Purring like a leopard

I visited one of my favourite secondhand shops this morning and noticed this object of beauty. Well in my eyes anyhow.

My younger sister is not very well at the moment and loves retro clothes as do I. She has dark hair and I thought it would look lovely on her this winter and most importantly it doesn't really matter what head size you have. So I bought it for her as a get well soon present. She has an appointment with a specialist on Friday so lets all think happy thoughts and wish her well. Scary stuff as I have three sisters and my twin sister spent 2007 recovering from an auto immune disease which resulted in her losing all her hair and nails, beginning of 2008 my younger sister was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid also an auto immune disease. We are all so young so really scary when your loved ones start to get ill.

Most people are looking forward but this is about looking way back...well 1996

I made this homemade diary in 1996 for H, came across it last week in his box of treasures. I embroidered the front with a Celtic cross as we are really interested and fond of Celtic images. I did my thesis at uni on the Book of Kells.

I even typeset the pages, handsewed the entire book.

Unfortunately it was never used, hopefully he thought it was to nice to use... thats what I have decided.

H has a significant birthday as do I this year the fun will start again. I love being the youngest in the next decade.

H wants family and friends to make gifts for him to mark the event, and as he actually celebrates his birthday for the first time in four years I am going to oblige. I did give him a homemade gift 4 years ago with the safe arrival of daughter E in January!

RoseRed is going to help me with a special project for H this year in the form of helping me follow a pattern (can't read patterns at all), buy the correct stuff and be encouraged to complete it.

Things that start with F and makes the Fours Fun!

FRIENDS, FAMILY, FAIRIES, FUN!!!

On Friday our eldest daughter turned 4. It was a day filled with frantic preparation for her birthday party! It was going to be a small party BUT it exploded into an event with a life of its own. One of our friends commented to my H yesterday that you are meant to follow the rule of inviting the amount of children reflecting the age of the child. Good in theory but when your neighbours and family make up far more then that then the theory does not work! So we ended up with 16 kids and 20 adults. We both were very very stressed on Friday night, both being shy, both worried about it being a success. I tossed and turned all night slept in various rooms trying my hardest for sleep to come but thinking way to much about the need to sleep.

Anyhow our guests said they had a great time and there were no tears, so I will say it was a success unless I hear otherwise.



Pictured are the teacups that H made for the party (What a SNAG he is!). The mothers thought they were great as did the kids.
Thanks H for your fine culinary delights which delighted even the littlest fairies!



I hired the girl next door and one of her friends to do facepainting. They are both going into year 12 this year and were excited about being asked. The kids related well to them and it made for a relaxed environment. As I was seeing a friend off a couple of hours after the event finished a man approached me and said I am here to pickup my daughter from a fairy party I thought I can't remember any kids missing (had slight heart pulpitations at the thought of losing someones kid) then worked out that he was the father of our second facepainting fairy - phew make that double phew.



I only had a few activities as the kids seemed excited enough to do there own thing and just play together in the backyard, whether it was chasings, or in the cubby, decorating, climbing, playing on the swings. The organised activities we had were a treasure hunt, Pinyata where they just pull on a ribbon flowing from the bottom of a box. Decorate your own star shaped shortbread biscuits, unfortunately I do not have any photos of that, but the kids loved icing their own biscuits and decorating them. lastly there was pass the parcel, which caused me alot of stress I had tried to make it that the kids had a lovely wooden ring for each girl and spinning tops for the boys. Unfortunately due to additions and deletions it got muddled and the music didn't dim in time with the kids needless to say I was overjoyed when it finished. I was criticised for making it complex by a couple of people who said I should have just stuck to the traditional lollies. Maybe I was to consumed with detail but I wanted to make it really special for the kids. I was a bit upset by the comments but one of my friends said to me all the kids got a prize and that is all that matters in the end isn't it.



Special thanks to mys twin sister J who made an amazing cake, I do not have a closeup of it so am really disappointed about that, It was four dolls with marshmallow skirts. She took so much stress away from us and to make it for our daughter her niece filled my heart with joy. She offered as we don't have an oven that is working so things get to be really tricky. Also a big thanks to Hs sister A who made her first ever Chocolate crackles, none leftover so that is a big thumbs up to her skills.

Pictured below is some cupcakes which I bought and had frozen for the event. It was an easy put together ice and decorate and delight!

A few Chrissie till NYE images

You may have noticed I have changed my template... a new template a new year...hopefully will have the chance to make it more appealing and more tailored to me... this is only the beginning.

This image shows me and my niece J. I am wearing a top that Miss F gave me and I love it. Makes me feel luxurious and the colour is just awesome. Best of all she thought of me while on holiday in the UK and bought it from my favourite shop NEXT. Did I say I love it I really really do. I also got a PANTONE mug which was on my wish list now to buy the remaining 9 myself very excited about that and the extend that she went to get me the perfect Kris Kringle present ever, you legend.



