Running Away- Step 4

I caught the train from Penn Station exactly two weeks ago. This was the only picture I was able to take, a farmhouse in upstate New York. The train ride was a rambly shuffle through mountains and lakes, with crusty castles and little sunbleached riverboats.
We rode past moss-covered trailer parks and dense green forest into Quebec.
I was pulled off the train at the Canadian border, to get my study permit. I filed into a mini van with people who were being denied entry into the country for a lot of reasons. When they found out that I wasn't actually being detained, they all stopped talking to me and looked out the window silently at the rolling Quebec countryside.
We drove to a big Customs office and I waited for what seemed like hours. I bought a packet of m&ms and ate them very slowly, one by one in colour order, so the time could be marked in some way. My i-pod ran out.
The I got my permit and was put on a bus to Montreal.
The bus stopped in the middle of the city and everyone got out into the adolescent rainstorm. I hailed a cab and drove to my new apartment where I slept and slept and slept.

Running Away- Step 3

I really loved just meandering around the city without a care. I had a lot of fun the last time I visited, but this time seemed like I was living in New York. I caught the steamy subway and walked hundreds of blocks and the whole time I felt completely at ease with the city. I am definately going for an adventure this winter.

Running Away- Step 2

When I was in New York, I stayed at my friend, Celine's house with her family in the East Village- it was a really cool place, they had so many animals (dogs, cats, turtles and a parrot called Bart) andd we just spent the days walking around and seeing what there was to see.
I went to see the Witch Hats play at the Cake Shop, but because I am underage, they had to sneak me in! It was an amazing scungy undergroud bar, with a cake and record shop above. The played a really great set- the stage was at the end of a sort of sloping black concrete basement/hallway.
We went to a bar two blocks away afterwards, where I was pulled up by the bouncer and carded. I was explaining that I really didn't have any i.d, when this guy from another band said "Oh it's cool, she's with the band." The bouncer just smiled at me and let me in.
There was a big fight out on the street and we all went to see what was going on- the police were standing around while these guys wrestled drunkenly across the footpath. I caught a cab home and watched the shining lights of the city from the backseat.

Running Away- Step 1

Throw a big party with tiny pink cakes and frothy dresses and friends.

Montreal

Hello from the Great North, Dear Readers!
Here I am in beautiful Montreal, writing to you from my new laptop- but not from under my quilt- it's very hot here, surprisingly!
It is very late and I am about to go to bed, but I thought I would write a little note.
Thank you all for your messages, I will be online officially-properly-allthetime from tomorrow, so you can expect replies to all of them!
I am going to be putting sopme stuff in my etsy shop tomorrow night, because I am sewing like a maniac!
Also, I will be putting millions of pictures up, to make up for my lack of internet presence lately!
So goodnight and sleep tight!
This is my new bed and my amazing pink silk pillows with embroidered phoenixes (plural?) on them that I bought at St Mark's Thrift Shop in NYC- don't you think they are beautiful?



&hearts

The Big Apple

So I am writing this from New York, I spent about three days in transit- one night spent in a hotel room in Bangkok with a bed big enough for a family of five, and the next on the floor of the United airlines lobby in LAX.
I have had such a nice time- I am staying with my friend Celine and her family in the Village and it is so hot and green here right now!




I have spent quite a bit of my time in Central Park and the Upper East Side- I even walked past the apartment that my family and I stayed in last time I was here- which was at the end of Winter! New York is a very different place in the heat.
As you can see from the pictures, the park is absolutely amazing. It's so lush and green, I could sit there for hours watching everyone loll about. I walked past Strawberry Fields and there were so many people just sitting around playing guitars and putting flowers on the peace sign! It was a very touristy place for me to be!



I will be arriving in Montreal on Tuesday night, but until then, I am happy to be hanging around, just getting a feel for the city. Last time I was here I did a very whirlwind tour and didn't really get to see anything for very long. But now I am taking my time. I went to the Guggenheim yesterday and saw an exhibition on Louise Bourgeous- How amazing! I spent about five hours in there- I like to take my time in galleries- and when I came out, it had been raining and fifth avenue was empty! People started sticking their heads out again when the sun shone through the clouds.
I bought a quilt and a laptop from ebay, so I should be writing from beneath the quilt and from the computer when I next post. Thank you for all of your beautiful comments! I promise when I have the time I'll go back and return each and every one.

Bye-Bye Baby!

