C'est Bon

Some winter warmth

2012-01-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

The cold snap that's hit London in the past few days has me looking back through my photos to find a bit of cheer in the cold grey days of January. Here are a few of my favourites from December to warm me up a bit.

A low-key Christmas Day was spent with friends and their kids at their house. I had fun styling the table for lunch, using a wreath and gorgeous silver candelabra as a centrepiece.

Our post-Christmas trip to visit family in Wales involved lazy days spent snoozing by the fire, reading, playing Monopoly and feasting my tired eyes on all that green countryside.

Christmas-y Crafts

2011-12-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

Some pretty porcelain ornaments from Have You Met Miss Jones and my collection
of German wooden ornaments jazzed up our mantlepiece this Christmas.

It's December 13 and I've only just started any form of Christmas crafting. Talk about missing the ~~post~~ boat. Noone got a Bonnie-crafted gift this year. But I have managed to do a little crafting today, just to get me into the swing of Christmas (as if all the mulled wine wasn't doing that already!)

our music-themed Christmas wreath pretties up our awful navy blue front door.

I whipped up this wreath to hang on our apartment door and it took me all of 72 minutes! Seriously high on the instant-gratification ratio. :)

Step 1: find wreath-like shape. You could form it out of newspaper, cut out a cardboard doughnut, or buy a foam wreath. I managed to put all our cardboard in the recycling, so didn't have any to hand except the inner tube from the Christmas giftwrap... I unrolled it, stapled the ends together to form a circle and Santa's your Uncle - a wreath-like shape!

Step 2: Cut out lots of leaves from an interesting paper. You could use sheet music like me, or an old book, or some pretty wrapping papers. This was 3 sheets worth of music and made a wreath about 30 x 30cm.

Step 3: Get out the hot glue gun and start sticking the leaves (previously folded in half, to add some dimension) around the wreath, working your way around in one direction to get that smooth flow happening.

Step 4: Add a few Christmas-y trinkets, in this case some oven-dried orange and lemon slices, (or leave it plain if you like that look) and a ribbon to hang 'er by and you're done!

And here's my attempt at a Christmas tree for this year. I don't feel like I can splurge £20 on a little tree that I only need for 2 weeks. Had I been more organised and bought one on December 1, I'd feel a bit better about, but £20 for 10 day's worth of tree wasn't doing it for me. So I went outside and gathered a few branches. Bound together and popped in a pretty Ikea pot they're the perfect foil for our collection of ornaments. I'll definitely be more organised next Christmas and will buy a lovely fresh tree - the smell is heavenly - but this will suffice for this seriously-disorganised Christmas.

A Very London Christmas

2011-12-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is in full swing, and this morning we had a brilliant all-ages carols service at church. It was packed with kids and families. Hopefully the more grown-up one this evening will be equally full. It's fantastic to hear everyone singing together, and 'In the Bleak Midwinter' makes so much more sense when it's not 30ºc!

Car Boot Sale

2011-12-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

I've discovered car boot sales and they're AWESOME.

Basically they're the English version of an Aussie garage sale, but with hundred of vendors all in the one location. I traipsed out to Wimbledon yesterday morning in the freezing cold (this an not an Aussie exaggeration - there was frost on roofs and cars and frozen puddles on the footpath!) and wandered around in an industrial estate looking for the greyhound racing track. Sounds appealing doesn't it?! It was as cold and grim as it sounds, and with some stalls selling the bottom of the barrel trash you could get discouraged, but then you find the odd gem and it's all worthwhile. Here's my little haul:

An empty picture frame (£4), an old piece of sheet music (£1) and a vintage map & atlas of Birmingham(£1). The frame became some great jewellery storage, the sheet music's funny front cover will be framed and hung on my wall, and the pretty pink, blue and green street maps will be put aside for future crafting goodness.

So here are my supplies for the jewellery storage frame:

Second-hand frame, paintbrush, white paint, duck-egg blue paint, hook and eye screws, mdf board cut to size by the lovely and very patient man at the hardware store.

And after painting the frame blue & the board white, measuring necklaces and earrings and screwing in the hooks (for necklaces) and eyes (for earrings and brooches) here's the final product!
I'm pretty stoked with it. It's an added spot of colour on the wall, frees up space on my bedside table, and un-tangled my jewels. A win all-round!

I do think I'll wait until spring though before going car-boot-sale-ing again though! My feet only narrowly escaped frostbite this time.

London Pad

2011-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

I bought this cute doiley clock from Uncommon on etsy today. I think it'll look great in our little studio and as soon as I finish that headboard project I'm working on, I'll post some pics of the place.

Mitford Geekiness

2011-11-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire

The organisation I work for is fundraising for an aid project at the moment, and we've written to everyone who's ever been involved with us to donate. And that includes the occasional Dowager Duchess!

My mum loves all things Mitford and has read (I think) every book written by them and about them. There were 6 Mitford sisters - all incredibly unique and equally fascinating. Diana - a great beauty, who married British Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley; Nancy - incredibly funny and clever author of some of my favourite books and movies (inspired by her childhood and early-adulthood), Jessica - who was also a writer and a communist; Pamela - who loved domesticity and country life and shunned the fame her sisters enjoyed; Unity - a devotee of Hitler and fascism, who attempted suicide at the outbreak of WW2, devastated that her idol and her homeland could be at war; and Deborah - the baby of the family, who became the Duchess of Devonshire, rescued Chatsworth and turned it into a successful enterprise.

As you can see I'm pretty interested in them too, so it was exciting to get a letter from the secretary of Deborah, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire today!!! It's not even the Duchess herself, and I'm squealing like a schoolgirl. But she is an amazing person, and it's yet another example of the books I love coming to life in this amazing country. I would never have recieved a letter like that had we stayed in Australia!

Is it cheating just to post photos?

2011-11-21T10:13:00.001-08:00

A foggy Sunday morning in Hyde Park

Our church, looking oh-so-pretty and festive with Holly in the foreground

More of the church. It's got a stunning cottage garden all around it. I got there a bit early on Sunday and there were little birds flitting in and out among the plants. I even saw a Robin!

Long time no... type?

2011-11-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

Hmmm. So, I seem to be pretty rubbish at keeping you all up to date on my ~~ho-hum~~ fascinating life in London.

To catch you up on the past 2 months and get you ready for an onslaught of posting here an overview of the last 2 months:

Settled into the tiny room (+ kitchen!) that is my new home
Got used to showering in ~~thongs~~ flip-flops!
Became expert at manouvering around the multitude of tourists in Bayswater, who seem to not be able to find their way out of a paper bag, let alone back to their hotel.
Began to learn the bewindering mess that is the London Tube system (red = Central Line!)
Visited about 10 different London markets: Portobello = ~~heards~~ I mean hoards of previously mentioned Tourists; Shepherd's Bush = tat and complete waste of time, Borough = awesome food and an extra 5 pounds on your scales if you visit too regularly; Fulham Broadway = cheap fruit and veg; Spitalfields on a Sunday = artisan cool and tourist tat; Broadway Markets (Bethnal Green) = just our style / inner-Westie's dream market.)
Started working for the charity that owns our student accommodation, so my commute is an enviable 8 flights of stairs and MB gets an extra hours worth of cooking/clean out of me as I blitz our kitchen during my lunch-hour.
Attended 3 opera's and 1 concert (more in 2 months than the past 2 years in Sydney!)
Went to the gorgeous Coronet Cinema in Notting Hill to see the first movie with MB in over a year. We saw The Ides of March, which was ~~utterly depressing if you have any faith in politicians~~ brilliant.
Settled into our new church and made some really gorgeous friends.

