Lunchtime Walk...

...on a sunny summer's day.

Head Shot, Take 2

This is our new profile photo for the OOAK site. It's a bit difficult juggling a squirming dog whilst holding the camera in my other hand to do a self portrait. I think he had just seen a cat in this photo...

Peonies

My most favorite flower of all time, growing in my garden right now.

The Best Bread Evah!

Today was Martin's birthday, and although we had the official celebration at the Port Pub yesterday, I decided to make a bit of a decadent dinner tonight as well. A part of the dinner was this bread from Delia Smith's "How to Cook." It was absolutely amazing! It was a bit more like a large scone or Australian "damper" than a yeast risen bread - but so yummy. I actually really love all the recipes I've made from Delia's "How to Cook" series of books. They always turn out, and are just simple and good. I also noticed this variation with cheddar and caremelized onions on her website. And now, if you'll please excuse me - there is one final piece of this bread calling my name!

I was on the Front Page of Etsy!

I have always wanted to make it to the front page of Etsy, and - unbeknowst to me - I did it last Friday! I was checking out my google analytics last night, and noticed a huge jump in my Etsy traffic one day. Turns out that my Blue Daisies Organizer had been on the Front Page!



Although I saw the jump in my stats, it was a bit hard to figure out what had caused it, so I will share my findings with you. They all came from this great Etsy Forum Post, written by one of the founders of Craft Cult. By the way, Craft Cult is a great site, and the Heartomatic is a wonderful tool - although I use Google Analytics to check my stats - Heartomatic is much more user friendly and tells you things that an Etsy seller would want to know without getting too technical.

Also - I just want to note that I think that changing up my photography style in my shop really contributed to me making it on to the front page. After reading an article in the Etsy Shop Makeover Series - I cropped and changed my photos, so that the main photo showing in my shop is a "teaser" shot of the item - something taken close up that doesn't show the whole product. This was suggested in the series, and I think it really works. It's kind of a tantalizing way to get people to click through and see more. Also - if you look at the front page and the treasuries, they all feature these types of shots. My photos still need a lot of work - but I always keep these "teaser" shots in mind when I photograph my products now.

Hot or Not: Cute Skulls

I was out today, and picked up this little punch that I thought was cute, and made some notebooks. Now, my question is - does anyone else think this is cute? Am I alone in loving "cute" skulls. I just love the juxtaposition of the dark imagery of the skull with floral pinks and reds. Let me know what you think!

Head Shot

I've spent the evening creating my artisan profile on the One of a Kind Show site (it's not live yet - but I'll let you know when it's up). The most difficult part was choosing a profile photo. I hate having my photo taken, so there weren't many to choose from. Anyhow, this is the best I could come up with - but it's really old! I look totally different now - new glasses, new hair. Even Milo has a more stylish haircut these days. My mission this week is to try to come up with a better, more current photo of me and my little sidekick!

Nurtured

My neighbor April recently expanded her online business Nurtured into a brick and mortar retail shop. I popped in today to buy some baby gifts, and it's a beautiful light and bright space, with touches of weathered wood - I really love the interior design. The products are pretty great too, and April is really knowledgeable and helpful. I would highly recommend the shop to parents - or those who shop for them!

Puff Daddy

After all the craft show madness is over, I want to make this for my living room. I want it to be bright pink! It seems like a fairly simple pattern - just a garter stitch rectangle that's then sewn together. Pickles (found via More Ways to Waste Time) has lots of other great patterns on their site, including a baby version of this puff.

My Milk Toof

I have been feeling a bit sick the last couple of days, so Martin sent me this link - My Milk Toof - to cheer me up. It is the cutest, funniest thing that I've seen in a long time. Click on the link, you won't be sorry....

Around the Web

It's been a while since I posted, but that doesn't mean I've been away from the internet. Quite the contrary. I'm always reading blogs and discovering things. Here are a few things I like -

Black Cab Sessions - musicians play while driven around London in the back of a black cab. I like the Martha Wainwright one. (via Loobylu)

Grizzly Bear - after reading about this band in a couple of magazines, I decided to check out their music on the web. I like it.

Speaking of music, CBC Radio Three has a great collection of music by Canadian Artists. The New Music section has lots of great music sorted by artist - Arcade Fire, the Weakerthans...I am partial to Julie Doiron. Just go to the Radio Three site and type in the names to hear more.

Fubiz is a great blog. Lots of visual inspiration.

I want classic French garden furniture from Fermob, but cheaper please.

