This is... my best find

We found this buffet/side table thingo left out on the road with a 'free' sign on it. I'd originally thought that my pseudo step-sister would like it, but Nath thought it was worth us taking home. He was right. Its beautiful. It needs some new handles, but its otherwise structurally sound and gorgeous.

This is... my most favourite outfit that expresses my individual style

I don't have one. I generally feel uncomfortable in my clothes. I felt ok when I was pregnant, mainly because no one is critical of the belly and bum of a pregnant mum (hey, that rhymes!). I dream of being on Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, or How to Look Good Naked (UK version - not that Carlson crap) where wonderfully witty gay men tell me how to dress for my shape and then buy me a wardrobe so I don't have to shop ever again. Then maybe I'd look like this...

Dear Mr Randall MP

RE: Your comments regarding Canberra being a 'cold hole'
I'm afraid your comments just mark you as another ignorant member of parliament whose only experience of Canberra is the road from the airport to Parliament House and down to Kingston to smooze at The Holy Grail. If you or any of your colleagues would deign to leave the Parliamentary Triangle you would find an interesting and vibrant city - but of course it is much easier to just label it a hole and keep in step with everyone else and leave on the last flight out on Thursday nights. I'm just thankful my local member is not so small minded.

This is... where I create

Better late than never, eh?

I've hesitated to show this, but it seems universal that our creative spaces are usually cramped, or multipurpose, or transient. I'm just happy I don't have to put my machine away after I use it.

I've also got a little shelf with some cool pictures on it, and a little inspiration board and a couple of pictures (embroidered and 3-d). Looking at it now there seems to be a strong tree/growing things theme...

Unfortunately there is also the ironing board, heaps of folding, the sleeping bag (for when my snoring gets me kicked out of bed) and [out of camera shot] the computer and all its paraphernalia.

Bye Beppe

This is my paternal grandmother, my Beppe, who died on Saturday aged 84. She is the first of my grandparents to pass away. I love this photo of her; she is about 18, pumping water in her clogs (as one did in the Netherlands). We were never particularly close and I'm sad and sorry that we never shared more about ourselves. I think we both missed out. Bye Beppe.

Pictures...

So the baby shower went really well... here is a [dodgy] picture of the nappy cake. It was fun and easy and came out pretty spectacular if I do say so myself.

And a finished little rainbow hat. My daughter is terribly shy and hates posing (NOT).

A while back Lily asked me to do a rainbow hat for her. I baulked at the idea of having to shell out for a heap of different rainbow coloured yarns, so the lovely Spidey dyed some gorgeous self-striping for me. Its so yummy.

And finally, for no reason, a picture of my son. He's too cute when he eats his toes.

This is... my travel memory

In 2000/2001 I went to Viet Nam with some friends to visit a friend who was on posting in Hanoi. It was such a wonderful experience (so much so that Nath and I went there for our Honeymoon two years later) and I loved every bit. But the girls I went with were not as interested in some of the cultural aspects and I, and given that I was still a little nervous about going off on my own I tended to go along with them on shopping expeditions or lay by the pool when I'd really rather have been off seeing something interesting. Anyhoo, after three weeks I finally got the nerve to go off by myself. We were in the mountain town of Sapa, near the China border and we'd been going to this little familyrestaurant fairly frequently. The owners son did little motorbike tours around the town so I booked him and we headed off. No helmets. Scary-ass roads. No idea where he was taking me. And it was wonderful. We went into Hmong village houses, witnessed (or rather heard) mourning songs, got a bit lost finding a shortcut back from some waterfalls, and saw a cave (pictured) that went through to China (or more likely vice versa). I felt so liberated.

I went back to Sapa on our honeymoon - it had become so much more touristy, and had lost alot of its charm in exchange for cheap tourist bucks. But we went to the restaurant. It had burnt down in the intervening years, taking the lives of some of the family. The owner had died, and his son (who had been studying at University) had come back to the isolated mountain town to look after his family and the business. I thought that was pretty sad that he'd given up his dreams - but he was pretty philosophical about it. It was expected. I guess fighting against it wouldn't have made it any easier.

Flickr Game

1. Naomi - Fuel Alley - 1996, 2. Orecchiette with broccoli, 3. Two Globes, 4. Fields Of Fire, 5. Being John Malkovich, 6. Sil0031922, 7. Distance, 8. Panna cotta, 9. valentines day, 10. I can't think, i can't breathe..., 11. wistful, 12. nightsky

via Meet me at Mikes

How to do it:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker and make a lovely mosaic to put on your blog or flickr! Simple pimple!

The questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Bliss

My current definition of bliss...

• Going out for dinner on Saturday night with my lovely husband (despite dinner taking an inordinately long time and us having to leave before it arrived - and grabbing Rolo's pizza instead)
• Going out to see Keating (again) and then coffee at Starbucks with my sister (where we saw spidey's monkey *waves*)
  
• Knowing my bubby boy took formula in a bottle so I didn't have to imitate bessy the cow.
• Lily having a sleep over at Nanny and Poppy's
  
• Getting to bed horrifically late (12.30am) but not having to get up even once until 6.30am - THAT'S SIX STRAIGHT HOURS SLEEP PEOPLE!!!!
• After putting little monkey back to bed, making a french vanilla coffee, white bread with real butter and homemade marmalade and sitting down to watch the first episode of the Gruen Transfer. Then knitting. Photos to come.
  

Also, I'm hosting a baby shower here this afternoon and I made a nappy cake (diaper cake) so I'm full of crafty pride too. And the sun is shining on a lovely crisp Canberra winter morning. Ahh - I haven't felt this good in months!!!

This is... my pet

Just before the 2003 Canberra Bushfires, Nathan and I went to the RSPCA to get a cat. We found a little cat, about 6-12 months old who was likely to be put down because she wasn't a cute little kitten anymore and decided to take her home. Turns out she would have been burnt to a crisp in the fires even if we hadn't taken her home. She was a big-looking cat, but was actually just really furry. We called her Rosie.

Rosie was the apple of our eye. She spent long hours beside me on the couch when I was learning to knit, and long hours laying on my tummy when I was pregnant with Lil. She'd get a little pissed when Lil would kick her. She's still a valued family member, but doesn't get the billing that she once used to!


Rosie was never a scratchy cat... although she has never liked being touched on the belly. But now I find that if she's been recently persecuted by Lily then she takes it out on me! I'll casually walk past her and she'll give me a not-so-friendly pat with her paws... She also does that when she wants more food, or to be let out or just cos she wants to let me know that she doesn't forgive me for letting not just one, but two little folk into HER family.

Oh, and we have fish too. And snails.