The alternative of... me

I've just finished reading In My Skin by Kate Holden. It's a searingly honest book and so beautifully written that at times it felt like a volume of poetry. I could go on for a bit about the insights gained into the prostitute / junkie world, but weirdly enough the biggest take-out I had from the book was a throwaway paragraph early on where Kate mentioned that her family started their own school with a couple of other families.

Isn't that amazing?

I'm so admiring of people who manage to do extraordinarily unique things. Those who carve out a new way to live their life their way. Who don't care what 'everyone' thinks of them, they are too busy just getting on with this business of living truthfully and creatively. Kids aren't coping at the school up the road? Getting bullied, judged as odd? No matter, we'll just make our own school with our own idea of cool and they'll totally fit in. Will we care that they are still 'odd' sorts of kids to everyone else? Hell no! We'll just ignore everyone else and it won't matter a bit!

Sick of everyone judging your child on their gender alone? Let's just not let anyone know whether Storm* is a boy or a girl.

I do wonder sometimes how I got to be so utterly mainstream. For as long as I can remember I've always embraced difference in others and I'm fascinated by anyone who plays by their own rules. It's why I chose that great Ralph Waldo Emerson quote as number seven and Oscar Wilde as number four. As a youth I always thought of myself as a bit of a reckless, poet-type, but of course it was all in my head. I have never been anything even remotely resembling alternative. Creative, yes. Alternative, not so much. In fact, when I said to LOML the other night 'let's throw it all in and live off the grid' we both just laughed and laughed.

But.

In my dreams I am always exactly that type of person. Artistic, creative, hippie, bohemian, earthed. Ah, who am I kidding? Is it even possible to call yourself a bohemian when you're working for the man and, really, it's not too bad? Is it possible to call yourself artistic when lately the most you've creatively stretched yourself was icing cupcakes for the kinder class? Is it possible to be alternative when you're addicted to your dryer and consider vintage shopping somewhat painful? If you decorate your home in what you think is an eclectic, me sort of style but everyone comments on how successfully you've merged 'French Provincial' and 'Hamptons'**? If you secretly think that gender or none, Storm is a really a rather awful name for a person?

Is it possible?


* Boy or girl, something tells me Storm is going to need s/he's own school someday...
** Seriously. How's my life?

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PS - My family will be wearing red tomorrow for Daniel's family. A red cardigan for me. Red socks for my husbie. A red shirt for little one. Red undies for my big one and a red ribbon slashed against a blue school uniform for my middle one. For all sorts of reasons, Daniel will always be remembered. http://www.danielmorcombe.com.au/

[Image flogged off Dottie Angel - for she is a true artistic spirit, living an individual life; red shirt image found here]

How to Strike Op-Shop Gold

Anyone that knows me knows that the heading up there couldn't possibly be referring to a post that I have written. I am HOPELESS (shouting that!) at finding the good stuff in op shops. Where a fab gal like Megan from The Byron Life can stroll in and snap up six covetable things in six minutes for six bucks, I will skulk around the aisles seeing dagginess everywhere and fretting that I'm dreadfully uncreative and uncool. So when a fab gal like Megan posts about her op shopping adventures, I just think "Wow, I wish I could do that, I'm so uncreative and uncool."

Which is why Megan from has written this fantastic post, not me! Thank you, Megan, not only are your tips just brilliant, but I am so pleased that a little bit of your beautiful blog is now a part of Maxabella loves...

Now, don't mind me, I'm just off to my local Vinnies... over to you, Megan.

1. Gold!
Let’s define this first, because what is op-shop gold to me will be different for you. I’m a big fan, for example, of 1970s ceramics and floral vintage bed sheets, but that’s not everyone’s style.

 My growing collection of 1970’s mugs. Vintage Japanese ceramics are Solid Gold to me!

