Punky & Me

My Place And Yours: Green.

2012-01-28T11:50:00.000+11:00

It’s meme time!

My Place And Yours is back yet again – I thought it might help with my bloggy mojo.

The theme is GREEN!

GO!

My Place & Yours starts on Saturday but you can join in any day throughout the week, just follow these easy guidelines;

Link back here somewhere in your MPAY post so that people know where to come to join in – the more the merrier!

To play, take a photo or a bunch of photos of or relating to the theme & leave the link to your post in the list below. The photos can be as fancy pants & stylised as you like, or they can be quick & dirty via a phone pic – whatever you like. If you would like to write a little something, a lot of something or nothing at all, that’s cool with me too.

Do try to pop by & visit some of the other players & let them know what you think of their posts.

Have fun!

Forgive me blogosphere for I have sinned.

2012-01-23T22:45:00.001+11:00

I have been having second thoughts about us, blogosphere. I have been thinking that not only might we need some time apart, we might have to break up altogether.

It’s not you.

It’s me.

I was thinking that I didn’t love you anymore. I was thinking that it couldn’t work out between us. That your eye would wander to more creative blogs. Prettier blogs. Better blogs.

I was thinking that I would concentrate on what has been making me smile lately & let you go completely. I was REALLY thinking that.

And then… I started listening to one of the CDs I got in my swap. A CD from Cam.

And I loved it. And I love Cam – in a not at all creepy, platonic, she’s a crafty super-hero type of way – and damn it… I love you, too, blogosphere. Without you, I wouldn’t have the CD I am bopping to. I wouldn’t have the gorgeous friends I have met, in person & in spirit & I wouldn’t have had the confidence or support to take the scary leap that is Geek Amour in the first place.

I’m sorry.

Forgive me?

Instagram has also been distracting me from your charms, blogosphere. I tried to resist, truly…!

If you’re a twitter type, I changed my name there too, to @GeekAmour, and I like it, but some people are CONFUDDLED! Poor people. They’ll get used to it.

But how are YOU? Are you blogging it up or feeling blah too?

A Reminder

2012-01-20T10:51:00.001+11:00

…just a reminder for the people participating in the music swap…

CDs have to be posted TODAY!

Hope you’ve had fun sorting out your tunes, I’ve heard some super organised types have sent theirs already to grateful recipients, none of this last minute playlist fiddling for them!

Let me know if you’ve any issues & I’ll do my best to help; let the tunes begin…

A Couple’finds.

2012-01-17T20:07:00.001+11:00

Phew! It’s hot here! I’m melting!

Summer doesn’t know WHAT it’s doing. It’s hot, it’s cold, it’s, hot, it’s cold, it’s cold, it’s cold, it’s windy, it’s hot… It’s making me crazy.

Is the weather being just as temperamental wherever you are?

These are just a couple of finds from an oppy jaunt yesterday; I was on a specific mission to find Fowler’s jars as I got a “canning outfit” on my local second-hand trading site, sans jars. I just love that it’s called an outfit. Is that weird?

Do you can? Do you have any tips? I’m looking forward to my first go at it… the weather just has to stay hot so the tomatoes ripen finally…

I’m not holding my breath.

Geek Amour.

2012-01-15T17:07:00.001+11:00

Bam.

Just like that, I am an Etsy shopkeeper.

I printed my cards, cut them, folded them, took dodgey photos of them & listed them, then I went away & someone bought them all.

That person is so nice. I really like that person.

So here is my shop. It’s only got lovey/valentiney type stuff right now, because Valentines Day is the next event on the greeting card calendar, & because there are only so many hours in a day.

I called it “Geek Amour” instead of sticking with “Punky & Me” because I wanted to be able to do what I wanted with it, whatever that may be, as well as keep this place as my own, not turn it into some sort of hybrid cross promoting shop blog.

So… that’s what I’ve been up to today!

I heart eBay.

2012-01-14T09:52:00.001+11:00

These photos were taken the night before we went to this market;

At the market, we lost that Gizmo. Our first EVER favourite toy tragedy, which, you’re about to see, I couldn’t deal with.

This photo was taken five minutes ago;

Not one, but TWO Gizmos! I love you eBay.

(PS; The only new thing I have bought since the 26th of December is a bike lock for Punk’s bike, I didn’t think a second-hand bike lock would be a wise choice. I am terribly proud of passing up the new helmet & fairy accessory pack that was on clearance next to the bike locks – if it weren’t for this challenge, I wouldn’t have thought twice. The thrift gods have granted my requests for laundry hampers, a soup pot & a new broom; I’m CRUISING!)

