Favourite Things - Week 12

It's been a little while since I've been over to Being Tazim for The Favourite Things Project. Interestingly this week is about Creative Pursuits.

For years I've always done something creative. Mainly sewing, but in recent years I have done some study and now have a Certificate IV in Colour & Design, a Diploma in Visual Arts - Surface Design (Textile and Homewares etc etc) and another in Colour Design (Residential and Commercial colour styling).

So for this week I thought I'd showcase some of my mood boards from the courses.


Waverton - A renovation. I won the Dulux Award for Creative Colour Application with this one in 2009.

These were from a last minute assignment we were given, also in the Colour Design course. My entry was one of the 10 finalists. The award was sponsored by Porters Paints. I called my range 'Tuscany' with a play on words for 'A House in Tuscany' and 'A Garden in Tuscany.

A Bar/Restaurant refit complete with samples of tiles, paint, fabric and wallpaper. Yes!! I used a Florence Broadhurst wallpaper. Well, what else did you think I'd use!

Lastly, a colour story for fabrics to be used for outdoor furniture. I was really happy with this board.

More Creative Pursuits over at Being Tazim here.

Favourite Things - Weeks Six & Seven

The Favourite Things Project at Being Tazim for week six was 'Modes of Transport'.

How easy was this one. Gotta be 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles'. I travel a bit for work, across the city, interstate and intrastate, so I use all these forms of transport. And I love them all.

Other people who use Sydney's City Rail are probably saying, are you crazy!! Probably, but in the 5 years I've been travelling across our beautiful city, I haven't had that many issues with delays. I'm also very lucky to travel across one of the renowned Sydney icons, the Harbour Bridge. Which also means I get to see the harbour and the Sydney Opera House everyday I travel on the trains.

This doesn't look like it was a particularly sunny day on the bridge. This is the approach heading towards North Sydney where my office is. Of course I'm not always there. I'm either somewhere else in the city or state, depends on my schedule.

One view of the historic Central Station. Looks fantastic at night with all the lights shining on the facade.

This is a bit hard to see, but it's inside the old part of the station. We still have steam trains arriving and departing from here. Great fun!

Our new Millennium trains, which didn't quite make it for the Millennium. I think it was another year before they were on the tracks. Below, inside the Millennium train. Rush HourTokyo Rush Hour

The Nazomi, below, we travelled on from Kyoto to Tokyo in about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. While we were waiting for our train, I timed a Nazomi as it left. 15 seconds and the whole 8 carriages were past the end of the platform. Very fast. We got up to 285 kms p/h at one stage.

Me and my new car last year, on the day I picked it up from the dealer. It took me 8 long years to get there, and 4 of those years dreaming of this little beauty. I love driving it whenever I can, so I often take it on trips for work that are up to 4 hours from home. Any further than that and I'll fly.

Below is Kyoto's main railway station. It's like a little city itself. A couple of lovely locals helped us find our way around. A great community service. So polite and they speak excellent English. We did try the tiny bit of Japanese we knew. They seemed to understand. Planes. On them regularly for work and play. In a week I'm heading off to Brisbane for a few days with my eldest son, then on to Mt Isa to visit my youngest. The flight to Mt Isa isn't bad. Better than the quick trips between Sydney/Melbourne or Sydney/Brisbane. With those it takes just as long to taxi in and out on the runway as it does to fly between the cities. Well that's what it feels like.

This is Kansai Airport. Apparently the terminal is about 1 kilometer long. When we got off the plane, we hopped on a monorail that took us from the gate to the actual terminal.

My dream is it do the train ride in the Rocky Mountains one day. I've seen so many pictures of the trains with the glass roofs for viewing the wonderful scenery. Straight after that, I'd like to board a plane to Europe and travel on their fast trains, especially the one under the English Channel.

Week seven's topic is 'Ways to Relax'. A little while ago I wrote about my latest Japan fix. Essentially, it was all about the Japanese themed fiction I've been reading of late. You can read my post about them here.

So...my way to relax, most of the time, is reading. Of late though, I have returned to a lot of non-fiction reading. It's not like me to read more than one book at a time, but these two have got me entralled. The first book is a narrative from Diana Vreeland (1903 - 1989), fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar and Editor-in-Chief of Vogue back in the good old glamour days. A very forthright lady, great reading. Recommended by a young design student I met in Brisbane.

The other one is feeding my addiction to the series 'Mad Men'. It's 'Mad Men Unbuttoned - A romp through 1960's America' by Natasha Vargas-Cooper.

Happy reading!

Favourite Things Project - Week Five

People in my life is the fifth week's topic from Being Tazim.

I've mentioned my two sons quite a few times in my posts and they are the most important people in my life. There are a few other significant friends and family who also mean the world to me, but they are very private people and I respect that. They know who they are and know how much I love them.

My sons, Brendon and Darren have made me very proud to be their Mum. Brendon is currently writing a short film in the hope to have it completed for a short film festival some time next year. Darren has just completed an apprenticeship with top marks and has received numerous pats on the back for a job well done.

