Miss Melanie

unprecedented

2009-07-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

so, since we visited the craniosacral therapist (a.k.a the hippy lady) last week, 2 things have happened: 1 - emma is now pooing every day (thanks hippy lady for 'fixing' her lazy digestive system, i really miss only having to change one nappy poo-splosion a week, and am relishing her now-daily doings.) 2 - i think the sleeping might actually be getting sorted :). we have had some DAY sleeps this week, in OUR COT! sure, they aren't a regular occurence yet, and sure, they only last about 25 minutes (thanks bogan neighbours for freewheeling your supercool noise machines outside our house at every available opportunity) but i'm happy to take whatever i can get. and thanks to these snippets of 'me' time, i've been able to have a go at making some things again. see, for example, this birthday card for jess' upcoming 2nd birthday...

i feel vaguely more human and, goodness, is that ... happy?? geez.

relactation can work!!

2009-07-27T00:36:00.000-07:00

im guessing that if you have found this post you are looking for hope, inspiration or encouragement to start, or carry on with, an attempt to relactate. i know that when i was trying to get my milk back i spent hours and hours attached either to a pump or to my baby, trawling the net for evidence that relactation was possible, and that i wasn't wasting my time. i didn't find much of the positive reinforcement that i really really needed, so if you are going through the same thing please know that it can work, but it takes a lot of time and effort. here is my story...

before emma and i even came home from the hospital, when she was 3 days old, i knew that breastfeeding was going to be very tricky for me. i was already in a lot of pain, i was seriously confused about what was going on, and i had no clue if i was doing it 'right' or not. it didn't help that every nurse had a different opinion, thought i should try a different position etc... one nurse even told me that i was starving my baby and that i should give up because 'it would never work'. i came home having had no sleep since emma was born - completely stressed, thinking she was starving and with nipples that felt like they were being sliced by razorblades! i was dreading every feed as the pain of latching emma on was unbelievable. oh my god how it hurt! my nipples were so ravaged they were essentially just two giant scabs, and emma would routinely spill up milk streaked with blood. i would feed her, and then sit staring at her anxiously fearing the next feed. the whole business effected the way i felt about my little girl - i was scared of her because she caused me so much pain and i could think of NOTHING but this horrible cycle that i was caught up in. i wasn't bonding with my baby and i felt dreadful. finally, after 3 weeks, my midwife made me give up on breastfeeding. i had had next to no sleep for 3 weeks, had barely eaten (i lost 16kg!), was completely exhausted and on the verge of being put on medication for postnatal depression. so i stopped and we went onto bottles. after another 3 weeks my nipples had healed and i was feeling 100% better for some sleep and some food, but i was consumed with guilt - every time i gave emma her bottle i was in tears. i felt like a complete failure and i knew that i was missing out on something very special. so when emma was 6 weeks old i put her back on the boob - and it didn't hurt! it would have been a miracle - except i had no milk to give her, it had all dried up and all i could express over 1/2 an hour was a couple of drops. so i found myself an excellent lactaction consultant, started on domperidone (initially 90mg/day, then increased to 160mg/day, now back to 90mg/day), began taking fenugreek and naturopharm 'milkflow' spray, drank copious amounts of ginger beer and began a rigorous schedule of 2 hourly feeding, expressing and topping up with formula. it was hard hard work but i was a determined hormonally-crazed new momma and nothing was going to make me give up! thankfully, by the time emma turned 12 weeks old, things were all go, the formula top-ups were a thing of the past and emma was thriving! now 17 weeks old, my wee girl is exclusively breastfed! and i am super proud of myself :) yay!

2009-06-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

My good friend has just started a blog - which reminded me that I have this old one sitting here doing nothing. I haven't drawn anything in aaaaaages so I've had nothing to post. Although I did make this...

which I am quite pleased about :)

2008-10-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been quite a long while since I last posted on here. I've not been doing much drawing at all - the pictures below are a couple of exceptions, they're drawings I did for a first birthday card for my niece and a graduation card for my brother...

