so long, farewell 2011

Greetings all,
I had all sorts of deep thoughts on 2011 to share, but honestly, not a fan, just bring on 2012 please.  Here is the weirdest, worst & wonderful of my year . . .

Weirdest: discovering in my search word statistics . . . ‘amateur anal probes’??
 Worst: my husband is away at war – we’ve seen him for a less than 30 days all year + after 5 years wrestling with Alzheimer’s, my Mummy doesn’t know who I am anymore = heart breaking. 
Wonderful: my children were class captains, academic prize winners & cross country/ athletics representatives from zone to nationals.  Their journey through school is a smooth one, amazing considering they have collectively attended 9 schools in 4 states & territories.  I love the high school we chose & thrilled all our girls will attend.

As for 2012 . . . let’s call it the Year of Empowerment . . . I’m stepping back & saying “no”, it’s all positive.  I’m an adult, I don’t need to justify myself or how I spend my time, energy & ideas.  When someone says “no” to me, I think, “wow, you must be really important, I respect you for not overcommitting” . . . SO I consider myself worthy of that same respect.  I don’t have time anymore to manage your P&C/ join your business group/ let you pick my brain on countless topics.  I'll say it with conviction & confidence.  Do I hear a hallelujah??!!  We’re selling our Darwin apartment (sigh, I love it, harbour views) & will buy our farm – my days will be filled with designing our homestead, planting & animal husbandry, yay!!  All positive things for the family, my true love & focus. 
Happy New Year everyone!!  Resolutions, i've had a few, just looking forward to a health focus.  Love Posie

the twilight zone time of year

Greetings all,

Don't you find this time of year a bit like the Twilight Zone, stuck in no man's land, exhausted without direction??  Full belly from Christmas, family overload & sale shopping . . . if you can get off the lounge, afternoon naps, who lives like this??  It's actually difficult to move forward when you're all planned out & feeling so lazy without an agenda.

A little replay of our Christmas . . . children waited for me to watch them open their Santa sacks (i've never had a child wake before 7a.m. even at Christmas!!)  Lots of family phone calls, while i made iced tea & mango crushes . . .

 we had pancakes & croissants while the boy finished off each of his sisters' drinks!!

 Fun & games until someone gets burnt!!  Quick call to my brother for a complimentary Christmas Day burns victim consultation on my 3rd girl who spent 20 minutes with her upper arm under cold running water. 

 Lunch was Italiano style - simple & delicious, but with hiccups - i put the smoked salmon out first . . . my son ate the entire platter before anyone even sat down & there were tears as we all missed handsome soldier.  Then huge scoops of gelato in waffle cones, completely untraditional but it was truly all about fun for the children.  

 Someone got a sequin pineapple purse (we watched The September Issue on Boxing Day, poses were struck).  I have devoured Vogue since i was a young girl, i find high fashion utterly fascinating.  I'm so far from a model, but what an interesting life, one of my girls would like to model.

 Could not believe my luck at the Country Road sale, the ONLY pair of moccasins they had were red & in my size, yay!!  My girls acted like porters & carried the shopping, so cute, especially as i loaded them up on 6 new beach towels & homewares.  Also picked up the kaftan i had on my ultimate gift list, $80 off!!

 Slightly in shock my first born wears a size 39 shoe, she's not quite 13!!  I've had to hunt down suitable flat ladies shoes for her since she was 9, i wait for sales - she did well today.  Thrilled with my new foxy shoulder bag from Hive & this oversized beach hat from Trenery.  I am not a hat person, but who cares in Summer??  Time to done the Miu Mius.

So i spent my 36th Christmas afternoon, dozing on the lounge reading the new cookbooks the children received, putting a disected shark will full plastic anatomy together . . . listening to a storm pelting the roof, wearing new Peter Alexander slippers, i felt so OLD!!  As the children got bikes early for Christmas, their gifts were few & practical - like clothes, educational toys & VS hair dryers - how much fun is 'the big hair styler', it rolls & spins & doesn't tangle!! 

Thanks for the gorgeous well wishes this Christmas, i've been able to chat & Skype my husband a couple of times each day, takes the sting out of missing him.  We've also found a property i like & he's agreed to consider, yahoo!!  It's smaller (about 70 acres) & below our budget, in a great location.  Progress!!  Love Posie

we wish you a Merry Christmas . . .

Greetings all,
I love that i live in a city that is occupied with interstaters (including me) as they all flee for Christmas (excluding me) . . . i swan around the supermarket aisles, shops & streets with ease.  It's hard to build traditions around Christmas when you're in a different city/ family member's house/ hotel/ husband away each year - i can't wait for stability, Christmas in our own home, with my husband & all the beautiful English traditions my mother instilled in us - especially the food.  I want to make Christmas pudding everyone has stirred, i want to deck the halls with holly & i want to host Christmas!! 

I put the special Oxfam decorations my dear friend Lisa gave each of my children on our cute wooden tree.  See the little early gift i gave myself - a Red Riding Hood teapot.  Next year i want to force myself to like tea.

