BECAWEN

Thoughts of returning... but scared of adding to the "to-do" list.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 02:46:00 +0000

It's been a long time since I wrote here, not since I went on maternity leave last year, before we had our sweet Miss G in July last year (2015). Life has been a roller coaster of emotion since. A time of great love and great transition.

Parenting two is tougher than I thought, not that I really knew what to expect. At times I struggled to manage the needs of one child, so managing two has certainly been an eye opener. I know I am doing my best, most of the time. However with the lack of recognition for efforts (I mean, what 3 year old is going to tell you your doing a good job) there's a constant harassing feeling that you're not. When your as goal oriented as I am, the corporate world is so satisfying and the parenting world can be less so.

In the early days of Miss G life was very simple and very primal. Eat, sleep, feed baby and toddler etc. You're happy you actually got dressed and were able to have a hot coffee during the day. A load of washing hung up is a huge achievement. I am so good at recognising that in the early days, as I was when Mr F was a bub. But there is something about that damned new year switch over that inspires my list writing and that longing in my brain that I should be able to do more in my day, achieve more with the kids, do more freelance design work. Heck, I can do it all right?!

Immediately post my new year list of to do's it all goes so well. I am cramming cr*p loads of stuff in my day and we are all thriving. Look at me! I'm the king of the Mummy's! Flash forward to March. It's been two months since that new year list was written and a lot has been achieved, but a lot hasn't. Mine and the kids daily routine has been shot to sh*t as I try to cram too much in. The kids begin to become unmanageable and I begin to feel like a failure and we all begin to flat line. My anxiety levels start to shoot through the roof again. The last time that happened I ended up with the shingles, resulting in what looks like a fairly permanent corneal inflammation. When will I ever learn?

Also, when will I learn to congratulate myself on the things I have achieved? I mean heck! The other week I took two kids out all day on my own, we went to the gallery, met Daddy for coffee, caught the ferry to Watsons Bay, had lunch, played at the beach and got all the way home again unscathed! And we all had a fabulous time. Tuesday last week I did 4 loads of washing in one day! I mean, that deserves a medal right?

I don't know how many other parents can relate to the above, I am guessing there must be a few. I have a saying on my iPhone screen which says "Simplify and amplify". Such wise words. I put them there for a reason surely? I clearly want to my life to be more simple, but seem unable to chill out, due to my constant need for achievement in areas of list completion.

I read a great article the other day, of which the following is an excerpt. You can read the whole article here. It is certainly an eye opener. What's the rush hey? What is it all for anyway?

"When you’re living a distracted life, every minute must be accounted for. You feel like you must be checking something off the list, staring at a screen, or rushing off to the next destination. And no matter how many ways you divide your time and attention, no matter how many duties you try and multi-task, there’s never enough time in a day to ever catch up.

That was my life for two frantic years. My thoughts and actions were controlled by electronic notifications, ring tones, and jam-packed agendas. And although every fiber of my inner drill sergeant wanted to be on time to every activity on my overcommitted schedule, I wasn’t."

"The day I stopped saying hurry up" – Rachel Macy Stafford
Full article here.
Rachel's great website, Hands Free Mama.

Light Show

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 03:47:00 +0000

Sydney-siders, if you need something to do this weekend check out Light Show at the MCA. It closes on the 5th of July and is a must see! If you have little ones, take them along, they'll love it (mine did)!

Mums. Are we our own worst enemies?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 03:08:00 +0000

3 years ago my coffee table featured elegantly curated design books and magazines. Image by Becawen.

It turns out that I have reached an inevitable cross roads with Becawen and life in general for that matter! That is, that Becawen must stretch to encompass the life I've been living for the last two and a bit years. That life encompasses about 90% parenting and various related duties and about 10% design. Therefore, you will start to see some more family related posting, a bit of cooking photography alongside the ever important design/art theme posting. I know this won't suit you all, but it's a reality I've finally decided to embrace!

Over the coming months there may even be a drastic change of structure and design in this site and a personalised domain. I am exploring my options now and shall keep you in the loop.

A parenting related topic that's been on my mind of late is Mother Guilt. Mother guilt is something I deal with everyday. In fact, I don't think I've met a mother of my generation (or a father for that matter) who doesn't feel guilt daily with relation to their parenting, child interactions, work balance etc. I listened to an interesting interview on BabyTalk with Penny Johnston on 702 ABC Melbourne where she discussed this very topic with Susan Maushart. You can listen to it here.

