Well Fed, Well Read

revisiting primary school history

2009-02-22T21:41:00.009+11:00

It's amazing how much time they spend in primary school teaching you facts there is no chance you will remember by the time you are 32. Even though I remember Sovereign Hill fondly and extremely vividly, the historical significance of Ballarat really was lost on me as a 6 year old. So today I revisited grade 2 australian history and gave myself a 3 hour tour of Ballarat.

Interesting facts about Ballarat

The original Eureka flag still exists and can be seen (in a very dark room) at the Art Gallery of Ballarat - quite an awesome site for its sheer size and its historical significance...gave me goosebumps and all that....

Lake Wendouree. This was a lake until 3 years ago, now, as you can see, it is bone dry. Humorously, It is thought that the name Wendouree comes from the local Aboriginal word "wendaaree" which means "go away." Local legend has it that after a European camping on the swamp asked a local Aboriginal woman the name of the swamp, she responded with "wendaaree". In other words, piss off. Didn't really work, but it was worth a try.

Culture Jamming Smith St?????

2008-12-03T23:27:00.002+11:00

Recession hair dressing
Coming Soon
Thanks to international Bankers

Found this gem on Smith St Collingwood today...I'm assuming its a culture jam???

Happy Handmade Holidays

2008-11-30T18:46:00.003+11:00

Melbourne Craft Cartel helps patch up economic woes - Call to action!

Craft-in demonstration to be held in Bourke St Mall, Melbourne CBD, Monday December 8th

The Craft Cartel will be supplying craft materials at the Craft In and encouraging passers-by to make a crafty gift or card themselves. The Craft Cartel will also be handing out an alternative gift buying guide, with plenty of ideas for christmas gifts that don't cost the planet or our communities.

On Monday December the 8th the Rudd Government is giving big cash bonuses to pensioners, parents, low income families and first home buyers. The objective of this handout is to boost peoples spending in order to keep the economy pumping. What the Government isn't talking about is the most effective way to spend this handout to truly support the economy.

As crafters we understand the importance of buying handmade. We know that buying a handmade present means supporting your local community as well as giving a big finger to mass produced sweat shop crap. We know that buying handmade is infinitely better for our environment too.

As crafters we also understand that in times of economic pressure, people are less likely to spend a few more dollars for the handmade option.

We want to give the community the message that if they really want to contribute positively to the Australian economy, they should forget the plasma tv and Buy Handmade and Buy Local this festive season.

Did you know?

- For every $100 spent at a locally owned business $45 goes back into the community and our tax base. For every $100 spent at a chain store only $14 comes back.

- Small local businesses are the largest employer in Australia. Every $1million spent locally equals 14 jobs!

- Non-profit organisations receive 250% more support from small local businesses than from large businesses. So if you support local business you support local causes too!

- Local business are more likely to purchase goods and services from other local businesses which dramatically reduces transport costs, one of the biggest causes of climate change.

- Handmade goods are more likely to include recycled materials which reduces the need for landfills

- Handmade goods are unique, high quality and set trends rather than following them!

The Craft Cartel will be supplying craft materials at the Craft In and encouraging passers-by to make a crafty gift or card themselves. The Craft Cartel will also be handing out an alternative gift buying guide, with plenty of ideas for christmas gifts that don't cost the planet or our communities.

We are looking for more crafters, designers, makers and handmade retailers to join us on the street to spread the message of buying handmade. We encourage people to bring examples of your work and promotional material to spread to people on the streets. We want people to come talk to passers-by about the pressures they face trying to earn a living making and selling handmade goods.

So come join us on the street and spread the word amongst your communities about buying handmade!

RSVP on Facebook and spread the word

Proudly supported by the following businesses and organisations:

Earthsharing Australia
in.cube8r Gallery
Meet Me At Mikes
Craft City Melbourne
Friends of the Earth Bookshop

Contact us to add your business or organisation to this list

craftcartel.com

Paddy Cake Paddy Cake

2008-11-18T23:10:00.000+11:00

Quote of the day #1

2008-09-28T10:19:00.001+10:00

"I'd rather have a live than a living."
Author unknown

Tibet

2008-08-23T19:34:00.003+10:00

2 things...

