Buzzing....

I'm distracted. My love of blogging is with me everyday.... however my mind is buzzing at the moment with ideas for our new style of portrait shoots. Lots of planning to do, but it is going to be so much FUN FUN FUN for everyone. Details later.... once it's a bit more fine tuned and put into action. Can't wait!

ISABELLA!!!

What am I to do with you my youngest one? You are definitely on a mission in this life and I am under no illusion that you will achieve every little thing you set your mind to and don't anybody stand in your way. Today you demonstrated yet again that for you separation anxiety does not exist. I had a little old lady and staff searching the store for you while I ran outside to make sure you weren't by the side of the highway hitch-hiking your way back to the beach. They found you ... and stood by you... amused... watching you sitting back in a trial massage chair enjoying a heated back rub .... I'm sure your unborn brother/sister was covering her ears from what must have been the deafening sound of my heart pounding. Yet you are able to switch from an uncontrollable toddler infuriating me, to a little comedian. I sternly call your name once again to get you to follow me so we can actually head in the same direction... "ISABELLA!" to which you now choose to spin around looking at me with all seriousness and say "....yes my gorgeous girl?" I burst out laughing. What else am I meant to do? Who are you, you little old soul? Good night my little one. See you for a new infuriating day tomorrow. xxx

Julie & Julia

I had a rare night out with a girlfriend from up the road. Off we went to see Julie & Julia. Absolutely loved it! The cooking, the markets, Paris and of course Blogging. My new Donna Hay magazine is waiting for me to try some summer cooking that will drive our taste buds crazy. Need to have another dinner party. Ohhh another lovely Sunday....

Paradise

This is the view from our Studio at Palm Cove. I love coming to the "office" on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday's. The days are magic...so tempting to just run out the door and have a quick splash. The islands you can see in the picture are 'Double Island' and 'Scouts hat Island'.... named for exactly the way they look.

People are always happy here as they are either on holidays from their own exotic locations around the world or they are here to get married. Just had a couple walk in that got married on Monday, wanting to see if Ian was free for a coffee "he was sooo much fun at our wedding" yes, I hear that often (he's my fun hubby :-) )and it will show in their photos too. If you're interested, the Posh Photography gallery is here

The Fun Theory

I like this!

Photo Shoot

Although awhile ago I said I would combine my photos with this blog of mine.... I changed my mind thinking ' oohhh I've found a much better template for photo blogs which I will set up and be able to post really large pix'. Yes... well.. maybe in 2010 I'll get to that on my 'to-do' list.

However these little ladies I have to share with you straight away (and also because I'm getting caught reading my favourite blogs and not writing any posts on mine). We had heaps of fun on Sunday afternoon for 2 hours. I'm still only halfway through editing the photos which I promised to deliver by Friday..... so I guess there won't be too many posts for this week either :-)

I hope you like my pix, would love to hear your comments.

From the Markets

We made it to the markets yesterday and ended up with these splashes of colour. I looked for the sunflowers I was hoping for... but... one little sad bunch did not tempt me. So in the picture above we have a bunch for Bayley's room in the pewter mug. Isabella's bunch is on her bedside table, doubled in front of her mirror. And the lovely man at the markets gave me 2 more bunches for free which now sit on our light drenched breakfast table. Bliss...... Today's plan is to take the girls and Lolly (our dog) to the beach at Palm Cove.

Where are you Simplicity?

How I've missed blogging over the past month or so! I'm so looking forward to having a chance to catch up on reading all my favourites.... like looking forward to that new book that's been saved for a rainy day.

Without meaning to be ungrateful (I'm very grateful and fully realise how lucky my little family is), September has been a horrendously busy month for us to the point that our businesses seemed all consuming. Not a spare second to chill, regroup, think. Unfortunately I think it has made for one very grumpy and tired Mummy for my children. So today I don't care that the laundry is overflowing or that the house needs a bit of tidy and clean... ok... a huge tidy and clean....My girls and I are off to the markets in town to buy some flowers and fruit and then a little shop to hunt around for new pretty summer dresses. I hope we find some sunflowers to add a splash of colour in our house. About 6 weeks ago I sprinkled hundreds of sunflower seeds in our front garden. Within a couple of days they poked their little heads out of the soil and now they are about 40cm tall! I can't wait for them to flower...they make me happy just thinking about them.

So I feel I can breathe again with the peak season slowly coming to an end for Sea Salt Beach House , and for my poor overworked husband the slowing down of the Wedding Season . We've managed quite well in past years, however for some strange reason we chose the middle of our busiest time to open up a brand new studio for Posh Photography .

So, today is a beautiful day and I dedicate this weekend to only thinking about the simple things in life that make us happy. Have a sunshine filled weekend!

Thrifty find

I bought a very similar frame today. Very rustic. For exactly this purpose....turning it into a chalk board. Photo coming soon to this blog of the completed project. It was an unexpected thrifty buy.... I asked at one of my favourite home decorating stores whether they had any broken mirrors in their warehouse as I was interesting in seeing the frames of these damaged goods. They were delighted and so was I. They also know who to call next time they've cursed themselves with another 7 years of bad luck :-)

A Story.

