30 December 2015

54 facts about me!

For the end of the year 2015, here are a few facts about me.

Me, me it's all about me!

Skirt/pants made of two pairs of too small pants and a scarf.

 

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

As closed as they will stay.

2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?

Sometimes if the bottles are cute.

3. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

Since marrying Bushy I've become a fan of tucked out. But before that I was definitely tucked in! How does a person change so drastically?

4. Have you ever stolen a street sign before?

No.

5. Do you like to use post-it notes?

If they are the only note paper. Not a fan of stuff stuck up all over. But I do have a few stuck at the back of my desk for frequently dialled numbers.

6. Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?

No, totally given up on this. I am hopeless at remembering to use them.

7. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?

This is the sort of question my kids ask me all the time. Ummm?
The bear because it would be over quicker.

8. Do you have freckles?

Yes, and age spots and many moles, and acne during teens. Hate them all! I've always thought my skin let me down in the looks department!

9. Do you always smile for pictures?

Yes, although sometimes with lips closed. Had a portrait taken recently where I didn't and I just looked grumpy...although they liked it.

10. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Rudeness, meanness, cruelty are all up there.

11. Do you ever count your steps when you walk?

Yes, and make up songs to the rhythms. Also when I knit and crochet colours. I remember by the melody.

12: Have you ever peed in the woods?


Oh yes, and in the backyard!

13: What about pooped in the woods?

In a long drop toilet at our bush block.

14. Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing?

Of course!

15. Do you chew your pens and pencils?

Never. Gross!

16. How many people have you slept with this week?

None.

17. What size is your bed?

Single.

18. What is your Song of the week?

Been singing "Summertime" a lot lately, and my feel good music is "Feeling Good"!

19. Is it okay for guys to wear pink?

Yes, yes and yes! And purple and yellow and orange! It's just a colour! (Getting off soapbox)

20. Do you still watch cartoons?

Not much. Don't watch TV.

21. What’s your least favorite movie

Something horror like Blair Witch Project. Totally pointless to me. But I do love a really laughably bad movie!

22. Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?

Under the "x" of course!

23. What do you drink with dinner?

Usually nothing, and tea afterwards.

24. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?

I don't eat them. Urggh!

25. What is your favorite food?

Cereal, nuts, fruit. Peaches and mango in Summer.


26. What movies could you watch over and over and still love?

Princess Bride - we watch it every anniversary.

Shanghai Noon.

Monty Python -Search for the Holy Grail.

28. Were you ever a boy/girl scout?

A Brownie for a few months and then we moved.

29. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?

I highly doubt it. But I am very relaxed about nudity in general.

30. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?

What's paper? Lots of notes to school.

Notes to kids to remember stuff!

31. Can you change the oil on a car?

No but I can check it.

32. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?

Yes :-(

33. Ever ran out of gas?

Only in one adventurous campervan in which the gauge was broken!

34. Favorite kind of sandwich?

Hard to beat a nice salad. I know, boring right?

35. Best thing to eat for breakfast?

Oats, nuts, fruit, seeds, milk.

36. What is your usual bedtime?

Too late...midnight.

37. Are you lazy?

Occasionally eg with the housework. But not when it comes to projects which I have coming out my ears!

38. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

We didn't have it.

39. What is your Chinese astrological sign?

No idea.

40. How many languages can you speak?

English and can understand and speak some Tok Pisin...language from Papua New Guinea where I grew up.

41. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?

No.

42. Which are better Legos or Lincoln Logs?

No idea what Lincoln Logs are. So Legos, which we call Lego in Australia.

43. Are you stubborn?

Yes.

44. Who is better...Leno or Letterman?

Sorry, no TV.

45. Ever watch soap operas?

No, see above.

46. Are you afraid of heights?

Slightly.

47. Do you sing in the car?

All. The. Time! I have to be careful as I do tend to hit the accelerator too hard when I get excited.

48. Do you sing in the shower?

All. The. Time! Good for warmups in the steam.

49. Do you dance in the car?

Yes, and drum the steering wheel. We have active car rides.

50. Ever used a gun?

The most serious was a bb gun my Dad was fixing.

Otherwise Nerf and water pistols. If my son had his way we would have a real gun. He is obsessed!

51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?

A few months ago for an exhibition about Queer people in Canberra.

52. Do you think musicals are cheesy?

Sometimes, but great fun as well.

53. Is Christmas stressful?

Yes, but if I space it out it doesn't feel like Christmas anymore. The stress creates an adrenalin excitement.

54. Ever eat a pierogi?

I don't think so. I don't know what they are!


Well this is where I grind to a halt. There were 99 in the original set of questions which I dutifully answered and then the Universe conspired to delete half. I couldn't face them again so here are the 54 q&a's it deemed worthy to keep!

Thanks to Jessica Cangiano for her inspiration. Click to see the complete list and her lovely answers!


Bye for now and thanks soooo much for your interest, support and love this very tough year.



See you in 2016!
Til then, keep on creating!


Love,

Jazzy Jack







 

 

 

29 December 2015

BeautyScope 274: Tree motivation

Need inspiration? Yes, you CAN do it!

 

tree stretches

on tiptoe

I can grow higher!

 

24 December 2015

19 December 2015

Hot date in Canberra

On a hot day in Canberra last weekend, Bushy and I ventured forth on a date.

