day 15 {osprey} 365

this morning, while my family was still sound asleep,
my camera and i set off to see what we could see

we saw heaps and heaps and heaps !

i will do another post with
other photos but this
is my 365 photo
for today !

it is an osprey also known as a sea
hawk or a fish eagle. now,
i know i said my rule
was only one
photo a
day

but
this is,
technically,
the same photo ...
i just zoomed and cropped
so you could get a better look at it !

and ...

before i go ...

i want to tell you about something happening over at ONE SHABBY CHICK !
my friend Amber is auctioning off one of her amazing quilts and the
money from the winning bidder goes to the
Premier's Flood Relief Appeal
Pop on over there and
check it out !!

Mah-Jongg

My family has a long history with Mah-Jongg ... my Dad wrote a post about it back in October.

I learned to play as a kid and I remember loving when the Mah-Jongg set
(or sometimes sets, if there were enough people)
came out at my Grandma's house !

We'd set up at card tables and play all afternoon.
I loved it. I still do.



My two have 'played' a couple of times when we've been at my parents house.
Usually on teams, although, I think Jono was able to hold his own last time we were there.



But yesterday, the four of us were able to play together.
Alia is finally old enough that she 'gets' it !
In fact, she mah-jongged TWICE !



I love coming from a family of game players !
And I love that our children love playing games as well !!

***

PS ... I've forgotten a few of the details. I'm hoping someone in the family will help me out ...

1. Is it Right In Left Out or the other way around when building the wall ?
2. Do you count clockwise or counter clockwise on the first roll ? (counting the walls)
3. Which way do you count the tiles on the second roll ?
4. Do you go backwards for the flower pile ?
5. If you already have punged, and someone puts down the 4th tile, can you pick it up or does it have to be the person beside you who lays it down ?

Ok ... that's it !
We were able to play ok without knowing the answers but I'd like to know we're doing it right !

Stumble Upon Keith

Ya'll know how much I love google reader, right ? Well ... I've found the perfect compliment to it ! Stumble Upon is so much fun. And you can favorite things ... and then go back and look again later to see if it's really something you want in your reader ! Great right ! Yeah ... only I couldn't figure out how to work the thing !! So ... I put a help out on facebook and my friend Talia came to the rescue !! And now I'm slowly but surely working out how to use it !

So ... once you get it set up, there is a toolbar at the top of your browser. Each time you look at a blog or a website you can mark it as like or don't like. Stumble Upon learns your preferences and then when you push the stumble button, it takes you to other sites like the ones you like. Cool, eh !? It's really fun. But beware ... once you get the hang of it, you'll be hooked !!

Go to www.stumbleupon.com if you want to try it out. If you do ... my user name is bonnieg73. Subscribe to me and I'll subscribe to you ! Then we can see each other's favorites !

In other news ... guess who I'm going to go see in concert ?

Funnily enough, I couldn't tell you any songs by Keith Urban before today.
BUT I've been listening on You Tube all day and now I know a few !

This one is my favorite so far.

Why am I going to the concert of someone I don't know ?
Well, my friend Kel got two tickets for her birthday.
Our mutual friend Sonya was going to go with
Kel as she is a big Keith loving fan but she
got a better offer. A trip to Canada !
So ... I'm in !
Woo hoo !

My Five

Mari did a post about the FIVE words that Kayren sent her.
She asked if anyone wanted her to send them FIVE words and I put my hand up.
Here's the FIVE she sent ...

1. ART ...
a newly discovered passion of mine

2. FAMILY
my favorite thing in the whole wide world

3. ORGANIZATION
my obsession

4. AUSTRALIA
birthplace of my husband and children, my adopted homeland

5. BEACH
a place i love to go to relax
there's nothing like the sound crashing waves !

Covered Cork Board

I've been wanting to do this ever since I saw the idea on my friend Talia's blog back in August.

Such a cool idea and it was so simple !
I won't give you the tutorial ... you can go to Talia's ... she has explained it all there.

You will need:

A cork board
A glue gun and plenty of glue sticks
A piece of material big enough to go over the cork board.
I chose this happy piece that my Mom gave me last time we were visiting.



Don't waste your time ironing the material ... all the wrinkles get stretched out.

See ....



I added some hooky thumb tacks to the bottom for them to hang stringed items from ...



And here's how it looks in the toy room.



The frames are the kids birth certificates.
Under them are some paintings they did when they were 4 and 2.
So cute !



On the top is a beach scene that Jono painted last year.
And then the two paintings the kids did for each other for Christmas 2007.

