---

While I was in Newcastle with Theo we spent some time hanging out with my older brother Luke. He is an artist and works in childcare and was recently able to set up a sweet little studio just off Newcastle Mall in Wolfe Studios as part of the Renew Newcastle project - he calls it Tiny Boat Productions. While I was there checking it out I took some quick snapshots.

It has been a total joy to watch my brother's progression as an artist over the past few years - he seems so much more fulfilled, motivated and energetic. He drew a lot as a kid, but then took a decade or two off. Him picking the pencil back up has been wonderful to watch. His talents are many; he is an incredible musician, a really fun, playful dad to my niece Rose and in recent times he has self published two little children's books (which you can click through here), made a really moving animation about asylum seeker children in detention in Australia, had two really successful exhibitions and facilitated lots of art workshops and creative storytelling. If you've ever been to Newcastle, you've probably seen some of his little paste-ups which appear in numerous places around the city. 

His space is full of imaginative pen sketches (of moons, owls, funny little men, rocket ships, animals, monsters, robots and hot air balloons), art supplies, musical instruments, paper cut outs, stories, books and cute little plants on the windowsills.

Seeing my brother's creative space was really inspiring and has spurred me on a little to look for a studio space outside of home and to think more seriously about my vocation. 

---

Theo and I recently went away for ten days to visit family in NSW and Victoria and while we were in Newcastle, I threw a little park picnic birthday party for Theo. A nice bunch of our friends and family attended. It was Theo's first real time eating junk food and he sampled each jelly snake and salty ridged chip with delight and reckless abandon.

Below is the little digital invitation I illustrated for the occasion.

I took a couple of photos on the day, just with my iPhone, but my sister, sister-in-law and Aunt also sent me a few photos that they took, so please excuse the varied quality of these shots!

I bought a dozen fantastic cupcakes from Cupcake Espresso for the party and despite Theo being fascinated watching the cupcakes being made through the glass window inside the shop and delighting in getting to choose each of the twelve cupcakes that were placed into the box, he did not care for the taste of the cupcakes whatsoever. Everyone was poised to capture photographs of him stuffing his face, but he ran off to play on the grass instead. And, he refused point blank to wear a party hat. Oh well, haha. 

The amazing balloon monkey pictured above was created by a rogue balloon artist named Michael AhMazing who approached us and asked if he could gatecrash the party as he'd just moved to Newcastle and was looking to get his skills known in the local area. Of course, we couldn't refuse and he didn't disappoint! 

It was fun to spend time with our interstate family and friends. Theo and I got a terrible flu while we were away and I lost my voice for the second half of our trip (this seems to happen to me in Winter every year). Theo wasn't really himself while we were away and had lots of tantrums and meltdowns, which are usually very rare for him. I think the travel took it out of both of us. I am happy to be home and back to my creature comforts (despite it being sub zero most nights/mornings lately!). Some of my highlights from time away included attending the Other Worlds Zine Fair, spending time with my beautiful half sister in Melbourne and her two sweet boys (Theo and Connor are two months apart and were inseparable) and seeing Morrissey at the Sydney Opera House in the second row, center with my friend Ash for free!

Any glimpses of Theo looking like a baby these days are quickly disappearing, it is of course bittersweet! He is two! He's a real boy! Wow. It's such a good time being his mother.

---

Hi there! Apologies for the unexpected radio silence around these parts. Life got busy and complicated but now I'm ready to resume my normal regimen of semi-sporadic, aimless posts. Hooray! 

My friend Jaine gave me this sweet vintage dress out of the blue one day and it is now on high rotation in my wardrobe (and by wardrobe I mean floordrobe). Over the last few months I have started to foster much closer, meaningful relationships with female friends and I can't overstate how refreshing and important that has been for me. It is ridiculously sweet to go out for coffee dates with ladies I like and then receive texts from them later saying how much they enjoyed our hang outs. During and after high school most of my close friends were male and I was often hesitant to form close female friendships (having been spurned in a close friendship long ago). Having fun, clever, supportive lady friends is the best.

I probably don't need to tell you that red is my favourite colour or that I refuse to wear it sparingly. Wearing it is a pick-me-up on days when I'm feeling lacklustre. Last week I was walking in the city (not wearing red however) and an old man stopped me to thank me for looking like a "Summer's day". It definitely caught me off guard and was one of the nicest compliments I've ever received. 

My mum is staying with me for the next week and then Theo and I are spending a little over a week in NSW with family. In the meantime, I am up to my ears in really fun freelance work. I really need to work on scheduling out my life better because I flounder when it comes to time management. I know it's a skill developed over time and I'll get there eventually. I need to befriend early mornings and make better use of my Filofax.

Life is good at the moment. I hope you're feeling the same way.

---

Here is my yearly list to-do list. 

1. Make another zine
   This has been on my to-list for some time but I really want to make it happen this year. I love zines and I love making them. I'm flying to Sydney in May to go to the MCA Zine Fair (let me know if you're going too) and I'll take a few copies of Paint It Black for swaps.
    
