Oh my Darlin!

This is my beautiful girl Clementine. She has moved into our back garden and I can barely contain my excitement!  I can't wait to give her the love she so rightly deserves, a clean, new ply, lots of no more gaps and some soft furnishings that are easy on the eye and I have my very own studio...YAY!!!!

2011- Does it really have to be called "The Year of the Rabbit?"

Look at that! How quickly did Christmas and New Year roll around? It felt like a whirlwind blew through. So much so, that I can't bring myself to take the Christmas tree down yet.

Let's get on to The Year of the Rabbit. During the Christmas blur, M,14, 13, 11 &  I were having a BBQ with the NT friends. There was a rather traumatic incident with our friends big dog and our pet Rabbits. Score being Dog 1, Rabbit 0. So there is a slight painful association with the Chinese Year of the Rabbit at ours.However,

we have enjoyed a lovely time catching up with family and friends over the festive season.

These things were awesome:

•  A visit here 
•  Celebrating my sister's birthday
•  Cousins sleep over
•  Romantic 2 day child-free getaway to Melbourne
•  Exploring Piper St, Kyneton (ah child- freeee!)
•  AWESOME presents ( I DID get Pip's new book,thanks to Fine & Sunny
  
•  Time to myself to begin an embroidery project from my book 
•  Beautiful food and wine
•  Finding a gorgeous pair of shoes here that fit my big    feet YAY!
•  Painting at Caledonia St (I made a great team leader)
•  Driving home with 14 as my DJ, the same Hip Hop song 16 times made us laugh alot

So I guess The Year of the Rabbit isn't so bad after all......

Christmas Craziness

So it's nearly here. Don't you just love the "Are you organised for Christmas?" question. It seems to be the only time of year when complete strangers express concern for the level of our organisation. To avoid a twenty minute conversation about the complete lack of anything remotely like organisation going on in my life, I reply rather meekly and politely  that it's "Going well, thank you for enquiring."
The honest truth would actually sound a little like this.  Wellllll.............The kids have some presents, the marvellous M has possibly far too many, the dining room is my work area with a wrapping, stamping and tag writing station as well as many works in progress...The cute as bunting for a favourite boy, a key thingy for a workmate, a pair of jeans that need urgent repair for a friend.  I still haven't unpacked from the Craft Up @ Artback, I have yet to bag up hair accessories for my neice and I am constantly trying to keep all things Christmas away from Pierre and The Baby. Add to the list planned drinks and catch ups, a Christmas party, 2 night duties, friends in town from Alice Springs and we are going away in 4 days!
I have managed to only experience one major meltdown.........o.k two meltdown's this week. 
Meltdown #1- A little background on the lead up to paint the picture; I have started a tradition (which is important to me that I maintain as I am particularly inconsistent with stuff at times) of MAKING each family member an individualised Bon-Bon to snap open at Christmas lunch.  Finding appropriate things to fit inside a cardboard tube the size of a toilet roll is not that easy.  Anyhow I have eveyone's BB gifts sorted, that correct amount of cracker pulls, crepe paper, printed labels etcetera.  That is until.......an early morning phonecall from the host of Christmas Lunch.....my wonderful Mother in Law (sincerely & honestly) to say she had a few orphans joining us for lunch, possibly 6!!
There was a small 3 way conversation between M , the MIL and I about adding extra BB's for the newly aquired guests and going to one of the many $2 shops around to source extra BB's.
Ten minutes later I found myself sobbing in the bath, crying big salty tears into the bubbles and blubbering that I go to so much effort...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! I ended up having a shower to calm down and  sleeping for 3 hours after my tantrum. 
Note: The catalyst for my irrational thinking and behaviour may have been due to a sleep depravation. Sleeping 3 hours in 48 is far from recommended.


My amazing MIL and I spoke yesterday, she was calling to say the orphans had been promptly re-accommodated to Christmas lunch elsewhere and she was hoping "we" were Ok.  I informed her I was delerious, irrational, hormonal and wanted to punch my own head in! 

I think most of us need a disclaimer at some time or another in December don't we?
My brain hurts too much after re-living that to write about meltdown #2, another time....maybe.

Craftin' it up before Chrissy

I have been meaning to get a plethora of crafting done prior to Christmas, however I seem to be chasing my tail. So I have found the ultimate solution, get everyone together and have fun while we work on our To Make Lists. Invitations are open to other likeminds who also need to get their stuff happening.  So we will be celebrating our craftiness, making some handmade lovelies to gift all while we eat, drink and be merry. 

This would not be possible without the sheer kindness of the lady herself, Anne Hederics at ArtBack in Wentworth. So pack the project, pop in the car and join in.

Warning:Children may increase alcohol consumption.......

This week began so fantastically, return home after working late to a pale faced co-parent. The dialouge went something like this. Me: How was your night love? M: You'd better sit down....... The children had returned to the nest after the Dad weekend, albeit in tatters.  No. 1 had a bruised eye, inflicted by No. 3 and No. 2 had gone into meltdown post the eye incident and called a friend who came to rescue her. Meanwhile Dad is obvilious to the dramas unfolding, for he was at work! Things must have calmed down considerably enough for No. 2 to return to Dads with her friend for protection. She then felt compelled to act on an instruction from No. 3 (who was the much calmer version than the object weilding one earlier) to give her a haircut. Now this may seem like a fairly reasonable thing to do on any given Sunday afternoon IF you are a HAIRDRESSER.  No. 3 has very wild coarse unmanageable hair that resembles a badly clipped hedge if the length creeps up, when cut by even the most qualified hair artist. Bravely the girls tackled a job that most hairdressers shudder at. I'd say at this stage ignorance would and must be bliss. 
By this time of the post work conversation, I was ready to push away the cup of earl grey in favour of a cold Sav blanc.
24 hours later have called an official family meeting
AGENDA ITEMS
1. Hair cut can be worn out in public for now
2.Phones confiscated
3.Family values and better choices lecture on continuous replay
4.Many remorseful tears
5.Moved from Sav blanc to Reisling
I am considering completing an intake to drug and alcohol for myself ahead of time........got a feeling I'm gonna need it........arrrrgghhhhhh!!!!!!

