:: Adorable-Land....

:: Bowl Longings...

Have you ever made ceramics?  I once made a cat from clay.  It was rather stumpy, with thumb-like ears and squinty features.  Not good.  Good, however, is Kim Westad.  Her delicate Scandi-style pieces are truly covetable.  If that is even a word. There is nothing stumpy, lumpy or squinty about her work.  Some of it is bumpy, but in a completely great way.

If you are really pip-anthropic you could buy me a whole set of her latte bowls.  Or even one.... I would not mind a bit.

But enough about me and my bowl longings.  Watch this video and get a really cool and compelling insight into how Kim works.  That's the best kind of insight,  I think.  (I love these Process videos on etsy.  They make me want to make things.)

:: More awesome ceramic tales here (via Faythe Levine)
:: and download the John Grant and Midlake track I featured last week for free here thanks to Bella Union
:: Follow me on Twitter to be the FIRST to find out what my new book will be called!


xx Pip

:: Happy Birthday Max!

Rin and Ari and Max, originally uploaded by meetmeatmikes.

Yes. It is Max's birthday today! He is now 14. I think this is the first truly quite grown up teenage birthday. That is Max there, on the right, with his hand obscuring his younger brother's face. (The younger brother is Ari who is 10.)

That is Rin there too. Rin is my eldest child. She is sometimes older than me in fact. She is 22. You will be seeing a lot more of Rin soon about the place, but more on that later....!

Today is Max's day. So have a good one Max. Hope this photo is not too embarrassing for you. You are a rad fella. Go you.

xx

:: Dudes Crafting Sans Studio :: via Etsy

:: Ace Chicks :: Episode One :: Pilgrim

Pilgrim. Have you heard about her? For sure you have. (If you haven't this is where you should nod knowingly and hot-foot it over here....!)  Those are Ms Pilgrim's prints up there.  They are really lovely, I think.  Don't they make you want to know more?  Here is more ::

Things I like about Pilgrim : she is on Twitter and twitters most interestingly, she has a cool partner-de-vida (sounds a bit like In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, which he probably quite likes), she is colourful, she is talented, she is of pretty, bright hair-dos, she writes nicely in a chatty and smart manner, she is friendly, she is Mum to a cute kidlet, she works hard, she likes to cook, she has good taste and chic-cute style.

Pilgrim has good taste in music and also will be designing cool stuff for uber-huge-but-nice-slash-ethical companies before long.  So you better tap into a piece of Pilgrim now  That way you can say you knew her way back when (now) and you were always certain she would become a super-star.

Shop Draw Pilgrim :: here!
Live the Pilgrim Life :: here!

:: Anzac Weekend...

We bit the bullet and headed to Le Beach. It was Le Freezing Freaking Cold. But it was lovely.  Here is what we did...

• Played chess
• Watched 'Glee', 'Grange Hill' and 'The Cosby Show'
• Baked scones
• Caught fishies
• Marvelled at this tee-pee we found on the high tide line
• Saw kangaroos and foxes and wallabies and a feral cat
• Took a hot bath or two
• Drank Mount Gay Rum
• Fell in love with the electric blanket
• Crocheted
• Read 'My Life in France'
• Took long walks
• Tried not to think about work 
• Got sand in the bed
• Got sand in our teeth
• Got sand in our eyes
• Tried not to worry about the house or the pets
• Sat in front of a lovely fire
• Had lots of chats
• Picked flowers
• Drank lots of coffee and tea
• Ate toast
• Drank in the fresh air
• Played piano

Hope you had a lovely weekend. What did you do?

xx Pip

:: Alessi's Ark and Their Lomographic Extravaganza

:: John Grant With Midlake : Lovely Track (Ignore Creepy Image!)

:: Book Review : Whip Up Mini Quilts

Quilts, blankies, rugs, snuggies... All good things that make you want to cozy up with someone nice and DO something nice.  Kathreen, who is one half of the very excellent blog Whip Up, has authored a really ace book for people who like to get cozy. It's out in June in Australia or you can get it now here.   It's called 'Mini Quilts' and is published by the always tip-top Chronicle Books.  The photos in Kathreen's book were taken by Leigh Beisch. There is a REALLY cute photo featuring an adorable Pug.  Just so you know.

A Mini Quilt is a pint sized version of  a quilt. Sometimes things are better in miniature, no?!   Mini quilts are perfect for draping over the back of a much loved arm chair, for popping on a dolly's bed, on a newborn in her pram, perfect too for framing, for use as a fancy table centrepiece... perfect for lots of things really.  They are also perfect practice, before you embark on a bigger quilting project.  And they are perfect if you already know how to sew and quilt, but want a MUCH quicker quilty project to work on.

