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 Eye Spy "a bit of bling"  We were off celebrating early Christmas with Mr You's family yesterday, so I missed sharing Hoppo Bumpo's topic my eye-spy bling. But here it is. We also shared this bit of bling and the news that goes with it with that side of the family yesterday too. That was fun! :) We'll be celebrating Christmas day with my side of the family this year (which is rare), so we're looking forward to it. I'm already in holiday mode, not wanting to do anything but potter around aimlessly, nibbling, and grinning. I'll be taking a much needed break away from the computer screen for a week or two. So, if you're celebrating Christmas, then may it be a wonderful one. If you're not, then may you have a wonderful time anyway. Stay safe, be merry, nibble and grin! See you in the Happy Happy New Year :D flossy-p .xx.
You know those times when you go for a walk on the beach and there are heaps of bluebottles washed up on the high-tide line along the shore? Well, we found the same thing while walking on the beach the other afternoon. But because we live in some sort of fairyland, instead of bluebottles there were hundreds and hundreds of lady beetles! I've never seen anything like it before. It was so very very odd. But pretty and enchanting at the same time. It raised many questions; What were they doing in the water? Why were there so many of them together when we're so use to seeing them solo? Do they usually travel across the sea in swarms? Most of them hadn't survived, some had. But they weren't sharing any answers. So curious... (p.s. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, bluebottles are a type of, um, stinging jellyfish I guess. Except they're not jelly, they're like little inflated air sacks, and blue in colour. Photo's here and here). Sadly I have no photo's of the lady beetles on the beach. Sorry. You'll have to attempt a painting of that one yourself. :)
"Eye Spy a burst of colour" While I was in Sydney last weekend, walking through Hyde Park, I noticed this little red tree. Small against the ancient fig trees, it seemed determined not to go unnoticed. I could almost sense the little tree, like a child in a classroom, with his hand in the air, bursting to get the teachers attention over the other children. Being as bright as he could, on the opposite side of the colour-wheel, to his counterparts.  I wonder if he's still bursting with red this weekend? I'm not sure he could have kept it up for long, he may have popped. But at least for a while he stood out, stopped people in their tracks and had his picture taken. :) For anyone who's ever come across Shaun Tan's book "The Red Tree", you'll know why I stopped and took notice. 
 Another weekly wrap-up post. Hope you don't mind... The week before this one (and this one too) was filled with sad news, close friends breaking up, not just one set, but a couple. Children involved... very sad. Which had me feeling like my trip to Sydney would be bitter sweet. And it was. But the sweet was great. I had a really really fun time in Sydney. Just a few action packed days, but filled with all the right stuff, good friends, good food, and some very very good news... The city was in full Christmas swing, with the David Jones window displays delighting crowds. My Grandfather used to bring my mum to town to see the windows every year when she was a little girl. A very sweet tradition.  While I was there I had a business meeting at the Art Gallery of NSW (that's our State Gallery, currently showing Monet), and the good news that I mentioned earlier is that from the new year they will be stocking a range of my greeting cards in the gift shop. Not just a couple, but a few of every single one in my catalogue. I can't even begin to describe how shocked and excited I was by this. SHOCKED and ELATED! I got some really great feedback and encouragement from them too, so I had alot to celebrate. And as usual, I now have something fun that will be keeping me very busy over the next couple of weeks. Did I mention the "shocked and elated" part?!!!  I went straight from that to my god-daughter's 4th Birthday party. It was very pink, and there was a fairy there. I took way too many photo's of my cute little bean, but she's so lovely it's hard not to. There were some great "kid" moments too... The best being when the Fairy (who's name was Pinky) told them it was time for her to go back home to Fairyville, one of the little girls asked if they could watch her fly away. That had me chuckling since I'd seen the fairy arrive in a hatchback and get changed behind a van parked on the street.  Later that day I met up with a bunch of friends at the Finders Keepers Artist Markets. There was nothing like this in Sydney when I was there, but since leaving just over a year ago, they've been popping up all over the place. It was all I'd dreamed of, and I over-spent, slightly, but you have to support each other, don't you? I circled Kareena (the cute girl with the pink hair in the photo below), eventually plucking up enough courage to say hello, but then far too star-struck to talk any further, despite really wanting too. She was really nice too, and so cute. I spent the rest of the time circling her stall some more, pointing and whispering to my friends, how awesome and famous she is, and how I idolize her... Then when she spotted me taking this photo from a distance, I'm quite sure she thought I was a complete loony. Quite rightly. Oh, well. :)  So I returned from my trip feeling very fulfilled. _ _ _ Then as you all now know Mr You and I became betrothed, hehehe. More shock and elation, I can assure you. I want to thank you all for your lovely comments on my previous post. It's been so exciting for me to share the squeals. I spoke to my sister on