The other day I was looking for something in our filing cabinet which contains a huge clutter of things in no particular order and I came across this little Moleskine journal. I asked C where it was from and he said that a couple of years ago he found it at a pub that he used to frequent and attempted to contact the owner via the number in the front but had no reply. I thought it was really interesting and wanted to share some pages from it. I even texted the number earlier this week but got no reply - so, if there are any Novocastrians reading this and you recognise the drawings or handwriting in this little book by a person named Ash, please hook us up. I'd love for this little book to return to its owner. I'm sure they would enjoy having a little piece of a particular time in their life returned to them, I know I would.

Reads: "(;)please understand, this little notebook means more to me than you could possibly imagine. it was sent to me by the woman i love whom i've not seen in many long momentsdaysmonths and this journal has her very fingerprints on it, the most tactile evidence i possess that she is still thinking about me somewhere on this big p planet. all i can give you if you return this is my eternal gratitude. i hope that this is enough. a."

Reads: "Dear Ash, I don't know if this is what you meant by the moleskine journal you were searching for, but I hope you can find a use for it. Love you, Tash. (small) Man, I tried so hard to be neat + then my pen leaked on my hands" and "dear tash, tonight was the 1st night ive even seen the face of the man in the moon. i < 3 u."

Small text reads: "wishyouwerehere" (x4).

Reads: "Tudor, 97 Dennison St Hamilton P/U Screens for Ross Taggart"
"found at the morrow" [NB. The Morrow is an old bowling club where some people I used to know lived near the pub where the journal was found].

Small text reads: "when love is not madness, it is not love - pedro calderon de la barca" 

Some of the text reads: "tim tam slam. hush - kula shaker. dinner 2nite: 2 bennett st near aldi. set list: more like get pissed - di. gone chopin back in a minuet" and "dear 7yr old with a bad shirt... You've Never Been".

Reads: "Milk teeth" and "Mow me down with a kiss."

Fortune cookie slip reads: "You find beauty in ordinary things. Do not lose this ability."

Reads: "GOLD LION's GONNA SHOW ME WHERE THE LIGHT IS" and "DEAR ASH, IT'S REALLY AWESOME TO SEE YOU AFTER SO LONG.. KEEP ON "TRYIN' TO EVOLVE..'"

1. Hot chocolate, biscuits and collage materials.
2. My spare room, finally looking kind of welcoming and not full of clutter!
3. About 75% of my collection of shopping lists (C says it makes me seem like a crazy person, seeing them all together like that!).
4. A dress I bought yesterday from Nanna's. This is what vintage dreams are made of.
5. Hot chocolate from Nanna's.
6. New bike basket decor. The crochet hearts were made by Katyha and the pom poms by my Nanna.
7. Apparently when we got married our first names merged?
8. A beautiful dress I didn't buy at Myer (it was the last one on the rack and too small) but took it into the change room to admire.
9 & 10. I made a bunch of ephemera packs for Milkbar to stock in their lovely back room. They are on display in an old suitcase.
11. My Sketchbook Project book arrived yesterday and the cover has been collaged - there's still time to sign up if you're keen!

+ 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.