Tomorrow I am getting on plane and then I will get on another plane and then I will get on another plane and then I should be in New York.
So, good-bye to Melbourne for now and not f'rever.

I was photographed for a fashion blog The Windsor End dot blogspot dot com (I forgot linking again) about a week ago, and here is the picture!


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He said "Now I just want you to be like really anime. Yeah, like just point your toes in and grin."

I promised pictures of the beach, but they're never coming because I don't know where they are.

The next time I blog will be in the GREAT NORTH.

And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell.

xoxoxo

Gossip Girl

So I have been very busy the past couple of weeks, and the result of that has been that my little blog has been abandoned! Left all alone for too long!

Well, now I have come back and I have a few things to say.

1.) I had the best time in Apollo Bay, it was freezing cold and our days were filled with long walks, scary videos and sooo much tea!

2.) After I got back from Apollo Bay, I went to Airey's Inlet with some friends which was amazing and lovely. We watched about 12 episodes of Gossip Girl in between playing ridiculous card games on the green and blue speckly carpet.

3.) Last Night my Mum came home with an enormous cardboard box full of incredible fabric and quirky aprons from her friend, Rose who works at Sandringham Library.  Mum told me that Rose has read this blog, so if you're out there, THANK YOU ROSE!!! I put on all of the aprons on top of each other! Photos will come in a few days...

4.) I have been awarded the Brillante Blogger 2008 by Super Kawaii Mama ! Wow, well I won't do a Gwyneth, but I will write the rules up for everyone who I am about to tag to read.

1) When received, you may post the award to you blog.
2) Link to the blogger you received it from.
3) Give it to 7 blogs
4) Link to those 7 blogs
5) And leave those seven bloggers a comment about receiving the brilliant premio.

After all of that I will get back to packing up my room for my move to Montreal. Gosh, you can accumulate so much stuff in nineteen years!

I will post some pictures of the past couple of weeks tomorrow!

Until then xoxo GG

So Long!

I am going to the seaside tomorrow with my family. It's our last family holiday together before I leave for Montreal, which is weird for me because we go on so many trips each year. It's the end of an era!

What is better than drawing in the mud when you are waiting for the tram?

When you make a skirt for your mum and she doesn't want to take it off. 

.......kids these days!

Keeping Secrets

I  have lots of secret things. I like knowing that I  could spend a whole day locked  in my room looking at all of my hidden away boxes, old letters and diaries. 

I made this book-box when I was seventeen. I know it's not such an original idea- cutting the pages out of a book and using it as a secret box, but I think everyone should try it.

I used the felt that I made with silk and merino wool and glued it all with my favourite friend PVA!

I didn't know what would be fitting for a secret book-box, so I just put a nice deck of cards in there. They are the nicest full-set of cards I have. Sometimes I play patience with them, but I ALWAYS cheat! It's so terrible.

This is a box that I made when I was sixteen. I had bought a little music maker (I actually don't know what they're called!) with a crank that played 'La Vie En Rose'  and I thought that it was so quiet that whenever I played it I would have to hold it really close to my ear. But then one day I discovered that when you put it on a wooden surface it plays louder- It took me ages to figure that out, what with my limited knowledge of acoustics and all.

So then I decided to saw a hole in a cigar box for the crank to stick out of and then I made a little platform out of a Whitlam's Samplers box to conceal the little 'music maker' - if someone could tell me what they are called, I would be eternally grateful.

Do you like my little friends? The snail is a present from Molly and the bird is something I found at my grandparent's house on a dusty mantle piece.

First

I made this when I was sixteen. It was the first dress that I finished. My Mum got the fabric at an Op Shop and it has faded a lot since it was sewn. It was my first attempt at pleating and I made the bodice by pinning the fabric to my shape, which I suppose is some sort of uneducated attempt at draping? I didn't really know what I was doing, but whatever I did seems to have worked! It's a funny dress and I don't wear it very much anymore, but it will always be my first.

Veins Full of Disappearing Ink

Aghh! I couldn't keep my eyes open in the shining sun! I made this dress a few weeks ago- I was cleaning my sewing room and the fabric was crumpled up with the blue velvet ribbon. It was like I HAD to put them together, they chose each other!

The skirt is half-circle and the top is sleeveless with a shallow peter-pan collar and two little ties (if you can see them!) You can really only see the top details when I wear a cardigan over the top.

Thanks for all of the comments recently! I am so overwhelmed by all of the great people in blogland, it's so nice to be a part of the community.