twinkle toes


how fast they grow up
no longer my baby
almost 3
can we slow things down a little please?!

This Saturday I'm grateful for... verandahs


Here in Maxabellaland, Saturday is traditionally a sport, shop, sort the clothes, sweep the floors, strangle the Tsunamis (insert other 's' words here - no pun intended) kinda day. But on Maxabella loves... I thought it would be grounding to make Saturday my 'grateful' day.

This Saturday I'm grateful for...

1. The view from my verandah. I'm sitting here right now and above is the view from my laptop (don't you wish I was a better photographer!!). It's impossible to sit on my front verandah and not feel like life is good. (Of course, all I can really see is that the car still has the spare tyre on the back wheel after a month... but still... life is still good.)

2. Green tea. I'm 2 months sober off the diet cokes now and it's all thanks to green tea. I'm very pleased to have broken a 20 year habit so smoothly. Special thanks goes out to green tea with mint; you are comfort in a cup.

3. Comments. I swear I'm not sucking up. But there is something about reading an extension to my blog post that just makes my whole day. Food for thought and food for the soul. I love 'em and I'm grateful for them every single time.


So, what's making you smile today?


You're an Attitude!

My three year old nephews having an argument on the way back from the water park. 


They aren't brothers- but born two days apart!
I had to document this :)
Love them to pieces. 

I've Been Tagged & I'm Tagging!

I was tagged by Kaley @a tale of three poags! and Heather @ Best of Both Worlds to fill out 8 random questions then tag 8 different followers with 8 new questions. Here goes!


Kaley's questions:

1. what is your favorite recipe/thing to cook? [and feel free to share the recipe for ME to try! haha]
Since I'm still a newbie with cooking, I can't say I have a favorite yet.  BUT I did make a corn casserole last Christmas that was so super scrumptious there wasn't a crumb left.  Even my aunts,  who are good cooks, were asking me how I made it!  Of course- It wasn't hard or I wouldn't have made it! I will post that recipe soon!

2. what is your favorite hobby?
I don't have a major hobby so I would say just taking pictures. I love trying to capture the perfect moments and times of pure happiness.

3. what is the best memory with your significant other?
This is hard. But probably our last dance at our wedding. For a moment it was just us, but then all our family and friends surrounded us on the dance floor, though it still felt like nobody was in the room at all. It was amazing, perfect ending to our reception. 

Another time we are think back about was when we first met. We stayed over at a friends house- on their living room floor- and literally held hands, fingers intertwined, the WHOLE night. Both of us wanted so bad to remove our hand to sleep a bit more comfortable but we were so young (14) and thought we would hurt the others feelings - I guess. Haha. We laugh about it all the time.

4. what is the biggest life changing event you've been through?
Hmm. I really have never had a big life changing event. I guess buying my house and living on my own was  kind of life changing. At 21 I we took on a huge amount of bills and had to learn how to handle it.  Plus, I was used to living with my parents, 3 siblings, and many dogs.  It was quiet!

5. what is your favorite song? and why?
Eek.  So hard to pick.  I think "I Need You" by Leanne Rimes or "Down Came A Blackbird" by Lila Maccann. I wouldn't say these two songs are my favorite at the moment but they were my all time favorites growing up. I'd sing them at the top of my lungs- when nobody was around of course ;)  I still remember seeing Down Came A Blackbird video for the first time on my Great-Grandmothers dial TV and thinking how much I loved that song! Why? No reason in particular!

6. how do you find the time to blog?!! [give me the secret! haha]
I don't have a child! Ha. But it's actually still pretty hard to find time after work when trying to learn how to cook and do the daily chores!

7. which celeb do you get compared too most often?
I used to get Keri Russell 'Felicity' a lot, presumingly because of the curly hair but I don't see it. I forget who else, somebody just said something a couple weeks ago actually- I have a horrible memory.

8. who is the biggest influence in your life?
I can't say just one, because they're equal. My mom & dad. They started out with nothing, living in a trailer with my oldest sister.  My dad started his own business in '88 (still booming) and my mom watched us four kids while working there.  They worked so hard, every day, for what they have now- their dream home.  They gave us everything and anything we ever needed and wanted, put us through college, got us our first cars, taught us so many values & morals.  I'm very thankful they are my parents.

Heather's questions:

1. When you were a child...what did you want to be when you grew up?
A vet. My love for dogs is extreme. But then when I was older I thought of all the sad cases I would see and couldn't do it. I also wanted to be a NICU nurse, but again, I didn't want the heartaches :( 

2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
HAWAII. Hubby & I have been plotting and planning forever.  We say we will go for our five year anniversary. We'll see!  Ha.

3. What is your favorite room in your house & why?
Our living room. It's so comfortable with our big Lazy Boy sofas, bay window, red brick wall, and fireplace. We spend most of our time in there. Well I mean, it DOES have the biggest TV too ;)

4. What do you to unwind or relax?
Cozy up in that living room with a good movie & glass of vino.

5. What is a favorite memory from high school?
In general- Cheerleading; being on a team, games, competition, being in shape! Lol. I miss it.

6. If you had the opportunity to go back and change something from the past would you?
Probably not. Everything happens for a reason, and I wouldn't be where I am or who I am today if they hadn't happened.

7. What is your favorite quote or saying & why?
"...And I thought I loved you then" (Our last dance song).  It just reminds me how far we have come when we look back and how far we still have to go, and the love just keeps growing stronger every day. (Sappy, I know) Haha.

