Bright lights, big city

Okay, if you've been trapped in a box for the last month or so, firstly, that must have been horrible for you, and secondly, you might not know about the grand finale BrisStyle Twilight Markets that will be lighting up King George Square and Burnett Lane in Brisbane TONIGHT!

That's right - starting from 5pm and kicking on until 9pm, this is the place to be.

Music, food and shopping... what more do you need?

 

Miu & Umi will be bringing an eclectic array of jewellery and accessories, including vintage and up-cycled hairbands and button rings. We are also super-dooper excited to share Burnett Lane with the sterling BrisStyle talent of Wicked Child Designs and Miss Dish, who feature in this months Peppermint mag!

 

This is the big one, ladies and gents, and the perfect opportunity to find some incredible handmade Christmas presents!

 

Come and say hello, because we love you!

Mental health day

I never worked in a place where 'mental health days' could be taken if you were feeling stressed, but I like the sound of it. So I'm taking one today. Giving myself permission to be a slacker. My body is telling me I'd be wise to listen sooner rather than later - stress-induced lock-jaw, anyone?

Prep for the Twilight market is coming along well, although I'm still waiting on a few parcels of supplies, which is a little worrisome. I've made more of my cute little heart earrings, which sold out last time, and some simple ribbon-tied fabric gift bags (adorable and re-usable - better than paper wrapping!)  I've had lots of fantastical ideas for my stall set-up, but keep reminding myself there'll be time for that next year. Focus!

Photos: family ramble around the lakes. I'm deeply in love with the Hipstamatic app for the iPhone. Instant vintage!

Coming soon: I'll tell you just how I fared in my mission to buy BrisStyle this Christmas.

Congrats Chrissy!

The winner of the BrisStyle Mega Giveaway is Chrissy Foreman, who just happens to be a member! I think it's lovely for a fellow member to scoop such a lovely swag of goodie - handmadies really appreciate handmade!

BiDM wrap up - or should it be 'wring out'?

My stuff got wet, my shoes were filled with muddy water, and I performed an impromtu version of Flashdance. You know the scene with the bucket of water? That was me. Minus the legwarmers.

After discovering my umbrella lacked in the waterproofing department, Helen whisked me to the relative dry of the promo tent (thank you a million times!), and Cass stuck with me and kept my impending freak out at bay. But it was still a lot of fun! There was good cheer and a bolstering sense of cameraderie that even the torrential downpour couldn't dampen. Even the stallholders inside showed a lot of support, Shelleyberelli using the phrase 'survivor guilt', which I thought was hilarious!

So, once again there are no photos from my day, but I have a good excuse. Now the prep begins for the big one, the grand-daddy of markets, the BrisStyle indie Twilight Market on Friday 17th December in King George Square. I'm very excited to be a part of this one!

It's all Latin to me

I have this little sister Kirsty, she is small and very funny. Often we trade words or phrases we have found, or grammatical errors in official documents. This morning we dabbled in a little Latin, as I'm sure many of you do from time to time.

Hers: 'Functus officio' - roughly means 'my work here is done'

Mine: 'Sic transit gloria mundi' - is kind of like 'all worldly things are fleeting' or 'thus passes the glory of the world'

Yes, we are nerds. We both agree that being a librarian is one of our dream jobs, and cannot abide poor spelling.

Mission: entirely possible

My mission is to do ALL my Christmas shopping this year with BrisStyle members. I want to stand by the handmade cause, as well as this quite suberb group of artists and crafters, and the best way I can see is to put my money where my mouth is!

There. I've said it and I can't take it back.

No jostling and ankle-crushing in soul-less department stores for me! Hurrah! Why not join my 'mission' - not only with BrisStyle, but with the greater world of creative expression and independant action? It's a win/win situation: your purchase supports a small business, keeping money local and using fewer resources, and you will have a unique, handmade piece of art or craft with a story behind it.

And it's not too late to enter the massive BrisStyle Christmas giveaway worth over $300! Just click on the link and leave a comment and your email address to be in the draw. If you win, you won't even have to worry about the Christmas shopping!

The road to where is paved with what?

I recently stated my intention to write everyday, and to post at least once a week, and while this sounds like an achievable goal, it isn't as easy as I thought it would be. There are a million reasons I could give, but that would be so boring!
Let's just say, I'm sticking with it. And with my 27 readers! I appreciate you all very much, and love it to bits when you comment.