Beautiful Day

Loving 91 Magazine

2012-02-17T07:00:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite online magazines is 91 Magazine by Patchwork Harmony. I have been reading and loving Caroline's blog for ages, and now I get all excited when new issues of 91 Mag are released! You can read the magazine here for free by just clicking on the picture below:

There are some great features, my favourite including a look into the life of Tif Fussell from Dottie Angel. She makes me want
to go all artsy!

Take a few minutes to flick through and maybe find some sweet inspiration for home decorating. xx

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-14T23:42:00.000+08:00

(Pink and grey galah's on next door's dead tree!)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys blog.

Favourite Romantic Movies for Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T16:05:00.003+08:00

Valentine's Day brings to mind all the wonderfully romantic films that have left me with warm, fuzzy feelings, including these:

Only You

50 First Dates

Love Actually

Pride and Prejudice

Made of Honour

The Holiday

Bridget Jones Diary

Twilight

Moonstruck

and Valentine's Day.

There are also some romantic films with tragic endings that leave you feeling not so happy,
but make you hang on to your loved ones tightly:

Titanic

City of Angels

Bicentennial Man

Phantom of the Opera

and Moulin Rouge

All favourite films of mine that I could watch over, and over and over! Can you think of any others that stir your romantic soul?
Happy Valentine's Day! xx

It's Monday! What are you Reading?

2012-02-13T17:57:00.001+08:00

I'm playing along with Sheila's Bookjourney to let you know my latest reads. I've read the three books I said I would read, along with one other, "The Virgin Blue" by Tracy Chevalier. What a fantastic read that was! Actually I still have a few more chapters of "Jessica" by Bryce Courtney to read, and then I will have read these 4 books.

They were all great reads, particularly The Virgin Blue and Jessica, which I will give 5 stars each.

Now that I've read three Australian books ( and a French one thrown in for good measure!) I've decided to read some well-known English books:

Emma by Jane Austen

These are all on the Dymocks Top 100 list, so I'm sure they'll be brilliant. I've not read any of them before, and I haven't even seen any of the movies based on the books either. Oh, hold on, I may have seen Mists of Avalon, and perhaps the beginning of Possession.

Let me know if you can think of any good novels about ghosts - I really love them and need some recommendations. Some of my favourites include "Second Glance" by Jodi Picoult, and "Midnight is a Lonely Place" by Barbara Erskine.

I've even started to write a story about ghosts!
Check out what everyone else is reading at Sheila's Bookjourney xx

The Jezabels - Sunday Session

2012-02-12T11:11:00.000+08:00

This song, Endless Summer has been on an ad on tele, and I finally googled it to find the video. I had heard of the Jezabels before but knew nothing about them. They are an Australian band.

I was really surprised that they chose this theme for the video, but I actually really love it.

Only one video to share today, because this one has had such an impact on me. Pop over to Thea's blog to check out some more Sunday Sessions. xx

In the city to see the Cake Boss

2012-02-11T14:10:00.000+08:00

Last week we ventured into town on the train to the Convention Centre to see Buddy Valastro, the Cake Boss. I took some shots of the city buildings, because I love the architecture and the combination of old and new.

Buddy's show was great!

He was warm, funny, and our cheeks were hurting at the end from laughing. The show involved bringing different groups of people up on stage to decorate cupcakes, and the audience cheered to show whose decorating was the best. They were pretty woeful efforts, but everyone on stage was so nervous in front of the crowd and the Boss. I certainly wouldn't have gone up there! Sometimes the contestants had danceoffs to choose a winner, when the cake decorating was too bad. It was a laugh! The music to accompany the comps was well chosen too - big favourites from over the years to get the crowd really pumped.

Buddy also spent time just talking to the crowd, telling us his story, and about his determination to make Carlo's Bakery a household name. He had a great message about family honour, togetherness, hard work, high goals, and being good. You couldn't help but leave the show smiling.

The only downer was that all the talk about cake had us hoping we would find canolis under our seats (Oprah style) but it was not to be. So we walked through the city after the show and found Miss Maud's where I indulged in a raspberry macaroon, and a slice of apple cake, which were delish!

Shopping for shoes and stationery

2012-01-29T16:20:00.000+08:00

Had a couple of quick visits to the shops this week. Mainly because I needed some shoes for school, which goes back tomorrow! Saw this great sign in Typo. Love it!

So I bought these:

and these:

on sale from the Shoe Rack.

And I couldn't resist buying all these gorgeous things for school from Typo, which is my favourite shop:

The A4 notebooks are 3 for $10. Gotta love that. And the hopscotch pic is a mouse mat! xx

Foo Fighters Sunday Session

2012-01-29T00:26:00.002+08:00

The Foo Fighters are very cool.

I can't believe that their song, Walk, didn't make it into the Triple J Hottest 100. This song rocks! I love the melody. And the clip is amusing.

If you enjoyed that one, here's another one, Best of You, from a couple of years ago:

I love this one too, Times Like These, which is a bit of an oldie:

Joining up over at Do I really Wanna Blog, for Thea's Sunday Session. See you there!

Jason Bateman

2012-01-28T12:43:00.002+08:00

So, we happened to watch some Jason Bateman films this last week. They are so crass, lewd and rude that I barely recommend them, but they were very funny. And I've gotta say, Jason Bateman is such a good comedy actor. His face just does everything right. And something that stayed with me through both films was that he looks so much like Neil Finn of Crowded House fame.

I know there is an age difference, but they have the same mouth and hair, cheeks and eyebrows, nose, and ..I could go on but you get the idea! Hold on, they have different ears and their eyes are different colours. But don't you think they look like long-lost brothers??

What I Wore Wednesday

2012-01-26T14:40:00.001+08:00

I always get a haircut just before school goes back, and this time I got a colour as well after about 5 years of not having one. I don't like using products with chemicals, but you've got to do something when your hair looks like it's fading to grey!

It's been so hot around here, that I've been wearing dresses all summer. Thank goodness for Crossroads sales! I love this one which looks a bit Moroccan or something. It ends just above my knees which is the perfect length.

I'm linking up with What I Wore Wednesday over at The Pleated Poppy.

A Project A Week - 4 projects in my journal

2012-01-25T18:48:00.000+08:00

Just in case you were wondering if I'd managed to simplify my life at all, I'm bringing you 4 pages of my A Project A Week journal today.

Not to say that these projects are absolutely complete, but I've definitely made some progress!
This is the cover of the journal I am using:

And these are the introductory pages
(click on the pic to enlarge, if you like):

My first project was to update my blogs: Achieved!

The Second Project was to sort through my magazines - what a job! I went from 150 magazines down to 20. I'm pretty pleased with that, so this project is now finished and achieved!

Project Three involved going through my hard drive and external hard drive, to find, organise, and label all my photo folders, mainly so that I could find all the photos we have taken of our backyard over the years. My beautiful hubby has done so much work in the yard recently, that it is finally the yard we have always wanted! I will do a post soon, just about our Backyard Blitz,

so you can see all the Before and Afters.

As I go back to work next week, Project Four has been about planning my year's overview for school, units of study, assessment folders, parent folders, the first week's daily workpad, and generally thinking of ways to make my classroom look fresh and appealing.

My next project is to plan my term's teaching in detail, and then I'm going to move onto doing some of my art for my etsy shop.

I can't wait! xx

Summer Reading Bliss

2012-01-23T09:42:00.000+08:00

I've been lucky enough to have some time at a quiet part of the beach this week, and read a couple of books which were perfect for the setting. You can read my reviews of these books here.

The sunsets and balmy nights promise more of this heatwave.

Right now, I welcome it!

I have a stack of books by Australian writers that I'm about to read. They include,
That'd be Right by William McInnes

Jessica by Bryce Courtenay

and The Valley by Di Morrissey.

Just trying to decide which one to pick up first!

Check out what everyone else is reading at Sheila's Book Journey:

David Guetta - Sunday Session

2012-01-21T22:13:00.003+08:00

All I've listened to in the car over the last few months is this
David Guetta album:

I just love the vocals of the two songs I'm sharing today. Watch right to the end of both clips, because they have very cool endings.

This first one features Usher, who I first saw in The Bold and the Beautiful many years ago, and now he's mega famous. Such a catchy toon! And a good one to go with these hot summer days we're having.

I've been waiting for AGES for them to release a video for Titanium and I think it's brilliant. Sia is the featuring vocalist. Gotta love those high notes!

I'm linking up with Thea at Do I Really Wanna Blog for her Sunday Session.

Well, it's nearly Sunday anyway. Head on over to hear some more great songs. xx

A Hot, Hot Day

2012-01-21T11:44:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, we had some catch up time with family and friends, in the 39 degrees heat. We went to Mum's place for lunch with my sister and her two little cuties. Thanks for the yummy lunch Mum! Blake is getting mighty big now, he's three months old already!

Lily was busily playing all afternoon, so that I could barely get a shot of her! So here's a blurry one.

She is such a bundle of fun!

That night we went out to dinner with our friends Richard and his Mum, Betty. Betty goes back home to NSW on Monday after being here since Christmas. She is so sweet!

We went to Caffe Amaretto, which has the BEST food! I had chilli mussels, which is my favourite dish of all time, and a yumlicious slice of cookies and cream cheesecake. Gosh.

