Thursday, September 30, 2010

A New Link Up : Mother Heart

Naomi from Seven Cherubs talks about her passion often : being a mother.  I am sure we all can relate and devour that concept.  Motivated by her passion she has started a regular Thursday link to encourage mums to share something about their own experiences of motherhood....now if you think you can come up with a line or twenty hop on board.





Today is the second last day of the Victorian school holidays. Moo Moo is in the ACT with her Nan, the Tullster is on Cuboree (Cub scout extravaganza camp) with his Cub Leader Dad and Anggie has been at home with Mummy. 

Angus and I have enjoyed our extra time together in spite of both having bronchitis. We have luxuriated in the extra time to chat, sit quietly together, go shopping, have Thai food (the first time for Angus and mummy in a bid to have him taste ALL the flavours totally over ordered - not only did we bring three dishes untouched home, Mummy fainted at the bill!!! Oh well all in the name of life experience I tell myself!)  Angus and I both like to be quiet and in our own heads. But we also enjoy doing that with someone. Someone equally wanting to be in their own head.  Perfect Match!

We have had some good conversations too about things we fear, we love, our dreams and what makes us laugh. We have watched some great inspirational movies together. And watched morning TV in bed together, we played games on the IPAD (and probably got a bit too addicted to Pocket Frogs LOL).

We have also nursed each other in our illness - bringing each other glasses of water, wheat bags, pillows to ease our illnesses (we suffered two days through both taking turns rising from our respective sicks beds to check on one another). If you have ever read the series of The Five Love Languages you will understand when I say Angus and I both show our love with "acts of service" in other words one the main ways we show our love is through doing kind things for others  ( I also like to give gifts, so I fall into that catergory too). 

With three kids and a wonderful husband, I often find it hard to divide myself between them so they all get one on one time with me. But I do, yeah it is a juggle and it doesn't happen with great frequency but because I know it's value I MAKE it happen - "Date Nights" with all of them including Mr G. 

The benefits? We continue to build our knowledge of each other and they way we relate to each other. It   
gives me an opportunity to explore ideas and the emotional landscape to gauge if all is well. It provides the kids an opportunity to talk freely and feel special and we both get to do some really fun stuff.  

Tomorrow Angus and I drive to Canberra to pick up Moo Moo and by Sunday night we will again be the "tight bunch of five" that we all love to be. I love time with just one, but I feel better as part of five. 

I love my family.


(you can find other beautiful images like this gorgeous angel from here)


Friday, September 17, 2010

Sewing the seeds of my summer fashions

When I married Mr G in 1992 he was in the Army and we moved to Adelaide where I soon found myself spending a lot of time alone. It was then I bought my sewing machine and decided to teach myself to sew and I began my "stash" which grew considerably stronger than my sewing skills!

Back then I cam across this gorgeous cotton fabric, being a devotee of retro looks and a dreamer of 50's and 40's style clothes, I fell in love with it.  I never used it because I was too nervous of wrecking it and wasting such a unusual fabric, one which rarely comes around twice -  so using it was always going to be reserved for something special and a time when I could actually sew.


Fast forward 18 plus years and I am in my second term of sewing classes and finally feel confident to make myself a dress! 




Still not finished as I am not yet confident to sew it "unsupervised" - but here is a sneak peek!

What do you think?

Monday, September 13, 2010

Things that I am loving....

Over at Paisley Jade's I often see posts of things she is loving at that moment. I thought I might join her and share with you all a few things I am loving today....

My new purple sneakers

My Forest Friends Stamp set


Bubble baths



My big porcelain ring



My latest piece of vintage pyrex only $3.50


Kids in trees



This is what I love today. What are you loving today?



Sunday, September 12, 2010

What took so long?

