Little Lion Man

Hi Ref!

How is your day today? It was a fabulous day here on the sunny Gold Coast this morning however it has since turned grey- perfect blogging weather. It is also perfect weather for listening to this song called Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons, up loud. I love it, it has a real roots, bluegrass sound to it and is great to sing along to. It's one of those songs that makes me feel alive- I hope you like it too! I think we will be seeing more of these guys in the future- now stay tuned for more of SJ's hot music tips..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZuWQ0cVJWg



Love you!! xxxxsj

My Next Blog will be a Pie Chart...

I know, I know- it has to stop. But I can't! I just need to share with you a few, as any red blooded, blue collared men would say, 'pearlers' from MJH's blog that I think you will love... Your Mum will love them too- send them to her as well.

Ruby Keeler said... Is it just me or do you find when a newsreader says something about "the government" or "the prime minister" there's still a split second when your hackles go up, before you remember there's been a change of government?

MJH-Oh yes, all the time. And isn't it a wonderful moment when you remember with a start that almost six months ago that wee little fu*kface fell on his sword and for a brief, perfect moment everything was right with the world? I was listening to Dan Kelly's Drunk On Election Night on my ipod yesterday and experienced an intense rush of pleasure up and down my arms when I recalled exactly what that particular Saturday evening felt like. Gosh, winning can be lovely sometimes.

A good tip in preparation for your potential return to work...

"Anyway. I work in a day job where they couldn't really care too much about what I do at my desk so long as it involves something youthfully exuberant and 'on the pulse' (hackysack is particularly encouraged) so this particular website is more for you than for me. Lady and genteels, please admire from up close readatwork.com and don't say I never do anything nice for you. To precis: readatwork.com is a website set up specifically so office workers can read at their desk without being busted by 'the man', or woman if it's a particularly progressive company or organisation. It looks cannily like an average desktop though has short cuts to online novels like follows:

By clicking on a folder in one of these menus you'll be taken to the first page of an abridged novel, which may look something like this:

Why do I not work in places where they power point present such happy-looking folk? Honestly.The slightly irritating thing about the site is that a) you're reading a somewhat condensed version of otherwise great literature and b) you have to train your brain to get around reading pages like this:

But it's a small price to pay, really. Just look at this excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Ice Palace.

LOOK AT IT.IT IS BOTH LITERATURE AND A PIE CHART. THIS WEBSITE WILL MAKE ME DIE A HAPPY LADY.You're welcome".

Now, last but not least, this is quite hilarious... http://www.reasonsyouwillhateme.com/time-to-make-percentage-party


ENJOY!!!


SJ xxxx

Friday F*wit

Well, I would like to say that my stupidity was caused to that dreaded 'Monday -itis' illness that we are all known to get once in a while. However, yesterday was Thursday so there is no excuse.

This morning I woke up, went for my daily walk with Spencer the Wonder Dog and as I have found myself doing over the last 48- 76 hours, I thought a bit about my new inspiration, Marieke. I furrowed my brown and thought furiously about how I was going to find this illusive blog of hers. I furrowed and furrowed and thought and thought until 'pop'! An Epiphany. Or should I say a meagre little fart bubble in my otherwise space cadet brain was released. More of a slow dawning really.

'Reasons Why You Hate Me', the Marieke Hardy blog I posted yesterday, is the secret blog. DERR! Her 'Farewell to Arms' post was when she outed herself to the world. Ms Fits is indeed MJH and I was the first and the last to know.

Well, whoever said I was pretty but not very smart (I believe it was YOU), was not entirely incorrect.

To make up for my embarrassment, I am going to post a cute comic I found this morning. Repeat after me, 'once I have finished reading this comic, I will forget all the garbage SJ has been going on about'...

Love you like a Roast Dinner (Roast Dinner deserves capital letters)

xxxxx

I would like to have a Chardy with the Wondrous Marieke Hardy...

I feel it is time to deviate slightly before I turn into a rug obsessed, floor painting, mean Aunty SJ. My cup overfloweth with inspiration for one week, so it is with joy, dry humour and a large teaspoon of wit that I fill it back up again and share it and a slice of fruit bun with the fabulous Marieke Josephine Hardy.