I managed to avoid fizzy drink all day. Yay me! xx

Goodbye fizzy drink, hello water!

2012-01-19T10:17:00.000+08:00

Last year around this time, I was heading the raw food revolution, and pretty much eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables. It was great! I loved it, but I started to look a bit wasted away. So I went back to normal food and now I have beefed up again, and ...well, my hips don't lie! I'd like to lose a bit of this extra weight, particularly the tyre around the middle, so I'm going to choose just a few changes to my diet, which should help the cause.

This week's challenge is for me to stop drinking fizzy drinks, and get back to drinking water. We have a water dispenser, which is brilliant, but over Christmas I got a bit excited about fizzy grapefruit juice, apple juice and lemonade in general. Naughty, naughty, naughty!

I started drinking only water yesterday and am loving it already! So refreshing and cleansing, and got to be better for my teeth!

Anyone want to join me in conquering the fizzy?

Rue Magazine

2012-01-18T11:28:00.000+08:00

I am full of admiration for people/bloggers who have created their own online magazines. It truly astounds me that so few people working on an idea can come up with something so polished.

Check out the newly released issue of Rue, created by one of my fave bloggers, Crystal from Plush Palate.

It is an interior decorating magazine, and also features some Valentine's Day gift ideas in this issue. I already have taken away some inspiring ideas from it! Just click on the magazine cover to read. You may even want to check out past issues too!

Golden Globes 2012 - Pretty girls and dresses

2012-01-16T14:51:00.002+08:00

I spent the morning watching the Golden Globes, which I love to do to find out the best movies to see and also to see all the pretty dresses. I even shed a tear when Morgan Freeman won the Cecil B.Demille award.

Love Morgan Freeman.

Here are some of the prettiest ladies in the world looking really good.

My fave was Natalie Portman:

And second standout was Dianna Argon from Glee:

I love the detail in that bodice!

Then Kate Winslet. Her outfit wasn't amazing but I loved her hair and makeup:

Nicole. Her dress was a bit weird, but from the waist up it was stunning, and I loved her hair and make-up:

Kate Beckinsale. Love that nude colour. I prefer the bottom of this dress to the top, as that square shape just doesn't look comfortable. Again her hair and make-up were gorgeous:

And those earrings!

I loved the colour of Jessica Alba's dress:

Oh, I do love a good awards show!
Which is your favourite dress?

Taking Down the Christmas Tree

2012-01-12T23:08:00.000+08:00

One of the bloggers I follow was talking about what to do with the pretty boxes from their Christmas presents, and I thought I'd show you what I do - store Christmas decorations in them!

I was lucky to get a Scarlet ghd hair straightener from Jonathon and Jack and it was in such a pretty box! One side opens out when you take off the lid, so I stored all the soft material decorations in that one.

My Mum bought me a pair of sparkly black shoes, and all my round baubles went in that box:

Jonathon and Jack also bought me a pair of shoes, and a bunch of pretty ornaments went in that box:

I received a star shaped Christmas platter from one of the children in my class, and I used that box to store small metal and wooden decorations:

Our friend Richard gave us this box of amazingly beautiful smelling aroma reeds (oh gosh, if you could just smell them!) and I put all our delicate paper decorations in that box:

My Dad and stepmum Jane gave me Heidi Klum's yummy new perfume Shine, so I put all the Christmas cards we received into that box.

You know the clear boxes that hold star bows? I filled two of those with more decorations. One has precious decorations that Jack made when he was in Pre-Primary.

And I got this box of Lindor chocolates for Christmas which is good for holding fragile and little ornaments:

So now the Christmas decorations are all packed away for another year. By the way, when they were on the tree they looked like this:

Oh, such a lovely time is Christmas!

Complicated

2012-01-11T09:32:00.001+08:00

Interestingly, just when I had sent my wish out there to the universe for my life to be simplified, it became more complicated. Last Friday night when I was minding my own business, taking a shower at about midnight, I leaned over and my lower back spasmed and froze. BAM! Just like that.

I did manage to call for Jonathon who helped me to shuffle slowly to the bedroom, where I was able to find some comfort in lying down. But about two hours later, when nature called I was unable to get out of bed. After much crying and carrying on that the new year shouldn't have started this way, I gave in and we called the ambulance. Half an hour later, and after an attempt to breathe in some painkilling, but cough-inducing medicine, they gave me a swift jab in the arm and then stretchered me out to the ambulance, luckily undercover of night, so the neighbours weren't gawking.

Off I went, somewhat out of it, and ended up in bay 14 of the emergency department of Joondalup Hospital. So my back was stuffed but, after being given some codeine type painkillers I was able to at least use a commode (low level of dignity here, but desperation had set in and I just could not get my head to let me use a bedpan.) So after an x-ray which showed I would just have to slowly heal, I was encouraged to get up and out of there.

But, my blood pressure had plummetted and, spectacularly, I collapsed in Jonathon's arms.

After remembering back to a previous incident, we realised that I am actually allergic to codeine and the docs decided I would have to stay in hospital until my blood pressure went back up, and the codeine was out of my system.

So to add to the fun, I was put on a drip. Don't you love it when they jab you with a needle for about ten minutes trying to find a good vein? No, you don't love it.

Anyhoo, they were all pretty nice about it, and hey I'd been up all night so I was pretty dozey. And my hubby was with me. My best friend Emma came by about 3pm, and Jonathon left to get some sleep at about 7pm.

Once my blood pressure had gone from about 86/56 up to 100/60, they took me upstairs to a ward, and it felt like I was in a scene from Grey's Anatomy as faces swam past and clinial grey walls rushed by. Needless to say by the time I got to my room I was feeling rather squeamish, and laid there looking and feeling green for about an hour. Then I promptly threw up about six times (I just knew you wanted to know that) into a nice deep plastic bag which was great because there was no splashback (hey, I'm trying to find the bright side of this), and buzzed for the nurse on duty to help me recover from that.

After a few more bouts of vomiting, I was able to feel relatively normal and had a nap. Now that I was on a different painkiller and anti-inflammatory I started to come good, but eventually went through four drips to be sure my blood pressure was stable.

The rest of my time there was pretty much a blur, and by Sunday arvo I was home. Since then I have basically been couch-ridden, with my two beautiful boys watching over me, and making sure I am fed and watered and loved. Thank goodness for family and friends. And actually, thank goodness for the ambos and the doctors and nurses at Joondalup who were all very helpful and nice to me.

I guess I will have to take it pretty easy now, so my big plans for A Project A Week may have to slow a bit. Maybe I'll just end up doing A Project A Month. As it is, it is taking me forever to go through all my magazines. I'm about half way. Phew! But, after looking at all the pretty pictures, I've pretty much decided on how I'd like to update our kitchen, which is a start. And that is one of my projects to achieve this year.

Well anyway, enough of my rambling, it's back to the couch for me, now that I've had this visit to the computer chair.

But a word of advice: be careful bending over.

Simplify

2012-01-05T22:10:00.002+08:00

After reading through everyone's resolutions and to-do lists for 2012 I was inspired by one blog to choose a word for this year. At first I thought it would be Organise, but then I realised
what I really want is to

Everything. To take everything I have and pare it down until I have a representation of what I like, rather than excess amounts of it. To fight through the maze and clutter of my life and find a clear pathway. This involves abandoning my collections and keeping just the absolute-love-love-adore-cannot-part-with-it-stuff. Because I have a lot. of. stuff. And I don't need it all. Books, magazines, records, CDs, paperwork, ornaments, toys, craft stuff, you name it,

I've got it in excess.

This new leaf turned over when I read Corinne Grant's book Lessons in Letting Go: Confessions of a Hoarder. Luckily, I don't keep bouquets of flowers from ten years ago (yikes!), or a scrunchy from when I was 12, but I do hold onto things for a long time. And they just sit. On shelves or in boxes. And like Corinne, I realised that I am hoarding for no good reason.

And I procrastinate. I reeeaaaallllly do. I drraaaaggg things out for as loooonnnng as I can before they have to be done, which has annoyed everyone around me for ages, and now is annoying me. So I want to simplify the processes in things that I do.

I am devoting my year to

A Project A Week

I have made a list of things I need to do to simplify my life and improve it, so the systems work better, and I am going to work on one each week.

I have spent this first week on updating my blogs, by refreshing my profile, blog buttons, and backgrounds, and catching up on
posting my adventures.

I will be adding mpre posts to my sideline blogs very soon!

My second project is to simplify my magazine collection down to the bare minimum. (Some of my mags are 10 years old or more!)

(image from Google, my pile is bigger!)

My sister gave me a gorgeous notebook for Christmas so I am going to use it to journal my achievements for the year with the 52 projects I have named. I won't tell you what they all are yet, because they might swap and change with time limitations, and then I will just feel like a failure!

I invite you to join me if you like on achieving A Project A Week. Some projects will be big like 'paint the bedroom', and another one may be small like 'sort through books and sell some'. You might want to choose some projects like 'make a dress' , 'sort through the back shed', or 'finish crocheting a granny rug.' I certainly didn't find it hard to come up with 52. Keep in mind you have to be able to do the project while normal life goes on around you. I also included some projects from my workplace.

