i bought a book:

I want to learn to crochet:

Crocheted Sakura, originally uploaded by Mumblepeg.

I broke my brain:

pink brain bag, originally uploaded by baking with medusa.

I am drunk:

White Wine, Rainbow Rug 2, originally uploaded by libraryman.

the end.

Cigarette, originally uploaded by haasbroek.

cigarettes. real ones are stinky! why not choose the cute ones, instead?

don’t want to.

SMOKEY and balloon, originally uploaded by urbn pirate.

‘Appy birthday, awesome A. Loves ya.

actually, neither of these are *mine*, as such. In fact, neither of them are even at my house. They’re at my otherhouse, but I’m there enough of the time, anyway…

This is a brand new Bokashi bin, bought today! It was one of many killer scores at the Gardening Australia expo. I accidentally bargained for it, whoops!

Bex: so, these bins. Are they a special show price?
Guy: Yes! $10 off!
Bex: Looks at A, dubious
Guy: You drive a hard bargain. Have another $5 off!
Bex: Looks at him, incredulous
Guy: $10!!

It’s SO EXCITING!! It sits on the kitchen bench, and it’s a compost bin! And it doesn’t smell! And you can put in everything, coffee grounds, meat, onion, citrus! Then you sprinkle on some magic Bokashi powder and press it down with the presser (it’s a potato masher! See it on the windowsill!) each evening. Then eventually, presto! No food scraps, some dirt, and a small amount of super concentrated liquid fertiliser. WE ALL NEED ONE!!! Huzzah!!

This one, it’s not really a kitchen item. but it makes consumables! This is A’s craft. She’s started homebrewing. This here is the third brew, a Pale Ale, put on this very evening. The previous two brews are in various stages of ageing gracefully and waiting to be consumed at high speed. Fun times party town.

Thanks to handmaiden for this week’s topic, and awesome hosting duties while three buttons has been jet setting.

To go with my newfound fascination with making muesli, I have been looking for a decent recipe for bars that doesn’t involve truckload of flowers, or cakeyness, or whatever. So! The latest one I have seen I found on the back of a soy milk box! So I’ll give it a shot, and let you know how it goes. I’m just not up there enough with cooking techniques to make stuff up.

breakfast bars!
makes 8 large bars

2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coconut or vanilla extract
1 cup soymilk
1 eggwhite, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 180oC. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and combine well. Line a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper. Press oat mix into pan and bake for 30 mins or until golden. Let cool completely and cut into bars.

WILL IT WORK?? Only time will tell. Or will it?!?

Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif. Shown checking electrical assemblies (LOC), originally uploaded by The Library of Congress.

oh my god, HOTT.

The whole Commons collection on Flickr is here. Go! Tag! Be free!!!

Amy Johnson & friends, 1930 / photographed by Sam Hood, originally uploaded by State Library of New South Wales.

Amy Johnson was, apparently, the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia, and here she is, chillin’ with her buddies. Aren’t ye olde ladies awesome??

The State Library of NSW has started putting their photo archives on Flickr, news that makes me feel just a *little* tight in the chest and is likely to provoke fits of excited giggles. God, I’m a nerd. So far they have put up 100 based on Australian firsts, and will continue putting up more. Apparently this is a growing trend in info tech institutions, and collections have been put up by such diverse and multifarious crew as the US Library of Congress, the Sydney Powerhouse Museum, the Smithsonian Institution AND SUCH AND SUCH.

It kind of makes me want to hyperventilate with delight.

This is why it’s good to look at The Age website first thing, sometimes. Now I gotta bail, heading to the Gardening Australia Expo. If I see Peter Cundall… well, I just have to say, I can’t be held responsible for my actions…

three ethical questions:

How do people deal with commenters? Do you post replies after the comments? Do you email them personally? Do you start visiting their blog to repay the favor? What kind of person does it make you if you don’t reply?

What do you do if you see someone selling products you know are made from other people’s copywritten patterns?

If you’re not supporting the manufacture of disposable goods by not buying new stuff, where does outlet shopping fit in? It’s not fitting into the chain of production, theoretically, is it? so it it ok?

Just wonderin’…