Beautiful Birthdays...

There are lots of birthdays happening around me right now and I would like to send my love and best wishes to all of my favourite Aries babes. They are all amazing people and are special to me and I just wanted to let them (and you) know why...

On the 28th of March, it was the 53rd birthday of a blogging friend of mine called Renee of Circling in my Head. I met Renee last year (online) during the time when my brother had cancer, and we have shared emails and visited each others blogs since. She is an incredible woman and her blog is a treat where she shares openly of her thoughts, her trials and her love for the life and lives around her. She is an inspiration and a lovely person to boot. I hope she doesn't mind I used this image from her site (I'll be checking to make sure)

Yesterday my cousin Jenni turned 40. I think it's come as a bit of a shock to her (I felt the same 18 months ago). Who would believe that we could be this old? Of course, being 'this old', she has a lot to show for her 40 years so far... a gorgeous family, lots of friends and a job that relies on her insight and an open mind and is both challenging and rewarding. She is adored by her children, her family and her friends. And me too.

Today is Angela's birthday. She is the creator of Miss Buttons and she is also the person who encouraged me to start blogging when I worked with her a few years ago. She continues to inspire me with her creativity, and her imaginative ideas are always a treat. Go wish her a happy birthday at Three Buttons!

And finally (for this week at least) it's my Mum's birthday too. Yes, this coming Monday my Mum turns 69. Incredible! When I was a child, people of 69 would have been considered 'oldies', but this generation is yet to step into their slippers and take a rest. My Mum is a regular golfer, has a wide group of friends, cooks a mean roast, still loves to body surf at the local beach, has travelled widely and is the best Mum in the world. What can I say? I love you Mum! Happy Birthday for Monday!

And so. To all my favourite Arian's... Love and good wishes to you all. May your birthdays be celebrated in health and happiness and may you be surrounded by the people you love.

Loving the heat...

Yes - It's hot.

Yesterday it reached 45 degrees as I drove home from work and overnight the mercury didn't drop below 28 in Melbourne. Yikes!
I love the summer, but these hot hot days? Well, it IS a little too hot, even for my liking.

But I refuse to complain. I can't help but complain when it's cold (I REALLY hate being cold), but being hot? Well, it's better than being cold!

It seems everyone is complaining. Power cuts, transportation woes (200 train cancellations yesterday) and impatient drivers. Worst of all (and worthy of worry) the threat of bushfires sit heavily in the air.

And whilst everyone is moaning about lack of sleep and melting ice-cream, my frangipani is LOVING it. It is enjoying a spurt of growth and is full of green leaves. At the moment it is spending all of it's energy on leaves and stretching it's branches. If only it would flower!

My favourite things...

This was one of my earliest posts and I had a lot of fun with it. I thought I might revisit it here today and get this little tune dancing around your head for the day. And sometimes it's just good to rembember there are good things in the world... and sometimes the simplest of things bring joy to your life.

So time to sing-a-long everyone! You know you want to!

My Favourite things...
Snowflakes in winter and bluebells in springtime,
Family board games, you time and me time,
Hot open fires and glasses that 'ching'
These are a few of my favourite things...
•
Sweet jaffa ice-cream and drinks in tall glasses,
Show-offs and posers that fall on their asses,
Old eighties music, that friends and I sing,
These are a few of my favourite things...
•
Steaming hot chocolate stuffed full of marshmallows,
Long stemmed red roses from my favourite fellow,
Christmas time presents, that Santa will bring,
These are a few of my favourite things...
•
Confrontation!
Indignation!
Leave me feeling mad
So I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel so bad
•
Long walks in summer on clean sandy beaches,
Fresh river swimming (just minus the leeches)
Slow Sunday breakfast with vegemite toast,
these are things that I treasure the most.
•
Broad smiling faces of children in wonder,
Summertime rainfall with lightening and thunder
Kookaburras laughing, a canary that sings
These are a few of my favourite things...
•
Long converstaions with giggling girlfriends
Christmas and Easter, birthdays and week-ends,
Good wit and humour - the laughter it brings,
These are a few of my favourite things!
•
Crowded spaces
Tear stained faces
Leave me feeling sad
So I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel so bad
•

You may even want to give it a try yourself and make up your own version. If you do, come back and let me know - I'd love to sing along to your version.

Spring has sprung...

Hellllooooo Springtime!

