+ I love this idea by NYC Taught Me and I'd like to try it out next time I'm in a major city (there are no passenger trains in Tasmania!):

He had Ella write all the subway lines on small pieces of paper. She placed them in a cup. She then wrote numbers 3-12 on pieces of paper and placed them in another cup. Each kid got a turn picking a subway line and a number. Whatever they picked would determine what train we would take and for how many stops.

+ Dawn from Handmade Love has been documenting her recent holiday to Tasmania in a bunch of lovely posts. I've loved seeing my state through her eyes.

+ Rhianne's wonderful It's A Photoswap is on again. I participated last year (photos here & here) and it was so much fun. I couldn't recommend it more!

+ Colour-coding your keys with nail polish sounds like a ridiculously simple, pretty and helpful idea.

+ The paper packs in this store are dreamy!

+ I think it might be time to give my bike helmet a bit of a DIY.

+ Marianne from Esme and the Laneway has fresh, new, amazing pink hair!

+ I Rock So What shared some of her favourite free fonts.

+ Katyha has a sleek new blog.

After I made a card for my sister for her birthday I thought I should probably draw one for my mum as well (considering that I am sending them a package together). I love giving gifts. My mum used to get angry with me when I was a kid because I'd save up all my pocket money to buy presents for my friends. It just makes me feel good to put together a really good present for someone who deserves one.


My mum is an avid gardener and can tell you the scientific names of a hundred different plants off the top of her head. She is also a friend to tiny creatures and always taught us not to kill spiders or hurt bugs. She probably doesn't get to get out in the garden as much as she'd like to these days. The house where I grew up (and where we had our picnic) is pretty much an acre of garden.


I drew the card in Photoshop with my graphics tablet then had it printed at Officeworks (because my printer is doing awful things to everything I try to print on it).



Apologies for the grainy pictures - my camera and night time hate each other.

A few days before we got married a very cute little red Fisheye Lomo camera arrived in the mail at my Mum's house from the one and only Blackbird Corner. Nici is ridiculously generous and kind to me and I am so grateful for the amazing gift. It's such a fun camera. In the instruction booklet it pretty much says don't bother looking through the view finder when you take pictures because so much more than what you see through it ends up in each shot. I have just loaded a new roll and am looking forward to experimenting. These were a few shots from my first roll.


My niece and nephew in my childhood tree house.


I had a few of these shots on the roll from leaving the lens cap on. I kind of like them!


Signing the official documents at the registry office.


My sister and her boyfriend at the picnic.


The entrance to my childhood home.


Our first kiss as married people, at the registry office.


My four year old nephew Marley took this shot of his sister Elyse.


Our friends Kat and Tom at the picnic.


Fish faces with a fish eye just after getting married.


My nephew Marley kissing the moon on the lips in his onesie, taken by Elyse.


A self portrait by Marley and Elyse (asking kids to finish the last few shots of a roll of film for you is always a good idea).

It's my little sister's 19th birthday next week and I thought I'd make her a card. She's a special girl. I won't get to see her for her birthday but I am putting together a fun little package to send she and my mum back in Newcastle. My mum, dad, sister and Nanna's birthdays are all in August (apparently most years August is the most popular month of birth). I feel a bit left out being all the way up the end of the year. Can you tell I'm pretty graphics tablet obsessed lately? I've had this graphics tablet since I was sixteen and I've pretty much just started learning how to use it. Good fun!