hey emmaline, you'll be looking forever

I love gossip. I can’t help myself – I like to know everything about everyone which is why I’d make the finest stalker this side of Sydney.

I also like drama. I like dramas on TV (hello Foxtel IQ, my enabler). I didn’t like drama as a subject at high school because I’m THE worst actress (OH MY GOSH. I LOVE THIS PRESENT SO MUCH. THANK YOU. I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED THIS EXACT SET OF TEA TOWELS, HOW DID YOU KNOW?!.. convincing no?), but I thrive on a little bit of drama in day to day life. It keeps things interesting no?

Me and Owen aren’t exactly the most exciting people around – in fact everyone uses the word “laid-back” to describe him. My word is usually “neurotic” (What’s with that?!).

But you can imagine that somewhere between a laid-back guy and an overly neurotic girl lives at least a little bit of drama. And you would be correct.

I can slam a door louder than the rest of the apartment block cares to know. And boy does that laid-back guy of mine know a thing or two about the silent treatment.
We niggle each other like no bodies business. At dinner parties we are sometimes outright mean to each other – but never in a mean way. Does that make sense? No not really.

Well either way, we’ve always been this way. I remember annoying the hell out of him our entire high school friendship by calling him a cynical crank. Deep down I just wanted to flirt with him. And nothing says “I like you” than insulting someone’s personality to their face right? Safe to say he didn’t get the gist until a few years later when I fell on his cute noggin in a pool, rendering him unconscious (another story for another day).

Don’t get me wrong – we do like each other! We actually do love each other, I swear it! But we also like to bug each other… and after eight years together I think I’m qualified to say it works… at the very least for us.

Which is why I didn’t bat an eyelid when I received the below email today.

And truth be told… I WAS being a narcissist.

I do this thing where I spend all day listening to songs with my name in the title. Is this unique to me? Or does everyone do this? Please tell me the later or I’ll feel like a jerk.

Emma isn’t a super common name, but common enough to pop up in quite a few song titles… especially if I decide my name is actually Emmaline/Emaline/Emily/Roxanne.

I’m not daft enough to pretend they’re singing about me, but it’s nice to hear your name in song… even if it’s Big Leg Emma by Frank Zappa (this one hits too close to home… with thighs like these who needs enemies?)

In fact, it’s by being a giant narcissist that I came up with the name Hey Emmaline – taken directly from the chorus of Bodyjar song. In short, my brand of cutesy “sweetheart” teapots are in fact named after an Australian punk-rock band from the late 90s. A great match!

And all of that is a very convoluted way of talking about Hey Emmaline and the fact that I’ve added a few new items to the shop.

I’ve just decorated a couple of coffee/tea mugs with some cute red designs. Generally speaking my non-custom stuff doesn’t sell as well… but thought I’d try again. No harm done!

First up is this set of four mugs with kisses and polka dots – my favourite things in the whole wide world

 And then next is this little lonely mug, covered in hearts which I’m a bit smitten with.

Hope you like ‘em!

Food, glorious food! (aka why the words body fat percentage shouldn't exist)

Hello!

How’s about this weather? FINALLY we can stop making kitchen small talk about the rain. Actually I was grateful for the rain, I’m pretty bad at small talk. Standing waiting for the lift you can guarantee my inner monologue is sounding like this… “OH GOD. IT’S SOMEONE FROM WORK. I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM! WHAT SHOULD I DO? SHOULD I ASK ABOUT THEIR DAY? MAYBE I CAN JUST AVOID EYE CONTACT AND PRETEND I DIDN’T NOTICE THEM?!”. And then I invariably take the stairs.

But it’s so nice to see some sun! I walked to work twice this week which I think is pretty impressive! It’s a bit over an hour each way, but after my soul crushing fitness assessment on Monday I might make it a little more regular along with my newly regular gym visits. As someone who has lived in ignorance of their body fat percentage for 26 years, may I suggest you never find out yours? It's for the greater good, I was not good company for the proceeding hour... or day.

