REVEALED

Thanks to Patricia, I can reveal a few things about me, 8 things, to be precise, random acts, habits, quirks, you name it, as part of another meme doing the rounds.

i. I rarely show my face on the blog, or on Flickr. Part of it is a privacy thing, part of it is that there are many more fabulous faces to look at than mine, and I am incredibly self conscious.
ii.  I am currently wearing my favourite outfit: Black Justine Taylor Made skirt with pleats, kilt style, and a large kilt pin and raw hemline. I like raw hemlines. They annoy the hell out of everyone around me though. I am also wearing a simple fine wool knit cardigan that I live in, and black leggings. I always wear my hair up at the moment because Pia pulls it and it hurts. A lot. This outfit makes me feel like Me. As seperate from mother, wife, cleaner, cook. It is a Real outfit. I can be a grown up person in this outfit.
iii. I have a soft spot currently for Torte di Ricotta from a lovely patisserie in Haberfield. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Soft fresh ricotta between layers of cake with cinnamon and icing sugar dusting the top.
iv. I would love to do a lithography course. Or a silver smithing course. I would love to combine all of this with architecture somehow. Right now I feel very disjointed from my profession - working part time and being on maternity leave haven't helped, and I'm really feeling 'left out' of the architecture world. I haven't worked out whether that is a good thing, or not, or whether I care enough to make a difference to the outcome. I do, and I don't. Compromise. Balance. Teetering.
v. I love cooking. I throw myself into cooking when I'm stressed. Cooking feeds the soul.
vi. I seriously need to reorganise (ok, just 'organise' would be a good start) my box of ribbons which are now all tangled up.
vii. I have a little obsession for edges. Raw edges. Finished edges. Precipices. Junctions. Smooth and rough.
viii. I have been taking my camera with me everywhere I go lately. At the moment I am very up and down - from day to day even, and while no-one else would ever notice the difference between today and tomorrow or yesterday, it takes an enormous effort some days to maintain equilibrium. Taking photographs has been a way of grounding myself in the here and now, and making sure I look at things and see them for what they are, or to find something beautiful in even the most mundane of activities we do. It forces me to see.

Now I must tag: Shula : Heidi : Ali : Fee : Kirsten : Martine : Julie : Amisha

Comments

[kate]

Will you design me a house? I was fantasizing about that the other day.

[Ruth]

I take photographs for precisely the same reason. Sending wishes for peace and balance your way...

[Rebecca]

thanks for sharing - with you all the way on iv and vi

[greenolive]

how cool, my first tag! And thanks for letting us get to know you a bit better.

[cari]

The irony of #1 being that you are absolutely beautiful. Though since you show your face so seldom and almost never a full-on shot, I get to keep that knowledge as a little secret and I do kind of like that.

[jen]

I can really relate to feeling disjointed from work. I'm a landscape architect and work only 10 hours a week since having 2 kids 3 years ago. I'm jealous of those I know who are working on fabulous projects and furthering their careers.

At the same time, I keep reminding myself that raising a child and designing a park, building, etc. are extraordinarily similar. Instead of brick and mortar, you work with flesh and bone. And you hope upon hope that all the thought, hard work, and love you've put in will somehow result in a sturdy structure that will endure and age gracefully. I also remind myself that my 2 "projects" love me back.

Great post as always.

[Jussi]

our children are unhappy at the return to NZ, on days when they want me to suffer they say "where are we going to buy Papa's cheesecake in Auckland hmmmm?" (that's their name for the Ricotta Torte from the Pasticceria)

and I must agree with Cari.

[shula]

Ricotta Torte? Dear God, why don't I know about this?

Alison, in that shot, you and I would pass for sisters.

Except that I'm not beautiful.

Are you originally from Melbourne? That's an awful lot of black for anyone north of Wagga.

Ps. for you I will do a meme. Only for you.

[shula]

pps. I think silversmithing is an extremely excellent idea.

Really.

[kirsten]

love raw edges - my favourite. done the litho course - good but the process is waaaaay too long for my time poor state (gocco is a better pace!). and i will attempt the meme...

[brenda]

Alison, you are such an amazingly complex and intriguing person, thank you for sharing the things that you do.

[lisa s]

hello friend. i love how your arm holding the camera is reaching out... and it's lovely to see you - even if not totally your face.

i'm getting so intimidated to reveal 8 things about me. i feel so boring :)

thank you for sharing!
xo

[UNIFORM Studio]

I so wish we lived closer -I think it would be amazing to hang out with you:)
and you look beautiful to me.
xoxo

[ling]

It's really wonderful to know a little bit more about you. I'd love to see you at a silver smithing course.

[ling]

It's really wonderful to know a little bit more about you. I'd love to see you at a silver smithing course.

[Carson]

Oh, I didn't tag you ages ago because I didn't think it was your thing..in fact I thought it would be anathema.

Oh well, you keep us guessing ;)

[Stephanie]

I have a confession, I am a serial lurker ... have been for months ... but I have just changed jobs this week and started work on the other side of the city. Out exploring on my lunch break I found something that made me instantly think of you. It's a fabulous book shop in the Galeries Victoria between Pitt and George Sts. Now you probably already know this but it has a great collection of japanese magazines as well as sensational degign sections and all in all I tihnk I am going to spend all my future pay packets there. (Kids will have to eat fish fingers every night ......) The website is www.kinokuniya.com (They even have a few copies of the Crafter's Companion on their shelves too.) As I'm de-lurking, I might just add that I think you are amazingly talented. Why do the cleverest people always suffer from agonies of self-doubt? Oh and thank too for rekindling my obsession with linen. I'm going to have to get the elna press out again to deal with the ironing ... Have a nice day!

[Zoe]

My word, I haven't been in for a read in a while...where did the time go?

I totally get iv. on your list. I'm now back at work 4 days a week while still juggling being a mum, cleaner, cook, chauffeur...I work at home 2 days a week so I too feel a bit "left out" of my professions...but am I bothered? I really don't know...my mind is changing all the time about it.

Great 8 and you are one stylish lady btw!!!

[Chara Michele]

Great 8 things about you! (Thanks for letting us get to know you a bit more.) I love the reason why you take photos...

[patricia]

Thank you for sharing Alison! It's so nice to learn more about you.

I can totally relate with the career vs 'mommyhood'. A lot of balance and a lot of patience.

[michelle]

Lovely post Alison. I dig that you have a thing for edges, and that the most striking thing about your self-portrait is that it shows your edges. How you meet the space around you.

Complementary and opposite, rounded and enclosed and sprouting. You little seed you. :)

[suse]

Great post.

And both you and Shula ARE beautiful.

[Heidi]

Quite with you on i, still searching for ii, Boston equivalent of iii is the Black Misson Fig Tart with Goat CHeese Ice Cream from Ten Tables....better get crackin' in my list!

[missfee]

i will accept the tag - give me a few days- a bit busy at the moment.....

[Lilbird]

Great post -

Hope you are well!

((hugs))