 Last minute school class party reindeer cupcakes, they finally finished school on Wednesday, poor little public schoolers.  In the meantime, my high schooler & i took in lots of movies (Mission Impossible is amazing), shopping & lunches out, lovely!!  Her boy-who-is-a-friend tagged along too, he's one patient young man!! 

 I'm retiring my cute animal calendar this year . . .

 with this neat one from Kikki-K, about $12 in their early Boxing Day sale.  Note: i got the '21 Days to Start/ End Habits' in preparation of new year's resolutions.  Hey, i bought the book, that's a start, i'm already on my way . . . mind, body & soul!!

 In my effort to like tea, i have tried for many years to stomach hot tea but iced tea is my baby step.  I've just brewed my second batch of T2 White Christmas, chilling in the fridge, some of the children like it too, filled up with lemon slices & mint.  I also got Tummy Tea to help with digestion & flush out the demons of Christmas feasting. 

 The 2L tall jug is too big for any shelf in the fridge so she lives in the door or filled with ice on the counter on her rubbery coaster.

 Some last minute decoration finds at Hive, already know what my colour scheme for next Christmas is, lime, fuchsia & silver, pretty right??

 Found this red brick filled ornament in my letter box, thanks Lego!!

 Keen??  Me??  At the Seed sale at 9a.m. for shoes - the last year my youngest children will fit into their shoes as they only go up to size 35.  The sequin & polka dot shoes were reduced to $15!!  The strappy gold ones were reduced to $30, wish they had my size!! 

 So Merry Christmas blogland, have thoroughly enjoyed your company this year.

Have a wonderful time with family, friends, or indulging alone if that's your thing.  I'll be blogging over Summer so don't be a stranger, love Posie

IKEA & Donna Hay GIVEAWAY winners & showing off

Greetings all,

Is there a blue box sweeter than Tifffany's??  YES, Donna Hay's Royal Doulton range.

 With much Monday excitement, my Donna Hay Royal Doulton pieces arrived.  As we're not moving for a couple of years & storage/ entertaining/ luxury is limited in this house, i'm collecting small pieces.  We plan a full on Butler's Pantry in our homestead to store all my goodies (Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay, Bison, Royal Doulton) & display them properly.

 From Donna's 12 Days of Christmas specials, the footed colander was complimentary!!  Don't say i didn't warn you & spread this good fortune around!!  You were told.

 Worth every cent i spent on these pedestals, they blend nicely with my Nigella blue, non??  I have a vision people: high tea on my homestead with my girls, husband & son can serve!!

 Or if your taste is . . . well you know where, upsidedown for a gaudy chip & dip.  So kidding!!

Oh you want to know who won the Donna Hay Christmas edition magazine & Molten Chocolate Chunk Brownie mix??
Shar from Mum on the Run blog & Alannah from Luv Books blog,
you have each won the magazine & mix
(drew Shar's name 3 times, she's a marathon runner, mum & teacher = total goddess, & Alannah is a gorgeous book loving mummy of 4) yay!!
Jan-Maree from Cherry Red Quilter blog & Amanda from Homely One blog,

you have each won the magazine

(Jan-Maree is a military wife + mummy of twins & Amanda has a sweet new baby) yahoo!!
Jen from Let It Go blog & Jacinta from ModelMumma blog,

you have each won the mix

(Jen has recently given up nursing to focus on her teenagers - i hear you Jen, & Jacinta is pregnant with her 3rd child, do NOT come between her & her brownies) yahoozies!!
Congratulations, happy styling, baking & entertaining with Donna Hay this Summer gals.  Please email me your addresses & i'll ship them to you a.s.a.p. 

Now for the winner of the super cute collection of IKEA Cirkus toys, Big Top drum roll please . . .
congratulations to . . . Ann-Maree from The House A-M Built blog,
you have won all the softies in the post + more!! 
(A-M is an absolute doll, i gasped with joy when the random machine drew #2) yes!!

All randomly selected on line, at Posie HQ & witnessed by people i gave birth to.  Say what you like about me, i know my readers!!  All lucky, worthy & kind hearted winners.  Thanks for your support, love & generocity with my giveaways this year folks, i hope you've been lucky & i've thoroughly enjoyed your company. Love Posie

some Handmade action on the weekend

Greetings all,
When the experts suggest you have a 'showstopper' product on your market stall, this is what they are talking about!!

 Torunn from Herbert & Friends is everything that is good & clever about felt & softie perfection.

 So weird to be at Handmade Market as a shopper not a stall holder.

 I caught up with friends - Sarah from Gifts Created, she gave each of my children a moustache.  They have been playing with them & putting on accents ever since!!  Thanks Sarah!!

 Stacey from Anastasia de Grave designs is back, with a new beautiful baby boy too.  I was too busy chatting to some ladies, i didn't even photograph their products.  Next time ladies!!

 My total favourite from Shop Handmade had a stall too, Fiona from The Endless Yarn.  Always keen to support a fellow mother of 4 (all boys).

