Friday, August 23, 2013

popcorn, books and grass roots





It's Friday! It's been a fairly busy one around here with a few extra errands to run, book week costumes to organize (always rather stressful and always only ready the night before), local playgroup and another sports carnival in Canberra today.

Here are a few little snaps from the week. I'm finding this dark, windy (and currently rainy) weather does not make it terribly conducive for photo taking indoors, which is where we mostly find ourselves these days. The girls have made orange juice ice blocks several times during the week, despite it not really being ice block friendly weather. There has been a little painting. I'm afraid I'm not very organized on the home crafting front and poor Violet had no paint. So I mixed a little food colouring for instant water colour "paint'. I don't think she minded!

A few books arrived in the mail today. A few on pattern making, which is something I've been curious about for some time. Sometimes you have an idea in your head or you remember a favourite dress from your past. It would be great to know how to recreate it wouldn't it?

I renewed my Taproot subscription some time back and the first new issue arrived today. I missed this little magazine appearing every few months in my mail box. The best way of putting it, is that I actually feel good after I read it. I have noticed a restless, unsatisfied feeling creeping in after reading a particular local, beautifully photographed, mainstream magazine. The ads are plentiful, as are many of the pockets of the city-part-time-country people in between the pages. I've been enjoying some simpler publications lately, especially Grass Roots magazine, which I find to be refreshing in an honest old fashioned hippie kind of  way. It doesn't try to be something it is not.

From Cleo to Grass Roots in the space of a decade. How things have changed!


So how has your week been?
Are you a magazine reader too?
What magazines are you into lately?


16 comments:

  1. Funny I was thinking the other day how my taste in magazines has changed. I used to love the fashion mags and now my favourite one is "Good" magazine and other country lifestyle type ones. Love how Violet is using a spoon to eat her popcorn. Have a great weekend Tania. xo

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  2. I love reading grass roots, have been for years now. I also read real living, country style & occasionally will splurge on a fashion mag like instyle.
    Have a great weekend :)

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  3. So you recommend Taproot? - good to hear. Have you ever browsed Earth Garden magazine? My Dad gets every issue and it's full of great info, there's a real sense of community within its pages. Happy weekend!

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  4. The orange ice blocks sounds healthy too and all kids love ice blocks no matter what time of the year. It gives them another activity to keep them occupied as well. We had our sports carnival today and finished school an hour early so all home and baths and showers done by 4pm today...we are taking it easy for the rest of the day. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia

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  5. I love The Simple Things, Good, NZ Home and Garden and Mollie Makes. I have started borrowing others from the library too., but only buy 2 or so a month and subscribe to Good. New books in the post are the best!

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  6. It is so easy to become dissatisfied when looking at magazines full of new homes with new décor and ads galore bursting from the pages saying 'buy me or your life will be incomplete'!

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  7. I started reading Grass Roots in the 70s and still have a few here that I flick though. I like Earth Garden too but don't buy it. The only mag I still buy is British Country Living and I get that on my ipad - cheaper and no paper used. I had a copy of Good sent to me recently and it's in the newer style of mags - not many ads and environmentally sound. I had See sent to me as well. Few ads, great articles and beautiful. I'll have to look into Taproot to now.

    Havagoodweekend Tania.

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  8. I loved making ice blocks as a kid.. then there was the impatient wait for them to freeze.
    I hadn't heard of Taproot mag before. Will have to look into it. x

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  9. Thought you might this as a home made paint recipe.
    http://www.creativelyblooming.com/2012/06/sidewalk-chalk-paint.html?showComment=1341632410476
    Jane

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  10. I like Green Lifestyle magazine which I get free to my ipad from the library. I still love to look at Home Beautiful, but prefer reading about people doing clever and creative things with real budgets, not people who build and stock a house with brand new furniture. I also love UK Country Living magazine, a nice blend of homes, environmental news, food etc. and somehow I find it more appealing than our local equivalent (which I gather is the one you are referring to)
    My girls have been eating lots of iceblocks too, brrrr ...

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  11. Looks like the skirt fits perfectly. We love food dye at our place. It makes a lovely water wash over a crayon drawing too. Stay warm!

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  12. So interesting that you brought this up. I have a bit of an inner unsettledness about magazines in general. I have a weak spot for them and try to restrict my splurges. I share the same feelings as you about a couple of local magazines. My all time favourite magazine was a kiwi one called 'World Sweet World' but it doesn't exist anymore. I do like Extra Curricular. I've wondered about Taproot and have thought about ordering it sometime. I get paper and spending guilt over magazines (and books too!) yet I love the visual and tactile elements to them!! Sometimes I satisfy this dilemma by borrowing from the library or picking them up at op shop/markets second hand. And other times I cave and buy, even when I know I'll have mixed feelings. Ah dear...I guess I'm yet to find my personal balance, I know it's different for everybody.

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  13. Grass Roots - Frankie and Country Life are the only magazines I read these days. Blogs are my new magazine :)

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  14. Hi Tania, I teach Year One and use food colouring in water very often with my class. I use ice cube trays and can mix a number of different colours in each 'palette'. Using cotton buds to paint with is easy, economical and no washing brushes at the end!! Quick, easy and fun. Thanks for your blog :)

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  15. Such a lovely post. Your girls are gorgeous. It is funny how we change, isn't it? I've thought that about many things lately. Especially after going bowling for a friends 25th birthday party and Dave and I were the only 30+ year olds there, the only married people and the only ones with kids. I realised I hadn't been bowling since my 24th birthday. Felt rather old... especially when we had to come home for the baby sitter and everyone else continued on drinking. Still, I got baby cuddles in the morning. Can't beat that. :)

    There are some rather fantastic sounding magazines mentioned in the comments above. Will have to check them out. I was a Frankie girl for many years, now I'm a Country Style mag girl - love drooling over the interiors - but where once upon a time I would read them quickly, I find I dip in to them slowly now, when time allows. Reading has been sacrificed lately for jewellery work. Thank goodness for book club, which demands I read at least one book a month! xx

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  16. That's a very clever solution for watercolors.

    I totally know what you mean about wanting to make up dress patterns. Then it would be JUST like you want it. But, I must confess I've always been too intimidated to try it...yet. A few more dresses following a pattern under my belt though and maybe I will. I love your clothing creations and can't wait to see what you might come up with on your own.

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