But I do have a good excuse - another creative project that I've been working on has been leaving me very exhausted (sleep has been taking major precedence over anything else for about the last 14 weeks!). :)

An update of sorts

2008-07-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Man - this new job was a big mistake. Since I started, I’ve been feeling really blue and I’ve been exhausted all the time so haven't had any energy (or inclination) to do any drawing. I've signed up for a life drawing class though - starting next week - so that should put things right (I hope). I did try and pull myself out of the slump the other night and made this guy … I made his face in Illustrator and printed it on to fabric transfer paper. There is something very satisfying about giving something a face :)

And I’ve got some ideas for a drawing I’d like to do for a one-year-old’s birthday card, so I just need to get cracking really.

Also – I am completely impressed and besotted with a new book that arrived from Amazon recently called Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug. The bold but simple and awesome drawings tell the story (there are no words) and I JUST LOVE IT.

Illustration Friday - 'Fierce'

2008-06-29T03:46:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in another post, I had a job about 8 or 9 years ago that was REALLY boring, so I'd make silly drawings (using MacPaint and my mouse) to pass the time. Since my current job is CRAZY BUSY and isn't leaving me much time for creativity, I thought I'd post a couple of those old drawings for this week's Illustration Friday theme. Here goes ... (apologies for the poor quality - these were done in the olden days!)

sewing ... parts 2 and 3

2008-06-12T04:24:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with the sewing machine some more. I'm trying to get some skills so that I can make something half decent for Jessie's first birthday. I've got a way to go, but it really is fun - I can't believe I've been so scared of sewing up until now! For the girl-doll, I adapted the miss buttons pattern and added a face, which I drew in Illustrator and printed onto iron-on transfer. The other thing was an experiment. It was supposed to be a cat ... but I forgot to add whiskers or a tail, and it's green, so, hmmm ...

Illustration Friday - forgotten

2008-06-08T02:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a forgotten drawing - one I started months ago and never finished. It looks like she knows she's been forgotten too...

sewing...

2008-06-02T03:28:00.000-07:00

introducing miss scruffy-pants... a soft-toy i made today. i've never used a sewing machine before (i am a disgrace when it comes to the womanly arts), and i thought it was about time i gave it a go. so i bought this very cool pattern and, despite my extreme lack of patience and skill, i don't think she turned out too badly (as long as you don't look examine her too closely, and only look at the front!) - it was surprisingly easy (and fun too).

now, of course, i'm thinking of other projects i'd like to try.

Illustration Friday - 'baby'

2008-05-30T16:11:00.001-07:00

This is an illustration I drew to put on a card for my sister and her husband when they had their first baby last year. Turned out I drew far too much hair on the baby - she was a wee baldy!

Illustration Friday - worry

2008-05-24T01:09:00.000-07:00

I think he's a bit worried that, even though he tried really hard, he's not quite dressed appropriately for the conditions.

Also, if you have a moment, you should check out how cute my niece is:)

Illustration Friday - 'seed'

2008-05-04T03:48:00.000-07:00

Not a portrait this time :)

Illustration Friday - 'Wrinkles'

2008-04-26T01:50:00.000-07:00

I seem to be preoccupied with portraits lately.

This is my dad being sleepy, and possibly a bit grumpy. Truth be told, he doesn't actually have that many wrinkles - in fact, he's in very good nick for an old bugger (back when I was about 15 - which would have made him almost 50 - a friend of mine mistook him for my older brother!).

Soggy

2008-04-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

I have just arrived at work soaking wet thanks to the freezing, windy, sideways sleet that I was greeted with when I left the house this morning, and which rendered my umbrella pretty ineffectual for most of my walk. Weirdly, when I reached the library everything changed and it was all peaceful and sunny blue skies – so I guess I looked pretty strange when I turned up in the office all wind-blown and sodden.

Anyway … I had a go at another portrait last night. It is us. I found it odd drawing myself – I’m not sure if it looks anything like me.

And now I’m off to stand under the hand-dryer in the toilets for a while.

What a slacker.

2008-04-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Oh dear – I’ve not posted anything on here in ages, and I don’t really have any excuses for being so slack. Except, I was quite busy for a while there doing CVs and letters and interviews for my NEW JOB. Yay! Oh, and I’ve also been trying to be very good and go for lots of runs (sort of pre-training for the half marathon). So I guess it’s okay that I haven’t done a single drawing for over 2 weeks. Hopefully the Illustration Friday topic this week will inspire me to do good things. I’m kind of feeling like I might want to pick up an actual paint brush and do some ‘real’ painting – just because it feels so satisfying applying paint to a nice smooth surface. And I also want to do some more digital portraits, because they are excellent fun. Oh, and my sister has asked me to draw some more bugs for my niece. So, actually, I have lots to do and I should just stop talking and get busy!