the phone yesterday, and it was SO SO hard not telling her, but I want to tell her in person, which I'll be able to do in just over a week. Mr You and I have been so giddy ever since the other night. The night he proposed was our 12 and a half year anniversary together. I had thought that because we've been together so long, that if we ever became engaged I wouldn't really feel too different. But I can tell you, even after all this time together, the proposal still shocked me (perhaps even more so) and felt just as special and exciting as if we'd been a new couple. I've also never really been a jewel girl. Never owned a precious stone in my life, so when Mr You told me he had all the "carat" information for the white gold and stones written down, my response was "It's got carats!!!??" I don't even know what that means really, but I know it's the real deal. And although now my left hand looks like it belongs to someone else (someone very ladylike and royal), I must confess I think I may be giving myself carpel tunnel from bending my hand back to look at the ring so often. I turn every light switch on with my left hand, and keep doing uncharacteristic things just to gain an extra glance. I've turned into such a girl! :)  One of my favourite things about it (who am I kidding, everything about it is my favourite thing) is the profile, which looks like an art deco building rising from the cityscape of my fingers. Like the Chrysler Building of downtown left hand. Heee. And while I'm still not yet knowledgeable enough to call myself a jewel girl, there are so many things about it that hold significance... the colour of that stone looking like tropical water; and being given it on the beach. The aquamarine being in the same family as the emerald; and the proposal was on Emerald Beach. The fact that despite me not being a jewel girl, and Mr You having nothing to go on by way of my taste, he chose something more perfect than I ever could have. And much more... So I almost feel guilty, while others seem to be having such a terrible time at the moment, I just had the best week ever. :D
Late last night something special happened. The air charged with electricity from a recently passed storm, the sky still flashing dramatically in the distance. A quiet lull in sound and breeze, air fresh and clean. A moonlit beach. Waves gentle and slow. Wet sand under foot… then under bended knee Sweet and passionate words Giggles tears nods kisses hugs expletives and this…  eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :D - - - We haven't told any family or friends yet. I'd like to keep it just between us for a while, to extend the private moment, at least for a few days, maybe even a week. I'll see how long I can hold out for. I'm absolutely dying to tell, which is the reason for this post. I had to tell someone. :) - - - I could say soooo much more about the night and the ring, but for now I'll keep it brief. I did want to say that Mr You chose the ring all by himself, I had no idea. And although it looks big in that picture, it's actually tiny and delicate. I adore it!
With so many possibilities for eye-spy it took me a while to settle on one for this week. But I have narrowed it down and chosen: "Eye-Spy a burst of colour". Colour where it isn't expected. A tiny bit of colour peeping through the grey. A contrast of colour against the rest. A brave choice of colour that stands out in your wardrobe. Or just so much colour you can hardly bare it. :D Come, play along, go to eye spy to join in on Sunday.
"Eye Spy something in my garden"  I'm kind of cheating because I showed this same picture of the golden christmas beetle that I found in my garden earlier in the week. But I just got back from Sydney and I'm far too tired to go looking round the garden now, and... well, I think the beetle is well worth a second look :D A lovely eye spy topic chosen by Curly Pops this week! Oh Gosh, and I get to choose next week! I'll have a think and let you all know soon :)
 "Don't come home all tired and crying" Mr You told me, with the cheeky grin, sparkly eyes and that tone of voice that goes with it. It was in response to my taunt, "You're lucky you're not coming with me to Sydney this weekend, there's no way you could keep up with my social calendar." Hehehe. We're such smart-arses! :D First thing in the morning I'm off to the big smoke for a few days to pack in a whole bunch of fun and socialising. I'll be back on Sunday, and I fully intend to be tired and crying from over stimulation and social-exhaustion, not to mention full of good food and maybe even a little tipsy. I'm packing it in! Bring it on...
 It's happened before... and now it's happened again. A package arrives, unexpected. It's a gift for me, for no occasion, for no reason, just a spontaneous, sincerely generous gift. And again it's from Renee. Full of love, generosity and heart, Renee. It's a book. It's called Imagine a Place, and is filled with the most amazing illusion illustrations that grab hold of your imagination and make it fly. Each illustration is accompanied by a prose, here's one of my favourites: Imagine a place... ...where your ship holds all you once knew and the horizon offers all you will ever need. And here's one of my favourite pictures from it:  (The lady at the back is holding a big saw)Thank-you Renee. I love it! I really really love it. As I discovered yesterday (the postie delivered it bright and early), it's great book to browse through as you're waking up over a cup of tea. It puts a new boundless perspective on the day ahead. So not only has Renee given me a great book, she's given me days with no bounds, imagination, inspiration, and of course she always gives her love. The book is Imagine a Place. Words by Sarah L Thomson. Paintings by Rob Gonsalves (he's from Cananda).