There have been events in the past few months which have brought about changes, some deep thinking and decision making. I don't know why I debated so long about whether to blog this, but here it goes. So I'll only go back as far as March/April... around the time I was blogging about a detox I was doing. At that time I also booked in for the dreaded Pap Smear which I have always hated. I was only 6 months late with my 2 yearly appointment, so I was very shocked when the results came back as abnormal. A biopsy was booked at the hospital in a rather rushed manner. The biopsy indicated that the abnormal cells had progressed to such a stage so rapidly that they strongly recommended I have the surgery to remove the top layer of my cervix... or my other option was to wait with my fingers crossed that it would go away, in which case it could also develop into the next phase which is cancer. There was alot of counseling leading up to the operation which my loving and very worried looking husband attended with me. A big focus was to make sure we have had all the children we were planning to have as this could make things a bit difficult depending on how much they had to cut out. Our answer: "oh YES! no more kids for us, got our hands full with our girls, business going well, time we did some travelling, blah blah blah" So counseling was over. Done. The operation went well and I have my 4 monthly check up next week. However, things have changed.... in other ways.... Around June I also looked up the phone number of our local clinic for a 'certain snippy procedure' for my loving husband to book for himself. This was to ensure that our family stayed the size that it is. So the number was written down, placed on his desk and 2 weeks later he called the number to make his appointment. Being a very busy clinic, he had another week to wait. He never made it to the appointment... as I discovered a few days before hand that another little soul has decided to choose us as his/her family before we closed the gates permanently! LOL We definately think this little soul is meant to be here even though it was not part of our plans..... the only complication may be if my check up next Wednesday is not all clear.... but I don't want to think about that too much right now. No use worrying about something that hasn't happened. We've told our girls the news, and ofcourse children are always excited about the prospect of another baby in the house. The rest of the family's reaction was..... well....how can I describe it.... 'interesting' (and I'll leave it at that). Friends laughed along with me. I'm sure I must have been in shock as I laughed so much. We'll have to do some re-arranging in the house..... I'm not giving up my office! So the moral of this story is: 1. Go get your pap smear done on time.. 2. If you book your husband in for the 'snip', keep it very quiet so the angels don't hear you closing that door :-)

Almost Spring

We got some beautiful simple little flowers to decorate our tables before our guests arrived for Sunday dinner. The winter days in Cairns have been absolutely magic......

From our camping Trip

This one I think is worth printing and giving each of the girls a copy..... to be looked at and be flooded by memories of their childhood (even if they do annoy each other, there are lots of moments of loving cuddles and kisses between these two).

My husband.... cleverly drying the dishes :-)

Always time for a bit of art, even when you are camping.

Planning another trip in a couple of weeks time!

Happy Weekend!

Enjoying the glorious weather, so we'll be off to Bayley's school Fete today. There's a surprise for the kids in the form of a helicopter appearing and throwing lollies. Have a lovely Weekend.

Nesting

Hello World, we're new, originally uploaded by Love, Life, Family.

Hmmmmm....... unexpected nesting in our house ..... and I'm not talking about the birds....LOL (hysterically)

Photo Shoot: Tia

My Snippet of the Photo Shoot I did of Tia may be viewed at http://poshkidsphotography.blogspot.com/2009/07/tia.html

A real little cutie pie and it's just perfect at the beach during our so called 'winter' months.

Wedding Entrance Dance

My husband being a Wedding Photographer, I find this very refreshing and entertaining! Seems like more and more people are trying to do something different for their special day. This is great.

Bayley's 10th Birthday

It was a small party being school holidays at the time. However I think we all had the most relaxing day just sitting out the back under a tree filled with baloons and streamers, dogs running around being happy, the kids riding their bikes and all of us enjoying some homemade treats and a few glasses of bubbly. Happy 10th birthday munchkin! xxx

Camping

Two Little Sisters in the early morning mist of our Camping Trip to Lake Tinaroo.

Freezing!

Parenting

"Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush; anxious for greater developments and greater wishes and so on; so that children have very little time for their parents; Parents have very little time for each other; and at home begins the disruption of the peace of the world".-- Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Via www.easierparenting.com.au by Carol Disseldorp (a lovely lady I met on Facebook)

Willing Workers On Organic Farms

The other day I was strolling along out the back by the creek with the girls and our dog (Lolly) madly darting in and out of the water and bushes, when a young girl appeared (20ish) looking sheepish as she thought she was trespassing on someones property during her walk. We got talking as she joined us on our walk and it turns out she is travelling around WWOOF-ing. As a Willing Worker on Organic Farms she gets to experience a more sustainable way of living and the hosts offer food & accommodation as well as the opportunity to learn about organic lifestyles. Sounded wonderful! Some farms offer to take families with children as well which I think would be so fantastic to experience something like this together. It's a great way to travel overseas as well and really immerse yourself or family in another culture, food, traditions...

Anyway, it was an afternoon walk that crossed my path with a very interesting young lady on a journey by herself making new friends all over the world. It turned out she was house sitting for one of our local journalist right on the beachfront who found her via WWOOF. Tough life!

I also came across this Bamboo Land Nursery who hosts WWOOF-ers. What a beautiful part of the world! I'd love for us to do something like this.

This image is from WWOOF-ing Taiwan.

My husband at work

Ian Stone - Posh Photography

Fish Tale

A trip to the Great Barrier Reef.

