2010 - the year of ME

Image: bellouccello

Wow.

Another year over, another one about to begin.

I've been thinking a lot about the new year and what I want it to be. The last nearly 4 years have been about pregnancy and babies - 2006: mostly pregnant, 2007: Josh born, 2008: pregnant and Zoe born, 2009: sleep deprived blur.

Might sound a little selfish, but I want 2010 to be more about me. I want to:

{get active}

{get healthy}

{achieve a healthy weight}

{do more things that make me happy like decorating my home, collecting handmade stationery as well as making some of my own for my family and friends}

{continue trying to buy gifts for people that are from small business or hobbyists for that extra personal touch}

{take time out to restore my relationship with my Creator which has fallen by the wayside primarily because of the last four years (see above!)}

{enjoy my friends more by socialising with them child free}

{take time out for manicures and pedicures because they are so indulgent and fun (I found a place last week that does both for $42!!)}

{go to more live shows}.

I won't be upset  with myself if I don't achieve all these things in their fullness, but I want something to aspire to next year which involves redefining myself a little so I can be something much more than mummy.

Wishing you all a wonderful transition into the year 2010. xo

little miss zoe - a giddy girl

Look who is a 'giddy giddy' girl.

I made this post a few months back about how much I love their hair clips. Teri from giddy giddy asked me if it would be ok to add Miss Z to the giddy gallery. So there she is in the number 1 spot!

Phew! How is everyone recovering from Christmas? We had a great time with family and friends, though I went on a bit of a photo strike and now have no photos from the special day. I'm a bit sad about that now. I received Wii Fit Plus from hubby, so I really have to get going on my next project - '2010 - the Year of ME'. I might blog about that later.....

Anyway, I am now enjoying some time at home with hubby around, who is also on hand to help with the kids. I was even able to duck away to the shops the other day where I pampered myself with a manicure and pedicure, bought a new dress and scoffed some peanut butter Lindt balls!!! So good!

Tomorrow hubby is out for the day and my mum is coming over to help me with my little chair project. We should have them all painted up by the end of the day. Yippee!!

merry christmas one and all!

Wishing you many presents

under your tree

in your stocking

in your tummy

and in your heart.

Merry Christmas. xo

christmas has come early

 

 I've just received the best early Christmas present ever. Ever. Ever. Ever.

At the moment for my little boy's day sleep, I need to lay down with him while he falls asleep. It never usually takes very long. Today I had been out all morning shopping. I came home while he was finishing lunch and I told him we would go and lay down for a sleep. He really snuggled up next to me today, like he had missed me. I closed my eyes and prepare to catch 5 mins of zzzzzz's myself when I heard a little 'i love you mummy'. For a split second I thought I had heard wrong, so I went, 'mmmm?'. Again I heard a little sleepy 'i love you mummy'. I wanted to cry...I was so moved.

Now I know my boy loves me, and if I ask him he will of course always say he loves me, but this was the first time he has ever said it to me completely naturally and because he wanted to right at that moment. He was happy, content and expressed that to me by saying 'i love you mummy'.

I don't need any presents this year. That's all the gifts I could ever want wrapped up in one sentence.

Image: Deep Fried Kudzu

etsy store feature {freya art}

A few weeks ago I stumbled across this fabulous store on etsy - FreyaArt. Freya makes beautiful prints including these personalised baby announcements with the most gorgeous messages. I wrote a small article on FreyaArt as my first piece for Skout's Kids Product Directory. You can read the whole article here.

dance like there's no tomorrow

There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.  ~Vicki Baum

My boy is just so funny sometimes. He makes my heart sing with joy.

A few days ago he was looking through an old jewellery box of mine and found my long lost red rose hair clip. When he saw it, I realise now, it triggered his memory of a recent Postman Pat episode he has been loving lately where all the villagers are preparing for a Spring Dance. One couple dance together and the lady has a red rose when they dance. So when he found the hair clip, he came up to where I was sitting and said, 'Mummy, put it on'. So I put the clip into my hair. I thought that was it.... He then took my hands and said 'let's dance'! I was so stunned for a moment, but then I took his hands and danced away the afternoon with him. He was so delighted, and I heard lots of 'ole's and 'bravo's coming from him.

I so love when my days are blessed by these little gifts. They come unexpectedly and remind me to not get bogged down in the daily routines and rituals of caring for a toddler and a baby. I sometimes need nothing more but to sit back and enjoy the creativity and delight of a child.

This blog post was for Sunday Citar - a blog quote meme created by Tabitha @ FreshMommy.

at least i know what zoe will be wearing

Have you decided what to wear for Christmas yet?

I'm not enjoying thinking about it this year, as my options are really limited given the amount of weight I need to lose to fit into anything in my wardrobe......

But as this blog post's title suggests, at least I know what Zoe will be wearing!!!

I just made an online trip to Little Styles and this is what I picked up.

I can't get enough of those giddygiddy hair clips. They are just too adorable.

