iffycraft

2009-03-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

When in doubt, reference Lewis Carroll.

I'm off tonight, and decided to also say au revoir to iffycraft.

You can find me over here for knitty-ness or here for some London fun times.

2009-02-23T12:08:00.001-08:00

Cuba Street Carnival was friggin incredible.

I'm not going to go crazy on it here, so jump over here instead to see how OutdoorKnit rocked the place. Oh yeah.

Yesterday i returned to the scene of the crime and then took a wander along the left bank alley. That place has got it going on, graffiti wise at the moment. I can't wait to get to London and spy me some Banksy!

[this is where there should be some photos. but blogger doesn't want to upload them. boo]

There is now less than a week until i head off. If i had a dollar for every time i'm asked if i'm excited, i'd have enough for the flight home by now. Yep, i'm excited. But all the excitement is for things i'll be doing this week before i go, rather than the leaving itself. There are so many amazing people in Wellington (and the rest of NZ) that i will miss enormously. So it's lucky we've got the interwebs to keep us all connected, right?

I think i'm ready. I'm sewing a jacket and a high-waisted skirt, i have quite a bit of knitting to get done, and i have to decide if i take any of my sewing tools with me. Do i take my sewing scissors, for example. I have lots of people to see and farewell - not that i'm keen on the farewell bit. Might live in denial sometime longer and just say, see you later. Cos i will. See you all later...

2009-02-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

I am a very bad blogger. I apologise.

As time is now a bit precious, i've decided to list most of my fabric on dirty old trademe. Yuck. But had to be done, i suppose. My listings can be found here, should you be interested. More will be added later tonight.

Two and a half weeks to go and am starting to get the freak out happening. The fact one of my dearest friends has taken the afternoon of my arrival off so he can meet me at the airport means the excitement is now balanced with the freaking.

And OutdoorKnit organisation has become a part-time job, with organising London taking up the rest of my time. Which reminds me... i was going to research snowboarding in Scotland...

The one where I out myself...

2009-02-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

I am half of the Wellington graffiti knit crew, OutdoorKnit.

And we're going to be at the Cuba Street Carnival! yay! For more info, go here.

And apologies for not keeping on with the fabric sale thingy - i'm plodding my way through the most hard core job application i have ever had the pleasure of completing. But it's not complete. Oh well, I have until 5am NZ time to finish it. Not sure of my chances, but no harm in trying, right? And I need all the practice i can get.

Don't mind me while i swear and whinge about how my mac is currently refusing to have any sort of consistent net connection. I think it hates me because somehow it found out that i sold it. boo.

2009-01-31T13:11:00.000-08:00

Woops, missed a day on the great fabric fire sale. Never fear, another day is here!

So above are three cottons - the one in the top right hand corner is quite light, and the other two are quilting/craft weight. Now because i'm lazy i haven't measured them. They're not huge, but they're not tiny either. Again, $5 plus p&p (about a dollar, i'd guess). email me at tashbarneveld at hotmail dot com if you're keen. The spotties from the other day are still available too.

You may remember my ranting about how crappy my year was last year. It was crap. I'm now all focussed on the future, and making the most of all opportunities. Which involves, of course, reading my horoscope and ignoring all the ones which are bad or i don't like.

I haven't had reason to ignore many, in fact i've pulled a few out of the paper just because they've been so good. (nikki, these are all yours too!)

Here's a selection:

Today's, on msn:

Don't let things bother you, dear Sagittarius. Have confidence that you are on the right track...

hmm i seem to have lost one of them. oops. oh well.

Here's my 2009 one from the Sunday Star Times:

'...2009 represents the first year of an astonishing climb. You could be the next Bill Gates. It's all possible now.'

How appropriate. I wonder if I should try get a job at Microsoft...or at least finish filling in the London job applications i've got...

it's a fire...SALE

2009-01-29T18:05:00.000-08:00

I was procrastinating from taking photos and putting all my bits and pieces up on trademe (what a drag) and had a brainwave - so you all get first dibs!

So, this is the plan:

Each day, for as many days as it takes, I will put up an item for sale, right here. Should said item take your fancy, email me at tashbarneveldathotmaildotcom and the first person who puts their hand up, wins. I'll then correspond with the winner, and we can do the whole money deposit/detail exchange thing.

Each photo will be accompanied by measurements, fabric type, and a price. To make it fun, days will be picked at random for the fabric to be free! yep, FREE!

Of course i'm all into sharing so let all your friends know...bloggy and otherwise.

so...first up:

large blue spots: 57cm x 45cm, 100% cotton (is a quilting weight cotton)

lavender gingham: 24cm x 100cm, poly cotton (light weight)

pale pink with white spots: an odd, odd shape - one section 26cm x 35cm, another section 50cm x 60cm, is a cotton mix, and one side is brushed. Is about the same weight as the blue spots, but softer. Has a few small marks but should wash out. Is vintage - i remember it from when i was about 8!

Sale price: $5 plus postage (about a dollar)

2009-01-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

How hilarious is this?

I almost wet myself laughing. Man i hope the food on my flights to London aren't so bad. And my in-flight entertainment better frigging work.

I'm running out of weeks to count down before i leave. I'm down to four and a smidge. I've been ticking things off my list. Today: apply for some jobs and attempt to open a UK bank account.

I've been in denial of the list though. Instead, i've been procrastinating by inhaling all the Stephanie Plum books. Between me and my mum, we have every single one.

Don't judge me. They're lurid and bright but they are such good books. I judged my mum when i first saw them lying around on the floor...until i randomly picked one up, read a few pages, and was hooked.

Obviously now I want to be a bounty hunter. I'll take the Morelli and pass on the bad hair, thanks.

My mum and I used to regularly have conversations about who would play whom should they decide to make movies out of them. The female version of James Bond, i think they should do it. Or at least make a series for tv version. When i first started reading them, i couldn't for the life of me think who would play Lula. For some reason, the casting of Lula is more crucial than the casting of Stephanie. Now, i'm tossing up between Queen Latifah and the woman who plays Dr Bailey on Grey's Anatomy. Or even Missy Elliot. I think Bailey is the winner though. It would be a very different role to the one on Grey's, but she does that 'don't mess with me 'tude' so well.

and then there's the dilemma of Stephanie. She can't be too hot, or too perfect, and needs to be able to act a bit frazzled. Might have to think on that one a bit longer.

I think we came up with Colin Farrell for Morelli.

hmmm. Time to go start on Seven Up, methinks.

2009-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all your comments about the doily tree grumpiness. Makes me feel a bit less of a baddie!

Speaking of trees, I had the honour of attending a friend's wedding yetserday.

The Wairarapa, as always, was about 5 degrees hotter than Wellington, and by the time I got to the wedding bus, i was more than a little uncomfortable. It was somewhat a relief to find the other girls waving at their underarms and flapping their dresses around in order to get something like respite. We all made noises about the poor boys, in their shirts, black pants and black shoes.

The wedding was absolutely wonderful. Protected by the shade of the trees at the Pounui Homestead (on Western Lake road, and the most fantastic venue EVER), the bride looked stunning. The groom looked perfectly comfortable with no tie and no waistcoat - a look i'm totally advocating. It's hot. And you don't have to worry about putting your bridesmaids in, say pink, and then convincing the boys to wear same for their waistcoats or ties. It's win-win.

Anyway, one can't complain about sitting in the sunshine, your champagne glass being routinely topped up, eating gorgeous vege food (the newlyweds are vegetarian, so the whole reception was too) enjoying watching some rather scrumptious boys, and having a good old dance.

I could quite happily live in the place I stayed, too. On going up to my room I found bookshelves positively groaning under the weight of - glorious, glorious art history books. I didn't want to leave. The host, Sylvia, was an absolute darling, and picked me up and dropped me off from the train station due to the fact that Greytown has no buses on the weekends.

Not so happy about being back in the real world.

2009-01-22T02:05:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely evening at the gardens, with Twinset, and Charlies' Lemon Quencher, and good company.

Then I saw this:

And I thought hmm, that's interesting. I've seen the same sort of thing on the net. Then I saw the signs that said 'artist'. Then I got a little grumpy.

Should an artist be paid (which i assume she is for the project), for something that is essentially this or this

or this or this?

There's a blurb about it here. I wouldn't have an issue if she said, oh i'm referencing so and so, or inspired by the work of others, or simply - i'm carrying on something others have started. Or even developed the idea further, adjusting it, exploring it.

Am i being a massive art snob here who is determined that people should be recognised for their great ideas? Tell me to get over it if i am. I don't particularly enjoy being grumpy.

2009-01-19T14:35:00.001-08:00

i'm starting to get a bit impatient. London is getting ever closer, and yet six weeks still feels an eternity away.

The job hunt has begun. Well, the browsing has, at least. I finally know what i want to do with my life - arts administration, politics, or run my own craft business. And i'm not particularly keen on going into limbo with any of those things while i'm away.

However, if none of those work, i reckon i could be a barista.

Coffee used to scare me. Well, the concept of making it did. And i hated the thought of getting hooked on the stuff. Now a total coffee snob, i refuse to drink anything other than espresso with frothed milk aka the latte, and can't stand the taste of instant. bleugh.

Which provided a bit of a hurdle on the savings game. $4 a day for a coffee with london town on the horizon caused internal conflict. Coffee not only provides a tasty beverage, but precious 'me' time over the paper, or people watching, or writing.

Then my mum bought a coffee machine (oh yeah, did i mention that i'm officially back in the parental abode? yusss).

mmmmm.

Savings galore and now i'm training myself in the art of making the perfect coffee. Still haven't quite got the hang of making the milk look all pretty, but i'm working on it.

oh and i made macaroons to stave off the boredom. recipe? oh yeah alright:

from the Australian Women's Weekly Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits

2 eggs, separated

pinch salt

3/4 cup of sugar

3 cups coconut

and i added chocolate chips, and you could probably other nuts and other fun things too

beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition; beat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in coconut (and chocolate), mix well. Spoon level teaspoons of mix onto foil lined over trays. Bake in moderate oven (i used about 170) 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool.

Easy peasy!

Right i better go find something productive to do. Rather looking forward to the inauguration of Mr Obama tomorrow, even if it does mean getting up at 5.30am to watch it. Oh if you haven't already - go see Frost/Nixon. Fantastic. I heart Sam Rockwell. The acting is quite simply spectacular.

2009-01-12T22:53:00.000-08:00

oops, i lost track of time.

The past three have consisted of three things: moving, cleaning and driving between the hutt and wellington. Joy of joys. My body is so tired, i think i'll treat it to a bath a bit later.

But now, a few blogs that I enjoy. Because, mainly, they have pretty pictures. I'm a bit too slack to update my blogroll, see....

First, Meet Me At Mikes. Please? once upon a time, i lived in Melbourne, and i went to this shop. It was at the end of a long luxurious day wandering (and buying) at the Bridge Street shops. They had cool stuff. But i'd spent all my money. I think that since i was there in 2006, they've evolved into something a bit different, and now there is a second shop, in my fave part of town, Fitzroy.

The Craft: blog is always full of cool stuff too. Every once in awhile i'll consider buying the mag when i'm in Magnetix, but it's a bit pricey here and to be honest, i'm not so keen on the layout of the thing. But the blog is full of great, random crazy ideas that makes one appreciate just how many awesome crafty creative people are out there. Also makes one feel a tad inadequate and wonder, 'would i have ever thought of that??'

And for some glam: this chick finds some beautiful things. I love looking for and finding beautiful images (one of the wondrous discoveries of first year design) but it's not something i think to do very often.

During the madness I did find the time to have coffee with a friend and spot some more graffiti. One has to stay sane, ya'know. The current obsession is with paste-ups. Just that much more depth than a spraycan.

