Sammy Nuttall Art, Thoughts & Inspiration...

Happy Australia Day!

2012-01-26T12:46:00.001+11:00

Today, as I wish you all a Happy Australia Day, I am counting my Blessings and feeling so grateful for this place I call home. I feel moved every time I hear these words and would like to share them with you...titled "I Am Australian" written by Bruce Woodley.

I came from the dreamtime
From the dusty red-soil plains
I am the ancient heart
The keeper of the flames
i Stood upon the rocky shore
I watched the tall ships come
For fourty thousand years i've been the first australian

I came upon the prison ships
Bound down by iron chains
I cured the land
Endured the lash
And waited for the rains
I'm a settler
I'm a farmers wife
On a dry and barron run
A convict and a free man
I became Australian

Im a daughter of a digger
Who sought the mother load
The girl became a women
On the long and dusty road
Im a child of the depression
I saw the good time come
Im a bushy im a battler
I am australian

Chourus:

we are one
but we are many
and from all the lands on earth we come
we'll share a dream
and sing with one voice
i am, you are, we are australian

Im a teller of stories
Im a singer of songs
i am Albert namajera
and i paint the ghostly gums
im clancy on his horse
Im ned kelly on the run
Im the one who waltzed matilda
I am australian

im the hot wind from the desert
im the black soil of the plain
im the mountains and the valleys
im the drowned and flooding rains
i am the rock
i am the sky
the rivers when they run
the spirit of this great land
i am australian

we are one
but we are many
and from all the lands on earth we come
we'll share a dream
and sing with one voice
i am, you are, we are australian

we are one
but we are many
and from all the lands on earth we come
we'll share a dream
and sing with one voice
i am, you are, we are australian

A blog I like: "The Positive Experiment"

2012-01-26T11:50:00.000+11:00

Whenever anyone starts following me on twitter, I usually take the time to check out their profile to see who they are and what they're all about. Today, I discovered "The Positive Experiment: Thinking Positively For 1 Year". How wonderful! I believe (as many of you would know), that Happiness is a choice we make. Every thought, every decision, every step we take is leading is towards or away from our highest good and greatest joy. We are either in growth or decay/decline, and each little choice contributes in it's own way. So in her own words, Elizabeth from "The Positive Experiment" states: "I’ve decided that I’ve wasted enough time and energy on negative thoughts, feeling scared, and being insecure. So I created “The Positive Experiment”: a blog chronicling my year long journey towards positive thinking". Go for it, Elizabeth, I'll enjoy journeying along with you!

The Swap-O-Matic

2012-01-19T18:36:00.002+11:00

Swap-o-matic - Promotional Video #1 from Lina Fenequito on Vimeo.

By now you're probably aware of my passion for recycling, reusing etc etc. I even have a few ideas on my website - you can see them here. I believe that every little teeny tiny bit helps, if we all did a little bit more, what a big difference it would make to our planet. Anyway, a friend who's also a recycling type shared the above info with me (thanks Deb). How cool is The Swap-O-Matic? What a fabulous idea! You can learn more about The Swap-O-Matic here. I just wish there was one a bit closer to where I live...

Gotta Be In It! RedBubble T-Shirt Competition

2012-01-18T09:47:00.001+11:00

Just thought I'd let you know that RedBubble (you know, where I sell iPhone Covers, prints, t-shirts etc), have launched a competition where you get the chance to win your favourite RedBubble t-shirt! The comp runs between now and the 31st January 2012. All the details can be found here, but I've also popped a summary below.

1. Follow RedBubble on Twitter @RedBubble
2. Send a tweet with the hashtag #Tweets4Tees and a link to your favourite RedBubble tee
3. Once a day they’ll announce a winner so sit back, relax and wait to see if you’ve won
4. Enter as many times as you like before January 31st
5. For more information, head on over to the official rules

My RedBubble t-shirts can be found here and they're available in all sorts of styles, sizes and colours. The t-shirts pictured here are ones that I've purchased for myself and a few pictures of New Owners wearing my RedBubble tees can be seen in this Gallery. Good luck!

The Rainbow Connection

2012-01-12T17:51:00.003+11:00

The Rainbow Connection

"Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard
and answered when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.
Look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic.

Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors.
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me."

For as long as I can remember, this has been one of my favourite songs...I have fond memories of Kermit The Frog sitting on a log in his swamp playing his banjo and singing. I love rainbows and see them in all sorts of places....here's a link to a larger version of this photograph. May you see rainbows too.

Lola Berry makes sense to me...

2012-01-10T13:09:00.000+11:00

I've never met Lola Berry. But there's something about her I really like. Perhaps it's because when I've heard Lola speak I have found her easy to understand. Perhaps it's because she seems to make a lot of sense. Perhaps it's because Lola sounds like a Smiley Person, and you know what I think of them! If you're interested in learning about Lola and her passion for healthy eating, visit http://lolaberry.com/ and see whether you think Lola makes sense to you.

A blog I like: "Get Ready It's A New Day"

2012-01-05T19:13:00.001+11:00

I really love the post from "Get Ready It's A New Day" titled "Sometimes You Just Need To Distance". I recommend you pop over and have a little read. Anyone that knows me probably understands my belief about how important boundaries are to maintain our balance and in particular to help us follow our truth. I don't know how or where I ever stumbled across "Get Ready It's A New Day" by "don't stop believing", but I'm really glad I did. I need inspiration and reminding too...

A Word About Cameras...

2012-01-05T14:27:00.000+11:00

When it comes to cameras and photography, I often hear people saying one of two things. Well truthfully, they often say both, one after the other.

Firstly, they must need a new camera because the one they have doesn't seem to take good photos. I find this really interesting. Did they manage to ever take good photos with this camera and perhaps after a bump or knock, it doesn't seem to work as well? Or is the quality of photo pretty much the same as when they purchased the camera? Often people seem to think the better the camera, the better the photos. As if the best sewing machine makes the best garments or the most expensive scissors result in the best haircut. As a person who is not particularly skilled with a sewing machine, sometimes I wish!!! However I personally believe the operator has a lot to do with how any piece of equipment works. Rather than running off to spend money on a new piece of equipment, I prefer to learn how to use what I've got well first. And if my skill has outgrown my tools, then I may look at upgrading. But I've seen plenty of ordinary photos taken with expensive cameras and many fantastic shots taken with a cheap "point and shoot" or old mobile phone. If you like in Melbourne and are interested in learning more, I'm happy to let you know of someone that may suit your needs.

The second comment is about needing a camera with a massive amount of megapixels! Again, the bigger the picture can be blown up to doesn't make it a better image. In fact, you're more likely to see issues with the image the larger it is. How often do you really need an image that will be printed wall size? Even with a large amount of cropping of an image, most cameras now available on the market will have more than enough megapixels for most people to print an image to larger than their requirements.

Finally, the above image was a quick snap taken with a very old mobile phone whilst I was on an early morning walk. I was trying to capture the colours in the sea and only took this one shot, and I really love it It means a lot to me and looking at it takes me straight back to that moment. Often that's more important than taking "the best shot". Just follow this link to see a larger version.

p.s. rather than a new camera, I'm more likely to put some $$$ towards a new lens or new class.

Amelia's Story...

2011-12-22T18:34:00.004+11:00

At this special time of year, I encourage you to think about the ultimate gift. Organ donation. Please talk about it with your loved ones and for further information visit Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation.

You're Never Too Old...

2011-12-22T10:08:00.001+11:00

A Christmas / Birthday Gift Idea

2011-12-14T20:39:00.000+11:00

It's lovely to receive meaningful gifts at Christmas time, but here's an idea you may find of interest. Instead of buying each other Christmas Gifts last year (more wine anyone?), a group of my friends and I decided on a different idea. Each year we would use the money we would have spent on each other to purchase a ticket each to a charity function. That way we all get to enjoy a night out together with money going to a good cause. Early 2011 we all attended "MAGIC", a WACCI fundraiser for the Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre. We all dressed up and wined and dined into the night enjoying the company of good friends and knowing that our money was going somewhere it was really needed. Who knows which charity event will benefit during 2012?

Spikey Rose Design

2011-12-13T19:14:00.002+11:00

I am fortunate to know lots of wonderfully creative and talented people. I like who they are and what they do, and thought some of you might be interested too. In no particular order I'm going to be adding a number of posts letting you know about some of the terrific people in my world...

Now let me introduce you to Spikey Rose Design. I met Glenda at The Handmade Show and was quite taken with her memory wire bangles in particular, as well as her warmth and helpfulness. I purchased some more Spikey Rose Design jewellery recently as gifts and love the energy of each piece as well as the craftsmanship.

Here's some info straight from Spikey Rose Design as well as links so you can visit them yourself.

Spikey Rose Design:
"I create jewellery pieces and each are one of a kind. Because they are indivdually handcrafted by me I cannot replicate items although I can make similiar. I love what I do and am always learning new things and and am heavily influenced by the world around me and other Jewellery artists. I like to experiment and there's been a lot of bits of wire thrown away in the process.
I put my heart into everything I make therefore you will find hearts are a strong feature of all my work. The name SpikeyRose comes from a combination of my middle name Rose - also my mum's maiden name - and Pike my maternal grandmother maiden name. A bit of playing around with the words and googling I came up with the combination of 'SpikeyRose'.
Some would say I have a few thorns too although I think the beauty is worth it! What do you think?"
http://www.madeit.com.au/SpikeyRose
http://www.craftumi.com.au/SpikeyRoseSup...
http://spikeyrosedesign.blogspot.com/
http://www.spikeyrose.com.au

MooBeeTees

2011-12-13T19:04:00.000+11:00

All I Want For Christmas - HMAS OCEAN

2011-12-07T13:40:00.001+11:00

I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS!!! It made me laugh. It makes me appreciate my life. It endorses why I love creativity. It made me feel great-full. And I'm very pleased this lot will be home for Christmas 2011...in fact in two days time from the time I'm writing this, they should be home. Here's some info for you straight from the YouTube entry... CELEBRATE LIFE!!!

