Fabulous birthday.

fried chicken with crunchy stuff on it

I was showered with love. My presents totalled 2 little ceramic birds, a bunch of flowers, a cupcake, a promise of some OPI nail polish, and a jumbo share bag of Maltesers. Score! Dinner at Delima was excellent, and many friends and eat streeters made it extra excellent. Some of us chased it down with extreme gelato, I went sour cream chocolate style.

Cup and pot.

These are a few of my favourite things.

Final shirt!

The Luke Thompson concert was fantastic. Bonus, Tim Hart joined him for a few songs. Awesome value, good music, nice company: even met someone I had apparently met before, from my brothers church. We all sang along the choruses of a couple of songs, in a lovely spontaneous way. It was hot and stuffy, but for $12, can't say I can remember a better value gig.

I sewed on Saturday afternoon, with my lovely last piece of material from Kelani. Catastrophe struck halfway through and while using the overlocker I chopped a hole in the front of the shirt. I wailed and gnashed my teeth, and then had to unpick the collar and remove the front. That's the risk of sewing with a machine that has a blade scissoring the seam as you go. it's wonderfully efficient until you get something caught up and chop through it before you realise. It was not the first time. Luckily I had a remnant big enough to cut another front out of, otherwise i would have cried. $50 worth of material destroyed just by catching it up in the overlocker. Then I went for a swim with my flatmate to get rid of the irritation. I was sooooooo cross. The water was cool and lovely.

Got back into it on Sunday, and had no more catastrophes. This shirt I have adapted to have buttons right down the front instead of just a placket. It has 11 buttons. I used the pointy collar, and I did short sleeves. No sleeves looks nice but I generally like a bit of sleeve.

I think the collar is a bit off centre at the front. I find that is a tricky thing. You start with an evenly placed collar, but by the time you sew it around it you've got either extra collar or extra shirt at the end when you finish. But it's not noticeable.

Did some leafleting at the shops, for Easter church. It went well. Praying people come. The shopping centre apparently supplied us with Easter eggs to give out as well, which is lovely. Then music practice then church. That was my weekend.

Marking another year.

It's my 29th birthday next week. I get the pre-birthday blues, when I spend 1 or 2 weeks feeling slightly melancholy because of all the things I haven't done while my life whizzes by. I don't know why I don't count my blessings and achievements, you'd think it would be the perfect time to look at the past almost 3 decades and go "Wow! Look at me. I'm so lucky. I'm talented, employed, have great quality of life and excellent health, wonderful friends and loving family, and now I'm another year closer to heaven!" but for some reason I go the other way, and think "Another year of my life gone, goodbye twenties, still single, still wearing braces, still renting in the city, doing the same thing I've been doing for the last 5 years." I think it is really important to have good things to anticipate, so I have to make birthday plans and ensure I'm well and truly love-bombed. The birthday itself is pretty much OK, I bounce right back.

Luke Thompson tonight.

I'll be there listening to this.

Two nice things.

The cup that matches my teapot. It's called Zero Japan Mint Gelato. Basically it's a pale blue matte glaze. Was on my desk this morning when I got to work. Yay! Then I went and got my teeth photographed and scanned in preparation for the robot wire (in 6-8 weeks time).

This was among my projects and artwork back in Maitland. I copied it from Pride and Prejudice, which has really lovely pictures. Pencil is one of my best mediums.

Matte topcoat.

Matte topcoat before and after.

Weekend in Maitland.

Changed my first flat tyre at 8am on Saturday morning with Dad on speakerphone.

Me and mum did what she calls 'cafe therapy'.

I sorted and threw away the treasures and creations of my childhood. I literally collected treasures and kept them in treasure boxes. 20 years ago my definition of a treasure was broad and interesting. I was into tiny containers for things like stock cubes or tic tacs, sitckers, codes and spy stuff, anything with a horse on it, anything I made myself. I found the first thing I probably ever sewed, and some very strange things I spent a lot of time and painstaking attention on. It wasn't as sad as I thought, sorting through everything, taking a photo of each item, and then throwing it away. Mum watched me do it. It was a little bit amusing, and quite insightful to see the connection between child me and adult me.

