Are Ears The New Black?

Hooray! It appears girls with sticky outy ears can now come out of hiding. If the above photos in this months British Vogue are anything to go by the long wait is over. No need to be shy anymore. Such. Good. News. (Not personally you understand...I'm just pleased for those poor unfortunate girls who now can take their hats and headbands off....nothing to me...).

Sucked In By Billie Bones.

Have you seen Billie Bones on TV yet? He's a plastic skeleton delivered to your house bone by bone in weekly instalments alongside a magazine booklet full of interesting facts about the human body. Suitable for young kids. Aimed in fact at young kids. Probably mostly six year old boys like the one in our house. I was oblivious until Billie's elaborately packaged skull turned up to the house the other day with my mother. Archie had somehow spied it in the local newsagent and told his Grandmother all about the fantastic series you could collect and guess what? This introductory offer of skull and magazine - which comes with a life size poster of Billy and all twenty of Billie's teeth which you get to insert yourself  - is yours for only $2.95. That's right, you heard correct. Only $2.95. Trouble is all instalments after that are $11.95. So if you end up collecting all of Billie's bones to build his life size (six year old) skeleton plus his vital organs you will have forked out $320.

I had to sit Archie down and explain that that would not be happening. Luckily Archie understands the concept of things being "too spensive" and we settled on getting the next instalment so that Billie could have his eyeballs and brain and then leave it at that. Imagine our upset then when we get the next lot and it contains the two eyeballs but only the right hemisphere of Billie's brain. Turns out the left hemisphere is going to cost another $11.95. Maybe, I say, Billie can just have half a brain. He will be very creative without any reasoning skills. No, says Archie, you can't have half a brain. Well, I say, the human brain is very amazing and can sometimes compensate for parts that have been lost. In fact researchers estimate we only use up to 10 % of our brain anyway and that the cells we do use are very adaptable and  plastic. And in Billie's case actual plastic. No. Archie's not buying it. He shakes Billie's skull and the lone hemisphere rattles away inside.  I can't say I blame him. We need closure. Billy needs closure. We commit to installment 3. That's it though. I swear.

Fun drawing With Fairy Tales.

Fairy tales are huge at the moment as you probably already know - all over the place in fashion editorials and illustration etc. so while sitting in front of the tv at night with pencil and sketch book I have been letting my doodling head in that direction. I mean, God Forbid a trend should pass me by.

 This is so much fun as accuracy and reality are less important, imagination is freed up to go anywhere and  subject matter happily treads along the dark side. This begun with a badly needed exercise drawing hands but that was just too much hard work so it drifted into this bigger drawing which still needs finishing - not sure it will be though....

Young At Art.

I know as parents we shouldn't place undue expectations on our children but really there's worse a parent can do than push a child to realise their own unfulfilled dreams in the art/design world. With this in mind I've been seizing on Archie's new found enthusiasm for whipping up cards when the occasion warrants (birthdays, Mothers' Day...) scrutinising them for a latent talent. 

Hmmmm......

Enough, in truth, just to see all the magic a six year old contains express itself on paper. These latest examples bring a great big smile (and sometimes even a laugh) to my face.

Marie Antoinette Meets Gidget.

It can be hard when entering my studio not to be slightly put off by the clutter, the dust and the unfinished projects leaning up against walls. On Saturday however while lying on the studio bed (it's also the spare room, kids craft space, tv room etc) with sunlight coming in at all directions I  only noticed the colours and textures. So I decided to take some photos of the small windows of perfect my eye caught - while ignoring the what needed finishing, fixing, dusting. Even the unfinished chandeliers seemed good enough as is. Hope you enjoy these photos like I enjoyed taking them. The discerning observer might even pick up a subtle leaning toward kitsch...
                            

                                  

  

A Tretchikoff In The Doll's House.

Don't ask me how they did it but the doll house inhabitants have got themselves an original Tretchikoff!

The Magic Garage (aka The Wardrobe Project).

So here is the vintage wardrobe Ruby and I 'rescued' from the Salvos for a not small amount of cash ($130 to be exact). OMG, we said upon discovery, it is exactly what we are after. We'll just sand it back and paint it white and that will be it. After all that is all there is to furniture restoration right? First things first though, we'll have it delivered to my Dad's garage and work on it there. Dad knows a bit about these things. He'll 'guide' us. Plus, it has to be said, he does have a very special garage- for example it has been known to exhibit magical properties. Sometimes you can leave one of your trickier projects in there and when you return the next day it's done. I know, it's amazing. Elves, I expect. But I will tell you now - I am not relying on the elves. This wardrobe is to be a learning curve for me. Will post regular pictures of our hard work. And hard work it might be - it seems the previous owners gave it a decorative paint finish using some unknown medium. Super glue perhaps? 

Molly Hanna.

Gorgeous handcrafted jewellry from Molly Hanna in new York. Don't you wish you owned one? Or could make it yourself? Think of all the estate auctions she went to and all the old ladies who may have once owned and worn the costume jewellry gone into these. I think that's what makes them so special (besides how beautiful they look) - all the history that might be contained in just one piece.

More Yellow (Is there ever enough?).

via

via

My Elk beads.

via

Easter biccies from my neighbor.

