Manic and frantic

Over the past few weeks I struck a goldmine of motivation, inspiration and dedication. 

And used it all on my sewing. 

So in my usual tradition, I made myself something jazzy to wear to the festival I went to last weekend. 

In my opinion, the distaste toward Stereosonic is disproportionate to the quality it presents. 

Ok yes there are girls and boys in scantily clad clothes, if any clothes at all. 

But when you realise that it is a gathering of the best DJs in the world all in one place, it simply blows your mind.

Sew I'll do it better

You know that feeling you get, when everyone you ask for help just doesn't seem to understand what you need and you ultimately have to do it yourself? 

That's how I often feel about retail. 

In recent weeks, shopping for a work Christmas party dress proved to be frustrating and difficult and so with two days to go, I gave up and hit my favourite stomping ground, Lincraft. 

With (unfortunately expensive)fabric in hand I dashed home to begin my 36 hour project from scratch. 

I'm fortunate enough to have a mother who was once as passionate as I am about sewing and has boxes of patterns that I've rummaged through many times over my sewing life. My sewing style is rather stubborn, as I've never followed a full pattern from start to finish. I'll take a pattern piece from one thing, trace something from an item I already own, draw something in the hope that it's right and then mash it altogether.  

The process ends up being: sew, try it on, fix, sew, try it on, fix.  

Anyway, here is the final product of my last minute dress. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. 

 

Front

Back

My best angle

With my gorgeous friend, Sharna as I hide the photographer's beer behind my back.  

Something Different

So it was my mother's 50th birthday a few weeks ago and I thought I'd go the extra mile and bake her a cake from scratch (dad's cake was from a packet). 

I used Yummly to find a recipe and it brought up this gem 

Moist Blueberry Cake with Light Lemon Icing

Batter and berries

Egg whites & sugar mix into the berry batter

Before going into the oven

I failed at the icing part so I tried to scrape it off (to no avail) and left it with a glaze of some sort. 

I must say, it tasted pretty good, but in essence I think it was a giant berry muffin. 

Haunting

Watched a trailer for HBO's new show True Detective yesterday and this was the tune behind it. 
It's not that often that a song will hit you in the soul like this one.

Lomo

Winter

Not cold - just shy. 

I think it's a mistake made too often. 

Outro

I'm the king of my own land 

Facing tempests of dust, I'll fight until the end. 

Creatures of my dreams raise up and dance with me!

Now and forever, I'm your king!

- M83

Khakiki

My latest creation from my machine. 

Sadly, it will probably be a while now until my next. 

Time, space and resources are at an all time low :(

Kimmy Kim Kim

As I sit here struggling to pump out an assignment due in 3 days (if you know me, my literary masterpieces are normally completed 2 days before due date), I can't help wanting to dedicate a post to the late Kim Jong-Il. 

I don't want to endorse his ways or celebrate his life. I just want to commemorate his bad-ass sense of style and his policies that crown him sneakiest bastard of the 20th century.

Did you know (no you probably didn't), Kim Jong-Il ordered farms in the 1970s to grow opium poppies that were then processed into heroin as a means of boosting the economy. 

Children would work in the farms after school and villages were set production targets that had to be met. 

Also, meth is trafficked into China across the border by poor North Koreans escaping and needing bartering leverage. 

P.s. My assignment is covering drug trafficking in North Korea. I didn't just stumble onto the weird part of the internet. 

A pretty f-ing practical suit for summer time. 

The warmest of warm hats with super fashun sunglasses. I think I own his coat in green.

Sweet baby Jesus, Chuck Bass

My my

Oh how time does fly. 

It's been two months since I've been home!

So what the hell have I been doing? 

I've climbed a mountain - quite literally.

 

I've farewelled a dear and close friend, who is off on a 5 month adventure to try new food, see extraordinary things and meet people with tales to tell. 

I've returned to my saviour of sanity, my sewing machine.  I love making little one off pieces like this top.

I flew to Melbourne to visit a friend who just recently moved there to start her grad job. 

  

I celebrated the 22nd birthdays of two of my oldest friends 

10 years with Trew and 16 years with Verity - 10 & 16 years of giggles, bitching and damn good cake. 

 

I celebrated the milestone that is 21, of my real life china doll.

 

I've made sure to put those restless feelings of reverse homesickness at ease. 

 

And I've just started helping out with Cancer Council Qld. The teddy bears make it that extra bit rewarding ^_^  

So I guess that's it. 

A new chapter

I'm back home after an incredible 5 months spent living and exploring the States. 

It's tempting to say it's time to go back to reality, but I feel like that would be wrong, because it has been reality all along. 

Every friend made, food tasted, emotion felt, was all real. 

St Louis, Chicago, Memphis, New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles.

A trail of cities that I have been fortunate enough to experience and embrace with an open mind of curiosity and wonder.