I found Marieke through Triple J fame- she hosts the morning show with Robbie Buck and the Doctor and at first, I must admit, I didn't like her. I didn't like Robbie and the Doctor much either, so I put my dislike down to my adversity to change. A year later, I still don't think a lot of the Doctor and Robbie Buck, but I do find myself listening to as much of the breakfast show as possible in order to hear the sweet, yet dry quips by Marieke.

In the attached article http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/06/05/1117910185873.html, the writer documents her career by saying, "Marieke Hardy has a radio show, a political fashion label, a go-go dancing career, a regular DJ gig and a secret contentious life on the internet'. She also is an avid 'lefty', a woman close to our heart and in promoting her cause has designed with friends a clothing label, which boasts "I Only Put Out For Boys Who Vote Left" lingerie.

Now I don't know how much of this is true but if you read on, it seems she has a 'secret blog' of some sort and I will be damned if I am going to live many more happy days without it! She did have a blog, which I love, called http://www.reasonsyouwillhateme.com/, which will give you a fabulous introduction to her fine work, but I am left unquenched, Ref! I need the cup to overfloweth once more!

So it is to you I turn, my best friend, wonderful mother, charming wife, talented writer and lets face it, most importantly right now, bloody superb cryptic crossworder- how do we find Marieke- where can we filleth our cup?

Love,


SJ (hearts MJH)

Milly, My Darling...

...let's sit down and read a book shall we? It is the most gorgeous book and I want to share it especially with you..

That sounds wonderful, Aunty SJ, what is it that we will read?

Well my darling girl, it is a book that has illustrations drawn by your Aunty SJ's favourite new artist, Marie Desbons (http://mariedesbons.canalblog.com/). You see, Aunty SJ has been trying to find her 'art mojo'- wondering what it is that she finds her 'taste' and what sort of artwork she might like to hang on her walls when she grows up, so to speak.

Great, Aunty SJ, I am looking forward to reading it with you.

That is great my gorgeous Milly Vanilli. Well lets go and clean our hands and feet and we can go and sit in the loungeroom on your Aunty SJ's delicious Amy Butler rug, shall we?

Oh I just love your Amy Butler rug, Aunty SJ- lets!

Now the book is in French, my love, so forgive my translation. I am going to make up the story according to the pictures and what I think the story might be... Just look at these gorgeous illustrations..!

...10 minutes pass, SJ and Milly are reading and looking at pictures....

Oh my gosh, Milly! WAKE UP! For the love of god my dear child, you are drooling on your Aunty SJ's Amy Butler rug! Now let's go and sit on the painted floorboards, shall we?!

Aunty SJ?

...Can I please have a biscuit?

Of course, Milli Vanilli. Here's an iced vo-vo. Much nicer than those Arrowroots your mother gives you. Enjoy, my sweet girl.

Thanks Aunty SJ and can I please have a glass of milk?

How about we make it Milo? Plain milk is so boring. Here you go, Milly my love.

Thanks Aunty SJ, you're my favourite Aunty.

I know darling.

Aunty SJ, can I please have this in the lounge?

Amelia... darling, listen up and listen good. if I catch you anywhere near the Amy Butler Rug and Christina Lundsteen cushions with your filthy milo and vo-vo covered hands, I will call your mother. Now get outside on the cement with your tennis ball and whatever you do, don't drop anything on the floorboards!!!

What do we want? Painted floorboards! When do we want them? NOW!!!!!

YAY REF!! Congratulations on your PROMOTION!!!! You worked hard for it and it paid off. I am so proud of you!!

And your latest blogging is so fantastic. All scored highly on the "OMG" meter. I evidently have lost all my blogging mojo, but I will get it back one day, I promise. Just too much going on in my head and also too much inspiration out there!! It's almost too much. I can't wait to have an actual SPACE that I can decorate rather than these imaginary places in my head!!

But anyway, on my latest obsession, painted floorboards (which Deb Evans has in her new house, OF COURSE, being always just an inch ahead in style and fashion at all times!! They are even fashionably worn in high traffic areas, adding that perfect shabby-chicness you can't just 'create'!) I just wanted to check you'd seen this before

http://paisleywallpaper.blogspot.com/2009/06/renovation-part-1.html

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!

Have we discussed these before? I can't remember where I first found this link but they have stuck in my mind. You probably posted them here.... bahaha if you did!

This is nice too:
http://www.hennydonovanmotif.co.uk/lace_border.htm

Nice....