I'll show you the pages from my journal as I do them.

Let me know in the comments section if you would like to join in! xx

You can check out some more Words of the Year
at the Linky Party below:

Getting Out and About

2012-01-05T00:49:00.000+08:00

You can't come to stay with us without having a visit to the Yanchep National Park. Koalas aren't native to WA, but we have some in the Park. How cute is this guy?

I have a thing for pretty buildings too.

We went for a game at the Botanic Golf in Carramar. Gorgeous gardens, and heaps of fun.

And here are some photos that we took in a little town called Gingin, on the way to New Norcia.

Isn't this little church adorable?

It was so green here, before we went off down the open road where it was very dry either side.

A Walk through King's Park

2012-01-03T00:50:00.001+08:00

While Michael and Aleisha were here we took them for a walk through some of King's Park. It would take hours to see the whole park, so we mainly went where there were views of the city.

This is the war memorial.

This boab tree was trucked down to Perth from the Kimberleys.

Down this path we saw a lot of joggers, which made us feel a bit guilty.

This little lake has small fountains that shoot up every five minutes or so.

There are lush green picnic areas everywhere, and we even took off our shoes to enjoy the soft grass.

Another pretty place to visit in Perth!

Day Trip to New Norcia

2012-01-02T00:27:00.002+08:00

One day close to Christmas, we went for an adventure to New Norcia.

New Norcia is a unique town, only inhabited by about 10 monks, with a handful of people, some shop assistants and tour guides, who come into town on a daily basis. The monks produce their own olive oil, nut cakes, and bread, that sell in the shop. There is also a wide selection of touristy items, teatowels, autobiographies, gift cards, pottery and much more.

There is a museum documenting the history of the town as a monastery and a mission for Aboriginal children. Many of the Aboriginal children in the early days were taken from their families to be raised on missions with white people, but the first monk, Dom Salvado, encouraged the families to stay on the mission too.

There is an art gallery in New Norcia where you can get up close to the paintings, and they even have an original Raphael.

It is a very pretty place, peaceful. With beautiful architecture. The first monks to settle here came from Spain and brought building materials and labourers with them.

One of the monks painted these detailed scenes on the ceiling.

This organ was imported from Spain and they had to rebuild the end of this building to house it!

At one point, Queen Isabella of Spain was going to visit New Norcia, so they built this extravagant hotel for her, but unfortunately she became ill and died before she could make the trip. Now this building is a hotel for tourists.

This is the the monastery. There are guest lodgings in this building where you can live, eat and pray with the monks. They have six prayer sessions each day.

This is one of the original houses for the families of the aboriginal children. They have been lined, rendered and re-roofed to stop them falling apart.

New Norcia is now a gathering place for the aboriginal families whose ancestors lived here. There are regular cultural meetings, and an outdoor display of aboriginal paintings.

If you live in Perth or the surrounding areas, or are thinking of travelling to our part of the world, it is worth taking a trip to New Norcia some time. Be sure to book ahead for the 2 hour tour where the guide will tell you all about this curious place, its people, buildings and even the miracles that occurred here. Amazing stuff!

When family came to stay

2011-12-31T23:30:00.000+08:00

Over Christmas, Jonathon's Dad, Denise and Aleisha came to visit from Tasmania. One of our adventures was a trip to AQWA. There's something very magical about underwater scenes.

(Can you see the stonefish?)

It was very cool being up so close to the sharks and stingrays!

Lily's 2nd Birthday

2011-12-30T15:51:00.002+08:00

My niece Lily turned 2! Here she is in her swing.

She loves this swing!

Lily, Jack, and Lily's other cousin Aidan, played in the tunnels

Lily unwrapped some new prezzies.

She loves to play with dollies.

It got hot, so Lily changed into her Elmo top, which matched perfectly with her Elmo cake and balloon.

Blowing out the candles!

Aidan had a go too.

Such a sweetie!

Happy Birthday Lily!

My boy turned 13!

2011-12-29T19:18:00.001+08:00

Jack's birthday was November 28th, so this post is a tad delayed, but I'm trying to catch up before the year is out!

Here he is with a yummy banana and chocolate cake that I made with a ganache frosting. The cake didn't look that flash, but my word it tasted good!

To celebrate with his friends, Jack had two of them for a sleepover.

And to celebrate with family we had breakfast at Jetty's Restaurant, which is one of our favourite treats.

Jonathon got to hold Blake

and Lily had her face painted like a cat. Cute!

Happy Birthday, Jack!!

My nephew's 21st birthday party!

2011-12-28T22:17:00.003+08:00

It doesn't seem that long since my own 21st, and yet my nephew, who was just a toddler back then, turned 21 himself in November.
Freaky how time flies.

James is a glazier, plays drums in a band and has a sweet girlfriend called Sarah. We partied at the Old Bailey in Joondalup.

James and Sarah

James with his Aunty Fiona, cousin Caitlyn and his Nan.

Sarah, James and his Mum and Dad

My Mum and her three grandsons, James, Blake and Jack

Dad and Jane

Callum, Sheila, Fiona and Caitlyn

Lily

Kristie and Dave

James on drums

Happy Birthday James!!!!

Baby Blake

2011-12-28T14:28:00.001+08:00

With all the goings on of November and December, I haven't had a chance to introduce you to my sister's baby boy, Blake. Here is the little sweetie, on his first day:

with his Nanna

and with his Mum

Just adorable!

Farewell Baby Willow

2011-11-19T05:00:00.000+08:00

It was a very difficult week
with the anticipation of my niece Willow's funeral.

While choosing songs for the service, it was amazing how appropriate the lyrics of songs became
when listened to in a different light.

The opening song was this one from the musical Wicked:

We watched a slide show of pictures of Willow to this lovely old song:

We listened to this one, while we laid rose petals on Willow's coffin. My sister said this music helps her to imagine Willow happily skipping through a field of flowers.

We went outside the chapel to let balloons go, to this beautiful song by Ben Harper:

Emotions were high, and many, many tears were shed, but it was a lovely service, with my sister and her partner giving a heartfelt and honest account of their thoughts, feelings and experiences during this devastating time.

It was comforting to see so many supportive

family members and friends

there to help remember this sweet child of God.

A collective gasp could be heard as we let our balloons lift to the sky.

Gosh, an occasion like this is heart-wrenching and difficult.

But there was a positive feeling of hope in the air, and I am sure many people left feeling they had helped to make the day somewhat easier for our family, with their love, words and hugs.

Bless our little darling Willow,

and may she dance with joy through the fields of heaven.

Willow Frances Tozer

26/10/11 - 6/11/11

Something sad

2011-11-10T21:29:00.001+08:00

Something sad has happened in our family,
and it has been very hard to write this post.

What began as a bright, happy, new beginning

with the birth of my sister's new twins,
quickly turned to worry and concern

as it was discovered that Willow was struggling to survive
against a myriad of complications with her health.

Puzzled doctors were unable to help,
as Willow became sicker and sicker,

and then slipped into unconsciousness.

Days filled with anxiety passed by, grasping onto hope and prayers

until around midnight on Saturday night, 6/11/11,

our sweet little Willow

drifted away.

Nothing can compare with the sense of loss
you feel when someone dies,
whether it is expected or not.

Breathlessness, breaking hearts and complete sadness
have consumed us all over the past week,

as we try to come to terms with Willow's passing.

So precious is a life.

So fragile.

And even though we were able to hold her

and say our goodbyes,

and love and kiss her,

She is still gone

And we miss her so.

The Calming Sea

2011-11-01T20:15:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago we caught up with our friend Judith, who used to work with my hubby, and now lives in Tassie. She's adorable and funny! We had lunch by the sea at Spinnaker's Restaurant at Hillary's. The food was delish, and the view very calming.

We went for a walk to look at the 100 year old lighthouse.

That's my boys up there. I'm not too good with heights, but I went up too. Pretty views!

Halloween Adventures

2011-11-01T01:25:00.000+08:00

Ooh, it's a late offering tonight, and so it should be - it's Halloween! My boy and his friends, Jacob and Elly, all looking rather ghoulish, roamed the streets tonight trick or treating, as did half the kids in our small town. I love seeing all the whimsical costumes, especially on tiny children!

We decorated our door with this door wrap, which helped the trick or treaters know that they would find treats at our house.

Our lot knocked on doors for two hours and made a record haul of goodies - check out the motherlode!

Very impressive! Hope your Halloween was fun!

Tears for Fears

2011-10-30T11:26:00.002+08:00

Was browsing through You Tube looking at some eighties toons, when I came across some vids of Tears for Fears. Gosh they were great back in the day! I remember when Shout was released and it was so different and dark, like many of their songs. I had this album and played it HEAPS!

In my mind, I pictured them to look like this for eternity (as you do) and then I spotted some recent pics and was shocked at how thin Curt looks (Roland still basically looks the same so the contrast between 80s Curt and 2011 Curt is even more pronounced.) He's very handsome, it's just, he looks so different.

So, while I recover from that, here are some songs:

and this one just makes me happy whenever I hear it, which is rare:

Now for a recent live vid, where you can really see how thin, mature and non-popstarish Curt is (you have to remember he is in his 50s). I love, love, LOVE the choir and the orchestra in this: goosebump stuff!

