Wednesday Wisdom - Hope and Cheer

Hope, like the gleaming taper's light,

Adorns and cheers our way;

And still, as darker grows the night,

Emits a brighter ray.

- Oliver Goldsmith (1730 - 1774)

[Images by Rodney Smith via she left on a monday]

Tiny Ten Tuesday - Louise Hawson of 52 Suburbs

It's that time again!

In the third installment of Tiny Ten we're looking at the fantastic work of Louise Hawson, the photographer and suburban explorer behind 52 Suburbs.

After being a Sydney resident for over 30 years, Louise realised she'd only set foot in a handful of its 600+ suburbs, so with camera in hand she set to remedy this by starting 52 Suburbs - a photographic exploration of a new Sydney suburb every week.

Here's a little insight into the lady behind the lens!

[Constant Movement - Bondi]

Canon 5D Mk II

[...Of the Inner West - Newtown]

Auburn

[Sweet - Auburn]

Don't know - but if I did, would you really want to know? Shouldn't it be a surprise? Kind of like having a baby - you know there will be one but you'd rather wait to see what it looks like.

[The Bell - Surry Hills]

Spring. Not too hot, not too cold. The memory of cosy winter days still fresh with the promise of sultry, wander-around-in-your-swimmers summer.

[Pink - Newtown]

I love North America. Drove across it when I was 25 and loved the diversity - from the mystical South-West with its deserts and mountains, to one of the most stimulating cities in the world, New York. Their politics aren't great but at least they've got a better guy in the White House now.

[Stairway to Heaven - Brighton le Sands]

I ADORE my project in the suburbs but 24 weeks into it, I'd love a weekend off, scaling a mountain, with no computers in sight.

[Eyes are Everywhere - Auburn]

My camera. My computer! No no, my daughter!!

[...Is Everything - Surry Hills]

Getting my first documentary to air after countless setbacks (no video camera to shoot with being one!)

[Just Yellow - Brighton le Sands]

Not sure. I haven't really had the time or mental space to think about it seriously. All I know is that it will involve my camera.

[Fly Like a Bird - Bankstown]

Exciting. Rewarding. And fun!

Funnily enough, Louise's summary of 2010 can easily be applied to 52 Suburbs too! It really is a pleasure to jump on every week and see which corner of Sydney she's explored next. She has an amazing knack for putting perfectly complementary and contrasting images together, and as a relatively new Sydneysider, I'm enjoying learning about a rich and diverse city that is so much more than an Opera House and a Bridge.

So a huge thank you to Louise for sharing such an amazing project with us all, and of course for playing along with Tiny Ten.


xx Kit

P.S. I've just stumbled across Louise's 52 Suburbs Corner Shop full of her beautiful images in postcard format, so if you ever get sick of the trusty ol' Opera House, you know where to go!

Giveaway Goodness - A Surefire Monday-itis Cure

The weekend is long gone and Monday seems to have well and truly dug its claws in. My day was fairly cruisy, much like my weekend, but I was sensing a lot of severe Monday-itis over on Twitter, so I thought I'd share a little remedy.

A giveaway - WOO!

The winner of the latest marvellous Giveaway Goodness will win not just one, but two gorgeous greeting cards by the immensely talented Jordan Clarke, the lovely lady behind The Art of Jordan. Behold their loveliness!

To be in the draw, pop over to The Art of Jordan Etsy store and have a look around, then head back here and let us know which print is your favourite - easy peasy! Make sure you include a valid email address in your comment if you don't have one listed on your profile or blog, pretty please!

To spread the word (and the love!) you can earn an extra entry for each of the following:

• Follow or subscribe to That Unreliable Girl
• Become a Facebook Fan of That Unreliable Girl
  
• Follow or subscribe to The Art of Jordan
• Become a Facebook Fan of The Art of Jordan
  
• Tweet/Retweet about this giveaway (Maximum one Tweet per day!)

To make your Tweetin' extra easy, just copy and paste this:

I want to win two Art of Jordan cards from @MsUnreliable > http://is.gd/b893G

The winner will be selected with random.org, so please leave a separate comment for each of your extra entries, and include links for each of your Tweets too! With one tweet every day, that's up to a grand total of 18 entries - holy moly!

The giveaway will run until Sunday, 11th of April, 5pm AEST and will be announced here on the following Monday - go go go!

And if all that isn't quite enough to cheer up your Monday, I have an extra little surprise for you!


Thanks to the incredibly generous Jordan, you can snap up any of her lovely prints and get a free greeting card! Better yet, you can choose whichever artwork you like to be made into a card! Just enter "UNRELIABLE" in the customer comments at checkout and you're good to go...but you only have until this Sunday to make the most of this bonus giveaway, so don't miss out!

Phew! If that isn't enough to salvage your Monday, I don't know what is!


xx Kit

Dream a Little Dream

It's...


...Finally...


...Friday!


Annnnnd relax.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! I have a busy weekend planned, I wonder how much of it will actually come to pass! Breakfast with friends, a trip to the craft store, maybe a little sewing, possibly even some furniture restoration too, plus a little eBay stalking too. I'll be happy with 3 out of 5 :D

What are your plans, Reliable Readers?

[Images by november.rain*, Allison Imagining, and francesca-jane]

I Love Lavender

Yes, yes I do. Sadly, cohabitation with a smelly (and picky!) boy limits my opportunities to indulge in theis corner of the colour spectrum, but maybe I'll just start sneaking in a few pink touches while he's not looking!

[Image by LivingEtc via {this is glamorous} and four walls and a roof]

P.S. Peppermint!

Remember when I said you'd be seeing a lot more of a certain Sydney photographer, Jessica Klingelfuss? Well sure enough, her work can now be seen on the cover of Peppermint Magazine all across the country (and across the ditch too!)

