Moving

We are packing up and shipping out. There is lots of mess around the house, lots of boxes and lots of empty space. It is funny how you discover things you forgot you had when you pack up house. Look what I found...
I haven't worn these since I was 17 years old. I put them on and walked out to show Adam and it was extremely painful! I can't even walk in them anymore, who knows how on earth I managed to dance on on them. My toes had painful memories come flooding back to them. But I do love the sound they make when you walk in them.

We will be officially moving on Tuesday and then we won't have Internet connection for another 10 days or so. Therefore I will not be in this space for quite awhile, until we are all settled in. So next time I write I will be able to update you on our new and smaller living conditions:) Off I go to back and clean, pack and clean.

If you can...

get access to some kids, sit and draw with them for an hour or so. It is so much fun and so very inspiring.
There are many reasons that drawing with kids is so rewarding and many lessons we can learn from them.
::They love anything you draw. I felt like a complete art hero and I was just doodling some faces and landscapes! It gives you such a boost of confidence in your creative abilities.
:: They don't have many hang ups or reservations about drawing. They haven't gotten into that mindset of I can't draw yet and they simply go for it. It is fun to join in just using crayons felt tip pens and drawing without criticising.
:: They are so intrinsically and instinctively creative. If they make a mistake they just turn into into something else - or boldly declare "He was meant to have a third eye and a banana sticking out of his head!" See the characters up there- Apple Man, Nintendo Girl and Square Man- so cute and ingenious in their simplicity!!
::They are proud of their efforts. They want people to see what they have created and beg you to hang their work on your fridge :)
::They can teach you to sit for a whole hour just drawing and imagining. Not thinking about what is for dinner tonight, or the floors that need cleaning. Just sitting, creating, dreaming and enjoying. And that is definitely a lesson I want to learn.

the weekend

On the weekend we hopped in the car, forgot the chores and drove away to have a mini-holiday. One thing that is fun about moving to a new state is there are lots of unexplored places to visit. (actually there are lots of fun and new places to visit in our old state but being in a new place helps you get of your behind and go explore!) We drove down to Torquay and walked on the beach, ate fish and chips in the car looking at the fantastic view (the flies kept us in the car). It was a little gloomy but this meant that the beach - and car spaces- weren't too overcrowded.


We also stopped in at Geelong Botanical Gardens on the way home. I love botanical gardens, I find them so inspiring and relaxing. Even makes me want to try my hand at gardening.


Oh yeah, we have also found a place that we will move into next week. It isn't perfect and is very small (an apartment) but we are a five minute walk from the beach, yay. So any gardening that happens will be in pot plants on the balcony!

House Hunting

We are hunting for a new home to rent. The pickings (in the area we want and the price we want) are slim. We have about two weeks to get our act together and move. It is a difficult process and if you see a place you remotely like you really need to put in your application ASAP or you miss out, as we discovered. Hopefully sometime soon there will be an update about a new home of some sort.

Otherwise I am thinking maybe we could just live in a tree somewhere. Especially if we had one of these ones!

A tree house.
A free house.
A secret you and me house.
A high up in the leafy branches.
A happy as can be house.
A street house.
A neat house.
A be sure to wipe your feet house,
is not the kind of house for me.
Let's go and live in a treehouse.

TreeHouse
by Shel Silverstein

(quote found on the Treehouse Company's site)

new job=new bag

Because I have a new job I needed a new bag. It may only be a few shifts working over the holidays but I still thought it deserved a whole new bag. I am working for vacation care for a few days over the summer holiday. It sounds like a blast, my first shift is helping with a gymnastics workshop! Fun.

Anyway, the bag. I needed a bag that was big enough to carry sunscreen, a hat, a folder, towel and bathers and my lunch. I also wanted the bag to be slouchy and follow the shape of my body when not filled to the brim. Hence this design was born.
It is made from three different kinds of tablecloths all sourced from the op-shop. The old yellow tablecloth on the outside was embroidered by hand. I love the idea that someone worked hard on this and now it has been re-purposed, re-loved and is
back on display.

There is a zipper pocket for my wallet on one side for my wallet and keys.
And a few pockets on the other for pens, paper and a mobile phone.

Yes, I think a new job definitely deserves a new bag. It is so hot today, I am off to lie under the air-con and have a snooze. Tonight I am off to the city to meet Adam after work for some shopping, dinner and maybe a movie. The perfect opportunity to try out the new bag I think.

A Birthday Picnic

Some photos from Adam's 24th Birthday celebration. We had a picnic down at the beach after he finished work. It was beautiful and relaxing, we felt like we were on holidays for a few hours. We stayed down there until the last dregs of light disappeared. Played cards, Swam. Ate. Made wishes and blew out candles. It was so nice to spend a whole evening outside, enjoying nature. We didn't touch the computers or switch on the television, we just enjoyed being together and being outdoors.





As I could not really afford any presents this year I decided to plan a surprise picnic. I cooked and planned all day to include some of Adam's favourite foods. I also invented a special cupcake in honour of Adam's birthday. The cake was also invented partially because the recipe I was following didn't work out- but hey that is creative baking- right? So in honour of his day Adam recieved some "Adam's Upside down Cupcakes" with a lovely mish mash of ingredients. I am happy to say they were a success despite the initial failure.


We were even able to use a new picnic set we recieved as a wedding present for the first time. I think this might have to become a yearly tradition!

24

Happy Birthday to my sweet new hubby :)
Thank you for being fun, funny, kind, caring and marrying me. I hope your 24th brings you much happiness, success and joy.

Hello

Hello:)

I was trying to clean up my computer files to start the new year nice and clean and fresh (a huge job that I am nowhere near to finishing!) and I found some photos from the wedding. Our wedding was beautiful and fun but a very, very busy time. I was making and organising so much that by the time it was over I needed a break from it all. hence the thank you cards took a few months to get into peoples hand...and if you are still waiting I am sorry but it will come eventually just know how much you all were appreciated- truly!

Anyway the point of the story is I think I am ready to share these last few bits and pieces with you. The above photo is from my hens night. The night before the wedding the girls took me to a hotel in Brisbane city. They baked, bought me chocolate and read me a poem, it was very sweet and a great night.

Here are our weddding favours. Hand made bookmarks using all scrap materials that I had lying around or that my students had thrown in the bin. We also adopted some land in honour of our wedding day from Australian Rainforest Foundation. Adam and I were engaged in the rainforest, we love being outdoors and therefore it seemed a fitting gift and a good way to spend the money we had put aside for favours. This way we can help preserve a bit of Australia for our future children and our guests' future children and grandchildren.








Lastly I want to show you these thank yous I made for the bridesmaids. In keeping with the nature/rainforest/bug theme of the wedding I painted each girl a small canvas with a creature of some sort crawling on it and the date of the wedding. They each also received a bought necklace, each one different, they looked very cool on the day with their mismatched jewellery. The paintings were challenging. I haven't painted with acrylics for so long and enjoyed trying to master the paint and the finer details.

Anyway, back to cleaning up those files...it may end up being a job for the start of 2009 at this rate :)

Welcome 2008

Happy New Year to all.

Adam's resolution for the new year was to get outside more often. To try and avoid the shopping centres and television and spend more time walking, swimming and enjoying nature. Not a bad resolution. I decided to adopt his and make it mine as well. So to kick off *our* resolution we went to the beach today- twice!