2009-01-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

oooh - lookie what I found. A knit chart generator!

http://www.microrevolt.org/knitPro/index.php

2009-01-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

I am doing some serious procrastination. Packing? What packing? Ahem. So I bring you my mood board ( just turned into my desktop)

And pics from my wander round town in the glorious sunshine. If they ever upload.

packing, cleaning and stuff

2009-01-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

oh right, so, tried posting the other day and blogger wouldn't have a bar of it. How rude.

I did say:
The flat needs packing up and cleaning, the garden needs clearing and weeding.
the garden is now weeded but no place to put said weeds now they are out. discovered that not much of my stuff can be packed as it is all furniture. hmm, how did that happen?

Motivation, motivation, where are you? All I want to do is curl up on the sofa and think about life, the universe and everything. Time is of the essence.
Still lacking in motivation. Spent much time lying on the very comfortable swing couch on my parents' deck thinking how lonely life is when there is no work and therefore no co-workers. Time is still of the essence. Normally i am impatient for everything to happen yesterday, now i wish i had more time before i leave for the other hemisphere. In fact, now wish had job. oh dear.

Am also trying to decide if this year needs resolutions. Looking at last year's, i think i achieved maybe 4 of the many. oooh. how about this:

Embrace all opportunities.

I think that's enough.

in my hunt for new blogs, i found this site. Brilliance. I can't wait to wander London streets and shoot graffiti. Hopefully without getting mugged.ooh look! it's me! in Warwick! amazing what you find when posting from your parents' computer.

2008-12-31T18:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome, welcome 2009.

Normally i'm one of the people saying 'oh, new year's, it's so overrated'. This year i wasn't expecting terribly much.

Today, the first day of the year, i got out of bed three times and went back to bed twice.

Eventually i had a shower and decided to wear my pjs all day.

I ate breakfast at 2.30pm.

Last night i was surrounded by old friends, some new ones, and had the absolute time of my life. We talked, we danced, we drank.

Hence the difficulty with getting out of bed and eating on the first day of the year.

Thanks to all those who have been reading over the past year. You're all wonderful, and I hope the New Year brings you plenty of fun, and lots of crafting goodness.

So welcome, welcome 2009: i'm ready for ya.

2008-12-30T00:09:00.000-08:00

What, another post? In one day?! Goodness me.

Having spent the majority of today either cleaning or browsing the net, i figured i may as well drop by here too.

So, fetching are finished. The Alpaca silk is so delicious and completely worth it. Please ignore the lack of a cable cast-on. This knitter is too lazy to teach herself how to do it. Now to put them in the post to wing their way to Paris. Today it was meant to be a whole 1 degree outside. Think she may need them.

And i've added a million gazillion new blogs to my google blog reader. The theme seems to be: London. There is also the wee discovery that is the awesomeness of podcasts (yes, yes so late on that wagon), particularly those of Radio New Zealand.

Most of the blogs have also been added cos they're pretty. Post-US election a colleague and I discussed if it was inappropriate to have crushes on President-elect Obama. Damn, too bad i hadn't even been born in 1980.

Hmm, not sure that I really need to remember yet another log in and password, but i'm seriously thinking about joining this site.

I'm not sure i'm ready for tomorrow to be the last day of the year. Perhaps if i do the whole 'what do i want to achieve in 09' thing i'll feel better about it. maybe.

2008-12-29T12:31:00.000-08:00

The only reason i'm writing this is because i'm procrastinating from cleaning. Bleugh, cleaning. And it's too hot.

The hedgehog that has moved into my parents' backyard. We fed him salmon for dinner. mmm salmon

How about some gratuitous photos of animals and flowers to liven things up? Taken with my pretty new cybershot that FITS IN MY HANDBAG! can you tell that excites me? I am still in love with the Canon S2IS, but it's such a pain to carry around all the time. And it's a bit embarrassing that even though it's only about 3 years old, it has fewer megapixels than the Cybershot (5 compared to 7.2). Plus it's little enough to fit one of the many many large iPod covers still lying around, so it looks even prettier.

Thinking about London (only two months to go!) has got me thinking about cameras. As in, which ones to take.

The Cybershot will go in my bag, but will it be too much to take the S2IS too? And then there's the Polaroid which i don't want to let go but hardly ever use, and i'd really like to take my Dad's 1984 Canon SLR (no D in that, it's all 35mm film) for its second OE.

Four cameras really would be a bit overkill, and no doubt when i get there and earn squillions (haha) i'll want to pick up some serious camera fun in the way of a Canon EOS once i've figured out how to keep from being mugged while i walk around with it.

To finish: an interesting post on a blog i don't usually read. I think all her points are completely valid - and then the comments remind why on some sites i don't bother reading all that toxic hot air. When i was employed by a certain someone comments used to make me angry and upset, and then i read an article somewhere (can't remember) that had a whole pile of stats about blog readers and commenters. Instead of going into loads of detail, basically it made me feel better. And taught me to just ignore the nasty ones. Obviously on all the lovely crafty blogs around, rarely is anyone nasty.

2008-12-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

ah. Christmas Eve. And it's raining. What a freaking surprise.

What with my brain needing some stimulus due to the no work thing, i finally went to a place that sold the Listener on a Monday and bought it. Usually i don't see it til Sunday when there really is not much point.

But what a cracker this week's is!

The editorial is fantastic. It opens: 'Since when has genuine happiness been dependant on money?' I like it. My year, as previously mentioned, has been full of challenges. Lots of them were not so good, and seem to overshadow all the fantastic challenges. But at the end of it, I am happy. Maybe next post can be about all the good things from this year. hmm, could be a long one.

Then there was yesterday's Dom Post article in the World section about young women in Asia (if i remember right) not being allowed to go to school in favour of their brothers. Goodness, that makes me sad. Typically, i can't find it on the Dom Post website. What does that say? It was almost a whole page article, and yet it isn't important enough to make it to their site. Boo.

Oh, also in the Listener is a fascinating piece about Jane Austen. I came across this
a few days ago and meant to link to it through here, but the lovely Louise beat me to it.

While watching trashy Christmas tv i'm working my way through fetching in the wonderful, wonderful, lush alpaca silk i bought from South Seas Knitting. Though i think i should get in the habit of actually counting - i'm onto glove number two and am struggling to get the number of rows between cables the same. woops.

Right, so that was a whole lot of randomness. Merry Christmas everyone, i'll try and keep up with the very regular posting in the New Year - but can't guarantee i'll be sober enough until oh, about January 3.

Tash xx

2008-12-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

how awesome is this?

thanks to this lovely blog.

2008-12-21T00:20:00.000-08:00

I have had a wonderful day.

Christmas really is more about the memories and the company one keeps than the presents, isn't it?

2008-12-19T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am having a very distracted day.

But, i also have crafting excitement!

The wonderful Sue who organises Craft2.0 asked me a few weeks ago if i would like to host a craft, coffee and cupcakes workshop at the New Dowse at the end of January.

Of course i said yes!

So, to see what we'll be making, go here and to book, go here.

And now, instead of attending any one of the four functions i have been kindly invited to tonight, i'm going to sit at home, knit and watch DVDs.

2008-12-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

Obviously, the TAWAs were fun.

Now i have to spend an entire day cleaning the house, thinking about Christmas, and stressing about the fact it is now not even a week away. Where on earth has December gone?

So to procrastinate from thinking about said Christmas, it's photo time.

There has been a noticable increase in graffiti of all kinds around Wellington over the past few months, including some very clever 'paste-ups'. Being a lady of leisure means that I have the, er, leisure, to walk round town, find and photograph the work of some mysterious peeps.

And now for a little bit of Christmas:

must.maintain.one.blog.per.day

2008-12-18T01:39:00.000-08:00

slightly drunken.

Had wonderful night at TAWAs (otherwise known as the Wellingtonista Awards), wearing ridiculous silk skirt that once upon a time was my 6th form ball dress.

just for fun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN8HwUxFouM

lady of leisureness

2008-12-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

I just realised I won't be near a computer again for the rest of the day, so had to do my daily post now. When pretty much all i've done since the last one is knit and sew. but mainly sleep.

what i want to know - who stole summer? where has it gone?

For those who think a lady of leisure does nothing more than sleep in, mooch around, and then go to bed again, today's schedule looks like this:

up at 7.30am (ugh yuck)

pack stuff to go from coffee to gym to drinks (read: bag lady for the day)

start some knitting so i have something to show for myself at coffee

8.55am - blog

9am - leave house

10am - coffee (to teach a guy how to knit. never met the guy. feels like a really weird blind date. more on that later)

post coffee - mooch round town and maybe do some much needed christmas browsing, which will probably lead to purchasing of presents for self

12.15pm - spin class

2pm - drinks

4pm - train to Khandallah for further drinks and christmas festivities

ohh ok. it's a tough life.

too many ideas for a title

2008-12-15T23:19:00.000-08:00

let me try and grab just a few thoughts dashing around my head...

Nikki: i am absolutely up for some man picking.

As she recently blogged -how do you blog abut relationships? The boy has now been officially not the boy for about 4 months. After 3 years, i surprised even myself at how well i've dealt with it. hmm, the strangeness of life.

I've just returned home to a dinner of burritos from the Maiden addresses of a friend and some other new MPs. My goodness, it was inspiring. I have recently turned from the 'i'm not a feminist but...' mantra to the 'this is what a frigging feminist looks like' club. It is so fantastic to see so many vibrant, intelligent women sitting on the government benches. And finally, finally, there are MPs whom i feel i can personally relate to. I can look at the left line-up and say, yes, i feel they absolutely represent me. Too bad they're in opposition.

Speaking of yesterday's need for an ego-boost, apparently i'm interesting. I'll let you know how it goes after tomorrow. In the meantime - yes, Sue i'm about to go and do some work for you. Another wee project yet to be unveiled. It seems so many things are happening so very quickly and i'm trying to catch my breath. It is all thanks to wonderful people such as Sue - you are awesome my dear. mwahs!

2008-12-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

on the bus, on the way home from spinning, i realised what it was that i was missing.

a good old fashioned ego-boost.

I've now been unemployed for just over 4 weeks. The lack of mental stimulus is driving me round the bend, so i'm reading Michael King's Penguin History of NZ. As i'm not so fussed with flora and fauna and such, i began from the political bits. it's fascinating! Makes me want to go back to 5th form history classes.

But that doesn't quite hit the spot. Couldn't figure out why. Until the bus trip. The major thing missing when not working is any sense of achievement. I don't feel like i'm working towards anything, more meandering aimlessly with my eye on some vague blur in the distance. I haven't overcome any major challenge, i haven't had any serious deadlines, there hasn't been any opportunity to give myself a quiet pat on the back for a job well done even if noone else noticed.

With sewing and knitting i'm so self-critical i never feel completely satisfied with a project once it's done.

So, not quite sure how to fix this one. I figure recognising it is the first step.

2008-12-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

and now, for a little music (i never said the daily posts would be substantial):

right, so apparently that isn't working today. So i'll just link instead. As i make afghans, do washing, tidy the flat and ponder walking down to Lyall Bay in this glorious, glorious sunshine.

oh and tip of the day - Lindauer is on special at Pak'N Save for only $7.88 a bottle! yuss! I might've bought 4.

an epic post. oh yeah.