And for something a little different, I found a mash-up of two songs, one by Tears for Fears, Woman in Chains, mashed with Kings of Leon's Sex on Fire, created by dj lobstermash. If you are familar with both of these songs, you will realise how clever this is. (If the first half doesn't grab you, go to about 3.40 for the best bit. Brilliant!)

Okay, so I have overindulged in Tears for Fears!

For some totally different, and yet still great musical choices, pop over to Thea's blog where her Sunday Session link up is rocking!

What the?

2011-10-29T10:43:00.002+08:00

I so wanted to play along with Tropical Mum's new Friday Funny meme, but I couldn't find anything suitable to share, until hubby came home and showed me what he saw in the car next to him, when he stopped to get petrol:

Apparently, a huge drool was sliding off its lip as well! Snortingly funny!

Go visit Tropical Mum for some more laughs! xx

Cake Boss is Touring!

2011-10-28T12:04:00.002+08:00

If you subscribe to Foxtel, you have probably discovered all the yummy and amazing cake making shows on the Food channel. We love them!

There's Cake Boss,

Ace of Cakes

DC Cupcakes

and a new Australian one, Planet Cake.

News is, Buddy Valastro from Cake Boss is touring Australia next year and is even coming to Perth!! We WILL be going! This guy is a LEGEND at cake decorating, and he's funny too. Check out some of his creations:

An aquarium cake

A Sesame Street cake, with all the buildings and characters

And even, a Bumble Bee Transformer cake!! Look at the size of it!

It really is made of cake!

Are you into cake decorating or do you just like to watch?

The Babies are Here!

2011-10-27T19:41:00.004+08:00

I'm so excited to say that my sister had her twins!

A girl called Willow, and a boy called Blake.

Willow came first and weighed under 6 pounds, and then Blake came next at 7 pounds 10 ounces. (Oh, you probably all speak in kg, but I still prefer to talk in pounds when it comes to babies.)

So, two adorable munchkins to cuddle and go gooey over.

Pictures coming soon....

Cute houses to win

2011-10-26T07:27:00.003+08:00

I popped in to visit Rockstar Diaries last night, and found these gorgeous pillows in a giveaway!

They are made by Pillows by Poppy and you might win one if you visit, and leave a comment.

I think they are truly adorable!

Australia's Next Top Model - Montana!

2011-10-25T21:12:00.003+08:00

I knew it! This girl is just perfection and only 17. She's a sweetie too!

Oh, to be young, pretty and slim!

Australia's Next Top Model Last Two Nights

2011-10-24T16:18:00.001+08:00

I do so love the Top Model shows! Whether it be American, Australian, New Zealand or Britain, I love watching beautiful people dress in beautiful clothes and pose in beautiful locations. It is such an intense competition, and the judges are really quite demanding.

Tomorrow night is the final episode for the latest Australian series, where the winner is decided. I'm not sure what tonight's episode is about, something about them being in Dubai.

The competition is really close, and I love all three of the final girls:

Liz

Simone

and Montana

They are all very pretty, and take great photos, although Simone can be a bit cutthroat. I love Montana, But I think the most radiant girl is Liz - she has an incredible smile! I think Montana will win though, because she is confident, while Liz is a bit unsure of herself.

Can't wait to see what happens at the LIVE final at the Opera House!

Sunday Session - Blushing Brides

2011-10-23T13:11:00.002+08:00

I'm joining up with Thea's Sunday Session, as I try to do every Sunday, to share the songs or conversations that have been on my mind this week.

There's been some talk of weddings and bridal gowns, and I do so love wedding pics.

I really, really love this song and video by Beyonce, and I keep catching it on the radio. She just looks STUNNING in this clip (although prepare for some lingerie shots!) The cheeky lyrics are amusing too.

Take a look at the selection of songs over at Thea's blog. Thanks for dropping in! xx

Strange birds

2011-10-22T14:59:00.000+08:00

You may have realised by now that I LOVE fairgrounds, and every year it is one of our favourite family things to go to the Perth Royal Show.

Stand outs for me are always the noisy atmosphere (sounds of muffled announcements, screaming teenagers and blaring music), show food (donuts and fairy floss), show bags (magazines galore!), home shopping gadgets (this year I got a you-beaut mop and a de-pilling machine) and the lights and colours of the carnival. Usually we stay for the fireworks too, but I was being a bit of a party-pooper this year and didn't want to stay that long.

Funnily enough, I was quite enthralled (who knew?) by the poultry exhibition this year, totally fascinated by the freakishness of them all! There were GORGEOUS artworks by school students, and I just have to share them here:

Such beautiful use of colour! And now for the freaky birds. This one puffed his chest right out and it wobbled around:

This one had the high collar Elizabeth I look happening:

This one appeared normal, until, woah, you saw his fancy feet:

This one had the whole fluff ball thing going on:

This one grossed me out with the mangled crown look:

And I perhaps felt even a little threatened by the Darth Maul impersonation here:

On entering the poultry pavilion I had expected to just see cage upon cage of glorious fellows like this one:

with his stunning colours, however, the prizes seemed to be given to all the freaky guys. Well, good on them!

Books, babies and big bellies!

2011-10-20T10:47:00.002+08:00

In the school holidays, I had a chance to hold one of my book parties in a park, with lots of little cherubs running and rolling around.

The sweet little Lily was there:

And my sister Kristie was looking HUGE with the twins on the way:

What a belly! The old basketball-up-the-jumper routine. (The babies will be here on November the 1st!)

Jack was sooo helpful playing with all the little 2 year old munchkins. Here he is getting a goodbye kiss from Lily.

It was a gorgeous day and a fun time!

Sunday Session - Gavin DeGraw

2011-10-16T11:52:00.005+08:00

Time for a Sunday Session with Thea!

I heard this song on the radio and thought it was Guy Sebastian, so I was surprised when this clip came up.

I love the piano, the drums and his voice in this song. He seems a little mismatched with the girl, though, until the end scene, when they look perfect together.

I was wondering what else this guy had done, seeing as I hadn't really heard of him, and realised that he sings this song, which I LOVE:

Seems like two different people in these clips - like he was full of youthfulness and energy in the I Don't Wanna Be stage of his life, and now he's just old and broken in Not Over You. Maybe he's just a good actor. Or maybe certain hats change your appearance.

What do you think?

If you'd like to share the songs you've been listening to, join up with the Sunday Session at Thea's, and check out some other music while you're there! xx

Giveaway Winners!

2011-10-15T15:50:00.001+08:00

Hey, thanks guys for joining in with my book giveaway this week! I had fun today, drawing the two winners and wrapping up the prizes ready to send.

So, this is how I chose the winners:

Look up close:

and,

Yay to my two winners; Lisa and Sarah from A Spoonful of Sugar, and Trishie from Under Lock and Key. Go check out their blogs, they are always very inspiring!

When I am next near the post office I will pop these pressies in the mail and you will each have a brand spanking new book to read!

Thanks, also, to everyone else who dropped by and had a go at my comp. It was fun to get the blogging thing happening again! xxx

Sunday Session - Incredible Kid

2011-10-09T15:13:00.000+08:00

I'm joining in Thea's Sunday Session today, because after watching Thea's music choices, I serendipitously found this Paparazzi cover by Greyson Chance. What an amazing kid! Far out! Whether you like the song, the kid or what, you have to say he is ridiculously talented. Love him!

He is just brilliant!

By the way, I am having a Book Giveaway right now that you might like to enter. Go here to take a look! xx

Book Giveaway!!!!!!

2011-10-06T20:14:00.000+08:00

The kind people at Harper Collins Publishers have given me not one, but TWO copies of Cecelia Ahern's new book The Time of my Life to giveaway on my blog!!! I'm pretty excited by this, because I haven't had a giveaway for awhile (or really done anything much at all on my blog!), and I LOVE books, of course, if you didn't already know :)

Even luckier still, they gave me a copy of my very ownThe Time of My life book to read and keep for myself, and I couldn't wait to completely devour it!

Now, in case you were wondering, Cecelia Ahern wrote the book, P.S. I Love You, which was then made into a gorgeous movie with Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank.

She has also written some other less famous, but just as fascinating books all with a touch of the magical, and unexpected. Time of My Life is also quite unusual and quirky, and I can SO see it being made into a film, and I can even see Jennifer Garner or Emma Stone in the main role, and maybe Jack Black in the main male role. I think it could be really hilarious, and yet with the underlying message of 'kick your life into gear!'

So, now I'm inviting all Australian bloggers, (sorry to the international people, but it costs about $35 to send one book overseas) to enter my giveaway to win one of these very cool books! All you have to do is:

Read my review of the book on my review blog, Wise Owl Books, have a bit of a look around at my blog while you're there, and leave a friendly comment :)
then come back to this blog and become a follower :)
and leave me a friendly comment! :)

I will draw two random winners on Friday the 14th of October, and, you never know, one of them could be you! Good luck! xx

Sunday Session - Wicked!

2011-09-11T22:03:00.001+08:00

Hey it's Sunday Session time, and this week I'm really excited because we went to see Wicked the Musical on Friday night.

It was amazing!! We loved it! Glinda (the good witch) was adorable, and had the funniest lines,

and Elphaba (the wicked witch) had an incredible voice.