Lunch time..... what to do with a Tiger Prawn? Well, first you kiss it on its spiky lips and.... .... then you play horsies with it! (Mine was yummy)

Polaroid Download

I found this great little Polaroid Camera you can download here

Once it's on your desk top, drag and drop your existing photos onto it from your files and it will convert it to a funky little polaroid snapshot, sound effects included. Heaps of fun for all ages. When it has finished, a pink ribbon will appear on it, then you can right click and save it to where ever you want ready for printing.

Last Day Dream

Last Day Dream [HD] from Chris Milk on Vimeo.

A dying man remembering the important/funny things in life.... Have you ever wondered what would flash before your eyes?

Yesterday

Neighbourhood Watch

It's winter and we are having the most gorgeous sunny days. Perfect beach weather.

Bright Sunny Sunday

On this bright sunny Sunday in Paradise I feel like I have learnt so much just by being out with Isabella and making light hearted chit chat with 2 other young families I bumped into while exploring and enjoying Port Douglas. I have so much to say and will try to finish before Bella-boo wakes up now that we are home. It's just the 2 of us today (Isabella & I) so I decided to take a little trip up the windy coastal drive from our house to Port Douglas markets and the beach. We got stuck in traffic half way there due to an ever increasing occurance of an accident (usually involving a motor bike or a European tourist driving on the wrong side of the road). I will not elaborate on this as they are usually tragic as it was today. While sitting there in our van I wound the windows down and we listened to the surf hitting the rocks below, enjoying the sunshine and the sparkling of the ocean. We made it to the Port Douglas Sunday markets later then expected but we were in no rush so the playgrounds were our first stop. Then a huge blue icy cup had to be devoured by Isabella so we found a nice shady tree to sit under and I let her take her time. Another family arrived and sat down to feed their 'baby Isabella' while their son Lukas hid from my Isabella (this name has suddenly become very popular!). Their mother wondered off and I got chatting with the children's Daddy. They are locals as well but spend the week of their wedding anniversary in Port Douglas every year. That is so romantic! He was explaining to me that they take Lukas to a type of school twice a week (I wish I could remember the name) that was founded by an Italian lady to teach children and parents to be involved in activities that allow free expression of the child and the use of 'tools' like proper knives, glass, scissors etc without the parents having a nervous brake down and be involved in cooking, creating, puzzles, cleaning up etc. This I found amazing because I have just been reading and commenting on a site called 'Free Range Kids'. It's all about allowing our children to do and participate in normal childhood activities within our neighbourhoods and communities without wrapping them up in cotton wool for fear of some horrible thing happening to them. There is so much to say about this but I wont go on right now. Well, our meeting and conversation was cut short by natures call to Isabella. Down at the beach at Port Douglas, it was absolutely packed with people enjoying a swim no longer constrained by stinger nets. I was chasing around after Isabella and digging when she latched onto another family with their little boy enjoying the surf. They have just moved up from Tasmania expecting their second child and are thrilled with their decision and lifestyle choice. So why has today been like such a wake up call to me? I am reading a book called 'The Complete Secrets of Happy Children'. It is written in such a way that I am able to relate to nearly every sentence and I am only up to page 60. There are thoughts that come to me on a regular basis that encourage me to slow down and to bring back for my children some of the experiences I had and skills that were tought to me by my grandparents. A quote from the book " One big plus is that kids tend to slow you down, and while slowed down, you start to rediscover little pleasures which is the gift they bring. Time with kids is never wasted." Bella-boo is awake....... talk to you next time :-) Helenna x

Sneak Peek

I've decided to join my 2 blogs together as one. The Posh kids Photography blog will be moved here to Driftwood & Chandelier as part of sneak peeks. Might take a little while for me to figure out the best way to do it..... I think it will be easier to manage.

Ok.... after 1/2 hour of playing around here I don't know how to bring my previous posts over from Posh Kids. Lots lets start afresh.

We had a great time in the park with Little G&Z. G below was on a mission. Nothing made him happier than going really high on the swings. And Z, well he really knew how to give those intense stares right down into my camera. Gorgeous!Photography: Posh Kids Photography

Congratulations to my husband! I accepted his award at the Australian Bridal Industry Awards in Brisbane on Tuesday night. Posh Photography was voted as one of the Top 3 Wedding Photographers in Queensland for 2009!!!!!

It was a great night, made new friends within the industry and got to stay at my brother-in-laws fab London Warehouse apartment.

On another note.... I am having great trouble with Blogger. Have been trying to post for days but comes up with unable to contact blogger. I can't even leave a note for friends like A-M . Any advice?

Beach Happiness

Sooo Happy at the beach this morning that she burst into song. It was lovely even with the drizzling rain.

Inspired

The following are images from Desire to Inspire and during my last visit there I am super inspired!

I have been toying with the idea lately of getting an old fahioned dressmakers doll

and dressing it up in a wedding dress... but not just any wedding dress...something with old world charm...

something with lots of lacey bits....lots of pearly bits and glittery bits.

I would place this lovely headless creature in the massive walk-in-wardrobe at Sea Salt Beach House

because most of the guests staying there are attending weddings....

and I just think it would be an

unexpected glam addition to the house that is already oozing romance.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this idea.....

I love this bedroom. Dreamy.

This looks like a warehouse apartment and I absolutely love spaces with modern minimalist finishes

with a massive chandelier smacked in the middle of it all.

