Kickstarter is Ace

I know I've mentioned Kickstarter before but here's the thing - it really is ace!  Because I've realised that not only do you get to back and spruik projects you love (thereby playing a role in making them actually happen), and not only do you get that warm and fuzzy glow that comes from doing whatever you're able to do to help someone else and make them happy, but you also get things!  Real, actual, super special things!

A few months ago I backed a bunch of projects, felt happy about their success and then kind of forgot about them.  But then a bunch of things arrived in my mail box - awesome things no less!  

Up top is a set of gorgeous recipe cards from the Oma and Bella project.  I backed Oma and Bella because I am a sucker for documentaries, and I love the story of hardship and friendship and recipes and really loud floral clothing that it hopes to tell.

Then down below is a bunch of awesome from Regretsy's Big Book of Fabricated Folktales from Finland project.  Yep, I helped fund April's visit to Finland.  And why not?  

Regretsy has given me so much joy over the years - as much as I adore Etsy it does all get a bit 'put a bird on it' at times, and Regretsy is the perfect antidote to that.  And contrary to popular opinion Regretsy has a big, happy heart at it's center (like all the best things do).  Also, after finally reading the Regretsy book, I think April may be one of the smartest young women on the planet.  There's something very honest and true behind all the shenanigans.  Plus, I got a woven badge with a Finnish swear word on it, hurrah!

Why I Love My New 50mm Fixed Lens

A few months ago I read this post on Brandi's blog about the new lens she'd received for her birthday.  It was a 50mm f/1.8 fixed lens, and it seemed to produce a rather lovely shallow depth of field.  I'm a sucker for shallow depth of field photos - where one point is picked out in crystal clear focus and everything else fades into a delightful blur - so the lens duly went on my Xmas wish list, and my awesome Mum duly went out and got it for me.  And I am so very happy that she did.

The low aperture is responsible for the super depth of field, but it also means that the lens sucks in all the available light it can.  This means even in low light conditions you can have a fast shutter speed, which makes it great for candid portrait shots as you don't have to get your subject to pose.  The blurry background also leads to happy bokeh accidents, as I'm just starting to discover.

If you want to read more about why the 50mm fixed lens is ace (and how it will make you a better photographer) this article is a good place to start.

Death by Doxie : Ferdi's new toys

We didn't forget our doxies on Xmas day.  We got a bunch of new toys for them, including some Snoopy rattles and a cute plush version of Toy Story's Slinky Dog (all bought in Tokyo - Japan has the best stuff for your pets!).  

Normally it takes the dogs a little while to warm up to new toys, but Slinky was immediately Ferdi's favourite.  They've been near inseparable since Xmas day.

A new year, a new discount!

Writing the looking back, moving forward post really did prompt me to have a good hard think about what I do want to achieve in 2012 (all you 'write your goals down' type people are on to something I think!).  As a result I've decided to put my Etsy shop into a kind of cryosleep for a month or three (or maybe more) so I can focus on other stuff.

But before I do that, for one week only I'm putting everything in my shop on SALE!  Hurrah! That's 30% off EVERYTHING in my Etsy shop for the next 7 days!  If you've ever had your eye on something, this is your chance to snap it up!

Here's to a fabulously friendly and fantastically fun 2012!  

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, have a read, leave a comment - it makes me happier than you could imagine!