Very Happy New Year! (I love living in the hills!)

I had a very low-key but very enjoyable new years celebration.
A day of pottering around, followed by an evening of Indian food and a trip to the outdoor cinema in Belgrave to watch Happy Feet Two. Then making it home just in time to watch the fireworks on telly.

BEST NYE EVER! WOO!

It had been a while since I had been to the Cameo, and even longer for Chris. We usually head to the major complex about half an hour away because Chris is a stickler for sound and image quality. But the old girl has come along in leaps and bounds since the days I used to slide down the carpeted stairs on my bum as a little girl. I think our visit last night and a quick peak inside the very new cinema 6&7 may have finally swayed Chris to think about going there more often. Yay!

Newly renovated rear of Cameo Cinema

Birds eye view of deck chair seating

This morning was also a great start to 2012. We had a bit of a late start so instead of showing up late for church we went in the opposite direction up the hill to Sassifrass. My sadness in finding the cafe I liked had changed hands was short lived when we realised it was now a cute little Parisian themed restaurant including a large selection of fresh Macaroons! Mmm... 2nd breakfast time it was!

Nom nom nom! Very cute vintage china too!

Then it was home to play a bit of Mario Cart on the Wii, and to take the first picture of Toffee for the year, this time wearing my glasses.

I'm sure she is totally impressed.

I hope your new year was all you wanted it to be, and remember you can make 2012 all you want it to be too!

Always look on the bright side of life!

After yesterdays post, I could not shut my brain off. I had brought back all the sadness and frustration that came with suddenly being made redundant (btw it really stinks).

So today I will post a few things that I have done (other than my resume) will all this free time I have now. Hopefully this will get me back one the  positive "open window" track again.

I get to make myself lunches like this:

Yum!

Getting to eat a meal you can creatively prepare without the thought of another persons fussy/boring taste... bonus!

I get to finally spend the time I want on getting ready for Christmas and making it crafty (with stamps!).

A close up of a wrapped gift we are giving this year.

Our little tree with all our wrapped gifts.

My wrapping theme this year was brown paper with stamped personal messages on each one. I am very pleased with the result even if it took nearly two days to complete.

And this is what happened when I finally finished.

I finally had the time to do something for my folks, and paint their cubby house. (I think they have been asking for about 8 years.)

Yes I am a master craftsperson...

I cant wait to see the look on my niece Rachel's face, I'm sure she will think the fairies have been!

Well this distracted me for a bit...

Soooo.... well it's been a while.

Well I have been neglecting my blog of late because of many reasons...
The first reason, and biggest most suckiest reason also, is that I was made redundant from my job of the last 4 years, and when you are at home there really isn't anything you "should" be doing so you don't really need that many distractions like a blog to keep you sane.


... well it looks like there aren't that many other reasons, other than I didn't want this to become an angry place, then a sad place and now I am troubled that it may become an "I can see how Martha Stewart got started" place.

Kidrobot Swatch you is MINE!

I has you and I put you on my fake grass for picture!

So yesterday I made my husband drive with me all the way to our local Swatch Shop (an hour away). And I finally have my very own limited edition Kidrobot Swatch! I went for the MAD one and I am totally in love with it! I especially love the tagline that goes with it. "Sometimes you just need to scream."

note* Sailor Moon, Buzz Lightyear, Padington Bear, Bumble Bee and  Goku in the background!

We also got a little over excited and may have ordered this special limited edition watch as well... Well it is awesome and it comes with an even bigger Moustached "Dunny".

As well as all that excitement, that had us sprinting out of the shopping centre before we spent any more dosh:
- My mums cat was found under the next door neighbours house after being trapped there for a week!
- I actually enjoyed my week at work making our catalogue more "Jazzy". (don't judge us on the webpage Liz and I have no say in it! Prolly should put some stuff I do, and like on here)
- I have started watching Spirited, and it is v good.

and to finish off a few picks of my dog being her beautiful self.

I put her bed outside to air out, she hoped in and wondered why this wasn't the way it was meant to be.