Carrots.

2012-01-12T19:53:00.001+11:00

I had a lovely time in the kitchen this afternoon – probably because I wasn’t actually “cooking”, I was prepping & blanching some corn & carrots from the garden to stick in the freezer; I surprised myself by enjoying the whole process.

I was not surprised that I felt the need to play with my vegetables…

Best Photo Ever.

2012-01-10T14:10:00.001+11:00

Happy 4th Big Girl!!

I bet you didn’t know…

2012-01-09T15:17:00.001+11:00

…that I am utensily challenged? Oh sure, you might have guessed, but you couldn’t have known for sure. Mr is too. It’s a terrible affliction that hampers our ability to use one utensil in particular; the can opener. The ones that you fit on the lip of the can with the key-like handle? Impossible to use. Automatic can openers that, one would assume from the word “automatic” in their very name would be a cinch to use? They induce fits of tin-throwing frustration. The only can opener we can use is one of the old-school variety, the stabby, pointy ones with the corkscrew on the bottom; when was the last time your average Joe even SAW one of these?

I’d wager “not recently”, because they are pain in the behind to find, which is why, a few years ago when our very last can opener was bent or broken or misplaced, we embarked on a fruitless search for another. So long was our search that we thought we’d never open a tin can again (I may be over-exaggerating ever so slightly…); until we DID stumble upon a shop that sold this humble version of can opener & we bought every one they had.

I bet you also didn’t know that they are perfect for scraping initials painted in nail polish off opped vintage Japanese mugs right? Well they are. Sorry ‘K’, they’re mine now.

To Market, To Market.

2012-01-08T15:36:00.001+11:00

This Market, specifically.

Fangirl Alert.

2012-01-06T11:14:00.001+11:00

Or sadgirl alert; you decide.

I found this in a drawer where I must have put it after it arrived; a Hellephant USB that I bought to help get April of Regretsy fame drunk in another country.

I’m not throwing the envelope out though, because, although you might think the signature on there is unintelligible, I think it’s ‘April Winchell’, fo’sho, & I’m calling it an autograph. Sure, she “forgot” that April starts with an ‘A’ & doesn’t have two ‘L’s, & that ‘Winchell’ has an ‘i’ in it, but what do you expect from an alcoholic on too many prescription meds? I’m willing to cut her some slack.

Pretend you’re not jealous.

Sky Watch.

2012-01-04T12:45:00.001+11:00

I looked outside yesterday afternoon & saw that the light was saturated yellow.

When I went out I was utterly in awe of the sky – so different & amazing in every direction, so I grabbed Punk & the camera & we watched for a while…

New Year: New Music; A Swap.

2012-01-04T12:00:00.002+11:00

(image)

Quick, easy, fun, that’s what this is about kids.

Compile a mixed CD; send out 3 copies to 3 different people & receive 3 different mixes from 3 different people, giving you some new music for the New Year! Music for a roadtrip, music to craft to, music to chill to, your favourites of all time… whatever you want to do, it’s up to you.

You in?

Leave a comment below if you’d like to participate AND SEND ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR POSTAGE & BLOG DETAILS.

That is:

:: Name

:: Blog

:: Postal Address

If you comment here but don’t send me an email before the end of the sign-ups, I will not be chasing you, so that is really important if you want to participate.

Also let me know if you’d be willing to post your CDs overseas; people with active blogs only please – it’s just a smidge “safer” that way. Please don’t say you want to play if you think there is any chance at all you can’t or won’t follow through – that would not be good karma to kick off the year, would it?

Sign ups will close on the 8th, CDs to be sent out by the 20th. Quick. Easy. FUN.

Luckily I have a towering spindle of blank CDs ready to go; they seem to be just one of those things you never run out of… Do I sound a bit mean in this post? I apologise – having run a few swaps now I know it’s best to be crystal clear about the “rules” from the outset, otherwise I spend hours chasing people & trying to contact them & you know what? It’s no fun for me, so I’m trying to reduce all that stuff to an absolute minimum, I would love for you to join in, honest!

Here goes nothing.

2012-01-01T10:02:00.001+11:00

I am taking a lot of deep breaths right now. I’m gritting my teeth & getting ready to jump into something that is going to be incredibly hard. I’m a bit scared, actually… I don’t know if I can do it but I’m going to try.

