steak and kidney

If you are a reader of HML you will know that Miss Rebecca and I took a jaunt up north this week, spent a day in Sydney, a place where we both get that feeling of 'same, same but different'. We know we were in Australia but....... Scotty, its not life as we know it!
You will also know that Beck got in before me with the Fleur Wood pics- or should that be 'picks'?- for the best window displays seen for quite a while. So I've decided to sneak in with the Williams St Paddington barber photos. The window display has been the same for as long as I have been going to Sydney, it is however immaculately clean and dusted. Beck got sprung taking her photos and got told off- she had to push it and spoil it for everyone! (her words)



I wonder how many people want to buy that box of Youthair....and is it pronounced 'youth-hair' or youth-air'?



Anyway I thought I'd include my own swan window photo. The big swan is a total beauty.

craft and the art of cd covers

Have you noticed the number of cd covers over the last year and a bit that are craft based?

One of my all time favs is the Richard Buckner 'Meadow' cover (and yes I have a huge crush on the man, too, so I feel like in complete stalkerness, he had this cover made with me in mind), fantastic stitching and faded fabrics. Did you know I really hate twee quilting but love 'boro' style stitching? Some would say boro=quilting, but I say there is more to it than that. I know what it is- I like quilting if it is used as a means of holding together recycled fabric, when its all store bought fabric and precise it makes my toes curl.



This is Okkervil Rivers new cover, all tapestry style stitching on canvas. Pop passed Polyester Records window to see a blown-up version. Cool



And from the Princess of Folk herself, Joanna Newsome's first album, 'The Milk-eyed Mender'.



I also love the backs on both Joanna's and Buck's cds, do yourself a favour and check 'em out.
And there are more out there. I almost bought one just because I like the crafty cover.

little fluffy clouds

OK not totally accurate, kind of banks of dusty pink clouds but it was an impressive sight when I left my studio the other evening. I think it was that windy day, I could hear it moaning all day and it was a perfect day for playing Nick Cave, all a bit gothic, ivory tower, artist's garret (does that have 1 t or 2?).

Once again have not done any of the computer work I have been promising people. (Sorries especially to Leah)
Did manage however to finish painting the floor of the backroom. Gloss black. Which has meant I have been off my head on paint fumes for the last 2 days. I also realised that the chairs that I have been going to send to the upholsterers for the the last 5 years to have new fabric put on the seat pans are actually a fairly easy job that I could do myself . Thanks to Jess for asking if I was going to do them myself and then being surprised when I said I was having them professionally upholstered. I just hadn't bothered to have a good look at them. Getting the seats off has involved 3 trips to the hardware store today however, and the discovery that my favourite hardware shop is closing down (early next year). I love good old fashioned hardware businesses. My fav was Chalmers in Burwood Rd in Hawthorn, long gone now. It had wonderful leadlight windows, long wooden benches, polite men in grey storemen's coats, a cashier's cubicle and stocked copper nails, enamel kitchenware and great kettles.
What is it about hardware, stationery and haberdashery? I still remember being taken by Mum to Fricker's Haberdashery in Doncaster Rd when I was very young. Mum told me to watch the special way Mr Fricker wound ribbon around his fingers, pointing out all the boxes of buttons and zips......and people wonder how I got where I am today. As I'm tootling down memory lane I should also tell you that Mum has never forgiven me for shaking the tin box of antique glass buttons when I was 2. Sadly only 3 survived. (I must ask Mum where the 3 magic buttons have got to, they re- appear every now and then, clear green glass, twisted with gold stripes.)

I have got totally off track. I do have some topics for this week and hopefully I will get around to finding the pictures I need to illustrate them but its Sunday night and I think I've hit the wall.