Hello 2012: One word



Again I say it: happy, happy new year. The year is kinda new every day when you think about it. We can achieve our goals, create possibilities and keep that uplifting feeling of 'maybe' for as long as we want. Encouraging when I look back at all the broken 'new year' resolutions I've made. There is still time.

I don't really do them, resolutions I mean. Instead, I focus on a word for the year. Generally I come up with some lame play on words for the year (this was last year's feeble attempt and the year before that was two thousand and zen, god love me). But I'm having none of that this year, and not just because twelve is, like, really, really hard to work with. Twelve basically rhymes with nothing useful and with one short syllable I was venturing into territory even more rocky than last year's two thousand health-heaven. No, I'm having none of that silly word play business. It's... distracting.

This year, my word is going to be...

Better.

Everything I do, I want to question whether I could be doing it better. Am I using my resources as well as I can? Am I focusing on the task at hand enough? Are there other ways to tackle a problem? Am I being present enough? Can I save more, do more, be more and give more?

Can I be better?

I think it's essentially a year of mindfulness and purposefulness and many other important nesses. I just want to make sure I'm that kid in the front row of the class with my hand stretching into the air so bloody earnestly that you can see most of my pants and my face is red and contorted with the effort of getting that hand up there and I'm waving and screeching 'pick me, pick me'. That's the kind of year I want to have. I want to be better.

What's your word for 2012?



[Image by Sopranda Alegria]

when


i was a little girl Summer was Summer. the days were hot & sometimes the nights seemed hotter. we made trips to the supermarket to cool down. it was extra cold in the frozen food section! icy poles were a daily treat & the slip n slide was always set to go. Summer clothes were a staple & we never needed jumpers. but since my little girls have been growing up Summer to them can be a mixture of hot days. hot nights. cold days & rain. they are confused as they have a choice of Summer clothes one day & long sleeved tops the next. i long for those hot aussie Summer days that never end & hope they come back soon!

Chocolate snowflake mousse

Chocolate snowflake mousse by Torie Jayne

A few weeks back my sister and I made some delicious chocolate mousse that went down a treat! To fit in with my colour scheme on my Winter Wonderland dessert table I made aqua chocolate snowflakes filled with a rich, velvety chocolate mousse. I will definitely have to make these again, maybe in pretty egg form for Easter!

Chocolate snowflake mousse (makes 6 snowflakes)

Ingredients


Snowflake mould



Cooking instructions

  • Melt white chocolate and stir in food colouring.
  • Pour coloured white chocolate into moulds and, using a brush, coat sides of moulds in chocolate and leave to set.
  • Place cream in a bowl with a pinch of caster sugar and whip until soft peaks form.
  • Melt 200g of dark chocolate in the microwave on a low heat or in a double boiler on the hob, continuously stirring so as not to overheat.
  • Stir melted chocolate into whipped cream until you have an even coloured mousse.
  • Spoon mousse into chocolate coated snowflake moulds and place in fridge to firm.
  • Melt remaining 100g of dark chocolate and coat the top of the mousse with dark chocolate to seal in mousse.
  • Place in fridge to set.
  • Turn out snowflake filled moulds just before serving.


Chocolate mousse filled chocolate snowflakes
Chocolate mousse filled snowflakes
Chocolate mousse filled snowflakes


Have a sweet day!

JANUARY: Photo a day...



I've decided to take part in Fat Mum Slim's Photo a day challenge over on instagram. Amazingly there are hundreds of partcipants over 30,000 photos already (and thats just on instagram). My aim is to do a photo update every Saturday here for those not playing on Istagram.

So here are my first 7 photos....





Day 1 ~ YOU : Me (and Evie)




Day 2 ~ BREAKFAST : Hubby making Pancakes




Day 3 ~ SOMETHING YOU ADORE : My new Christmas Bling




Day 4 ~ LETTERBOX : Exactly that




Day 5 ~ SOMETHING YOU WORE : My new lippy is such a great find




Day 6 ~ MAKES YOU SMILE : Family time at great cafes




Day 7 ~ FAVOURITE : My new Candle from a friend for my birthday




If you want to join in with the fun, head over to Chantelle's blog for the details






Living pretty accessories

Living pretty accessories

From left to right: Shanghai tall shelves, Dear Prudence picture frame, Domino, The Book of Decorating, Anorak Kissing Horses Cushion, Hawthorn etched coasters, Christian Lacroix cut velvet cushions, small glass drop jar, Bergius Heather blanket, Four Drawer Papillon Cabinet

With the January sales now on I have been looking around the Internet for some bargain home accessories, checking my must-haves and happily window shopping away! I love how I can do it all from the comfort of my home! Inspired by Tuesday's post, Living pretty Modern, I found all these gorgeous living room accessories in a colour palette of white, lavender and turquoise. The best bit? They are all currently on sale with up to 50% off!

Bought any bargains in the January sales?

Have a sweet day!

52 weeks of Grateful


Bang, crackle, pop, fizz, whirl! Happy shiny, sparkly, bubbling, bursting, brilliant, blooming year!

Too late? Are you over the new year thing yet? I'm just getting started, baby!

Oh, so happy to be back for our Grateful linkymajig. Late last year when I had my extended blogdrop* the thing I missed the most was this Grateful community. Our little gang of earnest, striving souls who just want to be better, do better and, most importantly, notice better. For the rest of the year I wondered how I could make something more of our Grateful community.

Then Kidspot gave me a call and... we're in! We're moving over there, lovelies. I hope you don't mind. Our Grateful linky will be part of the Kidspot 52 Weeks of Grateful project that I am proudly kicking off for them. This week the linky is still on my page, but from next week (if we can sort out all the technical glitches!) it will be over at Kidspot. It will work exactly the same as it works on my blog and I'll still be on the other end, looking forward to your posts and encouraging you to stay with it. I'm really proud to be given the opportunity to, I don't know, 'blog for non-bloggers'... do you know what I mean? Being in the blog gang is so special, but encouraging others who may never otherwise get the opportunity to write and open up is something even more special.

So, each week, keep being grateful for the little things, the big things and the mundane medium things (medium is always mundane, really). I'll be doing my own regular 'This week I'm grateful for...' post from next week and linking up along with you. Join the 52 Weeks of Grateful project too - I have a great year planned with little ideas to open the gates on the flood of gratefulness that regularly threatens to drown us all in, well, schmultz. I wouldn't have it any other way!

What do you think? 
Are you pleased we're off to Kidspot next week? 
Are you comfy, or do you feel like things will be different?


Oh, don't forget to join me tomorrow for our ' One Word ' link up. One word that sums up the year you plan to have in 2012. Bang, crackle, pop, fizz, whirl, indeed!



* Blogdrop: (n.) Blogger over self. Blog languishing. Return uncertain.


[Image by FatMumSlim for Kidspot]

The Tolix Stool

The Tolix Stool
Tolix stool by Cult Furniture
Sukkertøy for øyet

Via Decor 8, Sukkertøy for øyet and Johanna

Last May I showed you the gorgeous design classic, "The Tolix Chair" designed by Xavier Pauchard. Today I wanted to share with you the Tolix stool. I am so in love with the pretty pastel ones right now and love how they brighten up these spaces. Such a pretty design classic that has stood the test of time! The peppermint powder and white barstool are on sale from Cult Furniture right now!

Have a sweet day!