Ta Ta

I'm off to the beach for the long weekend, for a bit of...well... this... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz hehehe.

Have a good one!

Show & Tell

I don't really like to post too much on my real 'work' life. I think because it seems so far removed from what I normally talk about on here. But I thought I would make an exception this time, as I am quite proud of this particular job.

These images are from the house I worked on for the better part of last year. I contributed in many areas, from designing furniture and cabinetry through to choosing fabrics, sourcing accessories, and placement of the clients $3m dollar art collection! Yikes! The company I worked for, Yael K Designs, designed the entire house, start to finish.

There is such a tiny market for designing homes of this scope and budget in NZ, whereas Perth is a whole other story. I've certainly learned a lot during the time I've worked here, and had my eyes opened to how the other half live, and how to design for them!

Song of the Week: Jess Penner - All Smiles

Yeah yeah, dance around a little because you know you want to!

Two Rabbits

A work in progress... maybe...

I Dream of Clouds

Out at dinner last weekend, I was talking with a friend about the things we miss from 'home'. For her, 'home' is Scotland, and of course it's NZ for me. One thing we both agreed on was how much we miss wearing coats, scarves and slippers, sitting in front of warm fires, and the wild, wonderful landscape and weather.

Perth has some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen, but I have not once seen clouds like these which I took photos of over Wellington harbour a couple of years ago. Perth can't produce anything close to this amazing sight. This just takes my breath away.

Full House Flashback

I have just come across re-runs of my all time favourite tv show Full House, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it!

I was practically raised on that show, and as I grew up those girls did too. It was often the highlight of my day. What ever happened to good, 'wholesome' tv shows that you could happily leave kids in front of and not have to worry what it was teaching them?

Those hairstyles and outfits from the earlier episodes are classic. Some stunning examples of 80's perms and quiffs and shoulder pads.

And a small confession? I remember watching this about the time our family got the internet, and I would spend ages alta-vista'ing (google wasn't around yet) pictures of Stephanie Tanner so I could copy her outfits. Eeek!

I'm such a nerd, I'm sitting down every night to watch it now... it's brilliant.

Photos from http://materialgirlsblog.com/dallas/2009/12/

Knit It: 2

I've finished my headband/hat; it's turned out so so.

I have decided that I made it a little wide, but at least it covers my ears, and my hair can come out the top, hooray!

I actually cheated a little, as I originally knitted a fair way before I realised that for some strange reason each row seemed to be getting more and more stitches to it. It took me a while to work out that because of the type of wool I was using, each row ended up with more and more stitches as the wool split. Instead of  a rectangular strip I ended up knitting more of a triangle, with one end starting out with 15 stitches cast, through to 40 at the other end. Woops! So I actually carefully un-ravelled the whole thing and started again, this time counting the stitches as I knitted each row.

I think I will be able to rock it, even though if you look too closely the stitches are a little all over the place, but for first attempts I'm stoked. Thankfully the bobbly wool was very forgiving to my troubles with the tension. I think it wasn't til I got near the end that I got the hang of the perfect tension, but hey, practice makes perfect!

A Bit of Global Culture

C decided a couple of weeks ago that he needed to 'represent' (said in a way a chic as white as me really shouldn't say it) our kiwi'ness overseas and bought two t'shirts from Global Culture for $28 NZD each.

The red one says 'Choice, eh! (chois, aye) Translation: pretty good, don't you think?'
The brown one says 'Can you handle the jandal?'

Might be a good conversation starter... that, or he'll just get a lot of other kiwis talking to him!

Design Portfolio 2003-2008

Seeing as in my last post I mentioned that eventually I will have an online portfolio documenting all the various things that I do, I decided to create a link to my most recent design portfolio, which showcases work from 2003 - 2008.

It's a combination of work I collaborated on during my first two years working in the design industry, as well as some projects completed for my degree.

Have a nosey if you like, just click the 'portfolio' link to the right and it should take you to it!

Blogging Anniversary... Sort Of

I just figured out that I've missed my 1 year blogging anniversary by 2 weeks... I have officially been blogging for just over 12 months. Crazy!

