The Woods, outside the comfort zone.

The Woods is one of the Abandoned Cross-stitch clutches in MiuAndUmi right now.

Today I jumped right out of my comfort zone and sent part of my rough draft novel to a friend for feedback. This is something I practically never do. Occasionally I'll read out a paragraph that's troubling or pleasing me, only to have Cam say "It's good. I like it." I consider Kirsty to be my number one proof-reader/teller of truths, but when I read her the 'sexy' parts we just ended up in hysterics, so I figured it was time to outsource. Stay tuned for that one.

Which segues nicely into this little bit of insanity...

You're welcome?

The Abandoned Cross-stitch, the best cake ever, and ancient history

 

 

Yay finally! The Abandoned Cross-stitch clutches are in MiuAndUmi! What a relief to get the ideas out of my noggin and into the shop. Now I can stop obsessing over them! I went through a brief phase of - shall we say - intense interest? Scouring op-shops, sewing until all hours, generally being a terrible wife and mother (oh, the shame). Meh, you know I don't care. I'm like the honey badger.

 



 



Say hello to the best cake ever. (According to the newly 8-year-old PomPom.) It was an epic production, wherein I displayed all the emotions a human is capable of, and possibly discovered a few new ones. It took. All. Day. But was worth it because of the delicious love I got in return. And ahem - Instagram/Facebook kudos which I lapped up like the shameless praise whore I really am.

Would you like to see me giving it out indiscriminately on Instagram? I'm melanieshmelanie.

 

 

Terrible photo quality, I know, and I just love that I managed to capture the one corner of the kitchen where the tiles are still waiting for their grout... But none of that matters, because...

 

 





PINATA CAKE!!!!!!!!!

 



 

Did I mention that I also made rainbow cupcakes and threw a little party at the playground? Yeah.

 



 

 

Pink lemonade! I sugared the kids up real nice. Parties are fun, aren't they?

 

Oh, and while I think of it...

 



 

A good birthday for me. Not for the horse.

 

So May is now a fading memory, and I'm no longer able to say "but it's my birthday month" when I want to get my own way. I raised $200.60 for Kiss Goodbye to MS and feel proud of my contribution. I even made a celebratory collage. Impressed? I know I am.

 

 



Xmas decorations and I get a little personal

Paper cut garland from Nippykat on Etsy. Pretty, no?

It's December. Today, we make the decorations.

We have what is possibly the most rustic, yet well-intentioned advent 'calendar' EVER. (Made mostly by me) and some beautiful paper chains from the kids. The tree is yet to go up, because it is so hot that any movement that doesn't involve a cold beverage and my mouth makes me want to scream. My eyelashes are sweating, and it's only the second day of Summer.*

(And to get a little personal, I have the red devil in my belly**, so you'd better not even look at me without telling me I'm the empress of the universe or putting chocolates in my mouth or my eyes will shoot you with laserbeams made of bees and female rage. Just saying.)

A close-up of the advent calendar I made. It has lollies in it, so it's OK

*It's 31° in the shade.

**This genius bit of phrasing isn't mine, I stole it from New Girl. If you have a problem with that write it down and put it in your mum's tights.

Coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee!

Coffee - Animal Illustration by Water In My Paint on Etsy

You know, I searched for coffee-related poetry, and it was all terrible. Truly terrible. A lot of waxing on about dark aromas and pungent beans... ugh. So there will be no poetry for this image.

It makes sense in a way, because coffee just is what it is. Delicious. And just like the cute little squirrel, I LOVE it.

Thank you to Diedre Wicks for permission to use her watercolour painting. Diedre's Etsy shop is full of quirky little beasts in hats or disguises... my favourite is headphone owl.



A painting, a poem

Woman sleeping in a bath by Malka Mitzner on Etsy

The Waking

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,

And learn by going where I have to go

.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me, so take the lively air,

And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

Theodore Roethke

 

Many thanks to Malka Mitzner for permission to use her captivating painting. Phew. I would like to say so much more about this moving poem and other clever things, but I feel like I've used up all my words after spending the day writing an advertorial. Do you ever feel like your communication has a finite limit?

I'm going to drag the whole family to the beach. Maybe I can do a little reset while my toes are in the sand...

Black hearts anytime

My favourite Black Heart Earrings, the ones I wear almost every day. I've finally got around to putting these in my shop. Phew! Sometimes the simplest of tasks seem ridiculously hard.