After lots of time away last year (214 days) -- planned for 7 week deployment exercise with other nations
Diverted to Libya and further operations

Back 9 Dec after 7½ months away - 225 days with 176 at sea

400 people onboard (at peak during the amphibious exercises just under 900 onboard but approx 650 during Op Ellamy)
Steamed just over 40,000 miles
Burned approx 6,000 tonnes of fuel
Operated 16 different type of aircraft off the deck

Realities of deploying:
15 babies born while the ship has been away (fathers did get home to see mum and baby)
5 people were sent home so they didn't miss their own weddings.
1 sailor whose son's third birthday is on homecoming. Family meeting ship

Ships company have missed:
Summer holidays.
Children's exam results
Children finishing school and starting university
The Padre missed his daughter's graduation.

The ship's company made a Christmas DVD when they heard they would be home for Christmas.

Here's To The Smiley People!

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000+11:00

Here's to the Smiley People. Today during my daily travels I bumped into a Smiley Person that I met recently at a market. She was Smiling when we met too, as was her friend. They stuck in my mind not only because their creations were fabulous, but because they were Smiley People. Amongst all the grizzles and stress and strain there are Smiley People in our lives that Shine Bright. And for them, I am eternally grateful. :D

Tembo Trunks: Updated!

2011-12-05T14:50:00.001+11:00

Tembo Trunks Animation from Tembo Trunks on Vimeo.

I recently stumbled upon these little beauties (just watch the video above) - though I must confess I've not yet tried them myself...(give me a few days and I'll report back). Tembo Trunks are not speakers, rather they are collapsible earphone amplifiers designed for iPod shuffle, nano and classic. Made from 100% non oil-based, high-grade silicone rubber), Tembo Trunks require no assembly and use no power. Just attach your earbud to the Tembo Trunks and you're away!
One thing they don't mention on the website, but perhaps they should, as the maximum volume output is 80dB Tembo Trunks would be great for kids...and their parents!
UPDATE: After having now tried these, I'm happy to let you know that Tembo Trunks are strong, easy to use and the volume is just right! And I love love love the fact that no batteries or charging required.

2012 Calendar For Sale!

2011-11-29T13:56:00.001+11:00

Very pleased to let you know that my 2012 is available!

Also, if you'd like to know what else I've been up to, "What's News 2011"... has been updated.

The Pig Of Happiness

2011-11-27T11:07:00.001+11:00

I love finding like-minded beings on our planet. Please let me introduce you to Edward Monkton. I've seen Edward's creativeness before but really felt the need to share this one, The Pig Of Happiness. It's an "original animated film by Edward Monkton and watching it is likely to make you a happier person. Sharing it with your friends is likely to make them happier too. So spread the love and press play."

I couldn't have said it better myself - more smiles to our world!

“Your Rainbow Panorama”

2011-11-26T09:53:00.001+11:00

I was wandering through Bored Panda recently and found this post about a circular colour glass walkway in Denmark. And being a girl who LOVES colours, chakras, rainbows, art and photography, I'm inspired to one day visit this place to perhaps meditate or just take loads of photos. I think I'll visit "Your Rainbow Panorama" by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson on the same trip as Legoland (also full of colour & loads of creativity etc) and Christiania.

What's on your list?

2011: November: Markets

2011-11-18T09:36:00.001+11:00

Saturday 19th: 10.30am - 3.30pm

The Handmade Show is on again and this time I'm part of it!

Saturday 19th November: The Handmade Show
St. Anthony's Parish Hall, 164 Neerim Rd, (Cnr Grange & Neerim Rds), Carnegie 3163

Wednesday 23rd: 4.00pm - 7.30pm

BNPS Boutique Christmas Market
Beaumaris North Primary School, Wood Street, Beaumaris Vic 3193

Wednesday 30th: 7.00pm - 9.00pm

Xmas Market Stalls

Stella Maris Primary, Multi Purpose Room, 113 Oak Street, Beaumaris Vic 3193

No Matter What...

2011-11-13T15:57:00.001+11:00

No Matter What Anyone Says,

No Matter What Anyone Thinks,

No Matter What You Feel,

No Matter What Is Going On In Your World,

Always, Always, Always

Remember That You Are Loved and

Always Always Always

Remember How Magical You Are!

Bottle Tops Bottle Tops Bottle Tops

2011-11-13T09:17:00.001+11:00

Here's some information that I received this week...it's very close to my heart. Some of you may be aware of the Recycling page on my website. There are also a number of blog posts here about recycling.

Plastic bottle tops are one of the top ten items found during beach cleanups. As estimated 100, 000 marine mammals and turtles are killed by plastic litter every year around the world.

Some parents from Beaumaris North Primary School in Victoria, Australia, as part of the 2012 "Come Play With Us" BNPS Fete and Playscape Project, are asking students, staff and their families to start collecting plastic bottle tops. All plastic bottle tops are to be saved, washed and then placed into the Playscape Recycling Depot in the school office foyer. Please, no lids from NUT products.

One Fete Day, the bottle tops will be used to make recycled art as well as creating a large school mural. The BNPS Plastic Bottle Top target is 10,000 lids! Think of all the animals that could live happily without plastic in their environment. Here's a link to some environmental info: http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/pollution/marine-debris/index.html

One Balloon Each...

2011-11-09T17:11:00.002+11:00

Imagine if we all had one balloon to help us float through life, each of us responsible for caring for our own balloon.

In this imaginary land we are not able to look after someone else's balloon for them, they have to do it themselves. Of course they can ask others for help and advice, but ultimately anything they do is their choice and they are responsible for the results of their choices. Things wouldn't work very well if people didn't look after their own balloon and clung onto someone else's, dragging both down.

Imagine if we all took responsibility for our own actions and own choices, and allowed others to take responsibility for theirs. What would happen if instead of blaming other people and expecting them to change, we looked at changing ourselves, our thoughts or our perspective?

Are the people in your life encouraging you to fly? Or trying to drag you down, whether knowingly or not? Are they taking responsibility for their balloon? Or busily worrying about everyone elses? Or do they struggle to understand that they have the power within them to fly as high as they feel they deserve?

What if we had One Balloon Each...?

If this resonates with you, you may also be interested in visiting my "Inspired Life Collection".

iPhone Cases

2011-11-06T15:23:00.003+11:00

A few of my iPhone Cases for your viewing pleasure - I like to think of these as portable art for your ear! They are made of a sturdy thick plastic and I'm very impressed with the quality of this product. There are plenty to choose from and if there's a design of mine you like that's not yet available as an iPhone Case, please just email me and let me know. I'll arrange it if I am able, it often depends on the shape of the image, but I'll certainly try. In fact some of the iPhone Cases in the collection were suggested by my customers. Once ordered, these products are usually produced within a day or so, however they seem to take a few weeks to get from the factory to their new homes. I'm wondering if Customs are opening these parcels and eyeing off the contents! Thank you to those of you who have already purchased iPhone Cases and those who have provided invaluable feedback.

Duck Palace

2011-11-06T15:15:00.000+11:00

I like Ducks! Had you noticed? Duck Palace is a place that many visit when they need a little cheering up. Or some perspective on life. It's hard to take life too seriously when you're looking at a Collection Of Quackers. What started as me musing on how Yellow Rubber Ducks never seemed to take life too seriously has grown into a bit of a joke with Ducks arrived from all over our world to join my collection.

There are a few Quacker paintings for sale on my website, some ready to hang, some to be framed and perhaps even a few on Happy Bangles. Click here to visit my shop page to have a look at original art for sale and here if you'd like to visit my redbubble page where you can view Quacker cards, prints, posters, t-shirts and even iPhone Cases!

Sammy Nuttall Art on facebook

2011-11-06T15:01:00.001+11:00

Why follow Sammy Nuttall Art on facebook? Well, that's the easiest way for me to have a little chat to you, answer your questions, publish events, receive pictures of your colouring in sheets or drawings and to receive your feedback and run some give-aways from time to time. It's where I can upload images in an instant, so if you're following along it's where you're most likely to get sneak peaks. Besides all that, there are some fabulous people commenting and providing valuable feedback and ideas for me. Come and Play with us!
http://www.facebook.com/SammyNuttallArt

redbubble snapshot

2011-11-06T14:40:00.004+11:00

These pictures are a direct link to my redbubble store...my product range is being updated often and I'd love to hear what you think!

Ivy

2011-11-01T08:35:00.000+11:00

Nature is the ultimate master of colour. I walk past this ivy covered wall most mornings, the colours are rarely the same. I try to spend a little time each day noticing things. Really noticing things. Little details. Little moments.

What do you take for granted? What do you see but not notice? What little blessings fill your days but because they are always there, you overlook them?

When I'm feeling blocked, or sad, or worried I try especially hard to find what I'm great-full for. Even if it's as simple as blue skies, fresh air or an ivy covered wall.

Recycling CD's - More!!!

2011-10-27T20:33:00.001+11:00

It's not that long since I wrote a little post about recycling old cd & dvd's...and now I've stumbled across some others recycling cd's too! They encourage turning old cd's into some form of art and then to post your pics on the page to encourage others.

"Think Outside The Circle (recycled CD art)" can be found on redbubble or facebook.

Helping our planet, one recycling project at a time!

"This is your life"

2011-10-26T09:56:00.005+11:00

I found this post at Get Ready It's A New Day, a blog I keep an eye on. I really enjoy people sharing words like this and in turn wanted to share it with you...

“This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don’t like something, change it. If you don’t like your job, quit. If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing, life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once; seize them. Life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating. Live your dream, and wear your passion. Life is short.”  

Always Happy?

2011-10-24T14:18:00.001+11:00

I feel like I've covered this before, but I'm not sure whether it's just because I remember saying it to people or whether I've written about it. Oh well, if you've heard / read this before, you can stop reading now (*smiles*), or perhaps you need to hear it again, as I really feel the need to share this.

