Wishing my life away...

Is it just me, or has February just flown? It's March tomorrow and I'm still getting accustomed to writing 2010! This is the last day of summer and whilst I know it is true, it just doesn't seem possible (nor am I happy about it!).

Each week, as I go to work on Monday, I wish another week away. And I have to remind myself that life is far too precious to wish 5 days away out of every week. I never seem to have enough time to do the things I like to do. And yet...

Out of every 24 hours,
I sleep 8,
I work 8,
I travel to and from work 1.5,
I cook and eat 1.
I shower, wash, clean, housework 1.

That leaves 4.5 hours of every day that seems to disappear.

Where? I have no idea. But that is the key. Four and a half hours of 'spare' time every day... let's say four just to round it off. Three, if I add in a little bit of padding. And that's not even including the weekend!

What am I doing with all this free time? And if my answer is "not very much", then what an earth am I thinking?

Life (and time) is too precious to waste.

Abbotsford Convent Sunday Markets in the sun...

Under the sunny skies on Sunday, I met with Nikki and wandered the creative hub that is Abbotsford Convent. The skirt and shirt makers market, the gallery and a makers market were all sharing the space and we wandered quite happily, chatting along the way and enjoying the Sunday atmosphere.

We recruited a few more bloggers (we should be on a commission) and met some lovely crafters and artists. What a perfect way to spend a few hours immersed in all this creativity.

I even took photos to share and link to... And then (tonight) disaster. Whilst I did a clear out of my SD Card, I managed to corrupt my card and lose everything... BEFORE I downloaded the new pics! Not happy about that at all...

And so, in the absence of images, please go and have a look at the websites I link to below... there are some amazing and inspiring artists out there (think I might have to go back to take some more pics next time).

Thanks Nikki for your lovely company. Call me anytime you want to go again!

Nikki (my lovely wandering and blog recruiting companion)
Elise Hurst (I just love her illustrations)
Jan Bell (soft sculptor - hopefully she has a blog up and running soon!)
Shoko Mafune (I love her ceramics and especially her hug bell) and she does classes too!
Wendy June (Such magical drawings)

And because I don't have any images from Sunday at the convent, I have posted a pic I took a few years ago at Mt Macedon.

Luna Park Fun... how can it be called the scenic railway, when your eyes are tightly shut?

My Christmas gift to my cousin Jen and her 4 kids was to take them to Luna Park. It took a while, but we finally made it today.

I was determined to be brave and go on everything they did. No backing out. If I was scared, there was no way they were going to know a thing about it.

All good in theory, until we went on our first ride. Violet (the second youngest) was with me and I could feel her heart beating as she sat snugly against me. She asked me to hold on to her tightly. No problems, I thought, just who's holding on to me?

When we got off just two short minutes later, she was fine. Said she had a great time. Me on the other hand... my face was pale and sweaty and I am told I looked rather sickly. And I sure as hell felt it!

I don't remember the ride's name...
I call it the nauseator.
Two words...
NEVER AGAIN


Stunning day of sunshine and craziness.
And just in case you are wondering?
No. I didn't.
Not after the nauseator.


I did however, manage the Scenic Railway. The rollercoaster that has been scaring people witless for generations. What I don't understand is the name... yes I know it's high, I know it runs the border of the park, I know the view stretches to the beach and across the entire park... but how can it be called scenic, when your eyes are tightly shut?


Dodgem Speedster Monty.
You're never too young, or too old for the dodgems. So much fun, even for me at 42!


G-Force. And in the background, just part of the tracks for the Scenic Railway.


There were smiles all round.


This is the crew.


It was always going to be fun, with such a crazy bunch!
Thanks guys, I had a great day.


Glad to see I wasn't the only one exhausted at the end of it all!

Studio sneak peek...

It's Friday and the weekend is here.

It's going to be a busy weekend.
There is an auction.
A visit to Luna Park.
A catchup with a special friend.
A market to browse.
Lots of late summer sunshine.

I love weekends.

Hope you have a good one too.

