:To The Moon Alice: Sea of Love

To The Moon Alice

September 2010

Sea of Love

The Sea and the Moon inextricably linked in a duel for my affection.. Emotional bodies that tug at my heartstrings, visually and metaphysically. And when the moon is full, the boundaries of my world soften, reality blurs and my mind takes a vacation to imaginary worlds wheres one's woes are left at checkin and wistful dreams are provided with room service. These images were intended for my next travel post... Phuket and The Andaman Sea... As luck would have it, the moon has taken a vacation too. He's travelling first class which leaves me in economy with no glimpse of his celebrity hidden behind the curtain that divides our realities.. Instead I'll bring you the product of my imagination..

... A full topaz moon shining over The Andaman Sea ...

September Moon Notes:

Moon Names: Harvest, Corn or Barley Moon

Moon was full at 19:18 Sept 23 [Sydney Time]

IMAGE SOURCE:

All text, photography and artwork by me - [Being Ruby©]

Ruby Time Production proudly presents 'The Moon and The Adaman Sea'

Palms Trees & Adaman Sea: shot on location at the Evason Resort and Spa Phuket

Original shots taken on a disposable camera

Mr Moon's cameo pre-recorded in the Sydney studios

A Plethora of Thanks

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Time for me to brag and show you some of my lucky windfalls of late. Giveaway wins and thoughtful gifts that have come my way from some very special bloggers. Each and everyone deserving of a post in itself.. However, since I think they all look so pretty here together.. and the fact that I like the word 'Plethora', I'll swamp you with my good luck all in one hit!

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Gypsy Brocante

[link here]

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First up is my gorgeous new tote bag which comes to me from the lovely Gypsy Brocante, all handmade by Jill herself. I think I showed you this win a while back but didn't get to show you the beautiful inside fabric, so I think it is worth another outing. Yes the bag is reversible.. and I'm quite partial to the floral print which is a perfect companion for the beautiful spring weather we are having in Sydney. I'm pretty sure these gorgeous colours are starting to influence my decor.

[ps the golden reverse fabric can be seen further down in the heart shot]

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Attached was this lovely fabric blossom..

Extra sweet to me as my mum made similar flowers back when I was a wee thing.

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Thanks Jill

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I love them more and more each day

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Drawn To The Sea

[link here]

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Next we have my very special present I received not long ago from the sweet Julia of Drawn To The Sea blog. Julia is such a sweetheart.. and each and every post reflects her thoughtful nature and eye for beauty in the everyday... Well her timing was perfect.. Right when I needed a little lift, this gorgeous heart turned up to turn my frown around. The heart comes from Cottage In The Sun Etsy shop [here].. and is made from ceiling tin [love it!!!]. If you can't have tin ceilings, then the next best thing is to have something made from it I say!..

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... Thank you dear Julia for thinking of me ...

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La Petite Coterie

[link here]

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Now I'm a little late in showing you this giveaway win. Some time back I won this fabulous king size burlap cushion cover from the talented Michelle from La Petite Coterie .. Beautifully handcrafted from quality burlap, the pillow cover fits a standard bed pillow and is removable which I find quite convenient as I like to change things around a bit. As with all Michelle's cushions, it is trimmed with a silver religious medallion [mine being St Bernadette] giving it that thoughtful extra touch ...

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Michelle hails from the USA, but just last week I was excited to spot one of her cushions displayed in our own aussie publication ... Home Beautiful Magazine.. Congrats Michelle.. and thank you again for sending this beauty my way.. I'm pleased to say it is very happy here in Australia.. and excited to see some of it's relatives migrate here too!!

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Chic Little Shop

[link here]

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OK.. Another cushion cover.. but this time in beautiful belgium style linen. This lovely cushion over comes from sweet Julie at Chic Little Shop blog and Etsy.. If you've been reading my blog lately you would have seen the giveaway Julie sponsored from her new range... Well I was fortunate enough to be able to 'road test' one of Julie's products... and am happy to say it is as well crafted and beautiful as I expected. I'm sure those who missed out on the giveaway are even more jealous now... Don't be jealous!!! just pop over to Julie's shop.

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Thank you so much Julie for your lovely gift

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Angie Muresan

[link here]

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Those of you who know Angie, know that she can weave a tale that will feed both your mind and soul... Her ability to take you on an imaginary journey is one of her lovely gifts... Another is her generosity of spirit. I was lucky enough to win a book over at Angie's blog.. entitled 'French Women Don't Sleep Alone'.. Sadly it's still packed in a moving box so I don't have a photo.. but perhaps I should get to that unpacking and see if these pearls of wisdom can quite possibly shift the 'spinsterish' state of my being!!!

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Thank you dear Angie... your stories and friendship brighten our world

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McCarthy Designs

[link here]

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And most recently.. I won four tickets to the upcoming Better Homes and Gardens expo from lovely Nellie at McCarthy Designs blog. I'm pretty excited about this win as hopefully I am going to meet up with another blogger to attend [more about that later].. So Dear Nellie your generous and thoughtful gift will be spreading even more joy and hopefully I'll get some shots of the day to share with you all.. My tickets arrived with this fabulous card [below] shot by her talented husband Nick .... This card is extra special too as these very same red phone booths play an important role in my teenage memories... long hours in conversation with best buddies and hopeful romances were spent inside these very same red phone booths.. which.. no longer exist in Sydney..

