Naomi Bulger: messages in bottles

This morning we decided it was well and truly time to stock the 'fridge with fresh fruit and vegetables, after a fortnight of eating junk and takeout during the packing, moving out and moving in.

First stop was the Queen Victoria Market, early before the crowds and heat could gain a stronghold. Next, we headed across to the Farmers' Markets in the idyllic setting of the Collingwood Children's Farm. It was glorious.

(Yet again, I forgot to bring my fabulous new camera. Thank goodness for Instagram, but I really do need to get into a proper camera-carrying habit since Mr B was so generous at Christmas.)

In a matter of hours, we will lock the doors behind us, take to the road, and drive for eight or nine hours until we arrive at our new home in Melbourne, Victoria. We'll sleep on a blow-up bed in an empty house for two days until our furniture arrives. It'll be just like camping! Ahem.

If you don't know anything about Melbourne, watch this little video. Isn't it sweet? For me, Melbourne is a city I've visited many times and always loved. For Mr B, it is a homecoming. Do come and see us soon, won't you?

ps. Want to see more of my lovely new city? Tourism Victoria does good ad. Here's an older one that I also thought was whimsical and endearing.

I called this blog post "double take" because that's what I did when I saw each of these clever ideas. They are all out of context. Like tents hanging from trees; travel photos... of feet; and typewriters that replace letters with colours. I think each is worth a second look, and I hope you do too.

I saw these tree tents (from Bavaria) on one of my favourite blogs, Happiness Is. They are originally from this website and I did scrawl through it to seek more photos, but my lack of German defeated me.

Photographer Tom Robinson has documented more than 90 travel photos with his girlfriend Verity and, since 2011, with their daughter Matilda. The twist? All the photographs feature their feet. Take a look at the collection on his website. It's quite surprisingly lovely.

While browsing Making it Lovely this week, I was alerted to this gorgeous piece of conceptual art. Artist Tyree Callahan modified a 1937 Underwood typewriter by replacing its keys with colour pads. It doesn't paint, but Tyree says he may at least use it to retype his artist statement.

Isn't this iPod/iPhone dock amazing? It's actually a portable stereo system made from a vintage record player. Check out The BoomCase Store for this and other wonderful, evocative items. When you're done, pop on over to Poppytalk, who alerted me to these beauties in the first place. Oh and also, my birthday is in October. I'm just saying.

Here is your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1. Write out a list of emotions on slips of paper and put them in a small bag. Keep them with you when you go out.

2. After you eat, choose one of the emotions from the bag.

3. Using only leftover food and other items on the table, create a face that shows the randomly selected emotion.

4. Take a photo so you can share the results of your food-art, since this will only be a temporary creation.

Isn't this all kinds of bizarre fun? I especially like the idea of doing this when eating out. Imagine your waiter's surprise when he or she comes to clear things away! (Although I'd make an effort to clean up as much as I could, and leave a big tip.) One day I will convince a group of my friends to all "pick an emotion" and leave a food face when we eat out.

This funny project was on the Etsy blog this week, part of a bigger post about things to do to get and keep your creativity flowing, by Noah Scalin of Another Limited Rebellion.

You cross the drawbridge and enter the ramparts searching for ghosts. There should be many; Carcassonne has a sad and brutal history that spans 3000 years. But if they are in the cité today, the ghosts are silent.

You are in southern France, not far from Toulouse. There have been Celts living here, then Romans, who built the northern rampart of the cité you are exploring today. Under the basement of the medieval Count's Castle, Roman mosaics and sculptures still glow from the walls.

But century upon century of bombardments, murders and changes-of-hand followed for Carcassonne, from the Visigoths to the Saracens.

At the dawn of the 13th century, Carcassonne enjoyed a brief period of peace and religious tolerance. Catholics and Cathars shared neighbourhoods and even homes, and the Jewish community was not far away. But in 1209 the city fell to a wave of Crusaders, and then the horror truly began.

The Cathars believed in living lives of humility and poverty. They saw God as the creator of eternity and spirituality, while material life and even time itself were creations of evil. By most accounts, they were a peaceful people. By contrast, the religious wars declared upon them were brutal.

Carcassonne as you wander through it today belies its history. Filled with sunshine and shops and cobblestones and tourists and pointed blue turrets, it appears more Disney than Dracula.

Yet throughout its 3000 year history, this picture-perfect cité seems to have suffered under a violent curse. Turbulence continued throughout the ages. Even as recently as 1944 when Carcassonne was delivered by the Allies, many people were killed around the train station.

It is such a beautiful place, overlooking a medieval town and a wilderness beyond. You whisper a prayer that this windswept, hilltop castle and the ghosts that haunt its stone walls may now enter peace at last.

Amid the excitement and anticipation of my little stowaway's arrival, I have been indulging my long-term love of all things childlike and whimsical. Truth is, I would love all of these ideas and projects for my very own self sans Baby Bulger, but now I have an iron-clad excuse.

Have you seen these wonderful wallpapers and wallpaper-murals from Anthropologie? I think my little one will dream beautiful dreams in this enchanted forest. And if he or she doesn't share my taste? Hello Naomi's study wall! (I also love the children's wallpaper at Hibou Home).

I think I will make several hot air balloon lanterns for Baby Bulger's room. I am thinking red and yellow circus stripes, and of filling the balloon baskets with fun characters and toys. Tutorial on Momtastic.

Once I tried to knit a cardigan. I got about three rows in when my flatmate took over because I had already dropped more stitches than I made. That was more than 10 years ago. As such, I suspect this brilliant crocheted playground may be slightly out of my skill-range. Nanna? Aunty? Instead of a blankey of crocheted squares, could you make one of these for my baby?

Erm, I don't know why the font goes funny with the ñ in the title. I also don't know at what age Baby Bulger will be wanting to smash hanging things open to reveal assorted lollies, but I can tell you I have not grown out of that age yet! So I am going to save this tutorial from Oh Happy Day for a birthday party in the (hopefully) not so distant future.

If all my decorating ideas come to nought (or if it transpires that I lack the talent to realise my own vision), I will resort to Plan B. To whit: paint everything (walls, ceiling, floors, furniture) white, then let Baby Bulger and a host of his or her friends loose with a million coloured stickers, just like in this "obliteration room" at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia.