OOOPS!/Apologies

ooops! Now how did this photo get here??
This is my niece Annabelle Daysi.
She was 8 months old on November 5th.
She is holding her new Babushka doll - she picked it up & wouldn't let it go - seems that her Aunty Nici just cannot refuse her anything at this stage!
Her Mum & Dad brought her to visit me in the shop so I took a gazillion photos (naturally!) She'd been in visiting Sean Prawn just two days earlier but the photos taken that day were already two days old, you understand!
I'd put photos of my older niece & nephew here but they'd be mortified with embarassment!

Sorry I've not blogged for ages!

Please don't think I've forgotten you.

You were on my To Do List.

Life just gets in the way sometimes doesn't it.

I've had a fortnight of remembering that there are things in life far far more important than Blogs & Myspace & even my Shop!

(Gulp! I know you'd not have heard me concede that before!)

Family.

Family & the people you love come first yes?

There is no comparison.

None.

(No offence intended.)

Never still!

So you see what I mean about slowly evolving into a Newsagency! This is just one side of the shelf!

We have since received the latest Peppermint + the 2010

Frankie Calendars!

Plus the latest Lifelounge & MixtapeZine are on the

other side.

Here are the ANYA Cuddle Owls; a Polly Dolly & the Bunny Rabbits!!

For a change we've reorganised (yes yes OK - again!)

It is just bizarre how we continue to squeeze more stock in without losing the space to fit our Customers' Prams!

Geez some Prams are massive though aren't they!

What is with that??

Sometimes we think the shop is really a TARDIS!

Busy busy busy!

New in Store this week!

Gorgeous Handmade One-Off Baby Blankets by my sister Jen for Hex(6)

Ideal gift idea for new-borns & toddlers!

Shana from "A touch of Bohemia" by Shangita Candles

has outdone herself with her new "cups'n'saucers" range of

Soy Wax Candles! There are so many it is hard to choose!

These always sell very quickly!

Because they are scrumptious!

The sweet Leanne has created a lovely new range of Bunny Rabbits for her Handmade Toy Label ANYA.

You'll also recall her delightful cuddle Owls?

Well she has sent me a dozen of each just last week & gosh they are selling fast!

At least one a day!

Be quick if you'd like one!!

OopsiDaisi!

These lavendar filled Babushka sachets by OopsiDaisi are selling like um hotcakes!!!

Lovely little gift idea! And only $10 each!

Isn't she just too clever by half!

(I have one of these on my bedside table - lavendar is very soothing to slowly inhale when you're having trouble sleeping!! Sometimes when Lists are going around in my brain I have trouble switching off!)

Happy Happy Happy!!!!!

Congratulations to the very very lovely folk at Peppermint!

They won THREE Awards at the the Publisher's Australia Bell Magazine Awards in Sydney - Best Sustainability in Publishing,

Best Design in the 'Consumer' magazine category, and Best overall Graphic Designer of the year!

Very very well deserved recognition indeed!

Here is a sneak peek of the cover of the next issue!!

Due on the shelf by November the 19th - Thursday!!!!

Hurrah!!!!

To quote from their newsletter -

"So what can you expect in Issue 4? Um... alot. A xmas special including our green Wish List, recycled wrapping ideas and DIY pressies & decorations, a sustainable summer survival guide with everything you could need to help make lighter footprints on the sand (swimsuits, hats, shoes, beachbags, sunglasses...), 'Green-Eyed Monster' - a mini kids tshirt shoot, Model Citizens - models who are more than just a pretty face, an eco fabrics guide, a new vintage section featuring vintage swimsuits and also a vintage shopping 'how-to' guide, an exclusive interview with Daryl Hannah (celeb eco-activist), Hopenhagen - explaining Copenhagen and what you can do, an interview with Franny Armstrong - director of climate change doco The Age Of Stupid, a new arts section, Deborah Lindquist, Rachel Cassar, Heidi & Seek, The Uniform Project, Polli, lots and lots of beauty features, mountains of fashion, and more, more, more!"

Friday the 13th indeed.

"PLEASE NOTE:All of our Locally Made Items are COPYRIGHTED. Legal action will taken against any person/company consciously breaching copyright/stealing our designs.Obviously....."

I have just had to add that rather unfriendly message to our MySpace page.

Isn't it too horrid for words.

Today a very unusual man approached me at the counter of my shop.

At the time there were about a dozen very lovely teenagers celebrating the end of their exams in store + a very regular customer and her gorgeous 4 year old daughter.

The man proceeded to inform me that he was recently in Katmandu (where he owns/runs a clothing manufacturing business) and was discussing my shop (which he professes to "love") with his son. He told his son about the Famous Five Tees (designed & printed by my Sean for his label Anorak) that we exclusively stock. His son desired one. Rather than email/call/come in & purchase one....he took it upon himself to recreate (read steal/copy) the design & get one printed as a gift for his son. BUT (to add insult to injury) in Katmandu it was cheaper to get TEN printed than ONE(???) The reason he came in was to offer to SELL the other NINE Tees to us!!!

