Mothers mothers mothers! One of life's precious bothers. But take them apart, And you'll find they're all heart, Yes, we lovers the mothers the mothers.
No smothers from some mothers, no smothers. Then, can't get them off! Some others. Calls three times a day "Just saying, g'day..." What duffers, those mothers, dear mothers.
Some folk have MILF mothers for mothers. I daresay those folk mainly suffers. Oh what a stir, All eyes on her! Imagining her under their covers.
Some folk have it rougher than others. Hundreds of sisters and brothers! But each gets his share, Mother takes care. Great huggers, are mothers, great huggers.
But, I tell you if I have my druthers, Well I wouldn't want anothers'. She's handful enough, Though she does make me laugh. I quite like her, ol' mother, me mothers.
Last year I lived for 6 months with one of my younger brothers and (it seemed) the whole touch footy team, all the locals from his watering hole and a gang of miscellaneous other mates.
Being in a house full of farting, burping, drinking grubs was nothing new to me (growing up with three brothers) but it did pose something of a problem for bonding.Until I stumbled upon a novel idea on the way to the bank.
At the $2 shop next to the ATM one morning, I saw cheap, primed artist canvases and acrylic paints and was struck with an unusual query.Could these house guests be persuaded to paint while drinking, bbq-ing and horsing about?
Could they be encouraged to create something of a bohemian gathering of artists, rather than just a bunch of yobbos?
So I gathered up a bunch of big ones, some paints and brushes and trotted back home to conduct an experiment in masculine creativity.
They all insisted they couldn’t draw, so I reminded them of Pollack. They complained they didn’t know how to paint what was in their head, so I suggested they go abstract.They said they weren’t neat, I told them to invoke Monet and the impressionists as I forcefully stuck brushes in their hands and a canvas before them on the table.
This is how we started having painting parties.
Pack creatures that they are, it was amazing how they all got stuck in.A few beers to release the muse and we had people dropping into our backyard barbies, to grab a sausage and put their mark on the communal canvas.
Some would doodle around the edges and others were more grandeur in their approach.The ones who resisted the most, in the end, became the most passionate artists.
I sold the most collaborative effort at a garage sale before I left Sydney.The woman who bought it loved the story of backyard artists working together and it hangs, framed, in her Eastern Suburbs lounge room today.
She got a very good price.
I’m a poor art dealer, I drive a crappy bargain.
Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beer holder.
Since leaving that funny little Bondi Junction terrace, I have carried on painting (something I never tried before the experiment) to mixed results.Now, unfortunately, it is a solo event so I can’t share the shame when people “don’t get it.”Carefactor: 0
This is a finished one that lives in my kitchen.
When some of my family visited Europe earlier this year (for the skiing, the fact that I was here seemed incidental) I proudly hung it up like a kindergartener sticks his fingerpainting on the fridge and my family politely ignored it.I think it reminded my mother of thearapy painting from the days when she used to run occupational thearapy in crazy houses.
The only compliment I received was from a Kazakh who the Russian invited over for the weekend but then got bored of after a day, leaving us to entertain him in awkward turns.His wife is an artist and he said he liked it, “Very Australian” was his remark... maybe that doesn’t mean he liked it at all?
This is my latest work in progress.
So maybe my art does suck, but by golly it’s fun.
DIY Have A Painting Party
-Buy cheap acrylics (they come in great colours)
-Get some brushes (fatter, longer ones work in group painting I find. The really el cheapo ones do leave bristles sticking in the paint, which then dry onto the canvas and look off.)
-Get some big inexpensive canvasses ($2 shops are stocking these lately, most sizes under $20)
-I bought a few metres of plastic to put under the painting, try a vinyl table cloth or an old sheet
-Get going with a bunch of mates and a few drinks
-Photograph the fun (my greatest regret is that I didn’t take pictures of the painting parties!)
Thinking about the baked goods masterpieces at the Easter Show reminded me of my mother’s cupcakes.
Enough to make you drool, and though these ones were made for Chrismukkah last year, I tend to think they would also do well at an Easter Sunday lunch.
Very colourful, festive and isn't this picture of them just too Martha Stewart Living?
Speaking of the Divine Ms. Stewart, peace be upon Her, she just about wrote the damn book on cupcakes so get thee to the kitchen with a few of these recipes that will have everyone's mouth watering at Easter.
I am of the rather daggy opinion that cupcakes simply taste better if displayed on a stand. I know, yawn, it’s such a dull take on things I almost fell asleep just typing it. But I’ll stand by this one. And because I love you all, I have a quick DIY Cakestand for those (I imagine the vast majority?) who don’t happen to have a stand kicking about.
DIY CUPCAKE STAND
You Will Need:
Cake boards: 1×8″, 1×10″, 1×12″
Polystyrene cake dummies 2″ high: 2X5″ and 2×6″
Satin ribbon for the cake board and the polystyrene cake dummies
Wrapping paper (pick a cute, Easter-y design.)
Glue stick and regular craft glue
Sharp scissor
Pencil
Metal Pins
Step 1: Glue the dummies together with craft glue and leave to dry completely.
Step 2: When the dummies are dry, glue the ribbon to the dummies with craft glue. The easiest way to do this is to apply glue around the surface of the dummy. Then pin one end of the ribbon and start wrapping the ribbon firmly around so it slightly overlaps, right to the other end and pin it there as well.
Step 3: Lay the cake boards on the wrapping paper and trace around the outline of the boards. Cut out the circle neatly with your scissors.
Step 4: Thoroughly coat the boards with the glue stick and paste on the wrapping paper circles.
Step 5: Secure a ribbon to the side edge of the board, dab some craft glue around the board and wrap it around to overlap the edge and re-pin in place.
Step 6: Assemble the tiers on-top of each other. You can glue them together for extra security.
Ta da! Looks fabulous and, really, just is too easy and too cute not to do.
This tutorial was based on one from Cake Journal.com so check it out for more ideas.