ouch... so... busy... ouch... brain hurts... eyes about to pop... I did manage to sneak down the street for a swim yesterday, and I was SO glad I did. It was perfect. Small gentle waves, clear clear water, just the right temperature... perfect. We did have to share the beach with about 4 other people though (busy day), hehehe.  In fact I've just tempted myself, I might sneak out for another quick dip now! (shhhh don't tell anyone) It's great way to wash the stresses of the day off, and get the joints (seized up from sitting in front of the computer too long) moving again. And it's magically revitalizing.
 "Eye Spy what I want for Christmas" 'An Illustrated Life' is by Danny Gregory, and is a collection of interviews by various illustrators about what inspires them, along with pics from their sketch books. It looks like a lovely read, and I can say I wouldn't mind it in the least if I found this in my Santa stocking this year. First week of eye-spy! Are you playing? Would you like to? Click the link and get in on it :) I've made a button for the players to display. Here it is: Feel free to take it and use it on your blog. I have a tutorial on how to add things to your side bar here. If you have any trouble following it, let me know and I'll try to help.
I was so busy this week I didn't really get a chance to look up, or report in. So I'm going to try one of those "weekly wrap up" posts. I finished one commission and sent it on it's way, and I'm about to start on the next one. I finished one before these for a friend who wanted a picture for her wedding invitations. Yesterday I designed the back of the invitations, and although I swore at the computer, alot, it came out looking pretty good. I'm actually quite happy with it. Once they're printed up, I'll do a show and tell. During one of my stroppy fits at Abobe Illustrator yesterday, I took a walk around the garden to decompress. It was a good idea in the end because I found some lovely little treasures that cheered me up again. Here's a teeny-tiny egg I found on the grass under a tree that someone has recently hatched out of... But all that was left inside once I found it was this teeny-tiny slug. CUTE! :)  Normally when I find slugs in the garden I pitch them over the back fence into the bush, but they're the big ugly fat ones. This one was soooo cute I put him in the most delicious spot I could find. I'll let him build up some cushioning before I send him flying ;) I was also reminded how close Christmas is when I came across this stunning golden Christmas beetle. It's a girl. How can I tell? Check out those eyelashes. - - - We also got a bit domestic this week, cleaning up thoroughly for a rental property inspection by our property agent. Actually we did it twice this week, because she forgot about it the first time. Mr You and I also made a cake for our neighbour for his birthday. We're not too hot in the kitchen so we were quite pleased with out efforts. It was Mr You's idea to put a coral trout on the top in sprinkles, our neighbour is a mad fisherman and that's his favourite fish... He recognised the breed right away when he saw the cake, and when we ate some together, he cut the slices around the fish, hehehe. Afterwards Mr You and I got home to a cake-less house and suffered terrible cake cravings.  _ _ _ It wasn't all celebrations this week. Sadly I heard that Cindy Woods passed away.  Those of you who play Illustration Friday would know Cindy as the woman from Learning Daily who does the beautiful quick sketches of people...  Ridiculously I had assumed all these years that she must work in a hospital, because all of her sketches always centred around patients... It seems silly now, knowing she was suffering from cancer... I guess I just never like to think of people as being able to get sick. Tributes have been popping up around peoples blogs, so I wanted to say something too. She used to come by and leave comments, and I enjoyed her blog very much. It's really very sad. I hope she's somewhere nice now. _ _ _ Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow. After the end of "This Is", Cindy from Bug and Pop has stepped up and started a new meme for us to play. This one is called "Eye-Spy Sunday" and the first week's topic is "Eye Spy what I want for Christmas" :D It's going to be great! I also found a few new giveaways. Great ones, but didn't have time to enter. I'll try and track them down to share with you. Okay, that's all. Hope you all had a good week. I have to go and design a catalogue, design and print cards, create a quote and do some invoicing. Fun weekend... See why I'm looking forward to Eye-Spy so much? See you tomorrow. :D
At precisely 9.25pm we cranked up Mr You's amazing lotto machine and conducted the draw for the 3rd Annual Illustration Giveaway.
Some notes:
- Mr You's afore mentioned amazing machine uses maths, physics and code (don't ask me anymore than that), to ensure a completely random draw.
- So random that when the names appear at the top, during the testing phases I could see that the placement of names was unique each time.
- The winner was chosen via this tool
- There were 83 entries in the end, each from a unique person (no double ups)
- If two names were the same, the second was called #2
- I have ENORMOUS amounts of appreciation and warm fuzzies for each of you who entered. Thank-You! This year has been really exciting
Okay... enough with the formalities... On with the show!
