A few more snaps from my quick trip to Melbourne last week.
On Sunday morning I took a lovely walk around central Melbourne. It was lovely to be out when the streets were quite in comparison to the hustle and bustle of Friday afternoon's peak hour.
The Long White Cloud in Pictures...
Happy Monday!
I have been a tiny bit tardy with boring you all with my holiday snaps from NZ, and I can tell you are champing at the bit to peek into the escapades of the Cleary clan?
Anyway, I can't resist sharing a little of our trip with you. Well -- the ones off my iphone anyway: the rest of my snaps are trapped on my Macbook while I wait for my charger to be posted to me from NZ... ooops...
We were lucky enough to have my parents-in-law (you know, the ones most of you want to adopt... and frankly I don't blame you) along in tow -- to 'babysit' and otherwise fatten up my children with every "fluffy" (cappuccino) between here and Auckland while Dan and I attended a work conference.
In true Cleary style, the only forseeable means of transport for all of us was - no, not a car (my suggestion) or a train (my dad's suggestion) but....... a stretch limousine!
Yes folks, we got a limousine to the airport. As you do. The kids loved it, of course, and although it smelt a little too much like a year 12 high school formal, I did too:
Read More...
I have been a tiny bit tardy with boring you all with my holiday snaps from NZ, and I can tell you are champing at the bit to peek into the escapades of the Cleary clan?
Anyway, I can't resist sharing a little of our trip with you. Well -- the ones off my iphone anyway: the rest of my snaps are trapped on my Macbook while I wait for my charger to be posted to me from NZ... ooops...
We were lucky enough to have my parents-in-law (you know, the ones most of you want to adopt... and frankly I don't blame you) along in tow -- to 'babysit' and otherwise fatten up my children with every "fluffy" (cappuccino) between here and Auckland while Dan and I attended a work conference.
In true Cleary style, the only forseeable means of transport for all of us was - no, not a car (my suggestion) or a train (my dad's suggestion) but....... a stretch limousine!
Yes folks, we got a limousine to the airport. As you do. The kids loved it, of course, and although it smelt a little too much like a year 12 high school formal, I did too:
The first part of our trip was in Auckland for the conference. There are only so many days you can be cooped up inside a hotel room with two kids under 3... but it's amazing how much entertainment a packet of balloons can provide:
Well, balloons and "fluffys". I truly think Fern drank every fluffy in NZ -- amazing how many interpretations of a "fluffy" there are! But this was my own personal fave - complete with cocktail umbrella!!
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| One of Fern's squillion "fluffys". Oh -- and that's "Whitey". The Novatel gave him to her at checkin. He stayed in her arms for an entire week. There were tears when we didn't have him within arm's reach. But when we got home with him we lost immediate interest. In fact, Fern wanted to leave him at the airport. I dunno. Kids. My kids did not exactly set any world records for sleep in the hotel. It would be safe to say that one small hotel room with two adults and two kids under 3 does not work. Not unless any of you want more than 3 hours sleep per 24 hours. I am still catching up -- and I've been back for a week. Anyway. Poor Elliott got his sleep where he could: |
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| Elli - in his $27 stroller propped up between two chairs having a good-ole kip! There were a few unexpected discoveries:  And little Elli had everybody by the short n curlies (hair, that is)  Wait... Is that ANOTHER "fluffy?"  The second part of our trip was a drive to Lake Taupo, where we stayed in lovely self contained cottages with a tremendous view of the mountains and snow, glorious snow! I was rather excited about our trip to the snow, in case you missed it. I loved every second. We didn't have any appropriate snow gear (only going for a couple of hours and never having been before!) apart from my gloves (borrowed) so I found snowman building a little easier... poor Fern, Dan and Lesley got frostbite o-the fingers in our exhuberant bid to create the worlds most amazing snowman:  I couldn't stop myself; I slid on my bottom down the hill (several times). Then I had to sit in wet pants for the hour trip back to the resort! Um, I do think I might sound a little too much like Bridget Jones in this clip: Fern and Dan had a go, too, but clearly didn't have as much prowess at it as me: Little Elliott slept in the car for much of our snow adventure, but did manage a quick slide down the snow with his dad before we left. In true Elliott style, he just sat there, sliding a billion miles an hour in the snow, blinking into the sunlight like he did it everyday. Nothing fazes that child.   Have a great week folks... if you need me, I'll be on a sewing stampede. Aside from a slightly intimidating amount of bm3 orders (bring 'em on!) and designing a bunch of new stauff for Spring (my Facebook fans have already seen a sneaky -- have you "liked" my page yet?) I have a lot to conquer for Elliott's Teddy Bear picnic party which is in two weekends time. First up? An outdoor teepee! Stay tuned for pics and the how-to. Yayee! |
A cake for Martha
My brothers gorgeous girlfriend is off back home to Ireland tomorrow so I thought this occasion deserved a special goodbye cake. Totally loving the mini buntings - they make a perfect cake topper. I've been wanting to try a layer cake for sometime now - this one
Farewell sweet Martha ~ you will be missed
I'm taking part in Point and Shoot once more over here
Summer Cookies
This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some bright happy summer cookies with these fun pictures. 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 pretty Happy hour! by De Koekenbakker
- The sweet ice cream cone cookies by The decorated cookie
- The ever so cute Fruit cookies by De Koekenbakker
- The adorable Luau Cookie Collection by Glorious Treats
Have a sweet day!
