Currently...

...Excited for - Christmas! It's only ten days away now!

...Listening to - Gypsy & The Cat.

...Reading - Handmade Craft for Christmas gift ideas.

...Enjoying - A day off to gather my thoughts.

...Eating - Candy canes to get me through the busiest hours of the day! (and some lovely dinner dates).

Chapter One: The River Bank

This is just a small thank you to today's episode of The Book Show for rekindling my childhood love affair with Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows. Deserving of particular mention is the charming illustrations by Ernest S. Shepard in the earlier editions. Although as an adult I can readily understand the social underpinnings of the idealised age in which the book was written, I would much rather remember the characters of Mole, Ratty and even Mr. Badger for their depicted pastoral lives, living in a domestic tranquility unhampered from interference from the outside world. To me, there is nothing more whimsical than row boat rides down stream, new friends sharing sandwiches and a lovely new home for an old mole.

 

`This has been a wonderful day!' said Mole, as the Rat shoved off and took to the sculls again. `Do you know, I`ve never been in a boat before in all my life.'

`What?' cried the Rat, open-mouthed: `Never been in a--you never--well I--what have you been doing, then?'

`Is it so nice as all that?' asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite prepared to believe it as he leant back in his seat and surveyed the cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and felt the boat sway lightly under him.

`Nice? It's the ONLY thing,' said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke. `Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING--absolute nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,' he went on dreamily: `messing--about--in--boats; messing----'

`Look ahead, Rat!' cried the Mole suddenly.

It was too late. The boat struck the bank full tilt. The dreamer, the joyous oarsman, lay on his back at the bottom of the boat, his heels in the air.

`--about in boats--or WITH boats,' the Rat went on composedly, picking himself up with a pleasant laugh. `In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not. Look here! If you've really nothing else on hand this morning, supposing we drop down the river together, and have a long day of it?'

World Vision Smiles

Make everyone smile this Christmas with a gift that keeps on giving from 

World Vision. 

By purchasing a gift from the World Vision Smiles catalogue for yourself or your loved ones, you are also making a lasting difference to the lives of some of the world's most unfortunate families. Each Smiles gift is representative of the life changing activities that your donation will support. The prices range from as little as $15 for school supplies and various poultry products, right up to $1200+ for stables of animals and clean drinking water for a community. 

For the last couple of years I have been the lucky recipient of a World Vision Smiles chicken and school materials, both of which made me smile. 

Check out the World Vision Smiles catalogue here.

Summer Aspirations

I already have an up and running to do sometime soon list, but here are some summer specifics...

- Never waste a day off work indoors.
- Spend much more time outside under the sun.
- Go on a road trip to a secluded beach that I have never been to before.
- Spend a weekend camping with my friends.
- Treat my body to fresh summery fruits.
- Go on bicycle rides. 

All photos are copyright Gaby J Photogrpahy from her set Summer Lovin '10.

Bachhara

This discovery began with some simple day-off-internet-trolling. I don't know how many people pay attention to the adverts alongside the craziness of a Facebook news feed... but for some reason this one stood out and was worth a further *click*.

Introducing Bachhara, a revolutionised fashion label and one of my latest loves. 

Bachhara is a collaboration between two leading ladies, Amanda Ryan and Natalie Armstrong, who joined forces earlier this year to bring us a label where the external beauty of garments can be worn with the knowledge that they are ethically produced and eco friendly.

Beginning with a small volunteering trip to Dhaka, founder Amanda Ryan developed a passion for the work of the JAAGO Foundation, as a school offering free education to the children of Bangladesh slums.  Working alongside JAAGO, she created the JAAGO Foundation Sewing Center - a sustainable solution to give support to the Foundation in their dream of providing education to even more underprivileged children. Using the knowledge and experience of fair trade expert Natalia Armstrong, Bachhara is committed towards meeting the 10 Standards of Fair Trade and achieving the World Fair Trade Organisation stamp of approval.

 

 How many of us stop and think about the manufacture of our wardrobes... 

Where was this made?

Who was employed, or not employed, to make it?

Is child labor involved?

Where was the material sourced?

Was it sourced ethically?

What impact does the manufacture have on the environment?

Bachhara do. 

They are a brand striving to become a leader in consumer awareness, working towards an ultimate goal of freeing the grassroot workers of the fashion industry, currently imprisoned by consumers in a third world reality.

As part of their mission,

Bachhara aims to inspire women to invest in unique and stunning fashion which reflects a beauty which is not immediately visible from the outside - a beauty which manifests itself through courage and compassion. Bachhara is for women who are brave enough to stand for their beliefs. Bachhara is for women who are bold enough to be part of a revolution.

Now for the products... 

Bachhara are the epitome of 'boho luxe'. Their summer 2010 collection oozes elegance, with floating dresses and kaftans in bold colours and pretty prints.

