taichifox

happy 2012!

2012-01-15T09:03:00.003+11:00

Happy new year! may you work less and play more in 2012!

We sweltered in glorious 40degC+ scorching heat over the holidays, and being a sensible person, i took this time to knit =p. luckily, this week we tipped back towards the wintery weather (thanks melbs). i was very grateful to have this scarf...just in time for january (!?).

this wool is from avril in kyoto, and it is the most vibrant, orangiest, orange colour. this pic doesn't quite show off the brightness of this gorgeous yarn. thanks mum for sharing knitting secrets and expertise.

The pattern comes from this awesome book, which contains clear instructions and photos for the knitting newbies. Godsend!

Below is the last of the 2011 softies, the ever reliable miss polly pattern for dr k's newest family member. this sweet 1930s style fabric is from Patchwork By Sea in RADelaide.

we've been spring-cleaning a bit around here, and happened upon elmo's old teddy. look at the love in this little guy...

i hope all the softies going out there become this battered and worn out.

beautiful japan

2011-12-21T06:00:00.001+11:00

whilst in japan, many locals from both kobe and kyoto highly recommended a visit to the kinka-kuji temple (also known as the golden pavillion).

this is the stunning view when you walk into the impeccably maintained gardens, accompanied by a steady sound of clicking cameras and ooohs and aaahs in the background.
seriously! picture perfect, huh?

this was taken in october - you can see that the canopy of some trees are beginning to change into an autumnal display. can you imagine how stunning this view would have been a few weeks later with the warm oranges/reds/yellows of autumn? better timing next trip!

and a friend for one of the newest aussies-via-france in melbs. mr m's maman is an excellent home pastry chef and makes the most delicious macarons i've ever tasted. this japanese fabric dotted with little sweets and cakes seemed perfect =)
bienvenue petit m!

top of the morn and slip of the day

2011-12-17T06:00:00.001+11:00

of course, now that it's december, things are beginning to balance out. better late than never =)

it's been a tough and challenging year, but also one of the most rewarding and exciting in a long time. here's to good things for all in 2012.

i've had the pleasure of piecing together a few more softies for various folks and their new littlies - this little guy is heading to a white christmas in europe. safe journey cosmonaut!

and i guess this may seem like another boring photo of crafty goodies, but seriously, check out the colours of the felt in the back!! such vibrant and bold colour can only come from one wonderful place.

a few months ago, i had the good fortune to travel to kobe in japan for work. my long-held dream come true: i squeezed in a few days in craft mecca kyoto, truly a beautiful city. i stayed in the east, nestled amongst the many temples and their immaculate graceful gardens. my suitcase was proudly loaded up on wool, lovely fabrics of all types (from many places including here) and other awesome crafty supplies.

more softies in line for their publicity shot soon =)

knit purl knit purl

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000+10:00

three weeks ago, despite being the last gasp of winter, s and i took a beginners knitting class with the lovely pauline at popcraft. since then, we have become completely fanatical and have even taken to knitting in bed (circular needles are the go for this!). poor elmo comes home late to a sheepish knitter on the couch - needles and yarn in hand, knitting away (or tinking, as elmo likes to call it).

the spoils thus far:
moss stitch using a gorgeous felty wool from japan. a bit short at ~1.3m, but very toasty.
a rib knit scarf at 1.5m for elmo with some lovelies from morris and sons (how have i never known you before mr morris?)
the third is in progress, and since we're heading towards spring/summer, this scarf is knitted with a 100% cotton yarn using smooth sand and nubby sand (on the reverse) stitches.
on top of learning something new, my favourite bit about all this? i showed my grandma my projects and she immediately took the needles in hand and proceeded to knit and purl like a demon. all this time i never knew. she even gave me some of her old needles that she had brought with her on the boat when she braved the trip between hong kong and australia. a wonderful wonderful present.

advice from a craft genius

2011-07-12T07:00:00.012+10:00

do you ever feel that you don't have enough hours in the day? that you don't own your own time? i read this post by aunty cookie who made the pertinent point that you actually choose how to spend your time.

regrettably, i'm one of those annoying people she talks about, who wonders why they don't have time to do things. work vs family? vs friends? vs crafting? vs reading-a-book-for-goodness-sake**! vs life admin? (aunty cookie would definitely disapprove in this department - mmm, change subject!)

case in point: elmo's got heaps of work too, but recently, he baked lemon madeleines for the first time (just imagine that our cupcake tins are shaped as madeleines =) ). these are a much more enjoyable end point than, say, the lame-oh choice of working longer hours.
totally delicious elmo, thank you!

how shameful i feel. so no more complaining, my fault for choosing how to fill the day. but it's time to get tough with those hours!

in an effort to redress this, i made a quilt to welcome a lovely new bub, mr s, to the world via sunny brisvegas. after piling on every cute new fabric in the stash, i exercised some restraint and kept it simple.
Besides, I had to include this awesome animal origami fabric from Ikea.

And hooray, I have mastered the mitered corner (yeah yeah i'm slow)! I used a ruby red bias tape from Bird Textile (found at Wilkins and Kent) to bind the quilt, and all other fabrics are from Ikea or the lovely folks at Patchwork by the Sea in Adelaide.

congrats dr e and p! and welcome mr s, we're looking forward to meeting you.

ps: and yes, i WILL make time for more projects.
** i have read (a MEASLY) one book this year: Zadie Smith's, Changing My Mind. Does it count if it's a collection of essays as opposed to a complete narrative? Sigh.

Listening: 60 Second Idea To Improve the World podcast, BBC world service.

vivid 2011

2011-06-05T11:09:00.010+10:00

i guess this might be sacrilegious being a melburnian and all, but sydney - what a beautiful city!

we went to the opening weekend of sydney's vivid festival to catch Jason Pierce/Spaceman 3/ Spiritualized perform their wonderful Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space album in full - strings, choir, band - the whole deal. awesome!
light shows, i thought? meh! this photo does no justice to the absolutely stunning creations by Superbien beamed onto the Opera House sails. and there were fantastic interactive installations all over circular quay. even the most hardened cynics (er, perhaps myself, elmo less so) were super impressed!

and of course, what holiday is complete without adding to the stash, first: this beautiful bunch of lovelies from Leura in the Blue Mountains.**
and secondly, more japanese books from kinokuniya.
** this blog was intended as a means of creative discipline, so i hope to post completed projects soon and not just that which fuels my fabric/book obsession! (but seriously, aren't they cute?)

Op shopping

2011-03-24T08:00:00.001+11:00

i'm a terrible sucker for op or junk shops (or maybe it's the good get that i love so much).
i inherit this from mum and dad: they too value the old or abandoned and have a collection of previously unloved things.

we spied this cute norwegian figgjo sugar bowl in the dandenongs. sadly, not too long after we brought it home, i dropped the lid. oops!

imagine our excitement when we saw this figgjo lotte coffee pot, milk jug and sugar bowl at a market on the bellarine peninsula...
aren't they the cutest? love the drawing style and the colours, very distinctive in amongst the english ceramics that you often see at opshops. once i stop admiring them, we may even serve coffee out of the pot once day far far in the future (especially since butterfingers here is likely to be a klutz with them!)

Browsing> Fimo necklaces

2011-03-05T07:30:00.001+11:00

Stumbled across these lovely fimo necklaces by local designer Emily Green.Just my kinda thing, great colour combos and so tactile!

rave on

2011-02-17T08:00:00.002+11:00

yay, first gig of 2011***!

m.ward's hold time was on high rotation at ours last year. it's much more upbeat and summery than the songs i've heard previously from mysterious mr m. (who falls neatly into Dan Kelly's Rockwiz Master Blaster subject, Men Who Sing High), and heartwarming string arrangements get me everytime. if you do yearn for m.ward in his doleful, wistful mode, there's a beautiful duet with lucinda williams on this album.

big thanks to dr c's gig alert: we scored tix to m.ward's first tour to aus in five years, can't wait!

*** unless Dan Kelly at the Aus Open Tennis counts??

thai dye

2011-02-13T08:00:00.003+11:00

when travelling:
the first thought is for the stomach - what to eat? where to go? what to try?
second thought - maybe some countryside scenery or some cultural insights?
third thought - what stationery can i get my mitts on! (donut shaped tape dispenser anyone?)

this last trip, a new one: unrestrained fabric frenzy craziness.

check. it. out.now, this fabric buying thing is not new. i randomly buy fabric at home all the time, but overseas? that's space that could be filled with FOOD (we lugged home SO many jams and preserves from Paris last time, so YUM) or cute notebooks!

in thailand, something un/clicked in my brain and i gleefully bought ~25 yards of fabric.
at least.
isn't that crazy.
half my suitcase thanks.

here is a small bit of the stash:
can't wait to get stuck into them!

these lovelies are from Khomapastr Fabrics in Hua Hin, a coastal resort town in Thailand (there are also branches in Bangkok). Just behind the shop, the Khomapastr textile factory in Hua Hin has been screenprinting all these gorgeous fabrics by hand since 1948.

(...wish i had chosen a few more... =) )

ps: elmo's travel obsessions: drawing pens and, er, pork floss! do you have any travel obsessions?

hello animals!

2011-02-09T08:00:00.001+11:00

This weekend past, we welcomed niece #2 into the world. Congrats C and S!

For her first gift, a felt animal mobile inspired by the Aranzi Aronzo book "Cute Stuff", a gift from C and S from one of their overseas soirees.

Why have I been slaving over quilts with all their batting and binding and matching fat quarters?
These felt animals were HEAPS more fun to make!
No need for patterns: I cut out these shapes freeform from my felt stash, embroidered their faces, stuffed a little bit of polyfill in their bodies and used blanket stitch to put them all together.

The animals have 2 inch lace loop at the top where the ribbon goes through. The other end of the ribbon hangs from a embroidery hoop - my makeshift mobile frame.
Yes, the animals look innocent enough, but they were slightly uncooperative models for photos. Maybe they were nervous about being stuck over the balcony? =p

Next time: need to figure out a better method to hang the mobile, but am feeling well chuffed with the final result!

Welcome little baby p! We look forward to getting you know you =)

Sawadee Kha

2011-01-22T07:00:00.010+11:00

In retrospect, I was pretty green on my first trip to Thailand some ten years ago. Back then, it just seemed too big and overwhelming and stifling hot.

With the advantage of travelling with Elmo who speaks and reads Thai, this second visit was a much richer experience. Bangkok is major sensory overload: hot in the heat, cold in the air con, noisy but polite, crowded and dynamic, relaxed chaos.
We spent most of our time in the city with Elmo's family, but also visited the seaside and ventured inland. In the north, we visited the stunning ancient ruins of the old capital Sukhothai. These bell shaped structures are called chedi and they represent the path to heaven. They are built in the form of a lotus flower.
The scale of some of the statues of Buddha was just breathtaking.

We also drove out to Thung Luang to see the local ceramicists and pottery centres, and briefly visited Phitsanulok, a big country town to the east of Sukhtothai. The Thai countryside is so different to the big smoke - so relaxing!
Back in busy Bangkok: if you ever get the chance, head out to the Pak Klong Talat (night flower market). We cabbed it there at about midnight and were rewarded with the most vibrant and voluminous display of flowers including orchids, roses and lotus flowers. Absolutely stunning.

The orchids below are on sale for 10 baht a bunch (about 30 Aussie cents). And have you ever seen lotus flowers presented like this?! They are so architectural and beautiful. Happily, we also frequented the local markets and street food stalls. I must end this post with a picture of one of my favourite discoveries: kanom krok.

Kanom are a snack or sweet that is normally purchased on the street, and there are many different types of kanom.
Kanom krok is a type that is cooked on a hot iron plate. It is a coconut sweet that has a crunchy bottom and a soft, coconut-y filling on top. Sometimes kanom krok has corn or spring onion added to the soft filling. I'm a bit embarrassed to confess that we were too busy scoffing the kanom krok to take decent photos!