It brought up some interesting points about whether parenting has changed over the last 100, 50, 20, 10 years. Why it all seems so much harder and more high pressure these days, than in previous generations. Whether there are cultures around the world whether the concept of mother guilt simply doesn't exist.

One thing I have observed with my own mother and my mother-in-laws' interactions with my son is that they seem to be so at ease. Though on the surface I may seem at ease, my brain is going ten to the dozen, analysing mine and my sons every move, worrying that I am doing it all wrong. With my mother and mother-in-law, there seems to be no second guessing. They seem to just get on and do it not questioning whether what they are doing might have some detrimental affect on him, his development or his future. Perhaps this due to experience and a bit of perspective? They've been through it all (with four and three kids respectively). They've seen it all before and know that he will be fine if he doesn't eat his dinner tonight. Perhaps there was a time when they too felt this guilt with me and my siblings, my husband and his siblings.

I think mother guilt and the media founded "Mummy Wars" (aka keeping up appearances) are interesting topics for Mums (and Dads) to think about and question their necessity in our lives. I often feel like the time I spend analysing my interactions with my son improves the way I relate to him, but that it also detracts from my enjoyment of the time we have together. Too much thinking, not enough experiencing a stage of life that is fast zooming past me.

What are your thoughts?

Mahatma Gandhi's historic 1930 Salt March Speech

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 May 2015 23:48:00 +0000

Mahatma Gandhi leading the famous 1930 Salt March. Image sourced from : www.history.com

It's been a while I know. Life has again carried me away from blogging and to be honest, I'm ok with that. After all that's life! It's an exciting month of art and creativity in Sydney, with Vivid opening tomorrow, but I thought I would focus on another great art addition to the Sydney scene in this post.

The New South Wales Art Gallery has added a new piece to its Go East, Contemporary Asian Art Collection. Around 4,500 bone-shaped letters have been installed in the entrance court at the gallery, rendering Mahatma Gandhi's famous 1930 Salt Speech.

The speech marked the beginning of a 390 km walk that Gandhi made from his ashram at Sabermanti to the town of Dandi, along which he collected salt and refused to pay the colonially imposed tax. Beginning with several dozen followers this walk ended with Gandhi at the helm of a crowd of tens of thousands. His peaceful (yet illegal) act inspired nationwide civil disobedience and is often seen to be the catalyst which strengthened the Indian independence movement. The Salt March is likely Gandhi's single most famous action of non-violent resistance.

The large scale intricate piece, called Public Notice 2, is by Indian artist Jitish Kallat. He describes the piece ‘In today’s terror-infected world, where wars against terror are fought at prime television time, voices such as Gandhi’s stare back at us like discarded relics.’

I'm really looking forward to popping in and taking a peek at this magnificent work. You can too, until the 5th of October this year.

Karin Ericsson

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 04:32:00 +0000

I found this video incredibly relaxing to watch on a Friday arvo. I love Karin's ceramic objects. They are elegant, simple and well balanced and her process looks so systematic and yet relaxing.

Bring on the weekend.

Manos, Pottery Studio from Homegrown Swedes on Vimeo.

Future Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:27:00 +0000

This looks like a fabulous exhibit Brisbane-ites. Check it out! Wish I could get up to Bris-Vegas to enjoy it.

Excerpt from GoMA website.

'Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion' explores the tremendous innovation of Japanese fashion designers from the early 1980s to the present. With nearly 100 garments featured in the exhibition, ranging from the classic and elegant to outrageous, this will be a fascinating experience and rare opportunity to view these unique creations first hand.

Japanese fashion made an enormous impact on world fashion in the late 20th century. Designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto revolutionised the way we think of fashion today.

Their works will be shown alongside examples by the techno-couturier Junya Watanabe, a protégé of Kawakubo, together with the pioneer of the 'Ura-Harajuku' movement Jun Takahashi, and the new generation of radical designers including Tao Kurihara, Hiroaki Ohya, Matohu, Akira Naka, Hatra and mintdesigns.

Curated by eminent Japanese fashion historian Akiko Fukai, Director of the esteemed Kyoto Costume Institute in Japan, this exhibition explores the unique sensibility of Japanese design, and its sense of beauty embodied in clothing.

Check out Future Beauty at GoMA from the 1st of November till the 15th of February.

Images from qagoma.qld.gov.au

Love, love, love, love Emily Green

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 03:24:00 +0000

If anyone is ever stuck for a gift for me go to the Emily Green website. I love everything on there. I am serious. E V E R Y T H I N G!

