Jikana Damaru: 09/06/10

NYC in a nutshell

What an amazing experience! We had a wonderful time taking in all of New York City.

Our room at the Marriott Marquis was on the 39th floor and direct view of where the ball drops in Times Square!

Central Park is big & beautiful!

Times Square is filled with people and lights! Cab drivers are absolutely crazy. Crazier than the bus drivers in Mexico!

Ground Zero and the 9/11 Preview Site really takes you back to that awful day.

The Brooklyn Bridge is so pretty. The views are breathtaking. I loved walking it.

It was neat to see the New York Stock Exchange and think 'that's where they ring the bell!'

Little Italy is vibrant with food, color, music. I love how it really feels like a little town where you walk in the middle of the streets and eat outside. The pizza & Gelati we ate were soo scrumptious.

The Blue Man Group- seriously Laugh Out Loud funny. We were cracking up. I was stared down directly by one of the blue men for at least two minutes... scary!!

I can't name a favorite site we visited. Everywhere was electric with lights, history, and people of all different ethnicities and culture...just incredible.

Though I enjoyed being in all those famous places, I am happy to be back at a bit of a slower pace!

lOVE it

Donna Hay's chocolate balloon cups.
instructions here

Ms Nosybella: what would you...?

Greetings friends.

As you know, my curiosity and general nosiness will get me into trouble one day (again), but not today. Today it merely fosters an intimate exchange between consenting parties that won't be getting any of us into trouble. A thrilling ride on the Compulsion to Share train, if you will.

Today, I'm asking what would you... my woulds below.

... do if you saw a major car accident and you were the first one there?

I race out of my car very purposefully, speed dialling 000 on the BlackBerry as I leap towards the needy and then flap around a lot looking for pale people as I simultaneously curse my inability to remember anything other than 'if the head is pale, raise the tail' from my 2004 St John's Ambulance course. I would be all flap, no trousers, unfortunately.

... change about yourself physically?

I used to list the standard bums, tums, thighs here, but getting older has made me realise that there are worse things in life than an ample lower half. I wouldn't even ask for scaffolding to jack up the boobs. I would ask for sweet-smelling feet and no psoriasis. Man, what am I, eighty? That's beyond sad.

... change about yourself generally?

I'd always think before speaking and then think some more and then probably not speak at all. Ever.

... do all over again?

Travel through Africa with LOML on the back of an overland truck but this time with an air mattress.

... do-over if you could?

I'd embrace my inner quirkiness far more at a younger age. I wouldn't try so hard to fit in when clearly I didn't. Hard to do that as a youngster, I know. It's the benefit of hindsight that tells me I'd be accepted without issue for just being me.

... give up tomorrow if it was easy?

Chocolate and cleaning

... start doing tomorrow if you could?

Sewing and making 'stuff' more regularly.

How about you? What would you... share?

'Til next time

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My garden transformation

As you may know, I have been doing a lot of gardening recently. Firstly, because the weather has been so nice and secondly my house was a building site due to the new kitchen being installed. So, I finally finished my garden!

We started the garden a few years ago by putting up new fences to the right, fixing the fence to the left and back and giving them all a fresh lick of green paint. We removed the broken shed and gave the play house on the left hand side of the garden a makeover. You can read more about my garden shed here.

I cut a large oval shape out of the grass using a piece of string and nails to get the shape. Then around the edges I planted lots of lavender that I had grown from seed, Clematis to hide my water butt and to grow along the top of the fences, and castor oil plant, green bushes and grasses so the garden would stay green all year round. Finally, white petunias, campanula and 'silver dust' to add colour.

As well as a patio outside our kitchen, which we set up with an outdoor dining table and chairs for alfresco eating and barbecues, we used to have a second smaller patio at the back of the garden next to my garden shed. Apart from the barbecue and a few potted plants it was mostly empty and rarely got used. So, I got to thinking that I should make it more inviting with a place to sit, some lighting, and more plants and greenery.

We graveled over the patio stones and I bought a bench, painted it white and made a few cushions for it. I cleaned up our old bistro chair and tables and painted the woodwork white. I hung solar-powered lanterns and put up some vintage ice cream tin signs, and put potted flowers into some pretty enamel buckets. Voila: with the final stage of my garden transformation done, my outdoor lounge was finished!

Have a sweet day!

Week-a-Boo

What a special weekend I had!

