The Brelli.

With winter on its way it's time to start thinking about umbrellas. The Brelli stole my heart from the first moment I saw them. That was about a year ago and I still think they are amazing. The sturdy umbrellas are also 100% biodegradable so you don't have to feel guilty when they finally give up.

They are so architectural, it would be great to build a roof like this.

They also come in a summer version too, for keeping off all those hot little sun rays.

A little book corner.

So I have discovered reading. As a kid I hated reading. In the past I may have read a book a year but this year I have read 8 books so far and going strong. Ironically for a while now I've had this idea to open up a reading cafe. This is what I would furnish my imaginary cafe with. The Lese+Lebe "portable reading room" comes with built-in lights and neat pull-down tables, perfect for a spot of tea.

One day...

101 Projects in 1001 Days.

Today I was feeling particularly motivated having just finished the rug I was crocheting. I stumbled upon Day Zero, a website created to inspire you to reach your goals (any goals, anything from the sesible to watching all the movies in a top 100 list or compleating extreme level on Left 4 Dead).

The mission: to complete 101 tasks in 1001 days.
The criteria: tasks must be specific with a result that is either measurable, or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of effort on your part).

So here is my list...

101 Projects in 1001 Days

Note: The ones in purple have been completed (23/101).
The ones in Italics and green are being done (8/101).
All others are yet to be completed.

Start: 16/04/2009 End: 12/01/2012

1. Sew a quilt.
2. Make a complete set of reusable shopping bags (5).
3. Stop accepting plastic shopping bags.
4. Take the wardrobe re-fashion pledge for 2mths (1st May ’09 to 1st July ’09).
5. Take the wardrobe re-fashion pledge for 6mths.
6. Sew a dress and wear it out.
7. Spend a nite or two at Tirritirri Matangi.
8. Volunteer at the Zoo. - I'm helping trap rats.
   
9. Graduate with a Bachelor of Design, Spatial Design.
10. Take a pattern-making course.
11. Regularly post and sell my crafts.
12. Post at least 3 times a week on Weka Live Here.
13. Maintain daily diary entries.
14. Attend a Napier Art Deco weekend.
15. Travel to New York or Tokyo.
16. Visit Melbourne.
17. Visit China.
18. Make 5 Buntings (flags on string) and sell or give away (0/5).
19. Make 5 pairs of baby boots and sell or give away (0/5 ).
20. Release 1 book every 2 months (Book Crossings) (0/18). - can't bear to part with my books!
    
21. Record spending of joint account.
22. Record my spending.
    
23. Limit non-essential clothes spending to less than $1000 a year.
24. Sew a full-length housecoat.
25. Learn to sew a pair of underwear.
26. Go camping. (went camping at Tawhitokino Bay).
    
27. Go swimming once a week during winter.
28. Keep our energy usage below 50kWhs a day at least 90% of the time.- installed a pot belly that helps with heating and has lowered the amount of electricity we use greatly.
    
29. Put up lined curtains in the living room. -Decided our place looks better without curtains.
    
30. Use libraries, borrowing or second hand stores for all my fiction-reading needs for 2009. - I'm pretty much addicted now, all those books free!
    
31. Finish all uni projects with at least a day up my sleeve.
32. Go to Bethlles coffee cart.
33. Read all of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series (5/37).
34. Read all of the Obernewtyn Chronicles (3/6)
35. Read 250 books (roughly 1 every 4 weeks) (24/250)
    
36. Take up Yoga.
37. Dye my hair. - A kind of red-purple :)
38. Get an income.
39. Learn some German.
40. Get a firearms licence.
41. Make an outdoor table. - no need any more, m+p gifted one to us.
    
