My first vlog and a book review

Hello you gorgeous souls, all 513 of you (and a warm welcome to the newbies!). The pixies are sleeping soundly (Joshie's camped out on the couch for reasons best known to himself) and I'm eager to finish my Blogging Your Way 2.0 homework. Holly has invited us to share more about our lives with our readers. Given you Planetarians echoed her request in my recent survey, I thought I'd oblige by recording my first ever vlog! It's a bit of a leap of faith, putting myself 'out there' but I hope you enjoy it (and that Sam calling out in the background isn't audible!). 

I've recorded it in *my room of my own* and walked around it to give you a better idea of its layout.

YouTube has edited out a tiny bit between looking at my Blackwood desk and returning to look at the book - sorry about that.

Then I've showed you one of my recent favourite book purchases - 'A space of my own' by the acclaimed UK journalist and author, Caroline Clifton-Mogg. It's a book which delights the senses, is fabulously inspiring and most informative.

So, here I am! Do have a peek and then pop back here to see some of my favourite photos from the book.

Caroline breaks down the elements of a inspirational space to:

• Furniture and space;
• Storage and shelving;
• Task lighting; and
• Decoration.

She then looks at a comprehensive variety of different spaces, divided into:

• Home offices;
• Shared spaces;
• Sewing, craft and artists' rooms; and
• Children and teens.

At the book's end, there is a most informative and detailed list of all the architects, artists, designers and business owners featured. It's a wonderful resource all of its own. 

The diversity of the spaces displayed is a real feature, ranging from the high-end executive's suite with a panoramic view of Los Angeles to period London homes and loft conversions to children's dens. 

I find the layout such a treat to pore over with its sensibly chosen chapter topics.

Australians can find the best price for it over at the brilliant Booko site - you can see here that Abe Books is selling it for $AUD23.95 - a steal for 176 pages of beautifully written prose and delightful photos. 

So, sweet Planetarians, what's the verdict on my vlog? Could you hear it? I'm such a newbie so all (constructive) critiques are welcome! Is my room bigger than you thought? And do you think you might be tempted to buy the book? I can't wait to hear your thoughts - let me know what you think.

PS 'Some Saturday soul food' will return shortly.

5 Etsy shops I adore

Ah, Lovelies! It's a wild and woolly night in old Hobart Town after a freezing day. There's snow halfway down Mount Wellington - winter has well and truly arrived here. I'm tucked away in *my room of my own*, catching up on the reading for my two e-courses. I'm finding them both utterly enthralling and stimulating. Right now, I'm doing my homework for Blogging Your Way 2.0. This week Holly has challenged us to try out a couple of different post ideas. I thought I'd write a 'list post' as I never do. Let's give it a whirl!

I adore Etsy. It is a veritable treasure trove of gorgeous and eclectic finds, all waiting to be discovered. For those unfamiliar with it, Etsy is an international online marketplace for 'crafters, artists and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods and crafting supplies', according to its FAQ page.  

I have bought a wide variety of items there, from washi tape to screen-printed teatowels and Japanese embroidery books to customised wall prints. All have been reasonably priced (especially recently when the $AUD has been at parity or better with the $USD), fabulously packaged and beautifully made. 

Here are 5 of my favourite Etsy shops. Click on the links to go directly to the items on Etsy.

1.      The Wheatfield

Katie Daisy is a supremely talented illustrator from Oregon in the US. Her Etsy profile says "I'm inspired by vegetables, herbs, animals, weather, astronomy, trees, and so much more. When I'm not making art, you can find me canoeing down a river, hiking through the woods, or camping on top of a mountain".

I love her pretty, whimsical and inspiring prints. I have this one hanging in *my room of my own*. I adore it.

Land of ampersand

I really relate to this one.

Love what you do

And this one makes me smile (although I'd ask her to spell it 'favourite' ☺).

Bird chirping weather

2.      Castle on the Hill

Jess Purser in Woking, UK is the delightful talent behind these gorgeous prints. She's a self-taught artist who is "inspired by stories – peoples’ stories and thoughts, what made them, where they came from".

Paris, 1955

This print beams down at me from my bookshelf. It never fails to raise a smile.

Paris, 1956 - Dita Dances, Club St Germain, St Germain

Neither does this one - it's one of my favourite treasures.

Pride and Prejudice

And how about this one for all the Jane Austen fans?

3.      Kerri Shipp 

Talented Kerri is a fellow Planetarian (round of applause, everyone!). She describes herself as "an artist and designer who loves to create unique artwork for every home. I work in watercolour and acrylic and recently had my prints featured in none other than Martha Stewart Living magazine - a dream come true!".

Ginger jar in indigo

This little beauty graces our home.

