A Box of Chocolates

Mainly Music with Elle

2012-02-01T13:07:00.000+10:00

Hello again, I know it's been a while hasn't it, but here I am and I'm all excited!!!! Today Nanny and I went to Mainly Music. It's at a church in town in a big room and there are lots of children and some little babies too and we sing and dance and play instruments together. It was a lot of fun. I was a bit cautious to begin with, well you have to be don't you these days, you know you have to get a feel for things before you just jump on in, well I do anyway. So for a bit I just sat on Nan's knees and listened to see who the real competition would be. Some of those kids can sing let me tell you. And the others well you know how it is!! And then the dancing well I got down and shook my bootie yeah I did.

This is a photo of me on nan's bed before we left, I just had to check and make sure she had enough money for the outing, there is nothing worse than going out without enough cash is there? She was fine though.

After the music day nan took me back to childcare, she says she misses me and so one day a week we are gonna hang out together for a while. When I get a bit bigger we might even do other stuff after music, I can't wait for that. I think I might wear nan out a bit, I like to be carried and she can't say no too often, and then I see her kinda rubbing her back, I think that's my fault. Oh well she better just get tougher and tell me no, ha ha not likely.

Oh and look what was in nan's yard this morning.....

See the big bulge on the kangaroo, well that's a joey in there, maybe if nanny had a pouch her back would't hurt so much. This kangaroo was right up near the house too, I like roos. So gotta go now see ya next week maybe.

Love

Elle

Textur Tuesday - An Ode to Char

2012-01-31T07:24:00.003+10:00

Do you remember Char's profile picture, her hands holding the camera reflected in the car side view mirror. I do and I remember the post that went with it. She talked about how her hands reminded her of her mother, I remember it well, it made me post on the likeness's I have with my mum. Thanks Char. So today linking in to Kim's Texture Tuesday link up I am presenting my hands in the side view mirror. The texture we needed to use was a new one by Kim called Simplicity.

I changed the shot to Black and White and then lessened the opacity and added the layer at 100%.

To you Char, remembering you still.

Today is your Day

2012-01-30T11:56:00.000+10:00

Well I am claiming today as my day, as the day I begin my new life with, now that sounds really dramatic and a little over the top, I admit it. But how else do I declare I have had enough!!!!! I have had enough of eating the wrong food, and being angry at myself for doing that, as soon as the food is in my mouth. I am sick of beating myself up for it all day long after that. I'm tired of not moving enough, of watching TV too much, of drinking too much, of being lazy when it comes to my art. All in all I'm just tired of the old life I have been living. I am sick of the pain in my back that stops me from walking, which I love to do. This weekend I am undertaking a 2 day mixed media workshop and I am so excited. So I want to start today and make this my day, oh and I love this song.

Silent Sunday

2012-01-29T09:43:00.000+10:00

alone but not

at odds with yourself

going forward one step at a time

battered but not beaten

Pieces of Me

2012-01-27T08:59:00.001+10:00

2012 is going to be the year I make the changes in my life that I have to make, I need to make them. As I said yesterday I want to really live this year, totally abandon fears, doubt and old habits and thoughts that are holding me bound. I want to put the pieces of me back in the right place. Hard work I know, but since having posted my Word post I have been encouraged by so many people. I even have one dear friend who is now going to be contacting me every day and me her, with 5 things we are grateful for. The idea being that we will both begin to focus on the great things we so easily pass over.

Thank you for taking the time to offer this to me, I am so grateful for you and your thoughtfulness and kind heart. I have some very bad habits to sort out, not moving my butt enough being one. Eating out of boredom another and drinking too often. I want to do a spring clean on my body and my spirit.

I have a picture of my almost perfect me in mind and I have some of the pieces I need to create that, so come along for the ride and see how the puzzle of my life turns out.

One Word

2012-01-25T06:19:00.000+10:00

This year I have chose one word to describe my desires and hopes for the next 12 months. I saw this over at Shutter Sisters and I saw it last year and just let it slide. But this year I want change in my life. I want to LIVE. What you say, Live that's a bit silly you are living already. Look you just went on a cruise, you have this beautiful family, a wonderful husband and a gorgeous angel of a grand daughter. Aren't you living already? Well if you knew how I feel deep inside you'd know I'm existing, I am stumbling from one day to the next without much direction, focus or desire. But I am sick of that I want to really LIVE. I want to end each day tired and elated. I want to experience each day, hot, cold, busy, or quiet for what it brings. I want to be challenged and rise to the challenge not walk away. I want to find the thing in me that went missing a few years back. I can pinpoint the day it happened, I know what caused it and I have to do something to get it back. Will you keep me on track this year as I learn to really live again.

Texture Tuesday

2012-01-24T15:59:00.000+10:00

For the first time this year and the first in quite a while I am posting in Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday again. I sort of got off track late last year, I'm not sure just busy and not focussed really so I am trying to focus more and get back into my regular posting. I love playing with textures and it is nice to link up and see others take on things too. This weeks prompt is the word "Story". So you might be scratching your head as to why I chose this picture to link with. Well look at the bird on the right at the front, the poor little one legged guy. Isn't there always a one legged gull?!! Every time I see gulls there is a one legged one, what happens to all those little, orange, spindly, legs, have you ever wondered? I have, what's the story behind the losing of gull legs? Is it fishing line, is it fights, squabbles over who gets the last hot chip thrown amongst them. Is it some leg eating fish that roams the ocean, sneaking up on gulls and nipping off their skinny limbs? There has to be a story behind each one don't you think?

Recipe for texturing is

1. duplicate the picutre

2. levels adjustment

3. add Break Free texture on multiply at 82%

4. erase some texture from the birds I like the white feathers to be bright

and there you have it.

So little guys as the texture says, Break Free and soar.

Silent Sunday

2012-01-22T14:52:00.000+10:00

yummy cake

hot coffee

all done

sleep of the innocent

One Step at a Time

2012-01-18T08:45:00.000+10:00

I saw this little girl in New Zealand wandering barefoot along the beach front. She makes me wonder about the lives we live. The choices we make, that change our lives forever. Some good, some not so, but choices made and lives lived. Regrets, some, hope for the future, definitely, excitement at what is to come, oh yeah.

One day at a time, one step at a time, barefoot and free.

They Caught My Eye

2012-01-16T07:43:00.000+10:00

Strolling through the tiny french inspired town of Akoroa I spotted these people eating lunch. The seagulls waiting for some crumbs, I thought there was such a similarity, my quirky sense of humour I guess.

I have a thing for shoes, on feet and off, I like to photograph them, is there a name for that? These cuties caught my eye.

I wondered about their owner, who was she, how old was she, did she live here or was she visiting? Hmm the stories in these shoes make me wonder.

Happy Monday.

Silent Sunday

2012-01-15T11:40:00.000+10:00

kelp on the shoreline - Wellington New Zealand

I am going to try and have one day of peace and few words. Silent Sunday is here with some images for you.

driftwood - Mt. Manguanui New Zealand

See you later. Have a great Sunday.

2012-01-13T08:05:00.001+10:00

New Years' Eve for me is usually a pretty quiet affair, maybe a few drinks and into bed by 10ish, seriously dull. But of course this year was very different. A wonderful dinner in the Regency Dining Room on board the Sun Princess and some dancing, before the big balloon drop and then a quick trip to the upper deck for some cocktails and hot dogs, yes really, and some streamer tossing.

I loved these little horsey doovers and Adrian did not so I scored his too yum.

Seafood Tian, yum. Some things I learned cruising,

1. I love a balcony room, yes the balcony is tiny but for the $500 extra I think it was worth it. I have to have fresh air and I loved the sound, though quite loud, of the ocean rushing by in the night. We also had a little night feast out there, some nibbles from the buffet and some wine under the stars, wonderful.

2. Check your charges daily, we found on the last day a bottle of wine we had returned charged to our account, just keep an eye on things. Especially if like us you want to try some the delicious cocktails. There are dozens of them and we tried quite a few, so after that you might not be sure what you actually have charged so just watch the account. Oh the charge was corrected so no problems, but you do need to keep a close eye on things.

3. Forget the internet, it is really expensive and really, really, slow.

4. You need far less clothing than you think you will. I spent a fortune on new clothes thinking I would have to have new outfits every other day, nah uh, no one is looking at what you are wearing so just take a few mix and match outfits, and safe yourself the stress and money.

5. Get involved in all those things you might not usually, like line dancing, bingo, shuffle board, all that stuff you think you'd never do. You'll meet people, fill up your day and just enjoy things a lot more. Definitely do the Bingo you know how that ends hahahahahaa!!!

6. Have major liposuction of every bit of fat you have before you leave, don't worry it will all be back when you hit the shore again.

7. Ask the question, "what do you like to do?" instead of "what do you do?" you will really learn so much more about the people you are meeting. I met an author, artist, a grandma, a navy officer now retired, give it a go.

8. Be ready to enjoy yourself, sleep, eat, dance, drink, walk the decks, get salt in your hair, eat, drink, sleep and start all over again.

From the Beginning

2012-01-12T07:49:00.000+10:00

New Years Eve this year on the Sun Princess was wonderful. A glittering foyer filled with balloons, a windy deck draped with streamers. Champagne bubbles popping, cheering, laughing, dancing. Hopes high for what 2012 will bring.

What will this new year bring? I have to admit I began 2011 with such good intentions, lose weight, oops didn't do that one, be really creative in my photography and art work, oops again I just lost all momentum as the year went on. But this year, I know it sounds like every other beginning, all bright and shiny and full of promise, I know, but there is something about me right now. Something different, I hope it lasts, I really do, I have a craving to do new things, I am tired of being stagnant, waiting for change to come. I think I may have to make the change, take the plunge so to speak and to heck with the consequences. If it doesn't work well at least I tried, be committed to change, not wait for it to drag it's butt up to me, go looking for ways to make it happen. I write this with trepidation, because we all know don't we that this time of year is like this for us. We are full of beans, excited about the new days ahead of us and by February, well ho hum back to the ordinary. But truly I don't want that for me this year, I want change.

I might need a little pilot boat to guide me through the old waters, you know, to help me break these old habits and push and guide me in a new direction. I want to undertake some new challenges and succeed, not throw the towel in too early. So will you join me on the journey, let's see where we end up hey!!!!

Pack a bag, bring your sense of humour, a good book or two, some running shoes, some tissues for tears along the way, flexibility and a whole big pot of love, let's get going.

Feet Firmly on the Ground

2012-01-11T18:08:00.000+10:00

Well welcome back to all my bloggy friends, I do hope you had a great Christmas and a fantastic New Year. I hope you are now settled into the routine of 2012 and that great things lie ahead for you. I am excited about this year, I can't say why, really I just have a feeling, you know bubbling away in me. I'm looking forward to see what comes, are you?

Now my very exciting news.......I have just returned today from a 14 day cruise aboard the Sun Princess to New Zealand. We left on 28th December and had a fabulous New Year's Eave onboard and then took in some lovely sights at our ports. More about that next time, now I just want to let you know something really exciting for me. We played bingo on the cruise, on those days that were too windy for walking or sitting on the decks, 3 times I think we played maybe 4. Anyway the last day was a big jackpot so we decided we would have another flutter an bought our $20 worth of tickets, a bottle of bubbles and sat down for the game time. On the last game, a full house game with no call limit about 12 people stood up to indicate they had only 1 number left to win. I had 2 numbers, the next number I didn't have and then I had the next one. I needed number 74 that's all and all the others were still standing. I looked up at the screen to see the number and it was 74.