The end.

Illustration Friday - 'Homage'

2008-03-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if Picasso would see this drawing as an 'homage' to his work, but I couldn't think of anything else to post this week! It is a sketch I made a few years ago when I attended a beginners drawing night class...

We had to copy Picasso's drawing, 'Portrait of Igor Stravinsky'. We weren't allowed to look at it before we started and we had to draw it upside down ... the theory was that if we didn't recognise what we were copying our drawing would be more accurate, because we would be drawing what we were actually 'seeing' (lines and shapes and spaces) rather than what we thought we 'should' draw. I'm not sure that this technique worked so well for me!

Here's Picasso's original...

In other news - it has just started raining, a lot. And Mean Girls has just started on TV. I think I'm going to have to watch it - I've never seen Lindsay Lohan on anything other than Perez Hilton's website before!

Something a bit different

2008-03-25T00:45:00.000-07:00

I've been trying something a little different over the last few days. I had to make a farewell card for my boss who is leaving work - so I drew this...

And I quite enjoyed the whole realistic-line-drawing thing, so this Easter I had a go at doing another couple - this one is of my sister...

And this one is Sam...

Fun times trying different techniques!

Illustration Friday - 'Heavy'

2008-03-14T15:30:00.001-07:00

This alley-cat... ... he's got a lot of things weighing heavy on his mind.

Illustration Friday - 'Garden'

2008-03-11T01:51:00.000-07:00

Another quick illustration this week, unfortunately. I've finished studying, but I don't seem to have gained much free time for drawing. This must be rectified! Anyway, 'gardens' - I always associate them with neverending hardwork, and old men...

stocktake

2008-03-03T01:26:00.001-08:00

It has been about 4 months since I discovered how much fun drawing can be. Tonight, out of curiosity, I decided to print out all the pictures I have made in that time. There were more than I had thought there would be. It is quite cool seeing them all lined up like this ... but kind of frustrating too because it makes me want to spend lots of time doing more and getting better at it ... I am not known for my patience unfortunately!

Illustration Friday - 'Leap'

2008-02-29T23:12:00.000-08:00

Today I finally broke out the drawing tablet that my sister gave me for Christmas. Here's my first attempt to use it - a bit rough, but it was good fun and so much easier than the mouse!

Illustration Friday - 'multiple'

2008-02-25T02:03:00.000-08:00

I've been known to overreact - a little - when being chased by just one bee. So I don't like to think what would happen if, like this guy, I was being pursued by multiple bees (though, to be fair, they don't look too scary)!

I used Illustrator to modify my pencil sketch of the cat, and I can't decide if I prefer the 'sketchy' (above) or the 'clean' (below) lines... It's fun experimenting though!

Illustration Friday - Theory

2008-02-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

There has to be some sort of technical-physics-science theory that explains why birds don’t get electrocuted when they sit on power lines … I like to think they’re just clever.

miss jessie

2008-02-17T01:44:00.001-08:00

day38
Originally uploaded by Ms_Melanie

my niece turned 6 months old today - i saw this picture of her (on the left) and was struck by how much she looks like i did at the same age (on the right). i think it's uncanny, but maybe i'm imagining it?

Hair

2008-02-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

I've had my haircut ... twice in 2 days. The first one was an absolute disaster, so I hurried off to another hairdresser and got him to fix it. As a result, it is MUCH shorter than I had intended. But, no worries, I'm a short-hair girl from way back. And hair grows.

Stil haven't done any drawing, the IF topics the last couple of weeks have been too hard for me. I think I'm liking just doing nothing - like yesterday; it was cold and rainy, so we put the fire on and I sat in front of it (in my beanbag), all day reading a book. It was FANTASTIC. I do have an idea for a picture that I would like to start soon though. Maybe this week. And now I'm going to go and eat cake.

free!

