things i'm loving . . . 'home life'

Greetings all,

So many totally-into-&-loving-things this week with PaisleyJade, starting off a fabulous Beef Ragu recipe from my children's cookbook My Grandma's Kitchen by Louise Fulton Keats (yes, as in the offspring of Margaret Fulton, cooking master) & yes, i cook from children's cookbooks as they are my level of culinary adventure & children LOVE every meal, win win.  

 My new Mac desk top arrived, after i killed my 5th laptop computer - my husband suggested i might be more reliable with a desk top & swears by Mac, so yes folks, i'm never going back!!  I love the multi view - i reckon i could launch a space ship from here!!

 I picked up a copy of the May Home Beautiful with Simone from Beach Vintage blog & Just Plain Gorgeous shop & Fabric Traders on line . . . to read about her fresh & fabulous beachside home.  I studied every image, if i was ever a guest, i'd know where the bathroom was (it was a huge feature) congratulations Simone & family!!

 The children are being thoroughly entertained by the chickens, i love finding shots like this when i download the camera.  This is apparently what alien chickens look like!!

 The chicken coop arrived.  Seeing they are only 10 days old & it's getting to 0C at night here, they are very much indoor-baby-chicks, so i constructed the coop in the lounge room (nothing a vacuum can't fix) & it's basically like having the world's most bizarre lamp!!

 Our German Shepherd is containing himself, he chases birds all day in the garden, so to have chickens is a challenge for him.  He's really being VERY good.  Can you feel the energy in this picture - like he is absolutely ready to pounce at any second.

 It was going to happen sooner than later, the chickens now have a coop & disco!!

 Is it just me or are they lying in the shape of a love heart??  Please be hens!!  Looks like we'll be getting new baby chicks from the next batch of incubated magic in a few weeks, so excited!!

Sorry i'm still a little over the top with chicken fever but they really are just so much fun.  School resumes on Monday so it will be me & the chickens.  My sister recommended ducks, similar to raise but more friendly as they follow you around, like pets.  I agree, they're on the list!!  Love Posie

things i'm loving . . . 'link parties'

Greetings all,
Things I'm Loving this week with PaisleyJade is 'link parties' & the community they create, around the world.  Viva la blogosphere.  So i've decided to start my own . . . AEIOU: a mid-month-list-link-party of self-belief, improvement, acceptance, love & learning!!

With a nod to all the great blog link groups i’ve played along with . . . about being Creative, Grateful, Loving & Photography . . . i thought a middle-of-the-month get together would be a neat summary of life’s highlights.  So here goes nothing . . . AEIOU might go a little something like this . . .   

Awesome – something you baked/ created/ photographed/ a bargain you found
Exciting – share your news/ event/ holiday/ a gorgeous butterflies-in-tummy moment
Interesting – teach us information/ discovery/ facts/ a chance to show off your quirky side
Opportunity – embrace the unknown/ put yourself out there/ show off a new experience
Understanding – learning to appreciate/ forgive/ love/ unleash what helps you grow

The AEIOU adventure will scratch the surface of who you are.  I think the words Awesome, Exciting, Interesting, Opportunity & Understanding are positive & therapeutic.  I spend a lot of time alone, thinking, tune out & free my mind.  I am positive to the core, however, have a lot of stress in my life, pressure to perform & tremendous responsibilities.  When i was 21 i could have been a fully qualified psychologist - what would i have known about life??  I had travelled & was about to get married, but experience??  I’m often told my blog posts & comments offer down-to-earth advice, because i’m a different person now: 4 children, 15 years of marriage, 6 addresses & a husband going to 5 war zones will do that.  I’m more grounded & wide eyed than ever, shedding negativity from my life & truly believe in blogging as therapy.
 
