my stay-at-home week plans . . . feeling a bit sore & sorry for myself

Greetings all,

On this waiting-for-surgery-roller-coaster to fix my carpal tunnel ridden hands, after 10 years of sewing every day, i have to find new things to fill the void (& blog about).  Basically my hands are numb in the morning, i come home via the gym & ice them.  Today i needed bubble wrap to ship out some orders from my huge on line sale & had this sudden hankering for rice paper rolls.  They are so cheap to make from scratch.

 The rice paper spring roll sheets & noodles = $5 & the prawns about $4 for 450gm.

 A BBQ chicken on special $9, how gross does shop bought seasoning look??  Especially with my finger prints in it. 

 Felt pretty smug as i walked straight past the herbs at the supermarket, knowing i had a herb shrubery at home.  Dill haters need not comment.  I have 2 mega dill bushes & 3 coriander, i've never been this successful with growing these delicate beauties before. 

 I picked a colander full of dill, coriander, parsley, mint, shallots, basil & oregano (i know, just like how the Vietnamese make their rice paper rolls, if they were in Italy!!) 

 Setting myself up for a week worth of delicious lunches & afternoon-hand-resting-movie-watching, i got all these movies for under $12!!  I miss so many movies, so on $1.95 day i can catch up.  Don't worry, i'm not turning into a lardy lounge potato, a movie is great way to pass time on the treadmill, i do hill climbs with my hand on ice, brilliant!! 

 Now to bundle up these orders in bubbles & post out this afternoon on the school run.

 Big sellers are the French Style suitcases, Ladybird note pads, Kristen Doran screen prints, Divine Twine, Dumpling Dynasty tins & Rosie Flo colouring books - all on special!!

Do you ever visit Australian Women on line, there is a nice interview about me, love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'which role do you play in your circles??'

Greetings all,

Some random images & thoughts.  It's raining, today will be indoorsy: hang out with the children, pack orders from my big on line sale & relax.  Good thing yesterday was outdoorsy: children's sports, Farmer's market, herb gardening, lawn mowing, tyre pumping & bike riding + a lovely dinner with a great gal. 

Talking late into the night about social media, designing, husbands, travel, her baby plans & house renovation . . . i was thinking how i move cities constantly, i'm still friends with girls from pre/ primary/ high school & Uni + military wives from each posting, my design contacts & bloggers . . . i run in many different circles.  Each group has it's drama queens, attention seekers, followers, organisers, loud & quiet ones, bossy alphas & pushovers, sometimes there are power challenges, or everyone is calm, uncompetitive, equal.  I was a leader but i love being on my own too, i don't need to be surrounded.  I was never a bully.  I've never been a friend collector.  

Sometimes i'm the organiser, sometimes happy to follow - especially if i'm a guest in someone else's circle territory, like when the preschool mums invite me to movies & lunch.  They want to talk preschool, my youngest is nearly 8, they don't want to think about high school or fashion or design or decor, i just enjoy the movie & the food.

 At school i remember a lot of gossip would come my way, i'd somehow decipher what was to be shared & what was to die with me.  I was an excellent confidante to those who needed it & conduit to those who wanted publicity.  I had a barometre on what was nasty & private, versus harmless information sharing.  I was always told i was mature for my age & don't ever remember a show down of "OMG, how could you spread that gossip".  I do remember we were 'a nice year' of girls, dozens of us are still great friends.  My sister was 3 years ahead of me at Ravenswood & hated it, mean girls & serious reputation crushing gossip. 

 I still find, in my various circles, that i am the confidante.  In the past months i've had friends, acquintances & on line bloggers tell me about cancer diagnosis, marriage breakdowns, depression, financial crisis & pregnancies.  Poof, i'm so honoured people can be so honest & open, share & sense i'll keep their confidence.  Not sure what vibe i give off, i'm open & private.  I don't realise it happens, but my husband notices complete strangers will share incredible personal details with me.  When you have babies with you, people will spill all about conception, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, poo colour/ consistency/ frequency.  Not sure why, is it the sisterhood of knowing??  Blogging is like this, public posts or emailing in confidence to a blogger you've never met but trust, is a great way to get things off your chest!!  I'll say it again, blogging as therapy!! 