Saturday morning we were up bright and early and we all piled into my dads patrol and headed off on the 4 hour road to trip to Hervey Bay - my favourite place in the world! We were heading off for my cousin Jay' wedding - He was marrying his long time girlfriend and mother of his 2 children. The ceremony was held at the Botanical gardens followed by the reception at the Boat Club! It was a beautiful celebration!

Here are a few photos for you to enjoy!

During the wedding the bride and groom had a sand ceremony where they both poured different coloured sand into a vase to symbolise their two lives becoming one. While they were signing the register they asked that each of their guests also put a spoon of sand and make a wish for them. I thought this was such a beautiful touch!

Another special detail during the wedding was the guests blessing...however it wasn't your ordinary blessing...more of an oath, we had to repeat after the celebrant and the passage basically made us promise that we were going to celebrate the whole day and make sure we make a new friend and we must dance to at least one song and smile the entire night and if we didn't the bar tab would be waiting at the end of the night for us! I thought this was hilarious and really added that special, unique and fun touch to the ceremony!

We were all given a special surprise this weekend! The grooms sister, my cousin, flew all the way from America to be here for his special day! No one knew and she just turned up at the wedding! We were all in total shock to see her and it just made the wedding so perfect!

~ Cousins - we haven't seen Stacey (middle) for 15 years ~

The groom and I are the same age and we were quite close growing up! Congratulations to 'My Jay' I am so proud of you!

~ Then and Now - Jay and Sarah ~

Fathers Day

We got to celebrate fathers day with all of our family and with one special man who is the rock of our family! Our grandpa! It was so special to be with all of my cousins and aunty and uncles and to celebrate it with him! This is the first time we had all been together in 15 years!

~ It was a weekend that I'll remember forever ~

x S.K.K x

At my house...

Lot's of lovely little pieces inspiring me around my house today. I love to create pretty little corners that feel special and inspiring to be in. I adore rearranging my collection of old jars, shells and trays. The little jars and trays are one's I have collected or discovered in markets, second hand stores and interesting shops that I have stumbled upon during my travels. They provide a bit of character to my sentimental shells and bits of driftwood (I started collecting these when my son was born), flowers and herbs picked from our garden and whatever else takes my fancy. I love to include little finds that my son has found on our walks or visits to the park...seed pods, twigs and pebbles are mostly what he likes to collect or hold onto as he plays. I also have a real love for books, old and new...on the weekend at the fair I found some sweet little books that we have enjoyed reading and they will become part of a display at some point I am sure.

Collecting is fun...interesting, inspiring and I must admit a little addictive. I have a collection of beautiful Christmas decorations that I mostly purchased when my husband and I lived overseas...We have continued this little tradition with our son by collecting a new decoration each year for him to place on our lovely family tree...a decoration that has meaning to us or one that we have handmade together.

I think it is nice to create little traditions and fun to feel inspired in the home by objects that are not expensive but objects that are close to the heart. What objects do you like to collect and what sits on your window sill ?

The little white flower was picked by my little one on Saturday morning for me...it sits on my window sill reminding me of how sweet and loving he is. He has such a precious and loving nature.

Check out more here.

An Impromptu Dessert Table

It was Fathers Day here in Australia yesterday and our plans were to have a relaxing morning at home followed by meeting Mr A's family at the park at 2.00pm so the kids could ride bikes and we could all enjoy afternoon tea.

Being from an Italian family it is however a little hard for Mr A's mum and dad to believe that just afternoon tea would suffice so we agreed that nonna would cook us some pasta and join the five of us for lunch before we all headed to the park - so seven for lunch - simple.

Saturday came and the weather in Sydney was rainy and not that nice really - maybe the park was not looking that great even though the forecast was for it to fine up. We started the ring around and made the decision that instead of the park the venue for afternoon tea would be our place - the kids could still ride bikes down to the local park if they wanted but at least if the rain continued we were safe!

Saturday afternoon arrives and brother number one decides that maybe lunch is not a bad idea - add five - we are now on twelve for lunch.

Sunday morning arrives and it seems that Aunt and Uncle from the country also happen to be in town - add two! Brother number two decided that hey I might as well be there as well - add four. Ok then says brother number 4 we will be there as well - another four! Yes that is 22 in total! So from a casual play in the park it turned into lunch and afternoon tea for 22 - all I can say is thank heavens for an Italian mother-in-law who is used to this large family and can at the drop of the hat whip up lunch for this large family!

So that being said ..... what better opportunity for me to whip up a dessert table using just what I could find in the house that day! Here is the result.