So much to talk about!

Wowsers has it really been a fortnight since my last post? Thankyou for all your great ideas on being greener and for composting ideas! I’m on a mission for a Bokashi Bin for the kitchen.

“So Bec, how have you been green this week?” I hear you ask. Well, after inspiration from an article in Frankie Magazine I’ve been trying to use as little plastic as possible.
Bec's Green-ness for this week
1. I pack lunch in a Nude container
2. Not bagging fruit at the supermarket (I’m still yet to venture regularly to the Farmers Markets)
3. ALWAYS remembering my green bags at the supermarket.
4. Selecting item that don’t use plastic packaging which is a really, really hard thing to do! In some cases, I simply had to opt for the item which had the least amount of plastic.
5. I have also stopped using “single use” items such as face wipes, or cleaning wipes. They seem handy at the time but man what a waste!! Especially the cleaning ones – vinegar, bi-carb soda, a bit of lemon juice and some elbow grease end up doing a MUCH better job than disposable wipes or harsh chemicals that make your eyes water when you use them – plus they’re much more environmentally friendly!

It’s also been quite a while since my last “crafty” post. I’ve been participating in a game called “Cos we Can” which is a group on Flickr where you simply have to submit an artwork every fortnight. It forces me to be creative and has also meant that I’ve been doing a lot more water colour work lately which I’m really enjoying. You can have a little peak here.

Oh, and I've signed up for a "pattern making and garment reproduction" course and I am sooo excited!! Hopefully I'll have LOTS of pics to show over the next few weeks.

Lastly darling readers who are still reading along (think this is the wordiest post I’ve had in a while- I just have so many things to say!) I’d like to leave you with a few pictures from my 1st Wedding anniversary. Ever the romantic, Mr Honi planned a surprise SUNSET helicopter flight over Sydney along with dinner at Altitude and a night at the Shangri La! La-di-dah indeed! It was just magical. I highly recommend Blue Sky Helicopters if you’re thinking of surprising a loved one with an unbeatable view over Sydney!!

The Good Life

I have about 100 blogs that a read regularly – some are connected to each other by friendships and some I’ve simply stumbled upon. But one common theme at the moment across most of the blogs is “how to be greener”. In the media it’s the “hip” thing to be. But the crafty community is really inspiring to be “green” and not just trying to appear green. I’ve been reading some wonderful articles on composting, wardrobe refashioning, eating and growing organic vegetables and generally trying to live a greener and hopefully happier life. I am genuinely excited by the thought of trying to live a “simpler” life through being greener.

I’m looking forward to making jumpers and snuggling up rather than cranking the heater up. Fewer lights and more candles. I’ve also been trying to eliminate processed foods from my diet in the hope of feeling generally better. I’m not ill- just “not right” and sluggish. I’m pining over a bicycle (she’s just like Edna that I’ve been coveting for a while!) My sewing class achievements mean that I can now make myself some lovely clothes and not feel like it’s “home made”. I’ve asked Mr Honi to build me a compost (and I now plan my weeks cooking and buy only what I need for each recipe which means I am limiting my waste). I’ve also asked him to make a hose from the washing machine to use the grey water in the garden. Plus I’m saving money – I bought ink refillers for our printer which literally saved me about $40!!! I’d love to have a chook or two for fresh eggs each morning. And If Mr Honi weren’t highly allergic, I’d keep bees too. I love the thought of only buying fresh fruit and veg at Farmers markets every Saturday morning – and never really stepping into a gigantic shopping centre again.

Can anyone recommend a good Farmers Market in Sydney? I’ve heard a lot are dodgey.

I’m setting myself a challenge to change at least one thing each week to make our household a happier, cheaper, greener home. I’ll keep you up to date on what I do!

images from one of my fave old TV shows - The Good Life

Vintage Ephemera Night

What a lovely night I had at Brown Owls on Wednesday. We all brought along items to make collages with and some girls were VERY generous with what they brought to share! Thankyou to Lisa, Amy, Vanessa and Jordan for all your gorgeous things! Here is my little creation - awaiting a frame to be hung in the hall. I just ADORE all of the images!! (sorry it's slightly blurry - it wasn't sitting flat on the scanner.

The Birds...

Last night I felt like I was trapped in a Hitchcock movie. As I got out of the car at the Gym, I noticed the roof ahead of me was lined with birds. As I walked towards them to get to the door a group of them flapped and squawked and flew about. They were only sparrows – not the nasty crows and gulls in the movie, but it still creeped the bejeebers out of me! Click on thr image to see a larger version. Each balck dot is a bird, all the way down the line.