Moving on...

I had a shock start Tuesday morning - I received an Infringement Notice from 
Etsy saying I'm no longer allowed to use 3 Sheets as a shop name and have 
to change all these things on my shop. I was totally blown away. Not only that 
they said that I'm not allowed to talk about it on any public forums until the 
issue has been resolved. 

Well, to my mind, it has been 'resolved' now because I have changed the name 
of my Etsy shop... did you notice? Kylie3Sheets is no more... I'm Paravent now. 
So, 'issue resolved' as far as they are concerned, but I still need some advice. 
Do you have time for a long read? Can you give me your opinion please?






Okay, so back to a bit of background... First of all you might be wondering "Why?"
I instantly knew who was behind it because I've been harrassed and bullied by 
another Etsy seller (and no I won't say who) since the beginning of the year. 
She took out a US trademark on the name Three Sheets to the Wind last year 
and wishes to enforce that even as far as small-fish sellers who have only a
part of this name. Anyway, she has got Etsy on her side (probably because they
are a US company and this is a US patent) so I understand from their point of view.




But that doesn't mean I haven't been very upset... Upset at the sheer mean-ness 
and unnecessary behaviour and tactics. The Mr and some friends were all for 
fighting the bully but I just didn't want to have anything more to do with her. I find 
Etsy really easy and I'm comfortable with it. So if I can't be 3 Sheets there then I 
guess I have to change everything... 


I started thinking it was time for a fresh new start. If you're handed lemons, make 
lemonade right? So, I changed the shop name to Paravent (french for folding screen) 
which I really like because it's kind of a quirky play on words with screen printing 
and I love the imagery of the folding panels etc. But then I realised I have to 
re-brand everything otherwise it's messy, so I set up a new Paravent blog and
facebook page... and that's as far as I've got... I could have done more but I've 
just stopped.





It's suddenly hit me this means giving up 3 Sheets totally... and I'm having a crisis 
of confidence over my 'fresh new start' idea. Do I really want to throw away the baby 
with the bathwater..? I mean, the only place I can't use 3 Sheets is in the States, but 
do I really want to have two identities / blogs / facebook pages and all the confusion 
that will inevitably come with it? Also, it's true that there are so many 3 Sheets (so 
common, my dear!)... 


Floating over all of this is embarrassment... I mean, such a small-fish swimming in 
a very large pool... who's going to know or care one way or the other! ;) Maybe I'm
just looking for reassurance. (So needy! So pathetic!) I just need to move on, don't I?
None of this is important I guess. 


Maybe this is just good to let you know what has been going on....

Stay tuned for the Paravent launch :)

I want to live here...

I need some cheering up and these images are just the ticket. 
I love these houses and their gorgeous bits of fun :) The pink house 
below was snapped by photographer Marianne Kjølner in Denmark.





I love a bit of wonk too... aren't these trees amazing? This picture was
taken by Kurt Manley. It reminds me of the Cat in the Hat movie :)





Re: feeling blue... I'm not allowed to talk about what's happening on 
"public forums" but perhaps I can hint that nasty things are happening 
with my shop.

19 years... really?

How did that happen..? Why does that suddenly seem like such a surreal 
amount of time? So, yes, 19 years ago the Mr and I married in New Farm 
Park at the rose garden. 
Friends brought along a mini keyboard and sang "There's Power in the 
Union" and we had some wedding photos taken in the then-industrial area 
of Teneriffe where all the empty Wool Store Warehouses stood like abandoned 
skeletons amongst fields of debris and pampas grass! OMG, how 90s is this? :)






It's all a chi-chi riverside development now... actually, I went running along the 
river walk there with my daughter this morning... Funny how life can turn full 
circles sometimes :) 
Okay, I'm rambling. I'll stop now. 
Happy Labor Day!!!

Last night

We went to see the HooDoo Gurus at The Tivoli last night and they were 

amazing - great energy and plenty of take-me-back memories. 

But the real treat (for me anyway!) was discovering the 5678s...

FABULOUS!

You might know them from Kill Bill where they sing Woo Hoo..?

If you want to see them, I think there are still tickets for the Sydney 

and Melbourne concerts :)

(This is the first time I've downloaded a video from my iPhone!)

hello 45 :)

Another year, another number... I really like being in my 40s... 
they're going quickly though! Halfway to 90 people ;)


I'm off to lunch today with my mum, aunty and sister.
Hope you have a great day too! x

Identity

My big girl came home with her year 10 English assignment the other day... 
she has to write a personal reflection on what it is to be Australian and do a 
presentation. It was a difficult concept for her because she said she doesn't 
feel Australian; she doesn't identify with any of the generalisations with 
which we are constantly bombarded. 