So, that's me over the last 2 months. But I promise to post more. Particularly since I've got lots of DIY & craft projects planned to do between now and Christmas.

Fresh off the Boat

2011-09-11T00:25:00.000-07:00

It's a little over a week now since we picked up sticks (aka 60kg of luggage) in Sydney and moved to sunny London. Yes that's right, the weather's been fantastic so far - warm, plenty of sun and hardly any rain.

Life here is strangely familiar, with the same language, similar culture etc. Yet occasionally something will pop up to remind you that you're in a completely foreign country. Sometimes it's a word: 'trad'. Sometimes a physical marker: stand to the right on escalators. Sometimes coping with the different bureaucracy: figuring out which GP to register with, what a National Insurance number is and how that's different from a National Health Service number. And occasionally it's the intrusion of the fictional world into the real: reading Little Dorrit during my lunch break and realising that my temping job was on Cavendish Square - the very same place the Meardles in Little Dorrit lived; or walking to the Tube along Baker St after an evening at the Gunmaker's Pub with friends and remembering that Baker St is Sherlock Holmes' address.

Off Regent Street

Notting Hill: Portobello Markets

Notting Hill: Portobello Markets

DIY computer storage book

2011-08-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

This DIY travel-tech organiser from Design*Sponge is so beautiful! And brilliant!

I love things that are useful and beautiful at the same time.

Hopefully I'll have the time & energy to make one for me & one for Michael before I pack up my sewing machine and ship it to London.

This

Whatif-itis

2011-08-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Do you suffer from whatif-itis? Are you constantly plagued by 'what if...?' questions that refuse to go away? Wish there was a cure?

Me too!

What if I can't find work in London? What if I'm really unhappy? What if I end up in a job I hate?

What if we end up completely broke and can't even afford to eat? What if...

I've been working myself up into a panic all morning predicting certain doom once we set foot in the UK. So I'm just going to use this blog (it is mine after all, to do whatever I wish with, right?) to give myself a good talking to. Feel free to tune in if you find it useful, or ignore it completely, but here's a bit of commonsense, from me, to me:

1. Worrying won't change a thing! (See here) All that effort is much better put to use browsing pinterest ;)

2. You are a precious child of God and he cares for you and will look after you, whether you are in London or Sydney, or anywhere else. (see here)

Wordly Possessions: Inner West Map

2011-08-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

Before we move to London, I'd love to buy one of these gorgeous inner West maps from Burbia.

I've lived in the inner West for the last 10 years, in 4 different suburbs. And it's where I made most of my dearest friendships, so I'll be leaving a large chunk of my heart there when we go to London. It would be sweet to have this hanging on the wall on our new flat in Bayswater.

Source: burbia.bigcartel.com via Bonnie on Pinterest

Wordly Possessions: Wall Decals

2011-08-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

It's been confirmed & we've sent off our deposit... we're moving to Bayswater! I won't tell you exactly where, for privacy reasons, but it's not far from Notting Hill, close to lots of tube stations (and in Zone 1!) and a half-hour walk to college for Michael.

We're both very excited and I'm already thinking about how I'll make our bedsit more homey.

Now, wall decals have been done to death and most are very same-y. So I was intrigued when I saw some beautiful fabric ones on my friend Emma's walls and now I've seen Mae's website I'm determined to buy some to take with me - a little bit of Australia & something flat, light & pretty to take to London with me! And I love that they're fabric. Much nicer than plastic.

images from Love Mae's website.

Wordly Possessions

2011-08-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

In February this year we sold most of our worldly possessions and moved into a furnished flat kindly lent to us by friends, in order to save the many pounds needed to pay international student fees (which we did! yay!!).

So, when we move to London we'll be starting 'from scratch' and I can't wait to pick up a few little things to make our studio flat a little more like home.

Over the next few months I'll be cataloging my finds here in 'Wordly Possessions'.

First up: Gorgeous coasters by uncommon:

Inspiring

2011-03-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

Go check out Goldy's stunning photos of London.

Really gorgeous. They have me just itching to get there!

Here are 3 to whet your tastebuds...

Goodbye Sunshine!

2011-02-26T01:55:00.000-08:00

So after a year of knowing a move to the UK was likely, and 6 months of knowing it was definitely going ahead it's finally sinking in that we really are packing our bags and leaving our home in 3 weeks. Hello drizzle, cold weather & clouds!

But it's not all bad. In fact, from fellow expat friends I hear that if you can stand the weather it's actually an awesome place to live.

I'm trying not to get my hopes or expectations up too high though. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised by how nice it is, rather than constantly disappointed.

I'll leave you with a song from Flanders and Swann that had me chuckling today:

Happy Happy Meme

2010-09-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Soph R to do a meme: list 10 things that make me happy...

1. Flowers - looking at them, smelling them, growing them, pinching them from people's garden, or being given them makes me happy.
2. My husband makes me happy. Not in the sense that he's always perfect (he's so not!) but in the sense that when he's around and available I'm a lot happier than when he's busy or away.
3. My job. It's sometimes stressful (but not often), sometimes dull or mundane, but I love the people I work with, I love where I work, and most of all I love who I work for - God!
4. Which brings me to number 4: God makes me happy. Knowing I have a perfect, loving, gracious, kind Father who loves me makes me joyful (which is better than being happy).
5. A great soy hot chocolate. It has to be not too sweet and not too sour, a good amount of froth and nice and creamy.
6. Babies. What's not to love about their soft skin, cute faces, funny expressions and dimples?
7. Ticking things off a to-do list.
8. Writing to-do lists!
9. Holidays. It can be a stay-at-home, visiting family, or overseas adventure. I always enjoy it and always feel more relaxed and happy afterward. Perhaps because of point number 2.
10. A clean & tidy house = a relaxed & happy Bon.

I won something!

2010-06-10T19:23:00.001-07:00

I never win things. Probably because I don't enter that many competitions! But still, it makes this even more exciting.

I won a photograph from the talented and lovely Soph G! Even better - it's a photograph of the wharf at the end of my street that I used to jump off as a kid. The wharf that MB and I fish off when we visit my mum. It's so tranquil and one of my favourite places in the whole world.
Here's the photo, and a link to Soph's blog so you can enjoy her other creations...

Thank you SO much Soph!

Don't believe people when they tell you...

2010-04-12T22:17:00.001-07:00

you can never change a man! After 9 long years MB has finally conceded: my way of grocery shopping is better. In fact I win on all three: it's quicker, it's cheaper and it's more effective!! MB used to love 'browsing'. He'd traipse up and down every aisle searching for inspiration. It drove me mad. Now, we have a list, we search out what's on the list, target each product, avoid unnecessary aisle wanderings, and come out under budget. I can't tell you how sweet this victory is. Not because I 'won' out over my husband, but because I'm less stressed, we aren't breaking the budget each week, and I get to spend more time with MB as he insists I come along on the shopping trips now - to show him how to do it.

