If I were......

I found this over on Kate's blog a couple of days ago...then I saw it on Caroline's blog too so decided to join in. Why don't you play along too?


If I were a month I would be May.

If I were a day I'd be Friday.

If I were a time of day I'd be dawn.

If I were a planet I'd be Venus.

If I were a sea animal I'd be a dolphin.

If I were a direction I'd be East.

If I were a piece of furniture I'd be a cosy bed.

If I were a liquid I'd be fresh cool spring water.

If I were a gem stone I'd be amethyst.

If I were a tree I'd be a (Brachychiton Rupestris) Queensland bottle tree.

If I were a tool I'd be a paintbrush.   

If I were a flower I'd be a hibiscus.

If I were an element of weather I'd be a gentle sea-breeze.

If I were a musical instrument I'd be a guitar.

If I were a colour I'd be purple.

If I were an emotion I'd be compassion.

If I were a fruit I'd be a rock-melon (cantaloupe).

If I were a sound I'd be wind-chimes. 

If I were an element I'd be silver.

If I were a car I'd be a VW Kombi van.

If I were a food I'd be Indian Vindaloo Prawn curry.

If I were a place I'd be a tropical island.

If I were a material I'd be a soft, fluffy beach towel. 

If I were a taste I'd be chocolate mousse.

If I were a scent I'd be frangipani. 

If I were a body part I'd be an eye.

If I were a song I'd be Earth Song by Michael Jackson.

If I were a bird I'd be a kookaburra.

If I were a gift I'd be handmade.

If I were a city I'd be somewhere tropical.

If I were a door I'd be open.

If I were a pair of shoes I'd be thongs (flip-flops).

If I were a poem I would be Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

What would you be?

Love, light and peace

PHOTO MONDAY - My favourite colour

It was impossible for me to choose just one colour because, truth be known, I have more than one favourite colour.  In my childhood, my favourite colour was lime green and still holds a place in my heart.

my teens brought my love for purples and turquoise blues

magenta also gets a mention

my studio reflects my love of these colours

i also adore teals!

So, turquoise to teal blues, lime greens and purples = my fave colours

What is your favourite colour/s?

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Ooooooooops!!!  

I forgot to let you all know how you did in the 'Feet' matching challenge.   

Watch this space...........I'll be back (said in my best Schwarzenegger voice)

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Okay.....I'm back!

Last week, I put out a challenge for you to match the feet (pictured below) with their rightful owners.

...but guess what??

Nobody guessed correctly!

Pictured below are the rightful owners of the feet

Yes, those monstrosities DO belong to Aaron, poor kid.  He gets them from his father's side.

If you note Aaron's fingers (pictured below), you will see they match his nail-bitten feet too.  

I don't know how to stop him biting his nails....he's relentless!

Anywhoo, technically nobody won the challenge.....but I commend you all for a gallant and hilarious effort.

HOWEVER,

we loved reading your answers SO much that I decided to reward your efforts.

I put the names of ALL the people who participated into the draw.

So, without further ado.....

We had 13 entries

...which went into a bowl

Aaron did the honours

....and the winner is

Congratulations, Rita!!! 

Please email me your snail address and I will send you a prize.

Thanks again to all who participated ~ xo

Love, light and peace

Earth Hour

 Pigma Micron Pen, watercolour pencils & coloured pencils in A5 sketchbook

Click on image to enlarge

Last night we took part in Earth Hour so, at 8:30pm, we switched off all the lights and turned off computers and electrical appliances at the wall sockets for an hour. Aaron and I had planned to do some sketching by candlelight but that didn't last long when we discovered how difficult it was to see clearly with all the cast shadows and dim light from the candles.  We opted to leave the colouring part until today...definitely a job more suited to electrical lighting or daylight.   Eye-strain must have been quite common in generations gone by where reading by candlelight was the norm.   Bradley and I decided to sing a few songs together and then, Aaron joined us for a game of Eye Spy which had us all laughing heaps.  We enjoyed the quality time together and were happy to be part of the worldwide movement.

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I'm still playing with the new Designer templates and, again, your feedback is very much appreciated.  I like this one but then I don't, however, I'm not sure if that's because I'm used to a lighter background on my blog as I've never had a dark background on my blog before.   How do you find it?  Is the text clear enough?

Love, light and peace

May you rest in peace, Albie

Yesterday, Brad and I went to a service for Albie, a good friend of Mum and Dad's.  Albie lived with his wife, Joan, in the same over-50's village where my parents reside.  It was a beautiful service which Albie actually organised himself over the past year.  He was loved by many and lived a full and happy life.  I'm sure he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.  I paid personal tribute to him with a sketch in my journal.