Yesiree I won the jackpot and guess how much it was?

Can you believe this it was $10,216.00 yes I am absolutely gob smacked. I don't usually play bingo or things like that. Only on the odd occasion and luckily for me this one of those times. So our trip is paid for isn't that wonderful.

Happy New Year everyone all the best of luck to you too this year.

The clouds hung low over the snow spotted mountains as we sailed into Fiordland, really beautiful.

It is beautiful isn't it, the Land of the Long White Cloud, Come back tomorrow for a little more.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight

2011-12-27T07:36:00.001+10:00

Every Christmas we take our red hat photos, usually with the camera set on timer so we can all get in, but this year Adrian took a photo of all us girls. My mum on one end and our baby on the other. Eldest to youngest, I love it. As usual there is always some nonsense going on and there is rarely the perfect photo taken, you know, one where everyone is looking and smiling and all eyes open. Yep we don't get too many of them. But I will say to me everyone wonky one is perfect.

My girls though have done pretty well in these mostly looking at the camera for a change and no bunny fingers or stuff going on.

Yep the champagne cocktail had been flowing for a little while by now and it showed.

We had a couple of ring ins this year, some friends of Paul and Alicia's who either didn't have family here or whose family don't celebrate Christmas. What good sports they wore the hats and popped the poppers. Boys will be boys hey!!!

Watching some boys on their motor bikes on Paul and Alicia's property. Sweet.

Ash certainly looks excited about something.

How cute is the Princess!!!?

She has her own little santa hat.

And finally Adrian taking a little quiet time, I think we all needed a little down time. A great day again, does it get any better than Christmas with family, I think not.

So now I go and pack for our cruise. We head off tomorrow for a fortnight, so looking forward to it. Hopefully will be able to post, let's see.

Happy New Year everyone.

See you in 2012.

Soon..

2011-12-22T00:02:00.001+10:00

Soon it will be Christmas Eve. My mum will be with us, and my twins will come home to sleep here, so they can wake up with us on Christmas Day. Funny they are 22 now and still come home to Mum and Dad for Christmas, oh how I love that. We will go to Alicia and Paul's this year for lunch, a treat for me, no cooking, just peeling prawns and making champagne cocktails, not so hard. Elle's second Christmas, the joy of a child at Christmas makes me smile. To spend time with all my children including my wonderful son-in-law, my mum, my baby granddaughter Elle, having my wonderful husband with me, this is what the love of Christmas is. I would be happy with no other gift than to be together, singing, really badly on the karaoke, making lunch, laughing at each other, sharing the day together. Another year will come and go, has come and gone. They have grown, they will travel, they will go and come back and go again. They are the joy of my life all of them, they make me smile and cry. They are the most precious gift to me.

I hope you can have the same this Christmas. Blessings to you all my friends and a very Merry Christmas.

'Twas the Week Before Christmas

2011-12-18T15:22:00.000+10:00

Yes it was the week before Christmas and Poppy and Daddy have been busy building my new swing climbing fort. It is so cool!!!!! Gee they are clever, really clever and I love them sooooo much! I love climbing on it and I love the swings and I especially love the slide, wheeeeeee!!!!

See so much fun really!!!!!!

Mummy says I am getting really tall cause my shirt here is a bit short and I only got it to wear for my birthday in August. I think I'll be tall like Daddy, he is a giant.

I was the centre of attention again, I have no problem with that, really. Anyway I got my swings for Christmas and Santa had to bring them early so Poppy and Daddy could put them up in time for christmas Day.

Aww Nanny my tummy is showing really!!!!!

Now I don't know what a booty is but Nanny and Mummy were laughing say I have the cutest booty in this shot huh!!!!???? So I'm not sure if I'll get back here before Christmas so from me and mummy and daddy have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!! Lots of love

Elle

The Gift of Books

2011-12-13T13:10:00.001+10:00

The Princess loves to read, she really loves it. And there is a series of books that are her favourite at the moment. The I Love series, I love Bedtime, I love to Play, I love School, etc. Her nanny Carmel sent the first one, I Love Bedtime and The princess nearly drove her mummy and daddy silly wanting to read it all the time ha ha! And this week the I Love Playtime book arrived, thanks Nanna Carmel.

Look at the intensity in her eyes, she is going to read this book right now.

I love reading, Adrian loves to read, my mum is an avid reader and all but one of my girls loves to read. I am so glad Elle loves her books too.

Is there anything better than curling up at the end of the day, blankets under your chin, the light low and beginning to drift off to that other world you are reading about?

At the end of the day reading is my last comfort, it helps me calm down, become really drowsy and drift off. It looks like it does the same to Elle.

Mondays with Elle

2011-12-06T06:35:00.001+10:00

So here I am again back to have a little chat with you. I know it's been a while since i got to have my own page again, see I go to childcare now on Fridays and I don't come to Nanny's then anymore. But mummy has been going to a fitness trainer and so i come here on Monday's now, Yeah!!!!!! I am so excited about that. Cause you all know nanny is my all time favourite person in the whole big world. Now look what she lets me do, play with matches and she says that I shouldn't tell anyone that i did that cause she said it's really, really bad for me to play with matches. What are matches anyway little sticks with red dots on the end!?

I dunno what makes em dangerous! They are fun though see what you do is get the little box and open it when you are sitting on the floor and then ya tip all the little sticks out and then you pick em up and put em back in the box. You do that like stacks of times till nanny is nearly going crazy it's really funny ha ha!!

Then when nanny takes away the little sticks you go over to the bubble blowing whale thingy and you pull the little green bit off the end like stacks and stacks of times and then you wave it at nanny so she will make it blow bubbles.

Oh and ya tip over the bubble stuff and it gets all sticky and you find some more little sticks ha ha so much fun.

Then ya wave the bubble blowing whale thingy at nanny again ha ha!!!

I love bubbles and nanny loves blowing them she must do cause she does it for me like for hours and hours and then she pushes me in the swing like for hours and she must love that too hey!?

Then you pack up all the little sticks and you give nanny the box cause she is like sitting in the corner banging her head on the wall and rocking back and forth very strange ha ha!!!

Hey do you like my cool stockings how nice are they?! But it's meant to be summer here and the other day it was hot and today it was cold who knows what is happening. So I am walking now, everywhere and I am really good at it too. I have some really nice shoes too, lots of them just like mummy. Nanny said mummy has about 86 pairs of shoes and I am trying to catch up. I even like putting nanny and mummy's shoes on, I just love shoes.

So i gotta go now I hope i see you next Monday.

Love Elle

AVery Physchadelic Christmas

2011-12-05T08:11:00.001+10:00

Yep these are my Christmas lights, yes siree. Of course I made them look like this, by moving the camera which of course you knew ha ha. I love light streaks like this, don't you like streamers aren't they?

Can you see me?

Now you can!

Bokeh, bokeh everywhere another favourite of mine. Christmas is loaded with bokeh.

I'm thinking tonight we might go to the big Christmas light show they put on in a park in town here. These were all taken around my house, or on the Christmas tree. The park set up is amazing. It was always a family favourite thing to do when the girls were smaller. Load up the car and drive around to see all the houses lit up. I think I'll call the girls and see if they want to join us. Alicia and Paul will take Elle sometime, starting their own family traditions. That's what Christmas is all about really. Family, traditions, love, sharing.

I have two trees set up, our big green tree laden with ornaments chosen or made by the girls over the years and this little white one in our front lounge room. I think it's a sweetie all white and pink.

We have lit up our house this year and these lights dangle from the carport so pretty. What are you doing for Christmas? I am going to link up with Kat Exploring with a Camera, on Christmas lights too, so come on over and see all the wonderful Christmas lights photographed.

Living the Good Life

2011-12-04T16:07:00.001+10:00

After a morning of Christmas gift shopping, I wanted to kick back and relax a little. So Prawns came to mind, fresh, red, salty, juicy, prawns. And what better to have them with but some Mango salsa.

The salsa of course home made, with shredded home grown basil, some red onions and a little lime juice, I know you are drooling right!!

And with my wonderful hubby having peeled and de pooped the prawns I was set. I did mention how wonderful he is didn't I?

Oh did I mention the Bubbles, cold, sparkling, refreshing and oh so moreish, Carmel my friend where are you??!!

Would you like to join me, it's warm here, sunny, and the perfect weather for lazing on the deck, watching the birds flit around, sipping those bubbles and heaping fork fulls of yum into my mouth.

He can not help himself, he loves fresh white bread and prawns, oh well why not. So another wonderful summer day done, yummy. What did you do today?

It's a struggle

2011-11-28T08:20:00.001+10:00

I am finding it quite difficult at the moment to post a blog entry. Why, well I'm not sure, I just don't seem to have anything interesting to say. Did I ever? I wonder. I started this blog because I had been posting on my blog about Lucas's fight to survive his liver disease. It made me sad and angry, when he passed away and I wanted to write somewhere happier.

Now 2 and a half years later, my voice seems to be whispering. What do I actually have to say anyway, really? I love to photograph, I am enjoying exploring paints, and paper and glue and stamps. I love being a nanny, wife and mother. But to talk about what.

So I hear myself whispering instead of talking out loud. What to do, I don't want to stop completely, I have met the most incredible people here. I have had emails and conversations with you. I have met you in Cannes and dined at your table and discovered your world.

What to do. I'm not sure, I'll see. Do you like my onion flowers, yep that's what they are. My salad onions were a bit of a failure, more like shallots actually ha ha, but as they went to seed these gorgeous pom poms appeared. I love them, what about you? Funny isn't it that an onion would have such a pretty puff of white to spread it's seeds. Nature is truly amazing. In my garden at the moment we have just finished our harvest of the most juicy and sweet nectarines, our raspberries are ripening and the blueberries are a delicious purple. The birds love the strawberries little buggers. The plums are ripening and the olives are forming yum. Gotta love a country garden.

A New Thought

2011-11-25T06:27:00.001+10:00

Thinking of heading off on my first cruise in 5 weeks, I am wondering how I will introduce myself to others and how I will ask all those questions that I have for them. The best part of a trip I think is the people we meet and the friendships we make. I love meeting new people, people from all over the world, from different life experiences and people who love other people. Funny though the first thing we often ask someone when we meet them is "what do you do?" Is that really what we want to know? Do I really care if they are a plumber, a doctor, a check out chick? Really, No? I read recently a new approach to this. Ask the question "What do you like to do?"

On a recent trip to Brisbane to check out the ship we will be cruising on, I spotted all these window cleaners, dangling from this highrise apartment building. I wonder if this is what they like to do. I would be a blithering mess if this was me. I hate heights, so no window cleaner job here thanks.

Seeing this gorgeous, cute bike, I thought, wow, I bet this person loves to take a spin on this baby. I can imagine someone, scarf billowing in the wind, scooting off to a park for a picnic, wine, bread, cheese, fun times.

Or the owner of this little car, what do they like to do? Drive with the wind in their hair, smiling at all the people staring enviously at their car. Dance a little rock & roll, jive, maybe.

It has changed my mind about how I will approach the people I meet on the cruise, I will be asking "What do you like to do?" I hope they tell me some interesting things. What would I say if asked that question?

I like to meet people.

I like to cook delicious meals with love.

I like to smell my baby granddaughter's hair.

I like to walk on the sand with the waves washing over my feet.

I like to scavenge in rock pools.

I like wine.

I like music.

I like to dance.

I like to photograph.

I like to sing (though I can't).

I like to create.

I like the feel of the inside of my husbands arm.

I like (some would say love) to talk.

