Lost Aussie on the loose

Happy Mail Day

Recently when I was in NYC and visiting at the Apple store I decided that I would treat myself to a new iPhone cover.  Sad to say I was disappointed in all the ones that were to be had - boring and dull to say the least.   #1 Son did however buy a case and with it came a coupon and a note saying where it came from.  So, ferret me, decided to check it out and lo and behold it turned out that I could upload my own artwork and design my own phone cover.

And...........pointing left, that's exactly what I did last Wednesday and I am very pleased with my new, super dooper original phone cover which arrived today.

So, check it out at GET UnCommon and perhaps you will have your own art gracing the cover of your phone soon too!

I've actually submitted this design to add to their artist gallery for public choice, so I will keep my fingers crossed and see if it gets accepted!

Not only did the UPS man bring my phone cover today but the Mail Lady brought me a lovely package from my friend Christine in Germany.  She and I have been friends now for many years, but she is also a student in my current Digital Magic Online Class.  Her package was filled with goodies, art and a lovely message (written in English!) and was a lovely treat!  So Thank You, Sweet Friend!

Having a Ball

Last night DH and I were invited to attend the Brooklyn Hospital Silver Anniversary Founders Ball.

It was a great event, honoring, among other worthy candidates, a good friend of ours, Doctor Ramesh Gulrajani.

The event was held at Steiner Studios, part of the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, which now boasts studios fit to film movies and commercial TV series.

I'm not quite sure who organized the 'bash' but if ever I want some catering and large scale function organising done, I am going to find out who did this affair.  It was quite wonderful!  Great food, wonderful wine and the band was perfect for a middle aged (ugh) bump and jiggle towards the end of the night!

I think I was one of a few women who eschewed the obligatory black dress - I'm having a love affair with Teal lately!  What can I say? ...other than you don't see me in pictures very often ever ...  so grab the moment!

Wonderful Mail

My Blog buddy Chris, has just got back from a fabulous trip to Hawaii!  Before she left she slipped this little puppy in the mail and it arrived a few days ago - it's now gracing the walls in my Studio! 

Awesome details, lovely vibrant colours and I'm just pretty darned thrilled that she would send it to lil' OLDE me!  Thanks Kiddo...you ROCK!

Attacking the To Do List

My "To Do" List seems to have a mind of it's own...never ending and always something MORE to add...

I dunno, I guess that's the way they are meant to be!

After more months than I would care to guess at, today I finally finished the re-work of my friend Elaine's wedding pictures.


 She had a professional shoot the original images, but he sent her the files "Straight out of the Camera", without so much as a color balance or crop,  so I have had much joy and pleasure in giving her pics the 'Wedding Treatment'!
I've now burned all the re-vamped pics to a couple of CD's and then done the artsy fartsy thing to a slew of the images and ordered her a Photo Book which hopefully will arrive in a few days time for me to send down to her.

Otherwise, I am tinkering around.  Been experimenting on a bunch of new substrates for mixed media printing, including some new wood veneers, balsa and Plexiglas. 

No joke, once the sun comes out, my mind stars racing at a bazillion miles an hour!!

Dumbo Colour

Today we braved the torrential rains along the LIE in order to meet up with my friend Aggie and check out the Winter Pop-Up Market in Brooklyn.  There was plenty of eye candy in the way of old and retro clothing, some horrendously over-priced ephemera and antiques, but nothing much in the way of the usual funky designers that I have come to expect when visiting their Summer Market.

Nevertheless, we spent a fun hour chatting and browsing - whilst the boys hid away in Starbucks, thoroughly disgusted at being dragged out in the dreadful weather - teenagers, what can I say?

We may have to try and check out the "Gifted" market in Manhattan at some stage before the Holiday Season ends

- that could be fun!

xoxox

Making Music

I'm dragging myself out from under a fairly hefty week of emotional (and surgical) mayhem and if my prayers - and all yours too - come to fruition, then maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

In the mean time I have been working on a Commission from my friend Elaine, to "fix" her wedding photos.  She hired a professional photographer take pictures of her perfect day, only to discover that he delivered 300 jpgs, straight out of the camera, no adjustments, no fixins and poor doll, she was horribly upset!  Arrive da Lost Aussie to the rescue and we have, so far, some 100 pics all delightfully glamour glowed and a lot more "Wedding-Y" and suitable for album printing.