So here’s my list to kick things off . . .
I found an Awesome bureau/ desk.  I’m sanding the wood, painting & papering it for . . . I’ll worry about that later, it was $15 & my furniture repurposing skills are improving with every second hand find!!
My husband came home last month for a visit, it was so Exciting waiting at the arrivals lounge, it’s the best feeling in the world.  I never know what he’s actually going to look like - full beard, silly moustache to tickle me, or clean shaven.  It was short beard, it tickled, i giggled, then he shaved it off to unleash the dimples.
My children’s school assignments unearth endless Interesting facts.  Years 5 & 6 created “Guess Who I Am??” posters & introduce themselves to the class.  I learned that Lewis has 21 convicts in his ancestry, hmmm . . . count your pencils at the end of each day children.
I have this fantastic Opportunity to do some blog PR for Baker’s Delight (hot cross buns), Esprit (children’s clothes) & Dunlop Volleys (baby shoes) – they all contacted me in the space of one week, yay!!  There will be giveaways folks.  
Hmmm, Understanding is the topic i could write the most about . . . like why our automatic car’s electrics blew just before i had hand surgery, it was the car I was going to drive during recovery, save me from changing gears manually.  Dumb things happen, that’s life.  Like my credit card seizing at the Country Road counter during the sale yesterday.  Deep breaths, I had cash.  I don’t stress about things i know i can’t control, like banks.  Why are people rude, mean, nasty – it’s their problem, not mine, i don’t let it flatten me, rather, fill myself up with happy thoughts of personal development (mine!!)
      
Meet me here on Sunday the 15^th of April to play along with your own AEIOU or just one particular letter might take your fancy.  Will you join in??  Have lovely weekends everyone, love Posie
 
Images courtesy of Esprit Children's Clothing, just bursting with life & positivity don't you think??  Not to mention gorgeous Winter fashion, i'm a HUGE fan & any excuse for cute baby faces.  Many Esprit clothing pieces lasted all 4 of my children, i wear their clothes & my husband loves their jeans.  I was not paid to say any of this, i just truly believe in the quality & style of this brand, for over 25 years of personal experience.  'tis all.

things i'm loving . . . 'goodies with my husband'

Greetings all,
Things I'm Loving, yay, i'm the luckiest girl in the world . . . my husband may have missed a dozen wedding anniversaries but look at this special piece of hard core jewellery i got for our 15th!!  As if his charm, dimples & all round gorgeousness weren't enough . . . he went shopping at Tiffany's on the way home from Afghanistan & i absolutely love it, i mean him!!  EDIT: Tiffany's Dubai, there isn't a Tiffany's in Kandahar.

 We have a fantastic French patisserie hidden away in Fyshwick (industrial area) with glorious treats, like this sampler for $6.50, mmmm, love The Flute!!  We sat in the car in the rain & shared these, outside a hardware store, glamorous i know, but it's all about the company you keep.  EDIT: so glad The Flute is famous for my readers. 

 My darling patient husband knows not to question when i squeal & find a silver pineapple - it's made friends with my pears already.

 Da dah, bilateral carpal tunnel decompression surgery, 2 weeks on, talk about key hole!!  Still swollen & tender, my palms are precious this week & you can see the numb left thumb here, sporting a purple hue.  The Third Bird heat pack is just the right size for my thumb to warm up & rest on.

 Do you ever use your 4c/L fuel discount to buy magazines when you fill up your car??  You should - it halves the price of the big glossy magazines.  I used to absorb Marie Claire, Vogue & Elle as a high school & uni student, i love fashion, accessories, decor . . .  tripping around Europe on my honeymoon was such an eye boggling experience, Via Condotti Roma anyone??  My parents would take us children into all the designer stores we'd read about, it was magic.  I haven't bought a Marie Claire magazine for ages, i'm excited, Claudia is so beautiful.  It will take me back to my teen years reading by the pool or on the train, tucked into my chemistry folder, tee hee.  EDIT: use your 4c/L for fuel & the 'spend $5 at the service station for an additional 4c/L' for magazines, much better than spending it on junk food & very handy for me who has an 85L tank & 65L reserve tank, magazines are practically free!!

 I flick through these magazines now, gathering ideas for my daughters.  I have hired most seasons of The Hills & The City while resting my hands, what brilliant reality shows to give young folk a taste inside the fashion, magazine & PR industries, not to mention dating, room mates & parties for those young, free & single girls in their early 20s.  My husband doesn't watch . . . but his favourite is Lauren.  

 Have to say, most of our lovely relaxing plans while my husband was home on war leave, did include picnics, walks & general things which required sunshine, alas we got rain. 

 Mmmm . . . fruit flan, my local little bakery does a delicious one.