 The first thing I ever sewed, probably.

A spy kit. Fake matches, little note paper, glasses for a disguise.

A code wheel for spy codes.

Also my home-school projects. We didn't throw these out. My interests were very specific and I was very absorbed in my research and presentation of subjects that interested me. There are definite clues that I was going to be a graphic designer already, looking at the layout of these projects.

Did some more finding missed stitches on my cross stitch.

Went for a walk with mum and dad along the river and around Maitland a bit. It was interesting. I'd never been to Horseshoe Bend.

Caught the train back on Monday morning which was really nice. A sunny long train ride is a strangely peaceful way to start a Monday morning, and I went a little bit after the peak hour rush.

Nail files: favourite colours.

This is my collection of nail polishes. As you can see, fairly restrained. The bottle at the front is my favourite bottle, it's a matte topcoat I put over a lot of things. Takes the shine off if a colour is looking a bit tacky.

I love this pale pink colour. It was an impulse buy because it was on special at Big W. I like that in one light it's hard to see I have anything on but then in another light it's like shiny pearls. Subtle and classy. I put matte topcoat over the top. It lasts really well. It's the best way to cover the gross orange stains that still haven't grown out completely.

This is the nails after a week. Still in top condition. It is really hard to take photos of fingernails. I can't get true colour and there is a lot of reflection.

Then for a change, I went to dark purple. I didn't remove the pearly pink, I just put it over the top because the pink was a good undercoat. I always undercoat now. I've learnt that lesson. All the layers made a nice smooth finish because all the ridges were filled in. I do not file the ridges off my nails. because I believe in treating my nails with love and gentleness. I do not file off the top surface or cut off cuticles. However, all those layers of polish meant a really long hardening time, so I ended up smashing big dents in my thumbs and middle finger during the evening. Had to redo. Another thing I learnt, my flatmate recommended using a hair dryer to dry polish faster, but she is wrong. Heat causes bubbles, and it didn't decrease the hardening time. Not worth it.

I think light colours look better on me. I'm not a huge fan of this purple, it is too plummy and shiny. Might try the old matte topcoat trick and see if it looks better without the gloss.

Not much really.

On Saturday I was struck by an inability to do much. I wanted to go for a swim, but I didn't. I wanted to do jillian instead but I didn't either. I thought i could at least shop for food, but should i take the car or not, cos I needed to move the car AND walk, and what should I buy to eat anyway...

Accomplishments for Saturday morning:
A shower.
Washing up.
Painting nails.
Stripping bed and washing sheets.

It's ok, but that was about an hour's worth of stuff. The rest of the time I mooched in front of The Loop feeling indecisive and apathetic and cross about it. My nails look really nice though.

On Sunday I had more success, I altered the uncomfortable armholes of one of my shirts, which was annoying to have to do but that's the reality of sewing. Then I went to the spot festival and bought yummy food for lunch and also a fancy tea towel. It is for a present. A local woman designs and sells them.

The week has continued in unmotivatedness. I occasionally do a tiny bit of jillian. Or paint my nails. It's going to be all nail polish posts around here pretty soon.

FInn Kelly.

Second row seats. It was amazing. Two legendary songwriters with so many good songs between them. There were a handful of favourite songs I didn't hear but the overall show was so good it didn't matter. Heard some I didn't know. We were like 3 meters away from them! It went for 2.5 hours. There was snow.

It never rains but it pours music.

There are about a hundred things I want to go and see/hear this month. For some reason it's live entertainment season right now. Overseas artists are all over the place, and there are weird little gigs everywhere. I could go to about 2 things a week. But I'm not. But tonight I am seeing Oliver! in Hurstville and on Saturday the Idea of North at Blue Beat. Sunday is the Spot Festival in my suburb, Monday is the Finn Kelly concert at the Opera House. It's going to be so boring in April when I expect there will be nothing to see or do, to balance life out.