Op-shop gold really is what holds value for you. If you get enjoyment from it, or you can make someone happy by gifting it: then you’ve hit gold. I recently found a 1976 Australiana tea-towel in original mint condition for $1.50 at an op-shop. Excitement! To me, that is gold. When I showed my partner my extraordinary find his eyes glazed over... not gold for him (although, bless him, he did wear the loud 1980’s Ken Donne designer shirt with Sydney Harbour sailing boats pattern that I found him last Father’s Day. That’s love).

TIP: Don’t waste time flicking through the box of surfing mags in the op-shop when your kind of gold would be a vintage tablecloth.


2. Find the Goldmine.
Where do you shop? It’s no good looking in a dusty little op-shop that specialises in retro bric-a-brac (my dream op-shop, btw) when what you are really after is a brand-new designer skirt for $3. For that kind of gold you are better off seeking out an op- shop that has boutique-seconds and/or specialises in designer clothes only.

Shiny Gold! Vintage kitchen canisters used every day in our kitchen.

TIP: Get to know which op-shops hold the most promise of gold for you.


3. Be there, or miss out.
Op-shopping is a numbers game. The more you play, the greater your chances are of finding gold. You need to know where the op-shops are in your area and you’ll need to visit them regularly. Make a morning of it and trek through as many op-shops as you can in one go. Always keep in mind what kind of gold you are after and head towards the shops where you have had success before. Or, maybe you have been doing the same old circuit for too long and the gold has all dried up? It happens to the best of us. Never fear, grab your gold pan and start exploring some new op-shopping territory further afield if you’re able to.

These were found at a little church-run op-shop that never fails to deliver. I go out of my way to visit this shop.

TIP: Take an op-shop tour. Map out a route and make like a tourist in a different town or suburb to find new goldfields.


4. It’s all in the timing.
There are various theories about when is the best time to op-shop. Some have it that Monday and Tuesdays are The Golden Days – which makes sense because many goods are donated over a weekend. Of course, the danger in restricting yourself to a Tuesday is that Friday may be the day that the head op-shop lady declares a 50% off sale across the whole shop...

I found this hand-knitted tunic for my girl on the first day of the seasonal changeover at a local op-shop, along with a bunch of wonderful winter woollies that cost me a fraction of the retail price. Like most retailers, op-shops have end of season sales too.

TIP: Whatever day you choose, I find hitting the op-shops early is the best trick – it’s less likely to be “picked over” by fellow gold seekers.

5. Get Creative.
For me, the best part of op-shopping is wandering around dreaming of the way I might transform op-shop “trash” into new treasure. I look at it with a creative eye: An old wool sweater can be made into a new pair of warm baby pants; a ripped retro sheet can be used to make a new toy-stroller cover or that 50c Little Golden Book can be turned into a new journal.

I made these baby pants from a re-purposed embroidered cardigan

I re-covered the toy stroller using re-purposed retro fabric

I sewed this bag using a re-purposed linen curtain

  

Op-shops are treasure-troves for the creative soul, full of raw materials just waiting to be turned into gold. There are a myriad of ways to re-purpose op-shop “trash” into gold if you know a few crafty tricks. Sometimes all that is needed is a bit of elbow grease or a new button and you will have created something beautiful for very little financial outlay. Look beyond the object or garment and see the hidden gold.

TIP: Treat op-shops like art/craft supply shops and let your creativity run wild.

6. All that Glitters is not Gold.
Just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean you have to buy it. Given how affordable op-shopping is, there’s always the temptation to come home with a bag of treasures. But, if the clothes don’t fit, that toy can’t be fixed or that rug won’t suit your home – then all you’ve done is bought more clutter... and clutter is not gold.

Board games are practical op-shop finds for kids.

This girl's summer dress at the top of this post was re-fashioned from a ladies skirt. {Maxabella edit - Isn't Mellie gorgeous?!}

TIP: Ask yourself this before you buy: Do I really need it? Will I really use it? Do I have space for it?

Most importantly: Have fun! Every time you buy from an op-shop you are saving yourself some money; you are recycling “stuff” that would otherwise go into landfill and your dollars will be supporting a charity – what’s not to love about that?