I clarified that he was, in fact, offering to SELL me forged COPIES of OUR DESIGN.

He claimed to not understand why I was reacting in a negative way to his friendly offer. He acted offended. I was almost speechless at his sheer audacity.

I have, in no uncertain terms, explained COPYRIGHT to him & advised him that I will sue him if he attempts to sell these forgeries in any manner, anywhere on this planet. I actually advised him that legally he is obliged to destroy these nine tshirts posthaste. I also advised him that if he truly held any affection for our tiny shop that he'd appreciate that we design & create items that are sold exclusively through our store! I then calmly & assertively asked him to leave & he is to never enter my store again. I first reiterated that he has breached copyright & that I will not hesitate to take legal action against him if he attempts to retail the forgeries.
The reason I am writing this blog about such an unsavoury matter is in the hope that you will help us. If you see these counterfeit tees anywhere please contact us ASAP. I do not know this man's name as I think he did eventually realise that he is in the wrong & would not give me his details.
I am still in shock that this seemingly sane man thinks that helping himself to another person's designs a perfectly normal thing to do.
There are so many ideas out there - why steal other people's?

Tick Tock Tick Tock

The spectacular Frankie Calendar will be at Blackbird Corner

before you know it!

We are only getting a few - feel welcome to pop in

& reserve one for yourself!

Our 2009 Calendar has brought us much pleasure

throughout this year!

As each new Month begins the turning the page

of the Calendar has become a bit of a ceremony in our household!!!

Cannot wait for the 2010 version -

the illustrations look EXQUISITE!!!

I do believe they'll be on sale by the 18th November!

What a LOVELY Xmas gift idea!!

Coming soon...

+

A new Peppermint Magazine isn't far away either - but no sneak peek of that cover is to be found!

Makes it more exciting really!!

Yes Jen, we are turning into a Newsagency!!

Only much, much more picky!!!

Heads or Tails?

Courtney Brims is a self-taught artist based in Brisbane, Australia. She loves all things unusual and is inspired by fairytales, Victorian illustration, memories and dreams.

We are completely besotted with her delightfully whimsical works. After much gentle harassment Courtney has agreed to allow us to stock her Postcard Sets.

They are only $5.00 per set of five which is just amazing!

We've sold heaps already & we only popped them into stock yesterday afternoon! It is very difficult to choose Heads or Tails - but at her prices why force yourself to choose??

I simply cannot choose a favourite - I adore them ALL!

(Note:The images are from her site as the photos I took did them no justice at all! Pop over to her site to be tempted by her Prints & sets of Greeting Cards http://www.courtneybrims.com/ )

Tea?

http://totoroteahouse.wordpress.com/

Today the lovely Maddy Phelan from Totoro Tea House popped in to exchange flyers. They are part of the renew Newcastle Project.

She mentioned that they're looking for interested parties to utilise their space a tad more effectively:

"We have this amazing space on the Hunter Street Mall in Newcastle that is just sitting empty for four days of the week. We’d really love if you were to organise some events to take place in our shop: workshops, discussions, exhibitions, readings, launches, performances, private (tea)parties…
We have couches, tables + seating, free wifi, and a selection of delicious teas. If you’re interested in using the space then contact us at: totoro.teahouse@gmail.com "

So if you're interested email them!

Or, alternatively, if you love Vegan Food & Tea in every imaginable incarnation pop in & indulge your Self.

Butterflies & scarves...

My dear friend Kirrily just posted this clip on her Facebook.
I nabbed it immediately. Thanks Kirra!
Sean & I sat mesmorised watching it just now - exactly as we both used to nearly every single afternoon when ABC played it religiously when we were children. (We didn't know one another then obviously.) I just cannot get past how exotic/trippy the imagery was then. I really think it contributed to our aesthetic/style now.

There is actually a Facebook Group trying to get ABC to Bring back the Butterfly Ball if you want to join it!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?

I'm feeling all nostalgic now........so I looked up the "scarf dancers" too! Jen & I so wanted to be the girls in this filmclip!

Oh my goodness our childhoods were weird but inspiring!

YOU

"YOU is a free weekly paper zine that has appeared every week since November 2001. The zine is distributed in Australia by Sticky, Bird In The Hand Zine Distro and the Format Zine Shop, in the US by Microcosm Publishing and in the UK by Corn Dog Zine Distro (as well as many other friendly people across the zine world)."

We have it posted to us for our lovely Customers regularly by

http://www.stickyinstitute.com/

We like this one in particular.

Both for it's Bird Stamp & it's content.

Some people are pure inspiration.