 My son used his own Christmas cash to adopt a crochet baby for Mr & Mrs Love Monster at home, more on that later, no kidding, on Sunday night, he reinacted Mrs Love giving birth!!  It deserves a post of it's own.  Bumped into a school mum while at Endless Yarn, between us we bought 7 Love Monsters in 5 minutes!! 

 Miss Haidee, she is a twin & total sweetheart!!  Tasmanian of course!! 

 We went bonkers at HeartFelt, look at these finger puppets!!  Much more wrapped up under the Christmas tree.

 Met the lovely Kate from Please Eloise & Eva Grace Designs, adorable lady, as expected.

 Back in the car we sampled the cup cakes from A Moment on the Lips . . . & nose . . .

 on our way to the Old Bus Depot Markets to see my gal pal Emma Kidson.

 She has split her business & rebranded to Japonicity for her amazing range of Japanese inspired designs & Kidson Jewellery for her custom design work (wedding rings etc).  I love it all & have most of her range too!!

 Emma has just had a blinder of a Christmas season, yay, & will have the major bathroom renovation to show for it.  She's the real deal, honours degree in her field & scholorships + awards.  Yes, huge fan!!

 Emma lives in Wagga & stocks the Paper Pear Gallery (i'm going to visit in the new year) or you can find her stunning jewellery at Hive Gallery in Braddon (i've done a lot of Christmas shopping in there this year) & the National Portrait Gallery Canberra.  There is currently a wonderful Impression Exhibition on at the moment with Streeton, McCubbin & Roberts (remember those names from Art History in high school??) 

I actually felt really Ok about not showing this market, my hands have never been so bruised & sore, there was no way i could carry or serve or sew or smile in that pain!!  Love Posie
PS all giveaway winners for Donna Hay & IKEA competitions will be announced a.s.a.p.

the calm, after the storm . . .

Greetings all,

Quite the tumultuous week & now the calm.  I'm a talker, my husband is not, he used to say "you don't have to externalise every single thought" but it's how i roll.  Blogger beware!!  Saves a lot of baggage too.  I tell him exactly how i feel, no games, no faking, just raw honesty.  90% of the time i'm coping brilliantly but with end-of-school children who are tired & emotional, i'm exhausted & my aching hands are plain annoying, we're not ourselves.   

After a teary late night phone call from Afghanistan, talking about Christmas apart, selling an investment property & buying a farm . . . i came home from Athletics this morning to this on my door step. 

 Eric from DesignABunch (the stunningly good florist next door to Shop Handmade in Canberra City) called to say he had just left flowers & i passed him in my street, big waves & smiles!!

 The card was so beautiful, to think a tough soldier can phone in from a war zone, such beautiful words for a florist to relay . . . i truly married a special, thoughtful guy.  I don't like mushy romance, to have my husband sitting with me beats all the views in Paris, dinners in Italy & resorts in Singapore.

 Christmas flower arrangments are now sorted, look at those glorious long stem roses.

 Look at that red velvety goodness, i'm so lucky!!

So here is to cruising into the last week before Christmas with rested happy children & mother.  I close my Shop in 5 days, some huge savings in there people, up to 60% off including Christmas table accessories & stocking fillers.  I've removed all the 'sold out' items weekly to make it even easier to shop.  It's a serious sale, i'm closing my entire business down (after 11 years) in Easter 2012, with a massive remnant sale in February when school resumes.   

Don't miss out on the Donna Hay & IKEA GIVEAWAYS on my side bar, both close tomorrow night. Good luck folks, i hope you're as lucky as me, love Posie

things i'm loving . . . 'treats & goodness'

Greetings all,

I've possibly cried more this week than ever, i really miss my husband.  All this festive  'family' orientated vibe only reminds me of who will be absent at the Christmas table this year - my Mummy's Alzheimer's has stolen her away & my husband will be overseas.  I'm just focussing on the children & riding their new shiney bikes!!  If you get the chance to see the New Year's Eve movie, it's great, but think of me when you follow Halle Berry's story (to the end)!! 

I'm taking time to treat myself, facials, massages, walking away from passive aggressive mums . . . stop messing with me, i know better!!  My hands are sore but i'm stocking up on fabrics for future projects - Lotta Jansdotter - you are about to be quilted, hexagons i think, later this Summer.

 I needed new tongs (read: i loathe our tongs, they jam closed) & was thrilled to pick up these beauties for $3 at the supermarket!!  Little things make me happy. 

 While my car is having a major service, it was cheaper to hire a car than get a cab home, so i've been enjoying this new Mitsubishi Outlander, i like it!!

 Loving the extra pretty stationery at Kikki-K & their 25% off days . . .

 & 15% off at Peter Alexander, come on, Babushka pyjamas, as if i could resist!!

 It's official, i'm collecting pears.

 Reading in bed, using her glasses just like she's meant to.

 Ending my evenings with candles & calm.

So PaisleyJade, that is what I'm Loving this week.  You can find those candle paper bags here & if you're into IKEA toys or love baking with Donna Hay, check out my current giveaways below.  Love Posie