Kathreen's book corners the market on the very best and nicest quilty types, from all over the world.  Who will you find betwixt the (lovely HARD) covers?  You will find ::

Alison Brookbanks of Six and a Half Stitches
Lisa Call 
Boo Davis of Quiltsryche
Malka Dubrawsky of Stitch in Dye
Victoria Gertenback of Silly Boodilly
Lizette Greco
Liz Harvatine of Lady Harvatine
Jude Hill of Spirit Cloth
Lucinda Jones of September Bird
Aunty Cookie
Kristine Lempriere of Townmouse
Alix McAlister
Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy
Alexandra Rasmussen of Moonstitches
Ruth Singer
Lisa Solomon
Meg Spaeth of Elsie Marley
Sarah Steedman of Scrappy Nation
Nicole Vaughan of Craftapalooza
Bez White
Kajsa Wikman
Sherri-Lynn Wood of Passage Quilts
Kellie Wuffsohn of Don't Look Now
and of course Kathreen!

Things You Can Learn From This Book ::
How to bind a quilt so it has a nice neat edge and looks super profesh
How to choose fabric and batting to suit your project (and your life!)
How to applique and other ways to fancy up your quilt
How to piece your quilt together so it doesn't look like a dog's breakfast
Cool products and other supplies that make quilt making a bit easier
How to quilt by hand (if you don't have a sewing machine) and also how to machine quilt
How to make 24 quilts!  There is something to suit all aesthetics, I think!

What Is Good About This Book ::
Kathreen wrote it, and she knows her stuff, instructions are clear and matter of fact.
The templates and patterns are all cute, hand-drawn and actual size (so no enlarging!)
Really cute font on the cover!
Lots of cute projects by talented people!
Heaps of how-tos and lots of things explained to make sewing easier.
Written by an Australian!
Lots of colourful and pretty images to inspire!

My Favourite Project ::
It is so hard to choose...!  I love the Map Quilt by Lizette Greco.  I love the 80s Pegasus Rainbow Quilt by Liz Harvatine.  And Boo Davis's Skull Quilts are really rad too!  There are lots of other more traditional, japanese style, folksy and arty quilts in there too.  So, like I said, something for everyone!  Lots to choose from for the novice and smartypants alike!

The Other Thing I Like ::
That Kathreen got off her bottom and put this together. It is hard to write a book.  Even when you have other people to help you by contributing projects.  You still have to test all those projects, decipher patterns and instructions, translate diagrams and then re-write the whole thing so that the voice running throughout the book is consistent and the language is the same for each project.   This book must have consumed Kathreen's life in the very best kind of way, and I think she's ace for pulling together so many cute things and great people.  Bravo to you Kathreen.  You are an inspiration, methinks.  Yes. You are.

Would you like to WIN this book?  I have one to give away!  I will draw a winner NEXT Thursday! So that gives you one week!  How does that grab you?!  Comment below and tell us how you like to keep cozy!!  Hurrah!

xx Pip

Edit : It is a holiday weekend here in Australia now : I will be moderating my comments sporadically, but DO comment anyway - they will be approved in their exact chronological order at the very latest on Tuesday!

:: And Red Too...

:: Green

Created over at Big Huge Labs using their mosaic maker!

xx Pip

:: Life At Mike's

Just some random photos from today...  Hope you are having a swell day!

xx Pip

:: Art Show Winners

Are Catie and Flybynighter!

Please do send me an email!

Hurrah!

:: Decemberists vs Carson Ellis

This beautiful poster is the work of the very clever Carson Ellis.  You can find more amazingly good Decemberists posters here.  I love the way some bands get smart about promoting the work of illustrators and artists, whilst promoting the work of themselves too!  If that makes sense.  Probably it doesn't, but I am quite into rambly statements.  I think that one is quite nicely rambly.  I hope your day is sunny and full of good times, wherever you are. Where are you, by the way?

xx Pip

PS : Carson pointed to this blog too. It has some cool stuff on it. It'll make you see the beauty in things you might not have. I think.

:: Magic Happens...

We can be heroes. Just for one day. (If you buy this from Hero Posters.) Or actually... every day in some small way. That would be better. Someone on Twitter asked why unicorns weren't called uni-horns.  I am with them. Why? Why? Why?! Bring on the unihorns and the harmoniums and the segues and other useful and strange words I say. Bravo.

xx Pip

:: So You Think You Like Ron Mueck, huh?

Well. You probably do. But you probably don't know that you like Sam Jinks too. Lucky you read this blog, because I can tell you this kind of stuff! Enlightening no?  This sculpture of a beautiful baby (who is no longer a baby... but rather a Lego-master, a big brother and a really good friend) was made by Sam.  You can see more here.  Sam has an exhibition coming up later this year too. I'll let you know when. Did you know that Sam is the partner of this lady? It's true. Yep.  It is.

xx Pip

:: Giveaway : Art Show Tickets

Derek Yaniger Bongos &

Angelique Houtkamp 'Frankie'

Hello!

