During the week I was cruising my Twitter feed when I came across a tweet from Jessica Hische about Fileteado.  Being the curious gnome I am I turned to wiki and this is what I found:

Fileteado is a type of artistic drawing, with stylised lines and flowered, climbing plants typically used in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is used to adorn all kind of beloved objects, signs, taxis, lorries and even the old Colectivos, Buenos Aires’ buses.

Filetes (the lines in Fileteado style) are usually full of colored ornaments and symmetries completed with poetic phrases, sayings and aphorisms, both humorous or roguish, emotional or philosophical. They have been part of the culture of the Porteños (inhabitants of Buenos Aires) since the beginnings of the 20th century.

So I decided to use this as my inspiration for today’s Flickr Faves.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

1. Yo no vivo del arte, 2. flower firulete, 3. buenos aires, 4. Coca-Cola Porteña

Wanna see more Flickr Faves, or even submit your own, head on over to ArtMind!

On Saturday 17 July 2010 our Prime Minister called the National Election for 21 August 2010.  In Australia it’s compulsory to vote.  This will be the first election in the history of Australia that the Australian public will be voting for a party that is currently lead by a woman.  It’s exciting times.

1. NYC – Chelsea: VOTE by Clark Clark, 2. Vote Here, 3. Vote Badges, 4. Good Magazine: 1001 reasons to vote

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Wanna see more Flickr Faves, or even submit your own, head on over to ArtMind!

This week has the possibility of being a life changing week in our house.  After five long years of trying to have a baby we’re entering into our first round of IVF.  Not assisted reproduction or IUI, but IVF.  The whole kit and kaboodle.  I’ve started on the first course of medication designed to prepare my body for egg harvesting.  It’s going to be a good five to six week I think before they’ll be in a position to harvest anything and in that time I will have taken at least four different medications.

I’m not really sure what to expect, and to be quite frank it seems all a little surreal at the moment.  There’s still so many hoops to jump through between now and possibly being pregnant that it just seems like a monumental task.  Not to mention the financial impact of having to go through all of this.

I know that thousands of couples do this everyday, all around the world, but I can’t seem to keep it in my head at the moment that we’re going to be going through it.  All the visits to doctors over the past years have really numbed me towards the enormity of it all.  It just seems like a series of appointments and medication taking to me at the moment.  Which I feel in some ways is really sad, and in other ways probably a great way to look at it.

I’m positive that whatever happens we’ll be ok and that we’ll deal positively with what ever comes of it all.  It’s just frustrating to be having to go through all of this.  Although, it is teaching me a level of patience I never thought I would ever need or have.

1. new baby in the family, 2. Baby Blues, 3. Baby Jazz Hands, 4. :: Baby Eyes ::

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Wanna see more Flickr Faves, or even submit your own, head on over to ArtMind!

1. Not available, 2. risk, revok, og abel, 3. START / STOP, 4. Progress, 5. Why we dream…, 6. Indiana Jones and the mysterious head. . ., 7. [ Scars are souvenirs you'll never lose ], 8. Lenee’s Tattoo, 9. family of hands, 10. 20/365- All You Need Is LOVE, 11. The Bokeh & Roy G. Biv Holiday Family Reunion, 12. “love comes from the most unexpected places…”, 13. Risk MSK AWR WCA SeventhLetter LosAngeles Graffiti Art14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

This quote has come to mean a lot to me.  It speaks a lot to how I live my life.  I think there is nothing sexier than going after something you want; whether that be a goal, an item or a path.  Life is too short to spend wondering what could have been.  Once my mind is made up there’s very little that will stop me from going after what I want.  The worst thing that can happen is that I don’t achieve it, but 98% of the victory is in starting it.  I’ve been thinking long and hard about actually getting this quote as my next tattoo.  It has been the impetus to me having so many wonderful things in my life.

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This week’s Flickr Fave was a theme set over on ArtMind, to build your set based on your favourite quote.  If you want to see more, head on over to ArtMind!

Inspired by an image I saw on this post at The Dainty Squid I decided to do a Flickr Fave theme inspired by antlers.  I was surprised by the amount of pictures out there that have ‘antler’ as a tag.  I would never have thought of antlers as an appropriate decorating item, but I may just be convinced otherwise.