I like being a mother.

I like being a friend.

I like to travel.

I hope when I ask the question I get to know the person, I hope I find out things about them that normally it would take ages to know. I hope I make some new friends. Think about how you ask the question from now on.

What do you like to do.

How He Popped the Question or didn't

2011-11-16T10:57:00.001+10:00

Linking up over at Momma Kat's and really I just had to choose this prompt, it always makes me smile.

How did he pop the question, well he kind of didn’tand I have never let him forget it either. I knew when I saw him standing on the other side of the barafter footy training that he would be mine. Quiet and a little shy, well so I thought, he was totallyfine to look at and I melted. Ieventually asked him out, his mate Rocky had tried to ask me out on his behalf,much to his embarrassment and I had shot him down, oops. So after a few weeks of waiting andflirting and chatting and lingering looks, I asked him to come for drinks witha crowd after work. He did and itstarted there. Several monthslater we were living together and talking of getting married. I remember thinking come on ask me,please and talking about it some more. In the process we kind of just decided that’s what we would do, we’d getmarried. I said, “So when are youactually going to ask me,” He said, “I have haven’t I,” I said, “no I want youto get down on one knee like this.” At this point I got down on one knee and I said “will you marry me,” youguessed it, he grinned and said “yeah sure I will.” And that was that. I had gotten down on one knee and proposed. He has never asked me to marry him since, though he cringesin embarrassment when the young men today go to such elaborate measures tosecure their brides. Actually welaugh about it now, I adore him, he treasures me, we both know how much we loveeach other and next March will be our 30^th married yeartogether. I wouldn’t change athing, well maybe he could have asked me, ha ha.

And for something to think about....
How generous are you?

Baby It's Hot Outside

2011-11-14T11:36:00.001+10:00

Oh my goodness, how gorgeous is our girl really!!!!!!? Alicia asked me to go over and take some pics for their Christmas card and I had this idea of Elle being a little gift to us and so I bought this huge gift bag and well here she is our beautiful little gift Elle.

We had to do a few serious ones to of course but I love the funny playful ones best.

Here their dog Tin Tin had to get in on the act and boy does he love Elle and Alicia. He is so protective of them it's cute to see. He isn't viscous but I'd hate to see anyone try and get too close if they didn't want them too. Here though he is just a big baby flopping about trying to smoosh on in.

And of course the Princes is walking now what an angel.

Elle is very much like her daddy, he rides motor bikes like the Crusty Demon guys you know over dirt jumps and such and is a bit of a thrill seeker, well little miss is just like that. If it goes fast and high she loves it, can't you tell!?

Yep daddy higher, higher.

What a smile, be still my beating heart ha ha!!

Gosh I adore her.

Now to my little effort of flower shots over the weekend. It is hot here right now, really hot, we swam yesterday and really for Toowoomba it is a little early for that, but it was fab.

Anyhow the flowers are feeling the heat and drying out, I love it though.

Beautiful colours and shapes.

Seeds about to blow away and replant themselves for next year.

What a gorgeous little crown this one has on.

Summer here you come.

2011-11-11T16:52:00.001+10:00

I went looking for light the other afternoon, light on the flowers about to open, light on the leaves.

Isn't it beautiful, the veins lit up?!

The girls are doing well, 3 eggs this day, brown and cream and warm in the sun.

Our first crop of nectarines lit up and warmed and sweet and ripe.

And round the corner this lovely was quite interested in what I was doing.

Hmm easy to see I have not much to do hey. Wander and shoot a few pics. My life.

So off now to have a few bubbles with a neighbour as our hubbies hit a golf ball through our properties, the absolute joy of country living.

Have a good weekend now.

A Bit of This and That

2011-11-07T16:25:00.002+10:00

Well he got one finally, yep Adrian joined me in the land of ink. Apparently he has wanted a tattoo for years, but never knew what to get. Since I got mine last year he has been trying to decide on what, and I suggested the phrase "The greatest of these is love", he loved it but went for the scripture instead. I like it actually.

And he made brekky for me this morning oh so yum. What a great way to start the weekend.

My hydrangea plant is fading but still beautiful.

And the princess came to visit. She is walking every where now, crawls occasionally and still has a bad cold. Poor little darling it has been weeks.

Elle goes for her next operation to remove her spots in January sometime. The first op has gone well and the scaring is minimal. The moles are shrinking nicely. Oh she melts my heart truly.

How do you resist this face tell me please.

Zema Estate Wine Dinner

2011-11-05T16:21:00.000+10:00

Welcome to the Zema Estate Wine Dinner, held at The Angel Cafe on Thursday night. I hope you enjoy the amazing food prepared especially to accompany the beautiful red wines made by the Zema family in the Coonawarra region of South Australia.

Now I should have started with a picture of the Duck Parfait with Cumberland jelly and thyme croute, served with the 2005 Zema Estate Merlot, BUT oops I had eaten it before I remembered to photograph it, ha ha. Take my word for it, it was a delightful, tasty morsel washed down with a lovely subtle merlot, yum!!!

The first course served with a 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was Venison Carpaccio with cauliflower sorbet, spinach spheres and garlic crisps. Now this was a Heston Blumenthal experience totally. The little shiny green spheres of spinach were as smooth as glass and wobbled when poked with my fork. Like tiny green jellies, but when the skin was broken inside the spinach was as smooth as paint. The cauliflower sorbet was mind blowing, putting this icy cold ice cream textured morsel in my mouth and experiencing the taste of cauliflower was totally weird. The paper thin slices of venison paired beautifully with the spinach and cauliflower and the crispy garlic strips added the crunchiness and bite that was needed. The wine once again went beautifully with this dish.

Course two my favourite meat dish, was Crackled Belly Pork, pommery mustard chou croute, apple gel and glace de viande. The 2006 'Cluny' Cabernet Merlot that washed this down was my favourite for the night also.

This pork was devine, the crackle perfectly crisp and not too crunchy, the apple gel like tiny dew drops on the plate to add that touch of sweetness to the pork. The chou croute, crunchy and delicious, really this was just delicious.

But wait there's more, Course three. Brined aromatic Duck breast with confit leg terrine, truffled white polenta and macerated cherries. Add 2005 Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon and this is complete. The terrine is probably the best I have ever had, I'm not a lover of jelly terrines and this was perfect for me. The confit of duck leg was slightly crunchy in texture and full of beautiful rich duck flavours. The truffled polenta, the first time I have had white polenta by the way, was delicious and the duck breast sweet accompanied with the beet. The wine a little rich for me but wonderful just the same.

Next we have a refresher of Spring fruits.

Each of these beautiful sorbets is accompanied by fresh fruit and a wafer thin slice of orange dried and crispy, yum. The stick was like hardened fairy floss nice to have something crispy to go with the softness of the sorbets and fruits.

With our palettes cleansed we were ready to indulge in the fourth course, Whipped Brie, aged cheddar, port glaze and buttered brioche. The 2005 Family Selection Shiraz served alongside.

Honestly another wonderfully decadent night of wine and food and I am so glad that we are able to indulge ourselves this way. How the scales will read on Tuesday is another story, oh well I wouldn't change a thing.

Have a nice weekend all.

Texture Tuesday

2011-11-01T08:11:00.001+10:00

Here we are again and once again the week has flown by and I am amazed that it is Tuesday already. Really what in the world is happening to time these days?

So todays brief for Texture Tuesday was to use Kim's texture And Then Some. It is a lovely texture I have to say.

Straight out of the camera above and with the texture the first photograph.

Recipe:

First layer made black and white at 86% opacity

layer of And Then Some on colour burn at 78%

a brightness and contrast fiddle

adjustment of levels to taste

and a layer of JJ Scully brushes (the numbers you can see in the bottom corners and top left corner) I love these grungy brushes.

I really love the look of the layered photo. I think it is really grungy and a bit vintage looking I prefer it to the original and that is the effect I like to get from playing with the editing.

So today I am off to celebrate the Melbourne Cup the horse race that stops the nation, so they say and rightly so. I haven't been to a Melbourne Cup luncheon in years, stopped going when we started going to church, it wasn't really acceptable. But today I am going with Adrian's sisters and we will have a buffet lunch and a couple of bets on the race. Cross your fingers for me okay.

Texture Tuesday

2011-10-25T14:52:00.002+10:00

Well hello there, wow time is just flying right now. SO it's been a fortnight since my last post and the days have run together and here we are, 2 weeks later. I have had something like bronchitis, I have had my mum visit for 5 days (wow) I am still her baby, and she lets me know ouch!! I have booked a cruise and I am doing a photography course on line, so no wonder I feel snowed under. Plus as my last post showed I am trying my hand at some mixed media works as well. I think I need to prioritise and slow down a bit actually. Oh and I started a weight loss programme today, hey I am not going to be the fat lady on the cruise deck. No way!!! So for Texture Tuesday over at Kim's we had a free for all, so long as we used 2 of her textures. My before picture above and below the textured image.

The textures are subtle I know but I do like the stark contrast of this second shot. I used a layer of Kim's called love and a layer called peacock, I fiddled with the levels, and the brightness and contrast and I like the end result.

What do you think?

Trying my hand at it.

2011-10-14T16:32:00.000+10:00

So what a week it's been, firstly getting over my four days with the Angel aka Elle aka Sweet Pea. A good sleep and I was better and you know Monday afternoon after she had been gone a few hours I really missed her. Tuesday my babies 22nd birthdays, okay I admit it I am getting old arghh!!!! Wednesday ironing, ironing, ironing yuk!! Thursday morning tea with some friends and a massage I am still recovering from ouch! Today play, I loved it I really did. A lot of photographs, up close and personal, my favourites.

I love the colours in these shots.

Oh and I forgot to mention, I booked us on a cruise on the Princess Lines, for New Years Eve, yahoo!!!!!! Off to New Zealand we go 14 nights of sailing the high seas, meeting new people, and seeing as much as we can of the beautiful islands, I cannot wait.

My camera will surely get a work out, which by the way I will also be giving myself from now until then. I do not want to be the fat lady laying by the pool. So a lot of Wii dance and walking coming up for the next few months.

Oh and a few happy snaps from Tuesday night all my girls ha ha and Elle enjoying a little tomato sauce on her chop. Her mummy had a fit, arghh watch out for her sweater, don't let her touch it argh, really funny.

And lastly I have been dabbling a little with some mixed media artwork,

This one turned out a little darker than I wanted, but I still quite like the overall effect.

I like this one as well, I love the colour runs, I used transparent acrylics and tissue paper for texture. What do you think?

Off now to play some more, have a good weekend now.

They are 22 Today

2011-10-11T15:45:00.000+10:00

It's hard to believe that Ashleigh and Danielle are 22 today. My babies are all grown up! Above they are 3 months old and Danielle is at the back, you know I used to have to put little signs with A & D on them near each girl so I could tell who was who in the photos. I have hundreds of shots in which I have no idea who is who ha ha!!!

They have played together and been together almost every day since they were born. they travel together and live together without too many hiccups at all. They are best friends, though they would probably never admit it. The used to fight over the same pair of jeans or shirts when we went shopping, now they have their own tastes, even though they are similar. Their personalities though differ.

They drove their big sister mad with jealousy and now they are great friends. They are identical mirror image twins.

They were stunning at their high school formals and were even bridesmaids for their friend Amy.

They are funny, fun, kind, happy, single, come on young men who will marry my girls where are you. They still like to hang out with their parents, I love that. They are travellers and explorers and adventurers.

