Disappearing Act

I plan to disappear from here. Just need a break from blogging. Will probably still read blogs, but won't update this. Not sure how long...

Anyway, see you round x

Friday Photo

This is the first installment in a new segment, Friday Photo.

Today i'm giving you a glimpse of the mini gerbras Jo brought home last weekend. When she first bought them I wasn't a fan - gerbras are so boring, and pink is not a colour I generally like. But, they've grown on me. They're still alive, and smiling at me from the lounge room.

Plant Thief

I'm about 5 minutes from the church office, and to get there I walk up a seedy laneway, which has its charms (dumped furniture, graffiti, flat tyres etc). There is one feature though. Along a fence line, an avid gardener has planted a whole series of native Australian trees, shrubs and flowers.

It's quite a spectacular sight, next to the overgrown weeds pushing through surrounding properties.

Today as I walked past, I noticed a piece of paper stuck to the fence, above a bit of empty soil.

It read:

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS PLANT??

(picture of a Waratah)

No?
If not, it means some dirty criminal has stolen it.
KARMA IS COMING TO GET YOU!

So.. my message to you is this: watch out potential plant stealers... the Stanmore Plant Thief is going to get their cumuppance!

*How low can you go? stealing someone's plant!!

Beautiful Prints

I don't know why, but I am completely captivated by these prints "Prologue - Epilogue" by Restlessthings. Click on the image to take a better look. They're printed on old book pages!

People Watching

I went to see a movie by myself last night (anyone done that before?), on a whim because my homegroup was cancelled, and I had a movie voucher. I saw Slumdog Millionaire - but I won't bother reviewing it as whatever I say will merely be drop in the ocean of words out there on the subject.

I had a bit of time to kill before the movie, so wandered around George Street, and World Square. As I came back to the cinema, I noticed all these young men standing by themselves, ipods glued to their ears, looking furtively out into the night. I guess they were waiting for dates - either way, it was particularly enjoyable to watch them squirm. It's funny how socially awkward standing waiting for someone can be.

Is that a little awful of me to find pleasure in such a sight?

I think it's only fair, because after the movie I was bombarded with hand-holding, hair touching, couples. Wednesday night must be date night or something. It was pretty crazy. I felt a bit of a pariah, being single, alone and people watching. But it's what I do best ;)

Photo: Shannon Taylor

Which Grand Designs House are You?

I'm the Peckham Space Pod! (which I have to say, looks a little ugly, but oh well!)

"You're ingenious and just a little bit mad"

Your practical, can-do attitude and ingenuity mean that the Peckham Space Pod is your ultimate Grand Design. This compact, clever design speaks volumes for your common sense, high intelligence and problem-solving ability. You also have taste that, while not always popular with the mainstream, is undeniably unique and 'you'.

What are you?

Ahhh I love Grand Designs..

Thanks Bonnie for the link!

Flickr Love

A Lapp family from Norway

I'm still getting value from the Library of Congress flickr collection. Can't wait till I print some of my favourites out. Probably won't do it until next year, printing and framing is expensive.

Whaling at Skaaro, Norway

Lately been checking out their travel photochrom's from 1890 - 1900, taken in Norway. Just stunning.

Notebook stamina

After these biting remarks, I'm not sure I should be admitting to this, but oh well.

Basically, I have no notebook stamina.

You know, you buy a notebook with the noble dream of being more creative because you'll be writing down all your fantastic thoughts, being motivated by the beautiful pages and crisp cover. You'll write your favourite quote on the inside and everytime you open it, words will come gushing out.

Then, suddenly within the blink of an eye, your notebook is no longer your 'inspiration log', but it's where you write anything and everything: phone numbers, information, websites. It becomes functional and fails to inspire. It pages become dog eared, its cover no longer so crisp and clean. It denudes to a humble collection of disconnected thoughts that instead of transcending your daily rituals, infact binds and guides them.

I need help. Who's with me?

ps. I'm totally obsessed with artists' sketchbooks, which reach heights of cool I will never ever reach. eg Anthony Zinones

Photo credit: Ghostschool

Comfort

Comfort is my drug. I think it is the drug of our generation.

I don't mean comfort as in "no change", but comfort as in - "I will do the things that make me feel good", and live within that zone.

I have a hard time getting out of my comfort zone. Drop-in is probably the most out of comfort I get, because I'm serving people way out of my usual demographic. And funnily enough, it is one of the most rewarding things I do. Getting out of my comfort zone, while it seems hard, is a beautiful thing.