Closey nosey pic xxx

My Favourite Souvinear

I am finally getting to wear this today about 3 months after buying it in Paris, because I forgot I already had a silver chain and was holding out till I saw a sale.

It is so very cute and just a little bit noisy, but I think the first out weighs the second don't you!

These make me sad...

The offending objects

What you see here are not lovely books with a balancing iPhone atop, but books that through no fault of their own have been "up-cycled" in to of all heathen objects, an iPHONE CHARGER!!!!!

Some of these poor books are new and never to fulfill it purpose and feel the joy of having a finger lightly caress their pages as a reader takes in all its inner serifs and story. Others are old and should have been retired with dignity to a quite shelf to be adored, or even to be part of a "designed" living room.
But to do this too a book.... It breaks my heart! Leather bound editions of Dracula closed forever, never to intrigue and scare, worn early editions with original etchings, never to be enjoyed again. Books are to be read, shelved, enjoyed, sat on a bedside table so as people don't think you actually play Angry Birds before bed.

The HORROR!

The above Winnie The Pooh makes me especially sad, this is the kind of book I would buy so as one day I could enjoy it with a child of the future, but now The Pooh with a jar of honey on his head is never to be chided over again!

The creator of these objects for the modern, uncaring Apple hipster is to found here, claiming that he loves books (yeah right), and is saving them from certain landfill death (I don't think so). Have not these people realised that they are effectively taking these beloved stories out of circulation?!

I need to go and hug my mothers childhood copy of Alice in Wonderland, because I'm sure if i don't keep a watchful eye on it it is a fine candidate for this fate worse than death!

My Strange Addictions

So it dawned on me last night as I was doing my grocery shopping, that I am addicted to plastic storage/snack containers. It's true I swear! I know I had a problem when I got to the lolly isle and said no to the chocolate because I have already brought myself a treat in the form of a 3 pack of 100ml snack containers (3 for the price of 1, what a steal!). I guess it can be a healthy diversion from junk food, but my cupboard is bulging I don't know if i can fit any more!?!
I have to actively decline all requests to Tupperware parties, unless I actually need something (HA!). I can always make a excuse for why I need them, I can always think of something that in them, needs to be put.

Another addiction that has come to my realisation is the reading of any and all news articles on diet and weight-loss. Now the problem with this is not that I have a fixation on my weight, but more that I read the articles for the boost I get when I see I am already doing the things that obvious idiots don't realise are important. Skim-milk for example, or a small serving of nuts as a snack instead of a chocolate bar. I mean, I must be the most healthy person in the world because I am obviously doing all the right things! (This is not true of course, because as I am reading the article I deliberately forget the chocolate pudding I ate for dessert last night) The same goes for fitness articles. I love those gentle ones that tell you you can sculpt your waist by wriggling you bottom in your desk chair a few times a day, "I can do that!"

Its good to get these off my chest... just don't tell Chris (Although I think its quite obvious).

Tuesday... yep

So as unexpected as it may be today is Tuesday.

Yeah I'm just not that excited either. So to create a little excitement I will share with you the things that have made me smile lately.

First thing that made me smile was a young friend of mine, Karina sent me the most special personal message on the facebook ever!
"S is for Smile, you put on people's faces all the time!
A is for Awesome, your a great lady!
R is for Roses, you always smell like!
A is for Ace, your really cool to hang around!
H is for Happy, your a joy to everyone!!! :)"
-thanks Karina, this made my day!

I wish someone would start a cafe like this in Melbourne... have a look at some picks of the fun here. I am only new to the world of knitting, but it would be the perfect place to take my mum for some quality time.

In my life I have an almost uncontrollable urge to spend any and all money that passes through my fingers. But look at what i get to play with!

Star Wars AT-AT Craft Sweatshirt

Yeah I know I'm not really a huge Star Wars fan, but I just love the merchandise and I love proudly being a nerd. You would be amazed how much more of a fan I have become once I gave up resisting my husbands love for the series and started getting him fun things like the Lego sets. This is my second piece of Adidas Star Wars Clothing I also have this sweet Trooper hoodie.