Which is whyyyy I’ve banished all forms of chocolate from my life until April 1^st. I was going to give it up until Easter for lent, but I’m not religious and the thought of NO chocolate hot cross buns before Easter made me weep (I blame Kelly for posting a picture of them on FB... I had almost forgotten them!). I actually woke up in a cold sweat after I’d made my pact, and have since amended it and given myself one week pre-Easter for bun-scoffing. However for the next month or so, no dice. Which means no more of the below…

My favouriteeeee slice – blondies! Blondes do have more fun, especially in chocolate form. And don’t you start me on that “white chocolate isn’t real chocolate" tirade. I don’t want a bar of it, I do want a bar of white chocolate however.

And no more of my absoluteeeee favourite sweet ever. White chocolate and raspberry bullets. These things are worse than crack, I’m not even kidding. Which is why I forced them upon my nearest and dearest at work for V-Day!. I’m so nice like that! 

PS How cute are the bags I picked up in Daiso for 115 yen? Love them! (As a side note, have any people been to both Daiso in Japan and Chatswood? If so, how does the Chatswood version stack up?)

And no more Kit Kats. Le sigh. This baby was a Hokkaido special – rockmelon! Rockmelons/cantaloupes are like gold in Tokyo. I saw one going for the equivalent of $40 AUD. Ridic, no?! I don’t even really like rockmelon and this tasted amazing. Definitely better than wasabi Kit Kats which I will avoid from now until forever.

But I can still eat other yummies. Like... these amazing housemade bagels with ricotta and homemade jam from Cafe Ella in Redfern. YUM and so freaking cheap.

Wish me luck! I have a sneaking suspscion many a bagel will be consumed to fill the gaping void that chocolate has left in my Feb-March life. And fail to help me in my mission to decrease/forget my body fat % x

from head to toe

From a young age I was obsessed with the musical Annie. Y’see my brother, at the tender age of eleven, had the much coveted role of Daddy Warbucks in the Lugarno Public School production. I was a little star struck by the glamour that is a primary school musical and longed to have the part of Annie. I was all of eight years old and not even part of the school choir, nor a particularly good singer and I didn’t even audition! And let’s not even get into how confusing it would have been to have my brother play my adopted father. Suffice to say my Broadway dreams ended that year.

But I did pester my parents into buying me a copy of the movie on VHS, which in the year 1994 was a tougher task than you might appreciate. My thanks to them was a nightly bathtime performance, ranging from Maybe to Tomorrow and back again. And even now if I’m feeling nostalgic Owen might be privy to a heart-warming rendition of I Don’t Need Anything But You… but I try and keep that to a minimum.

One of the best songs – and sentiments – from the movie version of Annie was You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile. Check it out (ps cutest orphans ever, who taught them to shimmy?! I’m looking at you Carol Burnett.

And while I like to believe I subscribe to message of the song, I think I often have a case of chronic bitch face. And to be honest, I’d like to think I’m fully dressed when smiling, frowning, pouting or giving a serious case of stink eye. I don’t particularly want to worry about being “naked” by these standards, when I’m hysterically crying during A Walk To Remember.

But I digress, the whole point of this post was that I wanted to post an outfit I would love to buy had I not just spent all my money in a foreign country and signed up for a mortgage. And the reason I thought of this song in Annie was I knew they used the line “Head to Toe”… except in hindsight line is actually “it’s what you wear from ear to ear, and not from head to toe”. SO sure, this might be going against the whole premise of the song – but let’s pretend somewhere between head to toe there is a smiling face shall we?

Dress: This cute as a boot dress is from Vanilla & Lace. I actually have this dress in a different fabric and can I tell you how supremely impressed I was? The fit is gorgeous and the quality was incredibe – and to think it’s all handmade for that $60 price tag? Amazing! Buy it buy it buy it. I’m thinking this mustard version may have to find its way to me.

Brooch: I think a this brooch set from Made By White  is unbelievably sweet! These ladies can do no wrong in my book.

