The Best Milkshakes Ever

If you are ever in Broken Hill, indulge in a milkshake from Bell's. HUGE range of flavours from traditional chocolate to Cherry Ripe and White Knight.

Getting in Early

My gorgeous sister celebrates her birthday on Saturday (that's her on the left) and we plan to stay in Coogee for the weekend with some friends. It should be great fun - looking forward to it :-)

Happy birthday, little sister!!!

Mermaid Swap

This beautiful mermaid doll is what I made for my swap partner in the Mermaid Swap. I had great fun doing it and look forward to many more swaps in the future. They are such fun - I love planning and making lovely things for my partner and it's always fun to get lovely packages in the mail - much nicer than bills!

Mermaid Swap

I got a gorgeous parcel last night from my swap partner, Mandy. Beautifully wrapped and full of mermaids. I love the canvas - it is so me! The old postcards are stunning and very sexy and the card with the little baby mermaid is so cute. Oh, the shell bookmark will find a home lickety split.

Thank you Mandy!!

Tegan is Fourteen

My gorgeous older daughter turned fourteen yesterday. We had some of the family over for cake and she loves her presents. Money for clothes (what girl wouldn't love that!), a funky dress that my sister bought in Byron Bay and a matching vest, belt and bracelet and a stereo system. She wanted pretty cupcakes for her birthday cake.

Vintage Clothing

I love finding a beautiful garment that's been pre-loved, is in good condition and is virtually a one-of-a-kind because it's vintage. My favourite haunt is 'Linen N Lace' in Glenbrook, N.S.W. They specialise in beautiful old linens and good vintage clothing. My latest find was this lovely coat and brooch. All I needed to do was change the buttons and do a few repairs around one armhole - easy for someone who has sewn for over thirty years.

The Girls

This photo was taken almost ten years ago - the last time that mum willing had her photo taken (and I think that we had to coerce her). It was taken in Sydney at my sister's hen's night. Can't half tell that we're all related :-)

The Green Lifestyle Magazine

I am always trying to think of what to give my dad and his wife for Christmas. Last year my sister and I gave them a gift subscription to G Magazine. G: The Green Lifestyle Magazine is packed with practical tips and ideas that cover every aspect of life: home, food, finance, fashion, renovation, technology, how-to as well as the big issues! It is printed on recycled paper and I was so impressed with the copies that I flicked through while visiting dad and Dawn, that I subscribed to it too.

G Magazine is the world's only monthly environmental publication. Launched in November 2006, it has collected praise and accolades far and wide, and was awarded Consumer Magazine of the Year at Australia's annual Bell Magazine Awards in 2007. Whether shopping for clothes or food, renovating a house, planning a trip, buying gifts, investing money or purchasing a car, G is a practical bible to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Check it out. Grab a copy in Coles or your local newsagent (in Australia) or subscribe online.

Parasol and Paper Swap

I was wandering around in BlogLand and I came across another swap that took my fancy. The hostess turned out to be a fellow Aussie, and living not far from me. She even went to the primary school that both my girls attended. What a small world!

Check out Shannon's blog. This should be a fun swap - I've been given my swap partner and am starting to look for pretty paper and parasols. It will provide me with an excuse to visit some of my favourite shops in the Blue Mountains - I feel a shopping day coming on :-)

My Gorgeous Girls

I have two daughters. Shelby is ten and Tegan is fourteen next week. They are both beautiful, inside and out.

Tegan is in Year 9 and attends the local public high school. She is capable of that typical teenage attitude, but we have a great relationship and I feel that we can (and do) talk about anything and everything. She has had a boyfriend for over a year now and has a great bunch of friends, who are genuine and nice people. She spends most of her time communicating - on the phone, on the internet and IM (you get the idea). She loves to read and listen to music - her computer hard-drive is almost full of music files.

Shelby is an extrovert. She's in Year 5 at the local primary school. She's very independent and rides her bike to school. She loves dancing and doing little skits to amuse the family. She also loves to draw. She can be a little bossy and her friendship group fluctuates, though she does have a core group of friends.

We travel a lot and the girls really enjoy seeing Australia and experiencing different things - sitting in an outback pub, watching the sun set over opal mines, paddling in creeks, climbing up to magnificent lookouts to see the view and watching outback television (the campfire). I love my girls dearly. They are both strong, loving and independent. They can think for themselves and I look forward to seeing them grow into wonderful women.

Mermaid Swap

I have signed up for a couple of swaps through other blogs. The pressure is on to get the mermaid swap finished in time. Can't wait to see what I get in the mail. Most of the women in it are overseas (including the hostess) but I got paired up with someone here in Australia :-)) I am busy making a mermaid doll - haven't made dolls since my girls were little. It's fun, fiddly, frustrating and rewarding. I hope that my partner loves it.

Check out the hostess, Genevieve's, blog.

The Power of Picnik

Want to edit your photos and create fantastic effects and not worry about learning to use all that technical software that you have on your computer? Give picnik a go. My fourteen year old (well, she's a week off being fourteen and don't I know it) showed it to me and I'm having a great time with it. It is really easy and has some great effects and marvellous fonts.

My Sister

My sister, Andrea, is my best friend. She is kind, beautiful and a big softie :-))

"You laugh when people ask if you're sisters, you're so much closer than that! She knows everything about you, you're struggles and your joys. She's your companion, your conscience and your confidante. She's your critic and the president of your fan club. For she is your best friend!!"

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. I have another blog already (Abundant Books), but I went to an inspiring seminar on Friday in at Cockle Bay on Blogs, Wikis and other web tools. I came home wanting to expand my knowledge and my presence on the web. As I have become involved in a couple of swaps through other's blogs, I decided to put up a more personal, creative blog. So, let's see were it leads me.

A little about myself. I'm a teacher librarian in a Catholic college in the outer west of Sydney. I have been married for twenty one years and have two girls - ten and fourteen. We live at the base of the Blue Mountains and spend most of our free time four-wheel driving, camping and catching up with friends. I have sewn since I was a teenager, and am a proficient patchworker. I have also dabbled in decoupage, making paper, hand-binding journals and books, folk art and lots of other bits and pieces. I am interested in aromatherapy and alternative remedies. My girls would describe my dress sense as feral - a cross between Tree of Life and vintage. My home is just that - a home full of my families history. Shabby chic meets eclectic. Comfortable and full of meaning.