Snail mail: the mail is late

Approximately one million years ago I promised to send copies of my book Airmail to people who subscribed to my blog. You can see some of my past mail projects here. Then life got in the way. "Life" in the form of pregnancy, illness, work, renovating, moving and five months of a little girl who wouldn't sleep at night and would only sleep during the day if I was pushing her in the pram (= zero time to myself. Ever).

But now my pregnancy is almost over (and thankfully the morning sickness is well and truly over), Madeleine is healthy again and spends two days a week in daycare, the renovations are almost done, we have moved into our new house, and a brilliant sleep whisperer alongside my very brave and good girl have given me my evenings back.

So... I sent off my book to five very patient blog readers this week, and enclosed little notes of abject apologies inside. I don't even know if they still read this blog but ladies if you do, pretty mail is coming your way very soon. I hope you like it. And I am VERY sorry to have taken so long.

(Also, not one of them contacted me to complain that I hadn't delivered on my promise yet. Not one. And they would have had every right. People are so kind!)

ps. If you want a book and some pretty mail, it would be my pleasure to send it to you. Just fill in the form on this page. I can't promise I'll be speedy, but I WILL get it done eventually. Promise!

UPDATE 5 July 2014: as of today I have run out of copies of Airmail to send you. However I would still love to send you something nice by snail-mail to say thank you for reading this blog, and I will still do my best to make it look pretty. If you have subscribed to this blog (or you want to), simply fill in your postal details on this page. And if you're still keen to read Airmail, there's a list of stockists here.

The real life Faraway Tree

As the sun sets over Silverlake Drive, Los Angeles, neighbourhood children have a real life Faraway Tree under which to play at nights. Called the Chandelier Tree, it was created by local resident Adam Tenenbaum an artistic gift to the community. Adam has been collecting and restoring chandeliers for the past six years, and piece by piece adding them to this beautiful tree.

A vintage meter underneath the tree is a place for visitors to leave coin donations, if they want to, to help offset the electricity costs of maintaining the tree.

Apparently, children flock to the tree to play there. If I lived nearby I would, too. Wouldn't you? And I'd be keeping a weather eye out for Moon-Face, Mister Watzisname, Silky and the Saucepan Man while I was at it.

Sunday sunshine

Cicadas and dandelion fields, pine-scented humidity. The first day of summer was hot and sunny and blue-of-skies, and exactly the way the first day of summer should be. It was hunting for Christmas trees and swishing flies and knobbly bare knees and little girls who smelled of sunscreen. There is a seasonal energy in the air. Summer! Christmas! Holidays! I keep getting all excited about the season and then I remember that before Christmas rolls around, I have something a lot bigger to get excited about: Baby B, ready to greet us in a matter of days. And that thought makes Christmas preparations seem incongruous. Instead of putting up decorations I should be folding teeny-tiny little jumpsuits.

Then I look at Madeleine and think "I can't wait to spend Christmas with my two babies," and the excitement builds all over again.

Name trends

Well we made it. It's baby week! That is to say, little Baby B is due to be born THIS WEEK. On Friday, to be precise. If not before. I haven't divulged it online, but we already know the gender. AND we have already picked out a name. Could it be David or Jennifer? If so, our little bubs would be in good company. Did you see those "most popular names by State" maps doing the rounds of the Internet a little while back? Watching the maps evolve, I found it fascinating to watch name trends start small and spread across the entire USA.

The maps are based on Social Security Administration data. They were then developed by the folks behind the website Jezebel, who said:

Baby naming generally follows a consistent cycle: A name springs up in some region of the U.S.—"Ashley" in the South, "Emily" in the Northeast—sweeps over the country, and falls out of favor nearly as quickly. The big exception to these baby booms and busts is "Jennifer", which absolutely dominates America for a decade-and-a-half. 

And this is interesting, and a bit sad: in 1964, in the wake of JFK's assassination, "John" was the most popular name for boys in eleven states and was very nearly the most popular name in the country, just 0.15% behind Michael.

Here are the maps:

Watch this: Six Decades of the Most Popular Names for Girls

And this: Six Decades of the Most Popular Names for Boys

Madeleine's diary

8am: Wow slept in today. Super hungry, think I'll need extra Weetbix for breakfast. Horrible discovery! Slept so late I missed Peppa Pig! Parents say she will be on again tonight but can they be trusted? 8.30am: Nan! Pa! They arrived last night on a surprise visit and here they are again with coffees for Mummy and Dad. Think I will drag them by the hand into the lounge room so they can watch me dance to the radio. With the dog.

