• New Muntedkowhai Knots

  April 27, 2013

  It's long overdue.

  Here are some lovely Celtic knotted earrings in Spring and Summer colours.

  Available here.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

• A day of nothing but crafts

  April 25, 2013

  Today being Anzac day, both Aaron and I had the day off.

  We slept in (someone stayed in his pjs till 12.30pm...) and while I was making knots for Muntedkowhai, Aaron played video games. It was pure bliss.

  I am really putting this Muntedkowhai thang back into action.

  I have the glue on my fingers to prove it.

  
  

  Here are some photos from as of late:

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

   $3 scatter ikat rugs any one? Best find ever.

  

   and I'm on to my second rug, a merlot doily one.

  

   The Hoya is blooming!

  

  As is the sundew

  

   A quick simple lunch before a walk around our estate

  

   A section of the estate that is being left undeveloped for all to enjoy. I hope they stick to their guns!

  

   and all in all, a very colourful confetti mess this afternoon

  
  

  

  
  

• Curtained!

  April 24, 2013

  
  

  So we finally had our curtains installed.

  I was actually quite apprehensive about Aaron's choice of fabric for the lounge.

  (Who would have thought a boy would have had SO so many opinions about fabric, least florals?!)

  So I did the best thing I could do, let him choose the living room but get what I want in our master bedroom.

  Fortunately, we actually agree on all rooms with me shakey in the lounge.

  However, when it got installed yesterday, I thought it actually did quite a good job of anchoring our sliding doors. It's the only bold thing in the house right now. Even the installer said, hey I didn't think this fabric would work but it looks pretty good!

  That's what the builder said about our choice of colour.

  I just couldn't bear having no colour or pattern. 

  zzzzzzz

  
  

  We actually stuck with a palette for three different rooms, despite the different patterns.

  
  

  
  

  The lounge:

  

   

  Because our windows are quite large and we don't have double glazing ($$$$), we added pelmets to keep it insulated. It's amazing what curtains can do, we felt so much warmer in the lounge last night. These curtains are THICK, they are double backed with sun backing material as well.

  
  
  

  The theater room got a more modern and darker fabric. I have always wanted geometric in some form. Aaron and I both really liked this fabric.

  

   Finally, our master bedroom. Here the installer informed me that the curtains were made to the wrong specifications. It is too short as you can see in the photo, so a new one is being made. Our bedroom gets the morning sun and that's about it, so I wanted something bright and colourful. The sage green picks up the green in the walls and goes well with the timber furniture.

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Weekend

  April 21, 2013

  This weekend was spent digging for the retaining wall (I know I know, it's done now) and a lot of home errands.  Friday night I finished the circular rug I started a few weeks ago, it's not as big as I want it because I ran out of yarn. I bought the yarn on special for 50 cents and the lesson is, ALWAYS GET MORE. Even if it is RIDICULOUS.

  Anyhow, I still really like how the black and white picks up the wooden floor in our lounge:

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

   Just a really simple single crochet type of rug.

  Here is the free pattern.

  

   I also finished painting and writing all our save the dates. Each save the date is of different plants that both Aaron and I love. I drew each pattern in duplicate, one for my invites and one for Aaron's invites.

  
  

  
  

  It seems to be a weekend of tying up loose ends because Aaron screwed the hook into the ceiling for me so I could hang up my string bean succulent:

  
  

  

  
  

  

  That gorgeous hanging planter?

  From Angus and Celeste.

• Pinterests and Purchases

  April 17, 2013

  Well, I think it is officially Autumn over here. I check the weather for the entire week and nothing is over 22C. Hello cooler weather.

  Think woollen hat, big jackets, warm soups and socks on the couch.

  Oh yeah and crocheting a rug that also acts as a blanket whilst you're making it.

  Toasty.

  
  

  
  

  Not much has been happening on the Muntedkowhai side because I've been trying to balance wedding planning, Muntedkowhai, crafts, sewing and all that other jazz in between.

  There will be a wedding update in two weeks. It is going to be low key and about food.

  :)

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Meanwhile, here are some Pins and Purchases:

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  A cute palette table from Matt Blatt.
  Bought it.
  Um, hello. You are beautiful Hollyhocks. Do you grow in Melbourne?
  And oh my gosh you guys. Sometimes you just have to head over to Toast and check out their sales because I got 2 pairs of these pants for 5 pounds! They are Churidar pants, the kind that Indian ladies wear under their saris.
  It's Spring somewhere in the world, right?
  love love
  flirty top
  Kent Oregano.
  A plant that is sun tolerant?
  Bring it on. We need you in the backyard.
  

• Slowly but surely

  April 10, 2013

  I've been meaning to ramp up Muntedkowhai again, ever since I moved to Melbourne....3 years ago!