~~

We've had a lovely couple of days at home. It's school holiday time for the kids which means no school for two weeks ! Rory took the first couple of days off and we just hung around with each other. We did a bit of stuff around the house. I worked a couple of early mornings to get caught up while Rory and the kids slept in. We hung a few things on the wall (finally) but have a long way to go with that still ! I did some organizing. Rory and the kids fed the ducks at the lake. We went to see the movie "Up". It's a great movie. I'd recommend it ! We all enjoyed it. There's been lots of playing at the park and just a general enjoying of the Springtime around here ! I heard there was snow in Colorado ... eek ! Anyone wanting to escape the white stuff is welcome to join us here ... :)

Anyhoo ... I'd better get off the computer and get moving. I feel a bit lax since we don't have to get out the door for school but I do have to work a couple of hours this morning. The kids will play in the creche and then we will go do something fun together ! I'm waiting to hear back from a friend ... we had scheduled to do something today but that was weeks ago and I only just remembered last night. I'm hoping she hasn't forgotten as well ...

straight out {sky} of camera

Thank you so much for all of your camera advice last week !! I really appreciate it ! You all gave such great advice and now have lots to think about before making my final decision ... I have a few months to decide though.

This weeks {sooc} was taken the other night ... I just couldn't get over how beautiful this was. I'm so glad I had my camera with me. Of course, the picture doesn't do it justice. Not one little bit. It was overwhelmingly stunning.

Those of you who are visiting from Melody's {sooc} Slurping Life, will already know about this but for the rest of you ... I've got a new blog for you to check out. It's totally amazing ! It's Melody and her 12 year old son Mac. Each day, they each choose a photo to post and give it a one word title. They don't tell each other what it's going to be. Then they post the two photos and the two words become the title. It's so cute and the photography is amazing. You will love it. Go check it out ! And make sure you leave a comment ... all bloggers love comments, especially 12 year old boys who are new to the blogging world !!

happy {labor} day

Mari posted this fun Meme in honor of Labor Day.
I thought it was fun so I'm playing along! (even though it's not Labor Day in Australia!)
But ... I'm American so I think I qualify !!
Plus ...
This one is all about labor - not the holiday type!



How long were your labors?
Jono ~ 31 hours and then an emergency C-section
Alia ~ decided to skip the labor and made an appointment for a C-section
good thing too ... they told me it would have been
the same as with Jono had I tried again (!!)

How did you know you were in labor?
Jono ~ um, it hurt ...
Alia ~ no labor !!

Where did you deliver?
Jono ~ Ipswich, Australia
Alia ~ Bundaberg, Australia
Both in the hospital !

Drugs?
Oh yeah !
With Jono ~ I started out thinking I'd be heroic and do it without the drugs.
They wanted to me sit on a medicine ball for my pain relief.
Seriously ? I was a medicine ball !
I spent lots of time in the bath too. Nice as that was, it didn't do much for the pain.
About 20+ hours in I asked my husband why I was trying to do this without drugs
and he said "I don't know ... I'd have had them on the way in !!"
So ... I got a shot of pethidine in my leg which did NOTHING.
Then they were pretty sure I'd need a C-section so gave me the epidural.
That took every ounce of pain away and me and my exhausted body went to sleep !
It was bliss !!!

With Alia ~ I went in, got the spinal block, and that was that.
Oh, except the part where the intern turned off the stuff that stabilized my blood pressure and
I felt like I needed to throw up but couldn't move because I was already paralyzed from just
below my neck. But that's a story for another day ...

C-Section?
Haven't you been paying attention ??
*giggle*

Who Delivered?
The doctor ...
I'm hoping this isn't a trick question !

So, there you have it !
I was going to post my organizing post this morning but it has 21 photos
and while they've been uploading I've run out of time !!
So ... I will bring that one to you tomorrow !!

Home Tour {the master bedroom}

Come with me ... I'm going to take you into the master bedroom today.
Not too much further ... just down the hall.

I love the light in here in the morning !
It's so peaceful.
Calming.



And in the daytime, so bright and cheery !



The bathroom is great too, I just love the double doors.

Let's knock before we go in ....



The sliding doors next to our bed open up onto our 'tuscan' patio.
I think Beaky is ready to head out into the sunshine ...



I am too.
I'm going to go check the garden and see what I can pick to put in this morning's green smoothie.



PS ... the tip junkie did a guest post over at the org junkie's place today.
Two junkies, lots of organizing, yeah ... you need to go see !!

Living our {dreams}

"When the days are busy and hectic ..." is how Tina starts her post.

I think it's worth reading.

Off you go ... and make sure you let her know you were there !

{amarillo} {jaune} {giallo} {yellow}

Rory and I are having a night out tonight ! Out ... way out ... in a hotel out ! Woo Hoo ! The kids will be having a fabulous time with Grandma and Grandad !

And tomorrow ... I'm soooooo excited about tomorrow ! You will be excited too but not until Sunday afternoon ... or maybe even Monday, when I post about it ! I know, I know ... it's not very nice to leave you hangin' like that but I'm just a bit cautious about posting 'where we are going to be' on the internet for the whole world to see !!

