My Place & Yours -Where you sleep

Check out everyone else's sleeping spots at Hello Owl.

My Place and Yours - 3 things you do everyday

Here are three things I do everyday.

I wake up in the morning and make a pot of loose leaf tea. At the moment I'm drinking French Earl Grey, but sometimes I have Melbourne Breakfast too!

Everyday I listen to music. Mostly on my Ipod, sometimes on CD and even on vinyl when I'm feeling retrospect.

At the very end of the day I remind the dog of the yellow house in the U that it is my bed too, and I whisper in his ear to move over.

Go here to check out everybody elses things!

My Place & Yours -the view through your window

This weeks theme comes via me! I thought it would be fun to see through everyone's windows. Go over to Hello Owl to look at the rest.

I don't have many windows I look through, you know, with a view and all that. Come to think of it I don't look outside through the windows at all. I think I have too much stuff inside my house to distract me.

Most of my windows are small and poky. I do look out the kitchen window from time to time, to see what the weather is like.

And my bedroom window to see what is happening in the outside world. Today we had a big frost, and the condensation made it hard to see. Or maybe there isn't much happening out there at all.

Some of my other windows have crackled glass, so you can't see out or in. But the window sills make a good spot to store things.

But my favourite window of all, is the laundry window, and it isn't because of the view to outside, unless you are keen on old car ports and tin sheds. I love it because at night, from the outside looking in, you can see the glow of the big golden heart which is my home.

My Place & Yours -Things in your home that make you smile

This weeks theme is things in your home that make you smile. Check it out over here.

There are a million things in my home which make me happy. This makes me smile every day. Why? Well when I was growing up I had a set of kissing cousins, like these. They came from a trip back to the homeland when I was little. I loved them! The magnets in their lips meant that when you placed them near each other the boy and girl would lean forward and kiss.

Growing up my mother had the terrible habit of throwing everything away. I mean everything. Have I ever told you the story about my bike? I was changing the inner tube on the tyre, she figured that meant the bike was broken and put it into the council clean up pile. The next day the man up the road thanked me for the bike. He fixed the tyre and his daughter loved her new bike. I hadn't even had the chance to notice it was missing...

So the kissing cousins ended up who knows where, and about 5 years ago I thought about how I'd like to replace them, you know - something to remind me about growing up. I looked on ebay and online, without any luck so pretty much gave up. Fast forward 12 months and I'm in Mitte in Berlin, browsing in a shop....and guess what I found?

My Place & Yours -Yellow

This weeks My Place and Yours theme is yellow. Hello...yellow! I posted this photo of all things yellow a while ago, but I couldn't resist to post it again to meet the theme.

Check out everyone else's yellow here !

My Place & Yours -Walk through your front door

I haven't been able to play for a while but just scraped in for this weeks theme, which is through the front door. Clearly this isn't just as I've arrived due to the location of the dog of the yellow house...but is still the view from the front door none the same. I asked the dog to pose like a dog. He chose to pose like a robo dog with laser eyes. Sorry about that.

Have a look at other views over here.

My Place & Yours -Pink

This weeks theme is pink - you can check out the other players here.

My Place & Yours -Behind the Camera

My Place and Yours has moved. Check it out over here at helloowl!

This weeks theme is behind the camera.

I cheated and used a photo from last winter.

I'm not feeling so photogenic this week.

So a snippet about about the girl from the yellow house...

I live in a yellow house in a street shaped like a U.

The roof is made of tin, to make the rain sound nice.

There are vapour trails in the sky

and squirrels, foxes and deer play in the garden.

Okay there are no squirrels, foxes or deer,

but there is a dog and a possum. And a deer.

Maybe a pretend one?

Sometimes I think in German, and I often laugh in English.

I like making friends with shopkeepers,

and having crushes on strangers.

I don't like disloyalty or unfairness.

I love hello kitty and you.

My Place & Yours - Kitchen Love

This weeks theme is whatever it is you love most in or about your kitchen.