 I am lucky enough to meet lots of people who read my blog, they say "you're just like your blog" which is nice, i'm nothing if not consistent & i think my blog persona is nice too!!  I'm told my blog oozes love, i blog so my husband can see what we're up to & i'm all about love for him!!  I also sit on a lot of confidences, from good news bloggers aren't ready to reveal yet . . . to bad news famous bloggers who are incredibly horrible business people.  My lips are sealed as i'd like to think i'm above the drama, too classy to blog publicly about who has screwed up & thoroughly disappointed me.  I know they know, that is enough.    

So, what role are you playing in your various circles?? Is it the same one from childhood like me?? Love Posie

I also like to share & the randomly selected winner of my latest Mollie Makes magazine giveaway is one super sweet gal Emma from Frog, Goose & Bear blog.  Congratulations!! 

a mixed week of busy-ness & a Twilight movie

 

Greetings all,

Poof what an energy sapping week.  High excitement of my daughter's placing in the state athletics finals, President Obama waved at me (yes ME) & i'm booked in for my nerve conduction tests for carpal tunnel with the neurologist in a fortnight, next stop surgery . . . combined with a sense of zero energy, children demanding things of me like i don't have a soul - that 'mother' not person feeling.  Sigh. 
I've been busy behind the scenes, resting my pesky right hand on an icepack & loading all my left over stock into a huge on line sale.  Go nuts people!!

 I used to run my website in a handmade custom order style, which was fun & demanding.  Then i added lots of vintage style toys & party goodies to the mix.  Since my success at Shop Handmade & Market, i really cut back on line the past couple of years.  Now i'm barely sewing as i wait for hand surgery, i thought i'd sell off everything sitting in stock. 
$15 flat rate shipping, Australia only, lots of items are 'last one in stock' & 40% off.

 There are also kits & crafty supplies, i'll do a massive fabric remnant sale in a fortnight, my hands get sore easily, measuring & bundling fabric hurts!!   

 I've been doing lots of Christmas & Summer fashion shopping too, how cute is the window at Jigsaw??  I've added a new kaftan or two into my wardrobe.

 Today i woke with a migraine, i had an appointment near the cinema so combined the two.  I said to the children "i might see the new Twilight movie today" & one little 10y.o. piped up "do you mean, Breaking Dawn Part 1, they get married & have a baby".  Um, how does she know??  "Mum, everyone knows, dah".  I didn't.  A good place to be on a hot day with a screaming headache, in the dark, cold cinema with a fantastic film to distract you. 

Trailer - which outlines everything, just like my daughter said.
I want to see the movie again, already, it was possibly the best acted one so far, gorgeous cinematography & that beach house, i want to live there!!  I said to my husband, who suffers through these movies (i'm not a 'twi-hard' i enjoy them, took me to see Eclipse when we were in Italy) he has to see the architecture, it's masculine, modern but so so tasteful.  I also loved the clothes & gosh the Cullen girls are pretty.  Best $9 i've spent in a long time, i was thoroughly engrossed in the story line & scenery.  The wedding, don't get me started or crying again!!
I don't know if you've seen the actors interviewed lately but Nikki Reid (Rosalie) is delightful in real life & Taylor Lautner (Jacob) is so funny about his shirtless antics "i read the script, 4 lines in, Jacob tears his shirt off" & it's true!!  Team Jacob fans will not have to wait long to see his abs.  I'm still Team Edward, i think he gets better looking with each movie, especially with less broody squinty eyes.  Love Posie 

blink & you'd miss him . . .

Greetings all,

Our brush with President Obama is over.  We were a 28 hour pit stop between APEC in Hawaii & East Asia Summit in Bali.  So literally, blink & you'd miss him.

 We saw the motorcade on the way to school, a blur of speeding cars.  So i did some shopping in the city, then i thought i'd stake out the school President Obama was secretly obviously visiting, due to the media & police presence.

 This reporter was so lovely, some sweet grandparents next to me posed for photos with her.  She was even using hair spray prior to the live cross for when the motorcade came whizzing past.  Ooppss, she was sneezing.