Hunter Valley

2010-02-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

A sudden realisation that MB had only weeks until he starts back at his studies and heads into a crazy-busy year prompted an impromptu holiday. We jumped in the car for 3 days in the Hunter Valley.

We loved the wine, the countryside, the tastings, and learning about wine production, varieties & taste. But there were small gripes we had too... The food (and we ate somewhere different for each lunch & dinner for 3 days, so we tried quite a few places) was disappointing on the whole - unadventurous, expensive and lacking in local flavour. Most places we visited - wineries, shops, cafes, deli's - felt like they were built to make a buck off the tourist. They lacked passion, history and authenticity. And there was nothing, but nothing, to do other than visit wineries, so the holiday lacked some variety.

Archie talks!

2010-01-08T18:48:00.001-08:00

Archie Talks! from Bonnie Rozorio on Vimeo.

Christmas Craft - Felt Initial Ornaments

2009-12-16T03:15:00.000-08:00

Made for a fellow worker and his family, these initial ornaments are created out of felt, blanket stitched and stuffed, then decorated with embroidery.

All 5 took me two evenings in front of the TV. I love this kind of project - easy, successful and instant gratification!

PS. You may also spot some purchases I made last weekend as I indulged at the Have You Met Miss Jones warehouse sale. :-)

Have you met Miss Jones?

2009-12-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

One of my favouritest homewares creators EVER is Have You Met Miss Jones. I first noticed their wares at a Melbourne trade fair 2 years ago and I've watched their success since then with pleasure. You can see why from the photos below... there's just something about the feel of the bone china pieces that makes me sigh.

Feather Ornaments

Shirt Sleeve Vase

Hanging Swallow votive

And the best news? They're having a warehouse sale this weekend! I think I need to stock up on some of those "Dear Me. Merry Christmas! Love, Me" type presents.

WHEN	Thursday 10th December, 2009 until Saturday 12th December, 2009.
WHERE	Factory 9, 80 O'Riordan St, Alexandria NSW, 2015. 02 8339 0777
TIMES	Thursday - Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm
PAYMENT	Cash, All Major Credit Cards, Eftpos.

Amazing what a little prayer can do!

2009-12-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

My day started off really badly:

woken at 6am by the alarm company to tell me that the back-up battery in the alarm at work was dead and they'd be out later to fix it....

couldn't get back to sleep because my back and tummy were aching so badly I felt like throwing up...

went to work to discover that the awful wet carpet smell from last week's flood disaster had permeated my office...

the aircon at work has decided not to turn on today...

and the alarm was making a high-pitched beeping to let me know it wasn't working.

I really felt like bursting into tears. Instead I prayed. In the space of 1 hour everything changed:

A combo of panadeine forte and heat pack had reduced my pain from excucuating to merely a bit distracting...

I was offered lovely tea and ricotta, honey and cinnamon toast by my bosses wife...

the alarm slowly died and the beeping has stopped...

and the wet carpet smell is receding, or I'm just used to now and don't notice it as much as when I walked in the door this morning.

I am content, pain-free, soothed by tea, toast and kind words and know that my God is an amazing God who loves me, feels my pain and look after me.

Life: a summary

2009-12-03T17:56:00.000-08:00

Inspired by... Soph at Storms Dressed as Stars

Loving... my new green shirt with tulip sleeves

Hating... that Michael's gone for 10 days

Rejoicing... in learning a new craft

Working... my busiest day of the week

Cooking... a healthy and delicious dinner of fresh veges and Salmon

Thankful... for a servant-hearted husband

Learning... I am not in control

Planning... a weekend away in Terara that will will include delicious brunch, a trip to the beach and a shopping expedition to Berry Markets

Feeling... really positive. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and I'm about to go away for a weekend to spend time with two of my favourite people

Villa Vals - Switzerland

2009-12-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

Isn't this just beautiful? Like a glowing bowl resting lightly on the Swiss Alps. Villa Vals has captured my imagination and I'd love to build a home like it one day - set well into it's surroundings, thoughtfully designed, an interesting mix of materials, a little eco-friendly...

These lacey windows just make my heart sing.

And I love this interior.

(the other interior shots are a bit too cold and concrete to me, but this one is gorgeous!)

What kind of home would you like to live in? Or are you living in it already?

More picture are available at Iwan Baan's website.

HT Mocoloco

Some people have waaay too much time on their hands

2009-11-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

Robert Patinson Cross Stitch. Via The Guardian

Rescuing food from the Fridge

2009-11-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

Did you know that root vegetables are best stored vertically, as this keeps them fresher longer? Or that storing apples near potatoes will keep the potatoes from sprouting?

These "knowledge shelves" by Jihyun Ryou are designed to store your fruit, veges and spices more effectively and they turn your fruit and veg into works of art! One day, when I build my own home these will be in my kitchen.

HT: Mocoloco

Surprise! Not.

2009-11-26T22:12:00.000-08:00

I love surprises. The only problem is that I have the unfortunate skill of almost always accidentally guess what they are, thus ruining it both for myself (the Surprisee), and the Surpriser, who loses the Surprising High Ground and all the special-ness that brings to an event or gift.

Example: Last Easter my mum came to stay with MB and me, to spend Easter with us and my little brother (who's not so little actually. He's 22! but, I digress). Mum always gets us 1 Lindt bunny each for Easter now we're all grown up. This year Lindt did gorgeous golden milk tins full of mini chocolate bunnies and carrots, which I saw in stores and fell in love with.

I was raving about how cute they were to mum, when I gradually saw her face fall ever so slightly. "oh dear. I've done it again haven't I? You've got us those lovely Lindt tins for Easter. Sorry for guessing!"

Not that mum can really blame me. Back in the booming 80's my dad bought my mum a car for Christmas as a surprise and he was teasing her...

"I bet you can't guess what I got you for Christmas! Go on, you'll never figure it out!"

"A Porsche?"

"Um, yeah."

So, this uncanny guessing ability - it's genetic. And try as I might not to guess, sometimes it just happens. Like last night's Anniversary Surprise...

MB took me out for dinner at El Bulli (which was a complete surprise - no guessing involved on my part). No, not the $500/head place in Spain, the tapas bar in Surry Hills. We managed to find a park outside Belvior St Theatre and as we sat for a bit in the car I commented on the signs outside the theatre and asked jokingly if he was planning to take me there after dinner.

Awkward silence ensued, quickly filled by MB artfully changing the topic.

Oh dear, I thought. Not again.

So, since I'd ruined the surprise for me, I figured I could at least save the Surprisee the embarrassment of crowing that I'd guessed again, I went along with the topic change.

We had a delicious meal at El Bulli, nibbling on Olives, Salt & Pepper Whitebait, Chorizo, Grilled Veges, Melon wrapped in heavenly Jamon (ham) and a spanish version of a creme brulee for dessert. Towards 8:00pm MB said oh so casually "We'd better get the bill now. We have to be at the Theatre in 10 minutes."

