Crypt Stitch

Birthday Shenanigans - Part Two: Fungi and Assorted Accoutrements

Part Deaux. There was a lot of fungi. More than I remember noticing anywhere else before. But I could have also noticed more because my super powers are now kicking in. Happens when you turn 35, so I hear.
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But I have MORE than just fungi for you today. "What else do you have for us oh wise and beautiful Goddess?" I hear you ask? Well, quit pestering me and just scroll down for goodness sake.
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A thing of beauty

But where is the fungi, you ask? Patience, grasshopper.

Spot the bug, on it's looooong journey up or down...

A very important sign - good advise. Should also be displayed at shopping malls.

There were goth fungi, but my shot of them is not so great. Use your imagination a little on this one.

I didn't break it off for the shot. I found it this way. Honest.

Deep, dark rain forest...

And the grand finale?

Morning tea at the cafe. Warm scones with jam and cream. Look Mum, I tried the cream! Cause I am a big gal now.
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Had your fill of fungus? Good. Tomorrow, you and I shall have a grave affair...

Birthday Shenanigans - Part One: Grevillea

For my 35th Birthday (and yes, it does deserve a capital B) my brother and I visited the Hunter Botanical Gardens, and then Kurri Kurri Cemetery. Then I had a yummy dinner with the Family (again a capital F, but not because they are The Mob), followed by lots of giggles at Time Zone and the movies (Star Trek) with both of my Brothers. A good day, yes? And I got some fab pressies to boot. Want to see some pics? I hope so, since I'm not really giving you a choice.
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For todays installment: Grevilleas at the Botanic Gardens. I love their spidery flowers, and mostly forgive them their gaudy colours. (click to get super-duper large photos of awesomeness)
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Spot the ants!

Tiny gossamer spider webs.

Thorny ivy leaf, so pretty and spikey!

Autumn dew drops on lemon - looks edible.

Tiny bugs inside

Pink new growth in autumn - like a lot of our native trees and shrubs. And again the finest of spider silk.

This is, of course, a Banksia, not a Grevillea, but she deserved to be seen damn it.

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Wow. That was a lot of photos - not bad for my wee point and click camera! Despite the sunny disposition of the Banksia, all of these were taken on a grey and mostly miserable day - much as it has been for the last week or more. As soon as the sun shines again, I will try to take some half way descent photos of the new stuff for the shop. I'm not procrastinating. Really.
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Tomorrow, we shall explore the fascinating world of fungi. Yes, I am serious.

I'm back!

I'm back! Yep here I am, right here. Did you miss me Dear Reader? I wish I could say there was a great and dramatic happening that befell me to prevent my blathering on here, but alas, it is a mundane 'lack of steam' that was the culprit. Yes, I was steamless. But I am bursting with ideas anew, and will endeavour whole heartedly to converse with you more frequently, if only to appease the voices in my head. Yes, the voices. My leg is asleep, but Akasha is comfortable, and we all know that the happiness of the feline is of the utmost importance, so I shall type to you from askew, ignoring the knot forming in my neck from my awkward position.
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Went and saw the X-men Wolverine thingy this afternoon. Wow, Jackman and Reynolds, so drool worthy I came out of the cinema dehydrated. I confess to being a sometime arm-chair-stalker of Ryan Reynolds; yes, the majority of the voices and I agree we are destined to be together. DO NOT mention that Scarlett woman. Hideous. I will share with you a picture I had as my wallpaper for some time, Dear Reader, only because I have deemed you most worthy.

Good Goddess. Le sigh. Le purrrrr.
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Big days ahead, Dear Reader, there will be a BIG shop update (once I take some photos), a SALE (woo hoo!) and MY BIRTHDAY! Almost too much excitement to bare! And if I can figure out this Photoshop jigger I will be able to bring you fancy-pants banners exclaiming the excitement!
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Do your best to behave, won't you?

Happy Saturday!

Goblin Masks...

