favourite detail(s)

stockings and shoes

 the beautiful flowers

The delicious food...and the lovely people who served it! 

 our invitations...

and order of service made by this talented lady...she also did the power point too...

DIY wedding bon bons

It's not secret I love badges...so I wanted to share the badge love on our wedding day.

 I hired a badge maker for a day and went to town. I have a lot of fun...so much so I ended up buying a machine to keep...forever!

 We decided we would get some delicious truffles from this lady, she did us a good deal because I worked there for about 6 months when I moved to Adelaide in 2006. They are really good truffles...believe you me!

 ...this one is just for fun! 

 I sewed 110 of these little bags...put a couple of truffles in and attached a badge to each bag, each guest (in theory) was meant to get one...but I think a few people got a few more...

some little details from our reception...our bouquets went into the teapots when we got to the reception

something old, something new

I pretty much covered this one all in one little hanky...

 My Nana had this handkerchief at her wedding...60+ years ago...so it was REALLY old! It was also borrowed...and in the middle of the hanky was a beautiful little square piece of blue fabric...and of course it was new to me! 

 My dress was new....I did a post just completely dedicated to my wedding dress a while back...

I loved it. The lady who made it did an amazing job and it was perfect for me. People also said to me that it was perfect for me and it suited so well...I especially love it when students comment on it...I have some photos on my desk at work, so when they come in to visit they often look around on the walls, it's a conversation starter, especially with the older girls!

My pretty sisters wore blue...but that was just coincidence! They looked pretty cute though!

wedding week!

It's almost 2 years since Mr Spilsbury and I tied the knot! We've been loving each other...and driving each other crazy ever since! This lovely ladyrecently got married and she had a wedding week to show some of the lovely features of her and her husbands wedding. So I am taking a trip down memory lane and re living some of my favourite moments and memories. I hope you enjoy along with me! :)

flea market finds

I went op shopping with a couple of my sisters...quite a few weeks ago, but never got a chance to share all the treats we found! I showed them a few op shops they hadn't been to before in the eastern burbs of Adelaide....actually it was the same day I found these treats..

These beautiful canisters were out on the discount table at this wonderful shop... I was pretty stoked!

check out some more fantastic flea market finds over here...

home made high tea

 You know when you get together with a group of friends and you have such a nice time...4 hours go by without even realising it...

 My sister decided to surprise a friend for her birthday and do high tea for her at her house...we slept through alarms this morning so there wasn't any cucumber and egg sandwiches but there were scones...

 and delicious cupcakes

 and PLENTY of delectable tea.

So today I am grateful for home made high tea with friends who you can have a good laugh with and be having such a nice time...you forget the time!

Check out some more gratefuls here!

heavy heart

I got a call early yesterday morning from my mumma to say that her papa had died. He's been in hospital for a couple of weeks after getting sick, with a chest infection. It's been a pretty sad time.  Mumma went to Perth to visit because he didn't recognise one of mum's sisters and so she thought she better go. We thought there was going to be recovery and rehab but on Monday he went downhill.

I'll spare the details. All I know is I have a heavy heart.

Mum, Dad and my youngest sisters have started the drive over and Jek and I are heading over Tuesday.

that's me and pop!

I have many memories of Pop, but my favourite is when I spoke to him on my 21st birthday. He told me Happy Birthday Londing, I was in Papua New Guinea sitting on a mountain when I turned 21. I always tear up when I think about it. 

So here's to our Pop, may he rest in peace.

