Morning! Or afternoon, or evening...or whenever it is wherever you are :)

via desire to inspire pets on monday

I had a bit of trouble this week...

via 16 house

...finding my lovely pictures.

via a punch of color

Am I getting too fussy I wonder? Have I seen too much loveliness?

via effortless style

Is the visual overload causing me to be overly discriminating; rejecting what I wouldn't have before?

via design manifest

Is the moon aligned with the stars?

via desire to inspire

Or am I just not looking in all the right places?

via a room for everyone

Is it all becoming a bit same old, same old to me...or to you perhaps?

via parlour

Are we jaded so soon and (the blog and I that is) are not even a year old...

via red ticking

...although that's coming up very soon :)

for the love of a house

But no...on reflection, I think not. The ones that made it are pretty darn fine lot really...

via mfamb

and one more for good measure...hope you enjoy...

I have been to textile and costume heaven.

Last Friday I treated myself to a leisurely afternoon at the National Gallery of Australia...one of my favourite places in this here national capital of ours :) Actually, one of my favourite places in the whole wide world.
Here's the new facade...pretty spectacular don't you think?

This was my first visit since the grand re-opening of the gallery with its new spaces last September and I wasn't disappointed. The new indigenous galleries are just superb. I've always loved the totems and they look so wonderful in their new space.

But I went to see the Ballet Russe exhibition. The NGA has one of the largest collections in the world of costumes and other bits and bobs from this ballet company, founded by Serge Diaghilev in Paris in 1911.  Here's just some of the fantastic costumes...

 This one above was my favourite and is actually a male costume...who would have guessed...I'm going to have a crack at painting it. It will look lovely on my new white walls if I can do it justice :)

Don't these look modern even today...nymph costumes

second favourite coming up...

As always when I go to the Gallery, the exhibition blew me away. It is such an incredible place...and a ten minute drive from home...

So much awesomeness...but how in the heck did they dance in these? They must weigh more than the dancers...even when they're dripping wet (the dancers not the costumes...ballet is hard work or so I'm told)

And outside the gallery (oh how I wish you could take photos inside...why can't you I wonder? You can in the Louvre)...there is a major installation called within, without by James Turrell...it's hard to describe

...you walk into it...the photos don't do it justice...well mine don't anyway :)

...and of course I had to buy the book didn't I? It has the most beautiful close-ups...

and perhaps I bought a few other things as well despite the year of living frugally (I put them under the category of 'learning stuff')

Go here for more fabulous images from the Ballets Russes exhibition and explanations about the ballets and costumes.

all except the last two images are from the NGA website

I found this awesome drawing tool over at Gennine's blog...only a few minutes ago but I had to share. Immediately. This is my first ham fisted attempt...it's such fun and probably the best time waster I've found for a very long time!

You know how it goes...do yourself a favour! And I bet it'll keep the kids amused for hours as an added bonus :)

Have a lovely weekend everyone. Thanks for visiting and commenting. It's back to work for me on Monday so I'm not sure how the blogging schedule will pan out...like me, it's a work in progress!

UPDATE:

And hooley, dooley...I've just discovered the colour button as well!! And yes, I know your kids will do a better job than this :)

If it's good enough for Colin...it's good enough for me! Gratuitous Colin shot coming right up...no need for a thank you...it was absolutely no trouble :)

Boy that was a good movie. You might want to stop reading now...Colin is probably as good as it gets :)
But if you're brave, or just have nothing better to do...a little while ago now I was given this award...

by two very lovely bloggy people and their very stylish blogs...'Cross the Pond and I used to be snow white but I drifted...thank you possums. I have had this once before from Sara Louise...and once again, I'm chuffed! As you would be. That time I told you about my most embarrassing moment...relive it here if you must..or better still go and visit those lovely grantees :)
Then, as you do, I got to thinking about the definition of stylish...dictionaries mostly refer to stylish being about conforming to the modern fashion...which I most definitely do not :)
So I went looking for quotes...and this one grabbed me right down to my ever so stylish Haviana thongs (flip flops for the northern hemisphere)...well it's really hot here and I'm on holidays so don't judge me ok :)

''Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn.'' Gore Vidal

and this one too...

“Create your own visual style... let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.” Orson Welles

Oh Orson...you are so right. And, apart from the "not giving a damn" bit (because I do believe that you need to take others into consideration, most of the time) I'm with Gore as well. 
You know how it goes...I'm meant to tell you 7 things about me but what more is there to tell that is publishable I wonder!!
But I'll give it a crack...

1.    My first love was a boy called Kenneth Brown. He sang like an angel to me over the back fence when we were only five...mostly the song was "take me back to the black hills, the black hills of Dakota, to the beautiful Indian country that I love" (why that song I'll never now seeing we lived in a city in Australia!) Very sadly he died one Christmas Eve when he was 19, electrocuted putting up the Christmas lights. I still think about that.
2.   I am an excellent speller. Even before spell check.
3.   I know it's terribly unfashionable...unstylish even (gasp) but I have lots of buddhas in and around my house...15 at last count...they make me feel tranquil when I remember to look at them. I'll show them all to you one day. Bet you can't wait for that. They must have the right face or they don't make it home with me:) My most precious one (not in terms of cost) I bought at Buddha's birthplace in Nepal.