Well, winter is now officially over and I am so so SO happy to say good-bye to winter and hello to spring. The last 2 months have been horrendous for a number of reasons (I may well fill you in sometime) and with the first days of Spring it feels like there may well be hope in the air.

One word...

I first saw this on Curly Pop's blog recently and since then, here and here too.
Thought I would join in the fun. I can't resist a good list afterall.

1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Your significant other? Mal
3. Your hair? Brown
4. Your daughter? None
5. Your son? None
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? School
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your goal? Creativity
10. The room you’re in? Studio
11. Your church? Everywhere
12. Your fear? Grief
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Tropics
14. Where were you last night? Calligraphy
15. What you’re not? Tech-savvy
16. Muffins? Mmmmm
17. One of your wish list items? Peace
18. Where you grew up? Point Lonsdale
19. The last thing you did? Email
20. What are you wearing? Nothing*
21. Your TV? Hidden
22. Your pets? None
23. Your computer? Apple
24. Your life? Rollercoaster
25. Your mood? Mixed
26. Missing someone? Daily
27. Your car? Mini
28. Something you’re not wearing? Make-up
29. Favorite store? Art
30. Your summer? Glorious
31. Like (love) someone? Yes
32. Your favorite color? Pink
33. Last time you laughed? Yesterday
34. Last time you cried? Yesterday
35. Who will repost this? Ames

*I am really - just checking you were still reading...

Have a great day everyone! If you want to join in, copy and paste, enter your own 'one word' answers and post on you blog. Have fun!

This is my gift to you...

In February last year I started blogging. It was something I had been contemplating for sometime, but true to form, (being a great procrastinator) it took me sometime to sit down and just do it! EVENTUALLY I created my blog using a Blogger template, added a couple of personal touches and in no time I was hooked. I have never looked back. In fact, I often find myself creating new posts in my head and could easily spend hours visiting other blogs. Mal regularly complains about being a blogging widow!

What continues to surprise and please me, is how many creative, wonderful people are out there and the number of people that drop by and say hi! There are many bloggers I like to visit regularly and then so many new ones I keep finding! You all colour my internet life.

In September last year I added clustermaps to my blog, to track how many visitors I get. This week, I reached a grand total of 10,000! Yes, TEN THOUSAND visitors to my blog! That is amazing to me and is definitely worthy of celebration. And so, as the "This is" theme for this week is of our own choice, I have decided to make it my first blog giveaway in honour of the occasion. This is my thank-you for your inspirational blogs and comments.

So, post a comment by midnight next Saturday and you will be in the draw to win. What do you love about blogging? What is your latest blogging find? What inspires you? Who inspires you? On Sunday of next week, I will draw the lucky winner and post it on my blog.

This is what the lucky winner will win. Can you tell I like pink and that I have a 'thing' for notebooks? I made the Snugglepot and Cuddlepie badge. I plan to add a couple of other bits too, but I will wait now until I see who wins and go and take a look at their blog to see what might be suitable.

Good luck everyone, have a great week and thanks again for visiting.

This is my most treasured childhood possession...

This is a collection of my most treasured childhood possessions.

I was trying to decide what I was going to include and was thinking I might even struggle a bit! Then, this week-end I have been staying in Point Lonsdale (in my childhood home) and managed to find lots of things hidden away in back room cupboards and in secret drawers.

Turned out, I couldn't decide what NOT to include, so I have included a small selection... Favourite dolls, swap cards, the small pop-up toy and my most treasured childhood book The Big Tidy-Up (a recent acquisition) all feature strongly in my childhood memories.

Off to see everyone else's treasures now. Have a great week everyone.

The theme for this weeks "This is..." came from Teacups on Treetops (go and have a look at her blog - it's very cool!). The "This is..." meme was started by the very creative Angela of Three Buttons fame.

What I miss about London #3...

Of all the things I miss about London, I miss my friends the most.

I lived in a number of houses in London, sharing with as many as 10 other people in Stoke Newington, to just the two of us (me and Al - my partner at the time) in Chiswick, Kew Gardens, Shepherds Bush, Manor House and Richmond.

In such an incredible city, many of my memories are connected with my beautiful friends. Amongst them, we shared a house (and became good friends with) our Brazilian buddies Lucia, Felipe and Monica (and her Pommy partner Robert). We shared home-made chocolate brownies, tv show Friends, a good laugh and a passion for car boot sales! We often ate together, and celebrated many special occasions in their good company.

