I want them and I want them NOW!

Ohhh, I love these. Of course, I could just get one, but lets face it, a set of 10 would look so good in my studio (when I eventually get a studio that is).

Pantone Mugs - Pack of 10
$220
You can buy them online here

Quote of the day...

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

Why facebook and employers should never mix...

This was emailed to me today, and I couldn't resist. I just had to share it with you!

Hope you are having a good week. Let's hope it is at least better than this person!

How being fearless changed my life...

In 2006 I travelled to Sydney for what would be a life changing event. I arrived an arachnophobe and went home cured.

I attended Taronga Zoo's "fearless" program which is a 4 hour program that promised to cure my fear of spiders. It was incredible. I am a person who had spent years in fear of spiders, despite all logic and reason. When I found myself face to face with a huntsman and had to get a neighbour to remove it, I knew it was time to do something.

The Taronga program promised to cure me of my fear, and it was a total success. By the end of the day I was handling huntsmen in my bare hands and I even held a Chilean rose spider (a tarantula).

I have written about it before here and again here as I am so enthusiastic about the program, and so yesterday when I received an email saying they are running the program again, I decided to share it with you all once more. It was such an incredible life changing event I want everyone to consider it. It will change your life.

I used to be the girl who could not sit in a room if there was a huntsman sharing the same space. I once nearly threw myself out of a moving car when, as a teenager, a huntsman ran across my lap. The idea of going to bed with a spider in the house, let alone the same room was unbearable. Unthinkable even.

That was then, this is now.

Now I am free of the fear. I can collect any wayward spider up in a container and put it outside. I can go into the shed to collect wood for the fire without my heart rate increasing. And if there was one in the car, I wouldn't care. In fact, not long after I returned from Taronga Zoo I was driving my car and a huntsman ran up my windscreen and onto the roof. Not a problem. I arrived at my destination, I went on my date and I later returned to my car, found the spider, picked up a twig at the side of the road and flicked it off the car. No hesitation. No fear. No panic.

So if you want to be free of this fear that you know in your heart to be ridiculous, and you just didn't know how to do it... this is it. It probably sounds like an exaggeration, but it seriously changed my life.

Be brave. Make the call. Pay the money. Do the course. You won't regret it. And make sure you send me a link to your blog post when you get back. Because once you do it and you are free of your fear, you will want to shout it from the rooftops! Because if you can conquer fear, you can do anything you set your mind to!

Fearless At Taronga Info:
The cost is $250 per person, or $225 per person for bookings of 2 or more.
Spiders - Wednesday 28th October 2009, 9am – 1pm
Spiders - Thursday 29th October 2009, 9am – 1pm
And if you are scared of reptiles, they can help you too.
Reptiles - Friday 30th October 2009, 9am – 1pm

If you have any questions regarding the program contact Taronga Zoo Group Bookings on 02 9978 4782, or email fearless.information@gmail.com
Yes people - this is me! And THAT in my hand is a TARANTULA! If you look closely, I think it's smiling... just a little.

The time is right at seven a.m.

My friend Jase (along with his wife, his family and his friends) has been working madly months now, getting his cafe seven a.m. ready for opening, and at last the time has come. The date is set.

So, if you live in Melbourne, mark it in your diary and drop in and say hi to Jase, Ben and the team.

If you can't make it on the day, come along for breakfast over the weekend... drop in for coffee on the way to work... escape work later in the day and relax over lunch... or meet your girlfriends for coffee and cake. Whatever you do, you'll want to come back.

seven a.m. will be opening at 7am on Thursday 20th August.

155 Bay Street
Port Melbourne

EAT:DRINK:BE

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At 12:34 (and 56 seconds) today, the time was 12:34:56 7.8.9.
I captured it for you - just in case you missed the moment.It's not a great visual representation of this momentous occassion, but you get the idea. If you are in any of the next time zones, you may still have time to capture it too! Get excited people, this is a once in a lifetime treat.

Go crazy I say!

Confessions of a word verification nerd...

OK. I haven't admitted this to anyone, but I collect word verifications from the comment sections of blogs. I know. Crazy huh? As I said to someone just the other day, I really do need to get out more!

But seriously. For a long time, they caused me a great deal of concern. I even posted about this last October.For whatever reason I was continually getting them wrong. It may have been my reading, or more likely my dyslexic typing. Often I lost comments along the way, knowing full well the original was more witty or thoughtful. It even got the point that I would copy the comment before I hit publish, just in case I got the word verification wrong and all was lost!

And then something happened.

They started getting easier. I truly believe the words actually got simpler. In fact, some words became almost recognisable. In some cases quite amusing. And so, I started to collect them. I would see words that appealed for whatever reason and give them definitions in my head.

"goodea" (obviously) is a good idea.

menetti? the term used for Italian men who like to cook.

palmwee? Well I'm not really sure of the botanical definitions, but it's does make me think twice about standing in the shade of any palm tree anytime soon!

I know, silly really, but all in all I often find amusement in small things and i'm ok with that. So right now, on a windy Thursday evening, as I wait for pizza to be delivered to my door, because it's just too damn cold to head out and I'm too damn lazy to cook, I thought I would share some word verification goodness with you from my 'collection'.

You know I even think I might have a bit of fun and invite you to play along. Post an amusing (or meaningful) word on your blog and give it a definition! Leave a comment so I can come and visit. Alternatively, add a definition to one from my post. Go on... go crazy!

Driving is driving me crazy...

Seriously, what is it with taxi's? I understand they don't WANT to get to their destinations too quickly. I understand that they are probably quite happy to catch all the red lights. I expect they might even be pleased when the traffic is congested and it starts to rain...

And me? I just want to get where I am going safely and as stress free, and as promptly, as possible. I do NOT want to sit in the right lane doing 10km's under the speed limit. I am pleased when the traffic light God looks favourably upon me and blesses me with a string of green lights. And when it's a quiet day on the road and I don't take longer than public transport to get home after work (yes, you guessed it) I am grateful for the lucky break.

But for whatever reason, I keep getting stuck (you guessed - right again) behind every 'go slow' taxi in Melbourne. And I'm over it. Go slow by all means. Catch all the red lights (someone has to). But please please PERLEASE, get out of the right lane and let us non fare collecting drivers past.

Gheesh.

Oh and another thing... to the moron who was shaving whilst driving at 100kms an hour on the Tulla this morning, have a shave BEFORE you leave home! I could hardly believe it. FINALLY there is a driver on the road doing the speed limit and he decides it's the time to take a shave. Oh good grief.

And finally... cos I know I meant to post about this when it happened in summer last year and it's just now as I am on my little rant that it comes to mind...

I drive out of work, and sit at the lights waiting to head onto the freeway, and the guy in the car in front of me is smoking, arm hanging out the window, cigarette in hand and flicking his ash on a total fire ban day, and with the OTHER hand he is pressing his mobile to his ear. Hmmm... It did make me wonder how exactly he was planning to steer.

I mean seriously. These things drive me crazy.

Au revoir Harry Potter...

Well, it's done. This morning at around 8am, the final chapter complete, I said my final good-byes to Harry Potter.

As with any good book, as I read the last pages, there was an element of sadness. I have loved him and now it's over. But I was not disappointed. It was a great finale. All the pieces of the puzzle ultimately came together. It was indeed magical.

It's been fun Harry. Thanks for a fantastic tale of good versus evil, full of mystery and adventure. And thanks for a great weekend.