The Art of the Brick

A few week's back Ava, Lola and I travelled to Melbourne to visit the USA consulate to attend our visa interview. Due to an early morning interview time and the available flight times we had to arrive in Melbourne the day before our interview. I decided to make a trip of it and show the girls a little bit of Melbourne before we head off to the USA.

Being the cultural and artistic heart of Australia, Melbourne always seems to have at least one or two wonderful exhibitions on the go at any given time. This time was no exception with Federation Square playing host to New York artist Nathan Sawaya's The Art of the Brick.

Now, an art exhibition may not sound like the most exciting place to visit for a four year old until you realise the medium chosen by Nathan Sawaya for his work: LEGO!

Precious Jewels

Ava loves making necklaces and comes home with one or two from pre-school most weeks.

Ava's favourite mediums to work with seem to be macaroni and straws with the odd button, patty pan or cardboard embellishment here and there.

Here's a selection of some of her beautiful handicraft; perfect to go with any outfit :)

The "Coloured Macaroni on Plastic Thread" collection 

The "Macaroni Naturals" collection 

The "Straw and Patty Pan" collection

The "I Almost Look Like a Real Necklace" collection

Lovely!

Shiver me timbers... it's a pirate party!

Arrrgggh! It's pirate time!

This weekend my nephew Malachi celebrated his 5th birthday with a pirate party.

Ava was pretty excited to dress up in her pirate accessories: head scarf (or a bantana as Ava called it!), sword and of course, an eye patch. Malachi was very cute in a full pirate costume.

Both Ava and Malachi love drawing treasure maps so they were pretty excited to take part in a treasure hunt. Clues had been left around the house and yard with pirate themed gifts for the birthday boy attached.

Happy Smile Biscuits

Every time we go into the city Ava asks for her one of her favourite treats: a happy smile biscuit from the David Jones food hall.

Mmm... happy smile biscuits! White chocolate eyes, raspberry nose, lolly teeth and hundreds & thousands hair on a delicious biscuit base. What's not to love?

They also make great masks.

What a pretty face!

A mask for Daddy too

Recently Ava decided to make her own happy smile biscuit with her favourite "ingredients" - paper, textas and scissors.

Ava creates her own happy smile biscuit.
I love the hundreds & thousands hair that she has drawn.

Can you tell the difference between the real happy smile biscuits and Ava's?

Delicious :)

Paper Food

Ava loves drawing.

Ava loves cooking.

Ava loves combing the two and making her own food with paper, textas and scissors.

Here's a meal that Ava cooked up recently.

Mmm... carrots, beans, broccoli and a tomato.

Don't forget to eat your vegetables!

City to Bay 2011

Today we joined almost 35,000 people in the annual City to Bay Fun Run.

Ok, so there wasn't any running done by us but it sure was a fun day!

The City to Bay Fun Run is a 12km run (or walk) from, you guessed it, the city to the bay. There are also two shorter legs of the fun run; 6km and 3km. We took part in the 6km walk joining in half way along the route.

Ready to start the fun run with Nina, Kylie and the kids

Painted Lady

Ava wants to be just like her Aunty Kylie - right down to her tattooed feet.

So when I came across the fabulous range of Tattly temporary tattoos I was super excited to discover that they had just the perfect thing.

Perfect!

  Rock & Roll!