Last night, J asks, "You're really liking your girls, aren't you?"
Totally.
xo
28 May 2010
*aquaponics
Has anyone else tried these out??
J and I were watching Costa's Garden last night,
and were completely amazed by these.
and were completely amazed by these.
Aquaponics is based on productive systems as they are found in nature. It can be loosely described as the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics and this is where the name aqua-ponics originates.
Hydroponic systems rely heavily on the careful application of man-made nutrients for the optimum growth of plants. The nutrients are made from mixing together a concoction of chemicals, salts and trace elements to form the ‘perfect’ balance. Water in hydroponic systems needs to be discharged on periodically, as the salts and chemicals build up in the water which becomes toxic to the plants. Aquaculture systems focus on maximising growth of fish in tank or pond culture.
The fish are usually heavily stocked in the tanks often, 10kg in 100L of water. The high stocking rates often mean that the tank water becomes polluted with fish effluent which gives off high concentrations of Ammonia. Water has to be discharged at a rate of 10-20% of the total volume in the tank once a day, everyday. This water is often pumped into open streams where it pollutes and destroys waterways.
Aquaponics combines both systems, and in doing so cancels out the negative aspects of each. Instead of adding toxic chemical solutions to grow plants, aquaponics uses highly nutritious fish effluent that contains almost all the required nutrients for optimum growth. Instead of discharging water, aquaponics uses the plants and the media in which they grow to clean and purify the water, after which it is returned to the fish tank. This water can be reused indefinitely and will only need to be replaced when it is lost through transpiration and evaporation.
Loving it! We might try and set one up while we are still here in Australia, and then depending on how much room we actually have at the new house in NZ, we'd like to set one up there.
I love the thought of having fresh fish, fresh veggies - I could totally live off just that alone!! In addition to our normal veggies we grow, I think we'd be golden!
I'm really eager to hear if anyone else has this type of setup!!! Let me know!!!
By the way - Happy Friday! Have a good weekend!!
xo
26 May 2010
*autumn loveliness
The nice cool air, the changing of the leaves, it's all to perfect...
Walks down the laneways on Sunday afternoons...
Sleepy, sunny boys...
Yummy Fish and Chips in the Park...
Handsome Bruce waiting for a chip. Or a fish. Or anything that may fall on the ground.
Hoover boy aka Garbage Guts. That's our Bruce.
And one more good thing about autumn...
Harvesting things from the garden.
This is only part of the peppers and capsicum that decided to randomly grow.. Love it!
Harvesting things from the garden.
This is only part of the peppers and capsicum that decided to randomly grow.. Love it!
25 May 2010
*life lessons
Lately, the day job has really gotten to me. The last few weeks have been so full on - client issues, staff issues, people just being hard to deal with in general - everything you've ever wanted as an account/ project manager.
But the last few days have really been a switch and it's got my blood pumping and some ideas moving! I'm actually pretty happy with my job. "What??" you say?? You know it. I've been at the same company for almost two and a half years and for once I finally feel like I can accomplish something instead of just 8 hours of putting out fires.
I never once in my life thought I'd like having a normal job. You know, the type where sometimes you feel like nothing more than a receptionist, but also having to juggle about 3 other jobs at once. Yeah. But the best part about it, when I go home, I can be 100% creative. I don't exhuast myself trying to be creative all day like I used to when I was a full time photographer. There is a calm peace that overcomes me now, which I love. I can sit on the couch with J and the boys and have my pencils there and do some shading, some colour work, whatever I feel like. It also turns my brain off from work things as well. It's one of the best feelings for me...
*sigh*
But the last few days have really been a switch and it's got my blood pumping and some ideas moving! I'm actually pretty happy with my job. "What??" you say?? You know it. I've been at the same company for almost two and a half years and for once I finally feel like I can accomplish something instead of just 8 hours of putting out fires.
I never once in my life thought I'd like having a normal job. You know, the type where sometimes you feel like nothing more than a receptionist, but also having to juggle about 3 other jobs at once. Yeah. But the best part about it, when I go home, I can be 100% creative. I don't exhuast myself trying to be creative all day like I used to when I was a full time photographer. There is a calm peace that overcomes me now, which I love. I can sit on the couch with J and the boys and have my pencils there and do some shading, some colour work, whatever I feel like. It also turns my brain off from work things as well. It's one of the best feelings for me...
Yay :) Life is getting good!
xo
23 May 2010
*new buttons on etsy
I feel like I made these ages ago now... I've had them made, photographed and just patiently waiting to be uploaded online.
So tomorrow is another Monday. Bah! Evil Mondays. I try not to have such a negative look on Mondays, but I can't help it. What is it about the doom and gloom of the being of the week that seems so horrible?
