I've Been Missing You

Long time no see! It's probably time I wrote a quick post explaining my absence. You may have heard me mention my intense workload over the past 3 months or so. Unfortunately, as these things do, it has caught up with me and I've been very unwell for the past couple of weeks. I'll be starting my new contract (a week late!) tomorrow, which involves a lot of commuting on top of my work day. I'm still feeling under the weather, so while I get settled with my next project, and heal my poor abused body, things will probably be quiet around here for a little while yet.

I do miss my regular posting and conversations with you, and I'm hoping this break will be short-lived.

Kitty
xo

Weekend Links v.20

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Well, it's weekend links on a Monday - better late than never I suppose :)

I feel like everyone must have seen Walter the dog running with wild abandon by now, but if you missed it, this video will make you smile (and wish you were a dog)

There's a new superhero on the streets of Japan, but instead of fighting crime, he's fighting trash.

This park in Austria turns into a lake in the summer!

Six tips for staying creative without colleagues

If you're ever stuck for a good book to read, maybe pick one off David Bowie's Top 100 Books list. I'm pretty sure anything you choose will be a winner.

And if you're going to read one of David Bowie's favourite books, you should probably do it wearing these incredible gold beatle boots.

I'm always on the lookout for new fonts, True North Font Pack contains a vintage inspired font and a pretty cursive script as well as a tonne of vector icons!

Any October birthdays out there? This is a pretty sweet birthday card!

How much longer until November? I can't wait to be here.

I made mini-fake-burgers awhile ago. I bet these taste better! Mini-burger cupcakes get in my belly.

Happy Monday! (or very early on Tuesday if you're in my time-zone)

Kitty
xo

Instagram Challenge | September Colour Announcement

To bring you up to speed, the Instagram challenge is designed to keep our photography flowing throughout the year, in the form of creating a nice collaborative rainbow. Each month will have a different colour theme. I'll announce a new colour monthly and then showcase my favourite shots on the blog at the end of the month.

If all goes according to plan, I think we'll be able to paint a beautiful spectrum on Instagram through the year, which you can watch unfold by searching the hashtag #kittyandbuckcolor

I'm so excited for September, mostly because I got to photograph a banana... It's spring here in Sydney and I've already been spotting yellow blooms around the place. Whether it's spring or autumn where you are, I'm sure you can find pops of yellow all around you. Share your best finds on Instagram using the hashtag #kittyandbuckcolor and add your work to our feed.

If you'd like to spread the word, feel free to grab this button to share on your blog. You can resize it to fit your sidebar by changing the width and height values in the code when you copy it to your blog's sidebar. (just keep them the same so it stays square!)


<center> <a href="http://www.kittyandbuck.com/2014/01/color-instagram-challenge-join-me.html" target="_blank" /><img width="320px" height="320px" src="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p482/kittyandbuck/Instagram%20Challenge%202014/Kitty-And-Buck_Instagram-Colors-Button-Pink_zps409e3a50.jpg"/></a></center> You can find me on Instagram @kittyandbuck. Remember, if you are private, let me know your username in the comments if you'd like me to see your pictures and I'll follow you.

Kitty
xo

Instagram Challenge | August Recap

Wow, where did August go? It flew by in a flash of greenery! Check out my favourites from the #kittyandbuckcolor challenge below.

1 ◆ @sincerelysara22
2 ◆ @sketchynotions
3 ◆ @callmesassafras

4 ◆ @maryandrikus
5 ◆ @skullandcrosstales
6 ◆ @jessiedmeece

7 ◆ @voyceee
8 ◆ @allthelivelongday
9 ◆ @nohelanib

10 ◆ @allthelivelongday
11 ◆ @smash_her_ella 
12 ◆ @begoodnatured

I'll be announcing the September colour in the next few days, so feel free to get some extra green shots in before then.

I'm hosting this Instagram Challenge all through 2014, where the intent is to refresh your view on the world around you by searching for the month's theme colour. Hopefully we have the added bonus of improving our phone photography skills, too. Each month I will announce a new colour, and all you have to do to take part is tag your coloured images with #kittyandbuckcolor. At the end of each month, I'll feature a few favourites on Kitty & Buck and at the end of the year, I imagine we'll have a lovely rainbow streaking through Instagram!

Kitty @kittyandbuck
xo

Weekend Links v.19

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Bye, Google Maps. I'm sold!

Do you have an Etsy account? Or thinking of setting one up? Etsy recently launched the Etsy Design Awards, and Australian sellers can win a trip to Etsy HQ in Brooklyn and be featured in Inside Out magazine!