They look alike, sometimes, even though they are identical. One is a lefty and one is right handed. They act like that too, one is very serious and one isn't and I'm not telling who is who.

They certainly didn't come with a handbook but it has been fun. We love them and we are proud of them, they are my daughters, my twins, aunties and sisters, grand daughters and nieces and they are wonderful, beautiful women.

Happy Birthday Darlings.

She Takes Me Back

2011-10-10T13:00:00.002+10:00

If I could throw my leg in the air as easily as Elle can I would, believe me. After this last weekend I have realised why we have our children at 20 odd and our grandchildren at 50 odd. We just would not survive if it was the other way around. We had the absolute pleasure of hosting Elle for 4 nights this last week, and I say hosting, because the Angel is a madam.

She is adorable, she makes us laugh, she is determined, she makes us remember the days we had to discipline her mummy.

She is curious and intelligent and she so wants to join in.

She helped Poppy bottle his first batch of home brew, she played in the water and loved it.

She is a little monkey and we smile a lot when she is here.

She is learning to feed herself, and she is teaching me patience all over again. Her eyes melt me.

She likes ice cream in the sun on the grass.

She doesn't like Tahitian Lime Sorbet that much ha ha!

She helps out round the place, she's very handy.

She took pop for a ride.

Pop took her for a ride. She loves spotty socks.

She likes to feel new things.

She loves life.

She is such a good helper in the kitchen.

She is the joy of our lives. She takes me back to when I had my own little Angels and I love her for that.

Jemima Puddleduck came Paddling

2011-10-06T20:34:00.004+10:00

I heard a strange soft honking today and looking out the back door look who I saw, enjoying the pool. Adrian chases these guys off all the time, not with the babies of course, but the adult ducks who come by poop and leave. I felt guilty, running inside to grab my camera instead of shooing them away.

They were a really cute little family, all staying close together, the babies running along to keep up with mummy and daddy.

They even hid under the log, laying under mum's wings when I came down to open the pool gate for them, they managed to get in on their own but were having a little bit of trouble getting out.

Adrian shook his head at me when I showed him these photos, I did detect a slight smile at the babies though.

Oh and look whose come to visit for a few days...

She is doing a bit of cupboard cleaning here, it's thirsty work I can tell you.

Oh she is the Princess of course.

Yep the most beautiful girl in the world..... hahaha!!!!

Yummy

2011-10-06T10:35:00.001+10:00

I have to make recipes lists for my weekly shopping trips, if I don't I have a lost feeling when it comes to what we are going to eat each night. I find myself standing in front of the freezer with the door open, rifling through the pantry shelves sighing and wishing I had my dear friend Helene here, all the way from Cannes in France to whip us up some provincial delight. Alas it is not so and hence the reason why I must make recipe lists. This week I made my lists and last night we feasted on Sesame crusted Salmon with Ponzu dressing. Yum I hear you say and you are absolutely correct......delicious.

Recipe:

Sesame Crusted Salmon with Ponzu Dressing

2 salmon fillets, skin off

35 grams of black sesame seeds

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

50 gram asian salad leaves

Ponzu Dressing

2 tablespoons Mirin

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

To make the ponzu dressing put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Remove and let cool.

Press both sides of the salmon with the sesame seeds. Heat a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the oil when hot add the salmon and cook for 3-4minutes each side or to your tastes. Arrange on the plate with the salad leaves and spoon over the ponzu dressing. Serves 2.

I use Bok Choy instead of salad leaves, just my personal preference. The dressing is gorgeous and this is such a light and yet filling meal. Perfect for summer evening or lunch time treats.

Oh by the way I have Elle for the next 4 nights, serious sleep will be needed to recover but hey what is super nanny to do. And here are a couple of the shots I have used for the photography course I am doing with Kat.

We had to take at least 50 shots of our subject and tell why we liked the shots and the process. I began by shooting the flowers but ended up focussing on the water droplets I love droplet shots.

Great fun and a great course.

Finding the Colours

2011-10-01T07:31:00.001+10:00

I feel like a dandelion head that someone has just blown on really hard and bits of me are flying all over the place eek!!!! I am so scattered at the moment, really it's tiring. I am doing a marvellous course with Kat over at Kat's Eye View of the World on finding my eye. And I am today posting a link to this blog on the Colour Wheel in photography also on Kat's blog. So I am busy with photographing and sorting and looking at why and all that stuff. As well as I have been handed a DVD featuring and Australian artist Tricia Reust, and I loved her technique so much I have lain awake half the night pondering how I will use it in my own art work. I spent a few hours yesterday in my studio slapping on paint and transferring the Eiffel Tower to my canvas and inking and wiping and spraying, so much fun. So I am tossed around at the moment. Torn between two things I love doing and wanting to do more of both, the time, the time that's what is lacking. So back to the colour wheel. Above is a shot on Manarolla in the Cinque Terre. The boats lined the coast line and colours were amazing. The above example is what is known as a Triadic Variation, mosey on over and let Kat explain it to you better than I can. I never really thought about the colours in my shots, why certain compositions please the eye more than others. Now I see why, it's so interesting and mostly we naturally take these shots, simply because they do please us.

Another Triadic Variation, green and orange and the blue and yellow. Again along the coastline of the Cinque Terre, this time where we stayed for a few days Manarolla, oooh I love this place so gorgeous.

Anyway gotta love ya and leave ya, things to shoot, things to paint fun fun, have a great weekend all.

Texture Tuesday - Love

2011-09-27T11:26:00.000+10:00

The prompt for this weeks Texture Tuesday was Love.... no worries this shot sprang immediately to mind. My daughter Alicia with her very new baby girl Elle. Is there anything stronger, anything more pure, anything more lasting and true than the love of a mother for her baby. I don't think so. I remember this day, Alicia tired and a little nervous I think about being a new mum again. This time it was different though, this time her beautiful baby came home, this time she got to hold her in her arms and snuggle her soft sweet neck. She got to smell her delicious baby scent. This time she said she really knew she was a mumma. I could tell she was in love, I could feel that love pouring from her to Elle as she held her. Oh there is nothing like a mother's love.

Recipe for this layering and texturing is:

Duplicate the pic convert to black and white at about 60% opacity

Layer with Kim's subtly yours texture on multiply at 77%

Layer with Kim's if only texture on softlight at 100%

Add two colour fill layers in a pink and a soft mauve

Add the frame layer and voila you have it.

I am taking a Finding Your Eye course with Kat at the moment too and so far enjoying it immensely. You can find my efforts on flickr or drop by Kat's and see what she has to offer.

Writers Prompt

2011-09-25T11:49:00.002+10:00

I am participating for the first time today in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. As a teenager I loved to write, stories, poems, my thoughts and I guess that is why I love blogging so much. But I have wanted to begin to write again more of what I feel, how I want things to be , stories of love and joy and pain and well you get it write, right!

So my first effort is below under the picture of my dad's house, he built it in stages himself when he and mum married. He lived there until he came to Toowoomba for a few days back in 2004 and never went home again. It's where I was born, where I grew until I was 15 and ran to the beach to live. It is how I remember my mum and dad together, my sister before things changed, where dad was when he got that dreaded diagnosis. It is over 40 years of his life and my mum's life and most all of my childhood. It is gone now, a huge big brick box in it's place, I miss my house, my dad, my life there as a child.

The writing prompt was I am from....Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

So here we go.

I am from Barbie dolls andLittle Golden Books with shiny gold spines, from Coca Cola in green tingedglass bottles and Paddle Pop ice creams on small wooden sticks .

I am from the house my dadbuilt with his own two hands, with a skillion roof and a ramp out theback. A creek down the road wherewe fished for turtles and shiny guppies with all the kids in our street, fromthe scent of frangipani in summer and yellow wattle in winter.

I am from the creamy whitefrangipani, the sweet heady scent that fills the air in the summer evenings,the bright yellow centre and the wrinkly dark green leaves.

I am from early morningrisers during the week and sleepy heads on the weekends and work hard, pay itoff as fast as you can and don’t whine from Noel and Brenda and Ernest (he wasa hard one).

I am from the stay busy,don’t complain and save, save, save family.

From always look a personin the eye when you speak to them and never lie.

I am from Sunday schoolthat they asked me to leave, when I made fun of the teacher’s name. To findingmy own way to church at 30 and leaving again at 50.

I’m from Brisbane,Australia and Leeds, England, roasted lamb ribs and Yorkshire Pudding.

From the mother who blew upthe pressure cooker and left spaghetti dangling from the ceiling, the motherwho had hair pieces and make up and always looked beautiful, and the father whobuilt his own business and fished like a champion, who loved me so much andspanked me at the same time.

I am from very few albums acircumstance I have changed, drawers filled with bits of paper and old lettersa mother who hoardes and a father who didn’t, but kept his favourite pants fromthe 70’s and treasured pigeon racing certificates. I am from a dad who loved me and my sister no matter what,but who also was firm and set an example. From a mum who laughed with us and showed us the way to be who we neededto be. I have taken the good and left the bad and hope my daughters will behappy to say who they come from.

Sunset on Mindil

2011-09-23T08:36:00.001+10:00

I had heard of Mindil Beach, I'd even heard of the amazing sunsets there, but I was not prepared for the reality of it. Here in Australia it is rare to see the sun set on the water, well on the East Coast anyway, so naturally when you get to see it a crowd gathers. So we headed off on Sunday evening to Mindil Beach. We packed the picnic basket, well Carmel did, talk about the hostess with the mostess, truly I barely had to do a thing all weekend. Anyway off we headed with our chicken wing dings and our 3 bottles of wine, yes actually she packed 4 and when we laughed she took one out. Really Carmel now we are sippers remember. Ha haha!! And no we didn't drink all of them. So the beach is lovely and the people begin to gather. The sky is actually really really blue, but my camera didn't catch that.

Suddenly there is a gorgeous yellow sky and yes it is as bright as this shot shows, hurts your eyes hey?!

The colours begin to change and my mouth begins to hang open a little, really it is beautiful.

From blue to yellow to orange and then to a pinky tinge. The cameras come out and the crowds gather, wine glasses in hand and faces filled with wonder.

The boys even had a romantic wistful moment together sipping on a lovely red having a quiet chat, aww isn't it lovely.

And then the sun is gone and another day is ended in the Top End. Really an amazing place to visit, beautiful water so blue and so many strange and wonderful things to see.

Such blue water, really so lovely.

Darwin's CBD skyline looking over the harbour.

Thunder clouds building, but we had no rain. The wet season is coming though and we hope we get to see the city and areas in the wet one day soon, they say it goes from the dry browns and reds of the dry to every shade of green you can imagine. Well we loved our trip to Darwin, great friends, great times and a great place to visit.

Never Smile at a Crocodile

2011-09-22T07:52:00.002+10:00

Corroboree Billabong 38kilometres of dark green water, edged with the tallest lilly's I have ever seen. Home to the fattest crocs I have ever seen and supposedly filled with Barramundi the Queensland fisherman's dream catch. I say supposedly because after fishing for most of the day, the boys caught only one that was legal size. Mind you the fillets from that fish were huge. Back to the lilly's this is just a sample of the miles and miles of beautiful flowers we passed on our trip to Corroboree.

So much life hidden within the flower itself.

And birds of all shapes and sizes live here too.

Tall elegant Brolgas.

Egrets and magpie geese and bronzed ducks.

I think this lonely lilly marks the entrance to a huge croc den, well it could.

The seed pod in the centre of the lilly goes a dark woody brown and is often seen in dried arrangements. I so wanted to reach out and pick some, not quite game enough though.

