Normally I like to spruik blogs that might not be on the radar of a lot of people, but I think they should be.  But today I’m spruiking my love for a blog that lots of people adore, and with good reason.  Meet Me At Mike’s is run by the wonderfully talented and giving Pip Lincolne.

I am in constant awe of how Pip manages her time.  Not only does she run one of the hippest blogs on the internet, she’s a mother to three, a wife to one, a frequent contributor to Frankie Magazine (as well as many other publications), founder of Brown Owls, writes how-to books, creates like a mad woman, runs a successful shop and is an ambassador for blogging.  I get tired just typing all that out, so the mind boggles at how she manages to find the time to do it all.

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s

If it wasn’t for Pip I would never have learnt how to make a granny square.  I would never have meet the wonderful woman of the Canberra Brown Owls, nor would I have found some of the amazing blogs, artists and crafters out there in Australia.

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s

So while we’re in Melbourne I’m going to make the pilgrimage and go check out The Envelope Project at Meet Me At Mike’s.  I’m also going to be lucky enough to hear Pip speak at the Problogger Event in August.    I just hope she doesn’t think I’m stalking her…

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s

HUBBY and I are planning a trip to Melbourne in the next week to see Mumford & Sons and Stephen Fry.  We’re both really excited, but I suspect I’m more so then he is because I’m also planning a little blog inspired voyeurism.  You see there’s a few blogs who I love that are located near Melbourne and have stores attached to their blogs.  Or should that be blogs attached to their stores?  Either way there’s shopping involved.

One of the blogs that I’m planning on visiting is The Lark.  The Lark store is located in Daylesford, which HUBBY informs me is a mere hour or so from where we’ll be staying in Melbourne.  I’m so excited at the prospect of being able to wonder through the store and see all the handmade goodness up close and personal.

I love reading The Lark because it provides an insight into living in a small community, what it takes to keep a successful business afloat and how to juggle work with family.  A lot of the time I use The Lark as a starting point for all of the fantasies I have about moving to the country and living a simpler life.

Image source: The Lark

If you’d like a little slice of Australian heaven then check out The Lark. You can even shop online with The Lark Online Shop so if you can’t make it to Daylesford you can bring a little bit of Daylesford to you!

I have been following Suzanne’s blog, an open [sketch]book, for over a year now and every time I visit I’m in awe of the wonderful talent and amazing outlook on life.  Not to mention Suzanne understands the love of a good beagle.

Image source: an open [sketch]book

Suzanne shares her art, which draws (no pun intended) on the everyday items in her world.  She has such a simple aesthetic that belies the inherent skill needed to be an artist.

Image source: an open [sketch]book

I would love one day to be able to purchase some of Suzanne’s art for our house.  I would love to see a greeting card line that featured Suzanne’s work.  It would be wonderful for any occasion!  But until that day I’ll just have to content myself with enjoying her work and life via an open [sketch]book!

Every so often I like to pretend I’m living in a European adventure and to help me do that I love reading petits details. The blog owner provides the following insight into the motivation behind her blog:

I grew up in the United States and now live near Paris with my husband (who is French) and our son. After moving to France nearly ten years ago, I discovered flea markets and antiques stores — discarded objects on Paris sidewalks, too — and have come to love all things vintage, including old fabrics and linens. These, in turn, have inspired me to make things by hand.

The photos on the blog are just stunning and provide a wonderful glimpse of life in France.

Image source: petits details

The brilliance doesn’t just stop at the photos though, there’s an Etsy store!  So now you can buy a little bit of petits details wonderfulness.

Update: Both the blog and the Etsy store are currently on hiatus, but that doesn’t mean you miss out on getting your French fix.  It’s a brilliant time to go back through the archive and build up your anticipation for the return!

I have no idea how I came to find the blog, Color Me Katie, but I haven’t looked back since that faithful day.  Katie is a freelance photographer and street artist living in Brooklyn, NY and her blog is an impressive show case of her wonderful fun filled life.

Image source: Color Me Katie

I love reading this blog.  It leaves me with a smile on my dial everytime I click on over there.  I love posts like “12 Things I Love about Moo”.  I love the bright colour images from one of the greatest cities on earth.  I just adore seeing how this creative soul furnishes her life.  It’s all amazing and I want to be a part of it all.

Image source: Color Me Katie

It constantly amazes me how the use of simple craft items can take something everyday bland and make it magical.  It makes me want to paint all the surfaces in our house white, get my hands on some coloured card, scissors and some magic tape.

Image source: Color Me Katie

For the love of all that is bright and colourful you must read Color Me Katie!

I have a blog crush.  Actually, I have a few blog crushes and I’ve decided to share them with you because there’s so many wonderful blogs out there that you should be reading regularly.   To start I’m going to tell you about a wonderful Australian blog that is offering a week of paper based goodness.