2008-02-10T01:36:00.000-08:00

oh my god - a very exciting thing has just this minute happened... i have completed my last ever assignment. no more studying for me! now i can be a normal person and just come home from work and do NORMAL things like other people do. if i wasn't so tired i would be going eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

so, now that i am going to have oodles of free time, i'm going to have a go at that 'do some drawing' new year's resolution. cool man, drawing without feeling guilty that i should be doing schoolwork.

and, just so i can attach a picture to this post - here are my very first school drawings which i discovered the other day whilst sorting through a box of stuff. check out the remnants of the gold stars and the stamps. man, i was OBSESSED with getting gold stars when i was little. i wish they still gave them to you for doing good work as a grown up. they really should.

Illustration Friday - 'tales and legends'

2008-01-28T11:52:00.001-08:00

'lost in the woods' - a recurring theme in fairytales and folklore

no more superfluous photo action

2008-01-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I got told today that the photos I’m posting for my 365 day self-inflicted challenge are ‘ruining’ my blog (who knew that anyone would think there was anything ruin-able on here?!). So I’m going to stop doubling up – they’ll just live in my Flickr account from now on.

Oh, and poor Heath Ledger appears to have accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills. This is sad (especially because he has a little daughter). But check out this spooky, premonitory, conversation I had on Saturday with a friend (recalled from memory, not verbatim, but you get the gist):

Friend: Man I love “Brokeback Mountain”.
Me: Yep, good film. I’m not sure about Heath Ledger though ... he scares me ... looks too much like A CORPSE (and he speaks funny).

I wish I’d not said that now.

day12

2008-01-21T22:46:00.001-08:00

day12
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

"carry by the body only", apparently.
couldn't stop staring at this during class tonight.

day11

2008-01-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

some more cool graffiti - this one is on the wall opposite Poppa's, where we had lunch today. my god they make good pizza.

day10

2008-01-19T19:55:00.001-08:00

day10
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

i went for my first training run for the railtrail duathlon this morning. it was knackering. i appear to have lost all fitness after being a lazy-arse for the last couple of months.

Illustration Friday - 'plain'

2008-01-19T19:48:00.001-08:00

a plain old pencil sketch - no colouring, no Photoshop tomfoolery.

day9

2008-01-19T00:58:00.001-08:00

day9
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

late lunch with christine at Customhouse. mine was pretty good - chicken ciabatta sandwich and fries. mmm.

day8

2008-01-18T00:08:00.001-08:00

day8
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

Tomatoes for tonight's dinner; taken on my new [conveniently portable] camera that arrived today. Cheap, second hand, and actually not bad. Tonight I have decided to have a couple of glasses of wine for the first time in AGES and, fantastically, they have decided to play Bridget Jones on the telly. Happy.

day7

2008-01-16T21:35:00.001-08:00

day7
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

It rained really hard today, but by the time I was walking home the sun had come out and all that was left of the down-pour was the drops caught in the petals of the roses that live in the gardens - which was lucky because I wanted to capture something of the rain to accompany this poem – one of my favourites (that sounds pretentious, I don’t actually know anything about poetry) – written by Hone Tuwhare, who died yesterday. Interestingly (possibly), I feel sadder about his passing than I did about Sir Ed’s last week. Anyway, ‘Rain’…

I can hear you
making small holes
in the silence
rain

If I were deaf
the pores of my skin
would open to you
and shut

And I
should know you
by the lick of you
if I were blind

the something
special smell of you
when the sun cakes
the ground

the steady
drum-roll sound
you make
when the wind drops

But if I
should not hear
smell or feel or see
you

you would still
define me
disperse me
wash over me
rain

Hone Tuwhare (1922-2008)

day6

2008-01-16T00:30:00.001-08:00

day6
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

i can't believe i'm keeping this up. here's ruby, making the most of the warm, windy evening. chasing bugs on the lawn. and looking a bit munty-eyed.

day5

2008-01-14T21:16:00.001-08:00

mind-numbed
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

this is me - during class after work. bored sh*tless.
is it home-time yet?

day4

2008-01-14T00:51:00.001-08:00

day4
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

visited the Bill Rob library this morning to take some pictures of the fun stuff teaching students get to take out on their placements. this is one of them ... the alphabet centipede. great centipede. not such a great day though, really. bit stressy.