Hmmmm, Thai food. After only a week home, we are now both nursing serious cravings for Thai street food!

rest in peace

2010-12-03T07:00:00.000+11:00

for my grandfather
we will miss you

miss hazel

2010-11-25T12:30:00.004+11:00

i've been sick for the last week, i'm officially over it.
and during a lovely warm spell in melbs too - damn you virus!

daytime tele is so unappealing - who watches this stuff? so in between coughing, sleeping and eating congee, i made this monkey from the mabel pattern in my favourite softies book.

this is for one of the newest little people in the world, welcome hazel.
i left out the fabric button from the tail - it never fails to amaze how little folks like to put everything in their mouths!
congrats dr h and mr p =)

patched

2010-11-19T07:25:00.000+11:00

Source

nerdalert.
Science and patchwork? I was thrilled to see this cover on the latest issue of scientific journal EMBO.

have a great weekend all!

fried green tomato

2010-11-02T22:30:00.001+11:00

i super love this glaze ... it's a tomato/red that becomes this gorgeous green colour under oxidation firing - fast becoming my favourite mode of firing.

the first public holiday in six months and i come down with a cold. bah! hope you were lucky with the horses today!

Watching: Project Runway Season 8 Finale, spoiler alert: Mondo was robbed!
Exploring: BBC world service podcasts

for cindy

2010-10-14T07:00:00.000+11:00

another miss polly, this time for cindy (xin yi).

recently, xin yi moved to melbourne from northern china with only a few phrases in english, and now, in only a few months, chatters away about this and that in perfect english.

cindy's favourite colours are pink, light blue and light green (light, not regular ok!).

welcome to melbourne cindy!

PS: the ladybird button is from Adelaide's Button Bar, courtesy of Eky - thanks chick!

Fresh out of the kiln

2010-10-10T08:00:00.004+11:00

Slowly, slowly, I am learning how to throw bigger pieces on the wheel and about different glazes and firing methods.

The outside of the first pot has lovely specks of brown throughout that arises from oxidation firing. On the inside, I used a runnier glaze that produces blue and grey flecks.
For the second pot, I used a neutral glaze both inside and out, but using reduction firing that results in a shinier finish.

And since I can't help but be a scientist, here's some fruit in the second bowl for scale purposes.
Elmo immediately deemed them suitable for noodle soups - perfect for the won ton dumplings he made last weekend, yum!

It's so exciting to see the pots when they come out of the kiln; there's plenty of room for improvement, but I'm happy with how these have turned out. So much fun..

Eating: Delicious blood oranges (YUM) and ...won ton noodle soups =)
Watching: Mr Barry Morgan at the Melbourne Fringe Festival - so cheesey!

good get

2010-10-07T07:00:00.001+11:00

our team went to a scientific conference recently - a combined meeting of societies from three different disciplines.

i felt like a science anthropologist: interesting to see the plant/ protein/neuro talks and glimpse into different tribes and dynamics. fascinating!

here's the best get from the trade displays:

it's a usb key and he's awesome!

>browsing

2010-09-17T07:00:00.001+10:00

Image source

Ever since I visited Coral Bay in north west Western Australia and then Cape Tribulation in far north Queensland a few years later, I have longed to travel along the very northern coast from east to west (or vice versa, i'm not fussed!).

The Opera Camper, designed by Axel Enthoven, would be perfect! I just love the elegant unfolding roof and the design details in the interior...amazing!

>Browsing

2010-09-15T07:00:00.000+10:00

Image source

I have a terrible weakness for paper: was immediately taken with this happy collage by Jared Schorr for the Paperquilt Project.

tokuya goodies

2010-09-13T07:00:00.002+10:00

Thanks to a tip off from Kate, we made a bee-line for Tokuya last week.

I grabbed a few sewing bits and pieces, as well as some paper dotted with little colourful squares. How cute are those little pins!

I mentioned Tokuya to workmate S, a fellow stationery freak, who came back from lunch break, excited and wide-eyed, reporting all the amazing paper gifts she had just acquired.

With all the stationery, storage solutions, lunch boxes, cups, more stationery, crockery, origami papers, tee shirts...even gardening supplies (!), S and I enthusiastically agreed that this was indeed heaven on earth, and congratulated each other on managing self-restraint.

Now we just need another excuse to head back into town...

(More) Browsing

2010-09-10T07:00:00.007+10:00

I'm enjoying posting these random finds rather than whipping out my credit card - online shopping is just a little bit too easy =)

I love UK artist Gemma Correll's patterns and illustrations, especially the pugs and kitties...

See if you can resist these and other lovelies here.

Correll's Kitties blog is gorgeous too: love the dead pan sensibilities of the conversations...

We're off to celebratory drinks tonight for two brand new phuds - congrats drs j and c =)
Happy weekend guys!

>Browsing

2010-09-08T07:00:00.002+10:00

As someone who likes to make cards now and then, this envelope template would be so useful...

But! this will be filed in the cute-but-don't actually-need-it category!

Speaking of which, in October, the Salvos are reminding us to practise sustainable consumerism and Buy Nothing New. Elmo and I are going to take up this challenge - please join us!

>Browsing

2010-09-05T07:00:00.003+10:00

Browsing: Mexican artist Gennine's Etsy shop. Aren't these prints gorgeous?

My sis hates birds. She visibly shudders at the mere mention.
Workmate S doesn't like birds: "I don't like their beakiness".

I reckon these delicate illustrations from Gennine would convert even the most ardent bird-hater (sis included! =p).
Listening: Wishing for the summer with the Beach Boys classic "Pet Sounds"

Penguins!

2010-09-01T20:00:00.002+10:00

For all the booklovers out there, this is a super fun game from Penguin.

Test your literary knowledge - simply find one (or more!) of 75 titles hidden in this section of the image...

I'm ashamed to say it took me a while to find my favourite Penguin paperback, High Fidelity. I kept looking for a cartoon John Cusack or Jack Black!

Watching: Season 8 of Project Runway... claws out...rrr! (oh dear)

in the sun

2010-08-22T08:06:00.009+10:00

when we started learning how to throw clay onto the wheel, our teacher mr j baffingly said to us: You have to stop looking at the clay.

not that any of us beginners have quite got to that stage yet, but slowly, we have come to realise that if your hands are in the right place, applying the right pressure, you could even potentially throw a pot with your eyes closed!

mr j also says: I'm teaching you to make a canvas.

no matter how perfect or "individual" your pot, the choice of glaze or other finish is make or break. we have a wall of beautiful glazes to choose from, but we also had the opportunity to play with Japanese washi paper.

very kool!

Listening: lovely summery 60s pop sounds of "Volume Two" from She & Him and the new Teenage Fanclub album "Shadows", ah!

PS: Don't forget to subscribe to the 3RRR radiothon!

pot luck

2010-08-16T07:09:00.007+10:00

Mount Sturgeon

we recently spent a long weekend in the Grampians National Park with ms k and dr jp, the latter now firmly ensconced in adelaide ("ït's ok").

we stayed in dunkeld, a sleepy township not quite half way between adelaide and melbs. we were well chuffed to hear that this is a well beaten path: a local told us that Maggie Beer used to drive down from the Barossa Valley to meet up with Stephanie Alexander, from Melbourne, at the Royal Mail Hotel.

it's a beautiful part of victoria: we were rewarded with clear skies and stunning views on our walks.

On top of Mount Sturgeon

we wandered into local artist Anne Fleming's gallery on the main street and admired many of her beautiful pots and drawings. her work is elegant and simple, beautiful!

it was so inspiring that i've since been taking pottery classes. after a couple of months, a few pots came out of the kiln:

not quite as delicate as fleming's, but a good start and plenty of room for improvement =)

ps: i couldn't resist posting this pic too: you will find this shop on columbia road in london, past the flower market

passion

2010-08-15T07:00:00.007+10:00

yesterday, had a great afternoon catching up w ms j, who has just dropped the ex from ex-pat, returning home with hubby in tow.

everything's good, but we have both been feeling a bit stretched at work. how do we let ourselves burn our time into the 9-5s (or alarmingly, the 8-7s) and then wonder how we don't have time for our passions?

which begs the bigger question, what would we be otherwise doing?

of course, we didn't solve this problem, but plan to do so in future cake sessions =D

winter woollies

2010-08-10T08:01:00.006+10:00

after the last few sunny days, i've decided that being a winter person is not the go. there are small green buds emerging on the tree outside our bedroom window, even the tree is impatient for spring.

so, as we brace for a week of cold and windy melbs weather, i was dismayed to find moths had chewed on a few of my favourite woolies! eek!

how's this for a potential fix: woolfiller is a dutch company that sells felting kits to mend mothball munched holes in your loved woolies.

ingenious!
and no, i wish this was one of my repaired items, this is an example from the woolfiller website - don't you love the splashes of colour on the grey cardie?

danger danger

2010-07-31T08:00:00.001+10:00

uhoh.

Anthropologie is now shipping to Australia.

last year, in the dreary london drizzle, i dragged poor elmo to anthropologie on regent street during the christmas rush, so he may (or, credit card pending, may not) be pleased that i can browse away to my heart's content online!

Now please excuse me while i have another squiz...

brisvegas

2010-07-21T08:00:00.003+10:00

we recently escaped to brisbane to visit dr m and mr p in their west end queenslander. anyone else over the frosty melbourne mornings?

let's all imagine that we are basking in the sun (in july!) here:there were even a few people sunning themselves at this fake beach at southbank. we happily warmed ourselves in the glorious sun, celebrating our ingenious escape to the sun with icecream (again, in july!).

we also had the pleasure of being woken up each morning by the lovely, affectionate hamish. who are we to say no to snuggles from such a cutie?

Watching: amazing papercut process from rob ryan and Masterchef final (on the menu: green tea dumplings and chocolate fondants in honour of the finalists - thank god, we'll resume normal life soon!)

friendly frankie

2010-04-17T09:04:00.003+10:00

lucky me, this 'rather desperate housewife' brooch by hungry designs arrived in the post on friday. thank you frankie!

your adventure is about to begin...

2010-04-10T06:21:00.003+10:00

Ah!!! I've been ready to embrace this weekend for a few days...

Moving further into an early nana-hood (!), I had a couple of requests for baby blankets and so, I have been learning how to embroider from this op shop book. This book is fantastic: clear diagrams and simple instructions. I treated this first quilt as a primer of sorts, using chain, laced chain, twisted chain, lazy daisy, feather and sheaf filling stitches around a few animals on a children's textile from Ikea.

I think it's safe to show a small reveal of the rest of the pressie (otherwise, look away sis!).

Petals/leaves ready to be assembled into Autumn bunting...

:: Autumn leaves before ::

...and this perfect papercut card for the new parents: Our Adventure Is About To Begin.

You might recognise papercut artist Rob Ryan's distinctive style; we found this at Ryan's wonderful London shop at the Columbia Road Flower Market and simply couldn't resist!

Great Ocean Walk

2010-04-04T14:40:00.005+10:00

In denial about summer's end, we made a last ditch attempt to capture some of that summertime feeling and went camping on the Great Ocean Walk.

From east to west, the GOW runs alongside the Great Ocean Road, starting at Apollo Bay and heading westward towards The Twelve Apostles. If you are super keen, we reckon the whole walk would take just over a week.
But if you are not that hardcore, you can drop in and out as you wish. Even a small section of the walk will reward you with spectacular coastal views, the beautiful forests further inland in the Cape Otway National Park, and the many lovely bays and inlets. The campsites have rainwater tanks (!) and lovely tent beds - quite posh really. And as much as I enjoy being one with nature and all that, I really do HATE camping food. Instant mash is weird and wrong. Any camping food advice welcome with open arms!!
In fact, the bad food is the one thing that really prevents me from being more enthusiastic about camping....that and the emphysemic toads that lived in the bushes at the Cape Otway campsite.

It's not as ridiculous as it sounds (or maybe it is. elmo had a good laugh at me).

