Inspiration: Robin Derrick

Cut Flowers 2 (2008). Source: robinderrick.com

Cut Flowers 1 (detail) 2008. Source: robinderrick.com

Cut Flowers 4 (2008). Source: robinderrick.com

A cider called Colin

How many puns can you make with the word "cider"?..Quite a few as it turns out (but none which are worth repeating).

We discovered this on Saturday as we sat drinking home-made cider and attempting to create a bit more. This involved five people, two juicers, something called "yeast killer" and about 45 kilos of crisp winter fruit.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

I'm a little ashamed to see how long it's been since I've last written. Over a month, in fact.

Since then, a couple of developments have resolved themselves. After several fraught weeks of organising and a crazy weekend of moving, I'm now out of the apartment which had been my home for the last seven years.

My old room, looking so bare and foreign

One thing that I will never do again is reject an offer to help with moving or painting - no matter how unwitting that offer may be. I couldn't have imagined how big a task moving was (and how much stuff I had accumulated), so I've very thankful for the help that I did have.

During that time, I also signed a contract to purchase a new apartment, discovered that the contract was invalid and promptly withdrew my offer. I'm now technically homeless, but with most of my belongings in storage and no contracts holding me down, I'm enjoying feeling liberated - if only for a while. I've learnt a lot about purchasing real estate, real estate agents and home loans in the process.

Now looking forward to settling down for a bit, getting out and about a bit more again - and blogging more!

Good-Gorman: it's a warehouse sale!!

For anyone who like a sale, the Gorman warehouse sale was the bomb-diddly of all sales. Walking through the gates of what shall forever be known in my mind as "Gorman Land", I felt like Charlie entering the Chocolate Factory for the first time. A huge room and a whole outdoor courtyard were sprawled with an abundance of brightly-coloured skirts, pretty dresses, sequinned tops and high heels - all at amazing prices.

My first instinct was to run desperately into the fray and wrench a pair of delightful, high-waisted cotton-lace shorts from a student with tortoiseshell glasses and a top-knot. But I refrained. After all, there was plenty to go around for everyone. Literally, plenty.

A subdued tension permeated the air as hundreds of women stalked their prey, carrying bundles of hoarded items. An occasional man languished on the periphery or attempted to assist in the search for the perfect item.

I really, really wanted the leather platforms pictured above. In fact, I had pined for them when they first came out in-store. Thankfully my mother convinced me that an extra 10cm of height would make me, well, literally have to look down on most people. I would be a well-dressed and thrifty gargantuan-lady, but a bit scary all the same.

As the red fog of sale-panic gradually subsided, I managed to escape with only a dress, a silk onesie...and of course, those high waisted shorts. Keep an eye out for future warehouse sales on Three Thousand. I highly recommend a visit.

Time to move on...

A girl in a cute outfit at the Gorman sale. She's got the right idea: keep it moving.

The past couple of weeks have swept in some very big changes. Changes which, if all goes well, could be very exciting. Keep you fingers crossed for me!

In the meantime, here's a few things that have been keeping me happy.