Afternoon tea with Pommy

1. Harvest from my garden: Cherry tomatoes, baby eggplant, bok choy, baby spinach, rocket & lettuce

2. I had a friendly visitor for afternoon tea. He was entranced by banana cake and then had a laugh about it later.

3. Banana cake recipe: Pecan, banana, honey & cinnamon
Mix 1/2 cup honey, 5 tblsp melted butter, 1 egg, 3/4 cup self raising flour, 3/4 cup plain flour, tbsp cinnamon, (more sugar if desired), 2-4 mashed bananas depending on how sticky you like your banana cake and chopped pecans. Place more pecans and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Cook 180 deg until no cake mixture when poked with a skewer (or approx 1 hour).

4. My new Emily Green necklace that I bought at the Finders Keepers Markets and love so much
(Some more of my photos for the Weekend Edition from the Finders Keepers Markets)

5. Tasty blue water

6. I'm having a wooden badge sale over in my shop.

7. I love love love the new Harvest Workroom/Textiles range that has been featured on The Design Files this week.

(Img from: The Design Files   Photo taken by: Sean Fennessy )

I now have 5 days available each week to work on freelance work/personal projects. This is so exciting to me and I am filled with so much joy and satisfaction from getting this time. My 5 days seem to get crazy busy! I love that it's busy, however I need a new way to manage time so that I can at least get 1/2 day-1 day off doing nothing but being a lazy vegetable. I can take time off to do things that I enjoy and lots of fun distractions come a long, but I also have to make some sacrifices. Yesterday I went to see The Batman! so I stayed up until 3am getting more work done. Today I am getting a massage because prolonged sitting hours make me all stiff and old and my knees hurt because I sit cross-legged at the computer. There are many insecurities mixed with bouts and bursts of excitement.

Aim for this week: Exercise for at least 15-30 mins every day. Drink more home made juice. Stretch every 2 hours minimum.

Here is a good stretch that is awesome if you sit cross-legged/slouched at computer:
Piriformis Stretch - Cross right leg over left at knee. Clasp hands behind bottom leg and pull both legs towards your chest. Repeat with opposite leg. (Stretch should be felt in buttocks of crossed leg)
This stretch feels freaking amazing!

Here is a gig poster I illustrated for Kellee Green for her gig at the Brisbane Jazz Club - Sunday Brunch 

Mother's Day Weekend

I have been a bit pale, sickly and unfit lately... so I made it my mission to get as much sun, fresh air and activity as possible this weekend! I was lucky enough to have amazing sunny, warm weather in Brisbane. I have spent almost the whole weekend outdoors with lots of long walks, fetes, markets and gardening, so here is a photo blog of my weekend:


On Friday night I went to Yard Bird Ale House  for dinner and a beer with Shane. We made the rookie error of ordering a meal each, instead of sharing! We were so ridiculously full. I had sliders (which reminded me of being in New York again) with beef, honey mustard, pickles and bbq sauce and chips. It was GOOD.  Definitely a place I would like to come back for many more beers, sweet potato fries, bbq wings etc, etc...

Saturday morning we went to the Sherwood State School fete for some jam and chutney! I also got 4 herb plants for $11! And my sister rolled around in giant balls with her friends over water... Then we went to the Rocklea Markets and scored big on fruit & veges and a little rest with Okonomiyaki for lunch. I have been enjoying some delicious salads made by Shane this weekend with our market buys!

On Sunday I threw a mothers day breakfast for my mum. We had sour dough with moroccan peach chutney, tomato, mint & avocado salsa and poached eggs. Blueberry, banana & cinnamon muffins. Sourdough with butter and blueberry & pear jam. Then i spent the whole afternoon digging in my garden, weeding, replanting and trying to repair the damage from the possums! I planted some new yellow zucchini, pak choy and lettuce. I also planted out my chamomile, thyme and oregano that I bought at the fete, but am still waiting on a location for the mint! Then I put up possum netting over all of my garden. Fingers crossed that it works!!  I love the combination of the smell of the earth and the way my fingers and arms and legs ache from the hard work.

Another Weekend...

I'm recovering from a weekend of late nights with a cup of tea and toast in bed while I finish this blog. I feel a little bit like I'm running on a hamster wheel at the moment. One step forward, one step back.

I'll get there! And another weekend flashes before my eyes. My days off are so precious to me. They slip through my fingers as I desperately try to use every moment of them. I wish I could immerse myself into creativity for a month and lock myself in my studio... but then I realise that every distraction is more inspiration filling my brain. I start my weekends on Friday morning and by Saturday morning I am already panicking that they will be over soon. Today my brain is exploding with ideas for illustration & other creations and there is little time to get anything done. At least my sketchbook is full of ideas.

Here are some distractions that inspire me:

1. My Garden
 
(Possum destruction in the garden bed...)
   
Sketches from my garden - it rained on my sketchbook :(

2. Datter Industries Jewellery by Kaye Blegvad


3. Dadu Shin



4. Whip it - http://youtu.be/Xbt30UnzRWw

5. Barksdale Brass Band at Blackbear Lodge

6. This amazing series of interviews...
      ...with my ultimate dream illustration/creative agency Jacky Winter on The Design Files Guest Blog. The interviews are all with Jacky Winter's commander-in-chief Jeremy Wortsman and members of his staff. It was so great to read about some of the behind the scenes work that goes on at Jacky Winter. *melts into a puddle*
Interview 1 - with Jeremy Wortsman and Karan Sing
Interview 2 - with Jeremy Wortsman and Monica Laskowski
Interview 3 - with Jeremy Wortsman, Fushia Ohara and Charlotte Ghaie
Interview 4 - with Jeremy Wortsman and Meredith Forrester
Interview 5 - with Jeremy Wortsman and Kelly Thompson


7. Cooking with fresh ingredients from my garden

Pasta with fresh spinach from my garden

Lamb, Rosemary & Vegetable Pie


8. Fantasising about tea parties with a human sized version of my dog friend Pommy...


9. Kelly Walton's Tumblr

10. The hilariousness of my lover's excitement...
...over the Brisbane Roar's win at the Grand Final. He loves sport so much - see the raw passion! This makes me smile so much - I love this guy!
(He will probably kill me for posting this)