Florence and the Peacock

I had made a few little special market sets to sell at my first market this Friday afternoon, but since I had such a positive response from the friends who saw them (and quickly bought them!) I thought I'd make a few pieces for my Etsy store from this gorgeous new fabric.

Quoting from the Liberty of London website,

Critically acclaimed singer Florence Welch of 'Florence and the Machine' visited the Liberty archives to select two of her favorite designs for this season's collection. Dancing Ladies Liberty Print was one such design,a wonderful traditional Liberty floral containing 'Dancing Ladies' reminiscent of Indian miniatures. It has been a very popular style withing the past Liberty collections, especially in the 1920s and 30s. 

Though to me and my horridly inaccurate historical knowledge, it reminds me of this beautiful painting by Botticelli:

Anyhoo! Here are the hair ties I've made thus far, unfortunately the ladies are too large to incorporate into a hair tie although I have a couple of new ideas which may take shape during the second half of the year so you may see them yet in the Dusty Plum store!

What a beautiful choice by Florence, and who doesn't love Florence? With her almighty voice, amazing stage presence and stunning milk-skinned 'Botticellian' beauty!

and last but not least a song. Because I always like you to have something to listen to while you read your blogs. XXX 

Florence and the Machine "DOG DAYS ARE OVER" Music Video from LEGS MEDIA on Vimeo.

Yellow

I love wattle. Love it. It's the boost I need in the middle of winter, driving or walking past a wattle tree in bloom gives me an instant lift. There is an enormous wattle tree around the corner from our home, and as the sun was shining I decided to go for a walk around the block and take some photos. With the image of bright yellow in my head, I decided to see how many other yellow things caught my eye on the walk, well let me say the quick stroll took a lot longer than I originally intended!

So I thought I'd share some images, from this beautiful Melbourne winter's day here in Northcote. And if you make it through to the end of the post, a little musical interlude, one of my favourites, to help you get through Friday with a smile on your face. XX

ps: there are four buzzy bees amongst the images, can you spot them all?

Beaker from muppets Sings Yellow By Coldplay
- Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

Sunny Day

Today is the last day of the school holidays. I survived. They survived. We all survived. I was saying to a friend the other day that it is like winter saved up all it's rain and grey for this two weeks, though my mother (who is an incredible font of knowledge) informed me that the week including July 11th is known by scientific fact as being the coldest of winter. So a positive is .. again .. that we survived it! And we passed it!

With the G-man in kinder today, the girls and I ventured out to Heide, the Modern Art Gallery we are lucky to live so close to. It's down by the Yarra River and has amazing rolling hills and a sculpture garden, a beautiful Kitchen Garden and a new(ish) purpose built educational 'pod' where the girls have been doing School Holiday Art Programmes for the last few years.

We had a little picnic on the lawn in the sun when I picked them up after their screen printing class, then I went for a little wander with Lulu while Asha relaxed in the sunshine.

Aeroplane Boy inspired Lulu

The Kitchen Garden inspired me!! I would love to plant some Forget-Me-Not's in our garden, so pretty, and just a perfect shade of blue. 

This little piggy ..

went to market.*

Yes I'm having my first stall at a handmade market at the end of this month. Let me be honest, I'm very nervous! It's easy to hide behind a computer screen and put my little handmade goodies up on a website but to stand behind a table while people walk past, pick up, then walk on by will be nerve wracking to say the least!  I have a few weeks now to think about ways to display my items, to decorate the table, to get together everything I need.

Here is the flyer for this market, please if you are local, lock it into your diaries and come on by, say hello, have a chat, offer me words of encouragement!

I love that this market is so local to me, it is at the end of our street (of the home we are renovating), it is run by the Thornbury Women's Neighbourhood House which as been a huge support to me over the years, the little kinder at the back has been wonderful for all three children over the years, I took classes, and made friends through the centre. 

I decided to make some special little sets for the market alongside the items which you can find in my Dusty Plum Etsy store. These sets will include a single large (29mm) hair tie and a medium pair (23mm each) in matching fabrics, for the special price of $10 per set. I would like to offer them first to my blog and facebook readers HERE. Postage for one set will be $1.60 and for two or more sets will be free. A great chance to nab a special deal, and to add to your gift drawer for the upcoming birthday party season! 

Fabrics include:

Just Dandy - in Chocolate and Turquoise - Dandelion Starburst!

Dotty Spots including Glistening Gold!