Miss E fishing from our deck with her new fishing rod on Christmas Day while wearing her new Ballerina dress.



E and R both modelling their new Ballerinas' while having a bit of rough and tumble on the stairs. R got new gold shoes but has managed to pick nearly every gold flower off the front of them.



Took a day trip to Avoca to drop some baby supplies to a friend due to have a baby any day now. Travel awful, kids restless, beach packed but the joy at watching E enjoy the beach so worth it. Those of you may remember 2 years ago we went to Noosa on holidays only to have E scream every time we tried to go on the sand, in the water, had to be carried to a deck chair on the sand and just sat sobbing for the whole time. We had driven up and R was only a few months old, needless to say we haven't attempted it again. So when we have a good beach experience we get overjoyed.



Last night we kept the girls up to see the early fireworks they wanted a lie down prior. E was terrified of the fireworks and raced off to her room, we coaxed her back. We were watching it on the TV but can see the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge fireworks from our deck so she got scared.



I am excited about the arrival of 2008.
2007 was not a great year for me so here's to a brand new brilliant year.

Happy New Year my friends old and new

Christmas lights

We have visited 2 suburbs with the kids over the past 2 nights to view Christmas lights. What absolute joy they bring. E was beside herself with excitement and so it really caught on with R just gorgeous.

Had a wonderful evening last night with Hs family. A big seafood feast was had and we exchanged gifts. I will post an obscene gift image once we have finished the big exchange with my family today. I made homemade Christmas Crackers and they went down a treat, really simple contents of bubble bath for the girls, rubbery finger monster puppets for the boys, a candy cane and a Wooden Christmas ornament for all. I also included a little ball and a balloon for the little girls. We had homemade and bought party hats.

Yesterday we also had a last minute supply visit to the shops. Santa was still there so E got a last minute chat. It was absolutely gorgeous to witness. She told him she wanted a wind up spider that she could put on her and it would climb up and tickle her. He wisley said she may get a lovely surprise. We have bought her a fishing rod as that is what she had been asking for. She can play pretend fishing from the deck and cubby house. She told Santa at th end that he could come to her party. The amount of people is exploding and I am getting quitely nervous. Wanted a little low key affair, garden not ready, no oven, oh well heres' to surviving Christmas Day first.

Merry Christmas to everyone that reads my blog.

A lovely surprise

Yesterday you all know from my previous post it was Party day at Preschool. I arrived back with the girls after going to our favourite little shops (needed to get some birthday party supplies for E - her birthday is early January but alot of our favourite shops are closed till 7th which is to late). Anyhow I have been putting together goodie bags and sourcing decorations, no wonder I am energy zapped.

I noticed a coffee van pull up outside our house there are 3 coffee places I visit each week, a Monday one, a Tuesday one and a Friday one (so I don't spend alot of money a week at any of them). The Friday one is opposite Ballet and run by a husband and wife, we have certainly had our share of tantrums and tiaras, as well as exploding babycinos in their premises. The couple always make a fuss of the girls, little extra marshmallows etc. I sent them a Christmas Card from E and R to say thank you and the wife arrived yesterday with a special Angel for Evie to put on the tree and a teddy bear snow dome for both to admire (will photograph and post later). The nicest thing was that she wrote a card for them saying to my favourite customers, thank you for bringing your magical world into our shop, it brightens our day. How lovely is that!

Funny things that R has done recently
On a completely different note there was a car accident two doors down on Monday afternoon, quite a bit of damage to both cars, tow trucks, police etc. I went for a walk to our wonderfully situated red letter box to finally send off the handmade Christmas decorations to the elderly Aunts. R was with me and saw all the people the only thing she was interested in was saying hi to everyone and waving needless to say she was the only one waving and shouting out hi.

R loves to see what is in her nappy says 'can I see' then 'errr yucky' and if she can get hold of the nappy throws it as she says yucky. Her favourite word at present is yucky refers to anything she is not interested in eating, not sure what that says about my cooking.

Christmas WIP
Need to finish Rs santa sack only started it last night, fingers crossed it will get done and have to tidy up Es one from last year. As well as the Santa stockings so many things so little time. Must go and do some sewing before the day starts.

A special Thanks to Sophia for your words of encouragement yesterday just when I needed them!

I need positive energy

It is 5.30 in the morning and after being up twice during the night with R, I am about to do some paid design work before I start my family work. I need loads of positive energy to overcome my great desire but inability to sleep. Last night there was the preparation of teachers presents and Candy cane cards for all class members (18 of them), not sure of the etiquette of cards and 3-4 year old but E started to get cards yesterday so I thought I better oblige and hey she will get a buzz out of it.

Anyhow just think positivity and I am sure you will help me feel energized.