Pigma Micron pen in A5 sketchbook

Click on the image to enlarge and see it more clearly.   I am fairly pleased with this quick - pen only - sketch as I did manage a good likeness that the kids easily recognised when I showed it to them.   I think I am finally over my fear of working in pen only.  I do like the more loose feel you get with pen.

Earth Hour is tonight so between 8:30pm and 9:30pm we will be turning off the lights, shutting down computers and turning off the TV. We may light a candle or two and do some sketching or reading by candlelight.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~ Love, light and peace ~

Under attack and........more Thailand pics

I'm not very happy at the moment. If you've been following my blog, you will know that, due to a very wet February, we have been dealing with a backyard swamp which has been host to a gazillion tadpoles and a vast variety of insects. The stench makes you squish your nose up in distaste. The past two weeks has been fairly dry weather-wise so the ground is drying up although the stagnant stench is still quite bad. These conditions have been perfect for encouraging even more pests and, over the past few days, the lawn has been getting eaten away by what I think is Army Worms. The owner seriously needs to install proper drainage as the swamp-like conditions were also to blame for the termite infestation we are currently being treated for. I've never rented a house with so many major issues before. Anywhoo, I sat under the awning of our front entrance this morning and did a quick sketch of the front lawn damage. I did some research on the net and, apparently, I need to hit the lawn with a fast-acting fertiliser to help bring it back to its former glory. I sure hope it works.

Pigma Micron pen in A5 sketchbook

Click on image for a clearer view

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Now for more Thailand pics

Click on any image to enlarge it

One day, Reece and Sarina hired a moped and went for a ride to the Phuket zoo. Reece said that the conditions for the animals were very poor by Australian standards so it was bitter-sweet for him in some ways. He's a bit of a softie like his Mum. This is the part of Thailand I would probably have a hard time coping with although I do understand that it's a different culture and it's their livelihood. However, it doesn't stop me feeling bad for wild animals in captivity anywhere, let alone when it's under poor conditions and chained up. These poor tigers should be out roaming free. :(

Born to be wild.....hehe

A sphinx......yes......in Thailand!

To infinity....and beyond

Sarina riding a rhino

The actual entrance to the aquarium

And that's all for today, folks.

~ Love, light and peace ~

PHOTO MONDAY - Match ALL the feet with their rightful owners and....

.....go into a draw for a chance to win a small painted, or handmade, gift from me.

For the Photo Monday theme this week, Sue chose the topic - FEET.  As it's my birthday today, I thought I'd add a fun spin on the photo theme and turn it into a challenge for my readers.  As the title states, all you have to do is match ALL the feet correctly with their rightful owners and you will go into a draw.  You can list your answer in a comment on THIS post or email me at the address shown in my profile.  If your name is chosen in the draw....you win a handmade gift from me!!!  This opportunity is not limited to our Photo Group members so, if you have a blog, you can play along too.  I hope you enjoy the challenge but, as I'm not really a foot person myself, I do understand and apologise in advance if our feet gross you out.

--- click on the image to enlarge it ---

I will do the draw and post the winner on Monday, March 29th......

GOOD LUCK!

~ Love, light and peace ~

MONDAY PHOTO GROUP - Changing Seasons

The theme for this week was to photograph the season's changes. Here in sub-tropical Queensland we really don't see seasonal changes, even in winter. Our autumn season started on March 1st and, while there may be deciduous trees growing somewhere, there aren't any in my neck of the woods so I can't really meet the requirements for this week's theme.

Anywhoo, here are some other pics of nature around my pergola and backyard which, at the moment, remains a stinky, stagnant swampland due to all the rain we've had this past month.

Remember you can click any image to enlarge it.

The seeds in the pic below belong to my potted snake plant.

They remind me of teensy mandarins.

Last month, I took a cutting from Michelle's Crassula Ovata plant, commonly known as a Money Plant in this region. Mum took a cutting at the same time but her cutting didn't take. My Mum!...the person who just has to look at a plant and it flourishes overnight.Yes, I'm bragging because my plants always look anorexic compared to my Mum and Dad's plants. I was stoked that my cutting actually took and you can see the new leaf growth in the pic below.

My African Milk Tree - botanical. Euphorbia Trigona - is trying to break through the eaves! What am I to do??? Should I just cut it back? It's actually bending. This plant was gifted to me by my daughter, Michelle, close to eight years ago and then, it was under 4" tall. I have given Michelle and my Mum cuttings from it too and they are doing extremely well.

