inspiration for your new year!

This post from Foxs Lane has inspired me so much I had to share it with you.
Naturally everyone at this time of year is having a rethink, re-evaluating, re-energising themselves for a new year. Perhaps you are coming back from holiday feeling revitalised or like me have just had a break from work and a change from the routine of the daily grind {kid's lunches, uniforms, homework} uggh I shouldn't mention it. I think this list is a fantastic reminder for me about simplifying stuff and sticking to what's important for me and making it a daily ritual.

❤ top ten tips for settling back home beautifully

Happy New Year's Eve!

Have a great night - what ever you are doing!

  

Sparkle for NYE!

 1 rockin the rocks     2 bronze dining   3 champagne    4 yellow and sparkle

5 Fireworks Print by Cocoshack       6 silver quartz pinata - confetti system 

7 Great Gatsby Headband        8 glittery dress

Owl Calendar 2012

speaking of owls - My Owl Barn has put together another exceptional calendar for 2012 illustrated beautifully by artists from all over the world! This was an extremely popular project last year and I am so glad it's back. You can choose which illustrations you like and so customise your own calendar and then download it for free! Once again - difficult to choose!

"There's Owl. He hasn't exactly got Brain but he Knows Things"
                                                                                                                                                 A.A. Milne

illustrations by Cally Johnson-Isaacs • Yoon See • Alisa Coburn

I have stuck a link on the side and here's another!

old as

It's my birthday today! 

Honestly what more could you ask for now that I have this darn hooting cute owl teapot cosy... maybe someone to make me a pot of tea... Liam... LIAM!

perfect sunday

My sister hosted the most beautiful breakfast and morning tea at her house {as seen in pictures below}.
My small contribution was a plate of devils on horseback {traditional}.
Louise must have been cooking for days... scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, herb and garlic mushrooms, a gigantic platter of fruit. Then coffee, iced tea, chocolates, gluten free fruit mince pies, mini trifles...
We were too full to eat any lunch. We spent the middle of the day quietly at home, playing with our toys.
My three year old niece wore her plastic high heels and crown all day.
I taught myself to play "away in a manger" {calypso style} with two hands on my son's new keyboard. My older son Liam, buried himself away with his new mac lovingly handed down to him by his aunty.
Luke had a mixture of beyblades, pokemon cards and harry potter lego happily jumbled together across our whole entire lounge room floor.
I loved all my presents. Florence and the Machine was on repeat all day. I got a pink hairdryer!
This was probably the best christmas day ever in regards to the weather - sunny, breezy, blue skies and not at all stinking hot.
In the evening was the traditional cold dinner at my parents with lots of salads and cold chicken and ham and christmas pudding, rum balls, apricot balls, christmas crackers etc - perfect!

             

Merry Christmas ~ I hope you all had a wonderful day today wherever you were and whatever you did and I look forward to reading all about it over on yours.

Thank You

A big thank you to Darren Hayes for making this beautiful film (your Mum must have been an amazing person) and to Kane Adrian for sharing it (whose Mum must also have been amazing).
Also to my friends and family who are constantly telling me I am doing a good job on my own xxx

For all of the people who make an effort to be caring towards my boys, thank you for your
much appreciated support this year.

A favourite decoration, he does double duty as a key player in the games of a seven year old boy, which is why he is looking nervous...

Oh Christmas Tree!

"a thrill of hope the weary world rejoices"

perfect sunday

It started at 6 am with a 6km walk up hill and down dale with my brother in law, a coffee on the way home then heaps of cooking and sparkly christmas playdough making. 

Then a christmas meet up with three of my friends I've known since we were 5, and their families. 

It was wonderful catching up again, seeing how much bigger everyone's children have got. 

I discovered we are all wonderful cooks and that layered nacho dip, dark chocolate & gingerbread muffins and champagne go quite well indeed together {absolved by walk earlier}.

Then a lovely dinner at my sister's house, all the tastier because it was cooked and 

cleaned up by someone else - for me. 

Now I'm trying not to fall asleep at my computer whilst listening to my son's collection of sleep inducing opera. It blares out of my itunes through to his bedroom, only a door away. My office is a little "sleep-out" accessed via his bedroom.  If I was on "It's A Knockout" and one of the challenges was to tiptoe across a darkened room, standing on as many pieces of lego as possible - loosing points every time you touched the floor, or spilled your cup of tea, {plus you are not allowed to scream} - I would win. 

His favourite "piece"at the moment is puccini's O mio babbino caro. Sometimes our collection of classical music works and sends him off to a soothing, happy, sleepy place however sometimes it does not and I feel that something stronger is required - what - I don't know.