And shhhhsh, don't tell Elaine, but I will have some of the best pics printed up into a Wedding Book just for her and Ash' !

While I was photoshopping away I decided to attack a few of my own images and lighted upon these two snaps that I grabbed in New York a month or so ago..... I loved the guy with the big Bass.  It was such a serendipitous moment and I don't know...musical instruments are always so wonderful to take pictures of - don't you think?

Happy Halloween!

Thanks to all my Blog friends (and others) for all your recent comments, caring and support!  It's much appreciated!

In the spirit of Gremlins, Goblins and other things that go "Bump" in the night - here's some Halloween Treats for you all!

Happy Trick or Treating ~~~~~~

xoxo

Day Tripping for Milo #1

My first day out was a ginger but exciting exercise in getting to know this strange and very wonderful place.  The people here really have a very funny accent, but most of the words are the same, so it's not too bad!

Before we went too far though, it seemed imperative that I take a turn at the wheel and figure out this 'driving on the other side of the road thing'!  Was a little iffy at first, but a few shakes of the tail feather and I was off and zooming - even in KILOMETRES per HOUR....wow!

                           THIS IS 'ME' AT THE HELM - VERY IN CONTROL!

Primary objective of the day was to score the Family's BIG DAY OUT TICKETS.  I am pleased to say that after an initial disappointment, we tracked them down in a somewhat obscure spot called Claremont, so all was well.  However I think I might have to speak to Debbie about coming back - an all day concert with Lilly Allen, Powder Finger, Eskimo Joe - the list goes on..... that would be heaven for a "rockin'"bug like me!

   CLUTCHING MY BIG DAY OUT TICKET - I WONDER IF JAMES WILL NOTICE IF I KEEP THIS ONE?

While we were waiting for #2 son to get his cricket gear ready (more on that tomorrow!) the Lost Aussie Lady and #1 son and I took a trip down to the Swan River to get an icecream.  Sadly the shop was already shut so we just had to content ourselves with some gumnut hunting and silly pictures by the water.

                "ME" AFTER HAVING CAPTURED MY FIRST EVER GUMNUT!

              ME DOING GIANT SPLITTING THE GUM TREE IMPRESSIONS - HA!

          NOW YOU CAN SEE HOW 'REALLY' TINY I AM - COMPARED TO THE TREE!

    SITTING AT THE EDGE OF THE SWAN RIVER WITH PERTH CITY IN THE BACKGROUND

We capped the afternoon off by taking #2 son to cricket practice, where I got to sit in the sunshine and snoozed for a bit before heading home.

      GETTING READY FOR AN AFTERNOON SNOOZE WHILE DAVID PRACTICES CRICKET 

All in all, it was a pretty fun day out for my first "Aussie" experience.  Tomorrow I am going to "PLAY Cricket" - not sure about the 'pads' - but David seems to think I will do just fine!

A Strange Visitor Arrives

A little while ago my friend Deb discovered a funny little millenium bug hiding in her closet at home, he had been tucked in there not long after the clock changed over at midnight and the year 2000 dawned.  Rather than toss the little dude into further oblivion, she decided to send him out and about into the world so that he could see what life is like in the 21st Century!

For tales of his fun and interesting journey to date you can check here and here....

In the meantime, MILO has arrived safe and sound 'downunder' and will be spending a little time having himself a royal antipodean adventure or two! So stay tuned and bear with me while our 'guest blogger' has at it for a few days!

(key learning for today - baseball hats make great sleeping units for tired bugs!)

New York Walkabout

Like any good Aussie, I love going "walkabout", perhaps not quite in the true indigenous sense...but more of an "off and exploring" kind of way.... and New York provides so many great opportunities to do just that!

On Thursday I meandered down from Grand Central Station down to the Meat Packing District, across to the Greenwich and the West Village, back up to Union Square and up along Park Avenue.  Having found a few neat spots worth a second glance, DH and I repeated part of my journey again on Sunday.

Under lovely sunny skies we strolled along the High Line, browsed the Street Art Vendors and snapped pics of all the lovely graffiti that abounds in that part of the City before heading across to Lexington Ave for a late curry brunch with friends......quite a delicious day in all respects!