Laid Back

Recently we had long talks around the dinner table about the way things are getting more and more complicated around us. I'm talking about little things, not trying to end the famine in Africa or conducting world peace. You know, the little things like kids' birthday parties, family holidays, even dinners and gatherings with friends.
We too often see people around us putting so much effort into one tiny event and then instead of having good time and simply enjoying the moment, everything gets so ceremonial, pompous, overdone. Or plainly - NOT FUN.

Seems to me that there is hardly any place nowadays for spontaneity. Why is it taking weeks to set up a date for dinner with friends? Where are all the easy going birthday parties where the children play pass-the-parcel and musical chairs whilst making a mess and getting their face smudged with a simple-delicious chocolate cake, while their parents enjoy themselves instead of falling apart after a month of preparations?

Is it just me thinking everything's getting more and more complicated and often exaggerated?
Just wishing the world could be a little less serious and little more laid back, you know?



* Illustration by me.

Happy Holidays!!!

Whatever it is that you're celebrating - may it be Chanukah, Christmas or if you're just taking pleasure of the long weekend, I'm wishing you happy and peaceful time with your loved ones!
Enjoy some delicious food, wine, music, and cheery gatherings and make sure you have enough time to slow down and relax!!

See you early 2012 and in the meantime - Happy Holidays and super duper smacking New Year friends!!
Love, Galit xx


--- The photos above were taken a couple of months ago at a very lovely lunch-feast at Jauma winery, up in Basket Range, one of the most beautiful spots of the Adelaide Hills. It was a really excellent day with a seriously fine dining, excellent company and the finest weather - My definition of an ideal day!!

Pattern and Co.

Hello bloggy friends!!
A little post to let you know of a new tumblr-venture of mine;
Please welcome - Pattern and Co. - a place to collect and share pattern inspiration in all forms of art, design and of course, fabric and textile.
Patterns are a huge source inspiration for me and something I want to start and put my time into.

Hope you visit, enjoy, and feel inspired!
I'll be more than happy to receive your feedbacks!


P.S. My other tumblr - The Summer House is also alive and kicking!

From A to Z

Anton Stankowski Illustration 4 by Sandi Vincent

The super kind Danica and Kristina had passed me the versatile blogger award. Thank you ladies!!
The rules of the award are to share seven facts and passing it on to some other happy bloggers.
I am honored and humbled but mostly find it so hard to find interesting facts to share, so instead, I'm shamelessly stealing Supergirl Adelaine's A-Z facts cute idea. I hope you will accept my alternative!

Age: 37
Bed Size: Super big (2.5 meters wide!) as we have a family bed which we share with our daughter
Chore you hate : Anything to do with laundry.
Dogs: Someday....
Essential start of your day: Coffee. Than a second coffee.
Favourite Color: Yellow
Gold or silver: Russian gold (pink or red gold)
Height: 1m64
Instruments I play (or have played): I've played the piano for over 10 years. In a mysterious way I can't remember how to anymore :(
Job Title: "You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one..." I'm actually a Marketing Manager but I'm on my way to change that title
Kids: The one and only, best girl ever, Little Miss M. (3 y/o)
Live: Adelaide, South Australia
Mom's Name: Rachel
Nickname: Non and I'll be happy if it'll stay that way!
Overnight hospital stays: Non and I'll be happy if it'll stay that way!
Pet Peeve: Bureaucracy. The world would be a much better place without it.
Quote from a movie: "If looks could kill, I am a-dead now." Roberto Benigni in Down by Law
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: Two younger brothers
Time you wake up: 7:30am. Trying unsuccessfully to wake up earlier to do my mornings walk!
Underwear: I should get better
Vegetables you dislike: Non. I love my vegs!
What makes you run late: Pretty much everything. I'm hopeless.
X-rays you've had done: Chest X-Ray before coming to Australia. That is part of the Bureaucracy that drives me mad...
Yummy food you make: Pizza!
Zoo animal: I prefer them in the wild: Koalas!


I'm passing the tag to Jennifer, Signe, and Carolina, If you fancy to play along!

A beautiful surprise from Myrtle and Lloyd

Look what the postman brought today!!

It was a month ago that I won a giveaway from Myrtle and Lloyd and I have to admit that I almost forgot about it!
What a surprise it was this morning when I opened the mailbox and found the most beautiful envelope and inside, so gorgeously wrapped, was a pretty, sweet necklace!!! It was like finding a little treasure.
As it is my birthday today it's double the pleasure!! Thank you Mandy for the first birthday present this year!! :) I love it so!