Ombre in denim

 I have designs on this ethereal print. *Sigh*.

Sea fern in French blue

And this beauty is also on my wishlist. 

4.      Little Happy Things

This Japanese graphic designer lives in New York in the US. She stocks "a collection of Japanese washi masking tapes, cute stationery, arts and crafts, all kinds of my new finds of little things that make me happy from my hometown".

Doily lace pattern foam stamp set

These divine doily stamps make my heart sing. I relish using them. They are so intricate and delicate and a cinch to both use and clean.

Washi masking tapes turquoise polka dots and stripes 

These beauties belong in my treasured washi tape stash.

Hand-screened Chiyogami/Yuzen paper

Some of this paper is also on my wishlist. Isn't it pretty? I'd like to make some kusudama with it. 

5.      Julia Dineen

Julia is a well-respected, and award-winning graphic, designer from my hometown of Hobart, Australia. She has a delightful sense of humour and fabulous eye for colour and design. Here's the one she customised for me which includes some of our favourite Hobart haunts (I've obscured our address which is the pixies' highlight of the list!).

In the suburbs

Here are some of her other prints for sale. 

To do list

I find this one both cheery and whimsical.

Utopia

So, what do you think, my friends? Do any of these beauties catch your eyes? Do you use Etsy? Maybe you have some favourite Etsy shops you'd like to share. Please leap in and tell us - let's have some fun!

PS For my fellow BYW2.0 classmates, you can find more of the class's homework posts on the BYW2.0 Facebook page.

Sunday splendour: 6 May 2012

Good evening, you precious Planetarians! I'm sending you my fondest greetings from chilly Hobart tonight after a typically glorious autumnal day with warming sunshine and no hint of a breeze. The pixies are snug in their beds (the boys wearing beanies!) and the dishwasher is humming away after we had an absolutely delightful afternoon hosting the gorgeous Emma Burgess and her wonderful family. 

Some of you will recall following her divine blog, replete with precious family moments and shots from her trip to Paris last year with her husband and infant daughter to celebrate her 40th birthday. Her family has spent some time over on 'the Mainland' but is now back in Hobart, to my utter delight. I think it will be the first of many such occasions. I'm a happy camper tonight. So, here's a snapshot of some of this week's splendid moments on Planet Baby.

*I feasted upon* this scrummy Black Forest cheesecake Mr PB and the pixies whipped up for our delectation this afternoon. We used the Philadelphia cream cheese I won in a giveaway on sweet Julie's blog a while ago - thanks, Jules! It hadn't quite set in time but was still eagerly devoured by all.

* I discovered* this fabulous world map mural that I'm sorely tempted to buy for the playroom. I love what the Censational Girl team did with it, framing it so simply to set it off so beautifully. Now I'm trying to convert 49.5 inches x 41 inches to metric! Just quietly, I'm eagerly awaiting the day when the US adopts the metric system...

* I enjoyed* finding this exquisite Greengate little latte cup at the online shop of fellow Planetarian, the lovely Rachael. Hmm, Mothers' Day is next week, ladies - are you enticed by it?!

* I created* this little Liberty beauty as a 'just because' present for my favourite hairdressers in the entire world. The magic they wield on my hair and the genuine care they lavish on me are second to none. I only wish you could all experience their service, not to mention their luscious Aveda products and complimentary hand and foot massages!

* I read this* comforting and encouraging email from my friends, The Brave Girls' Club. I *get* its message on so many levels. I have often held onto bad feelings longer than I should have and painfully mourned the end of friendships for the longest time. Learning when to *let go* of things, emotions and relationships is something I'm constantly working at. But most importantly, I am now trying really hard to *listen to my heart* so much more. That is proving quite challenging, given my endless search for some headspace. I am getting there. But slowly.

* I watched* with eagerness as Mr PB and I banded together to work on our front garden. It was so pleasurable to work together on a project which was for us alone! It took a while for us to work out our *shared vision* for it but I know it will be worth all the effort. 

Here he is moving some plants from one spot to another, as requested by me. It may be a cottage garden but I still want it to follow some pattern! All those bricks at the front were lugged by me, with trusty Sabrina the splint guarding my poor right hand, from the back garden to the front. They're just waiting for Mr PB to dig them in to finish off the garden border which frames the other sides. I am finding this gardening caper more and more addictive...  

So there you have it, Lovelies. Did anything take your fancy? Do you covet that map like I do? It is on special, I notice ☺. Or maybe the latte cup caught your eye. Let us know if anything has made you smile. I look forward to finding out!

