Friday Favorites

While I still nibble on bunny cookies from Indi's party last weekend here are my Friday Favorites for this week - a collection of things that seem appropriate in my life at the moment!

Cozy Feet by the fireplace (we have had a cold week!)

A perfect outdoor dessert table

Say no more ...

My three dolls


More macaroons

Warm flat bread straight from the oven

Layered jelly
Tutorial here via JaeBellz

Beautiful flowers similar to the ones from the wedding we attended last week

Striped back drops (I am still searching)

Pretty Baby Girl Dresses

Love for all around

Have a wonderful weekend everyone

Leanne

Things I learnt this week including how to raise a graffiti artist

I've just had one of those weeks that fly by in a haze of 'what tha?' Out of that haze, comes my learnings for the week that was...

1. No matter how meticulously you plan, something will always go wrong.

2. Learning to write letters correctly is easier on a vertical surface. Let your children practice with their index finger on frosted morning windows or in the shower after wiping shaving foam on the glass. It's loads of fun and it's easier to see the way they are forming the letters and help them get it right (especially if they are writing on your bedroom window on Sunday morning and you are still conveniently lying in bed.) Please note, I take no responsibility if your cherub runs with this idea and starts tagging your neighbourhood.

3. A colonoscopy is performed while the patient lies on their left side.

4. The lyrics to Nancy Sinatra's Sugar Town begin "I got some troubles but they won't last / I'm gonna lay right down here in the grass / And pretty soon all my troubles will pass / 'cause I'm in shoo-shoo-shoo, shoo-shoo-shoo / Shoo-shoo, shoo-shoo, shoo-shoo Sugar Town." Or, if you're Cappers, "shoe-shoe, shoe-shoe, shoe-shoe Booger down."

An aside: this reminds me of The Badoo earlier in the week. She had a little something on her nose which I reached over to brush off. She said "No, I get it" and promptly stuck the finger in, pulled out a glob of snot and handed it to me. Ah, The Badoo.

5. "Childhood is that wonderful time of life when all you need to do to lose weight is take a bath." Richard Zera. I know this quotable quote isn't strictly a learning, but I just love it.

6. OCD* affects 2 to 3 per cent of people in Australia at some time in their lives.

7. Roses not only need a sunny spot and lots of food, they need air flow to survive. This is why my roses never really 'took off' (read: dropped all their leaves, glared accusingly at me and started to shrivel.) Darren, our new gardener (that sounds so Maxabella of the Manor - really, he's popping in for a few hours each month because I have no idea what I'm doing despite telling everyone I meet that I love gardening and am an excellent gardener) has moved the roses to a new airflowy spot. I'll keep you posted.

8. If you break one of the ten commandments you need to give God a lamb. A "nice, big, juicy lamb." (Thank you, Maxi-Taxi)

9. Most kitchens have more germs on the counter tops than in the average toilet. This is due to failure to sanitise the dish rag after every clean, resulting in the spreading of harmful bacteria from one end of the kitchen to the other. You can sanitise the dish rag either by using disinfectant or by wetting it and microwaving it on high for two minutes. Allow to cool before picking it up (the article didn't actually say that, but I thought I should add it after an incident that occurred in Maxabellaland on Tuesday evening at approximately 8 o'clock.)

10. If you don't like clutter, don't buy it in the first place.


* Disclaimer: this learning is in no way related to my own bed leaping antics or other random behaviours as confessed shared by commenters on my post earlier in the week. However, if at any time you feel you need help, please go here. We won't look.

[Image by Banksy]

It's Flog your Blog Friyay!

Thanks to Brenda at Mummy-time, we all get the opportunity to check out each others' blogs and give a little love. You know what a blog junkie I am - FYBF is my fix!

My Creative Space...



is all wrapped up and on its way to the lovely Mandy in Ocean Grove. I finally got my act together and made my swap items for the Contemporary Handmade Alliance Craft Swap!

Have you posted yours off  yet?
A BIG thankyou to Mandy who sent me the most perfect swap gift - a stunning Fabric Head wrap (which I'm wearing right now) and a wrist cuff. 

Mandy is the talent behind BOB&MABEL  - a lovely line filled with unique vintage fabric clothes and accessories - you can see them in here Madeit shop here.

Check out what everyone else is working on today at Kootoyoo!