Purple lilly home to flies too, or maybe they are some sort of native bee.

A little blurry I know, but we were in a boat okay.

And then there were these tiny little guys all soft and furry.

Yes we do breed them strange Down Under, this is a Jabaroo, how amazing is he!! He stands about 5 feet tall.

Just to give you some sort of idea of the water levels in the wet season, check out the fence. They are heading into the wet now and it will be much more humid and obviously it will rain a lot.

The Billabong will spread out over the surrounding flood plains.

Some people hire houseboats to spend the weekend fishing, see the line out the back. Believe me it is hot out there.

A pair of Sea Eagles and their nest. How huge is that thing. Apparently it is nearly 20 years old too.

I think he was checking me out.

We shared our ham for lunch with this Hawk.

Now we are getting down to the business end of the Billabong. Big, Fat, Enormous, Ugly Crocodiles. These fellas used to be scared of the boats apparently, but not this one.

His big pointy tail even gives me the shivers.

Can you see the tail points, they look like teeth. EEkkk!!

See his eyes on the left and his tail way out there on the right shiver.

Umm not too close now.

Holey Dooley now that's close enough okay.

I think he wanted this Barramundi for dinner.

They tell me this is the breakfast of champions up in Darwin. Bundy Rum and Barra fillets. This is one fillet off the Barra that Merv caught.

So tomorrow come with me to the Mindil markets for the sunset to beat all sunsets.

Until then cheers.

The Top End

2011-09-21T15:01:00.001+10:00

Well hello, it's been a week since my last post and truly I have been busy, busy busy. Last Thursday Adrian and I went on a long anticipated trip to Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. You can see on the map Toowoomba, where we live and a long, long way up north Darwin. Our friends Merv and Carmel, who we went to Melbourne to visit and, some time back and who we shared my 50th birthday with in Sydney this year, are back living in Darwin. Darwin was devastated in 1974 by cyclone Tracey. A terrible event that literally flattened the city. You wouldn't know it 37 years later, it is lovely. Well we thought it was, so many thing for us to see. So let's begin.

Our first night was spent catching up, sipping a few bubbles and for the boys watching the footy of course. Saturday we went to Litchfield Park and to some beautiful water holes and waterfalls. On the way though we stopped to see these incredible flat termite mounds. They call them the Magnetic Termite Mounds because they have the flat sides North and South and so stay a good temperature during the day, at midday when it is really hot and the sun is right over head there is only a small area of nest exposed, very clever.

They looked like headstones to me. And they are the consistency of cement, very strange.

Yep they'll kill me for this oh well. So here we have Carmel and Merv in the front an of course Adrian in the rear.

The other termite nests you see are like this. This is a grass eating termite mound and the large one actually stands about 15 metres high and is about 50 years old.

This is an ants nest. Made of leaves and perched high up in the branches of the trees, tiny little ants with green bottoms live in them and the can bite, so watch out.

Now I have to say I am not a real good bushy. I don't like snakes, dust, ants, flies and I hate water pools where I can't see the bottom so usually this little hole would have been out of bounds for me, no matter how hot and it was bloody hot.... But you could see the bottom easily, it was rocky and slippery and the water was cold and wonderful. This fall gave great massages too, back up to it and it's like a thousand chinese ladies dancing all over your shoulders, ha ha.

We weren't alone here but there was plenty of room for everyone.

This fall too far down for swimming and the big cave home to bats, eek!

Lunch at this lovely lagoon, the reflections were amazing, don't you think?

And such pretty yellow flowers in the shade.

On the way from the big fall what a view.

So join me tomorrow for barra fishing and crocodile hunting, really it is scary.

Texture Tuesday at the park

2011-09-13T16:09:00.000+10:00

Yes once again it is Texture Tuesday over at the cafe and I have to say I found this a little difficult today. See I like to try and use a new photograph for my texture Tuesday offerings and my new one this week are all lovely spring flowers and my little princess. The requirement was to have the photo depicting the verb Do and use Kim's texture Autumn Burst. Well Elle was doing alright, spinning the noughts and crosses wheels at the park and swinging and checking out all the other children and I do like the grungy effect the texture has given the wheels.

Recipe

duplicate the photograph

use soft light on the duplicate layer

layer with Autumn burst on Soft light 100%

and again on soft light 71% and voila, what do you think?

Elle loved the park all the colours and the children.

Oh the joys of being a child, really the innocence of babies I just love it. Can you see her right leg is a little puffier under her stocking? There are bandages there from her first op yesterday. She is having some of the spots removed and we are so glad she is well and happy today. What about that smile!!!!!

It is Poppy's birthday today so tonight we will have a birthday dinner, once again my favourite people the family will be there. Happy Birthday my darling. We love you.

Gallery

2011-09-07T16:51:00.000+10:00

We went to see 'The Help' last night, I devoured the book, laughing, gasping and shaking my head all the way through it. Could it really be just 50 years ago that black women and men were treated so badly. I am so ashamed at the white race sometimes it staggers me.

In saying that read the book please it is so wonderful. Such a great story, funny and witty and I felt like I was in Jackson really. Go Skeeter, you go girl. Skeeter one of the main characters is writing a book made up of interviews from the black maids in her town. It is a time of upheaval throughout America, civil rights movements stirring up all sorts of emotions from mostly everyone. I wanted to cheer on the maids and slap a few white women. I do hope we have changed, sometimes I fear not.

So just to add a little beauty to your world today, a few floral gifts from me to you.

I had fun playing with these.

Texture Tuesday

2011-09-06T15:58:00.001+10:00

Texture Tuesday is here and this week we had to use Kim's new freebie CrackerJack. My recipe for this is

A Brightness and Contrast tweek

A soft pink colour fill

Then a layer of Crackerjack on Multiply at 83%

Another layer of an oldie but a goodie All My Lovin' on Softlight at 93%

I really like this, what with Spring upon us now and the city gardens blooming beautifully. I took a little photo walk today, look what I found.

Ranunculas everywhere, all the colours you can imagine absolutely beautiful.

Huge white ones I love these.

I so love taking shots of flowers, I love strolling around the parks and gardens, so peaceful.

So pretty.

Primulas I think, there was a drift of white in one garden, like snow.

And from Sunday on Father's Day, my beautiful flowers.

Oh yeah crazy kids.

A few minutes after this shot they had a food fight!!!!!!! Children will always be children I guess.

Of course someone had to come of worst.

Not too bad really considering, a little caramel tart never hurt anyone really.

And of course for Father's Day a portrait with Sweet Pea.

The Greatest Gift

2011-09-04T10:20:00.000+10:00

I love to read. Anything really, well not car/boating/sport/or finance magazines, but apart from that mostly anything. Novels, newspapers, decorating and gardening mags, anything Stampington, anything truly, those mags are unbelievable, but you know that don't you? And I really believe that the greatest gift we can give our children is a love of reading. Now my eldest daughter, Elle's mummy loves reading just like I do. She actually devours books by the page, ravenously gobbling every word on every page. That's how we read. Adrian on the other hand can skim, arghh I hate skimming, what is the point, really, every word builds on the next, well in a good book it does. I don't want to miss anything, not a smell, a sight, a sense, a touch no I have to slowly chew every word, pharse, line. Ohh shivers really!!!!

And she has passed on this to Elle, already we see it. Yesterday when she visited Adrian got out his favourite book for her. I Love You Grandad, of course we had to buy it when we saw it. She stood at the little table and turned each page, pointing at the baby bear and the big bear and the fish and birds. Making her excited little noises and smiling, she loves books like we do.

Look nanny see the big bear. Oh my heart skips a beat really.

Little hands folded let me kiss that gorgeous face.

But then the great outdoors calls too.

Okay come on let's play.

She is a clever chicky this one. On the 12th September she will have her first series of operations to remove some of the moles on her arms and legs. About 10 at a time they will do, not removing the whole mole at once but taking a strip from the middle of each one. Over a series of 3 or 4 ops the moles will gradually get smaller and then be gone. The large one on her back, is too big to remove and well you won't see it most of the time so we'll deal with it later. My baby girl she is so beautiful and such an angel, stubborn like her mum ha ha!! Today is Father's Day here in Australia, so we are all gathering for a picnic down in our creek area, yummy food and the people we love most in this world all together, I am excited.

Texture Tuesday

2011-08-30T13:09:00.000+10:00

Todays Texture Tuesday challenge was to use orange in some way and of course Kim's textures. So while most people will have orange as the beginning of Autumn, over here we are running headlong into Spring. My orange for that reason is a beautiful rose. Soft and full it is so gorgeous. Probably more apricot than orange but there you go my orange offering.

I use Kim's "If Only" texture twice on Softlight at 100% I adjusted the levels and the contrast and brightness and i like the overall effect. Can't wait to see what you all have to offer.

Bits of This and That

2011-08-29T20:43:00.000+10:00

She is nearly walking, nearly and she is so darn cute. Pop and I bought her a little shopping trolley with all it's bells and whistles and she loves to toddle along behind it.

Umm she loves chicken now too, grubby little face.

Even the shabbiest weeds can be beautiful don't you think.

Crab Apple blossoms just starting to appear, Spring is sneaking up on us.

The colours are magnificent, this pink like magenta gorgeous. Father's Day on Sunday, hopefully with lovely fine weather.

Bloomin' Lovely

2011-08-26T17:29:00.000+10:00

Not a lot of words, just beautiful Spring flowers shining through.

Pink, White, Mauve.

Spring, Spring, Spring, just a few days away.

Happy Weekend everyone.

My First Time

2011-08-25T12:15:00.000+10:00

Recently I have been so so busy. Delivering and collecting census forms to nearly 400 homes has been time consuming and at time frustrating. Seriously if you have the tele blaring, the kid is crying and I can hear you talking I know you are home, so open the darn door will ya!!!!!!!! But no some people think because there is a wall and door between us I am blind and deaf, I know you are there for crying out loud. Any how I have not had time to take too many shots and very little inspiration, it is winter, everything is mostly brown and dry, though we are beginning to get some fruit trees blooming now. But I have craved some kind of artistic release and recently I found an instruction video on creating large painted pieces. Flowers actually and not realisticly, done which suits me, as I have no ability or training to create anything that actually looks life like. So while my first attempt is on an 8" x 8" canvas board (not exactly large), but definitely daunting to start with. I am happy enough with it. My first finishing of it didn't include much shading and the petals looked really flat and lifeless. So after many more hours touching and retouching it I am much happier.

This is my second attempt and on an A4 size canvas. I like the colours a lot and the petal shape is better I think. It is such fun, what I'll do with these I have no idea, add to my pile of things for children to dispose of when I die I guess. Or maybe more things for me to dispose of at our next move arghh!!!! I love doing these, what do you think really!!!!!!!

Do you have some simple things to suggest I might be able to create? I love it really.

The Empty Nest

2011-08-22T17:02:00.000+10:00

They have gone, spread their wings and flown the coop, we have an empty nest. It's quiet outside my bedroom window now, no more tweeting and chirping and squeaking, the babies are gone. Yesterday they were out of the nest after a storm and we saw them under a nearby bush with their mum, chirping away and mouths open. Now they are in a tree in the paddock next door, chirping away and mouths open, new venue same routine. When I am sure they aren't coming back I am taking that nest and keeping it. I love adore adore birds nests so it will be under glass maybe in a little cloche if I can find a nice one.

It's kind of sad actually, they have moved on, such is life.

Oh and can you guess who came to visit, my baby girl, my Sweet Pea, my darling angel, my precious Elle, oh my heart flutters......