Love this cartoon by Lucy Knisley which sums up the whole Twilight series in 16 panels. (Warning - spoiler alert) Her experience reading the books is similar to mine. Addictive! (also via Loobylu)

Danni over at oh, hello friend has organized a giveaway on her blog, and asked me to participate. 16 Etsy shops have donated some amazing items, and my little and big noteboooks are the prize that will be offered to two runners up. Head on over to oh, hello friend to find out how to enter. The prizes are so fantastic, if I wasn't involved, I would enter myself! Good Luck!

Big Notebooks

I've just listed these in my shop. They are like the little notebooks, but...bigger. Handy if you like to take lots of notes, and the pages are even big enough to mount snapshots. Also, there is a new airplane design available in both the big and little notebooks - great for travelling. And, I'm decorating some of these with vintage maps, because I love those so much. Enjoy!

One of a Kind Show

I'm pleased to announce that I've been accepted as an exhibitor at the Christmas 2009 One of a Kind Show in Toronto! I applied a few weeks ago, and had a message on my phone last night saying that I'd been accepted, with a travel scholarship to boot! It's exciting, and also a little scary. So much to do and plan, and is it crazy to depend on travelling from Halifax to Toronto in late November? But, this is one of those "bucket list" things for me - I have attended the show as a customer a few times in the past, and had dreamed of selling my work there. And in a few, gulp, short months - I will be. Wish me luck!

Lily and Jae

I'm liking this Canadian label, Lily and Jae. They have lots of cute clothes - but I'm particularly obsessed with getting the perfect summer dress at the moment. I have tried on a few that I like, but there are, ahem, a few figure challenges that I have to deal with. But, I think that the dance dress could fit the bill.

Bookish Discoveries

I wanted to share a few "bookish discoveries" that I've made in the last couple of weeks with you. I was browsing through a bookshop when I discovered the book above - the Rob Ryan cover caught my eye, and the contents are pretty neat too. It's all about lost arts - things like beekeeping, making cheese, grinding grain...I didn't buy the book because I don't have time to do any of these things right now, but I very much like the idea.

For fun fiction, I've been reading "The Uglies" series by Scott Westerfield. It a teen book series, and I'm really enjoying it. It's all about a future world where everyone has an operation at the age of 16 to make them "pretty." It's just a great, action packed narrative that sends an interesting message about the concept of beauty. And - each book ends with a cliffhanger, so you can't wait to read the next one. It's a long weekend here in Canada, and I just picked up the last two books in the series.

Finally, this isn't really a book, but I was pleasantly surprised at the doctor's waiting room today by Canadian Family magazine. The style and home sections were really great, and although I don't have children, I have a soft spot for toys and illustrated books - so I loved the coverage on these. I would recommend this magazine to anyone with a family - it reminds me a bit of the sadly departed Wish.

Love at First Sight

I got a small tax return this year, and decided to treat myself with a couple of fashion purchases. First up was the Deco Skirt from French Connection (mine is actually black with cream flowers, but I can't seem to find that on their website). Anyhow, this skirt was one of those things that I loved as soon as I saw it. It's high waisted, with buttons coming down the front and these cool ruffly pockets on the sides. I love a skirt with pockets! It was even on sale, which was just the cherry on top.
I also picked up these shoes. I love the round toe, and the heel height. Not too high, not too low. Hopefully, I will not fall over in these!

Bicycle Built for Two

It's amazing how time flies! We went for a day trip to the country a couple of weeks ago, and saw this cool bicycle outside a shop. That trip was great - sunshine, a nice lunch, but things have gone a bit downhill since then. Lots of little things, but the main one is that I sprained my ankle a few days ago, and I've mainly been sitting around with my foot up. I'm not in much pain, but my ankle is gigantic and swollen. I hope it goes away soon - but even with the ankle issues, and the rain that's falling outside - I'm determined to get out there and enjoy myself this upcoming weekend. Wish me luck!

My Thinking Cup

A little while back, I had the opportunity to do a swap with Dawbis (aka Dawn). She was looking for some paper for her collection, and in exchange for a paper pack, she offered to do a custom artwork. I jumped at the chance, and I'm so glad I did! I received this beautiful artwork from her that incorporates many of the papers I sent her.

The piece is called "Her Thinking Cup." I love the small ink details, and also the quilled paper - gorgeous!

And, as a special bonus, Dawn included one of her works called "Look at Me." It's a cut paper artwork mounted on a polaroid - so cool! Can't wait to get these framed and have them hanging in my home. Thanks so much Dawn - I absolutely love these!

