OCTOBER 31st

Mum with my youngest sister at our 'other' sister's wedding this year.

It's been a long 5 days. This week my beautiful mum has been diagnosed with incurable cancer. It's one of those f..... up silent ones with no symptoms until it gets really big and then there isn't much you can do except chemotherapy to prolong life, if that works. I go through stages of being really positive and then other times I fall in a heap in fear that I'm going to lose mum. She's only 52. I just hope I will see her as happy as in this photo again.

The day after the news of my mum, this came in the mail. It's quite funny that our biggest delight now says 'parcel for dad' when we get an early morning knock on the door. Even funnier that our delivery man waves at us when we are down the street. The amount of early morning parcels I have had to sign for in the last 2 years, geez! It's not me doing the buying. DD and his Ebay. Although this time it was Etsy. He bought our littlest delight Ava's Tea Party print from Belle & Boo for her 1st birthday which is next week. I've been eyeing it off since I read this and learnt how this special print came to be. It's a big print, so rich in colour and so much more brilliant & beautiful than the image above. A portion of the proceeds go to Paradise Kids. So, I really don't care that H is only 1 and we are having a Tea Party for her. She will have her Tea Party and share it with her big sister who will love it more and we will think of Sheye and her beautiful Ava. 8 years ago today I married my high school sweetheart. We eloped in Vietnam with me holding wilted Oriental Stargazer Lilies but today they were perfect, glossy and strong - just like him! Thank you my beautiful man...

garage/op & things passed on...

There have been some lovely finds over the weekend. Searching for vintage (or just pretty) plates & teacups for the tea party, without spending to much. Of course I get distracted by other lovely things...
probably didn't need the rocking chair, scarfs or mirror...adorable brass owls and English vase passed on by the girls' grandma...souvenir plate from Australia with a very cute folk print... and this was a great find for 50cents - geometric stamps which don't look like they've been used - oh I just love it!

sharing...

Some prettiness and cuteness from here. The Scandinavian Red Riding Hood design is just gorgeous.

tea party

photo credit

Oh no, no...I don't expect our little delight's tea party to look like this...but I can only dream. Isn't this magical? I'm obsessing with details...I just want it to look pretty & have all our family and friends be happy, that's all.
I need some cheap teacups! I'm op shopping but I don't have much time left. If anyone knows where in Oz I can purchase them, I would be so grateful...

I love wallpaper

Johnny-Tapete sells the most incredible range of vintage wallpaper - I'm likely to not ever see it in person (but who knows my 50's might be all about traveling) so for now I will enjoy smiling at the samples through this screen.

I've been busy...

I missed a blog post. My day was jam packed yesterday. I worked all day, picked up the kids from their grandma saw them ever so briefly (sigh) and got myself together to present a talk on mental health at a forum with 70 people. I got home late. I was tired. I had a cuppa and the last thing I wanted to do was blog for the sake of blogging. Which is what I feel I'm doing now...

I want my posts to be interesting, so if I don't blog daily, forgive me for committing to Blogtoberfest but I don't think I can sustain it.

Back to the talk...I'm a little late with promoting this, but it's better late than never. If you know someone who you think may need mental help - help them, don't wait. If you already support someone with a mental illness (as we do) then share your story with someone because you'll be amazed at how many people carry a mental illness or at least know a person with either depression, bipolar, schizophrenia or have experienced a metal breakdown; panic attacks, anxiety etc. One in five suffer some type of mental illness, so please help someone today if you know you can...

Photo credit

The Flannel Flower is Australia's symbol for Mental Health Awareness.

Photo Credit

On a lighter topic I'm trying to plan a 1st birthday garden tea party. Theme to old for a 1 year old you might say? Well yes, but who cares it's never about them at that age...it's just a lovely excuse to get family and friends together because we hardly ever do.

Photo Credit

Other things on - for some experimenting and possible creativeness happening I'm investigating this website...

and trying to make decisions to face lift the house we bought. Of course the colours look terrible in this pic.

