free

My Illustration Friday entry for 'free'.

entertaining the littlens

This weekend was spent entertaining Mr You’s sister and her children, who were in town for a few days. Coming to a city is a very exciting time for the kids, so we took them to see a few things that hopefully stick in their memories for a while.

Yesterday we took them to see the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition, which is an annual event hosted along the headland between Bondi and Tamarama beaches. It’s a spectacular backdrop for some stunning sculptures. I loved the glass fence, and the kinetic wind and solar antennas, but I think the standout piece this year was the giant scaffolding wave.



Today we went to the aquarium and set about on the quintessential hunt for Nemo. Fish are cool. There’s one great room in there set up like a little amphitheatre with the lights down low and classical music up loud, so you can sit and watch giant cute flat-faced silver fish dance in unison before you. I also loved watching the octopus gracefully untangle its tentacles before twisting them back up again as it shifted position. I absolutely love the manta rays, but once again I had a favourite, and this time it was the “moon jelly fish”. The tank was entirely dark except for a red spotlight making the jelly fish shine iridescent red, and they undulated in and out like slow motion fireworks.



Our quest to awe the kids seemed to work, but the plan to wear them out failed. I’ve held little hands, ran and chased, and been given more slappy affectionate hugs around my legs than I can remember. Although my own name was almost worn right out from it being called out repeatedly all weekend, (usually followed by “Come over here” or “Look at this!”).

Our 5 year old buddy (as Mr You and I sat on the couch with him last night) announced he wanted to do “who’s the cutest”. His mum shook her head in that “I don’t think so” way, but he continued…
“Do you want to know which one of you is the cutest?”…

I won’t say if it was Mr You or I who won the highly sought after award, but I WILL say that he is now my very favourite 5 year old!
(plus he taught me how to beat-box by saying “books”, or “b-k-s” over and over again really fast).

another clicky link

Another lovely link I could dance around all day (if I didn't have to go to work): One girl garden

demons and foibles

My Illustration Friday entry for 'strength'.

Facing your demons and foibles takes courage. But staying to deal with them takes strength and determination. Then knowing whether to slay them or offer them support and nurturing is a whole other thing altogether.

things to write home about

- My new hero is Jen for opening her totally awsome new store

- My new favourite artist is Joe Sorren

- I've always had a soft spot for installation art: Jen Kim

- Another arty link, this time it's Mini Graff's intricate stencils

- Next is some of the most adorable crafty loveliness I ever seen, all wrapped up in the shape of baby shoes by Catarina

- And the last one... Well I'm not exactly sure HOW to explain the last one (I'm not sure the laws of physics could either), but if you're at work or in a public place, you may want to construct a privacy hut over your monitor out of paperclips and folders for this one.

a heady revenge

Can someone please tell me what Australian Vogue were thinking when they chose THIS photo for the cover of this months issue?! Maybe it was to extend their sales to freakish types who respond well to a head that’s on backwards. (it sort of worked actually because I don’t normally buy magazines, but I had to get this one for that reason).

I don’t understand. The whole magazine is filled with this so-skinny-it’s-insect-like (but unusual and very pretty in a Mark Ryden way) creature. And the rest of the photo’s show her head looking normal; facing the front of her body as we’ve all come to expect. So WHY, I repeat, did they choose this photo for the cover, where her head is clearly on backwards?!

We were walking past a newsagent window one day when Mr You and I first saw this. We caught a glimpse in our peripheral vision; we twirled back for a better look and recoiled in horror at the grotesqueness of the aforementioned head.

My circuits were sent into a flurry; “Does not compute. Does not compute.” Nothing in my memory could recall such a formation, and the only thing that came close was the scene in The Labyrinth when the Fireys (who pulled off each others heads) attacked Sarah, yelling out “PULL OFF HER HEAD!”. But even then I recall the scene ending with her escaping to distant background calls of “HEY, HER HEAD DON’T COME OFF!”

They’re right you know. Human heads aren’t supposed to come off. The only thing I can think of to explain this terrible choice in cover photography is that the relationship went sour. I mean she is ALL the way through this issue, in every feature, every catwalk, every fashion shoot, and even every interview somehow comes back to her.

Perhaps after all of that the staff just got sick of her, or maybe she down right pissed them off in some way. Contractually they still had to run with her, hell they’d put all their eggs in one basket, they had nothing else to replace her with, not on that many pages. So in revenge they picked the worst photo they could find of her, (the photo taken at a weird moment when she pulled her head back to avoid a passing blowfly) and boldly stuck it on the cover for the whole country to gasp at.

Moral of the story?:

- Well maybe it’s do all you can to keep a professional relationship in good working order, at least until the mags have hit the stands.

- Write a clause in your contract that all photo’s of you must be viewed and approved by your fussiest family member before they can go to print.

- Or, if you are insect-like creature, quickly swallow the passing blowfly, never pull your head back to avoid it!

it had to be done

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

Your Life is Like

Serendipity

What John Cusack movie are you?

Your Inner Retro Girl Is

1980s Goth Girl

What Retro Girl Are You?