Magazine deadline is next week. What, me worry?

Yes that right, next week, deadline. Ouch!

And so far this morning, the scanner died, 'old trusty' the Editors Mac notebook died and Kim has blisters from cutting out the props for tomorrows fashion shoot. But I guess we wouldn't have it any other way. Would we?


Thanks Alfred E. Nueman for keeping me calm.

I'm in SOOOO much trouble, does anyone have a spare bed for a few nights?

Okay so most of my bloggi mates and real life mates know I work my big arse off!
So please keep that in the back of your mind when you read this shocking yet unbelievably TRUE tale.

Every now and then I have this twitch in my eye, I'm not sure where it comes from, but it makes me do really silly things. Like buy things that will make my DARLING BEAUTIFUL BEST-EST SEXY LOVING WIFE Kim a tad angry.

This afternoon I had 'the twitch'

If I had to be taken 'down to the station' to give a statement this is what I'd supply as a true and real account of the experience.

I just happened to come across this really interesting website called AMAZON, have you heard of it?
They have all these things to choose from, it's amazing. Suddenly the phone rang, an office peer asked me a tricky question, I received a few emails all at once, the fish needed feeding and my desk lamp blew a globe.

I was, so to speak in a fluster. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning and in all the office confusion my innocent little eye started to twitch. My arm, (uncontrollable by this stage) moved ever so close to the mouse, my fingers no longer my own moved and twitted feverishly. Numbers were entered via the keyboard, items were clicked on, boxes where checked.

Meanwhile my brain was saying "NO NO NO! Give me back control of my body" but alas it was too late. The evil twitch had well and truly completed it's hideously evil task.

Another purchase for the Kombi trips. We NEED to document every trip, yeah?
I DO work really hard for our money yeah?

Does that justify it?
Will I get into more deep do do because I tried to squirm out of it on a blog post?
Will my blogutation be tarnished with my irreverent actions?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.
Or just read the obituary pages.

Look at her.....isn't she a cutiiii! I call her mini me.

I've been busy

Okay so I've been a naughty blogger! I'm busy, is that a good enough excuse?
Life is just great, and extremely busy. Jobs left right and centre.

I'm still in the middle of buying this beauty of a Kombi, it looks like it might all go ahead, once I can get my head above water that is. And the first weekend free, let me guarantee I'll be at the beach with the girls. Thats what all this work is about.......working to eventually have some down time with the fam.

Anyhooo here is a pictorial essay of my last week or so. Being a photographer (what ever that means) allows me to document whats been going on. Here are my pics.

Day on the Yarra

Just going through a clients wedding shoot from a few weeks ago and found some interesting stuff I forgot that I shot. No real reason to post them, just keeping my blogutation intact.

We've caught the bug, well actually the kombi

Keep your fingers crossed for us. We're in the middle of maybe (big maybe) buying a super cute 79 VW Kombi Poptop Camper.

Note, none of these pics is our Kombi, and the fluffy dogmobile just makes me smile.

Busy getting better.

I'm a homebody this week, taking it easy and resting the boys as much as possible, although I'm not really one for standing still if you know what I mean.

Some nice things have happened around me of late, new friends, catch ups, lovely message of love and good wishes. The garden is looking amazing with the hint of Spring turning to multiple days in a row of sun and joy. The plants are loving it. I now have a nice place to escape the crazy world and have a cuppa among the greenery.

I don't have anything else much to talk about, other than my gory details of smokin' assests and blue when it should be pink, so instead I'll share some pics that tell a more interesting story.

A new family portrait from my favourite auntie. 




A country visit to see these lovely kids who are doing an amazing job and have some interesting future plans. Such an interesting visit, I'm sure Bren and I could have talked for longer, and I can see me learning a lot from this bloke.





And this is Chooky....the cute one.



The Aussie answer to River Cottage?



A lovely 'post operation' gift from the lovely Steph. Such a thoughtful little pumpkin that she is! Hugs!





My $5 Winston from a shop that Allision told me about here.

hangin in there

I've been a bit slack the last few days, just chilling out trying to 'recover'.
Haven't had a decent sleep in days hopefully tonight will be the night.