I am challenging myself to buy nothing new for A YEAR. *faints*

God… it’s hard to even write it. I know it can be done, but can I do it? I failed miserably at “Buy nothing new month” – I could come up with all sorts of reasons why but the truth is I wanted something new so I bought it.

I know Dottie Angel & her “Challengers of the utmost kind” have done it (perusing her list of challengers long ago saw me stumble over Lola Nova; I’m incredibly happy about that), but even earlier than that people were rebelling against needless consumption, I found this post on The Compact from 2006. I like their rules & exceptions so I am going to use them:

First principle - don't buy new products of any kind (from stores, web sites, etc.)

Second principle - borrow or buy used.

A few exceptions - using the "fair and reasonable person" standard -- i.e., you'll know in your heart when you're rationalizing a violation:

food, drink, and necessary medicine (no elective treatments like Viagra or Botox)
necessary cleaning products, but not equipment (don't go out and buy the Dyson Animal, for example).
socks and underwear (utilitarian--non-couture or ornamental)
pyjamas for the children

Utilitarian services (plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, veterinarians, dog/house-sitters, fire/paramedics, dry cleaners, house cleaners, etc.) -- Support local and encourage used parts (rebuilt transmission, salvaged headlight unit, etc.)

Recreational services (massage, etc.) & local artisanal items - Good sources for gifts, but should not be over-indulged in for personal gratification

Charitable contributions (Seva, Heifer, and the like) - an even better source for gifts

Plants and cut flowers - Whenever possible, cultivate from free cuttings or seeds. Ok in extreme moderation when purchased from local businesses (i.e., not the Target Garden Shop)--and again, within reason (Since this is MY challenge & not Mr’s, I can’t say he won’t be ordering seeds from wherever it is he orders seeds from, but even if it were his challenge too, surely that counts as “food”??)

Art supplies - First line of attack: SCRAP. When absolutely necessary (for the professionals and talented amateurs in the group), from local businesses

Magazines, newspapers, Netflix - renewals only, no new subscriptions. Even better to consume online

Video rentals and downloadable music files (non-material) -- freely shared and legal, please

My own personal exceptions that I must add for fear of not embarking on this thing at all are:

Clothing items necessary for the kids that I cannot or will not find second-hand, like bathers or ballet clothes & bicycle helmets.
Hygiene products like toothpaste & soap.
Expendables like light bulbs.
Punk’s birthday bicycle which was ordered before Christmas & a new chain for my bike.
Perhaps 1 “from Santa” Christmas present for each of the kiddos. Am going for the four present rule I saw around the blogs next time; something they want, something they need, something they wear & something they read; if Punk’s “want” is like the last one, it will need to be bought new. Don’t fancy my chances at making a pink princess computer with a key…

Sooooooo, why am I thinking of doing this to myself & my dear family? Because we have got to stop spending. Because we need to think more before we buy. Because we have enough stuff. But mostly, because we need to stop spending. I do.

I have been looking sadly at our credit card balance & wondering how on earth we’re going to shrink it. This is one way.

Another way, hopefully, is with a little Etsy endeavour I hope to begin soon, but hey, one big announcement a day is enough for anyone. In fact, I have a couple of little challenges for myself that may or may not become apparent as we go along, but I’m slowly learning my lesson about grand declarations on my blog… they don’t really work & I feel bad when I don’t do what I have screamed from the hilltops. I think this particular challenge is different though because I am going to need HELP! A lot of my new spending is online; I see something on a blog or linked somewhere, I want it, I buy it… ick.

All sorts of things are running through my head. What if the toaster breaks? What if a fabulous new craft book comes out? What if I run out of fabric? What if I find myself near Ikea? What if I see super cute boots on sale? How am I going to get another vacuum cleaner? How am I going to read blog posts about new issues of Mollie Makes without wanting to buy it right then & there??

*deep breaths*

It’s just a challenge (I am telling myself). I can either do it, or I can’t. All I have to do is try. Nobody will die if I can’t do it, but it’s worth a shot. It’s not like I’m giving up chocolate. That WOULD be dire.

Am I nutso? Do you think I can do it? Who’s taking bets? Do you want to try too?

The Year That Was.

2011-12-31T09:33:00.001+11:00

(Blogger rant below is neither work nor child friendly – I should have said something earlier… sorry! It IS funny though!)

A year of contentment. A year of family. A year of home; lucky to be happy & healthy. A good year. I hope I can swing another.

Happy New Year Peeps!

From Punky AND Me!

C’mon Internet.