With me rubber boots on...

Whenever I wear my rubber boots, the chorus of this song runs through my head. Brings back memories of the great trip to Newfoundland that we had a few years back, and listening to this song at a pub. Although I'm not fishing on the "wild labrador", I can always dream. And, our porch is beginning to look like a weathered wharf, so that helps.

Make + Do

The very talented Austen of Stripey Pebble has just started a craft blog over on the Canadian Living website. It's called Make + Do, and it looks great. As well as sharing projects, Austen is going to feature crafters from across Canada, start a crafty Q & A, and even have a feature that celebrates craft failures. And - there will be giveaways! Right now, there is a great book up for grabs. So, head over to Make + Do to get inspired, I know I plan to. (:

Little Notebooks

I'm itching to get back into making sewn books. For the last few years, I've been focusing on adhesive type book structures, but the "zen" of sewing a book block together just seems right to me, right now. On that note, I introduce a new product that's going up in my Etsy shop. It's simply called a Little Notebook. It's small, but I think it has a lot of nice details - a punched motif backed with Chiyogami paper, a little pocket on the front cover that's just the right size for a business card, bus tickets, etc., an elastic closure held in place with an eyelet and it's all sewn together with waxed linen twine in a coordinating colour. And, I'm giving my customers the option to customize the books with all those little details - you can pick the cover paper, the elastic, the twine - and I'll surprise you with some matching Chiyogami and the endpapers. Check it out in the shop.

Paper Pendant

Over Christmas, I made some paper pendants and sold them at the markets. They are made of scraps of bookboard covered in Chiyogami and then coated with a shiny varnish. They went well - I only have a few left. I finally took a photo of one today. I like the way this photo turned out, with the little prop and all. I took some more photos today of other new things, and I'll show them tomorrow. But now, it's time for bed - I did yoga tonight for the first time in a long time, and I'm already feeling it! But, before I go, I'll leave you with this awesome blog - fresh 365 - a new vegetarian recipe for every day of the year.

Papershapers

Heard about an amazing art show in LA called Papershapers via NOTCOT. I didn't want to take any photos from the site, but you should click through and check it out - all of the creations are really amazing - and all made from my favorite medium, paper.

Accordion Book Class

I am very pleased to announce that I will be teaching another accordion book class at Love, Me. It's taking place on Saturday, April 25th at 10am and the cost is $14. We are holding the class just in time for mother's day, so you can make your mum a lovely book. You could fill it with family photos and make it a "brag book", make it a card that everyone in the family can sign for her...the possibilities are endless! If you'd like to sign up, visit the Love, Me website - hope to see you there!

Shine on me...

Wow. This really takes me back to the 8os. In the words of Sasha Frere Jones of the New Yorker - "You may dream of this video, but the dream won’t be as good because it won’t be this video." Enjoy.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Looking forward to watching the new HBO series No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency tonight. I read the first six books in this series by Alexander McCall Smith, and really enjoyed them. The books are about a woman - Precious Ramotswe - who decides to take money that her father has left her and open a detective agency in Botswana. At first, she seems the most unlikely detective, but her mix of charm, innocence and intuition always wins out in the end. And, it's nice to see a "traditionally built" woman - as Precious calls herself - in a main romantic lead type role.

Update

It's been a long time since I posted, don't know where all that time went! Here's what I've been up to -

- "Frenchy's" tour of the Annapolis Valley and Clare region of Nova Scotia. Lots of fun! Pretty much everything I'm wearing today is a result of that trip...
-Visited my nana...
-worked...
-got a new nephew...
-heard that I am getting another new niece or nephew...
-lots of custom orders...
-took Milo on his first trip to holistic vet for yearly wellness check up. It went well, but he was terrified...
-picking out new tiles and fixtures for our bathroom reno. Fun, yet stressful...
-checking out Shona's gorgeous house on designsponge...
-looking forward to spring. Feel like it's never going to come...

That's about it. Back soon with some photos.

The Crafts Department

I was searching for a recipe on the Martha Stewart site today, and came across a new blog that is written by the crafters on her staff. Called "The Crafts Dept.", the blog talks about the behind the scenes goings on at the magazine, inspirations, and profiles those crafters who have a job that many dream about! I love the photo of their old craft room above - believe it or not, they were in the process of moving to an even more beautiful space! Did I mention that this was a dream job...

Some updates...

Just a note for those who read the blog on an rss feed, I've updated my sidebar with some new blogs I'm enjoying very much, music I'm listening to, and other tantalizing tidbits such as my address on twitter. Next project, updating my website - how do these thing age so quickly!

