"Bundt Cake," he asked...

"Where does it come from?"

It would appear that "bundt" is derived from the German Bundkuchen (in Southern Germany and Austria called Gugelhupf, in SwitzerlandGugelhopf), a ring-shaped tea-time cake. The word bundt appears as early as 1901 in The Settlement Cookbook, written by Lizzie Kander ofMilwaukee, Wisconsin. Bundt is used instead of bund in a recipe for "Bundt Kuchen."^[1] The aluminum bundt pan is a variation of ceramic cake forms that were used in Germany, Austria, and Hungary to make the ring-shaped cakes and was trademarked in 1950 by H. David Dalquist, founder of Nordic Ware, based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, who developed it at the request of members of the Hadassah Society's chapter in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[2] The old-world pans, with fluted and grooved sides, made of delicate ceramic or cast iron, were heavy and therefore difficult to use. He modified some existing Scandinavian pan designs and fashioned the pan out of aluminium.

Thank you Wikipedia.  

I'm a huge fan of the Bundt. I like to think I can blame the people of Minnesota for that. Or at least all of my friends' mothers that baked. The best part is you can bake ANY sort of cake in a Bundt pan. Lemon, Chocolate, Gingerbread (Thank you Chelsea!!!!)

I found a good old Martha Stewart recipe that I may try and hack this weekend... Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake you say? Hells yes!

via marthastewart.com

Back at it on Etsy!!

It's been a while since anything has been posted to our Etsy Shop... so here we go!

Emma (Detail)

There are a few original drawings there, as well as some prints. 

If you would like to see anything in particular, please let me know.

xo

My Sis.

Happy 40th Birthday to my dear, darling Little-Big Sister.

I love you!!!

xoxox

Reuse the Refuse!

Yay for recycling and re-purposing! These are some sweet ideas you can try! Give it a go and let me know!

Reuse those old T's & knit (or crochet) yourself some handy washclothes.

via craftster

Candlelit Sav Blanc? Sure! Thanks! (ps. Mom, think Christmas!)

via Elle UK

Reuse the gift wrap and save your books!

(Sneaky for the embarrassing romance novels on the train)

via real simple

Maps, magazines, scrap paper, more old gift wrap... 

via howaboutorange

What I love...

via designsponge

The Wardrobe of Doom!

As I was getting dressed yesterday morning, I made the comment to Jacob, something of the lines of – Why must all my clothes feel like they are falling apart? 

As I put on my favorite pair of pirate argyles socks (yes, pirate argyles), I realised that besides the hole in the side (where our faithful nugget, Timmy, once took out his aggression on preppy pirates everywhere) each of the heels were completely worn through. I then put on a pair of massively scuffed boots, which were flagged as ‘vegan’ because they were made completely out of synthetic / man-made materials. 

Insert big sigh here. Don’t get me started…

The last few months, I’ve become more and more aware of the things I’ve been buying – trying to make the least impact as possible on the plant, and as little impact on my wallet. But with all of this in mind, I am still haunted by the Ghost of Impulse-Purchases Past.. One thing that I have learned is - the better care you take of your things, the longer they will last. But when your closet is sometimes full of bargain-basement dresses made in various countries that you’ve never been to, the guilt starts to unravel, just like hems on those cheaply made fabrics. Later that day, Jacob had sent me a link to a news article that said exactly what I have been thinking!

"Large (fashion and clothing) corporations are looking for ways to make money, so they create a need, where this isn't one, I don't think." Flint believes that to fight this created need and to help save our planet, we should buy fewer clothes, be aware of where and how our clothes are made, and make the clothes that we own last longer.

Thank you! 

Finally! 

My mom reckons that even when I was a kid, I would buy second hand clothing, not because I understood why or where it came from, but because I was always into older styles. And being the youngest of 3 sisters – almost everything I had, was second hand. Gotta love the pre-loved hand-me-downs! But the last couple years, I’ve been limited for trips to the Salvos and other Op-Shops, which I’m seeing now as REALLY taking its toll. 

image via flipandstyle

It’s time to get back to reality. It’s time to get back to thrifting good quality items. It’s time to get back to my sewing machine and learn properly how to mend and sew with amazing fabrics!

It's National Fried Chicken Day!

So, somewhere, somehow (as a marketing ploy of course), someone proclaimed today as "National Fried Chicken Day". Granted this is probably more of an American day than anywhere else.

But before you go off to KFC to partake in such a strange day, please watch this.

Watch more videos at KentuckyFriedCruelty.com.

Ok. This is made me so angry the first time I saw it. While everyone is just getting into banning Live Export here in Australia, people need to realise that things like this have been going on for ages. There is almost no way to keep tabs on these slaughterhouses and abattoirs and the way animals are treated. Until the human race can treat other animals (and other human beings for that matter) humanely, I will not trust them to pretend that they are making the right decisions in the name of humanity.

I was vegan for a number of years and vegetarian after that. Now, I do eat meat and other animal products, but I try my best to pick ethically raised, slaughtered and free range animals and animal bi-products.

So please, if National Fried Chicken Day is part of your day, lick your fingers responsibly.

Borrowed Words...

The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard. - Gaylord Nelson, former governor of Wisconsin, founder of Earth Day

The Story of Stuff

The more and more I get fed up with consumerism and especially people's ignorance toward disposable world, The Story of Stuff says it all for me...

Check out the rest of the videos and info here.

Borrowed Words...

I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use. 

- Mother Teresa (1910-1997), A Gift for God, 1975.

Fill in the blank Friday!

Sometimes the simple things are all you need to get motivated again!!!

1. The last thing I ate one of those amazing creme filled doughnuts from Almost French... Pure Heaven for the one minute it takes for me to eat it.


