snap it 'straight lines'

Greetings all,

For a curvy gal i like my straight lines!!  Playing along with Faith Hope & a Whole Lotta Love's Snap It 'straight lines' today, i give you some of the liney goodness i snapped around my home this morning.  I love stripes, diagonals, chevrons & ticking, above all . . . texture.

 Country Road cushion; ice cream buckets; Lilly & Lolly child's blanket.

Hexagon florals; cookbooks on high rotation; Country Road children's socks.

Vintage straw collection; striped washi tape; Country Road cushion.

Note to self: venture outside Country Road for all my fashion & decor needs!!

 Laura Ashley throw; Army housing dining room blinds; Country Road cushion.

Adirondack chair; Army housing kitchen blinds; Piano keys.

Country Road felt cushion; Army housing fence palings; Kikki-K note paper. 

Like the black & white twist on this collage, i know, i try, hard!!

This my friends . . . is the Trenery block striped scarf which has kept my neck warm all Winter & is a great way to blend a brown/ grey/ black wardrobe.  Growing up the rule was you would NEVER wear brown & black together, i.e. black shoes with a brown belt or handbag.  Seriously, who cares??  I spent the Winter in 3 different maxi skirts (dark brown, light grey & dark grey) with cream/ caramel/ black cardigans in black low heeled leather boots or brown Converse sneakers.  All a bit drab but hey, i spent much of this Winter at home, cosy, with the animals.  

Now, bring on a colourful Spring, i'm ready!!  Love Posie

school holiday antics & the latest giveaway winner

Greetings all,
Ok, so it's been raining non stop for days, actually since the school holidays started (typical) & things have taken a turn for the worse . . . kidnapping.  Only not in the low tech fashion of my childhood, where i'd find my favourite toys missing & a hand written ransom note under my bedroom door or maybe an EtchASketch mystery message from my siblings . . . today's children photograph & SMS their siblings instructions on what to do if they want their toy's safe return, or email each other vital clues on where they might find their favourite giraffe, monster or rabbit.   

Upon downloading the latest images on my camera (always cause for concern with my cheeky children) i found some rather confusing images of Raffy Giraffe in all sorts of life threatening scenarios (no 'proof of life' though).  The images were to be emailed to Raffy's owner, our middle daughter, for her to find when she next logged on to her email.  Now just for reference & dramatic effect, this is the child voted by her siblings "Most Likely To Over React About Absolutely Every Single Thing" (especially anyone touching her beloved giraffes) i was thrilled i was able to intercept this evil plot, give stern warnings to the kidnappers to put Raffy exactly back where they found him & she'll never know/ implode/ explode/ over react.  I try to get through large family life by avoiding drama - seeing the train wreck coming & putting on the brakes, stop, deep breath & avert the crisis. 
So why upload this image to the internet??  The damage had already been done, the boy, the youngest, the child voted "Most Likely To Crack Under Pressure/ Dibber Dob" (especially if it involves anything untoward happening to his beloved middle sister) had already run off & told her all about the kidnapping. 

 How did i take my eye off the ball & let this kidnapping plot happen on my watch??

 Oh i don't know, maybe all the gorgeous sewing projects in my new Cath Kidston craft book??

 Reading the background story to the recipes in my new Collected cookbook??

 Wondering/ wishing/ dreaming why my vegetables never look as lush as Jamie's??

Do people really like doughnuts so much, that they'd bother to make them at home??  We're not a doughnut loving family but after seeing the Italian ones those fabulous cooking twins made in Junior MasterChef & now in this month's Donna Hay magazine, maybe they are a homemade taste sensation worth the messy, sticky effort??

So sorry, forgot to publicly announce the 300th Post Hot Pink Giveaway winner - it was lucky comment number 89 who is . . . Rebecca from Sewing Belle blog, a super sweet mummy of 3 all the way at the bottom of Western Australia.  Congratulations Bec & happy travels with your family for your big holiday.
Thanks everyone for entering, i have a couple of new giveaways coming up, from IKEA & Lego - you won't want to miss them, follow & stay tuned, love Posie

school holiday reading

Greetings all,

You know i love my husband to pieces & here's a tiny example of why - he's not romantic in a flowers (they make him sneeze, make a mess with petals, then they die & turn the water brown), lobster dinners (he doesn't really like eating seafood or the smell) or jewellery (he's given me wedding rings, what else do i need) kind of way . . . but he does surprise me with, well, him - turning up unexpected/ early/ when i least expect him on the doorstep . . . & treats me with things i really love - like homey books & magazines. 

 So handsome soldier knew i was desperately trying to find Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Cookbook, to the point where i looked like a book shop lifter, loitering suspiciously on my hands & knees, checking every shelf in every book shop in Canberra.  No, i didn't think to order on line, but that would have ruined my husband finding a copy in David Jones in Brisbane, being the hero & surprising me.  He also thought i'd enjoy "this book by that Cath Kidston chick i think you like" & how cute is this, a cookbook Collection of recipes, he thought it looked vintage & like something i'd want.  Oh bliss!!  Donna Hay Magazine, well i'm a fan, her recipes are great, even for my low skill level & inclination, but her styling, that is what i love about her the most.

 A little taste of the pages of Collection . . .

 my mother used to make a brilliant pate.

 Cath Kidston Sew - i would love to make a mass bird mobile style chandelier for my high schooler for when she moves into the new bedroom/ other half of my studio.

 I'm going to try an oversized hexagon patchwork quilt this month.

 Jamie Oliver - do you ever fail us regular family cooks??

 Oh i want to go on a picnic, NOW!!

 Donna Hay, visual feast as always in her pages, like boys fishing!!

 Donna teaches you this month about noodle varieties, brilliant!!

Then this sweet story on the last page of the magazine, about how Donna found a baby bird's nest on her way home after dropping her youngest child at his first day of school.  Sigh, i've been there.  She teamed it with a handmade bird from a friend & took this beautiful image.  What a gorgeous memory to keep of the experience.  As a fellow mummy who has an empty nest with all her children at school, i think i'd like to find a sweet bird's nest too & pop in 4 little handmade birds, under a glass dome, wouldn't that be delightful?? 
Aren't i the luckiest girl around, thoughtful husband & our 4 fabulous children, all together on school holidays.  Now time to ignore them all & stick my head in all this school holiday reading.  Love Posie