I might be back to my old self in the morning, well whats left of me.
I thought I'd do a short post to maintain my 'blogutation'.

What another project?

Yes people, I know I'm a gluten for punishment!

I'm thinking far into the future, what I want to do, where I want to be, ideas I want to implement.

One of those things is launching my own label of clothes. I'm setting myself to task with a 12 month project where I will design and produce a prototype of four garments, and then put them into production in a limited number. All made here in Ballarat.

I know it sounds crazy, but I'm going part time next year and it's now or never. Fashion is an interest of mine, I have a lot to learn but I am surrounded by so much knowledge and experience how could it not work!

I have a name for the label and will be starting a new blog to record the process of idea to production to launch. Details soon.

The first season is set for release in Spring 2010. It's about the feminine that I admire, soft delicate and classic. It's very vintage inspired.

It's an exciting venture for Kim and I, it might only be one seasons worth and it maybe might take on a life of it's own. I do know that it will be an amazing life learning experience for us both.

Love from

vella & grace

Bright Minds

Another flyby weekend as usual. Back to the reality tomorrow. But what a totally rad weekend it was. A county fete with plenty of treasures (including a spoon collection....WTF), coffee with Mum and Dad, setting up the studio and a cover shoot for issue #6. Thats was just Saturday.

Sunday was more play, with a full rearrangement of 'THE BOOKSHELF' and setting up the new mac and just a hint of work. Now The Stones and Kings of Leon assist me in photoshop and sorting through clients commercial photo jobs.

This weekend wouldn't have been possible with out the assistance of the following people, whom I am about to thank digitally.

Jemma (for lloking so sharp on our cover)
Jazz (the good sista)
Jodie (for sharing her stunning after five gear and being taxi queen)
Kat (for letting me move into the studio)
Kim (for making a super dooper Kangaroo pasta, please eat more Kanga it's good for you AND it's the most sustainably harvested red meat in this country. Look into it fools)
Laney & Tia (for so many laughs and being so dang gorgeous)
Dad & Mum (for taking us out for an impromptu coffee fix post treasure hunting)
Karen Walker (For sending us glasses from Sydney a day before the cover shoot)
Thomas Sabo (for the bling)

Fuck man, it just doesn't get any better than this, right?

PS. I was well behaved ALL weekend. Get out!



Isn't she a pretty dish? And look below, the studio actually has furniture now. But man does it need a vacuum and scrub down!







BFF!



Jazz was a very patient sista.



Look how much 'coffee' we drank.

so I'm a little obsessed....

I't Friday, it's been an extra long week. Well actually that's impossible unless I miraculously stumbled on a way to splice the time space continuum (insert nerd giggle responsible for lack of girlfriend activity during early teenage development).

Lets just say I'm glad it's Friday and two days off is right on the horizon. To keep me distracted from the robotic existence that is Monday to Friday I've been playing with a new project, 'The Punisher'. Yes I've named my bike. So what? The Punisher is a well respected Comic (but not so comical) that is for real tough guys, just like ahem...me.

It's in the shop getting fitted with ........(insert technical details about wheels and pedals etc) and it looks like I'll have it complete by the end of Friday next week just in time for the current ice age in Ballarat to have passed. It's a very simple set up, back to the days before simple things became unnecessarily over complicated with features and irrelevance.

These little babies are a little bit of inspiration, along with a guiding hand from Simon Tee and his little backyard workshop of frames and various bike projects.

These bikes are from Bertelli in New York.....Biciclettee Assemblers

I have no idea how that last image got in.....honestly

Chrissie White

Lovely work. Check it boyz (and gurlz)

Chrissie White

How hard would it be to make one of these? (Thats a hint crafters)

I like these from John Rees.

Isn't it obvious?

I went to the sandblaster to pick up my bike frame and whilst waiting I admired his dedication of hanging onto being a true bogan. Next to his man shed was his oversized F100 pick up, which I might add I wouldn't say no too. I looked the beast up and down. In my state of ecstatic admiration I happened to come across this lovely sticker, that made my day (see below).

A charming and insightful sticker it was. I had to discuss further with 'Gary the Sandblaster'. I explained to him that his pick up would never be complete if he didn't get the 'FUCK OFF WE'RE FULL' sticker that sits neatly inside the outline map of Australia. He wasn't amused. But the bike is now powder coated a satin black and looks neat as.

