Extraordinary Mondays: Anyone out there with a few spare grand?

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For months now, we have been avoiding the morning jam on the freeway by driving down an alternate route and this route takes us by the beautiful little narrow slice of yesteryears shown in the google maps above. Every morning and evening as we drive by it, I would dream of one day owning the shop and its attached cottage. I can just imagine the shop restored to its former simplicity with a cute display in the window and the shop stocked with my line of homesware and children clothes. The attached cottage would be converted into a bookcafe with a backyard where parents would bring their kids for story time in the shade of peppermint gum.

Can't you just see it? A little bell tinkles as you push the entry door of the narrow shop. You are greeted by a friendly smile and allowed to browse to the beat of Miles Davis or Ella Fitzgerald. The wares on sale are beautifully simple with clean lines and a certain calmness. As you walk further into the narrow shop, you begin to hear kids laughing and smell freshly baked bread and cakes. (The shop was originally a bakery). You are drawn into the backyard of the bookcafe where kids are gathered around a man dressed in tails with a top hat telling a story about the silly antics the circus animals have been up to. You buy a freshly baked muffin, order a cup of coffee and settle down in a comfy rattan chair in the bookcafe with that book of softies your friends have been raving on about.

I wish I had the guts AND money to jump in and take the risk to offer the owner an offer she can't refuse. My sources inform me that the building probably isn't going to be for very much longer unless someone saves it from forced demolition. The place needs serious restoration BUT can't you see and share my vision?

Handmade paper

If you haven't tried making paper, you must! It is kinda like making papier-mache and instead of making it with strips of paper, you make it with paper pulp.

This set of instructables from thickneckarts is an excellent tutorial that provides you with clear instructions so you don't lose your way in your journey towards tactile and GREEN alternatives for for your handmade cards or for your latest scrapbook page. Be sure to browse thickneckarts's page on instructables because there are many more tutorials that would interest you.

Homemade Paper - More DIY How To Projects

the long silence is broken...

I guess I owe you an explanation for the long absence. It is ironic that when life throws you so many blog-able things, you actually don't have much time to blog! No, I'm not pregnant for those of you who are wondering. I've just been distracted, busy, lazy, etc. you name it.

The biggest reason is: I let my macbook's battery drain and forgot to charge it up for two days, which caused it to die. I could still use my macbook but just because I couldn't use it anywhere I wanted, I couldn't stand using my laptop. That was MONTHS ago. My dearest husband recently bought me a new battery and ah, life is grand once more!

Anyhow, I do have quite a few things to reveal over the next few weeks so stay tuned! It is all very exciting. See you soon!