This shop has the greatest Mexican print pillows! I can't decide if I want the Cactus, the Watermelon or La Calavera....

How to apologise properly. Good advice for everyone!

An eye-opening portrait series of scientists as they discuss their greatest fears about climate change.

I just started this course, so far it's a winner! Get Stuff Done Like a Boss: Design Your Workflow and Double Your Productivity in 21 Days.

If you've ever lived in London, you'll know the value of an un-steal-able bicycle. Most bikes in that city have a lifespan of around 8 days ;)

Please tell me someone out there has a pet tortoise - this is the greatest thing ever.

Put an end to Brotalitarianism - be a misfit!

Kelsea just launched her shop with the "Wonderland Collection". Super Kawaii!


In case you missed it on Kitty & Buck:
There's just one day left to enter the AmiMia Etsy shop giveaway!

We made another travel video, this time in the misty, magical Blue Mountains.

How was your weekend? I fell into a post-deadline stupor for a few days, but I'm back on normal work hours again, so looking forward to sleep, exercise and, I don't know... reading a book?

I hope you have a productive and rewarding week :)

Kitty
xo

Weekend Getaway to the Blue Mountains

For my final #painthetownford challenge, I decided to go on a much needed weekend getaway (computer in tow as working was still required). In the typical fashion of the Murphy's and their silly laws, the day before we were due to depart for a little weekend away to the Blue Mountains, newsreaders across Sydney declared it would be best to stay indoors as "Rainmageddon" was upon us. I don't know about you, but a little apocalyptic rainfall was not going to get in the way of my break. If there's anything that makes the mountains more romantic, it's rain and mist.

I've always wanted to stay at The Carrington Hotel, it carries a decidedly "The Shining" vibe about it, and there's something about the slightly off-kilter grande old dame atmosphere that draws me in. Unfortunately it was fully booked out, so we opted for something on the opposite end of the spectrum, an eco resort called "Old Leura Dairy". There are various styles and sizes of accommodation to choose from at the dairy, we decided on the Milking Shed, which had a lovely fireplace and loft bedroom. The interior is a mish-mash of recycled building materials and found objects which gives it a lovely eclectic homey feeling. I especially loved the entryway, a couple of huge old barn doors that swung open to reveal our cosy cave for the weekend.

As we drove into the mountains from Sydney, I watched the temperature indicator on the car drop, approximately 1ºC for each town we passed through. By the time we arrived in Leura, it was a chilly 7º. Thankfully the Ford Kuga Titanium has built in seat-warmers, so we were none the wiser in our toasty cocoon-on-wheels. Despite the rain, we cobbled together another short film of our trip - I'm thinking of making this a more regular thing! It's such a fun way to preserve your memories.

Kitty & Buck | Mountain Escape from Kitty & Buck on Vimeo

Since we were unable to have a sleepover in The Carrington, we opted for a quick pre-dinner drink instead. It's the perfect way to soak up the ambience if you're just in Katoomba for a day trip, or prefer a different type of accommodation. The ascent to the front door is accompanied by the most delightful wafts from the flower garden. The only way to make the ground more appealing, would be to install a hedge maze, taking it one step closer to Stanley Kubrick's vision. The barmen were extremely obliging with my unusual request for tea instead of a gin and tonic, and my questions about the VIP room (a very appealing balcony that was built for the Duke and Duchess of York's visit in 1927 - it was never used by them and is now relegated to a structurally unsound temptation, rather than a functional sitting area).

The following day, as tempting as it was to play scrabble in our 'shed', we decided to indulge in one of the best activities to do on the mountains, rain or not: Antique hunting. Oh, and book hunting. Our first stop (always) is Mr Pickwick's on Katoomba Street, home of antiquities, a wide range of amazing vintage clothing, and around 60,000 books. We were lucky enough to find Mr Pickwick himself behind the counter, who kindly obliged our request for a photo (complete with mischievous glint in his eye). I scored a first edition of Alp by William Hjortsberg. If you love kid's books, there is an absolute goldmine of vintage children's literature in the basement book cave.

The lovely township of Leura called us back from lunch, where we shoehorned ourselves into the extremely popular Red Door Cafe. Bellies full, we trundled around the main street of Leura, taking in the sights. We discovered a Japanese Ceramic store which was disappointingly closed. It's bookmarked in my brain for a future investigation.

Since it was early afternoon and the mist was showing no signs of clearing, we decided to brave a wander down to Sublime Point. It's a little more secluded than the big Three Sisters lookout, and we hoped, less exposed to the elements. It was raining, cold and windy, but quite spectacular to see the vague shapes of the mountains in the white void. We didn't linger as the wind was doing it's best to whip our umbrellas into the great beyond and we didn't fancy following them.

