MissLeonie.com

I ended up taking some photos at the Mojo Bluesmen’s gig at the Rails in Byron Bay. The first few photos are now up on their MySpace page, click on over to their website to have a look!

If you’ve just arrived here through their website - more of my photos can be found at my Flickr page! I’m hoping to process some more shots from the performance, they should eventually appear on both websites.

I’ve been so tempted to name this one “Tea? Feck!” after a Father Ted scene, in which Irish Father Jack, who is a drunk, is offered a cup of tea instead of his beloved alcohol. It cracks me up every time.

I’m so happy with how this one’s colours have turned out. I was planning to draw a cornflower last night, because they are my favourite flowers. Something about that intense purple-y blue colour never ceases to amaze me. At the same time, I felt like I should be drawing Australian flowers and trees now that I’m still here. It’s always dark when I start drawing, though, and I’m not quite skilled enough to draw from life yet, I think, unless said life is very small and knows how to sit still. I was searching online for pictures when I suddenly thought of something else altogether. Tea. It fits right in with my “things that make me happy” theme.

I think I’ve made up my mind to join in Élena’s wonderful Every Day in May challenge this year. The past two years I made excuses - I was too busy with end of term papers, exams, dissertations… This year, I’m travelling, which makes my daily schedule just a touch irregular. The fact remains that I am likely not busier than Élena herself, who, for starters, has three kids and a day job. No more excuses! I’ll likely mostly take photos, but I’ll try to do a bit of drawing or painting too. Anything creative will do!

There is just one slight problem - I’m supposed to be flying home towards the end of May. I might need to bend the rules a little to make up for the 24 hours I’ll be spending on a plane!

I had a bit of a craftsy day today. It started off with vague plans to visit the Meet Me at Mike’s shop (63 Brunswick St., Fitzroy, Melbourne). I know of Meet Me at Mike’s through reading Claire Robertson’s website, Loobylu.com. I think Claire rocks, Claire thinks Meet Me at Mike’s rocks, so I would have to visit.

First, however, I found myself wandering through Little Lonsdale St. searching for the Melbourne Art Supplies shop I’d been told should be either there or on A. Beckett St. I’ve had this insatiable craving for watercolour pencils these past few days. All the writing’s been great, but I want colours and texture! I ended up going home with a warm and cool version of the primaries + burnt umber, and I’ve been happily scribbling away.

In the afternoon, we set out for Fitzroy. Meet Me at Mike’s was incredibly easy to find, and just a short walk from my Russell St. hostel. My friend Jasmin and I spent ages looking at all the vintage, clever little things people had come up with. I tried on a beautiful black and white cocktail dress that I would have loved to bring home with me, had it not turned me into a Catholic schoolgirl. In the end, I took home a beautiful pendant of a 70s girl smelling a flower, and a nachi pear, kindly donated by Pip’s husband (I forgot to ask his name, but I know Pip is his wife – would it be silly to assume he is Mike?), who I’d spent some time talking with about everything under the sun. It was a long and personal conversation, but I’ll tell you one thing – he is a very kind and wise man and you should visit the shop sometime if you have half a chance.

I’d asked him where two girls with an afternoon to kill should go in Melbourne, and he recommended, among other places, “the French guy” who supposedly runs a shop with killer hot chocolate on Smith St. (still Fitzroy) that “would put a smile on my face”. Sure enough, on the right side of Smith St., away from the city, just off Brunswick St. is Monsieur Truffe, which is run by a Frenchman who knows his chocolate. Jasmin and I both ordered a hot chocolate. He asked us how strong we liked our hot chocolate, to which we replied that we like the taste of actual chocolate alright, since we are used to proper, European chocolate, but not too bitter, please. (more…)

I’ve been tagged by Lanx to write up 25 random things about me, so here goes.

1. I think sleep is one of the most wonderful things ever invented.
2. My three favourite food ingredients are tomatoes, onions and garlic. Obviously, I was Italian in a previous life.
3. I love buying makeup but hardly ever bother to put some on in the morning. See: 1.
4. I was bitten in the side by a dog I trusted when I was about five, and I’ve been afraid of dogs who bark ever since.
5. I tend to talk very, very fast. Other people might say “too fast”, but since I can still follow I think they should just pay attention.
6. I have on and off vertigo. It strikes at the oddest and most inconvenient times.
7. For the longest time, I’ve been obsessed with Australia. As a child, my favourite animal was a koala, and I remember proudly professing, to everyone’s amusement, that I would go on to study “Australian” when I was six.
8. I’m very un-Dutch in my eating habits: I don’t like milk, butter or cheese.
9. I was a very sporty girl: I used to do competitive gymnastics, horseback riding, swimming, ballroom dancing and tennis, up to three sports at a time. I could beat all the boys in arm wrestling competitions all the way through high school.
10. Thanks to my parents’ love of travel, I’ve seen a lot of Europe. I’ve travelled to Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and Spain with them.
11. I’ve lived in the Netherlands all my life, but I also spent a year in England and six months in Australia, both times for study purposes.
12. I know five languages (to some degree or other) - Dutch is my native tongue, I was taught three in high school (English, French and German), one at university (Spanish). Sadly, I’ve forgotten most of it. If I were to learn a new language I’d like to learn Italian or Gaelic.
13. I have tried to speak some form of English since I was six. I was mostly unsuccessful.
14. Can you tell I’ve studied and am interested in the topic of linguistics?
15. I have a very short attention span when it comes to movies. If it doesn’t grab me in the first half hour, I’m over it. My favourite movie in the whole wide world EVER is Little Women, the Winona Ryder version.
16. If I could trade voices with anyone, it’d be Andrea Corr.
17. I’m more than a little accident-prone. My best one so far has been walking into a cyclist, catapulting myself into the air, putting a big gash in my shins (I still have the scar to prove it), and bending the bike’s front wheel into a very awkward shape.
18. Throwing myself onto the hood of an oncoming taxi was a pretty good one, too. Could have got hurt very badly had I not flung myself on top of instead of against the Mercedes.
19. I wish I’d been around to see Dire Straits live.
20. I’m a right-handed writer, but I can do a lot of things with both hands, such as playing (table) tennis.
21. I’m very fair-skinned and tend to burn if I so much as look at the sun. It’s not as bad as it used to be though, and I certainly hope it won’t come back to bite me in the arse in the future. I try to be good about sunscreen, and manage most days.
22. I would love to know how to play the piano. As it stands, my musical talent is limited to an ability to read notes and play the recorder, which doesn’t score you any dates.
23. I have a tendency to be far too trusting and think too highly of people. It gets me hurt a bit.
24. I’m a pretty firm believer in karma. I figure, even if it’s not true, I tried to do the right thing in any given situation, and that can’t be bad.
25. My favourite kind of weather is a good old autumn storm. No rain, please.

