Reaching out to me, lets me see

<3 Things I Love Sunday <3

DIY – tins spray-painted into new colourful pots

Photo walls mmm

Beautiful. It’s always tea time..

Tahoouthka dolls!

…because it’s true..

Rustic + Garden = <3

LOVE. I want one.

mmmwintermaxi

xo

Cool Cacti

Just a few silly photos, I was gardening and one of my cacti had babies

Some of my favourite things

One day I was going to Bunnings and Dave asked me to bring him back something nice. I jokingly bought him back some ‘brains’. Coolest cactus ever!

Hope you’re having a good day!

Talia xox

Ramblings of a 26 year old Nanna

I have been super busy this morning. I’ve not eaten since 7am, distraction can be hard to wrestle with so I’ll  probably sound a little mad. Food in 5.

So. We’ve moved into a house rather than an apartment where everything has been boxed for so long. I am unpacking, still, but there’s nowhere really to put many things as new furniture is needed. Patience is a virtue. Patience is inspiring creative, DIY ideas and bits I both do and don’t want in our home. Some would clash so drastically with one another but I love dreaming up pretties.

I am currently in-love with the idea of a wall filled with different photo frames, with both art and photographs, black and white, coloured or both. Making my own big, unique frames (with a little help) for photos and jewelry. Storage ideas. Mirrors and art. I want to go to garage sales and op shops so bad in Melbourne when we go in a couple of weeks. Jars with candles and white sand or stones in. Spray painted tins and jars used as pots for herbs. Rustic goodness. Kitchens, gardens, bookshelves. Cacti in mugs and teapots. Old little pots and jars to hold spices. A huge family of owls that obviously all have different fathers as they look nothing alike. Some of my favorite things pegged to twine across study walls. Postcards, polaroid photographs, colour swatches, newspaper and magazine clippings, fabric, dried leaves. Green and brown, in the right shades, as always. Felt leaves. Beautiful light-shades. Tens and tens of potted plants, each one different to the next, indoors and outdoors. Flowers in vases, all of the time..

Oh so much junk in my head that I can’t explain..

I’m secretly dreaming of a warm little puppy with it’s puppy smell and puppy paws to grow with…

Oh my goodness <3!

Alas, I think it’s safer to get out the gardening gloves for now and take care of my photosynthesising creatures. Some photos to come later, for the other young Nanna’s out there.

…and with that rant, i’m back to unpacking. Oh and food.

Happy Monday

T x

<3 Things I love Sunday <3

My gorgeous handmade little Owl friends, a gift from Denise <3

This sexy Barcelona Chair mmm

Chocolate filled raspberries! Oh my.. delicious in colour and flavour

These ADORABLE mini teapot sets from Oxfam

I crave to have red hair like this again. LOVE.

My Instax Mini!! Capturing memories

..and the long day of relaxation today mid-holiday break <3

Time for apple pie, icecream and movies on the ‘floor cloud’, Goodnight!

Tahlie xox

Bitter Sweet Easter?

Chocolate is one of the most delicious and often comforting treats in the world. Right, ladies?

Here’s the reality check on one’s pallets pleasure.

Today, right now, you and yours are possibly (most likely?) eating cheap chocolate like every other year. Possibly every other day. What you may not realise is that you’re enjoying that cheap chocolate because of child slave labor, trafficking of children taken from their families who are often beaten, not fed properly and work immensely long hours in poverty.

Cocoa is the essential ingredient for making chocolate. A huge proportion, about seventy five percent, of the world production of cocoa is grown and harvested by slaves, many being children, in remote areas of rural West Africa.

The former prime minister of Ivory Coast spoke out very clearly. He said if the chocolate companies paid fair prices then we could eliminate child labour. That’s what it comes down to.

“Fair pricing, certification, spending a fraction of what they’re spending on advertising chocolate – and it’s a $100 million industry here in Australia – would clean up that child labour.”

There are about five million cocoa farmers in the world. Cocoa farms are typically family farms of a few hectares, cultivated by the same family for generations. In Ivory Coast and Ghana, cocoa farmers struggle with many problems, including poverty and insufficient education. No individual government, company or organisation alone can solve the issues related to the conditions of cocoa cultivation. Instead, we must find solutions together through international co-operation.

African governments complain of “tariff escalation,” meaning that Europe and the United States charge higher costs on value-added chocolate than on the cocoa beans, cocoa butter, and cocoa paste used by confectioners. They are not wrong. Both buyers have eliminated costs on cocoa beans. American cocoa powder and chocolate imports are controlled by quota arrangements and often carry costs ranging from 5 percent to 10 percent.  European charges can be much higher.

This is slowly becoming recognised by consumers, but it can’t happen fast enough. Say no to cheap supermarket chocolates. Pay that bit more and start doing your part to make a difference. Eliminate the problem. Refuse to buy from supermarkets that do not sell fair trade chocolate, force them make a difference. Cadbury introduced fair trade certification on its Dairy Milk chocolate in Easter 2010 which is a huge step and kudos to them along with a few other companies, but we can do more.

It is hard to know what comes from where and to know whether a product has certification. A little research goes a long way. Buy fair trade. I also stress fair trade coffee, it’s a very similar situation. Fair trade is committed to child protection. Coffee and Chocolate are two huge industries which, along with the sex trade and the cotton industry, are the highest offenders for unethical trading in the world. How often do you buy a cup of coffee? How often do you eat chocolate? Every sip, every bite….. in all likelihood is at the sake of a beaten man, a slave child.