On my travels today I was charmed by this house. I would like to go inside. 

... a perfect sunday.

the dance of the sugar plum fairy

If you ever danced as a little girl or went to the ballet at christmas you will appreciate the christmassy magic this music conjures up! Beautiful photographs in this film below!

                                  

Sugar Plum Fairy via pinterest  ● The Nutcracker giclée print from Kris Atomic  

snowflake via pinterest ● sugar pink tree via pinterest  ● en pointe via pinterest   

felt garlands via pinterest ●  fairy lights via pinterest 

● glitter gifts tags by my little 7 year old friend ♥

West End Twilight Markets

We happened upon the West End Twilight Markets last Saturday night. It was a flying visit but I'm glad we stopped in because they were lovely. Not too big but lots of good stuff.

Meet The Bow Tie Killer. 

My little boy immediately spotted this little guy with the remains of a red bow tie and demanded I 

buy him.  He has a fixation with Problem Child, probably because he can identify so easily with 

that charming, sweet little red headed boy.

I found this ancient copy of one of Enid Blyton's adventures and
I know I'm not the only one {love this post by Katiecrackernuts!} who still appreciates a good EB novel. Isn't it beautiful! And my eldest son bought me this birdie brooch as a Christmas present. I've snuck in a photo before he wraps it. He was pretty happy with a steamed pork bun for himself. There were other tasty looking food stalls {and macaroons} and coffee, some vintage and lots of handmade craft, art, fashion but I didn't really have time to do it justice. Will be back!

perfect sunday

a perfect sunday
nowhere to go, tea, crunchy lemon pancakes with sugar, rain, books, charades and bingo ☂

shoe envy

I don't know what exact age having a pair of plastic high heels is a right of passage for most girls but I was scared my little niece, at the tender age of three may be a little too sophisticated to be interested for much longer so I hastily bought her this set for her Christmas present.
I think I was about six when I got a little pair of wedges for Christmas but I thought they were pretty amazing.
Apparently you had to wear socks with them to complete the look as modelled here by my sister and myself on Christmas Day in 1980-something.
And yes, I am envious - I would love a set of plastic shoes and jewels for Christmas and the confidence to wear them.

make something, save something

We put our tree up today! Pictures to come.
I made these memory wire bangles for a lovely friend and my little son helped me make some for his teacher too. I think they're pretty, I made one for myself! I am being as errmm ... thrifty as I can this year particularly where  I can use "stuff" and "talents" I already have. Apart from our new advent calendar {which was admittedly purchased under duress which I then justified by calling it a "reward"} there will be no new cards, tags, wrapping paper, decorations etc. I will be having a lovely time using all the lovely things from my vast stash. As much as I like  love shopping at this time of year, I am keen to simplify and slow right down and not buy {haha} in to the stress. I would rather be sitting on a beach. I think people are in to it... I think it's a trend. Will there be less consumerism this christmas? In the wake of the "occupy movement" will more people be buying from local small businesses or online via etsy etc?
Will Chermside be a ghost town at 2am during the annual all night shop?
I won't know because, breaking with tradition, this year I will be having coffee with my friends somewhere else. {will woolloongabba antique centre be open at that time do you think? }  ;-)

Our Advent Calendar

Anyone would think I'd announced that I was killing Christmas by the outcry of objection from my boys when I presented them with our new advent this year. Sorry boys, no tacky chocolate filled trademarked calendar from the supermarket - NOOOOOO!

They melt in this weather and every Christmas, without fail, my little redhead sneaks in to the fridge in the early hours and eats Dec 4 through to Dec 24 in a few tidy minutes.

My little one begged me to get this Father Christmas advent calendar with the idea, I suppose that I would fill it with candy canes or chocolates or even, over confidently recommended a that pokemon ds game would fit nicely in each of the draws!

Mummy thought that some lovely family christmas activities, written on little scrolls of paper would be such a fabulous, beautiful tradition to start - SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING KIDS!

I had some great ideas, stuff we do every year anyway but this way it's a little more special. I know they'll love it - for sure. I also got some ideas from Pinterest... just type in Advent Calendars. 

There are some fabulous ideas that you can do with your children to celebrate the season. 

Each of my boys will get a turn on alternate days and I will adjust the activity to suit them. 

They can save it as a voucher for another day if they want to.

Some ideas: gingerbread iced chocolate

christmas playdough

visit christmas lights

watch a christmas dvd

christmas baking

read a christmas book

christmas puzzle book {we have a very cool where's wally type christmas activity book}

I even relented and threw in a few vouchers for candy canes.

Ahh the joy of the Christmas season begins...