Guest Posting : Tips For Creative Expats on Red Parka Diaries

I'm super excited to have a guest post up on Red Parka Diaries. It's all about how to stay creative and inspired when you're living out of a suitcase or just far from home. 

I've long admired Jennifer's Instagrams. Seeing her happy hounds on the beach in Tasmania always makes me want to spend a weekend in Hobart, immersing myself in Tassie's natural beauty and handcrafts. And her blog is just as lovely too! So click on over and have a read, if you like!

Rock + Purl Guest Post : Outside My Window

Throughout 2012 Ruth from Rock + Purl is having a year of 'blogstars'! A diverse group of guest bloggers are writing posts around a common monthly theme, and my post just went live. It's on the theme 'outside my window' and it has some musings about the changing views outside our windows and the life of an expat. 

Click here to have a read of my post, and click here to see all of the blogstar posts so far.

Two blog happenings you might like to know about...

There's a few fun bloggy things going on at the moment that I thought you dear reader might be interested in (and which I've been lucky enough to be a part of).  

First up, Jess is currently hosting the Simple Pleasures Week on the Epheriell Designs blog.  Featuring a whole bunch of guest posts on life's simple pleasures - crafting, reading, bubble blowing and more.  As this is all about celebrating the little things that make our days good, I kind of had to take part...you can read my post about the joy of going for a stroll here.  And if you want to share your own simple pleasure on your own blog, please do!  

Then there's the month long bloganza hosted by the always awesome Creative Collective team.  The bloganza is not just a fun word, it's also a month of guest posts on all kinds of festive fun!  There's all kinds of recipes and tutorials and tips for managing stress.  Today's post on using fabric scraps to create gift tags is one of my favourites so far.  For this, I have contributed my first how-to (argh!), and I'll let you know when it's up (it may have something to do with paper!).  In the meantime, head over to the Creative Collective blog and soak up some holiday inspiration!

[The photo at the top has nothing to do with anything, really.  But I like it.  So there.]

Guest Post: Swedish Meatballs with Jessica from A Girl Writing

[meetballs by pommes79]

I hope you've eaten before reading today's guest post, because Jessica from A Girl Writing is going to make you drool a little with her recipe for Swedish meatballs - yummo!  Jessica found me through @gnomeangel who retweeted my call for guest bloggers!  Isn't Twitter a wonderful thing? I'm super happy to have Jessica on the blog, especially because I haven't cooked meatballs before, I think my life may be incomplete until I do!

-------------------------------------

Cast of Characters: Ground beef, salt, pepper, beef stock, bread crumbs, EVOO [that's olive oil, for those of you a bit slow on the up take like me!], cream cheese, minced onion, minced italian parsley, egg, and minced garlic.  So I'm a bit of a cheat and hate to mince garlic, it ends up all over and then the sticky fingers.  I'd just rather not deal with it.

[Click on 'Read More' to see the full recipe after the jump!]

Guest Post: Good Things with Ngaire from fox and deer

[Make My Wishes Come True clipboard by decoylab]

Today I am very happy to welcome fellow dachshund lover Ngaire to my blog!  I'll let her fill you in on the details...

-------------------------------------

Hi and Hello!  Lovely to meet you!  My name is Ngaire (pronounced Nigh-re), I'm from Brisbane, Australia and I'm the curator of fox and deer blog.  Emily and I have formed a wee bit of a doxie appreciation friendship after I started following her on Twitter, and loved her beautiful photos of Ferdi and Elfi. [awww shucks Ngaire - you're making us all blush over here!]  I am also the owner of a doxie, of the overly large and red kind...this is Lola!

Aka DDW - Dead. Dog. Walking.  So named for her unending ability to ruin, eat or otherwise destroy practically everything we own.  She too is a dishwasher diver and appreciator of sun baths and food. ANY KIND of food (food being a fairly loose term, as her ideas of food and ours do differ somewhat...).  So, that is how Emily and I began to know each other, and I am thrilled to be filling in for her on this blog post while she is away.

I thought I would challenge you to think about your own list of five good things - what if you had all the resources in the world at your disposal?  And world peace and food for all were taken care of? What would be your top five items of pure desire?  Welcome to Good Things: The Wishful Edition! (Also, I love writing lists so any opportunity for a list?  I'm there!).

