number seventeen.

After reading Franca's blog I've signed up for the Pay It Forward experiment/agreement/fun thing. Basically I am a true believer in the idea and think it's a beautiful way to gain appreciation for other peoples creations and snail mail!

Here's the blurb that explains what this is all about:

I am entering into the following agreement with the first 5 people who VOLUNTEER on this post and commit to passing the project along on their blog. Just read below and if you feel ready to commit, copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment. If you just want to say hi and good luck, no worries, you're not "it"!

I am willing to post overseas (I am in the Australia), but remember you must commit on your blog to do the same for others.

* I make no guarantees that you will like what I send you. But you may be pleasantly surprised.
* What I send will be made just for you, with love, by my own hands. You'd be surprised how much of our personalities does come through online.***It may be something beautiful and found that I have altered to make personal and unique***
* I will complete all 5 gifts this year - 2009.
* I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world, that you can touch and feel, and not something cyber.
* I reserve the right to do something strange. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. If you find it truly horrendous, just let me know. Perhaps you'll send it forward to someone who will absolutely love it.
* In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.

Send your mailing address - after I contact you to confirm.

Everyone is welcome. I guarantee that you will receive something from me providing you do the same for 5 other people in your blog post. Are you game? Let me know. If you are not one of the first 5, see who is and visit them for a chance to spread the love- and handmade stuff.

So that is the dealio, I reserve the right to create what I want obviously, and will definetly be creative and hopefully unique in my makings. I look forward to this! remember to put it in your own blog as well!

Also I will be updating soon! soon soon soon!


Peace.

L.

number sixteen.

I'm currently sitting at a cafe on Commercial Road waiting for an appointment, it's nice here. I have a coffee and an ipod and a computer. The temperature is perfect, a bit of a cool breeze but warm enough to appreciate the sun. I can hear cars and trucks driving past, the conversations of those around me, I can smell coffee, dirt, fumes, perfume and cigarette smoke and also the clear air. I can see the Alfred hospital, workers, people, the environment. And I feel really good.

I really must get on to reading Murakami.

So currently I have just gotten into an awesome play, I have some

shifts coming up, I also will hopefully be getting a job at Wholefoods Cafe, a student run cafe at Monash that has the most fantastic environment, and homemade everything. I'm finally sorting out things, keeping everything in check, enjoying uni so far, and discovering the positive side of life again. All of this feels really good.

Here are some pictures from my last couple of days:

Some tiny bunnies I've started making, they are roughly two and a
half inches long and one and a half high.

The park I walk through to get to my appointment.

I went to a friends going away party on Sunday night
and this is what I wore, new boots, owl dress from a store
at DFO, stockings from Target and hand me down cardigan.

Thats all for now, off to read scripts and articles for uni.

Peace.

L.

number fifteen.

Well last night I attended a fabulous Christmas in July party at my friends new apartment in Pentridge Piazza (formerly known as Pentridge Prison), they have a swanky apartment built into the workshops of the Pentridge Prison, it's lovely and cozy and we had a fabulous night. I felted her a christmas brooch which she loved and I forgot to take a photo of it, however I do have a photo of the little birdy I felted for my hair and also my outfit and new boots!

Mid sentence to my mother, this is the felt birdy, and also the earrings are coral! woo!


My new boots which I LOVE, Wittner sale, I love boots.

And this is what I wore, Dress is from Retro Star, Boots - Wittner Sale, Cardigan - hand me down from sister, Coat - five year old colorado coat, belt - thrifted, bag - hand made.

So my growing love for Blues and Rhythm is slowly being satisfied by the likes of Screamin Jay Hawkins, LaVern Baker and Ruth Brown.

Oh, and I also just landed the main part in a production at uni, the play is called Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'neill and I'm playing the part of Lavinia, it's a fantastic roll and the play is extremely dramatic and there's a lot of psychological manipulation, oh and we only have seven weeks to get it on its feet...which is not very long...but I'm DEFINETLY excited!

YAY!

ok, thats all for now, I'm heading off to a friends going away which will be good and fun and happy.

Peace out,

L.

number fourteen.

It's the weekend!

Tonight: Christmas in July party, photos to come soon.

Things I'm loving: Screamin Jay Hawkins, Photo sourced from Google Images.

He is amazing, although he has roughly 75 children to many different women, he certainly was busy. Anyway check out his music, especially his cover of I put a spell on you, it's fantastic.

Dry felting - photos to come soon.

Sourced from Google Images.

New boots - Wittner sale, beautiful and photos coming soon.

More of an update later!

Lucy
xoxo

number thirteen.

Just some photos from a shoot I did with some friends at Aradale Asylum in Ararat.