Reminds me of the gorgeous apartments

you can find in Budapest.....

Soaring high ceilings... masssive windows opening onto the tiniest balconies....

timber floors

and if you are lucky then there in the corner you will see from another lifetime a tall ceramic heater.

These beds you can get from Ikea at the moment and it would be up to you to make it look rustic instead of brand new. Some pictures I've seen of these beds just scattered around a lush garden with mozzie nets draped over them are absolutely gorgeous. I think it would be the ideal setting for a children's garden party....

which is suddenly giving me all sorts of ideas for an upcoming 10th birthday in July!

Sssshhhhh it's a secret.

Loving

Loving at the moment.... painting old frames, with vibrant colours and having absolutely no idea what I will do with them. I do like the idea of turning them into fancy blackboards. The mirror also used to be gold and now it seems so well suited to the house in pure white. Loving..... the view from my kitchen window. The boganvillea is creeping higher and higher, the hedge along the fence is mock orange which when in flower fills the yard and house with the sweet smell of Jasmine.

Sea Salt Beach House

Deck off the Master Bedroom.

The guests have started arriving, generally staying for one week at a time, to Sea Salt. It's a happy place and I'm so glad that our guests love it so much they have been leaving it in a state that makes me wonder if anyone actually stayed there.

Come and stay. It's been fun decorating and now having people enjoy it. I've also been thinking of Sea Salt being the location for some of the Children's Photo Shoots I've been doing. Nice and bright, with little brid cages hanging in the garden, playing hide and seek..... would make for cute photos. Lots of planning to do...

Dollies & Quilts

I wish I had more time to finetune my sewing skills. But it seems whatever I make my little girlies love it. I was experimenting with a bit of fabric paint and embroidery on the bigger doll. The poor orange haired doll has a very floppy head as I made her neck too long. She's just extremely sleepy I guess.

This quilt was my very first attempt. I used a thin organic cotton batting for it (I think that's what it's called) as even in winter it's quite warm here. So this one is for Miss 3's single bed and I'm now working on a matching one for Miss 9.

Although I haven't written for a while, I have taken a quick peek at all my favourite blogs whenever I got a chance. My very favourite at the moment is Anna Maria Horner . I just love all the colours and find myself daydreaming about all the things I'd love to make.

Scoobie Doo

We're back! A week spent on the Gold Coast going to Theme Parks, the beach, restaurants, up to Mount Tamborine to eat and drink some more then back to the Theme Parks. It was fun. We stayed in the worlds tallest residential building 'Q1'. The view was beautiful especially watching a massive storm cloud coming in and then in the evenings watching the moonlight over the ocean. On the first couple of days the weather was insane as there was a cyclone hanging around. We watched some of the Kite Surfers on the beach. It looked like such a hoot that we went downstairs and had a chat with one of them about the level of difficulty and the amount of lessons needed, cost etc. I would love to do it! Anyway, here are some pics for now. So much to catch up on even after just a week of being away. Just a tiny patch of rain.

Retro Swimming Cap

"Embarrassing my children is just another service I offer."

Attitude is Everything

My very beautiful girl friend Pauline (from Contemporary Feng Shui) sent me this today. I am so looking forward to catching up with her during our holiday. I hope you like it as much as I did, helps put things into perspective.

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror,

And noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today.'

So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror

And saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

'H-M-M,' she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today.

' So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed

That she had only one hair on her head..

'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail

'So she did, and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

'YAY!' she exclaimed. 'I don't have to fix my hair today!' Attitude is everything.

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle .

Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly.......

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.... It's about learning to dance in the rain.. Have a great week all

Day 8 & 9 Detox

Photgraphy By Helenna Stone

It's getting a bit boring now.... not to mention today on day 9 I kinda blew it. ooops. Well how can anyone expect me to cook a bolognase sauce without a glass of something in my hand. And it's the weekend. And it's a beautiful sunny day. That should be enough excuses.

We had a lovely afternoon yesterday going down to the beach and watching the girls and our puppy 'Lolly' have a bit of a run around.

Day 6&7 Detox

Everything is going nice and smoothly now with the detox, apart from a minor cold that I have now. Feeling pretty good. My husband took me out for lunch today and it's a place we regularly go to. So out of habit I ordered a glass of white wine to start with while waiting for the menu...... then I noticed my husband staring at me in a strange way....... suddenly it hit me and the white wine was changed into soda water with a slice of lime. It amazed me how automatic some things are that we do without even giving it much thought. We are so looking forward to our little holiday to the Gold Coast I really hope this cyclone stays away and doesn't ruin our flight on Tuesday.

Day 4 & 5 Detox

Image via www.allposters.com

I haven't given up! It was just a busy day yesterday and I chose to relax in front of a movie with Ian instead of blogging. Day 4 was incredibly cruisey. I'm thinking it's because I was busy I didn't really give it much thought.

Day 5 (today) was a very physically exhausting day and I noticed that I was really craving something sweet. I guess when you exert so much energy the blood sugar levels drop and the cravings kick in. The previous days I was snacking on fruit so there were no cravings. I've just had a nice fruit juice drink so hopefully I'll stop eyeing off my kids chocolate bars in the pantry..... any minute now.