Alice in Wonderland Set in Lime and Chocolate, Keys and Pocket Watch. 

and the sweet Sherbet Pips, Hedgehogs, Toadstools and Cherry Trees. Too cute. 

* I refer to myself as a piggy only in the context that I was born in the Chinese Year of the Pig. 

Liberty Rocks!

The exciting new range from Liberty of London AW11 was released on July 1, and what an eclectic, bizarre, beautiful and .. weird range it is.

Unfortunately there are not a great deal of fabrics in the range which suit the small scale of my hair ties, but still fascinating to see the new designs and to read about the inspiration of their creation.

The digital range above is a first for Liberty, how INCREDIBLE is the one on the far right!

(click to see it larger)

The above were chosen or designed by musicians, from left the Renaissance style print was chosen by Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine, the far right which I ADORE was created by Swedish super pop star Emilia de Poret, inspired by microphones!

The image above features the two fabrics I have used so far for my hair ties, the magical starry Adelajda which represents the 1940's with it's dazzling 'All that Jazz' pattern ...

... and 'Mike' the Pop Art stripe which was inspired by Bridget Riley's paintings and the Op Art Movement. Vibrant in a geometric style, I love it!  

Available in my Etsy store.

School Horrordays

I'm not one of those Perky Mama's who look forward with glee to the school holidays .. quite the opposite. Sure it would be different if we were going away as a family, somewhere sunny, with pools, and cocktails .. but in reality, it's 11 degrees and raining and windy, my husband is absent for 12 hours per day due to his work, and I find it all a bit .. umm .. challenging.

I had a message from the wonderful Hipstamatic on my iPhone this morning that I could download two new lenses for free so I thought I'd try them out as I tried to tire out the children. Firstly a train ride to Nanny's work (a local hospital six stops away which had a celebrity patient and press conference this morning so there was a buzz of excitement and controversy in the air), then back again via the City Loop .. even I hadn't been on the train through the city for years so was a bit goggle eyed at all the new buildings, 'Southern Cross Station' (which will always be Spencer Street to me) then home via a stop at Flagstaff Station to buy some chocolate from the vending machine!

Home and the 'I'm Bored's' started within oh, one episode of Charlie and Lola. Off to the local shopping plaza we go for cupcake ingredients, and we stop off on the way for hair cuts. Whoa, and did the girls lose some length! Oh well, it'll grow back. I hope. Looks SUPER cute and I think Asha in particular really suits her new hair style. I have been wanting her to get a bob for a while so we're pretty much half way there now!

I love his little Connies in this pic :)

I'm calling Gman's bowl cut 'The Theo' 

I've almost survived another day, nothing a glass of wine won't help me forget about as I head into tomorrow with renewed determination and and a steely grip on my sanity. Wish me Luck. XX

The First Half of 2011 - Highlights

Delicate Nobby
1 January 2011 we awoke in the beautiful campground at Delicate Nobby. This was a little piece of heaven on earth that we all needed after a stressful Christmas. Sun, sand, surf, peace and quiet, goannas, pythons in the toilet block, isolation, wine and books, surfing, swimming and rockpools. Heaven.

The Nobby!

Breaky on the 'van steps

Surfin' .. the girls were great, Lulu is a natural. 

Dusty Plum 
My first ever business venture launched in February. Can I tell you how much pleasure it has given me? To make things, to play with beautiful fabrics, to find that I have ideas of my own, to find that friends can offer so much support and positivity, it's been incredibly wonderful experience. Warms my heart I tell ya!

20th of March - My 40th EEK!
I was a nervous wreck leading up to it as is my style, but it was fun, the food and wine were great, beautiful friends travelled from far and wide and it was a huge success. That said it was a huge relief to make it past that 'Magic Number' so it was no longer looming in front of me.  It is a time of reflection as well and I realise that I have lived a full and happy life and I that I am absolutely fortunate and blessed.

Other Highlights
Easter camping at Wye River, a divine dinner with friends at Cutler and Co, Lulu started Martial Arts and is doing REALLY well, Gman turned three and had a lovely little family party, the girl's school reports were spectacular, Mish had her longed for baby Gus, and Beck is finally pregnant after a horror run. My 'girls trip' to Sydney and the ensuing traffic jam and Jodi's dodgy bladder, haven't laughed so much in years. Last but not least of course our whirlwind trip to Vietnam and seeing our home renovations starting to take shape.

I'm looking forward to seeing what takes shape in the next six months. XX