Obama-ra-ma and Ms Liberty

My friend Carol, American by birth, Australian by choice, has this amazing bit of kitsch in her kitschen (groan, sorry).  It grows stuff called chia, which looks ludicrously healthy, and I really want one. No disrespect to Barack, no not at all...that man is, well, hopeful. And the ObamaChia is just plain cool.

...here he is a little earlier with a slightly shorter fro...a strangely disturbing resemblance to Chairman Mao's coiffure at this stage methinks. 

...and Carol also alerted me to this piece of glorious americana

...then broke my heart by telling me that the Chia Liberty can't be imported into Australia because of the chia seeds and our quarantine laws saying no, no, no (not that I'm complaining about the law mind you, but I soooo wanted one). So if you're heading off to the U.S. can you get one, but just remember to take out the seeds before you bring it on home to me.

look what came in the mail...a dollop of downtown chic

I love books...all kinds, but ones with beautiful pictures of gorgeous homes and the stories to match...be still my beating heart.
Just got this in the mail all the way from the US of A ordered online at Borders and it now sits proudly on my coffee table for me to gaze adoringly on and in.  Who needs a tv? Except to watch MKR, Kevin McCloud's Grand Tour, House, Oz and James, Designer People...oh ok, so I don't read all of the time.
And why aren't there flea markets in Canberra where you can get great decorating finds like the ones in this book ? Or are there? I wonder?
I'd really like that, and that...and that...and could I achieve a look like that...or that...sigh...the book will just have to do for the moment.


the images are from Apartment Therapy's review and la Dolce Vita's review

a little bit of on-line budget glitz and glam

Who doesn't love a little bit of glitz and glam on a shoestring? These little beauties are in the latest Ezibuy autumn home catalogue...now c'mon, don't scoff. I'm eyeing off the stick-on 'chandelier'...surely there's somewhere I can put it (the fridge maybe for a little bit of quirk), and those candlesticks are ever so 'morantic'. And I'm quite taken with the mirror although I think a bit of silver leafing mightn't go astray, just like these silver leaf dressers (a brilliant DIY post) from Little Green Notebook.

there's this light bulb see...

There is no way I would have the patience to do anything remotely resembling this...actually not even sure I would like anything remotely resembling this with the kiddies all grown up 'n all...but honestly, it is so kitsch it's just gotta be cute. Head on over here where I found this on Stumble Upon for a full tutorial...yes, go on...try this at home (if you can even find light bulbs like this in Australia anymore that is). Look in the back of the linen cupboard.

from today's desk calendar...

"The great consolation in life is to say what one thinks".

Voltaire

...ahhh Monsieur Voltaire, the should-be-anointed patron saint of bloggers perhaps? Mais oui I say! 


If only he'd also said do no harm when one's saying what one's thinking...then he might have got the nod. Because sometimes saying without thinking can lead to all kinds of wrong.

play of light

shall we prance?

Remember riding on the merry-go-round?
Is it just me or do some of these lovelies look a tad scary? 
Do all carousel ponies go in the same direction?


...and most importantly, do they ever say "are we there yet"?

cinderella.girl63

klingon65

dhmspector

chris inside

rigby mel

does the term biting off more than you can chew strike a chord?

I can channel Helen Reddy and do the 'I am woman, hear me roar thing' with the best most of them.  But the roar is a bit of a whimper at the moment. I had this great idea for the ugliest built-in desk to be removed (who wants a built-in desk anyway) from the end of my bedroom (and please, who wants to work in their bedroom). It looked like this...the colour  scheme in this house makes me less than tranquil...hmmm, note to self: must finish painting the pergola and frame the beautifully kitsch velvet beaded Taj Mahal cushion cover.

And it involved quite a bit of effort and just a touch of pain (anyone know a good chiropractor) to get it out, but I did it...go me! Just don't look at the mess.

And now I'm left with this space below...and a new skill to learn...plastering hey, and a bit of carpet repair...rug anyone? And then there's the ugly lattice and shelving outside. The need for ikea box updating and repositioning (maybe the study?), painting the ugly brown windows white, waiting for the new armchair, maybe a lamp, a place for all the books and magazines needing to be read...How hard can it be?  

I'll get back to you on that one...may take a while.