Naomi Bulger: messages in bottles

Dear Lennon and Maisy, how have I not seen/heard you before? I am in love!

What would you do if you’d never been to Paris before and you had one day, just one, precious day, to see as much of this magical city as you could? Where would you go? What would you see?

That's the content of my post on the English Muse today, here.

Roll up, roll up. Great wonders will appear before your very eyes. What phantasm is this? Behold, the conjurings of the magic lantern, seen here in my post on The English Muse this week (hint: they do it with mirrors).

And in other news, have you seen these dance blooms yet? Stunning, oui?
 

The weekend is almost here! Time to pull out the camera and get creative...

Loving this DIY tutorial from Photojojo to print your memories onto fabric.

Those cheeky Instagrammers! I've been wondering how on earth they manage such amazing photographs, even with the help of the Instagram filters. Then I read this how-to and discovered what goes on behind the scenes.

Still Life stylist Sonia Rentsch is guest blogging for the Design Files. I love her simple, quirky aesthetic. She says, "A fruit tree, so simple and evocative, is beautiful in and of itself – but how do I make it more? In a world saturated with imagery, how do I ask people to look again?"

Take a look at this post and collection of archive photos from WWII on Hila Shachar's blog, le project d'amour. So moving, and thought-provoking.

Temporary, damage-free, wash-out-able pink hair? I am so going to do this, thanks to this tutorial from The Beauty Department.

What's even better than that Mouse Trap board game everyone played as kids (I didn't have one but I badly wanted one) in which a mouse tries to navigate an obstacle course? A Mouse Trap-esque automated postcard writer called Melvin, travelling the world in two suitcases, that's what.

_
Melvin the Machine is designed to travel the world. Each time his little mousetrap workings complete a run, he writes (ink-stamps) a postcard, and sticks a postage stamp to it. Melvin if you are reading this, I'd like really a postcard, pretty please. Postal address is on the Contact page.

Melvin is equipped with a smartphone so he can record not only where he goes on his travels, but also the people he meets as he is busy writing postcards. This is all connected to a website, which you'll find here.

What else is awesome about Melvin? That when Brandi from Not Your Average Ordinary first heard about him, she thought of me! Another chain reaction: writing a book + people reading the book + writing letters of thanks + blogging about it + discovering lovely bloggers like Brandi = MELVIN & ME.

* One more thing. I am blogging on English Muse today, about time travel and a sense of history and the modern children's classic Playing Beatie Bow. Come visit me and tell me what you think!

I am off to Sydney today! It's just a very quick visit to say hello to my dear friends and family before the baby arrives, before I am too pregnant to fly. I simply can't wait to see everyone. It has been way too long.

My friends have organised a little celebratory "baby is on the way" party for me for Saturday, although I've made them promise no games or presents, just the good company of people I love. How do you like your parties to go?

How about adorable little "parties in a box" like those pictured here (Valentine's Day party, St Patrick's Day party; and Easter party)? These and other fab ideas and beautiful photography are all on You Are My Fave.

For ages now I've been planning to host a Harry Potter party for Emily. When I finally get around to it, she and her friends will sit down (ok lie down) for a marathon viewing of every one of the movies, and I am going to cook up a storm. At regular breaks in the movies we'll stop to eat...

There'll be acid pops, chocolates and more on the Hogwarts Express; pie, drumsticks, roast vegetables and more for the Hogwarts Great Hall feast; spiced hot chocolate and crumpets in the Griffindoor Common Room; cauldron cakes and butterbeer on a Hogsmeade visit; and I've even found recipes for Skiving Snackboxes, which I think I'll give to Em's friends as take-away gifts at the end. Somewhere during the marathon I'll also need to slip in these amazing Golden Snitch cake pops, because they are just gorgeous.

There's even more food planned (eek!) but it's too much to put on here. If you're looking for Harry Potter recipes, let me know in the comments and I can email you what I've gathered so far, with links to the recipes.

Wouldn't you like to give a box like this to your friends at your next party? I sure would! (So you should come to my next party). Amy from Eat Drink Chic designed these, and her instructions and design are FREE.

I found these fabulous DIY tips and ideas on In Honor of Design last week.

One day when I throw a party just because, I will hold it in a beautiful forest. When you arrive at the edge of the forest, magical night-lights will guide you to the party, looking a little something like this photograph by Rune Guneriussen. At the end of the path, all of our friends will be waiting. We will warm our hands at a crackling bonfire. Festive music will play. Wine will flow. We will sing and dance until dawn.

Meet one of my favourite* bands in Melbourne, Skipping Girl Vinegar. They just sent a monkey named Baker into space. This is Baker. Almost in space.

First, they built a little space ship out of foam and gaffer tape. They piled into an old Volkswagen Kombi and drove out to an open field on Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia.

3. 2. 1. Blastoff!