Studio featured on "The 6 o'Clock Stitch"

Gina from the 6 o'clock stitch did a lovely post about crafty studios, and I'm happy to say mine was included! Check it out here. Thanks Gina!

Canadian Home and Country

I am really liking Canadian Home and Country these days. I normally buy it from time to time, but last month it caught my eye with it's redesign (including the groovy new typeface, above) and the stories were great as well - the homes felt real and inspirational. This month is great too - I love every single home featured, and there is a shopping story on the Brooklyn Flea - which looks amazing. I see a subscription in my future...

Catherine Martin Wallpaper

I stumbled on the wonderful blog ish and chi, and fell in love with the Catherine Martin wallpaper she posted about. All the patterns are beautiful, but I especially adore the sparrow print. A bit of background (just realized that's a pun - background, wallpaper...) - Catherine Martin is a production and costume designer, who often collaborates with her husband, director Baz Luhrmann. She creates such amazing worlds in film, it's not surprising that her wallpaper designs are so dramatic and lovely. Not sure if they're available in North America, but I'm going to find out!

To list, or not to list...

I recently read an article on Etsy about changes in how items appear on the "recently listed" section of the front page, and on the category pages. Basically, the article says that Etsy has changed the way that listing works, and renewing items may not be as helpful as it has been in the past. I'm a bit confused - I don't know if I should continue to renew my items as a promotional tool, or if this is a waste of 20 cents? I do know that I haven't been relisting and my shop has been fairly quiet - but is this just a post-christmas lull? Does anyone have any thoughts on this, and what have you done in your shop?

By the way, this is another album that I recently listed in my Etsy shop.

Pretty Hammer

When I was in Toronto, I made an addition to my arsenal of tools - it's this pretty hammer from the Victoria and Albert Museum Collection. The hammer is printed with a William Morris print called "Cray."

But, the best thing about it is you unscrew the handle, and you have 4 little screwdrivers inside (I didn't photograph the 4th one, but it's there). This is perfect for creating my postbound albums, and it's so nice to use something so beautiful. Acutally, it was William Morris who said, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful" - and this little hammer is both.

Jenn Grant

As a special present for my recent birthday (thanks Denise!) I went to Jenn Grant's CD release show on Sunday night. It was really great - I love Jenn's music, and her stage banter is pretty kooky and endearing. Also, there were home baked cookies at intermission - how nice is that?!!? All really like all the songs from her new album, but I think that Dreamer (above) from her last release is still my favorite. Enjoy!

New Bookie Wookies in the Shoppy Bloppy

Just felt like having a silly title...not sure why. I've uploaded a couple of new books in my etsy shop - I'm particularly fond of the one above.

On another totally unrelated note, I've just signed up to Twitter. I have a feeling that's going to be really addictive...

Lotte Reiniger

I discovered the work of German artist and animator Lotte Reiniger while reading the Guardian newspaper this morning. She worked using paper cutouts with stop motion animation. In 1926, she created the first full length animated feature film "Prince Achmed", which was based on the Arabian Nights stories. I love the intricacy of her paper cutting in the scene from the film above.

After fleeing Nazi Germany, she settled in London where she continued to make films, including public service announcements like "Mary's Birthday" which promotes basic hygiene -



This film uses lots of colour, but I think I like the simplicity of her black silouettes the best. This video is 10 minutes long, but worth a look - my favorite bits happen about 6 minutes in when Mary thwarts the evil bluebottle flies and sends her auntie packing from her birthday party because she sneezes into a hanky! Hygiene is all well and good, but I think Mary may have been taking things a bit far...

I am so glad I discovered this work - which combines my love of children's stories and papercutting - and plan to watch more of her films. Many have been uploaded to You Tube, and can also be purchased from Amazon or the British Film Institute.

GOOP

Did you know that Gwyneth Paltrow is a blogger? I read in the Globe and Mail this morning that she publishes a weekly newsletter called GOOP, all about her life, fashion, art, clothing, etc. I googled it, prepared to scoff - but I actually really like it. My favorite bit is where she talks about her "uniform" - the clothes she wears everyday. Nevermind that I have a good 40 pounds and 10 sizes up on Ms. Paltrow - I love her uniform! These are the type of clothes that I like to wear. I actually have an outfit very similar to the one above, but the jeans are from Suzy Shier and the jacket is Joe Fresh. To her credit though, she does mix expensive designer clothing with cheaper items from Uniqlo and Topshop.