day3

2008-01-13T01:47:00.001-08:00

day3
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

we spent hours today driving around the city, getting depressed looking at properties that were either shit-houses or too expensive for us. then we came home and saw the pig that our old neighbours painted on their fence. i love that pig. and it was sunny and all was good in the world once again. the end.

day2

2008-01-11T23:10:00.001-08:00

day2
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

I've been thinking a lot about house-buying today. And, as a consequence, I've also been thinking about house-shifting, and getting a bit sentimental about our current abode. So I decided to take some pictures of my favourite parts of this house - for posterity.

These ducks used to hang out on my Nana's bathroom wall. They're mine now, and they live on a wall in my favourite corner.

day1

2008-01-10T21:50:00.001-08:00

day1
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

okeee, so this is the photo for day one of my project365 - a photo a day - challenge. To be honest, I forgot that I was going to start today (doesn't bode well for the other 364 days) so I quickly took this when I remembered, on my cell phone camera just as I was leaving work.
It is a picture of the chaps that grace the 'wall of fabulous facial hair' on the partition beside my desk. Kudos to these guys. I can't decide if my favourite is the walrus mo' at top left, or the neck warmer beard below him. I think I appreciate them both equally.

flickr test

2008-01-10T01:17:00.001-08:00

Louvre at night
Originally uploaded by ms_mullini

This is me testing the blog functionality from my flickr account. I have an idea that I would like to join the '365 days' photo group (where, as the name suggests, you document a year in your life by posting a photo a day). I'm not getting my hopes up though ... I have lots of ideas, but my enthusiasm doesn't often last long enough to see many of them through. Let's see shall we?

Oh, and this is a photo I took back in 2005 one night when we were running around the Louvre. That was a cool night - one of the best I can remember from our time overseas. There was this awesome sunset, and hardly any people around. When it was dark we climbed up on the windowsills and looked in at all the treasures. It was odd and spooky and great.

Hello 2008

2008-01-06T15:11:00.001-08:00

Last year was certainly not a complete write-off - I achieved many a good thing - but frustration was my constant companion. So, this year I decided some resolutions were in order. Therefore…

“Get to work ON TIME everyday” – already down the toilet after I showed up at 8.35am this morning. Who was I kidding? This one was never going to happen.

New Year’s resolution #2: “Stop being so grumpy all the time” – will probably be much more realistic once resolution #3 “stop studying, fool!” has been achieved (roll on Feb 8) … I’ll keep you posted.

New Year’s resolution #4: “Do a little drawing, often” – I broke out the pencils last night and had a crack at this one (see work in progress below). I really enjoy doing sketches – but I have trouble when it comes to colouring – there are too many options/possibilities and my brain just can’t cope. Also, I am still getting used to the technology and haven’t quite figured out the proper way to make the white background transparent so that I can colour from behind. It is quite frustrating. Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated! (This is probably directed at YOU Harley, seeing as how you are possibly the only person who reads my non-IF blog posts!)

New Year’s resolution #5: “Be a better grown-up” – Sam and I have decided to indulge in some age-appropriate behaviour: we have already bought the lounge suite, and now we are looking to buy a house to put it in – exciting times!

Illustration Friday - 100%

2008-01-06T01:46:00.000-08:00

100% sick of the office ... poor chap, I feel his pain!

so that was christmas

2007-12-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

aha! christmas is done!

I have not drawn a thing for weeks so I have had nothing to blog about. Hopefully I'll be able to think of something to contribute for next week's Illustration Friday. One of my New Year's resolutions is going to be "get really good at drawing" - so that is going to mean LOTS of practice. But it will be great, because I will have so much more FREE time for it after February 8 when my course finishes and I never have to study anything EVER again, ever. Can't wait.

I'm off to make my house presentable now, for tomorrow I have this little person (and her folks) coming to stay ... :)

hooroo.

Christmas Card finished ... essay, not so finished

2007-12-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday I did a lot of housework. This is typical behaviour for me when I am procrastinating. I also finished my Christmas card. That was fun. Much more fun than writing an essay on the staffing risks associated with setting up digital collections in small public libraries. Which, unfortunately, I still haven't started. This is so unlike me. But as Sam pointed out, I am probably suffering from study fatigue. It aint cool when you work full-time and study too - especially when that has been your life for the past 100 million years.