As we were making our instant mash (grrr), we heard a low lying sound from the bushes.
A regular, breathy, deep, ribbit kinda sound [shudder].

I kept expecting a R.O.U.S. to jump out and tussle with us!

We only heard them a few times once we were in the safety of our tent, but due to my overactive imagination, we scoped out other campsites on the way out for next time, emphysemic toads not welcome thanks!

Call Parks Victoria to grab a permit for your campsite, you won't regret it!
Don't you love a long weekend? This Easter holiday: completing sewing projects in between bouts of work-procrasti-nation
Watching: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Thank you ABC2!)
Listening: Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings new album (Thanks heaps elmo!)

cherry blossom girl

2010-02-20T10:30:00.014+11:00

After collecting these books for a little while, I have finally made my first dress from a Japanese pattern book - hurray! Luckily, the diagrams are clear and numbered (and I did have help in deciphering instructions =) ).

My sis picked this dress and fabric; I quite like how the shoulder straps double as little cap sleeves. I hope she likes it!

Watching: and loving New York shows! Project Runway Season 7 - back in NY after a season in LA, and Bored to Death, an HBO "noir-otic" comedy starring Jason Schwartzman as an unlicensed detective, Zach Galifianakis as his comic book artist best mate and Ted Danson, his editor. Dry humour, silly stories, special guests stars - including Jim Jarmusch and Parker Posey, and awesome soundtrack to boot.

ching ching!

2009-12-08T19:00:00.007+11:00

on our way home from london, we stopped over in hong kong to see my side of the family. in the instant that i saw my relatives, the six long years between drinks disappeared - a very comforting feeling indeed.

we stayed in tin hau, a relatively quiet neighbourhood on hong kong island. tin hau is dotted with excellent hong kong style cafes (think congee, or rice porridge, for breakfast and noodle soups for lunch) and the most fantastic dessert house, ching ching (i kid you not).

that's right: a house of desserts.
and so many to choose from: from classic tong yuen (rice dumplings) in ginger syrup, tofu fa, red bean soup and my absolute favourite, black sesame soup. you can choose to eat the desserts hot or cold, or you can add semolina pearls or tong yuen, or any combination that you desire.
the first night, i ordered black sesame soup that included coconut milk and semolina pearls. this was smooth and silky, with sweet pops of pearls in each mouthful and a lovely nutty taste from the black sesame. mmm.

elmo ordered red bean soup with mango pieces (of course). the mango was absolutely delicious. how i would love to live in a tropical country - think of all the fruits!
we returned later to sample the mango pudding and the tofu fa - equally silky and delicious.
we were in heaven!

eating aside: a mere two weeks in london and paris were not enough preparation for the excesses of hong kong.

the buildings are BIGGER.
the number of people: HUGER.
the shopping centres: HIGHER.
the smog: SMOGGIER.
it's a vibrant, bustling, elbows-out, get-on-with-it kinda city.

and though we barely embraced consumerism while we were in london or paris, we shamelessly lost control in hk at muji.

muji is a japanese lifestyle store that offers everything from furniture to fashion to food. there was something about the clean design and practical simplicity of their products that we couldn't resist.

we confess: we want to live a muji life!

elmo found this and immediately declared his love for it.it's a portable speaker, almost measuring 3cm across, that is charged via a usb port. this cute little cube flips out a plug that fits very sweetly into your mp3 player of choice. for its size, the sound is pretty good. and so far, we've got through a leonard cohen concert without losing power.

i can just imagine: elmo as dj at all our summer bbqs...

two-for-a-fiver

2009-12-07T18:00:00.002+11:00

we have returned from a lovely two weeks in london where we met elmo's new nephew, mr x.

last time i visited europe, i felt like i was in a theme park: 'i guess i better see the [insert famous icon/building] since i'm in [insert big city]'.

so, other than a few days in paris, it was a nice change to just hang out with the locals in east london and spend time with the newest member of the family...

mr x and his mum, L, took us to their favourite local haunts including a fabulous shop that sells fresh, buttery, flakey croissants near the columbia road flower market.

and what a gorgeous market too: i just loved the stallholders with their sing-song 'two-for-a- fiver', 'three-for-a-fiver' chorus as we strolled through their lovely roses, tulips, black eucalyptus plants and many many more. they all looked so beautiful - i so desperately wanted to take some plants home with us!

rosebud

2009-11-03T08:00:00.002+11:00

I'm also excited that plants are waking up in the spring air.
One rosebud, taking a stretch, about to bloom..
And some mint for summertime Pimms...

Tell Mama All About It

2009-10-23T08:00:00.002+11:00

You may or may not have noticed a slight proliferation in toy related posts.

Yes, it is that time in life when folks all around us are sprogging.
As one former, ahem, backbencher used to say: one for mum, one for dad and one for the nation?

It's fun. We get to play with the kiddies when they're well behaved, and then we return them as they become spewing/pooing/crying... well, babies.

This is for Tamsin's 1st birthday this weekend, Mama Bear from the Softies book.
I debated with myself: is it right to present the apron on the bear?
I wouldn't want the 1-year old to think that a woman's place should be in the house, apron in tow, ready for domesticity. I spose you could use an apron for...woodwork? ....or something else associated with little boys.

[I can already hear my siblings groaning at me...GROAN]

Would a 1 year old even register this thought? Even subliminally?

Feel free to tell me that this is political correctness gone mad (my siblings would), and I should get over it already!

Though, I quite like how the apron is reversible...

Rewatching: Flight of the Conchords, Season I
Relistening: Sunday Night Safran podcasts

good golly miss polly

2009-10-18T08:00:00.004+11:00

Deja vu: another Softies toy- this time a Miss Monty from the Miss Polly pattern by Nest Studio.

I must confess, I am jealous of this Miss Monty: she will live with Miss Leila in Karratha, a mining town way waaaay north-west in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Before I went back to uni, I travelled from Perth to Exmouth, some 1500 kilometres along the coastal highways of WA . The expanse and deep colour of the west coast ocean is something to be savoured - breathtaking clear greens and blues us East Coasters simply miss out on.

We slept in swags on the beach, committed small sins against the environment by going sand boarding (beware of this activity if you don't encourage sand going where sand should _really_ not go), and climbed majestic gorges in Karajini National Park. The absolute highlight was snorkelling in the Ningaloo Marine Park at Coral Bay, a small town that sits just near the Tropic of Capricorn.

Maybe it's because these experiences are all pre-Phud, but I can't help but associate a sense of calm and warmth with this part of the world. Perhaps all the Melbourne Spring rain is just making me a bit nostalgic for some sunshine?

2009-08-26T08:00:00.002+10:00

This winter, we finally made the pilgrimage to Logan's Beach, a whale nursery in western Victoria, in the hope of glimpsing a Southern Right Whale. In anticipation of a long wait, we had brought along a thermos, a couple of books and even Scrabble.

In the end there was no need: as we joined the other whale watchers at the lookout, we immediately spotted four cows and two calves.

It was amazing how close these beautiful creatures were to the beach. Most of the time, you can really only see the top of their long black bodies (maybe you can see a whale about a quarter of the way down in the photo above), but we did the occasional fin when the whales were body rolling or, more magnificently, a glimpse of a whale's mouth as she skyhopped.

Although the weather turned the next day, to the pleasure of all us crazies braving the wind and rain at the lookout, we managed to spot a tail (more images here). The whales will head to the Antarctic soon, but are in Australian waters for a few more weeks if you're keen.

Of course, my favourite thing to do on a country road trip is visit the local op shops and markets. We bought fresh produce, a bucket of honey and a large assortment of CWA-style biscuits and treats - think anzac biscuits, jam drops, yo-yo biscuits and jelly cakes (our absolute favourite). Oldies but so good(ies).

We also picked up a couple of plates: the first with a sweet floral design, maybe to serve jelly cakes?
And I love the pattern on this oven proof plate. It's oval in shape and the perfect size for steaming a fish in the wok.

Doffing bonnets

2009-08-22T08:00:00.007+10:00

I finally graduated a couple of weeks ago, and received a pot of gorgeous roses from m's and ms k (thanks guys!). These lovelies sit proudly on my balcony, greeting the morning sun.

After such a lengthy thesis submission/ examination / revision process, it's easy to overlook the simple fact that being awarded your degree is an achievement to be celebrated, the official coda of your university life. So it was a good opportunity to take a step back, be grateful for making it to the end, and thank family and friends for their support and endurance - not only during my studies but also of the ceremony itself (mum didn't waste time: she crocheted a baby blanket for Elmo's new nephew who arrived on Monday in London).

After the ceremonial bonnet doffing to the chancellor, we joined the other graduates snapping photos with their families on the sunny university lawn. I reflected on all those years spent on the lawns: skipping lectures to lie on the grass on a nice day, sitting with a coffee under my favourite tree or rushing through on the way to a seminar. It was an immeasurable feeling to think: I Do Not Belong Here Anymore.

ground control to major tom

2009-08-02T16:00:00.002+10:00

elmo is about to become an uncle for the first time, so we are sending this cosmonaut over to london, all wrapped up in a kitschy australiana teatowel i picked up at the vic market. the pattern comes from the softies book and was a breeze to make.

we had been to see the Blackeyed Susans at the Forum that afternoon, so i spent a few hours listening to old susies ceedees while making Cosmo. i think this is why his smile looks so sly, like he knows something we dont know. yet.

one down; three more toys for three new bubs due before the year is out.
back to the sewing machine...

Flaming Lips

2009-08-01T10:00:00.002+10:00

Flaming Lips @ Festival Hall
29th July 2009

My two hopes for this gig: Wayne Coyne in a bubble strolling over the punters (check), and a live rendition of Race For the Prize (woohoo, check!).

We used to listen to The F'lips every Friday afternoon in the lab. It was the perfect way to end the working week and, of course, we secretly hoped that Coyne was singing about us and our research when he says:

Two scientists were racing
For the good of all mankind
Both of them side by side
So determined
Locked in heated battle
For the cure that is their prize
But it's so dangerous
But they're determined

We can dream can't we?

The Flaming Lips are famous for their spectacular live shows: dancing furry animals situated stage left and right, "magical spheres" gently punched in the air and regular bouts of confetti/streamers snowed on the happy crowd. To the punters' delight, the band delivered all this and more on Wednesday night. All aspects of our aural and visual senses were assaulted: video projections, strobe lighting, giant caterpillars - you could even feel the bass through the floorboards.

In some ways, all this spectacle might equate distraction and render the band as mere soundtrack. During some parts of the evening, all this fervent energy threatened to outdo the true core of an amazing awesome gig: so, was the music any good?

The music of the F'lips veers from sweet, wobbley melodies and characters (think Yoshimi) to crashing, crunching white noise - sometimes within the same song. The production on the night was definitely not as slick as some of their records, and the songs had quite a rough sound at times. The set included a few new songs, and plenty of sing-a-long moments including: The Fight Test, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and Do You Realise?.

My favourite aspect of this gig how inclusive it felt - Coyne is a charismatic front man and speaks to everyone in the room (even the poor souls on the outer edges of Festy Hall). The energy in the room was simply amazing. I think this is what separates the Flaming Lips from other, more pedestrian bands: it was an incredible, intense experience - the animals, the music, the confetti, it was just so much fun. Everything you might expect from the F'lips. I have been finding random bits of orange and yellow confetti in my jacket and purse the last couple of days, and am happy to be reminded of this wonderful gig this week.

So when Coyne asks us all to join in a mass karate chop during Yoshimi (it's our only chance to karate chop in the evening after all) - who are we to say no?

of late...

2009-07-27T07:30:00.006+10:00

it's been really busy lately (what? it's july already?!), so i have come to treasure the time i can spare for some sewing.

* my third attempt at crafting a baby quilt.
i confess that i'm making it up as i go along, but i think i'm improving a little bit with each attempt.
the fabrics are a mix of brand new, op-shopped or gifts from our circle of friends...

with a shinzi katoh frog for good measure...

