Visual feast

So the weekend kicked off very nicely with a viewing of the 'September Issue'. Woo hoo! Like being drip fed chocolate for nearly 2 hours. I loved seeing the planning, the concepts, the power plays, the people, the history.
I wonder how many issues of THAT September Vogue are left out there.. as the movie does leave you wanting to get an actual copy! So next day i found the current Sept U.S. Vogue which still shows some of Grace Coddington's AMAZING work.. altho i wouldn't make a habit of buying magazines whose editorial start on page 224..! One of the fabulous photographers that Grace Coddington worked with was Norman Parkinson. WOW.. i guess i can't show you any pics but go here for a squiz..

Doing all that craft for the show a while ago I noticed that i didn't really have the energy left for much cooking.. but today with 6 over ripe bananas stinking out the kitchen. I had really wanted to sleep in - but couldn't manage it.. so baked some banana bread before 9am.. (just in time to whip down to the hardware for Mr R jnr's emergency hot glue gun sticks. He is making a model of his friends house....)
Last night with Talk to the wind and sun over (as we planned details of our trip to Japan) i was keen to try this recipe from Real Living. It was very simple, but served with potato wedges the goats cheese, roast capsicum + rocket was a great partner with a bit of steak.. I was then trying to get my mouth around some key japanese phrases..

So then it was time to go to the shed.. OH! but what would i do? where should i start? what to draw? Didn't i need to go out and get something? NO! i must work through it... so after doing a few sketches.. i did nothing with them BUT created these!! Ready for a couple of presents for a couple of friends.. I'm really pleased how they turned out. The ones above are hand coloured vintage story book pages... the one below just needed some pasting + blending.. I definitely think I'll be doing some more of these..

Phew! so maybe a couple more chores then a rest i think... hope you had a lovely weekend too...

Smiling for sure

15 sleeps to go. Just had to mention it, as i may have exceeded just how much i can go on about my upcoming trip to Japan to those around me. But let's look at the facts. I haven't had more than 4 consecutive days holiday since early January. It's been 2 years since i went overseas. 12 years since i went on a trip - just my sister and i. Never have i been OS entirely on my own (just a few days between meeting others).
Soooooo of course it's exciting... when i'm not jumping up and down here's the essence of what excites me about it..

1. that the days are mine to explore
2. not having any responsibility or duty
3. the thrill of the discoveries that lay ahead.
4. what this may lead to creatively...

Not forgetting the amazing food, the awesome fabric, the wonderful craft supplies, magazines... etc
Woo hoo , indeed.
x
have a lovely weekend.
ps. pic above taken on my last whirlwind trip to Japan as i dashed along the streets.

Saturday night, in...

One question posed by your average primary schooler set to put a parental jaw into a locked smile is: "mum.. can we have a sleepover?" Particularly when they both ask, and you've put it off for a while. It's not so much the bedding, food, snacks or crumbs.. but it can be the endless.. "can you stop talking now." followed by "ok, that's enough - stop talking NOW!" .. "If you don't all go to sleep ...then..." Followed by being abused vocally by overtired children the next day.. BUT!
there is light .. at the end of the sleepover tunnel.. Saturday night (above) in our house at about 6pm.. girls crafting in the shed, boys making pizza in the kitchen and me, cutting up cloth scraps on the dining table.
Aaaahhh..


Next morning it was off bright and early (5 mins walk) to the Battle of the Bands comp, which combines nicely with a car boot sale.. as miss R perused the playground looking for bargains.. which came in the form of $5 'chaps'. No, she doesn't have a horse (and i can't see one arriving anytime soon). But she has a grooming kit, hat, heaps of models + pics.. you know what they say ... 'build it and they will come' or is that trot?
I was proud of mr R jnr drumming out 'in the mood' and chuffed with my books + statue for $5 .. ready to read on my trip.. oh yes.. the one i'm taking to Japan in a couple of weeks.. excited? oh YES!!!

Ok, so back to the stitching.. not so good pics but here is how it went so far..
I just loved working with those colours (the remnant's pack i picked up at the cloth stand at the Stitches & Craft Show).. I hadn't used silk before and that too was rather nice to work with.
Hope your weekend was delightful too.

Lazy Days + sundays, indeed

Hello. hope you all had a great week. This weekend was all about just hanging 'round the house with family.. we shipped in a couple of additions (auntie + grandma).. Miss R baked brownies, we had an excursion to the garden centre and planted the kangaroo paws, making a start on giving the deck a bit of a makeover. (above). And one of us did indeed monopolise us all at Monopoly.. nothing like one side of the board covered with hotels to clear a room..
Today i was looking forward to creating with my cloth remnants, but no, swollen glands meant a trip to the doctors and tucking in with my Japanese phrase book. 25 days to go folks!!... any tips?

Sun, surf and crafting!

So off we went, and just over an hour later we arrived at the gorgeous Glenworth Valley. Wow, what a truly beautiful place to leave the city behind. The breathing slowed and instantly we were on our little holiday! With 3000 acres to explore, 200 horses, kayaks and quad bikes all 4 of us had a wonderful morning. While the boys explored the river, Miss R and I saddled up and trotted off down the trail.. I feel so fortunate to be able to do such a simple thing ...

Then it was off another 35 minutes to a beach side camping ground where we had rented a little villa for this Father's Day weekend.. totally gorgeous...


we'd stocked up with our favourite foods.. had morning strolls along the sand...

swam, and did some crafting too!

So, want to see what i made?.. well last week, very fortunately i came across the wonderful blog of Emma Starr who had some gorgeous things.. amongst them were wuppets, felt portraits of herself and her husband.
Ahh Haa! i thought... what a great idea.. a portable hand sewing project.. Mr R commented about it's narcissistic nature.. while i just thought "hey! artists have been doing self portraits for years!" So here i am..


I was getting a little carried away with the wardrobe... Miss R was sewing too, but understandably the lure of the pool with rapids etc was fairly strong... while i, sat listening to the ocean, and kept crafting..

We loved the complimentary Father's Day Hamper, and were very excited when we also won the gift pack.. (now he want's more room in the bathroom to house all his goodies!).. It's a tricky weekend as my dad who taught me so much about making stuff (amongst other things) is no longer with us.. so while i remember him with such love and happiness, i try to keep that going and create special times for us as a family now...

A getaway..

So now that life has just about returned to normal it's time for a wee weekend away with the family..
The question is: what project to pack? Remember what happened last time? I had all that time, was 4 hours away and hadn't really got a project in mind.. crisis! Soooo this time Miss R and I have selected some felt, fabric scraps, thread and fibres and are hatching a plan.. Guess that will be after we've been on our 2 hour horse ride and arrived at our cabin... woo hoo! see you Sunday. 'Ave a great weekend.