Election Fever

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After getting quite excited watching the debate between Obama and McCain on Saturday (Australian time), I am so excited to watch the lead up to 4 November. Or terrified if things go wrong.

But in the meantime, check out this design hotness. I feel a little bit less worried about the future of the world and our economy.

Necessary Sharing

There are some things in life which need no explanation but are so worth sharing. This is one of these moments. Witness the pillowig.

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Nerdbots: I'm in Heaven

Be still my robot heart. These NerdBots are absolutely superb. I deeply covet them. Affirmative.

All images from NerdBots via BB-Blog

The Problems with Diversity

My own top ten tags on del.icio.us

Do you ever think about your skills and where you're heading? I've been thinking about these kinds of ideas for a while now. As my PhD is finally coming to a close, I've been giving a lot of thought to what I'm going to be doing next year, and what I want my life to look like.

But I'm finding it hard to work out which direction I should follow. I always thought by now, being a 'grown-up' I'd know exactly what I'd want to do, but the decision only seems to have gotten harder and not easier.

Ah well, plenty more to think on right now, so I'll post thoughts so they don't have to circle around my brain so much :)

I'm moving today, so off to pack some more boxes and I'll see you Monday, hopefully more settled!

A Tulip Table Garden

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I've been seeing these stunning tulip tables everywhere. I'm always amazed at the range of chairs that are put with this table - whatever the chair, it always seems to work!

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From my inspiration file - no link on this one, sorry!

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A good budget alternative in the meantime?!

Election Madness

I've been pretty good at cultivating extreme amounts of anxiety of late, and it has been deeply anxious-making to watch the U.S. election lead-up to November.

As an Australian, who doesn't get to vote in the U.S. elections but who is ultimately affected by the decisions made over there, it is supremely worrying to see the emergence of Sarah Palin on the McCain ticket. I don't have any problems with her gender, her pregnant teenage daughter, her hair or any other cliched attack: I have many problems with the fact that she is a rank amateur who, for one thing, can't explain what the Bush Doctrine is (Bush is in YOUR party!) and manages to encapsulate the opposite of almost everything in which I believe.

So, for some designy Democratic goodness, check out these incredible pro-Obama images. I think they're stunning and so clever. They make me feel like I can breathe a little more easily. And check out Aaron Sorkin's genius fictional dialogue here.

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By the way, this post is dedicated to my very clever friend Wakili who published an article that is now required reading at Columbia University. Required! She's amazing! And she's only 26!

A lovely award surprise!

Eeee! How exciting! The lovely Jesska of Thousand Threads gave me a blog award and I am very thrilled to post it up here.

Since starting this blog, I've met so many delightful people and been able to share my thoughts and ideas - it's really been such fun. I only apologise that there have been less exciting posts of late, but it'll be back to normal programming soon, I promise!

The rules of this award are:
1. Choose seven of your favourite blogs to nominate and link back to them
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award
3. Leave a message on the blogs that you've nominated
4. Post the award on your blog (optional)

I must say, I had trouble choosing from all the many yummy blogs in my google reader, so I tried to be as diverse as possible with my choices. Hopefully this encapsulates a cross-section of things I enjoy, but I certainly don't wish to say these are my only favourites :) So here they are in no particular order:

1. The Plot Thickens - for excellent filmy goodness
2. Door Sixteen - for dreamy house renovations
3. Loobylu - one of the first and most lovely blogs I ever began to read
4. Tiny Candy - delicious papery collections
5. Chez Larsson - Benita takes organising to a brand new level
6. Abbey Goes Design Scouting - all round nesty fabulousness
7. Monkey Mind - a lovely friend doing her PhD in Oxford

Thanks again Jesska - it's so nice to be able to shout out to people like this.

Thesis Update...again

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Ooh, it's that time again! For the thrilling and readership-gathering post on my PhD!

I finally submitted my final draft to my supervisors again today (my third final draft...hmmm). I feel a bit like I have been hit in the teeth with a large truck.

Overcome with not really sleeping the last little while, I had an afternoon snooze, and dreamed Joyce Carol Oates gave me an F on an exam. My dreams aren't even metaphors anymore!

So, just wanted to let you know where I'm up to. Also trying to pack up my apartment to move, which is as about as exciting as it sounds :)

More matchboxes

I love a good matchbox. I stumbled on these and immediately became all swoony about them. Sadly, the website doesn't ship outside of the contiguous United States (maybe because they're wood products? Who knows) so I shall have to admire only from afar...

