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Our backyard is purpose-built to be filled with gorgeous, feathery, clucky chooks. I’ve been dropping hints to Billy Goat about how useful they are because they provide eggs and are fertilizing machines. Plus the kids were already in love with Florence and Myrtle – a couple of hens living at their cousin’s. Billy Goat was blind (or deaf) to my subtle hints, but finally figured that the kids might want pets when they wrote him a not-so-subtle letter. So with that we took a trip to the local animal shelter and selected a….rabbit. OK, the chook-convincing still needs work, but we’ve made progress on the pet front.
It didn’t take long to choose from the four that were available – one was white with red eyes, a temper, and totally freaked out the youngest knuffle kid. Peter Rabbit, however, was a chilled out creature that had been found in a park in the middle of the CBD. He happily hopped about while the paperwork was completed, and as a new name was negotiated and agreed. Tommy.
Tommy likes beetroot leaves, mint, and running under the house and into the front yard. There may not be any eggs, but there is plenty of fertilizer. And as for the chickens – well they’re compatible with rabbits – aren’t they?
xx Nanny Goat
Bike helmets became mandatory in Australia in the 80’s. The government of the time decided that getting Molly Meldrum to star in an ad wearing a stackhat would convince people that it was cool. Even Molly’s logic isn’t that warped. I’ve recently been coaching my daughter to ride, and she’s doing it with style. The most awesome helmets I’ve ever seen. Seriously, these better come in goat-size.
xx Nanny Goat
Knuffle Kid Pop-Up Shop
Post Industrial Design
638 Barkly Street,
West Footscray, VIC
(map)
Friday 10th Feb, 10:00 until 6:00
Saturday 11th February, 10:00 until 4:00
Cash and card accepted.
So pop over to the facebook event page and let us know that your coming.
Sorry it’s been so long. When was the last time? By the river at Easter many moons ago – a chestnut festival in a nearby country town. I even won the hay-bail stacking competition! You were good for me, and so were the summers building board-walks in the National Forests, getting to know the local Trackies and Rangers and their families. I moved cities, and there were so many other things to do. Then I craved a more stable environment for a while – the kids you see. They’re older now, not much, but enough that got me thinking about you again. I’ve been looking at tent catalogues, eyeing-off inflatible mattresses, even slipping into my sleeping bag on the odd occassion. I’m coming back, and this time I won’t leave it so long.
XX Nanny Goat
Refrigerator Gallery
Throughout the year the kids have brought home a bundle of paintings, drawings and pastings. The sheer volume would rival the basement collection of any commercial gallery. I love the ritual of rotating each one with whatever else is on the fridge, however there’s always that feeling of guilt about putting even one A5-size artwork out with the recycling.
So we try to reuse it as wrapping paper for birthday presents, which people seem to love. Still, the fridge and walls are covered top-to-bottom with paper of all sizes and colours. So I’ve decided to make a decent effort to declutter – if only to find the overdue bills on the fridge – before the onslaught of new artwork in February. There’s usually a favourite painting from the year, and by putting this in a frame (hello Ikea!) we’re able to hang it on the wall as if it was from a commercial gallery.
By the way her site went live today, be sure to head on over and check it out.
View from Cass' office
SHOP TALK
How long have you been established? Just started in 9/11 but been mind mapping for years, just waiting for the right time between other businesses and 2 children.
Where did the name of the online shop come from? We have several domain names to use for this brand, the first one we claimed was myfavouritestore.com.au but we let the business name lapse a few years ago and in that time Matthew propelled the idea of going online – hence thatonlineshop is our company name and thatonlinshop.com.au is our domain. We like the catchiness of ‘I got it from thatonlineshop’.
What is the best quirk about the neighbourhood your office/studio is in? The online world is endless! But our social community is where our word of mouth starts; so it’s all about people we’ve met or do meet along the way, in business, over the fence, at the cafe, at school and kinder.