Our final stop on the way back to Sydney is the best bookstore I've found in Australia and only second to the incredible backyard shed/shop full of first editions we stumbled across in Woodstock, VT. If you're in the Blue Mountains area, be sure to check in at Lamdha Books. It's a small shop, but packed full of gems. I managed to score a Flann O'Brien book that I haven't seen anywhere else and C grabbed a copy of Fantomas. We had a lovely conversation about jazz with Michael, the friendly owner and prolonged our return home as long as we could. Eventually we couldn't postpone the inevitable and we had the Kuga carry us home one final time before I was relegated back to my vintage Mazda. Thanks for the good times Kidspot and Ford, we had a blast!

Kitty
xo

I'm participating in the #paintthetownford challenge as part of the Kidspot Voices 2014 competition. Ford has provided me with a Ford Kuga Titanium for six weeks as part of this challenge. This is the final post of three in my series, you can read the previous posts here:

Post 1: Market Dreams

Post 2: Rural Escape

All opinions expressed in this post are my own. You can follow along with the other bloggers participating by searching the hashtag #paintthetownford and #voicesof2014.

Giveaway with AmiMia! Win €30 to the AmiMia Etsy Store

I'm so pleased to introduce you to the lovely Amanda today, along with her adorable Etsy store, AmiMia. As you may have guessed from the introduction image, AmiMia is filled with the sweetest crochet creatures, from bunnies to kitties to *squeee* bumble bees! You'll find out a little more about Amanda below, and after the interview, you'll have a chance to enter to win a €30 gift voucher to the AmiMia Etsy Store! You can choose to spend it on something listed in the store, or commission your own project for Amanda to whip up for you once the giveaway is over.

Can you tell us a little about how you got started creating your cute little animals and developed your hobby into a handmade business?

Its hard to find the beginning point. I always enjoyed crocheting and knitting. At some point some of my friends and family members started to ask for toys and it turned out to be a wonderful project. I wouldn't say it is a business yet (although I hope it will grow); it is still my hobby and additional income at the moment is just a bonus.

Nevertheless, without people around me encouraging me to put my little animals up for adoption I probably would still make them just for my friends and wouldn't make big future plans about them.

What inspires you creatively?

People. I love seeing others do creative things and succeeding, it inspires me to go for more than I expect. Also long conversations and discussions; whenever I feel stuck in creative process I meet up with someone for a glass of wine and get my mind open for the craziest ideas.

Most importantly changes; when things are changing, I am changing and my environment is changing. Routine and calmness are my creative enemies; I don't like to be stuck at one point for long.

You are originally from Latvia, do you have any travel tips for the folks out there on places to see?

I come from Latvia but last 5 years I have been living in the Netherlands where I work and study. Latvia is a wonderful country and it will always have my heart. Most of the tourists usually visit Riga, the capital city which is hipster paradise. A lot of nice cafes, live music almost every night and a great Jugendstyle architecture.

But I suggest to go further from the capital city and visit Liepaja (my hometown) with the beach and club Fontaine Palace which has its own special aura. On the way it is obligatory to stop in the Rudales Palace and go along the Baltic sea shore to see the cliffs (well, those are cliffs for Latvian people). The farms and country living is much different and worth paying a visit also. And most importantly, go on top of every church you see to see the city from above. It is a possibility almost everywhere so use it!

Almost everyone in Latvia speaks English and are very friendly and will be happy to show you around.
By the way, at the moment there is a possibility to enter a contest to get a paid weekend in Riga with one of our celebrities, just check out www.celebritycouch.lv

How would you spend your perfect weekend?

At the moment I would really love to be in some music festival with my best friends or simply spend a weekend at the beach in my hometown, sleeping in, having drinks with my friends, swimming in Baltic see, listening to good music and catching the last of the sun this year.

When you're not creating cuddly creatures, how do you spend your time?

Last couple of month have been crazy for me and I don't really have had any free time. We have just moved to a new house (which means a lot of new ideas in any possible sphere of my life) and it takes most of my time. I am also working my student job, building up my portfolio and preparing to start my Master studies in September. Additionally to that I am always in constant explosion of thoughts what else could I do. I guess I could say, I keep busy so I don't have free time; if I do, I sleep.

What do you do to relax?

I crochet. At least for now it is still the thing I am looking forward the most when I am stressed out at work or tired from running around. Its a thing where I count my hooks, listen to music and turn off from everything around; then it is just me and my soon-to-be animal.

