Works of Art made from common trash = inspiration ...

A chair from CD's

a pooch from everyday found objects ...

an old iron becomes a lamp ...

A camera, oil can and small tins ends up as this groovy little guy.

There's 36 more terrific works HERE ... why not be inspired ?

Lessons in Letting Go by Corrine Grant + 2011 Lists to STOP & DO ...

2010 Christmas gifts were more than I ever imagined ...

so much thought had gone in to the selecting ...

one of MJ's gifts was ...

(she knows me too well.)

I've been unable to finish a complete book since 2008 ...

this was a brekathrough.

On Friday night I snuggled in bed for a read ...

by 2am I'd read three quarters ...

when I woke I picked it up again ...

two hours later I'd finished!

It's a super easy read ...

the beginning was like listening to a conversation.

For me it became annoying as she inanely rattled on ...

her low opinion of herself infuriated me.

 However it picked up and ended on a positive high!

I related to a number of her probs and her solutions.

If you're overwhelmed by stuff, do yourself a favour!

Meanwhile ...

I've been blocked at the begining of 2011 ...

My fave bloggers are making lists for 2011 here ...

I adore a list ... so here's mine for 2011.

Things to STOP::

 ... spending,

         ... procrastinating,

... worrying,

     ... being scared,

  ... being hurt,

                       ... doing projects in my head

Things to DO::

                                             ... get the exhibiton done with time to spare,

                               ... get the projects out of my head,

                             ... purge belongings                    

                     ... lose weight                   

    ... do New York,

participate in Sophies Fleamarket Finds without going to a Flea Market.

That'll do ...

editing the list has been exhausting ...

so much to do ~ so little time.

Pop over to Cathy's for a peek at the lists of fab bloggers.

Hope your 2011 is smoothing out and finding direction like mine is♥

Heirloom Couture ... what to do with an old quilt = beautiful coats ...

I took a couple of days off to re-think and especially to re-energise ...

however I wasn't able to stay away from searching online!

Look at the gorgeousness I discovered ...

Joanne Kliejunas has been creating beautiful coats and jackets since 2007

from old quilts ...

aren't they beautiful?

Please don't throw everything out ...

here's a shining example that everything isn't rubbish... 

beautiful fabric can be reborn.

See more of Joanne work here

Happy New Year ... have you made any resolutions for 2011?

HAPPY NEW YEAR Darlings ...

 

my photography isn't as good this year ...

despite living 7 kms from the extravaganza ...

the fireworks echoed ...

Blossie was her usual scaredy cat self ... poor Blossie!

SOoooo ... tell me ...

have you made any new year resolutions?

Sydney New Years Eve Fireworks = crowds are gathered ... home and pizza for Moi ...

For hours, in some for spots days ...

they've gathered ...

for the Sydney New Years Eve Fireworks Extravaganza ... 

this lot gathered at 4pm ...

only 8 hours to go ...

with a gorgeous sky ...

here's the throng at the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House ...

Ahhhh ...

my gluten free pizza from 'Crust' with ...

 pumpkin base, garlic prawns, artichokes, red onion, anchovies, fresh herbs and lemon has arrived!

Every year I say I'd love to go to the fireworks ...

every year I remember the crowds ...

again this year I'll give you a glimpse courtesy of ...

my 42" Toshiba ...

hey ...

last year it was only a 32".

How can you beat that ...

no crowds, front row view and piping hot pizza ...

while the masses still have four and a half hours to wait!

BLISS is here at home! 

Hope yours is a wonderful New Years Eve! xoxo

... and so this was Christmas = LOVING every single second ...

Before ...

and after ...

still smiling about every minute of my Christmas ...

Hope yours was as excellent as mine!

Doodling or Zentangle = another intrigue for an already busy 2011 ...

Doodling or scribbling has always been in my life ...

for ...

relaxation ...

when thinking ...

or as an avoidance.

On ...

the corners of notebook and journal pages ...

scraps of paper ...

backs of envelopes ...

but ...

drat ...

I've never kept them. 

There's not a skerrick of space for new projects in 2011 ...

somehow I'll find time ...

to do them, keep and use them ...

as a 'Zentangle' ...

or ...
maybe find my own name for them!

... from here ...

... from here ...

... gorgeous from here. 

Aren't they fabulous?
Imagination is running wild here!

Boxing Day Sales + Three Generations = Shopped till we dropped ...

We, three generations, proved that ...

shopping plus spotting a bargain is genetic!

This was the first trolley load ...

 more followed  ...

of girlie essentials and homewares ...
amidst tons of fun!

We saved more than we spent ...

and unanimously agreed ...

we'll never pay full retail price ever again.

Christmas Day = Bliss ... hope yours was too ...

My packages = giving love and cheer ...

could she be any cuter?

We strolled down for a late lavish lunch ...

she runs non stop at every chance ...

'Ready' ... 

the party guest came out of retirement ...

the day was hot ...

we sponged her to cool her ...

she dipped chips in tom sauce ...

she loved my necklace ...

Mummy was Mmmm do they have the same taste ...

Daddy and his baby Belle topped the day off with a fun train ride ...

so much love ... our day was bliss!

Hope yours was too.

HAPPY HOLIDAY Wishes from Moi to YOU ...

Look out ...

here comes ...

Mmmmm is that Santa ???

Happy Holidays Darlings with HUGE HUGS and smooches!

image in a store window at the new Westfield Sydney

Flea Market Finds ... from another angle ...

We'd heard of a small inner city market starting up ...

we rifiled through our hoards ...

not once, but twice ...

gluttons for punishment ...

nope ...

 we were thinking positive!

We spent more than we took ...

met gorgeous people ...

it was Solid Gold Hell ...

been there, done that, ticked it off ...