Here is something nice http://www.lukethompsonmusic.com/. I liked Luke Thompson's first music a few years ago, and then I heard about him again this month on Eastside radio, and he's touring with Passenger and stuff. I would like to see Passenger because I am currently OBSESSED with the lovely song Golden Thread, but eh, I already have enough to see this month. Anyway, Luke Thompson. He is giving away a beautiful album on his website, so download and donate if you like it. It's a fine album, so donate anyway in the spirit of generosity with which he is giving it away. This is why I always look up artists to buy off them directly rather than get rorted by iTunes!

So here is lovely music for the weekend.

On a slow boat to China by Luke Thompson:


Golden Thread feat Matt Corby:


There's parachutes above you, and lifeboats below,
And a heart that loves you, yeah, I think you know

Attaboy.

My jaw dropped when I came across this song today. Haven't even listened to the whole Goat Rodeo Sessions album yet, had to share it straight away. Yes, that is Chris Thile on mandolin and Yo-Yo Ma on cello.

I gave blood.

I want to start tracking my iron, so basically I'm going to blog my blood donations here. 

Blood pressure: 116/76; Iron: 125 (false reading of 115)

Had a terrible time last time and the few times before that (I am starting to wonder if it is because I sit in the aircon at work, maybe a walk to warm up and get some circulation would help), but thankfully had a perfect and painless donation. Well done, nurses.

They have puzzles in the refreshment room now. And such a variety of snacks and drinks, including fruit.

Feeling a bit tired this morning, wondering if that's a blood donation hangover thing. Or not.

Anastasia.

I watched Anastasia twice on Saturday while sewing. Not so much watching as singing along. It's one of those childhood movies that is widely under-rated but passionately loved by a few. Anastasia is everything: animation, romantic comedy, musical. It could be better, it could be worked up into something bigger, but the ingredients are right. Epic political background like in Les Mis, snow, Russian palaces, Paris, charming conmen, a red-headed heroine, love divided by class. It could lose the puppy and Rasputin being undead, but there's not a single bad song and the the voice talent was first class. It could be more.

Yes, Anastasia the musical. Angela Lansbury, original voice of the Dowager Empress, will be in it. Aaron Tveit, Enjolras in Les Mis and also the imaginary son from Next to Normal, will be in it. I hope it happens, and I hope I go to America and see it. Because I probably would. Unfortunately all I can find are casting rumours from 6 months ago, so I guess it's a long way away.

Speaking of Next to Normal, I forgot that it is a good musical, despite the heavy subject matter: family and mental illness. I love the song 'A Light in the Dark', and this one, 'My Psychopharmacologist And I'.

I'm going to Oliver! this Friday, to round off this musical theater ramble.

Second shirt weekend.

I'm pretty much done for shirting I think. I've got it down to a smooth operation now though. Half a day, one shirt. I've played around with the pattern and got what I want out of it. I finished one shirt in pewter cotton voile from Lincraft with the regulation Peter Pan collar and placket but don't have any buttons on the placket yet, so it is just sort of sewn shut for now. The second shirt I used the plain fabric I got from Kelani, it turned out to be basically a chambray: cloth woven with white thread going one way and pale brown going the other. Chambray is usually blue and it's almost a light denim. It was really nice to sew. You get what you pay for. I pushed the pattern a bit further this time, I made the collar pointed instead of rounded and I did a narrower placket, as well as leaving the sleeves off. I think it looks nice.

I've got to make one more, with the blue medallion pattern material. Just have to decide what to do with it. I'm thinking maybe instead of a placket a complete opening down the front. Probably the pointy collar again although maybe I'll try another style. Maybe shorter sleeves.

Randwick.

http://nowandthen.mindsocket.com.au/images?tag=randwick&keyword=

This photo (I unfaded it with photoshop) is from the nowandthen website I am enjoying in my lunch breaks. I walk past this statue every day, when I get off the bus which stops on the left hand side there. Looks like a horse hitching-post. There is a new bit of building around the tower now, where restaurants come and go, but it's still very recognisable.

Music: Reminder.

Just something to mix it up among all the sewing. A cover of my current favourite Mumford and Sons song, Reminder. I like how slow he starts, and the heavy reverb treatment doesn't hurt.

This is my face when I got my fabric in the mail yesterday. Quite happy.