Blogtoberfest Finale = Give Halloween the flick = find a celebration that's Australian ...

A mate of mine posted this on Facebook ...

and I thought ...

what does Halloween mean?
Do kids, parents, people on about Halloween, know what it means?

Why are Aussies celebrating something so American?

Is the USA going to begin celebrating ...

Australia Day or Anzac Day?????

Wikipedia explained ...

Halloween (or Hallowe'en), a contraction of All-Hallows-Eve (as in the day before "All Hallows" or "All Souls" Day), is an annual festival observed on October 31. In recent years the American inspired (and US media driven) commercialisation of this date (previously marked in the UK by children carving lanterns in turnips or swedes and little else - pumpkins being scarce) has resulted in the importing of US traditions such as "trick-or-treating", costume parties, and carving lanterns from real pumpkins which are now cultivated specially for this purpose.

OK we can lay some claim to the 'All Hallows' association.

For the rest it's a repetition of Valentines Day ...

when Australia never celebrated ...

till the media & retail hype conned us!!!

Wake up Australia ...

see anything here you could create a day about?

C'mon I've only skimmed the Google surface

let's give Halloween the flick ...

let's create a celebration that symbolises Aussies!

On that note ...

Hu Ru Blogtoberfest 2011!

It's been fabulous = 33 posts in 31 days = ♥ Bliss ♥

Now, about that day we're going to create ...

Sunday Snippets = Sydney Rock 'n' Roll Markets + Donna Does + DFO retail is alive & well + wide open spaces + power ...

my Sunday in Sydney =

Rock 'n' Roll Markets Tempe ... 

Donna Does = delectable chutney, pickle etc ...

DFO = where retail is alive & well ...

adds up to a perfect Sunday!

See more Sunday Snippets here.

♥ Hope your Sunday was a good as mine ♥

My Place & Yours = Where I Sleep ...

The theme for this weeks MPAY's is 'where I sleep?'

Loving where I sleep ...

                                        in the living room ...

if Blossie starts Zzzzzing ...

on the ottoman next to me ...

it's a competition ...

who purrs loudest ...

when I rest my arm along her front.

Where I sleep is bliss ... see more sleeping places here.

ZIPPERS ... like them or loathe them ...

The sweat shop is operating again ...

I'm reminded ...

how I loathe ...

 sewing zippers ...

my stash includes zippers of all shapes ...

sizes, colours and lengths like these!

For me zippers symbolise  ...

fun ...

unique art ...

lavish embellishments ...

or perfect on a roll!

Our Creative Space = Inspiration in the Laneways of Sydney = Magda Sayeg Yarnbombing ...

inspiration to the max ...

knit one purl one ...

the Queen of Yarnbombing has been at it again ...

from now till Jan 31, 2012 in Sussex Lane ...

love it!

Tuesday play date with Bella = Wiggles = bouncing = laughing + non stop chatter ...

nothing better ...

than a Wiggles DVD with Ma Bella ...

comparing notes ...

singing out loud ...

jumping like a kangaroo ...

mega bouncing ...
on Mummy & Daddy's bed ...

I'm sure Belle asked me ...
"so how was that MaMa?"

♥♥♥ BLISS ♥♥♥

Wary Meyers Tossed & Found = Basement Stacks + 1930's workwear crazy quilt + 15,000 marshmallows ...

Wary Myers = mucho inspiration ...

in 2006 John used 15,000 marshmallows in the  ...

Rockefeller Centre Anthropologie window display here

The Basements Stacks remains my mega fave here

They decided they had too much stuff ...

so they've opened a shop here ...

stock currently includes this 1930s crazy quilt

made of dark solid denims, twills, corduroys, and wools ...

like a combination of crazy quilting and a Japanese Boro.

the underside ...

measuring 48 x 60 inches ...

more quilt pics HERE 

Wary Meyers is a constant inspiration ...

more installations and stuff here.

Second day of rest = recharging our batteries ...

We're still recharging our batteries ... 

did that vase move ...

maybe ...

we'll be productive tomorrow!