2008-12-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

(the 'love, me' bit is there because for some reason i was thinking about Meredith's speech to Derek about how he should pick her over Addison when i was embroidering ...)

right, so clearly this life of leisure has not resulted in an increase in blog posts. So i shall do the WHOLE two past weeks of my life via bullet-pointing:

i turned 25. i rather like the number, and hope it will be better than 24
i fell UP the stairs at my party and got an awesome bruise on my knee
one of my old friends who had just got back from the UK came to my party (yay!)
i sat in the sunshine
i started going to spinning classes (as in biking). they're amazing.
i completed an entire game of indoor netball without feeling remotely puffed, just hot.
i sewed
i burned my finger on a bowl i was taking out of the microwave. Said bowl says 'microwave safe' on its bottom. my ass
i went out and got fabulously drunk with the awesome people from the Wellingtonista. They are cool.
i sold the car (yuss! more life of leisureness for me)
i had the best cupcake ever from Tempt at Smith the Grocer
i missed out on the last of the cheap one way tickets to london so am stuck here til march still. i was hoping to change it to beginning of feb. oh well
i got addicted to Parliament TV. like a crack whore, only with politics
i was in a car accident. i banged my head, got a bruise on my arm, climbed out of my dad's car and people stood around looking at me to make it all better. for once, just for once, i wanted not to be the person who takes control of a situation. but i did, and turning around to see the brother of a good friend right next me when i needed someone, and giving him a giant hug, somehow got me through the waiting for police bit. There are several parts i distinctly remember - like staring at this other person heading straight for me and knowing that there was no way of avoiding IT from happening. For legal reasons i probably shouldn't say more. i'm a safe driver is probably the best way of putting it.

And now i'm thinking i could either get all morose and grumpy about how crap the past year has been (like i have been the past couple of days) or i could make frigging lemonade. I pick lemonade.

This coming week sees me having coffees, going to spinning, sewing, knitting, tidying, and starting to think about Christmas. I haven't begun my Christmas shopping, and i'm thinking i might just not. In my old age i'm getting a bit anti-materialistic and so i'm going to attempt to make all my presents.

In order to not feel so slack on the web front, i'm going to try and post everyday til Christmas. oooer, now there's a challenge...

Promises

2008-11-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends in living the good life in gay Paris. Well, she's au pairing and struggling on the language front a little, and missing home. So when i asked if she'd like a wee knitted present, she immediately requested grey mittens.

righty-o.

i can't seem to find any nice, slim fitting mitten patterns. I don't like how most are quite bulky. ick.

So i'm going for fingerless gloves, considering by the time they get to her, it'll probably be spring.

Wandering round knit world lately hasn't been particularly inspiring, and then i remembered South Seas Knitting.

oh dear.

Seeing as i'm on a budget, i'm thinking this pattern in this yarn with these needles. i think i'm drooling on the keyboard. yummmmmmmmmm

On another front, it is list writing day. On that list is going to be 'stop drinking so much'. Not really hungover today but i can tell my body is unhappy with all the liver abuse that has been going on. So post-birthday (next week!), the aim is to drink as little as possible. and seriously this time.

Liar, liar, pants on fire

2008-11-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

I just lied. LIED people. it's eating me up. It doesn't feel at all good.

Scenario:

1 pregnant flatmate. 1 very unpregnant leaseholder flatmate. 2 other flatmates. Only leaseholder flatmate, apparently, knows how to clean, and has been doing so for the past week, to compensate for distinct lack of cleaning activity over past 4 months.

1 pregnant flatmate sends text to newly unemployed leaseholder flatmate (me) at the unholy hour of 7.30am this morning. To say:

um, want to talk to you as i've put my name down for a flat in case baby comes early. I've put your name down as referee. (what??!). Said i can move in a month, but would like to talk to you about it.

ok...have a minor stress and then to think happy problem-resolving thoughts.

I shall talk to my landlord and see if we can get out of the lease 5 weeks early (hopefully they will be understanding, and it will save me some rent).

Right, ok, can deal with that.

I spend the day pleasantly, watching Grey's Anatomy, knitting, walking to Lyall Bay for coffee and then sewing.

Phone rings.

Hello?

Hi this blah blah from blah blah property management. [Pregnant flatmate] said i could call you as she's put her name down for a flat.

mhhmmm.

so, what is she like as a tenant?

oh, she's ok. I don't have any problems with her. (semi-true. she's a nice person most of the time)

So how would you say she is on the clean and tidy front?

oh, she's fine. i don't have any problems with her (She has left hair dye all over the bathroom which has stained the new lino, and i have seen her wipe a bench. once. i just threw out two bags of mouldy mouldy bread so green you couldn't tell it was bread any longer)

And um, how about paying rent?

oh, she's fine, i've never had any problems with her (again! missed her very first rent payment when she moved in, and completely forgot to do it again last week)

is that all?

yep. she's fine.

hmm. i thought blogging about it would make me feel better. Apparently not. I am, though, much too nice for my own good.

sigh.

Grey's Anatomy therapy - part 2.0

2008-11-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I left my office for the last time. I didn't really want to leave. I kinda liked my job. I really liked the people I worked with, and the endlessly dynamic environment.

As i got in my car to go, the cathedral bells tolled. How appropriate.

I had coffee at the Dowse, and wandered round the 17th Annual Wallace Art Award exhibition. I love the Wallace exhibition. I wrote notes - which will become the next blog post.

At my parents', i sat on the couch and put on season one of Grey's Anatomy. Ahhh, bliss. Having already covered off season two and three a couple of months ago, it's quite nice to watch episodes where Meredith and McDreamy's relationship is still entertaining. Mmmm McDreamy. I could do with one of those.

Complete, unadulterated pop culture. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, it frustrates me and makes me think. Best of all, it makes me feel better.

Tash hearts Wellington

2008-11-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

A picture says how many words?

2008-11-16T23:26:00.000-08:00

Toast Martinborough - i said 'this is the life' for the first time in a long, long time. bliss.

I'd like to teach the world to sing

2008-11-14T15:55:00.000-08:00

I was going to comment on Nikki's latest post, but then came up with too much to say.

My two cents is (are?) this:

I was brought up in a Roman Catholic home and all my schooling bar two years at intermediate was at Catholic integrated schools. I can't remember the last time i went to mass, but walking into a church, no matter the denomination, it always seems like a great weight is lifted off my shoulders.

I can remember when i first realised that some people had no concept of the 'treat others as you would like to be treated' idea. While i have absolutely no claim on being saintly, this is one of my most fundamental rules of how i go about my daily business. It regularly surprises that people aren't quite sure how to take it. There have been people who have taken advantage of my generous nature, and times when i wonder why i bother.

What it comes down to is that while i don't go to church, and haven't picked up a bible in a very long time, the values i was brought up with are a central part of who i am. They aren't all unique to the Catholic faith, but in the argument of nature vs nurture, in this one nurture wins.

Something that really bothers me is all the conflicts caused by religion. War in the name of values and beliefs is in my mind completely contradictory. I would never force what i believe on anyone else, and resent those who try and force theirs on me.

So the simple answer to Nikki's question, i think, is yes. I know people from all backgrounds and beliefs and have no problem with it. Conversations around religion can be fascinating so long as the participants are prepared to look at the argument from all angles.

I have a friend who is a one-eyed National Party supporter. We had one conversation (read: argument) this year about politics and she refused to consider or even attempt to understand the left point of view. So I refused to argue with her, and we now have a rule to not talk politics.

What i'm trying to get at is that we need to be prepared to accept that people have differing opinions and perspectives. Religion, politics, it's all the same really. I have great respect for my Nat voting friend and actually think she'd make an amazing politician. We look at the world completely differently and yet we get on like a house on fire.

Not sure if that makes any sense whatsoever. It seems kind of simplistic and idealistic in the end - let's all just like each other even if we don't believe the same things. Just like Coke would like to.

the view

2008-11-12T02:04:00.000-08:00

from my window. . .I shall miss it.

i'm baaaack and revealing some little secrets.

2008-11-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

Whew. That was mad. Still is, in an end-of-school, it's almost Christmas, don't have a job much longer sort of way.

Secret number one: I worked in the office of the guy who won in this electorate in the weekend.

ok so that's my only secret really. and lots of people knew it already. It meant lots of very long days, weekends, and actually quite a lot of drinking to keep me sane (is that a contradiction or what?).

But it was a total blast. Working in the office has been amazing - I have met some incredible people, been to some pretty cool places (even if they were only in the Hutt) and have a new appreciation of our society.

I even got to hang out with the now former PM a couple of times. And get her coffee. Oh the exciting life I lead.

But now my boss heads into opposition and I have plans of my own.

I am free to head off into the big wide world and take advantage of the perks of my Dutch passport. So my plan moving forward is to do a whole pile of work on this project, be a starving artist for a few months until my lease expires, and then jump on a plane to London.

It also means i have much more time for blogging.

So tonight, Matthew, I have some random bullet points:

I don't drink coffee. I now have a two-a-day habit. My little walk across the road to Green Land below the Ministry for the Environment building is a little ray of sunshine. They are awesome. Try their afghans.
I am going to run every day now i have the time. I am slightly more round post-campaign and none too happy about it
I love voting.
I love sleeping.
I finally got my socialising groove back. I know some pretty damn cool people, and am so lucky to get to hang out with them.
I'm sad to be back at my flat and no longer have the daily company of my family (hi mum!), who fed me and gave me a bed to sleep in for the last two weeks, and then put up with grumpy me on sunday morning.
I love taking photos and am determined to carry my camera everywhere with me from now on.
I think a nation is measured by the way it treats its most vulnerable. And i'm concerned the new government won't treat them so well. But good luck to them. I'll be back in 2.5 years to help win the next campaign.

i love...

2008-09-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

as it's one of those nice cruisy saturdays, i'm dropping by with a list:

things i love:

fabric
pattern
colour
graffiti
freesias
black and white photography
fluro pink nail polish
knee high socks
daydreaming
borrowing cds from the library
my friends
watching endless episodes of Grey's Anatomy
the new World Sweet World mag
and right now...being me.

Hiatus

2008-09-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

I have a little song, it goes like this:

My time is not my own

My time, no it's not my own

no my time isn't my own

oh my time, is not my owwwwwnnnn

I knew it was coming, and the past three days have proved that it is finally upon me. So i'm going to suck it up, and embrace with both arms.

For the next three months or so i'm incredibly unlikely to find much time for myself. And even if i do, i doubt i'll want to be anywhere near a computer. Hopefully time at home will be spent going for runs, taking baths, reading and knitting or sewing. I came home from work very cranky and so went straight back out the door and went for a run. I feel so much better for it. Sitting hunched in front of a screen doesn't make me feel so good.

I'll post when i finish thermal (this weekend, all going to plan).

And i'll still loiter, i'm not going to go so far as stopping myself from reading blogs...there just won't be so much action here.

But for now, i'm going to indulge myself in Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami. I've been wanting to read a book of his, any book, for ages. And i am seriously impressed. It's fantastic so far.

Whanau and shindigs

2008-08-30T22:29:00.000-07:00

l-r me! Dad, my sis Ana(dress made by moi), mum, my lil bro Jonny, and not so little little bro Toby. Noticable in his absence, my big bro David - who is on a plane to Japan. Jealous!

Now for something completely different...family!

My sister's 21st was a whole load of fun. I thought her being 21 would make me feel old, but the complete opposite seemed to happen. The idea of a big milestone party got me super excited, and i had a chance to properly dress up for once.

When i was 7th form (or year 13, or whatever) my lil sis was a turd. I got lumped with peer support duties and had a great class of third formers to make buddies with, and buddy up we did. They were awesome kids, though quite often i was disturbed by what dirty little minds they had.

About half way through the year my sister came and told me about how one of her mates had cracked up at the fact that i was friends with them before they got to be friends with my sister.

And she has some great friends, and they kind of all end up becoming mates of mine by default. My point is that hanging out with them makes me feel young, not old and crusty like i actually am... :)

giddy excitement

2008-08-28T23:55:00.000-07:00

I have:

a mini bottle of fluro pink nail polish (finally!)
black wool suiting
silver shot metallic fabric
black shot metallic fabric
a pattern from burdastyle (free!)
Black Seeds
a 21st (my sister's, ohhh i feel...young!)
a giddy excitement about designing and sewing one of my creations...so very excited!

The 21st is tomorrow night. Yes, I am mad. I inherited it from my mother - all three balls i went to at school, she or i would still be sewing while people arrived for the pre-ball. It was stressy, but so much fun.

I had some time out today to do a bit of shopping for something to wear, but couldn't find anything i liked that was under, oh, $300. and that picture in my mind didn't appear on the racks anywhere. So i've dreamed something up instead. Fingers crossed it works. I need to channel some sewer's patience to be sure it comes out just right.