I seem to often get asked if I'm always happy. Probably because the majority of my artistic creations seem to be more uplifting than not. In short, no, I'm not always happy. But I always can search for, and find, something to be grateful for...no matter how I'm feeling. Admittedly, some days it's much harder to leave a place of worry, fear, frustration or sadness to find something to be grateful for, but if I can take a moment to look, it's always there. There is always someone on our planet worse off that we are. Sometimes from a place that feels sad it's hard to find perspective, but it's ALWAYS worth trying.

Fishy Business...

2011-10-23T08:51:00.002+11:00

Saw this and loved it...I think it must have appealed to my love of sea creatures, fascination with technology and kooky sense of humour. Enjoy!

What to do with 65,000 old CD's

2011-10-13T19:53:00.012+11:00

What do you do with old CD's? Hang them in trees to frighten possums and birds? Decorate them? Recycle them? Put them in the rubbish?

Apart from the fact that CD's can release real nasties if burnt or as they slowly break down, consider this:
* To manufacture a pound of plastic (30 CDs per pound), it requires 300 cubic feet of natural gas, 2 cups of crude oil and 24 gallons of water
* It is estimated that it will take over 1 million years for a CD to completely decompose in a landfill
* More than 5.5 million boxes of software go to landfills and incinerators, plus people throw away millions of music CDs each year!
* Every month approximately 100,000 pounds of CDs become obsolete (outdated, useless, or unwanted).

Source:
http://www.ecocoalition.org/don%E2%80%99t-trash-your-old-cds-recycle-them

http://www.boredpanda.com/wastelandscape-made-of-65000-old-cds/

Now pop over to Bored Panda to see images of Wastelandscape and be inspired...

And if you're looking for something a bit more achievable, these decorations are available at Atomik Green.

Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T22:16:00.001+11:00

I really love this talk by Steve Jobs. I read it often. It makes me think. It makes me feel. It makes me feel pleased I follow my heart, no matter where it leads. Many of my choices seem to make no sense to those around me, but that's OK.

Transcript of Commencement Speech at Stanford given by Steve Jobs

Thank you. I'm honored to be with you today for your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. Truth be told, I never graduated from college and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation.

Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months but then stayed around as a drop-in for another eighteen months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife, except that when I popped out, they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking, "We've got an unexpected baby boy. Do you want him?" They said, "Of course." My biological mother found out later that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would go to college.

This was the start in my life. And seventeen years later, I did go to college, but I naïvely chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and no idea of how college was going to help me figure it out, and here I was, spending all the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out, I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me and begin dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms. I returned Coke bottles for the five-cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example.

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer was beautifully hand-calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and sans-serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me, and we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts, and since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them.

If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on that calligraphy class and personals computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do.

Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college, but it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever--because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference.

My second story is about love and loss. I was lucky. I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was twenty. We worked hard and in ten years, Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. We'd just released our finest creation, the Macintosh, a year earlier, and I'd just turned thirty, and then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew, we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so, things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge, and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our board of directors sided with him, and so at thirty, I was out, and very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating. I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down, that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure and I even thought about running away from the Valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me. I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I'd been rejected but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life. During the next five years I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world's first computer-animated feature film, "Toy Story," and is now the most successful animation studio in the world.

In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT and I returned to Apple and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance, and Lorene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful-tasting medicine but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life's going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love, and that is as true for work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking, and don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it, and like any great relationship it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don't settle.

My third story is about death. When I was 17 I read a quote that went something like "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "no" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important thing I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life, because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctors' code for "prepare to die." It means to try and tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next ten years to tell them, in just a few months. It means to make sure that everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope, the doctor started crying, because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and, thankfully, I am fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept. No one wants to die, even people who want to go to Heaven don't want to die to get there, and yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent; it clears out the old to make way for the new. right now, the new is you. But someday, not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it's quite true. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalogue, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stuart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late Sixties, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. it was sort of like Google in paperback form thirty-five years before Google came along. I was idealistic, overflowing with neat tools and great notions. Stuart and his team put out several issues of the The Whole Earth Catalogue, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-Seventies and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath were the words, "Stay hungry, stay foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. "Stay hungry, stay foolish." And I have always wished that for myself, and now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. Stay hungry, stay foolish.

Thank you all, very much.

And here are two of my favourite Steve Job's quotes:

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Steve Jobs

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."Steve Jobs

Thank you Steve Jobs, may you rest in peace.

Meet Frothy Betty

2011-10-05T19:31:00.001+11:00

Some time ago I posted a blog entry about the art of Liz Norman and how excited I was that one of her little creatures had found its way to my home.

Well I thought I let you know that Liz finally has her very own website, Frothy Betty. On the site you can see a selection of art, animation stills and learn about the Totem Poles in the picture. Enjoy! http://www.frothybetty.com/

Time To Give, Time To Receive

2011-10-01T09:01:00.002+10:00

I found the following from Paulo Coelho's blog so important to remember that I felt the need to share it:

"It is important to know when we can give attention and when we need attention. Often we are inclined to give, give, give without every asking anything in return.

We may think this is a sign of generosity or even heroism. But it might be little else than a proud attitude that says: “I don’t need help from others. I only want to give.”

When we keep giving without receiving we burn out quickly…there is a time to give and a time to receive. We need equal time for both if we want to live healthy lives."

A Word About Possums...

2011-09-20T09:26:00.001+10:00

Let me be clear. I like Possums. I enjoy listening to them in my garden at night. I enjoy watching them in my garden at night. I like hearing them skuttle across our roof at night. I put some solar lights around the base of plants I'd prefer they didn't nibble on and they choose others. I ensure we have lots of hidey spots in our garden for them to sleep in. We have a happy, healthy relationship and some kind of understanding. After all, they were here first and humans have moved into their environment, trashed their homes and then grizzle about them in our space. I recently took this photo of a large Ringtail Possum in our garden in the middle of the day. I hope this Possy has found a new place to live. Just sayin'...

Some of My RedBubble t-shirt designs...I'm excited!

2011-09-16T13:16:00.000+10:00

Oh I am excited! Really truly excited! Following, for you viewing pleasure, are some images of my creations now available at my RedBubble. Take my "Sharky" design for example, you get to choose the style, size and colour of garment, pay your $$$, then they do the rest. This one is a kids orange size 12 t-shirt featuring "Sharky". It's soooooo easy!

And here is a sample of one I have ordered for myself. It's a gold girly fitted t-shirt featuring "Floating Quacker" and it's in the mail on it's way to me now. Can hardly wait!!! Will let you know when it arrives and I may even post a photo...

Priorities, Perspective, Passion & Thank You...

2011-09-12T07:40:00.004+10:00

Whilst watching / listening to media, particularly over the past week or so, the following thoughts continually came to mind and I felt the need to share. I am not interested in what Mick Malthouse does or does not do next year. I am not interested in the Kardashians (who are they, anyway?). Although I care deeply about our planet and all creatures on it, I am not interested in continually reliving the events of September 11 every time I turn on the radio or tv. It does not help me be a better person, rather I feel my vibration lower and I just want to switch off. Please don't think I don't care, rather the overload of coverage doesn't help me care.

So instead I'd like to celebrate the wonderful! These are comments about some of my friends and my community, in no particular order.

I am constantly amazing by the incredible work of friends involved in animal rescue.

I watched in awe as a mother and daughter trained and attempted to swim the English Channel for charity.

I am proud to witness our local Auskick group encourage and support young kids, both in learning AFL skills, but also life skills. I love watching all the family involvement, from coaching, assisting, coordinating, playing, cooking sausages to taking photographs and videos and creating incredible footy cards and an amazing end of year dvd.

I commend those members of Moorabbin Lions Club that consistently give back so much to our community.

I am proud to watch the efforts of a Dad raising much need funds not only for his daughter, but for all the kids with her condition.

I watch as a Dad who, when his young daughter died, became a passionate campaigner for Organ Donation.

I am proud to be part of a school community that realises that education is not just about test results.

I am proud to be part of a community art group that understands that art is for everyone.

I am proud to know many people that refuse to be victims to circumstances, instead, they find a way to make theri world, and in turn our world, a better place.

I am blessed to know so many amazing, incredible, creative, inspiring, whole hearted, wonderful people.

Thank you, to each and every one of you. You help me be a better citizen of our planet.

Perspective?

2011-09-10T07:57:00.004+10:00

Perspective. Asked once what I thought would be a great gift to bestow upon someone, after much contemplation, I decided upon the gift of "Perspective". So no matter where we are in life, no matter what is going on, the gift of Perspective can usually help us to see our situation for what it is, not what we think it is. It can assist us to see all the things we have to be grateful for, rather than what we are lacking.

With this in mind, I'd like you to enjoy this video of Emmanuel Kelly...

For further information about Moira Kelly (Emmanual's Mum) and her amazing family:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moira_Kelly_(humanitarian) or to support Moira's charity, http://www.childrenfirstfoundation.com .

BNPS Art Show 2011

2011-09-07T15:06:00.016+10:00

This weekend is the BNPS Art Show 2011!
As requested, here's a bit of info regarding what's on and when...

Saturday 10th September
2.00pm:
Event opens! Great for those of you who want to get first look and perhaps purchase a painting (or two)? Sales of Exhibited works continue until 9.00pm Saturday and on Sunday.
3.00pm:
Auction of Student Art created by Prep, Year and Year 2.
4.00pm:
Auction of Student Art created by Years 3, 4, 5 & 6.
7.00pm:
Auction of Adult Art begins, (there will be drinks at bar prices, so it's really for grown-ups).
9.00pm:
Evening close.
Sunday 11th September
11.00am:
Exhibition open for viewing and sales.
3.00pm:
Art Show Closes.

What does the money go towards?
All monies raised from the sales over the weekend will go to the completion of Art room renovations.