X

Megan @ The Byron Life

[All images belong to Megan and are used with permission]

On the road again

Imagine my joy when LOML turned to me earlier this year and said "Where are you going on your annual road trip this year?"

It's annual! My once-in-a-lifetime escape by myself  is actually annual!

He's a good man, my man. He understands me and he knows how to make me sing.

The question remained: where am I going to go this year?

I'm heading out towards the end of July and I've always wanted to go to Tassie, so that was on the cards. I planned to visit Jane in Hobart and then mosey around the coast a little bit. But then LOML and I decided that we want to go to Tasmania for the first time as a family, so I've parked that idea for later in the year.

So now, I'm driving from Sydney to Daylesford and poking around there before driving home. A trip like that is going to be inspiration, creativity and promise all wrapped up in a handmade rug to warm the soul.

 Any suggestions on where to stay, where to visit, what to do? I'm all excited ears!

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Edited on 2.6.2011

Just wanted to say OF COURSE I'll be giving big smooches to Allison at Lark whilst in Daylesford (I am an avid eshopper already!). And I would have been having a cuppa at Kate's place too, but she'll be inconveniently off having a marvellous caravanning hol with the fam...

[Image by Margaret Metcalfe]

Feted, not jarred

I'm nuts about school fetes. The cake stalls, the white elephant, the dinky games involving hacky sacks and tin cans. The sheer old-school at school fun of it all.

I've been busy getting creative with jars and stuff to make jars for the 'Jarbola'. I didn't even know what a Jarbola was until Cappers carefully explained that it was when you get a jar of pasta sauce and you eat the sauce and then you put stuff in it but you have to clean it first and then you get a ticket on it and the winner of that ticket gets that jar.

Oh, like a bottle raffle. With clean jars. I get that.

The Badoo and I created six jarbolas to take in tomorrow. A jar of soliders; a jar of glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs; a jar of hair thingies (all pink, this is the Badoo in charge after all!); a jar of sherberts (pink); a jar of mini-chuppa chups (mostly the black ones because we don't really like the black ones around here); and a jar of pretty jewellery (pink, pink, all pink). We made little tags to add a bit of school fair festivity.

If I could fill my fantasy Jarbola jar, I would fill it with Benefit Benetint in rose, Eve Lom Cleanser, Creme de la Mer and Moroccon Oil.

What would you put in your fantasy Jarbola jar?
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I'm linking up to Our Creative Spaces this week. I know filling jars with stuff isn't exactly creative,
but I'll take what I can get!

It’s a ratio thing

I am not a mathematically minded person by any stretch of the imagination.

That is such an understatement that I can hardly type I am laughing so hard. What I meant to say is that my whole life I have loathed Maths with the passion of a thousand burning suns… or is it 1001? I’m not certain because there is a number involved.

Once I was introduced to excel in the early nineties, this numbers business picked up considerably. Excel was The Incredible Hulk blasting straight through my titanic Maths-Block. It seems that working out how to get something else to work out Maths seemed infinitely easier than doing the Maths myself. I never looked back, to the extent that for a brief, bizarre moment in my life, I actually worked in Trade Finance in London doing Bulgarian and Nigerian oil deals. Why yes, yes I did.

I think all along I was actually a much more logical thinker than I ever gave myself credit for. You see, I’ve been a slave to ratios my whole life.

Food requires a good ratio of X to Y to taste right. If the ratio of sauce to pasta isn’t exactly right, for example, eating pleasure is considerably diminished. Ratios become critical when you’re dealing with strong flavours like onions, chilli, honey or garlic. Get the balance out of whack and the whole dish needs rescuing.

In art and design, the whole success of a work depends on ratios. The ratio of X colour to Y. Between light and shade. Negative and positive space. And on and on.