Or if you can't view the video have a look here. (Not as fun but still exciting).
Congratulations!
Thank-you.
Sorry, I wish I had time in my days to do 83 paintings... ...there's always next year. :D
We had a good day here yesterday. Both Mr You and I were on fire... not literally, we're talking high productivity people, getting so much done we were smokin! Friction. I'm doing the final assembly and packaging of a commissioned painting today, and yesterday it all just came together. You know that feeling when you've been working on something for so long, then at the last moment it all falls into place? Accomplishment, satisfaction and a good dose of relief.  I can't say anything at this stage about the work, as I don't want to spoil any surprises for anyone (although I'm sure you know who you are, wink wink), but this here is a teeny-weeny sneak peek. Sometimes there are tiny bits of a painting that just sum up what I was trying to get at so perfectly. And without tooting my own horn, I wanted to show you this floppy shoe. I'm very happy with this floppy shoe, in fact, I may even love this floppy shoe. I don't know how it happens, but sometimes one tiny element like this can set the tone of a whole piece. Clever little shoe. Meanwhile down the hall, in his little office, Mr You spent yesterday making the most awesome thing ever! And it's for my blog! He has been mixing together maths, physics, code, and onscreen animation to create the most amazing random-winner-selector for my giveaway. It'll be here on-screen tomorrow night, so come back to see it in action and find out who the winner is. As my friend's little girl says, "I'm a bit cited!"
 There's only a few days left of the Thanksgiving Giveaway. If you haven't entered yet, get yourself over here and leave a comment on that post to be in the draw. Thank-you so much to everyone who has entered. The turn out has blown me away!!! Also a BIG thank-you to those of you who have added my button to your blogs :D I had started off coming by and thanking you all individually, but after a while my hand got a cramp, I was gasping for air and calling for first aid, pure exhaustion, I had no idea there'd be so many entries... Last year there were only 10! So forgive me for not stopping by if I didn't get to you, but know that you have my sincere thanks. Yes, we're getting very excited about it here. Mr You has been working for days on a very special way to draw the winners... You'll be impressed, I'm sure. The drawn will be done on Thursday evening, and the winner will be announced either that night or the following morning... depending on how much celebratorial champagne I've drunk, hehehe, hic!. Good luck everyone. _ _ _ In the meantime I wanted to tip my hat in thanks to Three Buttons who hosted the "This Is" meme that I'd been participating in each week. It's now been drawn to a close, and I already miss it. It was a good meme, I'll remember it fondly. Thanks for the good times, sniff sniff. I'll start looking for a new one to play along with. Do any of you play a fun and easy weekly thingo? _ _ _ And finally (for today) thanks for all your great title suggestions for my painting from my last post. So many great ones. It's been hard to choose actually. I think because she didn't have a name to begin with I just can't pin one on her at all... She may just remain Mulberry... after all that :) Mind you there were quite a few name suggestions that have me inspired to create totally new works, so if I do, I'll let you know. So, thank-you. Thank-you's all round today. Good way to start the week. :)
 I've been preparing a couple of new works to go in a gallery nearby. I'm really excited about it as this is a completely new gallery for me. I don't really know how my work will go there, but I'm putting in 4 completely different works as a bit of a litmus test. This new painting is part of my hidden birds series. Although I've strayed from the native plants here, I'm still documenting new discoveries from within my yard; in this case mulberries and the figbirds that eat them. When I dropped it in to be framed today the lady asked me what the title was. I'm not sure yet, so I told her "Mulberry". She thought the girl is too pretty to be called Mulberry, so now I'm trying to think what I should title it. Any ideas? I usually work from a title backwards, but this one was the other way around, so I'm a bit stuck. I kind of like succinct titles with a positive slant, eg. my others were called things like "Aspire", "Curiosity", "Honour" etc. What do you think?
  Look what arrived in my mailbox yesterday! A little while ago I was asked if I'd like to contribute art to be part of the Artful Agenda 2009 Daily Planner. It's a fundraising project to help out the NE Portland Tool Library. Which is a great idea in itself. I was thrilled to finally see the diary in the flesh, it's the sweetest thing! The perfect size for carrying with you, printed on recycled paper, chock-o-block full of art, and as charming as can be. There are 6 full page illos of mine in there, along with a bunch of works by Ashley G, Jessica Dadds, and heaps of others; 18 artists and a different illo for each day. (See more of the art here.) The whole thing has a lovely hand drawn feel to it. Each spread has a theme (i.e. a whole week of different ice creams, sock monkeys, shoes, yoga poses, or leaves) and there are pages for notes such as "Wildlife sightings", "Restaurants to check out", "Ways to reduce my carbon footprint"... It really is cool. I keep going back and flipping through it, seeing something new each time. I'm so proud to be part of it. :) They are only $15, and you can choose which cover you'd like. So if you'd like to get yourself a copy (or as a perfect Chrissy gift for someone) they are for sale online from: - The Artful Agenda website, or - Their Etsy store. And if you're in the Portland area, keep your eye out on the streets.  One of my pages :) Different picture for every day of the year. Pages for notes and sketches.