NEXT!!!

Check out Sophie's Flea Market Finds.

Guess who's almost got an iPhone = a Smirkabout Skin for Christmas pressies ...

Yayyyyy guess who's got an iPhone?

Well almost ... 

this glorious Monday could've been easily spoilt by mobile phone providors ... says she from behind gritted teeth and aching mandibles.  

I detest telco's.

I've been on prepaid with Vodafone since 1997. 

I want to take my number to a plan at another provider.

Impossible without photo ID ...

I don't drive, haven't travelled.

No photo ID makes me out to be a criminal ...

I was freakingwell born in this wide, brown land ...

I'm a Aussie through and through ...

Haaa ...

doesn't matter where mobile phones are involved.

I know, I know safety, identity theft and all that ...

 but ...

it doesn't ease the feeling!

Now there's form filling, queue standing and bureacratic bungling ahead ...

spare me!

How about a Smirkabout Skin for someone you love for Christmas?

Flea Market Finds = two days in a row = unexpected fun ...

Saturday finds left to right ::

Huge bag 70 cm white zippers = $10 ...

bag 30 cm black zippers = $5 ...

30 cm embroidery hoop = $3 ...

timber toilet roll holder for bracelet storage = 50c ...

12 fabric Santa motifs = $2 ...

6 brass star napkin rings = 50c ...

metal shoe horn = 20c ...

2 metres of fishing net = 50c ...

LOVE brass thingo = $3 ...

timber folder/cover = $2 ...

Sunday finds left to right ::

a metre UK cotton 70s fabric = $1 ...

Blue vintage womens hat = $5 ...

green leather belt = 50c ...

one metre fine white lace = freebie ...

black vintage womens hat = $5 ...

12 leather bands = $3 ...

one metre poly retro fabric = 50 c ...

If you only knew how much I adore scrounging, fossicking, op shopping or whatever you like to call it ...

but ...

how much stuff can one woman use?

Hope your weekend was as super duper as mine!

You'll find more Flea Market Finds over at Sophie's.

A Farmers Daughter at Woodpapersilk = bliss ...

Have you driven past a place for years and wondered what was inside?

Then someone who knows someone tells you it's a gallery...

someone else tells you they know someone who buys there all the time.

Then you hear a designer you adore has jewellery there ...

that's been my woodpapersilk experience ...
until today.

The Diva and I found a wonderland ... 
 gorgeous felt silk shawls, wraps and scarves made by the owner.

Jewellery, ceramics, art and more by various artists ...
 entranced us at woodpapersilk

The intention of being restrained ...

went right out the door with A Farmers Daughter's jewellery ...

you had to be there to see me like a big kid ...
after I spied this tiny, antique, vesta tin, beauty ...

it's mine ...
and loving it!

A Farmers Daughter, Alicia, has a tiny shop in Windsor too see more here.

My Happy List = the shortest list = Happy About Everything ...

:: creations & inspirations ::

I snuck over for a quick squizz at Kate's blog and discovered ...

after she found the Happy lists of Ms Cathie and Ms Becky ...

she started a meme ...

asking people to write their happy list.

For me ...

list lover and adorerer ...

♥ My Happy List ♥ is the smallest list ever!

♥I'm happy about everything in my life.♥

♥♥♥ Happy, Happy, Happy is me ♥♥♥

So how about making your own Happy List?

and 

pop over to Kate's and leave your link.

♥♥♥  A gorgeous idea from the most gorgeous girls in blogland.  ♥♥♥

At My House ... phewwwww ... it's been a whirl ...

Since last week my life has been a whirl ...

My artist statement for the 2011 exhibiton was submitted ...

  Finders Keepers was on ...

naturally I had to buy one more notebook from Rebound Books.

               My 2011 diary is Sesame Street Little Golden Book in the pic ...

    Saturday I fell in love with Rozelle Markets again . 

An amazing box + two more sticks of inches were mine!

                             Saturday night family dinner.                         

 Sunday was crazy!

 My darling friend Diva's, kitty died.

My shoulder was the Diva's.

 Arrangements for Tashie the kitty had to be made. 

 I dragged the Diva to our local street fair!

I gave her no choice ...

it helped for a smidge.

The silver edged tea cup handle brooch ...
will be altered to wear on a neck chain.

Phew ... told you it's been a whirl! 

See what's happening at other houses here 

Finders Keepers Sydney ... loving it ... BUT ...

Around the stage these 'trees' ...

designed with old pincushion's in mind ...

looked gorgeous ...

stuff from Made 590

Made 590 looked a wee bit tooooo real ...

the gorgeous White girls had something different yet again ...

they're so on the ball ...

lovely stuff ...

by Angie at Materialistic ...

                                Kanimbla clay had the most beautiful candle holders

see more Kanimbla here 

It was too hard to take pics,

the place was jam packed ...

people were being swept along by the crowd ...

 seeing people we knew like ...

Natalie from Rebound where I had to buy another notebook!

Carmel from Feed the Dog ...

Bird Textiles we know and love ...

these two are our top textile design picks.

The menagerie at Catrabbit was astonishing ...

Nikki from Emerald Green Submarine ...

Emily from EmilyRose Stationary ...

the sweehthearts from Frankie.

This time has been the best ever ...
BUT...
how many cushions, t towels and party invitations can one person use?

There was a smidge too many textile and paper designers.

Shame we see the same retailers at Magnolia Square ...

and at Finders Keepers?

Loving it all the same, see you next time!

Finders Keepers is in town = CarriageWorks Sydney = see you there ...

Finders Keepers is in town ...

Friday Dec3 from 6pm ...

Saturday Dec 4 from 10am ...

at CarriageWorks ...

See you there tonight !

Here's the list of retailers ... WOW!