Baker soared up, up and away, carrying with him a small video camera, and an MP3 player that beamed their new single "Chase the Sun" and other messages from the people (and monkeys) of Earth out to the universe.

He made it to 110,000 feet, almost to the edge of space, before his balloon burst and he deployed his parachute, drifting gently back home.

Watch Baker in action (and listen to the lovely song) here:

What did you think? I suppose I liked Baker's safe landing best of all. Although after all his adventures, I wanted them all to run up and hug him.

Ok, I wanted to run up and hug him. You know, "Hooray! You're back! Safe and sound! Let's go and have a cup of tea together." That sort of thing.

*I am making one of those nerdy "I liked them when" claims. I liked them when they called themselves May Fly. They were supporting an artist I went to see at The Basement in Sydney aeons ago. At least 10 years. I don't remember the headline artist but I do remember these guys and their glorious harmonies. I bought their EP. If you ever come across a single called "Said and Done" by May Fly, have a listen. It will transport you.

In the meantime, I'm listening to their latest album "Keep Calm, Carry the Monkey" as I type this. It makes me sigh in the best way.

(All images from Skipping Girl Vinegar on Facebook)

Meet Henri, the feline philosopher. Oh how he breaks my heart! The mournful way he hangs his head while submitting to the indignity of having his butt hair trimmed. His slow turn to camera, bringing home the irony of a little sign, "Pay attention to the cat." ("Not that they ever do.")

And oh! Henri! "Immortalised on the wall. Forgotten on the floor." I sob.

Credit:
I first saw Henri on Hila Lumiere's blog, le projet d'amour. You should visit her lovely blog now and if you like what you see (which I'm quite sure you will), vote for Hila in the Best Australian Blogs competition. (There are several pages of blogs, listed alphabetically, and Hila's blog is listed under the letter 'L' on page three as "le projet d'amour.")

Elsewhere:
Today I'm back on the English Muse, bringing you a taster from the stunning Hindu Festival of Colours. Won't you pop in and tell me what you think?

Image from Pison Jaujip

Guess what I discovered yesterday? FREE creative digital design downloads! But for a short time only. The lovely folks at Creative Market are just starting up and, while they get ready to launch, they are offering some wonderful freebies to give early adopters a taste of what's to come.

Here are some favourites I've already downloaded:

_I think this is a super smart marketing idea, kind of like the digital version of those little tasters they give you in gelati shops that sucker you in to buying the three-scoop cup when you weren't even hungry. I'm fairly certain creativemarket.com has won a future customer in moi.

Also, I need to extend a big thanks to Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely for alerting me to this great opportunity.

Better late than never, in honour of Mr B's and my first anniversary two weeks ago, this post is all about love, love, love. Because, dear friend, love comes in all shapes and sizes. Ain't it grand?

Good street art just melts this heart of mine. I adore the creativity, vulnerability and generosity of street artists, and I know I've gone on about this on my blog many times before. So you can imagine how wide my smile was when I came across this collection of "dead hearts" by bicycle-loving, anti-asphalt Canadian artist Roadsworth.

Danni of Oh, Hello Friend (one of my favourite blogs) made this book of notes, inspired by The Jolly Postman, a while back for her husband when he was having a tough week at work. She said there were about eight to nine notes in the book, with one even hidden in a tiny capsule. One day, I will do the same for someone I love. Isn't it adorable?

Whenever you disagree with your lover, just flip for the right to be right! This is genius. "Relationship management in a tin," says distributor Greer Chicago. Found, as so many good things are, on Happiness Is.

When NYC student Chris decided to propose to his girlfriend Julia, he teamed up with paper artist Jackie Huang to make a pop-up book filled with moments from their relationship in which he would 'pop' the question. More from the book on Jackie's blog here. I have always loved pop-up books. In fact I think I want to be a paper artist when I grow up.
(ps. Julia said yes.)

I can't wait to experience this kind of love in just a few short months. This image is from The Glow, a site that calls itself "a glimpse into the world of inspiring and fashionable moms" and features gorgeous photography of mothers and their children. I don't expect to be either inspiring or fashionable, but I'm really looking forward to becoming a mum.

This is the top comment on the YouTube video of Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan's sweet track I Don't Know. Scrolling down, others say things like "LOL that's how I got here too" and "omg!!! the same thing happened."

I guess there's a lesson in here on picking song titles that are also good search terms (and possibly on concentrating more on grammar and spelling in school. ARGH, Naomi, you did NOT just type that! Chill, word Nazi, chill.)

Continuing on...

Me? I'm simply in love with Hannigan's uncomplicated yet heartfelt love song, and the blue-and-white paper cutout garden she creates as she sings.

Elsewhere: I'm also blogging on English Muse today, sending out the first of a weekly series of 'antipodean dispatches' on travel, books and whimsy. Do drop by and tell me what you think... here.