Smart-ass centaur (((Quick-ish sketch cause I haven't drawn anything in AGES >_>

Done in Photoshop, random Google image used for reference to do the horse part :p

It'd be pretty fun to gallop around flipping people off 'X3

More adventures with my camera (((More cute critters [:D

This afternoon I set off to take Jiji (my cavoodle) out of the house for a play : )

We had a pretty awesome time, running around like idiots an finding bugs. I took her to the Yarrambat lake because she loves water, same goes foe me :D
After wandering around for a while I noticed some interesting dragonflies & spent the next hour or so trying to get some good photos, Jiji made this particularly tricky because she wanted to see what I was looking at & kept scaring them off :P

Well these are the best photos I managed to get-

I nicknamed this little guy 'elusive blue'. I only got this one photo of him & you can probably guess why :P Pretty amazing colour tho, I don't think I've ever seen a blue dragonfly before : )

A funky red & blue dragonfly :D

I love this little guy, I'm just referring to him as a reed moth, he's my favourite, clinging there like a little trooper. When I looked at this photo & saw more detail I could see just how amazing this little creature is, I actually think he's really cute, it just makes me sad to think that people will mindlessly kill bugs, insects & arachnids, ok maybe if they're a huge problem or really dangerous (admittedly I kill mosquitos, flies & white-tail spiders) but otherwise maybe consider leaving them in peace, & if you need to kill a troublesome bug, spider etc, please try to do it without the use of poisonous sprays 0_0

A pair of the red & blue dragonflies mating. Funnily enough their abdomens form a love heart shape, which I thought was kinda cool [: ) I think is the best photo I got, mostly cause it was the most difficult ': )


***Note, full views are better ; )

Super simple, quick & easy hot lemon drink : ) (((It'll cure what ails ya... if it's a sore throat ^___^'

Because I've started feeling a bit under the weather (sore throat mostly) I decided it might be a good idea to lend my body a hand & try to beat this potential cold before it has a chance to set in [: )
& this is my technique! (aside from getting a good amount of sleep, eating right, trying to rest & keeping warm...


Hot lemon drink!


Ingredients:
- The juice of half a large lemon
- 1 heaped teaspoon of sugar
- 1 heaped teaspoon of good honey (not the stuff from the supermarket :P
- boiling water


Method:
1. Stick the kettle on to boild & while you wait roll the lemon on a hard surface to soften the inside, this makes it easier to juice :)
2. Cut the lemon in half & get out as much juice & pulp as you can (I don't even have one of those little juicer things, so I just shove a fork in & waggle it about XD
3. Remove any pips etc & add the juice to your favourite mug (I think using a mug you love increases happiness & therefore helps you get better :p
4. Add the sugar & boiling water, give it a good stir to dissolve the sugar & add then add the honey, give it another thorough stirring & you're done!


***Be careful it's gonna be damn hot [: o


Delicious lemon drink-

Also Good to drink when you're already sick :D Hope it works for you too! : )

Again I have to credit my amazing fiancee for this one, he threw it together one day when I was sick, & I've loved it ever since <3

Nori Adventure time! XD (((Bring on the seaweed! [:P

So recently I have decided to embark on a food adventure, the key ingredient being nori \^o^/-Hooray~
Nori is most commonly recognised as the seaweed used to wrap up sushi rolls, & from what I've been reading it's really good for you, it contains protein, iron, vitamins A & E, fibre & also has some other great health benefits.
The problem I find with nori is it's not the most palatable food out there, I have to admit, I'm not it's biggest fan, I do like it, but I don't go out of my way to eat it. Another trouble I have discovered is the reaction people have to it, 'ew seaweed! I'm not eating that!' thankfully people seem to be getting more adventurous & actually giving it a go.
In an attempt to spread the word about nori, & hopefully increase it's popularity, I am going to start work making some nori friendly recipes, which compliment it's flavour & make it a treat to eat :D


Ideas so far:
- Filled omelette, including nori of course - DONE (Recipe coming soon!)
- Nori wrapped rice sandwich-type thing (this may just be a lazy vegetarian sushi roll)
- Something with potatoes (this idea is still forming)


aaand that's all I've got so far, but I'm working on it...
I'll do some research & I'll update as I go!
For now I must return to work :P


Nori:

Happy Earth website :D (((Things like this make me so happy X )

I recently discovered this website while searching for information on earthen floors, so far it looks great, I haven't had a chance to explore it too much yet, but looks like it's full of really great info on natural building, permaculture gardens etc : )
From what I've seen so far there is a focus on suburban areas, which I think is awesome, it shows that there are plenty of options available for living a little more conscientiously, even if you only have a small block :D


Website is here >>> happyearth


Humans can definitely have a positive impact on the earth, take a look at things like passive solar design, food forests, grey water systems, etc. If you start to incorporate these things into your life you will start to reduce strain on resources & the environment, but not only that, you will also make life better for yourself with things like lower energy costs, fresh home-grown food & a more natural, healthy living environment for yourself & your family : )


Here are a few great photos from the site -

I hope you check it out some time :)

Ja~

Some new nature shots, & one old-ish one :P (((I love plants & critters :D

I wondered around the house today an got a few shots in & around the garden, this is what I saw...