"Really?! No way! You're taking me to the Theatre? Wow."

El Bulli pics from Glittaz

4 Years Married

2009-11-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

MB and I have been married for 4 years today. We've had good times and bad, and I'm so grateful even for the bad times. God did a good thing when he made men and women and joined them together. Hopefully we'll have many more anniversaries to come.

Where did you hide the heroin?

2009-11-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

One of the most-fun things I get to do as MB's wife, which no-one else does, is wake up next to him in the morning. MB dreams the funniest dreams and will often talk to me as though I'm in them while he's still half-asleep!

This morning I woke him up....
MB: good luck!
Me: What do I need good luck for?
MB: You were going to go pour a beer.

I went off to get ready for work then came back to find him still snoozing. I gave him a kiss and...

MB: Where did you hide it?
Me: Um, hide what sweetie?
MB: The heroin.

Can you tell someone's obsessively watching The Wire?

Among the Roses

2009-10-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of working where I do is that I get to take home flowers leftover from weddings! Yesterday I carried home armfuls of full-blown roses. Here are some photos of just 2 of the full vases that are scattered around my home. And Archie wanted to be a part of the photoshoot too.

Wagashi & Green Tea

2009-10-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Beautiful wagashi (Japanese sweets) that my friends Sada & Yumi brought back from Japan.

Almost too good to eat!... almost

Elizabethan Archie

2009-10-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Nicola Finetti

2009-10-16T15:35:00.001-07:00

Nicola Finetti has always been one of my favourite designers. Here's why...

Now I just have to figure out how to keep away from Myer for a bit, or I might just succumb to temptation and buy another cocktail dress when I have far too many already.

Dear Santa...

2009-09-24T03:36:00.000-07:00

One of the pluses of having a birthday close to Christmas is the double-present: getting one big combined Christmas/Birthday present. A minus is the lack of gifts through out the rest of the year!

I often get to August & September and have a long list of things I'd really like or need, but manage to forget them all by Christmas and am left saying "ummmmmm. A book?" when asked by family what I'd like. So here is my Christmas Wish List*

Clockwise: Farm Bud Vases from Ikea, Real Living magazine subscription, a new summery dress, anything from Ojay, Bladet 3 plant pot from Ikea, Oroton Alpine Hobo handbag, bath mats (in any colour except brown or coffee), wool from Bendigo Woolen Mills, Etsy artworks, Dolce & Gabbana sunnies.

* I'm blogging this so I have a hard copy, not so my blog reader will buy me presents (although, if you really, really wanted to...)

And now for my next trick...

2009-09-23T01:18:00.001-07:00

Archie is a ticking time bomb. Two weeks ago he was at the vets with a crash injury - he broke the skin on his chest by constantly slamming into wall, doors, chairs,tables, the TV. You name any piece of furniture in our lounge room and Archie has crashed into it, full force and mid-flight. Seems some birds, when you clip their wings, don't realise their limitations and keep aiming high, so to speak. $85, 2 vet visits and 1 course of banana flavoured anti-biotics later and we thought we were safe. Not so.

This morning MB discovered Archie had decorated his cage to look like something out of CSI. Blood was spattered over everything from a cut he has on his foot. How did he get the cut you ask? Well, we're as clueless as you are. We searched his cage and not a broken beer bottle or used syringe could we find.

Honestly I'm strongly tempted to flush him down the toilet before he commits his next act of self-harm. I'm so attached to him already and I don't think I can take it if he keeps getting hurt.

Something else I've thought of is a sock-straightjacket to stop him flying. My plan is to cut the toe off a kids sock, and put a slit round the middle. The idea is that Archie's head and tail would poke out each end and his feet through the slot. The sock would be comfy and we could have him out of his cage without worrying about his rather uncoordinated flying skills since he wouldn't be able to flap.

Gracious timing

2009-09-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I met Grace. Grace who goes into leper colonies and says "how can I help you?". Grace who walks her Christian talk right into India's prisons and teaches men and women skills to earn a living. Grace who starts schools and homes so that children of lepers can get an education. And God's gracious timing truly is perfect in drawing Grace and I together last night.

Before I lost my last job I had become somewhat disillusioned with design and small business. I decided I didn't want to try to sell the world yet another product that it didn't really need, that only I would profit from, and that would eventually add to the mountains of garbage. I wanted to design and make a product that would help people. I wasn't sure what, but if it could be pretty as well as helpful that would be good. Grace's and a few months ago I started to dream of a business creating beautiful but simple clothes that helped, not exploited, the people who were making them - things that were beautiful and that helped people. And then, along came Grace, whose ministries to the poor, needy and outcast are suffering at the moment, due to the GFC. And my dreams met with her needs, and I'm going to start this thing, this 'business' if you can call it that. I'll start small - maybe 20 skirts for women and 20 little girls dresses in gorgeous hand-loomed fabrics, hand printed with stunningly colourful block-printed designs. I'll sell them to friends and family, and you if you will buy one. And maybe in doing something I love I might be able to help someone, we might be able to help someone, over in India who is wondering if anyone out there cares enough to ask "How can I help you?".

Saturday

2009-08-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

Images from a very happy Saturday, hanging out with MB - making jam, smelling his coffee, enjoying the sunshine and eating his delicious sourdough for lunch.

Employed at Last!

2009-08-09T05:32:00.000-07:00

Well, not really "at last". I was only unemployed for 3 weeks. But they were three long weeks of worry (worry that I gave over into God's good care... and then took back again... and then gave it to God... and then thought I could probably do a better job at worrying so I took it back... you get the drift) until I received the phone call that told me not only did I have a job, I had THE job. Remember? The one I applied for before I was made unemployed, that I was really, really hoping to get. Yeah, that one!

I am so thankful I only had three weeks of that awful insecurity, waiting, dread and worry to deal with. I only pray other friends may be as fortunate as I was and that their unemployment might end soon also.

By the way, I've discovered that the word "redundant" is possibly the nastiest word in the English language when applied to a person. Here are just a few of the definitions associated with the R-word in the dictionary:

re·dun·dant(r-dndnt) adj.

1. Exceeding what is necessary or natural; superfluous.

2. Needlessly wordy or repetitive in expression.

3. Of or relating to linguistic redundancy.

4. Electronics Of or involving redundancy in electronic equipment.

5. Surplus to requirements

And a few gems from the Thesaurus... excess, extra, surplus, superfluous, spare, unecessary, not necessary, unneeded. For example: "trying to lose excess weight"; "yet another book on heraldry might be thought redundant"; "skills made redundant by technological advance"; "sleeping in the spare room"; "supernumerary ornamentation"; "delete superfluous (or unnecessary) words"; "extra ribs as well as other supernumerary internal parts".

Yeah, nasty. This is not a word that should ever be applied to a human being. So if your friend is "laid off" or "unemployed", made "jobless" or a "job-seeker" please don't call them redundant. No-one likes being compared to a book on heraldry, or a muffin top.

Poppies

2009-08-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

Don't they just make you smile?

Introducing...

