My First Laptop

This is my new little baby.....my blue Acer laptop! She is just beautiful and I am actually managing to handle her quite well. I must admit she has no programmes on her, so that is probably why! All I have been able to do is change the background, as I need to load programmes and what I want to load, looks like it wants me to be online for that to happen. So now I sit patiently and wait until my husband comes back from his shutdown. I also wipe off my sons footprints, as he walked across the computer when he was looking for a straw on the breakfast bar.....yes I was upstairs at the time! They were perfect little footprints...could of nailed him is I was a CSI.

Now one thing I hate and despise about laptops, is that stupid little area where you are supposed to wiggle your finger to make the arrow scroll around......a major reason I was never interested in a laptop. Check out my funky little wireless mouse.

The wonderful thing about this mouse, is how it folds up when you aren't using it. This turns it off and makes it a hell of a lot easier to transport around. The boys are loving it and keep stealing the mouse! Have had a very threatening conversation with them, and hopefully it will stay put.....or I will have to start setting 'mouse traps'.....sorry that's a shocking pun!

Some people make your life go faster!

Have you ever noticed that some people make your life go faster? I have some amazing women in my life and today I was thinking about, how by just having them in my life, it seems to go so much quicker. I am never bored or lonely......there is always someone to talk to.....no matter how much you think you are bothering them, they always have the time to stop and chat, even if only for a few minutes.

I am truly blessed to have found such wonderful people. And as I quietly head towards 40, I understand what it honestly means to have good women in your life. I didn't get this until well into my 30's, but now I treasure it. The great thing is...you don't have to name names....they know who they are and they know I love them deeply! XXX

My brain feels like scrambled eggs!

My brain feels like scrambled eggs.......all mixed up with forgein elements and thrown into a hot pan!

I have been felting like a maniac, getting ready for the big sculpture walk. Surprisingly, the rigorous felting regime has not taken it's toll on my body yet!!! (She says with caution) I did go and have a massage yesterday and have learnt that I can do shoulder and back massages, but should not let, very strong little asian women, anywhere near my neck.....I am very delicate!

I have had to send in some photos for the sculpture walk and I must say, photographing felted sculptures, they move around in the breeze and seeminly have a mind of their own......is not the easiest thing to do. For me, finding a suitable background is the hardest thing, so my fence is the easiest thing I can find. I would ideally like a bush setting, with the pods suspended from a tree, but the logistical process of that, just for a couple of pics........ah......you get my drift. So these are the front runners. The above pic is my favourite......at this hour of the day......I hope it's the one they use. The main pod was the first of my series and honestly, probably one of the best pieces of felt I have made.

So far I have made 15 pods and am expecting to make........a revised number......of about 40 pods. Luckily I still have about 3 weeks up my sleeve. I find that making 5 a day is good, but remember that making 5 will take me around 7-8 hours......and that is if the little people in my life are not around. Try throwing in bickering, food prep and clean up, bathing, resolving life altering disputes "he took my lego".............that is pretty much an entire day.

Felting anyone??????

Amazing Sand Drawing

My wonderful friend Rosie Whitehead sent me this link. Please take the time to go and look, you won't be disappointed. I won't ramble on.....for once.....but simply tell you that this is a clip of a girl drawing in sand on a light table. Just watch and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vOhf3OvRXKg#t=00

Michele Eastwood Workshop

OK, I know the picture is sideways, but I have uploaded it twice and can't change it......so just deal with it. Or turn your head sideways!

Today was day one with the fabulous Michele Eastwood and this is the beginning of my first stitched memory. This was Taj at Christmas 2008. Lets see how it turns out.
Now if it wasn't for going to Michele's today, I would not of found those great mags or the super adorable bunny!!! Michele is a true gem and wonderfully generous with her knowledge and skills.........something which can be hard to find. Her workshop is running for 6 weeks and I will keep posting my compositions throughout this time.

Michele is teaching at the Orange forum later this year.....how lucky am I to be in a class of 4!!!!

Exciting New Finds

Oh what a wonderful day!!! Today I have found 2 magazines which are new to me. The first is Inside Out. A wonderful design mag, with the sub title 'Inspiring Homes With Heart'. Well the editors have my sort of design style and I have found amazing little things in here to inspire me. at only $7.95, this is an affordable and great mag to check out. It comes every two months, this is the latest March/April issue. My favourite of the two new mags is this one, 'Dubo feather, pass it on'. My local newsagent doesn't stock it, so I will probably just do a scubscription, which is about $40 for 4 issues for the year. This publication is more book-like than mag. Superb quality printing (& paper stock) made me think it was English or European...but no, it is Aussie. I would highly recommend a look at this if you can find it.

My favourite, non magazine for the day. This is just the funkiest little guy I have seen for a while. Michele Eastwood found him (or is that her) down in Albany and I am in wraptures over this fellow!!!

My amazing Etsy find, Megumi has two online shops (Etsy and Ebay). Follow the link!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pomadour24

I had everyone who saw this book today, drooling like a baby and I have to admit, I was right in there with them. This book is soooo fabulous, I will take some pics from the inside to show later. The only downfall is that it is in Japanese, but Fiona who I met today has a friend who runs the Japanese School here in Perth......handy contacts. There is a follow up book to this....on my wish list. This book contains all the patterns and is too delish.

Three other books, which I ordered from Megumi. If you ever search 'japanese sewing patterns' on Etsy you will find the most wonderful stuff!! Now all of these books ranged from $18 through to about $25. A very affordable purchase, especially when you know how much a sewing pattern will set you back!!!

I am so seriously in a dress phase of my life.....I want to live in them and probably have enough now that I could for a couple of weeks. That doesn't seem to be stopping me making more though!!!

Today has been a very good day!

The trouble with depression.......

The trouble with depression is the changes you have in personality, without any control of it. I have never been the most diligent of bloggers, but a five month absence and then a flood in one day, may seem a little to strange to those who don't know me well.

When my depression is out of whack.....I close of to the world and isolate myself. This is one of the first signs of depression and one I know very well in myself. I have been sitting back, reading blogs, thinking to myself ' I have to get going again'........yet nothing happens for months. Then I blog and feel great.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do......is simply to start. Once you start, you don't know what all the trouble was about. I do that a lot......I mean a lot. I think to myself 'all you have to do is create and you will feel good......just do it'. But then I do nothing and feel even worse.

So if you see a disappearance......you may understand why. I'm still here!