Pampelmuse and Me

10.1.10

NGV

Images from the National Gallery of Victoria. Taken on trip to see the Chinoise exhibition with my mum on one of my last day's in Melbourne.

9.1.10

In what is perhaps my most ambitious project to date, I have started knitting a gorgeously, delicate, lace cowl. I've never knit with lace-weight before and it's more challenging that I thought, even on 4mm needles. But after starting the thing no less than 3 times in the last month, only to rip it out again, I am happy that I decided to presevere and "just see what happens". Because what happens is this (below) the beginnings of my cowl.

8.1.10

street scenes

Because for me, no trip to Melbourne is complete without a trip to Brunswick Street. Not all the photos are my own unfortunately. I intended to take lots - the weather was delicious and there was lots of people and movement about which would have been perfect - but I got so distracted with doing everything that I love to do when on Brunswick Street that I forgot.

But the people watching was just as good as I remember...

The coffee smooth, rich and strong...

and, of course, the shopping!

Image from here (Tourism Victoria)

6.1.10

Kris Kingle with a twist

Every year a group of my friends get together for our annual Kris Kringle present swap. It's a ruthless, cut-throat game where no gift is safe until the last person opens their present and all the gifts are on display.

The game goes something like this;

- A price is set (this year $20) and everyone buys a present, wraps it and puts it in the middle of the table

- An order in which the presents will be opened is decided. We've had many over the years.. youngest - oldest, tallest - shortest, postcode... but settled on pulling a number out of a hat this year

- The first person chooses a present and opens it

- The second person chooses a present and opens it

Now, here's where the fun starts.

The second person can choose whether to keep their present OR swap it with the present that is already open. There is no negotiation, no ifs or buts, if the 2nd person wants to swap they can

- The unwrapping continues like this with every subsequent person being able to choose whether to keep the present that they've opened or swap it with something that's already been opened. Only after the last person has opened their present is the gift in your hand safe

It's fun and at times ruthless. And if you really luck-out you can always hope for a better draw next year... I think I did pretty well - the Nina Simone Essentials CD - perfect Jazz listening for back in wintery Berlin.

PS. Stu, you made the blog!

4.1.10

sick

Image from here

The sun is shining and I want to be outside - but my head is pounding, my nose is running and my lungs are protesting vehemently about the bugs that have decided to make them *ahem* a temporary home.

I blame it on too much of this

and this

followed by a very wet New Year's Eve which looked something like this (but with much more mud). As one of my sister's eloquently put it "It was very, very hot, then is was very, very wet"

So today I will sit in bed and dream about the music - Moby, Datarock, Emiliana Torrini, Washington, John Steel Singers, Little Red, Hilltop Hoods, Xavier Rudd - did I mention Moby? And so many more... amazing!

3.1.10

guilty

One last post about Christmas before moving well and truly into the new year. Yesterday we all drove down to Anglesea for my mum's family Christmas. I couldn't resist posting these three pictures.