42. Make some bench seats.
43. Install a swing in the Oak.
    
44. Get/Build Penny a coop. - penny took care of this... she moved in with the neighbours chooks.
    
45. Travel further up the Auckland west coast.
46. Obtain a digital toy camera. (perhaps a Digital Harinezumi)
47. Move the bedroom to actual master bedroom.
48. Move Workroom to room off living room.
49. Make ironing room/walk-in wardrobe.
50. Start a darkroom in the basement.
51. Do not buy gifts in 2010.
52. Try a recipe from my Indian cookbook.
53. Go on a trip with friends to Waiheke.
54. Make home-made marshmallows.
55. Bake something. (Bread, cupcakes... anything). - baked cupcakes... a little burnt but still yummy.
56. Register my own business.
57. ...
    

as you can see I haven't quite got to 101 projects but I'll keep updating the post as I go.

So why don't you give it a go? Day Zero

Love Easter.

So I hope you had a great Easter. I did! Put together a little indoor Easter picnic full of chocolate and painted eggs. My husbands family didn't really celebrate the festive side of Easter so I thought it was about time I gave him a taste of real Easter. Here are a few photos...

Here is a little something I came across. Made by theredthread. A blown ostrich egg covered in chalk paint. Such a great way to leave little notes or just doodle your time away
(and not just during Easter).

Cardboard! Cardboard!

Cardboard is a great material. We are surrounded by it constantly but most often as throw-away packaging. It's that disposable, recyclable quality that I find so attractive. Today I wanted to look at something a bot more semi-permanent. Cardboard furniture.

The three designs below are put together by foldschool, free designs intended for parents to put together for their kids. Great pieces that the kids can play with and draw all over. Once they have grown out of or destroyed them, just throw them into the recycling.

chair

stool

rocker

Kapteinbolt have put together this semi-perminant cardboard clothing display. I would love to see it installed in a shop and I could do with one in my place at the moment.

And to top off this dedication to cardboard a whole office made of cardboard. The Nothing Office. Nothing, an ad agency based in Amsterdam, wanted to use the most "Nothing-material", ecofriendly and recylable. This is the philosophy they aspire to. It reminds me of being a kid and building houses out of fridge boxes. All I ever wanted was to be able to build a second level and these people have so in my eyes it's perfect!

(awesome!)


And a little something for your cat.

llot llov

Originally I wanted I wanted to blog about fairy lights then I stumbled over these guys, llot llov, a bunch of product designers from Germany. I just adore their playful take on lighting fixtures.

These whimsical creations are called Matt. They are made to be played with. The knitting mixed with a no-heat-emitting bulb makes them ever so touchable.

And here, Matt's bigger brother Ray.

This creation they made for an installation.

This ornate metal fixture attaches to the light fitting and casts shadows reflecting the idea of a ceiling rosette.

Its successful because it's simple.

Having recently moved place myself I wish I had one of these. A makeshift table. A metal cut-out wrapped around a cardboard box. A handy temporary table that would probably stick around a lot longer than the packing boxes.

One Week Till Easter!

Unfortunately in New Zealand we celebrate Easter (or Christmas or Halloween or any sort of celebration) half-heartedly. I spent three years of my childhood living in Germany and they knew how to celebrate. Every holiday was an occasion to whip out the crafts, get dressed-up and throw a party. So I am dedicating this post to wonderful Easter eggs, something we seem to have forgotten about round these parts.

Firstly these frivolous home creations. An egg that anyone can aspire to. So whip out thoes eggs and food dye and get started. (Place ¼ teaspoon food colouring into a small bowl. Add ¾ cup of hot water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for each colour. Mix well.)

Don't forget your paintbrushes to add a little detail (or a lot like these below).

This would be my dream scene. Trees dripping with Painted eggs.
Just like something out of a story.

Here is a neat little vidio on how to make Ukrainian Easter eggs.

And the most over the top of them all the Faberge egg.

Or this wonderful creation by Franc Grom.

And this is how the Germans do it... Eggs for all :D

These little creations made my day. A little something that will last longer than the Easter chocolates and will brighten any kitchen window sill. Try filling them with your favourite herb.

And no one should for get their Easter egg tree. Or branch as we had in my family.

So to all, have a Happy Easter.

I'm in Love.

My little Olympus E-420 with 25mm Pancake lens. It's so light and fits in my handbag so it will be travelling everywhere. I'm still learning but here are a few shots.

Now to explore more.