This is: my favourite thing from nature.How do you select a favourite? I could easily have gone for broccoli, a delicious fruit, a humble plant, an elegant bird, or a graceful old tree... but this time I've chosen pure flamboyance! Passionfruit flowers:  They're just so crazy. I included a passionfruit flower that's native to this region in this painting of mine, along with a great quote: "People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us." I think that sums it up for me. This week's topic from Cloth and Fodder.I've been a bit quiet here this week. We've had a friend staying with us, so we've spent the week eating and swimming. It's been lovely. :)
This is: my favourite quote.A lovely topic by Ashley from Strawberry Kisses this week. I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's, and feeling uplifted ready to start the new week. My favourite quote at the moment is one I like to pull out when I start feeling meek and lowly. It's by Anais Nin: "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."Not only does it inspire, it also activates me; like the "on" switch to get up off my but and push a bit harder, reach a bit further, and stop worrying for gods sake. I like that it makes me feel like it's my own actions that have an impact on my own life. It's not out of my hands in an etherial way that some quotes tend to lean towards, instead it's saying that it's all up to me. I like that. And while it's inspiring, it also hints at the fact that there's in-built breaks should you need it. Life shrinking to a comfortable manageable size when you need a rest and don't feel up to it. With the reassurance that it's ready and waiting to get exciting again when you've regained your energy. It seems to work for me. Hope you like it too.
 I had a brief Skype chat with my Auntie who lives on the other side of the country last night. (Skype is like an online video chat). She asked if I was wearing a wig... and I wasn't... that's not good, is it? blush
Dum Dulalalump dump dum daaaaaaa - Announcing the 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Giveaway!  Welcome.Those of you who've been visiting for a while will know all about this. For those who don't know... What It's All AboutI really like the idea of Thanksgiving, but we don't celebrate it here in Australia, so each year I do my own little thing, showing my thanks by hosting a giveaway. The prize of the giveaway is an illustration by me that the winner gets to commission. It can be anything you like. The past 2 years the prizes have ended up becoming sweet and quirky portraits of the winners sons! However, should you win you could request anything or anyone you like. It could be abstract, like your favourite song, or specific like a portrait of a loved one (or pet) from a photo. You should keep in mind the style of my work though, because you may be disappointed if you ask for a Rembrandt! Having said that, don't feel as though it has to be something for your kids just because the last ones were either. It's completely up to you. Each year the value of my work rises a little (yay!), which means that this year the winner will be getting a prize worth $350 USD. And I'm happy to ship worldwide, so don't be shy. How To EnterSo how do you enter? It's easy, just leave a comment on THIS post anytime between now and the morning (my time) of the 27th Nov. That's 3 weeks away. One comment is enough, as I'll remove duplicate entries before the draw so everyone gets an equal chance. The draw will be completely random, and I'll be drawing the winner on Thanksgiving Day (which according to my calendar is the 27th Nov). Spread The WordSeeing as this is such a big event in my blogging calendar I have created a button. If you'd like to help me spread the word, go for your life! Use the button all you like! You can add it to a blog post by using this code: - In your blog post entry window enter the following code:
<a href="http://flossy-p.blogspot.com/2008/11/3rd-annual-thanksgiving-giveaway.html" title="Thanksgiving Giveaway 2008" target="_blank" ><img src="http://www.flossyparticles.com/images/ThanksgivingGiveaway_Bttn_Wht.gif" alt="Thanksgiving Giveaway 2008" /></a>Or to add it to your side bar, grab the button below and follow the instructions here. But remember to use this button and this URL. http://flossy-p.blogspot.com/2008/11/3rd-annual-thanksgiving-giveaway.html What's Next?Well, enter your comment, and start thinking what you'd like me to paint if you win. Good Luck!!!!! :D  _ _ _ I've now closed the comments at number 83. (Kat just made it in)Sorry entries are now closed, the draw is in progress.
Good Luck everyone. :)
Thank-you America! Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you.