Christmas card...

2007-12-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

I have an essay to write. It is due tomorrow. I haven't started it yet. Instead, I have drawn a picture, which I think I will colour and use on a Christmas card for my niece. Much more appropriate behaviour for the week before Christmas. I mean, really, who can do schoolwork at this time of year? Not me apparently.

My cat thinks she is a dog...

2007-12-12T00:31:00.000-08:00

... she LOVES to play fetch. Is this weird behaviour for a feline?

Illustration Friday - 'Little Things'

2007-12-10T00:10:00.000-08:00

It's the little things - like going for a stroll with your best mate - that matter the most...

I don’t mean to harp on, but…

2007-11-29T15:24:00.001-08:00

I keep getting distracted by my Oompa-Loompa feet.

Unfortunately, this photo just does not do justice to the depth and fluorescence of colour in real-life.
Also, I pong. Who knew fake tan smelt so much like sweaty feet (not me)?

I am getting a unique insight into the lives of self-tanning obsessed celebrities such as Britney and Paris, and I now understand why they keep bringing out new fragrances – clearly they need to cover up their stink.

update

2007-11-28T21:54:00.000-08:00

yep, orange.

Suddenly it is Thursday

2007-11-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight I am going to do something that I swore I would never do. I am going to go and get made ‘brown’. My 100% Celtic heritage means that I am very pale. I am staunchly unapologetic about this … usually. But on Saturday Sam and I are off to Adelaide, where the sun likes to shine and it never gets below 30 degrees (that’s Celsius). This means that I am probably going to have to flash some skin, so in order to protect myself from the usual barrage of comments that come my way when I do this (see rant below) I’m getting all experimental and letting a beautician spray me. I presume I will come out orange.

Aforementioned rant:
Dear people who think it is okay to comment on how offensive my pale skin is,
Why do you insist on doing this? Would you walk up to, say, a person with a large nose, and go “hmmm, have you ever considered rhinoplasty? Really it would make you an awful lot easier on the eye.” No? Why ever not? Maybe because it would probably hurt their feelings? You know, seeing how their nose is something that they were born with and everything. I would like to request that you please stop telling me that I should “let myself get a little burnt” in order to get “a bit of healthy colour”. Because, ummm, newsflash: if I “get a little burnt” I will blister and peel and probably die of skin cancer. So, yeah, thanks very much for advising me to do that. It means a lot.

forgotten drawings

2007-11-24T15:58:00.001-08:00

About 8 years ago I had a job that involved a lot of down-time. To amuse myself (and to look like I was being productive), I would open up MacPaint [which, incidentally, I have just realised I pronounce 'McPaint' - that's not right is it?] and while away the hours drawing pictures. I'd completely forgotten about this until I saw that this week's Illustration Friday topic was 'The Zoo' - and I remembered a picture of a giraffe that I had drawn at that time. So, after a fair bit of hunting, I have managed to unearth a disc that has some of the drawings on it. They are really 'pixelly' and jagged - but I think I quite like them. Here are a few ...

And now I must go and spend my Sunday afternoon trying to get enthused about 'risk management issues associated with digitising photographic collections' - sounds like it should be interesting but, seriously, it's not. Ah, the joys of upskilling.

Illustration Friday - 'The Zoo'

2007-11-23T12:38:00.001-08:00

bon appetit mr monkey.

Flashback Friday - Hippie Love

2007-11-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

I know that this photo has absolutely nothing to do with hippies but, seeing as I couldn’t find anything suitable for this week’s Flashback Friday theme - ‘Hippie Love’ - I thought I’d post it anyway because, well, my sister has her hands on her hips, and it shows that I have loved ABBA from an early age? Oh god, that is so lame, but acceptable I hope…?

And also, check it out, two posts in one day ... pretty flash.

Carnage

2007-11-22T15:08:00.001-08:00

Lacking any pictures of recent drawings, I thought I’d post this photographic evidence of Ruby’s hunting and gathering instead [the top photo is from this morning, the other one was taken yesterday ... she likes to hunt in groups of three apparently].