Adidas is into its 3rd range of Star Wars merch now and it really starting to get to me that they haven't brought out a range for women (both of mine are small mens). The closest they have come to it is a pair of "Slave Leia" hi-tops that I'm sure were probably in men's sizes anyway!

I am also enjoying this blog, and this one... and this David Bowie fan art that you can download (currently my desktop image)!

DISNEY Fairy Tale Weddings!!!!

So I'm already married, and I have a fantastic husband, my (oops our) wedding day was the most fun I think I have ever had and I was really happy with the way the day looked and came together. I don't really want to change a thing.... But If I could do it all again and lived in the states, I would defiantly consider a Disney wedding!

You can actually get married AT DISNEYLAND!!!!!!

Especially since my friend Liz showed me this happy Friday treat. Disney Princess inspired Wedding Dresses!!!!!!!

My favourite Snow White

I think the best thing about this collection, is that they are not cheesy white satin costume remakes, but modern gowns inspired by the characters and stories.

Well one wedding is all I'm really ever going to want, but I hope someone will invite me to a Disney wedding one day! Oh well I can dream.

Here is a pic from Sarah and Chris day of fun!

Check out our awesome old Australian Muscle wedding Cars!

Freaken' Friday

Things I am loving today:

This super cute girl who takes pictures of herself looking like she is levitating. I just love the commitment it must take to get the right shot.

I laughed, I cried... a story about a very confused dog.  OK I'm just loving this entire blog!!!! 

I am also loving the 5min of standing in the sunshine I got on my lunch break.... not long enough.


Beef for the day:

Although Captain America was an awesome movie and I'm all about the Avengers (especially hoping Cobie Smulders has a good size part), what is with the only female in the movie not getting protective head-gear when she is nearly getting blown up!?! Peggy Carter was a great character, strong and not at a sappy, but i could not help feeling like her looks were more important than the realistically of the story. Sure she is strong but she still need a helmet! lets not even get into perfect make-up on the battle field...

Helmet, helmet, Peggy no helmet?

With a bit more practice they may not look as strange

So I have completed one of the projects I set out to do. What do you think?

This is my first "Little"

Yep looks weird eigh! I think this is mostly due to the pink colour and the fact I couldn't, even with a huge shoe box full of them, not find any suitable buttons for his eyes. (Yes he is a he even though he is pink)
So before I get started on the next one I am planing a Spotlight run to buy some better colours, suitable buttons and a row counter (because I even got confused doing six rows with THREE stitches on each).
Buy the way even when the pick in the book says actual size is 7.5cm you still wont believe how incredibly small he is!

Work in progress

Oh and how do you like my indoor garden? When I was in Germany recently *cough (I'm cool) *cough they had little patches of AstroTurf with flowers on it in all the home shops (I think getting ready for summer). I just had to have some too, so now have some as a runner on my coffee table. Such fun!

So many good things

It has Cee lo, it has Urkel and it has beautiful dresses. This is the new video for Cry Baby by Cee Lo Green. Oh how I heart that big chocolate man! *swoon

Some days you just wanna clash

Exhibit A

Usually, I am one for colour co-ordination to the max! But today as I was deciding what shoes I was going to wear, I was attracted to my new 3inch heal red Mary-Jane's, but I was already quite committed to a pair of fluorescent pink striped knee-high socks... What was I to do? I was running out of time!... I went for the clash, and I am glad I did! I am enjoying looking down at me feet and thinking "what fun!". I cant quite say the rest of my outfit is entirely co-ordinated either, a black T with a green, blue, yellow and red print, a delightfully neutral modern hand-knit, jeans and the a fore-mentioned footwear. Do you know what! I feel surprisingly comfortable and well dressed (except for acedently only deoderising one pit, oops)... Who would'a thunk!

Thinking about clashing. What on earth is with these riots in London!?! Parents of London go and grab your child by the ear and drag them out of there! Hand them into the police yourself if you have to. This destruction of property is disgraceful! Its shames me that I think of the UK as a place of similar values and mindset as Australia, then THIS happens. GAH! It just makes me so angry.