I’m rabbiting on about all of this because lately I’ve been investigating why I ever had a Maths-Block in the first place. I think it’s important for me to know because I am in danger of thoughts such as ‘Cappers is a creative person’ and ‘Maybe Maxi-Taxi will be a numbers guy?’. There’s those pesky labels again!

I think I learned at an early age that you were either a Maths person or a Creative person and I wanted to be the latter. Nowadays, I don’t think it has to be an ‘either / or’ thing (more on the ‘Golden Ratio’ in a future post). I think you can be both and I’m doing everything I can to find the parallels between the two. I think if I can find out more about that, I can help my children to learn the ‘other’ way of thinking with a lot more ease than I managed at school.

Are you a ‘Creative’ person or a ‘Maths’ person? Do you think you can be both?

Did you also struggle with a particular subject at school?

[Image via weheartit - please let me know if this image is yours so I can correctly attribute it]

Wearing Clever Clogs

I'm taking a break from my Difficult People series. It was all a bit... difficult.  In its place, I'm introducing a new Thursday series called 'Wearing Clever Clogs'.

One of the things I love most about blogging is the way my imagination sparkles when I see what other people are creating. There are so many fine design, art and craft blogs out there and I would like the opportunity to swim in the fountain of their inspiration (so to speak). So I'll be asking them a few choice questions about their work and life and linking to some highlights on their blogs.

I am looking forward to opening up the creative blogging world to a wider audience via Maxabella loves... So join me next Thursday for our first installment.

Aaaand... to whet your appetite, here are five links to five brilliantly easy to follow tutorials:

1. Sweet little fabric flowers to brighten up a gift from How About Orange

2. Magical tissue pom poms from Imperfectly Beautiful

3. Don't sew a No-Sew Tutu from Design Mom

4. Hang a Dancing Hedgehog cut-paper garland (how can you resist!?) at Alyoops

5. Make a pinwheel or two at Yellow Songbird

Maybe we can, maybe we can't. But it sure is fun to find out!

Do you enjoy making things?

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PS - just in  case my 'Pay It Forward' five are wondering where I am... fear not. I will be making your 'something' and sending it to you by the end of the month. I'll email you for an addy.

[Image via weheartit, let me know if it's yours!]

Calling all wearers of Clever Crafty Clogs

You know how I admire you. You know how you inspire me. You know how much I want to find out more, more, more.

So, if you have some type of art or craft or creative gig going on (via a Blog, a Shop, a Market, a Nything) and you would like me to interview you via email for Maxabella loves... let me know!  Leave a comment below or email me via maxabella@gmail.com
The interviews will be short, sweet and packed with meaning (ie, nothing like myself).

Can't wait to hear from you! x

Papercrafting is tops

As much as I love making decoratey things, after a while the repetition of making lots and lots of the same thing really starts to grate. Like the 150 cake-toppers I made for the upcoming Kindy Welcome Lunch. I could never be an industry.

Perhaps part of my hohummedness (newly minted adjective there!) is the fact that while I do have a child in Year One and am therefore rightfully welcoming the new Kinder parents to school life  (as is our school's tradition), I am also a Kinder Mum myself so I am technically going to all this trouble to welcome myself.

The things we do.

Do you get involved in this sort of stuff at the school? Do you enjoy it or do you do it because you feel obligated? Would you make 150 kite-themed cake toppers just for fun?

Joining in with the inspirational Kootoyoo's My Creative Space today... one of my favourite things to do in the whole blogiverse. Thanks Kirsty.

Australia Day festivities

I've had lots of fun these past few days making pinwheel garlands for the Australia Day party we had yesterday. 

It was great fun! At one point we had about twenty children and assorted adults in the pool, all having crazy, wild fun (the best kind of fun!). An amazing result of a big swim with all their friends yesterday was that Cappers and Maxi decided today that they would ditch the bubbles and the floaties. They both swam and jumped in without them. Hooray! I must get photos of that tomorrow.

Leaping and splashing and cooling off from the hot, hot day. Isn't that what a Summer party is all about?