  Here are some new knotted earrings in some new colours and in leather cords.

  Find them here on Etsy.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

• Pinning lately

  April 4, 2013

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  It's been colder these days.

  I'm wearing socks when I'm lounging around the house.

  I can't wait till we have curtains to retains some heat!

  
  

  Meanwhile, I've realised it's been a while since I've showed you some of the pins I've been hoarding lately:

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  Oh Etsy, you're always full of great jewelry.

  
  

  
  

   I've been looking for the perfect coffee table to go in the corner of our sofas. It will be mostly filled with Aaron's carnivorous plants, imagine that! When I saw this GORGEOUS marble carved coffee table, I was sad that it is most likely out of my reach and my budget:

  
  

  

  
  

  When I saw this photograph, it really resonated with me. I did an art project in 6th form that required me to pick one contemporary artist and I chose Hockney. I chose Hockney and painted the entire panel in the style of his infamous man and swimming pool. I think I still have that back home in Portland, OR!

  

  
  
  

  Pinch

  

  
  
  

  This photo gave me much hope for our 1.2 meter side space of our house. No, it doesn't have to be zzzzzzz or useless space. It can be green, inspiring and enchanting.

  

  
  
  

  Perhaps the next rug project will be puff puff.

  

  
  

  Hello.

  I love you.

  

   The craft person in me loves loves this.

  

  
  

• Easter holidays

  April 3, 2013

  Easter was actually very pleasant.  Aaron and I got to do things that made us stop and relax and just enjoy each other. On Good Friday, we slept in and had Hot Cross buns then decided to take a walk at the sanctuary near our house.  We actually walked for 3 or 4 hours through the wetlands, spying on different types of birds and kangaroos.

  
  

  There is something about going for a walk that is unexpected and so fulfilling. We have to remember to take advantage of our surroundings more often, after all we live 5 minutes drive away from this:

  

  
  

  The majority of the time, I was actually drawing and painting my Save the Dates.

  Hours just passed by as I outlined and then water coloured each piece. It was so soothing.

  For the formal invites, I'll photoshop these images and have them printed out with Moo.com.

  

  

  
  

  Spotlight had some RIDICULOUS sale on these 200 meters balls of jersey strip yarn for , get this, 50 cents. Yes. I bought 9 balls and now, I'm crocheting a rug fools. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  I'm going to crochet this until it is GIANT. Until it's $1.50 worth of rug.

  That's right.

  
  

  
  

  Other things we're sorting out is getting art work hung up.

  This is still happening:

  

  
  
  
  
  

  On Saturday, we went to Tancks Corner (our favourite in the Yambarrat region) for breakfast. Look at Aaron's pea and mint fritter with beetroot relish and smoked trout.

  
  

  

  
  

  And finally, there were lots of skyping with family.

  Look at this gorgeous photo of my niece, Mia.

  I miss them so much!

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Resolution

  March 28, 2013

  I've decided that I will have two resolutions to keep:

  1)Get my hair cut every 5 weeks so I could keep this look without looking like a bag lady.

  2)Instead of being on my phone on my commute, I will doodle in my sketch book.

  
  

  That's it.

  Two should be easy.

  Right?

  
  

  
  

  Anyways, yesterday I had my hair cut at the Onsen Ma in downtown Melbourne.

  The hair salon itself is a bit out of place and lacked the charm of the rest of the onsen but I had wanted to try it out. Marie turned out to be really good and wide open at lunch time. Score.

  I got the " Short in the back, long in the front" cut, a reverse mullet if you must.

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  On Tuesday, we had a staycation in the city.

  What do you do with a staycation?

  We had lunch snacks all over the city.

  A vietnamese roll here.

  A wonderbao there.

  A milkshake to finish it off.

  
  

  Belles on Gertrude St was cute.
  Ice coffee was good.
  Wonderbao was hard to find and mediocre. I've never seen an asian establishment with no asians before.
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  We also bought some art supplies.

  I bought a sketch book, a small water colour paper book, a set of water colour and a really fine japanese black pen.

  
  

  This was my doodle on the train yesterday:

  
  If you hadn't already guessed, I'm going to illustrate and paint our own Save the Dates and Invites.
  It's a small wedding, so hand drawing invites is totally doable.

   Due to the fact that I don't water colour much, I did some research and here are some beautiful finds:

  
  

  Polly fern's work is AH MAZING!!
  

  

   Kristen Rickert

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  
  
  

  

  Both these gorgeous ones are by Daniela Dahf

• Floral inspirations

  March 22, 2013

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  I know right. WHAT THE. 

  
  

  I LOVE THIS ODD SUCCULENT!!!

  
  
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