Both the boys live in Queensland, Australia. Brendon is in Brisbane and Darren is at a mining town, Mt Isa, in the mid western area of Queensland, almost to the border of the Northern Territory.

I'm in Sydney, so having dinner with Mum on a regular basis is just not on!!! We see each other when we can. Darren turns 25 today and the plan is to head out to Mt Isa for a few days soon to visit him (and the new girlfriend!).

For years I have admired many women in business, the art community, media, theatre/screen and literature, and even though they aren't 'people in my immediate life', they are people who have made me think about my life to some extent. For example, I heard Ita Buttrose speak at a seminar years ago about Women in Business and was completely enthralled with what she had to say. At the time I was trying to be a business women and realised I didn't have it in me just yet. This was a good thing, now I am more mature and have had a great deal of exposure to small business through my job.

Because of this, I now have a 5 year plan in place.

There is another identity I admire, someone who was kind hearted, had strong convictions and endured much throughout her life and that is Audrey Hepburn.

As a UNICEF ambassador she devoted much of her post movie life to her role as a spokesperson for UNICEF, helping impoverished children worldwide and raising the profile of UNICEF in the process.

My boys have given me gifts of 2 books encompassing different times of her life.

The Paramount Years and Audrey Hepburn Treasures. The last one is such a beautiful book, with copies of letters, tickets, cast lists etc etc. As it suggests, it is full of treasures. This is a wonderful tribute to Audrey from her son Sean Hepburn-Ferrer, with all or most of the treasures being things he has kept over the years and a heartfelt preface to the book written by him.


She was Givenchy's muse. This beautiful dress was from the Movie 'Sabrina' (1954) with Humphrey Bogart.


Who cannot go past Holly Golightly in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961) with George Peppard.

The last movie I saw her in was Robin and Marion (a telemovie I think) released in 1976. Sadly she passed away from colon cancer in January 1993.

Sadly missed.

Favourite Things - Week Four

The Favourite Things Project from Being Tazim has us thinking about shoes we love.

I have many, and I do mean many.

Unlike one of the girls I work with who has a whole wardrobe just for her shoes, only the bottom of my cupboard is full. Under my bed I have 2 stacking boxes, also full, and the ones I can't fit in either place, just stay on the floor until I can't get over the pile anymore.

At the moment I have 2 favourites. My little flatties decorated with sequins and beads, and my 'coastal' slippers.

I've had these forever and wear them with everything and everywhere.

My second pair of favourites is these slippers I bought when I was last in Bundaberg. There is a beautiful homewares store at Bargara, 'Homeleigh House'. I just happened to be driving by one afternoon on my way to visit family and it took my eye. So I stopped in and an hour later left with some lovely purchases including these cuties.

Favourite Things - Week Three

I think I'm a little bit late with this entry, never mind.

Favourite Drink.....mmm!!! So many, it's hard to decide which way to go. I could talk about all the yummy alcoholic drinks I like to 'try' and possibly be labelled a 'lush'. Or I could go the safe way and mention a cold clear glass of thirst quenching water, which is always a good option anyway. Sparkling Water, Soda Water, Mineral Water, Still Water and so on. Who would have believed we'd have so many options for water.

But the winner would have to be TEA. Green Tea to be specific.

I've found at times it can be very refreshing and calming to the stomach. There is a couple of brands I buy quite regularly mainly as leaf tea. A good leaf green tea, I've been told, is one you can continue to top up all day.

Having said all that, I have to suggest something that is more of a favourite than green tea itself. Now I know it's not a 'favourite drink', but it is DEFINITELY more a favourite than green tea itself. It is made from green tea, though.

Guessed yet??

GREEN TEA ICE CREAM

I found a beautiful creamy Green Tea Ice Cream in Japan and everytime we were in a new town, I would try to find the same chain of grocery store, just so I could buy a little tub of this Ice Cream!!

The Favourite Things Project

I'm really new to blogging, having only started in January this year. My blog is 'trying' to be mainly about DIY projects and Design finds, hints and tips. I love making things, especially if it's making things I can use to decorate my place.

Time hasn't been my friend so far this year, so I have about 4 posts in draft just waiting to be completed. With so many other projects going through my head, sometimes I can't sleep!!!

I thought I'd start blogging as a way to be (more) creative. Kylie from My Flying Ducks was the inspiration. I've known her since she was about 17.

I say MORE creative, because my 'real day job' is NOT part of the creative community.

Eventhough I love my job as a Facilitator, the passion to create doesn't lay dormant, it keeps working away in the background. My first love is sewing. Mum taught me when I was about 10 years old I think.

Anyway, to get to the point, I follow My Flying Ducks quite regularly. She finds some amazing things through this 'time vampire' we call the Internet.

Her most recent foray is to participate in 'The Favourite Things Project'. I liked the look of it, so I'm going to give it a go.

Might not be able to participate each week, who knows!!

Tazim from Being Tazim has asked for the first week of the project, depict things you love about your country or city.

I am a very patriotic Aussie, and am extremely proud of our boys and girls fighting or representing us anywhere in the name of Australia.

So my visual project is all about our Defence Forces and our iconic 'Rising Sun' emblem.

Let's get them home soon.