Lentil As Anything!

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and thought "shit, that isn't worth (insert $$ amount here)". I like the idea of being able to pay as much as you think something is worth. Shanaka Fernado is a Sri Lankan immigrant- he is also the proud and successful owner of Lentil As Anything, a vegetarian restaurant that lets the diners choose how much their meal is worth, or how much they can afford.

With honesty playing such a major role in the success of Shanaka's business, you'd expect people to be ripping him off from all directions, but once someone paid $50 for one lentil burger! He also employs people from all standings of racial, social and economic backgrounds, like the homeless, young people and fellow refugees.

He says "It's good to realise that people who might seem ill-fitting in a conventional sense actually have some amazing things to contribute to a social model."

Lentil As Anything is a not-for-profit organisation, so whatever is left over from paying wages, rent and food goes back into supporting the business. When asked about his profits, Shanaka laughs and replies "I make profits! I make enormous profits- in the goodwill of others."

He was recognised for his amazing efforts by being named Australia's 2007 Local Hero, and I truly think he deserves it 100%. I wish the world was populated with more people like this.

http://lentilasanything.com

Do you remember your childhood Christmas?

Ever since moving to suburbia, it's been a tradition of ours to go around the neighborhood and check out everyone's displays of Christmas lights. Since I spent the last 3 days at my friend Rikki's place up in Atherton, last night I was really keen to check out all the little country town's efforts in the Christmas light up, so her boyfriend Ash drove us around the little town, and may I say, in all due respect to religion- Jesus Christ! Atherton pretty much blows Cairns's efforts out of the competition completely. Here's just a few of the houses we saw:









I loved this little train and presents light!



Ins't this one beautiful?! It's like some sort of ice light castle <3.



this is what happens when the person who's driving takes off before you've finished taking the photo.. pretty result though :)

BUT by far the most spectacular and wonderful house was Ash's nanna's house. She's well known for having the best Christmas decorations in the town, and it's a tradition that's been passed down- Ash's great grandfather used to do it every year before his daughter. I couldn't help taking quite a few photos, but it's well worth it, check it out:





Pokemon! :D



Bob the Builder! Marvin the Martian!



Sonic!



and something a little more religious



each year, a couple of new cutout characters are added



and this year it was Spyro the Dragon :D I love Spyro on PS2!



Thomas the Tank Engine and his cargo- the 12 Days of Christmas



how cool, a blow up crocodile :)



now this last photo is kind of creepy, because when I took it, there was nothing on the lens and nothing interrupting my view of the house. I'm convinced it's Ash's great grandfather, coming back to check out how his handiwork is carrying on

on Christmas Eve, which is tomorrow night, we'll be driving around Cairns, checking out our version of Christmas light displays, but I barely think anything could amount to Atherton's effort :D

you know, like a match stick?

So! I just bleached and dyed my hair, and.. you know the girl off the front of the Redhead Matchstick brand? yea, that's me:



oh yes, I'm definantly not going to get a job now (N).

A little less boring?

I've decided that everyday I will do something fun and creative, then take a photo and write a little something about it. Everyday. And hopefully then I'll have some evidence that my life isn't completely boring and wasted. I hope I can stick to this :)

deadbeat technology

Stupid stupid stupid computer crashed, so now I'm crusin' (unhappily) with my swish old Windows 95. I hope it's teaching me some patience, because it's barely doing anything else. Though I shouldn't complain, at least I have a computer with internet acess. Oh wait, what? My new speakers don't turn on? Fuck.

No Wedding Thanks

I don't really like the idea of marriage. I just don't. But I would love to have a day where we both dress up in cute outfits and say a little something to each other in front of a few friends. And I'd want photos like these taken:









Cutest couple photos ever <3 link: http://www.glamour.com/sex-love-life/blogs/smitten/2008/11/the-most-adorable-wedding-phot.html

On Ya Head

I'll have to remember to check out this little online boutique again, possibly when I have some money?





Only really posting a link on here, as my bookmarks toolbar is starting to look a little like this:



xx.

Who else prays for foggy days?

I don't know whether it's because I've been made to eat so much of it lately, or I've seen one too many horror/gore/flesh-eating/cannibal movies, but I've gone off red meat a fair bit. I think it's for the better

I've been discreetly informing my family that I want nothing more than books for Christmas- Diablo Cody's 'Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper' and the Twilight series. Please! I can hear you all moaning and groaning, but I actually like Twilight, so you can all take your Emily Bronte and 'Wuthering Heights' and piss off somewhere intellectual. By 'discreetly', I actually mean exclaiming the wonder of each book as we walk into a bookstore, then mutter something about Christmas, as if it's an entirely new conversation, and both topics have absolutely nothing to do with each other. I am quite the Agent 99 when it comes down to it.

As a dedicated, bi-monthly frankie magazine enthusiast, as well as a manic list writer, I have a few scraps of paper lying around with names of artists and blogs and new movies and all such that I should check out, and throughout all my note taking and list compiling, I've only come across a few things I actually like. A lot.

This is the wonderful Kareena Zerefos's work. Doesn't it just remind you of foggy windows on a rainy day, soft worn-in doonas and handmade crochet?





She's adorable :3 http://www.kareenaz.net

love love x!