“ What really knocks me out is a good book,

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that when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. ”

- J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

august photos (part 2)

Day 5

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Day 6

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Day 7

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Day 8

(For photo a day in August)

Heisuke Kitazawa

Subhuman album cover

Sleepy Tigers

Unicorn

you can see more of his artwork here and you can buy his artwork in limited edition prints, on buttons and bags and wallets and other lovely things here. I'm loving the 'a new morning' wallet and 'telescope' book/cd. Sigh.

welcome Samuel!

My amazing big sister gave birth early this morning to Samuel John, 7 lb 8 oz. Can't wait to see photos of his wrinkly little face, and better yet to see them all. My sister is amazing (did I say that already?) and she has such a beautiful family and gorgeous children that she handles with such love and patience that makes me smile and hope that one day I can be a mamma like her (and my brother-in-law is pretty darn awesome too!) She is the one who introduced me to the world of blogging and sharing my thoughts and creations with lovely people like you, and she writes with a candid grace and humour that I love. You can see her blog here and maybe pictures of the little one before too long!

In celebration (and because I was so excited) I preceded to imaginary shop for the cutest baby things for such a precious gorgeous wonderful little tyke.

1. Baby Gift Set 2. Jnr. Executive Onesie 3. Custom Birth Announcement

4. Apple of my Eye Infant Hat 5. Groovy Guitar Bib 6. Little Bunny Shoes

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Sending bucketfuls of love to my sister and brother-in-law, and neices and nephew and to everyone in the whole world really because it is just so darn exciting when little people join us!

made me laugh-out-loud

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Are you really naked under those gloves? For Pete's sake, put on some Handerpants!
These 95% cotton, 5% spandex, fingerless gloves have the look and feel of men's briefs. Slip them on underneath your gloves for extra warmth and protection from chafing! Wear them on their own as a vaguely inappropriate fashion statement! Hundreds of uses! Fits most adult hands.

You know it’s a good morning when

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- You have nice dreams about your friends and wake up smiling
- You have a delicious breakfast with berries in it
- Your stockings don’t have a ladder and you’re breaking your own stocking record
- The park you ride through is freshly mown and you smell cut grass and dew
- People smile and wave and one man whistles a tune
- At the lights a poster of Johnny Depp on the side of a bus smiles at you
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- You are so busy thinking of these things that you don’t pay attention in a lane way and almost get hit by a car.
But you didn’t.

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You didn’t.

all you knit is love

Taken yesterday by my friend Agnes somewhere in Europe, and sent all this way to make me smile.

edit: This is the all you knit is love shop in Barcelona, check out their awesome store manifest:
-Handknit socks keep your feet warmer.
-Shrimp are a finger food.
-Winding a ball of yarn can turn a bad day around.
-Ideas can come from your hands as well as your head.
-An error is just a new technique.
-We learned all the really important stuff in kindergarten.
-Passion is as necessary as eating and sleeping.
-The path is slow.
-Working with yarn is a pleasure, not an obligation.
-Knitting is a highly sensual activity.

visit the website or you can see the store blog here! Thanks Jennifer for letting me know it was your lovely store!

can you pass the salt and pepper please?

moustache salt and pepper shaker.

moustaches always make me giggle.
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Brains. Just because you have a craving for brains

doesn't mean you have to devour them plain.

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Keyboard Salt & Pepper

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Bones. Goes nicely with Brains.

well hello there Sue

I've got myself a new camera *drum roll here*, she is simple, but lovely. She needs a simple and lovely name. Like Sue. So I just wandered around the house taking random photos of knick knacks and cats. As you do.

I haven't read the instruction manual yet, I'm a fan of 'auto' settings, and this one does them well. To get me in the groove I'm going to join up with Jess from A Life So Peachy and do a Photo a Day in August (started by The Byron Life). I'm a little late, but consider this Day 4.

While I was roaming around blogs being inspired, I ran into Amelie and Atticus, so I'm going to join their photo challenge too!

And I'm still finishing off shots for this art project / exhibition co-op thingy (yes, that is the scientific term..)

When will they get around to inventing cameras for eyes? When I was a kid I would imagine that, and whenever I saw something beautiful or interesting I would blink hard and go 'CLICK!'

I've decided to not post a photo every day, but wait until the end of the week and post 'em all at once

bacon and banana sandwich

For Recipe Monday by Amityvilleboronia because

a) I went through a stage of craving bacon and banana, with onion.

and b) this is actually a recipe on yahoo food. A recipe. For a sandwich with two ingredients.

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Ingredients
4 slices of bread
2 bananas
1 packet of chopped bacon (no fat)
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Method
1. Toast bread under griller on one side only. Remove from grill.
2. Slice the 2 bananas lengthwise and place on untoasted side of bread.
3. Distribute bacon pieces evenly over bananas and firmly press down. Grill until done.

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Enjoy! Have you ever had weird cravings?

