Whatever the reason, maybe you share a woodland obsession too? If so, come and join me in further indulging your woodland fixation within the world of madeit.

Top Row (left to right):

1. Deer Gift Tags, $6 by Bowerbird Design (I adore the colour of these … and look, DEER!).
2. Oh! Deer! $50 by Pepper Stitches (much as I try to convince myself otherwise, you’re never too old for a soft toy).
3. Forest Button / Badge Set, $6 by Tabitha Emma (wear your obsession always).

Bottom Row (left to right):

1. Zoology Brooch – Rabbit, $12 by Pannikin (so cute, this one’s clearly very happy in his woodland world).
2. Winter Woods Earrings, $29 by that vintage (because every good woodland needs at least two bunnies).
3. Forest Tote, $45 by mooma (a forest you can put stuff in … amazing!).

After looking at all the lovely woodland inspired beauties on offer, I’m thinking I could very easily create my own little forest at home and surround myself with an ever attentive audience of rabbits, deer, badgers, and the like … hmm, I’m wondering whether this obsession may eventually become more than just a little embarrassing…

I’ve come to realise that when I’ve made it to the end of a rage-filled day, all I want to listen to is strong, angry music. Similarly when I’ve had a reflective or relatively uneventful day I tend to reach for calmer, more mellow music. I find the former strangely calming and the latter wonderfully uplifting.

My current ‘angry’ music of choice is ‘The Dresden Dolls’ (Amanda Palmer is always a favourite), while my current ‘mellow’ music of choice is ‘The Morning Ripples’ by Small Sips (an Australian alt-country band that is sadly no more).

Do you have any ‘moody’ music of choice? Are you the same as me, and balance your mood with like-minded music?

Casting couples for the Australian version of the show is well underway, with entries closing today. As for the prize, well it’s described as being a ‘massive cash prize’ … whatever that means? (perhaps the local prize will be significantly less than the usual $1 million?).

While I have no doubt that Mr Quiet Paws and I would be entertaining to watch (we’d be that crazy couple that ALWAYS seem to disagree and have massive meltdowns when things don’t go their way), I’ve managed to resist submitting an application myself.

Much like playing Super Mario on the Wii with your significant other, I personally feel that entering ‘The Amazing Race’ as a happily married couple is just asking for trouble (mega-divorce mode anyone?).

If however you do decide to enter, I’ll wish you the very best of luck and hope your relationship survives unscathed (or at least makes for some great tv).

I’ve shown a little sample from my record collection below … but believe me, there are a few much more embarrassing inclusions which are best left under wraps for now.

While I’m a HUGE supporter of upgrading my CD collection to digital, and any new music purchases I make are in that non-physical format … my vinyl collection will always be near and dear to my heart. I love their thinness and their large surface area … for some reason they remind me of a beautifully oversized after-dinner mint, though instead of providing chocolate goodness, they delight the senses in more complex ways.

The process of listening to a record – slipping off the sleeve, placing one on the turntable, and properly balancing the arm is an experience that requires attention and care in a way that other music formats don’t require. It’s not the way I choose to listen to music very often at all, but I do adore the specialness of the vinyl experience and the memories which are trawled up from the past when listening to music on a turntable …

Are you a closet vinyl lover too? What’s lurking in your collection?

Here’s the latest batch of madeit goodies to help fire the imagination and kick start some dreams high above the earth.

Top Row (left to right):

1. Raindrops Pencilcase, $20 by Pocket Carnival (rainbow coloured rain, and puffy clouds … just lovely!).
2. Birdie Birds 4 Card Set, $20 by red letter studio (vibrant colours to lift the heart, and just look at that stitching detail).
3. Flying Bird Necklace, $26 by Little Viking Girl (simply elegant and suitably flighty to carry your worries away).

Bottom Row (left to right):

1. Vintage Style Brooch, $8 by mabel studios (kite flying is a seriously underrated activity).
2. Cloud Ring, $55 by Epheriell (this silver delight is the stuff of my most wonderful dreams).
3. Floating In A Sky Of Flowers Print, $44 by ali j art (she is exquisite and has me wishing for a tree to slumber beneath).

I hope today you find some time for your dreams and imagine themselves a little closer to reality …

My typing teacher at school (Mrs. Barker) was completely terrifying, so perhaps it was a combination of learned skill and fear which taught me how to properly ‘use the force’ and type with fingers at ready in the QWERTY position and eyes OFF the keyboard. Once someone in my class couldn’t handle the amount of corrections made on her typing work, and she ended up running out of class crying. After calming herself down, she returned to the classroom … but Mrs. Barker wouldn’t let her off so easy.

