some of my new faves
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for you to add to your blog reading lists too:
would love you to leave a comment with a link to your blog so we can all pop past. happy Monday my friends XO
Now I am 11 Months...
This time 12 months ago, I - the size of a forklift, and probably weighing about the same - was a focused woman. I knew "it" was close. Mere weeks away. And I was ready. Physically, at least. There was a room with a cot in it waiting for a little human being to arrive. But mentally, I couldn't quite wrap my head around it. I already HAD a baby, didn't I? Was there enough room in my already-at-capacity heart to include another? To be honest, I wasn't sure...
Here's what I wrote, this time last year:
My Bump!
Seeing as it's Friday, I thought I'd treat you all to this little look at my 'bump'. I'll be 36 weeks pregnant tomorrow... Fern thinks it's hilarious and keeps "ticka ticka ticka" (ie. tickling) my belly at every opportunity. Who knows what an 18-month old baby truly understands, but I know mine has noticed my growing bump and is fascinated by it. If I ask her what's in there, she points to her own tummy and says "bubby!"
Poor Fern. She's in for a real shock, and in just a matter of weeks. And so am I, for that matter. At the moment, she is my very best friend and the centre of my universe. Its hard even for me to imagine it any other way. But the cozy world as we know it is about to be rocked upside down... so for now we're enjoying the last precious moments together, my daughter and I, just the two of us...
It seems sort of funny now, reading back on that. To think that at that point, my life was already complete. But of course what I didn't realise was that at the same instant my little son was born, my life was complete AGAIN. That my heart just expanded to replace the deflated tummy as though there had always been room for two.
And now of course, I can barely remember it being just Fern and I. Because now it's Fern and Elliott and I. The Three Muskateers.
Next month we'll be celebrating my Elli-Boo's first birthday. And what a celebration it will be... for him and for us. Can't wait.
x
Rainbow Cakes
This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some bright fun rainbow cakes with these fab photos. Last year I made a three colour cake for Molly's Birthday, this year I want to make a rainbow coloured cake. Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.
Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):
- The wonderful colour in Rainbow Cake Earrings by bluekitty88makeup1
- The perfectly sliced Rainbow Cake by Vika.rayu
- The cute doodles on Rainbow Doodle Birthday Cake by Sweetapolita
- The pretty buttercream flowers in Day 97: Rainbow Cake by matt.koenig
Have a sweet day!
Anusha $100 Giveaway winner
My contest ended yesterday and I just picked a winner using random.org and I am delighted to announce the winner of the Anusha $100 Giveaway is...
Drumroll please? Without further ado, the lucky winner is...
Icing Bliss, of the wonderful cake and cookie blog Icing Bliss, who was loving their sparkle antique drop earrings. Please e-mail me your details.
Congratulations Icing Bliss, you will receive $100 worth of store credit for Anusha.
Thank you to all of you sweets that entered, to my loyal followers and new friends.
Have a sweet day!
♥ Loving a girl, a journey, a Lark
Daylesford is a wonderful place to visit, no doubt about it. It's like being tucked in all safe and warm by an elegant, artistic mother after a busy day wandering and wondering. It just oozes relaxation and reflection and contemplation.
Or perhaps that was just because I was travelling alone?
Regardless, I felt a little reborn by the end of my stay there. That town has such a creative, welcoming spirit - a spirit truly embodied by Allison at Lark.
I instantly adored her - a wonderfully generous, smart and funny soul. I could have stood drinking tea and nattering away in her cheerful store all afternoon.
Luckily the lightness of my mood as I left Allison was not matched by a lightness of pocket. I managed to restrain myself nicely, however I should confess that I have long been an online Lark shopper and I was busy creating a list for future purchases.
There is no escape.
What's your favourite online store? Do you know the owner personally?
here's my collection for this weeks scavenger hunt
lots more to see over at Ashley's blog
click on the button above to make your way there
enjoy
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| walking empty streets |
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| repeating patterns |
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| floor |
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| then & now (my little girl drawing at one & five years of age) |
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| fingertips |
grateful for
freshly picked strawberries that remind me of hot Summer days. They are such a great snack to have on hand & having them available this time of year when the skies are grey makes me grateful for the sun that is shining somewhere for them to grow!
time to stand still & reflect on life.
I don't do enough of it but when I get that moment to myself to stop, take a few breaths & get my mind back on track it makes me a better me.
time spent in the country.
I love driving through small country towns to then stop by the side of the road & look out to paddocks of grass & sheep & cows & to look at how quiet & still everything can be. I am grateful for this amazing world we live in.
more gratefulness here : join in!
Op-Shop Porn.
Yesterday, I went op-shopping. It was on a whim. I was driving past and something told me to stop.
In my experience, op-shopping can be terribly hit and miss. In my case, more miss than hit!
But this time, I totally came up trumps!
My loot? Total crafty-lovers porn: A huge jar of vintage buttons, an old ivory knife, a gorgeously vibrant vintage pillowslip (perfect for my Summer range dresses and bloomers!) and AND some totally adorable patterns for baby rompers, sundresses, hats and more that have me literally salivating for some spare moments to jump on my sewing machine!
I cannot wait to whip up some Summer delights for my shop with these finds.
Unfortunately, it will have to wait. We're off to New Zealand tomorrow for a week! V exciting!
What trumps have you scored from the thrift stores of late?
Read More...