Visit Myrtle and Lloyd on Etsy for more pretty necklaces, earrings and absolutely beautiful art.

Our Weekend...

Hello lovelies!
How was your weekend? Hope you had enough time to recharge and rest!
I had one of those real weekends. The kind of weekend when you feel its weekend-ness every passing hour. I think the main thing which made this one into a real weekend was the happy fact that I had *NO TASKS*. That was splendid.
We had such great lazy time, with beautiful slow breakfasts, a cute Saturday evening movie, and a stroll to the farmers market on Sunday.
We even had some time for painting (Mili), and making new necklaces from chunky beads (me). Two days filled with quiet, carefree moments.

All this, by the way, didn't include the husband who is working around the clock those weeks while the vintage season is in its peak. He's very lucky to be doing what he loves and so although he spent between 18-20 hours a day at the winery this weekend, he's having a blast and we're so happy for him.


This Monday morning though, my mind is so scattered and I can't seem to be able to concentrate on one thing for more than a minute. I'll end it here then and leave you with some photos from our weekend.

Have a great week my dears! xx



P.S. The super cute tapes I'm using for the image above are curtsey of the awesome Pugly Pixel. Thank you!

Daily Essentials

The very lovely Ella tagged me to post my daily essentials. It's a very simple list of things: two great local Australian products that I'm completely addicted to: Lucas' Papaw and Burt's Bees Hand Salve // a little simple journal (i'm not very picky, anything I can write on will do!) // a couple of colourful pens // My sunglasses is something I can't really live without (I have terribly sensitive eyes) // a scarf (winter or summer, it doesn't matter) // my iPod Touch became an essential (which takes books down off the list as I store them on my Kindle for iPhone, and camera as I use the little magical fun iPod camera most of the time).

Hope you enjoyed the quick peek!

I tag Jennifer, Fiona and Janet, only if you girls have the time! Love, love!

Hello Slow Noodle!

Good day lovelies!
Don't look so confused! You are at the same old place that just got a new name and a bit of a face-lift.

So why the name change?
For a long time now, I felt the blog's old name doesn't work anymore.
When I first started posting, almost 2 years ago now, the aim was to have a personal space where I document our travels and experiences in Australia. We are avid on the Slow Life idea and that's where the original name came from.
One thing lead to another and I found myself spending much more time collecting and sharing inspirational art, design and handmade finds. Although I wanted, and still want, to spend more time writing about slow living ideas, this space is more about art and design than anything else.
For the ones who hang here for long enough, you know I like to change the design once in a couple of months. It is both to keep me from getting bored and for you to have a fresh and interesting 'new' place to come to.
The name issue was a bit bigger than that. Slow Lane Note is not that unique name, you have to agree, and I felt it was blocking me and doesn't inspire me anymore.
To keep it short and simple, I thought the blog deserves something better.

Why Noodle and how can it be Slow?
Oh, Noodle!!
I love noodles!
Noodles are timeless and are so versatile.
You can find noodles in a spicy hot soup in rural China as well as cold noddles fancy salad in a posh restaurant in Manhattan.
Noodles come in every shape, color, length and taste. They can be salty, sour, or even sweet!
Slow Noodle is when you take your time to appreciate your dish, noodle by noodle, while enjoying the most of it and savoring every moment while you're eating.
This is what I want this place to be for you.
A place where you you can relax, have a slow time to enjoy beautiful and inspirational things. Things that are timeless. Things of comfort and joy. Things of great design. Things that are living in harmony with their environment. Things that are not a gimmick but are here to stay and give us a sense of emotional well-being.

And above all, noodles are a little happiness. Have you seen anyone not looking happy while having noodles? There you go!


The Slow Noodle is going by the same spirit of the old good Slow Lane Note; More good, less bad. I hope you feel comfortable and inspired by the new name and little design changes and as me, you are passionately curious as for the next to come!
I'm getting back to posting regularly as from today!! Thank you for being so patience with me!
And now, enough talking (I'm pretty sure that this is my longest post e.v.e.r!), the weather si so nice outside and is calling for a walk.
See you here, at the Slow Noodle, tomorrow! Love, Galit xx


More updates to come soon...




Pohtograph: Untitled by Bobby Stokes

A little break...