9am: World has ended. Mummy is having a shower and getting dressed instead of watching me dance. Think I will cry until Dad entertains me with little movies of myself on his iPhone. I am GREAT to watch in action. The camera loves me.

9.30am: The car has stopped. Where are we? The children's farm? Hooray! I LOVE the children's farm!

9.32am: I don't like the children's farm. A chicken stole my snack and pecked my finger.

9.45am: Why won't the adults shut up about the peacock? Who cares? Haven't they seen my chicken?

10am: Why do the adults keep going on about milking the cow. Who cares? Haven't they seen the cat?

10.15am: That goat got too close.

10.25am: I got this one. Quack! Quack! QUACK!

10.30am: Nan going on and on about geese and guinea pigs. Had to pull her away so she would pay proper attention to the cat.

10.45am: Woah. That's not Peppa Pig.

11.30am: Lunch time. I want banana! Yay banana! Yuck, banana. Will spit it out. I want yoghurt! Yay yoghurt! Nope, will push that away. Can I play with the lid? Think I want banana. Oh there it is in the dirt at my feet, I'll just grab it. WHY CAN'T I HAVE MY BANANA? Apple juice! Yay! Actually think I will just put my hands in the cup instead. Raisin toast yay! Blech. There are raisins in this toast. Has Mummy got a milkshake?

12.30pm: Riding home in the car. Sun filtering through the window. Light breeze in my hair. Got my Peppa Pig toy in my fist. Ahhh, so restful.

12.31pm: WHY! WHY! Why do they keep waking me up? What's with the "not yet"?

12.45pm: We are home, and they want to put me in my cot. NO WAY! I'm not even tired! ARGH I hate this I don't want to sleep let me outta he--- zzzzzzzz.

3.45pm: Aaah, that was refreshing. Think I will call out for Mummy. Hello? That's not Mummy, that's Nan. Mummy? Nan says she is out shopping. Dad? Nan says he is out shopping too. Pa? Apparently he is out shopping too! What is this? Think I will cry. Oh wait, Nan is here. Yay! And my dog. And my cat. Let's play!

4pm: Dad and Mummy and Pa are home and they brought a balloon with them. I LOVE BALLOONS! Let's all kiss and run and laugh.

4.30pm: Have just pushed my toy stroller with my baby doll all the way up to the Travelling Samovar's sunny courtyard for iced tea. Ate all of Mummy's flourless chocolate cake so she ordered another one for herself. Ate that too.

4.34pm: SUGAR HIGH! Excuse me while I run amok for a while.

5pm: Home just in time for Peppa Pig. Must stand transfixed in front of the television.

6.15pm: Just ate two pieces of cheese on toast, a bowl of corn and peas, and some orange. Feeling a bit funny. Not sure how well my dinner is mixing with the two chocolate cakes.

6.45pm: That was a fun bath. Threw the rubber ducks around, splashed Dad with soapy water, stuck funny animal figures onto the wet tiles. Warm and dry now, Dad's about to get me dressed. Can't decide whether to cry about this or not.

6.46pm: Hold that thought. Having trouble holding my cheesy toast, vegetables, orange and two chocolate cakes down.

6.47pm: FWURRRRP.

6.50pm: Dad has me back in the shower. Not feeling great. Not smelling great. Why is he washing my hair? NOOOOOO, no water on my head Dad. You should know that!

7pm: Not happy and still not feeling great, but getting lots of good attention from Mummy and Dad. Think I will get Mummy to read me an extra bedtime story tonight. The one about the green sheep. No Mummy, I definitely don't want my bottle of milk. Just give me a good, long cuddle. Aaah. I love you too.

7.10pm: What? No! I'm not tired! I don't want to go to bed! Just keep cuddling me. Oh no, she's putting me in the cot. NOT THE COT! I don't want to be here. I'm not even tir-- zzzzzzzz.

Update (2 Dec): outtake photos from this diary entry, including rather unflattering ones of massively pregnant Yours Truly, are now on my Facebook page

The Journey

Well, I did it. I signed up to join the Big Hearted Business virtual conference, because I want to learn what they teach: how to make money doing what I love, through my creativity, and to make a positive difference to others at the same time. Does that sound like something you want to do, too? When I opened up the welcome material, this poem by Mary Oliver was front and centre as a kind of manifesto. I read it and I wanted to yell “Yes!” and “Huzzah!” Let’s all discover and celebrate that new voice inside ourselves.

