Aw... don't be cross... you KNOW it's funny!
xx pip
NB : Our Fitzroy shop closed on January 9th 2012!
1.31.2011
:: Cosy Colour...
More crazy multi-pattern crochet a la Pip! This is a BIGGER blanket for my nephew. Because the OTHER blanket was only bassinet size. This one is for the cot and the couch! It's a bit more restrained than the first. I really like the grey... do you?! (The grey yarn is Moda Vera Marvel in Light Grey 12ply. I bought mine at Spotlight. The main yellow and orange yarns are also Marvel....)
xx Pip
:: Ari's Birthday Picnic....
At Fitzroy Gardens. Watching Eagle and the Worm and Vika and Linda Bull. Eating yummy stuff. Hanging out with nice people. What did you do on Saturday night?
xx Pip
(Eagle and the Worm are Joe's brother's band. Joe is Rin's fiancee. Rin is my eldest child. Got all that?! Anyhoo, you should totally buy their album, because they are so.much.fun!)
1.28.2011
:: Want To Start A Brown Owls Group?!
I have had so many emails about Brown Owls already this year, and I am tardy in replying to them all! I thought it would be good to do a post here, in the hope that I can answer some of those emails in a completely lazy way! So here goes ::
What is Brown Owls?
Brown Owls is a worldwide craft group. It began 2008, but was spawned by the stitching nights we used to have at our old Meet Me at Mike's store in 2007. The idea of Brown Owls is to meet nice people and to learn stuff together and share skills.
Who is a Brown Owl?
Brown Owls are more often than not LADIES (but we like MEN too!) They are aged from 16 to 70. Really. We have all kinds of people from all kinds of lives who are all kinds of ages!
Can I be a Brown Owl?
Yes. You can. You don't have to have lots of crafty skills. You don't have to have ANY crafty skills, actually. You just need to be a nice person who wants to have a go. Expert crafters are a great asset to any Brown Owls group, so if you are an expert we would love to have you, too!
What kinds of things do Brown Owls do?
That is up to each chapter to decide. When I was running the Fitzroy chapter, we did embroidery, crochet, printing, knitting, paper craft... all kinds of good stuff.
Where is Brown Owls held?
Check the Brown Owls members blog to see if there is a meeting near you. Meetings often involve tea, champagne and baked goods.
There is NOT a meeting near me!
Well. Why not start your own group? You only need a handful of people to get started. AND you need a venue. You need to keep your sessions low cost or free, as we REALLY want Brown Owls to be accessible and inclusive to all. Apart from that you can go wild. You don't have to be an expert to be a Brown Owl leader, you just have to be good at organising meetings and including people.
I DO want to start my own Brown Owls chapter!
ACE! Please email me and I will add you as an author on the Member blog. That means you can post details of your chapter's meetings and events on the blog. My email is meetmeatmikes at gmail dot com.
Are you the boss of Brown Owls, Pip?
No. I am not. I am the facilitator. You can be your own Brown Owl boss.
Let me know if I have left 87 million thing off this simple FAQ and I will try and get my act together and respond in the comments.
Please also DO say hello in the comments if you are already an Owl, or if you are going to start a group!
xx Pip
:: Oh My! Otomi!
1.27.2011
:: Something Interesting...
Someone sent me an email last week. Shock horror! I know! That is not the interesting thing. The interesting thing is that they asked me how I stay so positive all the time, and if making things made me feel positive. Wow. That is an interesting question, I think.
I thought about it for a while, and then I wrote this back to the emailer :
Thanks so much for your email! You know, craft and making things DOES make me feel positive, for sure. But also writing and having people who care about the things I care about goes a long way toward making me feel that things are peachy too. I think it can be really hard to live this 21st century lifestyle, and creative rituals really help us to connect to ourselves and to other people (through blogging or writing or meeting up) too. So I would say that being part of a crafty community is the thing that makes me feel so positive... and not JUST the making! Does that make any sense at all?!
Okay. That is a bit of a garbled response, I guess, but you get my point, right? For me making is very important, for sure, but also feeling part of a movement way bigger than myself is really the best part of my life (family aside, of course, although I guess they are in fact included in this movement!) I am reminded of this every time I spend time with other crafty or creative people. I am reminded of this when people send me emails and talk about the things they are doing in their creative lives. I am reminded of this when I see the really amazing things that people do to harness the making-bug and put it to good use (like The Social Studio, Frankie Magazine, Brown Owls and Softies for Mirabel, for instance.) I am constantly reminded that there is a big gang of awesome creative souls out there, and that I am a teensy part of that gang. It's a really great gang to be in. It makes me feel really optimistic to be included in such fine company.