I couldn't think of a thing to say... I don't feel Australian either. We talked 
about the nature of identity and how it can be formed in many different ways. 
I made a flippant comment: The only time I feel Australian is when I'm overseas!


And then I came across this image....

My Home is the Sea by Matt Wisniewski

It vividly reminded me of when we used to live in London and how I longed 
to see the sea. The Mr and I would hire a car and drive to Brighton or 
Ilfracombe in North Devon and just gaze at it for ages, taking in our fill. This, 
then, reminded me of how I also used to long to smell freshly cut grass... 
weird I know ;)


Anyway, in the way of meandering thought processes.... it all made me realise 
that I am very Australian, inside me, at some integral spot... I really need vast 
spaces every so often to feel at ease, and for me that is symbolised by the sea. 
I'm guessing because I spent so much of my childhood at the beach. Also, the 
smell of freshly cut grass is symbolic of our outdoors way of living here. Again 
from childhood, it's warm summer days spent playing outside.


Of course, my big girl can't use my reflections but I'm hoping this will help her 
come up with something meaningful for herself.


How about you? Do you feel Australian, or wherever you're from? Do you feel 
connected to where you were born or can you only see these connections when 
you're far away from there? I'd love to hear what you think :)

Happy 2012!

There have been good times and bad this year... but so many occasions 
to be grateful and thankful. Thanks for your kindness and support :)
Here's to a wonderful 2012!

Remembering

It would be my friend Eileen's 85th birthday today. She passed away in 
September, just days before I was supposed to meet up with her in London.





We became friends 12 years ago now. She was 'the old lady' who lived in 
the basement of our Victorian redbrick in South Hampstead, London. (We 
lived in the top floor flat.)






When my eldest started nursery I found myself at a loss. For two years she'd 
been with me constantly and I no longer knew who I was without her by my 
side. I wandered into the cafe across the road and there was Eileen. 
We talked about books and social justice issues, philosophy and art... In 
many ways she brought me back to myself.


Over the last 10 years or so we've met up every year when I've travelled over 
there for the trade fair. And throughout those years we have exchanged 
countless letters. Eileen hated computers and loved the written word. She would
send a fabulous array of clippings on subjects she knew I was interested in and
we'd have these amazing debates over issues via letter. 
She was a prolific writer of novels too. Every couple of months there'd be a
bulging A4 brown envelope in my letterbox with the latest installment from
her oeuvre. 


I still can't believe she's gone... and I miss her. It sets me to thinking about the 
special people who come into our lives... Older people who have so much to 
share with those willing to listen. I was fortunate enough to have four people like 
that in my life, and now they are all gone. 


Sorry, I'm getting a bit soppy here, aren't I? I could ramble on for ages but I guess 
I'll leave it there...


Do you have someone special like this in your life? 
Feel free to remember them in the comments :)

Mish mash

This is my mish mash for June. 

I'm loving the molecular unit I bought on Etsy from CathodeBlue.

I'm thinking of my friend Sally who made this button circle for me 

and wondering when I'm going to make the effort and ring her.

I want to start screenprinting and blockprinting again but 

I just can't tear myself away from crochet.

I'm loving having flowers in the house :)

I'm thinking of my dad and how this little boy would have been 78 this month.

I'm loving that the Mr and my Little One love their guitars and that they have marmalade sessions together... you know, not quite as good as jam? ;)


Oh yes, and I've been obsessed with triangles this month.

Hope it's a lovely weekend for all :)

Inspiration for mishmash from the original misher-masher, Renilde :)

What's Going On...?

This is what I've been doing lately...

mostly because I'm so frustrated with what's been happening on my computer.

Firstly, Blogger wouldn't let me follow any more blogs. It said I'd reached my limit of 300 and that was it. I either had to go through and un-follow some blogs or find another way to keep up with new finds. Okay, I thought, maybe I can set up my own bookmarking system... not happy though.

Then, all of a sudden, I couldn't leave comments on blogs that I love 

and have commented on for ages. No explanation, no apparent reason why... It just won't let me anymore. Not happy.

Finally, after a day of blogger being 'down' I notice that half of the comments on my blog have just disappeared... I still can't leave comments on a host of blogs and even comments of mine I've left previously have disappeared on other people's sites...