Don’t be a bad egg. Here’s where to hunt for the good eggs and chocolate all year round.

* Fairtrade-certified Cadbury Dairy Milk Easter egg, 65g, from Target, Big W, IGA and Priceline.
* Chocolatier milk or dark chocolate Easter egg, 100g, and milk bunnies and eggs selection, 80g, from Myer, David Jones and Woolworths.
* Oxfam has a range of Fairtrade-certified chocolate, including its own Fairtrade Certified range.
* Aldi Fairtrade-certified organic milk and dark chocolate blocks, 100g, from Aldi stores.
* Green & Black’s organic chocolate bars from Coles, Woolworths and other supermarkets.

I love OXFAM. They do amazing work and their certified, fair trade chocolate is AMAZING.

Oxfam sell a whole lot more than chocolate. Check it out.

I was so delighted to be bought a made card and two delicious fair trade chocolate bars for Easter from Oxfam. I have never been huge on Easter, I am not religious and I don’t get into the chocolate hype but I’d be mad to say no to the long holiday. Happy death of Jesus!

The thought and care about such a huge and important issue, not so much the gifts made me grin from ear to ear.

Oxfam sell a whole lot more than chocolate. Check it out.

2011 in Pictures

Just a few photos from some events with people that mean a lot to me. I must hunt down some more!

My favorite photos are all on polaroid so I have to get round to scanning them some time soon too! I have very few on my netbook.

It’s been a stressful year so far but there have been some good times and I am blessed to have some of the friends I do.

T xo

Seek and you shall find?

I not long woke from a dream where I was arguing (or more eloquently if you like, debating) with my Economics lecturer, only I was at Murdoch studying HR. I don’t know if they offer HR at Murdoch..

I had to wear a scratchy winter private school uniform of dark green, burgundy, black and white carrying a black leather tote, full to the brim. I guess I like these colours. I was on a journey toward my career path.

I woke in a sweat (I know, get a grip) in my stripy Peter Alexander PJs, disappointed to be 5 years older. Of course rather than reach for a textbook I naturally pulled up my netbook and continued to modify my CV once more.

Damn you Seek.com! Get out of my head. I will find that job which will give me more exposure to help me reach my goals! For now, patience is a virtue – don’t sweat it, T.

I have no idea of the point of this post, but the dream is slowly leaving me now. Funny how something as simple as a dream (and simple even for a dream) can give you the jitters so easily. Speaking to a friend from Finland about their University opportunities and still being able to make a decent living, working almost full time without such tight stringencies with study. Also friends who’ve moved to the UK, studying and living it up whilst everything is free. It has me really envious of what it would be like to have things a little easier here. I don’t want it free – but I do think they make it very hard to live and be student let alone a mature age student.

I could knock off a unit at a time, but i’d be 32+ or so before finishing. I think not.

So, as i’ve probably given away, i’ve (finally) reached a point in my life where I know more about what I want. Things have changed, i’m not willing to take just any old dead end role for the money or another contract, thankyou very much! I am in a little bit of a Catch 22 situation but like everything, I will beat it.

Time for a strong, sweet tea and another breakfast to help me wake up (again!)

Happy Mid-Morning!

Tahlie

EARTH DAY! 22nd April 2011

Hello again! I am back. I am camera-less, aside for a little point and shoot, I’m having a few issues with imageshack and being on my almost empty netbook for the moment so you’ll have to bare with me for now! We must make use of what we have available to us, who needs a fancy camera and Lightroom anyway, right!

Some may not enjoy it (or possibly like to admit it!) but I love turning someone elses junk into treasure. I love a bargain and I love recycling vintage, older pieces, anything that can be bought back to life and enjoyed in it’s own simple or quirky way.

Trawling through thrift shops and others unwanted clothing, turning them into something chic and fashionable. Burning the hours travelling from charity shop to charity shop to find those little old teapots and jars to turn into little homes for bits and Bobs. Turning out your neighbour’s garage sale, recycling old furniture that may need a little attention or simply a touch of paint.

How are you combining style with sustainability?

I have gotten back into the swing again recently and will post some photos of some simple but cute recycled items I have found and love.

I love this little video and concept by Levi’s. We’re slowly running out of water and there are those that really, really struggle.  In WA we have been asked to try and save our 60L each, per day. Our dams are running dry. The idea in this video is truly inspiring, to see the huge difference in real (huge) numbers that could be made by what in reality, is such a simple and easy concept that we can all take part in.

The amount of water we could save as a team if we all took it on board would be huge. You, we – can change and save lives.

Will you join the game?

Levi’s Waterless

Food for thought (and fun!) – it doesn’t have to stop at jeans!

Goodnight

Tahlie xo

Pay it Forward 2011

It’s been so long since i’ve blogged (and even properly before that) I cannot get my head around using the basics of WordPress! How do I add tags?! What to even crap-talk about? I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed at the moment i’ll work it out

I haven’t had the internet or a camera – I still don’t so I won’t be in your face with drivvel as much as before, but It’s time to get back on the wagon. I’m going through some pretty crummy times at the moment but it’s time to turn that round and re-motivate myself, find the creative me again, be inspired, be happy, a whole bunch of stuff but overall to have a better year in 2011.

I just read something on facebook that inspired me a little and I thought would be a bit of fun, here you go

“Pay it Forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status. *The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011.”

I’m out of touch and very rusty creatively, all of my stuff has been packed for 3/4 of a year and i’ve thrown loads out. I’ll be making myself a small work space again soon. Sounds like a bit of simple fun. Who’s keen?!! Give me a yell!

Tahlie x