For baby D’s little party I had a rainbow theme, because rainbows are fun and colourful and bright, what’s not to love?
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Archive for May, 2012
Baby D’s birthday
My little sunshine turned one last week. Could it really be a year ago that he arrived, making his grand entrance to the world so suddenly and beautifully.
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phad thai
I wanted to share with you the recipe that my mum made us for dinner last night, it was as yummy as it looks…
What you need…
250g rice noodles
400g chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 red chillies, thinly sliced
2 Tbs palm sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs fish sauce
¼ cup sweet chilli sauce
1 Tbs lime juice
3 shallots, finely sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup snow pea sprouts
¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
How to make it…
Soak noodles in boiling water until soft, drain.
In a wok, stir-fry chicken, garlic, ginger and chilli in batches until browned. Return to wok, add sugar, sauces and lime juice, and stir until slightly thickened. Add noodles, shallots and sprouts and heat through.
Check seasoning and adjust with more fish sauce if necessary.
where I belong
“Everyone has something to offer. Everyone. Own your strengths and talents. Ask yourself the hard, uncomfortable questions. When you find yourself in a situation where you are content and present – pay attention. This is where you belong”
– McCabe Russell.
Designing and making lovely things feeds my soul. Everyday I want to make something and be ‘creative’. Though I don’t really like describing it that way. Creative feels like an exclusive word, like, either you’re creative or you’re not. I don’t think creativity is the sole domain of artists and designers. Lots of people say to me, oh I wish I was creative like you. Which is awfully sweet but I then I ask them – why do you think you’re not creative? Oh because I can’t paint and I can’t draw, they say. Well to be honest, I’m not to great with the painting and drawing either.
There are so may other areas where creativity comes into play. If you spend hours in the kitchen mixing spices and adapting recipes you’re being creative. If you love to plant seeds and get your hands dirty, that’s creating. Perhaps you get a thrill from rearranging all your furniture until it looks better than before, I’d consider that a creative conquest of sorts.
Even if you’re really not creative, who cares? What’s more important is that you find where you belong. Can you think of a time when you are completely absorbed in what you’re doing. It comes naturally and though it may not be easy, it’s exciting and you enjoy being in that space. All the distractions around you fade into the background and time disappears. Maybe it’s gardening or planning your family budget, or restoring old furniture, or being outside riding your bike, helping people resolve their relationship problems. It could be anything, if you know what it is for you and it feeds your soul, nourish it and nurture it and feel good about it.
The quote at the beginning of this post is from a book I was given for my birthday called Desire to Inspire, I haven’t had chance to really read it yet, but I’m loving what I have seen so far.
beau est mien open studio visit
I took a little time out from parenting duties today and went to a fabulous open studio. The beautiful and extremely talented French illustrator Magali Dincher creates limited edition colograph and screenprinted artworks using an old fashioned print press. Her studio is aptly named beau est mien.
I first saw Magali’s work a couple of years ago at the Fremantle Art Centre Bazaar and being a bit of a francophile I fell in love immediately. I have been dreaming of owning one of her prints ever since. This year I decided I should treat myself – as it’s my 30th birthday year and all – and I bought a romantic picture of terraced houses lining the streets of Paris.
Magali offers printing workshops in her studio where you can learn first-hand the techniques of colograph, screenprinting and linocut. Something I’m going to put on my things-I-really-want-to-do list.
chalkboard artwork frames
On Thursdays while I am at work Mister E spends the day with his Omi (Grandma). They always go to the library and have fish and chips for lunch. At the library they listen to story time and then do a crafty activity related to the book. Today he bought home this great picture and I thought it should be displayed in his room. I drew some frames on the chalkboard to showcase his masterpieces. How cool is a chalkboard wall!