Bookcase Tour Tuesday - WISDOM

I bought this book for my Dad last year and I love it (he does too). It's a coffee table style book with images and words from a wide range of well known people from Billy Connolly, Judi Dench, Chinua Achebe, Ravi Shankkar, Clint Eastwood, Bryce Courtenay, Desmond Tutu and Jane Goodall, all with their reflections on wisdom and what it means to them. There are over 70 interviews. The photography is stunning and the words fascinating and thought provoking.

It's the kind of book that can be browsed briefly, opened at random, or where an afternoon can be lost with each turn of the page.

It also comes with a 60 minute DVD - a compilation of all the interviews. Seriously a great read and great viewing. Go take a look at the website here.

Now, whilst it isn't my book, I do feel I have some 'claim' to it and it is worth sharing, and so I have included it today for the meme that Melanie is running over at her blog at Kimono Reincarnate. Bookcase Tour Tuesday. Go on over and say hi, and join in too!
Thanks Melanie.

*Oops - it's already Wednesday! Oh well!

Being single on Valentine's Day...

I'm ok with being single on Valentine's Day.
I've done it before.
I survived it then.
And I will survive it again today.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Friday funny... Husband Makes Lunches For Work...

For the first time in their 3 year marriage, a wife asked her husband if he would mind making the next day's lunches for them both. Obligingly he agrees.

The next morning, the young wife asks her loving husband, 'Did you make our lunches, honey?'

He replied, 'Yeah babe, they're on the second shelf of the fridge.
Mine's on the left, yours is on the right.'

LOVE IT!!!

*For those non-Australian readers, yes, these are our bank notes. $20 (as you can see) is bright orange, $10 is blue, $5 purple-ish, $50 yellow and $100 green.

Happy Blogiversary One Little Acorn...

Today is my blogiversary.
3 years since I started as One Little Acorn.
Wow!

It's amazing to me that I have been doing this for 3 years. When I look back over that time a lot of water has passed under the bridge as they say.

I have created and studied and laughed and cried and celebrated and grieved. Made some mistakes, had some victories. And through it all, I have been lucky enough to share the trip with many amazing people. Fellow bloggers with crazy dreams, incredible stories and beautiful writing and art. Sadness and joy has been shared with people I will never meet in 'real life'. Hearts have broken, family and friends lost, babies born, doors have closed and others opened.

And so, I thank you for dropping by. For supporting and cheering me on along the way. Because, whilst a blog is 'only' an online diary and some would ask why bother, it is ultimately a voice out into the world. And sometimes people answer back. Connections are made, friendships grow. And the world seems a little smaller. And that is the biggest joy of all.

Studio sneak peek...

"We all need to have a creative outlet - a window, a space - so we don't lose track of ourselves."

NORMAN FISCHER

When fortune calls, offer her a chair...

For many months now I have not been a regular blogger. In fact, I have been more regularly absent than here. It's a shame really, because I do love to blog and I enjoy the community that is out there and the friends and inspiration that I have been lucky enough to find along the way.

And whilst I may have been quiet on the blogging front, I have been doing bits and pieces in the background. Made a few things and been inspired by others. Though not enough. So this year, I plan to turn it around and post more often. And create more often.

One Little Acorn is set to become more a focus on what creative things are going on with me. Little things mostly... but as we all know, from little acorns, mighty oaks do grow.

And so, first up, is my 'new' chair.

The set of four chairs were rescued by my Mum a couple of months ago, when they were being discarded by her local golf club, because they were below par! (sorry, just a little bit of very silly golf pun humour there!)

They were in good condition and my Mum (despite her knowing they would land at her place for a while) knew that I would like them and asked if she could have them for me! Yay Mum!

Of course, the covers were not totally to my liking, given they were little flowers and pastel in colour and so a refit was definitely required. So last weekend, they got the makeover treatment. With the help of my Aunty, we recovered two of them and they look fabulous (if I may say so myself)!

Now I just have to get them up to Melbourne in the back of my mini and settle them into their new home. In the meantime, they are sunning themselves down by the beach. Thanks to my Mum for her quick action and my Aunty Nancye for her incredible patience and advice.