buy one of his books for a good chuckle (Lolly Scramble had me laughing hysterically on a train... cue the weird looks from fellow commuters).

And finally - one of my oldest, sweetest friends is having a bub! She's due in April and I'm very excited for her baby shower on Saturday. I'm not giving away what I bought her on the odd chance she might be reading this, but I will show out the impossibly cute suitcase I bought to put the gift in.

Not just for bored housewives and hoarders

2010-02-17T16:00:00.001+11:00

Shop Til You Drop magazine put me onto this one. Extolling the virtues of the TV Shopping Network in the March issue, they convinced me to go and check out the website TVSN.com.au. It’s quite fun! Here are some of my favourite things and of course they’re the most expensive things on there.

Extasia Bracelet

Timmy Woods Purses

Royal Albert Sandwich Tray

I choo-choo-choose you

2010-02-14T11:13:00.000+11:00

I made two of these goodie bags for my original Valentines - my mama and papa, of course. If you haven't discovered these white chocolate bullets with raspberry licorice, don't do it - they will ruin your life (as well as your teeth and wallet because you get so addicted). Oh and I are headed to the Moonlight Cinema to see New York, I Love You... weather permitting of course. Until then I'm off to make a Pecan and Butterscotch Cheesecake with my dadda - my thighs aren't impressed with this development. Hope someone is spoiling you rotten because I think you deserve it! xx

Put on that dress - I'm going out dancing

2010-02-13T23:18:00.001+11:00

I'm celebrating one whole year without pants tomorrow! It was on Valentines Day 2009 that I decided I look pretty awful in jeans... so I simply stopped wearing pants of any kind. No siree, no apple bottom jeans nor the boots with the fur. And I haven't looked back since (well okay, once.. I have to admit I wore jeans on the plane to Japan, but only on the plane).

(found via we heart it)

I inherited not one, but two doses of big thighs - thunder thighs, I believe they're called. I'm one of those weirdly proportioned people that can wear two sizes smaller up top than on the bottom... so suffice to say no matter how hard I try, I just don't look good in pants. I was sick of feeling bad about it so I made a decision - and life without jeans really isn't as hard as you'd think. Sure you don't have your easy, go-to jeans and t-shirt outfit that takes all of two seconds to throw on, but having to think a little more about what I'm wearing actually means I leave the house feeling a lot more confident. Sure it's the lazy person's option - change your wardrobe, not your figure - but it works for me. And just think of the endless full skirts, waisted dresses and cute tights the world has to offer me now. Betty Draper eat your heart out.

So in honour of this special day, check out this super sweet and fitting clip of Ben Kweller's Sundress (starring his beautiful wife!). Not only is it dress related, it's a total declaration of love. Happy Valentines Day Eve!

Yell Fireeeeeeeee (and then run)

2010-02-11T15:47:00.004+11:00

Reading Toni's post where she likened herself to a mixture of Frank Spencer and Bridget Jones, I couldn't help but recognise myself in her words. You see, I too am cursed with clumsy. And look, I'm sure people say that all the time.. but really, I am the clumsiest, most accident prone person you'll ever meet. I currently have a big, round graze on my knee the size of a fifty cent piece to attest to that fact.

I fall over around 85% of the time - find me a set of stairs, a ditch, heck just even some perfectly flat road and I'll find a way. Basically the more public it is, the more likely I am to fall in/on/over it. I once took an innocent cleaner down with me as I grabbed frantically for something to stabilise myself. Sorry!

(found at we heart it)

I also drop food down the front of my clothes a lot. Last week I managed to fling a piece of Chicken Tikka Massala off the table and onto my sweet blue, polka dot skirt. Today, I dropped a strawberry on one of the few white spaces on my dress - it's 90% black, but of course the strawberry had its sight's set on one of those few, pristine white patches.