 Lucky Campbell High School year 9 & 10 journalism students met with him in the library.  The Federal Police were so funny on ANZAC Parade, chatting to the crowd, sitting on the curb, leaning on the fences, sending SMS on their phones & swinging their arms to stay alert - they are so NOT the Army!!  The funniest thing i saw was a Kia Carnival filled with Secret Service - seriously, a Kia Carnival, they looked like a school mum in a rush.  Ever heard of a Kia Carnival in a high speed chase or rocking up to stop a riot??

 Then the motorcade starts up again . . .

 & the helicopters circle above . . .

 & there goes the President, again.  He so totally waved at me!!

Off he went to Darwin & landed at the Air Force Base we used to live on.  I don't miss aviation gasoline on my washing!!  They're expanding the Army Barracks to include thousands of US Marines, yay, we still have property up in Darwin, so house prices will rise.  The ratio of men:women in the Northern Territory is 5:1, now ladies have hunky Marines in the mix.  Have you noticed that everyone in Darwin is thrilled about the base??  It's going to bring so much money to that beautiful tropical city!!  We'll sell our property so we can build a home but we'd love to have held onto it, so our children can visit their home town in the future.  Love Posie

a very wordy Presidential Wednesday

Greetings all,

Simply could not cope with a Wordless Wednesday today, not with such an incredible week already!!  Air Force One has landed in my adopted home town of Canberra.

 US President Obama flew into this view - Canberra may be our nation's capital but it's a regional city in the middle of a sheep paddock, population of the Australian Capital Territory is under half a million people!! 

 Hmmm, he landed just in time to clog up the school run.  Children were stranded as buses & parents were stuck in grid lock between the airport & Parliament House, but no one was unhappy, we had plenty of notice & it's exciting . . . Canberra is not known as a 'happening place' so to have Queen Elizabeth last month, President Obama this month & OUR Crown Princess Mary next month visit, we're feeling a bit important, special & smug.

 I'm wondering if i might try my luck at a photo opportunity at the War Memorial tomorrow?? 

 Rumour has it President Obama is going to visit a local school in Canberra.  Hmmm, might supervise which shorts my son wears just in case??  Nothing like the school ringing you to say your son's shorts are ripped - if only i knew how to sew??

 I wonder what delicious food we're going to serve the President of the United States of Amercia.  I highly recommend my Sunday night's roast beef.  I just know they'll try to make him eat crocodile & kangaroo in Darwin tomorrow, so cliche (but tastey).

 Fresh garlic beans & salty rosemary potatoes, mmmm.

 Feeling completely exhausted this week, a mix of pride & heat stroke . . . at the high school state finals for athletics.   

 My eldest girl is a long distance runner, long & high jumper, winning places in the regionals, but to our shock, she came 3rd in the ACT for javelin??!!  She's reserve for the national finals.  All this talent, completely untrained + she's petit, once she gets some power & height, i can't imagine what she'll be capable of.  She absolutely loves sport & i hope, like me, she never thinks it's uncool.

 Before we went out to the Australian Institue of Sports, i swung by Peter Alexander for a little congratulations gift & could not resist these banana bloomers!!

She liked!!  We danced & then back to reality to finish an assignment.  Yawn.  Love Posie

it's beginning to look a lot like i should be doing more Christmas shopping

Greetings all,

A little bit thrilled with this wooden tree from TYPO, but really, it just reminds me that i really should knock over the Christmas shopping for others, not myself.  I'm not spending Christmas Day with any family this year (is it wrong that i feel empowered??) but i have to get gifts to them.  I plan to do up a hamper for each family (5-6 people, 10 families + individual gifts for the children).  Honestly, until i get a date for hand surgery, it's just not at the forefront of my mind.

 I dream, in the future, this hook-laden-tree, will hold the keys to our cars, tractor & quad/ trail bikes.  Isn't that cool & scary at the same time, my children on the road, eeek.  I loathe looking for keys, especially if like on "The Castle" we need to move 4 children's cars out of the way to get to mine!! 