* recently, i accompanied lise and d-man to ikea when they went to buy a kitchen (as you do).

i went exploring, discovered (apparently) better ways of living and, of course, complete disorientation ensued. do not veer from the ikea path in ikea world peoples!

it was with joy that i discovered the textiles section: this print is from the Gunilla range and i found a matching, plain canvas to go with. i snapped up a half metre of each and had to hold myself back from the other bolts of fabric.

i felt so inspired that i made this bag that very evening. this bag features a magnet snap clasp, a small pocket inside and a hook to hold keys. it's just big enough to hold A4-size documents, perfect for laptop free days to work... huzzah!

i always seem to come away from ikea feeling that life is poorer without a modular/minimalist/flim-flam organisation system.

(ok, alright, i want a clean-living, clutter-free, sweet ikea life, damnit!)

PS: we've been wanting to get out of the big smoke for a while, so we took advantage of a free weekend and went down to the peninsula.

a while back, i did some weeding and planting with a volunteer group.
how amazing is this transformation: compare this to our visit last week

our little grasses are so big...and it's so green and lush! it was very exciting to see =)

Sound Relief, MCG

2009-03-15T10:14:00.007+11:00

in between drenchings - an amazing glow from the grounds...

Even 25mm of rain did not deter the punters too much, there was a great vibe from the happy, poncho'ed up folks unlucky to be in the open. Each time the black clouds rolled in, we all pulled on our raincoats and continued enjoying the music at Sound Relief, the benefit concert for the Victorian Bushfires.

There were so many highlights from this incredible bill, but it's hard to go past the reformation of Hunters and Collectors, Split Enz and Midnight Oil. Their songs are so ingrained in our culture, it was stunning to experience these songs live. We crossed to the more sunny SCG during the day for the sister event, and were witness to Farnesy singing 'You're the voice' with Coldplay as the backing band.

We soaked up the crowd sing-a-longs: Paul Kelly singing "Leaps and Bounds", an impromptu Crowded House appearance following Liam Finn's drum and theremin solo (the punters roared when Finn jnr began introducing Uncle Nick, and the Finn snrs...), Kylie and "I still call Australia home", Midnight Oil and those distinctive three chords announcing "Beds are burning" and the Hunners' "Throw your arms around me".

A fantastic, exhausting experience.

Sew-sew

2008-11-30T14:00:00.017+11:00

Yesterday, i taught my first sewing class; we made reversible tote bags and a pinch pouch (at least, this is what i've been calling them! here is another example). the blokes were banished from sewing central, and we listened to the radio all day and ate pizza bread in between bouts at the machine.

the pinch pouches use a flexible metal frame that pinches at the side to open and snaps back in place to close shut. we found these frames (and cute fabrics) at amitie.
i made this pinch pouch during the week to test out the pattern (also from amitie).
i do love the grumpy saucepan and the talking cup of coffee on the print above. i used a sunny, floral japanese print inside.although the frames were a bit tricky to deal with, these pinch pouches were relatively easy to make. i was left a little unsatisfied with the pattern and might try another one next time...

elmo came home from overseas with a very kool, special request book from kinokuniya...
which inspired this morning's project. this is a present for a gorgeous three year old, perfect for colouring pencils =)
elmo's derwents look so sweet in this pencil case! in the 80s, derwent pencils were a much prized possession. your school projects immediately went up a grade if you used derwents doncha know!

you're tagged...

2008-11-15T09:00:00.012+11:00

i've been tagged by the lovely kate, my first tag!

these are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random, some weird.
3.Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

here goes.
Fact 1.
i am a morning person. or a late night person. i like the stillness of these times of the day. i am utterly useless during the afternoons/evenings, and require tea and chocolate to function.

Fact 2.
i like silence. sometimes, people talk too much.

Fact 3.
(i'm really shy) (i'm so shy i have to write this in brackets)(this is often mistaken for politeness)

Fact 4.
puns are silly. they make me feel humourless! i tell people i'm humourless so they're not offended when i don't laugh at their puns. i find people funnier than jokes. i like to laugh at my friends =p

Fact 5.
i love to use my hands for: playing music. cooking. making stuff. EATING. tickling. i want a job where i get to work with my hands.

Fact 6.
i have a poor memory for facts. i struggled through uni exams but i revelled in writing essays because there was a sense of narrative and argument. however if information is in sound/music form, it just sticks. so i get distracted by melodies and i have to listen to talk radio - sunday night safran podcasts were my saviour when i was writing up!

Fact 7.
a) i loove movies. i'm one of those crazy loons at the film festival who packs a picnic lunch for the day. then i spend another day reading essays about the movies. then i try to find someone to talk to about the movies and the essays =)
b) my life long wish is to cure my cinematic illiteracy. a random example, i've only ever seen bits of apocalypse now or kill bill or, gulp, a bond movie (well, i guess this can wait, refer to Fact 4)

you're welcome to play along, consider yourself tagged =)

happy halloween!

2008-11-01T01:00:00.004+11:00

i must share these amazing creations from earlier this evening - these carved pumpkins are amazing.

bloody awesome work, j!

best costume of the night goes to the devilled egg.
i do love a halloween party =D

all is quiet on the blog front...more soon...

belated present #2_ peachy pouch

2008-10-15T18:35:00.007+11:00

in between watching project runway season 5 and more baking, i put together a small pouch for belated present #2. this was tailored for a girly (but not too girly) chick, hence the hidden print inside.
mmm, i'm a big fan of the red stripey linen trim...
but i can't bear to use these gorgeous shinzi katoh linen trims just yet... *warning* clicking on katoh's website may cause excessive drooling...

spring _systems gardens

2008-10-13T14:56:00.004+11:00

getting cushy

2008-10-08T15:35:00.003+11:00

project: belated present #1
i spent the day catching up with season 3 of the mighty boosh and making my first set of cushion covers. these are to be a housewarming gift; i'm visualising these cushions on c's gorgeous chaise longue, reupholstered in red velvet (!) - how swish!

found a lovely tablecloth at the op shop to match the raindrop print, i do love those autumnal colours...

l.o.l.

2008-10-07T12:16:00.010+11:00

it's been a great, lazy, computer-less week as a lady of leisure (l.o.l.). my shoulders have dropped and i've done away with the deep heat. my posture is shameful, and my shoulders ached and ached during my writing up time...i'm such an old lady!

more importantly, i have been hanging out with my fam and friends, went to the patchy Art Deco exhibition at the NGV (gorgeous dresses though), and have been catching up on recommended flicks and much missed reading ... so good!

i started unpacking some boxes from our mid-april move and rediscovered some beads and bits (it's been ages!). i don't have pierced ears so i'm not really sure if these would work or not in real- life ear-holes, but it's fun to play. the spears are so elegant
i found these cute beads when i was in Porto two years ago. mmm, maybe a smaller chain? it seems too heavy to me...

and i've been meaning to do something, anything with these gorgeous beads for ages..i'm not ready for reality yet...

hurray!

2008-10-02T10:10:00.005+10:00

this week, i swapped these:

...for these!

New projects

2008-09-23T10:00:00.005+10:00

Drafts returned [tick]
Proofreader proofreading [tick]
Completing my Completion Seminar #1 [tick]

Delaying thoughts of second Completion Seminar #2 [tick]

Write abstract [mmmm...]

Figure out how to compile data and text into thesis-form [uhoh...]

despite this stoopid cold i've developed over the weekend, it's a good place to be.

Meanwhile, in procrasti-nation, some forward thinking for projects post-submission:

thanks to kinokuniya, my sib's OS trips to -er- kinokuniya and awesome friends, i have a small collection of pattern books.

project #1 from book#1 - a wedding dress. as in a dress to attend a wedding (not my own..no decisions in that department yet!)

project #2-??? - i have missed many birthdays, so surprises galore to be presented.

i feel blessed to be around folks who see the image below and say, casually: 'oh that's the squid overlord'. i love it.

the woollen version of the cthulhu seems rather friendly for an overlord. personally, i like his dr zoidberg-esque qualities. but, first things first, crochet lessons...

Speaking of all things d.i.y, i'm looking forward to seeing this flick documenting the handmade revolution. Check out their flickr site to see how they shot the opening credits...

in conclusion...

2008-08-28T20:03:00.003+10:00

in conclusion, i miss my family and friends, and look forward to resuming relations with them

in conclusion, i miss BOOKS and FILMS and STUFF: happy dances all 'round when reacquainted
(*newsflash* just added to list: joseph o'neill's netherland)

in conclusion, in my next life, i shall not undertake phud stud-ies but instead work as a pastry chef. or a librarian. or a concert pianist. or a writer.

in conclusion, life begins again.. not yet. but soon.

in conclusion, i must finish off this last paragraph!

sock it to me..

2008-08-21T16:56:00.006+10:00

take 1x old retired sock and,
fill with 2-3 handfuls of wheat
hand stitch the end securely
40 seconds in microwave [edit, make it 30 seconds!]
place on sore neck (curse you bad posture!)...ah!
yippees and happy dances inside
back to the last chapter!

the getting of wisdom

2008-08-20T14:34:00.003+10:00

if you knew susie...

2008-07-26T10:55:00.010+10:00

whoosh and a few months disappear.

the eternal conundrum - how can so much, yet so little, be happening at the same time?
moving again, writing, a notice for jury duty (!), brain-busting thinking, almost missing a plane, procrastination, more banana bread then more writing.
the end is getting closer; there are many folks to thank and much to celebrate!

To celebrations of a more important kind: a present for a girl's most glamourous day (i hope i'm not spoiling the surprise for the bride-to-be - shh!).

A shiny first-aid kit to be filled with panadol, band-aids, bobby pins, mints, tissues etc to survive the big day..and perhaps to survive joining our happy family?

work in progress (green duck for luck).

The finished product...

it's the cat's miaow

2008-04-18T14:45:00.009+10:00

i've been hanging out to try my hand at stamp making for a while.
during my daily bout of procastination, instead of the market or the teevee or yet another cawfee, i went to the art shop and got some lino cut tools and an 8cm x 8cm slab of rubber. If you wanted to try this yourself, you only need a sharp scalpel blade and a normal eraser.
i reckon the trick is to stamp-as-you-carve to see which sections need refinement.the top left one was the first trial after the initial carving, it's quite kool to see how the shape evolves. feel well chuffed by my first go, but definitely less curvy lines next time!
Progress of second attempt below, still need some practice - or a microscope!

ginkgo lindy bag

2008-03-10T14:11:00.009+11:00

Another bout of sewing due to a zip which stopped zippering /zipping (?) on the old faithful handbag.
Mental note: Stop Stuffing Too Much Stuff Into Small Spaces!

Some inspiration from one of those glossies, a spot of measuring, draw up a pattern and a couple of hours later...
I also gave this Ginkgo Lindy Bag some extra love in the form of a few sprays of waterproofing (as you would you use to protect suede shoes).

laneway festival

2008-02-27T09:31:00.008+11:00

Sunday last, I was a lucky ducky and scored a freebie to the sold out, happy vibe of the Laneway Festival (BIG cheers jas!). Who says no to ‘we have a spare ticket to the laneway festival, are you free?’

From humble beginnings at St Jerome’s in Caledonian Lane four years ago, the festival now spills out onto Lonsdale Street with crushing people traffic to and from multiple stages. Most folks are pretty friendly and cruisey: hang on tight and go with the flow.

We caught Okkervil River, The Panics, a bit of local doo-wop-sters Little Red, Broken Social Scene, CYHSY! and Feist. We found ourselves wanting more from all of these bands – the organisers were pretty keen to stick to the tight schedule.

The Panics and CYHSY were favourites – The Panics are a great band to see on a sunny afternoon (finally got to see them – yay!); and though the vocal stylings of Alec Ounsworth of CYHSY can be difficult to listen to on record, on stage, the band was compelling and exciting.