Shoes: I’m not a short lady and in fact I’m probably taller than 95% of my friends. But I still enjoy a high heel as much as the rest of you. In fact, maybe more because I have cankles and heels help them look a little less… cankley (yup that’s an adjective. Just ask Richard Morecroft.. okay don’t, I might look silly). And these funkis look like they would do the job nicely!
Headband: This headband from Sunshine & Carousels is dreamy. And pretty reasonably priced too I might add.

Oh and make sure you add that smile somewhere in there... that way the start of thi blog post kind-of-vaguely-but-not-really, links to the end. Tadaaaaa!

Seems you've created your own illusion

It’s safe to say I’ve had an acute case of the post-holiday blues these last three weeks. I almost cried on three separate occassions at work in my first week back, for no other reason than the simple fact that I was no longer in Japan. So want to know how I got around this? Total denial. I’m still in Japan and don’t even try to convince me otherwise.

This has been achieved in a couple of ways…

1.     Visiting every Japanese convenience store in the CBD and never leaving empty handed. Often I just stand and stare and try to pretend I know what food groups I'm looking at. Also it has resulted in so.much.calpis.drinking.

2.     Listening to songs on repeat that remind me of my holiday. This song was playing in every single corner of Shibuya all day every day and I’m not even remotely prone to exaggeration on this one. Also I don’t care that I can’t understand the lyrics or the Vietnamese subtitles in this particular video. I love it all the same, or perhaps more because of it.

3.     Eating onigiri for lunch and mochi for dessert even though I didn’t eat either of those foods while actually in Japan.

4.     Getting the lovely man-friend to make me okonomiyaki and me then adding unhealthy amounts of mayo

5.     Eating bowlfuls of frozen edamame. Actually I didn't read the instructions where it tells you to let them thaw for an hour... so I microwaved them and lived to tell the tale. Delicious and only $2.85 which sure beats the $6 you pay for a bowl half the size in most restaurants. But I think their claim to "slightly salted" actually means "no salt has touched these beans so you should add a shaker-full" cos that's what I did.

6.     Buying all the things I should have bought on holidays, but didn’t, on eBay after the fact. The fact that this cover actually hinders some functions of my iPhone is of little significance to me because this thing is freaking CUTE. Plus you can even download an app with her face on it. YUP.

7.     Kit Kats. I don't even eat them... more often than not I just pull them out and stare at them lovingly.

8.     Listening to the happy sounds and alerts of the JR Yamanote train line found here courtesy of one of my new favourite blogs melon soda. Only Japan could make you miss catching public transport. I can't tell you how weirdly soothing this is.

So based on the evidence of the above eight steps, I am still in Tokyo and its unseasonably warm for winter! And suddenly all my friends have also relocated here too, which was a pleasant surprise. What is it they say... fake it til you make it? Oh man am I faking it.


But in other less delusional news - hey, emmaline! is back open for business in 2012. So if you have an engagement party of a wedding coming up, or just know someone who really likes their tea then check it out here! The shop is looking a little bare at the moment because I've had quite a few orders, but it'll be updated all the time. And check out the new postcards I designed and ordered last week. I love 'em... even if I did get the link to my shop wrong on them. HA... I only wish I was kidding.

PS I will post more holiday goodness once I’ve come crashing down to earth and finally accept I’m no longer in Japan… so that could be days or it could be weeks. Only time will tell!

Ohayo!

In one week I'll be in Shibuya! I can't even begin tell you how excited I am... oh wait, yes I can. I'M REALLY EXCITED!!

I've been a busy bee, between getting a new (read: BETTER) job and finally leaving the nest that is my family home of 26 years, blogging has taken a back seat. Maybe even the back seat on a bus I'm not even on? Oh how philosophical of me. But seriously folks, this has been a full on six months and I think I need a nap.

