Adventures in Crochet

I learned to crochet at school in 5th grade.

This little martian sheep/bumble bee was inspired by one of my cousin's designs (not an original, sorry..), I made it for a little 3 year old friend

It's like riding a bike, you never forget...

Dressing up a fake indoor plant from IKEA

I also watched my grandmother make doilies ever since I can remember. She also used to crochet clothes for my barbie dolls which I *loved* her for.

I turned it into a hanging planter, inspired by Dottie Angel

I tried to learn how to knit but it was like learning to write with my left hand! Too clumsy...

You can make hanging planters from doilies without having to crochet a thing, check out Dottie Angel's blog for inspiration.

Also, DIY Neon Plant Pots.

On marriage

I have been reflecting a lot lately on my impending nuptials to a certain Mr. M... Mainly because I have started thinking about my vows, about what I want to say and what our relationship means to me. Coincidentally this beautiful blogpost (The True Story of a Seven Year Marriage) landed on my feed and it really resonated with me and what I believe, so I wanted to share it with you in this space.

"... Before you can make high towers, it’s best to build a good strong base. It comes from laughter, empathy, forgiveness, accepting the other person’s struggle, and knowing yourself.

But sometimes without knowing it, you build too high and too fast. Things get shaky and start to wobble.

There is alway a way to rebuild if you’re willing. Always new and different blocks to try, always time to take a few steps back and build the bottom stronger."

My own philosophy is that relationships are complicated, and they are hard, but the really good ones are supposed to be hard!

All the good things in life never come easy and it's the same with love. It's only through the tough times that we get to know ourselves better. It is only by trusting and persevering that we learn to understand and love each other more every day.

Sappy lady out.

Read also on living without boys...

Getting Lucky

It has been widely agreed that Get Lucky by Daft Punk (ft. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers) is the song of the summer (winter here), and quite possibly the song of the century.

I don't know about anybody else but for me it is a rare masterpiece of a song, one which begs to be listened to over and over again. I will go into a sort of trance, and have it on repeat for hours without getting sick of it, such is the intensity of its hypnotic effect.

For those of you who can relate, and even if you can't, here are a few interesting and original covers of the same song which I have also enjoyed...

A very mellow and cool version from Daughter


An indie version by Miracles of Modern Science


An instrumental (using a looping pedal) version by the very talented Andrew Chang


And on the other extreme, a completely A Cappella version by frenchie JB Craipeau


And lastly, a pop version by one-man-band George Barnett


And I am still not tired of it!

For further reading: why some songs make you want to cry...

Winter [again]

Palm Beach, NSW

When you think of winter, the words blue sky and beach certainly don't come to mind... We have had the best (read: sunny and warm) winter this year. Thus is life in Australia...

Hilarious

Mumford & Sons Enlist Big-Name Comics For ‘Hopeless Wanderer’ Video

DIY: Neon Plant Pots

I am a big fan of the neon-on-neutrals movement:

Images via: The Proper Pin Wheel,  Bird and Feather & Dellie

So when I ran into a pile of dismissed terracotta pots on my street, I took the chance to try and re-create some of these beauties above.

If you are re-using some of your own pots, or picking up free ones from the street like I did, make sure you give them a good scrub to kill the bacteria currently living in them (I used a bleach solution for this)...

I had some acrylic pale grey and canary yellow left over from a different project. Two coats of the pale grey alone looks rather classy:

Some strategically placed painter's tape...

And voilà! I am extremely pleased with the result.

There is a lovely woman and her father at Addison Road Markets in Marrickville who sell plants and herbs of all sorts, including a 6-pack of various succulents for $20!

I am very excited about my new succulent plants but have never actually looked after any before. If you have any tips for me, please share in the comments.

Excuses

Here goes my bi-annual blog post, I suppose...

My previous phone, which contained the bulk of my photos from South America, was accidentally misplaced at a cafeteria, and thus... I have very little to share.

Still, I will see what I can dig up from M's files and share it here sooner or later...

The real reason I am writing, is because my crafty spirit has been recently re-kindled and I look forward to posting photos from a couple of projects here, sooner rather than later. Not to mention, I have a bit more time in my hands now than I did in the last couple of years, thus, the blog lives on... Enjoy the new design and buttons. xoxo.

Canaima, Venezuela

Canaima lagoon

Guacamaya Bandera, Venezuela's national bird

Tucan

Churun River

Behind El Sapo Falls

Carrao River with our guide who goes by Muerte, among many names

Angel Falls

Los Roques, Venezuela

Our daily routine: swimming, reading, napping, swimming, lunch...repeat...

Boquete, Panama

Visiting the Kotawa Coffee plantation in Rio Cristal

Raw coffee beans taste very sweet!

Coffee tasting

The waterfall in the Rio Cochea canyon

Packing for the next leg of our trip!