What's going on?

Are any of these things happening to anyone else?

I'd love some feedback or advice, if you have any :)




Lovely Mady has given me a link that pretty much covers all of the Blogger chaos of late. Find it here for a read (also good to know this site for any future probs!) Thanks Mady! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Australian mums (and to mothers everywhere, of course!)

This was my beautiful present - a silver cloud and black pearl pendant... so in love :)

I've had a lovely lunch with my mother and sister and our respective families.

Hope you've had a great day too :)

18 years

It's our wedding anniversary today. I'm not really a big ring wearer but I've just discovered this morning that my wedding ring fits me again... The other one is my present :) 
Must remember to wear them now ;) 

Happy Labour Day!

Grand designs

I've been looking at some of my birthday presents and am struck by the volume of good design out there. What do you think of these lovelies?... can you guess what they are?

Paper napkins! Design is everywhere these days... maybe it always was?

My sister gave me some wonderful towels from design-legend Orla Kiely...

... and the Mr did promise (and plant) me a rose garden. More of a grand design, symbolic and decorative :) I'm feeling very privileged, lucky + loved.

Hope it's a good weekend for you too.

44

Times like these you think about the years that have gone by...

So much has happened but it really isn't that long when you think about it.

Count the years by haircuts, start blond but end black.

Thinking of growing my hair again...

What a funny thing it is to be getting older and yet be feeling so much younger at heart.

[Perhaps this is a middle-aged ramble!]

Happy Birthday to Me :)

We're fine :)

Firstly, big apologies and thank you to everyone who emailed and phoned to see if we were okay during the Brisbane floods! I'm so sorry you worried about us... we were at a lovely cabin in the rainforest without mobile access and not even bothering with TV. We had NO IDEA about what was going on! Thankfully, our home was not affected but this is a photo of another street in our area...

photo credit: Michelle Smith

I feel guilty that we were so high and dry and totally oblivious. I hope all the other bloggers in Australia affected by these floods are okay. Thanks again to everyone who was worried about us... I have a few emails to get through but I will be in touch soon :)

Great minds...

I've just been wandering around blogland for the first time in a while and have just had a bit of a shock... Am I seeing things or is this "Triangle Flowers" design at Bookhou from 16th August incredibly similar to my 'posts and triangles' atomic design posted on 27th July?

I'm not suggesting that Arounna has copied my design. I've loved and admired her work for a while now. It's just kind of freaky that we've both come up with something so similar and yet expressed so differently. Is it that old issue about drawing inspiration from the same design pool? Do you see the likeness or am I just seeing things?

To make matters even more freaky... I've been thinking about printing up a stripe design identical to this one (below). It is Arounna's work too and I've just seen it for the first time just a moment ago! It's such a strange feeling. Of course I can't do it now but I really wanted to make this design so I'm feeling a bit frustrated about that too ;)

I'm not making accusations here... I just can't quite get over the freaky serendipity. Do visit Bookhou - it is such a magnificent blog and Arounna's work is so beautiful.

What's the saying...? Great minds think alike and fools never differ ;)

Soon to be Creative Space

Things will (hopefully) be looking a lot clearer around here now... I've finally bought a new camera! I love it :) Is it too shallow to love it as much for it's gorgeous blue colour as for what it can do?

You'll find people being actually creative and not at all shallow over at Kirsty's ;)

Summer fern

Just playing around with patterns and fern fronds found in the garden. I've just ordered this book, found via KT Doyle. Can't wait for it to arrive. Have a lovely weekend :)

Winners are grinners :)

It's our 17th wedding anniversary today :) This photo was taken just after we'd become engaged.

Now, what about the giveaway winners....? Randomly chosen, and proudly modelled, by the Little One...

Embroidered brooch - Evie @ Handmade Romance

Pen + Wash painting - Penny @ Sosewpoppy

Felt Brooch - Kate @ Fox Lane

Congratulations to the winners!! I'll be in touch soon. Have a great long weekend! :) Kx

See Right Through Me...

I'm in Sydney for the next couple of days so I won't be around to visit all my favourite blogs... and in some kind of spooky synchronicity, lovely Sydney-sider Susie at Flowerpress has posted an interview with me. Thanks Susie :)

p.s. I should mention this interview comes with a 'bad mother' warning ;)

Apologies for not giving an attribution for this photo... I just can't remember where I found it.