Sometimes life gets so busy it hits you hard that you have to take a minute to recall the last family outing that was only about having fun.  Sundays are now officially free of footy, which means we see more Angus and more Mr G (yay), no one needed shoes or haircuts. The lawns, washing and swimming lessons were done. No one was having a birthday and there were no Hallmark occassions to celebrate- today was free! We had choice!  So without further ado we grabbed some snags, bread, BBQ grill etc, jumped in the car and headed to Rubicon (North East Melbourne) past Yarra Glen. Oh so lovely. 
Of course I kept busy on the trip, I finished this project in the car whilst admiring the scenery. The kids watched a DVD on the way with head phones, which meant Mr G and I could listen to some mellow tunes on the journey.
Once we arrived the kids got busy laying a fire to cook lunch on. Angus our number one kid is the action man of the family obsessed with camping, adventuring and risk taking. Once upon a time Mr G was an Army Officer and Angus just loves going through his Dad's old Army gear. This weekend Angus managed to procure a few coveted items : a pocket knife and this.

Posie was only this week wondering on her Blog why her daughter was toting around this publication, one glance at this book laying nearby and it made perfect sense : Angus. Heh, heh, I love how he actually brought it with him.


Mr G reminded why I love him, reaffirming his "sexiness" - oh beeeehave!



Lunch was simple and tasty.



I found Angus' pocket knife abilities nerve racking but he showed us he was very responsible. I still react like he was 5, I am having issues letting go aren't I?



It was great to get out into the natural environment, breathe really fresh air, hear rushing water, wander through the bush. We laughed, explored and talked as a family and wondered why we haven't done this for ages. Then it started to rain and we remembered that it has been a long wet winter! 

On the trip back home I started a new project as I finished the blue on on the way there. What a wonderful and productive day!

Friday, September 10, 2010

It's a dead cert



I was a smoker - big time. Loved it. Then I fell pregnant and did not smoke for 3 years. After baby number two I was wading through a dreadful time of grief and PND which took me back to my old friend the "cig-rama".  Then pregnant with #3 I stopped again.  12months later, I found myself having "stress relievers" and a smoke with the girls....So my smoking addiction was this bizarre "binge" style which even my GP thought strange - I never smoked in public, in fact I was really embarrassed about it. I could go weeks, months even without a cigarette then get with a smoker and I would light up... Finally I have stopped this tragic pattern and have now gone months and months and months without a cigarette.

Yay! I am a Non-Smoker. I now do not allow smoking on my premises (smoking indoors NEVER happened - it was a strictly outside affair).  My few smoker friends I find stinky (sorry girls if you read this - I still love you xx) and I cannot stand walking through shopping centre doorways where smokers loiter; well actually I have always despised this.   But I feel differently about me smoking now. I am no longer fearful of lighting another cigarette, I now know that I will never light another. I have experienced stress and PMS, had a few "girls nights out" with a few smokers but haven't lit up....No I just don't want to smoke.

I can't smoke ever again you see, because I have made a promise to three special people that have each expressed their personal fears about me smoking. To fail in these guys' eyes through smoking would be a fate worse than lung cancer. I love these guys and really want to see them through as much of their lives as I can.


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

When the winter finally lifts...


My kids are normally robust little creatures and rarely get ill but this winter has been disastrous for our family! Well, that is probably exaggerating a little, maybe a lot, but there have been a lot of sick days this term, I have no sick leave left. Yikes, no mental health day in sight!

A few weeks ago I was summonsed by the school "please pick up your daughter she is being very sick...everywhere". I was passed the message by a colleague as I was in a meeting - I think my colleague was a little shocked when she saw me saunter out of the office 45 minutes later. Well, I knew she was safe in sick bay and the best I could hope for was she would be "empty" by the time I picked her up, so I was not really in a rush to get her.

So then that "bug" did the rounds and the mongrel thing even got me and I am not happy to report that it took me considerably longer to bounce back than the 24 hours it took the kids.  Murphy's law applied of course and Mr G was in New Zealand at the time ugh!

So last week and this week has been the flu.  Sore throats, barking coughs (perfect to trigger every PSM'ed nerve in my brain) and an constant and incessant need for Mum to provide some sort of comfort every two minutes.  A particularly stressful time for the Tullster who is at this moment on the cusp of getting this flu as tomorrow night is his BIG night in a lead role for the school production. He refuses to speak a word in order to "save" his voice.  