Feist was clearly a highlight for many in the crowd: her short set had such a fun, sing-a-long vibe, even a hardened cynical heart like mine could not hold sway. When fellow Canadians Broken Social Scene and Stars were invited to join Feist on stage for the finale, the kids went nuts and all the tallest-men-in-the-world sighed (they follow me around at gigs those tall guys, I swear. Damnit being a shortie).

A chill out area –somewhere- anywhere- would have been good to just get out of the crowd and rest the legs (very overwhelming for someone who has been solidly working on the phud with a laptop for company ;p). An exhausting but fantastic day!

Go easy on the clutch...

2008-01-28T10:11:00.000+11:00

A couple of challenges this week: repeating the felt dice for a surfer friend, perhaps to adorn his station wagon? I like to imagine them swinging their way down to Bells, heavy metal blaring in the background. I even bought a thimble for the next time anyone wants to pay me a bzillion bucks to make another damn set ;)

My second challenge was inspired by this tute, found through here.

Mum used to have a couple of matching sparkly purses using these metal frames. I like ‘em cos they’re a little bit old fashioned and a little bit elegant. Also, they’re the perfect size to pop in keys, lip gloss and tissues (especially for weddings. I hate that I’m such a sucker at weddings, bah! plenty of tissues for jfox please).

The purse itself is a cinch to sew together, it’s a simple pattern to draw up and I added an inside pocket (for a tram ticket maybe?). It was a bit fiddly getting the fabric into the frame but it wasn’t as hard as keeping the glue from blobbing out onto the purse. Don’t look too closely ;D

Glue issues aside, I’m rather chuffed with the end result.

And how awesome is the burnt orange!

lomo schlomo

2008-01-04T10:36:00.001+11:00

In recent years, the digital revolution has exponentially and essentially wiped out film based cameras. My first camera, a Pentax PC-303S lies dormant, though not forgotten (so rare to find a developers for film). It was with immense surprise and delight to simultaneously receive a kool digital cam (thanks heaps bellas!), and the more curious, a plastic toy, the Diana camera (big cheers to cammers and mike!).

Revived by the lomographic society (of the reinvented Russian lomo camera fame), the Diana camera recreates the 120 film camera which originated from the Great Wall Plastics Factory in Hong Kong during the 1960s. According to the accompanying booklet , this camera appears to be somewhat of a sleeper hit. Although upon immediate release, the Diana failed to find a market and was discontinued a decade later, lo-fi and experimental photographers have sustained a cult following of the Diana and its many 120 film cousin cameras.

It's been so much fun to be introduced to a medium film format and the resulting photographs have a gorgeous vignetting on the edges. The camera itself is lightweight, a little bit fragile and extremely bulky by today's standards. There are basic aperture and shutter settings, although there are some light leakages (got myself some electrical tape jaye!). The updated version includes a panorama or pinhole function and a tripod mount.

I loaned the camera to jaye who took some great shots on a jaunt to st kilda, and who sadly returned to SA before the prints were developed. Great photos jaye ;)

These were printed at the glorious Vanbar (excellent service, well recommended) and the suggested glossy finish results in a striking contrast between the grainy / tactile /slightly fuzzy quality of the image with the smooth shine of the paper itself.
If you're interested, you might be lucky to find one in an op shop or elsewhere on the internerd.
Can't wait to take some portraits with this!

Presenting the Mega-rous Tote

2007-12-15T08:20:00.000+11:00

This lovely gold print comes from talented local designer, Lara Cameron. I stumbled onto Lara’s blog in the last 18 months and have become a big fan of her elegant, simple designs. Sitting on top of the Riverside fabric are some letterpress cards with the Birch design also in gold (bah, my glare-y photo does these no justice).

To make my purse’s heart beat just that little bit faster, Lara has recently started printing on a gorgeous linen/cotton blend, ack! Her blog is well worth a visit and if you write to ask about her goodies, she’s helpful and friendly (damnit eh, flygirl? ;p ). Resist temptation if you can!

Since my el-cheapo handbag is beginning to resist all repairs, I decided to make myself a mega-rous tote that would be big enough to hold the papers for my studies (how’s that for procrastinating, huh?).

Anyway, every girl needs a mega-rous tote.

This prototype was simply put together using a length of denim, with a lined outside pocket consisting of the Riverside and a green Amitie fat quarter. The front pocket is split in two with stitching down the middle, and fits a rolled up Good Weekend. Happily, it also houses the good bits of the Saturday Age, my heavy-as laptop or all those damn papers.

I originally made the button flower for a badge, but thought a splash of red wouldn’t go astray. The whole thing closes with a magnetic snap fastener (these things are great!).

For take 2, I might include some inside pockets and a zip for added security (of the cities I’ve travelled, the only place I’ve been pickpocketed is good ol’ Melbourne. It’s sad but true).

When I passed Take 1 on to mum, she coo-ed at the mega-rous size and immediately filled the bag with her water bottle, notebooks, pens and other important stuff.

Maybe this is where I get it from? Yesterday, I read in an esteemed daily rag, er MX, that a chick will, on average, lug around 3kg of stuff. Don't know about you, but try as I might to be minimalist, I always end up with bag full of useless -but potentially useful- s.t.u.f.f. (damnit! ;p ).

lately...

2007-12-06T17:37:00.000+11:00

does anyone else have that dizzying uh-oh-everything-is-happening-at-once feeling?
and where did the last 11 months and 5 days go?
i'm asking santa for a big wallop of time, thanks very much!

in between my poor attempts to make up for all that lost time, i've been enjoying my sis' herb garden - looking rather chipper below - and loved Royal Crown Revue at the Corner last week.

the akira fabrics are from his recent annual sale at the gpo. it was fascinating to watch a room of women very politely, but very firmly, pushing and shoving towards boxes of trims and racks of beautiful dresses. the man himself patiently refolded his clothes and chatted to punters about their weddings or how to use his threads.
now what to do with my stash?

it's a good life...

2007-11-13T14:19:00.000+11:00

cheeky monkey

2007-10-28T21:30:00.001+11:00

a load of hot air

2007-10-25T18:09:00.000+10:00

who would have thought so many people were up before the crack of dawn?

after a couple of false starts due to inclement weather, including a cancellation at the ungodly time of 3:45am, we finally had the chance to go for a hot air balloon ride (elmo did well to keep this a secret for so long!).
.
we started at southbank at 4:30am, headed out to monash uni and were in the air by 5:30am. this was the best part of the morning: watching half a dozen giant deflated balloons gently roar to life one by one, the air swirling around inside as they begin to lift off the footy ground. we waved the first balloons off, then a quick scramble into the basket and away we floated, waving goodbye to the ground crew ourselves. not sure if it was the lack of cawfee or the lack of sleep, but this was a truly magical experience.
despite the low cloud, the view was spectacular. from the air, we saw the synchrotron, trains and cars on the freeways, the racetrack, various universities, many a dream suburban home (so many swimming pools in the eastern suburbs. tsktsk ;p), elmo's old high school, the amazing greenery surrounding melbourne and folks on a morning jog or walking their dogs.

other than the odd burst of flame to keep us afloat, it was eerily quiet, so still, so peaceful.
as we neared the cbd, the winds became more temperamental so our pilot, marlon, landed us with a few soft thuds on an unsuspecting school oval. for this honour, the groundsman was more than happy to accept a bottle of champers, a tradition harking back to French pioneers who appeased folks with their local sparkling, when landing in their fields. marlon tells us this also served as assurance that 'balloonatics' were not messengers of the devil.
we ended the morning with a champagne breakfast with our fellow basket ballooners to celebrate various anniversaries, weddings and birthdays. incredible to think we can still experience this technology, and an unforgettable, breathtaking start to the morning (thank you so much elmo :) )

Words and Music

2007-10-22T00:36:00.000+10:00

Paul Kelly @ Corner Hotel
20^th October 2007

I must confess that my appreciation for Paul Kelly is only new. This is an atrocity given that I’m surrounded by massive Paul Kelly fans (dr b, pierre burkensoir and elmo to name only a few ardent devotees); and that his words and music are so intrinsic to the place and character of Melbourne, the only town I would ever really call home.

My new found admiration comes via his words. When plotting a birthday surprise of tickets to the Corner Hotel gig, I wanted to plant postcards bearing Kelly’s lyrics all around Elmo’s abode. It was through this process that I began to appreciate the universality of his stories and the simple, poetic economy with which he uses language. Kelly says so much without saying anything at all.

As a new recruit, I don’t feel that I deserve to comment too much more. Only to say that the gig at the Corner Hotel was amazing; there was an incredible energy from the crowd. Kelly’s set opened with They Thought I Was Asleep and featured plenty of material from recent album Stolen Apples such as You’re 39, You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine, Stolen Apples Taste the Sweetest, The Ballad of Queenie and Rover. Other treats included How To Make Gravy, Deeper Water, Leaps and Bounds, Before Too Long and Careless.

Support act CW Stoneking and band joined Kelly during the first encore highlight ‘Stumbling Block’; the tuba from CW’s band providing a carnival-esque, ominous sound to the rousing chorus. The second encore featured an acoustic sing-a-long version of Everything’s Turning to White and From St Kilda to King’s Cross, ably backed by nephew Dan (Lovely Dan) Kelly.

The band, composed of established musos, sounded incredible, so crisp and clean, with a driving rhythm section from drummer Peter ‘Lucky’ Luscombe and bassist from Bill McDonald. I was excited to see ex-Even singer/songwriter Ash Naylor, resplendent in a ratty but smart pin-stripe suit, providing appropriate rock flourishes. All the band members variously sang harmonies, of particular note, Dan Kelly’s falsetto during Careless; and it was wonderful to see such a genuine camaraderie onstage.

Kelly’s songs elevate the familiar into poetry, hearing the opening words of Leaps and Bounds, I felt immediately at home: I’m high on the hill /Looking over the bridge / To the MCG / The clock on the silo / Says eleven degrees. I can imagine that ex-pats would feel a pang upon hearing even a flicker of Kelly’s words and music.

No wonder his gigs regularly sell out, the mutual warmth between Kelly and the crowd was undeniable; we’ll be sure to see him again soon.

in a nutshell: ryan, hoodoo bruise, dig it

2007-10-18T21:20:00.004+10:00

excuse me for being slack, i never did end up writing up ryan adams and the cardinals at the palais, or the hoodoo gurus / radio birdman / the stems at the forum {sorry yoss!}.

in a few nutshells:
1. ryan adams has a beautiful, heart-melting voice and his band is amazing, but the evening was lacking a certain something. however, to my delight, the band played plenty of tracks from Cold Roses and their recent album Easy Tiger.

2. hard to believe the stems/radio birdman/hoodoo gurus originally started gigging around in the 80s - they all sounded so dynamic and present. i couldn't believe how RAWK the hoodoo gurus were. ever the consummate professionals, they even happily played requests from the very noisy crowd (this was unlike at the Ryan Adams gig where a Cardinal remarked, "we appreciate your requests. but we will not be honouring them"]
it was an all-killer-no-filler-set spanning most of their recordings and included leilani, like wow wipeout, i want you back, what's my scene and waking up tired.
to my embarrassment, i sustained my first gig injury during the hoodoo gurus - two big bruises on my right foot from the over-excited crowd. not sure if this is a testament to the frenzy whipped up by the band or my own old-aged-ness :)
maybe i'll go and see behemoth and aim for an bruise to brag about!!
[in fact, this is an extremely unfair stereotype that testosterone fuelled bands are more dangerous gigs to attend. we went to see the datsuns a few years ago, and the punters there were the most polite and thoughtful we'd met at any gig. they variously stood aside to let us through, and made sure we could see dolf de datsun striding around on stage.]