4.   On a related note, I have an as yet unrealised plan to meditate every day. I may be on my way to looking like a jolly buddha but that's as far as my buddhist leanings go at the moment I'm afraid.

5.   I am not, never have been, never will be...a minimalist. You knew that already didn't you? And I have a real love of 'ethnic' things.

...and I'm mad for a bit of whimsy...meet Mildred (and ignore the slayer in the corner)

6.   I try very hard not to be a hater but I have two pet hates: use of the word 'hero' in the same breath as sporting (these people are not heroes, sorry) and misuse of the word tragedy in the same way. Someone breaking their finger, toe, arm, or having a cold and not being able to play for Australia is not a tragedy. Glad I got that off my chest. Thank goodness yesterday was Australia Day...I'd be deported if I'd said it then :)

7.   I like the cold better than I like the heat despite growing up not too far from a beach and harbouring a desire to go and live on the north coast of NSW. I will need air conditioning and a pool thank you very much. 
8.   And one extra thing (told you I wasn't a minimalist)...I have dubbed 2011 The Year of Living Frugally...in a mad attempt to reduce my mortgage. This of course doesn't apply to books, learning or travel :)

Crumbs you're good if you've got this far. I would like to pass this on to a couple of blogsters who make me laugh...because as the sidebar blurb says...I do love to laugh...either through their posts, their comments or both. Now that's stylish.

Fun and VJs

Make Mine Mid Century

My Villa Life

Play if you feel so inclined, but no probs if you don't :)
all photos by me...except Colin...oh to get that close!

which was here...

for a little while at least... I don't like to stay out in the sun too long with my lily white Canberra skin! (this is the very gorgeous Watego's Beach, where the real estate costs...well, let's just say I won't be buying or renting here unless the Lotto fairies wave their magic wand over me or mine). Different days, different weather, but fabulous any way you looked at it.

Richard and I had a very relaxed five days staying with his mum and dad. Here's his mum Lois...she's a doll...

...if I'd painted this picture instead of using the camera I'd enter it in the Archibald Prize I love it that much...not that there is any way on earth I could paint like this except in my dreams :) And as for that fabulously decaying wall...also love.
And here's Richard's dad Peter...

Together...

(I couldn't resist taking a snap of their wedding photo displayed in the shop...how sweet's that?)...together, they run the Book Barn, a second hand bookshop in Mullumbimby...a town like no other :)

...and look, I have the t-shirt to prove it :)

Daggy beyond measure I know...but I just couldn't resist.
Oh, and just digressing for a moment... did I mention that I am looking very likely to be going here...

for a few days in March...knew you'd be jealous! More on that when I go back to work next week.
But back to the bookshop. Peter tells me The Book Barn (which has an impressive 12000 books) has made it on to a 'top ten second hand bookshops in Australia' list. Details of what list and when are sketchy however! What is not to be disputed though is that this was the set for the bookshop in the ABC TV series East of Everything...I love a bit of reflected glory don't you?? Especially when Richard Roxburgh is involved. Yes, yes, shallow I know :)

Do drop in if you're near there and say I sent you. It won't help of course...Peter on form can put Black Books to shame (without the drinking, smoking, bad language or dim witted assistants of course)...
I have missed reading your posts but I did have a lovely, mostly screen-free holiday. Apart from all the Australian Open watching of course. One more week until I head back to work, although I think I may have to work tomorrow. Oh well. I am looking forward to catching up with you all over the next few days though and getting back in to some sort of rhythm. Salsa perhaps?

If it seems like ages since I've done one of these posts...

my lovely friend Mariska's reading spot

...that's because it is.

 

So in honour of the first of these posts for the year...

 

...this is a 'bumper' edition.

While my fellow Australians...do I sound all Prime Ministerial?...

 

...or just a complete lunatic...don't answer that!

 

...where was I? While around the country people are still battling floods or the clean up from them...

 and in the very worst cases, reeling under the grief from losing someone in such an unimaginable way...

 

...here are some soothing pictures.

 

A semblance of normal.

And let's not forget Brasil and Sri Lanka either...

 

...where getting back on your feet might not be quite so achievable as it is in our lucky country.

 

The man and I are off to Brunswick Heads today (yes, revisited...that's for Aussies who remember the radio show!) and I'll be without much access to internet and won't be able to reply to comments until I get back (sorry). I'll miss you.

So have a good week lovely people and I'll see you 'ron (that's Australian for later on if you're wondering what drugs I'm on...) 
And a special hello to new readers who might be experiencing their first top ten...

As you can see, I'm not very good at counting :)
And if I absolutely had to go camping...this would be the only way!

images in order of appearance are from: I used to be snow white but I drifted; abigail ahern (2); ak-magnolia house; apartment therapy; bijou and boheme; brabourne farm; colour me happy; design sponge (2); honey and fizz; mfamb; northern lights; the decorista; the design files (2); the inside story; this pretty space (2); tiny white daisies; verandah house; lonny; tiny house blog
phewee!