The Journey Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice- though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles. “Mend my life!” each voice cried. But you didn’t stop. You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations, though their melancholy was terrible. It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones. But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own, that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do- determined to save the only life that you could save

Free Christmas tea-bag printables

Last year, I painted a little set of four Christmas-themed "tea friends" to hold onto teabags, as gifts for my friends. You can see my efforts here. If I get my act together in time, I'll make some more of them this year and send them out. But I also thought I'd share them with you, in case you'd like to do the same for a very easy (three-step) DIY Christmas gift. Here's how:

Christmas tea-bag printables

You will need: a supply of tea-bags, white card stock, scissors or a craft knife, a stapler, and this template of the four Christmas tea-friends

Instructions:

1. Print the template onto a sheet of white card, in colour. If your printer won't accept thick card, print onto normal white paper then take it to a newsagency or Office Works-type place that will colour photocopy onto the card

2. Cut around the edge of each figure using a pair of scissors or a craft knife

3. Staple the cardboard tag on a tea-bag to the bottom of each figure

You're done! Package up your little Christmas tea-bag figures for friends, or pop one of them into a tea cup and enjoy some Christmassy Darjeeling right now!

Melbourne dispatch - La Condesa

It is super handy to live across the road from Madeleine's daycare. No busy drop-offs or battles to find parking; we walk there hand in hand of a morning, Madeleine proudly dragging her green bag (emblazoned with "SMILE" in multi-coloured sequins) along the foot path behind her. But one of the down-sides of living (and working) so close to your child's daycare is that every time a little one cries, you hear it and think, "Is my child in distress?" It can be quite distracting and upsetting, especially when you're on a deadline.

Last Friday when I thought my nerves just couldn't take it any longer, I packed the computer into a shoulder bag and took a walk down Johnston Street in Fitzroy for a spot of "business lunch," freelance-writer-style.

I'm so glad I did, because I stumbled upon this urban garden oasis that had only been open a couple of weeks: La Condesa, a taqueria serving tacos and aguas frescas from a window to a tiny little garden courtyard in a graffiti-covered side street.

Three tacos for ten bucks? You can't beat that. Let's face it, you can barely cook at home for that! I chose the arrachera (steak), pescado (fish) and hongo (mushroom) tacos. They were all delicious, especially with the range of mild-to-spicy salsas and toppings on offer at the window, but I seriously could have eaten a dozen of those mushroom babies. The flavour was unbelievably good.

I washed them down with a refreshing basil-infused pineapple juice and, later, a hibiscus and something-else-I-can't-remember drink for good measure.

In the end I stayed for more than an hour, it was just so restful. The weather was Mary Poppins: sunny, warm but not hot, lightly breezy.

They were pretty busy when I arrived but later when things got quiet, I had a lovely chat with the owner. She has a little girl just a few months older than Madeleine, and we bonded over stories of their funny antics as well as the trials and tribulations of finding good childcare. She was so warm and smart and lovely, I was all "BE MY BEST FRIEND," although thankfully for my dignity, only in my head.

La Condesa is open from 11.30 in the morning until late at night and they're about to open a 70-seat indoor dining area, so if you're around Fitzroy I recommend getting down there for a relaxing bite before word gets out and the inevitable lines start to form.

Taking stock

It's Sunday afternoon and the sun has come out at last and probably we should be out in it but, instead, we are sitting on couches with our feet up while our little girl plays. It's been a busy but lovely weekend. Yesterday we walked Madeleine into the city while she slept, to join the growing Christmas crowds and buy some decorations to celebrate the season in our new home. Madeleine got to watch the big kids ride the Santa Train at Myer and she was absolutely enthralled (she kept making "Woo Woo!" sounds all the way home). We wandered up and down Collins Street and pretended we were Christmas shopping for four-carat diamond rings and Montblanc pens, while the weather danced the classic Melbourne dance of drizzle and sunshine and downpours and sunshine all over again.

