AEIOU launch link party April 2012

Greetings all,

Welcome to the first/ maiden/ inaugural AEIOU: a mid-month-list-link-party of self-belief, improvement, acceptance, love & learning!!  It's a middle-of-the-month get together of life’s highlights. Your 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
. . . you might like to do a full AEIOU or just one or two particular themes . . .

To kick things off, here is my AEIOU list.  It's been a busy month here with Easter, school camps, sports clinics & finally school holidays.  My AEIOU is a light & breezey one.  Next month will be heavy as we're in the final countdown to handsome soldier coming home!!
Awesome - as our children grow, so do their needs, like a communal computer area.  I played swapsies this week: pinched this desk from a bedroom, swapped for an armchair, et voila, a whole new space has opened up our lounge - for the price of 3 tractor stools - not to mention awesome cook book storage.

 Exciting - my 3 youngest had their school camps, it was my son's first & the independence he showed getting organised, leaving & since he's come home, has been amazing.  Camps overlapped, leaving my eldest an only child = Japanese dinner & the  Mirror Mirror movie (fabulous).  I was giddy just making ONE lunch each morning, glee!!

Interesting - enjoying FatMumSlim's photo-a-day challenge this April.  Wait until you read about what this bracelet means to me.  Millions of images are involved, now that is some following Mrs Slim.

Opportunity - i did over the high schooler's bedroom today (she shares the front of the house with my studio.)  New desk (seeing hers went missing??) & arm chair + new size (i pushed my fabric racks deeper into my studio.  The middle girl is having a sleepover in the huge new space - look at them, sisters, makes me heart sing!!  Please ignore the outdoor German Shepherd, opportunist!!

Understanding - even though we're not religious, we appreciate what religious festivals are all about.  My high schooler has Religious Education classes & is teaching us, while we munch on Lindt Bunnies who were hiding in toadstools.   

Now it's YOUR turn . . .

do join in . . . links go live on the 15th of each month, this is a party to celebrate you!!

I hope you enjoy the large icons, random order & long text space to share your AEIOU link, enticing visitors from our beautiful blogging community to follow the link to your blog.  Don't forget to link back to this post & pop the AEIOU logo on your post/ blog side bar too if you wish.  Thanks for joining in - it's open all month, love Posie

PS what a lovely way to spend my 550th post with you all, squee!!  About time i started a link up right??

our creative space . . . 'while the girls were away on camp, i got busy decorating'

Greetings all,

My sweet twin girls were off on camp this week - bless their hearts, it rained every day, lucky they were sleeping in cabins!! 

 They packed fashion for all weather conditions . . .

 & yes, this is a mix of SAS sleeping bag with a vintage port + straw fedora??!!

 As is tradition in our household . . . while you are away on camp, i get busy doing bedroom makeovers . . .

 our middle girl has wanted her bed on an angle for ages (she has an angled 5th wall) & i thought, why not??  OMG, it's completely changed her room around, it's more spacious & looks fabulous.  Good call.  She was absolutely thrilled & loved the welcome home gifts on her bed.

 I need to make curtains & tidy up the book case!!  At night with the lanterns on, it's so pretty, a little like the glamping episode last week.

 Day 3 - i had a really awful headache & just couldn't finish 2 rooms in one 'camp' so i just cleaned up & hung the tissue fans & balls in the 2nd room . . .

 & put all her decorating goodies & gifts on her bed, so we can do it together on the weekend.  Yes, they each got a bird & owl teapot, just because, they look so cute on their shelves.  Anyway, she's quite particular this 3rd girl of mine, she left me standing by the bus with the firm statement of "do not go into my room while i'm away, Mother".

 They each came home to a little accessory from Alannah Hill too, squeals of delight.

So, it's still wet outdoors but i'm doing the camp washing anyway, including their wet-dog-smelling sneakers.  Oh mustn't forget, i'm doing a little Market today at Brindabella Business Park, yay.  Go visit more Creative Spaces, love Posie
PS last few days for the current handmade & Mollie Makes magazine giveaway, enter here.

i'm grateful for 'my big one & little one'

Greetings all,

Ah, my first born, she was off on high school camp this week, i missed her.  She packed strictly to-the-list with the recommended day, cabin & camping bag must-haves (no hair straighteners like some girls!!)  No wonder some had huge suitcases on trolleys??  Her Infantry Daddy would be very proud, we follow the soldier's mantra "only pack what you can carry".  Even with 4 children under 5 i had the world's smallest baby bag & we've been overseas as a family of 6 with 1 suitcase, not kidding!!  Get it, we pack light.

 She went off looking like she was sponsored by The North Face.  Please take note of her shoes, handsome soldier took her shopping for hiking boots & seeing he's used to spending big bucks on footwear for you know, important things like patrols in desert war zones . . . i considered $300 (after 20% off) was a tad pricey for high school camp shoes??!!  They will last all 4 children though (twins have different sized feet) so we'll squeeze every cent out of these family heirloom solid gold hiking shoes for years!!

I like this image from dawn Wednesday morning - bossing me around 'til the last second.

 

 I cleaned her room & left a new pair of jeans & her new typewriter key necklace as a surprise on her desk.

 My happy camper is home.  She told me every single moment & detail on what they ate, how they slept, where they swam, the groups, the conversations, the new friends, the private jokes, the sand flies . . . even said "you can tell me to stop talking if this is getting boring".  OMG, i was loving it, a high schooler who talks, please stay this way!!

 While we were waiting for the coaches for a couple of hours, oh yes, mischief was found!!

 Look at this cute soft furry possum's big gorgeous eyes, now look at the claws!!

 What else can i say, a 7 year old boy in his natural habitat.

 Possum's curly tail for balance & hanging out in the school grounds.

 My son found a few other little boys waiting for their big sisters, he was showing them the amazing 'hover' leaf (yellow leaf near his left shoulder) i know, AMAZING!!

 Perhaps time to move on when our friendly possum climbed onto the ground??

 So we found a wall to defy injury on.

 When our possum went back up his tree . . .

so did my son, my very own Bear Grylls.

Spending my Friday night tucked up on the lounge with my big one & little one, while their twinnies are off horse riding on a friend's farm this weekend - what a lovely way to soak up my precious first & last born.  We Skype'd Daddy the moment we got home too, had to show him all the sand fly bites, share the stories & show him just how big the backpacks are!!
For more 'Gratefuls' check out Maxabella Loves.  Love Posie
Oh oh oh, great giveaway over at my 300th post, good luck, only 10 days left to enter!!