... on 'Well. This is sudden!"

I'm glad I could lay my hand on this little item, this morning. It's something I always take with me travelling. A St. Christopher medal (because of a Tom Waits song more than anything else), a silver bell given to me by a dear family friend the first time I ever ventured overseas by myself (which sounds reassuringly like the bell my cat Kubrick used to wear on her collar, and has been responsible for many early-morning grimacing in quiet shared-dorm youth hostels), and a junk metal milagros depicting a heart. Plus some safety pins for when my pants split, of course. (It's happened!)

I'm glad I found this little item, as it means my packing is complete. I'm leaving for a completely unexpected (and therefore somehow unbelieveable!) trip to France with my Ma and brother. I'll be away for five weeks. I've put my Etsy store 'on vacation' (although if you live in Brisbane you can find some of my plaster ampersands and bird's egg things in the In.cube8r store in The Valley) and when I return it'll be all go with an Etsy store name change, and, all going well, feverish preparation for my first participation in the BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market in King George Square on the evening of Friday 26th October. Hope to see you there!

Hang on, St Christopher!

... on Thing #4: Ruan Hoffmann

Last year, C and I were in New York for a week, and we stumbled across this installation of 'Much Love Me' by Ruan Hoffmann. It was in the gallery in the Anthropologie store at the Rockefeller Plaza, and I was much taken with it.

I gazed at the intricately-painted plates, admired the skillful installation of so many fragile objects, took some photos, and I went on my way, feeling enriched. Sometimes an artwork just speaks to your soul. This one spoke to mine.

Recently I was having a look at the Anthropologie website, as you do when you catch yourself wishing there was a store here in Australia. Wistful browsing through the homewares. Then... a sudden intake of breath. Click. The Ruan Hoffmann plates. For sale. Some of them, at least... there weren't many left. Click! Click! One of them was destined to come to live with me, it seemed!

It arrived, voluminously packaged, and safe. It came via C's friend Dylan in Seattle, as Anthropologie would only ship to the mainland US. It's made a very long journey, this plate, from its origin in South Africa, and I can't believe it's still in one piece!

Welcome, Ruan Hoffmann plate. I'm so glad you've come to live with me. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to hook a plate hanger on you and look at you every day.

I never thought I'd be the sort of person who would ever buy a plate hanger.