I wore my antique linen finely stitched saggy bottom bloomers under a summer dress with a shirt for sun cover. And my magnificent Maori inspired bag. (Note the heat induced red cheeks!)

We decided to explore the lakefront near our house. This is part of the Arts Centre.

(Frame for the clouds?)

Walking a little further around the lake we discovered our destination for afternoon tea was closing.

Quell horreur!

We settled for the bar upstairs.

It ended up being a fun choice with some quirky decorating...right up my alley!

The sign outside...ummm?

Leather and wooden bench inspired by plastic milk crates.

Bushy sitting on the deck of the nameless bar waiting for a breeze.

This is what we could see...

I don't think we did too badly.

This lake is 15 minutes walk or 2 minutes drive from our place.

One of the reasons we stay in our little suburban house.

And yes the breeze did arrive eventually and it was most welcome!!

Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

Linking up with The Style Crone's Hat Attack. Come and see Judith dressed all warm and cosy in Black and Taupe.

 

16 December 2015

Mad cyclist

We've been having some biking adventures lately. Getting these old legs working has NOT been easy!

Fortunately Mr Actor is working his way back to fitness as well, so our levels coincide somewhat.

However...I have never really ridden, while the boys and Bushy are expert riders. I bought this bike so I could learn and not be left behind by my family. It has sat in the garage forlornly for years, what with my own health issues lately.

But now it seems all the fates have aligned to allow us to pursue this dream. Yay!

My spirit is soaring and my legs are wobbly and aching!

Of course I had to buy a stylish bike, but unfortunately the tilt of the basket means when I go over a bump everything feels like it will bounce out.

Solution, make a basket liner!

Not just any liner, a super duper one that will take more than the basket will hold! Mr Artist is really impressed with this solution...as am I. It's working beautifully and made out of junk bits of fabric I had in the cupboard.

Winter is impressed, it even matches the car.

Here we are on our morning ride taking a break from the heat in this cool (in both senses) cave inside these bushes. Where is that breeze?

Do you like cycling?

'Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

 

15 December 2015

12 December 2015

Recycled Christmas

Christmas greetings...well almost. We have just finished school (homeschooling here we come!) and I seemed to be working toward the last day of school as my deadline, so I'm pretty much ready now! Although I'll probably live to eat my words :-)

I promised Beate I would put up a photo of our door wreath. Ta Da!

It is comprised of recycled bent coathanger and a few pretty offcuts of fabric from sewing adventures.

A friend gave me a bag to play with...I'm getting a reputation!

"Here, have my rubbish!" No, just joking.

And here is our recycled bed base garden sculpture tree. Also seen here last year.

Mr Actor is carefully adding the finishing touches while Smart Blue watches his serfs work...although momentarily distracted by potential invader birds at the bird bath and fountain. It's a constant battle, but warrior Smart Blue is up for the task!

Actually he is an indoor cat, but he still manages to bring live mice into our living room from his heroic hunting in his outdoor cage and in the roof. Yes, he prowls our roof space.

Bushy managed to get our "tree" to stand up. I gave up after a morning of struggle deciding I would never be patient enough to balance rocks on the sea shore!

We have also decorated our outside pine tree with the junky baubles, and it is nice to see the sparkle as we drive around the corner.

And gave Noddy our guard sculpture a Snoopy scarf!

Are you too embracing "tacky" this Christmas?

'Til next time, keep on creating,

Love,

Jazzy Jack

 

10 December 2015

DIY felted jumper/sweater

Once upon a time there was a soft harmless jumper, waiting quietly in a thrift shop.

Swooped up and scooped up it flew all the way to my house!

It looks cute enough I guess, but I'm not a fan of bunchy waist rib bands. So....

I removed them...all of them, and chucked it in the wash.

Ah, much more me, I can breathe and move...and dance!

'Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

 

8 December 2015

Crimson reflections and a blogger surprise!

It's me! It's me! Look it's me!

Anne of SpyGirl fame has featured me on her blog this week, by doing a most amazing sketch of me in my crimson outfit from this post.

Have a wee peep!

I didn't know what to do to respond, but then remembered this red outfit and series of photos Mr Actor took recently when we visited The Arboretum in Canberra.

I am standing inside a sculpture which is based on the handwriting of the poet Dorothy Mackellar, who wrote the iconic poem "My Country", which includes the line "wide brown land".

I love the way they've made it 3D.

It must have been a sight as it was trucked up from Melbourne where it was hand forged.

I'm wearing my Asian inspired jacket, held closed with this recently acquired brooch, over a long comfortable embroidered skirt. ( Also seen here.) All thrifted! And my trusty suede hat that lives in my car and you've seen many times. It just happens to also be red!

There are amazing views from the Arboretum.

Don't we live in a pretty city?

And as a bonus, you can even catch clouds!

 

Thanks so much Anne for your artistry and generosity. My page views have gone through the roof!

Linking up to SpyGirl

'Til next time my friends, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

 

3 December 2015

BeautyScope 272: Wisteria dreams

 

what dreamy thoughts arise

when opening up the space behind

to find wisteria blooming

 

1 December 2015

BeautyScope 271: The way home

 

on the way home

squinting into the light

all rushing back

to beat the sun