Monday - itis and loving it ...

Ahhhhhhhhh ...
it's all about doing nothing, zero, zilch = bliss!

Creative Lane fiasco + Stiff Gins brilliance + great people = Marrickville Festival ......

The bag with the pink rose went to a new home ...

meeting and greeting marvellous people made up ...

for the non event that was Creative Lane.

Sad to see a great idea has gone down the gurgler!

The harmoniously gorgeous Stiff Gins ...

outweighed the fiasco of the day ...

as well as saving us from ducking in to the pub ...

and ordering a couple of their namesakes!

NEXT! 

Curly Pops Flying Ducks on her shirt = Flying Ducks on my wall ...

Curly Pops post re Flying Ducks on her shirt ...

made me smile ...

about my Flying Ducks on my wall.

There was always that odd, lonely, flying duck ...

in an op shop or at a garage sale ...

Quack, Quack!

My Place and Yours ...My Pin Cushion / Pin Cushions ...

Gadzooks I couldn't believe this weeks MPAY theme ...

pincushions have been foremost on my agenda this week ...

My Pin Cushion ...

is full of mega sentimental and outrageous memories.

She was owned by a clothing designer mate of mine ...

who departed his sweat shop 15 years ago ...

OMG the stories this little gem could tell ...

would make your pins rust!

Plus this week I've made Pin Cushions for your thumb ...

or your wrist ...

for Marrickville Festival tomorrow!

Great minds at work for this MPAY theme.

See more Pin Cushions HERE.

London College of Fashion = Community Repair = Sustainable Fashion ...

Community repair ...

renewing a tired garment ...

can mean more than mending torn seams...

a re-worked and embellished mens jacket ...

a moth eaten coat ...

now embroidered with moths ...

a trench coat lined with patchwork.

The fabulous project, Strategic Repair, explores the idea of reciprocity through the act of making together and connecting within communities, using an existing starting point of value and developing that value.

Throughout the project, students explored how craft skills among members of their local communities can be mobilised for the repair or adjustment of a garment; and how the compassion for a garment, the crafting of a shared memory and the mending of a social skin can be the needle on which the thread of gifts and exchanges can stitch up a shattered community.

Loving the notion of sharing and caring ...
an excellent idea ...
workable in any community ...
maybe even yours!

more HERE.

GLUTEN FREE = Rowies new book = INDULGE by Rowie Dillon = TDF ...

224 pages of gluten free heaven ... 

will be making this as soon as I find Chia seeds ..

YUMMMOoooo ...

Yummmm ...
Nectarines are coming in to season ...

so much good info included  ...

a sponge = unbelieveable ...

delectable morsels ...

I've loved Rowie's delicacies for over a decade ...
would you believe her bakery is down the road from my house ...
and I remain restrained ...
now I'll be baking my own.

I found the book on ebay ...
$27.00 with free post! 

Bliss.

Our Creative Spaces = How to fix that rattling bobbin = DIY = so simple ...

My Darling Janome has been working over time ...

she started rattling ...

plus the bobbin thread kept breaking ...

look what I found ...

I was so confident I'd kept her in good order ...

NOT ...

I'd never lifted out the Bobbin case ...

have you??

Imagine the money it might have cost ...

if I'd headed for the repair man?

Hope this helps your machine purrr like my girl is now!

See more Creative Spaces HERE.

JOHN FARNHAM = is The Voice = total amazement ...

imagine my face ...

this mountain of a man was half in front of me ...

it broke the ice with the woman next to me ...

as we looked at each other rolling our eyes!!!

Shy, retiring me, spoke to the usherette ...

an hour later the woman next to me was given a better seat ...

I was too ecstatic to care ...

I looked over and around the mountain ...

first half of the show was acoustic ... OMG!

The staff were hot on people taking photo's ...

I felt like a naughty school girl ...

so remained restrained!

Second half was all sound, lights, the voice, Scots pipers!

Singing, clapping, screaming, yahoooing ... that was just me!

I'm there again Friday night ... bring it on ...

Jacks Back!