Two Poppets on a Page

When I started drawing this pair they were going to be two French poppets, but the boy looks decidedly British if you ask me (minus the baguette)... never mind, we're a multi-cultural bunch these days anyway!

It's funny, because the more I look at it the more I think this chap is based on my Grandad - he's a splitting image just a little younger obviously... but they even have the same knobbly knees! There's mischief written on that face, which is very appropriate indeed.

Red Earth

The fact that nature is capable of producing colours this vivid and contrasting will forever blow me away. Australia you are beautiful, and I can honestly say this even though I'm a little biased towards your neighbour. Photos taken by my other half 'Cozza' near Broome, WA.

My New, Old Office

How To Make Banana Bread...

... and not stuff it up!

I surpassed myself again last night with my baking (which usually goes horribly awry), by making a half decent banana loaf! Nom nom nom! So that you too can feel the elation I felt when I took this out of the oven, here is the very easy recipe. As I say, I am not an expert, but I think that it is the golden syrup in this recipe that leaves the outsides, top in particular, rather sticky, but this can be good as finger licking is always a joyous follow up activity to any bout of baking.

Banana Bread Recipe

Mix together 2 mashed bananas, 3/4 cup castor sugar and 2 tbpsn golden syrup. Add 1 egg, 1 cup of self raising flour and a pinch of salt. Put into a greased loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees celcius. Take out, cool for a wee while, then slice, spread with butter, eat. Ooh yea.

Lovin' This Week

Some really awesome things have been happening in the little world of 'me' this week, here are a few I will share... Meeting, re-meeting and making some great new friends. Friends of friends are so cool when they become your friends too! Even better when they've come from various places around the world. I think it's so crazy when the wee threads which are our paths in life, cross with the threads of others, even if it's just for a short while. It's magical :) Booking tickets to Canada and Europe for March next year. The next phase in our exciting trip is now just around the corner and I'm jiggling around in my chair at the moment I'm so beside myself with glee! Yummy part vegetarian BBQ with garden salad, potato salad, roast vege salad, vege kebabs... three days later I'm still drooling... thanks Mouse and Christie! Spring is well and truely here in Perth. OK so spring in Perth is like the peak of a Wellington summer, which means I am DREADING the real summer here again, I don't function too well when I have sweat patches down my back and butt and my glasses are sliding off my nose and it's dripping into my mouth... but for now the weather it purrrfect and there's nothing like waking up each morning to a crisp blue sky and that smell of the heat on the pavers outside as the temperature dial gets cranked up a notch. SO goooood. Starting to paint again for the first time since college (high school). I forgot how blimmin' time consuming it is having to layer the paint, wait for it to dry and so on. I am so used to my pencils where I can spit something out in an hour! I am re-learning the value of patience, and I think it is paying off. I will post my efforts here soon as an incentive to me to keep going with it! The last week in my current job! Even when it's super difficult to peel yourself out of the comfortable, butt moulded impression in your favourite chair, change is a really good thing. This is my last week in my current design position and next week sees me starting a new design job. I'm excited to see what I'll be up to over the next few months with the new company. I am hoping that I will be going from this design assistant position to something with a bit more responsibility, so we shall see! Becoming a brunette! The last time I attempted this I was 16 and in the midst of a hairdressing apprenticeship. I ended up looking like a very ill, pasty goth chic. I then remember a flurry of tears and desperate calls to my hairdressing friend and slowly but surely converting myself back to a blonde. However 8 years on, health issues and budget constraints have called for me to try my hand at sticking to my natural colour *gasp* and I am actually LOVING it. Woo hoo! Well that's just a few highlights from my week so far, I hope your week has provided highlights of its own!

Song for the Week: 'Relator'

Now and then a song comes along that I will set onto repeat in my ipod, and listen to over and over and over and over... and never get sick of cos' it's so good. This week all I can listen to is 'Relator' by Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson. I love the retro vibe it has and extremely catchy tune. I'm not particularly 'relating' to the lyrics as such as this is just one song off their 'Break up' album made up of entirely 'break up' songs but it's still good none the less.

Glee-full

Time for some more mindless c**p that no one wants or needs to see. A clip from last nights Glee episode which i am fast becoming hooked on; Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' performed by football players. Love it!

Hello Cuteness

Cuteness and innocence in the palm of your hand...

Kowhai for my Papa

Over the weekend my Dad turned 60. That to me, is a pretty awesome milestone. If he read this (which I'm sure he doesn't) he would not be too impressed by the fact I am broadcasting his seniority to the world, and I'm sure he would have preferred it if the date just slipped by unnoticed, but I think it's worth celebrating.

I clearly remember when I was a little girl, thinking that 60 was so old, as my Grandparents were in their sixties, that's a Grand sort of age to be in! Well my Dad doesn't have any Grand kids yet, and now that I'm older I realise it isn't really that old at all.

Some of my favourite moments over the past years have been on warm sunny Sunday afternoons, when I would take a moment from lounging around, to potter with my Dad in the backyard. Dad finds it impossible to sit still, and every Saturday and Sunday is filled with gardening, potting, watering, fixing, or bee-keeping. It was something that me and Dad would always do, just us two, and I will always cherish those small moments. One day when I'm home again I hope I can have many more moments like those!

So I was understandably a little sad that I couldn't be in New Zealand to help celebrate, (though I know Mum made a big hoot of it). So instead, Dad, here is a wee kowhai flower for you, I hope you had a super fantastic day.

xx

Amy Butler Patterns

Today became a magical day when I checked our mail box - inside was my recently ordered parcel of Amy Butler patterns. I have been so completely beside my self with excitement that I was finally getting around to ordering some, that I didn't stop to think that these are from America. Meaning they are in yards and inches- a thoroughly irritating and incomprehensive language. So, instead of acting surprised when I stash these in a corner and don't attempt to use them any time soon, I will pre empt it and suggest that it is super highly likely that this will happen. Until I muster up the time and patience to sit down with them and see if it's maybe not so bad after all. Watch this space, or... maybe not!

Random Doodle of the Week

These are my feet. On my desk. At work - i.e. not working.

I have strange feet, they are a size 9, and they have squat, unformed toes. My pinky toes curl under at each side. I had both my big toe nails cut out on all sides when I was a teenager, as they were forever ingrown. One worked, one didn't, so now I just cut it out myself. Ouch!

A couple of weeks ago I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. Subsequently my right foot swells so badly I had to buy new shoes. What a shame. But that's why I've hidden it under my left foot in this doodle.

This excercise has also shown me that I desperately need to re-paint my toe nails.

Bugger. Just gonna have to go out and buy some nail polish now too. Oh well!