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Nie Nie Benefit Sale

Unless you've been in hibernation, you would have heard of the horrible airplane accident to befall Stephanie Nielson of NieNie Dialogues and her husband, Christian. I used to read Stephanie's blog (and all about her four children) and was so saddened to hear of the extent of her injuries - she has burns to 80% of her body.

Morgan has kindly put up an etsy shop to stage a benefit sale for the Nielson family, and I have donated some envelopes from my shop.

It will take place NEXT WEEK on September 23rd & 24th, 2008 - please go (and promote it on your blog, too!) and buy something to support the family - there are some amazing things for sale.

For updates on the Nielsons' condition, please see Stephanie's sister's blog for more details.

Good Eggs

Some time ago I made The Pal a 'Good Egg' t shirt using freezer paper as a stencil. It is one of his favourite expressions, so it made sense to make one for him, but it's seen better days after lots of washing. I thought I'd update it for his birthday this year with an embroidery one. Not as successful in some ways - I am terrible at embroidering words! - but a lot of fun.


It actually looks better than this photo makes out... Gee that's a crafty concession if ever there was. A bad stitcher blames their camera?!

If you like the design and idea, have a look in the shop for these Gocco cards I made, complete with cute yellow envelopes.

Wind Between the Words

Sam Winston is a lovely man. Or at least, his work is pretty fabu. When words, paper and design meet, I can only smile.

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Slim Bling

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I discovered Raehee Yoon's website, and adore her slim paper rings for a fun and ironic take on bling.

Aren't they clever?

I Heart Oobees

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These beautiful creatures are the work of Leslie from Onegirl - aren't they just the cutest things ever!

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RIP David Foster Wallace

I just found out one of the most innovative writers ever passed away on the weekend. I didn't know him, and don't want to be at all disingenuous, but my thoughts are with his family and friends. You can also read some heartbreaking tributes here and here.

Ornament Shelf - Finally Up!

I wrote a little while ago about loving ornament shelves called setzkasten. Like, realllly loving them. I've finally fixed mine up. It's hanging with a few favourite things in it at the moment, but I'll fill it more later when I decide what sort of colours and themes I want to run with. It's making me very happy already.

I decided to paint it white, which turned out to be a lot more painstaking than I first thought. Especially as it took about seven coats of paint! I painted the outside black to set it off, and I'm really happy with how that part turned out.

I also found four of these mini shelves in my local op-shop for $2. One of them is inside a drawer for organising jewellery, but the other three? Hmm. Not sure of what to do with these ones yet. I had thought about sticking them together and painting them white too, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

Thesis Update

Sorry for not being a very good email/general correspondent for now. I'm deep in hermit mode once more and working on some more thesis revisions due by Thursday/Friday this week.

No final date yet, (exactly how to torture me best...) but my co-supervisor sent me an email yesterday saying, 'courage, mon ami"! so I have taken that advice to heart.

A picture of Daria felt appropriate here. She is my favourite nerd.

Birthday Board

Yesterday was the Pal's birthday and I can finally share one of the treats I bought him some time ago. First up is this breakfast board (or platter, I suppose) for eating sandwiches and snacks from.
I chose the astronaut, but in the same series, there is also an eskimo, a swimmer, a gardener and more! The image is placed on the board in relation to the grain of the wood, which is so very clever and happy-making. I think it'll be used a lot, as the Pal is quite fond of a good sambo.

Images from Design For Use

Designing and Re-purposing

I finally got around to framing this favourite book of mine - I'm quite happy with how it turned out. (Please ignore the slightly blurry, uneven photo with my own head in the way!) Of course it will mean I'll have to miss flipping through it for the time being, but it's very pretty. I love the ways a frame can look completely different with something new inside - it's like a new present from old things I already own!

It's sitting on my bedside table now, alongside a blue and white dish I bought in Vietnam some years ago, a delicious Rob Ryan tile, and a stack of to-read books (not nearly the whole stack!), including my new favourite Penguin - Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.

Once I had updated this frame, it followed that I had to do the next. Here's a print I bought in Paris some years ago, and while I adore it, I'd love a change. For now, I turned it sideways and framed some of my favourite egg and bird images. Being the very patient person I am, though, I managed to crack the frame, so this one's glass-less until another trip to Ikea... (Another horrendous, pinkish photo. If only I was as patient as I am impulsive...)

Also, happy birthday to the Pal! Hope you're having a lovely one xx