Jikana Damaru

grateful for : holidays

& seeing happy smiling faces as these two enjoy carousel rides at eastern beach in Geelong

& the amazing weather we had while we were away

{which I am hoping will make an appearance again soon as it is freezing today!}

what are you grateful for this week?

Four today...

Happy Birthday sweet one!!

I can't believe today you are 4...

Boy it has gone so quickly - you are turning into such a delightful young girl.

At the moment craft is your thing - you spend all afternoon, cutting, sticking, pasting and drawing. Your creations surprise us - butterflies and presents and what ever else you can come up with.

You have been writing your name perfectly for most of the year and have now moved onto practising the rest of the alphabet. We have watched your drawings go from lines and circles to perfect little people in dresses with fingers, eyelashes, and matching jewellery. You love your friends - such a little social bunny. Even when your home alone you call them on your "iphone" to see how they are or you play elaborate games with Lucy your imaginary friend.

You have a sensitive little heart and you hate when I'm mad at you... it hurts my feelings you say.

You are a wonderful big sister and love to make Evie giggle.

You have developed a love for dresses, parties, princesses and all things pink.

We love you Lulu ~ have a very special day!

Grateful takes the Lemon Rhodes

Dear Gratefillies,* I know you are wondering where I am. I have seen that loads of our 'regulars' haven't been linking in for a few weeks now. I haven't even been linking in myself, so I know what that's all about.

I'm not sure what it is, but I've realised that I can't be the 'host' of Grateful and not feel the pressure to visit every single link. You tell me that that's silly, and I respect that it is, but that's the way I feel. I'm not sure how to unfeel it.

Soooooo... I've been thinking about the 'future' of Grateful and I have a little plan. I will reveal all as soon as I can. In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy being hosted by a different special blog each week. I absolutely love the idea of Grateful being a moving feast, but please let me know if you are not loving it.

In the meantime, do meet our lovely host for this week - Jody from Lemon Rhodes (don't you love her wedding pic up there that I just couldn't resist grabbing from her blog?). Jody is such a stylish, creative and friendly blogger that I know you will find her irresistabubble. I warn you that if you check out her recipes you may never come out again...

Head on over and link up your Gratefuls for this week.

And this week I'm grateful for...

175. High roads - or maybe I should say 'rhodes' in honour of our host today? Regardless, I am grateful that from time to time I manage to remember the high road and steer myself there in the nick of time.

176. Ebbs and flows - 'this, too, shall pass' has always been my mantra as a parent and I've realised this week that all of life does pass. Quietly, simply and without half the fanfare that worry and anticipation often lead us to assume. Tomorrow can always look bright.

177. Magazines - blogging made me temporarily forget my love for mags, but my recent break gave me more time to indulge and I am ever so glad.

What's making you smile today? Head over to Lemon Rhodes to link up your own grateful post and visit others who are feeling good about the little things. Being grateful makes the world go round, the world go round...

PS - Apologies for the long post this week, but I had lots to say!

* Yes? No? I know... could do better...

The Cherry Blossom Girl

I love these photos by The Cherry Blossom Girl from the ever so cute photo shoot entitled, Winter Birds. How fab are the feather face masks and decorative bird cage?! I just adore the vintage hints she adds to her delicately beautiful photos.

Happy Friday, sweets!

Friday Favourites - Halloween Inspiration

It is just over a month until Halloween and while we do not go all out here in Australia for Halloween my kids still love the idea of dressing up in something scary and heading out for some trick or treating (not sure what they would do if some said trick to them as the candy is all they want!).

There is some wonderful inspiration around for Halloween Parties so today a few of my favourites that I have found while doing the rounds.

Source 1. 2. & 3. here 4. here 5. here 6. & 7. here

Have a lovely weekend everyone - it is a long weekend here in New South Wales so I am going to attempt a little time out and escape up the coast for a few days - see you next week.

Through the Instagram: little peek at September

The only reason I kept on with the iPhone and ditched my BlackBerry (easily more preferrable if you use your phone for work) was Instagram. I am obsessed with taking random shots of silly things and playing around with the way they look. It's just so satisfying.

These images looked all dressed up with no place to go, so I thought I would share some of my faves from time to time on my blog. This... is one of the times.

How good are my muffins? That's baking on a Wednesday... the city street shot is going to work on a Thursday... and the photo of LOML's hand and my foot is relaxing on a Sunday...

The Badoo and I often go for a Sushi lunch on Wednesdays. She loves drinking the 'little fishies' (straight soy sauce) - I swear she was born a complete salt addict. She loves salted nuts, olives, anchovies and she is not into sweet things at all. We all have our vices and I'm more and more convinced that they are with us from birth.

And see Maxi's 'cockatoo hair' above? I spend a good part of my mornings trying to make that hair stay flat. It springs back on high-alert within seconds.

Do you like the shots of my garden? The birdie was a birthday pressie from my bloggy friend Felicity from Gifts of Serendipity. I liked it so much I used the picture twice...? Oh the friendships we have all made through blogging. Lucky ducks we all are.

Right now, for the life of me I can't get that annoying 'Benny and the Jets' song out of my head and it's sending me slowly mad. And I can't stop thinking about going down the coast on Saturday for a whole gorgeous week with my parents in the house I grew up in. We'll be wrapped in comfort and ease and nostalgia.

What's happening in your world right now?

What are you thinking about the most today?

Winter Wonderland Etsy craft supplies

This week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I bring you some pretty Winter Wonderland craft supplies. I picked up some of the wooden bird cages on a trip to Hong Kong last year and have still not done anything with them! So this year they are coming out of their little box for a make over! I would also love to get the mini deer mould; how cute would it be to make mini iced deers to decorate the top of Christmas cupcakes with?!

Have a sweet day!