What else?
* A gold coin donation upon arrival would be most appreciated.
* Chance to win the lucky door prize - an original illustration by Jacqui Grantford, illustrator of picture book "Pemberthy Bear." It will be drawn after 7pm on Saturday night and the winner MUST be present to win.
* Drinks at bar prices, nibbles provided.
* Collection of purchases on Sunday from 3.00pm until 4.00pm or Monday from 10.00am until 3.00pm.
* If you are at BNPS during the day, have a quick look at the new Playscape Totem Poles (still under construction) before the official opening.
* You can bid for the painting shown here on Saturday evening!

If you see me at the show, please come and say hello and for further info, please visit: BNPS Art Show 2011

Failing?

2011-09-06T13:37:00.003+10:00

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default."
— J.K. Rowling

(thanks to http://getreadyitsanewday.blogspot.com/ for sharing this quote).

Expect A Miracle

2011-08-02T12:09:00.007+10:00

Albert Einstein said: "There are only two ways to live your life . One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle".

So what if there was an easy way to share this message and do something positive each day that may make a huge difference in someones life? Well I think there is.

In the 80's, Dr John Winwood started handing out "Expect A Miracle" cards. Here's a link to a 2007 message from Dr Winwood describing how this came about.

And here's a link to information about creating and sharing your own "Expect A Miracle" cards. You'll never know the difference you may make to another person...

"Good Vibes!" vs "You Can Do A LOT Better" (aka Top and Bottom)

2011-08-01T11:43:00.005+10:00

I'm a big believer in feedback. I've found that in most day-to-day dealings, service tends to fall in to the middle 80% of things. What you'd expect in ordinary dealings, in ordinary circumstances on an ordinary day. But when service is extra good / great or really terrible, I usually write and let people know. I see no point in grizzling to myself about service as nothing will change. A letter may just make a difference and at least I feel I'm doing something. And you'll never know the pleasure a letter of thanks may bring.

With that in mind, I've decided to list a few instances of people / businesses that have provided great service and perhaps a few that fall well short. This is based on my personal experiences only and I hope to be able to add lots of "Yay, well done" entries as time goes on, as I truly believe that good service will far out way the not-so-good / terrible experiences.

I encourage those in the GOOD VIBES section to pat yourselves on the back and keep going! You are appreciated!!! And those mentioned in the "You Can Do A LOT Better..."? If you care about how your service (or lack thereof) affects your customers, perhaps you'll make an effort to lift your game.

GOOD VIBES

Australian Working Dog Rescue
This non profit organisation rescues working dog breeds from being euthanased in council pounds and shelters and find new homes for them. This hard working dedicated team of volunteers are a source of inspiration to me and I applaud them.
http://www.workingdogrescue.com.au/

Workout Workshop
Great customer service, great advice, very happy and helpful staff. A friend recommended these people and I am so pleased she did. They even rang her after I'd been there to say thank you to her for referring me to them and have since rung to see if I'm happy with everything.
www.workoutworkshop.com/

Nic Pitman of Frame Harbour
42 Balcombe Road, Mentone Vic 3194. Phone 9583 8013
Happy to recommend as I have done often! Fabulous service, great advice, top quality work every time.

Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts
Now I don't know whether or not they're all fantastic, but I have been fortunate to stay in two different Shangri-la establishments, and have found the service to be of the highest level I have ever experienced. The staff looked happy, were courteous, efficient, friendly, helpful, etc etc and I always felt like an appreciated guest. The cost of room services meals, very reasonable and of a high standard. Need I say more? This group of hotels will the first I will consider when travelling, depending of course on price considerations.

Rolf Harris (yep, that one)!
A young Melbourne boy carefully made a card, wrote a note and sent it to Rolf Harris in London. A few weeks later an envelope arrived containing not only a personalised photo, but also a thoughtful handwritten letter and drawing from the man himself. Rolf, you have not only inspired a young child but also all the grown ups who have loved reading and been touched by your heartfelt words of encouragement.
http://www.rolfharris.com/

You Can Do A LOT Better...

Hodges Mentone
I am very unimpressed with dealings we have had with a number of people at this real estate agent. Extremely unprofessional or totally incompetent, not sure which. We have put issues in writing to all directors of this office and have yet to receive any response.

*OCTOBER UPDATE: Have heard more independent unfortunate stories about problems with Hodges Mentone over the past month or so. Word is that one man is so upset that he is considering contacting "Today Tonight" or "A Current Affair" to see if they can get an answer to the complaint he made to Hodges Mentone.

Marina Mandarin Singapore
Not sure where to start, so I'll just note down a few points. Trouble with booking, website not entirely clear on some amenities (as we discovered upon arrival), most staff looked unhappy, not good value for money, room service/restaurants etc very expensive (don't know about quality, we decided not to eat in the hotel), lifts terribly slow, problems not handled well, difficulties checking in, rooms ok but shower is really small...etc etc. And "don't wear flip-flops or running gear the hotel as they have a standard to maintain". Based on my experiences, I'd prefer never to stay here again, (or indeed, at any Meritus Hotel) as I felt more like an inconvenience rather than a guest. Overall it's a good, clean hotel but probably better suited to a large number of people staying as a group for a conference or for a business traveller rather than a stopover or holiday hotel. Having said all that, this hotel is in a great location.

p.s. As this is essentially a blog with mainly positive posts, I thought a great deal about whether or not to publish the names of the companies listed in "You Can Do A LOT Better". I wish these companies no ill, but finally decided that if one person was spared the issues / experiences we had then it would be worth it.

Where The Hell Is Matt?

2011-07-18T14:57:00.003+10:00

You may have already seen this video, featuring a guy dancing? If not, I think you should. Really. And if you have already seen this, perhaps it's time you watched it again. Such a fabulous way to start the day. Such an amazing way to lift your vibration. Such an easy way to encourage a smile.

The guys name is Matt and everything you could want to know about Matt and his dancing can be found on his website: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/ Thank you, Matt, for making the decision to dance and to your friend for filming it.

If you want to dance with Matt, sign up on his site and you may get the chance. I did.

Slava's Snowshow

2011-07-08T20:05:00.003+10:00

Many years ago I experienced the Cirque Du Soleil show, Alegria. Although I enjoyed the entire show, the standout for me was Asisyai, a yellow clothed clown with fluffy red slippers. And I'm a sucker for fluffy slippers. Asisyai is the creation of Russian born Slava Polunin

Some years later I heard that Slava's Snowshow was coming to town. I was excited! Imagining the wonder of an entire show featuring my favourite clown in the whole wide world, I decided to gather a group of friends and family to experience it with me. I explained very little about Slava or Asisyai to anyone, but suggested they should just trust me and come along. I must have sounded passionate as before long a group of us had tickets, and other than me, they didn't really know what for!

I am grateful for those who had trusted me and afterwards they were all grateful that they had too. We had a wonderful evening and played for an hour after the show, watched by a little Russian man (with a smile on his face), quietly sitting on the side of the stage.

You can learn more about Slava here: www.slavasnowshow.com

Yay! Bayside Council Recycling!

2011-07-08T10:04:00.000+10:00

A Magic Garden

2011-07-04T20:30:00.001+10:00

I know a man with a Magic Garden.

He lives quite close to me.

I love the birds, I love the bugs,

I love all the wonders I see.

Lush plants and trees,

Flowers blossom everywhere,

The smell of perfume

hanging in the air.

I feel grateful every time

I walk past his home,

A luscious feast for my eyes,

It encourages me to roam...

I dream of little fairies,

I imagine tiny lands

I'm so happy that I live nearby

My friend with his Magic Garden hands.

More Ingredients That Look Like Food!

2011-07-03T16:49:00.009+10:00

You may have read my earlier post about eating "food"? Here's another product that doesn't have dozens of random looking additives, colours, preservatives, flavours, etc etc...and it tastes really yummy too!!!

One Decision: Andy Dooley

2011-06-17T11:30:00.012+10:00

I have often been told that I see our world a little differently. Through a filter of sorts. A different perspective. I'm not sure how to describe how I see things differently from you, because that really depends on where YOU sit, and how YOU view our world. YOU get to choose how you see things.

As you probably know, the more time we spend time enjoying uplifting energy and good vibes the better, I say! And today I'd like to introduce you to someone who I feel has an uplifting, "good vibes" kind of view of our world, Andy Dooley. I've never met Andy Dooley, but he makes me laugh. He describes himself as "the world's first and only Vibration Activation© coach. He is a law of attraction expert, spiritual comedian and artist." And really, Andy's art and videos speak for themselves and say more about him than I ever could. He has his own YouTube channel, website and often sends out smiley art if you sign up to his mailing list. And if you know me, you know I LOVE Smiley Art! In the following video, Andy talks(?!!!) in his own unique style about how one decision can change your life.

What decision will you make today?
Sending Good Vibes and Blessings to you, and you, and YOU!

p.s. Here is a quote of Andy's that I really appreciate:

"After years of meditation I finally found myself. Sitting in the same spot!"- Andy Dooley

Vitamin F

2011-06-14T14:46:00.007+10:00

I received this from a special friend of mine and loved it so much I thought I'd best share it:

My Vitamin F

Why do I have a variety of friends who are all different in character ?
Some of them can be considered marginal even ?
How do I get on with them all ?
I think that each one helps to bring out a "different" part of me...

With one of them I am a polite, good person.
I joke with another friend.
I sit down and talk about serious matters with one of them.
With another I giggle at every silly thing.
I have my wine with one
And dance with another.
I listen to one friend's problems and give her advice
Then I listen to another advising me.

They are all like pieces of a jigsaw,
When completed they form a treasure box.
A treasure of friends!
They are my friends who understand me better than myself,
who support me through good days and bad days.
They are like colourful vitamins that I take on different days.

Real Age doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Dr. Oz calls them Vitamins F (for Friends) and counts the benefits of friends to our well being. Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes. If you take Vitamin F constantly you can be up to 30 years younger than your real age. The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your tense moments it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke by 50 %.
I am so happy that I have a stock of Vitamins "F"! Thank you for being one of my vitamins!

