The Versatile Solution for Modern Blogging

I'm already wondering if Ikea can sue me for that headline...

I've won an Award, I have! Which is pretty cool since I win NOTHING. Except that CD player. And that Christmas Hamper. And that Mothers' Day Hamper. And that Magnum of champagne. And that night in a hotel. And that Scholarship. And that other Scholarship. Oh, and that other one too.  And that award for my photography.

But apart from that: total LOSER.

Some crazy wench at a blog called Just Me has tagged me and handed me an award for being a Versatile Blogger.  I suppose it's a compliment and not some thinly-veiled hint that maybe just once I might stick to the same topic two posts in a row.

There are Rules that come attached to this award so its not so much an award, I feel, as a heavy burden placed upon my already care-worn shoulders. 

Am ready for my close-up now, Mr De Mille.

The Rules for The Versatile Blogger Award are:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.
I'd like to thank the Academy God my parents my co-stars Sarah.

2.  Share 7 things about yourself.
Surely I've done that by now, what with my Award-Winning Versatility 'n' all?

• I have three tattoos, and only one of them I regret.
• I left school when I was 14 and went back when I was 21. I now have a Degree.
• I am terrified of heights.
• I have no contact with my family.
• Before I broke my spine I was the Queen of Hackysack.
• I knew my husband for 7 days before we were engaged.
• I am a Leo, my husband is a Leo and my daughter is a Leo. God help us.

3.  Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!
15? There were 325 posts in my Google Reader yesterday and you want me to choose 15?  I'll be in my trailer.

Meet Me At Mikes
Mummy Diaries
Rosie's Growing Sweet Peas
Epheriell
Fox's Lane
Muffin Monster Bubbalug Blog
An Ordinary Life

err...That'll do. Really.

4.  Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.
My agent will get right on it. What? Oh, havent hired one yet. Is there NO END to the responsibilities???

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Friday Finds

Found today: The path towards finding the Will to Live. Always a good start.

Found a while ago but sharing now:

Ella, almost two, goes Vintage Corporate

I clearly remember having this exact same dress when I was little. I know there is a photo of me in it somewheres, but I dont have it. I found this in an op shop when Ella was still a wee baby, and you can only imagine the extent of my Sqeeee-age when I saw it on the rack for $4.  Lordy. Wouldn't it be SO AWESOME if this were actually my old dress??? 

Now if only I had the red faux patent leather handbag from my childhood to go with it. 


P.S. Giveaway is coming, fret not!  I haven't been able to decide what to have for dinner this week, let alone which of my creations to give away.

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Awesome Milestone Goodness..

Achieved! Tick!

Giveaway will ensue.

Stay tuned for announcement of giveaway or death from Man Cold.

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Serenity Sunday Can Bite Me

I am sick, with Man Cold.

I care not for photography, or serenity, or children. I dont want to look at my world in a different way and discover the joy in the details.

I want to go to bed and not feel like shit and I want the kids to stop having tantrums every 5 minutes and I want to not feel like my skin hurts and I want to stop craving chickenbloodynoodlesoup.

I'm almost up to 100 Facebook Fans.  In fact, I have 99. I will have a good old-fashioned blog based giveaway when I get there, if I do not die beforehand. If you havent Liked me yet: for shaaaaaame!

In the meantime, have you added yourselves to my Reader's Blogroll yet?  Well get to it. Nothing wrong with shameless self-promotion.

Going back to bed now.

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My Creative Space

This week my creative space is being used for the betterment of humanity.  Project 18 are having an Auction on Facebook on July 20 to raise funds for childhood education in Indonesia.  They need handmade items to be donated to sell at the Auction.  So that's what I'm doing.

I've found lovely vintage tea cups in my opshop raids over the last week, so I am putting them all to good use.  After all, how many pincushions does one woman need?  Well, at least 3 by my reckoning, (wrist, tabletop and ring) so the rest are going to Cate for the Auction. Mostly so she will get off my case.

My creative space: filled with vintage china, polyfill, vintage fabric and some sort of altruism (even though I dont believe in it).

What's yours filled with? Share over at Kirsty's.

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Serenity Sunday

I am NOT a winter girl.

I hate the cold. I hate being unable to move three feet from the heater because otherwise my fingers will drop off from frostbite.  I hate having to pay SeventyHundred dollars for my power bill.  I hate not being able to spend any time outside for fear of freezing solid. I hate the dark days. I get S.A.D. And I get it BAD.

But I hate being trapped inside with two very active and very bored pre-schoolers even more.