It's a burden, this being clumsy, because you expend so much energy just trying to stay up-right and dignified. So you can understand my surprise, my horror, at my appointment to Fire Warden at work.
It hasn't been six month since I last caught fire (literally) and I'm prone to panicking, so surely this isn't in the interest of public safety?

And this is a picture of me, as Fire Warden, fleeing the building at the first sign of trouble.

Spotted:

2010-02-10T17:10:00.000+11:00

My friend Sophie on the Sportsgirl Style Snaps page rocking knee high socks. Bless her.

There's a bear in there... and a chair as well...

2010-02-09T15:31:00.002+11:00

Despite my best attempts to run away from the Sydney rain, some ten hours up the coast, it followed me and turned Byron Bay in to one big puddle. Oh well! We made the most of the doom and gloom and headed to some bookshops and drank far too many milkshakes. No regrets on my end.

I spied a book in the cooking section with a gorgeous gingham spine (what initially attracted me to it) titled "She's Leaving Home". Inside is page after page of delicious recipes lovingly collated by Monica Trapaga (yes... that's right, the Play School presenter, friend of Big Ted and Jemima. I liked Benita most... but Monica a close second) for her daughter as she moved out of home. It is a sweet book to guide her on her way and keep her well fed as she embarks on her independent life. If you could hug a book and not look mad doing it, I'd want to give this one a cuddle (I may or may note have already... the cover is padded, I don't think this is a coincidence).

Each page is gorgeous - delicate illustrations, personal blurbs about each recipe, collages of photos and fabrics... my favourite is a page dedicated entirely to sandwiches made out of buttons and wool. It's probably one of those things you need to see to appreciate... doesn't exactly translate in words huh? Anyway, if you're in the market for a cookbook or a killer gift for a friend, I can't recommend this warmly enough. Now what's the time on the rocket clock? Please let it be home time....

Rain Rain Go Away

2010-02-08T18:03:00.000+11:00

Sure this miserable weather can drag your mood down but think how happy you'd feel in this Lulu Guinness birdcage umbrella from BrollyDollys.

East of Everything

2010-02-05T08:41:00.002+11:00

I'm currently situated at the most easterly point of Australia and boy this makes me happy. Byron Bay is one of my happy places! I've been coming here long before my memory kicked in, or so say the photos of little me standing at the lighthouse being blown to bits by the wind at age 2.

I came here for schoolies, drinking Midori mixed in a two litre bottle of Lido with some sand added for good measure - the drink of choice for all 17 year olds I think. We used to start our bonfires early and before the night ended we had invariably picked up some strangers who were either twirling fire or strumming guitars.

Oh and I have come up here lots of times but our first time as just us and it's all sorts of lovely.

Anyway, I'm off to hit the beach before the sun disappears. I'm being dared to jump of the Wreck and I'm more than a little scared. Wish me luck xx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'm a fool for this song

2010-02-04T19:29:00.000+11:00

After I watched Marie Antionette I could not get this song out of my head. It makes me feels so happy and carefree so now I'm sharing the love.

Modern Warfare

2010-02-04T16:43:00.001+11:00

No, these aren't the tools of an amateur militia- these are some of the weapon inspired home wares at hart&heim. Why eat round eggs when you can mix it up with this unexpected shape? Tea light holders can look so generic but this one is da bomb, as is this grenade shaped screw driver set. I'm very much anticipating spicing up my next cocktail party with shot gun casing shot glasses and bullet shaped ice. Well a hangover feels like you've been shot in the head anyway so it's actually quite appropriate. Harbouring childhood dreams of being a ninja? Hang your coat on Ninja stars! But ultimately make love not war- so nicely expressed with the traditional symbol of romance being displayed in this ultra cool gun vase and a throwback to the days of flower power.

Waiter, there's a rabbit in my whisk...

2010-02-02T16:44:00.000+11:00

Hey Miss Liz,

These cute Modcloth whisks make me think of you. I think I'll send M some psychic message to buy these for you(along with something shiny and or baked and sugary) for Feb 14. Or hopefully M is reading the blog and can save me some seriously needed brain-power.