Anyway, before the weekend is over, I will do some drawing... I've started yet another one, she's pretty gorgeous ;)
Happy Sunday!
xo
21 May 2010
20 May 2010
18 May 2010
*zombies!!!!
I cannot believe I didn't post any photos from the Melbourne Zombie Shuffle a couple weeks ago!!
The lovely Jo took these.. My hands were way too gooey with fake blood to do anything really. Such fun though! Hopefully next year the boys won't be working and they can get dressed up with us again!!
What is truely awesome about the whole thing.. about 3000 people - uh - I mean zombies shuffled and staggered through the city that day! Nice work!
xo
The lovely Jo took these.. My hands were way too gooey with fake blood to do anything really. Such fun though! Hopefully next year the boys won't be working and they can get dressed up with us again!!
What is truely awesome about the whole thing.. about 3000 people - uh - I mean zombies shuffled and staggered through the city that day! Nice work!
xo
*birthday roller skating
Thank you so much to my lovely friends who came along for belated birthday roller skating on Saturday!!
Love you all!
xo
15 May 2010
*everthing you've ever wanted to know... day 15-16
Day 01 — Your favourite song
Day 02 — Your favourite movie
Day 03 — Your favourite television programme
Day 04 — Your favorite book (of all time)
Day 05 — Your favorite quote
Day 06 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 — A photo you took
Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 — A fictional book
Day 14 — A non-fictional book
Day 15 — A fanficIs it bad to skip one?? Fanfic??? Yeah, I know what it is, but...
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
or for me, everytime.
Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — A recipe
Day 22 — A website
Day 23 — A YouTube video
Day 24 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy
14 May 2010
11 May 2010
*new work in progress
J let me spend $100 at the art shop for my birthday...
$91 later - a gorgeous set of new pencils and some paper.
I'm really loving using coloured pencils. I've never really done work like this before, but I like to think I'm finding my softer, girly side.. Watch out world!!
ps. Happy Birthday to me! Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!!
xoxo
10 May 2010
*my mother's day slash birthday weekend
I guess I can count myself as a mum. I have two sons - Timmy (Timbly) and Bruce (Brewski). Right?
This weekend was so nice. Some lovely friends came down from Sydney, so there was a bit of dining and a bit of drinking and a bit of beaching to celebrate mine and Sarah's birthday.
This weekend was so nice. Some lovely friends came down from Sydney, so there was a bit of dining and a bit of drinking and a bit of beaching to celebrate mine and Sarah's birthday.
A gorgeous afternoon in Port Melbourne.
Bruce's first time in the ocean... All was going well until J threw Timmy in and Bruce followed in after.
Hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day!!
Bring on the 34th year tomorrow.
*I'm getting old!!*
xo
06 May 2010
*everything you've ever wanted to know... day 14
Day 01 — Your favourite song
Day 02 — Your favourite movie
Day 03 — Your favourite television programme
Day 04 — Your favorite book (of all time)
Day 05 — Your favorite quote
Day 06 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 — A photo you took
Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 — A fictional book
Day 14 — A non-fictional book
Day 15 — A fanfic
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — A recipe
Day 22 — A website
Day 23 — A YouTube video
Day 24 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy
04 May 2010
*everything you've ever wanted to know... day 13
Day 01 — Your favourite song
Day 02 — Your favourite movie
Day 03 — Your favourite television programme
Day 04 — Your favorite book (of all time)
Day 05 — Your favorite quote
Day 06 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 — A photo you took
Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 — A fictional book
I think when you are forced to read some of these classics, you are in High School, a time in your life when no one understands you. No one knows what you like. This is how I was when I first read this. Arrogant and unknowing. But a couple years ago I reread this. It blew me away of how the classic-tragic-doomed-romance hasn't really changed at all.
Of course it always helps to imagine Heathcliff as Laurence Olivier...
Day 14 — A non-fictional book
Day 15 — A fanfic
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — A recipe
Day 22 — A website
Day 23 — A YouTube video
Day 24 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy
02 May 2010
*everthing you've ever wanted to know... day 12
Day 01 — Your favourite song
Day 02 — Your favourite movie
Day 03 — Your favourite television programme
Day 04 — Your favorite book (of all time)
Day 05 — Your favorite quote
Day 06 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 — A photo you took
Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Waking up on a Sunday morning after a big Saturday night and having your husband say ...
"Pancakes in an hour? Do you need another coffee?"
How can you NOT love him!?
Day 13 — A fictional book
Day 14 — A non-fictional book
Day 15 — A fanfic
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — A recipe
Day 22 — A website
Day 23 — A YouTube video
Day 24 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy
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