Frank Claire Coumbe

24-6-1922 til 23-6-2011

a lesson in self care

It has been an intense week. Good intense though! I went to a conference about self care. The church I work for had it's national lay workers (people who aren't ordained as ministers) conference held at the beautiful sunshine coast. It was perfect timing, I totally needed to get out of my work space and have a good hard think about where I am with what I am doing, why I have been a bit of a crazy lady lately and get a handle on what is scaring the pants off of me...(this might have to be another post...but it is likely to do with the blogging rut I had!) We heard some pretty horrific stories about burn out, did a simple stress test and heard about ways to ward against burn out, along with a lot of other very worthwhile things! I've realised a few things. I need to find a good GP, The kind I can go to to talk about woman's matters openly and honestly and also to have regular check ups to keep stress at bay, I think I have found that GP which is a bit of a win for me. I need to regularly get a massage to look after my back and shoulders, Tim and I need to re do our budget so we aren't so (sometimes unnecessarily) worried about money, and I need to keep being empowered and assertive to say no to some things. I had a few light bulb moments and it was great. I had some wonderful conversations with old friends and new, and some really hard conversations with some struggling friends. I still have lots of things to think and reflect and pray about but I am feeling a lot more grounded. I am so glad I got to go to this conference and that we didn't get stuck in Adelaide because of the ash cloud! 

The week wrapped up with a very short but wonderful visit to my bestie. We laughed, we cried it was very important to see her. There was also a lovely family dinner to celebrate our brother in laws birthday. It was wonderful to spend time with Tim's family, even if it was just for a little while.

so this week I am grateful to get out of the weekly routine, to meet new people, reconnect with old friends and feel like I have a bit more of a handle on what's going on in my world at the moment, hug family and friends who I usually can't due to distance!

For more gratefulness...check out Maxabellas corner of the net!

offspring

For some reason I really enjoy this show.

It's a bit of a chance to just sit and go into a pretend world for an hour. The world of Nina and her pretty crazy family and their sometimes pretty crazy world. The things that happen can be a bit far fetched...but hey it's nice to escape every now and then.

We're here in Qld this week, I'm going on a conference and Tim is hanging out with his folks. It's really nice to be away from the routine and I am really looking forward to the conference starting tomorrow. We've had a relaxing day enjoying a delicious meal cooked by Tim's mum. So good, we all had to have a nap afterwards!

Hope you've had a wonderful long weekend if you're in the south and eastern parts of Australia. Hope you have a wonderful week!

back to Paris?

Wow this is exciting! I mean I was only reminiscing of our trip just over a week ago. And I was just checking out this wonderful blog...and what did I find! 

Oh Gosh!

The lovely Jordan, her husband and kidlets moved to Paris around 4 months ago and now they hosting a 

give-away for 2 people, flights paid to Paris for 7 nights!

we were in Paris in December. It was wonderful

 How cool would it be to win the competition and go back! We can only hope and dream! 

being assertive, making peace and being grateful about it

There are a few parts to this story.
The first part
I am taking a course at the moment for some professional development and personal development too I guess. When the course started we had to set a few goals about what we wanted to achieve during the course. One of mine was being assertive in my work and the people I work with (and in my personal life too, but the course is more about your work) and being able to say no to things I don't actually want to do, I've been bad at this in the past, but I feel like I have been making some good progress with this one. And I feel positive about it.
The second part
I saw something on facebook that really annoyed and offended me. So I let the person know. I didn't comment on the status but sent them a text and didn't hear back. I left it for a while and then called them. And they were pretty cold. I sort of let rip about how I felt and that I thought they should think about what they put on facebook, that they don't need to put everything that comes into their mind on facebook. They let rip back about always been given a hard time about what they put on facebook. They ended up crying and this was sad crying, like what I had said had uncovered some deep hurt they were holding in and this was the last straw. I felt sick to my stomach that I had made them cry.
The third part.
We decided after we had had it out that we would catch up this morning. Have some special time today. It was really good. We made peace.
I felt like I expressed how I felt, but then when I was thinking about it later I probably got a bit passionate and aggressive and was a bit hard on them.
It was important to make peace because this person was my sister.
So I am grateful for asserting myself and making peace.
For more gratefuls pop over to this lovely blog, you'll love it!

blogging rut

image

I really enjoy blogging 

...but at the moment I feel like I'm in a bit of a blogging rut...or maybe it's I don't have time to blog when events and interesting things happen...or maybe winter is setting in and I need a dose of can be bothered

It could also be that our Internet has been major temperamental...

Whatever it is hopefully my blogging mojo will be back soon! 

winter rememberance

Today is the 1st day of winter...