New home is fun! It's tiny, but it's cute and most importantly its ours. We're getting on like a house on fire... sometimes the kind of fire that makes you want to leap from the window with your prized family heirlooms... but more often than not it's a happy, loving fire that makes me want to beam in a really smug way that probably makes other people want to punch me. I absolutely love having his company almost all of the time. I'd like to say all the time but that's a lie because living together now suddenly involves a lot of UFC watching.

That said, I still have pangs of missing home and I always miss my mum and dad. I don't think the cord is cut just yet.... maybe I just attached an extension cord to said umbilical cord. Yes I'm going to be 26 in a week, what's it to you?

I won the Christmas tree war. I campaigned for 12 solid months that I would have a Christmas tree in our tiny flat and tears were shed (I wish I was joking), I was ultimately victorious! So what did I do? Buy the tackiest Christmas tree I could find of course, thank you Target. It's red! I love her in all her gaudy glory. She stands 1.2 metres tall.. and I bought 24 metres of lights to string around her. I like to think she's wrapped up in love... and 24 metres of LEDs.

I caught up with one of my oldest and dearest friends who I hadn't seen for an age. We (well at least I) had so much fun - we spent a good 20 minutes debating the name of the quirky science teacher with the really long fingernails (Mr Williams FYI... might save you 20 minutes one day), gossiped in a (mostly) harmless way about who was doing what and/or who. And we somehow got onto the subject of nuclear physics, which was explained with help from a humble salt shaker.

Safe to say that conversation had my undivided attention.

We had LION CUBS come into work. Sorry but I think that the words LION CUBS deserve some serious capitalisation. They were beyond cute and I'm pretty sure everyone in the office made at least one attempt to steal them that day. The other month we had zombies in the office (not quite worth of capitalisation but close). Safe to say, things are always interesting at the new job.

And this last weekend we had a cardboard party. Seriously, this theme is amazing. It costs NOTHING except your time and maybe the muscle between your thumb and forefinger from cutting a lot of thick cardboard... um ouch. Nothing like last minute inspiration (aka google search) to get you moving. We repurposed our old TV box into everyone's favourite arcade game characters. I'm not one to gloat (okay maybe I am... but that's just because I know I'm good. SERIOUSLY KIDDING, I'm not, I suck.) but these costumes looked pretty good considering we started making them 20 minutes after the party was due to actually start. Hooray procrastination! I was the ghost because I have the nervous eye thing down pat and Owen likes to eat a lot ie. the perfect Pacman.

I kind of want to keep them on our walls in all their spilt wine and nacho-cheese-cornchip-smeared glory. A testament to a fun night out with great friends and silly costumes. We ended up with about 3 friendly police cars driving past and giggling at our costumes.

Anyway. That is a long, rambling and possibly annoying account of a few things I've been doing in the last couple of months :) Love love!

It's Tuesday, I'm in love.

Happy Tuesday! Tuesday is officially the worst day of the week – I kid you not. There is none of Monday’s post-weekend glow about it, nor Friday’s dizzy anticipation. But surely Tuesday isn’t entirely without merit – for example if you’re a big Packed to the Rafters fan then I’m sure you’re fond of Tuesdays. Me? Not such a big Rafters fan (sorry Carbo), but this particular Tuesday is looking pretty good – a whole 27 degrees are waiting outside my door to envelope me in all their Vitamin D glory.

This picture perfect weather seems like the perfect time to show off the Spring wreath mum and I put together one lazy Sunday morning (as opposed to all those active Sunday morning… ha!).

We bought it at Paper Source in San Fran over a year ago and, due to my easily distracted nature, 12 months passed before I actually sat down and made it. But it was easy peasy, and incredibly satisfying!

The kit comes with all the flowers already cut out – so all you need to do is play paper florist and get arranging! I won’t lie, there is a little bit of folding involved too, but that’s about as tough as it gets. And, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think it looks cute!

It’s so bright and cheery and perfect for Spring. And it only cost $20 – amazing! I’m all for doing things from scratch, but I’m also a fan of the easy option, which in this case involved us handing over $20 (who am I kidding... there was no us, it was mum) rather than me spending hours tracing, cutting and in all probability giving up. I’m sure both options would have been equally satisfying… particularly the one that involves me finishing the project.