More on those garlands... I really love them. I wasn't sure how to decorate an Australia Day party without bringing out the 'green and gold' - two colours that I personally despise together. Sorry Australia.

So I photocopied Mexican oilcloth fabrics and used their pretty patterns instead. It looked so fun and festive, draped across the backyard. Not fluttering as I'd imagined, but rather hanging listlessly in the still of the hottest day so far this year. In a nod to 'Australiana' I did put out some yellow flowers in pots. Green and gold, it was in there subtlely!

It was a big party, but I kept things simple with a BBQ and salads (and a lamingtons and pavlova for dessert, of course!). I always seem to go large as there are many people that I love to catch up with and one big party seems easier than lots of smaller ones. 

Do you enjoy entertaining 'en masse'? Or are you better at a smaller affair?

Joining in with Kootoyou's My Creative Space today. Fun!

♥ Loving Christmas spirit

The tree is up and sparkling. The front door is festooned with a new wreath. The Eiffel tower is glowing with fairy lights... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I made the wreath in about 10 minutes for about $10 yesterday. A half-price plain wreath from our friends at Lincraft, a bunch of ribbons cut up and tied on each branch. A little birdy ornament from Morgan and Finch strung up in the middle. Easy peasy and I just love it.

I add something Christmassy each year. My favourite is my fat garland-toting boy angel with his nose permanently toffed. He just seems to be saying "meh, this Christmas gig, I can take it or leave it".

See, the Eiffel tower really is strung up with fairy lights!


Are you ready? Have you done your shopping? Can you feel December sliding away like a sled on snow?

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Playing along with Lou today too...

Things I learned this week including that I'm happiest when I'm being creative

Happy Friyay!

As I write this I am looking out my hotel window at the sweep that is Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Queensland. Am I on holidays again, you ask? No I am not.

I am sporting a media pass and covering the V8 Supercars race for my work. Oh, the glamour.

As I race about (pun!) dodging grid girls (fun!), I had ample time to reflect on what I learned during the week that was...

1. A friend asked me on Monday, "Besides your family, what makes you happiest?" and without hesitation I responded that time stands still for me when I'm writing, making and generally being creative. Wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, I would much rather be making something.

2. A 'flimsy' is a quilt top before the batting and backing have been added (thank you Sue at Charlotte's Cottage!)

3. Whenever you see a large group of idle teenagers, one will be plucking away at a guitar. It's best to vacate before they launch into a rendition of Stairway to Heaven because, believe me, it will happen and it will not be pretty.

4. Geocaching is a high-tech version of a scavenger hunt using GPS. There are hunts already preset that you can download here -  it really adds that extra something to a bushwalk. Check out the fabulous Geocache bag and goodies that Emily made over at her fabulous Saltwater Kids site.

5. I knew this already, but bloggers really do seem to be the nicest bunch of people on the planet. What is it about blogging that brings out the best in people? The delicious comments I received on the mermaid party post made the party even better. Generous, warm, inviting and supportive... I don't think the critics know what they're talking about!!

How about you? Did you learn anything new to share this week?

[Image by Kristine May]

Lost in imagination

I'm endlessly fascinated by children's ability to create worlds full of amazing nooks and crannies. Mine can be lost for days roaming with dinosaurs or taking high-tea at parties or trekking in jungles or visiting with fairies or saving endangered species... on and on and on goes their childhood voyage.

I've written before about how important I think creativity is in life, so we do everything we can to nurture childhood imagination. Hoping against hope that we find a way to solidify these magical worlds so that they may remain with the tsunamis for life. Their rooms are havens for creating and all inventions are proudly displayed. Paints and pencils and glitter are always within easy reach (my carpets do not agree with this tactic). Within reason, the tsunamis are free to wander and explore their hearts' desire. We talk about night dreams and day dreams and in-between dreams. We break up our routine and let our hair fly in the wind as often as we can.

Will this be enough? Will the expectations of schooling and society mean the tsunamis' unique take on the world will be stifled and lost? What more can we do to help them stay in the vast, endless worlds they create for themselves?

