eleven opinions on the eleventh

Greetings all,

I've been busy getting children back to school & organising my studio - every ribbon, pin & thread sorted - so quiet on the blog front.  Inspired though . . . found a fantastic old lamp shade to restyle like these ones at Koskela in Sydney.  Even discovered a cool twenty something hipster cousin of my husband's works there = excellent excuse to go back!!

Now my eleven opinions this month are random & i couldn't agree more with myself . . . 

1. I appreciate rank, experience & hierarchy, however, why do they choose Popes when they are already so elderly??  Good on the current Pope for retiring, first one in 600 years.

2. Rihanna - still hanging around Chris Brown - my issue is: people saying "they are role models"??  How can a stranger, be a role model to you??  We only see their media projected image or when they are performing, they're family or friends.  Here's a tip to those parents screaming "my child's sports/ movie/ singing hero has let them down" . . . BE YOUR OWN CHILD'S ROLE MODEL!!  Also, take the opportunity to discuss domestic violence, what is not Ok & word your children up on toxic relationships, so they know one when they witness or experience one!!

3. Chrissie Swan, busted smoking while pregnant, oh dear.  Now i am against smoking full stop, but attacking Chrissie - while pregnant & vulnerable - she knows the damage she is doing . . . threatening & lambasting her is not going to help anyone.  How about some support, she's clearly ashamed & regretful, this is one demon she can't overcome alone, even for the health of her 3rd baby & hiding it from her partner.  

4. Retail sales assistants who ignore you until you pick something up, then swoop in & offer "would you like me to hang that up in the dressing room??"  When i'm holding ladies size 4-6 clothing, a fitting room is not going to be the first clue that size is not for me.  I actually said to the last girl (after 5 stores with the same robotic speech) . . . "i'm not flattering myself, this is for my teenage daughter!!"    

5. Whinging that "Valentine's Day is so commercial."  So don't buy a card or flowers or chocolate or gifts.  I'm not into 'festive' days to remember to tell someone you love them, however, why poo poo it - it means the world to many celebrating anniversaries & romance - why spoil it for them & find another reason to be negative about something you can easily chose to exclude from your life!!

6. Cyber friends on social media aren't real friends - i beg to differ - i've made some wonderful engaging friends via my blog & social networks - if we lived closer, i know we'd be great friends in real life.  

7. Swearing in public is offensive & rude.  Teenagers are the worst - loud, obnoxious, disrespectful & so desperate to be noticed for all the wrong reasons, they are such losers thinking they are all powerful because they can say a swear word.  RightyO, do it in front of your mother or grandmother & watch hell unleash boys!!  I tell our children that they represent our whole family when they are at school, parties, socials, sports & in public, they should be proud & respectful.  They do believe we 'bug' them & know everything.  Mwhahahahaha.

8. Don't knock it until you try it . . . i bought a Mel B fitness DVD & it's excellent!!  Think old school cross training, using tins as hand weights & just get over her accent, she's funny.  

9. Next time you feel ill or have a lazy day at home, hire a DVD & chill out, it's so relaxing.  I did that today, better yet it was $1.95 New Release special & picked up a movie i knew nothing about - Jennifer Lawrence in The House at the End of the Street.  Technically the house was next door & it was a teen movie . . . it had a twist & was a bit of a thriller.

10. I met a person last week who insisted they would NEVER drink plain water.  I honestly thought that is being difficult for being difficult sake.  They had no medical reason, just that high maintenance kind of person who is fussy beyond belief.

11. Of all the weight loss, diet & exercise programmes i've tried (since hitting 32 & gaining weight, long after babies, lost all that weight each time, this is frustrating) Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation is excellent.  Yes, it's all stuff we know, eat in portions & exercise, however, she brings it all together with enthusiasm & great recipes, balanced with the exercise that day, she holds your hand, it's brilliant & it works!!  I've just started another round & i'm excited.