1. Candle 4 Tibet Vigil - TOMORROW! Sunday 24th August

August 24th 2008 is the closing ceremony of The Olympic Games in Beijing. The Tibetan Community of Melbourne urge you to join them to light a candle and say YES to freedom in Tibet!

All you are asked to do is to show your support by attending a candle light vigil.

Date: Sunday, August 24, 2008
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: State Library
Street: Swanston Street
City/Town: Melbourne, Australia

2. Free "Free Tibet" cross stitch pattern at this awesome site I just discovered, being Radical Cross Stitch

How did I not already know about this? It's like gorilla gardeners with yarn! Check it out.

Knit Revolution

2008-07-20T11:00:00.005+10:00

The above image of American Civil War knitters is from menknit.net - a website with resources and support for male knitters.

The amazing knitted tank cosy pictured below is by Danish artist, Marianne Jorgensen, who uses knitting as a form of political expression.

Green Washing Pt.1

2008-06-25T21:52:00.003+10:00

Here is an email my partner wrote to me today...I thought it was worth sharing. We are a strange mix of environmentalist and racing car driver...however we do share some common ground when it comes to the dealings of government and businesses.

"As I am always suggesting, this constant chasing of the perfect fix to saving the environment by changing the type or source of the fuel we use is simply marketing crap. V8 Supercars Australia are changing from 5% ethanol mixed fuel to an 85% ethanol based version for its Racing Green program to become more carbon-neutral.

The result of this change is that the cars will use 25-30% more fuel as ethanol burns much hotter and therefore more rapidly. Another problem is that although ethanol produces much less carbon dioxide ethanol blended fuels produce much more nitric oxide due to the higher burn temperature. Nitric Oxide is also harmful to the environment so is this all a matter of moving the problem from one source to another as I have indicated all along. As you know I am one for making change but only when there is real benefits from the change, not marketing cover ups.

The other problem is not the output from the engines but the sourcing of ethanol based fuels, how much goes into producing this stuff including the clearing of land for crops, the cultivation of crops, the water used to obtain the crops (reducing another of our precious resources), etc.

Anyway, I just thought I would get that one off my chest as too many companies (including V8 Supercars) are full of shit about making changes to protect the environment with programs such as ethanol and carbon offsets etc. If everyone planted a tree for all the carbon offsets we would not have any land left for houses, roads, crops, picnic grounds and footy ovals. I don't yet know the answer but I do know that everyone is crap (except for you)."

10 Billion bucks down a hole

2008-06-18T23:13:00.007+10:00

Community rally to be held at 2pm this Saturday 21st June against the proposed East-West Road Tunnel. The rally is at Kensington Community Centre, Altona St, Holland Park, Kensington. (2 minute walk from South Kensington train station or 10 minutes from Kensington train station).

In 2006, the Victorian Government asked Sir Rod Eddington to undertake a comprehensive study into improving east-west transport connections across Melbourne.

Recommendation 4 of the Eddington report is that construction should begin on an 18km cross city road connection extending from the western suburbs to the Eastern Freeway, forming an alternative to the West Gate Bridge. The cost of the East-West tunnel is estimated at 10 billion dollars - and we know the budgets always blow out on these kinds of projects.

The proposed tunnel would begin in Alexandra Parade near the start of the Eastern Freeway, and travel under Carlton and Royal Park. From there, the tunnel would continue under Flemington and Kensington, then either continue under the Maribyrnong River and Footscray, or a bridge would be built over the river at Kensington, connecting to the Westgate freeway near Williamstown Rd.

The western corner of royal park will be a major staging point for construction, as will JJ Holland Park in Kensington. JJ Holland Park is currently home to a community centre, swimming pool, childrens playground and childcare group, and large sporting facilities. Wetlands adjacent to the Maribyrnong River between Kensington and Footscray would be seriously affected, as will Royal Park. Alexandra Pde would also be widened near Hoddle St.

Around 78% of Melburnians currently use motor vehicles to travel to work, and according to the report, this figure will be around the 78% mark by 2031. This is an increase overall of 30% in the demand for car travel.