Ella lovin' on some rocks

Felix writes the initials of all his friends in the dirt.

"This is the T-Rex bone and this bit is the thing that shoots out water."

 Basil loves wool.  REALLY loves wool.

So today we ventured outside as soon as the temperature got above ten degrees (at midday) and the wee-uns played in the Digging Patch and I sat in the sun. Then we went for a walk to the op-shop, where of course I found things to buy, and then took Felix's trike to the bike track and playground.

It wasn't so much Serene and Not As Bad As It Could Be, but that is far too long a post title.

Except for Basil.  I think he was rather serene indeed, sucking on that wool.  If you know what I mean.

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Reader's Blog Roll: Put Your Blog Self Here

Do you read SparklePanda Design? Do you have a blog? Would you like other people to read your blog?

I'm betting that the answer to all three questions is: YES

So here's what you can do: you can put your very own blog on this here list of lovely blogs people should read.  Yes! You can!  That way you don't have to ask me to do a link exchange with you, and I dont have to remember to put your link up.  Win/win.

I know, it's totes awesome!

Link away, peeps.

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Friday Finds

Another week, another collection of treasures from the op-shops.  This week, my local had a whole basket of awesome vintage sewing patterns out for 25c each.  It was pure heaven.

Have a closer look at the little girl on the top one. How adorable is that jumpsuit?

This is the piece de resistance really.  Check out the legs! 

Did the illustrator never see a real woman before?

I love Paua shell.  What should I use this for?

All these beauties were 20c each! I'm going to turn them into pincushions. Yes! Radness!

There was also much in the way of clothing for me and some fabric for making clothes for the shop.  And a totes awesome tablecloth which I plan on turning into a skirt for myself.  That picture will have to wait until said project is on the go.  Then you will swoon with delight at how totally awesome it is.  You will. You'll see.

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My Creative Space is Back

Which is kinda scary because it sure as hell doesn't feel like a whole week has gone by.  Dont ask me what I did; I couldn't tell you.

Today in my creative space there is some finishing going on.  Some of the finishing perhaps should have been done 2 years ago.  10 minutes was all it took.  Not sure why I couldnt find 10 minutes 2 years ago.  Perhaps it had something to do with being heavily pregnant and in 10/10 on the pain scale 24/7 and wanting to die.

Yes, that might've been it.

If you want to play along, head over to Kirsty's.

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Serenity Sunday

This week, Sunday was quite serene thankyouverymuch.

Coldest morning this year, it was. 

Even the butterflies froze solid.

For the most part the kids behaved: I pruned the grapevines, the kids behaved, I made a new advertising banner, the kids behaved, I cooked dinner, the kids beh...oh no they didn't behave for that bit.

 Hide and Seek, Felix style.

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My Creative Space is on Holidays

I've been busy all day and there is no time! no time! for My Creative Space this week.

9am: Get all excited because we have our first female Prime Minister. Realise am running late because of said excitement. Drop off 4 year old at Kindy, spend quality time playing with daughter socialising bitching at Playgroup, hurry to Rheumatologist appointment an hour's drive away, get horribly disillisioned at appointment, rush back to Kindy via Dan Murphy's (cheapo chain booze store) and Hungry Jacks (Burger King)  to pick up 4 year old, have 4 year olds Bestie come round and play and stay for dinner, get kids ready for bed, wrangle 4 year old away from his car pictures and into bed.

Now its 9pm and I dont feel particularly creative.  Perhaps a little spacey.  Even a little "My!"  So I'm not doing it.

According to Dr Rheumy, Disease Most Likely is not Ankylosing Spondylitis, but Fibromyalgia.  OK, its a name, but I didnt want to be told  "There is nothing we can do.  We just handball you back to the Pain Management Clinic."  I wanted to be told "You have disease X and you take these drugs and it will get better."

Seriously, sometimes you just have to wonder who the hell you were in a previous life.

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Disabled Parking Space

Today is an important day.  Not only because I'm off to my Rheumatologist to find out what the hell is actually wrong with me (disease most likely is Ankylosing Spondylitis), nor because today the petition I wrote about in my last post will be presented to our government.  Today is also important because it marks a BloggersUnite event called People First: Empowering People with Disabilities.  Today, people all over the world will be writing blog posts about the experiece of living with a disability (their own or a loved one's) in order to educate, empower and...um, another "e" thing... enable.

Actually, these three important events share a common ancestor, and that is this:

You can't tell just by looking.