Thanks so much for sharing this, C. You're a great Vitamin F!

Today I Am Grateful For... (June 2011)

2011-06-04T11:45:00.018+10:00

300611: Calm moments.
290611: Sharing.
280611: Grant Connolly and www.zpointforpeace.com
270611: A heartfelt gift from a friend.
260611: Finishing a long overdue task.
250611: Finding another way to deal with a challenge.
240611: A new perspective.
230611: A helpful neighbour.
220611: Completed tasks.
210611: Wow! Theatre again! "DrZ"...amazing. Thanks to Mum and childminding friends :)

200611: Creative folk.
190611: Giggling children.
180611: Digital Photography.
170611: Reflecting on a wonderful night seeing "LND" at the theatre with my Mum.
160611: Our beautiful Moon. How fortunate we are.
150611: A fresh perspective
140611: Time to varnish
130611: Good traffic flow
120611: Delicious Brekky!
110611: Revisiting childhood memories
100611: Cooperation
090611: A courteous motorist
080611: Smiley children
070611: Generous friends
060611: Soup
050411: Positive and constructive feedback
040611: Laughter!

030611: My dishwasher now it's better. I did miss you.

020611: A break in the traffic when I need it most.

010611: A helpful tradesman who turned up when he said he would.

An easy way to help great cause...

2011-05-19T12:16:00.010+10:00

Greetings All,

This is a fabulous (and really easy) way to help raise funds for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre, Melbourne Australia.

A few years ago, a group of designers, friends and business associates came together and formed ‘We’re Australian Creative Collective Inc’, WACCI. The group share a common humanitarian desire to raise awareness and much needed funds for causes that benefit the community that we are all part of, and are doing this in the best way they can, by gifting their individual talents and by connecting like-minded people in their business and social networks.

As many of you would know, WACCI are active supporters of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre and a few years ago, WACCI approached Olivia to remix her hit single "Magic".

And I'm thrilled to say, it's almost here! This Sunday 22nd May 2011, it will be available on iTunes and featuring on "Dancing With The Stars".

So please, if you're interested raising funds for a great cause, supporting a fantastic organisation (and perhaps having a little dance while you do it), buy the "Magic" single in iTunes (from this Sunday), tell all your friends and help it reach #1!

My Sincere Thanks

p.s. you can find out more about WACCI or the Olivia appeal via these links:

www.wacci.com.au/

www.facebook.com/WACCIMelbourne

www.oliviaappeal.com/

Today I Am Grateful For... (May 2011)

2011-05-01T11:34:00.020+10:00

A while ago I decided to attempt to record one thing each day that I feel grateful for. Big or small, it doesn't matter. It can be anything that comes to mind as I feel it's important to reflect a little each day on something that has made me feel good. Let's see what happens...

310511: A lovely surprise!
300511: Natural wisdom.
290511: Rest.
280511: Trust!
270511: Lessons well learnt.
260511: Being able to ask for help.
250511: Helpful health food store staff
240511: Inspired People
230511: The Amazing Race
220511: The Beach
210511: Compost Bins
200511: Charitable people.
190511: Caring friends.
180511: A woolly beanie.
170511: Being able to help.
160511: The Internet.
150511: Rest and relaxation.
140511: Fun with fantastic friends. And witnessing "The Bidding Dance".
130511: Eurovision Song Contest!
120511: Ingenious inventions
110511: My lovely umbrella.
100511: Information to empower.
090511: ZPoint for Peace and Grant Connelly.
080511: Brekky in bed.
070511: Plants.
060511: Divine Insight.
050511: A wonderfully honest lady named Emma.
040511: Pleasant and helpful shop assistants, and an unexpected guest.
030511: Heating.
020511: Babysteps.
010511: A big sleep in! Yay!

Virtual Choir 2.0

2011-04-28T10:35:00.006+10:00

Interested in seeing what happens when you take one conductor and 2000 singers from 58 countries? Here's a link to the world's largest online choir. Previously, Virtual Choir 1.0 (185 choir members from 12 countries) performing "Lux Aurumque" received over a million online views in 2 months, leading onto Virtual Choir 2.0. Here's a link to the making of Virtual Choir 2.0. What a wonderful world we live in...

Today I Am Grateful For... (April 2011)

2011-04-03T19:17:00.057+10:00

A while ago I decided to attempt to record one thing each day that I feel grateful for. Big or small, it doesn't matter. It can be anything that comes to mind as I feel it's important to reflect a little each day on something that has made me feel good. Let's see what happens...

300411: Enjoyed dinner with a very special group of people that have shared decades together.
290411: Being able to watch something that's seemed to lift the vibration of our planet, The Royal Wedding.
280411: Watching children learning circus skills. Fabulous!
270411: Whoever taught me to make yummy quiches. Yum, Yum, Yum!!!
260411: New friends.
250411: PJ Days...
240411: Living in a peaceful part of our planet.
230411: Leftovers.
220411: An unexpected dinner with friends, courtesy of a flat tyre.
210411: Seeing children smile whilst practicing circus skills.
200411: Chocolate...
190411: Technology!
180411: Feeling brave enough to speak up honestly.
170411: Safe travels.
160411: Good wine with good friends.
150411: Good customer service.
140411: Good health.
130411: Returning to Eumundi with an old friend.
120411: Exploring the Everglades.
110411: Bumping into an old friend.
100411: Fresh croissants!
090411: Drawing.
080411: My car.
070411: People speaking their truth, no matter what.
060411: Reunion.
050411: Bumping into an old friend.
040411: Collaboration.
030411: Rest and relaxation.
020411: Xanadu! Dreams Do Come True.
010411: Selfless volunteers.

"Nuestro Pueblo" aka "Watts Towers"

2011-04-03T07:57:00.131+10:00

"I build the tower people like, everybody come."

I recently tripped over the art of Sam Rodia (born Sabato Rodia, but also known as Simon Rodia, Don Simon, Simon Rodilla and Sam Rodia), in particular his amazing creation, "Nuestro Pueblo", aka "Watts Towers".

The Watts Towers are an incredible construction of seventeen major sculptures made from steel, mortar, ceramic, shells, tiles. They are the work of this one man.

"If a man who has not labeled himself an artist happens to produce a work of art, he is likely to cause a lot of confusion and inconvenience." (Calvin Trillin in the New Yorker in 1965).

There's a lot of information and many wonderful photos on the web, it's worth reading all about this creative man and his vision. The photos linked in this post and quotes are from: http://www.wattstowers.us/

Each time I look at images of these towers, my belief in magic, following your dreams and the power of the vision of one person is reinforced.

These marvellous towers are located in Los Angeles California, USA.

p.s. every time I've tried to post this, the formatting has gone haywire. Perhaps Sam Rodia wants this communicated his way...

Today I Am Grateful For... (March 2011)

2011-04-01T10:32:00.002+11:00

310311: Reliable and thoughtful family members.

300311: Releasing old hurts, like layers of an onion.

290311: Teaching new things and learning new things.

280311: Cooperation. (AKA Adults behaving like Adults!!!)

270311: Fun and laugher.

260311: Giggling with children.

250311: The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

240311: Technology.

230311: Being able to assist in raising money for a very worthy cause.

220311: Spending time learning with little people.

210311: Unexpectedly bumping into a friend's smiling face in the local supermarket.

200311: Seeing some friends smile big smiles as a long term project of theirs nears completion.

190311: Spending fun, fabulous, fundraising time with family and friends.

180311: Enjoying time with creative types.

170311: Being able to help a friend in need.

160311: Today I feel very appreciative for the wonderful healers and teachers I have encountered this lifetime.

150311: Today I feel grateful for fabulous Customer Service.

140311: ‎Today I feel ever grateful for my Mum and Dad playing music in our home when I was a child.

130311: Today I found out that the heritage-listed Kirwans Bridge near Nagambie is set to reopen within weeks after the Strathbogie Shire voted to carry out structural works expected to cost just $50,000. I think Kirwans Bridge is wonderful and I'm glad that it's being taken care of.

I've decided to try eating food...

2011-03-16T20:28:00.000+11:00

I like the idea of looking at an ingredients label on food packaging and actually recognising some of the ingredients! Yay! These are examples of two products I like, they taste yummy and the ingredients panel is not full of numbers. Nice to see products that don't have dozens of random looking additives, colours, preservatives, flavours, blah, blah, blah... Just a thought.

Aerobin: aka My Magic Bin!

2011-03-16T15:03:00.001+11:00

I really am grateful for my Aerobin. There's not a lot of space in our garden for a big messy compost bin, so I was pleased to find there was a type of compost bin that didn't need me to do lots of work and didn't make a big mess. Not that I mind messy, but stinky messy is a bit different to paint messy!

Anyway, with money from Christmas and Birthday saved up I invested in my Aerobin. I say invested as they're not cheap, but the way I figured it, over 10 years or so, I should well and truly get my money's worth and my garden would be all the better for it. Before long my Aerobin was renamed my Magic Bin. I through all sorts of stuff in the top and after a few months I'd remove wonderful rich compost out of the bottom and throw it on my garden. My lemon tree had never looked better and I was soon sharing my garden riches (bags of lemons) with friends and family.

Magic Bin and I had a great relationship for almost 4 years and then things turned a little pear shaped. Although I'd throw stuff in the top the same as ever, the composted process slowed down somewhat... After a few months I decided to investigate. Now I'm sure I don't really need to describe what moving hundreds of litres of half broken down compost is like. Although an unusual experience I'll admit to finding it quite therapeutic! Once empty I found that there was a small crack in the centre of the bin. This made me feel a little sad, but not as sad as when I realised that my warranty had expired a year earlier.

Regardless, I decided to provide some feedback to the company I'd purchased it from. I took a few photos and wrote an email describing my experiences and let them know the purchase date. I'm a BIG believer in providing feedback, both good and bad, to companies of all sorts. How can they learn or change if they're not aware?