2011-12-29T20:28:00.001+11:00

So a lovely reader has emailed me to say that she has two different prints of my little fishing guy; and we desperately want to know now who he is, how many different prints there are & who the artist is… so if you have any idea, please comment!

Have you ever seen any of these before? You know I’m not one to get you to jump through hoops normally, but a re-tweet or seven won’t go astray…

Growing.

2011-12-29T10:59:00.001+11:00

I hope you all know by now that green is the new black; it’s probably easier these days to recite a list of friends who aren’t growing something edible in their yard or on their balcony than a list of those who are, & I think that is just so great.

We’re getting back to the natural of order of things, connecting with the earth & where our food really comes from.

This is our potato harvest. It’s about 20 kilos… I think I’ll be rationing the spuds from here on in…!

Another thing that’s growing almost all on it’s own is my wall display of random thrifted goodness. I didn’t intend for it to get any bigger when I started with two frames & two plates, but it’s happening anyway.

I found this wonderful little guy fishing yesterday for $1 at the one opshop that was open. From the frame & the picture all I can deduct is “old”; any idea of the era, vintage expert types?

I wonder what the next addition will be…

CUTE.

2011-12-28T09:21:00.001+11:00

If Mr “Everything handmade is really crap” says this is cute, then it must be so.

I wish I could say I came up with the idea, but I saw it on a fabulous new-to-me blog called Dee-construction & knew I had to make it. I’ve taken down the Christmas decorations already & the walls were looking decidedly bare.

The background & the bunting are made from an old issue of Frankie I had lying around, & the frames are (surprise!) from the oppy.

A.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.

The Worst Christmas Message Ever, aka “Why we are not on TV”.

2011-12-22T12:25:00.001+11:00

Makeup?? MAKEUP!!!

It’s so hard to get good help these days.

See you after the big day peeps – have a great one. xx

Handmade, just not by me.

2011-12-21T08:34:00.001+11:00

I knew I wouldn’t get around to making anybody any gifts this Christmas but instead of feeling bad about it I just bought a few things instead; I found all this except for the dino-teddy on Etsy & have re-discovered my love for it. Yeah I like Regretsy, but it has been clouding my perception of what really is a showcase of great artistic & creative talent. Please excuse the clipped pictures, I only thought to take photos when I was upstairs wrapping & there isn’t a whole lot of room up there at the moment!

I have to start with the dino-teddy. I found him at the oppy last week when it was just Spence & I & Spence loved him at first sight. He’s brand new; there were a lot of knitted toys altogether, I think perhaps one of the volunteers made them especially for Christmas. He’s so cute & weird, I am happy for him to be Spency’s Christmas present from Mama.

This brooch is for my Gran, also known here as the brooch addict. She gave me two old hairclips yesterday that have little coloured stones inlaid, when she handed them over I said, “It’s a wonder you’re not turning these into a brooch” & she admitted she had considered it.

An apron, oven mitt & chef’s hat for Punk – something I did briefly consider making but then I saw this set & it was perfect.

And finally Punk’s Christmas dress. Inadvertently Punk’s Christmas outfits for the last 3 years have been handmade… I think that makes it a tradition.

Now I better get out of here… we’re off to see Santa!

It’s a wrap.

2011-12-18T10:26:00.001+11:00

I can’t say I’ve bothered too much with wrapping my Christmas presents in the past;

Tacky Christmas paper? CHECK.
Sticky tape? CHECK.
$2 silver ribbon & some scissors to curl it with? CHECK.

Wrapping is my least favourite part of Christmas, it’s too much like a chore usually, since I tend to leave it to the last minute & have a whole evening of of mashing things into crumpled paper & lathering on tape ahead of me on Christmas eve, but I’ve been making the tiniest of efforts this year, both on the gift presentation front & trying to get the bulk of the wrapping out of the way before it’s too late & I just want to go to bed.

My “effort” consists of wrapping in either tacky Christmas paper with a contrasting band of kraft paper, or wrapping in kraft paper with a contrasting band of tacky Christmas paper.

Revolutionary stuff.

I was going to make some Christmas tags but I found a pack of paper doilies & thought they’d look cute instead… then I just started adding random things here & there, ala Pip’s instruction in this super sweet video.

Do you like gift wrapping? Do you go all out or are you like my dear sweet Mr, who’s usual attempt at gift wrapping is folding over the bag that he bought it in?

The Kitschmas tree.

2011-12-17T10:34:00.001+11:00

I know I said we weren’t going to have a “proper” Christmas tree this year, but since Spence has been pulling the fabric one off the wall anyway, & Punk has been enthralled with every Christmas tree we pass, when I saw this old plastic tree complete with vintage baubles (the type of which I honestly haven’t seen for years & years) at the oppy for $5… well.

