Rummage

Summer 2011

This shot kind of encapsulates what's going on round here this summer, you're missing the Hot August Night soundtrack on the record player in the background and the heaped plate of white peaches just out of shot but I think you get the picture.

There's been lots of kicking back with a book here, my man of the moment is PG Wodehouse - can't quite believe it has taken me this long to cotton on to him but lordy! I've fallen hook, line and sinker. I bought Meet Mr Mulliner at Canty's, (my fave local 2nd hand bookseller), and snorted, nay, bellowed with laughter all the way home. Don't worry, the french was driving although at one point he asked me whether he needed to pull over, such was the hilarity in the vehicle. I'm now on the look-out for the entire collection. Happy Monday. xx

Margret & Eugenie: Thanks, the flowers are all from here - I love the colour combo too.

Kay: It'll be summer before you know it where you are too! 

Brunch

Brunch is my favourite meal mainly because I can get up late and no one raises an eyebrow at popping the champagne cork at 10:30 in the morning. Today we had friends over and I cooked buttermilk pancakes - the Bill Granger recipe, baked catalan eggs and ham and creme de coeur - a thoroughly debaucherous concoction of yoghurt, egg whites, cream and vanilla sugar served with macerated strawberries, (I am fancy-schmancy). I'll dig up any or all of the recipes if you're interested.

Eugenie: sorry, I can't reply to your email for some reason, all our carpets come from Afghan Interiors in Newtown, not from Canberra.

Kristie: hello, lovely. Yes it is shit in french - I felt compelled to put it in front of my sewing machine because I swear like a trooper when I'm in sew-mode. x

Anthea and Catherine: thanks, glad we're thinking on similar lines.

Meg: your new site rocks my world. I might just write that in big wooden letters and pop it on top of my bedframe @#%!@^#!! x

Ellie: You leave the nicest comments - ta lovely!

Corrie: yep, they're a real blast from the past - still can't find halves 8&9 though!!

Friday

Here I am trying to take a photo of myself in a vintage dress I modified, not one of my best photographs. You'll just have to trust me on this, the frock's a rippa and there's just enough left over for a skirt for offspring.

This is a cushion for Dad's birthday. The mini-wordsmiths wrote the text. If you can't read it, it goes like this:

"When we are in trouble who comes to help? Grandad? When we are lonely who comes to comfort us? Grandad. When something is broken who comes to fix it? Grandad. So listen to me now, for all these reasons and many more we think you are the best. We love you, Grandad."

It's the end of pretty grim week and there won't be a lot of rest for the people of Queensland this weekend either starting the clean-up or waiting for the water to peak. Just a reminder that there is apparently going to be a master list of art and craft auctions over here on Sunday night with proceeds going directly to the Premier's Relief Fund.

Sadly, this morning I heard about the floods in Brazil where over 400 people have lost their lives. I know people have got a lot on their plate but if I can put in a plug for Medecins Sans Frontiers, we contribute to this organisation on a monthly basis and they are involved in relief efforts in Brazil. Sometimes when things happen on our doorstep it brings home more vividly some of the tragedies playing out across the globe as well.

Excellent People and Excellent Auctions

We're finally getting round to hanging things on the wall here which is more than a little bit exciting.

Also wanted to let you know, if you weren't already aware that the awesome Jodi of Ric-Rac is hosting a great auction in aid of Queensland flood relief. If there is anyone from outside Australia reading this, there are horrific floods tearing communities apart in Queensland at the moment. If you donate at least $5 to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal you are in the running to win a very choice elephant and robot combo. Just post your receipt number over at Ric-Rac and you are in the running.  

The Ballet Russe

I bought this print today at the Ballet Russe exhibition at the NGA. The NGA, in its wisdom, purchased at auction about 400 exquisitely-made costumes from the archives of the Ballet Russe in the 1970's. They are definitely something to see if you are a sewer, hand-painted silks and velvets, crocheted buttons etc.  It was small but curated well, it's a good one for kids too, even if your smallest insists on wearing a sequinned mask, cape and glitter-encrusted shoes. We shan't speak of the improvisational dance that ensued.

I'd also recommend the Anton Bruel photography exhibition. In fact I'd recommend a visit to the NGA full stop at the moment, with the opening of the new indigenous galleries it's looking really good.

PS Thinking about the many people in Queensland affected by the floods and especially the people of Grantham who have taken shelter in the local primary school.

The Rummage No Rocket-Science Guide to Wire Font Sculpture

I don't know about you but if I see another bed in an interiors mag with a coloured wooden cut-out of the word 'sleep' perched coyly on the bedhead I am liable to top myself. However, I fancy a bit of wire font action, I think I first saw something like this in a spread on Megan Morton's home in a magazine last year. It was pretty cute but no doubt a million bucks as it came from anthropologie in the US. So I popped into my local Bunnings, familiarised myself with the wire department and left with 6 metres of red plastic coated wire at 60 cents a metre.

Just bend the wire into words and ta-dahhh! 

Stepford Rummage

Am a little worried I might be becoming a Stepford Wife, albeit one in voluminous pyjamas and unreconstructed eyebrows. I spent all day yesterday dusting and sorting through kidstuff, the highlight of my day being when I reunited a dolly with her long-lost legwarmer. This almost made up for what has become known in these parts as 'The Case of the Missing Egg Halves: Nos 8 & 9', the Frenchman found me around 11am having a little private meltdown in the hallway when a search of the bowels of the linen cupboard left me 'sans oeuf', bless him, he led me away, made me a cup of tea and held my hand.

Where all good feijoa wreaths go to die

Elbow Grease

Am down with this house cleaning thing. Maybe in 2011 I might suddenly become tidy, it's an exciting thought. For some reason I woke up at 4:46 and came out and sorted through the wooden puzzles, I restrained myself from colour coding them and went back to bed at 5:39. Slept like a baby until 9am when Kipper took his traditional running leap from the doorway of the bedroom onto my solar plexus. This morning I've been brushing the dollies hair and dressing them in their finery. x

This too shall pass

Just wanted to tell you about an incredibly moving radio documentary on radio national that I just listened to. Radio National has an excellent series of 'beachpod' docos, a best-of from all their programs in 2010, there are heaps of brilliant pieces of journalism on there if you are interested. Nest cab off the rank for me is 'A Stitch in Time: Dressmaking in Australia' and 'Running Up a Frock' about women's sewing in relation to creativity, therapy and sexuality (most intrigued by the sexuality angle with frockmaking, I must say).

Anyway, what I really wanted to tell you about is 'Losing Erin' - the story of a woman's battle with post-natal depression from the perspective of those who loved her most. It is a really important story, and one I have some experience of having had post-natal anxiety/depression after the birth of both my daughters. I realise it has been a long time on the blog since I have spoken about this, maybe I should do it more. The thing is, I'm out the other side of it now and sometimes I forget how bad it was. If there is anyone reading this who is in the midst of it, let me tell you that it does get better even though you might be thinking that it never will. The phrase 'this too shall pass', was a kind of talisman that I would say to myself when it was really bad and it's true, it does pass and you will be well and whole and happy again.

ps there is a lot of good support advice if you feel you might be suffering from post-natal depression in the 'further information' section here.

Much love to you, Nanette xxx