i'm grateful for . . . 'allowed to be sad'

Greetings all,

I've been doing fluffy posts all week to cover up the huge hole in my heart.  This is not a sympathy seeking post, i just have to let my emotions out.  It's not dirty laundry, more a lesson in how lucky you are if you have your family close in your heart, healthy & home.

I’ve had possibly the saddest week of my life . . . farewelling my husband, that is always tough, but when my father rang to say my mother (suffering Alzheimer’s) woke up one morning this week & said she didn’t know who he was, I’m heart broken.  56 years of marriage, this is how their love story is going to end??  I’m shattered.  It's the moment i've been dreading.  Alzheimer's Disease can leave the patient with the blur of feeling like they should know the people around them, only they can't put it together, they feel stupid & often scared.

This year I have done many posts on things I’ve given up, paused or postponed, from the P&C to my website, small markets to working at Shop Handmade, all things I loved but I knew how this year was going to run (husband away & elderly parents) + high school is as full on & involved as expected, especially if your child has missed 2 weeks due to a virus & suddenly assignments for every subject are due to wrap up the term & vital school work is missing.  Pressure & stress, she likes to give her best. 

I like to have everything in order in my house so we can enjoy school holidays, not use that non-school-run-time-savings on sorting the cupboards.  Alas, I have a big double Handmade Market on next weekend, fabulous & that is where every spare moment is going next week, sewing!!  Oh throw in another teacher’s strike too & regional athletics carnival.  One more week of school, then we can all catch our breath . . . & visit my parents, the cupboards can wait. 

I’m grateful I’m allowed to be sad, take it all in, compartmentalise what I can help with & make changes to, along with that I can’t do anything about, only wish for the best – like my darling Dad’s daily dealings with the cruel Alzheimer’s which is stealing my mother from him.  They have moved to live closer to my doctor brother & his incredibly dedicated wife, for 'supervision', a very sensible move.  I have my mental health, i can deal with this, absorb, slow & calm.  I throw myself into positive pursuits like sewing & the gym, i walk the dog a bit further each day, he knows all my worries.  Pets as therapy anyone??  I'm also very grateful i don't have to be anything other than a daughter, wife & mother, focus on family, that is my only goal to wrap up this emotional year.  More Gratefuls here with sweet Sonia from Lioness Lady.  Love Posie

things i'm loving . . . 'Spring flowers at Floriade'

Greetings all,

Floriade is one of my favourite festivals in Canberra each year - it's close to school, easy to park the car, free to attend & just a beautiful place to wander alone with a camera or with a bunch of children.  We normally go twice a week during the 4 weeks it runs.

 Beautiful.

 Stunning.

 Happy.

 Clever.

 Delicious.

Kind of a no brainer what Things I'm Loving this week, for everyone else's, visit PaisleyJade.  Happy weekends, everyone.  Love Posie

our creative space . . . 'flowers, fun & friends'

Greetings all,

Glorious Floriade has flowered again - Canberra's uber famous Spring flower festival.  I popped in this afternoon to soak up some floral delights, do some shopping, visit my gal pal Tania at the Handmade Marquee at Floriade & give her a little gift. 

 The flowers deserve their own post tomorrow.
Look at the super cute bracelet i scored at Tick Tock Type - that clever Tamsin is at it again, making up the coolest steam punk jewellery around.  Red vintage scrabble tiles, gimme gimme.  Yep, i was forced to add to my collection of her watch part & type writer letter key accessories.  Forced i tell you!!

 Voila, la Tania McCartney with her fabulous collection of Riley books.

 Tuesday's weather was insane to say the least - thunder storms, sunshine, gale force winds, sunny, then freezing rain - so i thought i'd make her a little sample up of my international bunting range.  Tania loves to travel, thus her Riley series of books based in China, Hong Kong, Sydney & Melbourne, plus that fabulous Tai Tai book she wrote while living in Beijing.  The bunting has fabrics including Russian dolls, landmarks from Paris & London, plus some cute international flags.  She liked!!