The kaftan's are made from 100% ethically sourced silk, and would make for an elegant accomplice to any basic bikini this summer. 

 

The dresses are perfect for both day and evening wear. For me, they scream late afternoon dinner and drinks after a sweltering summers day. I know I will be taking one of these lovelies with me on my summer holiday!

Its a definite reality that with the consciousness provided by the behind the scenes work of Bachhara, you are able to be beautiful, inside and out. I would like to thank the founders in particular. Their vision for creating such passionate consumer awareness has left a mark. Whilst I already make ethical decisions relating to food by purchasing fair trade and environmentally sustainable products, Bachhara have shown that the same consciousness is needed when shopping for clothing if we are ever to give the same freedom we enjoy when wearing the garments, to those people involved in the manufacture of them. Join the revolution!

Get more information on Bachhara or the JAAGO Foundation here.
Add them to facebook here. 
For a list of Australian stockists, go here.
And for the online store, click here!

*All photo's used in this post are accredited to Bachhara.

Old Mother Goose

Old Mother Goose, 

When she wanted to wander, 

Would ride through the air, 

On a very fine gander. 

Introducing Abigail, Amelia, Arthur & Albert.

November's Best Bits!

As a long time die-hard Harry Potter fan, the obvious best part about November was the release of Part One of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. I was lucky enough to go to the midnight screening of the film, and fell completely in love with the characters all over again. Seeing Harry and Ron, and especially Hermoine acting so 'adult' now, as opposed to school kids, makes me feel like I have grown up alongside them. I'll admit, the movie is much scarier than any other. I actually jumped about three times. But overall it was amazing. I wish it were July of 2011 already so I could be raving on about Part Two! 

November is otherwise known as Movember. Here, many men across the country join forces with their face, and grow various mustache's in support for Men's Health issues.  This year in particular was bigger than ever. Throughout the whole of Movember, many of my friends (who could grow facial hair) were accompanied by a face friend. They created growing groups, held mustache parties and above all raised much needed funds and awareness for prostate cancer and depression.

November saw me working a hell of a lot. But I am proud to say that sunny days off were not put to waste. These adventurous days were spent either relaxing at the side of a natural water basin, picnicking in the park or exploring the wonders of Sydney's Taronga Zoo. 

November was also "Aus Music Month" on Triple J. This meant that my love for Australian Music continued to manifest, and I was even able to discover some new loves. At the end of Aus Music Month, Triple J held their infamous J Awards. While Tame Impala took out the big one winning album of the year, I was more concerned with the Unearthed contenders. Not surprisingly, Sydney based Boy & Bear were the lucky recipients of this years Unearthed award. Awarded to an artist demonstrating the most musical growth and potential to contribute to Australian music, I think Triple J made the best choice!

November also held the second announcement for Big Day Out 2011. With favourites like Washington and Sia being added to the bill, receiving my tickets in the mail last week was ever so lovely! 

November is always jam packed with birthdays. I especially loved drawing inspiration from bygone generations and partying alongside some of my best friends in true 70's style. 

As the end of Spring, November is always the perfect time of the year to update my farm. This year however, my ducklings from last season had all grown up and started becoming mothers to their very own ducklings. Thanks to Jules (the mumma duck), November is now the birth month for thirteen lovely new babies. She is now sitting on a dozen or so new eggs, so stay tuned for an update on their arrival.

What did you love November for?

A Day At The Zoo

Just sharing some photos from my wonderful Zoo adventure last week.

The day began super early as my three year old buddy and I loaded the car and set our sights for Sydney's north. We got to the Zoo just after opening and began to plan our day around exciting exhibits and shows. 

Seated in the "splash zone" for the seal show was a definite highlight!

and we never passed up the opportunity for some fun photos!

Taronga Zoo are doing an amazing job on the conservation front. It was a great way to educate the young one about sustainable practices that will protect endangered species and promote environmental sustainability as a whole.

Overall it was a wonderful day spent with awesome people. I know my little man loved it!

Sunday's Stress Relief

 
A tranquil spot located approximately 8km from my house (probably the best part about moving away from the suburbs). I love that I can rely on Bents to satisfy my longing for a relaxing Sunday after an arduous working week. It is perfect for picnics, sun-baking on the grass, swimming and just an overall amazing day. The drive out there is equally as pleasing, featuring rolling flower covered hills and an abundance of farm yard companions.

A bunch of my friends and I made a last minute decision to spend the day by the water last Sunday. We dipped our toes in the basin's fresh water, ate a lovely basket packed lunch and slept off some of the worries of the week as it come to a close. On the way home, we stopped at a field full of horses. One of my "horse whisper" friends was dissatisfied with viewing alone, and made it her business to introduce herself.

Days like that make me ache for summer...