A challenge

Challenging is one of those slightly euphemistic words that people use to politely describe things that suck. "Challenging" is what February has been for me.

This print is some of the only work that I have been able to produce this month and I kind of like it.
I could do with being a little more deliberate about the life that I am choosing to make for myself, planting the seeds that will grow into the trees that I want around me.

So I'm working on it.

One of the things that I am working on is cutting out plastic bags from the house. Plastic makes up an enormous amount of the rubbish that we have polluted our world with so I have started carrying tote bags around with me everywhere. I've printed them with pictures like this (because that's just me).

It is incredible how dependent we are on plastic bags. I still find myself bringing home bags from shops when I haven't remembered to mention it... but I'm getting there!

Do any of you use fabric shopping bags? fabric snack bags? alternatives to glad wrap?

Escape (the Australia Day long weekend)

After all of this, I felt claustrophobic and depressed when we came back to our apartment and it's cluttered balcony. The only nature we have here is a very determined infestation of moths and three pot plants in various states of senescence. I am sure the mint is not recoverable so really we only have two plants.

I feel like I am surrounded by stuff. Stuff without a place to be stored. Stuff with limited purpose.

I am more determined than ever to convert the store into a place for environmentally connected products. Things that are beautiful and useful. Things that last.  More determined too, to get rid of some of the build up in my house of abandoned craft efforts and small toys and clothing I don't fit and CDs of who knows what (why so many? and where did they all come from??) and the plaque caused by having too many hobbies.

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This year I have been taking time every day to write down at least one thing that I am grateful for. It has made for a very happy year so far, though I recognise that it is still stressful and not without aggravation - I see every day something that I can hold onto and love and today I am grateful in hindsight for learning how to use a cameras manual settings (Thanks again, Analiese) and even though I am a complete noob, I am grateful for these moments - captured and filed - and attached to memories that are full of the sounds, and the smells, and the stories that go with these visual moments. 

And this face. I love this face... (these faces I suppose I should say)

Eleanor and Eleanor

I read a book.

An 832 page monstrous book, and it was wonderful.
Not just because I liked the book (which I did) but because I feel like I have accomplished something. I read very fast, and have a tendency to abandon books if they can't hold me attention or if they are too long (this one is very long) my interest also wanes when I read books that wax too lyrical in descriptive prose, so to finish a book this size and in this style is unheard of. I like hearing characters voices and seeing their actions, and though Catton described all of her characters, the firmest picture I have in my mind of all of them is of their characters and personalities rather than the detains of their dress or particulars of their height or even hair colour. I can't go past a mystery though, and after forging though all the clues that were collected in the first (and longest) part of the book I chewed through the rest of it, keen to know what had happened, to whom.

I haven't reviewed a book since high school I think, or even before then, so I don't know that I am especially qualified to do so - so I won't. If you have read it and have an opinion of it, then share it with me, because I am full of opinions, and I loved how several details were left out of the resolution - leaving it up to us to decide what may have happened.

The thing that I loved the most though, about this whole book reading adventure - was that I went looking for this book because Eleanor is my name too, and Eleanor Catton was born the same year as me, and while she wasn't born in New Zealand she works there now, in Auckland where I was born - and I like to see my peers (if I may presume to call her my peer) succeed. Especially ones called Eleanor. 
The book is full of mystical themes like pre-destiny, fate, astrological connection, and so as I read it tickled me to think that it had been something that I was meant to do.

In any case. I am glad that I have finished it and can at last move on, knowing what happened to Emery Staines, and Anna Wetherell, and that poor bastard Crosbie Wells (though I probably as most sympathetic to Mr Sook...) I started reading in November and 'The Luminaries' can probably be pointed to as being the chief reason why my NANOWRIMO attempt this year was so pathetic - though that's not entirely honest of me to say.

This isn't a usual blog post for me, but it has been so long since I posted anything I thought that I should. I have been re-doing everything here, and on the shops website for a relaunch in March. It's nice to do some non shop related things.
 

Belated updates

It's been a long time - I know.
Since I last wrote I have opened a store and that was nearly a month ago.

Gabriel turned 3, he now tells everyone who looks at him "Me Gabriel, three years old" *holding up three fingers* and if he has his birthday present scooter with him he will stop scooting, hold it up and say "My cool scooter!"... basically everything you need to know about him I guess?

In a week or so my little Samurai will be 1. ONE. I swear I was just blogging about leaving the hospital after having him. Time goes by faster and faster.

So a lot of things have happened.

At the moment I have no interest in writing about any of it though. 
I haven't sat down and done anything arty for ages so in that sense there isn't that much to tell.

Kyle was able to put together this awesome video of our shop for those of you who live away and won't be able to see it.
For those living close by who haven't come to see us yet. Shame on you. 

Come visit us - I'll talk to you in person. It'll be great.

A blog meet up

The shop opens soon and before we open our doors to the public we will be holding a blogger get together so that people can meet our designers, have some tasty snacks, listen to some wonderful live music and do a touch of craft!