While the report does make recommendations regarding cross-city bike links, and improvements to public transport, including a west to south-east rail tunnel, "rapid, high-quality bus services" to the east, and investment in Park and Ride facilities, and suggests that the East-West link will lighten road traffic and free up roads allowing better flow for trams and buses. This all sounds fantastic, I can' argue with that, but the emphasis still seems to be on providing easier and faster road travel than on encouraging people onto public transport. Surely with the increasing cost of fuel, and climate change & carbon emissions a growing concern in community and business, it is absurd to be investing so much in road infrastructure?

The Kings Cross tunnel in Sydney is a flop, and empty, according to my Sydney contacts, because the tolls are so high that people avoid it, and use the alternative route, the one that existed in the first place.

The Victorian Government will now consider the recommendations.

The report and supporting documents can be found at
http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/planningprojects.nsf/AllDocs/E195C22162760C83CA2571ED0080D1E5?OpenDocument

Please have your say...Submissions are due 15th July 2008.

http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/planningprojects.nsf/AllDocs/3ACB8F0E69547B92CA25741D0018915E?OpenDocument

Maybe I'm being too skeptical and not seeing, or just not believing, the bigger picture, I'm not sure. I'm interested to hear other peoples thoughts.

Crafty Cuts

2008-05-27T22:43:00.016+10:00

Craft City Melbourne is a brand new web based directory of local crafty hot spots to visit, co-founded by my very crafty friend, Gemma Jones.
A miriad of amazing and inspirational crafty places adorn our beautiful city - there really is no reason to be bored ever again! Whether you want to make something yourself, buy something handmade, or buy second-hand and vintage, we really are spoilt for choice in Melbourne. Antiques, art, ceramics, collectables, jewellery, printing, quilting and knitting to name a few; whatever traditional or modern craft takes your fancy.

While we're on the topic of craft, this weekend is the Magnolia Square craft, design and gourmet food market, Thursday 29th, Friday 30th and Saturday 30th May at Malvern Town Hall. See below for a few lovely examples of what you might find there, see Magnolia Square for details.

Keeping It Cool...

2008-03-12T20:57:00.015+11:00

So the weather forecast for the next week looks something like...pretty hot, really hot, really really hot, super hot...you get the idea. So here are some ideas for what you can do over the coming heat wave to keep cool without spending a million bucks.

Rise and shine...
Get up at the crack of dawn to enjoy the day before it heats up - there is a farmers market at Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park, this Saturday 15th March starting at 8.30am - an added bonus of arriving early is to get in and out before the GP crowds start to hit the area!

Slurp...
Make your own fruit juice ice blocks.

Hide...
Spend some time in the free collections at the National Gallery of Victoria or ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) at Federation Square. Explore the fantastic Immigration Museum...whose current exhibitions include Trailblazers: Migrant Women Activists - The untold story of migrant women who fought for special services.

Sit...
Under a tree - my personal favourite city spot is the Exhibition Gardens in Carlton, but if you've got the energy, head out to the Dandenong Ranges - don't forget we have our own little patch of rainforest right there. Visit the spectacular sculpture garden at William Ricketts Sanctuary.

Watch...
Heard about Melbourne's Rooftop Cinema.? A beautiful rare view of Melbourne CBD from the rooftop of the the stunning Curtin House in Swanston St - complete with natural air-con!

Float...
Swim in the Yarra, yep, you heard me, the Yarra! Up at Warrandyte you can swim safely in the cleaner end of the Yarra River. For nicer beach swimming, head out of the bay to Mornington Beach - easily accessible by public transport (train to Frankston then bus to Mornington).

New Year organising

2008-02-10T21:54:00.000+11:00

With the beginning of a new year, we all love feeling a bit more organised and for this author, there’s something really exciting about cracking open a new diary and turning the page over on a new calendar.

Friends of the Earth produce our very own calendar, which is (of course) printed on recycled paper.

You can check out the list of calendars and diaries available at FOE on the shop website

This post by Lauren.

Good for the soul...

2008-02-10T21:46:00.000+11:00

Funk d'el Mundo at Fairfield Amphitheatre, 10th Feb 2008. I took this video to show how much the crowd was getting into the tunes, but it doesn't come across very well. The crowd were going nuts because the music was awesome.