By now you probably noticed the quietness on the blog this week.
I needed a little blogging break in order to have the space and time to plan a couple of changes around the Slow Lane Notes. No need to worry! Nothing dramatic is about to happen, but I do look forward to a little shift of focus and direction.
Sorry for the silence friends, and please bare with me while I make it to the finish line!

Have a great, cozy weekend my dears! See you here early next week!! Galit xx


P.S. If you miss me terribly, please tweet hello!


Photo by Anna Darla

Finally back!

Hello dear friends!
It was a long 2 days journey, but finally we're back to (a gray, chilly) Adelaide!
I can't put into words how much I've missed home and especially The Man... As much as it was a great holiday, it is so wonderful to be back!

It will take me a quick couple of days to get back to my routine, but until then, instead of leaving my little place abandoned and sad, I hope you'll join me and enjoy some more inspiring guest-posts!

See you soon!
Galit xx




Photo: Untitled by 拾叁 (click for more details)

I'm back! (almost...)

Hello, Hello dear friends!!
It is so good to be back here!
I had wonderful 10 days with my family and friends, traveling to the north of Israel, visiting my brother in the Kibutz where he lives with his partner, cuddling & snuggling with my little baby nephew and enjoying the great Israeli food (and well, also suffering from the Israeli hot weather... but I hope this part is over!!).
Next week is going to be much slower and quieter. I plan to visit Tel Aviv, the new Design museum, and mainly... relax!

I hope you enjoyed ///SlowLane's first guest-bloggers week! I had such an awesome time reading the posts and the warm comments and am so thrilled to welcome all the new faces! Thanks so much for visiting and hope to see you again!
I have to tell you, it was a very exciting experience to step aside and visit my little place as a reader, rather then a blogger.

A huge THANK YOU to all the wonderful bloggers who were here last week! You are the best! ♥♥♥

Gabbi of Felinofelice


Jokemijn


Adeline of Lady Croissant


Krystal of Village



Caroline of My Photography by Caroline Hancox

I'll be back to posting regularly as from tomorrow and in the meantime, if you enjoyed what you've found here last week, why won't you go and pay those inspiring blogs a visit?
Have a great remaining of the weekend my darlings and see you here tomorrow!
Galit xx

Departures

Hello hello bloggy friends!
While you're reading this post, I'm probably up in the air, high above South Australia on my way west.
Remember I told you I became an auntie to my first nephew? Well, I couldn't wait any longer, and today, together with my little girlie, we're off for a much-too-short holiday with our family in Israel!! (unfortunately the man couldn't join this time because of other previous obligations *sad face*)

While we will board airports and airplanes, the remainder of the week will be dedicated, in a quiet, visual way, to the theme Departures.
I'll be back online on Friday, only for a short while, to share with you the exciting plans I have for you next week...
Hope you'll enjoy my quiet-departures week here! See you soon on the other side of the world!
Love, Galit xoxo



P.S. Happily, with the permission of her puppeteer, Ada is joining our trip! Stay tuned for her first-flight-ever experiences! Whoohoo!! 




Photo by Jack Yam

Just when life starts seem boring....

...Ada, the globetrotting doll, arrived!
Whoohoo! We are so excited to host her here, Down Under at the SlowLane!

Read more about Ada's adventures around the world here.
More updates and photos soon!

Shana Tova!

SHANA TOVA* to all our family and friends in Israel and around the world!
May it be a blissful, slow, happy, and beautiful year full with inspiration and good deeds!

We are going to celebrate with friends over a happy, delicious feast!
Hope you all having a blast today (Rosh HaShana or not...)!
Love, Galit



* Shana Tova means "A Good Year" in Hebrew and is a saying for the Jewish New Year - Rosh HaShana, that is celebrated today! :)

Illustration by Lucía Franco

Happy Father Day Dad!

To my own private Peter Pan, the funniest, most ridiculous man in the world (sorry Gervais, you're almost there but not quite yet)

Happy Father Day! I love you dad!!


Little M. asked me to add a little Happy Father Day to her own fabulous dad (AKA The Man). You are our sunshine! ♥*¨



P.S. If Father Day's date seems odd to you, that's alright, you just probably don't live Down Under...  :)

Happiness, Camping and the Cosmos

Yesterday I became an auntie! There are no words to express my excitement!!!
It is such a hugely happy moment for me, mixed with a little bit of regret as I am so far away from my family and I won't be able to see my little nephew for many months now (other than on Skype, bless its existence!).
Congratulations my dearest Gaby and Gili! We were so thrilled yesterday with the news and are with you in our hearts and thoughts!! Love love love!!! ♥*¨

To celebrate my new nephew's happy birth, we are going camping this weekend in Deep Creek Conservation Park armed with great friends, a lot of wine, clear starry night and many thoughts about the powers of the cosmos (well, I have no idea how this came up, but it crept into my head last night when I thought about the great physical distance between me and my old life and what it really means).