Spring my Ass!

Since we moved into the new shack earlier on in winter we have been preparing for warmer weather to just hang out the back and share a few bevies and chew the fat with friends. This is what we are working towards but in the lower picture you will see the reality. It's cold shitty pissbucketing cats and dogs every time I look out the office window. I know we need the water blah blah fucking blah. But come on! Can we have at least one week of half decent weather???? My water tank is full, I'm ready for summer. No apologies for my rant. Here are some pretty ass hang out zones that I stole from

somewhere offa the net.

This is the view out my office window. Yes it's inspirational isn't it. Why don't you craft about that one ladies?

Blackie II - Bring the Pain

For reasons unknown I'm embarking on another bike project. Unlike the last bike, this one is going to be all man like.
It's going to be so tough that when it's let loose in the street, passers by will avert their eyes in a mixture fear and ultimate respect.

I've been inspired by the 'fixie' bike culture but I don't actually have the knees strong enough to go all the way and have a fixed gear, so I'm going for a free wheeler. But that just makes it extra tougher, because it's so tough it doesn't need to follow the cool kids, this ones a true outsider.

It's origins can be traced back to some hard luck working class town in Korea. They build them tough there, Korean tough.
As you read this post it's being stripped naked with millions of fast hitting graduals of sand, then dressed in powder coat, as black as the devil himself. It will then be fitted with white rims, white chain and a flat handlebar.

I can hear the children and old people screaming incessantly, writhing in agony, as if it was the arrival of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, fire and brimstone and all that shit.

It's Monday already. Well at least it's a fresh start.

Weekends seem to disappear so quickly when you work 6 days a week. So yesterday we spent it just the family, no other interruptions. It was a gas. We went out for breakfast, drove the rolling hills, sifted through the second hand treasures at the Daylesford Sunday Market, sipped cold Chardy under the shady elms at Lavendula at Hepburn Springs and finished off playing Mr Fix-it in the back yard on my new bike project.

The girls were just beautiful, all three of them. Can't wait to get home after work tonight to see them again.
It's Monday, it's the start of a new Spring, I kinda feel happy.

Whats golden yellow and white as snow?

If you guessed Rohans delicious breakfast eggs sunny side up, care of Daylesford Organics then you get a merit sticker. I so admire what these guys do, in fact I read their blog when I'm at work as some sort of substitute for me not being in my garden playing with my plot produce, getting soil under my nails. Go take a look at their blog, it's full of lovely chicks, ducks, organic ingenuity, rich soil and mouth watering produce. We love them so much we've booked them in for an article in the upcoming issue 6 of Thaw Magazine. Can't wait to go out and photograph the set up!

What a lifestyle these guys must have. I'm green with envy, but for now the eggs hit the spot.

CRAFT INVASION!

Last night we hosted one of the fortnightly local craft meets. The house was raised off it's foundations with the high pitched excited voices. It was comparable to debate time at a UN conference. So many conversations all happening simultaneously.  For a moment there I thought my manhood would shrivel into a dried prune with the amount of estrogen filling the air. But somehow I avoided that catastrophe and I just sat, watched, observed and then started to fit in. My clever use of sophisticated wit and stunning ability to small talk about world affairs finally paid off. It did get me thinking thought. A few years ago a friend of mine politely informed me that he believed that I was "a bit fruity" and another mate plays along the same view, even so much as to make me a personalised badge stating 'I Love Man Tights'. I have no idea where they get this material from. Actually there are so many sides to this old duck it's hard to keep track. One day I'm building a pergola and rendering a brick wall, the next I'm picking dresses and blouses for a fashion shoot. Go figure.

All jokes aside, I have to say the 'crafty wenches' that came over last night, are honest lovely gals. Some Mums, some not. Some twenty something, most thirty something. They're not show ponies, they're not conceited or concerned about what people think of them. They are real. It was a refreshing change.

Although I must complain....not one of them offered to teach me to cross stitch, knit or make my own softy. Maybe next time.

Oh Math....you make me hungry

Funny Weds