There were some brilliant songs including Defying Gravity, Popular, the Wizard and I, and As Long as You're Mine. There was heaps of merchandise too, pens, notebooks, CDs, posters, programmes. I think you HAVE to buy a programme when you see a musical, so we did, but there was also a book which tells the making of the musical, and we had to have that as well! It was designed to look like the Wizard's spell book, the Grimmerie.

So I HAD to share some of the songs from the show with you today. I was surprised when looking on youtube, that Adam Lambert, from American Idol, played the part of Fiyero in the Broadway version of Wicked, between 2005 and 2008, before his Idol fame.

This song was a gorgeous moment in the musical (a bit raunchy for a Sunday!) but I just love Adam Lambert in this.

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(Oh, I can't fgure out how to get the video on my blog, but just click on the youtube link.)

And you have to see Defying Gravity, because it is just such a powerful song, and is a very stirring part of the show. Hit those notes, baby!

<iframe width="400" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3XwmA0jyWMk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If you didn't get to see the show this time, it will probably come back around in ten years time, so make sure you see it then!!

Pyjama Party Sunday Session

2011-08-07T19:13:00.003+08:00

Today I'm playing along with two blog memes; Thea's Sunday Session (of course), and Natasha's 5 Minutes Just for Me Pinning and Singing theme. For Natasha's meme, I'm meant to share pretty pics from Pinterest, but I took some pretty photos on Saturday night that I wanted to share.

I've been having a lot of fun since I started selling Learning Ladder educational books and games through home parties. At Friday night's party I got a lot of hugs and pleas for more chocolate from heaps of little cherubs, and last night we had a girls' night only pyjama party. If you've been to this blog before, you'll know that I love red and white spots, so imagine my delight when I stepped into Rachael's house for the party and it looked like this!

The girls were very cute in their jim jams and uggies! Check out the gorgeous spread that Rachael and Helen prepared:

The display on the little table and chairs was another of Rachel and Helen's creations. I added my Hostess Rewards display on the floor (see, that's my read and white cloth!), and that's my guest prize box of goodies in the front.

We played lots of games, and worked out who was good at maths, drama, making words, and finding items in a picture. it was all very fast and fun!

In the background, the party was entertained by the country music channel, and while I'm not a huge country fan, I can always be hooked in by a catchy song.

For Thea's meme, I chose a country song to share with you that I would sing at a karaoke do (if the opportunity came up!) It's very American, but I just love the melody.

And this one is the perfect love song; I love the video, it makes me tear up!

You too can play along with these memes, or just enjoy listening to some fun music over at Thea's and Natasha's.

Sunday Session - Bridges

2011-07-31T17:57:00.004+08:00

I tuned into the Grilled Cheesus episode of Glee today, and felt all emotional when they sang Bridge Over Troubled Water. I cried and cried. They treated the topic of religion in this episode very well, I thought.

Glee Glee Bridge Over Troubled Water Music Videos

While downloading this clip, I remembered the Anthony Callea version of this song as well. I love it, and it is truer to the melody and lyrics.

I always cry when I sing this song, the melody is just so pretty! Pop over to Thea's blog to enjoy some more great songs!xx

New car!

2011-07-25T16:24:00.004+08:00

Hey, I'm here again, two days in a row!

I've been so excited about our new car (2006 model, but new to us) that we purchased in the holidays, so I thought I'd share a pic of what it looks like. This isn't exactly it, but pretty close.

(Google images)

I love it! xx

Sunday Session - Soaring vocals and cleverness

2011-07-24T14:09:00.007+08:00

It's been so long since I've been here to post, that Blogger is all new! I have thought of the songs I will post on Sunday Session each week, but I just never get to it! Today I'm MAKING myself do it!

So... I can't bring myself to post a Michael Jackson song today (in line with Thea's blog), but the song I've been listening to heaps, is this one (turn it up loud):

Love the anthemic keyboard and pretty piano, and  LOVE Kelly Rowland's voice.

I'm also inspired to post a Barenaked Ladies song after seeing some clips on Tropical Mum's  blog. I LOVE how fast they say the lyrics, I guess it's white rap, or reggae (?) and I think it is just so clever and funny!

Now here's why I don't blog much anymore. I used to get so into reading everyone else's blogs that time just went, (you know how it is) like two hours just like that! Let alone post on my own blog which would be another hour. I glance through my blogroll to see what everyone is up to, but I hardly ever visit blogs, I hardly ever leave a comment, and I don't make the time to post! I realised I could be making money or doing housework, instead of passively reading blogs (no offence, I still ADORE reading people's blogs), and I realised I had to get off my butt and not indulge myself so much (again, no offence, indulge away).

So, love you all, but time is of the essence, and I've already been here for 2 and a half hours!!! Your blogs continue to inspire me, and the Sunday Session is such a time of entertainment for me I never miss it! I am still alive, and still around! xx

Sunday Session - Remember this one?

2011-06-26T20:17:00.001+08:00

Last week, when I was desperately trying to find a way to stay motivated to write my reports, I rediscovered this song and then proceeded to play it over and over to entertain me. It is such a happy toon, I had to share it. I wonder if you remember it from ABC viewings circa mid-seventies?

(For trivia fans, the vocals are by Ronnie James Dio, lead singer of heavy metal band, Black Sabbath!)

For more feel good songs, check out the Sunday Session finds at Thea's blog!

Nik Kershaw

2011-06-21T21:48:00.002+08:00

Due to a busy weekend of paperwork, Sunday Session is now on a Tuesday for me.

After looking at Thea's Nik Kershaw clip, I wondered what this fave singer from the eighties had been up to lately and my word, has he changed.

Barely recognisable and totally NOT eighties anymore! I had to share the original version of Wouldn't it be Good, because this song rocks, and then I thought I would share him singing it in 2008.

1984:

2008 (That's 24 years later!):

And if you're still loving this song, I also found a version of it by Placebo, and even though they totally milk the emo message, that guitar riff never loses its appeal.

And, while I'm on a roll, I'm sharing a song from Nik Kershaw's recent album. Pretty melody, no clip yet, nice to listen to.

Need more music? Visit Thea's blog for some more blogger faves.

See you next week!

I'm still here!

2011-06-12T14:27:00.003+08:00

Sorry I've been AWOL lately! I've been throwing myself into my new Mobile Bookshop venture, which some of you already know about. I've been planning, and training, and making phonecalls and sending emails like anything, to get it all happening. It's very exciting!

Also there were a couple of weeks there where our internet service was struggling with the amount of gaming and Youtubing that Jack does, and sometimes I just could not even load my own blog! That is all sorted now, so I am back!

I'm playing along with Thea's Sunday Session, because I love revisiting old songs.

This week the theme is siblings. My first thought was Nick and Mark Seymour, then I thought of the Jonas Brothers, but I wanted to choose a band that is a little more obscure. So I've chosen Ella and Jesse Hooper, who used to be in a band called Killing Heidi, and are now in a band called Verses. I adore Ella, and she was 16 when they released Weir, which was a huge hit on Triple J.

This next one has a great Aussie clip - very cool.

Love Dan Sultan's voice!

Go visit Thea's blog for some more musical inspiration.

Sunday Session - Idol Favourites

2011-05-23T06:45:00.003+08:00

This Sunday Session is a tad late, but my internet connection was so slow yesterday, it wasn't funny!

I've been watching American Idol on Fox, and while I'm not a huge fan of country music, I just loved the way Lauren sang this version of Anyway, originally sung by Martina McBride.

Pretty amazing for a 16 year old.

I also love Haley. She has a huge voice as well. Since singing Rhiannon, I can't get the song out of my head. Love the stage effects in this clip.

Pop over to Thea's blog for more great songs!

Sunday Session - Happy Mothers' Day!

2011-05-08T15:09:00.004+08:00

I've had a lovely Mothers' Day so far, breakfast in bed - pancakes with maple syrup, a luxurious sleep in, and a beautiful bunch of flowers from the boys.

I'm about to go and visit my Mum, but I thought I'd do my Sunday Session first.

I'm in a Westlife mood, and I'm going to give you four videos today, because these songs are just so heartwarming and there's so much eye-candy!

This one is especially for my Mum, and to Mum's everywhere.

This song is just gorgeous, and it's a great clip!

This one is one of my all time favourite songs. Souring harmonies!

If I had found this last week I would have played along with Sunday Session and used this for my wedding song!

Hope you enjoyed this! Happy Mothers'Day! Have a blissful day!

Oh, and go to Thea's blog to see some more inspiring songs.

Birthdays All Around

2011-04-26T14:15:00.007+08:00

My blog has been lacking in the diary-keeping department lately, so I'm going to share a whole lot of photos from recent family events.

Firstly, my sister Kristie had her birthday (back in March, mind you!) and so we met up with Mum for morning tea. Kristie wore her Alice in Wonderland top, which was way cute, and how cute was Lily in her red and white polka dots?

Then it was Mum's birthday, so we all got together at Mum's house where she had sneakily added some limestone walls to her garden. Looks good!

From the left: Me, Uncle Keith, Aunty Lyn (my Mum's sister), Dave, Jack, Kristie, Lily, Mum, my cousin Jenny.

Lily is laughing hysterically here - cute!