Emily Green is a Melbourne based designer who creates lovely pieces of jewellery and now even art prints, shoes and lighting. I have two of her necklaces but always find myself pining for more of her creations. Emily studied Fashion and Textiles in my home town of Perth, before relocating to Melbourne in 2005. She studied and became an art teacher and then began creating hand formed polymer clay necklaces.

Even though she is unbelievably popular now, each of the beads in her pieces are still hand formed! How special is that?! Her colour combinations are vibrant and unexpected, yet they are spot on every time.

Here are a few of my favourite pieces, plus a lovely pic of Emily in her studio.

P.S It's my birthday this Friday ... wink wink ... just kidding. ;)

Images from emilygreen.net.

Becawen cooks: Date and nut balls

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 07:17:00 +0000

Due to two nights of curry deliciousness cooked by the Hub, I had loads of time last week to devote to some reading (I actually finished my Bookclub book this month), some design work and to make some delicious date and nut balls. My Mum first made these for me last September, when I visited Perth and every time I eat a bliss ball I compare them to these.

This recipe is a Thermomix recipe, however I make mine with my Bamix and it works equally as well. So if you have a food processor I am sure that will work well too.

They are so quick and easy to make and you can pop in whichever nuts you have in the cupboard, you can also swap out the dried apricots for dried pears, apple etc.

Date and nut balls

Ingredients
100 grams walnuts
100 grams Cashews
100 grams almonds
50 grams rolled oats
100 grams dried apricots
150 grams pitted dates
100 grams pitted prunes
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
30 grams honey
90 grams Desiccated Coconut

Method

Place walnuts, cashew and almonds in your processor

Pulse until finely chopped

Set aside

Place apricots, dates and prunes into your processor until chopped

Add nuts and remaining ingredients

Put dial to speed 4 for 1 minute ... until it forms a paste

Use moistened hands and make into balls and then roll in coconut

So easy, so delicious. Enjoy!

Big thanks to Mum for introducing me to this deliciousness!

Becawen cooks: Pumpkin, Fennel and Carrot soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 03:05:00 +0000

Winter is the perfect time to whip out the slow cooker and make some stews and soups. All the vegetables in season at the moment are so hearty and delicious. Perfect for helping to fight of those colds and flus that have been going around. I have been experimenting with a lot of new recipes lately, in order to get through all the pumpkin, fennel, carrots, cavolo nero, kale, broccoli and eggplant we have been getting in our vegetable order from The Local Harvest Collective (http://thelocalharvestcollective.tumblr.com).

I had a huge butternut pumpkin, some fennel and carrots left over from last weeks order and this weekend we received more of all three! Googling came up with the below recipe which was super easy to make. I ended up putting a lot more pumpkin in than recommended and more carrots as I just wanted to use them all up. Plus I prepped it in the arvo and popped it in the slow cooker to soften for a few hours, instead of doing it in a pot on the stove. It takes longer than indicated in the recipe to soften the veg, but I found the flavours really infused well and you can prep, set on low and then walk away.

We served with some crusty toasted bread and a dollop of coconut cream. I also found the cloves a little overpowering in the quantity recommend, so I think I'll half that next time and didn't need to re-season once the soup was blended. I didn't toast the pumpkin seeds to serve with ours but might do that next time round.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Fennel and Carrot Soup

Recipe from http://jamelafamela.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/pumpkin-fennel-soup/

Ingredients

Flesh of 1 medium sized pumpkin, cubed
1 fennel bulb, cubed
1/2 onion, chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2” ginger root, roughly minced
~3 Tbs olive oil
~4 cups water or veggie broth
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2tsp cloves
Salt to taste
coconut milk or cream, for garnish
pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Method

Saute onion, carrot, pumpkin, fennel, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, and they warm up a little. Medium high heat for about 5 minutes.

Add enough liquid to just cover the veggies.

Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until veggies are very tender, and can be easily broken up with a fork.

Use a blender, or preferably, an immersion blender, to puree it all.

Taste and re-season, if necessary.

Garnish with coconut cream and pumpkin seeds.

Yosemite

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:00:00 +0000

Isn't this just magic? My little brother visited Yosemite earlier this year, he has an awesome time. Now I see exactly why.

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

Spaces for little tikes.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 22:00:00 +0000

Now that I have a little tike, I can't seem to stop collecting images of gorgeous and ingenious ideas for designing the ultimate baby/toddler/kids bedroom. There are so many clever mums and dads out there, creating lovely spaces for their little ones.

