Another One Bites The Dust!

The sad demise of Perth's FESA building.

A rant.

As a West Australian who is not a Philistine (see December 29 post on Modernist Australia's facebook page), and a lover of Brutalist architecture, I feel it would be remiss of me not to mention the continued lack of foresight by the big-wigs who make decisions in our state.

image via Modernist Australia

This is the Fire and Emergency Services building, built in 1979. Feast your eyes on its concrete magnificence while you can, because it's about to bite the dust to make way for another five star hotel. While I know it's probably not everyone's cup of tea - it is a very special building which (i.m.o.) should be preserved as a rare (and beautiful) example of architecture of its type. There are not many buildings like this (left) here in the West.

There is a history of stuff like this happening in Perth. So many amazing buildings gone and forgotten, because, in a nutshell, money talks. In the 80's I went to school in the heart of the city, and even then as an ignorant teenager I knew it wasn't a good thing when I noticed the wanton destruction of lovely old buildings around me. And there were many of them - their replacements, for the most part, truly diabolical!

Unfortunately the FESA building missed out on a heritage listing, the new hotel destined to replace it is a done deal. What a shame. People are gonna scratch their heads about this decision one day...some of us already are.

Thanks for reading x





image via (interesting article too)  

Clowning Around

   
via the always fabulous messy nessy chic (seriously, this blog never disappoints i.m.o.) Source

I saw this pic and had to share it. Nice (intriguing) to see the much maligned clown get a bit lot of love for a change. Could you decorate your bathroom like this? Would you be bold enough, or does it scare the life out of you? The 'experts' say every home needs a bit of quirk, but do you think this is taking it just a bit too far? Just wondering...

Speaking of bathrooms, we still don't have one! I'll keep you posted x

p.s. actually, current circumstances in mind, this one is starting to look good!


  

I've got the renovation blues. Big time.

We are in the mist

 (not a typo - although fog would be a better word.  Think pea-souper*, that'll give you the right idea)

of a renovation dis-ARSE-ter!!! (this is not a typo either in case you were wondering...)

And it all sounded so good...ON PAPER!

We have been without a proper bathroom for close to three months, washing in a bucket outside for almost two (apart from a glorious four day respite which we had to put an end to because we discovered our new taps were leaking into the adjoining laundry wall). As I type I have absolutely no idea of when our "7 - 10 day job" will be finished, and I'm starting to get just a bt cross.

Do you get that?

Christmas, and the weeks leading up to it mostly sucked (due to the above). There were no decorations at our place, no merry-making either, just misery - and the smell of the great unwashed! 
'Pollyanna' (that'll be me, ha-ha!) has left the building. That's fo sho!

My Mum always told me "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" so I won't go into details. Yet. I might, if I'm pushed. I will say however, making your tradie lates, picking up his dog's poop (sometimes having to scrape it off the leaves of your Liriopes and continental Parsley!), positioning a fan directly in front of him so that he can work in comfort - I could go on (and on!) here - does not necessarily guarantee that you are going to get a good or timely result!

So there you have it. What I've been up to since my last post. Grand Designs on a budget, but just as upsetting. There are worse things in life (I know, I've been through them), but at the moment, shallow as it makes me sound, it doesn't feel like it. 

Rant over. Thanks for reading. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead - I'm determined to have one, all of the above aside.

Wondering if I should hit the publish button...

Damn it I'm going to! It'll make me feel better - even if it's only for a little while.

Kylie

xxx

* pea-souper

piːˈsuːpə(r)/

noun

BRIT.informal

1. 1.

   a very thick yellowish fog.

   "he was alone in one of London's infamous pea-soupers"
2. 
   

p.s. I've just started to muck around a tiny bit on instagram. I don't know how to find you, or how you find me, what tagging is, anything really(!), but for what it's worth my instagram thingy has the same name as my blog...I'd love to follow you if you make it easy for me...

Happy Christmas

and to all of mine (ahem!) too x

(image via)

Anthony:

great taste in chairs,

(no fancy, retro Instagram filters involved here - this is the real deal)



Women Woman (obviously, ha-ha!),

and Australian Pottery.

Feast your eyes on the contents of a little pressie he gave me few
days ago:

1960's/1970's Eric Juckert dish

 

(there's a United Nations of pottery on our sidey. Handsome Germans, good-looking Italians, your Nana's pottery class rejects - they're all welcome at our place!)

 

look at that beautiful ox blood coloured glaze

 

1960's/1970's Eric Juckert vase

 

(I picked up the little boy mould at a local oppy a couple of days ago. Creepy? I don't think so, although others do...) 

 

this piece has a gorgeous olive green underglaze beneath the black

 

Lucky girl aren't I?!

 

Anth bought them from Australian Pottery at Bemboka. They've got a very nice Ellis Charger for sale as I type (and a small cat too btw - everyone loves these at the moment) If you're interested, you can see them here.

 

The Rameking has written a very informative post about Eric Juckert here if you would like more info.

 

I have also gone crazy (to the tune of fifty cents!) and bought myself a little pressie of the pottery variety -

 

the little mustard vase on the left. I'm not sure if it's W.German or a wanna be?

