{i'm going to venice!!!!!!!!!}

{image via Dispatch from LA}

I was telling a colleague on Wednesday that I so desperately want a holiday.  A real holiday.  An adventure.  To somewhere amazing and exotic and full of different sights, sounds and experiences.

I want it with a passion.

And it ain't going to happen.

Not anytime soon anyway.

But I can have a vicarious holiday that ticks all the boxes plus some.

Mary Ann Moss has just released her newest online class Ticket to Venice.  Part book-binding, part journaling, all whilst accompanying her virtually on an upcoming trip to Venice. Totes awesome!

I've booked my ticket and I can't wait.

All the deets are here.  Let me know if you book your trip as well.  I'd love to have some traveling companions.

{the big question}

So if I don't want to have my own business, then what do I want to be when I grow up?  I'm thinking I might like to be a dog walker!

{where is hoppo bumpo}

I once knew a girl named Liesl,

Who wasn't much use with an easel,

But funny and smart, she gave us such laughs,

When she blogged to a regular schedule.

We miss you HB.  Get your blogging mojo back on.

{finishing touches}

Blossom and Bloom Within

Nail enamel, acrylic and fun on toes

Approx 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch

To go with the dress.  And the paintings.  Of course.

One more sleep peeps!

{we're off, and a giveaway}

Ms L and I are off to the house of retro goodness for a week. A week of no plans.  A week of seeing where the wind blows us.  Sure, there's books to read and dreaming to be done, vision boards to be played with, thoughts of swimming and walking and maybe a glass of vino.  But we'll see where the breeze takes us.  My favourite kind of holiday.

I thought I'd leave you with a little giveaway, to tide you over till I get back.  If you recall back during Blogtoberfest, the good folk over at zip-zip gave me some very excellent USBs to giveaway just because I asked nicely.  Well, those guys happen to have some really groovy friends over at Blockshop and they've given me some fun giveaways too.

If you haven't come across Nanoblocks they're the coolest things ever.  Miniature blocks to build cute things with.  Go and check them out.

I have 3 sets to giveaway.  Leave a comment telling me your favourite kind of holiday and I'll draw winners when I get back.

Have a lovely week peeps.

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Registration for Your Awesome Year closes on Thursday.  We've still got a couple of places left if you're interested.  All the details are here or you can register right here.

{dear santa}

We're all ready for you over here.  Feel free to stop by.

{oh christmas chair, oh christmas chair}

We didn't get around to getting a Christmas tree this year {the luxury of living in an all adult house hey?}.  Ms L sorted us out though with a beautiful Christmas chair and some other bits of cheer around the house.  She's a good one that Ms L.

My very favourite Christmas ornaments.  Handed down from my Mum.  We've had these for as long as I can remember.

Hope your festive season preparations are coming along nicely!

{adventures in self-portraiture part III}

I'm still getting the hang of this self-portraiture business, but I tell you it is SO much fun.  I love it.

{zip-a-dee-doo-dah - a giveaway, and a temporary farewell - blogtoberfest day XIX}

This is one of those great stories of ask and thou shalt receive.  I was sitting in my studio a few Sundays back thinking that I wanted a new USB stick and I remembered the really fab one I bought Ms L a few years back.

Image courtesy of zip-zip

I was at the Design Market at Fed Square when I first came across Zip-Zip.  The coolest USB stick on the block.  As I was browsing their website thinking about buying myself one I had a different thought.

Image courtesy of zip-zip

So I wrote to the company and told them about a little thing called Blogtoberfest and asked them if they might consider donating one for a giveaway.  It can't hurt to ask I thought.  I got an email in response saying they'd love to help out with four Zip-Zips for me to giveaway.  How fantastic is that?

Image courtesy of zip-zip

If you would like to win your very own fabulous Zip-Zip USB stick in either red, yellow, blue or green all you need to do is leave a comment.

I'll draw winners on Saturday.  Go....

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In other news I'm very sorry to say that I'm going to have to take a couple of days off Blogtoberfest.  I have been trying with all my heart to continue blogging through a very nasty bout of bronchitis.  The truth is I'm not feeling particularly festive at all.  I'm actually exhausted and I need to rest body, mind and soul.  I don't even have the energy to organise some guest posts or to manage a daily photo.  So I will bid you farewell until Saturday and will see how things are then.  Keep the campfire burning for me won't you?