The other part of this discussion is that I am NOT always positive. I make blogging my daily positivity ritual. It is my time to think about what is good and who is good and to appreciate those things. Often on those days I feel like slapping someone or staying in bed. See, those things are not very positive, are they? But slapping and staying are not going to get anyone anywhere, are they?
I think that it's much better to kick yourself in the pants and get on with things. There is absolutely no point in being morose. Granted it's really super important to acknowledge the things that are making you sad or frustrated or antsy in this life. But there is absolutely no point in dwelling on the negative, constantly looking backwards or wallowing in the hard times. Well. Maybe a bit of this is okay and certainly a steadying glass of wine or packet of biscuits can help too. But once the crumbs are swept away and the glass is empty it's really time to move on.
SO. That is how I stay positive. That is why I stay positive. And I am not always positive! How is it for you?
xx Pip
1.25.2011
:: Help Flooded Victorians...
I know that in the wake of the tragic Queensland floods many people might be a little fatigued with calls to donate to those affected by this disaster. But please remember (as a reader reminded me today) that Victorians are affected too, with 1700 homes inundated and flood waters yet to peak in Swan Hill. It's been truly catastrophic for so many families. Maybe you can help?
You can donate to the Victorian appeal via the Red Cross Victorian Flood Appeal. Please consider putting your hand in your pocket, if you are in a position to do so. Let me know in the comments if you are auctioning for Victorian Flood Relief, or doing anything else which will benefit those affected.
xx Pip
Queensland Flood Appeal : donate here
1.24.2011
:: Happy Birthday Ari!
Today is Ari's birthday! Yay to you Ari. You are a really great person. I really like to have a chat with you about things, because you always have some words of wisdom and an interesting point of view. Happy Birthday. You are rad.
xx Mumma
:: Buy This Book!
A Perfectly Kept House Is The Sign Of A Misspent Life :: By Mary Randolph Carter
Available here (where I bought my copy!)
What do you think?! This is the tip of the iceberg : there are lots of beautiful images of real life homes owned by real great people betwixt the pages. I think you should put this on your wishlist. I do.
xx Pip
1.23.2011
1.21.2011
:: Hook to Help!
Do you know who is lovely? Sarah London. She should have a hyphen whacked in there, I think, and become Sarah Lovely-London. Yes. Sarah is head honcho over at Crochet A Rainbow, where she is calling for crocheted granny squares to be made and donated to benefit those affected by the recent floods in Australia. All five round granny squares are encouraged to get themselves sent up to Sarah, where they will take part in a massive join-a-thon and become lovely blankets. You can click here to find out more and to sign up. I think it's a really great idea, don't you?
xx Pip
1.20.2011
:: High Hopes...
working on my project for the next Frankie
Hey you!
You know, everyone seems to have such high hopes for 2011, me included. There seems to be this happy optimism about the year ahead, which is so refreshing! I know for a fact that a lot of people in the Mike's circle of readers and customers and friends and family have had a bit of a rough trot over the last few years. That was a bit sucky, right? But, I think things are looking up. Yes I do. Do you get that feeling?
I am not trying to be a Pollyanna pain in the butt, it's just that there seems to be a happy hum and high hopes for nicer times. Do you think that? Do you have high hopes? Are thing humming happily for you? Or are they about to turn a corner and be totally great from now on?!
My high hopes are for a healthy, happy year for my family (and me too!) What are your hopes?
xx pip
:: New Family...
Yesterday I spent the day in Sydney with my sister and her lovely hubby and their fresh new baby! Argh! What could be better?! We went to the hospital for a routine baby check-up in the morning, and to super-gorgeous cafe The Bell Jar and to super delicious Cafe Sopra for lunch.
Plus, we did a lot of mooching about at my sister's place and drinking tea and nattering about crap tv and baby burps. Such a nice way to spend the day!
What did you do yesterday? Are you well? I am well. Except I have a LOT of work to do. And not much time to do it in. But it will be okay. Won't it? Yes it will. Yep.
xx Pip
1.18.2011
1.16.2011
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