Jenny and her son, Travis

And then it was my birthday! I had a yummy cake, and we nearly had an indoor bonfire with all the candles lit up!

My boys bought me a new bookcase (I had so much fun arranging my books on it, after having them in boxes for about a year!), a cute notebook, and a gift voucher for Spoil Yourself.

I got store vouchers from my folks, gorgeous blockmounted pics from Kristie, Dave and Lily, and eco make-up brushes from my sister, Leonie.

Thanks to everyone for all the pretty birthday cards. Love you! xx

Sunday Session - Anzac Day

2011-04-25T01:29:00.002+08:00

It is very late at night here, but I've been looking at all the Easter and Anzac themed songs over at Thea's Sunday Session, and I had to share this one with you, from my favourite Aussie band, Hunters and Collectors. (The singer usually has a brilliant voice, but here it is really strained, as the band was on tour.) The song was inspired by the book A Fortunate life by A.B. Facey.

I thought I would play another of the Hunnas songs for you, and this one is sad and poignant too. Shows Mark Seymour's voice in a better light, though.

Still love this band after all these years...

Sunday Session - Kylie's Channeling Janet

2011-04-17T18:09:00.002+08:00

On Sunday's I like to join in with Thea's meme, Sunday Session, where we play two songs, an oldie and a newbie.

Years ago, in the 80s and 90s I was a fan of both Janet Jackson and Kylie Minogue, and this week I found this Kylie clip (I gather it's relatively new, I wouldn't have a clue!) that has her singing a song in Janet style.

Very cool and slinky.

Just so you can compare, for the oldie (although only by a few years) I found this clip of Janet.

Similar style, huh?

Sunday Session - A-ha

2011-04-10T18:11:00.005+08:00

Each Sunday, I like to join up with Thea's Sunday Session to play two songs, an oldie and a newbie.

This week I was looking through some A-ha clips (I ADORE this band) and thought I'd share one of their songs from the 80s, and a recent one. I just love Morton's voice!

This one makes me all tingly!

Thanks for dropping in! xx

Giveaway winner!

2011-04-09T17:18:00.000+08:00

It's time to reveal the winner of my giveaway! I got my boy, Jack to draw the winner, as you can see in the pics:

Congrats, Melissa!

Thank you to everyone for participating in my 300th post giveaway!

My Place and Yours - Green

2011-04-05T23:42:00.002+08:00

Over at hello owl, we are playing along with My Place and Yours, and the topic is Green.

I considered a few different green things and then I saw this beautiful box that my sister gave me for Christmas. I was so excited when I got it because I had nearly bought it for myself a week earlier when looking for gifts! I love it when people have psychic moments like that!

It is the very palest of greens, but nevertheless, green. I LOVE it!
It sits on top of my chest of drawers in our bedroom and holds...

watches!

What's green at your place?

Sunday Session - Jangly Guitars

2011-04-03T18:36:00.004+08:00

I'm joining up with the Sunday Session meme, over at Thea's blog.

I kept hearing this song on an ad on TV and wanting to know who sang it. Well now I know, and this is the song:

The Rogue Wave song reminds me of a well-known song by the Goo Goo Dolls from awhile ago. LOVE this song. And this video. And the movie, City of Angels". And the singer!

Come and hang out at the Sunday Session - there are some great songs!

My 300th Post!

2011-04-03T14:15:00.002+08:00

Today, I'm blogging as part of the 2011 Ultimate Blogging Party!

The ladies at 5 Minutes For Mom, are hosting this event and there are prizes to be won! It is the perfect time to be partying because this is my 300th post!! Yay!

For those who are visiting from the Blogging Party, things you will find on this blog are posts about:
books

music

family adventures

healthy eating

organising

and movie stars.

You can also read my book reviews at Wise Owl Books and my film reviews at A Choc Top and Me.

When I have time, I like to play along with blogging memes, particularly My Place and Yours, It's Monday, What Are You Reading and Sunday Sessions.

To celebrate my 300th post I am having a giveaway!! You can win one of my Tweedledee and Tweedledum notebooks,

a matching giftcard (from my Alice in Wonderland handmade giftcard range),

and a certified organic jaffa flavoured lipbalm (from our miessence shop).

You just might win if you do one or all of these things:
Leave a comment on this post = 1 entry
Follow my blog = 2 entries
Add me to your blogroll = 3 entries

Easy! By the way, when you comment, follow, or add me to your blogroll, I will return the goodwill. You have until the end of the Ultimate Bloggers Party on 8th April to enter, and then I will draw a winner!

I look forward to meeting and making lots of new blogging friends from around the world!

Good luck to you and thanks for dropping by!

Wendy xx

Matinee Idols - Cute TV Couples

2011-04-02T15:21:00.002+08:00

I've had a HUGE week of professional development for my work (a 5 day First Steps Facilitator Course) which involved a lot of travelling (and falling in a heap at the end of the day!), so now I can get back to blogging!

Today's Matinee Idol featurette is about cute TV couples. I don't usually watch TV series because I can't be bothered following along each week, HOWEVER I make an exception for Chuck, because I just LOVE watching Chuck and Sarah.

They are so sweet together, but have both been so terribly aware of not pushing their relationship too fast. They actually say "I love you" to each other now, which is so nice! I adore them, and think they are brilliant actors.

If you don't already watch this show, and would like to see a blossoming relationship (I'm a romantic at heart) then tune into an episode or two of Chuck.

Who's your favourite TV couple?

Sunday Session - Female Icons

2011-03-27T14:46:00.001+08:00

This has been an impossibly busy week, but I'm taking 5 minutes out to post my Sunday Session music picks for this week. Thea is away, so I can't link up to her meme, but, I thought I'd play anyway.

Besides, this song has been playing constantly in my head since I heard it in the car yesterday.

I really do not like the video (she is one wacky girl!), so I've included her performance from the Grammy awards this year, (it is still pretty weird) but the song is so catchy.

My selection for a song from the past had to be the Madonna song that Lady Gaga channelled (that is, ripped off) for her Born This Way melody. I played this song a kazillion times when it was released. I was about 19 years old, so 20 years ago (hmmm).

I still don't feel comfortable about all the crotch-grabbing, but I am amazed at the way both of these ladies dance and sing at the same time.
And you can't knock a good tune!

Sunday Session - Pretty Voices, Pretty Melodies

2011-03-20T15:18:00.003+08:00

I'm joining in with Thea's Sunday Session to play two great songs, an oldie and a newbie.

I've had the newbie song in my head all week, and it inspired me to go back and listen to this pretty song by the Cranberries:

Gotta love strings!

The one that's been in my head all week is this beautiful song:

How much do I love the scene where she is lying on top of all the love letters? Gosh! That hair colour! That voice! Those harmonies! That jangly guitar! So singalongable!

Matinee Idols - All the Beautiful Girls

2011-03-19T16:50:00.004+08:00

Last week I shared pics of some of the most yummy men on the silver screen, and this week I am going to rave about my favourite actresses. Yes, they are all beautiful, but I also think these ladies are the cream of the acting crop.

My favourite: Keira Knightley (she hasn't made a dud film yet, and ALWAYS shines)

Kate Winslet: I knew she was going to be a star when I saw her in Heavenly Creatures

Rachel MacAdams: I knew she would go far when I saw her in Mean Girls

Sandra Bullock: Especially loved her in 28 Days and Practical Magic

Dakota Fanning - Always adorable and always brilliant

Angelina: Gutsy

Julia Roberts - Has made some really memorable films. Gotta love that hair and smile!

Juliette Binoche: Haven't seen many of her films, but she plays the best female role of all time, that of the chocolate maker in Chocolat.

Drew Barrymore: So cute and funny!

Claire Danes: Strong and diverse

I adore these actors! Who are your favourites?

My Place and Yours - W

2011-03-16T21:56:00.003+08:00

Over at hello owl, Danielle asked us to find something in our homes starting with W. Being a rather bookish person, this pop-up book of the Wizard of Oz was the first thing to come into my head. It is beautifully illustrated and cleverly made, with intricate pop-ups, and also has recorded sounds on each page.
I adore it!

The cover:

The Tornado

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

The Tinman

The Emerald City

The Flying Monkeys

The Witch

The Wizard

The Return of Dorothy

By the way, is anyone going to the production of Wicked this year?

It's Monday! What am I reading?

2011-03-14T23:18:00.003+08:00

Today, I'm joining up with Book Journey's weekly meme about the book/s I'm reading.

This week I've been getting right into this one:

It's a great story of two families, and I'm turning the pages as quickly as I can, but there are 593 of them!

Another book I picked up off my to-be-read pile is this one:

I thought it would be a wordy, technical read, but it is actually a book about meditation, or 'being in the now' in order to get away from the stresses of life. Tolle presents his theory and instructs the reader on how to just 'be'. I'm only about two chapters in, and already I'm finding it a help.

Sooooo, what are you reading at the moment?

Sunday Session

2011-03-13T10:55:00.002+08:00

It's music day, where I link up with Thea and share a newbie and an oldie.

Watching American Idol yesterday, I heard this song, and was spellbound by Skylar Grey's voice, the pretty piano, and Diddy's honest lyrics.

The setting of the Diddy vid, reminded me of this clip by Madonna. While not one of her bigger hits, the video and melody are haunting, and her voice is flawless.