1. Eames furniture - brilliant and timeless design.  Specifically, this chair and this house bird.

  

2. An Abyssinian kitten - look at the wee darlings!

3. A full and unending supply of Sharpies.  All kinds, forever!  Why?  Because I love them!  Starting with these beauties - the brand new fabric Sharpies!

4. A Blythe doll called Miss Sally Rice.  I consider myself a collector of Blythe dolls ('cos two is a collection, right?) but this little pretty is my ultimate...if I could ever talk myself into paying over AUD $300 for a dolly.  I guess that is why she is on this list...

[Image from here]

5. Mounted deer head - now there is a small problem with this last item on my list...because I am quite open to a real deer head on my wall.  I do not advise the killing of a wild animal, but I do feel for those who have been killed and are under appreciated.  I feel if they are already dead, at least in death I can offer them love and a happy home.  Does that make sense to you, gentle reader?  No? Well it doesn't to my husband either, which is why I have chosen to show a faux deer head instead...

And I would be more than happy with Mr Faux here, but if there are any real deer heads out there reading this...you are very welcome in my home!  I just have to make sure DH doesn't give you the decent burial he feels you deserve.

Do you blog?

Why not write up your own five good things list in a blog post and share it with us in the comments? I would LOVE to read what your own heart desires!  

Lovely to meet you!  Peace, Ngaire

-------------------------------------

I'm pretty sure that's the first time we have ever had a cat on Good Things*.  Ferdi and Elfi are less than impressed, but then Lola is so adorable...all is forgiven!  What a list Ngaire - thank you!

Guest Post: Magazine holder tutorial by Ruth from rock + purl

Today's guest post is brought to you by knitter extraordinaire Ruth from rock + purl.  Ruth comes to us from Sussex, UK, although I really wish she was based in Seoul because then I would suck all that knitting know-how out of her... Anyway, I was pretty happy when Ruth mentioned she was going to put together a tutorial for covering magazine holders because I am a magazine junkie and at the moment my storage 'solution' is to create teetering magazine towers where ever there's a scrap of space.  I'm thinking a few of these color co-ordinated magazine holders might just be the answer...

-------------------------------------

I've recently been redecorating my studio and one of the most important parts of it was colour. Colour, paired with a need to organise my ever growing stash of magazines!

Magazine holders tend to fall under two categories - cheap and nasty or expensive and cute (and even then, they may not fit your colour scheme!).

As I couldn't find any holders that would match my studio and didn't make it look like a lawyer's office, I set off to do it myself.

[Click on 'Read More' to see the full tutorial after the jump!]

Guest Post: Visit the Beer Can House with Lisa of Nest Interiors!

Lisa is a store owner (of Nest Interiors)  crafter and blogger based in Louisiana, USA who I first met as part of the blog writing team over at Handmade Spark.  She has a background in interior design and is incredibly passionate about creativity and the handmade community.  Today, she is going to take us somewhere truly unique!

-------------------------------------

The Drinks are on the House!

Between renovated bungalows and newly fashioned condominiums, there is a hidden gem in this up and coming Houston, Texas neighbourhood.  At first glance you wonder if crazy magpies collected all this shiny stuff and then you realize you've found the Beer Can House.  Yes, a house comprised of mainly beer cans, though you'll find plenty of bottles too!

Begun in 1968 by homeowner John Milkovisch, he admitted it was a lot easier than painting every year. Since his passing, Houstonians have rallied to recognize this amazing work of folk art and are in the process of restoring his original vision.  During my visit in March it was apparent that this work is on going as the vintage lock to the house broke and the volunteers couldn't open the door for my visit.

The outside however is filled with plenty of inspiration.  I was amazed by the pattern play of aluminum, bottles, even cemented marbles and shells...no surface is left unadorned.  Walking through, listening to the house (because, yes, it actually sings with it's tin garlands) I couldn't help but think about the impossible number of hours this tinkerer-come-artist spent on this magical place.

-----------------------------------------------

I don't know about you but I'm a sucker for these crazy, lifelong, one-man's-dream/tinkering/ridiculous hobby turns into amazing artwork stories!  Thank you Lisa, for sharing this with us!  And if you are like me and enjoy these monuments to everyday creativity, I'd highly recommend the book Destination Art which gives a great overview of some of them from all over the globe (along with many more 'traditional' sculptural installations).

