Verbs are doing words

"Being tender and open is beautiful. As I woman I feel continually shhh'ed. Too sensitive. Too Mushy. To wishy washy. Blah Blah. “Don’t let someone steal your tenderness. Don’t allow the coldness and fear of others to tarnish your perfectly vulnerable beating heart. Nothing is more powerful than allowing yourself to truly be affected by things. Whether it’s a song, a stranger, a mountain, a rain drop, a tea kettle, an article, a sentence, a footstep…feel it all – look around you. All of this is for you. Take it and have gratitude. Give it and feel love." - Zooey Deschanel

Loving - This quote, found via by b and e. I often need a reminder that it's ok to be soft, to give myself permission to be affected by things.

Image source

 Wearing - Tights! Every day! Yes! I love winter, because it means that finally I can wear tights, stockings, leggings, etc. The only problem is keeping the tights shopping in check. Is there such a thing as too many tights? Nah.

Reliving - Saturday night at The Beetle Bar, watching an amazing line-up. Some Jerks, The New Jack Rubys, Sabrina Lawrie and the Hunting Party, and Gravel Samwidge.

Just - wow. This clip isn't from Saturday, but it's the song that's been stuck in my head ever since.



The Den of Iniquity

Cleaning up in the messy and neglected room downstairs... (I feel a little pretentious calling it a studio, but 'workroom' makes it sound unfun, and 'craftroom' makes me sound like a total wally. But calling it 'the room downstairs' makes it sound... creepy? ) (I once called it 'my girl cave', but the horrified look that provoked was enough to make sure I never say that again!)

The Event Horizon? Time does tend to lose all meaning when I'm in there...Fortress of Solitude? Um, no...The Den of Iniquity? Well, sometimes I do feel a little bit wicked and immoral, surrounded by fabrics and supplies, plotting my planetary takeover...

Do you have a room? Does it have a name? Am I overthinking this just a little?

A dose of cuteness

Every now and then a lovely lady comes in for a coffee at Buzzstop. She wears a large slouchy bag, which would be unremarkable unless you noticed that from time to time the bag moves.

When I asked the lady what was going on with her bag, she pulled out a little orphan wallaby! As a carer for orphaned wildlife, she has to keep them warm and close at all times, but she popped this sweetie out for a second so I could ooh and aah in a high-pitched voice, and stroke its incredibly soft fur.

Now I look forward to seeing the lovely lady with the squirming luggage (I should really find out her name, yes?) so I can see her latest wards and get a little dose of cuteness to sweeten up my day.

Space Cadet

So, I'm not expecting a call from NASA anytime soon, but I am, without a doubt, an honest-to-goodness space cadet. With the many thrills of May (the birthday month in my family), my birthday party at Ya Ya Bar, a computer on the fritz and a huge sausage sizzle for the Kiss Goodbye to MS appeal, it's been a blur.

I completely forgot that I had an article published in *bespoke* zine. Who forgets something like that??? And then I found a mention of my article on Her Library Adventures, a blog I really admire, so I ran around in circles for about two days, then forgot about that too! I think it may be time to focus on some memory exercises...

These are just a few images from the last month...

a walk around the lakes on the way to school on my birthday,

the gorgeous balloons I bought to match my party dress,

the absolutely gorgeous A Skulk of Foxes clock given to me by the absolutely gorgeous Buzzstop crew,

playing in the leaves,

the wildly overgrown view from my verandah, which I love even though I'm sure the neighbours are tutting in disapproval.

Happy Mother's Day!

Oh, such a lovely day. Playing in the park, basking in the dappled light, noshing out on sushi, painting fingernails with my daughter and being fiercely squeezed by my son. (He's almost nine, so everything he does is a little fierce!)

I took some photos of the kids climbing trees, but they move so much and never do a 'nice' smile...it's always a crazy face with the tongue and the cross-eyes...

I didn't visit my mum, since she has some kind of gross cold. So I sent my love down the telephone line, and felt sooky for a second or two.

As usual, I concluded very quickly that my problems are miniscule. I send my love out to all the new mums out there who might be having a rough day, and those who've lost their mum, and even those who would give a limb to be a mother... big hugs. XXX

Make a wish while you can...it's your birthday

Yay! It's my birthday! Woohoo!

Verbs are doing words

Drinking - Coffee... always coffee. On a rare day off with my best guy, we drink coffee and eat cake.

Polishing - the final photos of some new earrings, soon to be seen in MiuAndUmi, yay!

Watching - The new series 'Dirk Gently' on iView. I still can't help but think of Steve Mangan as Guy Secretan from Green Wing, one of the funniest and wrongest shows I've ever seen on TV. In a good way!

Watch this and tell me you didn't laugh...

It's a braid new world

It was one of those rare occasions when little Miss would let me braid her hair, and it looked so sweet I had to take a photo. I've been braiding my hair a bit lately, inspired by A Beautiful Mess and all the gorgeous braids tutorials they share. Try it out - just be prepared for a little frustration at first. Darn fingers!!!

You are getting sleeeeeppyyyyy...verrrrry sleeeeeepy. When I click my fingers, you will be in the most relaxed and receptive state... click... you want to buy this Alibi Pendulum necklace for Melanie... when I count back from three, you will awake, refreshed and with a powerful urge to do some online shopping... three, two, one... and you're back in the room.

Verbs are doing words

Preparing - Myself mentally and fiscally for May, the month in which nearly everyone I know was born. Birthdays up the ying-yang, and Mother's Day too. Oh my god, I'm having palpitations just thinking about it. AND I'm turning thirty-mumble as well! Birthdays make me a little nuts...

