What i am doing........in December.

It's been a while since i've posted one of these, i find them a good way for me to get out of a blogging funk. So here i am throwing another one in before 2012 ends. If anyone is out there (hello? hello?) or if anyone cares - here's what i'm up to this December.
: : listening  To Playschool. Is it not the best kids show ever?
: : cooking  I made one of my favourites this week - lamingtons.
: : drinking  Too much coffee.
: : reading  I'm in a reading funk lately, any suggestions? Good books or blogs?
: : watching  One Born Every Minute series, it's my favourite show.
: : wanting  A new handbag, new shoes, new perfume.......*hint hint hint*
: : sewing  Little felt christmas labels for teacher gifts
: : wishing  My old self a Happy Birthday this week
: : enjoying  My kids getting lost in the magic of christmas.
: : waiting  For the postie......hurry up, i'm waiting for some happy mail.
: : looking  Forward to the school year finishing
: : liking  Blogging again.
: : wondering  How many years it'll take the Jehovah's to give up trying to convert me. Seriously!
: : loving  The latest giveaway prize i won, thanks Mel!
: : hoping  For a looooong hot summer.
: : believing  I have the best MIL ever.
: : wearing  Black singlet and harem style pants - cool and comfy.
: : considering  What are our best treatment options going to be for our girlie.
: : knowing  We are going to have a great time over the summer holidays :)
: : noticing  Neon everywhere. Sorry, it's just 80's fluro to me.
: : thinking  It's almost time to whip up the shortbread.
: : needing  To finish my chrissie shopping asap.
: : marvelling  That another year is almost over.
: : trying  To shed my 'winter coat'........my clothes are a little tight lately.
: : smelling My new perfume, love, love love it!
: : feeling  Like i'm coming down with man-flu.

That's me for December people! What are you up to? 

Have you finished all your Chrissy shopping and avoiding all the cranky people out there?

I hope you're all a little more organised than me and are having a lovely relaxing start to summer. x

Perfection.

This weekend we discovered perfection.

I just finished a full-time working week - six full days - something this mumma isn't used to! So all i wanted was a relaxing commitment free weekend to chill with my family.

Saturday morning we wandered around our local craft market & purchased a few new plants, local honey, strawberries & some rocks...........yes rocks, my kids love them.

After lunch Chas asks "what can we do today?", it was quite a warm day so I said "let's go find some water!" So we decided to pack a quick bag, then headed for the hills in search of a little creek to dip our toes in.

I totally love these spontaneous moments.

After a couple of stops to find a suitable spot that didn't have waist high snake ridden grass to wade through, we found the perfect spot.

We found our new favourite spot to hang this summer. 

The water was amazing - i was quite surprised, we've had a couple of cooler days and it was our first warm one in a little while - but it was definitely not cold.

We had the best time playing in the water, exploring the creek, chasing floating thongs, eating watermelon and collecting rocks. (Yes, more rocks.............my kitchen bench looks like a quarry right now).

We have plans to return to our spot over summer.

Then we returned home to cook homemade burgers and sit out under the tree in the backyard for some alfresco dining..................ahhh summer............i completely adore thee!
I'm now all relaxed and refreshed and ready to tackle a week's worth of  ironing................back to reality!

How do you plan to spend your summer days?

Taking a breather.

Phew. What a crazy couple of weeks we've had around here!

Just dropping in for a quick update, i really should be heading to bed but right now i'm enjoying some 'quiet time' that wonderful moment when all my household is peacefully sleeping........and so should this night owl.

So, i had a mega busy week at work last week - we had our awesome twice yearly sale on and were run off our toes! Then on Saturday, my mum hosted a family get together at her place. One of her cousins was visiting from Italy and wanted to meet some family members - of course being Italian, we have a big family.

The poor guy could barely speak a word of Italian, but it was lovely to meet him and we attempted a conversation - we did well with only a little bit of translation needed! 

I love hearing the Italian language, it reminds me so much of my grandparents.

The next day it was my sweet girl Amity's seventh birthday.

She had been counting down for months - this girl loves birthdays, but in saying that she never asks for anything, whenever we ask her what she'd like for her birthday, she'll just shrug and say "i don't know".

So for a few months i've been squirrelling away little bits and pieces i knew she would like and on the morning of her birthday she had lots of pressies to open.

