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

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

Donna Hay Molten Chocolate Chunk Brownie mix & Christmas magazine GIVEAWAY

Greetings all,

Are you ready to lick your lips & whip up some delicious chocolate desserts??  Donna Hay has put her glamour & Oprah approved style into the simple 'packet mix' with a completely decadent Flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake.  Mmmm . . . watch & learn people.

 All you need is 185gm of unsalted butter & 4 eggs. 

 Happy eggs from my sister's chickens.

 Melt, combine, mix & bake, so simple!! 

 We added a buttery chocolate icing, but you could have left the cake naked or with a dusting of icing sugar.  I've had the white Donna hay icing spatular for years, it is foolproof-fantastic!!

 The children watched like vultures, then enjoyed a delicious slither of this stunningly yummy cake!!

 Fruit cancels cake calories right??  This new Truffle cake mix is in stores & supermarkets now, i was sent one to trial.  Thanks Donna!!

 Now it's your turn - want to try the Donna Hay Molten Chocolate Chunk Brownie mix & win a copy of the latest issue of her brilliant magazine - the coveted Christmas issue??!!

 More mmmm . . . crumbled up brownie with gooey chocolate, i made them in Donna's pleated cake wrappers for school recess tomorrow & simple portion control, it's so easy to eat an entire slab of brownie when you slice it up, then some more & another nibble . . . 

 Just follow this blog & leave a comment here.  6 prizes - 2 x Brownie mix + Christmas magazine, 2 x Brownie mix, & 2 x Christmas magazine - let me know which you'd prefer!!  Australian delivery addresses only for the food mixes.  Winners drawn Sunday 18th December at 9p.m. 

Want to increase your chances to win??  Mention this giveaway on your blog, FB, Twitter for an extra entry, or blog about your favourite Donna Hay recipe & products for 5 bonus entries!!
Have you seen her beautiful range for Royal Doulton??  I just ordered some pieces - perfect for entertaining.  Donna has some fantastic offers in her 12 Days of Christmas specials, i just scored a complimentary footed colander, it's gorgeous & such a clever design.  Share the love, good luck, love Posie
EDIT: Not a fan of packet mixes??  These amazing, trust Donna!!  Yes we all love baking from scratch but sometimes all you have is the butter & eggs, you've run out of flour, sugar, chocolate . . . & have an emergency bake sale or craving for something delicious!!