8. When your gone, how do you want to be remembered?
Just as a kind, generous, loving person.



My questions are for:
1. Lori @ a nerd. a bird. and a pug.
2. Jessi @ Caterpillar Family
3. Kathy @ Bwak Bwak Blog
4. Ashley Sisk @ Ramblings and Photos
5. Kendra @ Living Our Love Song
6. Megan @ One Day I Will
7. Marianne @ Lucy's Human
8. Liz @ Blogging Blondie


Here are my 8 questions:
1. If you could offer a newborn child just one piece of advice, what would it be?
2. What are two goals for next year (2011)?
3. What is your best childhood memory? What makes it so special?
4. If the average human life span were 40 years old, how would you live your life differently?
5. What's your best moment of the year (2010)?
6. Who inspires you the most?
7. What activities make you lose track of time?
8. If you could do anything, or wish for anything that would come true, what would it be?


Can't wait to see your answers!

Things I learned this week including that everything has its place



I've had a great week. I'm not even sure why. Sitting on my front verandah having a laugh with a couple of friends on Wednesday morning was near perfect. Happy children exploring the rocks to the side of our house, happy mums enjoying a cuppa, happy chocolate chip cookies munching themselves (seemingly!), happy weather smiling at it all.  Yes, that's why I had such a great week.

Plus, I learned / was reminded of a fair bit of really important stuff. Mostly about the human character.

1. For all my talk last week of rarely wearing makeup, I frocked up for an awards dinner on Friday night and it was great fun (the frocking up, not the actual dinner, that was Dullsville). I learned that dressing up and looking your best is just as much fun as I remembered. Still wouldn't want to have to do it everyday, but everything has its place.

2. There's a fantastic search cheat sheet for Google out there. It really helps to refine your search terms and find what you need more quickly

3. The grass really isn't greener on the other side of the fence. I knew this, of course, but my Working Mother Guilt post really brought it home to me. And it reminded me that when I first went back to working life after having my first baby I felt guilty because I didn't feel guilty... is there no end!? The only solution is to stop focusing on the negative and start loving the beautiful positives. And always be grateful, grateful, grateful.

4. Sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of you all along. Gifts of Serendipity posted up favourite poem of mine from long ago, Max Ehrmann's Desiderata and I was reminded to slow down, reflect and appreciate.

5. Typedrawing is just about the most fascinating thing I've found in weeks. You create pictures with words. If you love typography - as I do - you will love this to pieces.*

6. Fabric bags are my new must have. Look what Piou Piou is up to ... such a fantastic way to store kids' stuff (or any stuff for that matter!)

7. An unexpected, thoughtful gift 'just because' is a wonderful thing indeed.

8. I learned that we really are just born either sunny-side up or down. Imagine a junior burger trying to figure out the motivations for a friend suddenly wanting to play with someone else. Some kids just shrug their shoulders and say 'he's got better toys' (this was Maxi-Taxi's response), other kids worry all day that there is 'something wrong with me' (this was his bestie's response). Are your kids sunny-side up or down?

9. You've got to have band-aids in your first aid kit. They are the world's great placebo treatment. If you run out, buy some more immediately lest you be caught short with a stubbed toe belonging to a child not your own requiring said placebo... and 'what do you mean you don't have a band-aid' ringing in your ears.

10. LOML is quite possibly the kindest, most supportive and handsomemost man in the world.**




How about you? Did you learn anything new this week?




* Thanks to the lovely Kellie at 74 Lime Lane for this and the Google cheat sheet tip!

** Of course I'm cheating here: of course I didn't really just learn that this week. I learned it about a half hour after I met him all those years ago...



Are you flogging? I'm flogging at Lori's... Oh, and while we're on the subject of linkys, don't forget to link up to the August Chronicles. I wanna see your fridge!

Recycled Art

This is the first giveaway I have entered in my young blogging life!





Check it out on freckles and fudge! 
How cool are these personalized recycled blocks from Waste Not Recycled Art! 
Click on 'freckles and fudge' just above to find out how to enter!

Sienna's Vintage Circus Party


Blue skies and a perfect winter's day helped to make Sienna's Vintage Circus Party a wonderful success last weekend. I am so thrilled with how all the details turned out and the 18 friends and family that came along had wonderful smiles on their faces all afternoon.

The theme of the party was inspired by Kim from The Tomkat Studio's wonderful Vintage Circus Invitation.
I hope you enjoy the details of Sienna's party as much as enjoyed putting it together (all the links can be found at the end of the post).



The lolly jars were filled with all things pink and yellow - smarties, mini ice cream cones, banana's, marshmallows, mini lollipops and jelly beans

I made the cupcakes and found some beautiful cupcake toppers by Joanne at The Cupcake Gallery



Strawberry Milk with vintage paper straws

Tissue Pom Poms for the ceiling and bunting behind the table and on the cake

Delicious cookies, individually wrapped chocolate bars and cute take home boxes for all the guests

Caramel Popcorn

Pink and Yellow Donuts


A vanilla butter cake with that lovely bunting inspired by Kristina at Modern Frills



Paul from Paul's Magic had the girls mesmerized

With my girls

Thank you to all the wonderful and creative people who have inspired and helped with the details for this party and incredibly thank you to Amy Atlas who has today featured my party on her blog - talk about do a happy dance (as Kim would say).

Invitations, party circles and menu labels - The Tomkat Studio
Bunting both large and small - Modern Frills
Cupcake toppers - The Cupcake Gallery
Square Cake stands - Sharnel Dollar Designs
Magician - Paul's Magic
Tissue Pom Poms - Ah Tissue
Paper Straws - The Party Studio
Photography - Vincy So


Leanne
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