halloween, horses, tabby cats and budgies

We found a new little friend for Coo Coo this weekend. We're not sure if we have a girl or boy yet, but Ari named our new baby budgie Winky... 

...because he/she makes very good eye contact ;) Winky is being quarantined (so living in a different room to Coo Coo) but when Coo Coo called for Loco, Winky answered back and Coo Coo seems to be much happier to know there's another little feathered creature in the house. Even if they can't meet just yet. And even though it's not Loco. It makes my heart glad to see Coo Coo happy but I do miss my sweet little fella.

Winky is a beautiful yellow and green Australian Budgerigar.

Well, this weekend was long and busy. Festive with Halloween and long due to the Melbourne Cup Holiday. Personally, I feel a bit sorry for the horses and having spent some years working in the land of Millinery, I always feel rather edgy come Spring Racing (as though I ought to be madly stitching hat brims, trimming fascinators and folding boxes).

Friday night, Ari's school had a Halloween disco, which was great fun, but then we came home to more pet troubles! The cat had to be taken to the vet for a bite abscess, so much of Saturday and Sunday were spent comforting poor Sneaky. That's 7 vet visits for two animals this week. We are SO poor now! Ah, but what can one do? Pets are like children.

Monday we went to see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone at ACMI. They're playing the whole series there at the moment click here. Unfortunately, we had to leave half-way through because it seems that even when you've seen a movie 20 times at home, Trolls are scary on 'the big screen'. So we spent a lovely afternoon at the Museum and then Ari went trick-or-treating with some friends... which was hilarious fun.

Dolls by Robins Egg Blue (website)

Halloween's not traditionally celebrated as a holiday here so it's always pot luck whether the kids get given any treats or not... last year we took them to Fitzroy and ended up targeting the chocolate shops (yes, it was that bad!) This year we plyed the neighbours with a good supply and had the good-luck to venture upon some festive houses where they'd really gotten into the spirit of the night.  So the kid's had a blast.

Houses by Robins Egg Blue (shop)

Images of bird-dolls and bird-houses found via this blog

I've really had birds on the brain lately and have spent a lot of time talking to Dr Google about budgies, so I thought I'd share a couple of my favourite birdy things with you.

When I visited Alice Springs thirteen odd years ago I happened to find a copy of The Bird Children in a lovely little book shop there. I think they're awfully sweet and would look so wonderful framed in a child's room, with the little bird dolls as companions. Aren't they enchanting?

New editions and other books illustrated by Elizabeth Gordon 
are available from Amazon or you can purchase one of the 
original illustrated book pages to frame from this Etsy store

My own little flock of lovebirds will be flying into the shop when it opens....

bye-bye blue bird

Today was a very sad day at our house. Our beautiful blue harlequin budgie Loco died. We buried him in the garden outside Ari's window beneath some yellow daisies. We are not particularly religious but Ari told me that he thinks Loco is a little angel bird now and so he wanted
to lay Loco where Loco's spirit could peer in at his bedroom window
and watch him playing... 

so Loco's spirit wouldn't be lonely.

Sadly by the time Loco was noticeably sick it was too late to do much for him.... though I don't think much could have saved him anyway. He had some sort of growth in his abdomen and though we tried our best to nurse him, he died at the animal hospital shortly after it was discovered. 

He lived in our studio with his sweetheart Coo Coo and kept me fine company whilst I worked on my designs, serenading his sweetheart all day long. He had unfortunately lost the sight in one eye during a battle with a hawk. 

One golden afternoon whilst enjoying a little sunshine on the porch as they often did, a hawk had landed on the budgies' cage and grabbed Coo Coo by her wing feathers. Loco jumped to her defence and attacked the hawk's talon fiercely. He survived and even though he lost the sight of his eye, remained a chirpy little fellow right to the end.

He was such a sweet and gallant little bird....

...our own little bluebird of happiness.

I miss him dearly and writing this brings tears to my eyes.

The vet nurse (who also has budgies) suggested we get another bird this weekend. Coo Coo is pining for him terribly and being social creatures, budgies cannot bare life alone. I'd prefer a little time to get used to the idea of 'replacing' our dear little friend, but Coo Coo calls constantly for her mate and I pity her loneliness.

So we shall find her a new friend. Perhaps of a different colour. I think Loco will be the only dear little blue harlequin we'll ever love.


* love is... print from i like pens

the blue bird

A tale about birth, life, death... and the eternal pursuit of happiness

Written by Maurice Maeterlinck in 1910, 

The Blue Bird first appeared in the form of a fairy play

intended for interpretation as theatre and dance.

It has since been adapted for film. 

Firstly, as a silent picture in 1918 then again starring Shirley Temple

in 1940 as 20TH CENTURY FOX's answer to The Wizard of OZ and 

once more in 1976.  Only the 1940 production managed to leave any 

lasting impression on the general public and the telling of the fairytale 

itself seems to have become somewhat of an obscurity in modern times. 

click HERE to read a story version of the play


It is however, most definitely, one of my favourite fables.

I first saw the Shirley Temple film at my Nana's house

when I was a little girl and I fell instantly in love with it.  

It has held a special little place in my heart ever since, 

and I have been searching for a copy to show to Ari.

I love the scene where the mothers are singing out for their 

unborn babies to sail down to earth and into their arms.

I recently found it on Youtube... and Ari loved it.

I hope that you will love it too. xo