We had a couple of great parties - this one was a 'crazy' party. We all had to dress up in something 'offbeat'. It was a funny funny night. When they first entered our room - converted into the dining room for the night - we stood and laughed at each other uncontrollably for ages before we all got it together! I couldn't find a photo of me, but I wore a garbage bag with a trim of pegs and a plant pot on my head, complete with plant!
from left, Robert, Al, Lucia, Monica and Felipe.

We don't write often, and even emails are pretty sporadic. Nevertheless, I think of them a lot, with a smile on my face, and miss them to this day.

It happens to be Lucia's birthday today.
Happy Birthday Lucia!

This is the space in which I create...

This is my desk at home. It is the place where I do much of my creative work when I'm not at school. There are a few creations in view - a couple complete and many more ready to begin. Each item in the pigeon holes is intended to inspire. From calligraphy inks to juggling balls, mind puzzles to beads and japanese brushes... It's quite a mix. Of course there is jar full of pens and brushes and a number of books, blank paper and photos on my desk close at hand.

The camera is my Dads. I used it recently for some photography as I wanted the transparencies which are larger than normal (6 x 6). It takes great shots, and has a three or four step process before you can flick the button to take the shot. It's certainly not as instant as digital, but the results are pretty amazing.

So, the area in which I create is small, but as long as I keep it relatively tidy it is a pleasant place to work. When I need more space, the kitchen table is my next option.

The subject for this weeks "This is..." was bought to you by Michelle from Quilting Mick. The "This is..." meme was created by the magical Angela of Three Buttons fame.

This is my favourite travel memory...

I love to travel and whilst it has been a few years since I travelled overseas I have some wonderful memories. I saw some incredible places and met some wonderful people. It was an amazing time for me.
In 1989 I spent 4 months doing an overland trip from Kenya to Morocco which finished in London. It was a journey that included Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, African Central Republic, Zaire, Nigeria and Algeria and more. It allowed me the opportunity to see the mountain gorillas in Zaire and travel across the Sahara desert. I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and saw wild animals in their natural habitat including elephant, cheetah and lions.

At 21, it was quite a trip. I look back now and am amazed at how lucky I was... I think it was a combination of good fortune and naivety that saw me go to all these exciting places and travel so safely!

This photo was taken in Zaire when we stopped in a town for supplies. The kids were always so excited to see us. I love their smiles. It was a picture that captured their delight and excitement. And if you had turned the cameras on us, we would have been smiling just the same. It was pretty contagious!

The subject for this weeks "This is..." was bought to you by Hila from Your Cover's Blown.
The "This is..." meme was created by the magical Angela of Three Buttons fame.

I love chocolate brownies...

Another email of the 'forward to all your buddies within 3 seconds and all your wishes will come true' variety, landed in my in-box today. I thought this one was a bit of fun, and thought you might too...

If all of the desserts listed below were sitting in front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only pick one!).

Now don't cheat on this one, go with the first dessert you choose!!! Trust me... this is very accurate. Pick your dessert, and then look to see what psychiatrists think about you.

Here are your choices:

1. Angel Food Cake
2. Brownies
3. Lemon Meringue Pie
4. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing
5. Strawberry Short Cake
6. Chocolate on Chocolate
7. Ice Cream
8. Carrot Cake

No!!!!! you can't change your mind once you scroll down, so think carefully what your choice will be...

OK - Now that you've made your choice, scroll down to see what the research says about you.



1. ANGEL FOOD CAKE - Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy items A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

2. BROWNIES - You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up you whip out your sabre. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humour and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE - Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent after-dinner speaker and a good teacher. But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, but you have many friends.

4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING - Fun-loving, sassy, humorous, not very grounded in life; very indecisive and lack motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Other's should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE - Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. Can be very emotional.

6. CHOCOLATE ON CHOCOLATE - Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM - You like sports, whether it be baseball, football, basketball, or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don't like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE - You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends.

Not sure about this as a true psychiatric test, but for a bit of fun, it's not too bad! How did you go? What was your favourite?

This is my favourite book... actually I just couldn't stop at one...

I deliberated for some time over which of my 'favourite' books to include on this weeks "This is" meme. Sorry guys - I couldn't restrict it to JUST ONE. I tried... really I did. But finally I decided on three... It was a tough call and I have so many more I could have included... How could I not include "The power of One" or "The Alchemist"? And I feel almost guilty for omitting "The Book Thief" and "The Orange Girl". But here they are... just three. It is an odd collection, but all worthy of a mention.

