Poisson d'Avril ...

Paul Klee's The Golden Fish (image from here).

Bowl ...

... when I pointed to this bowl, in the gift shop at the Art Gallery of NSW, indicating that was the one I wanted to purchase and take home with me that very night, the woman said to me "promise you won't freak out if I tell you what it's modeled on?" So of course I looked carefully at it, and said, "a boob?". "Possibly," she replied, "or a buttock".
"Goodness," said I, clutching at my (imagined) pearls, "a remarkably poky-out buttock". The woman then confessed she wasn't actually sure, but she believed the big blue one, alongside, was modeled on a fecund woman about to do the wild howl at the moon thing. This, of course, did not freak me out one little bit, I've even tried it on! It's one of Samantha Robinson's many and fabulous watermelon bowls.

100 Postcards from Penguin ...

... So I ordered something on the interwebs.
100 Penguin Publishers book covers, as post cards.
They arrived in a nice little box this afternoon. They are beautiful.
I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to DO with them, so far I've only shuffled through them and exclaimed with delight as I happen upon a title.
Bookmarks I suspect, since I'm quite certain I won't be sticking stamps and pithy holiday messages on them.
Nope, once I've picked them up off the lounge room floor and popped them back in their box, I think I'll be carefully selecting one, from time to time, to mark the place where I've been rudely interrupted from my reading pleasure.

I went shopping today ...

... for gifts for Mr Brown & I to exchange at the end of the year (I'm his personal shopper you see, works well for us both), here.
Sure, it means I never get a surprise, but then, I HATE surprises, so that's not a problem.
So, it's mine, mine, mine, the top one. And Mr Brown is going to be very pleased with his bespoke piece (he likes surprises, so no pics).
Ms Buckley makes some of the most beautiful baubles and sparkles I've ever seen. Gorgeous colours, beautiful styling and nothing vulgar or garish. She has style and taste and I'm very glad we've reached a time of life that we can afford to indulge ourselves with lovely things from time to time.
(I stole the pic from her site, I didn't go completely mad with the magic card.)

This birthday is brough to you by the letter P ...

... so anyone who's read this blog for at least a year will know the Brown-Mouse birthday tradition - 3 things. This year my wishes are ...
1 Photography - a brand-spanking-new camera that will let me take photos of beetle dicks and is compatible with the new-fandangled computer system.
2 Pigging out - I want to go to Coast again, for the Antipasto di Salumi, and assorted other delicious things.
3 My wish for a new Pusscat, Puppy or Pony being vetoed by the evil overlord husband person, Mr Brown - I'm opting for something Pretty, and wandering down to Ms Buckley's shop to find something appropriate (preferably something in the ear-decoration department).
And can you believe it, the NSW Government has declared a public holiday in my honour, really, 'tis too much.

O how I wish I had a spare ...

...$485.57 (Australian).
For then this could be mine. Perhaps I'll make it a birthday wish! (from here)

Dinosaur ...

... Designs.
I mentioned earlier my descent into the dark ages of shopping, with CASH.
Well, pictures as promised. This is the beautiful green platter I snaffled.Covered, as it happens, with sliced sourdough baguette and smoked trout stuff from the markets. I'm most taken with this nice new platter, it's surface is smooth to the touch but with little indentations randomly pressed in, and rippley bumps. And weighty, it's a serious platter for grown-ups.
And this, well this is just beautiful. It's as if the maker has captured and solidified seawater, swirling, wild-day-at-sea but calm nonetheless. And those were the last of the jonquils. Now that's a sign of Spring, the smell of jonquils.