Cookin' with creative juices, robots, spring eve

This is a (rather tall) cupcake for one of my lovely loyal readers,

Margaret, for her birthday today. I'm sure it tastes better than it looks.

Another beautiful late winter's day full of glee. I got up early again. Again! My brain woke up even though my eyes didn't, and then the neighbours started hosting a monster truck rally in their backyard (or whatever), so going back to sleep was out of the question. But when it got to 2.00pm, it only felt like 5 o'clock. Noice.

I have been lurking in artsy craftsy shops again - Handworks on Chapel Street and Eckersleys on Commercial Road in Prahran. I adore Handworks. ADORE it. If I could, I would marry it and have its babies (I was going to link to its website but it's under construction and does not capture the wonderland that is the store at all). I've purchased supplies for yet more projects. I'm going to make some of these in a palette of blues and purples. I was competent at making paper lanterns and those Christmas chain bizzos at school so they shouldn't be a challenge.

I've got ideas for more creative stuff too...(mostly not stuff I've seen on etsy.com!).  Not just making crafty stuff, but writing and photography projects as well. I've had to start jotting down notes (well, putting notes into my phone). This week has lit a fire under my pot of creative juices. They are on the boil. I hope going back to work doesn't take the pot off the heat, even though it will obviously eat up a lot of the time I have to make stuff. I've wondered this before, but maybe I should go back to working in a creative industry, if not an actual creative job? (I don't think anyone will pay me to make paper hearts or button brooches)

I also bought some chocolate-scented stickers and a set of fridge magnets that are like the keys to an old fashioned typewriter. You can leave little messages on the fridge for people (more fun now I'm not a singleton living alone).

I saw a robot on Greville Street!

Speaking of robots, I bought this T shirt last night... 

(Aside: Gosh, a lot of my gleeful stuff this week has started off with "I bought...". But I do believe spending money can contribute to happiness. It's all in how you spend it, not necessarily how much you spend. End of aside.)

I bought (!) the new book The Fix by one of my favourite writers, Nick Earls. I think Dr Seuss and Philosophy will have to go on the backburner for a wee while. After I paid for the book, the sales assistant folded my long receipt in half and in half again, and handed it to me with a smile. (What's with the long receipts you get these days just for a single item?)

The city was buzzing with people enjoying the winter sunshine this afternoon. The atmosphere was delightful. It could be my imagination, but I think I can smell the scent of jasmine wafting through my window as I type this...

Another new fave word: velvet. It sounds lush and soft and luxurious. Another one of those words that sounds like what it is.

Check out this awesome photo gallery of a double rainbow over the city this week. Absolutely stunning, and fantastic photos too. I wish I'd seen it with my own eyes.

I'm going to the market at the Abbotsford Convent again tomorrow, with Marian, the twitter friend from NY via Auckland. She wanted to go to a Melbourne market and I thought that would be perfect - there's the art and craft market, but also a gallery, artists' studios  and, of course, the star of the show, the fabulously crumbling gothic convent, all in expansive grounds that can have you forgetting you're so close to the city. It's meant ot be another gorgeous day too. Yay.

Also - more new fantastic old signs (see my other blog for pics).