I'm spending my night making a present for a friend who has just had pneumonia and a strep infection and so I've bought a sketch book and I'm filling it with mini ideas and activities for him, he recently bought a house in the Dandenong Ranges and so I've included little places that are amazing and that he should go to.

In other news I auditioned for a play and will find out at the end of the week, and crafting has been put on hold with the start of uni.

Thats all for now,

Peace out.
L.

number twelve.

I am currently sitting in the office of student theatre at monash university procrastinating from working on my journal for Lysistrata, so instead I'm going to upload photos of the bag I made from some of the fabric I picked up from the op-shop last week, it took me about 45 minutes to make and I just kind of made up my own pattern, I'm looking at making some pencil cases as well once I get hold of some zips.

Sorry about the bad quality of the photos, my camera is terrible!


The best thing about it is the inbuilt pockets!!! Woo! and doileys!! Woo!


Ok, so thats all for now, I'm loving everyone's blogs, and I'm loving the continuous inspiration being put out there!

That's all for now!

Peace out,

L.

number eleven.

Today's findings:
I went to one of my current favourite opshops today and picked up a whole heap of pillow cases, doona covers and doilies for $20, I already have some plans in the work however need to get some more gear first. So in the mean time I'm loving just looking at some of the beautiful retro patterns!





I especially love this quilted retro tablecloth I got, its covered in these hexagons and all of the material used is just gorgeous! I dont know if I can cut it up to make all the things I want to make!I'm also still slowly making my granny square blanket, I've just run out of wool so need to get some more, however here are a couple of progress pictures. Sorry about the bad quality, I'm craving a better camera however I have NO funds right now!



This week has been spent rehearsing and going to therapy, I also got a referral to see a psychologist and hopefully that'll help with my current situation. I got my uni results and I did really well especially after missing six weeks of class being ill. I got a distinction for directing and a High distinction of 'writing of performance', this was awesome, especially as the percentage was really high, I got 92, which is my second highest mark. I know this is good but I'm still struggling to feel good about it, to acknowledge my achievements, I dont know, it's strange.

Uni starts back next week, the first four weeks are going to be extremely busy but after that it will hopefully settle down with Lysistrata being over, I'm feeling good about uni starting.

I've been reading and looking at some of the most amazing blogs, they're stunning, and very inspiring.

That's all for now, Peace Out.

L.

number ten.

I recently did a photoshoot with my lovely friend Sarah Walker, below are a couple of shots, it's theme was the bacchanal's and Bill Henson lighting and took ideas of being physically connected and emotionally disconnected.

You can see more of Sarah's work at her Deviant Art






My parents are away for a week and last night I made roast pumpkin, fetta and spinach pasta and watched movies with friends and tonight I cooked matriciana and used my mum's recipe and it tasted great, I'm very happy about this.I would so love to live alone and bake, craft, and drink tea all day, alas I have no money and dont think I'd be able to live alone for very long, I guess this week will test me out, however my dream is to own my own boutique store and live above it and sell vintage clothes accessories and handmade crafty things/art and stuff, I dont know how I'll make this happen, maybe just marry someone rich...hmmmm...I'm not sure yet, leave it with me.

I also made a high waisted skirt out of a bedsheet/tablecloth that has a gorgeous floral design and cost me $1.50 at an awesome opshop on Warrigal Rd in Glen Iris.


Sorry about the frown, I was rushing out the door when I took this!

Uni results come out at the end of this week, I did two subjects and was away for 6 weeks in the middle of semester and I'm aiming for High Distinctions...hmmmm.


My crocheted blanket is going well, I wish I'd chosen better wool to begin with however I started with acrylic and I'm going to finish with acrylic, I guess I'll just have to make another one.

I'm incredibly inspired by all the blogs on my blog roll, the vintage fashion and craft blogs I'm seeing are absolutely stunning and I'm continuously being inspired to do craft and art, yay for amazingly inspiring people.

I watched Perfume last night, good movie, I much prefer the book though.

Still reading one flew over the cuckoo's nest, going well, enjoying it. Once I set myself up with a camera I'll upload some pics of what I've been up to.

Besides this I have rehearsals Monday to Thursday every day from now until performance week (4 or 5 weeks away) which is a little ridiculous and full on, however today's seven hour rehearsal went really really well and I finally got a handle on my Old woman character. Woo!

I think that's all for the moment,

peace out.

L.

number nine.