Cool stuff to do for free in Melbourne Part 1

2008-02-07T23:48:00.000+11:00

So every Sunday in February there is a free world music concert at the Fairfield Amphitheatre, I went to a few last year, and they were fantastic...a beautiful spot looking over the yarra, great music, great food (provided by our very own FOE food co-op), great crowd, great weather...inspiring, soul lifting, you get the drift...it was good!
Here is a pic of the amphitheatre courtesy of whitehat.com.au

This Sunday, the line-up includes classical Turkish, gypsy jazz/folk, and latin american tunes. Click here here to see a full program.

Friends of the Earth food co-op will be selling yummy hot vegetarian food and cold drinks at the canteen. Bring a picnic blanket, cushion, and some mozzie repellant. See you there!

Xmassy Business

2008-02-05T09:21:00.000+11:00

We know that Christmas is said and done. But we just wanted to remind you about a few things related to Christmas cards.

Firstly, don’t forget to recycle your old ones from 2007. Planet Ark have run a Xmas Card Recycling programme for about 10 years now. You can pick up a recycling envelope at any Australia Post Office, where you can ‘post’ your old cards. You will also find recycling stations in Target stores.

As well as doing your bit to recycle, it’s also important to reduce and re-use your Christmas cards. FOE sell a great pack of Christmas cards that are made from 100% recycled paper, using soy-based inks. In beautiful designs, they complete the recycling cycle.

Another option is to send your loved ones a re-usable card. How can you re-use a card?, you ask? Like this: there’s a recycled paper insert, where you can write your heartfelt message and the recipient can take that section out, put in their own insert and pay it forward. Lovely isn’t it?

They’re available at the FOE bookshop all year ‘round – which means you can use them for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, farewells, condolences.. or whatever else takes your fancy.

Plus, if you did buy Christmas cards last year and have unused left-overs that you don’t want to keep for next year, perhaps you can drop them off to your local charity op shop. That way, you can support social welfare charities and provide the less-fortunate with an option to buy cheap Christmas cards next Christmas.

Perry Street Festival

2007-11-27T22:11:00.000+11:00

The best little festival in Melbourne!

Presented by Friends of the Earth Melbourne.

Sunday 16th December 2007 10am – 7pm

Perry St, Collingwood (Cnr 312 Smith St, next to Friends of the Earth)

Featuring live performances from the following local acts:

Snuff Puppets
Manny Fox Hangmans Club
Rose Turtle Ertler
Goat
White Minus Red
Tzigas
Coral
Nymphs
Kylie & Corin (Sons of Lee Marvin)
The Menagerie of African Drummers
Richard Cameron
Collingwood College Steiner School Kids
Chautauqua
The Hobby Whores

The Perry Street Festival is a fundraiser for Friends of the Earth Melbourne, and our way of thanking the local community and our volunteers for their ongoing support.

Where else can you find a huge array of eco-friendly and socially responsible Xmas gifts, home-made cakes, fantastic vegetarian food, fresh organic juices, organic fruit and veg, environmental and political information stalls, a massive bargain jumble sale and a huge lineup and variety of local music?

Come and join the celebration!

For more information phone Beth Cameron on 9417 4382 or by email food@foe.org.au

Stallholders include....

Super cute bags and purses by Pocket Carnival

Cute as a button make-your-own soft toy kits bySew Your Own

Hand-made and vintage clothing and homewares from Meet Me At Mikes

Info stalls include....

Eco Shout
Engage Media
Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Cooperative
3CR Community Radio

and much, much more!

'TIS THE SEASON TO BUY NOTHING!

2007-11-23T09:59:00.000+11:00

Saturday November 24th 2007 is Buy Nothing Day - it's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. Celebrated as a holiday by some, a street party by others - anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

The challenge easy - try simple living for a day. Spend time with family and friends, rather than spend money on them. It may sound boring and cliche, but love is one thing money can't buy.

Buy Nothing Day also exposes the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries - only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? It's our responsibility to look for simple solutions and Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

We want people to make a commitment to consuming less, recycling more and challenging corporations to clean up and be fair. Modern consumerism might offer great choice, but this shouldn't be at the cost of the environment or developing countries. Buy Nothing Day isn't about changing your lifestyle for just one day - we hope it will be a lasting relationship - maybe a life changing experience?