Love Em x

Tis the season

2010-02-01T23:26:00.000+11:00

I look forward to this time of year like a second Christmas... it's Cadbury Creme Egg season. I love them so much and apparently I'm not the only one. I read that in the UK over 200 million creme eggs are sold annually, that's a huge number considering they're only sold for 3 months of the year. I got so excited when I spotted them in the supermarket yesterday. I've already had my first one and there will be plenty more to come. Yay!

Just another manic monday... the bangles

2010-02-01T19:55:00.000+11:00

I really love Dinosaur Designs - I think they're fab and fun... but just a touch overpriced maybe? I'm not sure - they are so distinctive and special, but their pricepoint sometimes makes me think twice. I've got a few special pieces... one given to me by my darling friend e on my last day of work. It was the perfect gift, I think it was one of the first things we ever bonded over... and it was our favourite colour.

My mama is also a special lady who happens to understand me inside and out. Knowing full well my love of resin jewellry she booked me into a course with bqueen. You know that feeling where something just clicks and you know you'll love it for life? Perhaps a Squee moment if you will? Well this was one for me. I love making this stuff and it's really not hard.! Admittedly I'm not particularly good at it, and I actually get a pretty brutal rash from it (er... I'm really selling it huh?), but it's so satisfying and fun. Check out a few of my latest...and yes they do kind of look like plasticine but they also need to be sanded, so give me a little credit!

Summer I've got Winter on my mind...

2010-02-01T13:47:00.001+11:00

I'll never understand why it is that in the middle of a gorgeous Australian summer... all I can think about is winter clothing. Images of cute, buttoned coats or cosy, knitted knee high socks are dancing around my head - yet if I'd worn either of those items today I'm pretty sure I'd have melted into a puddle. I'm going to blame it on that blasted northern hemisphere and their talk of pretty snow and hot chocolates. And in the meantime, I'm going to suck on a raspberry zooper dooper and drool over these pretties by Betsey Johnson

Oh and you can bet that on those cold and blustery winter days I'll be dreaming of little dresses and days spent on the beach.

Shift your view

2010-01-30T15:47:00.002+11:00

Do you snap lots of pics that you don't ever use because they're not of anything in particular? Want to see the world in miniature? You can make your boring pics so much more interesting with Tilt Shift Maker. By shifting the focus in your photo, it makes things look like miniature plastic figurines. Here are some I prepared earlier. The first is the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe and the second is in the Musee D'Orsay. If you have a go with your own pics then email the really cute ones over to us and we'll post them on here. I bet we could get a great collection going!

Oh I love you Darling...hurst

2010-01-29T18:51:00.002+11:00

(Princess Wallflower by Beci Orpin from Outre Gallery)

There is a little pocket of coolness just down the road from me in Darlinghurst. Walk down Riley street til you hit Oxford and cross over to Burton street.

In this pretty little corner of Sydney you can find Outre Gallery, an impossibly cool gallery that stocks amazingly weird and wonderful artworks that Id love to have in my home, things I didn't even know I wanted in the first place!

Dr Pong- so called because of the ping pong table in the middle of the room- is one of those casually trendy places that serves beer in red plastic cups, like those in American frat party movies, and hosts art shows. I had my birthday drinks here and it had such an easy, laidback atmosphere. Everyone took turns playing ping pong all night and while you inadvertantly smack the other patrons with ping pong balls, they're very understanding.

Across the street, in an old sandstone cottage is The Commons Local Eating House. I haven't tried it yet but I popped in there once when it was called Pond and the building has a cramped, homely feel. It serves French and Italian food and it sounds good.

Around the corner on Crown St is Pocket Bar which has a real Melbourne small bar vibe and they do really delicious savoury and sweet crepes but it gets really packed so you need to get there early to avoid the after work rush.

Sisters from different misters...