I’m tagging Masha and Mags (who should really post more if she wants pictures of Australia! :P)

If you Google “white flats“, the first page of image results will have this little graphic I did for a post about shoes almost a year ago. Even if you stay on the general search results page this very image will pop up. It’s also a common referrer to this website. Weird, no? The best bit is that the graphic actually features three pairs of shoes… I guess those people searching for white flats think I have half decent taste in footwear! :)

PS. I’ve tried this for the British, Australian and Dutch google - it works for all of them, except the British one doesn’t show image results on the main results page.

This is a commercial for a Dutch Amazon-esque website. It sells games among other things.

I can watch this thirty times in a row and it doesn’t stop being hilarious, so I thought I’d share.

The voice over says “That’s another reason to shop at Bol.com - there’s a choice of 7000 games so there’s always something that does suit you. Like Singstar.”

Thirty-five seconds you will not regret. Enjoy.

Despite the fact that I was running on no sleep yesterday, I’ve still managed to get a few things done this weekend.

• I signed up with a gym. I know. I know, OK? This isn’t your average boring fitness or spinning class. I plan to attend something called “body jam”, which is effectively jazz ballet for hyperactive people. I desperately need some place to vent all the stress that builds up over the working week or I’ll go kerazy.
• I went shopping. Again, I know. Who am I and what have I done to Leonie? I just couldn’t resist Didi any longer. I’ve been drooling over their clothes for years and now I finally have the income to splurge. So splurge I did. I have the Nordic patterned cardigan on the left in the top banner and the skirt in the right image. I couldn’t find a picture of the other cardigan I laid my hands on, but it’s a shorter version of the one in the middle photograph. Now all I have to do is learn how to accessorise. Click the photography tab on the website (which is in flash, so I can’t link more precisely) to see what I mean. I love the folksy knits thing they’ve got going. The photography is like a fairytale. I spent so much they gave me a discount and a free cute handmade notebook.
• I got out my Gilmore DVDs and watched tonnes of episodes piled under blankets on the lounge or in a hot tub. Mmm. Autumn has kicked in something fierce and the weather has gone beautifully stormy. I don’t care, cause I have knits to hide in. Win!
• Watching the US vice-presidential debate on YouTube. I’m incredibly grateful this isn’t my vote. McCain looked alright, but Sarah Palin? Seriously? Obama seems a bit of an optimist, and I think it’s time for some positive thinking, but he does lack experience. Biden seems like a great vice-president, however, most likely the smartest of the bunch. Anyway, for the first time in years I am not actually terrified of either presidential candidate, just Sarah Palin, so I can afford to sit back and laugh at the latter. Also.

I’ve been tagged by Lanx to fill out this little questionnaire. Here goes!

Two names you go by:

1. Leonie (pronounced Lay-oh-nee)
2. Lee-oh-nee (in England/Australia)

(I have a serious lack of nicknames.)

Two things you are wearing right now:

1. tracksuit bottoms
2. pajama top

(Yes it’s almost 4pm, why do you ask?)

Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. to finish my dissertation and go home
2. to go to Australia

Two things you did last night just before bed:

1. sing Happy Birthday to my mum on the phone
2. listen to Interpol

Two things you ate today:

1. a Sandwich Spread sandwich
2. I should really go and eat something else

Two people you just spoke with:

1. my mum
2. Liam

Two things you are doing tomorrow:

1. write my dissertation
2. sleep in

Two longest car rides:

1. any holiday to Spain
2. a holiday to Tuscany

Two favourite beverages:

1. lemon flavoured tea
2. honey rum

Two people I tag:

1. Mags
2. Masha

I don’t know what the protocol is as far as tagging and meme’s are concerned, but consider yourself invited if you feel like having a crack.

It’s not easy being a young tiger! I love the look of somewhat offended surprise on the face of the first tiger. It’s a cheeky monkey alright! Watch here.

For more tiger goodness: a tiger being trained for his appearance in the movie Gladiator, playing with “his” human. Are they awe-inspiring animals or what? Watch here.