See I have been busy.

Blogtoberfest Day 11

"Look mum I draw octopus"

I never thought I'd run out of things to say...well I haven't really, it's just that...a short blog is a good blog + one with visual, but I've been busy busy busy with little time to photograph what I want to share with you.
There hasn't been too much creating going on, just researching different products for the new house. Something I'd like to document if given the time, but it's highly unlikely at this stage.
So I'm resorting to photographs of my children. I must say I was quite impressed with the big delights drawing yesterday....she's only 2 years and 8months!

Blogtoberfest Day 10

(photo credit on all images)

Feathers make me smile...

Blogtoberfest Day 9 - Do-Re-Mi

Today I bought tickets for Mary Poppins the Musical that opens in July 2010. We will be taking the big delight. The little delight will still be too little. There were no second thoughts with this one because...

"When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything!"

Blogtoberfest Day 8 - cute stamps

Cute stamps by Cocories

Worked again today

We're all sick with the cold

Spooks on the couch

Bed

Blogtoberfest Day 7

Camilla & Elisabeth make up Studio Violet - check out their work.
I'm in love with this porcelain set.
Ceramic decals - still something I'd like to experiment with...
If you missed my post on ceramic digital/transfer printing it's here.

Blogtoberfest Day 6 - Comfort

Wow, working two full days in a row was busy. I missed my girls. Right now I'm enjoying: these fresh garden flowers, my cup of coffee and just being home...

Blogtoberfest Day 5 - Shoulder Bag

Goodness, I'm only just making my day 5 blog.

I taught today.

And again tomorrow.

Tonight I watched Spooks with the hubby.

Season has finished but I began having withdrawal symptoms...

so we bought the whole series on DVD - love it.

Shot up from the couch yelling "Oh no, need to blog".

Girls having a sleepover at my mum's place.

It's quite.

Posting finished bag.

Pattern from Patchwork on Central Park.

It's Cath's pattern the lovely lady that works there.

I hope the girl who loves butterflies & the colour pink enjoys it.

Night for now...

Blogtoberfest Day 4 - Thomas and his friends...

We (I) try to keep the commercial stuff to a minimum, but when our good friends had some spare tickets and invited us along I knew the big delight would really enjoy it. So off we went this morning to see Mr T and his friends. The joy and excitement they showed was priceless. Of course they were over it half way in and wanted to leave...too much chatter Thomas and not enough singing.

Blogtoberfest Day 3 - Scrumptious Shortbread

Greek Shortbread Biscuits (traditionally a crescent shape)

I've been baking these treasures for years. The ingredients has varied from time to time but for the last few years it has been this recipe I've been following. Very important to not over cook them. Take them out of the oven when they are ever so slightly golden in colour, 12minutes is perfect in my fan forced oven. Loads of icing sugar...but I think it's the drop of brandy that makes them just a touch different than ordinary shortbread. Super easy!

Blogtoberfest Day 2

Thought I would post a pic of a bag in progress. I've been given a brief. It was meant to be a scarf like this one but with pink tones and butterflies but by the time I started, Spring began and I was out of scarf mode - so it's now a bag.
I managed a Day 2 blog post for my commitment to Blogtoberfest - I will try to follow the theme every now and again. Happy blogging everyone!

What have I got myself into?

A blog a day in October?!

I'm just managing one a week at the moment.

Which is why I just have to do it!!

Thanks Cathy!

my creative space

The move was suppose to happen in Feb.

It's now happening in 10weeks.

We have bought my mother & father in laws house.

A beautiful house it is.

We would like to freshen things up.

Make it our own.

Loads of decisions to make.

So this will be where most of my time will be spent...

Research.

I made some Greek Shortbread biscuits for a dinner party last night.

Delicious.

Ate too many.

Ate more this morning!

There are some awesome creative spaces going on...thanks Kirsty!