This morning started out with coffee and croissants from Rathdowne Street, before some dear friends came over for lunch. They had daughters ("big" girls of four and nine) who Madeleine absolutely adored, so she had a fantastic time playing with them and copying them and bossing them around to within an inch of their (very patient) lives. I'm really loving how adaptable this new home is for entertaining, with separate living areas so the kids can play and run amok in another room if they want to while we eat at the dining table, but a little outdoor deck right next to the dining room for when they want to play and run amok with us!

I really will take some photos and show the new place to you, I promise. I'm hoping this coming week will be my last week of work so unless Baby B comes early, I'll have some time to take pictures in a week or two.

After our friends left we cleaned up (that only took about 20 minutes - amazing!) then did a spot of dancing with Madeleine before settling down on the couch with our feet up. I thought it might be fun to do one of these "taking stock" posts, inspired by Pip from Meet Me at Mikes. Do you want to do the same? Let me know and send me a link if you do.

Making : a series of board books for Madeleine, from here Cooking : this pork ragu Drinking : orange juice and soda water (but dreaming about white wine) Reading : The Agrarian Kitchen for fabulous foodie inspiration, and The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton, for my book club Wanting : a glass of white wine Looking : at my daughter host a tea party for herself under the lounge room rug Playing : tea parties with Madeleine. every. single. day. Deciding : whether or not to join this digital conference. Will you? Wishing : I hadn't left the door open, because a fly just came in Enjoying : my little family on a rare Sunday afternoon off Waiting : for Baby B2 to arrive! Liking : planning Christmas decorations. What do you think of these for the table? Wondering : whether I will find time to make this advent calendar for Madeleine Loving : my new night-time freedom, with Madeleine now sleeping Pondering : life, family, work, creativity, love, motherhood, time, friendship, ambition, priorities and the great, big, messy mix of it all Considering : whether that smell heralds an imminent nappy change Watching : Mrs Brown's Boys on DVD (blame Mr B) Hoping : I'll be able to finish up work this week Marvelling : at how my body can grow a human being Needing : more rest Smelling : that suspicious nappy Wearing : maternity jeans with banana smeared all over the knees Following : a grand total of 125 blogs! (I just counted) Noticing : how quickly I get tired this late in my pregnancy Knowing : I was right about that nappy (excuse me while I go change it) Thinking : about this blog and where I want to go with it Feeling : nervous and excited about the new baby, in equal measure Admiring : how easy it is to entertain guests in my new home, and keep it clean Buying : Christmas presents Getting : excited about spending Christmas with my growing family Bookmarking : home decorating ideas from blogs I like Opening : a new box of tea bags Giggling : at Madeleine, running in and out of the room on chubby legs Feeling : incredibly lucky

Art in space

Creative friends: if you wanted to gain the greatest possible exposure for your art, where would you put it? On a billboard in Times Square in New York? That is so 2013. At night in April 2014, look up. An art-loving, sparkly gold cat with laser eyes will (hopefully) project art ONTO THE MOON. And your work could be part of it, as long as you submit it before the end of this month.

"Laser Cat" is a giant art installation in the Bass Museum of Art, Miami, that will be part of the ADC 93rd Annual Awards and Festival of Art and Craft in Advertising and Design. It uses high-powered projectors to beam the personal art projects of anyone and everyone onto distant objects (walls, buildings, and even the moon).

Here's what Laser Cat himself has to say (on this website):

"Behind every creative director (art director, copywriter, illustrator, photographer, filmmaker, designer… you get the picture) is a hidden passion fueling his or her inner artist. Most of you creative types got into this business because of your love of art, and many of you creative types still indulge the urge after-hours, before-hours and between-hours..

"So, what to do with that painting, or sculpture, or cat photography project that no one has ever seen? Feed it to me. The more art I get, the stronger I grow.

"If 100 of you feed me your art, I will project it onto a wall (with my laserbeam eyes, no less). 1,000 of you? I’ll project your art onto a building. Yes, pretty cool. But 1,000,000 of you? I’ll project your art onto the moon. Have you ever seen art projected on the moon? No? Then you better start feeding me. You only have until November 30."

Laser Cat from Hungry Castle on Vimeo.

I know a lot of you are amazingly creative photographers, painters, illustrators, sculptors, crafters and designers... why not take a photograph of your work and "feed" Laser Cat? How amazing to be part of a global art community sending all our creativity into space and displaying it for the world to see! What a gift that would be for everyone.

(ps. Entries are free, though there are some limitations to what will be selected to make sure it's suitable for a broad Earth audience. More info here.)