Pictures tomorrow :)

oh a not so exciting note, the anticipated work madness is creeping up on me...so i am resigned to the fact i will end up at my desk on sunday. But now, to sew!

Dreams

2008-08-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

For some time now a wee dream has been evolving in my head. This weekend it's nearly fully formed, in radiant colour, and I can mentally walk around it...

It's not that much, really. It involves:

A sewing room that is bathed in sunlight
A vegetable patch
Chickens

Which is all kind of bizarre really cos i grew up loathing everything to do with dirt. Now i find weeding oddly therapeutic. I have no idea what it is about chickens. They're awesome. I don't think i need any other reason except to think they're cool.

Yesterday a visit to Chocolate Frog resulted in some plant buying (kale) and seed purchases...i'm going to germinate them and re-start my pot-based vege garden of last summer.

I hate the idea of putting chemicals on something i'm going to eat, so i'm doing research on companion planting. This site is great. I've also heard that a certain method of planting during certain phases of the moon makes for crazy growing activity, so might have a wee go at that too.

Yesterday wasn't just spent daydreaming. I managed to do some more sewing. I managed to tame my overlocker long enough to make half a skirt but it's now packed it in again. ugh. I also had a go at buttonholes on thermal, and i didn't win. I tried a cable bind on and it didn't work for me ... though i'll be the first to admit i kind of tried making it up as i went along and then lost patience. Any tips? Or just forget the buttonholes and fake it?

oh, for snow!

2008-08-19T00:02:00.000-07:00

I'm going snowboarding tomorrow! I get to play in 4.5m of snow, and 1m of it is almost brand new! sooooo very excited...and so very grateful to my boss for letting me go.

I also went out for a run with a guy i work with today. We keep hassling each other about if we've been for one, and i meant to go yesterday but got distracted with the triathlon.

I almost died. Well, not really. But he runs way faster than i do and totally pushed me to keep up the whole time, and told me not to stop. It was hard, but at the end of it i felt awesome. Compared to my usual cruisy run, it was a bit of a shock to the system.

It was over 6 hours ago, and i'm still feeling amazing for it. like i could go leap buildings in a single bound. Combined with the excitement of going snowboarding, i'm more than a bit giddy.

I did do some sewing on the weekend - i've almost finished the wasp bag, though i'm already planning some pattern amendments. I realised how much i love sewing again, i so don't do enough of it these days...

life is good

2008-08-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

My msn horoscope for today says something about feeling like a beetle flipped onto its back with its legs flailing in the air, unable to get flipped over again. It tells me to wait for the breeze to turn me right side up, and to enjoy the humour of my situation in the meantime.

The sun is shining. I have a new haircut. I ate a tim tam and two pieces of toast for breakfast. I have one new flatmate moving in today. I feel light and relaxed and in control...and i'm about to spend the day sewing. woohoo! I've been waiting so long for a sewing day.

And i ventured into global fabrics yesterday. Did you know they're having a sale? 50% off!! crazy!! i'd post pics of what i bought but i'm having battery issues again. Hopefully by the end of the day i'll have some finished products to photograph. but first, i have to get out of my pjs and wash the car.

I've made a decision about what i'm going to do next year. I'm excited.

There is over three metres of snow on mt ruapehu - it's calling me. i've got ants in my pants waiting to get up there again.

oh and did anyone else watch the rowing last night? my whole family was jumping up and down the whole time, it was fantastic! Didn't manage to stay up late enough to watch the rugby or the shotput, but damn, NZ you're awesome!

Olympics and stuff

2008-08-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

Right, so still stressing seriously about the flat situation. A great pair of pommy girls came round last night and they were awesome...both working at the hospital, really super lovely.

But they had another place to look at too, and i really really want them to move in. At the current rate of room interest, i will seriously struggle to find others to fill the rooms.

I haven't heard from them yet. I text them after they left saying how i'd love for them to move in if they'd like the rooms....now whenever my phone beeps it makes me sweat and gives me butterflies because i'm worried it will be from them saying thanks, but no thanks.

This flat has been no end of trouble. horrible flatmates, not being able to find flatmates, giant powerbills...when will it end? when will my penance be done? I'm not even sure what i've done wrong...it just saps all my energy and i can't seem to make it better no matter how hard i try. If i hadn't given my strongest assurance to the landlords when i signed the lease that i would certainly stay out the whole 12 months, i would give up. I have no idea where i'd go, but i would. But i can't go back on my word.

and i don't want to get my hopes up for the pair of poms, because i don't want it to be even harder if they say no.

On the other hand i've been throwing myself into Olympics watching. I love it. I love watching everything, i find it so fascinating. The bodies of the athletes amaze me...and i can't help but be utterly attracted to Michael Phelps...his swimming muscles make me melt, just a little. Too bad he's american. Hey now that i think of it, he's only a year or so younger than me. Maybe i have a chance...haha

Apologies

2008-08-13T01:29:00.000-07:00

I found Tessuti here. They have Japanese cotton fabrics. and gorgeous silks. And deliver anywhere in NZ. Damn i need to find new flatmates to i can treat myself...

I just scrubbed the bath. It kind of helped.

Expletives to follow

2008-08-12T23:21:00.001-07:00

I am ready to have a big fuck off tanty. Evidently with lots of swearing.

I am so done with flatmates. I am so sick of being the leaseholder and therefore responsible for paying rent if someone leaves. I am so sick of people taking advantage. I am sick of fussy people who have no idea. I am sick of the stupid women who work in my office and talk shit all day and have the productivity levels of sloths.

Have i mentioned that i asked horrible flatmate to move out? Yay for that! he's gone! And i thought i'd found a lovely lovely new crafty relaxed flatmate. She moved in, put her cute stuff around the house, and then decided to move out because the room gave her asthma. She said it was damp. She has a ventilation duct right into her room, it isn't mouldy, it gets the sun - all things that are hard to find in wellington.

You'd think she would have considered the fact that all her stuff had been in storage for months and would be all nice and dusty. I think the real story is she found somewhere else. And now she wants her bond back straight away, when i've just paid out someone else's, am already paying rent for two rooms and now have to find someone else to go into that room. Talk about fucked off. And of course i'm too nice to say no, she has to wait until i get paid or get someone else in the room.

I am tired, I know have to clean the flat for people to come round tomorrow night, and i am seriously not in the mood to play nice Tash and hope that someone else wants to move in.

Besides that, i now have two highly irritating women working in my office instead of just one. I have to listen to them talk crap all day (one has an extremely high opinion of herself) and am painfully aware that they aren't remotely productive and aren't actually doing the job very well. It makes it so hard to concentrate and get my own work done, especially when i'm already tired and stressed by other things.

It's all bad enough that I just want to call my mum and have her make everything better.

2008-08-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

Work. Is. mad. I. Am. tired.

mulled wine, hot fire and dinner to decide upon.

still not sleeping well. boo.

but snowboarding sunday. Yay.

that is all.

Epiphanies and feeling uber zen

2008-08-04T01:38:00.000-07:00

I had a crappy weekend. I felt crappy. Not sick, just really super tired. And then I couldn't sleep at night. boo hoo.

I knew something was wrong when late saturday afternoon I thought, 'I can't wait to go back to work and do this and this and this'. Uh oh.

Not having slept very well I got a bit cranky and then took it out on the boy on Sunday. He left, I felt bad, and then had some very good thinking time.

How long has it taken me to realise that men and women are different. Take me (female) for example. I went to an all girls secondary school and had a group of friends that were super competitive and super smart (i was the average one). We were always pushing ourselves and each other to do that much better. Five years of that and i was a lost cause - i'm a hard out. I figure there is no point doing something unless you are going to do it properly and efficiently. I drive myself nuts with it all the time, especially when i'm sitting at work thinking i could have done something much better, much sooner, when really i doubt that anyone else has even noticed.

The problem with this is that because i have such incredibly high standards of myself, i tend to expect the same of everyone else. Which is unfair. And the person it is most unfair on, is the boy.

The boy is a youngest child. Something that to me is glaringly obvious every day. He's a total cruiser, anything that can be put off til tomorrow will be, and quite often he doesn't think of how what he does will affect anyone else. Because i suppose, when he was growing up, he got away with everything and noone really worried about him. His parents had probably figured that all the others turned out ok, surely he will too with much less effort.

He makes up for that with grand gestures - i always get the most amazing presents and surprises from him. Whereas i make lots of little gestures constantly.

So the big deal was this: now that we don't live together, i want to hang out with him all the time because i adore being round him. He, on the other hand, just carries on with life as always and knows i'm there if he needs me. Which makes me cranky.

Until yesterday.

1. He probably doesn't want to hang with me cos i get cranky all the time (duh.)

2. I need to chill out, relax and just let him be him (also, duh)

3. Stop being such a relationship control freak. It's still a relationship even if I don't see him for five days. (yep, that would be duh)

And i feel so much better. I'll be the first to admit it's going to be hard to change some very old habits. But I also need to spend more time looking after myself. Part of that is not sweating the small stuff, and really, it is pretty small stuff. I don't really need the extra stress of being grumpy at the boy because he isn't living my super high standards.

The other reason i'm feeling uber zen right now is that i just got back from playing indoor netball and i feel freaking amazing. Endorphins, anyone? I sleep way better when i've had some exercise in a day, so i think i might start getting up earlier in the morning and going for a run before work. Or after work. Even if it's raining. Because it makes me feel so much better, and boy i'm going to need to be on top of the game for the coming months.

soonness

2008-07-31T01:50:00.000-07:00

no, it's not a word. But soon-ness is how i'm feeling tonight. Everything is 'soon' at the moment. Waiting, with baited breath, when some things are going to happen. I'm going to have to be prepared, but i'm excited. Work is going to take off and go nuts, but i can't wait. I've had a few days of super good work stuff going on and i'm getting my mojo back. Goodness knows i need it.

and i'm hanging out to get a snapper card. So few people have them yet i'm all super jealous whenever i see someone actually USE those cool teardrop shaped things on the bus (which also make a great noise). Pay day next week may call for the purchase of one.

i'm also quite looking forward to the weekend - a bit of cooking dinners to freeze for the next few weeks, some baking and hopefully finishing thermal - so close to being done i can almost smell it!

oh yeah

2008-07-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

that's right, I was going to post.

Holiday was mostly fabuloso. Not so fabuloso the whole being ditched thing so that boys could ride with boys. Tash is not a boy and so gets left at the top of the chairlift to entertain herself for the day.

Snowboarding is a very male-dominated sport. Whenever we head up the mountain, the boy and i always end up meeting more...boys. We'll hang out at the lodge, meet new people (boys) inevitably give lifts up the mountain to the boys, hang out with the boys, i'll get ditched so the boys can go be boys together and then every so often I will drive extra boys home.

Trend, much?

At the time i smile graciously and put up with it. By the end of the weekend, or week, or whatever, i am gritting my teeth as the boy comes along and says, i'm just going to go do this with the boys...and i'm ready to have a mega tanty.

Despite all that, the boys we met this time were pretty cool. A french guy (who we called frenchy cos it was easier than saying his name) and a welly boy. Tim and I ended up being surrogate tour guides to frenchy on the closed days, and then brought both him and the welly boy back down with us and then showed frenchy the sights of wellington before depositing him at the ferry terminal. On saturday. I hate to think how crap that sailing was.

Though he was obviously blown away by the amount we did for him, it didn't bother me. It felt completely natural to show a total stranger round the countryside for a week. He cooked us dinner. It consisted of garlic, onions, potatoes, bacon and cheese. freaking brilliant. freaking french.

Spending that much time with frenchy made me realise just how much of my french i've forgotten. Words that i knew were buried in the dark recesses of my mind refused to come out of the cave. So i'm thinking i'm going to find a way to re-teach myself some vocab. just for fun.