So here’s to finishing projects – even if they’re relatively easy ones! And here’s to the projects we’d rather avoid… like cleaning bedrooms. When Instragram can’t make your room look pretty, well that my friend is when you know you’re in real trouble. So.. how's about that weather?

insert blog title here

Sometimes I wonder what the people at Myer must think of me when they look at my buying history.What is one woman doing with all those teapots?! I’m pretty sure I’m known “that crazy teapot girl”. To be honest, if you’re buying two of the same white teapot, it might not raise an eyebrow. But when you’re buying 22? It usually looks a little something like this…

I’m a-okay with it! If you’re going to be notoriously crazy about something, why not teapots? I like teapots better than cats and you can bet hurling teapots at people isn’t going to get you in trouble with PETA… unless you hurl a teapot at a cat and then you’re just sick. Anyway no one is hurling anything at anyone so why don’t you all just put your teapots down and take a deep breath.

Phew, that was close.

Anyway I prefer the term quirky to crazy. Quirky is the most polite way you can tell someone they’re a little left of centre (or right, let’s not get political) and you can bet I’ve been told that once or twice in my life time. I’ve also been called feral by a uni lecturer… as in “Emma I didn’t recognise you, you normally look more feral than that” end quote…and it was apparently meant as a compliment. To me as a feral or as a slightly more polished feral, I’m still not sure but it was about six years ago and you can bet I haven’t forgotten (or forgiven. I kid! Always forgive…).

But enough of my petty (yet impressive) grudge holding abilities. One thing I’ve always liked about Japan is that they’re also a little quirky! I’ve been getting pretty (read: very) excited for our trip to Japan in December so I’ve been blog stalking like crazy and trying to pick up some good tips (let me know if you have any - I’ll love you forever!). Along the way I discovered Mameshiba. Words fail me on this one so you’ll have to  read the below and watch. Hope you love it as much as I do!

It might as well be Spring

It's Spring!! I say it with enthusiasm and a touch of false confidence, considering it was a little gray and chilly when I left for work this morning. But who cares - those degrees, they're on the up and up from here on in.

The mere thought of Spring can literally put a spring in your step (okay there is nothing literal about that... metaphorically just didn't sound as good) and make you look all goofy and smiley. Even when you're chained to your desk, completely devoid of any Vitamin D and a "toasty" 18 degrees thanks to your work's overly efficient aircon (speaking from experience? never...).

My favourite Springy/Winter Hating thoughts include:

• No longer having to run shrieking (and/or streaking) through the house to the shower on those cold, cold winter mornings, alarming everyone who was previously sound asleep in the house.
• Expanding my lexicon beyond the words "I'm cold" because I'm pretty sure I don't say much else for the entire three months of Winter. I know friends, family and boyfriend will be grateful for this one.
• It's almost Christmas! (This isn't limited to Spring... I have been known to say it around Australia Day) I know friends, family and boyfriend won't be grateful for this one.
• Dresses! I have a wardrobe bursting with summer dresses, all of whom are lonely and a little bitter at being neglected through those colder months. Sorry gals, it's your time to shine.
• Also shining will be my pasty white legs! They don't belong on this list obviously but I thought it was a bit rude to make a negative list after talking up Spring so much. Sorry Spring, I still love you!

Speaking of warmer weather fashion, I spied this necklace on Made It this morning and might have to pinch my pennies extra hard so it can be mine one day.

And I will admit that I have my pre-pinched pennies aside for a piece (or two...) of the new Red Velvet Autumn collection. Autumn... Spring... Tomato... Tomato. Ha... knew that phrase would work for me on the internet eventually. I've got my eye on one... (or both.. who am I kidding) of these.

So you can bet your bottom dollar (or alternatively just give it to me... that would be nice!) that I"ll be sitting at my desk at 9am, refreshing the site to the point of RSI. The things we do for love eh?

