just to say thanks 400+ posts

picture credit

I do really appreciate the people who follow this blog. For a long time I wondered if anyone read this little corner of the web and then I would see new friends saying hello and deciding that they'd follow along and keep in touch with what I am waffling on about. 

So I want to say thanks sincerely from the bottom of my heart! 

And also to celebrate 400 + posts
so lovely followers please continue the love and leave a comment below and you'll be in the running to win a bunch of goodies...what will be in the "bunch" is still a mystery even to me BUT let's just say there will definitely be some badges and magnets in the mix! and perhaps a cute little pig to boot? Never fear if you're not a follower why not become one!? :) The more the merrier!
Thanks for the love!

This love fest will keep on going but the competition will close on April 18th so leave your comment before then and I'll be drawing the winner then!
international followers are encouraged to enter too! :)

more gratefuls

There are so many things to be grateful for this week! In chapel at school on Tuesday a teacher shared some thoughts about the attitude of gratitude! It was wonderful and I couldn't have agreed more with her!This week I am grateful for these beautiful little bubbas! Our nieces Ava and Sophie! They have been growing big and strong.

 Little Ava was a little trooper this week when she had lip surgery. I'm so grateful for skilled surgeons that can work on little babies! What skill! She's healing well. I'm grateful for videos of these little ones...I could watch them for hours. I can't believe how much love in my heart I have for them and their big sister! I'm grateful to be an Aunty!

For this handsome man and his antics!

 For school camps (and the seriously amazing students who were on the camp!) and curious ducks...and for coming home too.

Time with my Dad at footy games (oh yeah and our team winning!)

For more gratefuls head over to Maxabella Loves...it's a lovely place to be on Saturdays...and other days too! :)

Kustom Kulture

You've seen the hair...now for the actual party! So we got a bit confused and thought there was going to be a pin up parade...that was happening on the Sunday! What we did get was....fun rockabilly bands...

People rock and roll dancing...oh man I wish I could move like that! It was so fun to watch...and it was clear they were having a good time too! 

 There were people getting tattooed! This was very cool to watch...but I wouldn't have liked to have been that lady! I would have felt too self conscious! 

It was good to spend some time with my sisters and mumma. We also got to see some really cool art, another really fun band, and there were a few store holders around the room with lots of pretty bags, clothes, cds, other such fun...mum even bought a cute pair of shoes.

I had a good time!

she did make it look easy!

So I gave it a go ladies...and it actually worked! I had to have a few practices before the real deal...and go back and watch the bit about the fringe/ bangs like 5 times...and my hair is a good double the length of the girls in the video...so it was a bit difficult to begin with... 

but it worked! 

 a nice side view..

I took the back part down when I got home but kept the top bit in and wore it to church this morning...partly because I didn't have time to get up and wash my hair and partly cause it still looked OK! (the photo is pretty cruddy though!)We went to the shops and 2 ladies in the jewellery shop commented how much they liked it! :)

Verdict: definite winner...can't wait til my next rockabilly/rock and roll/ 50's night so I can fix my hair like this again! 

Victory curls for a modern day pin up

When I was younger I used to love trying new hair do's...on myself and other people! As I got older...I've gotten lazy but tonight I'm heading with my sisters to this...so I gotta try some victory curls! :)

recipes for pancakes

A couple of weeks ago I shared that we had pancakes for dinner for Shrove Monday...I mean Tuesday and I was asked to the post the recipes...How remiss of my not to post them then and there!

So Pancakes with Strawberry sauce

Strawberry Sauce

Cut up as many Strawberries as you want

Add a dash of lemon juice

and a heck load of sugar...

put on the stove let it bubble and stew...until the strawberries have started to break down a bit and got warm

serve on your favourite plain pancakes...

DELICIOUS!!