Have great weeks everyone, love Posie

eleven opinions on the eleventh

Greetings all,

What a full-steam-ahead new year we've experienced.  On New Year's Day we drove from Brisbane to Canberra & since then . . . we've checked out more local farms for sale, started training for a triathlon (the 14 year old girls programme, don't laugh at me) & i've turned the house insideout during my biannual psycho clean.  Invigorating!!  I'm also powering along over on Instagram, just completed a Vignette Challenge & now i'm doing a series . . . Stacks of Shacks, with images of the shacks i photographed from the Pacific Highway at high speed while holidaying on the north coast of NSW.

Before i thrust my opinions on you, imagine soothing dolphin noises.

I receive lovely, kind & sweet comments about being nice, friendly & fun on social media.  Why thank you, however, i also have an opinion, or eleven . . . on everything!!  I've done around 50 Social Commentary Sunday posts now, proving very popular with wonderful engagement . . . so here goes something new.

1. It's a new year = everyone proffering empowering quotes like "be yourself, everyone else is taken" & "don't let the bastards get you down" . . . so here is mine - you cannot control what people think of you, perception is reality, run with what you love & your happiness will be contagious. 
2. I really don't understand the hype about Justin Beiber, however, i really like the duet Beauty & the Beat with Nicki Minaj, i can't help but sing along.  He sings like a breathy girl anyway, suits my one-tone-voice. 
3. Les Miserables the movie is brilliant.  I grew up with the musical masterpiece . . . the cinema version is gripping & fantastic.  Hugh, Russell, Anne are all excellent; the children were amazing; Amanda Seyfried completely stole my heart; handsome Eddie Redmayne was perfect; & Samantha Barks who played Eponine - broke my heart, she was INCREDIBLE. 
4.  I think fire works are a waste of money & create pollution.  I appreciate the idea of a sky spectacular, but seriously, millions of dollars literally blown up in coloured gun powder??  NYE in Sydney is getting out of control, sure it's a tourism investment & 'gift to the people' - perhaps half the size & divert the funds to where they are really needed.

5. The only way they can ruin MasterChef Professionals - is by over advertising it.
6.  Australian Mummy Bloggers Making Stacks of Cash.  I'm Australian.  I'm a Mummy.  I'm a Blogger.  I'm not Making Stacks of Cash.  Do i have a problem with it??  Of course not.  I believe the professional blogger's content improves with the paid promotions, their grammar certainly does!!  If you don't agree, unfollow & support someone else - don't join a disgusting-hate-filled-forum (available for public viewing) to bitch about them!!
7.  Are you guilty of posting on social media, that you are "so busy" - there are a limited amount of times we need to hear from people each day, get your job/ errands/ tasks/ children's dinner done  . . . so you are not "so busy!!"
8. Is posting holiday snaps of your amazing beach house/ exotic island trip/ cocktails by the pool at a resort . . . boasting??  I quite enjoy the free holiday by viewing them, if you have the cash flow to spend, good for you.  If you don't & you're jealous, leaving hate filled comments doesn't help anyone - the happy holidayer or feeding your own misery.  
9.  Taylor Swift breaks up with boyfriend.  Who cares??  Surely someone that impossibly busy can't have a relationship with anyone beyond her immediate travelling business posse.  Certainly not with someone who is also famous/ busy/ travelling.  She's young, she's meant to date, break up, date, break up.  Why is this a headline??  Use that prime-time-celebrity-news-spot on one giving their attention to a charity instead.  

10. John Travolta.  He's a QANTAS Ambassador & at all the G'Day LA events (celebrating Australians in Hollywood) having a ball.  Have we forgiven/ forgotten all the accusations/ divorce situation.  I'm not a fan, so i haven't followed it.

11.  Even healthy eating, vegetable juicing & home-bake-from-scratch mummies like me eat McDonalds for dinner with their children once in a while.  I have been cleaning like a maniac for 3 days straight, my husband is interstate for a week, honestly . . . it was McDonalds or nothing tonight, this post would have not happened without it as i was physically spent.  The children were shocked with the treat & enjoyed it.   
I think i might do this every month - solving the world's problems with my opinion pieces.  In the meantime, i've still got my head buried in the sand!!

Pippi Beach, Yamba, north coast NSW, we had a fantastic holiday.  Love Posie