Or maybe it's just me, queen of procrastinators.

Obsess much?

Typewriter clutch purse from octopurse on Etsy

Sooooo my birthday is coming up pretty soon and I's just suggesting to the universe at large that it consider for one second that this bag will actually, literally make my life complete.



A quick mention about the sale in my shop - if you use the discount code KISSES000 you'll get 20% off everything, which is nice. Aussie shoppers still have 3 more days to take advantage of the sale before my mailing cut off... then Valentine's Day is upon us!



A photo, a poem

Cockspur Bush

I am lived. I am died.
I was two-leafed three times, and grazed,
but then I was stemmed and multiplied,
sharp-thorned and caned, nested and raised,
earth-salt by sun-sugar. I was innerly sung
by thrushes who need fear no eyed skin thing.
Finched, ant-run, flowered, I am given the years
in now fewer berries, now more of sling
out over directions of luscious dung.
Of water crankshaft, of gases the gears
my shape is cattle-pruned to a crown spread sprung
above the starve-gut instinct to make prairies
of everywhere. My thorns are stuck with caries
of mice and rank lizards by the butcher bird.
Inches in, baby seed-screamers get supplied.
I am lived and died in, vine woven, multiplied.

Les Murray

Thank so much to Kelly Angard for permission to use her photo, Botanica Obscura 2. The dark richness and dainty flower sit in oppostion to the glaring imagery of dust, heat and the prickly cockspur bush.
 I also have to thank Kelly for introducing me to the poetry of Theodore Roethke, who I will introduce you to very soon. It is always such a pleasure to talk to poetry lovers and share the words around.

Let's go shopping with BrisStyle!

Regency Skull Kitchen Towel Orange by Brilliant Trees Collective

Navy and white drill and red and white floral cotton purse by Shelleyberelli

Ceramic Mixing Bowl by Spunmud 

Ring beadwoven matte black by Afrikitten

1/2m Basic Brights Skull by Windham Fabrics by voodoorabbit



Back in the shop - just in time for Valentines!

St Valentine Heart Garland 1m, $15 from Miuandumi on Etsy

These garlands can also be made to order in different colours and lengths... so if you're wanting a rainbow heart garland... let me know!



See that gorgeous black floral kiss-lock bag hanging in the background? I love that bag. It was made by Vicki of Marcello Neckwear, and I bought it from her at a BrisStyle market over a year ago. When I'm not using the bag, it hangs next to my bed, and greets me with awesomeness every morning when I wake up.

Subversive Cross-stitch on Etsy - Language warning!!!

'Come at me, bro' by the Argenta Collaborative

'I want your beard on my face' by MANJUNK

'I am Jack's smirking revenge' by ValeriePhoto

'F me gently with a chainsaw' by DefiantDamsel

'Jules English Mofo' by Defiant Damsel

Okay, this makes me happy, and also gives me ideas. I think the 'Heathers' quote is my favourite.
It's one of my all time favourite movies.

Have you seen any subversive cross-stitch I should know about?

A trio of treasuries!

Etsy treasury by Rachael from the awesome Hip Brown

 A last minute gift treasury from Sandrine, of the ever-classy SMBoutique

And this cool blue-green selection by the BrisStyle Etsy Street Team. Love!

Red velvet cake, The Ramones and so on...

image via alpineberry.blogspot.com

This is the cake. This one. It's Cameron's birthday today - he's my best friend in the entire world, and I love him so fiercely it's scary. So I'm going to make him a Red Velvet Cake, and maybe add a bit more chocolate cream into the middle. He really likes chocolate.  

This morning I got up with him (at 4.30am, thank you!) and made him coffee and some eats. I played him this...



 and gave him his present...a whipper-snipper! I know, I'm very romantic, but it's what he wanted.

Ada Coat by LittleHouses on Etsy

I'm in a little bit of love with this coat. I don't need it, not at all, but boy, I want it.

One of ny new brooches - a mix of old and new materials which seemed to find each other! The laying out phase of making something new is a dreamy, playful time for me, and I listen carefully for the little voice that hints I'm stepping on my comfort zone. This is when I know I'm heading in the right direction.

Now I just have to come up with a clever name, and write it up in my little shop. Stay tuned!



Happy New Year, you good-looking people

Welcome to 2012.

My pure and fervent hope is that this year is better than the last, for everyone.

Today began with croissants and coffee. And no hangover! I also redesigned my blog and re-opened my Etsy shop, and photographed the new pieces which I will list very soon.