2009-08-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

MB and I have a baby. He's a Wedgewood blue colour, likes sharing my porridge for breakfast and tap-dancing on the keyboard while I type. Here he is... drumroll please... Introducing... Archie!!

And here's a video of his latest exploits - Archie the Typist

F's T-Shirts

2009-07-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

My dear little friend F turned 2 last month and I made these special T's for him - one with a bird and the other with a train. His very favouritest things in the whole world are Birdies! and Foo Foos! (trains).

Here's how I made them...

1. Print out motifs onto colour t-shirt transfer paper and cut out each individual letter/shape so no white shows.

2. Iron on the shapes & letters using a very hot, dry iron and LOTS of pressure. I was almost jumping up and down on the iron.

3. Two beautiful T's for my friend F.

Redundant

2009-07-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, my life was turned topsy turvy two weeks ago when I was made redundant. I could see it was coming, but didn't know when the axe would fall. I'm really enjoying my time off and am hoping to be accepted for a great job I applied for. I'm through to round 2, so things are looking good, but you never know, do you?

I'm incredibly anxious at the moment, and while it's great having a break, I hate insecurity and am not coping well with being unemployed. So far I've only had 1 panic attack (thank you The Pursuit of Happyness!), but constantly feel on the verge of another. So I'm trying to stay positive and prayerful, trusting that God has a plan.

So far I've used my time off productively to get our house in order, visit my mum and catch up with a couple of friends. Oh , and search for jobs too!

Anyway, that's where I'm at at the moment. I'm not feeling particularly inspired to post, despite the fact I have time aplenty to do so. Hopefully you're lovely readers who understand. I'll be back soon.

Blossom & Bud

2009-05-27T16:16:00.001-07:00

Blossom & Bud website is live! Until I actually find out if I can in fact make money with this I'm not going to set up a proper static website. This way I get a free website through blogger with basically everything I need. Sure, it's not perfect and it not as 'designer' as I'd like, but it will do for the moment. And I must say, I'm really rather proud of my html coding abilities, limited though they are.

I'm so excited about Blossom & Bud and I can't wait to start on the range of stationery! I've already got ideas galore, patterns and colours dancing 'round in my head. I'm going to start with about 7 different designs, each of which can be customised in a range of colours.

And I'm considering booking a stand at a wedding expo!

oooh this is so much fun. I hope it's a success. I'd really love to do this full time.

Shhhhh. It's a secret!

2009-05-24T23:12:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is MB and my 3 and a half year anniversary. Inspired by this print I gave it a slight twist to suit my barista. I'm going to do a series of them (3 or 4) over the next 6 months - based on his favourite things - to give him for our proper 4 year anniversary. But you won't spill the beans will you?

Homie

2009-05-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

Today I'm home sick with a bit of a cold. My throat is sore, I've got a cough and runny nose, but I'm having a great day. I just love being home. Going away for the weekend was fun and romantic, but home is where my heart is. I love snuggling up on the lounge to watch TV or surf the net. I love pottering around the house, putting things away and setting things to rights. I love cooking in my kitchen and snuggling down under the blankets at night. I love the little things around me that hold special memories: of travel, of family traditions, of loved ones and special anniversaries. I always thought I was going to be an adventurous traveller, visiting exotic places and travelling the globe. But maybe not. Maybe I'll just stay home.

A Wicked Weekend

2009-05-17T22:19:00.001-07:00

MB and I went to Melbourne on Friday for 3 days of wandering arcades & laneways... a little bit of shopping... a lot of coffee... and Wicked.

Me and MB in the Block Arcade

Brother Baba Budan Cafe

A clover at Brother Baba

On Friday we hit Toby's Estate Melbourne to say hi to some old friends of MB's from his Toby's days and Brother Baba Budan - a beautiful little cafe in Melbourne CBD. Michael wasn't so keen on the coffee: good, but not to his taste, but I had fun checking out the chairs on the ceiling and other decorating features. We wandered the arcades and laneways looking in little boutiques and admiring Melbourne's stunning old buildings. In the afternoon we headed over to the Queen Victoria Markets to stock up on some pre-dinner nibblies like a washed brie, fresh baguette and yummy prosciutto. Dinner was at MoVida. We didn't have a booking but the lovely staff managed to squeeze us in. We were soooo full after the delicious Tapas we skipped the Racion and headed straight to dessert. The food was delicious and surprising - you assumed you were getting one thing, but it was completely different to what you expected it would look/taste like!

Saturday morning say us walking to St Ali in South Melbourne, another great cafe (and roastery!) which ticked all the tastebud boxes: great coffee AND food . The chirozo and bacon salad with chat potatoes was sooooo yummy, and something I'll definitely be trying to replicate for future dinner parties. Michael was absobed in watching the roasting for an hour and half, which I sipped my chai and people-watched. We did some more wandering and then went back

to the hotel for a nap. Saturday evening saw us eating dinner at Pelligrini's, something of a Melbourne institution. The pastas were forgettable, but that Watermelon Granita will live on in my heart for quite a while.

Now, on to my highlight for the weekend...

~~Ozmopolitans~~ erm, Wicked the musical! (Seriously though, who doesn't love a glowing green cocktail?) The musical was a feast for the eyes with fantastical costumes and sets. I fell in love with feisty Elphaba, laughed at the blonde Glinda (the Gah is silent!) and marvelled at the flying monkeys. The only disappointments - a couple of characters who I felt were a bit cardboard cut-outish (Madame Morrible and Doctor Dillamond) and could have been more developed, and the fact that there weren't any particularly memorable or catchy songs. Still, it sucked me in completely. I was hooked from the first song and lived in Oz for a few hours.

MB and me at the theatre

Sunday saw us doing a little last minute shopping at DFO Spencer St, before heading back to Sydney. It was lovely to get away from it all for a few days, but I have to agree with Dorothy: There's no place like home!

Business Names: Vote!

2009-05-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to come up with a name for my new business...

A) Bud & Blossom

B) Blossom Ink.

C) Bonnie Blossoms

D) Blossoms by Bonnie

Personally, I'm leaning towards A or B. I love the alliterative-ness of A, and I like to play on words in B. Let me know what you think, or maybe you have a suggestion of your own.

Business Idea...

2009-05-12T23:56:00.000-07:00

So you know how I love designing, right? And I'm crazy about flowers? And I just love weddings? Well, today I had a brainwave...

When you're a bride you're looking to create some unity throughout your special day, a bit of a theme be it 1930's glamour, romantic pinks, or bright and casual. You want the invites to match the dresses... to go with the flowers... to complement the napkins... which go beautifully with the cake. Only problem? You're going to a different supplier for each thing and YOU have to pull it all together. Which means you have to explain what you want to all these different people over and over again, each of whom is going to put a slightly different spin on things. It's enough to turn anyone into a bridezilla. What if you could find a supplier who could do more than one thing, at a reasonable price?

That's where I come in. I'm going to start a business designing wedding stationery & flowers. That way you know that your florist & your stationery designer are on the same page... because they're the same person! I think I'll start with a small range of set stationery designs that you can customise with different colours, as well as offering a custom design service, and also do wedding bouquets and arrangements.