Maxabella and the Versatile Blogger Award

My lovely blogger friend Jodie at Mummy Mayhem has passed on The Versatile Blogger award to me. Cue happy dance.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I confess, I don't know much about the blog awards that I see here and there. Where did they come from? Who makes the rules? Why are there so many? But, as part of the The Versatile Blogger award, I'm to share 7 things about myself and direct you to 5 wonderful blogs that I love from bloggers who are new to my site.

Let's face it, we're all new to Maxabellaland and I've been enjoying so many fellow blogs that I'm thinking of starting up a chapter of Bloggers Anon. Especially as I'm such a commenter (is that a word? Commentator? Comment maker? Nevermind...)  I just can't seem to read some of the fantastic stuff out there and not share.  So I apologise that everywhere you go in blogworld, Maxabella seems to have an opinion about it.

But, I digress.

Five blogs I just love and visit every day are:

Not Waving, But Ironing (to be honest, I'm not sure NWBI has actually ever visited my blog, but I'm Number One Stalker on her site)

Life in a Pink Fibro (brilliant writing about things that make you go 'yes, yes, ah, yes') 

Pink Patent Mary-Janes (little bit of this, little bit of that, it's like having coffee with your bestie)

Woogsworld (Laugh? I almost broke out an emoticon)

And then there were four (An honest slice of life and MultipleMum has a great turn of phrase)


And seven things you never wanted to know about me but I'm going to tell you anyway are:

1. I never brush my hair. Until my girls came along, I hadn't owned a hairbrush since 1988.

2. I secretly loathe Lady Gaga but pretend to like her so my gay colleagues think I'm cool.

3. I quite liked fashion in my youth, but these days I so can't be bothered that I would love it if everyone on the planet had to wear the same uniform every single day. I feel this approach would also solve the global warming crisis, abolish child labour in the Philippines and possibly end the reign of terror in Afghanistan. I would make the uniform beige corduroy just because I enjoy the thought of smarmy fashionistas being forced to wear beige corduroy (and because couduroy is a rather funny word).

4. I am a compulsive pleaser. For example, from year seven until year twelve I made school lunches for myself and my three siblings (vegemite or pb sandwiches, cheese and an apple, thanks for asking) because I wanted to be a good mother on behalf of my actual mother (who was a great mother but apparently not a great sandwich maker).

5. I think typing BWAHAHAHA makes you look like a (possibly laughing) twit and typing 'nom nom nom' or 'noms' for food appreciation is slightly abhorrent.

6. I often lie awake at night wondering why I am lying awake at night wondering.

7. My pin number is 85921.

Thank you and good night.

Trine Thorsen

Duse pasteller by Trine Thorsen


Blomster by Trine Thorsen


Blomster by Trine Thorsen


Duse pasteller by Trine Thorsen


Hawaiifest by Trine Thorsen


I am always looking out for inspirational pics, from cute cakes to gorgeous interiors! On a recent search I came across the wonderful Trine Thorsen, a Norwegian photographer whose beautiful images are exquisite and full of eye candy.

She also has a blog, So mee, where you can find even more of her delightful pics. I could spend hours looking at them all!

Have a sweet day!

A Special Treat









The lovely folks at Kidspot Baby Club sent over a whole boxful of Johnson & Johnson products to test out and tell you all about them. 

As you can see my little girl got right into them and had lots of fun opening the bottles and checking out how they smelt.

(After these photos were taken and while I wasn't watching I found her covering her own 'little baby' in one of the creams - Lou said she was making her dolly all pretty)



Now, a couple of the items are already regulars in this household - I have used both their babywipes and bedtime bath ever since Louise was born.  The wipes for their texture, smell and size - LOVE THEM and the bedtime bath really does have a wonderfully soothing smell and leaves Lou's skin feeling so soft and clean.

I also have always LOVED the Baby Conditioning Shampoo - its got this nostalgic smell for me - my mum must have used on us, besides Lou HATES getting her hair washed so only having to go through the process once is a big plus for me.

I had never tried any of the soothing naturals range (the green bottles) and  I ♥ a good moisturiser.  I get dry skin in the Winter so I've kept these ones for me :) Its got a great smell, soaks in well without leaving you with that 'all greased up' feeling. The bottle is a nice size too, so fits into my handbag without feeling like I'm carrying a bowling ball around.

~Lets hope Lou's baby isn't too upset I've borrowed the creams~ 






Thank you Kidspot Baby Club we have enjoyed your box of goodies and don't forget check them out here or for facebookers here's a quick link to their page.