On November 24th people around the world will make a pact with themselves to take a break from shopping as a personal experiment or public statement and the best thing is - IT'S FREE!!! There is only one rule - anyone can take part, provided they don't shop on Saturday November 24th!

farmers market v super-market

2007-08-06T23:43:00.000+10:00

Does stewed rhubarb with fresh cream and a piping hot fresh chai for breakfast take your fancy? What about gourmet cheeses, olive oils, and bread, locally produced seasonal fruit and vegies, eggs, fish meat and poultry, fresh flowers, herbs and seedlings, fresh juice or coffee, or pancakes! This Saturday is the monthly farmers market at the Collingwood Childrens Farm. If you've never been to the farm, this is a great excuse. Only 5km from the centre of Melbourne, nestled on a bend of the Yarra River lies seven hectares of paddocks, gardens, orchards, rustic buildings and shady trees that you may not even know existed. Not a sign of city life is visible, no power lines or traffic noise. Can't make much of a case for the plight of the lowly sterile supermarket!

Why buy locally produced food or shop at a farmers' market? In short, locally produced food is fresher and tastes better, is good for the local economy, and better for the environment.
"Farmers’ markets are a real alternative to export markets which force Australian farmers to overproduce, overuse chemical inputs and which pay them lower and lower prices. At a farmers market, farmers from a local area sell their food direct to the public. Buying your food from a farmers’ market means that it is locally produced, and the money goes straight to the person who grew it. It guarantees farmers a decent income, encourages face-to-face interaction, creates communities and avoids all the destructive effects of the global trading system." (from Tradewatchoz.org)

If you live out of Melbourne, other Farmers markets on this Saturday 11th August include Bendigo, Central Geelong, Kyneton, Doncaster, Meetung, Mornington, Nyah, Olinda, Pakenham and Shepparton, and on Sunday 12th...Airie's Inlet, Avanel, Caroline Springs, Girgarre, Kangaroo Ground, Natimuk and Nunawading. Check here for more details, or here for a list of farmers markets Australia wide.

See you at the farm!

the bamboo quandary

2007-07-07T23:35:00.001+10:00

According to INBAR, the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, a single clump of bamboo can produce up to 15km of useable pole in its lifetime. While a 60-foot tree cut for market takes 60 years to replace, a sixty foot bamboo cut for market takes only 59 days to replace. It can be used in a myriad of ways, is highly bio-degradable, and can thrive without the use of pesticides. Over one billion people in the world live in bamboo houses. Someone remind me why we are still cutting down trees?

There are several issues preventing bamboo from being the truly-green wonder product that it is touted to be.

For starters, forests are being cleared to grow bamboo plantations (as they are for timber plantations). While a number of websites suggest that the 'timber-like qualities' of bamboo can indirectly help slow the deforestation resulting from timber demand, as "it is a viable alternative to tropical timbers that typically supply the furniture and building materials industries." This is no-doubt the case, however, as pointed out by the Earth Island Institute in their article; Bamboo Paper: Not Forest-Friendly , “in the rush to find ecologically friendly alternatives to native forest fibres, much of the paper pulp is sourced from protected forest areas in Southeast Asia, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.”

Although pesticides are not necessary for bamboo to thrive, they are being used to increase yield, and highly toxic, even carcinogenic chemicals such as formaldehyde are being used as glues in laminating bamboo for some products such as flooring and furniture. While laminate can be produced from bamboo without using these toxic glues, glues with lower toxicity are more expensive, which increases the price of bamboo laminate, and therefore, unfortunately, manufacturers favour the toxic ones. An eco-conscious company such as Comet Skateboards will manufacture without them, but what about the manufacturers who are jumping on the green bandwagon and the companies that haven’t done their research? Boycott and lobby these companies. If they are truly interested in being ‘green’, they will be truly interested in knowing the facts.

There are a myriad of new textiles being produced from bamboo. Clothing, bedding and towels, even re-useable bamboo nappies, such as those produced by Bambineo. Although a fantastic alternative to disposable nappies, their website states that the nappies are made from the ‘highest quality East-Asian bamboo’. Does this mean the bamboo has been sourced from protected forest areas,? Not necessarily, but how is the consumer to know? I have emailed them asking whether they were aware of such issues and whether they know exactly where their bamboo is sourced. I’ll keep you posted on the response.