I'm banking on Christmas Day being quite warm so thought I would go with bloomers this year rather than prettying her up in a dress that will probably end up coming off anyway. My mum also bought her the sequined tank top from Seed (just thought I would put the pic of it with the rest of the outfit above) so she will wear that with the bloomers and ballets and the little Christmas gingerbread clip in her hair. I think it will be cute. Just have to hope it arrives on time now, especially with these AusPost strikes that have been happening!

What's your little one wearing for Christmas this year?

today's etsy love is brought to you by

marysgranddaughter

finkgifts

LittleMaryMoo

KathyPanton

MEANDMAC

soop

ebay love

So I've done a spot of shopping on Ebay of late....

I bought a coffee table a few weeks ago , and just recently I nabbed these old chairs for $40! For all of them. I actually missed out on bidding but since nobody had bid I emailed the seller with the lowest bid and it was accepted.

These chairs, well, I felt like they were destined to be mine, even though they are an odd bunch of chairs in some ways. I currently have three wooden chairs painted white in a similar, but less stylised type as the ones above. When I saw this group of five chairs I thought they would be perfect to make up eight chairs to go around our dining table. One of the above chairs is already white, so if I wanted to I could have half natural, half white chairs. And in the set above there are two carvers which is also perfect as I don't have any and think they will look great.

I'm yet to pick these lovely chairs up but my plan now is to paint them all white. We have lots of white touches in our dining room and I think they will complete the look nicely.

I promise I to share pics when I finish off this next little project!

a little surprise

Image: O'mages

Scroll to the bottom of the page here.

Keep an eye out on this website for a few little pieces from me every month! My first piece should be up in the next day or so.

why hello

Image:  mccheeksmayhem

We should not mind so small a flower --
Except it quiet bring
Our little garden that we lost
Back to the Lawn again.

So spicy her Carnations nod --
So drunken, reel her Bees --
So silver steal a hundred flutes
From out a hundred trees --

That whoso sees this little flower
By faith may clear behold
The Bobolinks around the throne
And Dandelions gold. 

 Emily Dickinson 

What a brilliant (and brilliantly hot!) summer day it is. Enjoy the sights and smells today. Ok, well maybe not all the smells...... :)

my revamped little workspace

As you know I've been spring cleaning and as part of the dining/front room spring clean which included putting up our new bookshelves I revamped my little workspace in the corner, which included framing and hanging some of the prints I have won in giveaways over the blogosphere recently.

I love my little work space now. And I especially love the scent of gardenia coming from the vase. My gardenia plant in the garden is finally blooming!

ETA: My gorgeous print on the wall is from bellalucephotography which I won from a giveaway at fat.mum.slim.

point & shoot

point & shoot sunday 6 december

fun friday find

feeling hungry?

like a caterpillar?

the very hungry caterpillar?

i just caught wind that eric carle (author of the infamous the very hungry caterpillar) has a blog. how very cool.

i've got some more reading to do!

(found via sweet sweet life via scrumdilly-do)

still looking for that perfect mum/toddler/babe gift for christmas?

how about

for mum....

Indie Swag Nappy Bag in 'New Chalk' by Vanchi at LaToriana $159.95

Pure Earth Noosa Lavendar Hair & Body Care starter pack $55.95

Mums Wisteria PJ set by Deshabille from LaToriana $49.95

for toddler....

Pure Earth Noosa BPA Free Bottles $16.95

 

Tea Princess Summer Antique Pearl Party Dress from LaToriana $89.95

 

Chef suit from LaToriana $36.95

for babe....

Lila Baby Flower Hair Clip $5.00

  

Sooki Baby Snapsuits from I Want Fabulous $14.00 each

Japanese cats from Karimu $19.95 

Great Christmas deals for you:

Karimu has free shipping until 20 December

I Want Fabulous has a huge Sooki Baby clearance sale, nothing over $17.50 - lots of great stocking stuffers for babies

Pure Earth Noosa is giving every customer who places an order a free Christmas soy wax melt or tea light

And for another great place to buy lots of beautiful things all in once place is Trifle Shoppe. Trifle is very much like an online mall. You can browse each designers store and they will ship direct to you from, and to anywhere in the world! Very cool!

le jeune Christmas bunting

A few of you commented on how lovely the Christmas bunting I hung up is and so I wanted to share the lovely store where I purchased it from.

Alexandra at le jeune hand crafts items with vintage paper, fabrics and trims, and she works right here from Sydney. Go have a look at her store.....I'm sure you will find something you love. I also love the Dr. Seuss bunting. So very cool for a little boy or girls room.

{christmas} continued.....

I caught wind of this little DIY advent calendar project from Cici Art Factory via Babyology yesterday and I printed it off last night and have prepared it this morning.

I've put little pegs at the top of each number of mine and I'm going to peg them all onto some string in our kitchen/living area.

What have you been doing for Christmas so far?