Ok, as i said last post, i'm guilty of wishing time away so my husband is home with us this Winter, ahhh, snuggling up at night.  Can you imagine 9 months in a war zone, trying to get a good night's rest in an IKEA bunk with your boss sleeping above you??  Ok, so he's not sleeping in the dirt or under a vehicle these days, but at home, we bought a new mattress for our king size bed, it's so high (Sealy Tranquility Plush, half price, you know how i shop!!) with our glorious wool underlay & new crisp cotton sheets . . . even the children refer to our bed as 'the cloud' & they're not allowed to go near it, after using our last mattress for gymnastic floor routines!!  Giggles, love Posie
PS final days for this giveaway to win books from the National Library of Australia. 

things i'm loving . . . 'fashion & fun'

Greetings all,
Anyone else's blog, email & internet messing up??  Me too!!  So i'll make this a quick trip around my week of Things I'm Loving with PaisleyJade . . .

my middle girl brushed her brother's longest ever hair into a Lego man look for back to school silliness.  We scored fantastic teachers, very happy & my son has gained a more intelligent expression on his face after weeks in the pool.  Next stop: a hair cut, the boy has sideburns!!

 Pleasant surprise in the letterbox, a comprehensive David Jones catalogue, with this delicious trench coat . . . the Perri Cutten staff have been clients of mine, tee hee.

 Now this Flannel dress is so beautiful, it just cascades (Flannel is the label, not the material!!)

 So fashion repeats itself - comes around every 20 years or so??  I truly thought snake skin jeans & skin tight animal print were dead & gone forever, buried, torched, entombed.  So few can wear these off the cat walk, i'm a bit scared.

 Found a little perch for this tea pot which makes me smile.  Trying to keep up my new interest in iced tea (hot tea still tastes awful) but the cool weather is messing with Summer flavours.

 My Christmas gifted Pandas have been played with at length, thanks Tania!!

 So on top of school fees & a high school lap top programme, my eldest still needed A4 spiral books & stationery (??) so while i was in Big W, i realised The Help had just been released (i was sorry i missed it at the cinema & no, i didn't read the book).  Great movie.  I loathe it when people say "it's only human nature to be unkind" - there is no excuse, these white ladies are downright bitchy, in one maid's words "mean like it's a sport".  Milly was my favourite maid, strong, hilarious & so clever!!  Great movie to watch with your children, Social Psychology 101 - bullying, bystander & mob mentality all wrapped up into one brilliant story, where courage wins against the odds.  What goes around people, watch out!!   

No idea how the weekend will pan out, athletics is off at the first hint of rain.  My hands are very sore but great news, surgery on the horizon, i should to 'things i'm loving' . . . my orthopaedic hand surgeon (& the yacht i must be funding him) more on my hands later, i'm SO happy, love Posie

things i'm loving . . . 'the stocking fillers of my week'

Greetings all,

'twas a week filled with pockets of joy, the stocking fillers of my life, so for PaisleyJade's Things I'm Loving this week, it's lots of things!!
My little fella has been doing the old 'can i just fall asleep in your room' routine, why yes almost 8 year old, while i'm still your hero, you can spend as much time with me as you wish (his Peter Alexander eye mask is new, he said girlie would be Ok) . . . 

 our school did a fundraiser with mangoes, gosh they smell great . . .

 goodness this is cute, my son has a collection of felt acorns & wanted to put them in a basket, we found a mini trolley - note the tiny baby felt acorns (navy & brown) in the child seat!! 

 We have our fair share of sulphur crested cockatoos in Canberra (they changed the spelling to sulfur when i was at Uni, but i'm still confused!!)

 Oh how lovely is this clip on glass mushroom, perfect for my toadstool loving 3rd girl.

 Treated myself to a new white ceramic love heart (large one) for about $3 . . .

 moment of weakness at the supermarket, these two DVDs for $30, after what seemed like 40 days & nights of rain . . . not a Jim Carrey fan but this was a really sweet family movie - penguins, what's not to love??  Ice Age 400 or something, who cares, it was practically free & it's a bit Christmassy.

 Oh how neat are these pears - i have a vision for how my house will look when i'm 50 & it will include pears.  Lots of them.  Never too early to start a collection . . .

 blame Brenda from Red Stitch Designs & her delicious linen pears, of which i have many!!

Are you gliding into the Christmas spirit??  I just love this time of year as school wraps up, it's Summer, we're swimming, the shopping + i love wrapping & sending off gifts to those i love, ahhh . . . can you tell i'm well ahead of schedule & can laugh at the chaos??  Love Posie

perfecting bad taste . . . 'things i'm loving - want to see my yeast infection??'