The Man Who Planted Trees is one of my favourite stories because it is such a beautiful and universal tale. It is a story I have read a number of times now, and have given to friends and family as gifts. A link to the entire story can be found here so you too can enjoy it's magic.

Gone With The Wind is the book I read when I SHOULD have been studying for my HSC exams. You may well laugh! It is corny and melodramatic and an epic I could not put down once I had started. Afterall, how could I resist the charms of Rhett Butler and the unbreakable determination of Scarlett O'Hara. It was far more interesting than biology and Maths!

The Tattooed Flower is a recent addition to my Favourites, and I am adding it in the hope it will inspire you to track it down. It is written by a Melbourne woman (Suzy Zail) about her dying father and his experiences as a child of the Holocaust. I cried in the first pages and again in the last, and in between, it regularly took my breath away at the incredible story of survival against the odds. It is definitely worth a read.

Here is part of a review from Scribe Publications... "The Tattooed Flower is the tender and illuminating story of how a father and daughter choose to spend their last years together: Suzy discovering her father’s past as a child of the Holocaust; and her father teaching his family, by example, how to live well, love fully, and die without fear or regret.

The Tattooed Flower finds hope, love, and beauty in the saddest of places. This is a remarkable, compelling book about life’s lessons, and how one man can leave a mark and make a difference."

The subject for this weeks "This is..." was bought to you by Dees at DaisyinLaLaLand.
The "This is..." meme started by the very creative Angela of Three Buttons fame.

I am almost too scared to read everyone else's posts as I just know it will only add to the pile of books already waiting to be read. But how can I resist? Wish me luck!

This is my jewellery box...

This was a birthday gift when I was living in London. It has a mirror on the inside of the lid and is lined with dark red velvet. I have always been a silver person as opposed to gold and so this was the perfect gift. As a result, most of my jewelry is also silver.

The subject for this weeks "This is..." was bought to you by Anastasia.
The "This is..." meme started by the very creative Angela of Three Buttons fame.

9 images that describe me...

A long time ago (way back in September - gulp) I was tagged by Liss at Daydream Lily. I tried. My computer went into major meltdown. I got busy. It got lost in my list of things to do. I got a new computer. At last I got back to it... Liss, I am sorry for the delay. Here it is at last... 9 images that describe me.


1. My mini. I love it. A little impractical perhaps, but I don't care, it's all about having fun...

2. Magnolias in Kew Gardens in London - a favourite haunt when I lived there over 10 years ago.

3. Me and my Mum. I love this photo as we are both having such a fun time together. It's never been any different. I have a great family.

4. Simply beautiful - a shadow that was captured on a week-end trip last year.

5. This is me and Mal on the ferry to Queenscliff. It's a nice relaxed shot of us both.

6. These numbers are old petrol station signs. They are about 3 foot tall and made of metal. I love typography and 3121 is my postcode.

7. Point Lonsdale beach. Very beautiful and it so happens it's where I grew up. It is also where I feel most grounded.

8. My pigeon holes sit on my desk and are filled with a small selection of my collections. Creativity is something that drives me, and each window holds a little bit of inspiration. Even the empty ones!

9. Yes - this is me. Nearly 20 years ago!!! I spent 4 month travelling through Africa. This is my first day in the Sahara. Stunning scenery - and just a little dusty!

If you love the grid of pics, you can do it too... go to bighugelabs.com and sign up. It's called Mosaic Maker. Consider yourself tagged if you wish and make up a mosaic of 9 things that describe you. Leave a comment and I will drop by and say hi.

This is my collection...

I collect all kinds of things. More through luck than intention, I am an accidental collector. This is also partly because I hate to throw things out.

If I looked around my flat I would have to say an ongoing theme is my love for numbers and letters. I have collected a few without intending to make a collection as such, but many of the items that decorate my flat are along a similar theme. I have cookie cutters and old petrol signs and a couple of more industrial pieces. I am drawn to them. I work in the graphics/printing industry and love type. What can I say?

Of course I also love pens and paper and brushes and hand made books and old drafting tools and wooden boxes. And notebooks and diaries? Don't even ask!

I love clocks too - though my family have given me so much grief over the last few years that I have learned to restrain myself and at the moment I only have one in each room. One day I will ignore their head shaking and fill a wall with nothing but clocks.