 Delighted I am! Delighted indeed to have been accepted onto Delightful Blogs. I've been listed in the bunch called "Local :: Australia"... in case you're looking :) There are so many lovely blogs listed over there it's often hard to know where to begin, but at least you can be sure they've all been passed by the Delightful Detectives, so whatever you stumble on, it's bound to be kinda cool. Take this for example...  This is delightful, no? Yes, I say. This is the page from Iceland off the Face Hunter blog. Face Hunter seems to be a world wandering fellow creating an international version of Hell Looks. There's all sorts of people out there, all over the world, making us feel (well, I'll speak for myself) making me feel completely nowhere-near-cool enough. But I like to fantasize... If I was this fair Icelandic dame, I would totally own that outfit. (It's knitted, go take a closer look) p.s. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks out from Thanksgiving, and I'll be making an announcement :)
Hold onto your hats people... This is: a favourite recipe I'd like to share.Okay, so while I have confessed to being totally shithouse in the kitchen, let me start by saying this dish is pretty fail safe... even for me! I ate this at a cafe once, loved it so much I deconstructed the ingredients, and practiced making it over and over until it tasted the same as I remembered from the cafe. So, this is my Warm Chick Pea SaladIngredients:- 1/4 pumpkin - 400g tin of chick peas - Punet of cherry or grape tomatoes - 1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley - Feta cheese (around 6-8 chunks per person) - Dukkah - Natural yogurt Method:- Preheat the oven to 180C - Cut a few pumpkin chunks or slices (2-3 per person), lightly oil, and bake it the oven until yummy roasted consistency (usually takes about 30 mins) - When there's only 5-10 minutes left for your pumpkin to cook start to prepare the salad - Drain the tin of chick peas, and tip into a saucepan on the stove (medium to low heat). You want to warm them through, not cook them or make it too hot. - Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the pot too - Cut up a good bunch of flat leaf parsley and stir that into the pot next - Add chunks of feta, stir through gently - You want to do the rest quite quickly as you don't want the parsley or feta to go too soggy - Take the pumpkin out of the oven, and serve up onto plates - Serve the chick pea salad mix up on top of the pumpkin - Sprinkle a good generous tablespoon or two of dukkah over the salad - Top with a dollop of natural yogurt (a small tablespoon should do it) - Eat! It's quick, easy and healthy. Vegetarian too! Those measurements feed 2 people, and if you need to pad it out more, it goes really well with cous cous. I usually allow for 1/2 tin of chick peas per person. We ate it last night and I forgot to take a photo. Sorry. It's yummy though, I promise, try it. :)
 FERTIG! (apparently that's "finished" in German). I can't believe BLOGTOBERFEST is through! As you can see I've swooped in and grabbed myself a spirit award (self awarded, hehehe)... I blogged every single day in October! I can't believe I actually did it. I started out with doubts and excuses, and to be fair this last week has obviously been filler fluff, but I'm still taking that award thankyouverymuch. ;) And you should too! I think anyone who participated in BLOGTOBERFEST (completed or not) should proudly take themselves an award today in celebration!!! Now as I clutch the award, [spotlight hits me], I'd like to thank BigCat for the conception of this great event, CurlyPops for being the most awesomest giveaway mediator (throughout house inspections and everything, what a wonder woman!), Jen for my winning of Barry, Nomes for my winning of the amazing tea towel, everyone who entered my giveaways, my lovely winners Geek+Nerd, BigCat and Shelli, EVERYONE who came to visit and comment, I couldn't have done it without you... [and now the tears start rolling, and the orchestra conductor picks up with little stick thing]... Renee for the "for no reason" gift, all my new blog friends... [orchestra starts playing]... my computer, my beautiful fur-baby cat, Mr You, and [curtain drops and cut to ad break!] Heh Heh... No, honestly it was a bit tricky to begin with, and then at the end, but overall it's been a great exercise. Getting back into the habit of blogging properly after getting a bit slack this year. So hopefully it'll continue in a more regular fashion from now on, either that or you won't hear from me for the next three weeks. ;)  Hope you all had as much Blogtoberfest fun as I did. I wish we could all meet up for a party tonight! Maybe next year! Now go pick up your awards, and get working on your acceptance speeches. :D
I think I'm about to fall head over heels into a new addiction. Check out these amazing creations with vintage tea towels!!!  Top row: Tea towel dress and pants by My Poppet (via button beauty). Bottom left: Vintage tea towel upholstered chair, via Button BeautyBottom right: Fantastic op shop find by CurlyPopsI'm so in love with all of these. I think I may have to start a new collection, and I'm off to a lovely start! :) Although I'd never use them as tea towels, and I'm not sure I'd have the heart to cut into them to make them into something else. I may just end up with another pile...