Count down at the moment not only with the detox but we are going on a much needed little holiday next week to the Gold Coast. The girls are looking forward to going to Sea World and to Movie World. I think 2 Theme parks will be enough.

Day 3 - Detox

I know it's only day 3 and I shouldn't read too much into it but I'm waking up better rested than I have in a long time. It could come down to a few different things. Firstly it could be that my evening meal is not heavy as I am not allowed any other meat than fish. Secondly I'm not having any alcohol or caffeine. I don't miss the red wine with dinner as much as I miss my coffee in the mornings. I just love the aroma of it and we have always made a point of buying really yummy coffee and grinding it ourselves just before we use it so it's super fresh. So today my headache was milder but there was no way I was actively participating in Isabella's Gymnastics class. Instead I just resorted to following her around the circuit assisting now and then with a dazed look on my face or maybe it was a frown as none of the other mothers spoke to me...sigh. Hooray! Headache was gone around lunch time. I'm finding that as I have been snacking on fruit, I'm not so hungry during the day. For dinner I made a tomato based marinara served with brown rice. I made everyone else eat it too, being the evil mother that I am. Didn't get too many complaints so I think my family is being wonderfully supportive. Oh, I am now totally addicted to orange tea. It is so yum and refreshing.

Day 2 - Detox

Image via Treehugger

I don't think I mentioned that this is a program that I'm doing

which involves taking a few herbal supplements. These are:

Liver Clear Detox

Stomach Clear

Bowel Clear

Xpel Worms

and then at the end I will take ALIVE - Probiotic Formula.

So, last night I went to bed with a massive all over headache. Funnily enough I had

the best nights sleep and woke up happy and well rested (no headache).

Now into Day 2, my headache resurfaced around lunch time and slowly getting worse.

Other than that I feel pretty good.

...and I was brave and resisted temptation as the bottle of red was opened last night. Ha!

Day 1 of Detox

Well, we started the day as usual with Decibella I mean Isabella waking up and letting everyone know about it. We went out to a Cafe in town and I had their Liver cleansing juice while jealously glancing at my husband who was sitting across from me wafting the smell of his coffee in my general direction. The only thing that is getting worse by the hour is my headache. I know it is totally coffee related and will pass in a day or two. Anyway we bought some lovely fruit & vegies from the markets and made a big salad for lunch with some tuna added. So far so good. We'll see how I cope in about half an hour from now when hubbie (Ian) is sure to open a bottle of red wine. Hope you're all having a great weekend.

15 Day Detox

Image via detoxdiet-juice

After some recent medical check ups and just noting the way that I feel, it has now become obvious that some changes need to made. So on Saturday morning (tomorrow) I am starting a program called the 15day Detox.

I don't expect it to be easy and there are warnings about feeling absolutely horrible for the first few days, so I'm thinking maybe if I document it here it will be easier to stick to. I hope to feel fantastic and more energised at the end of it and continue with a different approach to diet. Not dieting but just the way I look at nutrition.

That's the plan anyway. Please feel free to comment or talk about personal experiences you may have had in this area. A friend last night said he and his girlfriend did this same detox for 30 days. The look on his face told me that it is something he did not entirely enjoy. Anyway 15 days is long enough. The hardest thing will be giving up the coffee in the morning.

See you on day one. I may write more than once during each day..... please don't mention that you are having a cup of coffee while writing to me.

Sewing Girls

Even through a horribly frustrating day I end up with wonderful images like these.

Gorgeous friends with gorgeous children

It's been very quiet on the blog front in the past week. I've missed it immensely! I will have to restructure what the blog is about though. I still intend to shout out about all the wonderfully creative people I come across but for now it has become rather difficult as I have been only venturing out to do photo shoots (children's) and then basically glued to the computer editing in between cooking, cleaning, chauffeuring, finalising the furniture for Sea Salt Beach House, taking bookings, mowing, pruning, entertaining...... and after all that (I'm sure I've forgotten something) my posts have become about what creative activity I have managed to squeeze in with my girls.

So, I'm very excited about the latest photo shoot! I'm doing the presentation end of this week but I'm sure D will not mind if I give you a sneak peak of her and her 3 boys.

Ok....maybe just one more...

Poor little C. He was so grumpy by then but how priceless is that expression! I think the boys need a little surprise present from me, they were so good and I really did drag them around to alot of different places. I hope that some of the images fromthis photo shoot will be seen by their children and grand children. That would just be wonderful........

Images by Helenna Stone at Posh Kids Photography

Feng Shui

I would like you to meet a very lovely lady!

Pauline has recently moved to Brisbane and runs her own Feng Shui Business called

Contemporary Feng Shui

I have had her over many times for advice during renovation jobs as well as during

the decoration and colour selection process. Her advice is always practical and generally easy to implement.

I'm sure she would be delighted to receive your questions via her website.

If you happen to live in Brisbane you can also arrange for Pauline to visit your house or construction site.

Tea Party

Bayley hosted a little Tea Party for a couple of her friends.

Simple things in life

Image by Helenna Stone

What do you do on yet another tropical rainy day?

I showed my girls how to make pasta.....

Rolling, rolling, rolling.....

The urge to join in and get messy became too hard to resist...

In the end the girls made the giant ravioli pockets filled with roast chicken, pumpkin, zucchini, black olives and a few other bits and pieces.