I barely spoke any french to him though. He had come over to speak english, so that's what i let him do. I helped with the odd translation of words, but that's about it.

I was going to post a photo of the most wonderful purple and yellow bruise i now have on my knee because i tried to keep up with the boys and got too tired. (i also have a couple on my behind but we won't go there) The bruise signalled the need to give up for the day. But i walked away from it knowing i'd got a whole lot better. And might just be able to ride with the boys next time.

PS we wisely decided on tuesday not to stay for the weekend, and drove back on friday night. So we missed out on all the fun of being evacuated off Mt Ruapehu on Saturday. bummer.

raining, it's pouring...

2008-07-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

fingers crossed i don't get stuck in the hutt at Craft2.0 cos of all this rain...and toes crossed too that this all means snow, lots of snow!

Early tomorrow morning the boy and i are road trippin' to Mt Ruapehu for a week...catch you up when i get back!

2008-07-16T00:17:00.000-07:00

Happy: i went for a run! And i got flowers! from the boy! and i got to hang with the boy!

Created: hmmm, clean clothes. and endorphins, and as always, stitches.

Treat: burger fuel. more than covers the effort in the run, methinks

No Grump: decided to change the outlook to 'positive' when dealing with flatmates re: giant power bill. we'll see how it goes. The bit that drives me nuts is that no matter how nicely i ask, it's still their decision to be more power conscious. So the bill is in their hands...

I am in two minds about what to do with fave flatmate leaving. I'm not sure i can really be bothered finding a new one, to be honest. I go up the mountain for a whole week on sunday and she leaves as soon as i get back, which isn't really helpful in the time frame situation. So maybe i'll sit on it for a while and make up my mind when i get back. though it will mean paying quite a bit of extra rent.

I'm at the point where my whole life feels a bit consumed by flat stress. So the focus is going to shift to craft: much, much more craft. I think it's time for the hottie, bed and my knitting. Thermal is on standby, which is a bummer as i hoped it would be finished by the time we went back up the mountain. Instead I seem to be replacing it with lots of little knitted projects...all will be revealed, one day...

blogging. um stuff

2008-07-15T02:31:00.000-07:00

oh. ah right. blogging. that thing i do. normally when sober.

let me explain. i'm normally a nice relatively undrunk lass. of late, my colleagues have led me astray. which is why i am sitting in the dark eating fish and chips at 9.32pm on a tuesday night. when any reasonable person would be getting ready for bed, soberly, and anticipating the next day. nope not me. led astray.

so err, happy - we won netball last night. Can't remember the rest. though the boy feigned serious illness yesterday and guilted me into cooking him dinner after netball. only to be revealed that he had been drinking til 4am monday morning. where is my dinner? hm?!

and it seems that when i am drinking, i talk. alot. (i knew that) the worrying thing is, it seems to all be about knitting. oh dear.

I am now apparently knitting a fluffy red beanie and a scarf or beanie (which ever strikes my fancy) for two office males. hmm.

now i feel slightly ill from greasy chips and much gin and tonic. and vodka. oops. fun times, though...

2008-07-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

Happy: Wandering around the waterfront for hours in the sunshine. Knitting in public. People-watching. Taking photos

Created: soon, pumpkin soup, and plenty of stitches, as always

Treat: G&Ts with the boy at Ohtel

No grump: nothing. really...except maybe that it's monday tomorrow...but i'm not thinking about it :)

The concrete poetry around the waterfront really pulls at me...each one resonates for some reason, the words, the textures, the true descriptions of what wellington is...and you really, truly can't beat wellington on a good day.

happy happy joy joy

2008-07-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

um yep, it's late. so this covers two days...

Happy: not having anywhere to go or anything to do last night, so hung around drinking with work peeps. got hideously drunk and decided it would be a great idea to go to the boy's house, climb into his bed and fall asleep all without him knowing. He was in his room, bummer, but put up with me all the same...and then cooked me bacon and eggs for breakfast. Much happiness also from snuggling under a blankie on the couch knitting, then met up with Nikki for coffee and more knitting. Couldn't get better really.

Created: Plenty of stitches

Treat: Relaxing! Properly for once...

No grump: ummmm oh could have got seriously grumpy about the price of petrol. Solved that by deciding that my low car use can get even lower. I drive it on Mondays to indoor netball, and around about on the weekend, and that's pretty much it. What i'd like to work out is the cost comparison of driving to town on the weekends to catching the bus, which is $4 all up. hmmm.

Happy-ness

2008-07-10T02:16:00.000-07:00

Happy: a loverly evening hanging out with my boy, some super duper exciting news (all hush hush) and seeing THE most fantastic print in the window of Eyeball Kicks on my way home. it is mine. I am almost beyond caring what it costs...shall see if i feel the same tomorrow when i call them and find out the real price...

Created: stitches, soon

for someone else: bought the boy dinner, and treated him to my fabulous company, ha. Oh actually, i treated him a dollar to play pacman on/in the table at Midnight Espresso

Treat: a G&T for moi

No grump: am struggling with this - the power bill arrived, it's an estimate, i checked the meter, and yep, next month is going to be mega again. This month is still pretty bad. It's the last thing i need to stress about, again. But my dad is an engineer (read: anal) and has always been involved in the electricity sector, which means transferred anality about things like turning off lights. So this power issue is like cheese grating my face. painful. hmm maybe i should email the landlord and ask if the previous tenants had the same issue - we have a moisture master and i theorise it shouldn't be that expensive to run - should it?? (the website says no - only 5 - 10cents a day - not sure i believe them)

also exciting - tomorrow is FRIDAY! woohoo! Bring on the weekend, baby!

Happy day number 2

2008-07-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

What has made me happy: Eating spag bol for dinner, my carefully planned day going swimmingly (v tiring tho. whew.), and looking forward to knitting this evening with a hot water bottle and then an early night.
Created: so far nothing, except a good dinner. Soon i shall have created some stitches. yay.
Done for someone else: ummm...a tad stuck on that one. oh yep, it's in my head - i went out of my way for someone. Was at work so can't be too specific...
treat: a decent dinner, and making myself walk out of the office at a reasonable time when i could quite easily have stayed much longer. it will still be there tomorrow.
No grump: one of the flatties left their bedroom light on, so i very nicely asked them to turn it off, and then explained, again very nicely, that i was a little concerned about what our next powerbill will look like. He then raved about how nice and toasty warm his room his and that he hasn't needed a heater so far at all. ahhh that makes me feel better. Still curious about the cause of last month's mega bill tho...

for some incredibly irritating reason, photos are taking what seems like hours to upload...so no prettiness today...off to knit!

happiness part 1.0

2008-07-08T01:51:00.000-07:00

What has made me happy today: I am feeling the effects of three glasses of wine, hoki bites and apple berry pie with low fat icecream for dinner.
What I have created today: a full and well rounded day for my boss tomorrow, oh and a great mix cd for this evening's work drinks
One thing i have done for someone else today: i sent a love...pdf. mail wasn't fast enough!
One thing i have done to treat myself today: i ate pudding for dinner - which i kind of guessed i would do so treated myself to a kebab with green things in it to make up for the fact i haven't been eating very well lately. One actually cannot operate very well on marmite toast alone (even if it is vogels)
One thing i stopped myself from getting grumpy about: tomorrow wasn't working out so well, so i walked away, came back to it and found a solution. yahoo!

I am also very very excited about: TV3 filming stitch and bitch tomorrow. i also now have a free-ish evening...shall i risk venturing out? or shall i stick with relative anonymity for awhile longer? Anyone who is crafty-like should definitely go - it's at Cafe Reka at the NewDowse in the Hutt from 6 (i think).

One of my exciting projects is on the go...ohhh i could stay up all night working on it, for sure!

I am also very pleased that a flatmate appears to have had the sense to turn on the dishwasher. Big star for them. Not so big star for the flatmate who has a penchant for filling the freezer with food before using what they already have in there. Going to my happy place.

right slightly drunk fuelled happy rant over for today. Hello to my lovely friends who all seem to be going to freaking Paris without me ... even it is only on Conitki.

new leaf, and all that

2008-07-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have been one grumpy girl of late. Life has been lame. Or at least, my perspective on life has been pretty crap.

So, no more Mr Grumpy Tash. Today is a new day, and even my horoscope says it is so:

You have a very passionate period in store for you, dear Sagittarius, and today is the first day of this kind of renewal in your life. The fire that is burning inside you will melt the ice you have on the outside. All that warmth will make you want to come out of your shell and to share those feelings with others that you are so used to hiding under your stern personality. But that's just a facade you tend to put on with other people. (thanks MSN)

Hmm, stern, yeah that sounds about right. Part of this ice melting stuff, is daily posts on here where I must note the following:

1. What has made me happy today
2. what I have created today
3. One thing I have done for someone else today
4. One thing I have done to treat myself today
5. One thing I stopped myself from getting grumpy about

Five is a good number I think … it is one of my favourites after all. I think I also need to stop putting so much pressure on myself to be ‘doing’ all the time. I need to stop and think more, and also let myself relax. I can’t remember the last time I allowed myself to spend a few hours reading. Knitting is all well and good because I feel like I am doing something, but it means I haven’t read a whole book in over a year. And I love reading.

As it is still early in the day I don’t think I quite have enough material to do my list just yet. But I feel better already. Black Seeds on the radio helps!

2008-07-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

I really am getting quite appalling at this update stuff. Must try better.

Yesterday consisted of the longest stressiest afternoon, one that dictates a glass of wine is not enough...but a G&T hit the spot. So did having some girly friends round for dinner - much eating, drinking and gossiping by the fire ensued.

Today I am off to spotlight ... and then have my first ever stall at the Mighty Mighty Market. Fingers crossed it goes ok...

Yeah so freaking boring post, but that's all i got right now! Plenty of other things to keep my mind occupied at the moment, including a couple of projects that I am getting quite excited about...

Why i love to knit

2008-07-01T00:53:00.001-07:00

I fully pinched this idea from Nikki. Thanks Nikki!

How much do i love to knit? Let me count the ways...

Thinking time. When a million ideas, thoughts and confusions are whizzing through the brain cells, knitting makes me slow down and place my thoughts in a queue for careful consideration. I solve all the world's problems when I knit. Then promptly forget them.
Increased productivity. I drive myself nuts with the fact that I always must be doing something. So tv watching is no longer wasted time. Whew.
Creation. Watching something grow through simply sitting and working at it is so fulfilling. I also love the idea that knitting is creating my own fabric - seeing as i am also fabric obsessed.
Touch. I love the feel of fabric...and knitting gives me an excuse to feel more things up.
Learning. I am amazed at just how much there is to know about knitting, it is incredibly technical. Plus there is nothing better than passing that learning on and watching someone else fall heads over heels with their needles, too.
Subverting stereotypes. Not only does it give the old ducks a bit of a thrill, but knitting in public is my way of proving that knitting is not just for grannies. It is modern, interesting and timeless.

Hmm. That's all i can think of for now. I'm a bit bummed as i've just found out my fave flatmate is going on her OE in a month, leaving me with two very un-favourite flatties. What to do? Lame-o. This calls for flannel pjs, a hot water bottle, cookies and knitting.

2008-06-26T15:21:00.001-07:00

umm.. errr yesss...it has been about ten days since last posting. ummm...no excuse really. The dog ate my homework (i don't have a dog). I have been thinking about blogging plenty though, as loads of things are making me go 'hmmm' at the moment.

There are so many sad, depressing things going on at the moment that it would be quite easy to get all glum and think that the world is going down the toilet. The simple solution is to get angry and take it out on other people. But i think it's up to everyone to really go out of their way and pass positivity around...it's easy to get angry when someone bumps into you in the street. I say if more people made the effort to even just smile at someone at the supermarket check out, or let someone on the bus before you, not only does it make you feel good but it all gets passed on. Like a ripple in a pool.