Earlier this year whilst staying with a friend, she mentioned how we both love birds. "Do I?" I asked, never having considered myself a bird lover before (but knowing that she is). "Yes, they're in all your art, and all around your house" And it wasn't until that visit that I realised this.  I wouldn't call myself a bird lover (after all I am allergic to canaries). I don't know the names of birds and I can't tell who's call is who's. But once she mentioned it, I noticed that they are all around me (inside and out). I do put them in lots of my illustrations... And I think it was this simple comment that lead me to taking more notice of birds. I researched the birds I see around here, and put them into the works for the Affirmations exhibition. And do you know what? Now I can actually name a few of the birds round these parts. I can even tell you a little bit about their habits and behaviours. Funny how you don't know something about yourself until someone else points it out!
So close to the end of BLOGTOBERFEST now... so close, I'm really really running out of things to say, but being the stubborn one I am, I can't let myself skip a day so close to the end, I just can't. So how about a picture? Will that do? Hope so...  "Don’t forget there are flowers blossoming beneath you"
I've been tagged by Nomes, Ashley , Cate, with the "6 Random Things" meme. I've done this one a few times now, and although I still try to come up with stuff, I'm sorry to say that right now I'm so "randomed" out that I feel very normal and boring in fact... I just don't have anything interesting to share. But, don't worry, I have a plan... 6 Random ThingsThe Rules: 1. Link to the person who tagged you. ( Nomes + Ashley + Cate) 2. Mention the rules. (check) 3. Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself. 4. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them. 5. Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged. 6. Let the person who tagged you know when you've written the post. So here we go... 6 Random Things About My Parter in Crime; Mr You.(After all, they say you can tell alot about a person by the company they keep)1. He's the son of a fisherman, he tells me stories of sick days home from primary school having to sleep on a little matress on the floor of the fish co-op that his parents owned. The smell has remained with him (in his memory, not physically thank god)... He doesn't like seafood very much as a result. 2. Cats and children LOVE him. We used to have to factor an extra 15 minutes when we were walking somewhere to give all the neighbourhood cats time to come and say hello to him. The same thing happens with children, usually our friends kids, but sometimes complete strangers too. We'll be sitting in a cafe and the next minute there's a little kid coming right up to him for a bit of a chat, 30 seconds later they're best friends. It's the strangest thing. Like he's got some "Santa" quality to him or something (despite being quite slim and not having a beard). 3. There isn't a day that goes by without him failing to cite some nostalgia for the "great decade that was the 1980's". It took him a while to cotton on that I had turned this quirk into a joke. I now call him Uncle Rico. 4. Despite that, he is one of the smartest people I know. Either that or he remembers every fact he's ever heard. His team always wins at trivia. He credits this intelligence to Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire. Apparently everything you'll ever need to know is in that song. 5. One of his really good friends (that he's known for years) became a very famous "rock star" internationally in the last 5 years. It's very surreal seeing him everywhere. They've since lost contact, and although Mr You would love to let him know that he's really happy and proud for him, he worries that calling him now would seem like he's just being a bit of a groupy. He doesn't tell people about this, because name dropping is wanky. 6. He very recently found out that he is an 8th Aboriginal. At first I think it was a bit of a tid-bit, but now it's starting to sink in more and I think in future years he will really feel an urge to research the family line more deeply. We've been watching the "First Australians" TV series on SBS, and are both left speechless afterwards. - - - Thanks taggers! That was fun :) Now I tag.. um has anyone not done this yet? Or wants to do it again? Leave me a comment and I'll tag you :) And in case you're curious here are lots of random things about me.
This is: what I'm surprised I like. Okay so it's been a little while now, but I really was surprised at how much I like being a cat owner. Beforehand I would have called myself a "dog person", I had never had a cat. In the lead up to adopting Tilli I was still asking Mr You the cliched anti-cat questions like; "Will it scratch the furniture?", "Will it know right from wrong?", "Will it walk on the table?", "Will it climb the curtains?"... And I'm ashamed to admit, but to be honest, I just didn't know cats had personalities like dogs do. So now, as I hug and kiss Tilli 6 billion times a day, talk to her constantly, and dream about her almost every night, it still surprises me how much I love having her around. Huh. Who knew? :)
 Not only are we into the final week of Blogtoberfest, but there's also only one week left of my exhibition at artstream too. The exhibition is called Affirmations, and if you haven't already had a peep, you should go have a looksee over here. It was a really lovely coincidence that Penelope, Amy, Sian and myself all seemed to turn to nature as our way of expressing what we see as the positive elements in our world. I know for me I find it both grounding, and uplifting all at the same time. My works were all based on elements from my new neighbourhood (in fact most of them are in my garden), that are all so new and amazing to me. Both birds and plants, and the idea that it's all closer to us, more a part of us than what we'd probably give it credit for. For this body of work rather than creating something new, it was about excavating what was already around me. Making a practice of seeing. So if you're looking for a special handmade gift for someone, perhaps a joyful piece of art would hit the spot... wink wink (sorry, it's the last week, I have to get a plug in there somewhere) ;D The work above is titled "All the blessings are present in my thoughts today", which follows on nicely from how I ended my post yesterday. And indeed they are.