It's amazing how much dinner children will eat when they are part of the preparation process.

We had heaps of fun and the left over sheets are now in our freezer waiting to be turned into a yummy lasagne.

Good News!

Those of you who are aware of my location and the fact that floods have blocked all roads and isolated our not so little city in the Tropics, will be pleased to hear that I did not have to wrestle anyone at the supermarket today for a head of lettuce. A few trucks got through now that the rain has eased off a little....... oh.... I spoke too soon.... this is no joke, as I'm typing at 11pm it is now suddenly pouring down again..... and with a tin roof above my head it is getting pretty loud! Anyway, as I was saying the supermarkets loaded their shelves a little bit today and within minutes they were empty again. Really makes me want to get on with getting our vegie patch happening and buying the 3 chickens I've been promising my girls for quite a while now. We even have names for them already: Pearl, Pippi (after Pippi Longstocking) and Pennny. Hope everything is right in your part of the world. Thinking of all the families in Victoria affected by the fires. Our primary school is having a Gold Coin donation on Friday if the children wear free dress for the day to fundraise for everyone affected by Floods and Fires in Australia at the moment.

Have a laugh

*Excerpts from a Dog's Diary* 8:00 am - Dog food! My favourite thing! 9:30 am - A car ride! My favourite thing! 9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favourite thing! 10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favourite thing! 12:00 pm - Lunch! My favourite thing! 1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favourite thing! 3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favourite thing! 5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favourite thing! 7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favourite thing! 8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favourite thing! 11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favourite thing! *Excerpts from a Cat's Diary* Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage. Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

Southern Weddings

Via Southern Weddings

I had to share this lovely Wedding image with you.

Instant feelings of Joy are guaranteed.

LOVE XXX

Just a little bit more of Hungary - Budapest

Image Via www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Hungary.html

"Hungarians frequent the Szechenyi Thermal Baths in Budapest and other spas to promote good health. "

Yes, they all look extremely healthy. After lounging around the baths they will go home to a good hearty home cooked Hungarian meal. I often cook these meals myself for my family & friends and I can tell you I am in no danger of fading away.

Born in Oroszlany Hungary........ Memories hmmmm

Oroszlany

Oroszlany via Hungary starts here.

Camaldolese Hermitage (Kamalduli remeteség), Oroszlány-Majkpuszta Composed of a number of cells, a church and a monastery, the Baroque-style hermitage was built from 1733 to 1769 in accordance with the ancient rules of the Camaldolese order, whose monks take a vow of silence. The monastery was designed by F. A. Pilgram according to the general layout ordained by the order. The monk's dwellings with their white walls and red tiled roofs are arranged in a regular pattern within an enclosed area. Of the church that once stood in the centre, only the bell tower remains. The complex is closed off by the main building of the hermitage. This used to include the prior's residence and the refectory as well as guest rooms for visitors and travellers. The individual monk's dwellings, or 'cells', have the coat of arms of the founders on their facades. The monks used to regulate their daily lives by the sun. "The term 'cell' is somewhat misleading since each person had a spacious home in these little houses. The internal layout of the monk's dwellings was practical and served the comfort of their inhabitants. Each dwelling consisted of four rooms which opened from a wide corridor: a bedroom for resting, a workshop for manual work, a larder for storing foodstuffs and other things, and a chapel for religious practice. The chapels were miniature churches with all the necessary accessories. The monks contemplating or at their devotions were surrounded by altars, altarpieces and ornate frescoes. Neighbouring dwellings were separated by tall stonewalls. Neighbours were not allowed to see each other or to talk" - writes Emil Miklós Kulcsár in his little book about Majk. The refectory is adorned by frescoes depicting the life of the order's founder, St Romuald, and immortalise the story of the founder's visit to Hungary during the time of the first Hungarian king, St Stephen I. The surviving bell tower offers a beautiful view of the neighbouring villages in the valleys of Vértes Hills, which once belonged to the Tata-Gesztes estate of the Esterházy family. Today, the dwellings are rented out as holiday apartments. In the summer, the beautiful site hosts concerts and other events.

Under The Tuscan Sun

Movie Photos: Diane Lane plays Frances

This is my ultimate favourite Movie.

I have watched it to death (usually while I'm ironing)

but I never get sick of it. I put off a trip 3 years ago to

Italy, but now I think it's time to start planning a big

family holiday.

I know my husband will love it and what wonderful childhood memories

it would create for our little girls.

Tuscanynow.com has sent me an entire book on all the villas they

have available around the county side.

Don't be surprised to see a few posts coming up all about these wonderful villas!

Cairns Zoo

Hello Little Kangaroo. I'm Isabella.

I have something yummy to share. I Love you too.....

Felt Monsters

I made these little 'Monsters' the other day... 2 green ones for my girls and a red one for their friend sleeping over. The back of them have a retro type print cotton fabric. They seemed to love them so much that it was funny hearing at bed time "I want to sleep with Monster" coming from my 2 year old!

Tree Of Love

My first canvas. It was so much fun painting it.... want to do more.

