Like it

You know people ‘get’ social media when the White House has its own Flickr stream. It’s great with photos from behind the scenes, each with a caption and place for comments. The only annoying this is that they haven’t been titled well so just show the number that your camera assigns when you upload them.   The photo at left is this one.

One of my favourite blog posts this week is Megan at Frou Frou Frippery’s 10 status updates I didn’t post on Facebook this week. I’m stealing that idea sometime!

Nametags at events are a bore. Unless you go with this idea.

One of my favourite houses in New Zealand.

I love these nerd-chic glasses. Check out the cranberry/horn colourway. And I love this art.

Take your stag horns off the wall. And this cake stand is awesome – too bad I don’t live in Christchurch.

Apple love

I’d like the kind of well-designed, tidy workdesk that would allow me to have this apple sticky note system. Isn’t it cool? Sadly, while my desk at work is a design piece, it’s always piled with papers and magazines and memo cube notes with scribblings. I doubt I could keep the kind of slick environment that this post it note demands. First seen on Double Takes.

 

 

Sunday four

One Tom frequently points out that I’m a hoarder – I don’t disagree but I regularly have clean outs and give things to the op-shop and know when something will be useful. Case in point; last weekend I dragged out my big bag of parrifin wax (that I’ve had since art school, ten years ago) and made these teacup candles.

Teacup candles are beautiful because when they burn down the teacup glows. The perfect gift too; once the candle has melted away you’ve still got a cup.

Two This weekend I signed a new edition of nine prints, which have been unnamed for about three weeks and would still be that way if Helen hadn’t helped out with some poetic text. You can see the edition – ‘First Flutter’ here. And here’s a close up; I hand sewed and drew on nine prints over and over – the repitition is part of what I love so much about printmaking.

Three I think one of the best things about meeting new people is learning about new music. Flatting was always a great opportunity to add to my musical knowledge; today I have Facebook recommendations and texting friends.

I’ve recently rediscovered Dusty Springfield again and am currently obsessed with this song. Great Shirley Bassey qualities. I also recommend Richard Hawley Baby I’m your Light (that I can’t find on YouTube) and The Puppini Sisters doing Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights.

Four I’ve never been much of a fan of stuffed animals and girls with them all over their beds always seemed to scream “bunny boiler” to me. But since meeting crafty friends I’ve gained a new appreciation for the homemade stuffed animal; particularly Helen’s Donnie Darko rabbits. And these.

 

 

Meme

I got tagged for a meme by Megan at Frou Frou Frippery. here are my answers… yawn.

What is your current obsession? Blousy flowers, making A-line skirts and op-shopping – pretty much my obsessions from age 23 on.

What is your weirdest obsession? Death. Not in a morbid way – I’m just fascinated by what happens after life, the ceremony of funerals and loss.

What are you wearing today? Grey cardigan, a pink t-shirt with gay lions on it, a chalky digits fundraiser brooch to raise money for the South Island robin, knee-length denim skirt, black trousers and knee-high stockings. Shoes are kicked off.

What’s for dinner? No idea – we’ve only just made it to lunch.

What would you eat for your last meal? Fruit crumble – maybe feijoa, pear and rhubarb finished off with a glass of Chateaux nurf de pas.

What’s the last thing you bought? The weeks vegetables at the fruit and vege stall outside Greytown.

What are you listening to right now? The sound of silence. Not the Simon and Garfunkel song; actual silence.

What do you think of the person who tagged you? I hardly know Megan and have never met her but she writes a great blog and lives in Oamaru – both good things.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?

Donate NZ

Do you have a spare overhead projector lying around? How about light switches or a Mac laptop? I’ve recently discovered Donate NZ a really cool website where you can donate goods or time to community and charitable organisations as they request it. The ‘wishes’ of organisations are random to say the least, which makes it compelling reading and I think more likely that people will browse and give.

Check it out – the idea of fufilling someone’s wish is very seductive. I’m currently considering whether I could realistically offer writing skills to a Wellington organisation.

And as always, let me know if you do donate.