I haven't really got any give-aways or anything like some organised bloggers do - so just thought I would acknowledge it and say thanks to everyone who comments on some of the random things that I put on here, and to the others that I know read quietly. That's all good too! Over the last 12 months I've met some really awesome people through blog land and reading all the happenings on your blogs makes me realise that I'm not as alone in my head as I once used to think. It's also unbelievably inspiring, I love surrounding myself with other creative minds, even if it is through cyber-space!

I started this blog as a way to keep sane, as I was freshly moved to Aussie and un-employed. After having followed a few other blogs for 6 months or so prior to starting my own, (BobbyRobin I think yours was the first!) I noticed that you didn't have to be the likes of the fabulous Design*Sponge to participate in this world. If anything, it's the seemingly most insignificant posts that people comment on.

Another reason for my blogging is to slowly build up my self confidence, and in the long term help to establish my place in the design/art/craft world. That's still the plan, eventually once I'm back in NZ in a year or so, and more importantly when I decide what exactly it is that I do, I'll make things and sell them and have my own little enterprise. My blog will go hand in hand with my online shop and my portfolio. In the mean time, you all just get to see the random wacky world of Nikki, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

OK, spiel over, back to whatever it is that I do.

Thanks fellow bloggers, I look forward to 'catching up' with you every day :)

Bedrock bracelet

I made these beads so long ago, I only just today got around to stringing them into a bracelet.

I feel like i've walked out of the Flintstones wearing this, but it's kinda fun.

The beads are simply made from white fimo with a clear glaze over the top, threaded onto tiger wire with a basic clasp.

'Rodney' the Redback Spider

This is 'Rodney', the redback spider. He moved in some time over the last day or two. We've been having words, because as much as I get a little lonely in this house on my own while C's away, Rod turned up, uninvited.

And to make matters worse he's moved all his shit in with him. He's taken over the corner of my laundry, down by the back door, and he's leaving half eaten flies and other bugs all over the floor. Not to mention I found his web in my shoe.
I tried to explain to him that if he had been in there when I went to put my shoes on it could have turned nasty, for both of us! But he's hanging around and he's making me nervous.

Here he is hanging around in his web like a lazy bugger in a hammock, legs in the air, and completely ignoring me with my camera up his butt. Typical.

UPDATE: Rodney had an unfortunate run in with the vacuum cleaner....

Packing Dry Run: Number 2

To all you lovelies who suggested after my last dismal packing attempt that I roll my clothes, you obviously all know what you're talking about. And the 'shake well after packing' method suggested by Jacqui? Brilliant.

I culled a lot of clothes this time round, because to be honest, I don't think I'm going to need 10 singlet tops in Canada in March/April!

 This round of trial packing has seen a massive improvement since the last one;

Ease of access & method of packing: Good
Weight: 11 kilos, yes you read that correctly, 11 kilos
Not included: Another pair of shoes, wopping Lonely Planet book
Now includes: Clothes, toiletries, socks & undies, shoes, and even my sleeping bag!
Result: Very Good

I think I've nearly got it sorted.

Blog Poo

Hello regular followers and any new visitors - just a note to say I have well and truely stuffed up my blog HTML, stupidly saved the changes without saving my old template, and though I have now realised I am going to have to start re-building it all from scratch, I'm still having trouble getting anything to change on the blog. So that's why it looks very strange, and some of the links don't make sense... I knew it was bad when I actually welled up with tears when I realised how royally it was stuffed.

Well this will teach me for fiddling, if it ain't broke then don't fix it, right? Hindsight is a blimmin' marvellous thing I tell ya..

Knit It

After checking out the weather websites for Vancouver I discovered that March and April up that'a'ways will see me cooling my tootsies off nicely in 10 - 15 degree weather. Ahh yes, that's a bit more like my good old NZ temperatures!

However seeing as I haven't seen those kinds of temperatures since 2008, I no longer own a hat or gloves, which I am guessing, if we get the outdoor volunteer work we are hoping for, I will be needing.