Greetings all,

Not what you were expecting??  Going to new lows of bad taste on my imperfection journey this week & a little nod to my background in pharmacology.  In an effort to lighten up blogland with silly posts - recently at Questacon Science Centre, we picked up a bunch of diseases.  I know, disease softies!!  Not what you'd find over at delightfully-clever-softie-making-Queen Jodie's Ric Rac blog!!

 Meet our new friend - Bread & Beer Infection, or just cut to the chase & call it a Yeast Infection (centre) i know, eewwww.  They even say on the tag "scale 1:1000000" just in case you were wondering??  

 Clockwise from top left: Toxic Mould; Yeastie; Scabes; Dust Mite; Lyme Disease; & Brain Cell (sy-nap-tastic).  My boy went to a sleepover recently & announced to the very posh family that he brought his own dust mite!!  No, none of us knew to say. 

Help, my eldest girl is being attacked by Toxic Mould!!  He looks like an upsidedown octopus, he's hard not to like with those big eyes!!  You can also find HIV, Rabies, TB, Polio . . . all the nasties are available.  Ok, so we're into science in this household, this amuses us & if my children ace "what does Lyme Disease look like" one day, i've done my job.  Like the date today??  11.11.11, a nod to those maths & science nerds who see the world in 0s & 1s.  I am no longer one of you!!
For better taste & class, check out PaisleyJade's Things I'm Loving this Friday.

Today is Rememberence Day, i'll be at the War Memorial.  I miss my husband terribly, yet i'm more emotional & upset when i attend these ceremonies with him.  Last year we sat behind the mates of a fallen soldier, it was heartwrenching to see these tough young men sobbing, arms linked.  I had my husband, right next to me, squeezing my hand & passing me tissues, other wives did not.  It's going to be incredibly sombre, my handsome soldier doesn't know why i torture myself by attending, but i like to offer my support, if only by filling one seat, i feel closer to what my husband is doing, just by being there. 
We Will Remember Them . . . Lest We Forget.  Love Posie

things i'm loving . . . 'childhood play things'

Greetings all,
Things I'm Loving with PaisleyJade this week is a new addition to my vintage wooden children's blocks collection.  I have all sorts of sets from expensive French ones en francais to retro-reproduced versions like this.  Yes, I collect them, but i do let the children play with them too, i'm not mint-in-the-box obsessive, i want them to be shared with my grandchildren one day too, with wonderful memories. 

 Just a fun way of making your own signage, don't you think??!!

 When i was little, if we were playing serious 'housewives' we had an apron & a tea towel.  Oh yes, 'Housewives of St Ives' for 5 year olds, imagine that back in the 80's??  Feminists would have eaten us.

 Anyway, we would take the tea towel action seriously, as our Mum always had beautiful tea towels from around the world, with precious memories attached to them.  I love a good tea towel & frankly, nothing beats the $1.95 ones from Freedom Furniture for durability & Donna Hay does a great lint free version too.  Nowadays, you can pay a small fortune for a beautiful screen printed tea towel.  I ordered the Dottie Angel pair which are simply too beautiful to use, so maybe i'll frame them??  I kind of like the idea of just having them around??  But they beg to be used & adrored daily, like her 'have high hopes' mantra.  

Maybe i'll have to buy another set, one to keep & one to use, love Posie

things i'm loving 'relaxing with my husband'

Greetings all,

Oh, relaxation . . . as my our school holidays melt away, so do the dreamy moments with my husband.  We were very lucky to have 2 whole weeks with him, now it's back to reality - him in Brisbane soldiering, us in Canberra schooling.  I love this image, it's in my heart forever, handsome soldier resting his head on my lap at the park while the children play.

With a hot chocolate . . .  

 shared with the children . . . how BIG is my baby boy getting??  Notice the tear at the knee of his new jeans, argh??  Oh well, he's been having a ball running around.  He did ask if one of his sisters could crochet him a patch, from yesterday's crochet class - ha!!

 Then a round of milkshakes (this only happens when Daddy is around).

 How cute is this cafe, by a huge park + attached to a gift shop = perfection (with completely delightful service too!!)  More on this beautiful place shortly.

 Can you spy my 3rd girl climbing & my other 2 on the ariel see saw??

Thank you dreamy PaisleyJade with Things I'm Loving this week, i miss my husband & these carefree relaxing days already.  Love Posie