In March...


I wore a lot of red lipstick.


I celebrated my 24th birthday and my sister sent me some lovely things.


On the morning of my birthday I woke up and C said "I bought you something online but it didn't arrive in time" but he'd made a big hot breakfast. I felt kind of sorry for myself but then he told me to pour some tea and it wasn't our usual tea, it was the Liquorice Legs tea I've been coveting for ages (seriously, you need to try this tea, it is an experience to behold!). And then he gave me an awesome Jellybeads necklace, a pot of body butter and the Smithsonian's List book, so I was a happy, spoiled girl.


This boy got even cheekier somehow!


I spent most of my time here (and moved in one of my armchairs).


I dressed this boy in some dorky outfits.


He also did some squats while holding onto a pumpkin?


Tintin had no shame.


We took a drive home through a town we'd never been to called Nile. Watch out for wombats apparently (I've never seen a wombat).


This boy fought with some nasty new teeth, but was a real champ.



We took a drive to the new Little Red Tractor Market in Deloraine and had a scenic drive home, wherein I saw two 'mailbox clusters'. I love them, they remind me of where I grew up.



These two boys were good friends.


I did some doodling.

Watching | Girls - I'm really hooked now after finding it very awkward to begin with. We're still only in S2. Hannah is my hero. Also, Janet King, Harriet The Spy (I showed it to C the other day and he loved it. All the childhood memories!), The Checkout, Twisted (our terrible guilty pleasure show).
Reading | The Secret History - Donna Tartt (slowly, slowly, but I'm hoping to get through a whole lot of it while I catch planes over the next few days).
Consuming | Out of pure necessity I have started drinking coffee, and I like it! I could probably have counted the amount of coffees I'd ever drank on one hand before this week. C makes delicious mochas and they make me feel half human after a night with a teething baby.
Making | Little drawings & writing proposals. Next month will be full of lots of making!
Listening | I made a little mix of some pretty tunes I've been listening to lately.
Looking forward to | More lovely Autumnal weather, spending lots of time in my studio making, Theo's two top teeth finally pushing all the way through so he's not in pain and seeing my family for a whirlwind trip. I'll be going by myself for 5 days to the mainland to help my mum pack up my childhood home. It's my first time leaving Theo for more than a day and though he's beyond capable, I'm just worried C won't get enough rest. It's also probably the end of breastfeeding for Theo & I as he's been showing signs of weaning for a while, but I've held on because I love it so much. I never thought I'd become so attached to it. It will be nice to wear whatever I want again and not have to show the world my breasts all the time and also not have them poked and pinched by Theo at all times. It has been a lovely way to bond with Theo though and I'm proud of myself to have made it this far!

This month I also went back to work! I had told myself I probably wouldn't go back, but they called me last week and asked me if I wanted to and I was like "err, sure!". I've only done one shift so far and it was fine and I actually really enjoyed being back and supervising. I saw one of my favourite customers before I started so I knew it was going to be a good shift. I'll only be doing 2 shifts per week which should be fine and provide some pocket money.

How was your month?

Thursday is my birthday - it is also biannual Bike Hour day. Bike Hour is about getting people to ride who might not have otherwise. There are no sign-ups, you don't have to meet up with anyone if you don't want to and nobody even has to know you're doing it - it's totally on your own terms. It's just about going for a ride. C, Theo & I are thinking of going for a ride around the Seaport between 6pm and 7pm and maybe getting some spicy hot chips with aioli.




Today I had plans of going for a ride to buy art supplies and then working in my little studio nook for a few hours. I'd been meaning to reattach my bike fender, which had broken in two - I fixed it with the help of super glue, Paddlepop sticks and gaffer tape last week and thought that it would probably only take me about 10 minutes to reattach it to my bike and put my skirt guard back on. It took me three hours! Phew! Fingers crossed that my make-shift job lasts a while and I don't have to do it again anytime soon. I had to use cable ties to attach it to my bike. My poor bike is a bit worse for wear, but I still love it. Tomorrow I'm going to collect some paint chips to put in the spokes.



I'd love this gorgeous Lekker, but don't tell my pink bike.



Bike Hour was initiated by Steven Fleming, who is a UTAS lecturer (and also lived in Newcastle like me). Stephen and I had coffee when he first moved to Launceston a few years ago and I am always impressed by his fantastic bikes and his dapper outfits. He told me about Bike Hour and I thought it was a great idea - he set the wheels in motion (pun intended) and then let it free and it's been taken up across the world.

Will you be going for a ride?

I've been a busy lady lately. Here are some pictures of things I've been doing lately.


I returned to my desk one day to find a lovely bundle of fabric with gorgeous children's imagery on them from my friend Holly. My mum wants to buy me a sewing machine for my birthday and my first order of business with it will be to turn this fabric into a couple of sets of pyjamas for Theo for when he's older.


We've been making a regular family weekend outing to the Harvest farmers markets in the city over the last few weeks. We have delicious breakfast pies from Wanderlust and homemade popsicles from Mmm..Yum. I call this my market hat (it was on sale on ASOS years ago and I've only just started wearing it).