Embracing My Crapness

Inspired by my gurrl Kiki's recent post about owning your crapness, I am going to reveal some things that usually I hide under my bed or more likely inside my over-sized headphones (that I wear because the buds hurt my ear-holes not because I'm "street").

- I literally smile when I hear a song by Hanson, The Beach Boys or Justin Timberlake
- I love to sing along (and try for the husky voice) to Cindi Lauper's "Time after time" and think about the rooftop dancing scene in Strictly Ballroom
- I consider pretty colours a legitimate reason for appreciating anything
- Almost all of these points are prompted by my iTunes on shuffle
- I loath Mac's ... I honestly try to at-least
- I do not think Inception was more than an alright film. Leo and Ellen Paige brought it up a bit but Joseph Gorden-Levitt's accent brought it crashing back down again (shame he has a nice face).
- I love watching bad (mostly Canadian) tween, coming of age, TV dramas
- I love wearing hand knitted clothing made by my mum
- I talk too much about my dog, especially referring to it as my child
- I have Hello Kitty undies because they make me feel like a kid again, not because the are in anyway sexy

... this could go on way too long and I'm sure there are allot more things that I didn't even know were crap. But that's not the point. The point is... I love being a "dag", a "nerd", loving The Big Bang Theory and having a serious discussion about the Marvel Universe and the original 1960's Batman movie over Church luncheon.

Because I think its one of the best Australian movies ever made, and Paul Mercurio is HAWAT!

In the words of a great man "I yam what I yam!"

Like all my dreams have come true!... Kinda

Swatch sale! I usually try to keep my internet sale sites to a minimum because lets face it I can't have everything... even if they are on sale. (I'm practically making money) But this morning when one of the few I do let flood my inbox had a sale on Swatches I couldn't refuse. So I chose three and Chris got two...

Fun fun fun!

Chris is a little more conservative.

My fave has to be the pin-up girl "dive" watch. The blue one has daisies and french words on it.... CUTE! The green one appears to be little red riding-hood with a wolf and a granny on the band.
Hope fully this will hold me out till the new ones come out in September. Although with the delivery time of OzSale they will probably come around the same time.

Because I have an attention span the size of a small orange fish...

Without hardly starting the last project I set myself, I have started a new one!

Friday night when at Spotlight to choose a pattern for my Mum (the best knitter ever) to knit for Chris (he is going to get and amazing man-cardigan with TOGGLES!). I found the first pattern that actually inspired me to lean to knit for myself instead of passing it on to Mother Dear to make for me.

Little and Friends!!!! Squweeeeeee!

So I started this afternoon, with the help of the full colour pictorial instructions in the back. Its a bit fiddly and if you ask Chris I did scream at the book a little (lot), but once I really concentrated and put on that awful face that is similar to one used in "alone moments" I was quite successful.

My first attempt so far.

Hopefully my skills will improve and the fiddly bits like the legs will get neater as I practice more. I am also totally inspired to think of ways to enhance and personalise this critters after seeing the writers own page too.
I am also loving the sense of pride I fell with every row, as I am sure my mother feels knowing that I have finally taken up her favourite pastime.

My other project is not forgotten and I have done a few other fashion illustrations as well, will maybe post some when I feel they are up to scratch.

YAY! Inspiration!

I couldn't stop watching this

This is just too good.
I want to hug her... I want to be her.... I want dancing men(?) in pink dresses... I want the giant box of mac 'n cheese!

First step

Well I have written a list/outline of what I want to achieve in my sketchbook, and because drawing something that resembles a human I found this website full of free fashion figures. Yay!

She looks human enough!

NEW SWATCH!!!!

My huge Swatch collection :(

One thing about Chris (my hubby) and myself is that we love watches! I am a massive fan of the Swatch Watch and have a huge collection of... two. The size of my collection is a problem and must be remedied quickly! September 1st can not come any faster as it has just been announced as the world wide release date for the new Swatch art collection. YAY!

Have a look at these babies... 

