Moomin with a stomach-ache

Just think, never to be glad or disappointed. Never to like anyone and get cross at him and forgive him. Never to sleep or feel cold, never to make a mistake and have a stomach-ache and be cured from it, never to have a birthday party, drink beer, and have a bad conscience...how terrible.

~ Tove Jansson, Tales from Moominvalley

Despite the fact that I don't understand a word of Finnish, I am a 'friend' of the Moominvalley museum at Tampere in Finland (http://muumilaakso.tampere.fi/ - the image above is from there) on Facebook. Recently, they announced that a new guided tour was being launched entitled "Kohdata, vaeltaa, tulla kotiin – olemisen tapa Muumilaaksossa". With the help of Google Translate, combined with my own understanding of the Moomin stories, I am reading this to mean "To meet, to wander, to come home to - a way of being in the Moomin Valley". Any Finnish readers of this blog are most welcome to contradict me (and say hello!). Because the Moomin stories seem to me to be about going out into the world (Moominvalley and sometimes beyond), meeting all sorts of people (or other beings, as the case may be) but always knowing that you have the security of home to back you up and to go back to. Moomin-fans (and others!), what do you think? Just quietly, I think Tove Jansson was something of a philosopher...

Life is all about being alive, in whatever way we may express that. The Moomins get that, and I think I might be starting to as well.

Enjoy x

Bits and Bobs

I seem to be spending a lot of time researching things online at the moment and as I'm sure you know, one Net search can lead to any number of rabbit holes to rush down...

One thing I have discovered is that the Moomin characters I love so much also featured in their own cartoon strips. Did you know that? Have you read them? So now I have a whole other set of Moominalia to collect (yes, I just invented that word)! The cartoon strips above were a part of a very sweet article from the pop culture site Buzzfeed called "50 Lessons that Moomins can teach you about life" (http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/50-lessons-that-moomins-can-teach-you-about-life)

I am often obsessed with one historical period or another, and when I was looking at these pictures of Edwardian hairstyles the other day, I was struck by how close most of them are (with a little modification) to long hair styles today. What do you think?

I found these illustrations here: http://blossomgraphicdesign.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/trend-alert-edwardian-fashion-and-style.html

But I haven't been deskbound and square-eyed all week. I have also been doing some practical things and crossing a few craft want-to-do's off the list...

This is a little pouch I made from the wool I bought in Beechworth. I attached blue wren and possum charms to it.

And these are some metal bangles I wrapped in fabric and gold embroidery thread. I have to say, at the risk of blowing my own trumpet, I rather like them! Tomorrow I'll show you a Dr Who style scarf I've just finished which I might, might, might be able to convert into a sontag. I think...

PS Have you heard we are to get a new doctor on Dr Who? Will you miss Matt Smith? I think I will, but not as much as I did David Tennant...