2. Keep bettering my graphic design & illustration skills
   I've made a lot of progress on this in the past year but I want to keep learning. I've really enjoyed my new course content so far (even if I've fallen way behind) and I'm learning so much. I'm also pretty addicted to Skillshare.
    
3. Practice mindfulness daily
   I use an app called Smiling Mind and try to do daily activities mindfully and I'm finding that I have a lot less anxiety, so I'd like to continue with it and get better at it.
    
4. Get my bike fixed and ride it lots
   My bike has a bit of issue with gear changes (it will only stay in second or fourth gear) and while it's still totally rideable, it's only a year old and I'd really like to be able to get full use out of it, even if it might cost me a bit to get it fixed.
    
5. Get the ball rolling for having my own little art show
   There's a little gallery near my uni called the Powerhouse, which I'd love to have a little show in. This year it is one of my main goals to apply for a show.
    
6. Do my final university unit and graduate
   I have one first year elective left until I graduate and I just enrolled in a little ceramics class for next semester which I'm really looking forward to. Once that subject is finished up, I get to walk through Albert Hall in a funny hat and get my degree!
    
7. Keep a sketchbook
   I really love keeping sketchbooks for ideas and play and I'd like to keep one regularly. Now to find the perfect sketchbook to get started in. 
    
8. Pay off my credit card
   Moving house wasn't kind on my finances, so my credit card bore the brunt. I make regular payments, but I'd very much like to get it completely paid off and not have to think about it any more.
    
9. Make more time for being active
   I use a Fitbit daily and I really like being able to quantify and monitor my activity, and that in itself has made me more active. I'd like to set higher goals and start doing more regular, fun exercise.
    
10. Write three songs
    I wrote a couple of songs last year (and even played one in front of a crowd) and I'd really like to write more, even if it's just for my own ears.
     
11. Get my passport
    Another recurring item on my yearly lists. 25 is going to be the year I get one! Then I can snap up cheap flights to New Zealand and Japan when they pop up in my inbox from time to time.
     
12. Eat well
    In January I did the Whole 30 and I got a lot out of it. I've carried through a lot of the eating habits from that month (except for, um, eating chocolate daily) and I've been feeling a lot healthier (less stomach aches, 10kg down, better sleep).
     
13. Get photos printed and make an album for each year of Theo's life
    I started a Project Life album when Theo was 6 months old but I haven't touched it in over a year. I'd love to just get some photos printed and make simple albums of Theo. I look through photos on Instagram and my iPhone regularly, but it is so nice to have something tangible.
     
14. Have friends over more often
    I've had lots of friends over at my new place so far already and I'd love to keep catching up with friends more often.
     
15. Start a favourite recipe journal
    I've been meaning to do this for a long time. I find cooking for myself pretty uninspiring at the moment and I really need to compile a go-to collection of my favourite recipes for myself.
     
16. Do fun, creative activities with Theo. Play. Relish my time with him. Don't be distracted.
    At the moment Theo stays with C for 5 days of the week and is with me for 2 (as I work and study and C is the stay-at-home-parent), but I see lots of them on other days as I visit often or meet up with them in town. I really enjoy my two full days with Theo each week - I can abandon anything that has been stressing me out and just dedicate all of my time enjoying him; playing, going for walks, watching shows together, going into town, eating meals together. It's a really mindful, special time in my week.
     
17. Make more fun free stuff for my blog
    I'd love to make more downloadable stationery and wallpapers and all kinds of goodies. 
     
18. Use my phone in bed less. Read instead.
    I am really bad at this and even if I get into bed at a reasonable time, I end up going to sleep much later, getting lost in an iPhone trance. I keep a bunch of great books next to my bed and I've been getting better at picking up one of them, instead of my phone when I'm in bed.
     
19. Make an ezine
    I thought I'd just throw this one in as a bit of a challenge - it's something I've always wanted to do.
     
20. Organise and de-stash my art supplies
    There are boxes and boxes of miscellaneous paper and supplies hiding underneath my bed that I swore I wasn't going to bring over until I'd gone through, but I thought it was better just to have everything in the one space. I really need to spend a day or two going through them and throwing a lot of it out or passing it on - I can't wait until it's done!
     
21. Continue making my apartment a cheerful, creative and organised space for myself
    My apartment is my happy place and I want to spend lots of positive, productive time there over the next year.
     
22. Illustrate a set of mindfulness cards
    I'm really looking forward to doing this. It will be my little side project I'll work on for a few months.
     
23. Get up before 8am more often than not
    Because I work late nights, I tend to sleep in the following day and then my days off feel wasted. I hate having to set alarms, but 
     
24. Go to three places I've never been before
    There are still so many places in Tasmania I've never been. I'd love to go to Cradle Mountain, Stanley and Mariah Island for starters!
     
25. ...
    I've left this one blank because a year is a long time and I think I'll fill this one in at half way.

If you like, you can read my 21 < 22, 22 < 23, 23 < 24 & 24 < 25 lists too.
Tell me a goal you're working on at the moment.