{um, no thanks - blogtoberfest day XVII}

It seemed obvious to me that they were destined to be mates.

They're practically twins, right down to their sweet ginger noses.

But no, she's not having a bar of him!

{here's one I prepared earlier - self-portrait challenge - blogtoberfest day XVI}

This one was taken a few weeks back at the Montalto Vineyard sculpture park.  Happy and relaxed, enjoying the sunshine.

Today's self-portrait would look pretty similar to yesterdays.  In bed, in my sleepwear, bed hair and a worn look on my face.  I wish this lurgy would go away now.

Are you joining me today in the self-portrait challenge? Pop your link in below.

{roly poly tumble bumble pell mell - blogtoberfest day V}

I remembered while on holidays how great it is to roll down steep hills, to laugh lots and do silly things.  I remembered how good life is and I've been reminded this week of how it comes and then it goes, and how much I want to savour all of it.  I so want to live a big hearty life.  I guess I already am.

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Have you joined in for Blogtoberfest yet?  It's not too late.  It's never too late.  Sign up right here.

I've got the best giveaway coming up.  Can't wait to spill the beans.

{hooray hooray}

it's a holi-holiday!

I'm off for a mini-break with my beloved.  

I'll be back on Thursday.  Just in time to get ready for Blogtoberfest!  I don't know about you, but I can't wait.

In the meantime ... enjoy!

{right on!}

Found over at Amitie Girl.  Another perfectly timed message from the universe. 

{milestones}

 

A magical moment on my way to work this morning.  I clocked 3,500 km on my bicycle odometer.  It's been just on 3 years since I started bike riding & it's been one of the most joyful discoveries of my adult life {except for the hills and wind!}.

Thanks for the awesome ride Betsy!

{escape plans}

Still dreaming of escape!

Have a great weekend peeps.

{connections}

linda of two pink possums wrote an interesting post last week asking is facebook the new blogging?  she talked about the immediacy of conversation that happens on fb and the more interactive nature of it.

i've been thinking a lot lately about connections and community.  thinking about the ways that i'm connected and the ways in which i want to connect. i was a late joiner to fb, but i too have enjoyed the sense of community and the ease of connection that happens there.  like linda i enjoy being part of various creative groups and connecting with other artists, writers and creative souls.  i also enjoy the casual banter that seems to go on.  on the other hand, after giving twitter a 'red hot go' for a while i found it to be way too fast paced and superficial to keep me hooked.

mostly though i've realised that blogging is my medium.  i love the depth that it offers, the opportunity to really tell a story by bringing together words and pictures.  i love the beauty and creativity of it. to me it's another form of art.  i like that it seems to be the 'slow' version of social media.  

like everyone i struggle to find the time to catch up on all the blogs i like to read, i struggle at times to be really present on my own blog, i struggle with feelings that i'm talking to myself.  but blogging is definitely my thing. it's a huge part of my life.

it was my good friend louise gale who helped me consolidate all this thinking.  i had a wonderfully inspiring conversation with her recently. about community, about me, about who i am and where i'm headed.

one of the things that i decided as a result of that conversation was to really be present in the places that give me the most joy.  i've been seeking out opportunities to connect and join in.

the photo at the top of this post is my contribution to louise's creative colour challenge.  the challenge was to celebrate colour and make a colour wheel.  i wanted to take a different approach rather than painting something so i decided to combine paint and photography as my medium.  it didn't quite come together in the way i'd planned so i made some prints of the puddles of paint.  for some reason blogger won't let me insert them into this post so you can check them out here and here.

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if you'd like to see more of louise's creative colour challenge then pop on over to her blog and check out today's post.   you can also see lots more in the flickr group.  it's not too late to join in if you'd like to make your own colour wheel as part of the challenge.

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don't miss out on my giveaway if you haven't already popped your name in the hat.  i'll be drawing it anytime now.

{still life with BigCat}

{happy birthday curlypops}

Dream Sweetly

Acrylics on canvas

78 x 30 inches

I made you a little something!  Can't wait to see you soon my friend.

{from me to you peeps}