An Ode To Winter

It's time to space bag the doona suit because winter is over. Eight months ago when Gareth and I arrived in Scotland it was -8 C,  so this Melbourne Winter hasn't felt too cold. Add to that a new place that often doesn't require heating and it has been an a-ok winter. That being said I'm looking forward to summer!


Here are a few links that are getting us ready for summer:

- We didn't just actually go through winter, this is what winter is really like. I'd suggest they shift to Melbourne but I think our summers might be a wee bit tough on them.

- Uber cute summer dresses by Gorman.

- Cricket. And for those of you who don't think it is interesting, I still remember this match. It has run outs, it had McGrath coming into bat, and it has Bevan saving the day.

-Cocktails. In jars with pretty straws. I'm thinking vodka/pink grapefruit/passion fruit/mint would do the trick. What's your favourite recipe?

-Swimming time. I'm looking forward to hitting the beach again this year. I think Sandringham is my favourite place in Melbourne.

It's always time for gin and tonic

Gareth and I would call ourselves connoisseurs of gin. It started many moons ago when Gareth would go to New Zealand every few months and get duty free Bombay Sapphire. Starting out on good gin means I don't much like anything other than the good stuff and we also have a soft spot for the Tanqueray. I like it with lots of ice, plenty of lime and a decent tonic. Oh and someone else (Gareth) to make them for me. The last few days have been warm enough to dust off the gin bottle although we often follow the rule that anytime is time is gin time.

This card is available on Etsy and we will also have it at Rose Street Market on the weekend. We sold out of it last weekend after Gareth had wondered who would buy it on Friday night. I would buy it was a good enough answer and it seems others are thinking the same thing as me.

Does your Dad rock?

The other night we were at the Cornish Arms in Brunswick and it was open mic night. A leather clad couple in their 50s got up and played a few songs together and it made me think of this card. They played some Nancy Sinatra and some June and Johnny Cash and I'm not sure if they had been playing for long but I thought it was twenty levels of awesome that they got up and had a go.

While listening to them we came up with a game where you had to guess the next song they would play. To add to the game, because the chance of guessing the song was obviously slim, we had to decide which guess was the closest in likeness to the song they played.

The card is listed on Etsy for those of you out there with a rocking Dad.

Father's Day

Father's Day is only a few weekends away and we have been working on some new Father's Day cards for the special occasion. We have a whole range on our Etsy Shop and we try and have a range to appeal to lots of different Dads. My favourite is still the I'm glad I inherited your taste in beer card which I sent my Dad last year and Mum said was the perfect card for him. I also like it because it makes me think about the A & G brewing company we can dream of making, along with the vineyard, cafe, kitten house and gallery that also pop up on the wish list.

Guest Blogging on The Design Files

This week we are very excited to be guest blogging over at The Design Files. We are following up from two great Melbourne Indy Designers, Emily Green and Betty Jo. The theme of the week is the trials and triumphs of life and we have drawn illustrations around the little things in life that often get overlooked. Today we focused on work life and one things that I think is a big trial in life is meetings. Sure some are productive but they are the exception to the rule. I drew the diagram above during a meeting I recently found myself in. I left early as the desire to hit my head on the desk was growing rapidly and I think I witnessed at least 4 "circles of rubbish" during the 40 minutes I was there.

We are also running a giveaway with The Design Files and you can leave a comment on today's post to go into the running to win $150 worth of Able and Game products. If you have not had a chance to read The Design Files then you have a few years of backlog, but it be worth it as Lucy and Jenny do an amazing job, plus they are both super lovely. They are also running a bike giveaway on the main blog. I need a new bike and the Papillionaire are pretty freaking pretty.