Calico & Co is run by the talented and amazing Amanda Fuller.  It’s a great repository of wonderful handmade goodness and design love.  When I stumbled across Calico & Co I spent a good few hours trawling through all of Amanda’s post and ohhing and ahhing over the wonderful images.  It was amazing.

This week Amanda has kicked of the inaugural Paper Week.  That’s right – a week devoted entirely to PAPER!  I love it!

Image source: Calico & Co

Every day this week Amanda will be offering a paper giveaway.  I’ve already entered today’s giveaway and I plan to enter everyday this week.

If you love beautiful design and photography go check out Calico & Co -  you won’t be disappointed.

Currently Australia is obsessed with the 2010 series of Masterchef Australia, and I haven’t been immune to it’s charm.  (Unlike last year…) I’m totally wrapped in the food and drama.  (Although I’ve reached my limit when it comes to tears and stories about dead parents, nana’s or children.)  If only it included my love of craft and art, then it would tick all my happy boxes.

Thanks to the wonder that is Twitter I happened to find a blog that incorporates food and art; They Draw & Cook.

Images from They Draw & Cook.

It’s brilliant – so brilliant in fact that if I was a publisher I would snatch it up in a moment! I would definitely be buying copies of the book to give to those I love and like.

I’m going to start putting together a list of recipes that I want to try off the site and then make them.  It should be a hoot.  Let me know if you decide to make any, we could do a cook off ala Masterchef Australia.

This week my subscription to Inside Out arrived in the post and it contained a wonderful surprise.  Inside Out is celebrating it’s tenth anniversary.  A decade of sharing with Australia a sense of style and design aesthetic that had previously been missing from the Australian market.

To celebrate this momentous milestone Inside Out are holding an Art Auction – or as I’ve dubbed it [He]Art Auction.  Here’s how they describe the creation of the items up for auction:

In it’s 10 years, Inside Out has featured many talented people. To celebrate our milestone birthday, we asked a few of them to conjure up an artwork that represents ‘Heart & Home’.

All proceeds from the auction will be donated to HeartKids.

HeartKids is unique in that it is the only organisation in Australia solely focussed on all aspects of chidlren’s heart disease. We aim to offer support to HeartKids and to families of children with heart disease, be it congenital (born with) or acquired. We have also partnered with leading cardiologists and researchers and are working to provide funding for them to assist in reducing the incidence of CHD and to improve the mortality rates currently being experienced.

So what are you waiting for, get clicking and check out the wonderful range of art on offer and if you can donate to a worthy charity and pick up something unique and stunning for your own home.

♥♥♥♥♥

If you can’t wait for the magazine to arrive you can always check out the Inside Out Blog.

a. Embroidery – Auction begins 17 April 2010 at 10:00am AEST  b. Ceramics – Auction on now  c. Painting – Auction on now  d. Print – Auction on now  e. Wall Hanging – Auction begins 17 April 2010 at 10:00am AEST

I am in blog lust with Allsorts.  The blog is run by childrens illustrator Jenny B Harris. It is reflective of her outlook on life; bright and cheerful.  It’s filled with wonderfully bright colours and fabulous photos.

Just look at her studio.  It’s like a pixies playground.

The organisational nut in me just loves the way everything is laid out.  The colour lover in me just wants to swim in these pictures.  It’s an amazing work space.  The use of non-traditional items, such as the plate rack, to store and display items is wonderful.  It’s inspired me to be more proactive about the organization of my craft supplies.

The blog is just brimming with wonderful photos of her craft and life.  She just has such a way with colour and collections.  Look at where she lays her head to sleep.

It’s just all so amazingly wonderful.  I would love to have a little slice of this wonderful in my life.  But for now I just have to content myself with reading the blog and purchasing some of her embroidery patterns to decorate my life with.  *le sigh*

For those of you living under the rock Alice in Wonderland opens in cinemas this week and I cannot wait! It’s been awhile since I got excited about a movie coming out and I’ve been waiting for this one for months.

And it seems I’m not the only one.  All over the internet there are homages to Alice in Wonderland popping up from Etsy to Cakes to blogs.  One of my favourite blogs, Confessions of a Net Addict, has put a wonderful spin on the topic.

Turning her wonderful style and talent to the task, Miss Addict has developed looks inspired by each of the characters.

These collections are funky and cool and all the great things in life.  The colours are bright and vibrant and totally reflective of the traditional look and feel of Alice in Wonderland only with a modern stylish twist.

I love them all and would kill to be able to wear a third of the things listed.  (Not to mention afford them!)

If you, like me, are lusting after all things Alice in Wonderland at the moment do yourself a favour and head over to Confessions of a Net Addict!

Thanks to Miss Addict for permission to use her wonderful collection.