In other words - HAPPY SPRING AND NO MORE WINTER! IGNORE THE GRAY SKIES!

I see the bright lights. It's the month of July

I'm pretty sure good ol' Father Time is playing some tricks on me, that loveable prankster. July felt like the longest month of my life, but at the same time how the heck is it August already?!

Plenty of things happened in July. Me and Oh both got new jobs! I haven't started just yet but am in the long and painful process that is packing up three years worth of accumulated stuff. And by stuff I think you know I mean piles of scrap paper and dirty cutlery (Seriously, I'm some kind of subconscious cutlery thief. Buried beneath piles of paper I found three knives, two forks and a spoon or two... some washed, some... not so much). I did come to realise I have the desk of a 5 year old, it literally looks like someone robbed a toddler and then emptied their toybox on my desk. I will neither confirm nor deny.

I did my nails in a shade I like to call "Barbie drank to much tequila and needs a bucket". I love fun nails, I think Sally Hansen knows this and keeps making new products to suck me back in. But these were pretty easy and fun - they lasted a week before I could no longer resist the nagging urge to rip them off. And yes I was watching My Big Fat Gyspy Wedding and I'd ask you not to judge thank you very much.

I also bought new pyjamas in Woolworths. Isn't that where you buy all your clothing? Okay maybe not so much. But I couldn't really say no to that delightfully garish pink and the term "Sugar Mommas". I love Patty & Selma and I'm not too ashamed to admit it. Between the nail decals and my choice of $12 pyjamas I sure am doing a good job of convincing you I'm all class.

I've been drinking cofftea! My work BFF has got me hooked on this amazing drink. It's an every day quandry for all us paralysed with indecision... coffee.. or tea? Oh... I'll have a coffee, no... no wait, I will have tea. NO I WILL HAVE COFFTEA! Best of both worlds I tell ya! Just mix a sachet like this with water and let indecision bother you no more. Deeeelicious.

And how's about that amazingly warm yet fleeting weather we had this week. Those few days of sunshine were fantastic for the soul - you can't kind of help but be HAPPY! Something about Spring always makes me excited, I really love an Australian Summer so I think it's the anticipation. Summer always makes me nostalgic for my childhood. It makes me think of primary school where we'd eat frozen Orchy cups on really hot days and watch endless Round The Twist videos during the last days of term because teachers had all but physically left for the year. And the smell of jasmine when you walk in the front gate and Peter Combe Christmas albums on repeat (bet you wish you were my neighbour). I wish I could go back there, maybe even for just an hour and appreciate how simple (code: less stressful) life was back then. And scoff a 50c bag of carobs from the canteen while I'm at it... okay maybe a dollar bag (we're talking 100 carob buds in the 1997 economy people).

PS I think Whitley is the perfect music for an Australian summer. Have a listen and prove me right.. or wrong (just don't tell me, I'm a bit sensitive).

Easy like a Saturday Morning...

All week I'd been pouring over recipes and umming and ahhing over what dessert I'd make for Christmas in July. And you know what I did this morning? I went and bought a cake instead. And while I do admit to feelings of guilt (you don't have that kind of money to just throw around! everyone else is making something, you're so lazy! you could have baked an amazing cake and put it on the blog!) it felt amazing.

Apologies for sounding horribly cliched, but sometimes life happens. And sometimes best thing you can do for yourself (and your sanity) is take that easy (and yes, sometimes easy is synonymous with expensive) option and refuse to feel guilty for it. I think this is the antithesis to my lessons on being thrifty, but this time round I'm okay with it.

I feel like the James Dean of the blogging work - no not heartachingly gorgeous and forever young. But kind of rebelious... and yes, without a cause. I mean, who blogs about a cake they bought from the store? Yesss that would be me, in the corner sheepily raising my hand. I did pick a decidedly rustic looking cake and I wrapped a pretty red ribbon around it... maybe I could pass this off as my own? No I forget, I'm an oversharer - I'll have told everyone in a five kilometre radius that I bought it because I'm lazy, within 30 seconds of stepping into the party. And possibly the results of my last pap test (clear, in case you're curious). Because that, my friends, is how I roll.