Our friends at Outre Gallery are part of the carefully curated contingent showing their totally terrific wares at the Affordable Art Show at the Royal Exhibition Buildings (just up the road from Mike's!) next weekend.  They will be throwing open the doors of their Caravan of Cool and Cute, exhibiting the works of Angelique Houtkamp, the wonderful and sweet Beci Orpin, Audrey Kawasaki and more of our very favourite artistes de jour. Chi chi. Divine. Mais oui!

I have TWO double passes (well, I have four single tickets, but I think it's nice if you can take someone else for free too!) to the show up for grabs : you just need to be a Melbourne person who can attend (or indeed in Melbourne at the time!)  I'm giving them away to two lucky winners : just comment below and I'll announce who got lucky on Monday at lunchtime. It's normally around $15 per person to attend this show. I will express post the passes out on Tuesday, once I have the winner's addresses.

The show runs from 22 to 25th April
Winners can attend on either...
Friday : 12pm til 9pm or
Saturday : 10am til 6pm or
Sunday : 10am til 5pm

So off you go!  Good luck!

:::::::::::: Find our Outre buddies at Stall D12

:: It Was A Very Good Year : 1947

image via

Oh look how cute she is!  Love the hair. Love the shoes. Love the outfit.  Miss Adorable personified.

::::::::::::::::: Beci

:: My Year Without Sex...

NB : the 'F' word appears twice at the end of this clip, just in case that is an issue for  you....

(It's a FILM!) Have you see this film?  I watched it last night, while I was making a blanket for Hazel.  Lo and behold my editor from Hardie Grant, Jane Winning is in it!  Just a tiny cameo, but she looks supercute and sings her heart out!  Go Jane!  I loved this movie.  So Melbourne. So very Australian.  Really great soundtrack.  Have you seen this film?!  Did you like it?

xx Pip

:: Yellow-y

1. Little O, 2. House of Four Seasons 6, 3. Kmart Yellow Shoes, 4. Ari, 5. Yellow 'I can fly' brooch, 6. royal melbourne show 2008 015, 7. a lovely yellow billed duck : royal melbourne show 2008, 8. Nostalgia, 9. Today's Lemon Tart, 10. Cathrineholm Enamelware, 11. Toffel Swedish Hasbeens, 12. Ari says this is Pinocchio..., 13. My Inspiration Wall : Frankie Issue 32, 14. P3180178

:: It Was A Very Good Year : 1947

Image is from here

Head to Flickr. Type in a random year.  Post your favourite result!  Simple!

xx Pip

:: Ten Things

. When my eldest was a baby we lived on leftovers from Stephanie Alexander's restaurant
. In Grade 5 I was one of the fastest 100m sprinters in our school
. I was once hospitalized after an allergic reaction to frozen Bubble and Squeak and nearly died
. I have foodie roots : I was a caterer, owned a cafe and have worked as a cook too
. I once caught my teeth on a door frame whilst running and laughing
. I was a teenage mum and had my first child at EIGHTEEN!
. I don't have any tattoos but I like tattoos
. I am an asthmatic and naturally blonde
. I have an irrational fear of falling. Anyone. Anything. Terrifying to me.
. I always wanted to write a book

If you do TEN THINGS on your blog... leave a comment to let me know!

xx Pip

:: Steve and Michelle's Fancy Night Out...

Hello!  How are you? I am pretty good!  I am trucking along with the book, making LOTS of things I can't show you yet.... Argh. How annoying. I hope you understand....!  I can't wait for you to see it all.  I think you will like it! I do!

At the moment we are all working on the cover design of our new book. We have a few options, and want to be sure that we choose the exact right one.  So that is kind of fun.  Michelle Mackintosh is designing the book and she is so cute and clever and talented and smart. So we are in very good hands, peeps!

Do you know that Michelle is an illustrator?  She is!  Look at these picture books that she made with her fella, Steve Wide. That's them up there.  They are ace. Get them for the kids you know, I say.  It will help Michelle and Steve have a fancy night out on the town. Heaven knows someone should have a fancy night out. What better people then Michelle and Steve, I say. You can buy them at all good booksellers. (The books, not Michelle and Steve.)

If you are a Melbourne type, you might be all over Steve already (in a wholesome way).  He has a radio show on 3RRR called Far and Wide.  It's on Friday afternoon. If you are not in Melbourne, you can stream it online here. Apparently Gary Numan listens. I think that is a fib, actually.

Anyhoo.  What are you up to, reader? I would like to know. What are you making? I am guessing it's not embargoed like my making, so maybe you could save my skin and share your tinkering with us?!  Links to your blog are most welcome.  Show off, why dontcha?

xx Pip