Alannah's Aladdin's Cave at Fitzroy

Alannah Hill - one of Australia's leading fashion designers

With Alannah, it is not just the fashion - the feminine, flamboyance, and whimsy of Alannah's fashion - but it is also about the hair. Hair that is lush, luxe, large and flowered and/or ribboned.

Alannah has style, most distinctive style.

On a recent trip to Fitzroy with Herself, we discovered a factory outlet in Brunswick Street selling Alannah's fabrics, accessories, and trims.

Wonderland!!!

Style! Style! Style!

Even in a factory outlet!

Bejewelled florals!

The fabric above would make a wonderful jacket

Aren't the colours luscious?

This reminds Miss E of fish scales.

Perhaps, she too, could become a mermaid!

The jewels
The oddments
The trims

Planter with heart

Herself has been at it again!

This lovely porcelain planter was salvaged by Miss Eagle from the hard rubbish. Oh, dear Reader, how wasteful and unimaginative people can be! Herself has planted some ivy along with a re-shaped wire coat-hanger. One day, each of us hopes, it will be a pretty heart-shaped ivy in an elegant planter.

Sing a song of freedom,er.. sixpence

The following poem comes from The Peaceable Table.

In these times, many of us are considering the matter of cruelty free eating so it is apt.

It is a little long - but worth it.

FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS

Sing a song of sixpence

A pocketful of rye

Four and twenty blackbirds

Baked into a pie.

When the pie was opened

The birds began to sing.

Wasn’t that a dainty dish

To set before the King?

The King got just the piecrust

And really could not say

The dish was very dainty--

For the birds all flew away.

The cooks and maids all chased them

‘Round the royal halls;

The birds just flew much higher

Within the castle walls.

One maid was in the garden

Performing daily chores,

She heard the noise and ran in –

But did not close the doors!

The four and twenty blackbirds

Flew out to open skies.

“The King”, they sang in merry glee

Will not eat blackbird pies!”

The King was very wrathful,

So foolish he had looked;

He vowed that every Blackbird

Would soon be caught and cooked!

The Queen was in the parlor

Eating bread and honey

She heard all this commotion

And thought is wasn’t funny.

She said, “Oh, sire, forgive me,

But I must have my say.

Blackbirds were not meant for pies –

I’m glad they flew away!”

“A bird was meant to soar high

And sing up in a tree.

A man is not the only one

Who wants to live all free!”

The King looked at his loving Queen

Standing brave and tall--

“Her Majesty speaks truly,"

He said to one and all.

It hurt my pride to think that

A bird defied a King:

But Kings and knaves and blackbirds

All share one needful thing.

He called for pen and parchment

And wrote a public order:

"Let none make blackbird pies

Within my kingdom's border!"

He called his palace workers-–

They gathered in the hall--

And then a very handsome plan

He told to one and all.

Now when the Blackbirds heard it

They all began to sing.

Everyone went right to work –

Yes, even the Queen and King.

They sawed and nailed and painted,

They worked the whole day through.

They made each bird a birdhouse

All bright and clean and new.

Each house was snug and cozy

'Gainst winter’s rain and snow.

The four and twenty houses

Were hung up in a row.

The birds were fed the finest grain-

And sometimes blackberry pie;

(This was just on holidays)

And it was made with rye.

Sing a song of sixpence

A pocketful of rye.

Four and twenty blackbirds

Fly free up in the sky.
--Betse Streng

Easter, The Trad Pad and Life

Easter was a subdued occasion at The Trad Pad due to Miss Eagle's descent into illness once again. Suspicion is now centering on an allergy or sensitivity to antibiotics which is to be explored further.

As you have seen, dear Reader, Miss Eagle and herself have placed little preludes to Easter around the Pad. Miss E decided she wanted something like a Tree of Life to celebrate Easter. The Tree of Life is an ancient idea. And Miss E wanted to move away, at least a little, from bunnies and eggs. True, they symbolise new life but, do admit, dear Reader, they are commercialised and over-used.

So Herself set about the execution of the idea. Now, dear Reader, Miss E doubts that we got far enough away from bunnies and eggs, but there are butterflies and beautiful ribbon and the peonies are flamboyant and profligate (and they light up at night).

See what you think!

The Trad Pad Tree of Life

Detail -The Tree of Life

MAY YOU AND YOURS, DEAR READER,

BE RICHLY BLESSED WITH THE HOPE AND ENERGY OF NEW LIFE

AT THIS EASTERTIDE

Tap dancing to May

More Fun Quizzes at QuizPox.com
Over at Two Homes, Patty decided she needed a distraction while doing wonders for her new Art Room. So she takes the blame/credit for referral to this quiz site. Please keep up those prayers and hugs so that come May 25th, Miss Eagle will not only fly but have a decent tap dance in her.

Signs of Easter - 3

Some favourite things are in this spot. Miss Eagle's dear departed Dearly Beloved owned the chess table. The crocheted rug in the basket is a UFO from Miss Eagle's late mother, Phyl. Phyl had been doing this for her grandson, Sam, when she died. Miss Eagle's sister and Sam's mother, The Director, does not crochet so Miss E volunteered. After fifteen years and Sam nearly 30, Miss E is nearly finished. We shall see if winter brings a conclusion!
The ducks are favourites of Miss E which belonged to long-since-departed great-uncles.