 

It's got the right texture and I love the colour, so who care's right?!

 

(another multi-cultural still-life, this time on our kitchen table)

 

Thanks for reading.

 

After Frocktober, I feel like I'm starting this blog all over again. From the beginning...I'll plod along for a while and see how I go. The heart is willing, the brain? well, that's another matter. Entirely.

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

  

Frocktober Honour Roll

Before I sign-off for a while,

(I will pop back down the track to show you our kitchen reno Mel - and our bathroom and laundry when they're finally finished too! I've decided to continue blogging although somewhat sporadically, instead of out and out quitting like I did a couple of months ago. I've really enjoyed 'chatting' to you all again, and I'd miss you if I stopped completely)

I would like to say thank-you to all of the lovely people who sponsored my Frocktober effort. They are (in no particular order):

Gillian, Lea, Jay, Sally, Rachel, Donna, Anita, Fiona, Sian, Patti, Annie, Claire (NZ), Leisa, Helga, Hannapat, Rebecca, Vanessa, Sarah (WA), Bernice, Tania, Julianne, Nelly (Vic), Angie, Nadya, Jane, Linda, Imogen, Mel, Max, Terry and Maryse, Daisy, Claire (UK), Nelly (WA), Gaye, Pippa, Sally, Bron, Carmel, Anne, Sandy, Sarah, Sue, Tove, Dana, Curtise, Gaye (my sister), Woolfy, Tam, Vicki, Zara, Tanya, Claire O, Adelaide (my gorgeous daughter), Vicky, Megan, Al, Loo and Anth.

I hope I haven't missed anyone. Please let me know if I have and I will add your name to the list.

Posing in front of my Dad's broad bean crop in my tutu-esque first holy communion dress, 1972. I got in so much trouble for getting my socks dirty.

 

I would also like to thank:

 

the frock shoppers: Lea, Julianne, Allana, Vicky and Em.

 

my gorgeous Guest Frocksters: Georgia-Rose, Nelly, Curtise, Vanessa, Helga, Julianne, Donna, Dana, and Sue.

 

my beautiful Prom Queens: Al, Carmel and Pippa.

 

My sister Tricia and I, frocked-up for flower girl duties, 1971.

 

the sharers: ace fellow bloggers for spreading the word and sharing a link back to mine: Julianne, Donna, Pippa, Linda, Carmel, Vanessa, Curtise, Claire, Gillian, Sally, Anne, Georgia-Rose, Tove, Al and Eilis.

 

and my photographers (sometimes make-up artistes): Anth, Adelaide and Annabel.

 

 

So Frocktober's done and dusted.

 

Wearing a frock a day and dabbing a bit of lippy on was easy. Having my photo taken (and publishing it) was (and still is) challenging, but your supportive comments and generous donations made it much easier. At the end of the day we raised a lot of money for research into ovarian cancer. 2000 bucks. We did good, and I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks guys x

Bridesmaid, 1976. Check that carpet!

 

I'll end with this quote from Annie Hall (1977):

 

"Love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you, I loave you, I luff you"    

 

Alvy Singer (Woody Allen)

 

p.s. if you decide to frock-up for Frocktober next year, I've got your back, okay.

 

 



Frocktober Day Thirty One

My last hurrah. Hooray!

Lots of photos for you today. Lucy Violet Vintage Honour Roll (thank-you's) tomorrow. 

Every fashion parade ends (or it did in those glorious technicolour flicks of the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's) with a beautiful bride walking down the catwalk. Usually she's surrounded by a bevy of pretty bridesmaids decked out in rainbow coloured frocks. Sometimes her dress 'morphs' into a gigantic wedding cake and she ends up standing on the top tier. The audience goes crazy, the orchestra revs up a crescendo, the girl gets her man, and it's over. A bit like Frocktober really...

So in honour of all those glamorous Hollywood model brides, my last Frocktober fashion parade (ahem!), and Halloween, I give you my
 

zombie bride! 

  I've got music to create a spooooky atmosphere

 

(I love this song. Listen to it loudly!)

 

 

  

 

All I can think of is -  this is how I'm going to look if I don't get my roots done! Now that is scary!

 

(make-up and photos by Annabel)

 

Even though this is my last hurrah, don't be afraid to sponsor me. Your donation will help fund research into developing an early detection test for ovarian cancer. Early detection is key if we want women (the women we love) to survive this insidious disease. Remember one in ten, people. That's one woman dying from ovarian cancer every ten hours! Please sponsor me here.

 

As I type my our Frocktober fund has raised a whopping

 

$1945.00!

 

WOW!

 

I'm lost for words...

 

x

 

 

p.s. thanks for your recent donations Susan, Jay, and Lea, and for purchasing the fifties frock Julianne x

 

 

 

Newsflash! Newsflash! Newsflash! Newsflash!

 

I just got home to discover that lovely Gillian (aka Librarygirl) has sponsored me again (that makes twice!) which means we've raised $ 2000.00. OMG I am so excited and so grateful! It means such a lot to me. All of your donations mean a lot to me, but to hit 2k, well, that's just spectacular! Thank-you Gillian x