3. finally, may i present: the latest project from the shed of jfox.
a camera pouch for a lovely, generous, surprising gift (thank you bellas!). a grey, stripey sock wasn't really doing the shiny digital camera any justice!

although i wouldn't normally plan too much, it was well worth it taking a few basic measurements. this is also the first time i've tried my hand at using quilt wadding (such a deliciously odd/not-quite-right word!).

feel well chuffed with the result, though i'm not quite ready to launch into quilting territory; just not sure about all those florals and pastels ;)

:: almost finished, unplanned stitching begins... {and no idea what i'm doing!}

:: pouch perve...

:: the finished product, a snug-as-a-bug fit

beauty in chaos

2007-10-18T21:17:00.000+10:00

collins street ~3:30pm

Surprise!

2007-09-16T14:11:00.001+10:00

i'm extremely bad with surprises; i always ruin them.

if i'm planning a surprise for someone else, i have big problems keeping my big mouth shut cos i can't wait to present the gift.
conversely, if someone tells me there's a surprise coming, i stoopidly guess away until i wear them down, thereby ruining it for myself. i should just learn to enjoy the anticipation huh?

and it's not because i can't keep a secret (don't worry folks! it's all in the vault).

two cases in point: the previous pressie hadn't even been mailed when i posted it... i'm really hoping that a certain someone's track record of only checking this blog when the link is sent will hold true. anyway [lame justification ahead], i needed to ask someone else's opinion on the matter... ...

and now: i can't even wait two measly weeks to give little miss and master buttons away.
a piddlely two weeks.
ended up passing them on as soon as i made them, "surprise!"

the glass-half-fulls out there might say, well that actually adds to the surprise. it all works out, see?

mmmm.

basically, if you like being surprised, never ask me if i have a secret plan, cos it will all come tumbling out. ;)

the pattern and fabric for miss buttons comes from the magnolia square market stash (damnit, the goodies in the maru bag are also meant to be a surprise!). miss b seemed lonely so i used some more of that fetching vintage kimono loot for master buttons.

wanna try? we've seen this pattern around town (eg Meet Me At Mikes) or you can try the original source here , check out the photo gallery of other little misses - it's like an army.

Vintage Schmintage

2007-09-09T18:24:00.000+10:00

my friend lisa, whom you may or may not recall as a self proclaimed Bogan, recently went to a recording of Deal Or No Deal. sadly, she didn't get a chance to swap witticisms with andrew o'keefe, but the funny thing about this tv show caper were the rules about dress.

Strictly Smart Casual.
No Denim.
No Stripes.
Apparently stripes or loud patterns don't go across the teev waves too well. And how would a self proclaimed Bogan cope without denim I asks ya?

i was reminded about this quirk of teev land when trying to snap my latest project.
granted, my lazy pics are generally fuzzy but do the polka dots seemed especially fuzzy??
or was it the influence of a double dose of cawfee?
:D

yup, i've moved away from the too-cute prints and pinks to some more muted fabric. i found these in a knitting/japan-o-phile shop in daylesford. the place had only just opened and the shopowner, a former textiles lecturer at r.m.i.t. informed us that these were sourced from vintage kimonos. the texture of the fabric is sturdy and lovely - how anyone could bear to cut them up for patchworking is beyond me!

considering how unplanned it was, i'm quite happy with this spontaneous project. this gift will be winging its way across the oceans to another hemisphere soon... am crossing fingers that the cat isn't out of the bag before it arrives!

for a minute there...

2007-07-16T18:41:00.001+10:00

random musical meanderings on the information superhighway while on the microscope this week. and it only confirms that im completely out of the musical landscape loop ;D

:: daytrotter really love the simple line drawings of the profiled artists, though i don't always know who they are so i take it as an opportunity to hear some new sounds with a free download or two ;)

and great feature on kurt vonnegaut (r.i.p)

:: stereogum presents OK_X, a 10th anniversary tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer.

eek! it's already been 10 years! in my youth, this album was a constant in my earholes on the train to uni. when i learnt how to play my mum's acoustic guitar (cos anyone can, right? ;p), i downloaded the geetar tabs from this album and also jeff buckley's Grace.
on reflection, it wasn't as ambitious as you might think and i did manage most of the songs on OK Computer.
Grace on the other hand... mmm

anyway, no surprises that i eventually retreated to the sunshine power pop chords of jason falkner's Author Unknown and teenage fanclub's classic Grand Prix.
diversions aside, download the tribute album while you can - it's all legal and free! i have only just grabbed it so a [ ] yay or [ ] nay report soon!

a scratch to itch...

2007-07-09T12:58:00.001+10:00

sometimes i think my biggest lesson in returning to study has been learning how to exercise patience and restraint.
lately, this seems to be mostly derived from frustration *grrr-bah*!
dr b poses a good question: where _do_ all the unanswered emails and phone calls go?
don't worry, i'm ok! i merely diverted some of that frustration-energy into the sewing machine and made a bag using gorgeous fabrics from kimono house (with some help from amitie textiles, and a friendly cup of tea from son ;) ).

presto vest-o

2007-07-04T16:56:00.002+10:00

The winter cold is killing me! After being spoiled with sunnier climes this time last year, I am finding the current Melbourne weather a bit bite-y and chilly - brrrr! With all the studying and stressing, i haven't found spare time to go shopping for winter duds (and ok, i actually really really hate shopping. do we really need all this *stuff*, more *stuff* and that shiny *stuff*?)

when it was a little warmer, my friend pierre burkensoir hosted a garage sale at his joint for a friend and, like seagulls swooping on a recently vacated fish and chip session, my sis and i got to pick through the leftover dregs.

in this cold shivering weather, i was extremely grateful for the goodget of a grey lambs wool/angora jumper. a few centimetres taken in on the side and a couple of larger snips taken off the arms, it makes for a toasty, fleecey, vesty thing. i wore it for about a week after i made it, such was its warmth (and goodget glow: that feeling kept me warm too! ha!).

you may wonder where this scavenging for the el bargain-o comes from: my mum is the queen of good gets. in fact, we used to trawl after her on saturday mornings at various op shops, and she often passes on random goods from treasure hunting; handbags galore "it was only a dollar!" or skirts to turn into bags " just sew up this bit here, and then add some handles - easy!".

she'd be so proud :D

ps: would anyone like some grey lambswool/angora arm warmers? ;p

creative fix

2007-07-02T13:45:00.001+10:00

with the piano at my parents' place, i find myself at a loss without some creative release. all-day-every-day: experimenting, confocalling -scan-scan-scan, writing, experimenting, reading, writing, photoshopping, reading, more writing, procrastinating, experimenting, ... arrghhhhh!

i bought some red fleece on sale to make a hoodie for winter. out of pure laziness the fabric remains all rolled up, hanging in a spotlight bag on the back of my bedroom door. i did manage to pin the pattern pieces on (huzzah!) but the project remains eerily silent, inert. meanwhile, winter soldiers on, taking all with its icy tentacles. every morning i see that fabric as i leave for work and think, gee i should get onto that soon. before winter's really over.. then again, i could use that fabric to sit on the beach... mmmm.
[Procrastinators Unite Tomorrow! i'm currently claiming lack of time. on the plus side, all this practise at procrastinating means i'm going to be SO good at it!]

my current favourite quick and easy creative burst is to play with paper. i looooove paper. cammers and i went to a paper expo at st kilda town hall many moons ago (yup. they exist. and we actually went). we were amazed / somewhat frightened by how many other people really looooooove paper. despite the fact that the majority of the crowd were middle aged women, it was roll-up-your-sleeves, elbows out and into the fray.
and don't think that it didn't cross our minds that we may well have glimpsed our future either!

i like to make cards for my mates: it's so simple and each one is unique. it's really so satisfying! i have finally given this lot away, so they can be posted without spoiling any surprises... ;)
now, back to procrastinating, er.. writing, experimenting, more writing, confocalling -scan-scan-scan....

St Andrews Market

2007-06-10T20:29:00.003+10:00

my good friend jess-bo lives near kinglake, about an hour's drive north west of melbourne. jess is one of those solid, no b.s. country kids and her attitude to city slickers' slickness is refreshing (i also love hearing stories about her animals, she used to own a pet goat with one horn, sad but true - and amusing to a city chick). it was through jess that I found out about the St Andrews market, down the road from her property. she warned us about the hippies, but with my faux-hippiness down pat, it didn't deter us too much.
besides, it was a good excuse to go for a weekend drive.

we should have taken note of the wisdom of jess.
! ha

seriously though, take a few minutes to adjust to the environs and take a walk through the stalls - lots of handmade goodies with plenty of organic produce and great food to eat. you can even get a haircut or a massage! we munched on a frankfurt with sauerkraut/mustard and some pumpkin soup ( which had a dash of chilli, coriander and ginger) with a loaf of fresh rye bread. delicious!

Delicious treat from the cafe across the road

silver linings: wilco, catpower and bjork's latest

2007-06-10T20:13:00.001+10:00

maybe it was the anticipation.
maybe it was too much of a good thing.

having had a few listens to the new wilco album _sky blue sky_, it pains me to say that i have found myself skipping tracks. i don't mind a bit of country, i don't even mind the wall of noise experimenting - i could even put up with noodling...for a while..., but i should just accept that i don't dig on the 70s west coast sound.

it's true that i often expect too much (of everything!) but i must confess i'm disappointed. there's still the odd lap steel flourish and tweedy's sighing, melancholic voice is in fine form but the pace feels too slow or too relaxed; there's an intensity lacking. there are more empty spaces in the songs and the arrangements don't seem as sharp. the restlessness and turbulence at force during their recent live performances are starkly missing.

c'mon jfox, i hear you say. this is jeff tweedy as his most chirpy and happy. he's shrugged off his drug addled demons, he has a stable family, a stable band - he's h.a.p.p.y.
why doncha leave him alone!

all i can say is, i'm happy that jeff's happy...maybe it'll grow on me?

not to say it's completely unlistenable. it's a great weekend album, lazing away in bed with the papers and a cup of coffee in the mornings. overall though, this album is not as compelling as their back catalogue. looking forward to the next one...

::

in the meantime, i have been enjoying cat power's latest "the greatest" in the last few months. it's a summery, warm album with the gentle voice of chan marshall. current favourite track is "islands" which makes me want to jet off to a beach with a pina colada, a good book and a man waving a palm frond over me ;D

::

also, bjork's new album volta landed in my mitts courtesy of cobs, cheers! it's the first time i've listened to a complete album since _post_ more than a decade ago *gulp*. i don't always dig what she does (the dogme musical??) but i love that she doesn't bow to current or retro fads. in a pop culture landscape that is often monotonous or a cheap tease, the mere thought of bjork forging on and stretching herself is enough to keep searching for something new. i love that her art is undeniably of her spirit.

in _volta_, it's reassuring to hear that bjork remains agitated, dynamic and creative. this is perhaps most apparent in the opening track 'earth intruders' or 'innocence'. in quieter tracks, bjork uses simple arrangements to mix traditional instruments - indigenous or more classical- to complement her voice.

A sense of insistence is created with bjork's trademark angular electronic beats and stylings, a core element of her work and a constant undertone to this album.

it may well be that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but after listening to this latest offering, i'm tempted to revisit her more recent albums _vespertine_ or _medulla_. _volta_ is well worth checking out.

Are these for real?

2007-05-25T17:49:00.000+10:00

Mr Yippee?One bean at a time?

Rock and roll is not a specator sport, baby

2007-05-21T10:09:00.001+10:00

Hands down, that is the best line I’ve ever heard at a gig. This week was bookended by two local bands that couldn’t be more disparate.

13th May 2007
Architecture in Helsinki
w Muscles
Prince of Wales

AIH from the Car Park Festival, 2005

The week began with Architecture in Helsinki at the Prince supported by Muscles and Soft Tigers. Part of the appeal of live gigs is checking out the punters, figuring out what tribe they belong to, making outlandish assumptions about what they might do during the day or what other bands they might listen to. In keeping with AIH’s art school cred, the Prince was decorated with the cardigan/specs/kooky nerd look – male and female youths alike.