But before I venture forth on this one I'd love some feedback. Do you think this is a good idea? Is this a service you would consider if you got married, or wish was around when you tied the knot?

Floral Designer Extraordinaire

2009-05-11T02:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was H & P's wedding at Michael's dad house. Despite a couple of showers the day was sunny with smiles & laughter & joy. H & P just glowed with happiness and everyone had fun. It was such a lovely garden wedding.

I was lucky enough to be asked to do the flowers decorations for the wedding and they turned out marvelously for a first-timer, even if I do say so myself. Saturday just flew by with my hands full of blooms. I was so content and absorbed. I think I've found my calling. It was so exciting when I was asked to do another wedding later this year. I'd really like to be a floral designer full time, or even part time*. The 5am trip to the flower market? Pure heaven. Stripping thorns and leaves from stems? Barrels of fun! Arranging vases full of cheerful colour? Just my cup of tea.

The garden was filled with chinese lanterns, hanging from trees & bushes

The happy bride & groom

The cake (I did the flowers)

The arrangements in the dining room

The hall arrangement

The bride's bouquet

*I'd be happy for you to pass on my details to any friends getting married and in need of a florist if you think they might be interested.

My Woofles

2009-04-14T02:53:00.000-07:00

My friend of 12 years died on Sunday night. Woofles was my family dog and she died of old age (she was 14!), in her bed, warm and loved. Not a bad way to die, but I'm sad and sorry that when I go visit my mum I won't hear her patter of tiny feet to welcome me. A sound that just meant 'home'.

This is Woofs on my suitcase when I moved out of home, to come to Sydney to study 8 and a half years ago.

If I was a rich girl... Na na, na na, na na, na na na na, na na, na na na

2009-03-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Gelato Bags - Polyvore.com

Saturday Morning

2009-03-20T19:17:00.001-07:00

Enjoying the sunshine

Nibbling the last of our Raspberries

Watering our chillis

And our strawberries

hanging out the washing

starting a new project

Sneak Peek

2009-03-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

Drum roll please..... Here's a sneak peek at the first draft of my website. You're the first to see it, well apart from my mum, but she's special.

I did it all myself and I'm so excited to be finally making a concrete step on the way to freelancing. I'm having it set up in the next month or so.

'a timeless classic with bags of character'

2009-03-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

According to Grand Design’s ‘which house are you’ quiz I’m a 14^th Century Castle in Yorkshire. Pure class, that’s me ;-)

I love Grand Designs. It’s my favourite TV show and the reason you’d see me bolting for the bus and train on a Thursday evening.

My first Polyvore

2009-03-16T15:14:00.001-07:00

Ballet Nostalgia

This was my first foray into Polyvore (an online inspiration board creator) and I have to confess it's now my new favourite procrastination tool! I love that it lets my inner fashion designer run wild, creating new looks, without me actually having to spend any money.

I'll have 1 Mr Darcy with a side order of Captain Wentworth, please.

2009-03-15T21:53:00.001-07:00

I've been reading* and hearing for years about women's unrealistic expectations when it comes to men, and Christian women's expectations in particular. Some men feel we have Knight-In-Shining-Armour standards, that girls are turning up their noses at men who's surname isn't Darcy, being haughty and unapproachable like the fictional character they dream of every night. I've heard that Jane Austen has a lot to answer for, that reading Pride & Prejudice can be dangerous. But I don't think that's true. I think it's a cop-out.

I confess: I did have a list when I was 19, of all the things 'he' had to be, and do, and have, to 'qualify'. It was called "the Must List" and I wrote it with my flatmates. It filled 4 square metres of wall space and it was so detailed I'm sure it even included eye colour. But to a large extent it was a joke, and the bits that were serious are things I'm still serious about now, and value in my husband. Things like old-fashioned courtesy, honesty, integrity, loving God and following Christ. Values that are ingrained in books like Pride & Prejudice. I dated guys who didn't live up to these standards and our relationships ended fairly quickly. But having those standards didn't mean that I turned them down when they asked me out. I wanted to know more about them, to give them a chance, to see if maybe they were right for me, if maybe my standards could change. I wasn't unapproachable because I had these standards, and I don't think many Christian women would be unapproachable either if men managed to gather a bit of courage and bother to ask them out on a date.

I think it's easy for men to blame Jane, or Darcy, to cry that we have such high standards we're unapproachable. But what I hear from my single girlfriends isn't that they want a white knight, a Darcy complete with a fortune and Pemberley to boot. I hear a great desire to find a guy, any guy... to go on a date, just one date... to have someone to put on a pretty dress for... someone to talk with... to spend a evening with... to see if there could perhaps be more evenings... more time to get to know each other. If those are high standards, if those are ridiculous expectations, then I think it is a sad reflection on the single Christian men in Sydney.

*in the comments section, not the actual post.

Hello Beijing!

2009-03-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, I just noticed someone from Beijing has visited my blog, as have lovely people from the US, Spain, and what I think is the Netherlands (but could be Belgium!). That's awesome. Hello!

Flowers

2009-03-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

My Weekend

2009-03-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

I had an amazingly relaxing weekend, full of sleep-ins, naps and early nights, and we even went to Ikea. Yes, the words 'relaxing' and 'Ikea' did just appear in the same sentence!

Thanks to my lovely sister in law, Beck, we have discovered the short-cut way to do the best bits of Ikea, while skipping the divorce-inducing wander through the ‘inspiration’ section on the top floor. You know, the bit where you shuffle around what feels like an endless path, hemmed in before with a bickering couple complete with know-it-all mother in law, and behind by a family who decided a great Saturday afternoon excursion would be to take three unhappy, hungry and full-o-beans children on the endless Ikea Pilgramage.

Want to know the secret? At Homebush, you go up the escalator, through the café and down the stairs. This takes you straight to the Market Hall and furniture storage sections, where all the good stuff is anyway. And, you go at 9am on a Saturday morning. You can leisurely stroll through the kitchen, textile, decorating and garden sections, selecting the few items you came for and the few hundred extra items you never knew you needed (but Ikea did!). Then you’re one of the first to the check-outs and you’re out of there in 30 minutes. Woo Hoo!

Here’s what we went for:

And when I get home I'll post a pic of the cute glasses we got as well, and the frame for my new Japanese print I picked up at the Monet exhibition. I won't bore you with pics of our other many purchases, suffice it to say we spent double what we set out to, and arrived home with 5 more items than we intended. Good work Ikea. You did it again.

Travel Embargo

2009-03-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

My darling Michael has put a ban on all overseas travel until we move to Europe. Apparently we need to "save money". This from a man it took 3 years to convince that we actually have finite amount of money, and home brew supplies aren't really a need, they're a want. Since when did he become Mr Financially Conservative?

So I'm posting these here to remind myself of the magic I experienced in Europe back in 2004 and why I am restraining myself from waltzing into the travel agent and booking a holiday to somewhere tropical and luxurious.

A Creative Weekend

2009-03-08T01:17:00.000-08:00

Decor8 is one of my favourite blogs. I love how design focused it is, but that you also get great insight into Holly and her life too. It's design made personal. Every Thursday Holly blogs part of a creativity series, challenging you with small tasks and fun exercises to get creative juices flowing. This week we were to comment on what creative thing we would do this weekend, then re-post on Monday to say if we did it.