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions for helping children hang onto their wondrous creativity? How do you nurture creativity in your own children, or even in yourself?


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♥ Loving paper cranes

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I've long admired the art of origami and I guess the purest form of that to me is the paper crane. A sweet little package of perfection and hope.

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[Image via weheartit]

Sandy and the 1000 paper cranes is a sweet little blog and adventure. Sandy plans to make 1000 paper cranes and leave them wherever she goes for others to delight in. The cranes each carry an inspirational word to give a delightful pause in the finder's day. My favourite word so far (she is up to 160 cranes as I write) is 'Giddy'. But I also like Radiant, Quaint, Thankful and good old Joy, Happy and Thankful.

What's your favourite word of inspiration?


PS - The September Fridge Chronicles linky starts tomorrow! Go on, you know you're dying to join in the fun. Post your noticeboard if your fridge isn't magnetised... anything that chronicles your daily life...

PPS - The post is part of Anna's ♥ Much Love ♥ Mondays. Click over to Anna's to post your own loves.

An absolutely ordinary rainbow

I've been inspired by MultipleMum's Tuesday John Donne moment to share one of my favourite ever poets.

I've chosen a contemporary poet, mainly because while most of us love many of the old school poets, many of us forget to keep finding new ones to cherish. I've chosen Les Murray because if you love the secret hiding places of language, as I do, then you will love art of Les Murray.

An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow

The word goes round Repins,
the murmur goes round Lorenzinis,
at Tattersalls, men look up from sheets of numbers,
the Stock Exchange scribblers forget the chalk in their hands
and men with bread in their pockets leave the Greek Club:
There's a fellow crying in Martin Place. They can't stop him.

The traffic in George Street is banked up for half a mile
and drained of motion. The crowds are edgy with talk
and more crowds come hurrying. Many run in the back streets
which minutes ago were busy main streets, pointing:
There's a fellow weeping down there. No one can stop him.

The man we surround, the man no one approaches
simply weeps, and does not cover it, weeps
not like a child, not like the wind, like a man
and does not declaim it, nor beat his breast, nor even
sob very loudly—yet the dignity of his weeping

holds us back from his space, the hollow he makes about him
in the midday light, in his pentagram of sorrow,
and uniforms back in the crowd who tried to seize him
stare out at him, and feel, with amazement, their minds
longing for tears as children for a rainbow.

Some will say, in the years to come, a halo
or force stood around him. There is no such thing.
Some will say they were shocked and would have stopped him
but they will not have been there. The fiercest manhood,
the toughest reserve, the slickest wit amongst us

trembles with silence, and burns with unexpected
judgements of peace. Some in the concourse scream
who thought themselves happy. Only the smallest children
and such as look out of Paradise come near him
and sit at his feet, with dogs and dusty pigeons.

Ridiculous, says a man near me, and stops
his mouth with his hands, as if it uttered vomit—
and I see a woman, shining, stretch her hand
and shake as she receives the gift of weeping;
as many as follow her also receive it

and many weep for sheer acceptance, and more
refuse to weep for fear of all acceptance,
but the weeping man, like the earth, requires nothing,
the man who weeps ignores us, and cries out
of his writhen face and ordinary body

not words, but grief, not messages, but sorrow,
hard as the earth, sheer, present as the sea—
and when he stops, he simply walks between us
mopping his face with the dignity of one
man who has wept, and now has finished weeping.

Evading believers, he hurries off down Pitt Street.


from
The Weatherboard Cathedral, 1969

 

Performance

I starred that night, I shone:
I was footwork and firework in one,

a rocket that wriggled up and shot
darkness with a parasol of brilliants
and a peewee descant on a flung bit;
I was busters of glitter-bombs expanding
to mantle and aurora from a crown,
I was fouéttes, falls of blazing paint,
para-flares spot-welding cloudy heaven,
loose gold off fierce toeholds of white,
a finale red-tongued as a haka leap:
that too was a butt of all right!