The weather in Canberra has been heavenly these last few weeks. Clear blue skies and crisp autumn air - perfect for hanging around the tennis courts with a book as my six year old enjoys the pee-wee holiday camp. I watch on at adjacent courts as fit retirees play mixed doubles and then adjourn to the gardened areas for thermos tea and home baked treats. What could be more ideal than that???

Frenzied and Feverish at the Lifeline Bookfair.

It can only speak to my love of both a bargain and books and magazines that I managed to get up early yesterday and brave the Lifeline Book fair queue despite being in the midst of a really evil flu. This is a date that has been marked on the calendar for months and eagerly anticipated by Ruby and myself all week - not going was not an option. But boy was it worth it. I can't tell you what we spent (really I can't - it's been pushed to the darkest recess of my brain unaccessable by anyone but the most skilled hypnotist) and anyway I like to think of it as an investment. After all when I am done with the many lifestyle and fashion mags I can sell them on ebay can't I? Or else cut them up into a fetching collage. Even stack them into a clever room divider when relatives come to visit.

It's a funny atmosphere at the fair though. Bookish sorts queueing for hours as though tickets for some world class rock band are on the verge of selling out. They set themselves up on little chairs. They have their thermos of tea. I say they becuase Ruby and I are far more relaxed about it. All we had was a snack and a book to keep our mind off the wait. And our little granny shopper to quickly wheel our stash out when we finnish. But everyone had those and you've gotta level out the playing field haven't you?

Once the doors opened and the crowd got moving you could feel the effort this well read crowd was exerting not to be pushy - no hurry, enough books in there for everyone! - seemed to be the outward message but meanwhile a competitive undercurrent was barely being suppressed. It was as if they were thinking "What if I get in the door and just as I suss out the magazine section someone is walking away with Italian Vogues???" Okay, maybe that was just me. 

In the end you know there are not going to be any Italian Vogues but you hope all the same because that's what is so exciting about the book fair - walking in is like an Aladdin's cave and amazing bargains are to be had. Ultimately I did end up with a few UK Vogues - though they were old and had lots of cut outs (who would do such a thing??) - but was thrilled to find some Frankie mags in mint condition plus some copies of Inside Out  to add to my collection. Once the little Granny shopper was full I went to the kids section where Ruby had elatedly bagged lots of cool titles she had been wanting to read. The whole exercise hadn't taken long but by that point I was feverish with flu and the strange magazine frenzy which had taken me over only minutes before (leading, I imagine, to the dud British Vogues finding their way into the granny shopper). I was sweating uncomfortably and for a moment thought I might faint. "Let's go" I said to Ruby, totally over it, grabbing a couple of mint condition Notebook magazines from a nearby box as I passed (they often have a great craft article....). We paid up and lugged our loot back to the car. It was a gorgeous Canberra Autumn day, crisp aired and blue skied. Instead of going home we stopped in civic. The city was all athrong on this sunshiney week day  and so, picking a few of our bookfair finds out of the boot, we chose the cafe with the comfiest cushions and the most flavoursome coffee and made ourselves at home. Heaven!

(Photo source).

Mummy's Muffins Made With Love.

Archie has always loved the muffins I make. That's because I make them with love I told him as I packed them in his lunch box. Now all of a sudden they have "too much flour" in them and come home unfinnished. I adjust the recipe - less flour, more oil, more love. Better eat them, I tell him, cos they're made with extra love. They come home uneaten. Still too much flour he tells me. Archie, I say, I am running out of things to put in your lunch box, dont be so fussy, eat the muffins and anyway they are made with love. Archie's teacher calls me over at pick up time. She is concerned. It seems everytime Archie goes to eat his muffin he begins to gag and retch and has to run the toilet. Too much flour I tell her. I think it's best, she says, if you stop sending them to school. I agree, sad of course as I love to make the muffins, making them with love as I do. But maybe we will try some pikelets. And lucky for us the school holidays - which will give me time to find just the right pikelet recipe. One that can handle the amount of love I'm going to be smothering in...

photo source

Hooray For Holidays (and Elizabeth Peyton).

Hooray, holidays are here and I have a huge (unrealistic) list of things I want to achieve. Ruby and I had a lucky find at the salvos last weekend - the wardrobe we have been searching for to replace the baby one she grew out of ages ago. Of course it was a little more than we wanted to pay  - I know! Even the Salvos get what vintage is worth now :(   - and is going to take a lot of sanding and repainting  -ugh! - but I know it will be worth it when it's all shiny white and bright...I just know it will make her want to hang her clothes up rather than toss them on the floor, I do, I just..er.. .know it....

Other things on the list are getting back to some sewing projects (the ones that have been sitting around sadly waiting for some attention while I got on with the study) and finally do a huge declutter and subsequent ebay blitz. Am totally motivated to do this because there are some great art books Iwould just love to buy with the proceeds. That's right folks I am totally motivated...once I get rid of the post assessment evil virus that just had to pop up it's ugly head the minute I got through...wouldn't you know it? Anyway will post some beautiful pictures from the beautiful book I want to buy with projected ebay earnings. It's called Forever Young from an exhibition of  luminous paintings by Elizabeth Peyton. Can you recognise any of her famous subjects?