It’s smaller than the tree we have so I was able to put it up on the cupboard away from my grabby babe & I can’t tell you how happy it has made me!

If you’re going to have a plastic tree, you might as well have one that screams it from the rooftops first of all. This tree doesn’t pretend to be a real tree, it says “I’m plastic. I have hard spikey plastic branches & a trunk moulded to look like no wood you’ve ever seen. Deal with it.”

Then there is the Santa. I don’t know if he’s supposed to be a tree topper, but he’s bloody perfect as one.

And the baubles. Oh, the baubles! Look at the colours! I had to re-thread about half of them, they either had no cord to hang them or had already been restrung on elastic bands that were so old & brittle they broke into pieces when I picked them up.

A couple of little old ornaments make it, I think. My thrifted deer has taken his rightful place on a Christmas tree, he didn’t like the mantle where he couldn’t even stand up properly.

And that is our Christmas tree. It makes me smile every time I look at it. It is going to see years of happy Christmases now, I hope it’s already had many.

43.

2011-12-17T06:53:00.000+11:00

Dear Alex,

Have the best damn birthday you’ve ever had, that’s an order.

Don’t make me come over there.

Much love, Vic. xxxx

Pink is for girls.

2011-12-15T09:35:00.001+11:00

Punk is big on the colour “rules”, which is a shame because she looks really cute in blue but would choose any shade of pink over it every day of the week.

It’s also a shame because I made a pink, red & white wreath for her door & wanted to make one for Suspence in Red, yellow & grey, but I was told in no uncertain terms that “Blue is for boys, it has to have blue on it”.

Lucky I like it.

I was trying to make My Poppet’s pom pom wreath two nights ago but I got sick to death of making pom poms (You need A LOT!), so I took a break to make the cardboard circle to attach the pom poms to. Once it was cut out I decided I might wrap it in yarn so that I could sew the pom poms on, but once I started with that I decided to make something different altogether.

If you’d like to make one (or two, or more) it’s super easy:

Trace around a large plate on some cardboard for the outside of your wreath & trace around a smaller one in the middle for the hole – cut out.
Tie your first colour of yarn tightly around the wreath & start wrapping clockwise, covering the knot you made & the tail of the yarn as you go. Keep the yarn tight by pulling it firmly & scooting it back tightly together with your thumb.
When changing colours, just tie a knot & wrap over it, try to pull the knot to the back of the wreath.
Finish the wrapping by hooking the yarn through a couple of strands of yarn at the back where you started from & tying a knot.
Crochet three small circles from your three different yarns & chain up three different lengths to attach them to the wreath, sew buttons in the centre of the circles. Attach by sewing the tail of the crochet chain through the yarn at the back, attach a length of yarn horizontally at the top of the wreath at the back for hanging & voila!

CLOSED Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day 2011

2011-12-12T19:05:00.002+11:00

****WINNER is MICHELLE from Daydream Believers****

I really enjoy the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day, even if I forgot to offer up a giveaway of my own last year (might have had something to do with having a four week old baby at the time?). It’s a chance to discover new blogs & enter giveaways for things you might actually like from people that are offering prizes just for the fun of it, not because they’re being paid to or because they are hoping for something in return.

I am offering two vintage Enid Gilchrist books, Play Clothes & Toddler Clothes. These are very popular amongst certain people in the sewing set, some may even say collector’s items, so count yourselves lucky I’m too lazy to draft my own patterns….!

With these trusty Enid’s you could make a range of retro classics for your baby or child; think simple shifts, funky coats or even swimwear! If, like me, you don’t think you’ll be getting out the drafting paper any time soon, these books are a brilliant piece of Australian sewing & home economics history & a wonderful addition to any crafty bookshelf.

Below is a certain little Punk (*sobs*) in a dress from Play Clothes, made by Tracy way back in April 2009.

HOW TO ENTER:

All you have to do to enter is let me know what was the most memorable piece of clothing your parents dressed you in as a child? Good or bad, enquiring minds want to know. Cast your mind back to your baby photos for recollections of hand knitted jumpers or a little later when perhaps you wish your Mother had warned you against that ra-ra skirt & matching top with mesh sleeves ensemble… I’ll choose the winner at random & I’m happy to post internationally. Entries close December 16th.

Big thanks to Deb for reminding me about giveaway day today or I’d have missed out again!