As usual after any triumph, I was
of course, inconsolable.

from
Subhuman Redneck Poems, 1996

 

Sharing a treasured piece or two is a great way to share a bit more of myself, I think.  I would love to know your own favourite poem or poet.

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♥ Loving lapping up those Sunshiney Cherrybomby awards

Have you had the privellege of visiting Felicity over at Gifts of Serendipity? She has the above picture of a lighthouse on her latest post and I think that perfectly sums up how I feel about her blog. It's a beacon of light and security and guidance in the midst of the chaos that is the etherspace. Her blog is calm, thoughtful and, oh, so rational. I just love it there.

Another blog that I enjoy reading is Becky and James. Becky frequently writes about having no readers, but sneakily I haven't missed a post. She's just such a very lovely, very pregnant, very off the cuff writer and photographer. Her two children (soon to be three) are gorgeous.

So it really means a lot that Felicity has passed on two awards to me and Becky has passed on a Cherry on Top Award.

 and  and 

The Kreativ Blogger award was also passed on to me by Ashleigh at mm is for me. You really need to get yourself over to Ashleigh's blog for a taste of good old Aussie country. Ashleigh lives on a farm in Queensland and the very first 'seven things' she mentions is that she loves Brahman Cattle. It's another world, but full of great ideas for activities with your children (she recently had a 'mini Science week' that was fabulous) and she's an extremely talented 'clever clogs crafter'.

Now, together you and I are just going to completely ignore the naff spelling on the Kreativ Blogger award.  I know it's making you just want to get your permanent marker and rub all over it, but instead we're just going to ignore it and move along to the Awards Sunshine and Cherry...

To quote Felicity "the Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity  and creativity (kreativ-ity?) inspire others in Blogland". And then you get to pass the award on to other bloggers who are positive and creative and inspirational. And then you get to do that 'seven things you don't know about me' thing that seems to be attached to all blog awards, wherever they may be. Why seven? We just don't know.


For the Cherry on Top award I need to answer this question: If you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?

It may surprise you to know that this ain't my first rodeo*. I've passed on the Versatile Blog award and the Mindblowing Blog award to other lovely blogs (stop over here and here and check them out for sure!) In the interests of sharing the love around, I'm not going to pick these gals again, even though they are still some of my favourite blogs of all time (and sisters And then there were four and Life in a Pink Fibro need a special mention to keep online nepotism alive and strong).

To me, being a creative blogger is about more than just having a great blog. Blogging is a two way street so I'm selecting blogs that I feel I have a meaningful, inspiring conversation with.  So, I'd like to pass the Sunshine Award onto the following lovely lasses who bring a little Sunshine into my blog world.

BabyMac

Here we go Loopy Lou

Chalk and Talk

Buttons by Lou Lou

And the Cherry on Top award to these fine gals.

ChickChat

Crepe Expectations

Frog Goose Bear

Chicken Willow

Man, that was really hard. I'm such a blog addict that I just couldn't choose. I love them all!

Anyway, I've rambled on enough so I'm going to do seven really quick things that you may or may not know about me living the life in Maxabellaland.

1. A snake was on my front verandah and I got a huntsman spider stuck in my hair on the same day. Quite a day.

2. I fold clothes but I hate putting them away so I use my dining table like a wardrobe.

3. If I could change one thing in my life I would have continued doing theatre.

4. Sometimes I can't get into my own house because all of the door handles are stuffed and they get stuck.

5. I painted my bookshelves white and got bits of white paint all over my 'half-strength hogs bristle' walls and I didn't repaint them and they look really bad and I don't even care.

6. I put so much sugar on the Tsunamis' Weetbix that even Coco Pops is probably a healthier breakfast choice.

7. If I have to kill a cockroach or an ant I will do it, but I worry about it for days and days and secretly believe that all the other cockroaches and ants will come and get me for murdering their friend.