Come and join us in this musical fest!

Matinee Idols - Gorgeous Boys

2011-03-12T15:29:00.004+08:00

If you're a regular reader of my blog you might know that I LOVE movies, and that I have another blog called a choc top and me, where I review movies I've seen.

In this Matinee Idol series, I'm going to take a closer look at some of the actors I admire, and love to watch. This week I'm taking a look at the beautiful men on the silver screen. The ones that make us swoon.

My favourite: Ashton Kutcher; adorable

Brad Pitt: An obvious choice

Ewan MacGregor: I fell for him in Moulin Rouge

Hugh Dancy: cute in Confessions of a Shopaholic

James Franco - Stunning

James Marsden: Model good looks

Doesn't everyone love him?

Paul Walker: Gosh! Divine

Robert Pattinson: Captivating on screen

Tom Welling: Those eyes!

Zac Efron: I know he's young, but he lit up the screen in 17 Again.

Whew! Okay, I need to just go calm down now. xx

My Place and Yours

2011-03-08T20:03:00.003+08:00

Over at hello owl, Danielle has asked us to decide what ONE THING we would take from our home in an emergency. It's kind of impossible to name just one, because the last time we prepared to evacuate I packed the car full of stuff! I think there's a lot of things you can grab in a small amount of time, and I would mostly grab what I would pack in a suitcase if I was going for a holiday; clothes, shoes, toiletries, handbag, etc.

But something I wouldn't usually take on holiday is my external hard drive with all the photos we've taken over the years. Much easier to carry than photo albums or a computer, and something that can not be replaced.

Here he is:

I call him Max. I would definitely take him with me in an emergency!
(And now that I think of it, I'm going to keep him in my handbag at all times!)

I'm also going to work on making a civil defence pack, like the one Megan organised over at mousehouse.

What would be the ONE THING you would take in an emergency?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2011-03-07T21:58:00.005+08:00

“It’s Monday! What are you reading?” is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Book Journey to share with others what you’ve read the past week and planning to read next.

I've been reading Anne of Green Gables.

It is a sweet story of a highly imaginative and talkative girl called Anne, an orphan who comes to live with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert at Green Gables. Anne comes up with all sorts of philosophies about people and nature, and raves about how lucky she is to finally have a real home, and real friends. She is a charmer!

After reading a few short books I'm about to launch into three long ones.

The Alchemist's Secret, by Scott Mariani, is the story of Ben Hope, former elite member of the SAS, and Dr Roberta Ryder, an Amerian scientist, as they trail over Europe trying to locate an ancient manuscript to save a dying child. The document is said to contain the elixir of life, but others know of this document and want to uncover the secret of immortality for more evil ends. My mum loaned this to me, saying she really enjoyed it.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, is another lightning paced thriller involving symbologist, Robert Langdon, and an object encoded with five symbols found at the epicentre of the rotunda in the Capitol Building.I've LOVED all of Dan Brown's books, so I'm really looking forward to this. Mum bought it at a second hand book shop for $3!

My mum borrowed this one, At Home With the Templetons, from a friend, so I need to read this one first. I have enjoyed other Monica McInerney books,and this one is about two Australian families, the Templetons and their neighbours, the Donovans, who are drawn together, but then torn apart by tragedy.

I am always so excited about the books I am about to read, and always have heaps waiting for me, mostly courtesy of my mum, who reads about 5 books a week. I have, in my 'to-be-read' boxes, about 300 books!! Pop by my book blog Wise Owl Books to read my book reviews.

What are you reading?

Matinee Idols

2011-03-07T10:57:00.001+08:00

I just wanted to talk about two actors that have amazed me this week.
Firstly, Adrien Brody.

Sure, I enjoyed his work in King Kong and Predators, but in The Pianist, he is incredible. I am fascinated by actors, because I wonder how they know their facial expressions will be right for a scene. Brody has the perfect expressions in every scene, and portrays oppression, poverty, hunger and desperation to perfection.

I remember him winning his Oscar for this role, and I revisited his acceptance speech and then put it here, because the last part brought me to tears.

Secondly, I have to highlight Angelina Jolie.

Yes, she is a strange one, and we know she's beautiful and too thin and has Brad Pitt, and a collection of children. But I cannot deny that her skills in action movies are untouchable! I remember seeing her in Tomb Raider, and thinking this is the type of role usually played by a man, but she is so cool, and calm, that the movie becomes more effective because of her. I am in awe of her physical skills, and I do think she is one of the most beautiful, bewitching women in Hollywood.

I have just reviewed two of these idols' films at my other blog A Choc Top and Me, so pop on over if you want to find out what these films are like.

Sunday Session

2011-03-06T13:31:00.001+08:00

I'm playing along with Thea's Sunday Session, where we feature an old song and a new one.

Yesterday, I heard this song, True Faith, in Kmart of all places,and it took me back to my twenties. The video is pretty bizarre, so just turn it up loud and do something else for a few minutes!

I love R&B music (my favourite is Jordin Sparks), and this one is a gorgeous song by Charice, called Pyramid.

In the City

2011-03-03T13:42:00.001+08:00

I was called for jury duty a couple of weeks ago, and had to go into the city for two days. I hadn't been there for eons, so I really enjoyed looking around at the shops and the old buildings that I have always loved.

This is the entrance to London Court, an alleyway of shops with a Tudor style architecture. Above the clock are some horses that go around every half hour. People always stop to watch them. I LOVE it!

Here is the entrance to Peter Alexander's pyjama shop. The pink doors are just gorgeous!

I sat here both days to have my lunch. I love this old building, the GPO.

And here is a happy statue in the Hay Street Mall that was just calling out to be photographed. Isn't it genius?

What are your favourite spots in the Perth city centre?

Sunday Session

2011-02-27T13:24:00.000+08:00

I was inspired by everyone's link ups over at Thea's Sunday Session blog post, that I thought I would play along! There's an oldie and a newbie, and I've chosen some synthy songs after hearing the David Guetta one in the car half an hour ago. I love Fergie's and Chris Willis's voices in that song.

The oldie is an absolute favourite of mine. My dad opened a record shop back in 91, and there was a whole lot of vinyl stock with some great 80s bands. I got right into Depeche Mode and played the Everything Counts EP about a kajillion times! I love the irony in the song and the pretty boys in the band with their camp 80s dos and clothes. The sing along at the end of the clip is awesome! xx

Head on over to Thea's to hear some more old favourites!

Vintage Wedding

2011-02-26T00:29:00.004+08:00

Someone I know is getting married this year, and she mentioned that the wedding would be vintage style. Not sure of all the fine details yet, but here are some art deco images I love, that might be inspiring:

Junebug Weddings

Jenny Packham

Film: The Painted Veil

B Studio Wedding Invitations

Vintage Twee

Ruffled

Vintage Twee

Sarah Pepper Floristry Gallery

via

Emmy Shoes

Such fun, planning a wedding! xx

My Place and Yours - What am I reading?

2011-02-24T15:45:00.005+08:00

It's tricky to find time to blog these days, but I wanted to join in with this meme over at hello owl asking what we are reading. At the moment, I am absorbed by an absolutely BRILLIANT book called the Kite Runner.

Set in Afghanistan and America, it is the story of a man who lives with the guilt of how he treated his childhood friend. This is a must-read book, and is unputdownable!

Next on my list of reads are these three:

In particular:
A Fortunate Life
Anne of Green Gables
The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency

All pretty different books, that Mum picked up for me at the thrift shop where she works.

I have joined in a few book reading challenges this year, and you can see these on my sidebar. I often post book reviews too, on my other blog, Wise Owl Books.

My main challenge, for myself, is to read all the books on the Dymocks 2010 Booklovers Best Top 101 Booklist.

That's virtually impossible to read here, but you can zoom in. You can print out your own copy and join in too! You might find you've read a few of the books already. Comment below, if you'd like to join in the challenge. There is no time limit, but I generally read one book a week. I can't survive without books! (I also fill in the Top 100 lists for Angus and Robertson and Borders!)

Pop over to hello owl to share what you are reading. xx

Brando's influence

2011-02-17T09:31:00.003+08:00

After reading and then watching the film, Gone with the Wind, I thought I would watch another of Vivien Leigh's films, and lo and behold, A Streetcar named Desire was on Foxtel. This is basically a story about a woman, Blanche DuBois, who moves to New Orleans to be with her sister while she tries to build a new life for herself after career and marriage downfalls. Her sister, Stella, is married to Stanley Kowalski, a brutish labourer who is suspicious of her straight away.

While Vivien Leigh clearly depicts Blanche's descent into madness, it is Marlon Brando, as Stanley, who steals the show. He is an AMAZING actor! I couldn't take my eyes off him, and not just because he is good looking and had a great bod back in 1951!

For the fifties, he was a very modern looking man, and he moved in such a way, that made him not seem to fit the era in which he lived. His hand movements were so natural, he was often eating while speaking, and he was just so intense! I kept thinking he reminded me of someone, and then I realised just how many men in modern cinema have been influenced by him in style, performance and appearance:

Billy Zane (he plays a great villain like Brando)

(Aidan Quinn: Same voice and eyes as Brando)

(Jonathon Rhys Myers: same eyes and screen presence as Brando)

Matthew McConaughey

(Michael Pare: the eyes, the hair, the t-shirt, the muscles.)