We are looking to move later this year and will be renting. Hopefully we'll have some more room, so my little tike can have his own dedicated room and we can create a lovely little haven for him.

Check out even more spaces I've pinned here.

Images from various sources, all pinned here with links.

Full skirts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 04:13:00 +0000

I don't have any full skirts in my wardrobe. I'm not sure why. Look at these gorgeous numbers below. I've noticed that I have been pinning a lot of them on Pinterest lately. Maybe when summer comes round it will be time for a full skirt.

Find more Becawen fashion pins here.

A brief history of title design

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 May 2014 00:26:00 +0000

This has been sitting in my inbox flagged for posting for an absolute age! I found it enjoyable.
A Brief History of Title Design from Ian Albinson on Vimeo.

Becawen cooks: Sichuan Beef with Ginger-soy Greens

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 May 2014 00:51:00 +0000

I have had so many requests from friends to send through this Donna Hay recipe to them, so I thought that I would post it here. It is an excellent easy week night recipe that is super healthy and absolutely delicious!

Granted you do need a few sauces and oils you may not currently have on hand, but once you have these you can knock this recipe out regularly and you'll be surprised how many other recipes these days require these. Sesame oil and oyster sauce can normally be found at your local super market. The Sichuan peppercorns might be a bit more tricky, but I have always found them at local fruit and veg grocers with the dried herbs and spices.

Enjoy!

Sichuan Beef with Ginger-soy Greens

Serves 2

1 tablespoon sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
400g beef filet
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
350g baby bok choy (cut in half, lengthwise or chop off the root and separate the leaves)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sugar

Heat a pan over high heat. Add peppercorns and salt to pan and cook until fragrant (2-3 minute). Place mixture in mortar & pestle (or spice grinder) and pound until fine. Sprinkle on all sides of beef. Add oil to pan and cook beef (3-4 minutes each side). Remove beef and keep warm. Place sesame oil and ginger in pan and cook for 1 minute. Add bok choy and cook for 1 minute. Add combined soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and water and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until book choy is tender.

Something I've been thinking about...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 May 2014 13:03:00 +0000

I've been thinking a lot lately about how it got to this. Me... so sick and consequently a bit sad. Was just chance or did I help it along?

I really gave myself a break when Felix came along, I chilled right out and took things easy, simplified life and really enjoyed just hanging out, spending time with him and Craig. I feel like I was so chilled out last year, a lot more care free. People were always telling me I was so chilled out. So what happened? Why did my brain suddenly decide that it was time to kick my own ass and get 'serious'? Stupid brain!

Somewhere earlier this year I subtly decided that it was high time I did it all. My son was now a year old, so no more cutting myself any slack! I could totally manage working three days and looking after my son and husband. How about I just train for a half marathon whilst I am at it, I'll have plenty of time and energy for that! Why not? How hard can it be? While I'm at it, I'll keep cooking delicious detailed recipes (cause I love doing that), I'll keep my house immaculately tidy and the washing basket empty. I'll try writing a blog daily, socialise, read my book for Bookclub, keep up to date on readings related to Felix's development and growth etc etc etc. I'll plan a new activity for Felix every day and make sure I freshly prepare all of his meals, no slack toast dinners ever!

I've always been a doer and a planner. I gain deep satisfaction from getting things done and as long as the goals are achievable I cope really well. I wrote big lists and I ploughed through them.

Although all of the things I started doing this year were admirable and great, positive things, I turned my life into a giant list of to do items. I haven't sat still this year, have run from one job to the next. Even the things I used to enjoy (like cooking) have become a chore.

By trying to do it all I have turned everything in my life that was positive into a chore. I noticed a couple of months ago I started getting snappy with my husband, not dealing with Felix tantrums with the same patience I used to, becoming frustrated at everything that didn't work out, not reacting to situations with measured reactions, flipping out. I should have seen the signs really, but I was really busy being busy!!! I was so busy that it wasn't looking after myself either, I wasn't eating properly, skipped lunch, sometimes skipped breakfast and started making bad food choices.

Three weeks ago I got a chronic migraine, then a rash and was told I had the shingles. Shingles can often be brought on by stress and low immunity. Even up until a few days ago I was saying to myself, but I wasn't stressed! I was fine!!