We arrived late due to an extremely long wait for dinner - an hour and a half for a shellfish stirfry and bad attitude from the staff. Steer clear of Claypots St Kilda until they get their service and kitchen up to speed with their newly expanded premises.

I really tried, but I just didn’t get Muscles: one man, a machine and a mike. It was all LOUD shouting and LOUD beats and NO dynamics – just a steady stream of LOUD. Louis had just been to see him the week before and Freddy reckoned there might be some influence of The Streets. I guess I need some melody and form in my sounds so I personally didn’t find Muscles particularly compelling.

Fans of Architecture in Helsinki would say that their mashed up sounds of horns, machines, vocals and random percussion is creative and fresh. I’ve not had an easy relationship with this band, when I saw them a couple of years ago at the Carpark Festival, I had to retire to the bar with a hotdog. Their music seemed too random and a bit amateurish and their mish-mash sounds were divergent rather than cohesive.

Since this time, they have lost a couple of brass players and gained a funk influence that provides a stronger framework for their hodge podge noodlings. Drawing largely from their current EP _Heart in Races_ and their previous album _In Case We Die_, it was interesting to hear how they have developed and the addition of a decent bass line is just enough to make their songs more listenable. I was pleasantly surprised (fellow carpark fest attendees mike and mel, I know. But it’s true, they were actually kinda ok).

However, diehard fan Freddy found their new sound too different to what had brought him to the band and seemed disappointed. It’s a shame: Freddy is a Bostonian who is returning soon to the US after a year in Melbourne and had been hanging out to see AIH in their home town. Although most people responded well to their new material, at one point, Kellie Sutherland had to say (paraphrased), “I know we’re in Melbourne, but get up and have a dance”.

18th May 2007

Airbourne

w Hell City Glamour, The Shine

Corner Hotel

Which brings us to Airbourne, The Shine and Hell City Glamour capping off the week at the Corner Hotel. None of these bands had to ask the crowd to dance – the punters were going absolutely bananas.

We caught the tail end of Hell City Glamour, whose lead singer provides the post title quickly followed by The Shine, an entertaining, rollicking, slightly glam in a bogan kinda way outfit. They announced their imminent support for the next instalment of Wrestlerock, the perfect indicator of their loud, fun, noisy RAWK.

But nothing compares to Airbourne. Don’t go for the music, there's nothing too imaginative or progressive in this department. Go for the intense, no bull, LOUD AS HELL show. Joel O’Keefe and the boys are dynamic and intensely strong performers, with O’Keefe pouring shots into the mouths of rabid punters at the front in between crowd surfing while striking his guitar all the way to the bar and back.

With all the dramatic lights, giant amps, frenzied guitar waving and head banging, it felt like at a stadium gig had been transplanted into the humble Corner Hotel. The gig was just as much fun for atmosphere as there was a wide range of testosterone present, from the original AC/DC fans right down to the younger, flannel-clad, uni crowd. And what a delicious pleasure to note the array of Metallica, Poison, Slayer and Motley Crue tees dotted amongst the punters. Like Dr B, I was cursing myself the whole night for forgetting my camera.

See them for the atmosphere, see it to revisit your (lost?) youth, live vicariously through the kids letting out their aggression in the mosh - just make sure you see them!

cawfeeee

2007-05-11T11:55:00.001+10:00

coffee = gooood
neeeed coffee daily
sick = no coffee
no coffee = sad jfox

before i came down with this damn cold [aaaaaa-choo!], i have been patronising various cafes during my morning walk to work looking for a fresh hit. the winner so far has to be the GPOs Federal Coffee Palace. once the dude starts making my coffee as i walk up those stairs, then i know i have found a good barista for the winter...

Federal Coffee Palace = excellent cawfee

Some other cawfeeees consumed...

University Cafe = so-so cawfeee

Food and Wine Festival = creamy cawfeee

Tap tap...tap

2007-05-04T09:24:00.000+10:00

Zelda: Take that, Procrasti-Nation!

[i wish! ok back to work then... looking fwd to getting out of the big smoke this weekend, going down to the peninsula for a small break, maybe see how the plants are going]

w(arm)er

2007-04-25T18:47:00.000+10:00

don't know why, but i've been obsessing about arm warmers.

i put it down to melbourne's in-between weather.
it's not cold enough to wear a long sleeve top but still too cold to wear only a tee.
an arm warmer seemed an ideal, logical solution.

"what are you talking about?" the disbelievers ask. "why don't you just wear a long sleeve top?"

imagine my excitement when i discovered another kindred soul had thought up and acted upon this idea, brilliant!

hippy or bogan?

2007-04-25T10:21:00.000+10:00

my friend lisa reckons there are two types of people in the world: hippies and bogans. lis proudly aligns herself to the latter (she is, after all, from trentham) and when she acquired a second hand ex-police car, it seemed a no-duh idea to get her some fluffy dice for her birthday to formalise her bogan status.

now i'm no bogan, as my sis would concur, i'm apparently a hippy. and having never visited a car bits shop before, walking into autobarn was like stepping into a whole new world. it was all engine oils, Big Tools, manly colours and hyper masculine font. i hightailed it outta there before the handlebar moustached dude could approach.
can you imagine: 'er, do you sell fluffy dice? and what colours do you have?'

since i'm infinitely more comfortable at spotlight, i grabbed some felt, stripey trim, polyfiller (thanks dr kath!) and set to work to make some felt dice. they took a bit longer to complete than anticipated. who knew that you can't glue felt to felt? who knew!! tried pva, acid-free craft glue and even superglue.

no dice. so to speak. they turned out ok and lis reckons they're 'the bestest present ever!'

that's high praise from a bogan ;)

ace-us!

2007-04-22T20:44:00.000+10:00

it's been a long and tiring week. ups and downs and too much going on generally.

to regain a bit of sanity, i dusted off the sewing machine. found this gorgeous partridge/duck fabric at amitie textiles in bentleigh and whipped up this simple bag. it's held together with some cute ribbon (thanks cammers!) to hold some bits and bods for my new compooter machine.
feel quite chuffed with it!
don't worry, i have been reminded that just because you buy a compooter to write a thesis doesn't mean that it will write itself ...i'm onto it elmo!

too old for band teeshirts? :: Wilco (again) at the Palais Theatre

2007-04-22T19:54:00.001+10:00

sometimes i get carried away with anticipation.

wilco's melbourne gigs are a case in point. i marked any calendar i could get my hands on in an effort to disperse the excitement. some might argue that that only makes it worse!

for wilco's first show at the palais theatre last wednesday night, there was a palpable sense of excitement amongst the crowd milling outside the palais theatre. though this may also have been amplified by our indulgent muso spotting (look! the dudes from The Audreys! the drummer from Gersey! that guy that we always see at gigs!).

so much so was our excitement that we rushed over to join the queue to the merchandise stand - should we get a hoodie or a poster or a tee? oooh is their new album for sale here? i love checking out the merch but i must confess that i have been remarkably resistant.
snout socks? nuh.
dallas crane beach ball? nuh.
rebecca's empire tea towel? nuh.
the grates' screen printed tote bags? nuh.
you am i footy scarf? nuh.
yeah yeah yeahs rack of clothes for the karen o wannabees? NUH!
dan kelly and the alpha males sticker? ...um, OK!
see. _remarkably_ resistant.

while cass and elmo went to check out the luxurious seating in the bar upstairs, my good friend dr b and i convened to the queue where i thought out loud:
you know, i think i might be too old for band teeshirts.
she immediately pooh-poohed this idea "noooo. [waves hand. shakes head. looks generally shocked] you're never too old. I'm going to get the hoodie. i've been looking for one, it's fate"

let me provide some context about this 'too old' statement. another good friend is losing the 2 in front of her age this month - HAPPY BIRTHDAY EKY! - and this event is looooming for yours truly as well - eek. and you think of those middle aged dudes from the 'burbs on RockWiz (cass excluded of course ;p) in their Motorhead teeshirts...and i wonder if i'm seeing the future. i'll be a crusty jaded 60 year old holding onto Radiohead, Dirty Three, Teenage Fanclub, Even and Never Letting Go. Those were the days when music was music, i'll say to my grandkids. when we had analogue. none of this newfangled stuff, what do you call that anyway? and what machine do you play it on? and how do you turn it down? what makes someone choose to wear an emblazoned tee? announcing that you're such a fan that you advertise proudly on your person - i guess it's no different to those who wear their polo collars up to display their brand of choice? then again, these days it seems that you can purchase a ramones, stones or velvets tee from an alternative chain store as a fashion statement or maybe even a means to get some rock'n'roll cred (god knows, that seems a difficult commodity these days). i got a wilco tee-shirt anyway ;D

Wilco, Palais Theatre, 18 and 19th April, 2007

the second gig was awesome! wilco played a different set to that of the night before, a good sign that a band appreciates their audience.

kicking off with "misunderstood" and "via chicago", we were also treated to "passenger side" from AM and tracks from A Ghost is Born and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot such as "'kamera" that weren't aired the previous night. within the context their new album Sky Blue Sky, older songs like "jesus, etc" appeared to take on some of the new 70s west-coast styling or perhaps this was already implicit. seeing them live really made me appreciate the complexity of their music, i sat there thinking i could hear something new if i saw them every night. i love the song "hummingbird": it's so light and airy in the opening verse only to swell and swoon upon the chorus, 'she appears/in his dreams' , it is one of my favourite songs. i particularly loved the military-like drumming during 'i am trying to break your heart". it sounded so amazing, as if i were hearing it for the first time. this song also serves as a great example of how wilco play as if deconstructing each song by the distinct sound contributed by individuals in the band. they layer instrument over instruments, melody over melodies, riff over riffs to create a warm, buzzing sound that isn't exactly absent in their albums but somehow more present in the flesh.

not to say that were all bluster, they also know how to be quiet and elegant allowing singer/songwriter jeff tweedy's melancholic voice more prominence. the second night audience missed out on the gorgeous outtake from mermaid avenue and the acoustic, un-miked uncle tupelo song tweedy performed the night before. tweedy again engaged at length with the crowd, apologising for comments from the previous night, asking dancing folks to turn to their neighbours for permission 'to stare at their [dancing] butt all night' and stating 'we all want to live here [in australia]. this is what america used to be like, don't f**k it up!' it was such an enormous pleasure to see how much the band themselves were enjoying their music. really looking forward to the new record, sounds like it will make a great driving tape!

heavy metal drummer

2007-04-17T15:15:00.000+10:00

I'm doing my happy dances again because Chicago alt-country sweethearts WIlco are touring Melbourne this week!

Wilco haven't visited Australia since the Big Day Out bandwagon in the early 2000s. Since this time, singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy has tried his darndest to break up the band, most notably documented in I Am Trying To Break Your Heart about the making of their glorious album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and the breaking of Wilco's core duo, Tweedy and Jay Bennett.

A brilliant, sonically fractured album later in "A Ghost Is Born" plus a wonderful live double ceedee "Kicking Television" and they're finally back for two shows this week, woohoo! Here's hoping the new (stable) lineup have learnt 'Hummingbird' or 'California Stars' or 'Ashes of An American Flag' or 'Outta Mind Outta Sight' or 'Jesus, etc' or ...anything from Summerteeth...maybe some material from their new album?

I'll be pretty happy with whatever they play :D Yeah, I'm ignoring my student budget and splurging out on the two shows (so don't be surprised if I invite myself over to dinner- ha!). The last time I doubled up was for two sweltering Radiohead gigs at Festival Hall for their OK Computer tour and that was a truly amazing experience.

Ooooh, can't wait!

Oot and Aboot

2007-04-09T12:15:00.000+10:00

…in which jfox ventures forth outside to festivals of food and wine, the fina cultural weekend and the best of the v fest.

:: food and wine festival
the wind is beginning to bite and snap, its chilly fingers reaching in and icily poking in between layers of clothes. We headed out to enjoy the last of the twilight warmth before the cold truly settles in. Melbourne shrugged off the remains of summer with some free festivals for the last weekend of March, held in and around the hubs of Federation Square and Birrarung Marr.

