loafing around

I'm loving my new shoes sick!

Walnut is a Melbourne based company that I have just discovered.
I am browsing their ballet flats range and just might have to make a purchase.
They can be found here.

sketchbook art

My son and I spent a lunch time break having a bagel and coffee and looking through his sketchbook.
I love the colours he achieves using food dyes.  He knows they may fade over time but he doesn't seem to mind.  I thought I would post a few pics here to send them off into cyberspace so that even if they fade they will be out there somewhere.

 Life imitates art!

Note - all images copyright Thomas Russell. Please do not use without written permission and link back to source.

I'm happy about...

Blossom, sunshine, bike dreaming, arty conversations, the Banjo & Matilda cashmere sale and a good book kept me happy this week.

 It will all be over in a few days...

 Oh how I would love this little beauty.

Mmmm leather trim.

A sneak peek of arty musings. More soon.

A little addition to my cashmere cache.

A train trip to the Melbourne CBD saw a large chunk of this novel devoured.
Set in the 1600's in Martha's Vineyard this tale is built on the few facts that remain about the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College.
I love the history and a good dose of passion.
If you want to see how our female forbears pushed the case for equal opportunity then read this book.

meditation moment

Ambika Yoga - Townsville

I have been thinking of extending my meditation practice into the area of metta meditation which comes from the Buddhist tradition of loving kindness. It is essentially a meditation about cultivating compassion and love. Can't have too much of that I say....

The idea is that you start with unconditional love and acceptance of yourself , then extend that out to family members and people you love and then to all living things. It is not about anyone deserving the compassion nor about you getting anything back from them.


I'm going to give it a whirl.

Here are the  traditional phrases or you can adjust them to suit yourself.

May I be free from inner and outer harm and danger. May I be safe and protected.

May I be free of mental suffering or distress.
May I be happy.

May I be free of physical pain and suffering.
May I be healthy and strong.

May I be able to live in this world happily,
peacefully, joyfully, with ease.

You say or think the passage several times.  Then think of someone close to you and extend these wishes to them. Feel the loving kindness.
Then move on to a neutral person, one you feel neither strong like or dislike for and extend to them loving care for their welfare.
Now here's the kicker -  move to someone you have difficulty with and extend to them the same. You can preface it with "to the best of my ability I wish you to be..."
Let the phrases spread through your body, mind and heart. 
After the difficult person you radiate these feelings out to all living things. 
Stay in touch with the  ember of warm loving kindness at the center of your being.

This is the essence of the meditation that I have paraphrased from the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society.

I'm happy about...

My students triumphed with their duffle bag construction this week.  I'm so proud of them. It was not an easy task and some of the students had never sewn before.  Top effort.

Other little moments that made me happy were the first blossoms on the plum tree.

The beast bun I have ever seen on a hostie on Jetstar this week.

Our last lunch at Vivo before departing for the airport to go home.

a little bit of love...

Whilst in Bali recently I bought a little birthday giftee for my daughter at the same shop I bought my birdy ring - Concept 21.  I wrote about it here.
Now that I have given it to her I can show you.

 We celebrated her birthday with breakfast at Vivo - my top pick in Palm Cove and then with a day soaking up the sun.  Dinner was at Peppers.

 French Toast at Vivo - top marks.

 The earrings are from General Pants - major statement piece.

 My top is from Lily Jean in Seminyak , Bali. Their basics range has some useful pieces.

Party Prawns! - a tasty nibble at Peppers.

Moon and water is always a good combo. A lovely backdrop for our dining experience.