Your areas best kept secret? No secrets about the broad reach of online. But we do have a few little tricks to bring a loyal following to thatonlineshop.com.au. In the new year we’ll be launching some exciting benefits to members of thatonlineshop – so for now it’s still a secret, but join us for the launch in the new year! No need to wait people it went live today!
Favourite part of your working day? Checking out what our community is up to; either on facebook seeing what suppliers and customers are up to or at the local coffee shop or with friends talking about all the exciting new products coming soon!
What tunes are played in your office/studio? We listen to the birds outside our window, and the chime that keeps those same birds out of our vegie patch!
What do you look for when buying for your online shop? Products from companies that share our philosophy and passion for treading lightly on the earth….and items that remind us of nature and home. We also like to have a bit of fun with colour and design.
Where do you buy your coffee from? The cafe on the corner where we live, replete – at the end of our street, or HOME on burwood road.
Where do you like to hang when your not in the office/studio? In our garden.
Who lives in your family? Matthew, Cass, Jemima (5) and Wilba (4) – oh and Amy the black Labrador (10)
What did you want to be when you where a kid? A lawyer (I still haven’t finished my law degree) or performer in CHORUS LINE (it’s coming to Melbourne so I’ll at least see it!)
thatonlineshop is always open visit thatonlineshop.com.au
Julia manages to pick extremely complementary products for her shop and has a strong following. She knows all her customers by name and knows what they like. You can tell she brings a strong sense of community to her neighbourhood.
But also, there has been times when dropping off stock, that I’d hear someone saying they had travelled across town to Essendon, because they heard her shop is so fantastic.
Yep it is well worth the trip….
SHOP TALK
How long have you been established? 2 years this month YAY!
What is the best quirk about the neighbourhood your shop is in? Essendon has schools on every corner!
Where did the name of the shop come from? From some zany part of my brain! People still come in looking for lollies! Actually just thought it sounded colourful, fun and well, quirky!
Your areas best kept secret? Chocolate Freckles of course!
Favourite part of your working day? Opening up for each new day of trade
What tunes are played in your shop? Given it is a children’s shop I have to be fairly conservative. At the moment it’s Adele and lots of great jazz artists
What do you look for when buying for your shop? Originality, interesting design and anything I would buy for my own children
Where do you buy your coffee from? Lucky enough to have a cafe right next door! It’s called Stonz and the coffee is consistently good!
Where do you like to hang when you’re not in the shop? With my kids and friends- usually anything that involves eating or a nice glass of wine!
Who lives in your family? What did you want to be when you were a kid? Me and my 2 lovely children and when I was a child I wanted to be a big shot Lawyer!
Chocolate Freckles is open;
Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm
Saturday 10am-3pm
194 Buckley Street
Essendon VIC 3040
Phone: 03 9004 5241
Julia’s Tunes
Adele – Someone Like You
Enjoy getting to know Kate.
Did I mention she has a lot of style about her… she really does!
SHOP TALK
How long have you been established? Little Bird first opened its nest about 4 years ago in Port Elliot, on the coast about an hour from Adelaide. About 4 months ago we relocated the shop to Glenelg, a coastal suburb in Adelaide about 20 mins from the CBD.
Where did the name of the shop come from? The name ‘Little Bird’ came from the idea of nesting, creating that special place that you call home, full of unique and beautiful things. Little birds are constantly out collecting and creating their own little nests, and we like to think we have our own little bird.
What is the best quirk about the neighbourhood your shop is in? The wonderful sense of community.
Favourite part of your working day? Seeing customers get as excited as us about pretty things.
What tunes are played in your shop? Chilled out, beachy tunes. At the moment we’re loving the music from a local artist called Laura Hill.
What do you look for when buying for your shop? Beautiful product that has a point of difference, sourced from independent artists.
Where do you buy your coffee from? Zest Cafe, a quirky little cafe down a little side street off the main road.
Where do you like to hang when your not in the shop? At the beach of course!
Who lives in your family? Kate, Zoe and our newest member, Shannon.
What did you want to be when you where a kid? Superwoman.
TO MARKET, TO MARKET
You have no idea how happy this makes an old goat, hope to see you all there.