 I don't normally 'do' a raw edge, but i'm thinking up speedier production methods with reduced price tags for the next Handmade Market.  I'm comfortable with this, viva la pinking shears & amazing quality linens to play with.  They are lined with calico & interfacing. 

The dizziness of this post sums up what is going on in my mind, i'm spinning.  For more creativity, go to our creative spaces, love Posie
PS thanks for yesterday's comments, i know i know, i failed at Wordless Wednesday, i'm a talker!!

wordless Wednesday . . . 'there she goes'

Greetings all,
I'm a first timer playing along with Faith Hope & a Whole Lotta Love this week for her Wordless Wednesday photography episodes.  Be nice to me. 

Look carefully, next to the swan . . . there goes my eldest daughter into the river . . .

she was actually just reaching for the bread her brother tossed from the other side, into the water.  It just looks hilarious!!  Enjoy, giggles, i'm so proud.  Oh yes, i really am proud, she came home yesterday with ribbons from her athletics carnival - 1st in high jump, 2nd in 1500m & 3rd in javelin, multi talent, so we're off to the private high school finals. 
Um, i'm not meant to write anything, as it's wordless & all.  I'm a talker, can't help myself.  Love Posie
EDIT: My daughter was fine, it just looks really bad from this angle!!  I actually didn't know i took this photo as the sun was glaring on the camera, i was just pointing & shooting at the children up the trees, by the lake, playing!!  Then when i found this image later, it made me laugh so hard.  The swan was fine, as you can see, very tame & hopefully has a good sense of humour too!!  Ok, could i be less wordless??

itch'n to get stitch'n . . .

Greetings all,

I love hand stitching, embroidery & tapestry, give me any crafts you can do 'unplugged' in the car, on the lounge, watching children's sport . . . the latest issue of Mollie Makes magazine is filled with stitchy goodness, it does not disappoint.

 Even better, stitching in a hoop!!

 Mollie does a cute embroidery hommage to tea & coffee (shame i don't drink either).

 I picked up these fabulous stitchy books in the past few weeks.

 The cute transfer style of Sublime Stitching is a winner, especially with my children who have a love of handycrafts too (remember we don't have any hand held electronic gadgets in this house or in the car for long trips, i go all Amish on them in the car).  I think the Cath Kidston house cushion below is so sweet!!

 I am so doing this embroidery over the Christmas break, my son has a few products with this Cath Kidston cowboy print on it, now he'll have a cushion to match, stitched with love.

 This image of the cherry cups in the adorable cupboard ever, is a little eye candy nod to darling Heidi in Alaska at The PolkaDot Petticoat.  The shelves in her home are lined with extreme divine vintage gorgeousness.

It's almost parenting Quit'n Time tonight, then i'll start my Stitch'n Time, love Posie

building or renovating, how to choose??

Greetings all,
Oh boy, starting a home from scratch or even renovating, how on earth . . . where do you begin . . . what to choose . . . right down to the power points??

Now we've lived in some pretty awful Army houses over the past 15 years, we know what we don't like so we're finding that planning our homestead, is kind of process of elimination. 

 First up, i never thought i'd care so much about what the power points looked like!!  But i do!!

 My husband & i agree on shape/ style/ design/ colour/ practical use of whatever it is we're looking at . . . 90% of the time, our tastes match & this far out from actually building, the other 10% doesn't even matter, i'm sure price will confirm many of our decisions.  I'm ALL about the bath, he is all about the oven.  I'd like to dream . . . while i'm indulging in a bath, he's cooking a feast in the oven!!

 I've suffered some bloody ordinary toilet roll holders in my time, our current ones constantly fall off, they are so friggen annoying, why, it's such an uncomplicated product with a simple purpose.  The worst one was a school toilet style roll holder in our first Army house in Holsworthy NSW.  That toilet even had an occupied/ vacant turn latch lock, yep, classy!!
As for basins, i LOVE this kind of simple free hanging design, no clutter, no fuss, no bulk, it's non offensive & you can mop under it (yes, i consider how you clean everything, it's all part of the package).  I also love the free hanging bulb style toilet bowls, but not sure about the 'hidden' cistern sealed in the wall cavity, how do you fix them (asks my husband - son of a plumber).  We've even asked salesmen in show homes, they don't know either!!??