2. The next thing I'd like to eat is something healthy I hope. As good as that doughnut was, it was all sorts of wrong!

3. The best things are free... Love, family, friends! 

4. Something that makes me supremely and utterly happy is planning for the big NZ move and life after that. 

5. Sports are a not-so-secret love for me. I love watching most sports, especially the Rugby. I don't even have to watch a lot, but having it on in the background is somehow comforting. Odd I know.

6. I miss my family back in the US. My dear dear friends. My father. Samantha. Stevie.


7. Right now I am trying to keep warm in front of a heater and craving another doughnut...

Have a good weekend! Be safe and play nice!!!

Please open your eyes...

Only when the last tree has been cut down,
Only when the last river has been poisoned,
Only when the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

-Cree Indian Prophecy

A gorgeous evening...

So many beautiful pieces. So many versions of the female spirit. So stunning!

If you have a chance to check it out and support, please do!

Sisters

For my Sister.
I love you.
xo

Because I am a Girl

Tonight is the Opening Night for the "Because I am a Girl" Fundraising Exhibition and I am really excited to see all the work and be apart of something very lovely...

‘Because I am a Girl’ is Plan’s global campaign designed to fight gender inequality, promote girls’ rights and lift millions of girls out of poverty. Across the globe, girls are at the bottom of the social ladder, deprived of the same opportunities as boys. For example,research has shown that girls are more likely to suffer from malnutrition; be forced into an early marriage; be subjected to violence or intimidation; be trafficked, sold or coerced into the sex trade; or become infected with HIV.

The campaign is based on a series of reports titled Because I am a Girl: The State Of The World’s Girls. To be published between2007–2015 from Plan International, these reports examine the rights and needs of girls throughout their childhood, adolescence and as young women – and how they are uniquely placed to break the cycles of intergenerational poverty gripping many people in developing countries.

Six of the eight Millennium Development Goals – the goals set by the world’s governments in 2000 to halve world poverty by 2015 – are unlikely to be achieved unless there is a greater international commitment to the fight against gender discrimination.Plan recognises that we have to address gender discrimination as a priority if we want to tackle the root causes of child poverty.Therefore we have made the commitment to ‘address gender inequality and the numerous ways in which the rights of girls and women are particularly denied and violated’ (Plan Program Framework, 2009–2013). This is the focus of the ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign and will better enable Plan to achieve our overall mandate as a child-centred community development organisation, committed to child poverty eradication and all children accessing their rights. via becauseiamagirl.com.au

I'll be one of the 30 female artists involved and 50% of price of all artworks sold will be donated to the Plan's Because I am a Girl campaign. How exciting is that?!

Anywho, hope to see some of you tonight @ Smartartz Gallery over in South Melbourne!!

A Giveaway for some Great Tweeps!

I am so amazed and happy!! 

We're 6 people away from 200 followers on Twitter! You lovely people rock! 

As soon as we are able to hit 200 - I will be giving away a signed print of Mina to a lucky follower!! 

Get to it kids!! Make me proud!! 

Local Bunnies...

I love Easter.. It is one of those holidays that I find rather different to celebrate living in the southern hemisphere.

Easter has always meant the start of spring, new life, new sprouts of green growing through the snowy fields, baby birds and the first sight of the red breasted robin. But here, we're preparing the coming of winter and cooler weather, as well as final harvests of our gardens and hoping to see the new life soon.

Either way - Easter is on it's way... and now, the chocolate bunnies in our near future will keep us happy and add some padding for the winter.

themobyduck

brambleandbear

Hannakin

RedMush

All of these gorgeous Etsy finds are locally found here in Melbourne. 

Some small scale sketching...

I have been working on small sketches lately. Mostly A5 and under. 

It's nice to just get them out of my system, but am almost ready to start going bigger again.

Also, just a reminder - the Because I am a Girl Fund-raising Exhibition will be opening this Wednesday night at SmartArtz Gallery in South Melbourne. Hope to you see you there!

Shanna-Beth - Family Portraits

I don't photograph too many portraits anymore, 

but nothing's better than crawling around in the grass with Shanna-Beth. 

xo

My new Art Crush...

Once a week or so, I browse the artists on Etsy and Red Bubble to see what's happening in the world. Sometimes I'm totally uninspired, sometimes I can't find anything that pulls at the heart strings. But some days, I gasp into my quilt, whip the laptop around to show Jacob and then try to contain my jealousy.

Coming across Julia Martins work, that was a day of complete inspiration. Since seeing her Etsy and website last week, I can't stop thinking about it. The colour and tones and especially the textures from the paint strokes make me feel like I have a long way to go and a lot to learn.

Check out the prints on Etsy or her actual site and blog.

xo

The Boys

Our boys, Timmy & Bruce, aka The Basenji Brothers.

One of the highlights of my day, is getting home from work after a 45 minute bike ride and being greeted by two very lovey boys. (And a bigger lovey boy, aka Jacob) They are troublemakers in their own right. 

Timmy has a fondness for chewing anything paper, pens, books, (watch your homework kids!) and has a habit of making monkey sounds from the parcel tray when we go for rides. He's a bit scared of bigger, darker dogs, and no he's not racist.. just a bit unsure. But we love him either way...

Bruce is a bit bow-legged but runs like a whippet when he wants to. Hmmm. "When he wants to..." pretty much explains Bruce. He's started to mellow out as he gets older and FINALLY enjoys a good cuddle. He also enjoys eating poo and anything that fall on the floor in the kitchen. (Hey, no man is perfect!) He's the peace-keeper at the dog park, never afraid to lay down the law with other misbehaving dogs. 

It makes me happy to think that in less than an hour - I'll have two dogboys wagging and jumping to greet me at the door! 

I love our little nuggets!