In my experience, op-shopping can be terribly hit and miss. In my case, more miss than hit!
But this time, I totally came up trumps!
My loot? Total crafty-lovers porn: A huge jar of vintage buttons, an old ivory knife, a gorgeously vibrant vintage pillowslip (perfect for my Summer range dresses and bloomers!) and AND some totally adorable patterns for baby rompers, sundresses, hats and more that have me literally salivating for some spare moments to jump on my sewing machine!
I cannot wait to whip up some Summer delights for my shop with these finds.
Unfortunately, it will have to wait. We're off to New Zealand tomorrow for a week! V exciting!
What trumps have you scored from the thrift stores of late?
Nine tier star cake
Yesterday we celebrated George's 90th birthday. To say that George likes fruit cake is an understatement. Ever since I made him the Star Christmas Cake I have been making him fruit cakes every few months, decorating them for Easter, Halloween etc. He likes to have a slice with tea everyday so for his 90th birthday I decided to make him a nine tier cake. He ate the top two tiers yesterday and his party guests shared tier four, leaving him with seven tiers to last him until Halloween!
Have a sweet day!
This week I'm grateful for... advice
I did a lot (a lot) of thinking while travelling solo. Many of the ideas and directions I came up with were good ones, some were not.
So, this week I'm grateful for...
157. Advice - a caring, careful sounding board is a blessing indeed.
158. Pondering - what a great, meaty word that is. What great, meaty ideas come as a result.
159. Riding solo - turns out I'm actually pretty easy to get along with.
So, what's making you smile today? Add your Grateful post to the list below (and please, we love you, but it really does matter that your post is one about being grateful, not just a random), add the button (grab the code from my sidebar and paste it into your post) and pretty-please add a link back to me. Then pop over to visit other bloggers who are spreading a little sunshine.
[Image by Ahndraya Parlato]
i am hoping
relaxing in pjs
enjoying home cooked meals
reading books
flicking through magazines
soaking up some winter sunshine
& getting to the bottom of the laundry pile
what are you hoping for?
Maxabellaland: a further reality check
Last time I showed up that Cappers and her propensity to paint the carpet. This time Maxi-Taxi is exposed in all his boy-mess glory. Oh, okay, he's seven, she's five. It's really me that's getting exposed...
Exhibit A is above.
This is as made as the bed ever gets. I even have a tendency to pull back the covers after putting on fresh sheets so it's 'ready'.
Exhibit B
'The, um, bookshelf'
Exhibit C
Exhibit C
'Random paperwork (such that you have when you are seven).'
Exhibit D
Cushion A: 'Hey Cushion B and C, I'll get back into position if you will' Cushion B: 'Nah, I can't even remember where I go.' Cushion C: 'Are you crazy, where's the fun in that?'
Ah, housework. I love you so.
What's your place looking like right now? Do you want to join in?
Pop over the Magdalena's. You just have to write a post or paste up some pickies. Be brave.
PS - This is my first time using Instagram and I kinda like it but I think I should have kept the images a bit smaller... can you even see them? If you can't, that's good news for me!
PPS - I will be adding some less obscure posts about my truckin' adventure after my Grateful moment this weekend. Missed you all very much (seriously, how wrong is that!?) x
Friday Favourites - Gorgeous Drinks
Happy Friday everyone
Friday Favourites are back - (well for a little while anyway) - it has been a good 6 months since my regular Friday Favourties post was around so time to bring it back.
Today some gorgeous ways to display your drinks - the possibilities are endless.
The links to all the photos are listed below but you can also find them all on my Pinterest Page here.
The links to all the photos are listed below but you can also find them all on my Pinterest Page here.
Have a delicious weekend everyone.
Elliott - the Human Jellyfish
Folks, I have a little problem.
Again?! I hear you ask? Havn't you just finished moaning about the fun and games of toilet training and how your children refuse to eat anything without a heartbeat? What now?
But at the risk of sounding very whiney indeed, I share with you a little issue I am having with my darling, honeycomb-breath son.
The thing is, at the moment my son is taking the concept of "attachment parenting" to a whole new level. With no warning, my previously adventurous, happy-go-lucky boyo has become a (oh gosh I hate to say this out loud) whiny, clingy jellyfish!
I understand that babies get upset when their parent leaves the room. But folks, this has gone one step beyond. Elliott wants to be in my arms, pretty much all the time unless he is in his cot sleeping. The second I put him down, he starts whinging, crawls over to me, stands up and monkey-grips my legs. What can I do? So eventually I pick him up and - miraculously - the crying stops. I wait a couple of minutes. Put him back down. Repeat process!
Both my blessing and my curse is that I've pretty much been with Elliott 24/7 since the day he was born. And somewhere over the last 11 months (oh gosh, is it 11 months already -- must get onto his monthly photo!) he has grown a little - well - fond of me.
And maybe I'm a little to blame... I may have whispered a little negotiation with my son in the early days that I would promise to cut his sandwiches for him for the rest of his life if he promised to stay with me forever (in Mother and Son fashion). ooops.
Oh, I know this is just a stage. And this too, shall pass. Next year he'll be embarrassed to be seen with me and I'll be begging him for cuddles, undoubtedly!
Isn't parenting fun?
x
Seaside Finds
This week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I bring you seaside finds. How cool are the chocolate starfish, they look so realistic in the bowl!
Have a sweet day!
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