DOING

crocheting and reading, I got back from my holiday away yesterday, didn't make it the whole week which is a little disappointing however I had a good time while I was there, just couldn't handle the copious amounts of people alcohol and loud (and often bad) music. The place we stayed at was absolutely stunning, a farm with a lake that has been converted into holiday accommodation and that is surrounded by thick bush and ridges and valleys, it is incredibly secluded, a good setting for a horror film... Anyway, both nights were extremely raucous and fun, I was first in bed both nights and also the most awake both days, a friend and I walked along through one of the valleys and then up the ridge and sat and listened to nature for a while, it was amazing, we came back and chilled with everyone around the fire. The days were spent watching True Blood, a vampire series (pretty terrible), reading, paddling on the paddle boat around the lake, getting stranded and having to be saved, making fires, crocheting, listening to music, talking and eating, and of course the nights were spent drinking, dancing, singing, spaing, talking, smoking and covering a friends car in 800 metres of glad wrap (the best practical joke ever considering most of the group walked past at one stage or another and didn't notice), this was completed with a cardboard sign saying “happy birthday jack, here's your new car”, it wasn't his birthday.

I came back to Melbourne with a friend and had a four hour nap and haven't done anything besides crocheting and reading since, I like it this way.

WATCHING

Secretary- awesome, a romance love story about an S and M couple, what a fantastic idea, the movie is great, it starts strangely and sets itself up as a raunchy sexy movie and then by the end of it it's a romantic chick flick, I just adored the story and thought it was extremely smart, yay for smart movies.

True Blood – not worth it.

Clueless – an old favourite of course, very funny, and sentimental as most of us grew up with this movie.

READING

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest – so far interesting, definitely glad I read the introduction first. I will keep you updated on how it is going.

MAKING

A crocheted blanket big enough to cover my double bed, I'm not working with a pattern or anything, just using alternating colours (pink, navy, dark purple and light purple) and seeing how I go, I'll also be starting some for friends soon. Other than this I'm looking forward to starting some felting, mostly brooches and small toys, I'm also looking at soft doll making, this is all pending on me getting some money first as I have none.

FEELING

OK, I don't feel like going into it. Needless to say that everything is strange.

NEEDING

still a job, I'm browsing seek, and the Monash job site every day and finding nothing, I really need something low key, I'm not sure what I'm going to do, hopefully if I keep looking I'll find something eventually, if not then I'll start pissing everyone off about getting me a job wherever they work.

NEXT WEEK

Rehearsals...ugh.

number eight.

DOING
Rehearsals for Lysistrata, going well, not really over enthused about it, but it's going along fine considering that its taking over all of my holidays. You win some you lose some, I'm focusing that I'll be finished in week 4 of the semester. Other than that I haven't been doing much, just faffing around at home doing little crafty things.

WATCHING
Sunshine Cleaning – nice dark humour, not as good as little miss sunshine, however beautiful moments and some beautiful relationships shown in the movie, very funny.

My Girl – Watched this with the boyfriend, an old favourite I haven't seen in years, I like the era portrayed, and I balled my eyes out and was in a bad mood for the rest of the night....that was a bit of a problem, however EVERYONE should watch this again!

The Proposal – great cheesy chick flick, set mainly in Alaska and has only increased my love of this small city and made me want to move there even more. Very cute, cheesy and predictable movie, and it made me happy.


READING
D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover – Reading this at the moment, it's quite good, taken ages to get into however I've been egged on by the fact that it's a bit of a classic, also its very true to its time with some graphic capitalist rants that are quite off-putting, however it all fits in with the characters. So I AM enjoying it.

Homer's Odyssey – Just bought and am going to start devouring it soon.
Virginia Wolf's Mrs Dalloway – Recommended by a friend and will start reading soon.

MAKING
On my to-do list I have a couple of things to make which include some little journals. While I was in hospital I learned how to bind books and so I'm creating some little journals that hopefully I can perfect and give to friends for birthdays etc. Also I'm going to be making some little soft toy
creations but I need to get my hands on some material, op shops are good for that. I've taught myself to crotchet, and am currently quite obsessed with this craft, so hopefully I'll be uploading a photo of my finished blanket once it's done, fingers crossed.

Also when I get some time I'm going to do some foam prints on record covers and vinyl records for my bedroom, however this is still far away as I need to figure out what exactly I want to print.

FEELING
Pretty low, not sure why, everything is kind of stuck, I'm so afraid of intimacy and it's affecting my relationships with people, I prefer to be by myself and I find myself withdrawing more and more. I think this is somewhat due to an extremely active week the week before last week. Or maybe I'm just happier by myself. I've been reading a lot of blogs and they are amazing, however they aren't very personal, which I guess I like. However this space is a space for me to write about how I feel and how I'm going with issues I have faced with mental health.

NEEDING
A job. One that is low stress...preferably something that I like, I'd love to work in a book store, however with the current economic climate I think it's a matter of beggars cant be choosers.

NEXT WEEK
I'm going away to the country with roughly 20 friends from uni, it is going to be a very loud and dramatic week away. I'd love a holiday to take in the surroundings, read, crotchet, draw and paint, and I have a feeling I won't get the chance to do much of this, hopefully I can gather some allies and attempt to have a relaxing week away.