 But one buildzilla request i will not budge on will be that ALL my taps, spouts & knobs are mounted on the wall, i've mentioned before how i loathe water pooling at the tap, spouts & knob bases.  I like to use the word 'knob'; do you like the new buildzilla term i just made up??  When we do actually build, i might refer to buildzilla moments!!

 I reckon i spent an hour opening & closing these kitchen drawers . . . they are push-to-open & you can try to slam them closed . . . but they stop, then close automatically, quietly (i choose items what damage teenagers might do too, such as slamming drawers in a huffy agnst!!)  I'm really clumsy, i am always banging my hips, thighs, shins, elbows, forehead on any kind of knob/ handle/ corner, so these smooth flat fronted drawers are perfection for injury prone me!!
Oh something else we do. not. need. is under lit laundry cupboards??  What??  Why??  My laundry is not a nightclub, i don't understand the benefit or expense of lighting up the skirting boards??  I do LOVE the idea of a glass laundry door, what clever use of light. 

Another thing i've never quite warmed to - from hotels around the world to our very own kitchen sink, is the mixer tap.  I often get my husband to run me a shower in a hotel, i can't get the temperature right, pathetic, yes!!  There is one tap i might have to compromise on - coming out from the bench top, not the wall . . . if the kitchen sink is in the island we desire.  I like old fashioned hot & cold taps, actually i LOVE the idea of the surgeon style taps you turn on & off with your elbows.  Wonder if my brother could aquire me some??  As a toddler, his eldest son would turn taps on & off with his elbows - guess what, he also grew up to be a doctor too!!  I'd really want a big laboratory sink, nod to my short pharmacology career. 
I pride myself on being a not-splitting-hairs kind of person, i've also lost my passion for a good argument (i don't know who i am anymore) but picking drawers, taps, toilet bowls, OMG, such choice, so many hairs to split.  Handsome soldier & i do have a theme - classic, practical, non offensive style, almost plain . . . that way it won't date too quickly & we can add colour, texture, patterns & style with ornaments, not the fixtures!!  Have happy weeks everyone.  Love Posie

i'm grateful for . . . 'an unexpected family week day together'

Greetings all,
Well with yesterday's post (chemical explosion in Canberra & school closures), it's no surprise we high tailed it to the countryside - to Poacher's Pantry, with the children & ate up a storm. 

 Seafood platter including locally caught salmon & trout from the lakes on the property.

 The meat platter with lamb, piggie, beef & possibly kangaroo, always a variety.

 Amazing bread selection with crackers to scoop up all the condiments & dip selection.  We also ordered fish & chips, smoked sausages & deep fried zucchini balls, as our children eat like horses!!

 As a surprise day off, it was just lovely to have a care free day at a restuarant, then all the way back into the city to the Lake to hang out with the swans, while handsome soldier & i chilled out on a rug.  My husband is all about building memories, which is gorgeous & heart breaking at the same time.

 Our children were climbing willow trees & all came back with head dresses of vines.  Naturally our middle girl was the self appointed queen of the forest people.

 This image totally sums up our 3rd born, she was truly born in the wrong era . . . who else looks this comfortable wearing a table cloth (it's a Country Road kaftan) & weaving vines.

  I swear his jeans were not this ripped when we left the house!!  I also promise to mend them tonight.

 Then again, there are so many explanations on how he rips his clothes!!

 The swans at Lake Burley Griffen are so tame, we usually find a party of 6 black swans.

SO there you have one very relaxed way to deal with a chemical explosion close to home which gives you an unexpected week day off with the family.  I have a million more photos from today, it was hard to narrow it down to a few.  We also went to a Home Improvement centre (how much work is it to design a house, every tile, every tap, every window) then a Seafood dealer, mmmm.  Making the most of soldier boy before he leaves us, again. 
For more Gratefuls, the gorgeous Brenda from Mira Narnie is hosting today.  She's all about family, married her teen love, just back from Italy & is an all round sweetheart.  Love Posie
PS the Riley book & pencil roll giveaway ends Sunday 18th, enter now!!