Backtrack : A new post series + some Sydney city gallivanting

New post series? Not really.. but kind of. Let me explain...

So on a trip to the city with some friends from my youth group we all started talking about our uni-student-on-holidays life. It just so happens that the four of us all had our own blogs (because we're all hip and blog and stuff).

And so began our little chat about our non-productiveness on the blog front. in terms of our blogs. We all have differing levels of disengagement with our blogs, from a week, to a few weeks to a few months (in my case - I've posted what, twice? in the last 6 months?)

Anyway.. someone suggested we need to make a pact to all post more and so our little blogging productive challenge was born! (I just made that name up just then) This challenge pretty much just requires us to post SOMETHING (anything?) onto one of our blogs by midnight on Monday-Tuesday. And I guess this post will count as mine. YAY! (I will link all their blog posts at the bottom so you people that read this can check it out.)

I know that I have a lot of worth while things sitting in my drafts and thought I really should post these on here. And my new "Backtrack" post series is born! HUZZAH! So for the next few weeks I will be posting some things that have been sitting in my drafts for months, years even! I can't guarantee that it will be done in chronological order but we'll see how we go. These are all events, though there are a few things that aren't, which I can get away with not being in this series (as they don't refer to some specific times/dates).

I will hopefully be posting the first Backtrack post next week some time. In the mean time here are some photos of what we did get up to in the city. Enjoy!

 We went to customs house.

And the State Library of NSW.

 

  My friend's dad shouted us lunch! We had Thai. It was yummy. 

(Yay for instagram!)

Then we strolled through Hyde Park,

jumped in front of St Mary's Cathedral

and wondered through the Royal Botanical gardens.

We took some photos on the way up to Mrs Macquaries Point.

Then watched the sun set over the harbour.

 Walking back to the station we found this sign. We accepted the invitation by walking on grass and hugging a nearby tree.

On the way back we bought some cake and other baked goods for the train ride back home. We had been talking about red velvet cake on the trip into the city and were craving some. So we managed to find some but alas! It was a very deceiving super sweet, pink, vanilla cake or sugar cake or something. There was NO CHOCOLATE. 

THE CAKE IS A LIE!! 

(Woo! References from games I don't even play)

All in all a pretty good day, despite this "red-velvet" cake. And and at the end of it a new post!

Also here are links to my friend's posts for our challenge!

Trip Tide

Brendon the Smiling Chef

A Piece of Shortcake

I am BACK (again)

Hello internet!

I am back! Semester is over and I can get back to blogging again. Apologies. Anyway, what have I been up to you ask?!

Since my last post I have been making things, traveling and studying and making and PROCRASTINATING (what's new?). But more specifically, my stall at the Parra Lanes festival went pretty well.

My jars were also stocked at the Prospector Store over Christmas and the past summer.

 

They were also featured in the Christmas window display at Sweet Street Bakery in Parramatta.

I have traveled to the Philippines to visit family plus a few side trips to Melbourne and the Gold Coast (theme parks, YEAH!). Also, did a massive research paper at uni among other cool projects and got a job at the 3D Printing Studio!

the least fun you'll ever have, all 135 pages of it

So that's a the last 6 months in a nutshell. I hopefully will be writing up a post about the Etsy Craft Party I attended on Friday and another on some plans for my winter break, which includes lots of crafting and making and experimental designing. Not to mention more The Jolly Cottage things!

I'm excited!

Till next time, stay cool.

- Julie

Food & Photography

Two of my favourite things and they go beautifully together!

So my mum has been baking a lot the past month or so (probably because Better Crocker mixes were on sale). She does the baking and more often than not I am resident cake decorator. And so after each masterpiece (not really) I take photos and post them on facebook to make my friends jealous.

I just felt like collating all the photos and posting them up so I can share them all here.

Enjoy!

(from most recent to oldest)

Leche Flan (creme caramel)

Pavlova

Devil's food cake

Pavlova

Chocolate Fudge cake w/ cream

Mum's birthday pan CAKE

Chocolate cake or some kind w/ sprinkles!

- Julie

NEW URL

Also for those of you who are yet to notice..

My blog has a new URL!

juliesdesignadventures.blogspot.com

I thought it would be a bit more appropriate for the purpose of this blog being a design blog. Hope to be able to show more projects and process on here for a more professional... thing (biggest mind blank)

Anyway have a GREAT Easter everyone! Here is an origami rabbit I prepared earlier :)

- Julie.

Setting up shop

So I don't know if you know but I've been crafting since forever and have always wanted to be able to make and sell my own stuff (and hey presto! I do a design course, go figure).

Anyway I've always made little things out of felt (images below) for friends and family back in high school half because it cost less to make birthday gifts and I could cram it the night before (like my assignments!). I've always been pretty pleased with what I've come up with. In saying that, I've never made anything more than once.

After seeing so many of my friends and people I know go into business for themselves selling their own things over the years I keep asking myself "Why aren't I doing that yet?". And to be honest I have no real excuse. I mean I am quite involved around and my non-uni project list is greater than my study workload (6 external projects vs. 4 uni assignments). Sometimes I wonder if I'm procrastinating this small business venture of my own  by doing all these other things?

I think it's because I've never had anyone actually hold me to account for getting it done. On the one hand its a big time commitment and I'm not even sure it will fall through so I guess I don't bother? All these other projects have immediate response sort of thing, generally because they are for other people. The most annoying thing is that I know I can do it and that I have the potential. People have been telling my that for YEARS but I haven't really lived up to it or at least to what I believe I am capable of. Maybe I should start planning to get back into it?

Anyway I leave you with some of my little felt creations.. If you think I could/should do something with it I would love to hear/see some support. I do have a small break in my semester coming up, might be a good time to start something!

The owls I actually have made twice but as you can see they turned out completely different. 

And then there's all the paper craft I do too! Geez, I wish I could only do one thing sometimes so that that would be all I do and I could just focus on those things.

Eugh, anyway I need to go back to working on this assignment for my Masters application..

Julie.

Holiday catch up

Also some of the stuff I did in the holidays after my last Christmas craft post. Pretty much just Christmas craft and things actually at Christmas (i.e. my cards and Christmas eve baking!)

So I finished painting and colouring my cards and FINALLY cut them all up!

20 self designed, handmade Christmas cards.

Little accident spilling a glass of water!!

The paper started curling!! *GASP* Don't worry I made spare cards.

Handmade envelopes with self designed address plates

I don't have a proper photo because I am silly and didn't think about that till after I posted and I cant be bothered looking for my spares to take a photo right now. So I am just borrowing a photo off my friend Rachel who took this and posted it on online after she got it.

ANWAY MOVING ON TO CHRISTMAS BAKING!

Our playground (my cousin & I)

We decided to make some gingerbread cookies.

YAY!!! Gingerstars :)

I really wanted to make a gingerbread house so I convinced my cousin to leave me some of the dough so I could make a mini one. Also decided to make a gingerbread man out of the leftover dough.

DECORATING! :)

CONSTRUCTION! This was actually really difficult because I couldn't be bothered to make actual icing so i was just using nutella to stick it all together.

YEWWW! Finished house!!

All snow dusted! With mister ginger bread :)
Pretty good for my first ever gingerbread house, no?

AND the back of the house

We arranged and dusted the gingerbread stars too! :)

And to give you a sense of scale... look how tiny it is! It was SO CUTE :)

Anyway, so that was some of my Christmas. Hope you enjoyed!

Julie.