Anyway, I think it's up to US to be the difference and not always blame it on THEM. It's about time people took responsibility for their own happiness and well being instead of expecting someone else to come along and be the quick fix by waving some perceived magic wand. And for those who can't help themselves we should be taking more assertive action (whatever that may be) to raise awareness so that they are helped and accepted where ever they go.

hmm right so that's my two cents for now...i've also got serious ants in my pants because in a few hours i will be heading up to the land of carrots (Ohakune) and spending some much anticipated time sliding around in the snow. And they have lots. It's been snowing ALL week and i'm taking monday off too as the sun is meant to shine on lots of light fluffy fresh pow pow. woop woop!

Where's the weekend gone?

2008-06-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

It's been one of those crazy, mad weekends where you go from being so, so happy to the complete other end where one just doesn't know what to do or where to turn.

World Wide Knit in Public day, despite my lacklustre attempts to organise it, turned out magnificently. The bucket fountain knitters turned out in the sunshine to sit, talk, and answer questions of the curious. It was fantastic, and i have finally been conned into making use of my Ravelry log on. I was worried that it would be just one more netty thing to consume my time, but isn't as bad as i thought. I'm not sure how far i will get stuck into tracking my projects, but i will be making use of a new found knitting community. (don't like those two very similar sentences right next to each other. ho hum). Yay for new (and not so new) friends!

From there was the fantastic launch do for the new Juniper shop. Having just read Mindy's latest post, i can't help but be inspired yet again by her. What she manages to pull off with a smile on her face, despite everything else going on in her life, is amazing.

For the first time in quite a while i managed to get out and hang with a group of friends i refer to as 'my hutt boys'. My deep dark secret is that i'm from the dirty old Hutt. Mind you, when i was living there i had no idea it was dirty and old, to me it was just fine. I haven't hung out with these guys properly in about 4 years, and there is a great deal of history with us. I went out with one of them, was best mates with another, and i seemed to be the only girl for a long time who managed to stay connected with the group without being attached romantically to one of them. They're now all doing their thing, and the reason for last night was that two more are heading over the great sea to the UK to join two that are already there.

It was the kind of night where you think, i am SO lucky to have these friends. I may not see them that often, but i know that no matter what they will always be around, and we will always be able to come back together, the same group of friends, and it will still feel like we are 17 again and having the time of our lives.

The reason why the weekend went pear shaped i'm not going to mention. It has everything to do with seagulls. no, it has nothing to do with seagulls, i just needed to put a picture up. Pics from knitting in public i hope to get up in the next couple of days, in the meantime i am yet again having battery dramas.

2008-06-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

It's grey outside, my tummy is grumbling, and i've got nought left to do this working day. I haven't pulled on my running shoes yet this week (thanks for the advice louise! my body is longing for a run for sure) but I am starting to feel a bit better.

This has helped - I managed to visit Meet Me at Mikes when I lived in Melbourne, and it was still much more second handy than crafty then. I love how things evolve...and now i want a shop window to fill with red shiny things on newspaper!

For any local knitters...it's world knit in public day tomorrow. I'll be by the bucket fountain in Cuba Mall from 2pm with my needles, or at the Southern Cross if it's raining. Yay for knitting in public!
Oh yeah and then i'll probably head over to Juniper for the grand opening of the new shop...think i may have to wear my new shoes for the occasion. :)

advice, please

2008-06-10T23:29:00.000-07:00

Work has become a series of brick walls that I keep smacking my head on, so by the time i get home all i want to do is collapse in a heap and shut the rest of the world out...only to do it all again the next day. I am the kind of person who wants to do the best possible job no matter what, but it's proven yet again that my personal life is what suffers. oh and my head. My body is now yelling STOP and i don't know what to do bar taking two weeks off, which is currently not an option.

Anyone have any no fail ways to deal with such things? bar knitting (which is also currently stressing me out cos i don't really know what i'm doing at this stage of thermal) and spending loads of money that i don't have.

In the meantime I have hot shoes and just made the very last payment on my half of our car. woohoo!

Accumulation

2008-06-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

Fun dolls! Book from Sydney...

And the first project I'm going to make from fun dolls...gotta love the Japanese instructions

fabrics from Tessuti...

The new Curvy, Yen - one of my fave mags discovered when i lived in Melbourne, and Russh

Don Binney book from the boy...

Mist in Katoomba

Roses...me is so lucky!

Pair of shoes number one...and new wool tights...

Pair of shoes number two...only $30 from Hannahs, and they're leather. Though they make me absurdly tall...

Thermal progress...

I thought it was about time to reemerge from the abyss where I have been hiding of late and share a few things. My sincere apologies for such heinous photos - i leave at dark and come home at dark. boohoo. It is all made better by decent food (my first real dinner in a week thanks to healthy food guide), wearing my snowboard boots around the house and being in possession of two new pairs of shoes. I actually have $3 in my bank account until Wednesday and I swear I am now going to hide my credit card in the worm farm to prevent further temptation. but hey, i didn't buy any clothes in Sydney and the last time i bought decent shoes was, um...2006. So i figure these two will do me for another two years.

Last week was three years with the boy, and I was completely spoilt. Roses and a Don Binney book i have wanted for 5 years. How did he know i wanted it? he didn't. brownie points for him!!

The other pics...thermal is progressing, slowly. i am struggling my way through the first sleeve after frogging it. Damn being a perfectionist. I have spent way too much time on it to come to the end of the sleeves and it not fit together because of ending up with too many stitches.

2008-06-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Happy World Environment Day!

Apologies for being completely and totally blog-slack. Have been in Sydney and now work has wreaked havoc on my life...oh joy. Hope to get back to normal bloggyness on the weekend, with pictures of my stash aquired over the ditch. Typical me - tried to spend money on clothes, failed, so came back with books, magazines, fabric and a scarf instead.

2008-05-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am in Sydney! On holiday, officially, though i just spent 45mins working through emails to sort out some niggly things...painful, that.

So far I have:

had numerous asses connect with my shoulder as people pushed by my seat to get to the toilet on the plane
walked around Balmain with my big bro (so much to look at! why didn't i take my camera?)
scoped out shops to visit tomorrow and saturday (Tapestry Craft are having a SALE and Tessuti (a fabric shop apparently) is just down the road)
worked. see my grumpy face
felt the need to collapse in a heap and sleep for hours - which i will be able to do in oh, about twenty minutes. bliss.

I am loving...

2008-05-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Looking out my window this morning, it is dark and grey, people are hunched under their umbrellas dodging the rain. Streaking from around the corner, a pair of red, red scooters look like a couple on a going to work date and brighten the street instantly.

I love this weather...

other things i'm loving at the moment?

My orange wool blanket with the linen patches from Mary Potter Hospice shop in Miramar,
hot water bottles
staring out the window
wrapping scarves on
writing (or attempting to) emails in french to my friend who is off to Paris in four weeks...
daydreaming of the snow - only four weeks to go!
and of Sydney - only two days to go!

shhhh!

2008-05-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Don't tell anyone - i'm blogging at work. naughty!

Couple of great things from the last couple of days:

Craft night at Juniper - what a freaking great geeky way to have fun of an evening. And i officially want to either a)live at Juniper or b)kidnap Mindy. Happy with either :)

I'm not there - or that Bob Dylan Movie. Fabbo. Without giving too much away, i spent the first half thinking...um, i don't get it. Then figured, it's Bob Dylan, i'm not meant to. By the end i'd wrapped my head around it - all the mystery, the masks, the characters of Dylan are there - you just have to look for them . My conclusion - Dylan is god. He is everything and nothing, everyone and noone. Oh and Heath Ledger - full frontal. yes indeedy.

ephemera

2008-05-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

I ADORE the illustration for their posters...mmmm

More pics from yesterday...which isn't to say i didn't do anything today. Much progress has been made on thermal's first sleeve, and i have officially converted another friend to knitting.

Nikki made it along to Crafternoon Tea and brought Hannah - my goodness she is so cute. I know have loads of pictures by her to grace my fridge!

head over heels

2008-05-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

...in love with Wellington

What an absolutely amazing morning. The light is perfect for photos today - so that's what the boy and i did. Up and down Cuba, round to one of the bays...

We also finally made a visit up to Swonderful in the Brooklyn village, and it really is wonderful.

not much

2008-05-16T00:19:00.001-07:00

Well, the week was a bit mad. Sitting on the bus i would have sworn it was about 8pm, when it was actually three hours earlier than that.

Though there are some exciting things in the coming weeks:

we're doing knack! on a whim, i emailed asking about stalls - and there were cancellations!
one new project is on the cusp of being launched
crafternoon tea strikes again on sunday
there are exhibition openings around about tomorrow to attend
Surprise craft night at Juniper (preceded somehow by a pot luck slash castle construction do)

Not so exciting things:

My skin has gone ass. In particular, my forehead. I've never had very bad skin in my life...i'm going to blame the airconditioning at work. I think i shall have to splurge on some Trilogy cleanser. It's got comfrey, ya'know.
I'm tired
I still can't find my camera battery
i need to go to the supermarket before i sit down with my knitting

i want to knit so much i'm going to prise myself from the chair right now to walk down to the giant yellow dairy on the corner.

Here's hoping i find my battery!

Not much

2008-05-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

except the early starts and late nights are wearing thin - where is all the time i'd like to spend reading frankie, knitting and dreaming?

the joy of the unexpected

2008-05-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with absolutely no intention of going to the knitter's weekend out at the Dowse...until i got (woken up by) a text from my mum telling me that i was allowed to sit it on my Grandma's workshop this morning if i wanted...i wanted! So after some quick rearranging of my day, i was out the door in record time and out to the hutt for about the fifth time this week (i'm getting to know the Dowse to Petone interchange works really well, i tell ya!).

The workshop was an introduction to lace knitting, something i'd had a go at before but had left to one side since. My reward for going? A copy to borrow of the Knitting Sutra - Craft as a Spiritual Practice by Susan Gordon Lydon and copies for my own of Mary Thomas' Knitting Book and Book of Knitting Patterns. Stoked! The covers of the two Mary Thomas books are great, and they have all these cute little cartoons and illustrations...which you'd know if i hadn't dropped one of my rechargeable batteries somewhere not to be found when trying to put them back in my camera.

I got to see the inside of Knit World's new knitting studio and had to force myself to stop looking because, my goodness, the yarns in there are delicious. Much, much higher quality than what is stoked in the shop and a wall full of fantastically geeky knitting tools...I managed to leave with only my last balls of yarn for thermal and a set of bamboo double pointed needles - why bamboo? Do i really need bamboo? Uh, no. But there they are in my bag anyway. Ha.

After the workshop i tootled off to the New Dowse and drooled over more yarn (please santa, bring me a sack of organic merino!), met Mel Clark who co-wrote this book, and was pleasantly surprised by the number of young'uns there. I was most impressed by the blind lady knitting, and a couple of guys dotted around the place. One, admittedly, was wearing a skirt. You see it all in Lower Hutt...

My job in the next hour is to have another crack at knitting with dpns, so that i can get some grandmotherly advice on technique tomorrow.

Keep warm!

Winner!

2008-05-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the magic of the cube (my desktop rubbish bin) ikkinlala is the winner of my 100 post draw - congrats!

It is way too early in the morning to think of a proper post, so I shall mention the weather. Winter is by far my favourite season. I love the moodiness of the skies, listening to the rain fall, being rugged up nice and warm and drinking mulled wine. I adore the colours of lights in the rain and the reflections on the road....and, of course, snow. There has been a bit falling lately in the central plateau and i am very glad to have purchased my season pass for Ruapehu - but i may spend a bit of time sleeping in the car on weekends away!

Have a great day....

2008-05-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

Would you sell your kidney for $60,000?

something to mull over for a monday!

Things to do on cold days

2008-05-03T16:12:00.001-07:00

How cold has this weekend been? winter is well and truly here...please note that I am very happy having seen that snow has fallen on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu...pffft to any nonsense about volcanic activity there. If the petrol man reads this, can you please put petrol down to oh, say $1 a litre so I can afford to go snowboarding every weekend this winter? that would be great, thanks.