 With Christmas gift hampers in mind, i headed to the Farmer's Market on Saturday to scout for ideas.  Brandy Butter, Puddings, Organic Chocolates . . . mmmm.  With only 3 children doing Little Athletics, i took my solo 3rd girl with me, unfortunately she's the hungriest child on earth & eats her way through the samples like Homer Simpson.  I oblige by buying what she recommends . . . 5kg fruit, juice, lunch & dinner (rolled roast beef) for the entire weekend.  So easy to feed my athletes lunch of Turkish Bread & avocado dip.  I'd never offered my children honeycomb??  Yumbo.  

 Bottom of the barrel $5 lillies, thank you!!

 This little runner & jumper won her hurdles, high & long jump on Saturday.  When we had twin babies, we decided to raise them independent of each other & not compare.  But this year in the same class - who gets to be class captain??  They took it in turns, unspoken agreement to nominate for different semesters (still voted by class mates, they're not dictators!!)  It didn't occur to me until year 2 that actual races . . . with places, would mean direct competition & comparison.  As it turns out, they  take it in turns (on ability, trust me, they zoom past each other without a side glance on the track) winning the 200m, 800m, long jump & cross country each year.  Oh look, you can see her latest missing tooth. 

How is your Monday??  I have to return to school at midday with a swim suit for this clown above who has swimming lessons.  Argh!!  Her sister & brother sensibly wore their suits, ready for the pool & of course, when i dropped them this morning she blankly looked at me & said "no one told me to put my towel & swimming costume in my bag".  Oh those are the Monday mornings you just want to scream, but i didn't, i had two choices: buy a new costume & towel in the city, or go home, collect & deliver.  I went home & blogged.  We live out of town, i'm not making 3 trips, so i'll get back to Christmas shopping list. 

Are you knocking over the Christmas shopping??  Are you actually not religious but everyone expects a gift anyway??  Do you think nieces & nephews over 18 should still get gifts from you??  I have 19 nieces & nephews, time to cull a few, non??  It's hard not to be the token bahhumbug, we have large families & i wonder if they even care, when they get a gift in the mail, among so many others??  I ponder, love Posie

i'm grateful for . . . 'a liberating & genuinely hearty week of imperfection'

Greetings all,

I'm just so thrilled you came along on my week of imperfections with the right attitude, laughing with me at my mistakes, mishaps & silly choices . . . thank you, i needed it!!
I've had a particularly challenging headspace, with more Australian soldiers shot in Afghanistan . . . i've been distracting myself with Christmas shopping, friends & my website (open next week).  Then the very sobering experience that is Remembrance Day yesterday.  I went to 3 ceremonies in a row - the War Memorial; primary school (my girls were hosting); then my eldest daughter's college, with a catered lunch where i was the only uncoupled adult, so the gorgeous principal sat with me.  My husband would have been so proud to watch our children yesterday.  He loves my imperfections, i'm the opposite of his strict world of dogmatic routine & military precision, my inability to be perfect is what he loves about me the most!!??  It's amazing what a laugh can fix!! 
The ceremony at the War Memorial had hiccups . . . an ambulance took one of the gentlemen from the Australian Men's Rugby Choir away; a sailor passed out (i heard the crack of his body on the parade ground 50m away); & a sweet mum in the VIP area had her toddler run off onto the parade ground.  FYI no one walks on the parade ground in a proper military ceremony!!

 Our extremely impressive Governor General Quentan Bryce, laying a wreath, exquisite as always in speech, ensemble & occasion.

 The Prime Minister, being none of those things.

 The Federation Guard is a full time ceremonial unit made up of Navy, Army & Air Force. 

 I was trying to find a soldier with my husband's rank to show you what he looks like on parade.

 The Air Force have such an advantage with their uniform, nice colours to work with.

 The Royal Military College Band - check out the leopard skin drum (i think he's a Drum Major) but honestly, i really don't have a clue. 

Once they leave the parade ground, the officer who marches them off, hands over to the non commissioned officer in charge, who (between shouting commands) thanks everyone for their efforts.  I haven't seen my husband on parade for years, but he'd be the one out the front with the pacestick, yelling.So there you have it, imperfection focus over & back to my little successes in life. 
For more weekly Gratefuls, check out Maxabella Loves, love Posie