Another major problem is the lack of regulation in the industry - no FSC certification, or Fair Trade certification. Therefore you don’t really know what you are getting, and neither may the company you are buying from. Few companies that import bamboo will know the details of the supply chain. As one bamboo flooring company (Teragren) notes, “A true manufacturer controls the manufacturing process from harvest to final product”. And although bamboo is an important source of income for much of the Asia Pacifics rural poor, as Lloyd Alter points out in his article on Treehugger.com, “Considering that it grows like a weed and is being manufactured by rural Chinese workers, and yet sells at prices comparable to local hardwoods, someone is making huge margins on its current trendiness.”

So, what to do with Bamboo? If you are going to buy it, know what you are getting. It all comes down to choice of supplier. This will no doubt be extremely difficult, due to the lack of regulation. You can’t just assume that it is a green product. It's a catch-22 situation where some manufacturers and consumers are trying to do the right thing by producing and promoting so called eco-friendly products, when in actual fact they have the potential to be very environmentally damaging. I guess the lesson to be learned here is not to get trampled in the rush to be green. Don’t take what you are told for granted, and do your own research. And don’t give up on bamboo, it is a fantastic product if managed and produced in the right way.

Having said all of that, I'm still going to mention the following products.

Comet Skateboards (pictured above) are an eco-friendly company that uses sustainably harvested bamboo and non-toxic resins to make its skateboards in their solar-powered factory. There are also bamboo Surfboards and Snowboards available on the market. Skateboards are traditionally manufactured from timber/plywood, while Surfboards and Snowboards are generally made from fibreglass, which uses nasty toxic paints and glues used in processing.
Although this gorgeous bamboo bike by Calfee Design is a bit on the pricey side, it is comparable in price to other mid-range road bikes around. And although the website brags that this bike would win the award for the bicycle with the lowest carbon-footprint, hands down, it gives no evidence to back this up.

You could be reading this blog on your very own bamboo computer! Seriously! Check out the Asus Bamboo Ecobook Computer, the outer of which is made from bamboo, and the inner is made from recyclable plastic. Amazingly, there are no paints, sprays or even electroplating used on its components.

The beautiful instrument above (a Balinese rindik) is distributed through the Mitra Bali Foundation; a non-governmental, non-profit organization, who act as a market and export facilitator for small craft producers in Bali who are missing out to large, well-established, commission paying businesses in the 'great Bali tourism bonanza'. They make a huge range of goods, including bamboo and coconut homewares, handmade bamboo paper books and albums, jewellery, ornaments, and much more.

[Apologies for the essay length blog. My initial blog was unashamedly promoting how fantastically green bamboo is, that is until I read about the negatives. Information about the positives was a lot easier to find than the negatives.]

And finally, giant pandas eat bamboo, and pandas are ace (I just needed an excuse to throw in these super cute photos!)

winter blues

2007-06-03T17:08:00.000+10:00

Things to keep you warm in winter….

An eco-friendly fireplace....
Spread the word...tell your local woodfire pizza place all about it.

A Hot Water Bottle...I know we're in a drought but its only a small amount of water and surely more energy efficient than using a heater. And it completely eliminates the need for an electric blanket.

Knit a scarf…or just look at other people who do, at the Craft Victoria Scarf Festival

The image on the right is by artist Emily Martin, aka
Black Apple, who has some gorgeous and very affordable prints for sale on her website.

Keep your mitts warm...you can find these lovely mittens made from felted recycled sweaters on the Georgie Love website...distributors of Australian craft.

Bath...
go to the Japanese Bath House in Collingwood.

Drink Tea....
good places to drink tea in Melbourne…..
For Chai...
try Rosamond (cnr 191 Smith St, Fitzroy)
Bebida (325 Smith St, Collingwood)
Hot Poppy, & The Good Food Store in Errol St, North Melbourne

For a huge variety of herbal and fair trade teas, try Friends of the Earth (312 Smith St, Collingwood)

Please send me comments with other good tea places you know of, either in Melbourne or anywhere in Australia.

i stole this pic from Beetlegrass...because i love the kitty cat tea cosy, but I'm sure she won't mind because i'm plugging her blog...

