It's a girl, three kinds of fish, sunset

 Funny little car on Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds

I'm still playing blog catch-up, but at least I'm only a few days behind now. Luke's sister had her third baby on Friday - a little girl after two boys. Yay! We visited on Saturday afternoon. So tiny and cute and not at all happy about being woken up to have a bath. Luke has an adorably funny picture of her reaction, which he will no doubt bring out for her 21st birthday.

Luke wore his Planet Terror t-shirt on Saturday, which was April 6.  When we were in the lift going up to the maternity ward I noticed the date at the bottom of the print. 

After we left the hospital, we visited Middle Brighton Beach. It was a warm, sunny day. Our Indian summer isn't quite over yet. 

 Brighton's famous bathing boxes

 They're a popular backdrop for wedding photos

Look at all these little fish!

There were thousands - probably tens of thousands - of them swimming in the shallows  around the Middle Brighton Pier, flashing silver in the sun. They were mesmerising. 

Jellyfish!

Starfish! 

This starfish is far more laid back than Sassy Starfish. 

 

The hazy city

The clouds rolled in, but it didn't rain where we were

After Brighton, we stopped in St Kilda, just before the sun set. It was a pearler. 

 

Puffy cloud on the horizon opposite the sun

We had dinner on Acland Street, and then gelato...well, had gelato; Luke didn't because his belly was full with the giant chicken parmagiana he had for dinner. I had the coconut meringue and the caramel popcorn flavoured gelato from 7 Apples (yes, it actually had bits of popccorn in it). The popcorn was OK and the coconut was pleasant. My heart/stomach still belongs to Fritz Gelato.  

Bubba, bar, rainy

My friend Paul brought his 3-month-old daughter Eliza for a visit today. She's cute and smiley. I think she thought my hair was funny because she smiled at the top of my head quite a bit. It was weird, but nice seeing Paul - a big guy - with a wee bubba in his arms.

I found Jupiter Bars at the supermarket a few weeks ago. Maybe I wasn't paying attention, but I hadn't seen the caramel, peanut and rice crisp bars anywhere since high school.  I had one today. Yum.  

It rained most of the day today. I kinda liked it.

Baby, signs, rude word

I visited my friend Paul's newborn baby Eliza Grace today. She's lovely. So tiny (although average sized). I had a little cuddle and she didn't cry too much (she did fart though. I made sure to point out that it was bub, not me). I may or may not be a wee bit clucky...

I saw some old signs on shopfronts in North Melbourne as I went by on the tram to Paul's. I wanted to yell, "STOP THE TRAM!" but instead I got off on the way home and took photos.

Advertise in The Age and Herald down the centre

Wertheim something...

And this church: 

I went to Lincraft today for more supplies for my projects and I couldn't resist making a naughty word with the 3D cardboard letters. A four-letter word. Something tells me I'm not the first peurile shopper to do this since the U, C and K were already in place; I just had to move the F. I wonder how often the staff have to undo the shenanigans of people like me? I put all the letters back into their proper place after taking a photo of the rude word though.

 Doodle of the day

New arrival, old faithful and a lovely library

A football floating on the Yarra

Very big gleeful news - my friend Paul became a dad for the first time last night! I'm looking forward to meeting the new arrival, Eliza Grace, this week.

I had a pleasant day out today. I walked up to Southgate to see if the shop where I bought my favourite black and white striped top still had them in stock. I've worn and washed it to death and haven't been able to find something similar elsewhere. I didn't have high hopes  - I bought the top at least two years ago. But they had it! And in my size! And for the same price! It's part of their basics range. Yay.

I visited Michael's Camera House to see the exhibition of Jonathan Pearlman's photos of the Victorian Supreme Court. I've heard the court's library is one of Melbourne's finest interiors and if Jonathan's photos are anything to go by, it certainly is stunning. I must see it with my own eyes. Unfortunately it's only open to the public a couple of times a year and I think I've missed out for 2011. Boo.

PS Thank you to those who have requested a mix tape. I'm excited to make them but I'm a bit slow getting started. Stay er...tuned.

Giggling, list writing and manicuring

My friend sent me a video of her seven-month-old, Thomas, (one of my 'nephews') having a fit of giggles yesterday. It's impossible not to laugh along with him. He almost looks like he's putting it on, such is his enthusiasm. So cute and funny.  

I wrote a list of things to pack for my New York trip today. I wasn't feeling mentally ready for the trip, but now I feel a little more prepared. Love a good list.

I dislike having long fingernails, but I really like that fresh (DIY) manicured feeling.

Cuddles, secret smiles and pudding

I did get me some cuddles today. As I mentioned yesterday, I went to visit my friends and my two quasi nephews, who are three and seven months. Both are adorable. I'm quite besotted with them.

Master 3 was a bit rambunctious in the evening after not sleeping in the afternoon, prompting his parents to have stern words with him at the dinner table. I looked at him and gave him a little secret smile, and he gave me a little secret smile in return. 

He let me take home two of his kinder art creations for my fridge - a fish and a jelly fish.

My friends cooked me my favourite corned beef, mashed potato and vegies for dinner, with self-saucing chocolate pudding for dessert. Yum. We used to eat chocolate pudding often when I was a kid, so it was the perfect comfort food. It felt great to be looked after.

I got home late and cold, had a very hot bath, put clean pyjamas on and now I'm ready for bed. I'm not setting my alarm. Sweet.

Diary of fun

There's quite a bit of fun stuff in my diary for the next few weeks. Plenty to be excited about and look forward to. I love that feeling.

On the weekend I will meet Thomas James, my friend's baby who was born last week, and I'm also seeing by fave band Wagons (again!) supporting US alt-country singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle (son of Steve Earle) at the Thornbury Theatre.

Next week I have tickets to see UK comic Daniel Kitson's show We are Gathered Here, which is showing as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The Festival kicked off last week. I haven't had a thorough look at the program yet, but so far I'm also going to the opening night of iMap at the City Library, which features a gigantic map of the CBD on the wall of their gallery space. Visitors will be able to share a memory of something that happened to them in the city and it will be attached to the corresponding place on the map. I need to think of something worthy of sharing....

The Melbourne International Arts Festival starts in a week or so too and I've decided I'm going to go see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. I've never been to see an orchestra before. The London Philharmonic Orchestra is performing also, but tickets are, unsurprisingly, a little on the expensive side.

The opening night celebration also looks good. Better put that in my diary too...

And I'm doing sewing classes! I'm going to pretty much learn to sew all over again since I remember very little from high school textiles classes. My friend Anna and I are going to do classes at the very groovy Thread Den. There's three modules to equip you with the basics and then in the fourth module, we'll make an A line skirt. I hope I don't suck at it...

Hello, baby

While NSW and Queensland choked on dust today, Melbourne had a purdy rainbow.

Photo taken by my Twitter pal Nathan Milson

Yay! I'm a quasi-aunt again! Thomas James was born tonight at 7.12 pm weighing in at 3.39kgs. Mum and bub both doing well.

And in more baby news, I found out tonight that another friend is expecting her third baby in March!

Baby eve

Big day tomorrow. My best friend is having her second baby by caesarean in the late afternoon. She is already mum to Nathan, my quasi-nephew, who is a gorgeous little boy.

I already know what she's having so the only real surprise will be what they name him. But still. A baby!