Goodbye for a little while my friends! See you all on Monday!
Have a great weekend wherever you are and may the sun, physical and metaphysical, warm your days!
xx, Galit


P.S. Sorry, no Friday Finds this week as I was so restless yesterday waiting for the big news!

Photos by Michael Menefee

Hello World! I'm back!

How are you dear friends? It has been a while!
I feel like I was away for a month!! I'm back, happy, healthy and with so much energy and new content for you! Hopefully I'll be posting it all by the end of this week.
Thank you so much for your kind comments on my last post, especially for all the Northern Hemisphere readers who offered to share their sunny summer with me! :) Thanks guys! It surely brought some sunshine into our gray winter here so we're enjoying now 3 days of wonderful clear blue sky in a row!

Before we go back to normal I wanted to share a little find I discovered through dear Susan of sMacthoughts: It is a little scribbler called Harmony.
What this wonderful 'tool' does is taking simple vector based input (that would be your drawing) and creates its own drawing on top of it based on a number of simple rules. The results are fantastic. It gives extra depth and character to your very simple scribbling and in no time you can create magnificent little art works.

I'm totally awed by this program and the results it gives. The drawing I've posted here is very very simple, Check Harmony's Facebook Fan Page where you can see some really impressive works.
Harmony was created by Ricardo Cabello (AKA Mr. Doob), a graphic designer/developer from London. Well done Mr. Doob!! Love your program!!

Cold

I'm a bit under the weather for the last couple of days. Yes, the wintry winter has got me too. It's just so cold here.
I feel I need a little rest to recover quicker (you know how it is, the slower you go the quicker you get there... or something like that...). So I'll take it slowly and will see you, my friends, in a couple of days, after a little time off between the blankets with lots of books and hot tea (any book recommendations anyone?).


Have a great weekend and keep warm!
xx





Photo by our long nights

Happy Monday Spain!

Hello my friends and Felicitaciones España - Campeón del Mundo 2010!
I'm a lousy gambler. I gambled on Brazil, and lost a bottle of wine on this Mondial. At least my best friend, who gambled on Spain, won six (including mine...), so we're going to drink it anyway, together with the other five!

Bravo España!

Photo by Digger Digger Dogstar

Very happy Monday to Spain and to you wherever you are!

First Blog Awards!

///SlowLane has recently received the Happy 101 award from Emily of Vita Nostra, The Sunshine Award from Hali of Halibu Valley and the Versatile Blogger Award from Mandy of 16 House
(Sorry it took me so long to respond, I'm so very bad at these things...)

These are the first blog awards for ///SlowLane and I was totally overwhelmed **blush**
You guys made my day, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Each award has different rules so to make it simple, I'll go with the last one I've received...
The Versatile Blogger Award's rules are - you must say 7 things about yourself and pass the award on to some of your favorite blogs and let them know.

Ok, there we go...

1. I'm addicted to not having any addiction. That doesn't include my coffee addiction. And maybe another little one for books, writing and music.
2. I'm fascinated by the idea of the SlowFood organization and find it very disappointing that I'm passive about it at the moment.
3. I think money is overrated. I would like to go back to times when people swapped goods and everyone could concentrate on what they're good at without the constant money rush... well, I will have to grow up out of this idea someday...
5. I would love to keep hoping from continent to continent for the next 5 years or so, before settling down at one place.
6. I would love to make the time and effort and go back to school to study art.
4. I skipped 4 before...
7. I'm at a point where every single thing in my life seems right in place. I feel like everything is possible regardless limitations of age/money etc. I couldn't be happier than I am now.

Phew, that was hard nice... thank you for listening :)
I would like to pass the awards on to a few great blogs I recently enjoy (A-Z):
>> A Creative Cat
>> Inaluxe
>> Jokemijn
>> Make It Easy
>> The Design Pocket

That was really hard! I follow so many gorgeous blogs so choosing 5 is a heartbreak really.
That actually made me realize I have to publish my blogroll!! Promise to do so soon enough....

Wish you a sunny, happy day! xx


Photo: Traingle Cut by swinmminginmilk