So what will I do with the time and energy I've saved by handing over $32 for a cake? Well this morning I went to the doctor and found out I have the hips of a pensioner, despite being 25. I posted some teapots and enjoyed the perks of an empty postoffice. Now I'm going to head to Oh's birthday lunch and not spent the whole time worrying about the cake I no longer have to cook. And I might even squeeze in an hour of bad television - I'm looking at you Say Yes To The Dress.

Sometimes you can have your cake (cooked by someone else) and eat it too (yes I went there, sorry).

The times they are a changin'

Confession: I think my life has turned into a classic hits radio station. I've got all the symptoms.

To begin with - I'm empathising with the Skyhooks. And by that I mean All My Friends Are Getting Married (not Women In Uniform or Ego thank you very much). It seems we've turned the maturity corner and people I know, people who knew me when I still couldn't tie my shoe laces (sure I may have been 12, but what's it to you?) are finding life partners and very happily settling down. It's exciting stuff! But at each wedding I attend, I can't shake the feeling that I'm "playing dress ups". That I'm actually just a kid who sweet talked my way on to the elusive Adults Table. At what point do your physical and mental age decide to get hitched?

Then my other friends are channeling Peter, Paul and Mary. While some of my nearest and dearest are Going To The Chapel, others are Leaving On A Jet Plane. And the worst bit? Don't know when they'll be back again (badum chhh, yes I did just do that). They're packing their bags and heading for another hemisphere, another life, another group of friends to have in-jokes with (mermaid Eloise anyone?). I'm so excited for them! But a little part of me (okay bigger than I'd like to admit) wishes they had to stay with me, because realistically things won't ever be the same again. Wow Em, big revelation there. But when they come home there is no telling where or who we will be then. Will we still want to badger every DJ in Sydney into playing Wham!? Or have secret chats in a smokey kitchen corner? And will we still go to trivia and have ridiculous team names referencing Fergie? (Wham! and Fergie... We are an exciting bunch). Either way, when you're all gone you can bet that I'm going to Wish You Were Here.

It's also time that I listen to the Mac when they tell me that you can Go Your Own Way. I guess what it all comes down to is that I can be incredibly insecure about everything and anything (seriously try me). I spend a whole lot of nervous energy (I have it in spades) convincing myself that I don't want to be married yet and I'm okay with the fact that I haven't travelled a whole heap. And this is only made worse by people asking why we bought an apartment rather than go overseas or when are we going to get engaged? Ughh stop! My life is so good and I chose it! I have a gorgeous boyfriend, a fab family and friends so really no complaints here. Time to stop comparing what I'm doing to what everyone else is doing. Your way is great, it might just be a little different to mine and we're all happy! Right?!

Oh okay, fine - Go Your Own Way was actually a tormented break up song from Lindsey Buckingham to Stevie Nicks and not such an uplifting "Yay you and your life choices!" song but the sentiment of the title works so bear with me.

Bob Dylan was right... the Times They Are A-Changing and it's okay! I'm really happy with where I am. And I can be happy with me and also be genuinely glad people have found A Whole Lotta Love and want to make it official. And sure I'm incredibly sad to say goodbye to friends who are heading Over The Hills & Far Away, but we've had so much fun already (plus we all have so many incriminating stories of one another that we have no choice but to stay friends forever and ever). All I ask is that you Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.

Pour 1 cup of hot water over blog, steep for 10 minutes and strain

Hiiii! Long time no see to all my invisible readers. How's tricks?

I've been in a funk! No denying it and I think practically every blogger saying - DON'T APOLOGISE FOR NOT BLOGGING. But let's be honest, I think if I'm apologising for anything it should be the fact I'm subjecting you all to my blogging again. Suckers...