Soup….
have someone make it for you - Invita @ Vic Market & Hardware Lane in the city make an awesome organic lentil soup,
or make it yourself....here is one of my favourite recipes. its super yummy and easy to make.

Garlic, Chick-pea and Spinach Soup

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil, 4 garlic cloves, crushed.
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
5 cups vegetable stock
350g potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
425g can chick-peas, drained
1 tbsp cornflour
2/3 cup double cream
30 ml light tahini
200g spinach, shredded
cayenne pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic and onion for 5 minutes, or until they are softened and golden brown.
2. Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook for a further minute.
3. Pour in the stock and add the chopped potatoes to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chick-peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until both the potatoes and chick-peas are just tender.
4. Blend together the cornflour, cream, tahini and plenty of seasoning. Stir in the soup with the spinach. Bring to the boil, stirring, and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Season with cayenne pepper; salt and black pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with a little cayenne pepper.

DIY

2007-05-20T17:46:00.000+10:00

There are so many DIY websites these days...if you have the time and the patience it seems you can build just about everything you need yourself. www.instructables.com seems to cover everything you can possibly think of...be it useful or novelty. It even has an entire section on bike building and modification.

This banana phone is just what I've been looking for!

Here are some other useful random project instructions i found on the site...

...turn a photo into a stencil without photoshop

...bind a book

...or recycle office paper into blank books

...make a home made sun jar (solar powered lamp)....

...make bath bombs....

...make a solar battery charger

...make a digital photo booth

...make your own MP3 player!! (just don't expect it to be easy!)

Bonsoy Wallets

2007-05-10T16:15:00.000+10:00

"Hi, my name is Bon Bon" and I'm a basic wallet made from one soy milk container! I was born out of a desire to reduce waste and my mission in life is to lighten your footprint on the earth. I am handsome, bold and unique and I'd enjoy taking long walks at your side. I'd love to slip into something a little more comfortable, like your pocket!"

Check out these neat little gems from local craftster Elise.

There are 2 designs - the "Bon Bon", which is ideal for cards, coins and folded notes. "Bonnie" is especially designed for notes, but can also carry coins and cards. Both wallets have a window display for your ID or license, or photos of your pet, and a velcro strap which allows for adjustable closure depending on how much crap you want to shove in there.

The wallets last for a minimum of 3 months but can last for 6 months or longer, depending on how you care for them.

They even come in left and right handed versions!

Available from Friends of the Earth Bookshop, 312 Smith St, Collingwood.

dumbo feather pass it on

2007-05-09T20:59:00.000+10:00

A while back I stumbled across this great (albeit a bit pricy) magazine/book (mook) called Dumbo Feather Pass it On

Each issue features 5 inspiring people...they talk about their ideas, passions and journeys.

"Each person’s passion is unique whether it’s baking the best 100% natural sourdough bread in the world, producing fabulous fashion in remote Northern Pakistan, writing poetry, making music, fighting for human rights, finding a cure for malaria, painting, choreographing, exploring, wine making, film making…"

Printed on 100% recycled paper using soy based inks, this mag looks good and feels good, as well as being a good kick up the arse for those of us who need a good kick to get themselves going....wherever it is you want to go.

And I love the fact that its called Dumbo Feather Pass it On....like they know its a bit expensive so they encourage you to pass it on to others once you've finished it...is that what they're getting at?

its available at Mag Nation (88 Elizabeth St, Melbourne)

welcome

2007-05-09T20:43:00.000+10:00

welcome welcome.

I'm not quite sure how this will all work at the moment, but my name is Sarah and I'm the co-ordinator at the Friends of the Earth book shop in Melbourne. The idea is that during my travels through magazines, books, the internet, I often come across websites, groups, companies, crafty people and artists etc that I think are inspiring, beautiful, and worth sharing with other people. I might include new products that we get in at the bookshop. I'll be posting something new at least once a week...maybe more often. I guess I should include some kind of disclaimer here that says that we don't represent the views of Friends of the Earth Melbourne or Friends of the Earth Australia. If you find anything here that you think is inappropriate, or find anything elsewhere that you think might interest us, please let me know.