She found my mobile phone and was so interested, she is a clever little thing you know.

She had a promite sandwich and shared it with the puppy dog, she is so generous.

She wore her birthday outfit and a hat mummy bought her and stockings and new shoes, once again she stole our hearts. Oh my does it ever end, or will we be besotted like this with every grandchild? Most likely we will.

Spring is nearly upon us, the peach is flowering,

the plum too. Last year 3 fruit from this tree this year many we hope.

So pretty these blooms, so beautiful my baby girl and so wonderful the ebb and flow of life, seasons of change.

See How They've Grown

2011-08-19T09:43:00.000+10:00

Here we are 11 days after my last post, naughty blogger me, and look how they have grown. I am amazed they are actually able to both sit in the tiny nest actually. When they get a jiggling I am waiting for a fall. I am so surprised at just how fast they have grown and how big they are to still be sitting in that nest all day, squeaking for their mum to feed them. And she does, all day long, no room for her in there any more, I see her flitting endlessly from one tree to another, scrounging for bugs and spiders and worms to keep the little ones quiet. Believe me it does not work, they squeak constantly. I can see her from the window now hunting on one of the gums and I can hear those demanding little tikes calling her.

Here is mum keeping a watchful eye on me as I take snaps of her babies and her. My daughter came the other day and took a look and mum was instantly zooming down on her, clacking her beak at her. I laughed she seems to be quite fine with Adrian and eye taking a look each day, but not strangers.

So I promise I will be back on track soon. I have been delivering and am now collecting census materials to nearly 400 houses. It's interesting meeting the people, or not meeting them. Really some people are inside I know they are I can hear them, but they will not come to the door. So trying really. Some people are wonderful, lots of ladies alone and on far a natter. Many foreign people, with a little English and I really like meeting them. Met some really nice young guys from the United Arab Emirates the other night. They are having Ramadan at the moment and can only eat after the sun goes down. I laughed, it was dark when I visited them and they apologised for the messy apartment. The kitchen bench was covered with take away containers, Maccas had had a work out. The explained they can't eat from sunup until sundown, well they had made up for it let me tell you. But they gave me some chocolate. Yum.

Well until I am back on track in say a week take care all.

Baby Birds

2011-08-08T11:52:00.000+10:00

Remember I wanted to photograph the tiny brown speckled eggs I found in the nest dear our driveway. Well too late, look what has happened. Tiny baby birds ooh my heart flutters, I love baby anything and baby birds oh so sweet. Mum was off fossicking for breakfast when I shot this. I am really cautious because I don't want to frighten her way. I read somewhere a long time ago that if the bird smells the humans who have touched the nest they leave. I'd seriously have to hand feed these babies then. So carefully I take little quick peeks now and then.

The tiniest little cheeps can be heard and the mouths open upward and mum flies in with a beak full of goodies for them. It is instinct at it's finest. Survival of the tiniest little things.

Just after I took this in came mum, giving me the evil eye and feeding the little ones. I love nature like this. It is amazing. Can you see the little threads of white fluffy stuff in the nest, it looks like stuffing from a pillow, I wonder where she found it. I want to keep this nest when the little ones fly away, a sweet memory of these tiny babies growing up here.

Her First Birthday Party

2011-08-06T18:22:00.000+10:00

The invitations were sent and the party was planned and today it all fell together, Elle's aka The Princes aka Sweet Pea's 1st Birthday Party. Alicia made all the food, well almost all of it. She certainly made the beautiful patty cakes, iced and decorated like beautiful little mountains of sugary cream.

Can you feel your hips expanding just looking at them?

Ohh all my beautiful girls!!!! Left to right, Danielle, Elle, Alicia, Ashleigh. My heart skips a beat really, I adore these girls.

Okay so this photo wasn't actually taken today at the party, but Wednesday night, which was actually Elle's birthday 3rd August. Poppy and I gave her the Thomas the tank engine, she loves it and our backs are now permanently crooked from bending over and running up and down the extremely long corridor pushing the little munchkin.

How can we resist?!

Sweet Pea was totally spoiled today, so many presents from all her friends. How adorable is this little outfit and the big bow oh my!!!!

When she had unwrapped the present above she found this drum with all sort of wonderful noise makers inside. Her friend Noah looks a little less interested. Elle loves them.

Happy Birthday our little angel.

xxoo

Tim Adams Wine Dinner

2011-08-05T08:25:00.001+10:00

Good Evening thanks for joining me this evening for the Tim Adams Wine Dinner, at the Kingfisher Cafe. I hope you have your best frock on or your snazziest shirt and tie, you are in for a treat. We have just had our champagne the exclusive launch of NV Mr. Micks 'Gala' Blanc de Blanc how refreshing and light was that? Amazing I thought, the bubbles were perfect. Now lets enjoy our Amuse-bouche. Creamy Cepe Risotto With Port Jelly and we'll wash it down with a 2007 Tim Adam's 'Fergus' Grenache Blend. Now I have to say Adrian and I really enjoy a Pinot Noir and this Grenache was very much in that style. It was fabulous, light yet with a soft full body similar to a Merlot. Wonderful with the delicious Cepe (french mushroom) Risotto.

Now whose been a naughty girl and forgotten to snap the Entree of Pan Seared Scallops With a Truffled Cauliflower Veloute' served with a light refreshing 2010 Tim Adams Pinot Gris?! Ah yep that would be me, sorry but the soft, seared gorgeously plump little scallop was calling my name and before I even thought about snapping it, I had eaten it and practically licked the bowl of the truffled cauliflower veloute'. Sigh loudly and rub your tummy it was delicious.

Our next course and we were excited by now, the food had been brilliant and the wines really added to the flavours, that is how it should be isn't it oh yeah!!!

So we licked our lips when the main of Slow Braised Lamb Belly with Butternut Pumpkin Puree and Roasted Winter Vegetables arrived at our table. Along side it we enjoyed a 2006 Tim Adam's Cabernet/Malbec. The roasted veg are on top of the pumpkin puree and were wee bits of cauliflower and crunchy bits of potato, tiny though and were absolutely perfect with the asparagus, which was perfectly cooked. The Cab/Malbec was great, full bodied and rather full of flavour. I prefer the softer Merlot style reds, but with the richness of the Jus and the lamb it was perfect. The meals and the wines really enhanced each other, it was wonderful to have such well matched food and wine.

Okay grab a napkin and get ready to wipe that drool, this dessert was amazing, I know I am running out of superlatives for this menu, seriously!!!! Vanilla Creme Brule' with Rice Pudding, Praline Anglaise, Vanilla Tuile and Candied Almond, sip 2007 Tim Adam's Botrytis Riesling with it. I am a dessert lover totally love my sweets at the end of a meal. This mini Brule' was perfect, the chef is French for this part of the meal and it shows, who does sweets better really! The rice pudding may sound a little old school, but it was dotted with crunchy nuts and chewy bits of fruit. The consistency as you can see was creamy and thick, totally indulgent. The Vanilla Tuile was crunchy and not too sweet perfect for dipping in the Praline Anglaise. I really had to stop myself from licking the bowl, I am not kidding. The perfect candied almond just topped everything off. I was not a fan of the Reisling, it was a desert wine and very sweet. On it's own I would never drink it, but again paired with the dessert it was perfect. I have to stop saying that don't I.

Now for all my American and European friends you must remember we are in the throws of winter here. The cheese plate reflected that. Triple Brie, (yum) Walnut Biscotti and Balsamic Baked Figs served with warm Mulled Red Wine. Are you salivating? The Brie is one of my favourite cheeses always, I hadn't eaten fresh figs in as long as I can remember and these were superb. Adrian was a little concerned not a fig eater and even he enjoyed them. The Biscotti was as Biscotti is very crunchy but it did compliment the Brie. Now the mulled wine, really does is get any better than this. You might remember I made some myself a few weeks back and posted the recipe. That mulled wine took me about 30 mins to make and warm and serve. The French Chef here simmers his wine for 6 hours!!!!!!! Yes you read that correctly 6 long simmering, scent filled, delicious, hours. And it tells this is the best mulled wine (the second) I have ever tasted. Mine by comparison was a mess. The figs were crunchy on top with a sugary glaze oh my I am bursting just writing about this.

We enjoyed it totally!!

I know you think we are totally glutinous, you are correct, and this was the undoing of the evening. Adrian actually ate all of his Petit Fours, I took a small bite of each one, well I had too okay, stop rolling your eyes at me. How could I leave these tiny morsels sitting on the plate, when they had dressed up so nicely for us. Tiny mouthfuls of lemon tart with fresh blueberries on top. Tiny coconut, chewy, crunchy delightful macrons. Blackberry jellies doused in sugar. Rich, chewy, mouthfuls of chocolate brownie. Ahh I am done.

And as if it made any difference by now, a de-caf coffee made with skim milk, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!! Really who am I kidding what was the point of that. All in all the most fantastic night of food we have had since my 50th birthday degustation dinner, which by the way was prepared by the same chef. They are hoping to hold one of these bi-monthly, will I survive this??? Probably not, but what a way to go. Hope you enjoyed my amazing wine dinner with me. Till next time Bon Apettite.

Book review -the one that i want

2011-08-03T08:59:00.000+10:00

I chose this book from a site I buy a lot of my novels on, it was on sale and I love a sale. The back read like it would be interesting, Tilly Farmer 32 years old married to her child hood sweetheart, content living in her hometown, working at her old highschool. Tilly goes to a fair and is told by a fortune teller that she is being given the gift of clarity and her life begins to change and crumble around her. Can she change the future and what will happen if she tries. Seemed interesting enough. And as you can see from the cover the author is a New York Times best seller.

Did I love this book? No. Was it fun? Kind of. Would I read it again or suggest it to others? Probably not. In all fairness it was an easy read. But I just didn't get a lot from it. I like a bit of depth in characters and this Tilly was just a little wimpy for me. After her marriage begins to fall apart she is just insipid, I wanted her to mourn yes for sure, but get up and tell her husband enough. But no she keeps on keeping him happy and even packs his stuff for him to collect, I don't think so!!!!! REALLY!!!!

I guess she triumphs in the end but the infuriating way she gets there finally left me a bit cold. You might love it, then again......

So my Sweet Pea (a nick name given the princess by Se'Lah) meaning Sweet Paul, Elle, Alicia is a big ONE year old today, am I the proud and doting nanny oh yeah I am!!!!! We have had two sleepovers in the last fortnight and I love having her with us.

She is so inquisitive and such a joy for us. Her mum and dad have been to skin and plastics specialists in the past week or so, to see what can be done about the removal of some of her spots. I did share some time back that Elle has what is known as Giant Congenital Nevus, you can see the spots in some of her photos. Well there is a little light at the end of the tunnel and there is a way of removing many of the spots on her arms and legs. The large one on her back can't be removed it is just too big. But our beautiful baby girl is so loved and we will help her through any of the stuff that might go with having this to live with.

So Elle is blowing you all a birthday kiss, oh my goodness I swoon seriously I do. Lots of love from us.

xxoo

Texture Tuesday

2011-08-02T09:13:00.000+10:00

Kim's Texture Tuesday is here again, boy the days fly by now. I used to think it was just me, being busy or something, but everyone is saying it how time is just rushing by. Anyway todays offering is a selection of my water colour pencils in my studio. I have always loved those shots of paint brushes all jammed together in a jar, tipped with paint, asking me to imagine what wonderful work had been created by with them, so here are my pencils, as you can see quite long tips, not a lot of work done with these babies ha ha!! I have used the red one a little bit for the cheeks on my She Art girls, and um that's about it really. As I have said I think, this art stuff is new to me, but I have all the gear believe me.