I'd like to do it more often, but my usual excuse is a lack of energy - emotional or otherwise.

Going to Orange was an out of comfort zone experience, and it was one of the best things i've ever done. Going into ministry for two years has also been an out of comfort zone experience, and it's teaching me heaps.

However, it doesn't take long for the thing which used to be uncomfortable, to become comfortable, does it?

What do you think are other 'drugs' for our/your generation?

Misadventure and a new wallet

Today didn't really go as planned. I meant to go an adventure, but I woke up a little too late. So I decided to drive south for as long as I could stand it, and stop wherever I felt like it.

So I got a bit lost somewhere near Earlwood, and got stuck in traffic on the Princes Highway, so I decided to stop at Spotlight. There I looked at wool (already got the knitting bug and it's not even winter yet), but didn't buy any - I remembered I have some balls at home from last year. Slightly weirded out by the 'mall' which had three shops and a cafe in it, and no soul.

Then drove back home via Newtown. I decided to buy a new wallet from one of my favourite shops, called Made590. A friend gave me a wallet from there for my 21st birthday, but it broke last year (sad). It was so sweet - aqua leather, with a cute blue whale on the front, who I nicknamed Jonah (irony - in the story the whale swallows jonah..).

Today I bought a Poketo. I'd never seen them before, but I was certainly won over by the awesomeness.

Poketo commission internatinal artists to do original limited edition artworks, to feature on their wallets, which are covered with clear PVC. They call them 'living artworks. They're very light-on in terms of pockets and space, but I figure that's a good thing. It'll force me to be both frugal, and space-saving.

So here is my poketo. For a closer look, click on the link.

This is the outside

This is the inside. You fold it in half.

On the right is the coin pocket, on the left the card holders.

The round thing on the right is the badge that came with it.

It is designed by Betsy Walton, from Portland, OR. There were so many to choose from at Made, and even more from Poketo's online shop. It was hard to choose, but I loved the whimsical sketches of girls growing antlers and wearing cute hoodies.

Poketo also commission artists to design their tshirts, plates, stationery and much more!

ps.I just uploaded some photos of the storm we just had on The Land Itself.

Coolest 21st ever

This girl is seriously talented. She is 21 and studying art and history in the US. Her blog, A Field Journal is so pretty.

Check out her recent 21st birthday party set-up.

Regrets

I am so tired right now. I got up early yesterday morning to drop Jo at Central station (she's going home to Dubbo for a wedding), and then had a full day at uni, followed by drop-in at Newtown. After drop-in we went for coffee, and then wandered around King Street etc until it was about 10:30, and came home and procrastinated a bit more. Bad idea.

I am paying for it today...

The Land Itself update

Jane posted on The Land Itself. Hurrah!

Weekend

I have a few things I'd like to do this weekend. I'd like to drive someplace, and I'd like to clean my room.

Can I achieve both? Maybe.

Not sure where to go yet - the mountains, the southern highlands, or the south coast?

Votes?

Dichotomy

Why city living is awesome:
You can drive/walk/ride two suburbs away and find 12 delicious steamed dumplings for $5.

Why city living is not awesome:
You have to eat your dumplings in less than 10 minutes so you can move your car before the place you're parked becomes a clearway and you get booked.

Big Towels

I haven't much to say at the moment - all my ideas have either dried up or are fermenting.

The only thing that comes to mind is my love of big towels. I hate short, thin, unfluffy towels, but I love long, wide, thick, fluffy ones.

I will only buy a towel if it would at least reach below my knees if I wrapped it around my upper body. They have a name for oversized towels in department stores - the bath sheet.

I love the bath sheet and you heard it here first.

(I love the sound of scraping the bottom of a barrell too)

Photo: xkembri

Prettiness

A week of prettiness on the web

1. From the wonderful Able and Game who brought you those cool valentine's cards ('we've been married for ages and I still have a massive crush on you'), comes three new sets: Mother's Day cards (see below), beautiful bird themed greeting cards and the Wedding Bells collection.

2. A fun post on Poppytalk about vintage mirrors. I was driving down through Sydenham today and spotted a creaking old furniture shop which had a plethora of vintage mirrors for sale on the footpath. I almost had a car accident I was staring out the window for so long at them. So I guess if you're in Sydney and want a vintage mirror - the used furniture shop on Railway Rd, near the Princes Highway is for you.