My kitchen is old and tiny, but I've done little bits and pieces to make it work for me (read add a bunch of coloured clutter), but I do love to cook - so I do love my kitchen.

The newest addition that I love is this gorgeous tea towel. It was given to me last week as a belated Christmas gift (with a bunch of other beautiful stuff). Justine always has an eye for pretty bits and pieces.

I used to be a little obsessed with retro kitchen stuff, but you know what? A lot of these things I've had for so many years and I still LOVE them!

And here is some newer stuff that I think is cool too. The tambourine was borrowed from a Karaoke bar on my birthday the year before last. Kuche is there to remind me of me, and my family far away.

My favourite part of my kitchen I talked about here - go look! Click here to see what everyone else loves about their kitchen.

My Place & Yours - What's in Your Bag

This weeks theme comes from over here, and it is all about looking into peoples bags.

Now, it is no coincidence that I chose to show you my bag today. You see, I tend to change bags every day or so, and my work bags are chaotic. You have no idea what you'll find in one of those. It would have been more interesting for you, but quite the embarrassment for me.

So here is the bag I took on my trip to rendezvous with a dear friend in Goulburn. It would have to be a pretty good friend to drive all the way to Goulburn to eat sausage mince hamburgers at an old school diner - so I probably didn't need to emphasise the strength of our friendship...but then it was a bit risky having you think I go to Goulburn regularly for a good meal out. Anyway, it turns out Goulburn is alright and quite an interesting town, so you should stop ragging on it. Stopped? Here is the contents of my bag:

Click here to check out what is in other peoples bags.

My Place & Yours - Show Us Your Shoes

This weeks theme comes from Gypsy, and yep it is about shoes.

I went out to the Champagne Bar at the National Gallery last night and took this picture of my favourite shoes of the moment...pretty good considering I had no idea what this weeks theme would be. So I like these shoes, because they are such a pretty red and I like the Champagne Bar because it sells champagne and you can sit amongst the sculptures wearing pretty red shoes.

If you want to check out everyone else's shoes go here and take a peak.

My Place & Yours - What I'm Reading

My Place and Yours has moved - check out its new home.

So this weeks theme is about what I'm reading, and I'm reading The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif. I didn't really choose this book - it chose me as I'm reading it for work.

With Australia's obsession with asylum seekers I would recommend that everyone reads it. It is the first book-length account of and asylum seeker in Australia and it traces the story of an Afghani refugee’s journey from shepherd boy in the mountains of northern Afghanistan and his flight from torture and certain death by the Taliban, to owner of a successful traditional rug shop in Melbourne.

I love stories that come out of that part of the world. Movies about Afghanistan and particularly Iranian films are full of beautiful images, words and stories. While often the subject matter is heart breaking, the culture of story telling means that even the saddest of stories is told in a way that is mesmerising, honest and the strength of character of the people portrayed gives you hope. Just like this book.

My Place & Yours - The 'me' wardrobe

This weeks my place and your comes from Sandra. She wants to know:

What's your favourite item of clothing, the one that you feel special in, the most "you" in, keep going back to, can be spotted in by friends from miles away, wear over and over and hope will never fall apart and die? Perhaps you've even had to darn it already? (There's to keeping an old craft alive!) It might be a scarf that you made, a pair of gorgeous red high heels, a vintage printed dress or even a pair of old pink flannelette pyjamas. Or it can be more than one!

To be honest I wasn't sure what I would choose and then my friend from the medieval circus was all like ' your hello kitty undies!'

So my hello kitty sequined undies were a gift from two special girls and they are my lucky undies. I wear them to important meetings, and generally on days when I need some extra luck. And now I am showing them to the internet.

For more pop over to Pips

My Place & Yours - just five minutes peace

This weeks theme comes from Pilgrim who asks:

where do you retreat to for that sanity-regaining break? i am interested in what or where in your home your sanctuary is.