We had a glorious day here in Adelaide, I wish I'd taken some photos but I didn't. I took my laptop out into the quadrangle and did my work out there to get my daily boost of Vitamin D!

And then I got thinking about how it's 6 months since we were in France! Since we went to Disneyland! Since our overseas trip! I can't believe it. How fast is this year going. I still get asked how our trip was...and some of it is half a year ago! But I love remembering and talking about it. It was a great time.

The winter won't be as fun without the snow! But at least I won't fall on my bum in the ice.

Hope the start of Winter or Summer was a happy day for you...wherever you are in the world!

A letter to Emirates

Dear Emirates,

I’m hungry. Hear me out. I’m hungry because today I went to my favourite dumplings restaurant for lunch and they gave me a single chopstick to eat with. What what? Crazy, I know. I couldn’t eat a thing. Everyone knows that chopsticks come in pairs and that a lone chopstick is as useless as an umbrella in a hurricane.

I’m also cold. Not all of me, just my left foot. See I went to put on my shoes and socks this morning and there was only one of each. One shoe, one sock. That’s it. Consequently, all day today I’ve been hobbling around trying to avoid murky puddles and spit and chewing gum and worse. 

So anyway. After work I went to the gym to let off some steam and, wouldn’t you know it, there was only one free dumbbell. Consequently, my left bicep is now bulging through my jacket, Incredible Hulk-style, while my right is a quivering mess of weakness and insecurity barely able to clutch this piece of paper, let alone pick up a dumpling with one chopstick.

To make matters worse, in the shower at the gym, I realised I had shampoo but no conditioner (hello flat hair) and, at dinner after that, my salt and pepper tofu was all salt and no pepper. Tough luck, the waiter said, we’re out. The result? A mighty salty thirst that, try as I might, I could not quench. Followed by a sleepless night peppered (pardon the pun) with thirteen trips to the bathroom.

The long and the short of it is this: some things belong together. Chopsticks, shoes, socks, dumbbells, shampoo and conditioner, salt and pepper. These things come in pairs for a reason and heaven help the fool who tries to keep them apart. Which brings me to you, dear Emirates.

Late last year, my husband and I saved up all our precious pennies and took our first trip overseas – flying Emirates. On the way over, we were very happy with your service but, on the flight back, from Dubai to Singapore to Brisbane, things weren’t so cosy and here’s why: between my husband and me there was a great gaping chasm of aeroplane. That is to say, rather than being seated together, as you’d expect of a couple who booked their tickets together, we were seated so far apart my husband crossed each date line half an hour before I did. Ergo, rather than spending the flight home side-by-side reminiscing about our happy holiday, we were forced to flick through our digital snaps in solitary silence while our seat buddies made awkward attempts at small talk. 

Now I know you aeroplane folks are hip to the lingo of pairs. Pilots have co-pilots and wings grace both sides of the plane. Two rows of lights guide us to emergency exits, passengers get to choose between an aisle seat and a window seat, hell, some aeroplanes even have twin engines. I know for sure this concept is not foreign to you so, how’s about next time, you quit fooling around with the natural order of things and keep like with like. Let husbands sit with wives, children sit with parents, lovers sit with lovers and best friends sit with best friends. And of course, let strangers sit with strangers. The plane trip is part of the holiday and flying solo is not my thing.

Yours sincerely,

Lauren

...I got some lovely ladies at clothing for correspondence to do this letter for me...I have spoken about them here before. I heard back from Emirates a couple of weeks ago...and we received some matching beach towels...and some frequent flyer points...and a letter that made it obvious that they had read this one! I feel vindicated! Have you ever written a letter to share with a company your happiness or lack their of at one of their products?

At 32

Kara is one of my oldest friends, oldest as in we have known each other since we were...8 and 9...now we are (almost) 26, and 27. She's expecting her and her husbands first baby due in mid July. So today we had a final hurrah for her...pretty much a baby shower, and men folk were invited too.

 We played a couple of games, celebrity heads was one...

...Alys and Nathan

 and we had to think of boys names for all the letters of the alphabet...there were some interesting ones! And there was a sweep to see when the baby would arrive (date and time), length and weight!