Obviously there isn't yet enough snow for riding, so I had to settle for hanging out with the boy at Pataka. Tough, i know. I was actually not too keen to go, as I knew there was some Samoan art exhibition on. Three years working at Te Papa and not studying any contemporary Pacific art during my art history degree gave me the distinct impression that Pacific art was all tapa cloths and garish quilts. I am happily proved wrong.

Samoa Contemporary opens with a not-too exciting entrance, and made me wonder if that was 'it'. A beautiful waka carved from what seemed to be deep blue acrylic had wavy grooves running the length of it, offset with blue light above that made the waka itself look like the depths of the ocean. It was somewhat mysterious in its simplicity. The catalogue tells me (of course i didn't pay attention to names when i was there) that it is the work of John Ioane. There you go.

Hmm this catalogue is going to come in very handy...

Niki Hastings-McFall's work is I feel the Samoan version of Judy Darragh. Lamps collected from TradeMe (where else!) and second hand shops have their lampshades covered with $2 shop lei flowers, resulting in a cluster of glowing colour. I found the tacky kitsch totally appealling, and saw the first exploration of a theme that seemed to run through the whole show - the Samoan culture is one that does not do things by halves. Lamps overrun with flowers, lounge rooms crammed proudly full of children's successes, huge charcoal drawings and full-body tattoos.

Following was a video of a performance work by Shigeyuki Kihara which was haunting and beautiful...There is something infinitely graceful in Pacific dance, the way the hands are used to tell a story and their movement is so fluid. The exhibition leads you on (something equally good about it, which i'll mention later...) through another installation, this one by my waka-making friend, John Ioane. Wasn't so fussed by the totem-like poles that seemed to serve as trees as you walked through to the next part. Apparently that's part of the meaning - journey - so i guess it works but they weren't terribly pretty.

Michel Tuffery's giant flies stuck to the walls through to the next section...and as with John's installation, I could take or leave Tuffery's flies. They're ok i suppose, but i much prefer his corned beef bulls (one of which is at the entrance to the exhibition on permanent display). The large room though, blew me away. All my previous Samoan-art stereotypes disintegrated in front of Greg Semu (the best) and Lonnie Hutchinson's work.

I'll start with Lonnie as hers was my favourite. Vinyl-inspired circles of petal-like spirals dotted the walls to either side of the larger works. Made from building paper, they were fragile in design and construction but their darkness and the shadows cast on the white gallery walls made for a fantastic composition of opposites. Two 'clouds' cut from black acrylic floated by in their pattern-induced lightness. Taking centre stage was a massive black frame enclosing a pseudo-Maori pattern cut from more black acrylic. The whole was overlaid with clear acrylic and up close I felt like I was looking at a tv. The shiny-ness (is that a word?!) and clean lines coupled with the dimensions made me feel as if i was standing in an art collector's lounge looking at their plasma screen. Standing back the effect was even more impressive - strong curves complemented the rectangular outline and were projected onto the wall by the clever lighting. I was speechless, it was so fantastic. In my opinion, it doesn't really matter what the meaning of a work is if you find it staggeringly beautiful. This, i would very very happily part with some cash for. Couldn't care less what it means. For me, the contrast of black and white, matt and gloss, curves and lines, delicate and strong, was IT.

Greg Semu's photographs were Epic with a capital E. There was a set of three self portraits of his pe'a. Damn those tattoos are impressive. I liked the way he 'chopped off his own head' in the images, leaving us only to wonder who the person was behind the ink. The boy pointed out the amount of solid black on his legs - just how much that would have hurt. I was more curious by the fact in the third picture he could hold all his bits in one hand. But anyway...

Directly opposite were two more images by the same artist. Greg was artist in residence at the Musee du quai Branly in Paris, and the effect of working in a museum is evident in his work. One of the very large photos recreates a battle scene during the New Zealand Maori wars. My art history degree did come in handy here - I could see his reference to Jacque Louis David's grand battle scenes of the 18th century, and the Maori man in full uniform is a clear imitation of the magnificent 'Napolean on his steed' (or whatever it's called) painting. The glossiness of the image and the obvious stage setting again calls upon the past masters. The boy and i had great fun pulling apart his oh-so-meticulously planned composition - diagonals to the corners, a patu blocking your eye from exiting the image, the lines leading you to look around and finally fall on the man astride his rearing horse. Brilliant.

Right next door is an incredibly confronting image of what appears to be a shrunken Maori head. Quite appropriate considering - i think it's the French who are refusing to return the heads they have in their museum collections. On closer inspection the head is clearly carved from wood, but it is haunting all the same. It is a stark colour image of black on white, and if i think about it this could be looking at the issue of returning Maori artifacts. Most would see it as a black and white situation - return what was never yours to take. Obviously nothing is ever so simple....

I think i've rambled on enough. I must quickly mention Lorene Taurerewa's back-lit mobile of pen and ink drawings, a fascinating piece that one could spend ages looking at because of the detail in all the sketches. On stepping back from it, it looked different again - a play on how things change when you actually take the time to look closer and find out more, as opposed to standing back and just seeing the superficial information. Which sums it up nicely for me, I think. I walked into the exhibition thinking i knew what there was to know about Samoan art, and came out of it with a new appreciation. Having seen the details, and discovering some new favourite artists, it certainly expanded my horizons.

The other great thing about the exhibit was that it flowed brilliantly. For once I was left foundering, wondering where on earth to turn next in order to see everything, i was led the whole way. Love it, Pataka.

Also on - photos by John Whincup in a show called 'Walk on Water - Kiribati in crisis?' Check it out - the photos are amazing and I LOVED the frames (noticing the important things, as aways!)

2008-05-02T00:41:00.000-07:00

It's Friday!!!

That's all.

100!

2008-04-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

give away give away give give give away....

more about that at the end...

I was in spasms of excitement at the bus stop last night - as you do. And not in a creepy stalkery way. Or perhaps it was...I happened to sit down next to a guy knitting. Yep, knitting. I had a serious debate with myself as to if i tapped him on the shoulder and started a slightly mad conversation, but he had headphones on so i couldn't do that...and then i tossed up about writing him a wee note, but just as i was fishing in my bag to see if i had a pen, his bus turned up. Number 7, going to Kingston. Will he ever know how excited i was to see him knitting? Possibly

not.

The other thing i've been strangely fascinated with in the last two days is this - the giant squid cameras so disgusting, yet so very intriguing. Like a fishy car crash.

right, so giveaway! Anyone who comments between this post and Sunday 4 May goes in the draw for a full set of my cards and a tote bag...and an ipod cover if the winner just so happens to have ipod.

A wee selection of the cards...all blank inside. Apols for the average pics, it's what happens when you get home after dark! (and why i don't have any images of the bag!)

inspiration

2008-04-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

One of the great bonuses of long weekends is the amount of time available to do anything you want. I spent all day yesterday thinking that today would be back to the office, and it was great reminding myself that oh no, I still have one whole day left!

So yesterday was spent having lunch with my Mum and at the library doing some much needed research. The old design habits are slowly returning - I'd forgotten how much i loved looking through books just for their pictures. It is fascinating what can jump-start the old imagination machine...I have in my possession for 4 weeks: a book on instructional design (hilarious!), one on Japanese design and a source book of flower, leaf and tree designs. All it took were three completely unrelated things to pop up randomly in relatively close succession for the next project to evolve...so i have yet one more creative project on my plate. Who needs work?! I could happily grow into a groove in the couch and knit, sew, draw, read and dream all day...

oooh...the next post is number 100! Which will probably be Wednesday...drop by for a give away!

knitting in public

2008-04-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

For the past two days i've knitted on the bus, both to and from work. It can be a little awkward trying not to hit whoever sits next to me with my needles, but i get a surprising amount done between Kilbirnie and Lambton Quay.

This morning a lovely older lady sat next to me, grinned, and said 'oh, i've never tried knitting with rainbow yarn before.' I get the feeling it made her day to see that knitting was still alive and well.

There is a world wide knit in public day, and i've signed up to host a meeting. Not sure how well knitting outside in the middle of a Wellington winter will work though!

so, how many times can I say knitting in a post?!

What is everyone up to for ANZAC weekend? The plan is for a whole load of sewing and maybe a nosey around Newtown as I haven't been there in yonks. Am still tossing up as to if I am game to get up at 5.30 to go to a dawn service on Friday, but keep thinking of all the amazing photo potential there will be...

PS - i'm almost at my 100th post...hmm what shall the give away be?

IT has begun

2008-04-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

dum dum dummmm

Crafternoon tea goodness

2008-04-21T00:09:00.000-07:00

I really need to come up with some better titles. Or maybe i'll just give them up altogether. hmm.

Crafternoon tea was a great success! I finally got to meet the lovely Nikki, who blew me away with her knitting know-how - you rock! I taught my sister and friend the joys of casting on, and i think we managed to convince both that holes are arty. And that it gets easier. My other friend Bex, who i taught last year, is giving it another go after struggling with way small needles and yarn and has gone for the fat stuff. Her scarf literally doubled in length while she was there. Woohoo to the knitting converts!

The subject of my grandma came up very briefly and i remembered that somewhere i had hidden a shawl that she gave me for my 21st. I have never worn it but feel terribly lucky to have it. It is called 'Reflections' and is better travelled than I am - it's won a few awards at exhibitions as Grandma has a tendency to borrow it back to take to various things with her. I failed at finding it yesterday afternoon but then had a brainwave last night and did a wee fashion shoot with it.

So am terribly consumed by inspiration from loads of crafty people surrounding me at the moment, and oh how i wish to craft full time...

And yes, there will be another crafternoon tea - for any in Wellington who would like to come, let me know! The next one may be this Sunday, but being a long weekend am not quite sure what turn out will be like. Could just be me and my needles!

The best road sign ever! Think my camera needs to accompany me out more...

Freakin' Feijoas!

2008-04-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

How excited am I right now?

The mystery tree in our backyard turns out to be a feijoa - as evidenced by the one fruit hanging from it's branches. Woo a fruit tree!!

And am hanging out for the inaugural crafternoon tea this afternoon - more on that later.

Wooo feijoas! (umm can you tell i'm excited?)

vino, bad tv and collage

2008-04-18T03:52:00.000-07:00

What a fab friday night - free wine at work, flat to myself, magazine inspiration spread all over the floor...bliss. Oh yeah, was meant to work on thermal. Got sidetracked, but it is still going!

the wheels on the bus

2008-04-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

Normally i avoid the number 14 bus like the plague...it takes way too long to get over the hill through Roseneath and into Kilbirnie. This evening, though, I figured i may as well as it turned before any others going my way. And what an entertaining journey.

I love early evening in winter, rainy, grey, cool and beautifully accented by light - cars, windows, buses, traffic lights. We went along Oriental bay and I was treated to some voyeuristic peeks into people's lives - their windows lit up for everyone to see them cooking dinner, relaxing, 'getting home'.

The bus driver, however, was even better entertainment. The happiest one i have ever come across. Greeted everyone like an old friend, announced every stop, just like the trams in Melbourne - "coming up, James Smith's!" And when the bus was full, he stood up and asked all school kids to stand up and use their manners so the adults could sit down. Gold. Then, when there was noone to talk to, he sang.

He single-handedly proved the old adage that if you are nice to people, they will be nice to you. By the time anyone got off the bus, they had a great smile on their face. I bet he had the best day out of any bus driver - because he decided to love his job and be nice to every single person who got on his ride.

Come visit!

2008-04-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am off to Aro Street Market today - come and say hello! It's outside the Aro Valley Community Centre on Aro Street, from 11am to 3pm (though we do get there earlier).

There'll be live music, coffee, food, great bargains (including second hand goodies) and plenty of fun people to meet.