You can't tell by looking at me that I have a disability.  You can't tell by looking that I have a spinal injury.  You can't tell by looking that I have nerve damage. You can't tell by looking at me that I have a mental illness.  You can't tell that I am in intense pain.  You can't tell that I struggle with debilitating anxiety at times.  You can't tell that I am so tired I feel it in every cell of my body and have for 20 years.  You can't tell that the demons from my past resurface again and again and again and affect me still, decades later.  You can't tell that some days I hate my life.  You can't tell that some days I want to die.  You can't tell that if I walk from here to there I will pay for it for days or sometimes weeks.

You can only see that I do walk from here to there.  You see me smile.  You see me talk intelligently to people.  You see me graduate from university. You see me start a business.  You see me create.  You see me move through the days like any other mother.  You see me as unremarkable.  You see me park in the disabled parking space, and you look.  And I know you look.  And I know what you think.

And I know that you are wrong.

I am remarkable.

I am remarkable because you see me smile, you see me talk inteligently to people, you see me start a business, you see me create, you see me move through the days like any other mother.  I am remarkable because those things happen despite what you dont see.

I am disabled.  I am also able.  The trick is finding the balance.

Not in my own mind, but in yours.

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Do It For My Mental Health

On Thursday, a collective of 60 mental health organisations form around Australia will be presenting a co-signed letter and a petition from Australian citizens to our PM.  They will be urging him and his government to act immediately to reform the mental health system in this country and provide it with enough funding to actually make it work.  Right now, it doesnt work at all.  People suffer.  People die.  I know this first hand.  

So I wrote a letter to my local MP.  Never done that before.  This time, I just had to.  So with tears streaming down my face, I wrote.  I'd like to share it with you.  And then I'd like you to go here and sign the petition. 

***

I come from a family with a history of mental illness. My mother suffered from severe depression for as long as I can remember. I have had anxiety and depression my entire life, not diagnosed until I was in my 20s (I'm now 41). One brother had schizophrenia. The other had severe and untreated depression.  Both of my brothers committed suicide at the age of 45, within two years of each other. They desperately needed help and they didnt get it because the proper services were not available. Warren, my brother with schizophrenia, was on a forced treatment order and suffering terribly with psychotic episodes and yet was released from hospital to "live in the community". He died in that community too, unnoticed for several days until he had not turned up for his required medication.

Mental ill-health is the leading killer of Australians under 45 (there's that magic number again!) and the leading cause of disability in Australia. It is not acceptable that people are turned away from hospitals, or that government funding for outreach services is either an embarrassing pittance or non-existant.

Does this government care that for each of those Australians that has a mental illness there are many more around them that suffer too? Does this government care that for every person who dies as a result of suicide, their families and friends continue to suffer and blame themselves?

Does this government care enough about its citizens to provide adequate funding for mental health services, so that other families do not have to explain to their children why the uncle whom they resemble so much isnt around anymore?

I urge you to support the efforts of the 60 mental health organisations who are presenting a letter to Kevin Rudd on Thurday. I urge you to support the immediate reform mental health services and increase funding.

I urge you to consider my 4 year old son - the one who looks so much like his uncle - who has a very high chance of living with mental illness himself. What future will this government be giving him?

Yours sincerely,

****

Little Panda and big brother Warren (then known as Robert), c1973

Felix, Aug 2009

Please sign the petition.

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Serenity Sunday

This week is not so much Serene as "Shut The Hell Up and Behave" Sunday.  Meh.  You get that.

[deep breath] Calm blue ocean...calm blue ocean...  Look! Pretties!:

Lovely things from Etsy Finds today: 

1: Wide Leather Wristband by aos Leather USD$20   

2: Origami Cranes by SnWeStore USD$28

More cool things from another op shop raid.  (No, I never stop).  Vintage doilies, vintage patterns and tracing paper, an oriental paper candy box kit and assorted lovelies.  All this plus 2 cars and a novel for $6.  The Candy Box says "English Instructions Including".  Doesn't bode well.

...and sometimes from sheer insanity.

 This project gave me a little island of serenity yesterday.  I've wanted one for ages. Finally I made one: 

 

I'm now completely obsessed with making more pincushions.  Next on the list is a Ring Pincushion, and then possibly one in a teacup.  Just because.

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The Envelope Project

I love Art Projects.  I especially love Completely Random Art Projects.

Meet Me At Mike's is running an art project at the moment called The Envelope Project.  It goes a little like this:

You mail (by actual snail-mail) an envelope to Meet Me At Mike's with something little in it.  Anything.  Possibly not poo. Anything cute or pretty or lovely in some way. They put all the envelopes up in their store window for 6 weeks.  At the end of the 6 weeks, a name from all participants is drawn at random from the universe and that person receives every.single.envelope AND all.their.contents.

