all the fun of the fair

 Greetings all,

Do you go to your local town's show/ fair/ carnival??  This is our sixth year here in Canberra & the first time we've been to 'the show'.  I'm not anti show, i just prefer smaller country shows, they're a little more hands on.  We never did the Darwin Show (while we lived there, twice); Brisbane Ekka (while visiting my husband, living in Qld for the past 3 years) & we've never taken our children to the Royal Sydney Easter Show (when we lived there) either - we're not entirely horrible, they have been to Disneyland.  

 The weather was dismal, which is unusual for inland Canberra, sludging around in mud.  Our teenager went with friends on the Saturday, enjoying rides & carnival food.  I went on Friday morning when it opened & again on Sunday with the three youngest children (miraculously between downpours!!)  Much of what we wanted to see was in the exhibition halls anyway, like the cake decorating . . .   

& low crowds meant we were able to see all the animals - our main focus.  

 One of my nephews is a champion cow show'er, from boarding school - now he's doing agriculture at University.  I bet his cows behaved better than this!!  Ooppss. 

 As it's the Canberra Centenary next month, they had all sorts of old fashioned side show alley memorabilia - i loved this area. 

 The presentation ribbons are gorgeous, look at that fringing!!

 There were arts, crafts, pottery & quilts.  I thought these toadstools were adorable. 

I think we'll try again in the couple of years, with better weather & go as a family, stay for the main arena shows & more horse action.  Love Posie

our creative space . . . 'secret forest bedroom makeover'

Greetings all,

We have a little elfin princess in our home.  She's ethereal, bohemian & you'll find her curled up on a toadstool.  Her soft squeaky voice & dinner plate blue eyes manage to suck me into agreeing with almost every crazy idea she has.  She's sported a chic French bob with short blunt fringe since she was 2 (after her twin sister cut the whole way around her hair) & wears feathery headbands & stripey tights to school, her spirit & style is uncrushable, until private school uniform.  

Our 3rd girl is like no other . . . humming her way through life,

 her twin sister got a bedroom makeover while they were away on camp,

 with sore hands, i only had time for one room, Sophie's choice,

 so the next weekend, while they were at a sleepover,

 i did her bedroom as a suprise too.

 She likes anything quirky & quitely soaks up praise,

 her collection of birds, owls & toadstools is growing,

 & at night time, it's quite magical, just like her.

 I have all the tissue fans, balls & hearts in my shop, they make ace decorations!!

 My son helped me hang lights (why use a stepladder when you can hoist an 8 year old boy on your shoulders??) . . . he's doing his best swivel chair "we meet at again Octopussy" impersonation.

I might not be sewing but i am fiddling around with the decorating.  For some seriously inspirational creativity, check out Our Creative Space every Thursday, love Posie

our creative space . . . 'instant cake decorating'

Greetings all,

An oldie but a goodie, when you need to decorate a cake, instantly - add fresh flowers.  It's Spring & there is so much choice for stunning fresh flowers, but how beautiful is a single, perfect, red rose??  Even better on a chocolate on chocolate cake!!

Our wedding cake was a large square chocolate mud cake with a smaller square on top, on an angle, with white chocolate ganache icing & a trio of oriental lillies on top, da dah!!  So pretty, simple & effective.  More creativity?? 

That's all folks, it's been a loooong day, love Posie

i'm grateful for . . . things that make me happy

Greetings all,
I'm joining in with Maxabella Loves I'm Grateful For today . . . all the things that make me happy.  I'm pretty easy to please & today, even a $79 parking ticket i found on my windscreen for spending 6 minutes in a 5 minute zone while helping a friend out this morning, can't bring me down!!  Merry Christmas parking dude, you're clearly excellent at your job!!
Last night the Handmade Living. launch at the Shop was fabulous, today we're using the book for recipes & styling ideas for tomorrow's Handmade Living High Tea.

 Cake decorations make me happy!!  Thanks Donna Hay, you are also excellent at your job, in a much sweeter way than a parking bully.

 Love the relationship between my husband & our eldest, she's even starting to forgive him for buying her a massively baggy large Little Athletics shirt!!  My husband isn't trying to be cool with his hood up, he has horrible hayfever & we went to a Christmas Tree Farm today straight after athletics.

 My twins are best buddies, i love it, they are so different, they barely ever clash & their love for stationery & little desk projects makes for a happy weekend.

 At the Handmade Living. book launch, guess who won the Kellie Christie headbands lucky door prize??!!  How perfect, especially as i only took these two children with me.  Thanks Kellie, i can assure you they went to a good home.

 This girl, number 3, always stops to pick flowers, she lives in her own world, truly.

 Handsome soldier vacuumed today, without any request, true happiness!!

 Then he told me the shoes i chose to wear to a tree farm were ridiculous.  I tripped & slipped a few times, especially while fleeing the 3 spiders' webs i walked into.  He is always right!!

 Boys . . . do rocks & dirt ever fail to make them happy??

There you have it, so many simple things to put a smile on my face.  More on the Handmade Living launch later (when i can steal someone else's photos seeing the camera i took didn't have a battery in, d'oh) & lots of shots of our Christmas tree in all it's birdy wonder.  Love Posie