Living in a cloud

We're still living inside a cloud here.

The weatherman said we've had a month of rain in two days. Everything is dripping and muddy but I can't begrudge it. Things usually start looking a little brown this time of year and I'm reminded how Brisbane looked through all those years of drought. I say, let it rain.

Also, it's so nice to finally have a chance to keep things cosy.

Cataloging my wardrobe has inspired me to dig out lots of favourite, but forgotten friends. This Clare Vivier messenger bag looks gorgeous no matter where you throw it or how many baby toys you stuff it with.

Incidentally, if you are in the market for a Clare Vivier bag (and if you're not you should be, they are spectacular), Pretty Mommy is the best place I have found. They do free international shipping over $250 and have frequent, very decent discount codes.

The camel Weekender bag is on my wish list.

And these clutches are very nice too.

Hot milo weather

Today we are experiencing what can only be described as hot Milo weather.

This is the view from my kitchen. You can barely make them out here, but the neighbours horses are looking very bedraggled and sorry for themselves in the rain.

We're rugging up.

And keeping cosy.

The clothes dryer has been running all day and all my windows look like this.

I made lunch for my mother's parents and her brother and sister on the weekend. It was lovely to see them all together and the baby was much adored.

We ate this lasagne from Donna Hay magazine. I'm terrible at remembering to photograph food when I have company so I have no proof of the finished product, but it was a fair approximation of this picture. Lasange is always a crowd pleaser and so warming on days like these.

This is Claudia Roden's orange cake, which I did remember to photograph. I make this cake rather a lot, but try to remember to feed it to different people.

This Sportsgirl necklace is very badly made and the chain keeps breaking under its own weight. So pretty though.

And wonderful for making dull outfits pop.

Mos Burger lunch date

I was so excited when I found out Mos Burger was opening in Brisbane… more than a year ago.

Despite my love of rice patties and messy chilli in a bun I've just never managed to get together to visit the Sunnybank store. As a hardcore Northsider anything south of the Brisbane River just seems like such a mission.

Imagine my delight when I discovered there is now a CBD location. Obviously I made lunch plans with J ASAP.

Stuffing our faces with Japanese fast food was a key strategy in my 'Japan: November 2012' campaign.

This was us.

I bought this jacket at a flea market in Osaka in 2010 and my love for it has never faltered. The stripy Kate Spade tote came in the mail this week. Lovely thing.

Ultimate wardrobe organisation has been achieved

Ever since Clueless some part of me has wanted a computerised wardrobe like Cher's. How wonderfully Windows 3.1 does that screenshot look now? Love it.

I'm a geek who goes weak at the knees at the thought of a really solid database, but I can't be the only one out there who's dreamed this dream. Can I?

Anyway, I recently spent an entire day NERDING OUT and loading my wardrobe into the StyleBook app on my iPhone.

Now I have my own personal Polyvore and all my clothes look pretty and new and desirable, instead of stuffed, rumpled into overflowing drawers.

It's a little bit glorious.

The idea is that you photograph all your things and then use the in-app editing features to remove the background. This cut out feature isn't perfect (I used Photoshop as well) and neither was my photography set up, but it works for me. I also found pics of many pieces I own against a white background online using Google image searches.

I've always made little maps and lists of outfits I want to wear and this app is PERFECT for that particular obsession. You can even map what you wear each day on the calendar and it will give you stats on your most/least worn pieces, cost per wear etc.

I'm also finding that making looks using this app means I'm wearing more pieces that don't usually get enough love and are lost at the back of drawers. Seeing everything on one screen stops me from grabbing for the same three pieces every morning.

This is a travel outfit for a scheme of mine to get to Japan in November. I LOVE planning outfits around travel and once you have mapped out all your looks for a trip in the Stylebook app you can add the pieces you've used to a packing list. How good is that?

I'm currently in the process of convincing J of the Japan scheme. He mustn't know I'm already in the wardrobe planning stages though. I'm trying to play it cool.

Rustic things

I snapped this sign on the walk into town. I like it. Not enough to Facebook like it, but I like it. It's twenty twelve rustic.

One the way home I stopped to fill the pram basket with pine cones. The ground is littered with them at the moment and now they will sit in the shed until December so I can do something festive with them at Christmas.

It's antipodean moments like these that remind me how bonkers identifying with a western culture in the southern hemisphere is. Our Christmas Day is over 30 degrees celsius (86 deg F) but we go around spraying fake snow on things and Santa wears a fur suit like it makes sense.

Sometimes it does feel like we are walking around with our heads downwards. I think it gives us a unique way of looking at things though.

This is not a rustic thing, but I wore this recently and liked the pattern clash.

Rustic lasange.

Rustic Baby in a home made hat.

The future is mustard

I've seen these 1961 Motorola future ads before but when they cropped up in my Google reader again recently my obsession was renewed. How good are they?

It's sad that the future wasn't as Mustard coloured as this artist envisioned. Also, I really don't think TV design has lived up to early expectations. And why don't we all have aquarium swimming pools in our living room?

The full set of pictures is here.

Hunting Ibis

Baby and I met J in town for lunch today. We got burritos from the Mexican place in the shiny new Wintergarden and ate them in Post Office Square.

Baby saw some Ibis.

Then stalked some Ibis.

I hate Ibis. I find them prehistorically terrifying. Also, once, years ago I was eating an avocado sandwich in PO Square and an Ibis stole it from me. I'll take that grudge to the grave.

It's been a while since I've had occasion to visit the Brisbane CBD during business hours and I did think everyones winter wardrobes were looking rather drab.

I said yes to colour.

Meanwhile, I can't stop putting Baby in his new Bassike singlet. Sigh, I'll be sad when he doesn't let me dress him anymore.

In other news, I bought this ridiculous champagne bucket on Ebay this week. It's part of my kitchen childproofing strategy, otherwise know as Operation Move Things Up High. I'm going to put it beside the stove and keep utensils in it. Looking forward to that.