Can you see the resemblance?

Have you seen any of Brando's films?

What did you think of him?

I am amazed by his acting talent, and also, that he started out so handsome, but didn't age gracefully.

I'd only ever seen Brando in Don Juan De Marco (a movie I LOVE),
but after watching A Streetcar named Desire,
I now know why he is seen as
one of the most consummate actors ever.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T23:30:00.001+08:00

I cannot resist a red and white themed day!!

Hope your day had a touch of romance! xx

Pretty Girls (and One Handsome Boy!)

2011-02-10T16:31:00.004+08:00

Just before the end of the holidays, Mum, Kristie and Lily came over for a visit. Lily is the sweetest thing, and had a great time playing with Jack's toys. Here are some pics:

Sweet loveliness!

My Raw Food Diet Progress

2011-01-31T18:00:00.001+08:00

Well, it has been one month since I have been on my raw food diet and here are some things I have discovered:

I LOVE

avocados - so filling

dried pears- so divinely sweet!

sundried tomatoes - so much flavour!

gherkins - so tasty!

Some sad things I have found are that I can not eat

grapes

or any kind of nut

because my digestive system reacts badly!

GOOD NEWS: I have lost 5 kilos in 1 month!

I have decided to reintroduce bread into my diet, because I tried it and it digested well.

Plus, the raw food diet is quite restricted if you can't eat nuts.

I'm just loving preparing fruit and vegetables for meals!

Linen Cupboard Overhaul

2011-01-30T19:12:00.006+08:00

I've been a bit distracted lately, and my new routines have flown out the window a bit. But I did give my linen cupboard a makeover and wanted to share it with you. (By the way, this is really the wardrobe in our guest bedroom, not your standard linen cupboard.)

I bought 2 lots of linen storage bags from Avon (they often have good storage ideas) to pack all my spare pillows, cushions, blankets, and linen into. I packed all my winter clothes into one suitcase, and all Jonathon's winter clothes into another suitcase, packed another suitcase full of sleeping bags, and then rested the linen bags on top. It is packed in pretty tight, but at least it doesn't all fall out when you open the door like it used to when it looked like this:

Hilarious! And scary. I managed to send on 4 blankets, a woollen underlay, and 4 pillows to different pastures, and found proper homes for all the extraneous clutter. I'm glad that's done!

For more inspiring makeover ideas, pop over to mousehouse!

My little work room

2011-01-21T13:40:00.005+08:00

I'd love to say that I have a massive room for my desk and all my crafty stuff, but alas, it is all squashed into one of our little bedrooms! However, after adding some more Ikea shelves to the ones we got last year, I can now say that I'm getting things organised - finally! And I'm loving the floor-nearly-to-ceiling bookcase.
The desk attaches to the bookshelf, which I think is genius!

This is also where I blog and do computery things. One day, when I get the opposite side of the room looking fab I'll show you that too! Hee, hee.

Check out Megan's organised linen cupboard ideas here.
Join in her Organised Home Challenge here.

Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions

2011-01-19T23:11:00.006+08:00

I've found it difficult over the last week to post on this blog, because with the devastating floods I felt that anything I was to say that wasn't about the floods would be self-indulgent and flippant.

But now, I have found new momentum because Toni over at Make it Perfect has organised a brilliant auction site, enabling people to bid on crafty items - quilts, artwork, jewellery and such - with the final bids being donated to the Queensland Flood Appeal. Already, the current bids add up to $45000, and the auctions don't close until Monday 24th January! I am bidding on a gorgeous item, and keep checking to see that I haven't been outbid - I sooo want to have the highest bid! People have been extremely generous with their bids over all the auctions; I've seen people offer up to $400 on one item!!

As I am pretty much hanging out at Make it Perfect all the time now, I thought it might be worthwhile offering some of my own pieces of art for auction. The first one is my Tweedledee and Tweedledum mug.

I drew the picture, coloured it in photoshop and had it printed on a mug. It is pretty cute!

As part of the same auction, I am also including a framed photo of the carousel picture I took at the Perth Royal Show that is on my blog header. It is vibrant and colourful and would liven up a corner in your home!

Here's all the info about how this auction works:
1. Bidding will start at $20 (Australian).

2. You can place a bid by leaving a comment on this blog post with your bid amount and email address. Please make sure that your bid is higher than the previous bidder.

3. Your bid must be in whole dollar increments.

4. This auction is open to everyone and postage will be FREE to the highest bidder.

5. The auction begins NOW and will END at 9am on Monday 24th January 2011.

6. At the close of the auction, I will contact the winner (please make sure your bid comment includes your email address). The winner will pay the winning amount directly into the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and send me proof of payment via email. Once proof of payment has been received, I will post the mug and framed photo to you.

7. Thank you for participating and happy bidding!

My Dad's 70th Birthday Party!

2011-01-10T00:53:00.003+08:00

On Saturday night it was my Dad's 70th birthday party! Here he is, about to blow out the candles on his cake. (Sorry about all the blurry photos on this post, I need to figure out properly how to use my camera at night!)

It was a HUGE yummy-looking cake...

It was great to catch up with all of Dad's and my stepmum Jane's family and friends. There were a heap of family and friends from Collie, from the Apex Club, from the SEC, where he used to work, and from his work in cinemas. I got to catch up with a few of them and we had a good natter.

My nephew James and his girlfriend Sarah had put together a heap of photos (about 85) of Dad and his adventures over the years. The photos were shown on a big screen throughout the night and were very entertaining (I cringed at one of me from the eighties! Bad hair moment!)

Here is a nice one of Dad when he was young:

My nephew and his dad had set up the sound system for the venue, and after dinner, Dad's friend Barry sang a few old 60s songs with his acoustic guitar. Shock me, I even sang back up with my sister on Gloria!

My sister Leonie's family are way into music and have always encouraged Dad to sing along on karaoke nights. After she sang Happy Birthday, by Concrete Blonde, with a beautiful crystal clear voice, Dad and Leonie got on stage, and gave their rendition of Dream, by the Everly Brothers. It was great! I was so proud of my Dad for getting up there and singing in front of friends he has had for 50 years!

Then my nephew James had a turn, singing When You Were Young, by the Killers. Man, he rocked the place! James has always been a drummer, plays guitar, has played in bands, and generally knows all things music, but singing up there like a true rock star really surprised me! He was amazing, and I think he should be the front man in a band!

My brother-in-law, Mal, is a singer from way back. He sang David Bowie's Let's Dance.
(Again, sorry about the blurry shots!)

Then James' girlfriend, Sarah sang along with Britney Spears' Lucky. She is so pretty, and a real sweetie.

After a few more songs by James and Leonie, everyone started heading for the dance floor, with Dad and Jane, jiving the night away. Dad loves a good jive - there's no slowing him down!

Just before we went home at midnight I managed to get Jack to take a photo of me and Dad. Dad was a bit puffed after dancing for about an hour straight.

I'm so lucky to have a Dad like mine. He's a good, kind, straight-laced man, who loves music and movies, and looks out for his family and friends.

Hope you have a ton more birthdays, Dad - love you!!!

Cherry-flavoured

2011-01-08T14:17:00.002+08:00

Soooo, I've been making little discoveries about fruit as I go on this raw food adventure. Something I realised yesterday, while eating a bowl of cherries, (mmm),

was that all those cherry flavoured products out there, like lip-balm, and lollies, don't really taste like cherries!

Cherries have a watery flavour, and the very sweetest ones tast like plums. I don't know who came up with this well-known cherry flavour, but it does not taste like cherries!!

What do you think?

Rocking the Raw Food Revolution!

2011-01-07T16:31:00.004+08:00

I'm 7 days into my raw food journey, and I'm impressed that I'm going so well with it! Amazingly, I lost 2 kg in 5 days(!!!) which I'm very thankful for, because it has gone straight off my tummy. That bloated, uncomfortable feeling has gone, and, be warned, this is a bit of an over share, but, no flatulence, pretty much at all!

And I am enjoying the food! Banana for breakfast, fruit salad for lunch, hearty vegetable salad, or zucchini pasta dish for dinner, smoothie for dessert. Handfuls of nuts, strips of veges and dates for snacks. How can you not love it!

Probably the only thing I miss is some of the tastes of certain foods (such as lamb chops, and cake) but there are some raw food recipes out there which will give me more variety and some access to sweet foods, when I get the ingredients.

Not spending hours over cooking is great! Food is so quick and easy to prepare. And Jack is eating way more salad and fruit.

Another thing that is really helping my digestion is a daily dose of probiotic supplement. I have had it heaps before, but only really as a cure for bad digestion, rather than as a prevention. SOOO much more worthwhile used as a prevention, let me tell you!

The one I use is from our organic shop, found at http://www.worldorganic.mionegroup.com/. We've been reps for this company for about 3 years now and I LOVE all their products. But now I want to put out a good word for this product In-liven.

Pricey, as, taken daily it will last about a month, but the benefits, as I have found this week, are brilliant. It's best mixed in with fruit juice, especially freshly squeezed, and will do you the world of good, not just for digestion, and weight-loss, but nutrition too.

Highly recommended!