And if the cover girl looks a little familiar, that's because it's the divine Renee Baker, also known as Renee Anne, also known as one half of delicious vintage brand, {twin set}...AND the cover was styled by the other half of {twin set}, Angela D'Alton, who is also the lady behind Leeloo!

Phew, what a bunch of ridiculously multitalented ladies! Congratulations to all involved, I can't wait to get my little mittens on my very own copy!


EDIT: OOH! Congratulations also to one of my lovely sponsors, Chi Designs, whose Love Clutch was featured in Peppermint too! So many talented people, so little time!

Wednesday Wisdom - Not Quite Home

A good home must be made,
not bought.

- Joyce Maynard

Which is good news for renters like me! Even still, I feel like my little apartment is lightyears away from being my home...it still looks and feels temporary (the moving boxes in the corner probably don't help!)

Maybe hanging a few more pictures on the walls will solve that to a certain extent, especially the ones that I will get framed as soon as funds permit, but is that all there is to it? What makes your house into a home? Or are you stuck in a not-quite-home limbo like me?


[Image by me and my cruddy little camera phone, lace bowl by Kim Wallace]

Technorati Nonsense!

KECQ5FPUJ9X6

Legs Eleven - From France, With Love

After spending two grand days at Semi-Permanent with some of the coolest kids in town (including the rad lady behind The Art of Jordan!) I'm feeling ridiculously inspired...and generally uncool. My neglected old wardrobe was enough to get me by for two days, but little more! And with my favourite fashiony season (winter, duh!) already hitting the stores and the catwalks in my neck of the woods, it's time to think warm and woolly, even if it's still shorts-and-singlets weather outside!

My staple during the cooler months is undoubtedly tights, which might explain why the amazing designs from Les Queues de Sardines literally have me jumping for joy.

Seriously, could they be any cuter? I'll be dreaming of cute little clouds and raindrops tonight!

Happy Monday! <3


[via frankie]

Design Coma

[Still love comes in a cold climate by Christina Poku]

I'm in complete inspiration overload after two amazing days at Semi-Permanent, and with so much great stuff crammed into my head, there's barely any room for words (of the coherent variety at least!)

In the meantime however, I just wanted to drop in and say hello and see what's happening! So...what's happening? What's inspiring you this fine weekend? Do tell!

[Image via don't touch my moleskine]

Cherry Blossom Girl

As another Summer slips by and we ease into a somewhat skittish version of Autumn, I'm already planning my Winter wardrobe with glee. Out come the boots, the jackets and blazers, and the zillion pairs of tights that have been all but forgotten in the warmer months. But then, I see something like this...

[Cherry Blossom Doughnuts - Image Copyright and Courtesy of Aran Goyoaga]

...and suddenly I'm already missing the long, warm nights, the flowing dresses, oversized sunglasses and icy cold drinks. I'm regretting all the evenings I sat indoors and watched Seinfeld repeats instead of going to the beach or having a BBQ with friends...or at least making the most of the extended daylight in some small way.

So with only a few weeks of daylight savings left, I'm going to make a little promise to myself over the cooler months. Me and my oven are going to hang out a little, get to know each other again, and maybe just see where it takes us. With any luck, by the time Spring rolls around I might just be able to bake something edible without burning down my kitchen.

First stop: Cannelle et Vanille*. I know I should start small, but when all of Aran's recipes look and sound as amazing as the Cherry Blossom Doughnuts above, I really don't have a choice. Sure, my attempts are bound to look pathetic in comparison, but the taste will hopefully be another matter!

So tell me, fellow master chefs, where do you head for delicious recipes? Do you have a go-to book or a favourite blog, or do you make the most of what's in your pantry and still manage to whip up a masterpiece?


*Warning: Do not visit this site on an empty stomach!

Letterbox Love - Postcard Gardens

When it comes to adorable letterbox surprises, there are few things that would be more welcome in my own little letterbox than these amazing Postcarden designs. The clever combination of Postcard + Gardens is the work of London-based A Studio for Design, with the first series of three featuring the work of Krista Nyberg, Millie Harvey and Sophie Burdess.

[Botanical by Krista Nyberg]

[City by Millie Harvey]

[Allotment by Sophie Burdess]

Both greeting card and gift rolled into one perfect green package, I'm so envious of all you EU folk who'll be able to get your hands on these in no time! Australia's quarantine laws will keep these little guys out for a while yet, but fingers crossed, one day in the not-too-distant future I'll find my own tiny Botanical plot sitting in my letterbox, waiting for some love!

[via Craftzine]

And the Winner Is...

What a fantastic response to the latest Giveaway Goodness - 99 entries! I knew you'd all love Keri-Anne's work as much as I did, but still, wowsers, what a great turnout!

So without further ado, Random.org and I are delighted to announce the winner of the Gingerlillytea Giveaway Goodness...*drumroll*...

Ta da! My sleepy little head had to count and recount a few times, but sure enough, Mark (and his admission of a little guy blog lovin') had won the day! Mark clearly has impeccable taste because not only is he hanging out with all you other stylish readers, but he's soon to be the proud new owner of a meadows of paperboats print. Lucky gent! Now if that's not an incentive for all you lurking lads out there to say hello, I don't know what is!

A huge thank you to each and everyone one of you who entered and spread the word, it's been so great to see all your enthusiasm for Keri-Anne's beautiful work! And another gigantic thank you to the lady herself for letting me share her work with you all! Keep an eye on this young lady, I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of her yet!


xx Kit


P.S. New Giveaway Goodness in the works, plus an exciting new Tiny Ten on the way too! Oh, and that review...any day now!