Also, make sure you check out Lisa's latest project - Cottage Nest - a collaborative blog about all aspects of craft, handmade and creativity.  If you're interested in submitting posts to this lovely new blog, you can find all the information right here.

Guest Post: Introducing Juanita Tortilla!

Today I am super excited to be introducing my first ever guest blogger!  Please give a warm welcome to Juanita, the fabulously talented lady behind Juanita Tortilla.  I met Juanita through the Etsy Expats team - she's originally from Singapore, has lived in the US, and now lives in Switzerland!  Anyhow, here she is to tell you a bit more about what she does...

-------------------------------------

I am more of a daydreamer than a doer, and more of a doer than a reader.  So when it comes to crafting and putting things together, it is all self taught.  In 2004, while living in America and struck severely by the DIY fever, Juanita Tortilla was born.

As of 2009, the aim of Juanita Tortilla is to reduce new waste and to work with resources that are already available to us.  By reusing materials and repurposing, it has allowed me to create one-of-a-kind, unique and functional things such as bags, purses and smartphone covers.

-------------------------------------

Thanks Juanita!  I find the way Juanita combines and repurposes existing materials to be quite inspiring, don't you? 

Want more?  You can explore her website here, or you can head on over to her lovely blog.  Her crafty creations are also available in her Etsy shop - if you click on the images in this post  it'll take you directly to that item.

Holiday happenings!

[Airplane by CharlenePrecious]

Well, by the time you read this I should have touched down in Rome, sunk in to holiday mode and completely forgotten about any blog related responsibilities for at least two weeks be missing my little bloggy outlet terribly.

But even though I'm disappearing for a few weeks that is no reason to stop visiting, because I have a treasure trove of treats lined up for you!  Over the next fortnight you'll be meeting a bunch of guest bloggers from all over the globe and they'll be sharing recipes, how-tos, crafty goodness and interesting parts of their world.  Plus, I've got a few other bits and bobs scheduled too.  It is going to be ACE - new friends to meet and things to learn! Hurrah!

So, a huge thank you in advance to my guest bloggers (make sure you show them lots of love, okay?) and a big stay tuned to all my lovely readers!

Oh, and I notice as I type this that Good Things* now has 100 followers!  Yowsers!  This makes me very happy!  So happy that I'm going to hold a super special giveaway in August!  Exciting times!

Calling all guest bloggers!

[Rather fabulous Colourful Language by TheBlackSheepStudio]

Calling all bloggers or would-be bloggers!  I'm heading off for a vacation very soon (two weeks from 1 July - yay!) and I thought I'd invite you all to submit a little something to be posted on Good Things* while I'm away.

I'm looking for posts that fit with the general vibe of the blog - so anything on craft, handmade, pets (especially dachshunds!), animals, food, travel, vintage, photography, art (especially paper art), pretty things, etc, would be perfect (gosh, I talk about a lot of stuff here don't I?).  I'm looking for good photos, inspiring images, and not too much text!  It might be a simple how-to, a recipe, an introduction to you or your pet or a special corner of your world, a sneak peak at a current project, or maybe just some things that inspire you...

Unfortunately this is all a bit last minute (not like me to be disorganised, ha!) so I'd need your post to me by this coming Sunday (26 June) so I can format and schedule your post before I head off.

I know there are so many amazingly talented and interesting bloggers and readers of blogs out there, maybe you'd like to take the opportunity to share something here?  If you are interested, please get in touch : jorpins_blog@yahoo.com.au

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Six Senses Tour: Guest post for Gifts of Serendipity

Today I am super excited to be guest posting over at Gifts of Serendipity as part of the awesome 'Six Senses Tour', where bloggers from around the world have been sharing a little slice of their neighbourhood.  If you'd like to find out a bit more about the wonderful Namdaemun Market (which is right on my doorstep!), you can read my post here.  And it's well worth having a look at all the other posts in the series, you can find links to them in Felicity's side bar.

And, if you've popped over from the post a big warm hello to you!  Thanks for clicking over, I do hope you find something you like!

Emily x