Friday Brag: Siobhan of Far Out Brussel Sprout has made a new blog especially for interviews she conducts with creative Newcastle types called The Novocastrian Files. Though I took ages and ages to fill it out, she kindly included me in it and my questionnaire is up this week, conveniently featured in my final week as a Novocastrian! If you'd like to check it out it's here :) It's basically me just waxing lyrical about letter writing and Newcastle. Now back to box packing!

Would you like to meet Alice?



Alice was my great great grandmother and lived in the late 1800's/early 1900's. This photo has a bit of a story behind it. From what I can gather, Alice was to attend a fancy dress ball in the town where she lived and at which there was a competition for best costume. Not being particularly well off and wanting to have a bit of fun with the costume, she made her dress entirely from layers of paper and even made decorations for her bulldog. When she arrived at the ball she was very embarrassed by her outfit after comparing it to the other women there who had professionally made dresses made from expensive fabrics and lace and so she went home. Later people came to tell her that she had in fact won best costume and this is the photograph that was taken of her. I haven't seen any other photos of her but I find her fascinating. A love of paper, creativity and craft seems like it might be a bit of a constant in my heritage. I like your outfit Alice!

^ Bongiovanni (via The Ever Dazzling).


My mail box was smiling this week (note to self: paint smiley face on my next mail box);


^ A beautiful little letter from Crystal in Montreal.


^ Something wonderfully tropical from Sue.


^ A fun postcard from Christine while on her honeymoon.


^ A 'radish' letter from a sweet lady called Ngaire in Victoria.


^ Another expectedly fabulous item of mail from Patty.


^ There are two reasons why this postcard excites me - Audrey Tautou being afront it and it being from Garci. Look at the collection of red!


^ A lovely reply from sweet miss Jennifer - I especially love the little red wooden Australia post truck she included!


^ A cute bit of yellow from Audrey in Malaysia.


Will that mail pile ever get under 40? I need to pick up my game!


^ A map of the USA East coast envelope for Linsey. I love writing to this lady.


^ Some colour for Kati.


^ One of my Redbubble postcards for July's Benevolent Postcard Society mail out to a lady named Silke.


^ A copy of this month's Frankie magazine, an Australian music mix cd and a handful of postcards, for lovely Erika. I realised afterward that I forgot to leave any space on the envelope for the gross big stickers that the post office slaps all over your mail. Boo. The postage fairies aren't going to be kind to me with this one - I think I'm up for about thirty dollars!


^ A long overdue letter to one of my favourite blogger misses, Carly.


^ A little note to Liana. I finally got to use one of my own cards.

I took Sophie and Adam to the Centenary Centre last week and although I saw a million things I could have taken home, all I picked up was this old postcard which was sitting in a box full of other old postcards. As far as I can make out the date stamp is from 1911 in Newcastle. It's amazing to look at a postcard that is almost one hundred years old;



I also picked up this airmail themed Cavallini & Co poster on our wanders which I'm considering framing to put in our new house (or cutting up!);



I made this creepy hand stationery a few weeks ago and never posted it up here. Feel free to use it if you like it! Click on the links below for bigger sizes;


Single page | Double page

Listening to: Pink and Blue - Outkast
Consuming: Tomato & herb soup with garlic bread.

^ TMshop Inspiration Pad

I spotted this handwriting exercise via Rachel's blog and thought it was sweet -

How it works:
Write down the following, snap a picture (or scan the document), post it, and tag others.

1. Name/Blog Name
2. Right handed, left handed or both
3. Favorite letters to write
4. Least favorite letters to write
5. Write: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
6. Write in caps: CRAB HUMOR KALEIDOSCOPE PAJAMAS GAZILLION
7. Favorite song lyrics
8. Tag people
9. Any special note or drawing

Here's my scrawl;



I'd love to see your handwriting :) Do play along!



Tonight I was meant to go to a Rockabilly Festival around the corner from my house with some friends, but I have done something horrible and unknown to my ankle. C has lent me his funny cane that has a duck's head on the top (see above picture) so I can limp around with it, ha. Tomorrow I'm catching the bus to Swansea to have lunch with my Nana. I'm trying my hardest to catch up with everyone I need to see before we go (9 DAYS!). I ended up sending out an awkward bulk message on Facebook inviting people to come hang with me next Friday at a designated pub. I am so not the awkward obligatory self-imposed going-away-party kind of person, but I seem to have organised something of the sort. I am very excited and totally frightened by this move, and I had a bit of a cry last night about being so far from my mum and sister. Wah. I know they'll visit and call though. And hopefully I can keep up with the blogging game while life is in transit. I also start back at uni (by correspondence) on Monday!

I was just going through photos on my camera and found this cute picture of Sophie just after she'd unwrapped her Diana mini this week. She was so happy!;



It was my blog's first birthday yesterday (it feels like this has been going on for much longer!). I was thinking of some way to celebrate it - I wanted to make some cupcakes in its honour or ice up some sugar biscuits shaped like letters and spoons, but I didn't get time this week. Regardless, I would like to thank you tenfold for being a part of a very enjoyable first blogging year - it has been so much fun :D It has changed my life in no small way and this blogging community brings me so much joy on a daily basis. When I'm done setting up my nest in Tasmania there's a bundle of things I'd love to give away to you!

Ps. I don't know if I told you, but I bought this bike the other day. It will be in Launceston when we arrive waiting for me. I'm not generally a pink kind of gal, but it was kind of irresistible;



Also, I'm considering participating in The Sketchbook Project, it looks very cool.

Hope your weekend is sweet!

Listening to: Sophie Hunger, Paul Kelly, Hungry Kids of Hungary.
Consuming: Nutella sandwiches