Bring on the holidays I say! I am over term 3, I long for a fresh term with sunshine and a summer light at the end of the tunnel . Oh yeah!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Skirting around the issue

I have had this fabric sitting around for ages. I bought it for about $2 a metre and finally made something out of it : just a simple A-line skirt, zip at side - which went in perfectly I might add!  There's enough left over to make a skirt for my little ladybird.



This little dolly nearly fell victim to my Decluttering efforts. She was in my hand ready to go into the goodwill box.  It only took a moment to recall she was my dolly from when I was 6. My Uncle bought her for me, she was inexpensive and in fact I suspect a second (note her double eye brows). My Uncle suffered a stroke as a young soldier which left him brain injured and somewhat disabled but certainly not unuseful; his story is a very tragic story and well in check with the social attitudes of the 1960's.  He could of well ended up living in an institution, but thankfully my mother's family have strong views about looking after their own. My Uncle lived with them until the death of his parents and now lives independantly and is a star bowls and darts player.

Fond memories flowed back to me, of the attention and love my younger sister and I always received from our Uncle, not to mention his generosity. Uncle Bill always bought us comics and little gifts even though he relied on a pension, to this day I still get money in a card from him on my birthday. 

So, Dolly was saved and got a nice new dress! I cannot for the life of me remember her name, maybe we need a to give her a new one?  Ideas anyone?





Saturday, September 4, 2010

I am trying not to reclaim my inner Evil twin


Good Morning lovely friends!

How are you all this, um,  lovely? Yeah, of course it is lovely, we are alive and active and creative ! So yes! How are you all this lovely morning?
It is Saturday morning and I am beginning the weekend with a good old blogging session, looking out of my bedroom window (did I mention that I am in bed with crumpets and coffee?) seeing the gardens wake from their sodden state of the big down pour last night.





Yesterday was my day off and the de-cluttering continued. I exited jig-saws that haven't been played with for a long while, old games, books, books, some tragic knitting books, a big bag of wool!!! Old toys, clothes and doona covers. Yet, still there is not enough room. 





Nope, you wouldn't know that I have removed so much debris. There is another huge box in the hall and  a pile in the car port and there's still more to be decluttered.   Of course what does not help with this process is that Miss Prudence seems to have an Evil twin.......did you just hear some dramatic music?  Yes, last Sunday we went to take a "return" back to a shop in Collingwood. Problem: Smith St has all those enticing bargains to the left, to right, in front and behind you.  My Evil Twin emerge and escaped for an hour and wreaked havoc.  Later  I came too and regained my senses, returning to my virtuous state of wanting to declutter and live a simple life, I found that I had brought into the house : new clothes for kids, a pile of  books including nice craft ones , fabric and three pairs of "not on sale" Italian Leather shoes!!! And worse yet, I laybyed another two pairs!!!! They were all so gorgeous I think I need to make a post for them...

Now I have to find five pairs of shoes to throw out!!!! I did find two, still looking. Sheesh!





Other goings on around here include an attempt to get a bit of Spring happening around our home and the hope in the air, I did a bit of gardening. I dabbed a bit of "potted colour" around the place.  We live on a green belt part of the city and are so very fortunate to be a skip and a hop from the river.  This means we can walk 3 minutes and see Kangaroos, the odd Platypus, Wombats and native bird life too numerous to mention.  I just love early morning walks by the river, listening to the quiet which is punctuated with the ring of Bellbirds.  But, there are villans in any community and these guys 
are guilty of much vandalism. Individually, Cockatoos seem comedic and chatty and so very loveable, but bored and united with a gang they become utterly delinquent!!! 




Look what one did to my Polyanthus! Just snapped the plant from it roots and left it there. It wasn't eaten or chewed. No! Just blatant vandalism!
This is not the first time this has happened and boy am I mad! I think I may have start up a petition asking for harsher penalties for these birdie thugs!  Grrrrrrr.






Now to finish off this epic post  I will share a bit of crochet with you.  I made these mittens using shell stitch, I made up the pattern - so it is not very intricate!



 I trimmed the charcoal wool with cream which you can't see in this shot and finished off with vintage buttons. Off they go to my friends' daughter who is feeling pretty sad and lost at the moment and is currently faced with contemplating some huge life challenges, I hope they say someone else is thinking of her and loving her.