If you'd like to see more from AmiMia, you can visit and follow along over at the Etsy Store, Blog, Facebook and Twitter. Before you run off though, pop an entry in for the giveaway so that you have a chance to own one of these sweet friends handmade in the Netherlands!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kitty
xo

Weekend Links v.18

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A French-trained Japanese pastry chef has made the most adorable teddy bear cookies. Full Stop.

A fascinating look at how sleep improves your ability to learn a new language.

Mind. Blown. This electronic makeup video is incredible. Even though I do some projection work for my job, this is still amazing to me.

I could get lost in the Flickr feed of Japan photos for hours...

I want to believe.

Understanding the Google Analytics dashboard - so helpful for anyone bamboozled by that big interface.

The appeal of unhappy cities - US based but still so interesting. Looks like living in Louisiana is the bomb? Any LA-ites out there? Do you concur?

Wowsers. This ring is so beautiful.

D'aww. Get a custom made polymer clay 'portrait' necklace or brooch made of your kitty!

There's utility in your bad ideas.

I hope you had a good weekend! I'm just wrapping up a huge job, so things should be more normal around here from now on! Fingers crossed :)

Kitty
xo

DIY | Shibori - Japanese Fabric Dyeing: Guest Post

Kittenhood is one of my favourite blogs, so when Daria asked me to help out with a guest post while she was on vacation, there was no question in helping her out. If you're interested in fabric dyeing, Japanese style, head on over to Kittenhood to see my guest post. Even if you're not, check out Daria's blog, it's a fabulous concoction of DIYs, fashion and cats. You'll fall in love, I'm sure,

Kitty
xo

Found #107

Let's be honest, this pillow sums up my week (month?) perfectly. I'm ready.

via: Jasmine Dowling

I have a fascination with the way nature takes over a place when us people leave it be. There's a beautiful decay in the scenery photographed by Daniel Traub in inner city Philadelphia, in the places abandoned by people and reclaimed by nature.

via: Feature Shoot

The "Canyon Series" hand painted porcelain plates from Red Raven Studio are exquisite.

via: Red Raven Studio

These bee collar clips are so cute! Bzz.

via: Dapper And Swag

To get me in the mood for the aforementioned sleep, here are some 'gazing at the moon' tea towels. Goodnight!

via: Little Lark

Kitty

xo

Colour Me... Light Brown

Each month, Kyla from Kyla Is Inspired and I work on a colour collaboration. This month we are focussing on light brown. I've gathered a lovely collection of warm, fresh tones in the form of illustrations, photography and fashion. Don't forget to check out Kyla's finds too!

You can visit the previous posts under the Colour Me tag. My feature image this month is from Adventures With Barefoot Critters: An ABC Book by Teagan White via Behance.

Main Image | Adventures With Barefoot Critters: An ABC Book by Teagan White via Behance

1 | Leather and Felt Laptop Sleeve
2 | Juliana Sunglasses
3 | Little Feet on The Bus illustration by Grace Lee
4 | Pergola Pattern, Cazneaux's daughter, by Harold Cazneaux 1931
5 | Double Chocolate Almond Butter Trail Cookies
6 | Berkley Leather Satchel

Kitty
xo

Weekend Links v.17

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This is such a good system - everyone should follow it! For everyone out there who calls as they hit 'send' to ask "Did you get my email?"

Just a little somethin' to add to my mountain of "things I must see in Japan" - this time it's a cat shrine.

I love the colours in this rug!

Dreaming about this camera. Dreaming.

And when dreams really do come true. Get your own Flux Capacitor.

You'll probably want to keep your flux capacitor safe in this tribal print bag :)

Calling all you perfectionists out there. Just do your best.

One more for the road: Keeping your inner critic in check.

In case you missed it on Kitty & Buck:

We made a video!! Come on a journey to a lovely Australian rural area called Kangaroo Valley. It's the first video I've ever made for Kitty & Buck, so I'd love to know your thoughts (C did the music too!)

Kitty
xo

Found #106

Have you seen "Wrap" magazine? It's such a lovely volume, celebrating all things paper, and comes with pull out prints for your own wrapped creations.

via: Wrap

It would probably be a bad idea for me to get this coffee table. I'd stare at it for hours and get lost in it's deep ocean-blue depths.

via: Lost At E-Minor

Dani from Lucky Number Seven posted about Lou & Grey recently and I really like their simple basics. Perfect for layering and casual lounging :)

via: Lou & Grey

Whoa. On the other end of the spectrum, this 1950's dress has the most amazing print! Beautiful.

via: When Decades Collide

Speaking of gorgeous vintage, look at these boots!? I'm pulling out my tiny violin and lamenting my big feet that never fit in vintage shoe sizes. Boo.

via: Story of Things

Happy Friday everyone!