Within a short amount of time I received a message from the company asking for further purchase details and as it looked like a manufacturing issue, they arranged to forward replacement parts to me asap. The customer service was excellent and after a few days, a dismantle, a rebuild and refill (eeewwww!!!) my relationship with my Magic Bin is now happily back to normal.

Thank you Aerobin for your fantastic customer service and for your fab product!

Pickled Onions...

2011-03-13T17:46:00.004+11:00

Ever since I was really young I've enjoyed eating pickled onions.

And now, as a grown up, I still love them.

After much research I have decided that these are my all time favourite:

Just thought I'd let you know.

Liz Norman

2011-03-08T19:06:00.005+11:00

One and a bit years ago, I met Lizzy Norman. Liz is an awesome artist, but funny as things can be, we didn't meet in the art world. You may have seen some of Lizzy's fabulous art, but just in case you haven't, above are a few pics from the 2010 BNPS Art Exhibition. I could rave on about how much time, thought and care go into each of these, but I feel you really need to see them in person to appreciate all the inspiration and effort involved. Perhaps for now, just take my word for it. Apart from all her talent, as you know I'm kind of into Quirky and Smiley, and perhaps that's why I enjoy these creations so much. It's hard not to grin whilst looking at them...

So just try to imagine how EXCITED and THRILLED I was when the following was delivered to me last month! Thank you, Lizzy. He has a Happy New Home! Words can't express...

Share The Love...

2011-02-25T14:14:00.000+11:00

All the challenges in our world lately make me feel extra grateful and appreciative of how fortunate I am to be surrounded by wonderful family and friends. If you feel the same, please Share The Love...

Old Batteries...New Home?

2011-02-18T13:48:00.005+11:00

There's a fab new program in Melbourne, Australia, but only for a little while.

"Batteryback™ is a free service for householders to drop off old, flat and unwanted single-use and rechargeable batteries for recycling at participating retail stores. Batteryback™ is currently a trial service to collect data about the waste stream and is currently being trialled to gain data of the waste stream and gauge community response. Batteryback™ collections will cease on 30 June 2011. The information collected through Batteryback™ will help to determine the future of an industry-wide battery collection model." Reference: resourceSmart

Are batteries recycled in your part of our planet?

Recycle Challenge...

2011-02-18T12:17:00.004+11:00

I have a little dilemma. I have a confession. It's true, I'm a recycler. I prefer to find a use for things rather than just chucking them out. Now I know these little tealight candle holders could just go in our recycle bin, but I feel they have a higher creative purpose. So other than refilling them with wick and wax (takes far too long for me), what can I do with these??? Perhaps a garden ornament?

Sir Ken Robinson: 2010

2011-02-14T15:23:00.002+11:00

Another TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson. So many terrific thoughts in this video, but here is one of my favourites:

"You know this, if you're doing something you love, an hour feels like five minutes. If you're doing something that doesn't resonate with your spirit, five minutes feels like an hour. And the reason so many people are opting out of education is because it doesn't feed their spirit, it doesn't feed their energy or their passion."

I am so very great-full for the technology that allows people like this to come into our homes!

Our Precious Home...

2011-02-11T13:11:00.004+11:00

The recent weather events (challenges) in Australia and around our world have got me thinking about our planet. Though, this is not a new thing for me. I don't care too much for the media or politics or economics of it all. The labels "Global Warming" and "Climate Change" (amongst others) have become so political that it seems to me we've forgotten what it really should all be about. Looking after our planet. Tending our home. Reducing our impact where possible. For me, that starts at home with doing little things each day. Recycling. Composting. Being considerate of others. Not taking things for granted. Appreciating what we have and how lucky we are to call this wonderful planet home. I believe that if each of us cared more for our own little bit of the planet, it would be a really good place to start.

p.s. if you're interested, some of my recycling notes can be found here...

Recycling: CD/DVD's

2011-02-05T12:03:00.012+11:00

Have you ever wondered what to do with unwanted CDs, DVDs and their cases? Did you know that CD/DVD's are actually made from recyclable materials? Disc Back is a system of recycling unwanted discs.

They accept:

Music CD's
Data discs (CD R+/-, DVD R+/-)
Cases
DVD's
Mini Discs

For further information, or to order a DiscBack bin for your office or school, please visit DiscBack.

p.s. if you don't want to recycle your old discs, consider decorating them (we use permanent markers or glass paints) and then hang them in trees to deter possums or birds.

Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity: 2006

2011-02-01T18:07:00.015+11:00

I stumbled over this terrific talk on TED (from 2006) and as a creative type who studied "non creative" subjects at school, I found this fascinating...
"Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we're educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence." "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says.
And an hour or so after having listened to Sir Ken, the following Abraham-Hicks quote arrived in my inbox:
"Your children are genius creators who have just arrived from Nonphysical, who are feeling empowered. And if they would be left to their own devices, they would not go astray. They would maintain worthiness; they would maintain their feeling of Well-Being. They would thrive, unless it was taught otherwise to them. In other words, if others don't do something to change their vibration, they are in a vibration of thriving.
--- Abraham (Excerpted from the workshop in Boca Raton, FL on Saturday, January 15th, 2005 #702)

Our Love, Jerry and Esther

The Magic World Of Rids Van Der Zee J.P.

2011-01-31T20:24:00.004+11:00

Some years ago my Mum told me about a magician she'd seen. Said he was terrific. And funny. And insightful. So I started keeping an eye on his website. Although I've never personally met Rids Van Der Zee, J.P I feel like I know him a little. He seems to be one of those people who seems to find magic in everyday life. Surely turning negatives into positives and seeing good where there may not appear to be any, is the greatest kind of magic there is.

"If a child is to keep alive her inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, she needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with her the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.
The Magic World".

Give Yourself Credit.

2011-01-24T10:43:00.003+11:00

I REALLY enjoy this post by Christiane Northrup. I don't really need to make any comment other than that! Enjoy the read...I'd love to hear any comments or thoughts.

Give Yourself Credit

BLOG by Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Many of you are guilty of this: The minute you finish something, you immediately look ahead to the next thing. Instead, you want to savor it, to feel it deep in your core for as long as it takes the completion to become a part of you. Every time you do, it sends a message to your brain and body, particularly the third chakra (your solar plexus) and establishes and strengthens the hardwiring for self-esteem and personal power.

Because we have a primitive nervous system (designed to protect us from saber tooth tigers), if you don’t honor your accomplishments, your body will think there is still more to do. This feeling of constant worry that you won’t get it all done sets you up for all kinds of stress-related health conditions. This includes lowered immunity, excess stress hormones, and cellular inflammation.

I’m certain this contributes to the thyroid problems many women have as well. The fifth chakra, where the thyroid is, has to do with your relationship to time. If you feel like you’re constantly rushing and that you never have enough time, you remain in a chronic state of incompletion. One of the best ways to feel rest and relaxation is to remind yourself that you’ve already done a lot.

In taking stock of what you’ve done and what you’ve worked through, you change your relationship to time. You realize that, one way or another, you always have time to do the things that absolutely have to be done. This starts a loop of positive reinforcement that makes you feel like you have more control of your life. If you perceive that there is always enough time, there will be.

Pull out your calendar from 2010 and look at what you were doing in January. Perhaps you can even locate a list of last year’s New Year’s resolutions. You may have completely forgotten where you were in your life or what you were hoping to accomplish in 2010.

Now take as much time as you need to list your completions. In addition to your calendar, you can look through some old emails to see where you were a year ago. Look for patterns, not just events. Perhaps these are some of your completions: an increased savvy about your own healthcare; weight loss that you kept off all year; a better understanding of your financial matters; a new friendship that supports you; a regular exercise practice. You may see that things didn’t always turn out how you hoped they would. But instead of just looking at what was left undone, hopefully you’ll be able to see things with more perspective.

If you’re not digesting your successes, it’s likely that your surroundings are cluttered. In addition to a cluttered desk, there may even be cobwebs in your home or office! Because life—and Feng Shui—is all about energy, anything that blocks the flow of energy, like clutter, will keep new people, things, finances, and experiences from flowing into your life. People who have trouble acknowledging success tend to accumulate stuff, leaving little room for anything good or new.

Here’s a tip: If you’re having trouble listing your completions, choose one drawer or compartment in your house, office, or car and clean it out. Because of the principles of Feng Shui, this can create a lot of forward momentum. It’s also a way to take a baby step toward giving yourself credit for something you’ve done.

Now it’s time to share! My friend Regena Thomashauer says, “Undigested good turns to crap.” (She uses a slightly different word.) So find a friend or family member that’s not a naysayer who you can “brag” to about your accomplishments. Again, this upward spiral of feedback can become a reality. Focusing on what’s positive and fanning the flames of yours and your friends’ completions is a sure-fire way to usher more joy and possibilities into everyone’s new year.

This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease.  All material in this article is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
--

Meet "Alexander The Rabbit"

2011-01-23T22:26:00.006+11:00

During 2010 I met a wonderful lady who finds old woolly jumpers, shrinks them and uncovers / discovers the amazing characters living within. I love her cute little bunnies, each with their own special characteristics. I know so many people that would love to own one, or perhaps purchase one as a gift. At this stage, she doesn't manage to make enough to sell, but I'm trying to encourage her to pop a few on somewhere like MadeIt or Etsy. Will keep you posted if she does, or if there is feedback here I promise to pass it on to her. I was very fortunate to receive Alexander as a precious gift and am very grateful.

Amazing Jesse!

2011-01-21T17:20:00.004+11:00

Have you heard about Jesse?

I was fortunate to be sent this link today. Thanks Dooza! It features an amazing Jack Russell named Jesse and I'd be really surprised if you're not sporting a big grin as you watch it:

A quote on Jesse's YouTube page says: "Our relationship is based on mutual respect, understanding, and trust. We have a wonderful relationship and bond, and that is the foundation of our training. We train all behaviors through the use of positive reinforcement" ~Heather and Jesse~

Think humans could learn a great deal from this relationship!

