Jikana Damaru: 02/10/11

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. soulemama

Friday Drinks

Another busy week - the social calendar is filling up for this term and I appear to have my finger in so many pies that I am running just to keep up - great to have so many interesting and exciting things happening though.

Here is a Happy Summer Friday picture - told you I liked yellow at the moment.

You can find the receipe here

Have a great weekend.

the lens

I really enjoy mixing things up a little with my photography
& being able to play around with different effects is lots of fun
this lens has enabled me to get these dreamy images

& all of these were uploaded straight out of the camera without any need for editing

so if you are looking at changing things up a little I really do recommend this fun lens. It works best in bright day light & is lots of fun.

Vintage Kitchen supplies

This week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I am featuring pretty vintage kitchen supplies inspired by Monday's post, Inspirational pins - Vintage Kitchen.

Have a sweet day!

I found this book at our local library on Monday ... i have not been able to put it down and only have a couple of pages left.

Calm and compassionate children...is a gentle read filled with wise ideas, thoughtful experiences and practical approaches to creating meaningful moments and environments.

Dealing with Difficult People #8: Aggressive Drivers

As we all reel from the controversy surrounding the Yummy Mummy post last week, do you ever stop to think how bizarre cars are? How we zip around suspended above the ground in our little metal boxes. Lost in our own little world with one eye on the traffic and the other on what’s for dinner? How cars allow us to go further and do more in a day than we are actually biologically capable of?

No wonder the roads are a heaving pit of heat and aggression.

But there is no excuse for the way some drivers behave. They cut you off, they tailgate, they slam in and out of traffic, they go 90 in a 60 zone. I just can’t stand the injustice of these imbeciles getting away with causing havoc. Argh, they make me so angry I could... drive aggressively myself?

No wonder the road are a heaving pit of accidents and casualties.

So just how do you let a driver know that their driving is unacceptable without becoming a screaming maniac yourself? What do you do to make sure they understand that good drivers rule the roads, not bad? Try these tips for starters.

1. Do not use hand gestures
Once I was so annoyed at being cut off that I immediately fired off the bird. I was instantly ashamed and so attempted to make it seem like I was merely adjusting my rear vision mirror. With my middle finger. So, instead of a brief middle finger salute, what they got was an ongoing insult that seemed to go on for kilometres.

My advice is that unless you’re giving a ‘heya, thanks’ hand raise to nice people, please just keep both hands on the wheel.

2. Do not tailgate back
The ‘eye for an eye’ approach to life does not work on the road. As tempting as it is to speed up and tailgate the tailgater – yeah, you like that cowboy? You still feel like Schumacher, do ya? – resist that powerful urge. Besides being dangerous and juvenille, you won’t be able to keep up and then you will just look really very small and foolish.

3. Slow down
So, in your trusty rear vision mirror, you’ve spotted a crazy gaining from behind. This is where I suddenly remember that the speed limit is the fastest possible limit, not the slowest. I slow right down to 40, maybe even 30. It’s never for long – that driver is past you and roaring away within seconds – but just knowing that I’ve provided a small hurdle of frustration in their day is often enough.

4. Try The Box
If you’re really lucky, other like-minded drivers will have spotted the hooligan as well. Working together you can then form a box around the culprit, trapping him inside as if he’s being followed by a traffic jam all of his own making. It’s great fun and, since you’re all only driving at 40km per hour, unlikely to end in tears.

5. Give a little wave
Of course, who could really be bothered constructing The Box? Just let the maniac glide on past and give him a little wave as he goes. ‘Yep, there you go, zipping in and out of traffic. You must be so ace at Mario Kart.’

Really, in any driving situation, the ‘heya thanks’ wave just works. On long journeys I’m often in danger of getting RSI my left hand is bobbing up and down so much. And don’t even get me started on the barely-perceptible finger-salute… love them country drivers.

So, how do you handle fight-ready drivers on the road? Do you get cranky like me or are you able to ignore them and concentrate on your own driving like a mature adult?

[Image by Susie Bauer of Revoluzzza who appears very happy to be a part of the Difficult People series after all]

The Launch of Bubby Makes Three KIDS THREADS!!!

Well folks, without further ado, here launcheth my very first range of babies and toddler threads... it's been a labour of love, I can tell you! There are wayward bits of cotton upon every surface, and we haven't seen the top of the kitchen table in weeks! But its been worth it; I'm very proud of my little designs and I hope you will like them, too!

My first range is for Spring/ Summer, with little bloomer and singlet sets, tee shirts, skirts and a wee little dress or two! The ethos of my designs is to present original, stylish and above all comfortable clothing for little ones. No snappers or zippers here, folks!

Sweet Baby Girl dress - US$25

Oh, and as a little add-on? What could be more gorgeous than a little matching taggie-toy to your little one's outfit?! Babies LOVE little ribbons and Elliott just adores his! And, at just $14 these are an absolute steal:

Tartan Taggie Toy - US$14

Rosie Taggie Toy - US $14

Bubby Makes Three designs are playful... with a touch of whimsy. They are designed to look gorgeous for special occasions, but be practical enough for everyday! And have I mentioned these designs look gorgeous in photographs? No? Well, see for yourself!

Paisley Nappy Cover and Singlet Set - US $25

Most of my designs are once-offs, and each has a little detail that makes it original from any other item in my store. That's why, if you like something you better grab it quick; ensuring your little one has their own little pice of bm3 baby couture! In fact, make it very quick -- the above piece is already sold before I even got to upload this post! Let me know if you love this one and I will try to get my hands on some more of that gorgeous fabric....

Tangerine Nappy Cover and Singlet Set - US $25

I promised you the boys wouldn't miss out! Here's a little taste of my bouncing-baby-boy-o range, with more to come soon:

Whale of a Time Nappy Cover & Singlet Set - US $25

Tartan Tee & Nappy Cover Set - US $29

Fighter Jet Nappy Cover & Singlet Set - US $25

And of course, your little toddler girl doesn't miss out, either:

Rosie Girls skirt & Singlet Set - US $25

Francesca Girls Skirt & Singlet Set - US $25

Think any of these items would be great as gifts? Not a problem! Just let me know and I'll gift wrap them for you. For no extra charge, natch! Just let me know at checkout...

There will of course be more to come. I'm like a sewing-cyclone at the mo! But I hope you love what I've got so far. And aren't my little models just gorgeous? You already know Fern and Elli of course, but that little sweetie modelling my babywear is the beautiful Sophie... she was just so cute and gave me some great shots to use on my listings!

I have lots more to tell you and show you over the coming weeks... think vintage linen baby shoes and pillowcase dresses... but I hope you like my brand new little clothing range I'm launching with; if so -- please, tell a friend!

View my shop by clicking here

Yayee! x Nic