I live by myself at the moment, so am lucky in that there are many parts of my house that give me quiet time. I guess that is really both lucky and not in a way.

The thing about the yellow house in the U though, is that there just isn't much quiet time. I have a dreadful habit of not really relaxing. In between paid work, art, friends,family, and house stuff - there isn't much time to just sit down.

Though thinking about this weeks theme, my bath would be my all time sanctuary. I don't take baths often, but when I really want to do something nice a relaxing for myself I retreat to the bathtub.

This is the view from the bath. I won't show you all the chipped paint and mould - but it is an old bathroom, so with that vintage style comes the authenticity of a well worn look?

Like the rest of the yellow house, there are keepsakes in little nooks and hidey holes. Here is a Maria Kozic Blue Boy with some medicinal bits and pieces picked up from my last trip away.

Please note the star ball is not usually kept in the bathroom. It's just with the retirement of B-Dog, there has been a daily presentation of starballs all in the hope I will engage in games. This one was dropped in the shower - while I was in it. It is starball number 6. I thought he only had 3.

For more five minutes of peace, pop over to Pips!

My Place & Yours - Wherever I lay my hat

This week the My Place & Yours theme is wherever I lay my hat.

Tania from Myrtle & Eunice would love to know:

What object would you take wherever you roam, because it makes your house feel like a ‘home’?

My house only feels like a home when this little guy is hanging around.

The days when he isn't here the yellow house is just empty and isn't the same. I'm pretty sure most of the visits I get are partly to see Barney too. He is a fricking crazy mutt, but that is what kind of makes him special. Once he loves you, he loves you 127% no returns.

I don't know what I'll do when he goes to that place that nobody wants to talk about. Yes it can be annoying to be stalked from room to room, and the barking, and the cheeky tapping when he wants something - but that's a small price to pay for the love and the company.

When I travel to places far away, I always take this photo with me so I can keep Barney dog near. It reminds me of home and makes me happy.

If you want to see more ? Pop into Pip's.

My Place & Yours - Nice , different, unusual

This weeks theme is -That's nyoice, that's different, that's unewesyewl!

It comes from Toni, who asks: Does your home have a quirky feature or several?

I have to admit, I found this weeks theme a little difficult...but then my mum and stepdad came to visit and bingo! She sat in my lounge and looked up and told Len to look too:

She was amazed at the birds in the lights, and said "they are new!".

Nup - they have been up there for years, but nobody ever sees them straight away. I think they are nice, and I guess an unusual surprise.

See more nice and unusual stuff here.

My Place & Yours - Collections

This weeks theme comes from Kate at Fox's Lane

Here is what Kate said: I want to see a photo or photos of what it is that you collect.

Then if you feel like it you could let us know what your collection rules are; Does it have to be green? Does it have to be from another country? Does it have to be second hand or a gift? Does it have to be old or complete?...What constitutes a collection for you? Is it more than three of the same thing? Is it rare things? Is your collection ongoing or is it complete?...what's your story?

Collections...what don't I collect is more the point. I collect all things Hello Kitty, pretty bottle caps, rosary beads, and shiny things from the ground. I collect friends, words and memories. I collect songs that spin around in my head.

I have no rules for collecting, I just collect.

Snowdomes are a favourite. Why? Because I love the shape, and the pretty snow. I love how it reminds you of a place you've been to, or a place you'd like to go. I love how they are miniature and kitsch.

I collected snow domes for years...and then I just stopped. I think it was just the volume of them, and with over 200 something had to give. Now I regret all those places I've been where I didn't pick up a globe of snow.

Snowdomes are now not just something I collect, but something that inspires. I started drawing things inside of snow dome shapes after a big trip around the world. I love the shape and how it restricted the image. I also loved drawing the silver flakes of snow against the bright blue snowdome water. I exhibited a bunch of them and they documented over one hundred and something days of travel.

And then last year I drew some more for my exhibition 30 days of give and take.

Do you like snowdomes too? For more collections go to Meet Me At Mikes