There you go. Hopefully I have broken the blogging drought.

Love you like painted floorboards.

xxxx

Oh, Amy... Bestill my Beating Heart...

Just when I thought my heart had been stolen by another, Amy has triumphantly returned with what I think is possibly her greatest work to date.... well, my favourite work of hers anyway... The good news is that I think I have been able to curb my penchant for jackets and now plan to put all of my enthusiasm (and any spare funds), into rugs. Rugs, rugs, rugs, rugs, RUGS!!!

xxsj

I heart Christina..

Dearest Referendum,

I write to you to share a new love of mine...

As you have been aware for some time now, Amy Butler has had quite a fan in me with her lush, rich and heartwarming fabrics, however my heart has been stolen by another. That of Christina Lundsteen and UNION.EIGHTEEN.

I am not sure if I have fallen more in love with Christina, or Chrissy as I will call her, or the stylist that styles her shoot. Both make me swoon and provide me with an overwhelming urge to buy an apartment where I can paint the floorboards, put the richest wallpaper up, some damp lighting and throw a morroccan feast on the floor, lit up with the most organic of candles and infused with the most delicious aromas of homemade cooking... sssiiiiigggghhhh.....

My other new love is UNION.EIGHTEEN. Now, while I thought the scene before was enough for me to live happily ever after, the scene could not be set without going in to my lounge area to grap the hooka for an after dinner treat of apple cinnamon tobacco (crossing cultures here, I know but stick with me...) and being able to step accross my UNION.EIGHTEEN rug (draped accross my painted floorboards) in my bare (but beautifully pedicured) feet.

A UNION.EIGHTEEN rug is as original as it gets. The concept behind their company is that they collect recycled pieces of carpet and stitch them together to make a rug- kind of like a patchwork quilt. Each rug is therefore original and made by hand, yet while each rug is dictated by the remanants found by it's creator and the size provided by it's owner to be, each one is put together and finished off with the same accuracy of a carefully crafted eames chair. (Note: I don't have the pleasure of having an Eames chair however I imagine they are seamless).. (Um, well I don't mean the rugs are seamless because it is the seams that make them even more attractive. I mean it is similar to an eames chair in that they are also mastercrafted. Yes, that is what I mean).. ssssiiiiggghhh again...

I'm off to consider my Moroccan feast menu..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxsj

I'm dreaming of a white... bathroom!

I am torn between this bathroom and the one below. I think it's safe to say that the white theme is generally a winner for me.

One of Selina Lake's pics

So lovely!!

Love, love, love...

I am a definite fan of chairs hanging from the roof- love, love, love...

Dearest Referendum,

Well, when it doesn't rain, it pours. That's what 'they' say, isn't it? Well, Ref, it seems with my blogging, that very concept applies.

It also seems, Ref, that I am getting my mojo back. For a little while there I focused on myself rather than my inspiration, which was just perfect! Now that I feel like a brand new me, I am being inspired in so many ways again that I am almost bursting at the seams! It is slightly frustrating because I would really love to be drilling holes in the roof of my unit and putting in gorgeous white swings like in the picture below, however as a renter, I just don't know how appreciative my landlord would be. So, in the meantime, I am going to blog so that when the time comes, I can use this blog as my inspiration board. I have also found a few things along the way that I thought you would love to know about!

The first thing I found for you is a website called http://www.girlatplay.com/. It is about a lady called Alex that shares her experience and knowledge of being a self-employed writer. She has a website, which I love, called Hygge Home. 'Hygge' is a Danish word (hu-gah) that describes "the feeling or mood that comes from taking genuine pleasure in making ordinary everyday things simply extraordinary. It's about owning things you only truly love or that inspire, being present in yourself and your life"- a concept that I adore.

One of the things that I love in my house is the book you got me for Christmas, 'Bazaar Style'. Well I have also come accross the writer, Selina Lake's blog, which is filled with beautiful things like those in her book, and like the gorgeous outdoor pic, which I have posted above.

I have also posted a few other pics that I have collected along the way, which are 'Hygge' to me. They are only inspiration at the moment but I plan to make them come to life one day!

That's all for now, hope you are good and Milly Vanilli is great. And boy Ref too.

Love you like I love warm, yummy, delicious smelling baths in Winter...

xxxxxsj

PS- For some reason, my paragraphs aren't showing in this post- annoying.