2010-01-29T17:16:00.000+11:00

I can't tell you how many times the two of us girls called e have been gobsmacked at the freakish similarities in our lives... and how fate, if you will, only brought us together two years ago.
Today it happened again... our dadda's are born on the same day! So...

Eat your heart out...

2010-01-28T17:30:00.001+11:00

February 14th is fast approaching and now is the time to buy your sweetie.. some sweeties! This is definitely a different take on the old, chalky message hearts of yesteryear... found at fred flare.

Home is wherever I'm with you...

2010-01-27T15:23:00.002+11:00

My very lovely man friend (he hates me calling him that, hence why I continue to do so) has a not so secret crush on one Marieke Hardy, formally of the Triple J breakfast team. I'm surprisingly okay with it - if he's going to like someone other than myself, it may as well be someone with a lot of spunk (not that kind, no...), who is equal parts cute and feisty.

He currently resides in a shoebox somewhere in the inner west with the bleakest of walls. I'm a giant nag with a need for nesting, so I searched the internet for a cheapie way to inject some personality in a room that contains nothing but a single bed and milk crates. Success! Meet the Rasterbator (say that five times fast).

Because I'm too lazy to paraphrase... "The Rasterbator creates huge, rasterized images from any picture. Upload an image, print the resulting multi-page pdf file and assemble the pages into extremely cool looking poster up to 20 meters in size."

So while that terrible quality picture above might not look all that big, it's actually 16 A4 sheets of paper assembled together to make a creepy homage to Marieke.

Not convinced? Well... here is said man-friend taking the level of creepiness one step further. (And no I don't have his permission to post this... so expect to see a blank space here in a week when he finally gets around to reading my blog)

The worst bit? I only put this up two weeks ago...and now he is moving (to the land of $5 thai food, so it's not all bad). Who will adorn the walls of the new house? Only time will tell...

I love a sunburnt country

2010-01-25T23:25:00.001+11:00

A few years ago my boyfriend got a job in Darwin and I reluctantly agreed to move up there with him. I was very much a city girl and certainly didn't want to move to a tropical city with a population of 120,000 and an average temperature of 32 degrees where it rained for almost 6 months of the year and experienced the occasional cyclone. Since I went up there with such low expectations it's hardly surprising that Darwin exceeded them, but I was amazed by how far. It is such an amazing place and not just in the dry season when all the tourists visit. The wet season is what I love most, with the sticky humid days and enormous rolling storm clouds. We had an apartment looking over the marina and out towards the Timor Sea and we would watch the towering grey clouds build up and then dump huge curtains of fat rain drops and lightening strikes above the city centre. Everything was flooded and green and the waterfalls in the national parks would be roaring with so much water that it shocked me, having come from drought affected NSW. Gazing at the clouds off my balcony became a bit of an obsession of mine so I took lots of photos and here are some of my favourites. Since we faced west we caught the most astounding sunsets and while these photos don't really do the colours justice, they're a glimpse into how amazing Australia is and how lucky we are to live here. Happy Australia Day!
xx Liz

Lash-tastic

2010-01-25T16:03:00.000+11:00

I love these fantastical false eyelashes from Shu Uemura but could I pull them off? Let's face it, probably not, but they're very pretty anyhow.

Where the colours are

2010-01-25T10:41:00.000+11:00

If you have some spare time before the 11th April and it's possible to get yourself to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, then I highly recommend the Take Your Time exhibition from Olafur Eliasson, a Danish-Icelandic artist. Without going into a massive explanation of the exhibition (which you can find here) I’ll just say that it includes a walk in kaleidoscope, a rainbow created by the projection of light onto a curtain of mist, thousands of pieces of white Lego and a tunnel of spectacularly coloured panels that I could live in for the rest of my life. I’m not very arty but I thought it was fantastic and the MCA gift shop is worth a visit on your way out too.