The article in the Globe and Mail also talked about a rival newsletter started by Canadian MTV host Dan Levy (he is famous for hosting "the Hills" aftershow - I must be really old, because I don't get "the Hills" at all. What is that show all about - can someone fill me in? Is it real, fake, why should we care? Sorry to digress...) called DOOP, which he describes as "Goop's less-rich, super-cool, uber-hip, totally selfish little brother!" It's also a fun read.

Maybe I should start calling this blog "TOOP"....

Book-a-holic

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I love books - I love making them, and I love reading them. I go through ups and downs with my reading - sometimes I hardly read at all, or just read magazines - but I've been reading a lot lately, and have been fortunate to find some really great books. Martin bought me "Annie Leibovitz: At Work" - which was fantastic. I never would have thought of buying this for myself, but I so enjoyed it. Annie talks about her life, her process as a photographer, and all the people she has met through her work. And, the book itself is beautiful - it's covered in beige linen with embossed lettering. The picture above shows the book with the dust jacket, which covers just the bottom quarter and is a landscape-type photo of Annie on set. Very cool.

A friend lent me "Water for Elephants" and I thought it was great. In some ways I can't say that I enjoyed reading this book - I don't want to say too much and spoil things in case you are going to read it - but there are episodes of cruelty to animals in this book that I found a bit difficult to read. Still, it's a very good book with an intense storyline that I found hard to put down.

Loving Frank was another recent read. It's a historical novel, based on the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney, the wife of one of his clients. The book is written from Mamah's point of view, and it's about much more than her affair with the famous architect. I read it as a book about a woman trying to find her place in the world at a time when women had little independence and few rights.

And - just a follow up of the books I got for Christmas - the Sookie Stackhouse novels were really fun, and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was as good as everyone said.

Hunter Boots

I had a boot dilemma this week. I have a couple of old pairs of Hush Puppies winter boots, and they both quit on me at the same time - one pair has holes in the seams, and the zippers broke on the others. With all the miserable snow and slush about, I needed a new pair of boots pronto! I was lucky to find a pair of these Hunter Festival Boots at Winners for an awesome price. They are not lined, and don't look the best with my work skirts, but I don't care. Add a pair of thick socks, and I will be toasty, warm and dry on my daily commute.

Paperwork

Tax Day - by doublehappiness on Polyvore.com
I've spent the last couple of days entering receipts for my end of year taxes. The same thing happens every year - I let the receipts pile up until they become almost insurmountable, and then I spend a few days sorting them out. I know that I have to start doing this weekly (or even daily) - but does anyone have hints on how to keep all this stuff organized? The only thing I've done so far is pick out a fun "accountant" type outfit to wear.

Accordion Workshop Debrief

I had lots of fun teaching a mini accordion workshop at Love, Me Boutique last week. In fact, I had so much fun that I forgot to take photos - darn! But, this is the settee that a couple of the attendees sat on, and we all crowded around a slightly larger table. There were only 4 students in the class, but it was a good number for teaching my first time. Everyone did really well with making the book, I was very impressed! If you are in the Halifax area and get a chance to do a class here, I would encourage it - it's a just a wonderful relaxed atmosphere and there are lots of neat classes coming up.

Mini Break in T.Dot

We had a great weekend in Toronto. It was freezing cold (like -30, with windchill), but we had a lot of fun.

We stayed at Le Germain, which is a lovely boutique hotel in a central location. On Friday night when I arrived in after an afternoon of shopping on Queen Street West (and Queen Street West West), there was a personal note welcoming us to the hotel, and these lovely goodies displayed on a slate tile. Very nice.



On Saturday, we went to the newly redesigned AGO. I really enjoyed it, especially the "Gallery Italia" - a vast glass atrium with huge fir beams. I loved the use of wood throughout the space - very modern, but very Canadian all at the same time.
There was a repetitive serpentine theme running through the galleries as well. The collection was also amazing. The redesign was prompted by the donation of the Thomson Collection - most notably many works by the Group of Seven - and I also liked the European Collections.

No trip would be complete without eating, and we had a lovely meal at Lil' Baci. Great pizza, in a relaxed atmosphere. The dessert was also great - the torta della nonna is highly recommended. For an added thrill - we passed DeGrassi street in the cab on the way to the restaurant. (:

Although we had fun, it's great to be back home in our little house, with our little dog. I have the week off of work, and I'm planning to organize my studio, and get loads done - including catching up on my blogging. As they would say at Lil' Baci - "Ciao for now." Actually, they would probably not say that - but I would!