Having been a big fan of posting people random stuff for many years now, even almost-strangers that read my old blog (I posted some awesome stuff to those folks) I am Bang Up for posting a little somethin somethin to lordy knows who.

I aint sayin what I posted, but one was made by me some time ago and just sitting in my scrapbooking basket feeling unloved, one was made by Monkey Boy today, and one was made by an animal.  It is not poo.

If you want to find out how to participate, best look here. Check out the rest of Mike's too.  Miss Pip is the Mayor of Awesome-Town!

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My Creative Space

Crap, is it Thursday again?

A toddler with conjunctivitis means no childcare, no playgroup, no visiting friends, no LIFE.  Also not much time for creativity since she stands at my door and cries "Mumm-mmm-yyyyy cuu-uu-ggg-le" for as long as I can stand it.  Today that would be about 2 minutes.  Sometimes I'm a hard-ass mamma and just let her scream until she stops, but when the kid is sick some stupid maternal thing kicks in.  Probably so we dont inadvertantly kill them with our hard-assness.


I did manage to sneak enough time after my writing group yesterday to stop at my fave op-shop, where they lured me in via a shopping trolley full of handbags for $1. 

Cute little vinyl-lined toiletries bag, looking for a purpose.  How lovely is the fabric?

The Handbag Stash:  Two little bags, the toiletries clutch, a patchwork shoulderbag, and a briefcase thingy.  I've ALWAYS wanted a briefcase thingy.  $5 the lot = awesome

There was some divine oriental fabric, and a chrome 50s chair for $2 and step-stool.  The stool needs re-upholstering, but it was $3!  I clearly remember one just like this in my kitchen when I was a kid.  Of course we had the chrome-leg faux-marble table and chairs to go with it.  We were, like, groovy.

 3m oriental loveliness, 2m coffee velvet, 4 metres soft butter-yellow cotton = $7.

Finally I got around to doing some very simple stuff like changing buttons on a recent 

Boring Brown op-shop cardi.

 and then decided to go uber-nuts and put buttons all over it.

The buttonifying of Boring Brown Cardi will take a while methinks. I dont know what it will look like when its done, but that is where the fun in hand-sewing 3000 buttons lies.

What's happening in your Creative Space today?

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Serenity Sunday

Today's Serenity Sunday is brought to you by the good graces of my friend who lives round the corner.  Aware of my Near-Deathness, she offered to take Felix for the morning thereby halving my stress and doubling the potential serenity-factor.

When you dont have any family and you have a small circle of friends and you live in the Boonies, a break from the kids - even when near death -  is a rare thing indeed.

Monkey Boy and Felix left, and Ella dragged my sorry arse outside, even though it was so cold the rainwater in the toy trailer was still covered with ice and we could see our breath in the air.  Do kids not feel the cold???

I'm glad she did drag me outside, because this is the first thing I saw:

Illuminated Leaf

Discarded.  I think I'll turn this into a planter.

Apple Feast Continues (compare with last week's photo)

Buzzy

Chalk

Chilli

Sshhh!

Warrigal Greens: self-seeder, rampant ground cover, use as you would spinach.  Awesome.

Winter Morning

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12 Months of Crafting The World: Month 1

I've had a little somethingsomething in my list of things to do for a while, but with sewing for the shop and sewing for the kids and occasionally sewing for myself and running a business and being a mum and having an internet addiction, where's the time going to come from? Less Twittering? I.Dont.Think.So.

As mentioned in previous dispatches I need a kick up the butt to do things sometimes. So I pulled this project out of hiding and decided it was the Thing To Do for the Craft Challenge this month. Halfway through the month (practically anyways, especially if you dont count the Sundays) and it still wasnt done. Heaping all kinds of hate upon myself, yesterday I dragged my sick-and-getting-worse self off to the studio and made it happen.

There was some of this:

and some of these:

which became little fuzzy piles of this:

Then there was a bit of this:

and then Monkey Boy and Felix came home with leftover this:

so after I stuffed myself, I stuffed this:

And when I'd done, I was cold and shivvery and had body ache and felt like utter shite and I went to sleep for three hours.  But I'd made this:

In case you are wondering, this is the panda I based my SparklePanda logo on.  I thought I might make some more, maybe to use as keyrings or make him a bt smaller and he could be a magnet or a brooch.  What ya think?

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