Kitty

xo

On the Farm - A Rural Escape

You know when you just have one of those weeks? Months? Years? The best medicine for a hectic and stressful moment in life is an escape to the country, wouldn't you agree? With the intense work schedule I've been keeping lately, a rural escape was on the cards. While the best I could do was a single night away, I fully intended to make the most of it! Kangaroo Valley is a picturesque spot just south of Sydney, a mere 1-2 hour drive from the city. It fit my 'quick' escape criteria perfectly. Browsing the wealth of farm stays available around Sydney, I spotted a wooden yurt on a horse breeding farm called The Cedars nestled amongst the Budderoo and Morton National Parks just south of Bowral.

We captured some moving images of our adventure, and there's a bunch more photos below, so if you're having a tough day at your desk, take a small break to the country with us.

Kitty & Buck | Rural Escape from Kitty & Buck on Vimeo.

After plowing through our work for the day, we were off to a regrettably late start on the road. It wasn't until we started out descent through the hairpin turns into Kangaroo Valley that I started to leave the city tension behind. We arrived in the valley as the long shadows began their descent from the ranges above. A quick inspection of our yurt yielded some ooh's and ahh's from me. The timber-lined interior and pot belly stove were suitably cosy for a winter's night.

We boarded the Ford Kuga Titanium once again and set out to hunt for some dinner. Thank goodness for the built-in GPS as phone reception is scarce and country roads have a habit of getting me lost. We zeroed in on the local supermarket, which was actually a petrol station, and stocked up on supplies (a frozen pizza, some chips and hummus, chocolate and soda - you know, grown-up food).

Back at the yurt, the sun was making it's final descent and we were completely alone in the middle of nowhere. After building a fire, defrosting our gourmet meal and pouring a glass of complimentary wine, we settled in with a BBC production about an incredible Dutch painter named Schalcken, a student of a student of Rembrandt. I feel like perhaps the BBC took some liberties with his story, as it included some creepy parts about a vampire. Suitably spooked, I prepared to turn in for the night when there was a very loud scratching on the window next to where I stood. Accompanied by a couple of squeaks, it occurred to me that, yes, this is a rural escape and we were going to have some (hopefully non-vampiric) company for the evening.

The following morning I woke up with the birds and it took all of my willpower to leap out of bed and stuff some logs into the fire. Sufficiently alight, I attended to the loaf of complimentary sourdough while C worked on the farm fresh eggs. Sated, we headed out for a little hike to the creek. First stop was the paddock by the yurt, which contained a herd of cattle and two magnificent Shire horses. The lady horse is with child and was extremely friendly. Covered in horse hair, we pressed on towards the creek, printed map in hand.

Somehow we became completely lost and it took much longer to reach the creek than expected. On our detour we encountered not one, but three echidnas! I've never seen an echidna in the wild before, so getting lost was definitely worth it. When the echidna heard us coming, he poked his head under some leaves with the dedication of a toddler who covers their eyes and is convinced they are invisible. After a few minutes he squinted up at us and decided we were no longer there (though we clearly were) and continued on his way. It was so adorable! I realise why echidnas have spiky spines now. They are the least graceful creatures and make about as much noise as a bear barging through the woods.

The valley lived up to it's name with several kangaroos and many wallabies hopping around. We also encountered a fox burrow where I imagined the foxes were having breakfast and Mr. Fox was all dapper in a suit like The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Eventually we reached the cool climate of the creek, which was encompassed in a rainforest section of the national park. The moss covered rocks and quiet babbling of the creek provided the perfect counterpoint to the previous day's hustle.

It was sad to wave goodbye to the Cedars after such a short visit, but we tempered our return to the big smoke with some antique hunting in Bowral, accompanied by a delicious vegetarian Croque-Madame at Raw and Wild. Book stores explored, antiques drooled over, we programmed home into the Kuga's GPS and allowed him to guide us back to reality. The afternoon traffic upon our return did it's best to erase the benefits of our rural escape, but we didn't let it win! I'm so happy to know that the babbling creek and rolling pastures of Kangaroo Valley are just down the road whenever I need them.

Kitty
xo

I'm participating in the #paintthetownford challenge as part of the Kidspot Voices 2014 competition. Ford has provided me with a Ford Kuga Titanium for six weeks as part of this challenge. This is the second post of three in my series, you can see the first post here. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. You can follow along with the other bloggers participating by searching the hashtag #paintthetownford