Have a Sundayshiney Father's Day, everyone! (We loooooooove you to bits and pieces and we're going to eat you up for breakfast you're so yummy, dear LOML!)

PS - OMG, sorry for the long post! You'd think it was Emmys I was giving away with all that verbose gushing going on.... and one last thing... please have a quick read of the post I did yesterday (below this one) for thoughts on another beautiful blogger out there. x

PPS - This post is part of ♥Much Love♥ Monday over at Anna's...

* With humble apologies to Dr Phil. I've been dying to get a Phil 'rodeo' into a post for ages and ages.

[Image]

♥ Loving Ello There

Shanon at **Happiness Is...** is one of the blogosphere's great Finder of Things and she put me onto Ello There.

I've been married for eight years but damn it, I'm still getting one!

Even though it's Sunday, this post is part of Anna's ♥Much Love♥ Mondays...

Craft is the new Green?

You know how I'm a little bit crafty? Well, I'm wriggling with envy over some of the fabulously unique blogs out there. And what is just so particularly special is how generous these wonderful people are with their time and experience (have you noticed how many generous souls there are here online? It's heartwarming, isn't it?). There are tutorials galore, patterns, tips and a patient friend to guide you. Even if you're not so crafty yourself, the celebration of all that is aesthetically pleasing will be worth the visit alone.

Warning, you'll die a little inside, but check out these for starters:

Thomson Family Life
Draw! Pilgram
The Lark Blog
maya*made
Handmade Love
Grand Revival Designs
Kootoyoo
Noodlehead
Mira Narnie

Oh, how I'm loving these clever clogs. And just a little bit loathing, you know? I wish I was half as clever. Actually, I think envy is kraft, not green*.


* Must I go on with these terrible puns?!



[Image by the fabulously crafty group at 3OldHens]

Peace

The July Chronicles: What's on your fridge?

The June Chronicles was a spectacular success with a whole entry received.

LJ at With My Own Two Hands was kind enough to complete the linky but she counts as only 1/2 an entry as she did not in actual fact do any sort of post on the happenings on her fridge. 

And sadly, as I am related to MultipleMum at And then there were four, her beautifully written, dare we say unputdownable fridge chronicle can really only counts as 1/2 an entry as well. 

So, an entry, all totalled.

But, proof of how hard it is to keep a brilliant idea down, I'm dusting myself off, picking myself up and merrily presenting... 

The July Chronicles

Here is the birthday invitation to Cappers' best (possibly only) friend in the world's birthday party later this month. It is true that she is not a child inundated with party invites. Why, just last week one of the Preschool Mum Brigade bemoaned the fact that her little girl had 27 parties to go to all in one morning.  There is not a lot of bemoaning going on around here. Needless to say, we await the big event with pride.

Here is a photo of a photo of The Badoo at daycare with her 'gloves' on. Ever since this picture hit the fridge, she's insisted on wearing a pair of latex gloves that were, you know, just lying around. I have tried to tell her that the photo is of her very self, not in gloves but finger painting. But she's two and she wants the gloves.

You will notice that little Kingston, our 27 year old sponsor child from Malawi (for details, see The June Chronicles) has been covered up by a "Nuture your Friendships" card. This was accidental, but entirely symbollic. When, oh when, will we ever write back to the letter he sent us in 2004?

Here is a picture Maxi-Taxi drew for his mum of "siamese fighting fish and a scuba diver with a big knife." You will notice that the scuba diver has a speech bubble saying "I luv you mum". Maxi-Taxi produced this all on his own and every time I see it on the fridge I get a little tear. I don't know if this is because I am so proud of my boy or whether I am gripped by fear due to the love and the knife being in the same artwork. Either way, he's mine.

You can't see this on the larger picture above as it's lower than the camera captured, but Cappers stuck together a fairy for the fridge and as she managed the sticky tape all on her own, I thought it was worthy of a mention.

That's my fridge for July... so join the linky and share what's on yours. Linky open until the end of the month. Let's double last month's figures, people!