Today, I shall be hocking off old sewing patterns - some never used! And maybe some fabric along with the usual ipod covers, cards, tote bags and the boy's cameras.

Perfect day for it!

oooh and i just noticed that i'm almost at the 100 blog mark - what shall i do to celebrate?

wise (knitting) words

2008-04-10T01:09:00.000-07:00

not much from me today - instead, something from my Grandmother, who just happens to be a quite well known knitter. She made the shawl presented to Prince Charles and Princess Diana for Prince William's christening from the New Zealand Wool Board (or something like that). No shit. Te Papa has some of her work in their collection, and she regularly travels to the States to do workshops and the like. So, knitting is in my blood really.

'Your last email gave me 'food for thought' as I have also been really interested in this question of why people knit!

Did i tell you that one of the sculpture students, Zoe, used knitting as a medium and - several miles of French (cotton reel) knitting which she draped into organic shapes and then started a knitting group in the sculptor studio during Wednesday lunch hours? We knitted in public too, like meeting and knitting at Coffee Culture, the Botanic Gardens which included a pot luck picnic and city building sites etc. It was a group of about fifteen students including five guys. One was really enthusiastic and knitted 'liquorice allsorts' scarves! They came out to visit with my local spinning group during the holidays and the spinners were really great and donated knitting needles, yarns etc. along with lots of advice which was probably disregarded in the long run but attentively listened to at the time! Zoe took photos of all these activities and these also made up part of her submission. I even got Granddad to take a photo of me knitting outside a cafe in Melbourne which Zoe used to frequent!

I think knitting has had a raw deal in many ways! First it was 'bottom of the heap' in British culture as it was what the illiterate peasants did and probably why people use the phrase 'go back to your knitting' when they want to put someone down. In continental Europe and Scandinavia it has a much higher status. Weaving, bobbin lace and needlework were, and still are, given a much higher status in relation to applied art (until recently it was next to impossible to get knitting hung in an art gallery in NZ) and it is really interesting to see that suddenly knitting is being included at 'Fine arts' level as long as it is spontaneous with the usual non craft application eg Jackie Greenbank and Katie Thomas.

Did i tell you that I am in the throes of writing my third book? It is the story of my 'Shawl Journey' and I find I am often referring to what can only be described as the therapeutic aspect of knitting in conjunction, of course, with the challenges of the researchm history, designing and pattern making which has made this such a fascinating subject over my lifetime and and latterly the discovery that there are processes involved which can be truly defined as fine art ehich is quite different from the applied art/craft specifications. The late James Mack was the champion of ensuring creative crafts received recognition regardless of the medium used and i owe him a great debt as without him as a mentor I often wonder to what extent I would have had the confidence to persevere.

For me i knowt hat I need to have purely mechanical knitting on the go as well as the complex resolving of design knitting projects. The former is relaxing when I am tired and frees my mind to ponder problems, especially personal ones, either conciously or more likely subconsciously, whereas the latter need my full attention and can be very exhausting!

This is turning out to be another book! I guess I am excited to think you have this interest and that you are hopefully benefiting from knitting.'

oh yeah, did I mention that she has written two books and just completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Canterbury University? Pretty cool huh, for someone in her 60s. Yep, she can drive me nuts but she's achieved some incredible things. I'd love to learn all that she knows about knitting...one day. I have so many memories from being around her as a kid and knowing that if nothing else was happening there would be knitting in her hands.

She also has her own line of fine Merino wools (that my aunt winds in Staveley) among other things...

Sleepless in Taupo

2008-04-06T23:49:00.000-07:00

I had the great privilege of being in a support crew team for a friend's effort at Oxfam Trailwalker in the weekend. I didn't get much sleep, spent alot of time driving...and also a lot of time waiting, thinking and taking photos. It was absolutely fantastic. I got so much headspace time, thinking about life, the universe and everything. I met some great people and had some very interesting conversations.

If you ever get the chance - do it. Even if you don't think you're up to walking, be part of a support crew. there is nothing like it.

PS - i'm actually thinking about walking it next year. Mad? yes!

Just 'cos

2008-04-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

More of the same really - pottering along, work isn't too crazy at the moment which is wonderful - i've been coming home lately not feeling totally stretched to the limit and wound up. So I can just potter around and bake chocolate cakes. And spend too much time on the net.

Am trying to sort things out so i can go on a date tomorrow (is it a date? not sure. hmm) without having to come home after and stress about all the things that need doing before i go to Taupo for the weekend and a newbie moves into the flat on Saturday (while i'm not here! uh oh!).

Confused? Me too.

I'm also really bummed because i'm missing THREE fairs by going away this weekend. I committed myself to the trip before i realised. So to anyone who goes to Aro Street Market, Mighty Mighty Market or Kilbirnie Fair, have a great time for me!

Grey day and fabric stashing

2008-03-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

I do have a life, sometimes!

Ah, thank you wellington for the rain. Really appreciate it. No Aro Fair today, and i highly doubt it will be on tomorrow either. Bummer. Not sure when the next market will be now...

So instead of marketing, i headed out fabric stash enhancing with a friend. We picked up some gorgeous Ricochet wool suiting from Global Fabrics so there will be a sewing sesh tomorrow in order to help her make a work skirt. I'm a disbeliever in patterns when it comes to skirts so fingers crossed i haven't lost the knack of making it up as i go along.

And i have so many sewing ideas i my head, but as usual there aren't any patterns around that fit in with my vision. I'm thinking i should bite the bullet and do a pattern making course somewhere.

Hmm half an hour til earth hour. Because i'm such a boring nana at the moment, i'm at home. Not so sure how knitting in the dark will work. Or how keen my environmentally-ignorant flatmate will be on doing her make up in the dark, hehe.

dropping by

2008-03-28T00:54:00.000-07:00

More just dropping by. I'm avoiding sorting stuff out for the fair tomorrow - oh yeah, the fair! Aro Valley Fair is on from 10 - 4 on Aro street tomorrow, come along! I shall be there, selling. Stuff. Without the last lingering traces of my cold.

What i'm a bit more preoccupied with at the moment is thinking about how it's been 5 years tonight since a good school friend of mine was killed in a car accident. I still remember getting 'that' phone call at work, walking to my friends house numb, not knowing how to react...going to see her, lying so peacefully on her bed at home, her sister sitting next to her eating MacDonald's...all such a waste. She was the most incredibly creative person who had a rough ride after we all finished school. She didn't really know what to do with her life, and got mixed in with a guy who wasn't good news at all. And neither was his family. Which made it all the harder because he was the one driving.

In the odd way that life works, I just happened to drive through the intersection where it happened while i was working today. And it's not one of those places i drive through very often. There were new flowers on the traffic light pole, and all i wanted to do was stop, like i used to, and sit and think about her. But I had my boss in the car, so couldn't.

Instead i'm sitting here listening, randomly and without intention, to the Jack Johnson album that i was thrashing at the time of her death. I remember dropping a friend off at home after we'd been to see her and that friend mentioning how much she loved the album. Like i said, isn't it weird how life works.

Arrivederci Ella. The next glass of wine is for you.

Dumb day

2008-03-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

Been one of those days. So dropping in without much to say...think it may be a good idea to get out of the house now that i've stopped coughing it down...

oh yeah remember my car washing expedition of a post ago? Well, i was lazy and drove to work, and came back to find three HUGE bird poos right on the bonnet. Sums it all up really!

mmm real food

2008-03-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

polaroid from holiday in Jan - just cos.

Well, i'm not better. Last night I was treated to a roast with all the trimmings at my parents' house, and that perked me up a bit. But the cold has dug in its heels.

Which means that i have no energy to look after myself. For example, lunch yesterday was my dark chocolate Lindt bunny. The crap thing is, i don't think i could even taste it properly, and now there are no more lindt bunnies for me. Sucky.

there once was a bunny.

This morning i thought i'd kill two birds with one stone. Flag breakfast and make myself pancakes for brunch instead. Which was ok, until i finished washing the car and was absolutely starving but still had to make pancakes. Sucky again.

Not so sucky is one of my friends has come back from her weekend away and has offered to make me dinner. Think i'll be taking her up on that.

In the meantime i'm trying to burn wedding photos to CD. It's taking freaking ages.

muffled

2008-03-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the following post: i feel hideous. The cold has taken hold...

So much excitement about Easter weekend, and i'm doing my best to re-channel it, but it's a bit of struggle with my head stuffed full with cotton wool. mmmm.

Friday was pretty uneventful, lots of doing nothing, moving things around, and general tidying up.

Saturday was good fun - went bike stuff shopping with my Dad (yay dad!) so i am now the proud owner of a not too girly bike helmet and some terribly unsexy bike shorts. And a bike computer that i'm not even going to attempt to figure out in my current state of mind. Now all i want to do is go for a ride - it is absolutely perfect bike riding weather. oh the pain!

Then I headed off to Craft 2.0 to meet the lovely Megan of Frou Frou Frippery - I was meant to give her my spare copy of Afternoon Tea and of course completely forgot to take it with me. But I met her, she was lovely, her hoodies are gorgeous in real life, and she gave me fabric. yay!

As usual the place was completely packed, but off in a serene wee corner of their own, were the producers of World Sweet World - a magazine that is full of everything i am into it's a bit scary...so had to have one of those, and for my troubles was given a big roll of billboard vinyl to cover my kitchen chairs with - how on earth did they know i have been meaning to do that for the last year?! Now i have something to cover them with i might actually get around to it...

Sorry, too lazy to rotate the pic. But you get the idea.

Did i mention i won tickets to Summerset? Well, i'm glad i didn't pay for them - I felt several expletives of gross after two sets so headed home to wallow on the couch under my blanket and watch tv. Managed to see Minuit (my fave) and Black Seeds so it was worth it...a few things they could do better? I think when more people get there the atmosphere probably improves, and perhaps a bit more variety in their acts - i had no idea who any of the international peeps were and if they had a wider range of styles one would think they'd get more people along. BUT, great freaking venue. The grass was all perfectly short and uniform after the cricket, it was beautiful.

All the crap I had next to me whilst couch-wallowing. Yep, that's progress on thermal! I'm getting a bit worried about my lack of skills for when i reach the neckline...

Think it's back to bed to think of all the things i'd much rather be doing - taking photos, cleaning the car, sorting out my room, baking hot cross buns, knitting, sewing....instead, sick.

more ch ch changes...

2008-03-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

my hair is now an edible shade of brunette...scared the crap out of myself when i got flash of colour in the mirror before - but it's a good change. I love having dark hair...makes me feel all mysterious like.

And i finally, finally got myself officially employed in the role i have been acting in for almost 5 months. There was a bit of stress for a couple of days there that maybe i wouldn't get it - had to go through the whole interview process to keep HR happy. I caught a glimpse of the competition yesterday and that was a bad, bad thing - it's so much easier when you have no idea what you are up against. But it's me, it's now my job and i can fully own it, not just 'pretend'. Though, i do still feel a bit like i'm pretending. Hmmm.

Anywho, in typical me fashion, my body has recognised the build up to a long weekend and decided to get the cold that everyone else had two weeks ago. Thanks body. I am absolutely determined that it will not rain on my Easter. I won tickets to Summerset an there is no way i'm letting them go to waste...

The eyes have it

2008-03-18T00:50:00.000-07:00

they are literally going to fall of my head. So, so tired.

But, i did knit thermal on the bus all the way home. So strangely satisfying...

woohoo photos

2008-03-14T15:55:00.001-07:00

Finally! She says

mmm pretty hydrangeas

recent stash enhancing fabric - same old story - who knows what will be made from either?

Late christmas present from my bro in Sydney...

progress on thermal (now on its way after 4 frogs)

and there has been plenty of magazine love in this house lately...

all together now - mmmmm johnny depp...

circular frustration

2008-03-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

After spending ages on thermal this afternoon, i discovered it was twisted. Frogged again (third time). Damnit.

think i need to go looking for tips on how to not twist on my circulars.