Finished - 'The Psychopath Test' by Jon Ronson. What a great book, jammed with facts and yet so unputdownable. This is an honest exploration of a delicate subject, with the nervy Ronson tangling with psychopaths in jail and in the upper echelons of the corporate world, meeting with the therapists who thought (in the 60's - of course) using LSD and primal regression could cure incarcerated psychopaths.

Did it work? You'll have to read the book and find out...

Interestingly though, looking at the traits and behaviours that mark a psychopath, I'm realising that in my life, I've come across a few. With an estimated 1% of the population scoring high on the test, you probably have as well!

 

Dancing - To The Sonics, who just rip it up so loud. The kids and I went nuts to a Sonics playlist yesterday, jumping around the loungeroom like a bunch of kooks.

'Have Love, Will Travel' is pretty awesome when The Black Keys do it, but these guys are amazing.



Happiness is a warm (glue) gun

Look at my little poppet in her (enormous) Easter hat. So ridiculously cute. This year we asked the kids to draw a 'blueprint' of what they wanted for their hats, to save the crazed last minute dash to Spotlight for leftover scraps of Eastery origins.

It worked out pretty well! And since I made a real effort not to do it 'properly' ( that's just code for taking over completely and disregarding the kid's wishes) there were no tears and everyone was happy! There are little chicks hiding in the foliage of this hat, and I couldn't resist making up a whole chick-hunting scenario...

I know. I need to get out more.

Verbs are doing words

Bursting! - with pride. My brother Steen Jones and his partner Melissa Findley have released a video of Steen's latest and greatest project... Huge walls at the Rose St Artist Market in Melbourne, all painted up gorgeously, and filmed with impeccable style by Melissa. EEeeeeeee!

Snickering - at my little boy's note, left on my bedside table. He LOVES to play computer games. When I told him I didn't own my own computer until I was in my twenties, he finds it incredible. Boy, how the times are racing...

Watching - this video from Walk Off The Earth, doing a Gotye cover. I found this one via Mad Mim, and have watched/listened to it a few times now. Five people playing one guitar! There's something captivating about watching a crew who are all on the same track and creating something with the same level of commitment. Except for the guy in the beanie. He looks as if he's trying to remember if he turned off the iron.

So the Easter holiday is upon us, busy roads, kids to entertain and the constant spectre of chocolate eggs. I'm making chocolates this year, and keeping it as simple as humanly possible. How about you?

Verbs are doing words

Ogling - The beautiful pink sunrise this morning as I drove to work. I just had to pull over and take it all in for a moment. It's the little things, ya know?

Basking - In the 'completion glow' of finishing a special project and watching the recipient go ape-shit about it. Captain Will loves his new semaphore flags, so I'm happy.



Hearing - 'Video Games' by Lana del Rey... something about the deep smokiness of her voice just gets me. It strikes me as a bittersweet song, and it's been swirling around in my head for days now. Enjoy.



Too many secrets, green is good, The Loved Ones

I'm working on a couple of 'secret' projects at the mo, and the urge to share is almost too much to take! Here is a little sneak photo of something very special I've been making for a while now... is that obscure enough? 

And the other project will be revealed very soon...

Observe, my new green dress from ASOS, as seen here, which I'm wearing right now. Love it! I'm starting to wonder if I could do little 'what I'm wearing' photo shoots, but there are not enough hours in the day...

My friend J introduced me to The Loved Ones on the weekend, and I can't get this song out of my head. Classic Australian music from the 60's, completely overlooked! What an amazing voice.

Just ignore the superdaggy clip and enjoy 'Everlovin' Man' by The Loved Ones.

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 trip to the Zoo

Urge Overkill just nailed it on Friday night at The Zoo. I had much fun with J and J (historically significant partners in crime) and look at our awesome position, side of stage! The picture is a little blurred, but you get the general idea.  



Sister Havana, one of my favourites. The new release, Rock & Roll Submarine, is pretty good too!

Only problem is, it will take me a week to recover! Oh, the joy of getting older...

Sushi Jammies

I really like these sushi pyjamas, as seen in S4 of Buffy. And now I have a craving for nori rolls.

Verbs are doing words

Anticipating - Being in the audience of 'As You Like It' at La Boite. A date with the husband! woot woot! I am a massive Shakespeare fan. Honestly, I won't even start...

Wishing - I could be in two places at once. That way I could work and be at the BrisStyle Indie Twilight Markets tomorrow night too. Sigh. If you can make it, say hi to all the awesome stall-holders from me. And bring me back something good.

Reading - 'Oddfellow's Orphanage' by Emily Winfield Martin. It's pretty darn cute. We'll see what happens next... My copy is pictured here with a new notebook from Chrissy Foreman Cranitch, which is almost too pretty to write in or cram in my bag, which is what will happen as soon as I start using it. I also really love the rainbow-puking unicorn on Chrissy's note of thanks. Rainbow puke!

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...

Verbs are doing words

Travelling - or at least dreaming of travelling, very slowly and with no deadlines... This incredible Gypsy vardo, which was originally used in a Pee-Wee Herman movie (!) is for sale, and I love to dream about a romantic life on the road. No realism please, or I'll plug my ears.

Image from seafoam via anna garforth

Plotting - How I'll find this carnival in the middle of no-where, and how I'll get there in my Gypsy vardo. (While I'm in fantasy land, I may as well make it good.)

Listening - Saint Saviour... not my usual, but it fits with the mood I'm in, and I can just imagine sitting around a comforting fire, deep in the forest, while the keyboardist looked for an extension lead for her Yamaha...