I'm a bit lost for words today. I wanted to thank everyone for the warm responses to yesterday's post. And I want to say more about that, about Renee and Angelique both responding personally, about Nomes and Emma having such personal reactions, and about what that meant to me to have them all share it. But also how it's not about me at all. But like I said, I'm lost for words. I keep meeting these people with such tenacity... Today I had morning tea with a possible new friend who lives around the corner. Within the first 5 minutes she was telling me openly all about her little boy, who due to a bad birth, has been left severely disabled with cerebral palsy. He has full mental capacity, but absolutely no control of his motor skills, which means he can't speak, or walk, or sit up. Yet she was telling me this very matter-of-factly, with no hint of sorrow, and quite enthusiastically showing me all of his braces, chairs and equipment. Again I was floored. Lost for words at these people, who amaze and startle me with their joy for life, despite what it deals them. And while I'm left feeling saddened for them, I also feel as though I have no right to be. As though I should be creating more joy for them instead. So I'm going to sign-out by trying something new here. Something Sarah does every day... Today I'm grateful for: - mine and my family's good health - living in such a beautiful, safe place - the sunshine - living my ideal lifestyle - the use of my hands... as small and clumsy as they may be ;) Thank-you all you lovely lovelies (that's people/readers/commenters/friends of course). You make my day!
 It's one thing getting a "for no reason" gift from an old friend, but it's a whole other thing getting one from someone you've never met. Yesterday this amazing ceramic disc arrived in the mail, along with a sweet card that read; "My daughter bought me this in Mazatland, Mexico years ago. Since you love all things Mexican, I decided I would love you to have it. Take care sweet girl. Love Renee."Those words along with the gesture brought tears to my eyes. You see Renee is someone I've come to meet quite recently (on the web only). She has become somewhat of a patron of my art, and is buying alot from me. She emails me often with the loveliest compliments, and supportive words, and tells me I remind her of her daughter. And if that's not enough, she's doing all this during what must be the most difficult time of her life. She has terminal cancer. (I don't think she'll mind me sharing that fact. She is quite open about it).I find it difficult to believe actually, because of how much life she has in her. How it beams out strong and bright, with a melody and a damn good dance to go with it. She is absolutely full of spunk and charisma, love, generosity, tenderness, and humour. She is embracing. And I imagine her hugs would be unforgettable. I don't know her well enough to know if she was always like this, or if this new life she's been given (in boldly defying how long she was told she had left) has brought these qualities to the surface more. Either way, I'm not sure I've ever known anyone like her before. I'm not convinced I will ever again. And I almost feel like the "chosen one" to be gifted with her company and friendship in this way. If I haven't made it clear yet, I feel completely honoured to know her. I have no idea how I would react if I was in her shoes. But with her I have the feeling though that cancer really doesn't get a look-in. (although I'm sure she battles and suffers to no end in all sorts of ways of course)... What I mean is that with all of her bountiful qualities and abundant sense of life, cancer is way back in the queue, on tippy toes, straining to even get a look-in. It does not define who she is. She alone has taken that steering wheel. With her foot on the accelerator, music singing out, honking the novelty horn loud and happy, waving to kids out the window as they laugh with glee at seeing her, and the flowers at the sides of the road bending in to be close. ... And with a lump in my throat, a grin on my face, and a pencil in my hand, I wonder how on earth I get someone like that on paper in the painted form. Thank-you so much Renee.
 Thank-you so much to everyone for entering my Spring Brooch Giveaway! I've never had so many entrants for one of my wee gifties before, so it was very exciting. There were so many entries that I felt a bit scummy only giving away two brooches, so I'm going to make an extra one tonight, and I drew an extra winner. So all up there are 3 winners. And those lucky three are:  - Geek+Nerd, - Shellbells, and - BigCatYay! Congratulations :) These babies will be heading to brighten up your outfits, and spread the good karma asap! - - - - - Thank-you to everyone else. Sorry I couldn't make one for each of you. The next giveaway I'll be hosting will be my annual Thanksgiving Illo Giveaway, in the second half of November (that's only a couple of weeks away!). The winner of this one gets to commission a painting from me as their prize (they sell for upward of $350 USD these days, so it's a good deal). You can request anything at all, or leave it up to me to decide. It can be for you, or a gift for someone special... it's completely up to you. This will be it's third year running. Diana and Anastasia were the previous two winners. So if you're interested in that one, check back in November for updates and how to enter.
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