Pinning pleasure: biking

Good evening, you sweet souls. Just a quickie tonight - an idea which has been rattling around in my brain for ages. I'm starting an occasional series of posts entitled 'Pinning pleasure' which will feature some of my most treasured photos from Pinterest. I stumbled across this brilliant site back in its early beta days and it's been such a thrill watching it evolve and improve over time. I used to store photos on We ♥ it and vi.sualize.us as well. But as Pinterest improved, some time ago I undertook the laborious task of transferring all of my images to Pinterest. I'm so glad I consolidated them all there as it's so much more manageable.

And to my complete surprise, I seem to have somehow accumulated quite a number of fellow pinners who are following my boards. So, if they like what they see, then I guess you Planetarians might as well. What do you say? Are you up for it?

If you're unfamiliar with it all, then click here to see my boards. I add to them every day so there's always something new to share and delight in.

You'll see my boards are in alphabetical order and use a verb theme throughout such as 'Ballooning' and 'Bathing'. I've also created some silly words to keep the theme consistent such as 'Garlanding' and 'Vasing' but hopefully they'll help you find what you're looking for!

I do my level best to properly attribute the original sources of all photos. That means the actual URL for the photo, if I can find it. If not, then I note the source as the website URL. Please let me know if there are any errors I need to correct and I'll do it pronto!

So, without further ado, let me introduce to you 'Biking'!

                                   Source: heatherbailey.typepad.com via Jane on Pinterest

This is one of my absolute favourite photos of all time. I have it printed out on one of my moodboards so I see it many times a day. It makes my heart sing. I love the whimsy, the bold colours, the divine dress in that swoon-worthy fabric, the basket with fresh flowers - it has it all for me!

                                             Source: matissecolor.blogspot.com via Jane on Pinterest

Now I'm not a pink girl by any stretch of the imagination but this just floors me! I guess it's because it just calls out 'Paris!' in such a joyful voice. The old-style bicycle, the lustworthy wicker basket and the jaunty tulips are all I need!

                                                 Source: flickr.com via Jane on Pinterest

Here's another variation, nonchalantly parked outside a café at some gorgeous cobblestoned spot. Note the lack of ugly chain to the lamp post!

                                         Source: papillionaire.com via Jane on Pinterest

And to finish, this, my friends, is my dream bike from Papillionaire. They bill themselves as 'a Melbourne and Sydney based bicycle company designing new, affordable Dutch style bicycles for Australia and the world'. Isn't it just *sigh-inducing*?! But at $648, it'll stay on my wishlist for a while. Still, why not take a peek at their gorgeous site here and build your own!

So, tell us, are you a pinner? If you are, let us know the name you use so we can all peek at your pretty pins (you know how much I adore alliteration ☺). Do any of these bikes take your fancy? Or do you find Pinterest totally bamboozling? I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Come sit at my pretty workspace with me!

Good evening, sweet Planetarians! I've been spending quite a bit of time at my desk lately, enjoying the intricate twisting and twirling of my wire as I experiment with techniques in creating words for my upcoming Etsy shop. 

And my clever occupational therapist sister suggested moving our computer onto my desk so I have a better set-up for my poor hand than our old school desk I was using before. So I'm also blogging from here. 

And it occurred to me that you might like to see a few photos of what I look at when I'm sitting here writing to you. What do you think? Interested? Then, let's go!

This is what I see right in front of me - my beaming pixies, sweet Felicity's flutterers, my 'inspire' Liberty creation and my moodboard, Ms Colour. I'll introduce you to her soon, if you'd like!  

Moving to my left, you'll spot some familiar culprits. There's my moodboard, Ms Creativity, which I posted about here.

Then here's my bookcase.

And gorgeous Jennie's presents to me. Note the change of colours, Jennie!

Now let's turn back to face the computer. My Liberty-covered 'hello' makes me smile whenever I see it.

I particularly adore this quotation sent to me by kind Catherine. 

Then moving to my right, you can see my other moodboard, Ms Travel. Want to meet her soon?

I always love seeing where you all blog from. It gives me so much more insight into what makes you tick and what you treasure. I hope you now have more of a *feel* for my special spot. I'll show you the rest of the room soon - I promise!

So, what do you think? Can you picture yourselves sitting here in my seat? Want to show us yours?! Come on - don't be shy!

Meet my new moodboard: Ms Creativity

Meet Ms Creativity!

Good evening, you gorgeous Planetarians. Once again, thankyou for all your encouraging words about *my room of my own*. I'm so pleased that peeking at it it has brought you some enjoyment - anything that makes you smile has to be a good thing, right? As promised, here are some close-ups of my new moodboards. 

What's a moodboard?

I'd love to know if any of you create such little mood or inspiration boards as well. Hmm, I can see a few hands waving. Lots of hands are down, though. You're not sure what they are? Well, I didn't either until I started blogging. And then once I did the fabulous Blogging Your Way e-course with gorgeous Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring a year ago, I made my first. And it was life-altering. Seriously. You can read my posts here and here about it.