Toronto

We are heading off on a spur of the moment trip to Toronto this weekend! Martin has to go up for work, so we decided to stay there an extra couple of nights and soak up some big city life. Although it's going to be freezing cold up there, I'm just looking forward to a change of scene, eating at some nice restaurants, checking out the new AGO and of course - shopping. This pretty much sums up how I want to spend my weekend, and we are staying at Hotel Le Germain - woot! They are having rooftop maple syrup taffy with fondue on Friday night - warm blankets provided. I'm there!

Mini Accordion Class

I will be teaching a mini accordion class at love,me boutique on Thursday, January 29th from 5:30 - 7:00. The cost of the class is $12, and includes the materials to create a cute little accordion book, as pictured above. Since it's so close to Valentine's Day, I'm planning a bit of a theme with lots of reds and pinks, and I'll also bring along some rubber stamps so that the books can be personalized. I think it will be a lot of fun, so if you're in Halifax, please come along. Just contact love, me to register. Hope to see you there!

More Organizers in Shop

I've just uploaded a few new organizers to my etsy shop. Photography is a bit frustrating in the winter - on the days that I'm working, it's impossible to take photos because it's dark when I get home. So - my updates will have to be confined to Thursdays, Fridays and weekends.

Speaking of photography, I've been reading the shop makeover series on the Storque, and have followed their advice and undertaken a bit of a mini makeover. The jist of the article I was reading said that you should not put the photo of your whole item first, but rather a detail shot. I guess it's a bit more intriguing, and people will click through to find out more. Also - it may be a bit more "treasury friendly." So, I've switched up my photos, and we'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

Sookie Stackhouse Novels

I have just about finished the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series of novels by Charlaine Harris, and I am really enjoying it. I like the True Blood series too (which airs on HBO, and is based on the novels), and it was great to see Anna Paquin win the Golden Globe last night. After reading the book, I think she really captures Sookie's character - at first, she might seem sweet and bubbleheaded, but she's very sharp and intuitive. Have a look above and see what I mean.

Cute Things Falling Asleep

The name of this blog says it all. I recommend "Sleepy Puppy 2." Enjoy!

Web Stats on Etsy

This might be old news, but I thought I'd share anyhow - Etsy now provides web stat tracking through Google Analytics! I just stumbled on a link in my Etsy user sidebar that said "web analytics." If you click on this, it will give you the instructions for setting up analytics for your shop. This is really great, because it's been a bit of a weakness with Etsy - not knowing how people were finding your shop. Now, I will be able to track how people are finding me on Etsy, and if I do any advertising, I will be able to see how many people click through. Very exciting.

Happy New Year

Apologies for my extended absence. I just got into the slothy groove of the holidays, and it's been hard to get back into my normal routine. My university was closed for two weeks, and Monday was my first day back at work- so I am slowly getting back to normal. The holidays were great - lots of food, family and fun. And of course, lots of lovely gifts.

Martin and I always make sure that there are books under the tree, because we love to just sit around and read over the holidays. I did really well this year, with lots of gorgeous "coffee table" type tomes - Shaker Design - Out of this World, Handmade Nation, Bazaar Style (I had been eyeing this one for quite a while), Happy Gloves ,(to feed my new obsession with making little creatures. And then - I got a gift voucher for Amazon as well - so I bought heaps more books - a boxed set of the Sookie Stackhouse books (the series "True Blood" is based on these - I think they will be a really fun read), What it is by Lynda Barry (looks really inspirational), Sock and Glove, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society (which I've heard nothing but good things about). So, I'm happy to say that my reading needs are taken care of for the next little while. (:

Something that wasn't under the tree, but has dramatically changed my life for the better is my new Mukka Express (video above). Perhaps my intro is a bit over the top, but I do love it! It makes espresso on the stovetop, and heats and foams the milk at the same time. Revolutionary! I have had small electric espresso machines before, and find them a pain in the bottom - it takes forever to make a coffee and the pressure is not enough to get the coffee nice and strong - but this is perfect. It makes a creamy coffee reminiscent to the cafes of Sydney (which I love). But, this could also have something to do with the tin of Illy that I treated myself to. (:

Best get back to work - but I have to tell you about one more new love - the blog Garance Dore. A French fashion illustrator combines her work with Paris street fashion shots - gorgeous! She publishes the blog in both English and French. I love the big warm boots in the post above - as she says in her French version "pas des Uggs."

Now - off to work - happy new year to all!