I was going to re-cover the armchairs I bought on eBay and go to the movies. Only one of those things got done: I went to see The Reader. However, I realised how many creative things I do each weekend without realising it and without setting out to do them. For example, while I didn't do any sewing this weekend I did:

go to Balmain Markets and marvel at other people's creativity, getting all inspired to start a number of new crafting projects of my own.
go a bit of home re-organising. Making our humble home a bit more pleasant to be in.
attend Wind Music in the Cathedral this afternoon, for an hour of lovely music in a stunning setting.

All of these just seems to happen on their own, without me setting out to be creative or get inspired. And I think that they're more fun because of it. Now I'm settling in to watch Lost in Austen and eat marshmallows: The perfect Sunday evening.

What's for dinner tonight?

2009-03-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

I’m doing chicken breast stuffed with basil leaves and fetta and a warm zucchini and broccoli salad to go with it.

What are you having?

Musing on living in Italy

2009-03-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

Cristina in Citta Sant’Angelo

5 years ago I spent a year a life-changing year in Italy. I was a student and that year abroad was a compulsory part of my degree. I ended up choosing Italy for my major because I studied German and French a little in high school and wanted to learn a new language; and I was drawn to the landscapes of Italian life I saw in films like Tea with Mussolini and read in books like Under the Tuscan Sun. Perhaps not the best reasons, but they did lead to an amazing year.

It was a jumble of a year that saw me descend into the lows of severe clinical depression and experience the highs of travel and living in a foreign culture. At the end of the twelve months I swore I would never live in Italy again. The trials and tribulations of Italian bureaucracy were too much for me, the University environment I found isolating and cold. Only if I could return as rich as George Clooney, and pay someone to deal with all the hassles for me, would I return permanently (preferably with George Clooney). The depression probably didn’t help much either.

However, as I mentioned there were wonderful moments, and in particular wonderful people: my two flatmates Cristina and Elisa. Both took me under their wings, bringing me home on weekends, creating an instant group of friends for me through their many dinner parties, and helping me deal with all the things I didn’t understand and was having trouble coping with. They were the main bright spots in what was a very dark year. I think it’s only 5 years on that I’ve managed to forget some of the darkest times and the fog of depression that seemed to hang over me that year and to start to see what a wonderful experience it was in many parts, and begin to miss aspects of my life there: selecting a leg of prosciutto from amongst the dozens at the supermarket deli and how deliciously cheap it was, cycling in the bitter cold to collect the best wood-fired pizzas I have ever tasted, sharing simple but flavourful pastas by my flatmates and their 10 friends who just dropped by, walking around Florence, experiencing the marvel of the Grand Canal in Venice while it was snowing, skiing in the Italian Alps with Elisa and her friends, exploring Citta Sant’Angelo, Cristina’s home town and walking up and down cobblestone streets, spending an idyllic week at Elisa’s summer house on Lake Iseo that topped anything you could find in Under the Tuscan Sun, being proposed to by Michael in Florence.

Somehow now, the good times outweigh the bad and I find myself wondering if perhaps I could give it another try. I probably won’t get the chance, but if I did I would probably have a very different answer to the one I had 4 years ago.

Recipe Card

2009-03-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

I love discovering new recipes that are quick, easy and delicious (healthy is great too!). I don't love the ugly computer print-outs they come on, so today I designed this template to write out recipes, so I'm not confronted by an ugly jumble when I open my recipe folder.

I thought I'd share it with you, so you can print it out to use too. You just have to right-click it and you can send it to your printer. Happy cooking!

Recipe Template

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Taking Time

2009-03-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

My usual routine when I get home is to drop my bag in the hall, head to the lounge room and turn on the TV. I'll plonk down in front of it for a few mindless hours, then try to summon the will to tidy the kitchen and cook dinner. It's not the best routine for getting things done, or for eating healthily.

So, from tonight I am not turning on the TV. I've created an Excel spreadsheet of my favourite TV shows and I'm only turning it on to watch them. Tonight I'm going to drop my bag in the hall, head to our already tidy kitchen and start cooking up a yummy and healthy dinner. Then, let the creativity begin! I'm going to be sewing, sketching, painting and drawing every night this week that MB isn't home (which is 4 out of 7 nights this week!).

Apologies

2009-02-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I had a trade fair for a week and today is my last day of working 12 days straight. Needless to say I'm a bit weary.

Here are a couple of photos of the wedding of Z & J that I went to on the weekend. It was so much fun: so happy, great friends, great food, stunning location. Not even a downpour could dampen the mood.

I'm looking at getting a new pointnshoot camera as my current one is just too annoying, taking blurry, poor quality pics.

Interior Style Quiz

2009-02-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

I took this fun quiz I found on How About Orange and here are my results...

My personal style is a mix of 3:

41% Cottage Chic

32% Hollywood Couture

27% Rustic Revival

I love all three of these and think they’d be perfect for respectively: my Balmain terrace house, My London townhouse and my German holiday chalet. Hey, a girl can dream can’t she?

The quiz is easy and takes about 5 minutes of rating rooms on a “love it” to “hate it” scale. Go check it out and let me know what your style is.

A Productive Day

2009-02-19T00:32:00.000-08:00

Today was Trade Fair Bump In Day. We start at 9am at Darling Harbour, unload 2 crates (each the size of your average bathroom) and assemble the stand (which I liken to putting together a kitchen). The venue air-cons the place during the fair so that even if it's 35` outside you need a ski-suit to stay warm. Bump In Day? Not so much. It was boiling in there. However, all went smoothly and we were done by 3pm.

I headed into the city to do a bit of shopping, as it's my good friend Z's wedding this weekend. I decided to make her wedding present and had to pick up some supplies. And I needed some accessories to jazz up my outfit for Saturday. Then it was home to craft both present and accessories. I'm pretty happy with how they both turned out:

Fat is the New Black

2009-02-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

Yet another reason for me to procrastinate on losing those spare 10kg’s...

According to Celia Walden of SMH, willowy figures go out of fashion when the hard times hit, and celebrities are piling on the pounds to keep up with the new fashion. Well, not quite. But it’s more acceptable to be a size 12 now than it was when the world was financially stable.

Bring on the next Great Depression I say (through a mouthful of Ferrero Rocher).

It's Here!

2009-02-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

The Lounge arrived at 8:30am this morning. I love how comfy it is, how big it is (I can lie down on it without my feet or heads on the armrests!), how it's just the right colour, how MB and I can both lie down... and I don't fall off.

The only downside is the chemically smell that it arrived with. I'm hoping that will go soon.

Things I love...

2009-02-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

Throw Cushions...

It's teal, it's bold, it's got a bird on it and it's a throw cushions. What's not to love? According to MB: the throw cushion bit. He can't stand them.

From Joom

Things I love...

2009-02-11T19:42:00.001-08:00

Craft Supplies ...

Italian cotton ribbons, Fettuccia from Angela Ligouri

Valentines Day

2009-02-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

Day to Celebrate Love or Commercial Load of Crap?

