It’s definitely autumn.

 
I drove home from Sparky’s today and, upon exiting Bernard the trusty VW, noticed the pile of fallen leaves had gone from big to ginormous. Almost the entire parking space is full.

Almost enough to jump in.

For the first time in, well, ever as far as my memory is concerned, I am really enjoying the cooler weather and changing light. I’m normally a sunshine lover and adore spring because it only gets warmer. That’s positive thinking, eh?

But now it’s different. I’m not sure if it’s the Marshall Protocol or getting older, or the new Sun Kil Moon album April on repeat, but everything seems so lovely right now. I love the colder weather, I’m loving rugging up and keeping cosy.

And I’m savouring all the household rituals that come with the change of seasons. I’ve swapped the fan for the heater. I’ve stored my summer clothes under the bed and pulled out my polarfleece-lined chinos. I’ve made the bed with my favourite periwinkle-coloured flannel sheets.

And today I’ve put away my blow dryer, brush, bobby pins, hair bands and assorted hair products because I’ve had all my hair chopped off. After three years of longer hair, I’ve gone for the Halle Berry special.

The hairdressers were all delighted. One said she had been waiting three years for me to go short again. “I think the hair was a security thing for you,” she said. To which I replied, “No, actually, it was Divorce Hair.”

I blame Natalie Portman. I saw her in The Darjeeling Limited recently and thought she looked amazing with super-short hair. Then I saw some pictures of her in Vogue magazine with shoulder-length hair and thought she looked like everybody else. Pretty, but nothing special. Same with Halle Berry, and Michelle Williams and Janine Turner (Maggie from Northern Exposure). All so much better with short hair, in my opinion.

But hey, growing hair is a thing to do, I guess. Sometimes you get bored. And sometimes you want to reinvent yourself because you feel different. I can’t say I won’t do it again.

—–
For a far more uplifting, useful thing to do, Pip is organising another Softies for Mirabel campaign. Remember Arturo? Well I’m enlisting the help of my mom this year to help me make more Arturos (I’ll be in the States for my sister’s nuptials just before the softies deadline).

If you’re feeling crafty and want to make a softie too, that would be awesome. Or if you have some cool old socks that have seen better days (I love stripes and socks with individual toes), you can save them for me (if I know you) or send them to me to be turned into more Arturos.

I’d never made a softie before Arturo, so don’t be intimidated. [edit: I lied, I forgot about Geronimo. Arturo was second, but the first made without a pattern.] It’s fun, it’s for a good cause, and the softie goes to someone you will never meet but who will love it very much. That’s some pretty selfless goodness.

Bendigo’s famous fountain

 
I spent Easter weekend in Bendigo. Yeah, that was ages ago, I know, but I’ve only just now found the time to tell you about it.

 

Bendigo is full of churchy opportunities.

 
It was fantastic for a few reasons, but the main one being free (dark) accommodation with friends. We were able to go away to somewhere that’s not Melbourne, and I didn’t have to worry about sunshine or going further into debt. I was able to just sit inside during the day and knit and eat and read magazines. Awesome.

 

My best op shop find: $1.20 for the set.

I did manage to slip outside for a few daylight hours, however, lured by the promise of country op shops and Bendigo Woollen Mills. I found tons of useful, cheap bits and pieces: teaspoons, plates, fabric, velvet ribbon, etc. But I went absolutely nutso when I found the buttons at the RSPCA shop.

 

Free coconut shell buttons!

 
I couldn’t help myself. I love it when op shops label their craft supplies, and all the buttons here were in Tupperware bins, assorted by colour and in individual bags. They had been painstakingly sorted and labelled, some bags for as little as 10 cents. I learned some of the buttons had been picked off unuseable clothing, and sorted by volunteers. And sold for only 10 cents!

I only made it through the brown bin, and that took up a good half-hour or so of my time. I love wooden buttons and anything made from natural materials. I couldn’t believe it when I found the coconut shell buttons, because I had just paid $2 each for similar buttons at a specialty button shop not that long ago.

I went a bit overboard and bought 33 little bags — mostly of the coconut shell variety. But I can’t possibly use even half of what I bought. So I have decided to have a giveaway. It’s simple, really. If you want some of my brown button bounty, just leave a comment letting me know:
* how many buttons you want (the sets range in number from 3 to 10, with lots of 4s and 6s)
* what you plan to do with them, whether for clothing, or sock monkey eyes, or whatever

Make sure to leave your e-mail address, too, and I will contact you to get your snail mail address. I don’t care where in the world you live — I’ll post you a set for free, as long as I’ve got extra buttons to get rid of.

So stop lurking already and help me get rid of my awesome button stash. Yeah you.