 There was also a lot of really delicious food made by Kara!
Kara has asked me to be her back up birth partner...in case Nathan faints or something. Which is a little nerve racking but a huge honour. It's an exciting time, and it was wonderful to have an afternoon of fun to celebrate with Nathan and Kara. They requested we didn't by gifts, but that we gift in another way, like offering to make a meal, or coming to wash the towels, clean the toilet whatever, to help out while they settle in to parenthood. So we're probably going to make them some lasagne! :)

grateful

This week I'm grateful for thoughtfulness....for a wonderful thoughtful idea go here...I totally want to try it!

I'm constantly grateful for weekends...because it feels like I can get a bit of sanity...lazy Friday evenings enjoying reading all my favourite blogs and discovering new ones!

For new followers...thanks for coming to say hi!

Happy Weekend friends! xx

for more gratefuls check maxabella loves

weekly wrap up V1

SO there goes another week...what the heck!

It's been a good one but a busy one.

Highlights: Celebration my dad's birthday with our McNicol's, playing a fun game of netball, receiving my cushion from this lovely lady, from this swap

Lowlights: Being dead tired, having ZERO time for blogging and always feeling like I was behind this week, chasing my tail so to speak, ever felt like that!?

dad and bec at delicious mexican

my lovely cushion cover, I love it! Thanks Katie!

can't even remember what was so funny...

today you are 2

Our niece turns two today.

She's cute, smart,a big sister and loves Dora!

Happy Birthday Isabelle...here are some virtual hugs and kisses for your 2nd Birthday!

xxx

cushion cover angst and inspiration

found here

 ...so I joined in a swap late in April and I have been dilly dallying around with getting on to it...but today I was finally able to get behind the sewing machine and finish her off, cause it needs to be sent by next Monday! The only problem is now I have performance angst. I went and had a look at what some of the other swappers have come up with...and mine seems a bit...plain and simple...not that plain and simple are bad, but I feel like maybe I should have put a bit more thought into it...but then when I thought about it...I did...I went and did a bit of snooping around at my swappers blog/website and she said she liked owls and blue...so I chose some material that was in that category...the birds aren't quite owls but they are pretty darn cute

found here

I would still consider myself to be on my L's when it comes to sewing, so maybe plain and simple is best...

OH man! I hope she likes it!

fun for your monday morning

Ok Go do some of the funnest...I know that isn't a word but it needs to be used here...music clips! This was actually the first film clip they made for this song but they ended up going with another one...I think this one is better...more funner! Enjoy!

apparently I have influence

I've been a reading a bit and listening a bit about birth order recently. It's pretty interesting, not gospel but some of the stuff I have heard and read resonates with me. I'm the eldest of 4 girls, but I'm not the first born. Mum and Dad had a son before they had me, sadly he died before I was born, so I have only ever know being the eldest.

I've sort of always been the trailblazer, in the sense that all the rules were tested on me. Mum and Dad were always a bit more strict on me. I wasn't aloud to watch certain shows, or have sleep overs all the time, when I got a bit older I had to beg to go into town with my friends and then when it came to parties later in high school well I had to beg even more (they some how seemed VERY important at the time!). I guess you could say I was a victim of first child strictness. ;)

I'd say that when all my family are together, I'd be the quietest out of a noisy lot. But then I am the leader in most ways too. One example being that I got a tattoo first. Which may sound a bit random/ specific but go with me here. It would make sense that I would, especially because I am quite  a bit older than my younger sisters. But my second sister followed suit a few years later and now the young-ins have too.

The thing is when I got my last tattoo...almost 5 years ago Courtney said to me "Oh Lauren, please don't get any more tattoos!' and she had a real pained look on her face...She now has 2 tattoos. I asked her if she remembered this conversation last week right before she was getting some new ink and she said no!

In a lot of ways I have been an influencer in my sisters lives, an example. Granted, tattoos are a heck of a lot more popular now, compared to when I was B and C's age...which is 8 years ago.