Only you have the power within you...

2011-01-12T13:56:00.006+11:00

I REALLY love musicals and treasure my collection of soundtracks. Listening to them seems to help me find my "creative mode" rather rapidly. They can take me from mundane moments to Idea Land after just a couple of songs. I get involved in the story being told with words and music, and before I know it, my creative self comes to the fore. Somewhere on the Thoughts, Inspiration, Answers... page of my website I mention a little about this.

Anyway, today I was listening to "The New Starlight Express" and remembered just how much I LOVE this bit, The Starlight Sequence...it's a reminder that true power comes from within.

RUSTY

Starlight Express, Starlight Express...

STARLIGHT

Only you have the power within you.

Just believe in yourself -

The sea will part before you,

Stop the rain, turn the tide.

If only you use the power within you

Needn't beg the world

To turn around and help you

If you draw on what you have within you

Somewhere deep inside.

RUSTY

Starlight Express, starlight express,

Are you real, yes or no?

Starlight Express, answer me yes.

I don't want you to go.

STARLIGHT

Rusty you're blind, look in your mind -

I'm there. Nothing's new

The Starlight Express is no more nor less

Than you Rusty. I am you.

I'm you and

STARLIGHT / RUSTY

Only you/I am the Starlight.

Have the power within you/I can achieve

Just believe in yourself/anything

The sea will part before you

Stop the rain and turn the tide/

All the things I didn't believe.

If only you/I am the Starlight.

Have the power within you/I can achieve

Just believe in yourself/anything

The sea will part before you

Stop the rain and turn the tide/

All the things I didn't believe.

If only you/I am the Starlight,

Use the power within you/I can see it through.

Needn't beg the world to turn around and help you

If you draw on what is deep inside.

RUSTY

I won't let you down.

"O Morro"

2011-01-07T13:19:00.007+11:00

Stumbled over a fab post by The Camilleon re "O Morro" (pictured) by Favela Painting.

Why not pop on over to her blog and take a look?
I'd love to hear what you think...I'm totally inspired!

Don't avoid any chairs until you run smack into one.

2011-01-06T12:53:00.002+11:00

This morning I read this quote and felt that I must share it. I don't know much about Pierce Vincent Eckhart (yet), but this quote came to me via Gregg Braden, a source of amazing information and inspiration.

"When I was a Boy Scout, we played a game when new Scouts joined the troop. We lined up chairs in a pattern, creating an obstacle course through which the new Scouts, blindfolded, were supposed to maneuver. The Scoutmaster gave them a few moments to study the pattern before our adventure began. But as soon as the victims were blindfolded, the rest of us quietly removed the chairs. I think life is like this game. Perhaps we spend our lives avoiding obstacles we have created for ourselves and in reality exist only in our minds. We're afraid to apply for that job, take violin lessons, learn a foreign language, call an old friend, write our Congressman - whatever it is that we would really like to do but don't because of personal obstacles. Don't avoid any chairs until you run smack into one. And if you do, at least you'll have a place to sit down." Pierce Vincent Eckhart

So, if I feel like I'm avoiding something, I'm going to just go for it! And if by chance I do happen to smack into a chair, I may choose to sit on it for a little while before I get back up and try again, and again. After all, how many chairs can their be? I choose to trust.

For those of you that may be interested, here's a bit more about Gregg Braden:
New York Times best selling author Gregg Braden is internationally renowned as a pioneer in bridging science and spirituality. Following a successful career as a Computer Geologist for Phillips Petroleum during the 1970s energy crisis, he became a Senior Computer Systems Designer for Martin Marietta Defense Systems during the last year of the Cold War. In 1991 he was appointed the first Technical Operations Manager for Cisco Systems where he led the development of the global support team that assures the reliability of today’s Internet. For more than 22 years, Gregg has searched high mountain villages, remote monasteries, and forgotten texts to uncover their timeless secrets. To date, his work has led to such paradigm-shattering books as The Isaiah Effect, The God Code, The Divine Matrix and his 2008 release, The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits. Gregg’s work is now published in 17 languages and 27 countries and shows us beyond any reasonable doubt that the key to our future lies in the wisdom of our past.

Brilliant and insightful…I see Gregg Braden as one of our great visionaries.
—Dr. Wayne Dyer, author of The Power of Intention

Gregg Braden is a rare blend of scientist, visionary and scholar with the ability to speak to our minds, while touching the wisdom of our hearts.
—Dr. Deepak Chopra, author of How To Know God.

www.greggbraden.com
www.facebook.com/GreggBraden

At Christmas Time...

2010-12-22T19:03:00.003+11:00

A number of years ago, I was fortunate to visit "The Happiest Place on Earth", (or one of them), Disneyland Hong Kong. It was close to Christmas time and I was with a large group of family and friends from all over our planet. The idea of getting everyone together in a wonderful place had been a dream of a special man and had been specially crafted and managed for years before it occured. It was a truly amazing experience, and we even experienced special Disneyland snow on a balmy Hong Kong evening. Our experience is perhaps best summed up by a Disney song that I now think of fondly this time each year.

May you share this Christmas Time with those closest to you, may where ever you are be your "Happiest Place On Earth", and may you "Dream Big Dreams" and believe in your heart that they will come to pass. Where ever you may be, I'm sending Blessings your way, 'cos It's A Small World After All...

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes, it's a world of fear
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all

CHORUS:
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world

There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small small world

(chorus)

Today I ate a strawberry...

2010-11-22T14:26:00.001+11:00

...and it was delicious!

An unexpected pleasure from my rather neglected strawberry plant that hangs alone in a basket on the fence behind my transplanted lemon tree. The few times my strawberry plant has fruited the birds or possums in our garden have always got to it first. So I kind of don't bother much with it any more. Until today. The past few days I've been rushing around a bit and forgetting to smell the roses, which I often stop to do. However out of the corner of my eye, I have noticed a glimpse of red against the paling fence. Today I paid a little visit to the spot in the garden behind my lemon tree. And I thanked my little strawberry plant as I picked the lush red strawbrry and popped it in my mouth. I also took note of some more berries growing and ripening. Now, I'm off to smell the roses...

BNPS Twilight Market

2010-11-16T20:23:00.000+11:00

Crikey!

Just realised that I'd not updated my blog with details of a couple of events that are just 'round the corner.

Wednesday 17th November 2010 there's a lovely Twilight Market and Sunday 21st November 2010 is the wonderful KAN Artsfest.

For further details, please pop over to my website or facebook fan page. That's where you'll find full details of both events. Would love to see you at one, the other...or perhaps both?

Sammy A Nutter

2010-11-04T11:58:00.000+11:00

You may or may not be aware of Sammy A Nutter, the 25th (and last) Nutter. He's a fluffy fella I made for Australian Working Dog Rescue, a charity which rescues working dog breeds from pounds in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and rehomes them. Sammy travels the world spreading the word about rescue and even has his own fb page! For those of you in Brisbane and surrounding areas, AWDRI will soon be holding a Christmas Fundraising Lunch on 7th December 2010. To learn more, visit Australian Working Dog Christmas Fundraising Luncheon (Brisbane) on facebook or the AWDRI Website.

RAOK...(Random Acts Of Kindness) : UPDATED

2010-09-17T19:44:00.006+10:00

When wandering around our neighbourhood I cannot help but look at the gardens in our area. I note the changes in the colours and shapes of leaves and flowers, the transformation with the seasons. Nature, the ultimate form of creativity.

Though I see many beautiful gardens, it is more often the interesting ones that capture my imagination. Like an Enid Blyton book from childhood, the rambling gardens seem to have a bigger story to tell. One in particular has always stood out. Overgrown, unkept, curious. My favourite attraction by far was the two amazing jade plants near the letterbox. So neglected, yet the best specimens I think I have ever laid eyes on!

Ever heard of RAOK? As Wikipedia says,

"A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or persons wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual or in some cases an animal. There will generally be no reason other than to make people smile, or be happier."

So what's this got to do with gardens? After gaining so much pleasure from these gardens, my young son and I decided to thank their owners. We made up cute notecards and wrote a little message on each. There were no identifying features on any of the notes, so we'd remain anonymous. One day, we snuck around our neighbourhood and popped them in letterboxes, just for fun.

Months went by, seasons changed and we had continued our neighbourhood walks, the notes all but forgotten. One day, whilst admiring our favourite jade plants, a man called out to us. "It was you, wasn't it? It was, I know it was!" Caught by surprise, we couldn't help but grin, cover blown! After that we often saw our new smiley friend in the neighbourhood, though he'd always been there. We were grateful when he offered us some cuttings of his lovely jade plants. We were excited when he informed us one December evening that he had heard that Santa would be calling past his street, and that we would be welcomed as honorary members of that street for the event.

Earlier this year, our friend let us know that he was leaving the area. I wasn't sure what would happen to his garden, but had lots of little jade plants growing happily in our garden from those original cuttings. But there was more to come. He was concerned that the new people in the house may not appreciate the jade and he wanted us to have the old one in the pot. And one day it just turned up at our gate. How lovely! So grateful...

A number of weeks later I arrived home to discover another massive jade plant, this one perhaps 5 foot tall, left in our garden. It turned out that our friend just didn't want to leave the other jade to the mercy of the new owners, so he'd headed back to the house, dug it up, somehow managed to get it on a trailer, drove it to our home and manoeuvred it into our yard. A few days later, after a big trim and two people struggling to move it anywhere, the newest addition to our garden was residing in it's own half wine barrel. And seemed to be very settled in its new home.

I could never have imagined that a little "Thank You" note could return so much to our lives. Apart from some beautiful plants, we have a smiley friend and lots of little jade plants to give away... Perhaps our next RAOK project?

