Date Night

I was Ali's "date" for a Queensland Writers Centre event last Thursday.  Christmas Trees fitted the theme.

Christmas Beetles

On the ceiling, between SLQ and the bookshop, I saw these beetles in formation.  Only when I downloaded the pic, did I realise what formation they were in...cute!

CBD Christmas

In town, the Myer window has a story as usual.  I loved the fact that some sheep were wearing quilts!

Written as It's Said

And How Much For The Dress?

Aussie Christmas

A bit spindlier than the lush Douglas firs of colder climates, but it's the right spirit!

Tree of Life

I have passed this shop so many times and NEVER noticed the wood blocks embedded in the facade.  I probably never would never have either, except that others mentioned it.  An amazing array!

English

I was helping James by proofreading an assignment - I know this is the language I use every day, but what does it all mean?  I guess HE knows!

"The chirality of the generated circular polarisation is dependent on the input polarisation axis."

Paper Star

I enjoyed this little project the other day!

Vintage Holden

I parked next to this the other day - love the licence plate, FJH!

Chrissi's Chrissie Pressie

My German penpal sent me a little parcel for Christmas.  She wrapped each item in lovely poinsettia paper.  There was lebkuchen

an Advent calendar card

 and wooden decorations - each one of the 6 is different.

This is what she told me about these items:
"The little stars were made in the ‘Erzgebirge’. That is a small mountain in the east of Germany which is well-known for producing traditional Christmas decorations. They produce lots of items made of wood, such as angels, German incense smokers or nativity figurines - all of first-class quality. The little Advent calendar shows a typical scene at a German Christmas market. There you can buy nice Christmas decorations, you can taste yummy lebkuchen and glogg and you can stroll around the market enjoying the illumination of the trees and the stalls."

Mt Nebo Mt Glorious

I took a drive on Sunday.  Not much energetic walking, just some short strolls to lookouts and some short strolls into cafes.  Neither cafe was impressive foodwise.  One had a few intriguing items to look at.

And a gallery downstairs. 

The views, the landscape, the amazing bird sounds.  They were impressive and memorable.

Ruth Hadlow

Avid Reader had Dr Hadlow as a speaker on Saturday evening.  She spoke beautifully, unpacking her suitcase and her life to reveal her experiences in West Timor. 

Dinner was across the road at The Jam Jar.   Different encapsulates the place.  Small "amuse bouche" to start - paperthin slices of melon, mint, coconut and creme fraiche.

My main was an ancient grain salad of quinoa, frekka, burghul, beetroot, haloumi, almonds, red onions, and beans.  Dessert was almond and olive cake, almond brittle and creme fraiche, strewn with blueberries.

Work

My client on Saturday gave me a big hug of welcome.  Plus the day was fully catered.  This salad was so good.

Palindrome

It never occurred to me until recently that this is a palindrome!!!

French Martini

Last Thursday I ate at French Martini in Southbank.  My first time, and it was wonderful food.  Bubbles to start - French of course.

Then duck and about the best creme brulee I've had.  Seriously yummy.  The servers had bright pink aprons to match the padded seating.  Padding that was extremely enticing for a post prandial kip...

Public Art

It's hard to see, but this is an enormous vase filled with fan blade "flowers" cobbled together from car bits and pieces, it looks like.

Complete with wildlife.

Found a a fairly nondescript suburban corner.  Amazing.

Adventure

I'm not sure I want my shopping experience to be an "adventure", but I still had fun here the other day.

My car was being serviced nearby, so I whiled away the waiting time with a wander through the "precinct".  I did enjoy window shopping at Royal Doulton

When you want to add a touch of glam to slouching around...

Express?  They rip the strips off SUPER fast???

Featherweight Cat

Some say that the internet would not exist if not for cats - there is a wild world of  Lolcats and whack-a-kitty and other time wasters out there.  Let me add my own contribution!  Dexter exploring the inside of my Featherweight box while I sewed nearby.

Jacaranda

The lovely blue/purple flowers are all but gone.  For another year,

Brisbane Friday Night

Meeting a friend for drinks at Southbank had some fun little moments.  Wildlife hanging around the carpark exit.

An artistic photo opportunity.

Music al fresco.

Some bar humour.

Guaranteed To Mess With Your Head

Unique

I would guess few people have a letter box quite like this.

What Is This World If Full of Care...

...we have no time to stand and stare.

That poem has appealed to me for the longest time.  I interpret it to mean slow down and notice things.

The other day I went for a walk to take a look at a yard I've whizzed by so many times in the car.  The sign on the gate has always made me smile...

They seem to grow lawnmowers here - this one is coming along nicely.

Note how the garden ornaments are having a little kip before getting back the the onerous task of standing about looking decorative.

Finished!

Blue and White Quilt - top - done and done!!  Sooo happy.  Here's a sneaky peek...

Ebay Fun

Finally, I've started listing my "stuff".  I love to check in every now and then to see what is moving and what isn't.  Most people hold off until the last minute and then start bidding, so the excitement will peak in a little over 3 days.

Aside from the bids and the running total, ebay gives you other stats.  Like how many people have looked at a particular item, and how many are "watching" it.  Watchers are usually quite keen.

This morning I noticed that this little number has 16 - sixteen! - watchers.

 I'm hoping there'll be a small bun fight before auction close - all going to a good cause of course.

Language of Nature

Tricia Smout has been Artist in Residence at Mt Coot-tha this year.  This exhibition is the showcase for all her work.  It is amazing.  She has collaborated with literally hundreds of artists in Brisbane and elsewhere.  The range of materials and techniques and ideas is awe-inspiring.  Here is a glimpse.

A tree full of paper leaves - one leaf per visitor

 Decorated envelopes from around the world

 Books

 Pods (text by Tricia on the seeds)

Paper tags

An enormous wall quilt with a flower on each block