I have been incredibly sick the last three weeks. My body packed it in and there was no option but to rest. I have had to stop running completely, I have had to let go and actually let my husband look after me (I'm not good at that) and I have finally realised that all of this could have been avoided. It's a slap in the face for sure!

I initially decide to write this all down just to clarify my feelings about where I was at, I wasn't going to post anything and just keep is as part of my personal journal. But I realised that there are probably heaps of women out there who have had the same experience, or who are heading down this road. Who believe that they can hold it all together if they just keep trying to get it all done. When it's all done we'll feel great right?

News flash! When your a mum it's never all done!

It time to cut ourselves some slack. We don't have to do it all, no one notices if we don't, other than us. My son wouldn't know if the washing wasn't done, the bench wasn't wiped or if he eats the same thing four nights running (in fact he'd probably love that). I would love to run the half marathon in two weeks but I am coming to terms with the fact that I may not be able to. After all I think people will forgive me for not pushing myself too hard and taking time to heal.

My new list of to do items for May includes the following:

Get better, rest and sleep

Eat 3 pieces of fruit a day

Date night with Craig

Low key family outings (Park, Aquarium, or Zoo)

Make time lay on the couch and read a novel

Ask for help

There's not too much on there. Which is nice. Certainly nothing like my old long lists. My focus is also mostly on me. It's time to look after me for a bit, so I can look after others better.

To continue or not continue...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 04:28:00 +0000

It is clear, despite my best intentions, that this blog has fallen by the wayside over the past 12 months. It is a shame. However, I have finally come to the realisation that my life has changed in a huge way and that means that I no longer get the chance to read 20 design blogs/articles a day, and keep up to date on all things design going on around me.

Being a Mum has certainly changed my daily routine and what I concentrate on in my spare time tends to revolve around sleep, reading child related blogs, articles and cookbooks and spending precious little time with the Hub.

This all brings me to the fact that I need to make a decision about the direction of Becawen and how it will live on, if it will. I think that due the arrival of a child in my life I need to consider that this blog becomes more a reflection of my new life, rather than a throw back to my old one. That doesn't mean that this becomes purely a Mummy blog (yuck!) but that I allow this element of my life to creep into Becawen on occasion. I can no longer pretend that being a Mum hasn't truly affected my interests and my focus!

So hopefully you can look forward to some more posts and I can begin to feel less conflicted about the content I put up here. I hope you all have a lovely Easter break with your families.

Cheers,
Bec

Sol LeWitt exhibit at NSW Art Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 23:31:00 +0000

I don't know if you are familiar with Sol LeWitt? If you are, you'll be pleased to know that there is an exhibition of his work at the NSW Art Gallery. A highlight of which is a reproduction of a painted wall drawing from a room from John Kaldor's house.

Sol LeWitt is described as one of the most important artists of the 20th Century. I didn't know much about him till a bit of research, but it turns out he was also a graphic designer in an architectural firm in the mid 1950s. He is also credited as the founder of Minimal and Conceptual art.

LeWitt's wall drawing were usually created by other people than himself, but adhere to a strict set of guidelines set by LeWitt himself. It is wonderful that now even after his death, his art is regularly reproduced worldwide by his assistants so we can experience it. His wall drawings are created on site, exist for the duration of an exhibition and then are most often destroyed, or removed and relocated.

I recommend checking out LeWitt's exhibit at the NSW Art Gallery if you are nearby. Here's a great video of the creation of his work and some lovely images of Sol and some of his other works.

Images from ilikethisart.net and artgallery.nsw.gov.au.

Becawen Cooks: spiced lamb with chickpea, orange and herb salad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 00:19:00 +0000

Some of you may be aware that I like to spend my down time in the kitchen, cooking up a storm for The Hub and now for the Little Man. I regularly post my food creations on Instagram and I have had a lot of requests for recipes over the past few months. So I thought it was time to add a little segment to Becawen called Becawen Cooks and share some of my favourite recipes with you. Don't worry, this won't turn into a cooking blog, but who doesn't love a bit of food p*rn every now and then?!

I thought I would start with a delicious lamb salad I cooked earlier this week that received a few recipe requests. This is a great way to enjoy lamb on a hot summers day. The orange and fresh herbs make this extremely refreshing and the lamb and chickpeas will fill you right up.

I originally tore this recipe out of a Notebook Magazine (which is no longer in print), but you can also find this recipe on Taste.com.

Enjoy!