Japanese Pancakes

quarter of a cabbage

half an onion

tin of corn (300 grams)

4 eggs

2 cups of plain flour

3/4 cup of water (gradually add more if you need it)

1-2 cups of cheese

200- 270 grams bacon

slice cabbage finely, add bacon and plain flour and water, mix everything else in

to cook dollop a little bit of butter in the pan

scoop a spoonful out into the pan and flatten with your egg flip! 

cook to golden

ENJOY!

bacon and cheese optional

the ones we ate had cheese but not bacon...we have vegetarians in the family!

I hope you enjoy and let me know if you give them a go!!

27 @ 27

So I really enjoy reading this lovely ladies blog. And when she turned 23 she made a list of things she wanted to achieve that year...she did it for when she turned 24 and 25. And then she made a really lovely book to document the things she had accomplished on the list. So I got thinking about that. And on some of our long train rides across Europe this Christmas I came up with my own list...my 27 @ 27. Now that we are done with daily click/ 365 I was looking for a project that is a long term one! And after giving a mini books ago I really enjoyed putting them together...and thought I can put this together in that way too. Elise inspired me with the mini book too. She's pretty crafty! It would be cool to meet her one day! maybe in my dreams!so here goes...(and the list has changed slightly since that train trip)

1. Knit something other than a scarf

2. Get a new tattoo

3. Go on a picnic to a place I've never had a picnic at before

4. Go for a walk at Morealta falls

5. Organise a girls weekend

6. Have a pedicure and/or bikini wax (not at the same time!)

7. Put a collage together of our trip to Europe

8. Expand and diversify my etsy shop

9. Get business cards

10. Decorate/ organise our spare room

11. Write letters to 10 people

12. Make a long distance call to someone once a month (excluding family...it would be too easy otherwise! I'll still call the family but others as well!)

13. Have a market stall again

14. Be assertive

15. Go see a foreign film

16. Play the drums

17. Host a holiday dinner

18. Read Anne Frank's Diary...and the chronicles of Narnia

19. Wear skirts and dresses more often

20. Buy homemade/ second hand

21. Go to the theatre

22.Go on regular dates with Tim

23. Sew something

24.Get a social work job

25. organise a craft swap (or be involved with one)

26. surprise someone

27. buy some herbs and grow them

We'll see here how we go...watch this space for progress over the year! :)

last Tuesday

apparently the only "decent" photo from the day of me the birthday girl!

Last Tuesday I turned 27...

I took the day off work and played with Sez who was visiting from QLD.

We went into the city and went to some of my favourite shops

I bought shoes

...with mum and dad's money!

I ate chocolate and drank a hot one too

We ate sushi for lunch and one of my sisters joined us

we had good chats

we learnt some sad things too

I opened presents...a fair few with lovely things inside

actually I was spoilt!

we ate dinner in the park and then had pie for dessert at our place.

it was a wonderful day....I think 27 is going to be a ripper year

xx

and now for positive polly! and gratefuls

I'm a pretty positive person and so I really need to counteract that negativity...STRAIGHT AWAY!! :)

last weekend these lovely people had a wedding in Adelaide...which means they got to stay with us and play! oh it was wonderful!

 Tim found a new chocolate shop that opened JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM US!!! oh my I visited it with the lovely Sez...and then again this morning with Tim...they guy must have remembered me...he gave me a discount!

 I laughed so hard I started wheezing...

 big beach balls for people to go inside and then play on top of water = lots of laughs! 

we went on a picnic on monday to enjoy the long weekend and some family fun.

We had dinner with a couple of lovely people that we haven't hung out with much as a couple but who Tim knew from his home church in Brisbane. They have a really cute little boy, who melted our hearts with his smile! We enjoyed a wonderful night and we'll be doing it again soon I hope!