But it made me think that maybe other things I have influenced them in too, I'm not saying this to make myself sound grand. I think it could be a negative thing too...what dodgy things have I done or said that they have seen or heard?

perhaps a bit too deep and meaningful for this time on a Sunday night? 

Who has been an influence in your life? Who do you influence...perhaps without even knowing it sometimes!?

where the heck did that week go?

Ah righto so it's Saturday again...how did that happen?
This week has been a bit of a blur...how did I not blog? I think I went to once actually yes I did last night and blogger was unavailable? did anyone else have that trouble?
This week I...
Had a dark day
Worked...a fair bit
Led chapel
had a delicious dinner date with some lovely friends and their husbands...and mine too!
spoke with an old friend on her birthday
spoke with my sister in law
had dinner with my family...twice
listened/watched some very interesting shows about birth order and being gay at school (check out insight if you want to know more!)
had some interesting, funny, challenging, full on, excellent conversations with some of the young people I work with
had a Friday night off! now that was pretty freakin ace!
discovered one...actually maybe my last easter bunny had been eaten by the easter bunny eating fairy...
went to class
watched a couple of cool movies...this one and this one
and that's the stuff I can remember!
hopefully next week is a little less hectic...I doubt it
happy Saturday friends!

flea market finds

I went for a spot of op shopping with 2 of my sisters this week...or was it last week...either way it was great! We all came away with some things we were very happy with! Which is always good when you are op shopping! It sucks if the other people you are with are snapping up the bargains and you aren't, well that's how I feel anyway!

 I found this lovely frock at a salvos, which never disappoints in the vintage/retro area. It fits fantastically but the zipper broke when I was trying it on...so needs a repair!

AND a pair of brand new fisherman's pants which if you have never tried are ridiculously comfortable...for everyday! (fat days. skinny days, bloated days, fishing days) So good, they feel and look like they have never been worn...AND look very well handmade! Very happy!

For more thrifty finds head over to Sophie's!

grateful for my mumma

a few weeks ago I was celebrating my nana...today my mumma! She really is a wonderful woman and so supportive and helpful to me...even when I am a bit of a grouch. 

It is one day early but Happy Mothers day to my precious mum, my precious mother in law, my sister in law and all mothers everywhere you are a wonderful gift to us children :) 

xx

...today I am also grateful for friends and going to markets, food in the fridge...and the WEEKEND!

head over here for more grateful action!

double the joy

We went to Sydney on the weekend just gone (far out and it's Wednesday already I gotta be quicker on the uptake here!) and got to hang out with this cute kid! As well as a lot of other very speacial people  (her mum and dad, her two little sisters, her mema and grandpa, nannie and poppie aunty bec, uncle roelof, uncle peter, aunty rhi, cousin lilly and her bubcha.) 

We were there to go to her baby sister's baptism...I've spoken more then once or twice about these precious bubbas...not just the babys but the little lady too!

Peter, Tim and I were asked to Ava and Sophie's Godparents. What a joy (which is Ava's middle name) and honour to be asked. And to witness them become beloved daughters of Christ. They both had a cry when they got splashed! It was wonderful to get out Adelaide for the weekend and see our beloveds and hopefully it's not too long before we see them again!

Congratulations Ava and Sophie

We love you lots and we look forward to seeing you grow!

love Aunty Lauren (and Uncle Tim)  xx

before I get to the weekend...

Last Thursday night...Tim and I went on a date to the theatre! We saw Wicked. We decided we would like to go...probably a couple of years ago when it was on in Melbourne. But never did. Then it went to Sydney, Brisbane and FINALLY to Adelaide. So we  ordered tickets as a birthday treat and went. I loved it...Tim didn't so much but still enjoyed it. I had goose bumps when they were singing. I laughed, I even shed a tear and I quite enjoyed the cleverness of how they intertwined this story, a prequel if you will, with the story of The Wizard of Oz. It was wonderful to go to the theatre with my beloved and share a special treat together...

It wasn't so nice having to get up at 4am the next morning...BUT WHAT FOLLOWED THAT (a trip to Sydney) was well worth it...I'll come back later or tomorrow to talk about that...