SPICED LAMB WITH CHICKPEA, ORANGE AND HERB SALAD
Ingredients
1 tbs coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 (about 200g each) lamb backstraps (eye of loin)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 oranges, peeled, segmented
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed, drained
Natural yoghurt, to serve

Method
Place the coriander and fennel in a mortar and gently pound with a pestle until crushed. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a plate and roll the lamb in the spice mix, pressing lightly.

 Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook for 2-3 minutes each side for medium, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.

 Meanwhile, combine the orange, onion, parsley, mint and chickpeas in a bowl. Drizzle with remaining oil and season with pepper. Arrange on serving plates. Thickly slice the lamb and arrange on the salad. Serve with natural yoghurt, if desired.

A few notes:
I used 1/2 of a large red onion, which you can also do if you find red onion a bit overpowering, or if you bought a whopping great huge one.
If you love citrus you can freshen this salad up even further an extra orange or two.
I actually forgot to serve it with natural yoghurt this time round and it was equally as good without it.

Karolin Schnoor

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 23:46:00 +0000

I saw Karolin's work on Design Sponge last week and had to share it with you because it is so lovely. Her prints have a wonderful sincerity and simplicity to them and there is not one in her Etsy store that I don't like. Her produce calendar (feature on Design Sponge) is particularly lovely, but unfortunately for us Aussies it is northern hemisphere centric.

Images from designsponge.com and etsy.com/au/shop/KarolinSchnoor.

America, painting a nation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 22:20:00 +0000

The Art Gallery of NSW has just unveiled it's new exhibit, featuring a large collection of American art, named 'America, painting a nation'. I haven't yet made it along but plan to in the near future. The exhibit includes many pieces shown in Australia for the first time, featuring over 90 works from artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and James Whistler.

The exhibit is part of the Sydney International Art Series, a joint effort between the Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art to present exclusive exhibits in Sydney. War is Over! (If you want it): Yoko Ono will be opening at the MCA on the 15th of November! Looking forward to that one too!

Image from roberttracyphdart473.wordpress.com.

Designing 007 in Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 05:11:00 +0000

The Melbourne Museum has just opened a new exhibit called Designing 007, 50 years of Bond style. The exhibit features a dozen themed rooms and multi-sensory environments from 1962's Dr. No to 2012's Skyfall. Awesome right?! If you are a Bond fan you'll be keen to check out the costumes, props, cars, boats, technical sketches and photographs. I am pretty sure that the highlight for me will be the 1964 silver Aston Martin.

We are heading to Melbourne later this year and we are so stoked that we will be able to see this exhibit. Well particularly The Hub, he is a keen Bond fan, we have all the DVDs and watch them regularly.

Check out the details here and get along if you are in Melbourne from now until the 24th of February.

Jimmy Grants

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 22:30:00 +0000

I stumbled across this place on the Habitus site and was initially drawn to the interior design of the space, but after reading more I feel the need to gobble some delicious Athenian street food! I am looking forward to a trip to Melbourne towards the end of this year and a visit to this Fitzroy eatery is definitely on the cards.

Images from habitusliving.com.

Sacrilege

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 23:08:00 +0000

The 2014 Sydney Festival has just been launched! It looks like there are going to be some brilliant experiences on offer, but I am certainly looking forward to bouncing around on a replica Stonehenge bouncy castle with my little guy!

Sacrilege is a timeless monument treated to an irreverent modern makeover. There are special bub bouncing sessions on the 14th and 21st of January, between 9 and 10am, if you are worried about your little person being amongst those too boisterous. Otherwise, it's open to all from the 9th to the 26th of January between 9am and 9pm.

Find out about more 2014 Sydney Festival events here. Can't wait!

Video from sydneyfestival.org.au/2014.

A slight change...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 04:43:00 +0000

I am experimenting with a new blog layout at the moment, so please bear with me whilst I tinker with it. It does look a bit different than when you were last here, but it's still me here I promise!

Cheers,
Bec

Lichtenstein at the NGA Canberra

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 23:11:00 +0000

We are popping to Canberra for a quick trip this weekend, to catch up with my in laws and introduce the little tacker to our nations capital. I am also super excited to see that there is a Roy Lichtenstein exhibit on at the National Gallery of Australia! Yippee!

I used to do regular day trips to Canberra with some girlfriends to see international and feature exhibits, but it's a little tricky these days with bub. We'll get back to that some day I am sure, but in the mean time I shall make the most of some Daddy daycare on the weekend and get my butt to the NGA.

Image from wikipedia.org.