I have a nickname - Hoople Bear... or on occasion Hoople The Gloopsing Bear. Don't ask me what a Hoople is because I don't think I can answer, but I love it as a nickname. It's one of many unusual nicknames I've picked up from my family over the years. But we don't stop at nicknames, we have weird words and phrases that seem to have been passed down. Kind of like hilarious and strange family heirlooms, except you can't take them on Antiques Roadshow (trust me, I've tried). I'm curious - does your family have any idiosyncrasies or quirks that simply don't make sense to people outside the family unit? Or maybe they don't even make sense within the family unit? I've got a few...

Take for example the fact we refer to our nose as a "schnozzleberrybug". Um excuse, but what?!?

As far back as I can remember my family has thrown around the phrase "if you do it on your birthday you'll have to do it all year round". So according to this theory, if you unpack the dishwasher on your birthday, then you'd have to unpack the dishwasher every day for the following 364 days (way to make me resent leap years...). For 25 years, give or take, I naively assumed that everyone subscribed to this birthday folklore. Apparently not so much. I kind of wish I'd thought the theory through - I mean if there is one day of the year that you are likely to splash out and do something out of the ordinary, it's probably your birthday. You eat cake, you see loved ones, you get presents! It's a nice theory and safe to say I'm not against people presenting me with gifts on a daily basis. I fully intend to continue this Ralston birthday folklore because it's ours and it's fun to bring up every birthday, even if it's not steeped in reality.

Speaking of steeping things... new teapots! (get it? you steep tea.... yeah possibly the worse segue ever). I've started to design some smaller, ready to ship pots. Customs take the wind out of my sails, even though my customers are the best - the pressure of deadlines and my incredible ability to procrastinate do not a happy Emma make. So I love these! They're little and they're fun - at least I hope someone thinks so! Without further ado...

You can have a further look see in my store (hmmm subtle).

Sitting on my (dream) sofa

Edit - I've just been watching the news, and you know what? Couches really aren't so important, either is soup in ice-trays. Sometimes life can be a massive jerk - we're thinking of you Christchurch x


About two months ago I bought a house! Okay I lie, I bought a very small apartment. But I absolutely adore it - and that fact that my 1.5 hour morning commute will soon be replaced by a swift 30 minute walk across a bridge that affords me a nice view each day. I never get over telling people that when I move I will reclaim TEN HOURS A WEEK.

Since high school I've always had a pretty long commute - I live, quite literally, in the Middle Of Nowhere which is very fitting for a former (ha!) Hanson obsessive. It's a lovely place to live with gorgeous trees and water views, but it takes a good 5 minutes to get out of the suburb. So since I was 12 years old I've always had at least 2 hours of my day dedicated to travel. I'm not going to know what to do with myself. Okay, actually I do - washing, cleaning and cooking. Basically all the things I take for granted that my darling ma does for me now.

Anyway I'm still excited that I won't have to stand in the sauna that is Town Hall station at 6pm each evening, or elbow my fellow commuters out of the way for that last seat on the train. I get a little brutal when it comes to public transport. I swear for the other 21 hours a day I'm all sweetness and light, but as soon as the doors to the train so help you if you're in my way.

ANYWAY I digress. We aren't moving into the apartment for a couple more months, which allows me plenty of time to imagine how our life will be, and more importantly how it will look. Or alternatively, it allows me plenty of time to annoy Owen with pictures of couch covers and thrifty ideas about freezing soup in ice-trays. Interesting, no?

I've been living on Apartment Therapy and there I discovered Bemz - basically the best thing to happen to Ikea furniture ever. They make slip covers for Ikea couches in a myriad of fabrics, which takes your very smart Scandinavian sofa to a whole new level.
For example - take the humble Karlstad sofa, apple of my eye.

And then a couple of hundred Euros later...

I really love this cover and I'm going to do my best to pinch every penny so I can eventually call it my own. I've been warned that perhaps a couch with that much white space isn't suited to someone as accident prone as myself... but I'm happy to eat with a bib if it means I can have it.

So I have my dream couch sorted - but does anyone have any other suggestions for good blogs/websites for home inspiration?