When I am feeling bummed, cranky whatever it doesn't take me long to think of all the blessings I have and all the things to be grateful! For more mood lifters head over to Maxabella loves

Where to start?...the negative nancy part

Things don't always work out the way you plan. I'd planned to do a bunch of posts the last week or so to get up to 400 post and do a give away...I've lost steam and it'll probably be another few weeks before it happens...
I've had lots of days "off campus" at different PD days, Year 9 challenge days, days off just because (birthday and interstate friends...more on that later!), public holidays, sports day! And because of all the days "away" the task orientated part of my job seems to be far behind. We had our school fair last night where I coordinated 2 stalls with a bunch of students and an awesome teacher. One was on a chocolate fountain stall. There was chocolate left over which I am very likely to eat after I finish this... but during the day I locked my keys in the car, got stressed and just wanted to shake a few teenagers awake.

We didn't do any washing for about 2 weeks and so I almost ran out of undies...almost. And now today 5 loads will have to be done. Tim started at a different church for his study which will probably affect me more as the year goes on but it is what it is.

I'm in a real funk today...I'm tired and over crabby...maybe it's the clipsal that's doing it to me....
I'll be back later to share the positive polly side...and birthday fun....I did have a birthday this week and it was a truly wonderful day!
and maybe it's just I'm over being so crazy busy...

shrove tuesday on a monday

My sister wanted to do a pancake dinner on Shrove Tuesday...but we all had stuff on...so we did it Monday night instead!

Savoury Japanese pancakes...delicious

blueberry pancakes...plain pancakes and strawberry sauce made from scratch...even more delicious! I went and played netball after this...not such a good idea after all the deliciousness!

16 or 17...I can't remember

Soundwave was today...I survived! It marked my 16th or 17th music festival...I think!

I enjoyed skanking to MXPX and the Ataris...they always put me in a good mood. Other highlights were Pennywise and Millincolin. Good times...now it;s time for bed!

grateful

 I'm grateful that it is Friday...it's been a busy week

 I am grateful for stunning surprises in the post! I won a give away back in October (through blogtoberfest) from this lovely lady blogger...and it showed up in the post today! All the way from France...just in time for autumn!

I'm grateful for saturdays, sleep ins and soundwaves

get a bit of grateful into you and head over to Maxabella loves...

xx have a lovely weekend xx

it's unearthly

mad march is here in radalaide

:)

today i wish...

we could get a big white fluffy dog...

and that it wouldn't make me sneeze

I saw one of these in my travels today...and he/she was oh so friendly and oh so cute...but I did get sneezy and had to take an anti histamine!

take me back to Prague...

to the Christmas markets...

 to the walking over the bridge...but NOT slipping on my bum!

 the beautiful Christmas decorarations

 to trying new things...like absinthe

To seeing beautiful clocks and hearing trumpets being played every hour

To the crazy cool art on the sides of buildings...and random Christmas dinners with old friends from high school! Happy Weekend Everyone xx

my creative space

This book as done as it's going to get!

It was lots of fun to work on the whole project AND  to relive our holiday a bit!

I especially enjoyed doing these pages...and we've been asked to be these little princesses God parents. How cool is that! (pretty cool if you ask me!)

and one last cute little bunnie!

I enjoyed this project so much that I am totally going to do a mini book again...it'll probably be the way I display my 365 photos!

for more creative spaces pop over to Kristy's!

What are you reading?

I've been totally engrossed in these books the past week or so. I polished off book one on the weekend and started book 2 immediately and I'm almost half way through. I have been having a few late nights because they have been so enjoyable to read...easy to read and I've warmed to the characters. The main girl gave the heebee jeebees when I first starting reading but she isn't nearly as annoying any more!

Head over to Danielle's if you want to see what some other nice ladies are reading!

flee market finds

I am so happy to be playing along this week! It has been quite a while! I was so happy to get to do a little op shopping this week with a couple of my sisters and a brother in law. We just stopped in at one...save the children...oh goodness I always come out with many treats. And Monday was no different! This is one I would share with you today. This dress has $8 marked on it...but they were having a half price sale! It is SO BOLD! I don't think I will be brave enough to wear it for every day things but if a party comes up with a certain theme...totally wearing it! It fits perfectly! 

For more thrifted treasures head over to Sophie's!

love

I found these biscuits in a supermarket in Prague!

Happy Valentines Day 

xx