It's all just an excuse to hang out with friends and meet up with some amazing people who I have been online stalking for a while (that's nowhere near as creepy as it sounds)

McKenzie will be there, sharing her music talents with us live (check her out on soundcloud) and some of our designers will be there to lay out their wisdom and impress you with their foxy craftiness.

The list is filling up fast, but we would love to know if you can make it. It's not just bloggers that are invited, but if you are super keen on the old crafts (we're thinking more 'knitting' than 'sorcery') then I highly recommend that you come along and check out the shop.

It's free! You just need to bring your good selves along to our shop in Parramatta.

Let me know so we can have all our fun goodies together for you.

Put up signs for markets. Seriously.

Does anyone have a Samsung phone? I have a Galaxy 3.

I got it because earlier this year in a moment of brilliance I managed to drop my iphone (which was epic and had great battery life and no problems) into the bath and I didn't want to pay an extra $20 a month for the iPhone 5.
My Galaxy dies every day. Some nights, after being plugged in all night I'll look at it and see that it's only on 17% or something tragic like that.

I mention all of this to make excuses for the SINGLE dark and uninspired photo that I have of my market stall on Saturday. I only had 50% battery to last the whole day. It didn't last.

It was a quiet market. I learned plenty about the importance of visible signage, for example, but it was great to meet so many other amazingly talented people.

Right next door to me was Chanelle who has some of the most crazy detailed drawings ever. I am in love with these elephant fellows. Like... the detail is just mind boggling.

The Mouse and Me

And this awesome artist Jennie, who illustrates some nifty foxes and some animals in Star Trek cosplay and Dr Who outfits who I think are super awesome. Officially you might call them "children's" or "nursery" prints, but I kind of just want them for myself.

Hiccupart

Everyone had stalls that were about a thousand times more awesome than mine, and I got a lot of ideas and was totally inspired so after feeling sick and like a mental case for all the rest of the weekend I have woken up today (it's Monday) with a brain full of ideas and a whole lot of brainstorming to do as we count down to The Elm Tree's official opening on the 28th of September.

First though, I have to clean the house. Ugh.

Father's change nappies too. True Story.

One time when I was younger, a man who was unstable came into the church where I was sitting and started to swear at me and verbally attack me. Near by a man (who I knew) just sat and watched smiling uncomfortably.

I was holding my baby brother and the man was kind of big so I just sat there and occasionally defended my rights (not really in a very productive way 'I can look at who I want to look at' for example, wasn't a helpful thing to say) until someone who heard the rukus went and found my dad who took the man aside and told him in a firm voice that "that b!tch" was his daughter and could he please leave the building (where he told him some other things...)

And I was glad that my father was there, and glad that I could see him defend me. No one else was and it was wonderfully reassuring to know that he would always be on my side. I still remember how it felt to know that someone cared about me enough to confront someone to defend me  (My dad is awesome)

I promise this is relevant.

Today is Kyle's birthday.

He's at home editing his most recent film project which means that we have been able to spend the day together and so off we went to get haircuts and eat lunch and play at play grounds (I even took photos)

And we had to change the baby's nappy. It happens.

The sign on the door said "baby changing room" and we walked in behind two women talking very loudly about something which they obviously didn't mind us hearing about (or they wouldn't have continued talking so loudly surely) and we changed the baby.
As they came out of the toilets one of the women started to say (just as loudly) that she was sure men weren't allowed in there as 'hearing women piss' is just wrong and couldn't he have stayed outside, and I'm going to check because I think it's completely wrong and sick and at that point I turned around and said:
"IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT US, SAY IT TO US!"

... And then I said a few other things... which might have included "if you have a problem with men hearing you go to the toilet then go to the ladies room, it says baby changing room on the door -  I don't see your baby!" And the woman I was talking to backed away.

We walked out later and saw a council worker who told us that the women had spoken to him about it all and he had told him the same thing that I had. Go to the ladies bathroom if you want there to only be ladies around you.

Kyle had been ignoring the women's conversation entirely so he was surprised that I had snapped at them, and I know that if he had heard what they had been saying he would have said something himself - but just so you know Ky. I've got your back. I'm on your side. Even though I get a bit shaky and emotional when I have to do things like that and even though I stay all riled up about it for the whole rest of the day (and post blogs about it).

I'll confront people (even though it's pretty beyond my comfort zone) to defend you - and your right to use a room designated for people caring for babies and children.

You can use the baby changing room... you know... TO CHANGE THE BABY. 

Happy Birthday.


Apologies for the awkwardly compiled photos. The boys didn't all fit in the photo because Ronin was way below table level. In other news good on you Boost and Salsa for giving free things to customers on their birthday. Don't rate the burrito but at least no money was wasted in figuring out that they aren't that good.

 Gabe blowing bubbles (he thinks it's so cool... it's so gross) while Kyle gets his hair cut. I spoke to the hairdresser in Mandarin and she didn't understand me (devastating) but it was only because she didn't expect it from me (phew!) after that she understood everything I said. Crisis averted.

 Blurry :(