FarmWorld

Some pictures of our weekend adventure. While visiting family in Victoria, we headed for the annual Farm World at Lardner Park. This was always one of my favourite events as a kid, although then it was known as the Field Days. Lots of agricultural fun!

Annual Santa Photo

The girls and I met 'Santa' the other morning. I have to say, he was a wonderful Santa, and the girls had a lovely chat to him about Christmas Eve and what they might leave for him and his reindeers.

He also asked if they'd thought about what they'd like and Lizzie mentioned a Flairie doll (from Barbie in A Fashion Fairytale), and Louisa, having just seen a toy cobra in the store, mentioned that. So we discussed Cobra cars and how Daddy would probably like one, but they're very expensive and maybe a toy one would do. So a very patient and lovely Santa.

Lizzie managed an almost smile, while Louisa beamed.

My Dad

23rd March 1931 - 20th September 2010

Here are some excerpts from the eulogy I read at Dad's funeral:











I've left a lot out from what you read here, about his community involvement, his love of travel around Australia, and his time spent with his grandkids, but you hopefully will get an idea of what a special person he was, and how much we all love him and miss him.

My dad

I lost my dad on Monday, so forgive the lack of posts. I'll be back during the week to rave about what a fabulous gentleman he was.

Happy Fathers' Day!

Bunting for the girls' room

As promised some pics of the bunting I made for the girls room, following the bedroom reshuffle to to put them back in together. I'll admit I'm not the world's best photographer, and I do find it difficult to take shots indoors that do justice to how pretty it looks, but you get the general idea.

I used the spare pillow cases from the girls doona covers. Lizzie's is a Sheridan fairy one that she chose when we first moved into the new house, and Louisa's is quite plain (bought as part of a doona set actually). It's such a pretty colour though. I think the bunting does a great job of tying it all together.

In the top photo, you can see the vintage prints I posted about here, along with some favourite toys.

The furniture is a bit of a mishmash in this room, I guess, and I have visions of matching little girls cast iron beds, but for now this is what we have and they both think it's very pretty.

Some Highland Fun!

We were busy on the weekend with the girls both competing in a highland dancing competition. Here they are in their kilts:

A not-completely-unrelated-to-sewing post, as I made the litle white blouse in the first photo an dd a bit of adjusting of Lizzie's kilt - hard to find one to fit someone so small!

The Brisbane River

The Brisbane River is one of the best features of this city. With the weather a bit too cool for our usual boating destinations (I couldn't see myself snorkelling with the water temps as they are at the moment!), we headed up river recently instead, to get a view of Brisbane from the water.

Here's some of my favourite city addresses:

The new Gateway bridge beside the old one.

Part of the huge wharf section of the river:

And of course, the girls' favourite home on the river: the pink one!

Winter Skies

School holiday entertainment

Th girls are doing a fabulous job of keeping themselves occupied over the school holidays. Louisa received some of the Enchanted Doll's House theatre books, and the she has being playing 'theatre producer' very well, distributing tickets, collecting tickets and the performance, dimmig the house lights, directing the 'actors' and even gathering audience feedback by writing questionaires for the audience! Lots of fun.

They've also enjoyed modelling the masks from this book.

The toy sale catalogues have been useful for collage (messy hair is allowed on the holidays):

And I've enjoyed the slower pace, without picks up and drops offs and meetings and coffee catch ups, and dancing practice and more dancing practice, etc.

Hope you're enjoying your holidays, if you have them at the moment.

Home from Victoria

My blog has been sadly neglected as we enjoyed some time away, visiting the girls' grandparents (both sets!) and meeting their new little cousin, my sister's new baby Leo.

While the weather was chilly, the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The highlights for them were getting to pick flowers from Grandma's garden (as you can see laid out on the table below, they didn't hold back!) and patting the next door neighbours cats. I myself am not such a fan of cats, and even had to push one away with a broom when he looked like attacking a bird!

Here's baby Leo - quite a cutie!
My mum loves her garden and her roses, and this was my favourite a dusty pink/almost brown one. (I've forgotten the name already!)

We also managed to catch up with my husband's parents too on the way back to the airport, where they were spoiled with tasty treats (Nanna's a great cook and always has a muffin or cake waiting for the girls) and hugs and kisses.

Now off to so some sewing! Yes, sewing!!

Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mothers' Day. Mine was very nice, and started early with an afternoon tea at Lizzie's kinder on Wednesday.

The children politely took our drinks orders and brought our food to us, and sang us some lovely songs, complete with actions. They also gave us some early gifts - handmade, of course! The children had also helped decorate the tables and did a brilliant job. They also helped prepare the food, but I'm not sure I want to think too much about that!

See Lizzie's lovely sewing? She does enjoy it, and we have many hand sewn items from kinder at home, but this one is extra special.

I was also spoilt by Louisa, with a very well organised stall at the school, so I received some lovely choccies and a key ring also.

And then on the actual day, I received date toast and a cup of tea in bed, with help from Peter - (not showing the photos of me eating that though!) and I received a lovely pot of flowers. I must take a photo of those. They're beautiful - just like my children!

A Nephew!

Welcome to the world

Leo Maxwell

I have a new little one to admire - my sister's baby, born early this morning. Apparently he looks very much like her, and has my beautiful father's name for a middle name!

Congratulations Melinda and Shane.

Here's a quilt I made for the new addition:

Not perfect, but made with love.

Wordless Weekend

The Blue Room

I call this the "Blue Room", but really it's just a little sitting area off the main open plan living area. I wanted to make it prettier before our visitors arrived to stay over Christmas. So I replaced the old daggy futon cushion with some new foam, which I covered in this lovely coordinating fabric. I was really pleased to find it, as a lot of the fabrics I had my eye on for the job were far too expensive, and I didn't expect to find anything I liked this much at Spotlight!

The other happy find was some blue paint in the clearance pile at Bunnings. Someone's reject is another's perfect shade of blue. So I painted an old coffee table and a couple of frames and so the sitting area became 'The Blue Room' .

I also recovered the cushions on the cane setting in the adjacent outdoor area. I think my husband thinks I'm a bit obsessed with this fabric Having a bit more left, I'm looking aound thinking about what else I can cover in it!

Christmas is coming!

Presents for teachers have been wrapped and given out...

The girls have written out cards for their friends...

And Lizzie has said goodbye to her kindy/creche, as she prepares to move on to a new c & k kindy next year - the same one Louisa attended...

And of course the tree is up!

Also the girls' new rooms are almost organised. They both chose their own new bedlinen, and I think they did a pretty good job. Louisa's is the top one and is very grown up, I think. Lizzie, no surprise, chose pink with fairies!

The walls are a bit bare, which I don't mind, but I'm planning to get some special prints framed (these ones are 38 years old - pics to come). Lizzie scored a new bed too, and Louisa gained a 'kind of' new bookcase. One that was my parents, which I painted hot pink!