...and another Giveaway!

This one's from a blogger in warmer climes, Lila Tueller Designs. She's just been discovered by Moda, and has some fun and funky designs - and 3 prizes including a gorgeous bag she's designed and made herself, for selling as a pattern in the future. This is a prototype, so whoever wins will be the first to own this new design! Hope it's me :-) but you are welcome to enter too!

A giveaway to warm your heart

Cold?

My generous and warmhearted blogging pal Lindi has decided to warm us all up by focusing our minds on various ways to beat the current cold weather. Head over to her blog and enter the giveaway for some fun this week!

Scatterday Challenge for July - "Reflections"

The Scatterdaisies have spent July peering at lots of shiny reflective surfaces. Here is my collection of snapshots in keeping with our set theme - "Reflections".

1. As a lover of all things geek-worthy, I simply had to visit Sydney's new Apple store. Lovely buildings reflected in the metres of glass frontage - and the Big Apple, of course.

2. A really pretty tracery of winter branches in the window of a city building.

3. Detail of a statue of Jesus in Hyde Park, part of the World Youth Day displays. Covered in tiny shards of shattered mirror, it was aptly named "Reflection".

4. The sun glinting on Sydney harbour from the end of my street - a view that always lifts my spirits.

Snow at East Lindfield!

Pennie has written about the freak Lindfield snowfall on her blog tonight, posting photos her son took, and I saw it myself this afternoon - a glorious white blanket!

I was on my way to visit my parents and when I arrived I was able to show them these photos , and more, that I had taken on my way to their street.

In some streets children were throwing snowballs and "surfing" on boogie boards - great excitement. But some streets where quiet and my car was one of the few that had passed through, leaving tracks in the icy cover.

I loved the contrast of the delicate flowering magnolia with its pristine white carpet, against the leaden sky.

Here is my parents' driveway before I made tracks!

...and more photos from WYD Day 1

This giant mural is being completed by a "paint by number" process during the WYD festivities - anyone can daub a spot of paint on the canvas, and be a part of the creative process.

The entrance to St Mary's Cathedral welcoming the pilgrims with a friendly "G'day".

Looking down Martin Place towards George Street this afternoon.

Pilgrims crossing Elizabeth Street on their 'migration' from Hyde Park down to Barangaroo.

Colourful WYD pilgrims in Hyde Park

Scatterday - "Reflections" at WYD

This month's Scatterday theme is "Reflections"

Today I came upon this street art statue of Jesus, on display in Hyde Park as part of World Youth Day.

It is totally covered in tiny shattered mirror pieces.

World Youth Day (or 6!) has hit Sydney

Flags of the world!

What's in a name?

Our Nic seems to have caused quite a riffle of astonishment by announcing that she and Keith have named their new baby daughter "Sunday Rose" (or was that "Sunday Roast" in homage to Tom Cruise and Aussie lamb?).

But within my family we're no strangers to such names - our family tree includes a "Saturday"!

My late sister-in-law, Saturday Rosenberg, was a very talented actress, screenwriter and a pioneer in stand-up comedy in Australia. Her character, Debbie Fellini, was an early version of the Kath and Kim characters. Sadly Saty, as she was known to us, died on 13th August 1998 when she was hit by a tourist bus whilst crossing a road in central Sydney.

She was exuberant, quirky, creative and outgoing, quite the perfect personality to match her unconventional name. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, whether we grow to fit into our names?

Happy Birthday, Ringo

Can a member of my absolutely favourite pop group as a teenager really be turning 68 today? It seems like yesterday that my schoolfriends and I jostled for the best position to see the Beatles passing by our school on their way from the airport when they visited Sydney in 1963 (or was it 1964? Perhaps I am getting old after all).

Yes, it's Ringo Starr's birthday, and when asked by Larry King what he would like as a birthday present, Ringo replied "peace and love". He wanted people to stop whatever they were doing at 12 noon all over the world and make the "Peace" sign.

Why not?

It's nice to play ladies once in a while, isn't it

Afternoon tea in the city today, catching up with my dear friend Megan. We talked and we talked, and didn't even notice that it was getting dark outside.