19/365 Learning Choreography

Learning the choreography for the Chicago bracket of "Forbidden Broadway". 

18/365 Photography

I had a bit of a play with some of the settings on my camera and captured the love of my life looking thoughtful.  Sepia makes every photo look great!

17/365 Musical Theatre

One of the reasons I've been slack in posting is because I'm very involved in the local musical theatre scene.  We've just finished a season of "Forbidden Broadway".  If you're not familiar with it, google its ass.  It's a satirical look at musicals...all the melodies remain the same, but the lyrics are changed with hilarious results. 

Les Miserables "On my own" has been rewritten as "On my phone" and "Somewhere over the rainbow" is now "Somewhat over indulgent".  Check it out. 

Also, apologies in advance...many of the next posts will be related to Forbidden Broadway :-)

16/365 My diary

Yup, I'm the first to admit that it's been a while between drinks/posts...but things have been chaotic.  When I took on this challenge, I had no idea how time consuming it would be, especially when combined with real life.

Anyway, I'm one of the last people on the planet who HAS to have a manual tangible diary.  I just don't trust the electronic ones.  Also, with a REAL diary, you can colour code things, and make it look all pretty and interesting.

15/365 Photography

I'm rather pleased with my photography efforts...although I have to take quite a few pictures to get one that's ok.  Again, I unfortunately don't know what kind of flower this is, but loved that it merged from mauve to pink.  I'm going to get out the watercolours and try to recreate at least part of this image.

14/365 - Poetry "Spirit of Queensland"

Spirit of Queensland

Rain took livelihoods, homes and dreams

And doing so broke many hearts

It couldn’t take spirit by any means

Queensland – sum more than its parts

Awash with water, drenched by tears

Pride then strength simmer and stir

Long road ahead, maybe months or years

Queensland – recovery altogether

The people will toil with hearts and hand

Neighbour, friend, digger by mate

Plants will awaken, replenish the land

Queensland – return to sunshine state

Soon the swagman will waltz again

The kookaburra will chortle with glee

Children’s laughter and their play will reign

Queensland – spirit, strength, victory

© Mama's Kiwi Kid, 2011

13/365 - Photography

I was so pleased with my photo of the flowers the other day, that I gave it another whirl.  Found this cute little dude just shooting the breeze.

Fujifilm Finepix Z on flower and sepia settings.

12/365 Poetry

I've been working on a poem about the Queensland floods.  It's not finished yet, and I'll post it when it's done.  The working title is "Broken".

The devastation left in the wake of the floods is just mind-blowing.  I wish that there was some way that I could go over and help with the clean-up :-/

11/365 Photography

A friend of mine has the most wonderful English Country Cottage inspired garden.  I don't even know what sort of flower this is, but thought that the picture came up quite well.

Real photographers usually list their equipment, so thought I'd do it too ;-)

Fujifilm Finepix Z camera (flower setting).

10/365 - Drawing

Um.  Yeah.  Got out the coloured pencils tonight and tried to draw my all white cat.  Not my greatest effort ever, but (a) the subject matter wouldn't pose for the artist and (b) the artist hasn't drawn anything for years...

Well, well...wouldn't you know it.  Someone, who shall not be named, is now sitting still as can be whilst I type this blog.  Hmmmmm. 

9/365 - Scrapbooking - "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"

Like most things, I run hot and cold on projects.  Expect to see more scrapbooking in the near future, until another creative urge takes my fancy.

The Joseph page deserved bright colours.  I thought of going with a seventies theme, but the balloons won out in the end.  Page isn't quite complete.

8/365 - Scrapbooking "The Secret Garden"

Scrapbooking is something I've done for many years...in fact my Highschool album was essentially "scrapbooked" before the name had even been coined.

Most of the albums I've completed have covered one topic (like a wedding) or one country/holiday.  However, I do have one album which is an ongoing work of art dedicated to the musical theatre productions I've been involved with.  The above page is and Edwardian theme for the wonderful musical "The Secret Garden".

7/365 - Piano "We'll meet again"

One of my all time favourite songs is "We'll meet again" written by Hughie Charles and Ross Parker.  My sheet music was printed in 1939, and sold for 40 Canadian cents.  This was one of the many pieces of music left with the piano to me by my incredible Grandma.

I love this song so much, that I've asked that it be played at my funeral (yes, I'm one of those people with a whole page of notes attached to my Will as to what I'd like during the service).  Not creepy, just organised!!!

Let's say goodbye with a smile dear,

just for a while dear, we must part

Don't let the parting upset you,

I'll not forget you sweet heart 

We'll meet again,

don't know where,

don't know when

but I know we'll meet again

some sunny day

Keep smiling through,

just like you, always do

till the blue skies drive

the dark clouds far away

so will you please say hello

to the folks that I know

tell them I won't be long

they'll be happy to know

that as you saw me go

I was singing this song

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again

some sunny day

6/365 - Origami Box

I was so pleased with my origami duck made from scrapbooking paper the other day, that I've also made a box.  There were a few tricky folds, and I found it easier to create by following the diagrams rather than the instructions.

5/365 - Button Earrings

My dear friend "Hallicent" suggested I make some "Button Earrings"...quick, simple and cheap as chips.  All I needed was some earring backs (60 cents each), coloured buttons (10 cents each) and a hot glue gun.

I'm rather pleased with the result because I didn't have any Tangerine coloured earrings.  Yes, tangerine is the hot colour for this season!  All for $1.40!

4/365 - Cooking

Darn it!  I forgot to take a photo because I was so hungry by the time I'd made the grilled chicken, brown rice and curried vegetables dish that I downed it without thinking.  For those who know me, you'll know that cooking is a real stretch.  I can't stand it, see no joy in it and get totally frustated with my lack of timing.  Generally when cooking for myself, I end up eating a progressive meal over an hour or so because nothing is ever ready en masse. 

The dish? The chicken was beautiful (yay for the George Foreman grill), the rice was ok and the curried vegetables were a slight failure. 

3/365 - Cross Stitch

I was born exactly 200 years too late.  My passions include watercolour painting, playing the piano and cross stitch.  This is one I've been working on forever.  This year, I'm going to do those 10,000+ stitches required to complete it.

Luckily, my taste doesn't change much, and I'm still in love with this image of an English Cottage as much as I was when I bought the kit all those years ago.  Fingers crossed that the next time I've done some work on it, you'll see a major difference between this and the next photograph.

2/365 - Origami Duck

Dragged out an origami book I was given for Christmas many many moons ago, and made a duck (using scrapbooking paper printed with rubber duckies).  I was quite stoked with the result as I honestly can't remember the last time that I did any origami.