Happy Birthday Charlie!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY little Charlie. You are a BIG 3 now. I hope you have a fun day filled with lots of presents, lollies, cake and lots of friends celebrating with you. XXX

Gwyneth Paltrow's website

Via Renovation Planning

She is a glamour-puss with old world charm. So how does a new website called 'Goop' fit into that image? You can subscribe to her newsletter and be updated with all her latest ideas on books, cooking, places to visit etc. The above images are from her love of London's Blakes Hotel rooms. It will only cost around $1134 a night with a guarantee of shooing away pesky paparazzi..... I just like it for it's tasful white themed rooms. I'll meet you in the lobby Gwynnie for a spot of herbal tea.

Have a little think...

"It Takes as Much energy to Wish as it does to Plan," Eleanor Roosevelt

Ceramics

Pictures from Domino

Makes me want to do a pottery course. It would be so much fun not just for the actual creative experience but for the like minded people I would meet and see their creative side. These bowls are beautiful. It would be a special occassion every time you bring them out to share with friends.

Wardrobes

I deal directly with the importer for the Elfa range in Sydney, and one of my favourite designs is pictured above. I have done this in a number of clients homes as well as my own, where in the children's rooms the wardrobes once fitted out internally are concealed behind lovely drapes that complement the room. I find this is is very user friendly for the children as they have easy access to their belongings without the danger of jammed fingers.

Elfa

What have I been doing lately? I've made the above children's craft and activities table from the Elfa range. Mine are on castors so I have been able to wheel it outside onto the back deck for messy activities. It has come inside a few times lately as it has been extremely humid and hot.

Simple Fun

I'm sure Isabella was considering pushing Bayley out to sea.

The Power of Less

Image from Zen Habits

One of the aims of my writing is to promote simplicity and living fulfilling lives with less. In the past I have made New Year resolutions to be a 'Bad Consumer'. That is, someone who doesn't spend frivolously on every single latest and greatest advertised item. On that note, I don't even know what is being advertised as I haven't watched TV for 4 years now.

I just got an email about a book released by one of my favourite bloggs Zen Habits called "The Power Of Less". Judging by all the other articles and e-books I have from Leo Babauta it is a must read that will leave you inspired and ready to make valuable changes in your life. You can get your hands on the book here, here, and here.

Table of Contents: Introduction PART I: THE PRINCIPLES

1. Why Less is Powerful

2. The Art of Setting Limits

3. Choosing the Essential, and Simplifying

4. Simple Focus

5. Create New Habits, and the Power of Less Challenge

6. Start Small PART II: IN PRACTICE

7. Simple Goals and Projects

8. Simple Tasks

9. Simple Time Management

10. Simple Email

11. Simple Internet

12. Simple Filing

13. Simple Commitments

14. Simple Daily Routine

15. Declutter Your Work Space

16. Slow Down

17. Simple Health and Fitness

18. On Motivation More great tools and tips can be found on ThePowerofLess.com

Sit back and relax...

A Driftwood fence and a winding path leading to your secluded beach house shack. Sit back this festive season, listen to the waves, watch your children run around collecting sea shells and enjoy the best that simple living has to offer.

Lost my marbles today......please return if found

Photograph by Vince Cavataio

Ohhh what a shocking day, and dare I blame my children's behaviour or is it my inability to cope with public displays of disrespect, shrieking, a 2 year old juggling Royal Doulton baubles in Myer? I raced my 'angels' out of Myer unable to concentrate on the process of exchanging a frying pan. On my way to the parking lot I managed to cheer myself up with a quick diversion into a little store having a sale on their handbags. I have a new handbag.... I'm sure I'll photograph it at a later stage (still too upset at the moment). Our swimming pool worked wonders this afternoon for calming my nerves. I swam underwater back and forth looking at the aqua colours, the bubbles floating up from my hands, my hair floating around me. Concentrating on the quietness underwater. Now I'm beeing served garlic bread by my 9 year old daughter Bayley while I type this, Isabella (the juggling girl) is watching a DVD calmly and Kristin (my 20 year old stepdaughter) is making pizzas for dinner. A glass of red wine in hand and soon all will be forgiven over a lovely family dinner......

Sisters

Budding creativity in Isabella, enjoying a painting, inking, drawing session with her eldest sister Kristin.

More Sparkle

Photographer Polly Wreford

I never knew dusting a chandelier could be such a stylish event.......... where's my feather duster.

Chandeliers

Image courtesy of Lucyina Moodie

Chandeliers can add such glamour, drama, spark, focal point...... I'm lost for words.... They can be placed in the most drab surroundings and instantly there is style in the room. I love these sort of images where you can just imagine a run down warehouse apartment being dressed up with a massive chandelier. I never tire of them, and now there's an endless selection on the market all over the world to choose from (or drool over). I've been thinking of putting a small one in our toilet for a bit of quirky glamour in a room you would never expect...... we have a lot of girls in this house so I think I can get away with it without too much of a protest from my husband. Better yet, I'll do it first and then let him be surprised :-)

Open Plan

Double doors opening from 2 bedrooms onto a shared Rumpus room = HUGE play area.

Perfect for slumber parties.

Posting Delay....day by day

I'm sorry lately it's taking me a while to communicate..... Here come my excuses.... I think leadin up to Chrismas now with visitors, family, children, house on the market, parties, parties oh did I mention parties? Here comes another one on Sunday at a friends house who have just had an old old fiberglass swimming pool recoated and changed into a concrete pool. Apparently it is now gorgeous and with their permission I will be posting some pictures and information about the process. We are having a sea-food pool party. YUMMMMM. Yesterday I bought 5Kg box of prawns.......hope there's still some left by Sunday. Hope your day has been as sweltering as ours.