The alternative of... me
I've just finished reading In My Skin by Kate Holden. It's a searingly honest book and so beautifully written that at times it felt like a volume of poetry. I could go on for a bit about the insights gained into the prostitute / junkie world, but weirdly enough the biggest take-out I had from the book was a throwaway paragraph early on where Kate mentioned that her family started their own school with a couple of other families.
Isn't that amazing?
I'm so admiring of people who manage to do extraordinarily unique things. Those who carve out a new way to live their life their way. Who don't care what 'everyone' thinks of them, they are too busy just getting on with this business of living truthfully and creatively. Kids aren't coping at the school up the road? Getting bullied, judged as odd? No matter, we'll just make our own school with our own idea of cool and they'll totally fit in. Will we care that they are still 'odd' sorts of kids to everyone else? Hell no! We'll just ignore everyone else and it won't matter a bit!
Sick of everyone judging your child on their gender alone? Let's just not let anyone know whether Storm* is a boy or a girl.
I do wonder sometimes how I got to be so utterly mainstream. For as long as I can remember I've always embraced difference in others and I'm fascinated by anyone who plays by their own rules. It's why I chose that great Ralph Waldo Emerson quote as number seven and Oscar Wilde as number four. As a youth I always thought of myself as a bit of a reckless, poet-type, but of course it was all in my head. I have never been anything even remotely resembling alternative. Creative, yes. Alternative, not so much. In fact, when I said to LOML the other night 'let's throw it all in and live off the grid' we both just laughed and laughed.
But.
In my dreams I am always exactly that type of person. Artistic, creative, hippie, bohemian, earthed. Ah, who am I kidding? Is it even possible to call yourself a bohemian when you're working for the man and, really, it's not too bad? Is it possible to call yourself artistic when lately the most you've creatively stretched yourself was icing cupcakes for the kinder class? Is it possible to be alternative when you're addicted to your dryer and consider vintage shopping somewhat painful? If you decorate your home in what you think is an eclectic, me sort of style but everyone comments on how successfully you've merged 'French Provincial' and 'Hamptons'**? If you secretly think that gender or none, Storm is a really a rather awful name for a person?
Is it possible?
* Boy or girl, something tells me Storm is going to need s/he's own school someday...
** Seriously. How's my life?
_______________________________________________
PS - My family will be wearing red tomorrow for Daniel's family. A red cardigan for me. Red socks for my husbie. A red shirt for little one. Red undies for my big one and a red ribbon slashed against a blue school uniform for my middle one. For all sorts of reasons, Daniel will always be remembered. http://www.danielmorcombe.com.au/
[Image flogged off Dottie Angel - for she is a true artistic spirit, living an individual life; red shirt image found here]
Photog. Session {Maternity} and {Newborn}
REMINDER: Two days left to enter my GIVEAWAY!!
Kaley's Maternity Session
Kaley is due the same day as I am with a boy. I was excited when she asked me to do her maternity photos. She is a gorgeous preggo and has a cute little family! You can see her blog here :)
9 Day Old Newborn: Isla
My good friend Jessi, at Caterpillar Family, recently had her baby girl! She is so beautiful....
Hope you're all enjoying the weekend! Be back on Monday for the announcement of the giveaway winner and pregnancy update!
Play Ice Cream
The cute play ice cream I got Molly was her favourite play food as she went around asking her party guests if they wanted "I'cream?" The cut and play ice cream set came from Early Learning Centre and consists of nine scoops of ice cream - with velcro tops so you can stack the scoops of ice cream, two waffle cones, two tubs and one wafer cone to serve them in and a sundae spoon and ice cream scoop.
Have a sweet day!
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