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by pleasebestill

aspirational

from BusinessGuysOnBusinessTrips

if it's not ok

by susana

the table that eats itself

"Atema Architecture’s ‘Auto-Cannibalistic Table’ is made out of egg cartons, flour paste, soil and seeds. When water is added, the seeds germinate and the table literally eats itself. I’m not sure whether this is a useful piece of recycled furniture or a plant in itself."

Awesome. I knew I was collecting egg cartons for something.

seen on DudeCraft

hurrah! opening night! Leon loved! custom order!

These guys waiting patiently in the art gallery for the opening night of this exhibition.

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and here they are! So many creative peeps and artists!

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and breakdancers! How impossibly trendy is that?

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and HURRAH! Leon found a home before the exhibition started! He was snatched up here in the arms of the lovely Tobiah who was one of the exhibition organizers, and is Liquorice Tree. She makes amazing and.a.bit.creepy.but.in.a.good.way felted creatures, see them here!
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Tobiah is creating her nursery and has placed a custom order for a girl 'Leon', to sit on each side and guard her baby's crib! The nursery will be featured in a design magazine too! Wow!

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Can you tell I'm excited? I think the exclamation marks are giving me away! And then there's the book! I think I'm going to go and lie down!

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(all image credited to Tobiah's flickr stream) You can see more photos of the exhibition & opening night here.

that's, like, heaps

pb&j [embroidery], originally posted at KindOverMatter

does lipstick makes the sun shine brighter?

image credit

I have never been much of a lipstick kinda gal, preferring trusty lip balm or gloss on occasion, but months ago I bought a lovely shade of dark red in a post-breakup makin-changes kinda mood (I also changed the colour of my hair and cut a fringe, and ate faaaar too much chocolate). It's been languishing at the bottom of my drawer since then, until today when I, in heels and stockings for the first time in 2 weeks, saw it and thought 'why not?'.

I must say, I felt dashing. I caught my reflection in car windows. I reapplied after lunch. I pouted. I felt somehow more confident and splendid with ruby red lips, and am considering the dawn of a new lipstick age. I may even buy some different shades (gasp!)

Do you find a bounce in your step with lippy? Or is it just me?

I made this!

Pip at Meet Me at Mike's is giving away a copy of her lovely craft book. To be in the running for this crafty goodness (and the photos! Oh!) you need to post something that you've made. I haven't made much at all lately, but here are my map butterflies, I made them months ago and they flutter above my doorway in the breeze (not on the kitchen cupboards, like here..)

Apologies for the not-so-good photo, my trusty camera finally died and I am wandering around trying not to see lovely things becuase I can't capture them. Here is one of the last photos she took.

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And another that she chose to scramble in a very artistic way. Oh well.

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a blog showcasing the art and creativity of kids

post your little artists work on The Blog We Made, or just enjoy looking at the amazing pictures kids come up with. I still have a folder of paintings and cards and random craft made for me by the kids at my old center, and I treasure them. So cute. So artistic. Where does that artistic confidence and creativity go?

this just made my day

watch it with the sound up.

My Week in Pictures, or Titles in Capitals Sound Good

I've been visiting friends on their property near Coffs Harbour on the north coast of NSW. Gee it's pretty there. I only meant to be there for the weekend, but I stayed for almost a week.

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Me and a Horse Named Wally Who Likes Carrots Very Much

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Picking Wildflowers from the Top Paddock
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Cute Sheep But Actually Quite Annoying
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Playing with Stella, my Second Favourite Dog in the World
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Chickens are Lovely But A Bit Stupid Most Of The Time Plus I Would Like To Live In This Shack

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What a Sexy Pumpkin
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Plus we went ate chips wrapped in paper at the beach, went fishing, ate excellent pizza by the fire in the local pub, and spent hours reading and catching up.

I want to go back and stay for a few months, wake early and plant seeds, grow things, feed chickens, spend afternoons reading and sewing. Yes indeed. I will just need to let work know. 'I'm going to live in the country for a few months, mm-kay?'

joy

ladybeard., originally uploaded by clareowen.

Pip's Words & Pictures this week (or was it last?) is 'Joy'. So many options with such a great theme, but I decided to share with you (if you don't know it already) the lovely blog Kind Over Matter.
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Go and have a squiz, go on! You will find inspiring thoughts, beautiful pictures, kind etsy finds and feel good shops, lovely giveaways and all kinds of precious things. Also quote and affirmation cards to download and give away, and other ways to spread kindness. Plus links to lots of blogs full of kindness, like Operation Nice.
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It is full of beauty and simplicity and joy and always makes me smile serenely and think about lying in fields of flowers and blowing bubbles and such. Which is a nice thing to think about, don't you think?
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things that make you go 'aahhh'

Thanks Jayne for showing us this adorable clip. You rule.

duck duck goose

Rabbit and the Duck
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Shadow Duck Print
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Nursery Art Print

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Miniature Ceramic Duck and Ducklings

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Quack Quack Spring is Here
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Philippine Yellow Ducky
. Duck Mug
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Not Like the Others
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I'm looking at ducks because sometimes I miss my duck. Her name was duck duck.