I have a thing for masked balls. Of course, I have never been invited to one (nor have I crashed one!), but I always thought if I had a reason to have a lavish party where money was no issue, everyone would come elaborately dressed with the most magnificent masks. And the party would be held in an ornate ballroom. And we would all dance like a choreographed scene from some costume drama. And everyone would be polite, and dapper, and chivalrous, and not at all crude or uncouth or ...drunk. You know. Fantasy.
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One of my most beloved films in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE is The Labyrinth. I love the ballroom scene (though Sarah was a stupid, stupid girl not to choose David, I mean Jareth) and the masks bordering on grotesques. Her dress is a little frou frou, but hey, it was the 80's.
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Where is all this going? I found (and I'm sorry, but I can't remember HOW I got to their site, but it would have been through some other lovely and clever persons I'm sure) some very talented people who make the most amazing masks: Goblin Art. Do you think it is ok to want to walk around in one of these masks all day? It would make for an interesting day at work.

Wicked...

I know, I should be smacked like a bad, bad donkey, but I am not sure entriely where the days have gone this past couple of weeks - time is moving too fast, and rather scarily so. Does anyone have some spare seeds for a money tree? I promise I would plant them with care and nourish them well! I am behind on a bunch of stuff - including posting a pressie made weeks ago for a lovely Obsidian Kitten (Sorry Shannah!), but with this weeks pay and (hoepfully) some 'stimulation' from Big Kev I might get my shit together. And only 140-something sleeps til the big trip! Ah! Freak out! Deep breaths...

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The blog and shoppe are a year old! So, I think a little celebration is in order, including a give-away and a discount day or two - don't you? I will work on this the next couple of days, try and contain your excitment.

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For now though, a couple of funnies to get you through, Dear Reader. Try and behave, won't you?

Here Comes the Rain Again...

It is raining outside again, and it is dark and dreary and absolutely delicious. The kind of day that makes me wake up with a smile. Perfect for reading, or watching DVD's or just lying around and contemplating life, something I have become very good at doing of late. I had to share this with you, it came via Little Brown Sparrow's new blog Dark Woods - why haven't I ever heard of this band? Though, it's not like I am heavy into folk music (I own nary and album of said genre), but I have such a thing for the "medieval" that I should have stumbled across this sound at some point. Well I guess I have now. In any case, it's very British, but I swear to you it will be in your head all day, and probably the next day too. They were my obsession yesterday, and I watched all I could find on Youtube, and I have concluded I will have to buy one of their earlier albums sometime soon. See what you think, may hap I am crazy (or crazier than I thought anyway!). The bassist gets quite the work out!

Twit(ter)...

What a day. So far I have done absolutely nothing productive. Akasha keeps trying to convince me I need to feed her something other than what is on her plate (this is the second can this morning that has not been to her liking, people) and is currently using my bare leg as a pin cushion. But I do love her, so I will just sit here and grimace. So I did the Twitter thing. Still trying to work it out. And the widget I put on my blog disappeared because of the black writing (looked as though I wanted you to be psychic about what I had twitted 26 minutes ago. Well I found it amusing anyway), don't know how to fix that, but I'll work it out eventually. Anyway, come follow me! And create an account yourself (or let me know if you have one), so I can follow more than Oprah and Ashton Kutcher (I know, really?). I'm not convinced of the awesomeness of these social networking sites, but I will play, all be it at a bit of a distance. Suspicious much. Hey, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

When You're Strange...

I know I haven't done the flashback thang yet, I will try and get to it on the weekend - I'm not really sure where this week went, but I know I'm bloody well exhausted. Just got done playing hide-and-go-attack with Akasha, which made me giggle like a kid (she is now crashed in the middle of the floor - it's tiring work playing kitten when you're nearly a geriatric). I actually have loads of stuff to share with you Dear Reader, but while i eat my breakfast, I HAD to put this one. Via Kitten Fluff, - did you go through a The Doors (or perhaps more particularly, a Jim Morrison) obsession stage? While they were well and truly before my time, I have a bunch of their tapes and I must have read "No-one Here Gets Out Alive" a half dozen times. And the movie? I know it copped a lot of flack, but I liked it (especially Billy Idols cameo!). I was awestruck by Uncle Steves reference to Jim in "The Stand" (again, something I have read at least six times). But the killer for me, was that this song is in the opening sequence of one of my favourite movies of all time, The Lost Boys. Enjoy!

People are strange from Denis Fongue on Vimeo.

New Moon Creative...

Look! I figured out how to make a banner in photoshop! Sure, it needs a bit of work, and I had to save it in fifteen different sizes before I found one that fit typepad the best, but hey, I made it, all without a pencil and paper. Hmm, I'm chuffed.