When one of my friends took her work up to be corrected, Mrs. Barker very loudly called out across the class (even though her words were really for the benefit of one) – ‘See, trying NOT crying … that’s what you should do’ … *AWKWARD*!

Anyway, I’m eternally gratefully for my touch typing skill – it has served me countless times over the years and makes everything so much quicker and more efficient. I love the interplay between visualising the letters with your mind and feeling the keys go to work beneath your fingers.

There is music in the tapping of the keys and in the silences left between, and it is from that rhythm that I take much comfort and smile at fond memories. Do you take pleasure in touch typing too? Or have you come up with something better?

There were pretty candles shining romantic light on the long reception table, while the exposed wooden rafters at the restaurant were on show. I was busy doing some shoe gazing (and as you can see I went with a black & white dress), while Mr Quiet Paws found some other entertainments aside from dining and dancing …

I’m sure we’ve all had those moments when we’ve happened across a book that just feels like the words within it have been written especially for us. That’s how I felt when I discovered ‘The Artist in the Office’ by Summer Pierre (who also happens to have a pretty great blog).

Being someone who’s often felt that I exist within two different lives – within and out of the day job, I knew this book would help. Regardless of what you consider your ‘art’ to be, perhaps this book is for you too? Here’s a little excerpt from the back cover:

‘Day after day, this is how it goes: You get up, go to work – and save your ‘real’ self for the cracks and corners of your off time. Your 9-to-5 work might pay the bills, but if it’s not giving you an outlet for your pent-up creativity, it’s time to make a change. This ingenious little book isn’t about throwing over your day job. It’s about integrating the work you have to do with the work you want to do.’

Filled with awesome illustrations and lots of humour, there’s all kinds of fun things to help inspire you to pursue the artistic path in all that you do. Things like: collecting evidence of your day, taking yourself on lunchtime adventures, doing something unexpected, photographing ordinary objects, and heaps of other cool ideas.

If you’d like to better embrace the ‘artist’ within, I would really recommend this lovely book … in Australia you can pick up a copy from the lovely Melbourne store ‘Orlando and Ivy’ (you can also buy from them online).

1. Cut my hair short and make it red. I know this is technically two things in one … but they’re related so I figure that’s OK. I’ve gone most colours both light and dark, and most in-between, but never any shade of red. That’s gotta change.
2. Unsubscribe from unnecessary email lists. I’ve gone through phases of subscribing to lots of different email groups like newsletters and store updates. The reality is that I don’t actually read many of them, so they’re just cluttering up my inbox with junk. Streamlining of information is necessary.
3. Become a better online ‘citizen’. I want to be more present in the online world. That means a few different things, like being more consistent with my blogging and more connected with my wonderful readers. I am also in desperate need of updating my neglected blogroll.
4. Shop at the local fruit & veg markets. I pretty much detest everything about supermarket shopping. I recently discovered that I have another, much better option in the form of a local fresh food market. So it’s time to load up the environmentally friendly reusable shopping bags and head to the markets for lovely fresh produce – I’ll be saving money, supporting local growers, and perhaps more importantly, saving my sanity.

If you’d like to get involved with your own list of simple goals, you’ll find the ‘rules’ over on A Beautiful Mess. I do hope you come along and get involved too, it’s sure to be fun and rewarding! I’ll be sure to keep you updated with my progress …

Things are s-l-o-w-l-y returning to normal in my world, and that means emails are gradually getting read, lovely comments left by my wonderful blog readers (thank you!) are slowly being replied to, and a sneaky little bit of shopping is getting done.

With father’s day just around the corner in Australia ( … dad if you’re reading this please avert your eyes now), I thought I should get my dad a card (even though he generally objects to the commercialism of the day, I figured he wouldn’t object too much). Just look at how adorable this card is from Sissy Sparrows!!?!! (I hope he likes it). You can buy your dad (or someone else special) a lovely card from the wonderful Sissy Sparrows madeit store too.

I also picked up a little something for home … some lovely vintage coasters by My Pretty Shadow. While these coasters are now mine, you can find some of your very own in their lovely madeit store.

As ever there are so many pretty things, and such little time. So, how about you?
… Have you managed to sneak in a little bit of shopping too??