If you enlarge the next pic, you will be able to see a tadpole, which is one of hundreds swimming gleefully around the backyard. My research tells me that these are toad tadpoles...YUCK! I hate cane toads! I'll be very glad when I get my backyard back. I only hope the grass recovers from all the slime and sludge.

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I'm sick........my throat kills, I feel nauseous the majority of the time, and I'm feeling quite sorry for myself right now. I had to cancel my student coming for an art class today. I've been attempting to work on some gifties for my Pay It Forward recipients so I can't show any pics of those until they have been finished, shipped off, and received. However, here is a quick watercolour and pen EveryDayMatters sketch I did the other day before I got sick.

Watercolour and Pigma Micron pen in A5 sketchbook

I'm now off to rest in front of the telly....enjoy your week!

Love, light and peace

Thai Temple Tour

Hi everyone,

I know I was supposed to be back days ago to post more pics from Reece (my son) and Sarina's (Reece's girlfriend) recent trip to Thailand but life gets in the way sometimes. Better late than never, right?

Anywhoo...as promised...

The following pics are from a day out touring temples. There were lots of temples to see and each were spectacular in their own right. I have chosen just a few pics from the many Reece and Sarina took.

Remember you can click any image to enlarge it

Standing in front of a temple entrance


Inside one of the temples


Reece (below) standing beside a huge Resting Buddha
...it was impossible for them to get the whole Buddha in a single shot


A stunning red and gold temple


I like the perspective of this one


These (below) are tombs. Reece was told that the tombs are decorated in a mosaic fashion using pieces of chinaware/crockery. Apparently, local restaurants send any broken chinaware/crockery to the craftspeople and it is also used to create these stunning designs.


The Buddha sculptures are quite impressive and,
according to Reece and Sarina, this one was huge!


The Buddha below is solid Thai gold


The Buddha pictured below is under construction and massive in size.
Reece said that it can be seen from anywhere in Thailand.


Reece being Reece


...and Sarina being Sarina


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I've been playing around with Blogger's new templates which are available via Blogger in Draft. Click here to read more about it. I'm impressed with how easy it is to use. The new Template Designer has lots of adjustment capabilities for personalisation of your blog. I'd appreciate it if you would let me know if you have any problem with my blog loading, thanks ~

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It was Michelle's birthday today and she and Alex came over for lunch. Mum and Dad were here also and we all had a nice, relaxing time together. I hope your weekend was restful and happy too.

Love, light and peace

MONDAY PHOTO-A-WEEK - What am I?

I have long, hairy ears



A long fluffy tail



I have cute, little paws



I have big brown eyes....all the better to see you with



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I am
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Serena's fur-kid.....CODY!!!!


Here I am sporting my 'take pity on me and put that camera away' look...
...seriously, I know I'm adorable but GEEZ, how many darned photos does she need of me???!!



Psssssssssssssssssssst!!!......yes, YOU there in front of the computer!!! Could you please tell my Mum that scissor-trimming her fur-kid should be a crime and that she does a lousy job of it? I've threatened to run away from home if she ever humiliates me like this again but I don't think she's taking me seriously.


Here I am snoozing in the bed I use while my Mum works at the computer



Here I am on my Mum's bed where I sleep at night



Sometimes, I like to play 'hide and seek' and Mum's wardrobe is my favourite place to hide



I hope you enjoyed my little game of - WHAT AM I?
Love and big doggy smooches to you!

More sketches and some Thailand pics

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying a lovely weekend. It has still been raining on and off here to the point where some areas in Queensland suffered the worst floods they've had in over a century. My backyard is still like a swamp after three weeks and, for three nights straight, I barely got any sleep because the frogs and toads were making dreadfully loud noises all night long. That is not an exaggeration either.....the sounds vibrated throughout the house and we could barely hear the TV or ourselves talk for that matter. Over the week, I did manage a couple more pages in my Nature and Animal journal using photo references from pics I have taken recently.

Watercolour and Pigma Micron pen in A4 sketchbook
Click on any image to enlarge

Watercolour, a little coloured pencil, and Pigma Micron pen in A4 sketchbook

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As mentioned in a previous post, Reece and Sarina arrived back on Saturday, Feb. 27th, from their holiday to Thailand. They had a fabulous time and took lots of pics while they were there so I thought I'd show you a few pics each day over the next week or so. One of the highlights for them was the elephant rides through the jungle.

I LOVE this pic of them on the elephant.
Remember to click on images to enlarge.











More tomorrow.....

Love, light and peace