One day...

"This is..." is another great idea from Angela at Three Buttons... Get on board!

The Big Tidy Up

Jennifer knew,
as well as you,
that everything
has it's place...
But she didn't care
a whit, a bit,
so her room
was a real disgrace!


So begins my favourite childhood story: The Big Tidy Up!
My mother could probably recite it word for word if I asked her. In fact, if I said the first few words, she would be impossible to stop until the end. The Big Tidy Up was almost definitely responsible for my need to declutter and my agitation at mess... but that is another story for another time!

I was lucky. I grew up in a family of readers. My mother read to me and my two older brothers every night before the lights were put out. Captain Pugwash was a favourite (for Mum and the three of us kids) as she drew us into a world of pirates and adventure. She always used the voices of the characters... hushed whispers followed by frightening pirates, always making us jump and squeal even though we knew exactly what was about to happen!

A little bull called Ferdinand who refused to fight, preferring instead to sit centre bull-ring smelling the roses was also a regular. I have memories of our introductions to Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy and the characters of Narnia and was a huge fan of Laura Ingalls and her family. These characters coloured my childhood and encouraged imagination and a love of literature for us all. My brothers' frayed copies of Catweazle and the Swallows and Amazons series still sit expectantly on the bookshelves in my parent's home too treasured to discard.

A few years back, when I was living overseas, I said to my mum (who was in the middle of a clean out frenzy at the time) that she could donate all my books to the local St. Vinnies with the exception of a few named favourites. The Big Tidy Up was high on the list.

It wasn't until earlier last year that my mother made her guilty confession. She couldn't find it. She had a fine excuse. As a teacher for many years it is possible that she took it to read to one of her classes and that was where it remained. Now, many years later, I do not expect to see it again.

But fear not. Surely rescue (Enid Blyton style) in the form of Amazon is just around the corner...

I typed in "The Big Tidy Up" and it offered it to me at the bargain price of (wait for it) $124. It has not been published since 1972! Somewhat in shock, I was not discouraged entirely. Whilst I had resigned myself to never turn those familliar pages again, I decided to recheck, only to find (Hurrah! hurrah!) that it is being re-published in 2008. Amazon has it available to preorder for $8.99!

I am expecting it's arrival not long after May 13, 2008! Hurrah!

So what are your memories of childhood reading. What were your favourites? Gems that you loved and could quote word for word. Stories that still make you smile...

Happy Christmas...

Season's Greetings and best wishes to you.
May your day be filled with love and laughter.

I'd rather be here...

It's just over a week until Christmas.
I had a great week-end.
It's Monday morning. I'm at work.
I'd rather be on the beach...

This is the back beach of the town where I grew up. I am lucky as my parents still live there. I call it my week-ender. In one week I will be there. Christmas Eve. I can't wait. In the meantime, I can check out the webcam and see what the tides are doing... what the surf is like... imagine the salt air on my face.

...you can look too: Point Lonsdale Webcam There are 3 other views to look at - all taken from the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse.

Have a good week people.
'Tis the Season for joy and goodwill.
Be nice.

Quote of the day...

What I miss about London #1

There are many things I miss about London.

It was my home for nearly 8 years and was the place I spent the majority of my 20's. There are many things I miss. Friends. The sights. The history. The seasons. The beautiful architecture. The easy lifestyle. Perhaps it is my youth I miss the most.

It is at this time of year, as my garden breaks out in pockets of bright orange and pink and the scent of fresia's magically fills the air, that I am reminded of the beauty of London that I have left behind.

Springtime is my favourite time of year in London. The winter is cold and grey and daylight hours are short. I would leave for work in the morning when it was still dark, and watch the grey light fade entirely from the sky around 3pm. On the whole it was a depressing time of year. Certainly there were winter pleasures - an open fire, a warm pub, the lazy walks to riverside cafes - but I was always glad to see the signs of it's departure.

In early May, the signs began. A few brave daffodils, slowly receding hours of darkness, and clear sharp mornings with frosty grounds were how it began. And then, almost overnight, it burst forth. The daffodils spread in huge panels of yellow through parks and along local streets, birds returned with a shrill song of morning greetings and in the woodlands, bluebells mingled in the dappled sunshine. It was truly beautiful. Magnolias sprung open and bare branches gave way to bright fresh shades of green. Within days, colour had returned to London's monotone pallette.

Moods lifted, smiles returned, life began again...