(One way Colour Tunnel by Olafur Eliasson, image was found here)

My Paper Heart

2010-01-24T21:36:00.001+11:00

You've got to hand it to anyone who can make the most rudimentary items like cardboard, bandaids and earbuds cute - but somehow Phillipa Rice, of My Cardboard Life, manages just that. It's so simple, so sweet and so very silly - and it lights up my day (and makes me giggle like a loon) every single time. I wish I'd thought of it!

Today...

2010-01-23T00:04:00.000+11:00

... I love the fuschias on my balcony and the lisianthus in my dining room.

... I don't love taking down the christmas tree and packing away the decorations (though we have regained a significant amount of space in our living room).

Colour my world

2010-01-21T17:31:00.002+11:00

I'm big in to colours at the moment - well always, actually. I'm known for wearing block colours, and often loud ones at that. So that probably explains why my chest tightens a little (in a good way!) when I see this picture.

It's So She Sew's wedding dress (with this gorgeous photo taken by Andrew Thomas Lee) and I just LOVE that crazily coloured crinoline. I'd seen a dress like this in a magazine two years ago and ripped it out for keeps. Not because I'm wedding obsessed (er...don't look at my Foxtel IQ box please. It may or may not be full of Say Yes To The Dress and Four Weddings) but because I couldn't get those colours of my head.

I think the colour crinoline is a really fun and quirky way to inject some of your personality into a traditional wedding dress - whether it be one colour... or five. I'm also an absolute sucker for tea-length 50's wedding dresses, but THAT my friend is another story all together. One we might revisit further down the track eh?

Me and Roy G Biv

2010-01-19T18:11:00.000+11:00

What's better than paying a heck of a lot of money for designer sunglasses? Having to pay more to design them yourself! Bravo Ray Bans, you've sold me - no really, you have. Clearly cashing in on the DIY revolution that's been taking place this past decade(ish), they've created a plain pair of Wayfarers for you to paint yourself. It's a pretty fun, albeit expensive, way to assert your personal style.
I found these babies on 80s Purple, and if I wasn't so accident prone (I can't have nice things.. they tend to break or get left on trains) I'd be shelling out for a pair myself. But I'm probably best sticking to cheapy sunnies and a pack of Sharpies.

Thank you STOP

2010-01-18T17:33:00.000+11:00

A friend of my boyfriend's invited us over for dinner the other day. He and his girlfriend made us a lovely meal and were so hospitable. I had never met either of them before and feel compelled to thank them for their generosity. What to do? Send a text, email, facebook message? Or can I use this as an excuse to make the indulgent, but very necessary, purchase of some lovely Kate Spade stationery from Papier D'amour? Letter sets are so pretty and remind me a bit of birthday parties in the early nineties when they were the gift du jour (why 10 year olds needed stationery I'm not quite sure since I had noone to write to), but of course the Kate Spade sets are a whole lot smarter than those. I also found this very cute sausage dog set at French Navy.

But more old school and perhaps even cooler than the lovely hand written Thank You card, is the Telegram. I've always wanted to receive one and now I can from Telegram Stop.

Love was alive in the golden days

2010-01-16T21:46:00.003+11:00

Owen loves music. Every now and then he'll suggest a band/song for me and he is yet to steer me wrong. I'm spending the night at home crafting so I asked for some suggestions...and boy did he hit jackpot. This song is beautiful.

This film clip really tugs at my heart strings, I can imagine it was someone's baby, a true labour of love. Animation tends to make me "squee" more than anything, partially because I studied it at uni and was meant to do Honours in it before I got sidelined by the House of Mouse...it's that one thing that makes me wonder "What if...".
Speaking of, this was one of my first uni projects which is like 5+ years old now (wow, that's a bit scary) and it's MEANT to have Machine Gun Fellatio's "Unsent Letter" as its soundtrack but somehow in the youtube upload it got lost... It was my one and only go at stop motion.... hence why it's pretty lame but it still makes me smile... and think of the 12 hour day I spend in that teeny, tiny room all alone