Jolie Prix

Hey lovely readers! Do you love a giveaway? Of course you do. Who in their right mind wouldn't? Well let me word you up.

Head on over to the Histoire de Soie blog to find out how you can go into the draw to win a lovely brooch made by the talented Sandrine.

Not So Dull After All

Sometimes I feel that having brown hair is a dull colour. And when I feel that way I need to remind myself of all the dark haired beauties in the world who make it work. So following is a list of my favourite dark haired lovelies.

Nichelle Nichols

Anne Hathaway

Jennifer Connelly

Holly Marie Combs

Megan Fox

Marisa Tomei

Audrey Tautou

Monica Bellucci

Pam Grier

Sigourney Weaver

Barbara Feldon

Wow! That really is an inspiring list. Suddenly my brown hair doesn't see so ordinary anymore.

The Book of Tomorrow Arrived Today

I am such a lucky duck. Indeed I am. Recently I won a giveaway hosted by Katharine of Woolly Wotnots fame and the prize was The Book of Tomorrow written by Cecelia Ahern.

Thank you Katharine! The book has such a sparkly enticing cover and I cannot wait to start reading the story.

• Check out the Woolly Wotnots blog here at: woollywotnots.wordpress.com
  
• Also Woolly Wotnots has an official website at: www.woollywotnots.com
  
• Lest I forget, the Woolly Wotnots Book Club: www.woollywotnots.com/bookclub
  

Holy Crap!

Today, poor Gwen discovered what happens when she removes her own nappy and starts playing with the contents of that nappy. It really was a poo party.

The Beatles… To The Edge

Beatles RockBand PassionPictures Cinematic Intro from DarkDiamond.net on Vimeo.

Meme: My Place & Yours

My Secret Weapon:

What can I say! My secret weapon is Gwen Stefani and the band No Doubt. I keep a Gwen Stefani fact file and have a number of DVDs related to her solo and band work.

Whenever I watch the music videos or flick through my little-big fact file my brain kicks into overdrive and I have a whole bunch of new ideas flooding my system. I also love to work away and listen to No Doubt music.

Who else has a secret weapon? To find out, simply follow this link to Meet Me At Mike's.

My Creative Space...

Yesterday I designed and crafted a glow-in-the-dark Moon Rock Lamp for my daughter's bedroom (pictured below). If you click here you will find my DIY instructions on how to make this lamp.

• I have also been knitting, hopefully a pillow, if all goes well.
• I have begun re-reading Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. I am such a vampire story addict. I have also long been a fan of Buffy (both the film and the series), The Lost Boys, Bram Stoker's Dracula (both film and book), and I didn't mind Anne Rice's early vampire stories. I thought the film version of Queen of the Damned was complete rubbish, but is a worthy drool fest just gazing at Stuart Townsend.
  
• I am also considering making a crochet panda based on the pattern in Pip's craft book.

To see what other fab things people are doing in their creative space, head on over to Kootoyoo.

DIY: Moon Rock Lamp

Materials

• Recycled coffee jar
• Glow-in-the-dark fabric paint
• 2 packets, 25mm polyfoam balls
• Clear cellophane sheet
• Egg carton
• Dress makers pins
• Paint brush

Steps

1. Skewer each ball with dress makers pins. This helps to hold the ball whilst coating it in paint. Then using a paint brush coat each foam ball in paint. You can use any paint stroke that you feel comfortable with. For me I squirt some of the paint on to the ball, then dab at it with the brush to create a rough texture. 
   
2. With the pins still inserted, float the balls in an egg carton and allow 24 hours to dry. If however, you are the impatient type (like me), then wip out the hair dryer and use on each ball for about a minute. Be careful that you do not burn your fingers in the process, as the pins do get quite hot — perhaps try wrapping some scrap calico or tissue around one of the pins you are holding when you using the dryer. Remove the pins from each ball once these are dry.
   
3. Take the cellophane and cut into roughly 30 cm squares. Scrunch the squares individually and layer in the jar with the balls in between — just as you would when preparing lasagne. Altogether you will need no more than 4 or 5 squares to fill out the jar. Then place the lid on the jar.

Final Step: Let it glow…

Now all you need to do is place the jar beneath a bright light source for about 5 minutes. Then turn out the lights and watch those moon rocks glow.

Afterthought: If you are wanting a stronger glow effect, I suggest applying a second and possibly a third layer of paint after the first coat has dried on the balls.

Your Travel Manager

A friend of mine, Katy Hurd, is a Personal TravelManager working out of the Mt Eliza area. She has over 20 years of experience in the travel industry, with the knowledge and expertise to help you plan your dream holiday or business travel needs.

Here is what Katy has to say about her services:

I can offer you a personal and professional service that will suit YOUR individual needs as well as the benefit of…

• No waiting in a busy retail office 

• Always the same experienced consultant 

• Home or office visits at a time that suits you   

If a personal meeting is not possible, your travel needs can easily be arranged over the phone or by email - location is no issue.   

TravelManagers Australia is a fully accredited licensed Travel Agent and is a member of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA). As a member of TravelManagers Australia I can offer you the most competitive prices and best value holidays in Australia and overseas.

When you’re planning your next holiday or business trip contact me for expert advice — I look forward to hearing from you soon.

To find out more about Katy and her travel industry experience, or to contact her for a consultation, simply follow this link which will take you to her online profile. 

I'm Excited & You Should Be Too

I have just updated my Red Bubble portfolio to include a few new cards. My new illustration has been entirely inspired by the possums who live in my neighborhood, as well as my little baby, whom I consider to be a little possum.

So if you are looking for something a little different to send as a holiday card, then check out these little babies over at www.redbubble.com/people/Emjie