Anyhow on to the recipe for the texturing:

Duplicate the picture and make it Black and White Urban and overlay at 33%

Add Kim's Antique texture on soft light at 100%

Add Antique again on multiply at 49%

adjust levels to please you

and Brightness and Contrast to suit you.

And Voila done.

And for everyone who is missing the Princess since she started child care on Fridays here she is honing up on her soccer skills.

Playing peek a boo.

And making her nanny smile of course. What an angel and she is 1 tomorrow Happy Birthday Elle. xxoo

For All You Amazing Women

2011-08-01T09:08:00.002+10:00

I went to a blog last night, Teri's actually and she had posted this wonderful flash mob dance. I have to admit I love flash mobs. Having been a part of one in Trafalgar Square where Pink herself showed up was amazing. Admittedly the flash mob we were in was a karaoke one not a dancing one, which I was so disappointed about, cause believe me I got the moves baby hahahaha!!!!! But a flash mob none the less and I love them. I wish we had them here in Australia, I don't know there are some things we just don't seem to have cottoned on to over here, believe me our loss. So my offering to the blogland is to all you amazing, wonderful, inspiring, strong, courageous, beautiful, talented, kind, sweet, adorable, funny, wise, generous women. All of you that I have met and become friends with over the past few years. Those of you who have offered me words of comfort, emails that made me laugh, and friendship from across the miles, literally countries away, this is for you, you are amazing and I thank you for your friendship and your love. You have mine.

I am delivering census forms at the moment and time is of the essence, I am enjoying it but am tired at the end of each long day. I have met so many interesting people, a story behind each one. So when time allows I will post again, until then enjoy the flash mob my special ladies.

Come Dine With Me

2011-07-28T09:53:00.000+10:00

Are you like me about Chorizo, I love it do you? Now I know it is spicy, dotted with little bits of fat ooh that bad, bad word, fat oh my yum!!!! And still I love it. So when I saw this recipe in a Donna Hay magazine and when I saw it was in a pie (another of my naughty favourite things) well it was destiny. We would have to meet.

Recipe:

Pork and Chorizo Pie

2 x 300 g pork fillets trimmed and chopped

plain flour for dusting

3 tbsp oil (I use olive oil for all my cooking so whatever you want is fine)

1 red onion sliced

1 chorizo sausage sliced

2 tbsp sage leaves chopped

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind (I love lemony flavours so I used maybe 3 tsps)

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups spinach leaves (I forgot to add these oops)

sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

1 sheet or 1 packet rolled ready to use puff pastry

1 egg lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 200C (390F) Dust the pork in the flour and brown in a large non stick frying pan over high heat, using half the oil. You will need to cook the pork in batches so it browns nicely. Set aside when done.

Add the remaining oil, onion and chorizo and cook for 3 mins or until the onion is soft. Return the pork to the pain with the sage, mustard and lemon rind. Gradually stir in the stock and simmer for 4 - 5 mins or until the mixture thickens. Stir in the spinach salt and pepper and spoon the mix into two 2 cup capacity oven proof dishes.

Roll out the pastry until 3mm (1/8 in) thick or cut pastry sheets to size slightly larger than dish. Cut a whole from the centre of the pie crust. Place pastry on top of pies and brush with egg. Bake 15 - 20 mins or until tops are puffy and golden.

I placed the centre piece on the edge of the hole and served with creamy mashed potato. Absolutely delicious. Really simple and it really would make a great, simple, dinner party main.

I brought this nifty little grater back from France last year, one of my useful souvenirs. Enjoy your Pork and Chorizo Pie.

Bon Apetite.

Texture Tuesday

2011-07-26T14:38:00.000+10:00

Today's Texture Tuesday challenge is to post something to do with the word DREAM. So my baby grand daughter Elle, dreaming, of what I do not know, but dreaming I am sure. Maybe of her future, maybe of what she hopes her life will be. Maybe her children, her loves, her losses and gains, the fun she will have, the beauty she will see, the places she will go, to meet the friends she has made. Maybe she dreams of a world of peace, of people who accept each other no matter their colour, race or religious beliefs. Maybe she dreams of a world with food for all and water in abundance. Maybe a world filled with birds and animals, beautiful and unique.

I don't know what her dreams are, I don't know what her life will be, I do know she is loved, safe, cared for well and protected by all of us. I hope and pray that one day all the children of the world can say the same. I hope her dreams come true.

Recipe:

Duplicate original photo and use soft light at 50%

Then layer with Sweettreat on soft light at 57%

Layer Sweettreat again on multiply at 60%

Use a colour fill of pink

I hope your dreams come true too.

Have You Read These?

2011-07-25T16:11:00.000+10:00

Now I have to say straight off that when I bought this novel I didn't realise it was teen fiction. And for all intents and purposes it is meant for the teen audience, but none the less I really enjoyed it. Set in Australia it is the tale of Simone whose father dies and whose mother Dawn is left to raise Simone and her two brothers on her own. Simone hears her dad's voice from the huge tree in the backyard, and when she climbs the tree she begins to have conversations with her dad. She tells her mum, who at first doesn't believe her, but then she too climbs the tree and as she talks and argues and laughs and cries with her husband in the tree, the neighbours and her children are left wondering and talking about her sanity.

The tree though has grown huge and it's roots threaten the stability of the house and the lives of those who live in it.

This was an interesting read, different to anything I had read before and I enjoyed the family as they tried to patch their lives back together after the too sudden death of father and husband.

Another great little book, also a teen novel was Shug, like sugar. The turning from childhood to being a teen, the turmoil and the changes that Shug undergoes made me wince remembering my very own teenage angst, and laugh at the memories of the silly things we say do and worry about as teenagers. If you are looking for a book for your children or grandchildren, I'm sure they will enjoy Shug.

A Sleepover

2011-07-24T13:24:00.001+10:00

Hello everyone, well I had a special sleepover at nanny and pop's on friday night. mummy and Daddy went to dinner and nan said I could stay the night, she is sooooooo cool, really. So guess what happened we ended up at the emergency room at the hospital, cause nan got a really sore eye. I had a chat to a lot of people while we were waiting, I like talking to people even if I don't know them, pretty soon I do and they all seem so friendly, all smiling at me and waving and stuff. So in the morning at 5.30am I wake up, don't you? And pop and nan get my bottle and tuck me up all cosy in the big King size bed between them and I have my bottle.

Then I always like a chat after brekky, nan and pop not so much, I think they were still sleepy so I thought well I'll have a bit more of a nap. Come 7.30am we were all awake and I was having my vegemite sandwich.

Oh yummy I love vegemite sandwiches. Then nan and pop and my aunties came for dinner on Saturday night at my new house. My Aunty Ink, well her real name is Aunty Ashleigh we call her Aunty Ink cause she got two tattoos, well she has a boyfriend and we were all checking him out. I heard mummy and nanny talking and they think he's really nice. I do too.

Oh I almost forgot, nan and pop have this really big spa bath and I had a bath with lots of bubbles, do you love bubbles like I do so much fun. You can eat them you know!

And hey it's my first birthday in 10 days yep yep yep siree I will be a whole one year old. Yeah big party happening too, wanna come, you're welcome you know.

So till next time, be happy, be safe, be loved

Love Elle

Have you read this?

2011-07-22T09:56:00.000+10:00

Do you want to go back to or take your first trip to Italy? Do you want to roam the cobbled streets of a tiny village nestled in the mountains? Do you want an Italian lover, and sweet cold gelato? If you answered yes then read this book. It swept me away to Montevedova in the Tuscan mountains. I strolled the streets with Lily, the main character in this little gem of a novel. I raged with her when she found the hidden photograph of her husband's other family, and I fell in love with Italy all over again. I'm not even sure that I didn't actually visit Montevedova myself when we were there a year back. It sounds like so many of the beautiful villages hidden away in those mountains.

So the story is captivating, funny, sad, and honestly I wanted to just do the whole lifestyle change and go open a pasticceria in Italy myself. Really a wonderful tale of love lost and found, happiness sought and caught and lives changed. I think you'll love it.

This is a new addition to my garden. She sits on the edge of my birdbath. The same birdbath that as a child I lined with broken pieces of bread, hoping the birds would come and eat and bathe here. Of course it was my parents birdbath then and when my dad passed away I had to have it. He had faithfully painted it for years, a deep cream and a hideous forest green, it is now just a beige colour, I don't think he'd mind at all. We have lots of birds here and they regularly bathe and drink here. Not so sure they are used to my brass beauty yet, but I think in time they will just accept she will sit quietly watching as they frolic and drink.

Two shrubs away from the bath this little girl is nesting. She has two speckled eggs under her warm tummy and she is quite protective. I will try and get some shots of the eggs, but I don't want to scare her off the nest for good. We call them yellow eyes, these are native but there are some imports that look very similar and they are quite mean to other birds. I love birds nests and baby birds so excited I hope I see them as little squeaky babies. How exciting.

Texture Tuesday

2011-07-19T15:07:00.000+10:00

It is muffin and coffee and steamy cups of tea weather here at the moment. So I whipped up these spicy cinnamon and apple muffins the other day. They were so delicious hot and washed down with some spicy Chai Tea. Hmm one good thing about winter.

Texture Tuesday's challenge this week was to use Kim's newest freebie texture Aurora.

Recipe:

Duplicate picture and use soft light at 47%

Then layer with Aurora on hard light 77%

Again Aurora on multiply at 100%

Add a frame and voila my offering.

Sit back grab a cuppa and have a bite or two with me.

Simple Sundays

2011-07-17T19:35:00.000+10:00

The first blossoms on our nectarine tree, Spring is waiting to come.

Fridays with Elle

2011-07-16T10:33:00.000+10:00

Well surprise surprise, here I am back with Fridays with Elle, how exciting. Yes i am supposed to be at child care today but I have been very sick this week. Mummy took me to the doctors and he said I had croup, sounds like poop to me and that's exactly how I felt. Oh yeah I was sick. But as they say look for the silver lining in everything and I tell you what, when I am sick I get nursed. Oh yeah big time nursed, all day, any time I want to, I even got nursed to sleep this week and that hasn't happened in a long, long time. Now nanny told mummy that it would take a bit for me to stop wanting to be nursed all the time, is she kidding, I never want to stop being nursed, seriously. My mummy is cuddly, my daddy is huge and big and strong and my nanny and poppy well they are squishy and comfortable. Why would I ever want to stop being nursed. Hey you guys can try and stop me and good luck with that!!!!

I will say it was interesting being back here today, I forgot I had all these toys here, nan's been coming to my new house lately, especially when I was sick and then mummy got sick too, so nanny was a real hero, really she is a genius and a life saver and really really modest too.

Oh I found this little ballon, wanna share with me really there isn't that much spit on it really!!!!

Umm and I am standing up a lot now, I still hang on to things, mostly just to keep all the oldies happy, I could probably take off running if I really wanted to. And I have this crawling game I play with nanny, I crawl really fast and she chases me and picks me up and swings me in the air and I laugh really lots and then I do it again. I don't know why but nanny ends up puffing and huffing and I'm just getting warmed up. Anyway I sure love that game.