Healing hands

Having had my hair coloured and cut this week has felt wonderful. Partly because new hair makes one feel somewhat revitalised and fresh but also it is lovely to experience the touch of others.  I am super impressed after my experience yesterday when I was waiting to collect Rosie from the car cleaners.  I was wandering along in the shopping centre filling in time when the Chinese massage shop seemed to be calling me. I sat down for a delightful 20 minute massage of my neck and arms. Could somebody please tell me why I have not treated myself to this before now? My goodness I felt like I was floating after this pleasurable indulgence.

If you haven't ever done this before. I recommend you do.

Full Tummies

This week we have eaten some beautiful food. With so much fresh produce available it is hard to believe some folk don't eat fruit and vegies everyday. The lovely M knocked up some pizza dough and we crafted some good old homemade pizzas. Inspired by the fabulous boys at FOR THE LOVE OF PIZZA, I wanted to re-create the gustatory experience I had tasted called the Brocky, which was an awesome broccoli pizza. I know broccoli is hardly the first vegie you'd reach into the crisper and say "I am going to smash out a great pizza with this little beauty, but it really worked.  After searching the supermarket for an hour for Talegio cheese and becoming convinced that I live in Rwanda because I asked the girl in the deli and her reply was "Nup, never heard of it and I have worked in two supermarkets" like I was making up some random cheese for the fun of it. Anyway no go on the Talegio but I made do with some beautiful blue cheese instead. It was so yummy. We had loads of dough left over so the next day the lovely M knocked up two fabulous Calzones.  They were filled with roast pumpkin, spinach and cheese and were loosely modelled on Jamie Olivers version of a Calzone. Mmmmm, the result was full tummies.

Portarlington

My love and I went to the beach at Portarlington, we wrote our names in the sand, searched for treasures gifted to the shore by the sea. It was so beautifully rainy, the sea, the rain and my love....sigh... how lucky can one girl be?


We wrote our names in the sand and declared our love. Awwww so sweet.

There was a gorgeous antique shop where I found two souvenir spoons from Carlsrhue in Victoria. This was such a great nostalgic find for me, as I spent six months in an annexe program on a farm there in primary school. I have many fond memories of this time in my life, raising animals, making mud bricks, learning how to construct a fence. These spoons came home with me and I will make a piece of jewellery just for me.

Away Time - Activities that are nourishing to my soul.

Fabulous Brunswick St Fitzroy feeds me, not just my belly but my soul. It is so joyous to take in all the things that make this street such a special one to me. Cool folks galore, trams, bike riders, unique shops, stunning street art and great coffee. M and I meandered along and soaked up the familiar feel, almost like slipping into tracksuit pants after work. Totally refreshing. What feeds your soul?

The funny glasses

During our recent trips around the op shops we have found quite a few pairs of glasses that have given us lots of giggles.  Our idea was to collect a few and take some family pics for fun.  It seems that my girls got a head start on the photos as I found these on the camera!

Pierre looks so impressed!

Good look girls!!!!

Book, Books, Books

I love books. There are many titles in my home, I ask for books for my Birthday and I sift through shelves upon shelves at op shops ever hopeful I will happen upon something that strikes me. Borders is Mecca for the book lover. I want to open the pages of the books on the shelves and smell the delicious scent of pristine unread page. An urge I often experience whilst in Borders is to put a pile of books on the carpet in a thick layer and lay down and flap my arms and legs to create a "Book Angel" on the floor. However I do want to be able to shop there, so I refrain from doing this.
Council libraries prove to be a heavenly escape from my busy days. Libraries are quiet places where one can nourish ones soul in text, pages, spines and cataloge number stickers. Blissful.

I have always fancied joining a book group but had not until recently. I am now a very proud member of a Book Club....(lets out a little squeal of delight).  My lovely librarian had told me of the first meeting date, which unfortunately fell on an extremely busy day for me. Number 3's school held their Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program Community Meeting earlier that day and as a consequence I made a late entrance to the first meeting. Alas I was not arriving late empty handed, I had some food to share! We decided on reading this for our first book. Insipring end to a very busy day. Sigh..

Birthday week

M and I share our Birthdays in the same week. This is a special time of year for both of us I feel so lucky to be treated to all that birthday goodness brings, coffee in bed with presents, beautiful breakfast and a purely indulgent day of op shopping and tip scouring. Oh what could one possibly want for?


This year I received a voucher to have a fab new hair- do with my favourite hair-do girl Antoinetta.
I was also given a great keep cup from clove organics wrapped in gorgeous Owl paper, a Donna Hay Seasons cook book and of course organic chocolate to devour .
J & M gave me lovely necklace by ELK designs which I wore that night to this boys 18th Birthday party.  My nephew and I share the same birthday and it is hard to believe it was so long ago he was the best present I ever recieved as a teen! He has grown into the most beautiful young man I am always greeted with a kiss and a big hug x

Bats have made Roslind park their new home, after exploring the sweet little BOB and chatting with Sonja we made a visit to BAT PARK as it has been re-named by Number 3.

 What a fun day ....Phew