Well, the easiest thing to do would be to just go out and grab a cheap beanie somewhere for my wee noggin but noooo, why would I do that when I can use this opportunity to acquire a new crafty skill! Knitting.

I have vague memories of my Grandma teaching me to knit when I was quite young, but I also remember that she did all the casting on and off, I just did the bits in the middle. And I also remember that my patience for scarf making (the obvious easiest project to begin with) seemed to wane at about the 250mm length mark, where I would then get Grandma to cast off, and Barbie and Ken would get a new, extremely 'cool' woollen blanket for their Barbie bed. Of course.

But for a while now I have found myself rather envious of my Grandma's ability to spend an afternoon in front of the tennis on tv, whipping up a nasty, scratchy woollen  jersey, complete with animal face on the front.

So I went for a little trip today to good old Spotlight, and bought myself some needles, wool, and a 'how to' book.
I am going to knit a hat! And to make it easier, (and a lot more practical for me with my long tressses) I decided it's not even going to be a hat, but one of those wide head band type things that your hair can come out the top of. (OK so if I had a picture you would get it, it is a lot cooler then it sounds.)

It took me a while to get started - talk about all fingers and thumbs, I think my winter jersey will be a wee way down the track, but my hat? Well I think, no I hope I can make it to the end. I no longer have barbies or pets to relegate the half assed attempts to, so there really is no excuse to not finish. It's looking a bit of a shambles at the moment, firstly because my tension is all over the place and secondly, because I knew the tension would be a problem, I bought the type of wool that goes from thick to thin and has the odd bobbly bit in it. It's all about faking it til I make it, I reckon.

I'll keep you posted on how it turns out!

Peggy Sirota Photography

Want to see some fabulous photography work? Check out the site of Peggy Sirota, one of America's top celebrity photographers.

In fact, you've probably seen quite a bit of her work without knowing it, as her work appears everywhere from print advertising and magazine editorials, to film and t.v.

I actually decided to take a closer look at her work after lusting after the gorgeous Vanity Fair Twilight cast shoot, (at the top... the photos, not the cast members, I swear! hehe)  and fell in love with her unusual, yet very natural photography style.

Find these images at Rolling Stone, Pixel Brush, and Vanity Fair.

Kikki-K Love

I have fallen in love with Kikki-K and their wonderful world of stationary. Included in their many ranges of goodies are travel wallets, bag tags, journals, stamp sets, stickers and travel organisers!

Problem is, like all nice stationary I acquire, it's all so nice I'm always too scared to use it, and so it just sits on my shelf where I can gaze at it longingly... the thought of tarnishing the smooth, crisp smelling pages with my scrawly hand writing makes my stomach turn!

Lomo LC-A+ First Development

I got my first film developed from my LC-A+ camera this morning, and my goodness the level of anticipation I felt to see the results made me feel like a child all over again!

There were certainly a range of hits and misses, as everyone told me to expect.

My first reaction was, 'Oh no, none of them look any good!' but as I looked through them again and again I started to realise I have a really nice collection of snaps highlighting my second summer in Perth.

My brain has become so conditioned to seeing perfectly focused, coloured and zoomed photos from a digital camera, that I will endeavour with the next lot of film photographs to look at them for what they are; pure, un-edited point and shoot snippets!

* I noticed that a few of the photos seem to have been cropped or elongated, not sure if the camera did this or the people who developed them...?

Apis Mellifera

When my Dad asked me a few weeks ago if I would draw a honey bee for him to use on the Wellington Beekeepers' Association certificates, I thought 'sure, should be easy'.

Yeah right. They are so organic and fuzzy and made up of lots of little parts and if you draw it slightly wonky it looks more like a little alien then a bee!

I worked myself up quite a bit in frustration trying to draw it, and I'm still not entirely happy.

I feel better knowing the drawing will be shrunk down teeny tiny to go in the corner of the certificate.

I think I'll steer clear of bees from now on, both in the real life and the drawing sense.