Food and Wine Festival, Riverside Terrace and Federation Square

I don’t recall the Food and Wine Festival ever being this accessible. The Yarra River terrace was transformed with free-entry celebrations of Flour - think gozlemes, cakes, pides, breads, pastries and er….icecream; followed by Wicked Sunday featuring all things coffee, chocolate, more coffee and er…icecream. Three sites at Fed Square provided the opportunity to see chefs from fancy-pants restaurants such as Fenix, Maribyrnong Boathouse, Jacques Reymond, the Grand and chef-of-the moment, George Calombaris from the Press Club cooking up for appreciative foodies. Some chefs had more flair than others, we definitely want to visit the Boathouse based on the chef’s cheeky humour and portly belly!

As a devotee to food-porn, it was a fascinating insight into how dishes are created. One striking aspect was how a dish could be transformed from a basic foundation of ingredients simply by manipulating contrasting tastes and presenting with creative elegance. It really makes you appreciate the art of balance within a dish and reminded me how rough and ready my own concoctions are. The chefs really encouraged the audiences to think about how flavours and textures are put together and to try some techniques at home. And not surprisingly, they were equally passionate about fresh, quality produce.

:: fina festival weekend

Following on from the rip roaring success of the Commonwealth Games Cultural festival last year, this years big sporting event, the FINA World Championships, was also accompanied by a free arts program to complement the splishing and a splashing at Rod Laver (what drought? what water shortage? let’s build a pool on a tennis court! this is another rant in itself).

I love that the curation of this festival was a bit left of centre, the acts we saw were wide ranging and packed a lot of spunk. Yayoi Kusama’s bright red mushrooms on the dried, yellowing grass of Birrarung Marr were an amazing sight. There were random life-savers, sea creatures (?) and sharks(?) literally running around striking random poses or creating random mischief. Adding to the carnivalesque atmosphere, the obligatory circus act with a twist: Queensland trio Circa performed 46 different acts in 45 minutes.
The most interesting act we saw was the European group, Ulik and Le Snob, an amazing gliding orchestra of brass and percussion. The trumpet, trombone and tuba were particularly striking - all bent up and wound up and down in odd ways. With flames on their metal hats/spires and floating around in matching black funnel costumes - the sight and sound was ominous and compelling.

Ulik and Le Snob

The most fun were Strange Fruit as the under 9’s B synchronised swimming team from Wangaratta. Wearing bright pink leotards and noseclips, this team presented their synchronised routine from bendy poles four metres in the air. They managed to be both graceful and playful and the humour of their show was infectious. They were a crazy sight sitting on the hill overlooking the Yarra River. It was a shame that the swimming championships themselves didn’t capture crowds as much as the acts on the river, perhaps this Festival Weekend will be able to stand alone without being tethered to a big sporting event next year!

Strange Fruit :: Synchro Swing, Birrarung Marr

:: best of the v festival

April 4th 2007, Sidney Myer Music Bowl

all work = no play = dull gal, it’s true! but I haven’t been locked that closely to the desk of late.

Courtesy of a certain Mr Branson and his V Festival, the reformed Pixies toured Australia for the first time. Very excitement! And although I was originally miffed at missing out on Gnarls Barkley and The Rapture due to us Southerner’s getting a split V Festival, the line up also featuring Jarvis Cocker, French band Phoenix and New York Dolls was something of a music nerdo’s dream – something for each of the last four decades.

We grabbed some goodies from the stupormarket, found a nice patch of lawn and settled in.

The NY Dolls have been variously credited with being spearheads for the punk and glam movements during the early 70s, way before The Ramones in the US and Sex Pistols in the UK. They opened with Personality Crisis and blistered through their set. Although their music sounded of their time, there was something about these old dudes rocking it out in front of young fans a third of their age. It really was fantastic to see!

Next up, Phoenix. OK. Hands up. Does anyone know of any French bands? I don’t mean ya electro/beatsy stuff - I’m talking guitars, drums, shoegazing or kick out the jam type bands. Anyway after a while, we stopped wracking our brains to enjoy the 80s dance/ hard beats of Phoenix. Other than the Merci beaucoups in between, you’d never know they were French as the singer adopted the international language of rock screaming. All in all, I reckon they’d be a great band to see in a smaller venue but perhaps not so challenging to listen to over and over. One thing was clear, they had their lighting cues down pat with their rhythmic tracks, it really added to their presence. And of course, we must thank Phoenix for leaking the news of the V Festival on their myspace calendar!

Jarvis Cocker was as big a drawcard for me as the Pixies. I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Pulp (sadly, no Pulp songs in the set) so seeing the man himself seemed the next best thing. Drawing mostly from his latest album, Jarvis strutted, conducted/danced angularly and karate chopped his way across the stage. He was a fantastic showman, not so much chatting as thinking out loud to the audience in between songs such as Fat Children, Heavy Weather, Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time, I Will Kill Again and ending with C***s Still Rule The World (and hilarious commentary about the apparent ridiculousness of the taboo of c*** over words such as “frisbee. They’re just words”). It was somewhat disappointing not to hear any Pulp tracks, though I would say his solo work stands up well next to Pulp. Hopefully the charismatic Jarvis and the band will return soon.

And so to the Pixies. The V Festival had an area cordoned off with a long queue into this bar area: we wondered why you’d pay 100 bucks to drink in a small corner of the venue. As the time drew nearer, the bar area emptied out and filled up the Music Bowl showing that most people were there for the Pixies. They opened with Bone Machine (Freddy’s favourite) and their set included Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man (my favourite), Caribou, Planet of Sound, Where Is My Mind? and closed with Gigantic. They came back and played Debaser in the encore (their alias for a secret show at the Northcote Social Club). As you can imagine, it was an incredible playlist with their songs remaining fresh and diverse – melodic and cutesy to screeching and RAAAAWWWWK. Although there was some small banter from Kim Deal, there wasn’t a lot of chatting to the audience; it really was about the music. We were quite far away so we could barely make out Frank Black’s ever increasing chins, but it truly was exciting to hear these amazing songs played live. We all left with big grins on our faces and humming along to songs from the setlist (pics to be posted later...maybe?)

Enough festing/festering for the moment – back to the books!

Click click..click

2007-04-04T08:19:00.000+10:00

Excuse my blog-o-world absence, hope you're all doing well!
These last few months, all I do the whole day through is stare at images like these: on the confocal microscope...
as they are being scanned and recorded...
on the computer...
in my results folders...
then on a poster...

but not yet in dreams, now that would really make me batty!

Anyway, thought I’d post one up since they form my current internal/external wallpaper. Research stuff aside, these tissues are actually quite beautiful to look at. Every now and then when I’m scanning my slides for an unmashed, unmooshed, cleanly dissected tissue, I stop and think how amazing nature/ biology/ the whole doo-dah is.
Don’t get me started on Attenborough’s Planet Earth, I love that show!

Public Health Warning

2007-02-13T15:10:00.000+11:00

It is increasingly common among those who extend their education (or “Student”) to develop tunnelus visionlus, a debilitating condition that renders sufferers unable to think beyond their focus of study. This condition was recently described in "Factor of Impact", a highly regarded journal dedicated to the phenomena of delusions.

Particular to those ensconced in research, though not exclusive to the field, this aggressive disease can leave sufferers with the paradoxical feeling that time is both condensed and infinite. This is illustrated by the common cry, or variations thereof, amongst sufferers: Where Did The Weekend Go? or When Will It Ever End?

This condition is often accompanied by extravagant fantasies that the thesis produced at the end of Student-ship will serve mankind in its Significant, Relevant Contribution to the canons of world knowledge, rather than the reality of producing a big book that only a handful of people will ever read.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that tunnelus visionlus may be aggravated by lack of exercise, social isolation and takeaway food on the way home from the lab. Care must be taken to prevent progression towards guilt of Catholic proportions when Students take time out from studies to eat or sleep.

Although a magic bullet for this insidious condition may be decades away, some methods have been found to be effective temporary treatments. It is recommended to gently lead the Student away from their experiments towards a pub, a band and a beer or three.

Note: this treatment has best efficacy when Students are submitting university forms or discussing timelines with supervisors.

For other conditions of which to be aware, I refer you to Serenity Later, Vernoona, Cassiopeia Gegenbaurer III, Sartorial Splendour and Flygirl.

Yippee!

2007-02-12T13:36:00.000+11:00

How's this for a tough life? Last weekend, a bunch of scientists descended on sunny Lorne for a conference. The previous fortnight's preparation was hard going but turned out to be well worth it. Oh and I'm all over Illustrator too - double yipeeee! A conference is hard work: lazy lunches on the beach, a small nap then back to the talk-fest-o-rama.

The weekend was topped off by a beautiful wedding in the gardens of the Exhibition Buildings, coincidentally holding a bridal expo. Yup, picture the bridezillas and wanna-beeees walking out to the real thing. Luckily, the gale-force winds died down during the intimate ceremony with only a few small branches and leaves as confetti!
Ahhhh.
And a lovely reception to boot, congrats Ilse and Derryck!
PS: Happy Valentine's Day for Wednesday folks, or Happy Un-Valentine's if you're a grouch/non-believer ;)

go on, you know you want to...

2007-02-06T10:33:00.000+11:00

some links i have been clicking on
:: you can bake muffins for the boys or you can throw rocks at them!
:: have just recently started reading this great blog Drawn! - all kinds of 2D creativeness at the helm of John Martz
:: another secret love, i like 'big fish ensemble' and 'confusebox' - how bout choo?

...would love to hear what you've been reading lately!

Cabin Fever

2007-02-05T15:51:00.000+11:00

have been holed up at the computer for the last week - til all hours after work and most of the weekend. except for a lovely Yarra side BBQ on Satdee (thanks Elmo!), it's been a sad state of affairs in the social department (sorry kaz, cass and kaluuuds - didn't make it on frideeee)!
all this amounts to a frazzled cabin fever of some sort, so apologies go out on the astral plane to the poor (albeit incompetent) sods who copped it when i ran some uni errands this morning... you won't have to see me again, hopefully it's the last time i have to enrol!

haste vs speed

2007-01-29T16:47:00.000+11:00

it's barely 2007 and i already feel like i'm rushing around, doesn't seem right!

Thwack!

2007-01-26T11:42:00.000+11:00

It seems an UnMelbournian thing to say, but I am really not a sporty/ sportloving/ sportsanything person.
It's sad but true!
Despite living in walking distance to the MCG, I have been to one footy match in my whole life - that's a long time (also sad but true)!

However, the only exception I make for sporting spectatorship is the tennis. My childhood summer holidays were largely spent in front of the teev, watching tennis. It has rules that I understand (cricket? how does that go again?) and it's something I could possibly even play myself - one day (except maybe lawn bowls, is that a sport? ;p).

Thwack - thwack - thwack.

Normally, we grab a ground pass for the AusOpen and take our chances on the outside courts - hoping to see a great match. This year, we braved the heat and headed out to the east for the Kooyong Classic, a great tournament that features 8 of the top-ranked men on the circuit.
We were treated to Stepanek vs Federer, Safin vs Nalbandian, Roddick vs Haas and Murray vs Ljubicic, and it was pretty exciting to see these guys beyond the little square box.

As the temperature hit the mid-30s, I took this photo in a mild attack of jealousy of those under the covers.

The poor people's seats (with our free Age bags as cushioning).Andy vs Tommy: note the spectators huddled under the shade of the large, tall tree.

Not that I only post about cute fuzzy toys, but also check out Unicef's Feder-bear: http://www.unicef.org/people/people_35676.html

Ring a ring a rosie...

2007-01-25T14:39:00.000+11:00

I'm sure I can make her hand fit mine...

2007-01-23T11:28:00.000+11:00

You Am I fans together now: Woo-oooo!

Who'd thought You Am I's reach included a convenience store in Toronto?