This year my goal is to do more good. To make the most of my time. To put aside the worries that hobble me, and to finally hit my stride!

I'm also thinking I should make a few lists. Of goals and intentions. To really set it out there and illustrate my plans, make myself accountable for the results.

What do you think? Are you a lister? Do you already have your lists in order? 



I love you too, but I'm gonna mace you in the face

'Darjeeling brothers' by supMon

Life is not like the movies.
Generally, I would say this is for the best. Otherwise we'd be up to our necks in cliches, silly misunderstandings and sickly sweet happy endings.
Give me, instead, the bittersweet, melancholy, awkward and sometimes surreal films of Wes Anderson. 'The Darjeeling Limited' and 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' have to be my favourites. So when I found Jordi from SupMon on Etsy, I just knew I had to share.
Are there any Wes Anderson fans out there?

This is my 100th post - fancy that! I'll put my mind to something special for 101...

Friday I'm in love - A shape, a clutch, a fox

Dodecahedrons from Spinthread

Super Stylin' clutch from Sybella Boutique

Tesla as a fox from Captain Cat

Favourites for the week, from the wonderful world of Etsy. I especially love the idea of Nikola Tesla, a great inventor of the 19th and 20th centuries, as a wily fox. I can't help but wonder where his excellent moustache is!

Have a lovely weekend, won't you? I'm working on a short story, some interview questions from the talented Chrissy Foreman C, and learning some new skills in my dear friends' cafe. Eek.

A lounge, a yurt, a studio

So, I'm at home today, playing nurse for my poor mister, who was hit by a car on Tuesday. He was just riding his bike home from work, and a silly car wasn't paying attention. He's a bit banged up, with a nasty gash on his face, but I can't stop myself from saying to him again and again "I'm so glad you're ok!", because I know it could've been SO much worse. You've got to count your luck, don't you?

These photos are from a slowly expanding collection of places to envy, to covet, to admire... how about the lounge with the vines on the wall and the gorgeous sunlight streaming in? The yurt from Goulburn Yurtworks is so rustic and classy, and the studio workspace is courtesy of Sweet William, the dreamy result of what two awesome sisters can do. You should definitely check out their Etsy store too, for prints of original artworks but Paula Mills.

Stay safe - you are very important!

A picture, a poem

Sylvia Plath: Treasure

by Bett Norris

 These are the imagined treasures of Sylvia Plath, tragic American poet and novelist, hand drawn by Bett Norris. If you aren't familiar with the work of Sylvia Plath, I would say read her, but I would add a caveat: her poetry can be dark, and 'The Bell Jar', Plath's most well-known novel, even more so. The author battled with depression throughout her life, and lost in the end, and this quiet authority of knowledge soaks through her writings.

This artwork is one of the reasons I love Etsy in particular (and the internet in general) so much. With a little searching, you can find the most wonderful things. You can find things that are so carefully thought of, so lovingly made, so bang on the money that it's as though they were made for you. 

This week I've jumped into my new studies with gusto. This is my opportunity to see if I really have an uncut gem of skill inside me, or just a big lump of rock. I'm keen, I tell ya!


Ooops! Silly me, forgot the title of this post! There is a picture, but no poem! The poem I wished to use is 'Ennui', a big old shoulder shrug of a poem. What do you think?

HUGE BrisStyle November Giveaway!

Voila! My contribution to the BrisStyle November Giveaway - the movement and sparkle of my
'Dear Prudence' glass and Swarovski crystal earrings on lux oversize silver hoops, as seen in my Etsy shop, Miu & Umi. This giveaway is going to be impressive, so I recommend popping over to check it out!

Boy, did I lose my temper.

Dog House original artwork by bellag1

So I'm building the dog house, unable to get the last piece into place. I struggle for half an hour, getting sweaty and more and more frustrated. The kids circle me, entertained, making suggestions and when Cedric tells me I should wait for daddy because he’s strong, I order them to go jump on the trampoline.

The puppy just  lay on the grass watching me with mild interest.

No matter what I did, no matter which angle I tried, I could not get that final part into position.

It was only when I lost my cool altogether, stamping my feet and storming away, leaving a puzzled puppy and a half-made hound house, that I realised that sometimes I need help. Not just help putting together dog houses, but help finding my voice, being the artist I want to be, and creating a successful business.

Don’t we all need help sometimes?

Do you seek help when you need it? Who do you ask?