Oh and really exciting I have 4 more teeth on the top now, pop calls me his little piranha, ha I guess that's funny cause everyone laughs so I just go along with it. Can you see my little piggy tail to mummy put them in for me, I left them in for a bit but hey what's a girl to do, I took them out. Well off to get up to a little bit of mischief now so until next time,

Be loved, be safe and be happy

Love Elle

Thursday Trivia

2011-07-14T17:28:00.000+10:00

So I am trying to find some creative streak in myself at the moment and it isn't easy. You know what it's like, dry times are upon me. Arghh!! So today was riveting, ironing, mowing, baking and a couple of photos for next Tuesdays Texture challenge again. Quite happy with it actually but you'll have to wait till Tuesday. But tomorrow I have Elle, yes I know she is supposed to be going to childcare, but she has been so unwell this week, Alicia is keeping her home and I am having her for the day so Alicia and Paul get a bit of a break. Alicia has been unwell as well, a day off will do her good.

Oh I got these sweet little egg cups at an auction some time back, little Bunnykins cups, so cute. And I have to admit I did enjoy playing with some textures to overlay them.

Well off to make some Apricot Pork and chilli.

Texture Tuesday

2011-07-12T16:46:00.001+10:00

Oh my how time flies when you're having fun, or when you are stricken with a dire bout of the flu and then your grandbaby gets croup and your eldest daughter catches that from her baby, and you go to a funeral and you hear of another one to go to, and you are training in the midst of this to be a census collector and have a test to submit before you can be truly employed. Oh what a few weeks I have had needless to say I have not touched my camera, I have barely been out of bed by 8.30am most mornings, and I have watched more telly than ever in the last few weeks, because I am just exhausted from trying to breathe mostly and just want to veg. Boring !!!!!!!

So I am back well somewhat back, and am submitting in Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday again.

This weeks theme is Pink. I scoured through my London photos to find a picture of Pink, yep the very sassy blonde bombshell Pink. We ended up standing about 10 feet from her in Trafalgar Square back in April 2009. The mobile phone service provider 3 was doing a flash mob style advert, and we were given microphones and sang karaoke in the square. It was a total hoot and suddenly just in front of us a person stood up wearing a hoodie and climbed on a frame thing and started singing "So What", she pulled back the hood and it was Pink. I went crazy, before this I have to say I was not a huge Pink fan, barely knew her songs but I don't know, just being there in the heart of London in Trafalgar Square, being filmed for a television add and then having Pink pop up just in front of me, well it was fantastic.

Now I am a convert, I even have the latest CD and everytime I hear her sing "So What I'm still a Rock Star" well I am transported back to London, to Trafalgar Square and well I just love it!!!!!

I didn't feel these pics were worthy of texturing though, they are quite blurry and I didn't think they would be good enough. So once again I very typically resorted to a flower shot, I swear one time I am going to set myself a task of not shooting any flowers for a month I swear I am.

Oh one more Pink shot before I post the pink flower.

I tell ya she was waving at me I swear she was, you can see that can't you?!!

Anyway my pink texture Tuesday shot, here goes.

So I duplicated it, posterized it and then I used Kim's Granny's cupboard texture on softlight at 63% and then Sweet Treat on Overlay at 90%. I like the drawn effect the posterizing give it. So there you are my Pink post.

Texture Tuesday

2011-06-28T18:09:00.001+10:00

Once again the week has rolled around and it is Texture Tuesday over at Kim Klassen's Cafe. Unfortunately as I have had the flu for over a week I wasn't able to post a textured photo last week, but today am back into the swing of things, well mostly, when I'm not sniffling, or blowing into a tissue or dozing off on the lounge with my comfy knitted blanket. I know tough isn't it!

So todays shot of a coral tree bloom has been duplicated, and the golden texture overlayed twice first on 59% and then 100%. I tweaked the brightness and contrast and the levels. I also erased the texture and adjustments from the coral coloured blooms. I rather like it what do you think?

Fridays with Elle

2011-06-26T11:03:00.000+10:00

Swinging I love it, there it's out there I've said it, I love it, maybe even addicted to it, I don't know, but put me in the swing and give me lots of pushes and I am one happy baby girl!!!!

So nanny does that, she lives to make me happy, ha ha actually she does. And the big news is this is my last Fridays with Elle post, yeah I know it's a shock, I am shocked but I am just the baby and I don't get a say in it. My mummy and daddy have decided that I will be going to childcare on Thursdays and Fridays from next week. Next year mummy goes back to work 4 days a week and I will have to go to childcare anyway, so it's just earlier than I thought it would be. Daddy has a new job with a big electric company and he is working different hours and will be away sometimes and mummy is feeling a bit stressed. So he decided to give her a break I would go to childcare. I am pretty bored, I am very curious and very full on and I guess I wear mummy out.

So nanny is a bit upset and at first I thought she was gonna cry, but then like mummy said I can come here on any other day and I can sleep over and I can come on the weekends and well really nothing has changed except the day maybe. I have loved coming here with nan and I know nan loves having me and when I see pop come in after work on Friday afternoons, I know he loves having me, his big face breaks into a smile and he goes all goo goo on me. It makes me laugh.

So who knows what childcare will be like, but hey I'm up for it. Nanny said that if mummy needs the time then it will be better for me and mum so that's okay with me. I know nanny and pop, will always be around for me, no matter what day.

Ha ha I laugh when I see this photo nanny took, I was getting so relaxed in my swing, I was nearly nodding off. Well hey it was pretty good. So anyway till next time, not sure when, but not too long, be safe, be loved and try not to miss me too much okay!

Love Elle

Fridays with Elle

2011-06-20T13:46:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone, guess what I am so excited I got to go to a wedding on Friday. Yes I did, mummy and daddy got married, well not really cause they actually got married 4 years ago, but they dressed up like they were getting married again. See mummy does some work for my enma (my other nanny) and she owns a wedding chapel and reception restaurant. They wanted to do a television add and mummy and daddy were the stars. Mummy got to come in a beautiful dress and in a horse drawn carriage. It was a bit like a princess.

I thought she looked so beautiful. Do you think so too?

It was really cold and windy and mummy was covered in goose bumps.

When mummy and daddy really got married, daddy wanted mummy to wear a white dress and mummy wanted a coloured one so this time she chose an ivory one and she loved it. Daddy went woo woot when he saw her, I think he liked what he saw ha ha!!

So here I am the star of the show, with daddy he is so big ya know!!!!!

Isn't mummy gorgeous!!!!!?

When daddy picks me up I can see the whole world, and I know there isn't anyone who can get me cause my daddy wouldn't let them. He says he loves me more than the whole world, well maybe not more than mummy but close.

I have the same colour eyes as him see.

When I was outside watching the horses come in poppy held me up high and I can see lots with him too. One day I will be really big like them and I will see the whole world too.

My mummy's and daddy's wedding for me was fun.

So until next time be safe, be warm, be loved

Love Elle

Goodbye Char

2011-06-17T09:32:00.000+10:00

Today I am sad, really sad, I found out late yesterday that Char a dear friend from Ramblins has passed away. I am shocked because I had read her last post and felt with her, yes sometimes it is hard to keep posting, do I have anything to say, should I continue to do this. Life is busy and time is short some days and I have to choose how to spend it in the best way. But Char I miss you, I wish you could post again, I wish you could take another photo to make us smile, post another recipe to make us wish we could do that. Tell me what you're listening to on your iPod today so I can hum along. Yes I'll miss you. It is the suddenness of this, that one day we are here, and then we are gone. No reason, no sense, just gone. I hope you knew Char that so many of us loved you, we never met you in the flesh, but we loved your heart, your style, your being. We may not have told you in so many words and that makes me angry and sad, we should have.

I hope you knew we loved you that is all I can say. We loved you, for you. I hope we told you that.

So tell everyone, tell them you like their photos, their story, their just being them. Don't let a minute slip by that you just drop in and say nothing. Tell them you've been by and taken a peek at their lives and you've enjoyed visiting. It may make such a difference for them to know. Join with me for Char and tell them you love them, you care that they share, that they make a difference. Make sure they know again Char we loved you, we love you, we miss you.

Texture Tuesday

2011-06-14T09:03:00.001+10:00

We just love all things French don't we? We do, go check out any blog that even has the most remotely sounding French name, and the followers are in the hundreds. Books that have Paris or France in their titles fly off the shelves, what is it with France, and well anything even remotely French flavoured? I am a culprit, I love France, I love Paris, actually I love pretty much anything European. The age of the place blows me away. The cobbly streets, the weathered and ancient buildings, the doorways, that lead well who knows where, but I want to open them and go in, I want to take a peek at the very least. So today for Kim's challenge on Texture Tuesday, we could use any subject and any texture. Ta Da!!!!!! A lane way, well a street actually in France. Now I can't be more specific at the moment because I cannot really remember where exactly this is. Sorry about that, but trust me it is France somewhere.

Recipe:

duplicate,

Brightness/Contrast, adjust levels, add a dark plum colour fill

levels again,

Greyday texture on colour burn 41%

more brightness/contrast adjustments

then add texture Random Inspiration on multiply 100%

again adjust brightness/contrast, levels and b/c again

now the fiddly part, the sky at the top of the buildings was really bright and I wanted to tone it down a lot so I did a black colour fill on just that part and adjusted the opacity

then I brushed a vignette round the edges and then did a tan brush of some of the buildings as they were to bright as well.

So a lot of fiddling but I achieved the shadowy effect I was after.

What do you think, this is the untouched shot? For me well it is so underexposed it is shocking, I was admittedly, just shooting all over the place by now and I had pushed a button on my camera at some stage that didn't allow me to get the settings I wanted. It took me a couple of days to realise what I had done. So needless to say I am not the best photographer I am just reasonable at making them look better after I think. But no matter I look at this lane and I get itchy feet again. One day we will go back, to the UK and Europe and well just about anywhere will be good. Ha ha the travel bug has bitten.

Have a great day folks.

Mulled Wine

2011-06-13T15:54:00.000+10:00

I've read about it, I've heard of it but until yesterday I had never tried it, Mulled Wine, oh it sounds delicious. It brings up images of snowy evenings in front of the glowing fire. Snow tapping softly on the window panes, wind shushing against the door, scarves tied tightly, mittens on, boots pulled up, winter in all her glory. So I have been itching to whip up a batch and try it out. So browsing through the internet I found my recipe and bought all the goodies needed, including the blue opal cheese, the double cream brie and the sharp, bitey, rich vintage cheddar. All served up with the crunchiest fruit and walnut batard, does it get better than this really. Of course you don't need all the glorious rich cheeses to enjoy your mulled wine, but it doesn't hurt that's for sure.

If you have never made mulled wine, firstly I think the most important ingredient is cold, weather. The atmosphere is everything. I hate to admit it but the day I made this, the morning and early afternoon were wet, drizzly, windy and perfect for cozying up to a fire, but by the time we were ready to eat and drink it was warming up the sun was peeking through now and then and somehow the whole thing just didn't sit as well in the lounge room with the air con going.

Needless to say, we did our best though, we grated the nutmeg, zested the orange, chopped the apple and added the cloves and cinnamon, topping them all up with the red wine. I found the taste really interesting, but as I said really needed to be in front of a bonfire, toasting marshmallows or toasting away in front of a fireplace somewhere.

I don't have song about mulled wine to share with you but I love this version of Summer Wine by The Corrs and Bono. Enjoy

Recipe:

10 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 roughly grated nutmeg (buy some nutmeg and roughly grate)

2 cups water

1 roughly chopped apple skin on

1 roughly grated rind of orange

750ml your favourite red wine, or a not too nasty drop you like fairly well

Instructions:

Heat all ingredients except wine in pan till boiling, simmer for 10 minutes

Add wine simmer further 5 mins

Strain and enjoy immediately