3. A free pattern for this buttercup bag, found through WhipUp, but actually the pattern is from Made By Rae.





4. Catherine Buca's stunning photography.

5. Concrete and Honey's great reminder that the Eveleigh Farmer's markets are on every Saturday. Anyone keen to make a trip out? Photos: concrete and honey.

6. Design Sponge's fascinating 'Before and After's'. Even better than a makeover show. This one is quite simple, but fun.

7. One Poet's Notes: reflections on John Updike and John Cheever.

Edward Byrne reminds us of Cheever's advice to young poets:

I also am tempted again by the advice Cheever offered young writers in our brief conversation three decades ago, something I repeat to my students in creative writing classes each semester I teach, that one ultimately must continue to write as well as one can, produce innovative and imaginative stories with a regard for integrity in the way one presents the plot or portrays the characters, and one ought to do so without too much worry of eventual publication or recognition by others.

So messy

My room is seriously bad at the moment. There are clothes, books and newspapers everywhere. not to mention stray cups and electronic equipment.

It's chaos.

What bugs me is that I know if I just do a little bit of ordering/putting away each day, it won't get to this stage, but because cleaning is the last thing I feel like doing (always), I never bother, until it's so bad I can't function.

Sigh... why, why, why can't I get the motivation to clean my room gradually!?

Fellow sufferers, unite!

Twitter

I'm not sure about twitter. Plenty of my friends are on it, but I just don't see the appeal. I suppose if I had an iphone it might make sense, but seeing as I don't I think it would be a waste of time.

Do you use it? Why?

A few things

a) I didn't faint the other day, and wasn't all that hungry/thirsty before my blood test (which by the way was kind of cool - blood is such a deep red! I didn't really know that).

b) I sent an email to the bookseller from Amazon, and they said I can keep the book free! AWESOME.

Hello from Elizabethtown

I opened our letterbox today to find a lovely brown package with my name on it. What could it be? I wasn't expecting anything in the mail.

I opened it to find a book on poetry by Mary Oliver that had travelled all the way from Elizabethtown, TN. I had ordered it on Amazon, and then changed my mind when I realised it would be the same price to buy from Gleebooks (wanted to support local bookstore etc etc), and had received a refund.

So I was now in the possession of a book I hadn't paid for. What would you have done?

I did make a decision, but I'm interested in knowing what your instinct would be: a) meh it's their mistake, keep the book b) I don't own it, should send it back c) I owe them money, so will pay for it d) I should probably pay/send it back, but can't be bothered.

Fasting and fainting

So I've sort of signed up to a study through RPA and the Uni of Sydney to be a guinea pig. It's all about meat and weightloss - does eating red or white meat help weightloss/metabolism/hunger etc etc

As part of the study, I have to go in for a blood test tomorrow at 7:30 AM! And to do the test properly I have to fast from food and fluids (including water!) for 12 hours. So after 7:30pm tonight, I can't drink or eat anything.

The food thing is fine, although I hope I don't faint tomorrow morning - I always eat breakkie. It's the water thing I'm most worried about. I usually swallow heaps of water when I brush my teeth, and drink something in the morning.

Has anyone does the fluid fast before? How did it go?

Greatness

I read an interesting comment on a New York Times article about 'greatness' in modern poetry on Edward Byrne's blog and it got me thinking about greatness in general.

The basic thesis of the original article by David Orr is that poets today are living in the shadow of the greatness of a bygone era. It questions what exactly greatness is and who can achieve it.

I really interested in our quest for greatness, and our quest for discovering greatness. There seems to be a hunger to know what is really, truly great - to define it, pin it up and glory in it.

But what is great? Is it something which speaks into our time, or something which challenges the status quo, perhaps it requires invention and originality, is it whatever the majority deems to be great? Or perhaps what the powerful minority deems to be great - a means of exclusion?

Whatever greatness is, we all want to know it, to be in on the big greatness secret. If Robert Lowell is declared to be the greatest poet of his generation, we want to read his work, and see for ourselves just how great he is. We want to be on the inside of the claim.

Or, we want to know what makes a great coffee, and we will pursue it until we achieve it. We will study the art of coffee making and desire to know greatness in coffee.

Likewise, design bloggers will pursue greatness is design, and desire to be the first to uncover it on their blogs.

Why do we have this obsession with uncovering, revelling in and being part of greatness?

photo: hyperakt prints: Deroy Peraza