I'm told by Eli that this is a Nasturtium plant (pronounced 'nast-er-shum') There are heaps growing happily with the pumpkin : ) Maybe they're companion plants? In any case their orange flowers are really beautiful, so bright [:o

Here's the huge pumpkin plant & you can see all the Nasturtium growing among it. If pumpkin vines weren't so prickly it'd be great to hide under all those big leaves [:D

This is a cocoon-type thing I came across, it was all crusty & abandoned, weird...

This fine fellow came to visit me during our picnic today, I think he's cleaning himself up. I took a few photos, but he wouldn't look at the camera 'Xp He was lovely & shiny : )

This is an older photo taken in May 2010, mushroom season! :D We ate a bunch of these field mushrooms, it was amazing. I love how they burst out of the ground, even where the soil seems quite compacted, I love mushrooms, they're quite incredible. Can't wait for the first mushies of 2011 XD

So concludes todays photorama, hope you like them ^___^

Vegetarian tips... (((Maybe common knowledge, but thought I'd share...

Yes I am stil blogging, I've just been away on a trip, & it was impossible for me to post anything as I was without internet 0_0
Moving right along though, I've come across a few interesting pieces of information recently about the vegetarians & the vegetarian diet :)


1. Vegetarians should eat more frequently than people who include meat in their diet. This is because plant materials contain less energy & so to keep energy levels up it's important to eat a number of small snacks throughout the day :) - (From what I hear this is also actually healthier for us)


2. If, like myself, you are a 'lacto ovo vegetarian' (meaning you include dairy products & eggs in your diet) be aware that most cheese is NOT VEGETARIAN, I've actually been surprised at how few people know what rennet is. For those who don't know, rennet is an enzyme which is collected from the stomachs of calves & it is used to separate the curds & whey during the cheese making process. There are many vegetarian alternatives, so please read the labels carefully when choosing your cheese :)


3. Regarding human physiology, one of the most common arguments I've seen is, 'If we're not meant to eat meat, why do we have these sharp teeth?' This is a pretty silly argument, first of all most, if not all herbivorous animals have a set of sharp teeth, they are for piercing tough food! Look at the gorilla, or the fruit bat, even horses have a pair of sharp teeth, go ahead & compare a human skull to a few herbivore skulls & then to a few carnivore skulls, it's pretty obvious that with regards to teeth ours are far more similar to herbivores than to carnivores ^___^'


Of course I'm not trying to attack people for eating meat, & I'm not trying to say humans are naturally herbivores either, so please don't take this the wrong way, I'm only trying to share some interesting things that I have read.


If you disagree (probably because you like the taste of meat & you don't want to hear that maybe it's not so good for you, or the animals, or the environment 0_0) please do some research before you reply ':p


Night all~

Some more Steam (((Cute & capable OC

I'm not sure where to go with this one, I'm happy with the line work, now I feel lost for what to do with it... maybe I just need some sleep...
I was thinking about putting it up as a Tee design on red bubble.


So here's Steam, hope you like her, she likes you.

She's ready for a good fight!

Design a TEE ((( Use text or symbols provided

So I've been looking for sites where you can design a T-shirt, unfortunately they're all limited in one way or another, this is one of the ones I liked best because you can choose exactly where you want the graphics to be on the tee & you can put designs on both the back & the front :) Also the print quality looks top notch :D
The biggest limitation with this particular site is that you cannot use your own artwork, but I think that would probably suit a lot of people anyway. There is quite a large range of symbols to use, an these guys even print in gold & silver [: P


Check it out if you're interested>>> DESIGN A TEE!


Examples:

< They even do undies 'X3

I do have to note that this whole process probably isn't very eco friendly, & it gets expensive too -___- but still fun ':D

Fantastic FONT resource website (((Most are free!

Give me - DAfonts!


Go, be creative with your words~

Very happy K-pop G*

*dances like a spaz*

Todays Groupboard sketches (((Hooray, fun randomness for all

Behold~

Go here to draw>>> groupboard

(Best if you have a graphics tablet)

See you there some time! o/

Groupboard. Dangerously addictive 0_0 (((Some kind of live online sketch pad.

Take me to the groupboard


I go on every now & again : )
BTW, there are often very silly people online who scribble all over your pics, I tend to ignore them an they get bored, it's all good fun :p

A few photos I've taken recently : ) (((Yay for plants, both edible & comfortable XD

My favourite grass in Hurstbridge, it's super comfy

Rainbow Chard, lit up by the afternoon sun :3

Clover after the rain

The theme is green .___.

Bean Salad recipe (((So quick, so delicious! :D

One of my favorite salads, great as a side dish,snack, or even a main if you make enough.


Bean Salad


Ingredients:
- 1 can of 4 Bean mix - Rinsed & Drained
- 1 small Onion - Finely diced
- 1 Avocado - Cut into small cubes (optional)
- A dozen Cherry tomatoes - Sliced in half (optional)
- Drizzle of Balsamic vinegar
- Drizzle of Olive oil
- Drizzle of French salad dressing (optional)
- Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Empty the beans into a strainer & give them a good rinse, then let them drain for 5-10 minutes.
2. While the beans drain prep the other ingredients.
3. Once the beans are dry enough put them into a bowl & add the other prepped ingredients. Lightly drizzle over the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, & some salad dressing & give it a gentle stir.

The salad dressing adds a bit more flavour & helps cut through the sharpness of the balsamic a little.


That's it! Now you can eat! :D