Either way, here are some cute little gifts I'd love to see on my pillow on Saturday morning...

Clutch Purse from Red Ruby Rose, Leather Journal from KreativLink, Bowl & Pendant from Kim Westad, Notecards from Pistachio Press, Bird Earrings from Sophie Hill, Scarf from Bagavond Bags.

MB and I will be spending Valentines day hanging out together. No presents, just valuable quality time, something we don't get a lot of.

:let the whinge begin:

2009-02-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

I’m sick. I’m snuffly, sneezing and head-coldy, so I had yesterday off work. Which was handy, as Vinnies were picking up our 2 old lounges and we were accepting delivery of our lovely new lounge. I would be home to see the magic transformation of our loungeroom. Except none of that actually happened (apart from the head cold).

Two very rough, rude and tatt-ed up delivery men from Vinnies arrived to pick up our bed...

“Bed? I think you mean lounges?”

“Nope, bed"

“Uh, we kinda need our bed, but it would be great if you could take our lounges”... takes them through to lounge room.

“We can’t take those”

“Really? Why is that?”

“Probably for the same reason you don’t want them anymore! They’re no good. Saggy and stuff.”

So we still have the 2 saggy lounges sitting sadly in our living room. Admittedly they do sag a bit. But the leather is still in very good condition and with some new firmer cushions they might be much better. I would have been thrilled as a Uni student to find these lounges. Snobby Vinnies.

Oh well, I thought. At least we’ll get our gorgeous new lounge today. That will cheer me up and we can put the old ones out for a council pick-up. Not to be. A new lounge did arrive, but it was the wrong shape, the wrong colour and the wrong fabric. In short: not our lounge. It had all the right paperwork, but under the plastic wrap it was clearly not the one we ordered. So we have to wait for the company to sort out what went wrong, find our lounge which they seem to have misplaced, and deliver it. Again.

:whinge over:

Having listened to my whinge, feel free to have your own in the comments and I will make sympathetic noises.

snuffle snuffle

2009-02-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

I have a cold.

I got wet coming home last night and with a top of 20`c yesterday it wasn't a good day to have damp feet. I can't believe how cold it is at the moment! After an extremely hot weekend having 19 and 20`c days is a bit of a shock.

So I'm home snuggling on the lounge and sipping tea. When the tea is all gone I'm heading back to bed and my winter doona (in February!). Ah bed, I love bed.

Why I Moved

2009-02-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

When I started blogging I read that you should pick a topic that really interests you and blog about that. I was very clucky at the time: looking at mummy blogs, online baby stores and kids design blogs daily so I started Clucky Chicken. But then I started posting more general things as well, and so the blog outgrew its name.

C’est Bon is a more general blog I’m hoping to create as I post on design, write about things I love, put up the odd clucky post and generally share more of my life and interests here. I’m starting a small business this year and this blog will start to feature content on that aspect of my life too.

Calling it a small business is almost too grand. It’s more of a teensy business, a minute adventure into the world of freelance surface design. I’ve always dreamed of starting a business designing prints and textiles from home, while pottering around the house with little kidlets. I’m starting now to give it time to grow before we have said kidlets. Probably it will not earn me much other than the satisfaction of being more creative in the first year or so, which is fine as I will continue to work my full-time job as well. But hopefully the business will grow and blossom in time, and I’ll be able to go part-time at both my day job and my designing, then eventually quit my day job and have my business support me.

Anyway, that’s the big dream and this small blog will be a part of it too as you’ll get to see my business struggles, my sketches and inspiration and more about my creative side.

ps. the feather background.... I designed it.

I heart the BBC

2009-02-08T17:28:00.001-08:00

I was raised on a solid diet of BBC dramas growing up: Pride & Prejudice, North & South, Wives & Daughters, Middlemarch, David Copperfield, the Forsyth Saga, Persuasion, Love in a Cold Climate.... There used to be a couple of great series every year. But in the last few years the ABC seems to have stopped buying them as much or all together, which is why I was so stoked to see Cranford last night.

It had a host of my favourite actresses from all my old favourites: Judi Dench from P&P, Imelda Staunton from Davi Copperfield, Julia Sawalha from P&P, Francesca Annis from Wives & Daughters, Eileen Atkins from Upstairs Downstairs & Modame Bovary, Claudie Blakley from Gosford Park, Emma Fielding from A Dance to the Music of Time, Deborah Findlay from Wives & Daughters....

Michael and I chuckled the whole way through at this small town full of gossipy, small minded but big hearted women. In many ways it reminded me of growing up in Terara, where the goings-on of a few dozen people seemed to be my whole world.

On ABC, Sundays at 8:30pm.

Image from The Guardian

Blog List

2009-02-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm partway through making my list of Blogs that I follow.

If you read my blog and would like to be on my list please let me know.

Coraline

2009-02-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

I saw the trailer for a new puppet movie, Coraline, and decided to check out the website. It's really fun, with lots of interactive functions. I Button-Eyed myself. Kinda creepy.

Head on over to see the trailer for really a very beautiful film, and have fun playing with all the bonus features. For knitters out there you'll be blown away by the feature in Coraline's bedroom dresser top drawer.

Ah Me

2009-01-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

I bought two lovely retro armchairs on ebay for $50 (that's right, $25 each!). Now, they just need new cushions and cushion covers. I've been searching the web for weeks looking and I found my dream fabric to cover them in. (It's the lovely grey one in the background)

Only problem.... it's $98.00 per metre. And I would need 2 metres.

I would have paid $250 for the two chairs on ebay, had they been in this fabric, without blinking. But I shudder at spending close to $100 per metre of fabric. Should I keep trawling through numerous websites looking for something almost as good and a lot cheaper (which probably doesn't exist), go to spotlight and settle for something very average, or bite the bullet and splurge?

Fabric available at Funkis

Colour your World

2008-07-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

I took this Voice of Colour Quiz and found out I'm 'White Spaces' and 'Pop Art'."White Spaces are all about light - creating it, reflecting it and magnifying it. They are for those who crave space and a clean canvas on which to display beloved objects; or for those who long for a clear, sunlit expanse."

"Pop Art is for the lighthearted and daring, for those who don't always play by the rules, and for those who live to laugh out loud. You'll thrive in these palettes if stripes and humor energize you and if you are a pleasure-seeker who welcomes company, imagination, and smiling multi-colors."

Which I think is very true as I'm drawn to interiors like these:

All of them neautral with pops of jewel-like colour. Strangely though my home doesn't look anything like these images. I think because every wall is a soft apricot colour and I've tried to decorate to compliment this as we rent and can't change it. Although I am tempted now to ask if we can paint the rooms white. I've always wanted to but haven't been game enough to ask.

Things I love

2008-07-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

To kick things off I thought I'd post my some of my favourite things (note: 'things', not people or places, they must be objects and they are in a random order) ...

Akira Isogawa's clothing. If I could afford it I'd buy his whole range every season. Maybe not always to wear, but the things I wouldn't wear I'd hang in my apartment as art.

Books.

Making Lists

Tea

Textiles.

Berries

Open Fireplaces

Roses (this is an image of Cecile Brunner, one of my favourite roses of all time)