Today we went to vote in our state election. Unfortunately Tasmania decided to vote in a very conservative premier (goodbye beautiful Tasmanian forests) but it was nice to visit this school because it is probably where Theo will go if we get to stay in the house we're in for the next few years. It is just around the corner from our house (so we'll be able to walk him to school) and while we were there a teacher who was helping out started chatting to us and invited us to bring Theo along to their babies program which goes all the way up until they start school. Look at that greenery!


I've been working on a fun little commission for a lovely lady who asked me to draw some flowers from her bouquet for a thank you card. I'll share the finished product soon.


Theodore and I went opshopping this week and picked up a couple of goodies.




I found these boring tiered shelves for $5 at the opshop and thought they'd look nice in my uni nook with a coat of paint. I gave them a good sand and clean and then two coats of purple left over enamel. And a bit of washi tape just for fun.


I really love the work of Amber Koroluk-Stephenson. She had a bunch of great work in Sawtooth Gallery when I popped in this week (I'm required to visit lots of galleries as part of one of my uni subjects). I'm a big fan. I wish so much I could own one of her paintings.


I caught these two having a little snooze together.



My uni desk has been nice and messy lately.


C and I have an arrangement wherein I tend to Theo when he wakes up during the night and then he gets up when Theo wakes up (usually around 6.30am) while I have a sleep-in. My sleep ins have been getting longer and longer and so C has been making big delicious breakfasts to lure me out of bed at about 8am each morning. They are so very good and definitely worth dragging myself out of bed for, all bleary eyed.


I've been finding so many gorgeous baby girl dresses while opshopping lately. I'm not planning on having another baby for a while yet (much to C's dismay) but I have quite an extensive collection for my 'one-day girl'.


I had to share this gif I made of Theo today. He hasn't been himself lately as he's growing a big, nasty old top tooth (it looks huuuuuge in his gum!) but he has still been making me laugh. He's also been standing up by himself for a couple of seconds before falling back down onto his butt. Clever clogs.

(some of the food from our housewarming)

Dear intimidating looking men in dark clothes with facial tattoos standing around looking suspicious in my neighbourhood,
I thought you looked scary but then you said "Havin' a good day darlin'?" and I was too taken back to answer as I rode past on my bike, I hope my smile sufficed.
Yours, possibly judgemental Bianca.

To the man who drove in front of me today when I was walking across a crossing with my pram (and said a half-hearted sorry and an "I'm in a rush" out of his car window) AND to the boys who made me wait on the road with my pram while they dawdled at the path entrance AND to the older man who pushed in front of me at the fruit shop while I was moving my heavy pram to the counter,
What is wrong with you people?
Yours, enraged.

Dear Cameron,
Thank you for taking such great care of our son all day every day while I'm at uni. I know how much you hate it when people ask you, "Are you spending the day with the baby?" or "Babysitting today are we?" as if you're just minding him until I get home, when in reality, you put in the hard yards (like 5.45am wakeups and messy changes and grumbly bedtimes). You deserve the 'MUM' badge much more than I do. I don't ever take for granted how supportive and caring you are and I would be lost without you. You were made to be a dad.
Love, Ank.

Dear ASOS,
Please have a ridiculously big sale so that I can afford to buy these shoes for myself for my birthday. Pretty, pretty please?! (They have 20% off at the moment, but still...)
Yours, obsessed.

Dear Jennifer Lawrence,
How do I be as cool and funny and gorgeous as you?
Yours, jealous.

Dear friends,
Thank you for coming to our housewarming and making it so lovely and fun and making us feel especially good about living in Tasmania.
Your friend, Bianca.

Dear Atticus,
I wish that you could speak human so that you could tell me how you lost all of the fur on one side of your body and why the end of your tail doesn't move anymore. You don't seem too bothered by it, but I am. Please don't wander too far from our yard or hurt yourself. You are my favourite cat (don't tell the other cats) and I wish I spent more time enjoying your lovely affectionate nature. IOU 1 chin scratch.
Love, your neglectful owner.

Dear businesses that put up political signs,
Do you realise that you are putting customers off by having right wing propaganda displayed proudly at the front of your store?
Yours, left-winged.

Dear C's dad's new kidney,
Please be happy inside your new home and help C's dad to be happy and healthy again.
Yours, concerned daughter in law.

To the lady at uni with the awesome boots,
I love your boots!
From Bianca.

Dear lovely young guy on my bus,
Thanks for telling me how cute you think my baby is and that I should enter him in baby contests (I'm not going to, but it's nice to have him admired) and for chatting to me about your baby girl Mabel (best name!). We were both really awkward but it was really nice of you to come introduce yourself.
Yours, hope to see you on a bus again soon.

Dear Theodore H. Jagoe,
You are the sweetest. I can't get enough of you and I miss you so much when I'm at uni. I have to make sure I don't wish the time away, wanting you to be bigger so that we can play together and chat. You have such a sweet, playful nature and you are highly ambitious, getting into lots of mischief. Don't grow up too quickly. You're a good guy.
Love, your Ma.