Creating my new moodboards

For years I had been ferreting away ephemera, quite unconsciously. They were things I knew I cherished, reminded me of people or times past and made my heart swell. But I never organised them or filed them away together. They were strewn randomly amongst my possessions as Mr PB and I moved states and houses. Only recently as we all but completed The Great Unpack following our move last June, I collected them all together. Then once I found my little Typo beauties for boards, I was set! 

I had so much pleasure in collating them. That took me completely by surprise. Intermittently, in between managing the normal Affairs of State on Planet Baby, I'd dart back into my room and add a postcard here and a snippet of ribbon there. Ideas would strike me at the unlikeliest moments. After a couple of days, they were finished. For now. That's the brilliant thing about mood boards - you can alter them at your whim. Nothing's set in stone. The recovering perfectionist in me relishes that! They are moveable feasts which reflect my essence. Finally, I can visualise who Jane-the-person is right now. And I love the view!

This board reflects my creative side, gifts from crafty blogging friends and captivating images I've found as I've fallen down Blogland's multitude of Alice-in-Wonderland rabbit holes. 

My creative side

This was a labour of love!

Starting at the top left is one of my treasured Liberty 'love' creations. I think this is the one I gave my Mum last Mothers' Day. I can't wait to make some more -  I have a stash of Liberty loveliness waiting for me. I just need the time! There's a little star magnet I made, some of my beloved washi tape and some handmade wrapping from sweet Sarah with some treasured flutterers stamped on it.

Don't you just love the sentiment?

Here's one of my favourite images from the brilliant Etsy shop, The Wheatfield. Isn't it joyous? The riot of colour makes my heart skip a beat.

Ooh, those cotton reels are glorious!

Then in the top right-hand corner is some pretty blue cardboard from an old notebook by the brilliant folk at Australian company, Studio Antic. There's a heart shaped snippet from an old greeting card, a paper doily and a divine card with cotton spools given to me by my dear friend, Sarah.

Such penmanship!

Back to the left and there's a photo I found of some sumptuous white calligraphy on a navy background. It stops my heart. Imagine being able to write like that! Recognise that sweet little French bee magnet from Chez Moi? There's another doily which is so deliciously intricate in pattern. Underneath is a circle I punched out of a painting of mine. And there's some adorable crochet from clever Tammi.

Loving this pattern

Moving along and here's a heavenly wallpaper sample I obtained from the fabulous NZ shop, Paper Room. I *adore* the pattern, not to mention the colours. They have such divine goodies on offer - I've bought a handful of their wallpaper samples which are only $5 a pop.

Melissa has the best ideas!

On the right there's some of that marbled paper I made years ago. I can't wait to try my hand at it again - that Florentine style stops my heart. The divine butterfly card was created by brilliant Melissa from a French dictionary - that girl knows what makes my world turn!

Do any of you relate to this?

Back to the left again and there's one of my favourite mantras at the moment in an exquisite shade of duck egg blue. *Sigh*.

Such a powerful reminder to me of my Dad 

Then there's the word which started it all for me - my Liberty fabric covered 'inspire', made whilst my darling Dad was dying. It's so precious to me. 

Scrabble lovers of the world unite!

There's a soothing watercolour circle I painted and a chirpy little bluebird. Melissa gave me those fabulous Scrabble tiles.

Leslie has such a gorgeous eye for composition and colour

There's a photo from one of Leslie's gorgeous moodboards, another snippet of some favourite ribbon and a butterfly 'Jane' magnet I created using Zazzle.

Kellie is so clever!

And this divine photo of that blue ribbon spool just gets me. Every time. I bought it from the super-talented Kellie from 74 Lime Lane.

Sarah has such beautiful ideas

Back to the bottom left corner and here's a pretty doily-stamped, tissue paper and washi tape card by talented Sarah. There are some more magnets, another paper doily and an O-Check French gift tag (not that I need any further encouragement to 'rêver' or to dream!).

I adore this sentiment

Here's another treasured beauty from The Wheatfield. It has particular resonance for me now as I make some major life decisions.

Irises make me sigh!

This is a ribbon holder I made and painted with watercolours. I've stuck a snippet of an iris onto it - our wedding flower. Underneath is a four-leaf clover given to me by darling Iris.

What you all bring to my life!

And to finish, here's another of my creations - this green and white ribbon wrapped 'joy'. I hope you've found some here - do share if anything tickles your fancy! 

Oh, and whilst I'm still fine-tuning my CommentLuv commenting system, I've discovered that if you click on the post title, the comment box pops up at the bottom of the post - I hope that helps!

This post was added to gorgeous Felicity's Post of the Month Club linky on 31 March 2012.