just a little bit

just wanted to share a few things today. am sitting here listening to the rain hitting my window. i can't even remember the last time we had proper rain. i am pretty sure it was more than six months ago. everything is so brown. sometimes brown is bad.

to make things better here is a little link love:

~ am pretty excited by this book. it is awesomely made- like a hand bound book you could have made yourself. it is so cool.

~ eternal sunshine. pretty great film. the science of sleep is next in the queue.

~ added the new frankie photo album to my wishlist. i love frankie. so much.

~ this poetry book (also here). don't know what to say about this. sigh. perhaps just a snippet will suffice?

we went
searching.

moving in the dark
without knowing what we were looking
for

a fragmented reflection
of our yesterdays

a collection of thoughts
already washed away
by the rain
down the gutters
to the sea

~count me the stars by kylie johnson~

a happy rest of weekend to everyone.
x

five senses friday

following in the lead of abby i decided that a five senses friday was in order. my little place here was beginning to look a little lonesome.



see
:: afternoon light. sometimes it near kills me it is so perfect.

:: i am totally head over heels in love with horse pictures right now. oh, and horses + polaroids- the best of both worlds.


taste
:: cereal in the afternoon. perfect for that afternoon sugar boost.

:: GJ's iced chocolate from the local Borders. iced chocolate and books- you can never go wrong with that.


touch
:: paint brushes in my hands. i forgot for a long moment just how amazing it is to play around with paint.

:: crabtree and evelyn hand scrub. so nice.


hear
:: ingrid michaelson, mesmerising new music.

:: today by jeremy larson. what a great performance.

:: my little dog snoring (loudly) when he is just so, so tired.


smell
:: cake baking in the oven. extra points for cakes with fruit.


hope all is well. x

broadening the culinary skill set

i hope everyone had a lovely weekend. i spent most of saturday doing my darned best to stimulate the economy (aka shopping). i am sad to see the summertime dresses and florals disappearing but am excited about the prospect of donning a coat and shopping for tights and scarves. it is a little too soon for the wearing still, but never too early for the shopping part.

sunday was baking day. try as i might to broaden my culinary skills by mixing things around a little and trying something different and exciting, the simple fact is, for me, baked cheesecake just can't be beat. in one of those ridiculous times when i find i am quizzing myself with things like, 'if i could choose, what would be my last meal on earth', [yes you might laugh, but this kind of amusement seems to occur more often than i care to admit] anyhow, in answer to that odd kind of question, baked cheesecake is right up there. and there is no higher honour than that.

the recipe i used was taken from the back of the cream cheese box, which i had never noticed was there until now. it is a quick and simple recipe which, sometimes, is just what is needed.

ingredients:
250g block of cream cheese
200g biscuits, crushed
200g berries, fresh or frozen (i used some raspberries)
60g butter, melted
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 egg
lemon, finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon (though i may try it without next time)

1. combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press into approx 20cmx20cm pan (either line with baking paper or use a pan with a removable base, or both). chill in fridge.
2. beat cream cheese and sugar with electric beaters until smooth. add cream, egg and lemon rind and beat til smooth.
3. pour over base and top with fruit.
4. bake at 160 degrees celsius (320F) for 45mins or until set.


oh, and did i mention that it was really, very good?

favourite things

i saw easy virtue at the theatre this past weekend. it was quite enjoyable really. i have to admit it though, i only went to see colin firth.
i guess he can come under the category of 'favourite things', no?
he is so dreamy.

a couple of weeks ago, the course had us thinking about and photographing some of our favourite things. in the above photos are some of my real treasures.
little pieces which on their own hold no value but the memories attached to them make them priceless to me.
a favoured dress that makes you happy just slipping it on, treasured gifts from dear friends that show how much they care, time spent with favourite people...
this is what really makes life.

*************************

some more favourites:

• crumpets and tea. any time of day.
• banana bread
  
• rainy days at home reading
• falling autumn leaves
• seeds starting to grow
  
• scarves

what are your favourite things at the moment?

just being

i am enjoying just being at the moment.

absorbed in my art and classes and happy just plodding along.

*****

some lovely little things that are making me happy:

• i am coveting this beautiful necklace
• this print is making me dream of paris
• geninne's new collection is very pretty indeed
• enjoying the wonderful new book from this lovely lady
• speaking of books, i am anxiously awaiting the arrival of this one
  
• the new neet magazine is up and lovely as ever
• mmm. cookie, anyone?
  

the life i want

i know a lot of the time in my day to day life i am all words and little action.
i do try, but there it is.
i am trying extra hard to just not do it quite so much this year.
i took the first leap when i read about this online class by one of my favourite photographers, Susannah Conway, and daydreamed about doing something so empowering, and thinking one day i just might, i took a little peek here, and then...signed up.

yeah, it feels really good to say and do.

if you, too, are looking for a little creative inspiration i urge you to check out this awesome series by Holly. this exercise in particular has really helped make things so much clearer for me.
it's amazing what a little thought can do.

i am working myself hard this year. i am so determined to live the life i want.

how about you?

thankful for green

it's been a really tough time for so many australians, and we are trying to help out as best we can. a few dollars that we can spare, and saving our week's shop for friday when coles will be donating all profits to the cause. it's not much compared to how much they have lost, but we are thinking of them and remembering that the little we can give is better than nothing at all.

Pip has a lot of information on ways you can help out. so if you have the means to donate money, goods- even handmade!, she will send you in the right direction. there are a lot of great things being done.

in the background i am trying to get things together and get stuck into that 2009 to-do list. there are a lot of exciting things happening this month.
i can't wait.
i will share a little more soon.

today i have been enjoying catching up on the weeders digest (you can find the first posts here and here)
and looking out my window
and being thankful for all the green i can see.