I awoke (very early) to her beaming little face right in my face - oh how i wish i could freeze that moment.......she never said a word, she was just grinning from ear to ear but somehow i knew she was there.

We had a small party here for her with some close friends with lots of girly pink touches.

I still can't believe she's seven! We were telling her her birth story the other day - how she came out so quickly, she almost ended up in the loo....................Chas and her thought that was hysterical. (That'll be a story for another day).

Now we're on the home-stretch to Christmas and the Silly Season is here in all it's wonderful glory.......not.
Oh yes, the Grinch is back.
Things aren't going to slow down in a hurry. I've got a busy week ahead with one day off work in the next seven (give me strength!), so things may be a little bit quiet around these parts for a while.
And now i must really hit the sack, my littlest poppet and i are having a baking day tomorrow.
Good night lovelies xxx

Warm weather outfitting.

Summer is on it's way............i can taste it!

Time to dust off the thongs (flip flops for non-aussies), and strip off some layers.

We had a couple of warm days last week and this is my new favourite warm-weather-busy-mum outfit: the maxi skirt was a bargain buy and my owl necklace completes my outfit.
I'm sharing my outfit over at the new blog, Together in Ten, go check out what others are wearing and find some great fashion tips too.
I'm looking forward to some more summer outfits.

Swallowed up.

My apologies friends for my long, long absence.....................but i think life just came along and swallowed me up!
Honestly sometimes I've just got to put my hands up, take a deep breath and take a step back. 

And then I've got to remember that these days will most certainly be the busiest of my life - i'm a mother, i work part time, i have three kids, one of whom is still just a toddler & that's not mentioning the fourteen animals we have (oh yes, i just added them all up and can't believe it myself).

So what am i up to right now? 

Right now, i'm nursing a very unwell little boy who has come down with a nasty virus - he should be at his first school sleepover right now.

I'm also planning a very excited-almost-seven year old's birthday for next weekend.

I'm saying goodbye to babyhood - we've packed the cot away and given away other baby things we no longer need and stopped buying nappies for good!
I'm trying to save a baby bunny's life, rats have been eating it's siblings (sorry if you were eating dinner), so mum & baby have been put in a safer spot and rat sack has been purchased. Finger's crossed this latest little bunny survives.
I've become addicted to coffee again after a 13 year absence. How does that happen?!
I'm trying to shed the few extra kilos that i have 'popped' on recently (lets just call it my winter coat), unfortunately i just fell off the wagon and ate a chocolate brownie for dinner. Whoops.

I'm getting ready for a crazy, busy, hectic couple of weeks at work & lots of extra shifts.

I'm also gathering Christmas gifts and getting prepared for the coming silly season. (ugghh)

And i'm mostly dreaming of January and lazy, spontaneous Summer days with my family.

So how about you? What have you been up to the last few months? What are you up to right now?

My style.

So, i was unpacking new stock at work the other day and thinking about the things i would wear and the ones you wouldn't catch me dead in.........and then i suddenly got to wondering-
If i dropped dead tomorrow, what would they dress me in to bury???
I know, crazy, but it's a valid point don't you think? People often discuss the songs they want played at their funeral, but do they ever discuss their outfit?

So what's my "style"?

I wear skinny jeans almost everyday. Jeans are my go to (lucky i work in a jeans store).

I rarely do patterns or florals.

I like stripes.

I like neutral and earthy colours. I don't do brights.

Source: polyvore.com via Malea on Pinterest

I like boots and ballet flats.

I always wear accessories - earrings, scarves, necklaces and rings.

I love cardis and blazers.

I don't think i'll ever wear anything with animal print.

Source: indulgy.com via Malea on Pinterest

l have a fondness for lace, ruffles and frilly bits.

I love long skirts and maxi dresses.

I love trawling pinterest and adding clothes and outfits to my "this is mumma's style" board

and i love helping customers at work find a perfect outfit for them.

Source: polyvore.com via Malea on Pinterest

I guess you could call me a fashion victim - always have been, always will be.
So, what's your style? The one clothing item you can't live without? What would you like to be buried in?

Winter Sun.

We had rain here early last week, a lot of rain. You may have heard about the floods here in Gippsland on the news.

So on glorious days like today, when the sun is shining in winter, we excitedly head outside and hang our washing on the clothes line and make the most of those delicious rays.

And begin to count down the days to summer.