UPDATE: Over the past few years since I inherited "Macca's Jade" I've taken lots of cuttings and popped them in pots. I don't know how many, I've lost count. Each time I plant one, I say a little Blessing and a little Thank You. Whenever someone I know moves home, I offer them one or two of the little plants with only one condition attached. One day, when it needs a little trim, instead of throwing out the cuttings, they too shall replant them and give away the little jade plants. Hopefully this message is passed along with each new jade plant. A simple gesture. Who knows where it may lead?

Have I told you about KAN?

2010-09-10T15:46:00.002+10:00

Established in 2000, the Kingston Arts Network Inc. is an association of artist and craftspeople, a network for visual, performing and literary artists and craftspeople to share ideas and promote the arts in the community. It is a non-profit organisation. KAN is a body of artists working for fellow artists.

KAN is not bound by geographical boundaries and is a peer-support network, with different aims and aspirations from those of an Arts Council. KAN is affiliated with Regional Arts Victoria, is an official incorporated body, and is not-for-profit. The operations of KAN depend upon the voluntary work of its members and occasional grants from funding bodies such as the City Of Kingston. Membership is open to all creative people of any age and at any stage of their professional development. (The above is an excerpt from the KAN Website)...

I've been a member of KAN for a number of years and recently joined the Committee! Yay! For more information about KAN or to learn about some of our members, why not take a look at the KAN website? www.kan.org.au

If I Were Brave...

2010-08-30T15:10:00.000+10:00

I recently stumbled upon this song by Jana Stanfield.

Each day (when I remember), I listen to this song and ask myself..."What would I do if I knew that I could not fail?" "What step would I take today if I were brave?"

You can download this song for free at http://www.janastanfield.com/

Thanks Jana, you've got me thinking...

If I Were Brave

Jana Stanfield/Jimmy Scott

What would I do if I knew that I could not fail
If I believed would the wind always fill up my sail
How far would I go, what could I achieve /Trusting the hero in me

(Chorus) If I were brave I’d walk the razor’s edge
Where fools and dreamers dare to tread
Never lose faith, even when losing my way
What step would I take today if I were brave

(Channel) What would I do today if I were brave (4 times)

What if we’re all meant to do what we secretly dream
What would you ask if you knew you could have anything
Like the mighty oak sleeps in the heart of a seed
Are there miracles in you and me

(Repeat Chorus and Channel)

(Bridge) If I refuse to listen to the voice of fear
Would the voice of courage whisper in my ear

(Repeat Chorus and Channel out)

A Fabulous Artist :: Kirsty Davidson

2010-08-28T18:51:00.001+10:00

Well today I've decided to let you know about a friend of mine. She's a fabulously talented artist and a wonderful woman too! Like to check out her lovely creations? You can visit Kirsty at http://www.kirstydavidson.com.au/

A Week With Wings...(it's flown!)

2010-08-21T20:43:00.002+10:00

About this time last week I was nervously awaiting the auction of my two little paintings at the BNPS Art Exhibition. Selling your art is one thing. Having it auctioned is something else all together. I felt quite anxious, mainly as I wanted the art that I had donated to generate lots of money for the expansion of the Art facilities at the school...and the time seemed to go soooooo sloooowwwwwly.......

When the time came I'll admit, I nervously scampered into the other room and left my trusty friend (and fellow artist) to listen on my behalf, as I would do for her shortly after. The news was good! A few bidders pushed the price to a reasonable level and the person who purchased the first painting asked if they could buy the second as well, for the same price again. Voila! Both paintings happily together :)

Thank you to the winner bidder, I do hope my fishy friends bring you many smiles! Soon after, my friend scampered further than I, away from her beautiful painting. It sold for a good price too, and her mind, heart and stomach could now be at ease.

I have heard that one of the most famous artists represented on the night NEVER attends auctions of his creations as he is too nervous. I wonder if I would be so worried if my paintings sold for tens of thousands of dollars? What is it with artists?

Art Auction Fast Approaches!

2010-08-13T18:49:00.001+10:00

Well this is it. Tomorrow is the "Beaumaris North Primary School 50th Anniversary Art Exhibition & Auction". Phew, mouthful! Check out my post from a few days ago to see what I've donated and what I'm exhibiting, or checkout the link above. Hope to see you there!

My Creative Space...

2010-08-12T14:53:00.003+10:00

Thanks Holi Goddess for sharing your creative space today. I was so inspired that I thought I'd share mine too! After the madness of preparing for the Beaumaris North Primary School Art Exhibition this week, I'm back to creating "just 'cos"...and how nice it is just to paint and draw without deadlines, rules or expectations. And as always, I am so very great-full for My Studio, my sanctuary, my sanity! :)

p.s. how clever is the "My Creative Space" list at kootoyoo ? Such a terrific idea.

Buy Me At Auction!

2010-08-10T18:14:00.003+10:00

These two paintings (with Fishy Friends and Boat Sheds) will be auctioned on Saturday 14th August 2010 from 7pm as part of the Beaumaris North Primary School Art Exhibition.

As well as the two that I've donated, I shall a have a few pieces in the Exhibition too. My giant cookie jars, "Gwen" and "Arthur" will be there, alongside a favourite long skinny painting of mine featuring an abundance of my Fishy and Feathered Friends.

So Long It's Been...

2010-08-06T18:52:00.006+10:00

I've just realised that I've not updated this blog since my recent adventure at The Handmade Show. Oops! In my defence, I've been particulary busy with preparations for a local school Art Exhibition and Auction. As well as helping out on the BNPS Art Committee, I will be donating a painting or two for auction and exhibiting a piece or three. Event will be held on the weekend of the 14th and 15th of August at Beaumaris North Primary School, with full details on their website. I'll be exhibiting along side some very well known and well respected artists and would love to see you there...(I plan to be there on the Saturday at this stage).

But back to The Handmade Show. I met some wonderful people on the day (a list can be found when you visit THS blog), sold some Art, ate yummy scones, drank delicious coffee, purchased a marvellous MooBeeTees beanie and generally had a rather relaxing afternoon. Thanks to the wonderful gang who worked so hard at organise this event and for those who can to visit me. Special thanks to my helper on the day, Katharina (pictured), whose talents with grass wrangling are second to none!

The Handmade Show

2010-07-14T16:17:00.001+10:00

I've decided that it's about time that I braved the chilly Melbourne days and took my Happy Bangles (and a few paintings) out to the streets! Well perhaps not the streets... How about the Oakleigh/Carnegie RSL, 95 Drummond Street, Oakleigh this Saturday 17th July from 11am - 3.30pm? Visit "The Handmade Show" for further info.

Would love to see you there...

2010 - July...

2010-07-01T16:42:00.001+10:00

La, La, La Di Da... More Happy Bangles are on their way, but they're not quite here yet. So close, so close. Such a Wonder-Full project for wintertime in chilly Melbourne.

I received a very kooky addition to Duck Palace this week. It's on the left and I am curious if you can guess what it is? Took me a little while, but the writing on the box did assist somewhat!

Will report in with more soonish with photos of the new bangles, but probably best after some more varnishing sessions...

Mid June Update...

2010-06-18T14:28:00.007+10:00

Just a note to let you know that I've added a little update to "What's News" on my website. It includes links to a few new Ducks that now reside in the Palace, info about an Art Show that I visited and some photos of Pepperjack Nutter's visit to Germany. Enjoy!

Bangles, Bangles, Bangles!!!...(no, not the '80's band)

2010-06-02T12:41:00.012+10:00

Yippee!!! Some of the Happy Bangles I've been working on are now available for you to purchase! Although some may appear similar, no two are the same. I couldn't do it if I tried... Hope you love them as much as I do. Sxxx p.s. thanks to all those who've already sent me feedback, I truly appreciate it.

Art You Can Wear...

2010-05-23T08:03:00.005+10:00

Although most of my creations are designed to hang on your wall, occasionally I create something to wear on your body. Here's just a sample of my new wooden bangles, made with lots of love, they're oozing fun, laughter and postive energy! They are yet to be added to my website, however I'd be happy to hear from you if you're interested purchasing one (or two) before they get there...

My Drying Wall...

2010-05-15T21:49:00.006+10:00

This is the part of The Studio where my creations meet. "Those just begun" join paintings that have been in the process of creation for sometimes months, sometimes years. Some live on My Drying Wall for ages, whilst I decide whether or not they're finished. Whether or not they're ready to be released into the wild. Whether they're grown enough to leave home...and whether I'm ready to let them go...

A Morning Walk...

2010-05-11T11:39:00.009+10:00

I really enjoy the ability to go for a wander, see a wonderful expression of nature and be able to capture the image in an instant. No matter how much I love drawing and painting, there is something very magical about photography... and I really love this photo captured on my dodgy old mobile phone this morning :)

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-07T12:50:00.008+10:00

To all the Wonderful Women of our World who nurture, guide and support, displaying all manner of magnificent mothering qualities in our lives and our communities, I wish you a very Happy and Relaxing Mother's Day! May blessings fill your days, love fill your heart and may all your wildest dreams come true.

Mwwahhhhh!

Other End Of The Lens...

2010-05-01T09:21:00.013+10:00

More often than not, I find that I am the one taking photos. Photographing people, places and things, capturing precious moments, brings me GREAT JOY! It's been that way for as long as I can recall, apparently my Dad was that way too. However, on occasion, someone else grabs my camera and manages a candid snap, usually when I least expect it...

MAYbe I'll manage more time in The Studio in MAY?

2010-04-30T11:47:00.017+10:00

No matter how well I plot and plan, sometimes time in The Studio just seems to elude me. Perhaps whilst I'm doing mundane tasks the creative process is chugging along in my subconscious, gestating and accumulating ideas and passion for a new or renewed project? And then, when the time is right, I find myself back in my sanctuary...and everything just flows. Perhaps...

Easter Blessings...

2010-04-01T17:54:00.012+11:00

Hey Easter Bunny!

How I love your cuddly tummy...

Wishing you and your loved ones peace,
love and happiness this Easter time.