The pencil and quill belong to Herself and come from Il Papero.

Eggs in a basket of moss. Easter is on the way.

The phone book and a feather

A block of wood - and art and beauty

Over at Getting Stitched, Kristin has posted with an update about Mary Azarian and her work. Now, dear Reader, your correspondent, Miss Eagle, cannot quite recall how she found out about Mary A. Perhaps, Kristin did a previous post. But twelve months or more ago, Miss E 'discovered' the wonderful work of Mary Azarian, woodcut artist.
Miss Eagle purchased Mary Azarian's The Gardener's Alphabet over the net as a birthday gift for Herself. Miss E would provide the link for you, dear Reader, but it seems to be broken or disappeared.
Kristen says that Mary confirmed her belief that it takes time, practice, and plain hard work to build any artist's or business' reputation. The lonely toiling-on develops style, techniques, talent, and skills which sometimes (but not always) turns into success on a commercial level. Love what you do and keep doing it, having faith that someone, somewhere will recognize your talent. Try not to get discouraged if success takes longer to obtain than you would ever have thought it would.



Sounds a lot like our endeavours with our blogs and our collections and our craft and creativity don't you think?

Mary Azarian

Signs of Easter - 2

Under the glassy dome, are little green eggs in a variety of designs.

Easter is the season of new life.

Green is an appropriate colour for Easter.

The green shoots of renewed life.

Green is also the colour of hope.

New life and hope: the elements of the Easter message.

Signs of Easter - 1

Now how did that Bunny get there!

The Pie of Life

Miss Eagle is a dedicated Leunig fan. There are times when the words of Leunig are the word of God into her life: pastoral, prophetic. To-day is such a day.

THE PIE OF LIFE

The pie of life

Is hurled into your face

Every day.

But that is no disgrace.

A life worth living gets splattered on your shirt -

And though you're shocked

And rather deeply hurt;

These pies of life

Which fly out of the blue:

You're made for them

And they were made for you.

Thank you, Michael Leunig, from the bottom of my heart. I needed that. This quirky verse and its wonderful illustrations are meditation, perspective, and encouragement.

Miss Eagle takes a turn for the worst

Well, dear Reader, this week has hardly measured high on the enjoyment richter scale. You see, Miss Eagle's health has not been good over the last twelve months because of a recurrent and persistent ailment. Last Tuesday, matters took a new twist, a turn for the worst, and the result was admission to the Angliss Hospital. These photos are the result.

Here is the patient in bed:
This was the getting well gear: a saline drip with lots of antibiotics injected into it.
Breakfast was simple. The food is very limited. Standard Australian Diet (SAD by abbreviation and SAD by nature) cooked without salt and neither salt nor pepper provided. Why not a salt substitute? Why no other herbs or spices? And how do they get mashed potato to the consistency they do? Scorecard? Someone, somewhere can certainly do better.
There was no nice print on the wall nor an interesting poster. The wall decor consisted of a clock - to watch time fly, no doubt:

and this. Should it be named Modern Hospital Installation? Exciting, do you think?
Thanks to Mother Nature and some large window space, one wall afforded the opportunity for some beauty. Wednesday was grey, but Thursday was beautifully sunny and the Dandenong Ranges National Park enchanted me once again.
The focus became the Bedside Table
Some good reading and a journal to express Miss E's thoughts and feelings took care of quite a bit of time,
as well a lovely magazine
writing about home decor.

Thank you to the wonderful medical, nursing, and radiological staff. Miss E particularly appreciated the hardwork of the Emergency Department staff under the leadership - at least as far as Miss E was concerned - of Danny Ben Eli. A girl can still fall in love with a doctor, can't she? And she had two roommates during her stay - older single women like Miss E, namely Jenny and Henrietta. Miss E hopes they are, quite literally, on their feet soon. And Miss E was pleased to see Lois - part of her community of faith at St Thom's, Upper Gully - who is on the chaplaincy team at the Angliss.

Colours of Provence

Miss Eagle, dear Reader, in a previous incarnation owned a gift, homewares and decorating shoppe. One of her suppliers, sending their wares thousands of kilometers to the tropical north, was Colours of Provence. To-day, your correspondent discovered that she is still on the e-mail list. CoP has written informing, nay bragging, that they have six containers arriving at their Southbank showroom between February and April. Not only did they write, they sent pictures. Needless to say, their usual beautiful stuff. Decorating porn!

Miss E informed Herself. Herself only hissed one word - "Drugs!"

And indeed. Such promotion to addicts. Smack for addicts. Total abstinence required - but can we make it? Will we resist temptation - or will we pay it a visit???

A corner of my world - 1

A corner of the living room at The Trad Pad - beside a big squishy couch.

A place for relaxing and sleeping with furry friends.

Cutting it? These take the biscuit....

Over at Pear Tree Cottage!, Lee-ann has displayed a marvellous collection of cookie cutters. Miss Eagle loves biscuit cutters too so here are hers. Some, Miss E has had for quite a while - but they are not the oldies and goodies that live at Pear Tree Cottage!