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Thank You So Much Nellie & Nick

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Phew.. Still With Me?

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I've also been the recipient of some lovely awards from generous blogging friends which I'll bring you in another post.. I suspect you may already think me greedy!!!... But... One more gift to show today, Is the lovely pink rose in my front garden. The first for spring and hopefully many more to come. So that's it for now.. Greedy Julie signing off till next post... September's Full Moon... serendipity permitting. Thanks to all the wonderful bloggers who sent me these gifts.. If you get a chance, pop over and visit a few via the links above.

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IMAGE SOURCE:

All text & photography by me - [Being Ruby©]

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Myopia Utopia or Focus Pocus

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Myopia Utopia or Focus Pocus

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This weeks photo challenge over at Chania's blog Razmataz was to 'Get up close to your subject'... To play with the blur that exists in up close shots. Sounds like a perfect assignment for a myopically challenged individual like me.. My whole world has blurred edges and indistinct backgrounds.. and lately some of the reverse.

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The first shot is clearly not clear at all.. Neither foreground, nor background is in focus.. but being an outcast of perfection, I love it all the more.. The overall blurry effect appeals to me on some psychobabble level.. A haven of blur in the sharp reality of existence.. [or .. I just find it pretty] ... And.. it's a bit like my eyesight at present..

... neither here nor there!! ...

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A Bit of Focus Pocus

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Oh... here we are back with my lightbulb obsession.

Yes this shot clearly meets the challenge requirements, but ... a tad boring?

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A little cheating and voila!

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Have a fun weekend everyone

And thanks Chania for keeping me focussed!

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And thanks everyone for your continued visits and kind comments.. My internet took a vacation last week and forgot to take me along! Hopefully this week will be better although I think I've been saying that a while now? Non?

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IMAGE SOURCE:

All text & photography by me - [Being Ruby©]

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Post Updated For Katherine!

[see comments]

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[Please: No-one ask me to take a shot whilst jumping off the gap!]

[and can someone lead me to my retinas I seem to have misplaced them after this shot]

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Mamma

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Mrs Wagner & The Fish Knives

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Mrs Wagner & The Fish Knives

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Maud Stevens Wagner

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Maud Wagner. Wife, mother and contortionist. Also the first woman in the United States to gain recognition as a professional tattoo artist, tutored by her husband Gus Wagner.. the infamous 'Tattoed Man'. It is Gus's fine handiwork you see adorning Maud's agile torso... It is reputed they met at the St Louis World Fair and it was love at first sight. Obviously a match made in heaven. Their love was so grand .. they named their daughter Lovetta.

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Although Maud died in 1961 and Gus in 1941, both remain in service today... together again .. forever captured in glass paperweights .. to grace the homes of us modern day folk and remind us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and happiness awaits those with an adventurous spirit. Apologies for Gus's absence.. He's stuck in the camera waiting for a battery recharge... Maud however was keen to be in the limelight.. with only a slight grudge that the vintage silverware was the object of focus.. I think her menacing appearance would make her a worthy watcher of the family silverware and heirlooms.

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My Grandmothers Sideboard

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It's been a while since I posted a Silver Sunday hosted by the lovely Beth over at Gypsy Fish Journal .. Mostly as everything has been packed with the recent move .. but I love any opportunity to polish up the silverware for a bit of vintage indulgence. OK.. there was no polishing involved. I admit i love the pretty worn patina from years of show and tell. Childhood years digging through my grandmothers imposing sideboard to find all the shiny silver pieces hidden beneath the dusty napkins, vintage photos and cardboard boxes filled with strange little trinkets meaningless to anyone but the finder and keeper. That would be me! [sorry dear brother and any other lost family relative reading this post].

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Rewards were at the waiting for those willing to tussle with the overstuffed drawers. Drawers that jammed prying little fingers rushing to hide their pilfering pilgrimage. A journey would take place in mind and imagination. An adventure into lands of shiny sparkly things, musky napkins, and faded memorabilia that documented the lives of unspoken relatives with ambitious dreams. Rewards were at the waiting for those brave enough to excavate the treasures from the sentinel of untold golfing trophies standing guard of a pirates loot. The world would seem a little more mysterious in the presence of these shiny silver things. Shiny silver things that had passed through hands of strangers and carers and traversed the decades to reach this bottomless pit.

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Although Mrs Wagner and her trusty sidekick are new acquisitions, not residents of my childhood memories, they remind me of the strange inhabitants I encountered in the wonderful world of my grandmothers sideboard.

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And on That Note I Bid You Adieu!!!

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Oh and once again Congrats to Meredith on winning the Chic Little Shop

giveaway [see last post]

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IMAGE SOURCE:

All text & photography by me - [Being Ruby©]

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