white eyelet curtains

A friend of mine at work once asked if I accepted charity. I said sure, I'm not too proud. Anything you don't want, give it to me. Old things, broken things, whatever. I'll most likely want them.

After all, I've worked hard to earn a reputation as a junk-addicted crazy poodle lady.

So, when my equally crazy friend Patrice asked if I'd like the old curtains from her living room, I said yes. Of course.

I'd admired those curtains before. I love eyelet curtains and I love white curtains (says the woman who bought metres and metres of grey and silver curtain fabric to make curtains for the living room). Anyway, they're not old. She's only had them for about a year.

Worst thing wrong with them was the bit of cat hair on the bottom, but hey, whats a few cat hairs between friends?

She also gave me a few plastic curtain rings and a couple of brackets to re-hang the dark grey curtain over the door ... that's our front door, the one we never use to walk in or out of the house, and it lets in so much cold wind in winter that I always hang a curtain over it. This year I couldn't find the curtain I'd used last year with its rings and brackets so I improvised. Not always a good thing. I had to take it off and put it up again, but it works better now.

But back to the white curtains Patrice gave me. They're nice and long so I did what I've never done before and hung them up as high as I could. We have a  pretty low ceiling in our living room so that's not really high, but turns out its the right height for the curtains. No hemming needed.

Patrice, bless her little cotton socks, also gave me some plasterboard toggle thingies for mounting the brackets. Well, after mucking around for ages, searching for the right brackets for the curtain, compromising on ones that 'will do' and fiddling with toggles and screws, I got them up.

All while listening to The Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. Great movie.

I really like them.

Now I think I need to buy enough to do the other window which looks to the front of the house. They come ready-made as continuous curtains at Spotlight.

Next time I'll make sure I have the right brackets... and the right plasterboard fittings.

That'll make life easier.

Oh, I have a new drill. Its a cheapie that Wayne got me a couple of months ago. Its much lighter than my trusty old one which was probably my first power tool ever. And its got a chuck which is probably better for me as I can't really hand tighten enough.

So there you go.

I finally did something.

z

something to smile about

We've just had a week off. A whole week, sandwiched by a weekend on either end and a public holiday on Monday... That's a whole lotta time to ourselves!

You'd think I'd have tons to share right?

Well, you'd be wrong.

It all started last week when I had to use my day off to drive a whole lotta stuff into the city and to the gallery where Wayne had organised work take part in an exhibition. Then I drove into the city both Saturday and Sunday cause Wayne was the only person who put his hand up to man our part of the exhibition. That meant I spent two days in Hobart... not bad in itself. I watched a couple of movies and had coffee out and did some shopping... But they were days not spent at home, working on... oh... I dunno... anything!

Then, on Monday we had to go back into Hobart to take down the exhibition... more driving in to the city, a whole day pretty much gone.

We live about 30min or so out of the city, more in traffic. But going into the city always blows out. You try to do as much as you can "while you're in there" and one hour turns to two and so on.

Tuesday grooming and a great playdate with a friend and her poodle. Fun. We all enjoyed that. Wednesday grooming again, all day. Thursday (yesterday) another drive into the city to pick up the Art From Trash entries this time, ours and work ones.

And today... we had an appointment at the tax man.

All bad news I'm afraid. And that's for last year. In about a month it'll be more bad news.

sigh.

So, you'd think that having spent only half a day out today, I'd be champing at the bit to get out into the workshop to make something. Anything.

But no. I'm sitting here, near the heater, trying to keep warm. Tasmania turned the cold on for the first day of winter and hasn't let up since. Big frosts every morning, pea soup fog all day... Lovely.

I'm just too weary to go out there and work in these conditions. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next day.

Eh. Who knows.

Meanwhile I'll entertain you for a bit. Will that do?

I love words, language, etc. So its no surprise I love these:

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supplying a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration(n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxicaton: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4.Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. 6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high .

8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10.Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11.Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon(n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15.Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug(n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor  ( n.): The colour you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

And how about an absolutely amazing website:

Or the funniest ad ever:

Or maybe this is:

This is funny but also hits cute and sweet:

How about some funny images:

Hope you had a chuckle or two.

z

art from trash - some photos

I really wanted to share some photos of work at the Art From Trash exhibition which ends next week. Some of these photos were taken by myself but most were taken by the official photographer and I got them off the Art From Trash facebook page. Please visit their page to see more work.

I mostly just wanted to share the works that Wayne and I entered or have connection with through our jobs.

Firstly, here are Wayne's entries. This one is called Nucleus and is made of old metal, wire and wood. It looks best in the sunlight with the sun glinting off the silver and copper wires, contrasting with the rust and old wood. Its approximately 45cm tall.

This one is called Big Bang and is over a metre tall. Its free standing and is also made of different wires and metals. You can't tell in the photo, but there are silver and copper wires all mixed in together with rusty metal. Photos don't do it justice.

You've seen this one before. Its my Travelling Sidetable.

And of course, my Rooster In Print.

This is the Cosmos Collection, a collection of animals made from plastic and other 'junk'. These were made as part of 'making art from trash' workshops run at Cosmos (where Wayne and I work) in association with the Tasmanian Art Gallery.

Another Cosmos entry in the AFT is this Rock'n'Table, made by participants in our art programs. Obviously made of rocks and a slab of old wood.

Below is the work of a guy I tutor in art privately. Sam Bosworth is a very talented young man with autism and I love working with him and watching him develop his wiring skills. This entry is called Fly Wire and is made of old coat hangers, old plastic toys and wire. 

You can't really see the many different coloured wire in the pieces.

And in case you missed last year's AFT, these were my entries - the Junkyard Dogs.

This little guy is made of wire, plastic toys, dog hair and electric cables.

This guy is plastic toys and wire.

This one is old cables and cardboard.

Lastly, the smallest in the bunch, wire, dog hair and a dash of possum hair and dryer lint.

I'll leave you with a fun one - this is one of last year's Cosmos entries. The Tin Man was something I assisted one of our participants to make.

So much fun! That's the best part of my job: working with people with disabilities to create art.

z

a poodle love affair and bed hopping

Its never been a secret that I love my poodles. In fact, if you know me at all, you know all about how I love my poodles.

They make me smile when I come home at the end of a day at work. The feel of their coats under my fingers comforts me and even when they do naughty things I can't be angry at them. They are my family.

There's just something really special about poodles. Of all sizes. Standard poodles are more dog to hug, miniature poodles are big enough to carry and a good armful to hug, and toy poodles are great value cause you can fit more of them on your lap.

Really, they're just the perfect dogs.

But enough gushing. I wanted to share about the bed hopping that's been going on around here lately.

The canine bed hopping, I mean. Don't get too excited.

Here is Romeo in Barney's small bed.

Here is Romeo in the bigger bed.

Here is Montana on the couch.

And here is Barney in his own bed.

On the weekend I made some new covers for the pillows that are in the dog beds. Cause I didn't just buy dog beds... I bought extra soft and squishy pillows to go into them. I needed new covers for them so I can change them and wash them. Especially stinky Barney's pillow. (He's not a poodle and thus both sheds AND smells!)

I got a flanelette sheet from an op shop with little cars on it, perfect for a little boy dog, and I had the purple sheep flanelette in my fabric stash. I was able to make 3 new covers, but had to use a piece of and old sheet in purple ones as the turn over bit... You know what I mean. I make these covers just like regular pillow slips with a folded-in side to hold the pillow in place. I actually love the contrast.

Anyway, before I go, here's another, gratuitous, picture of a poodle.

Heheh.

z