1. Reindeer antlers, 2. Elk Antlers & Ristras: Martinez Hacienda: Taos, New Mexico (NM), 3. Cast Red Deer Stag Antler., 4. with goat antlers

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If you’d like to see more flickr faves head on over to ArtMind!

1. Death by Hug, 2. “Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure.”, 3. “you’ve got a friend”, 4. Tattoo Heart Valentine Cookies, 5. It’s raining hearts (365/351), 6. Bear Hug (sketch), 7. Hug Me! (233/365), 8. Big Hug, 9. You’ve Got A Friend In Me

Last weeks Flickr Faves was a tad sad, so this week I bring good news.  My father has had his surgery and to quote the surgeon “it looks great”.  He’s got a long road ahead of him that’s filled with no smoking, more exercise and better eating.  But I’m stoked he’s going to be ok.

Last week I was totally blown away by all the lovely and thoughtful comments that everyone left me.  I am totally amazed at the depth of wonderful that is flowing through the internet.  I’m so very thankful to all of you for your support and hugs.  Thank you!  Those two words don’t seem adequate, but I mean them with my whole heart.  Thank you!

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If you’d like to see more flickr faves head on over to ArtMind!

1. Lulu on her Dad’s Shoulders., 2. A Dad’s Cuddle, 3. A dad’s heart, 4. Show me the Way, Dad

On Thursday last week my Father had a heart attack.  As I prepare this entry he’s currently in hospital waiting to have some tests that will determine how much damage has been done to his heart.  The doctor’s are saying at the moment that due to the nature of my Father’s lifestyle, heavy smoker, likes his liquor and loves a good bit of food, that he’ll likely need open heart surgery.

My heart is breaking.  I’m heading home to be with him and my Mother at this time and it’s killing me.  I was only there a few weeks ago, and now I’m having to go back under the worst circumstances.

I am very much a Daddy’s Girl.  To me he’s the perfect Dad.  I’m praying desperately that he’ll be ok and this will just result in a much needed change to his lifestyle.

I’m also cursing my infertility.  Never have I hated it so much as I do right now.  It’s robbed me of time with my parents that I will never be able to have.  I want my children to grow up knowing how amazing and wonderful their Grandparents are.  We’ve already lost HUBBY’s mother, I couldn’t cope if we lost another parent.  It’s not even been twelve months since my Mother was diagnosed with cancer and had to have major surgery.

It seems like it has just been one big ticket issue after another.

This week HUBBY and I were supposed to embark on the final stage of our IVF journey, but now it appears that I’ll be in another hospital, in another city, praying that the man that helped create me survives to get to see his grandkids.  It just doesn’t seem fair.

At times like this when I want to wallow in the pain and the “why me” I am always reminded that there are other people out there doing it harder, tougher and alone.  I should be counting my blessings at times like these.  It’s just hard to remember that when it’s the person who holds a piece of your heart in theirs that’s the focus of the issue.

Hopefully for Flickr Faves next week it’ll be a selection of sunshine and puppies…

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If you’d like to see more (less dramatic) flickr faves head on over to ArtMind!

1. pastel cuppies, 2. Pastel Roses II, 3. Colores pastel :-P, 4. Spring bloom pastel (pink)

It’s cold here and I think that it’s starting to affect the colours I’m gravitating towards.  This week it’s a collection of pastel flowers, both edible and not so edible.  (Couldn’t think of the opposite to edible…)

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If you’d like to see more flickr faves head on over to ArtMind!

1. Orange as any orange on a tree, 2. Orange muffins, 3. cara cara oranges, 4. Orange flavour

I’m crushing on orange at the moment.  I think it’s because so many of the trees in Canberra are swiftly moving through their autumnal colour spectrum. It’s beautiful.  It makes the gray days bearable.

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If you’d like to see more flickr faves head on over to ArtMind!

1. Memories of Winter (Explored & Front Page), 2. Winter’s Coming, 3. Winter Day, 4. the hounds of winter

Winter is well and truly here in Canberra.   Last year I struggled through winter.  It seems so dark and horrid, but for some reason I’m really enjoying the onset of winter this year.  The days are bright and crisp and the city seems to be coming alive as it moves from autumn to winter.

I wonder if my opinion about winter will change once we’re in the middle of it.  When the days are short and dark.  I’m not going to think about it, I’m going to concentrate on enjoying the lovely days while we have them.

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If you’d like to see more flickr faves head on over to ArtMind!