Slumber.

Images Courtesy of Lucyinda Moodie

These beautiful bedrooms would complement any coastal home (my favourite). The simplicity makes them very appealing. The talented lady behind these styles is Lucyinda Moodie in London. Thanks for sharing your images Lucyinda.

Ensuite

Photos by Posh Photography

The French doors opening from the ensuite show semi mature plants at the moment. After our wet season it will be lush, tropical and private out there. The entire boundary on the neighbours side has been lined with Indian Mast trees which will form a hedge style fence around 6 meters high! It will be very grand, but most importantly very green and private.

My vision a reality.....

Photographed by Posh Photography

The house is now on the market! I can't believe it..... there will be people walking through it this weekend, liking or disliking different aspects of it. I'm not arrogant enough to think that everyone will love it, but to me it's incredible seeing this beautiful house in reality.... and it's just as I imagined it . I will upload more photos, would love to hear your comments.

Image Courtesy of Eurowalls

An Australian Importer and supplier of beautiful Wallpaper is Eurowalls. I have seen very clever use of the stripy range on the inside of the doors of a grand old wardrobe. It was completely white on the outside and when you opened it up....... surprised you with a lovely splash of colour & pattern.

Dark and Mysterious

Images Courtesy of Wallpaper from the 70s

In the words of Ilse Crawford "What is the point of surfaces that don't thrill your fingers". The range of wallpaper available these day is endless, making it easy to create the most interesting feature walls. This range 'Glamour' I picked from Wallpaper from the 70s

Wallpaper from the 70's

Image Courtesy of Wallpaper from the 70s

This is just a quick little preview of a post I'll be doing shortly featuring Wallpaper from the 70's. Absolutely gorgeous stuff available and they ship worldwide. Sorry the picture seems a bit small, I'll try and do better next time.

Hope you all had a great weekend. It's been a heat wave here. Hiding inside in the airconditioning.

Have a Great Relaxing Weekend!

Totally forgot to wish everyone a great weekend. Hope yours is filled with lots of simple fun activities. We went to Crystal Cascades for a swim this morning. That's our simple fun for today. Glorious weather.

Glass Vs Aluminium Pool Fencing

Pool fencing is an obtrusive construction that we are by law and necessity required to have. I have used both glass & aluminium in various properties and I'd like to share with you the pros & cons of each. Consider the lifestyle you are leading (or would like to lead) and let that be your guide in making your choice, rather than the most popular pictures in glossy magazines.

GLASS Pros: Visually unobtrusive. Compliments a modern home. Adds value to a property.

GLASS Cons: Blocks natural breeze and traps heat in pool area. Blocks sound between people in and out of the pool.... you end up yelling and eventually give up on any conversation. Requires cleaning on a regular basis.

ALUMINIUM Pros: Black version blends into green landscaping easily. Allows natural breeze flow. Can be easily hidden with clever landscaping. Economical. No cleaning required.

ALUMINIUM Cons: Considered old fashioned. In areas like decking, where there is no chance of vegetation it can appear like a prison bars.

These are the obvious ones that come to mind. Each has its place and everyone has their own personal preference. Personally I would rather try to camouflage an aluminium fence.

Tin Heart

Old fashioned tin heart. I bought a little birdie as well (will take a photo another time). These gogeous decorations are from Earthborn. I hung a single heart above each of my girls beds. They look so cute! Two white beds in the same room with a bright red heart above each one.... the girls are sharing a room at the moment as we have a full house leading up to Christmas. Surprisingly it's going very well so far, just a little bit over the 5.30am wakeup call because they are eager to play with the new puppy 'Lolly'.

Block Printing

Ohhhh how happy am I at my great little find! This Indian Printing Block was sitting all by it's lonesome on a shelf, calling out to me to pick it up and realise what a treasure I have found. I love it! Hope to find some more.

Worth the wait....

We commissioned Alex Platt to work her magic onto a canvas 1.8m x 0.8m for us as soon as we came upon her at our local markets. It's our wedding, with our girls, at a stormy beach setting.

We are thrilled. Thanks Alex!

Bright and Happy

Image courtesy of Harlequin

This is such a bright happy children's room! I would love to be sent to my room for punishment...

Image Courtesy of Harlequin

Coastal Boy's room.

Image Courtesy of Harlequin

I've been trying to decide on drapes for the holiday house (Sea Salt) built at Clifton Beach. These are drapes to die for, so luxurious. I can image them drawn in the evenings they would be like a massive art work in the master bedroom (the house is very very white inside).

Tub

Just a very quick picture of the bath I mentioned. Got to go....lost track of time and I'm taking my gorgeous little friend out for her birthday dinner. It's only taken us 2 weeks to finally have a child free night to go out.

Enjoy the rest of this glorious weekend!

Mirror Mirror on the wall......

This has been a long time coming but here is a sneak preview of the mirrors I have been treasuring from Haven & Space just for this purpose. Antique-style, they have a single candle holder jutting out just underneath the mirror. Ofcourse with such ambiance there had to be a free standing bath for 2 installed. Pix of that coming soon! I may even sprinkle rose petals into it for the photo shoot.