She collects these for us through the night. It’s my job to get rid of them in the morning, which is a bit Fear Factor because what if they are not, like, dead? What if they, like, move and touch me?

At least it’s not as bad as my old cat Lucy’s tendency to leave conquered mice in exciting places. Like the time she killed two, a small one and a big one, and left Sam and I one each, on our pillows … facing each other. That was weird.

Watch out C.C.

2007-11-20T21:59:00.001-08:00

The title of this post reflects the fact that, for most of the day, I’ve had the theme song for 90s sitcom ‘The Nanny’ stuck in my head*. I don’t know why, just lucky I suppose. I wonder if it’s because I watched Californication and was disturbed that David Duchovny was getting it on with the littlest daughter? Probably.

Actually, I am often plagued by sitcom theme songs from the 80s and 90s. I don’t claim to have very many life-skills, but I do have an uncanny ability to remember lyrics from almost every song I have ever heard, ever … even if I’ve only heard it once. It freaks Sam out, but I think secretly he is impressed.

Ooooh, I’m stressed. But at least I had a really pleasant lunchtime. Summer has finally decided to turn up in Dunedin, so I ate my lunch on the grass in the sun and it was GOOD. Used my time wisely too – practicing my ‘quick draw’ (which I was going to post, but have carelessly left at work - oh well, another time).

Righto. That's me.

* Which, incidentally, contains the line ‘she was out on her fanny’ - guaranteed to make you chortle if you live in New Zealand where ‘fanny’ doesn’t mean ‘bum’.

Ms. R. Tuesday

2007-11-18T20:56:00.000-08:00

In the interests of keeping this drawing experiment rolling, I thought I'd post my latest attempt. So here is my little cat - Ms. Ruby Tuesday. Her current obsession is 'collecting things' - mainly small families of beetles and moths - but I've noticed her whiskers getting a bit jiggy when she watches the birds lately, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time before she starts bringing me them too. Nice one Rubes.

Illustration Friday "Superstition"

2007-11-16T23:24:00.001-08:00

This is the first superstition that came to mind ... I love seeing kids doing their most careful walking, trying to avoid the cracks. When I was little (and even now when I'm not so little) we used to say "step on a crack and you'll marry a rat" but Google tells me that's not correct. Hmmm, maybe it's a New Zealand thing? Weird.

Flashback Friday 'Travel Bug'

2007-11-15T23:46:00.001-08:00

It has just occured to me that I have signed myself up as a member of the Flashback Friday group on Flickr without asking - is that rude? I hope not. It's nostalgic and fun, and also a good way to get me used to this whole blogging bizzo. This week's theme is 'Travel Bug' ...

The year is 1983 and here I am finally getting my act together and learning to ride a bike, doing endless laps of my Uncle's big driveway. My brother, who is only 5, has shamed me by getting the hang of it really quickly – he’s already doing hoonies around the section with the next-door neighbour kids...

Back in 2007, I’m really wishing I still had that dress...

Illustration Friday Take 2

2007-11-13T03:16:00.000-08:00

Here is the drawing I did, very quickly, on my lunch break today for this week's IF topic 'Scale'. It was very loosely inspired by the Sound of Music. Very loosely. Here we go...

Flashback Friday - "All in the family"

2007-11-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a fan of ‘Flashback Friday’ for a while, and I’ve always felt a bit dodgy lurking around looking at other people’s photos. So, now that I’m a grown up with a blog of my own, I thought I’d join in the flashback fun. Here is a family shot taken c.1977. I am quite sad that it is in black and white because you really need colour to appreciate the full effect of drapery and furnishings. I love this photo for many reasons – the main one being my outfit (that’s me on Mum’s knee): the beads, the homemade Womble slippers and matching homemade Womble, and the CHICKEN BONE accessory pretty much sum me up. Not a lot’s changed in the last 30 years. Mmmm, chicken.

Here's another view of my ensemble ... awesome.

Illustration Friday - 'Hats'

2007-11-08T02:30:00.000-08:00

Okay.
Hmmm.

This is my first ever blog post, to accompany my first ever Illustration Friday submission... (!)

It's all very new to me, but I had fun and I'm looking forward to creating something new every week and learning as I go.

The end :)