Kidrobot for Swatch

"Kidrobot and Swatch have teamed up to make a collection of eight Swatch watches using the colorful art of well-loved street artists Gary Baseman, Jeremyville, Frank Kozik, Joe Ledbetter, MAD, Tara McPherson, SSUR, and Tilt. Each Swatch in this collection will come with their own 3-inch coordinating Dunny vinyl art figure. The Swatch/Dunny sets will be available worldwide on September 1, 2011." - laughingsquid


I don't know if I can wait that long! I don't know which one I want! They come with matching vinyl toys!!!!!!!

Help me choose
Sarah

If I write this here I might actually follow through

So lately I have been feeling in my creative life like a lazy slob. This is reflecting badly on all the other areas of my life, and has not been helped by recently retuning home from a month in Europe to a really slow period at work. So not dwelling on what I haven't been doing and focusing on what I can do about it.... PROJECT TIME!

It is somewhat of an ambition of mine to one day move from a print related design area to a more fashion/textile design area, but my portfolio (which is also 4 years out of date) does not reflect this. I need some fashion sketches, proof that even though I complain about trends I still understand and follow them and just something that shows while I have had a full time design job I have not spent my free time watching repeat episodes of Friends (and still crying when Monica and Chandler get married).

I was totally overwhelmed last night not having any idea where to begin this project, so I hopped into bed with a book so I wouldn't spend a sleepless night stressing about it. (My current book of choice is the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, yes I love young adult fiction).  This morning as was driving to work and thinking about revamping my portfolio, I was thinking about how I would juggle this project and my reading time. Then I had an Idea of where to start! I will try and illustrate my interpretations of the costumes described in the book as if they were to be street-wear!

So now i have a project... the only issue is not letting it distract me from my paid work, but also thinking of it as something to look forward to and help me get through the day when my paid work can get rather tiresome.

Wish me luck Sarah

Who wants a 20 Foot Animatronic Triceratops?!?

Woha Baby! I think she is giving me the eye.

I do! I do!
But where would I put it? I'm sure my dog would find it quite intimidating and not want it in her yard. Can I convince my husband that we should buy a $350,000 dino instead of a house? Who am I kidding he would totally be up for that! Do you think we could live inside it Trojan style?

Today I found Hammacher Schlemmer. It is this crazy sight that sells some really normal and some really weird stuff. Like The Fish Agility Training Set or The Rowbike (who would have thought that cycling wasn't enough exorcise in the first place).


Can you tell I have just worked out how to make links?


Sarah

Umm this worries me.. but the others are awesome!

Why?

Who on earth would want Steve Buscemi hugging this closely on your frame? I, the same as this girl would also be tugging on the dress trying to get him as far away from me as possible. Don't get me wrong every time i see a movie advertising the talents of Mr B. I let out a little squeel of excitement because he is the be all and end all in playing characters that make you want to take a shower after hearing them say their opening line.
There are other more wearable (if you are the size of a praying mantis) designs from this http://shop.blackmilkclothing.com/ (although they are down at the moment) but you can see some of the awesomeness here http://www.geekologie.com/2011/07/geek-couture-huge-gallery-of-geeky-dress.php - I am a particular fan of the galactic looking leggings.

This is totally how my but would look in these!

-Please excuse the fact i do not yet know how to make a proper linky thing yet. I will put this on my to do list!

Sarah

Sooo Patty Simcox eigh?

Miss Patty and her amazing eyewear

Well if you are not familiar with this delightful young lady, Patty Simcox is a character from the 1978, Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, smash hit musical Grease. Patty was the class president, cheerleader and prom queen, but this is not the reason I love her. I love her excitement and joy, innocence and nerdishness. She is completely clueless (also a great film) that they make fun of her for being a total nerd. She also wore amazing glasses!

So in the spirit of Patty Simcox I will to post the things that are unashamedly nerdy and just plain fun. You will also get to experience the joy I get when Michael Jackson is the first randomly selected song on my itunes, or the consideration of  the emotions of my desk toys when a new friend is introduced.

But most of all and lucky you this will be… "Me! Isn't that the most? To say the least?"

Sarah xx

*note: if anybody dares to give me a lesson in spelling or grammar there will be hell to pay!