I'm going to leave you with some neat links to check out ... surely that balances out my previous meanness ! :)

Recycled Scrap Paper Notepads at Khrista's blog.
Check out this adorable clipboard at Creative Organizng.
Hello !!! How cute is this collage ??
This front entry is so cool. I love it and totally wish it was mine !! haha
This post cracked me up. Seriously, if you need a good laugh, go read it !!
Totally want to have An Art Party for Alia one year ...

I'm off to pack ! Here's to a great weekend ... for you and for me !

[tiggy]

My kids play a game called tiggy. It's an Australian game. Being a transplant in this fine country, I'm still learning about all-things-australian-childhood. As far as I can gather, tiggy is tag. Since this is a new way to 'tag' people in blogland, I thought I'd give it a new name ... so, without further ado ... TIGGY ... you're it !!!

I was sitting here thinking about how nice it would be to have Coffee at The Cabin, possibly while I read through the Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, when I noticed that Everything's Coming Up Daisies. Not that I was surprised, that's what it's like in My Little Corner of The World, where everyday is Just Another Day In Paradise.

Most of you know that I'm an Organizing Junkie, but did you know I'm also a Lazy Organizer ? Yep ... and I enjoy Creative Organizing too because I'm a Simple Mom. I enjoy the Simple Pleasure's in life. I wouldn't go so far as to call myself One Shabby Chick but I do know that daily I am Choosing Freedom.

You know, I love my kids. They are the Joy of my Heart. I love to hear them say "Pass the Beans Please" !! I feed them well because you know Full Bellies, Happy Kids ! Sometimes when they spill stuff I just laugh and say "clean up on isle 5" and then I wonder if the kids in the Land of K.A. make such messes ? Maybe I should hop on line and see if the Tip Junkie has any answers. Ah well ... it's all part of Slurping Life.

Some days I think I should be Reinvented, because I'm Imperfect. Guess that's the story of Our Life.

Maybe I should get out my camera and see if I can get some Reflections Captured on film. Or should I say, on memory stick ? Maybe take photos of the Simple Sparrow and it's Little Birdie Secrets. Or of the Hen House at Daisy Cottage. Or even the Pink Roses at the Katillac Shack !!

I like to reflect on The Finer Things In Life, don't you ? Like Flowers in my Pocket ? Exactly !! Well, I think it's time for me to Button It Up !

**

This is a new way of tagging people. If you see yourself in the story, consider yourself tagged, but only if you want to participate. If you decide to join, you need to write a story that includes as many blog names as possible. I had fun doing this, although some names are impossible to put in a story! Thanks to Mari and Sandra for tagging me!

{favorite finds friday}

... in which i share with you some of the fun stuff i've found through my week of blog browsing ...

esti at pintame el dia is an amazing artist !! i love her drawings. and now i find that she has her drawings on shirts ! oh my !! and she's giving three of her shirts away !! go check it out ... you have to enter before the 14th of june if you want to win one !

my friend alex wrote a post earlier in the week that i found very challenging. you should go read it but i'll just give you a one sentence taste ... ask the question: "in light of my present responsibilities, my past experiences, and my future hopes and dreams, is this a wise use of my time?" let him know you stopped by ! and here's a bit of trivia you may or may not like to know alex and i were friends in highschool in spain. he was a great writer then. and he is an even better writer now. i love that he has a blog.

going through all of the corner view posts takes me days ... but i love visiting because i have discovered the most beautiful places all over the world and i love it !! i actually have all the participants in my google reader now, under a 'corner view' heading so i can just visit the ones who have actually participated each week. i think that will make it quicker. but, i'm sidetracked. i wanted to show you this blog ... ma life a moi. she has really neat photos. i love all the rounded edges. and you know, it seems she only posts in french, except for the corner view posts, which are in french, english AND spanish !! but it doesn't matter. the photos are enough ... and i may learn some french along the way !! or maybe not. alia just asked me to read some out loud and i did and she was cracking up ! but anyway ... look at this door post.

and then i discovered this one ... artsyville. cute name for a blog. here's what she has to say about herself "hi - i'm aimee, a mixed-up-media artist living in the quirky little college town of lawrence, kansas. you've reached artsyville, a little spot for my creative explosions. i love doodling, lettering, painting, and finding sparks of art in everyday things. please contact me at artsyville (at) gmail (dot) com for permission to borrow any of my images. thanks for visiting!" i can't wait to sit and read some of this blog because i love it already !!

I'm wondering if any of you know what the proper blog etiquette is when wanting to post an example of someone's work on your blog. Do you have to ask permission to post a photo from someone's blog or can you just post it and give them the credit for the photo ?? I wanted to post images from each of these blogs ... (well, except Alex's because the only images on his blog are made with words) but I wasn't sure ... so I didn't. I just drew up some silly pictures and posted them ...

oh ... and a little side note for jane ... my painting posts.

{sisterhood award}

I started this post AGES ago ... like only a couple days after Sarah gave me this award ... and now, here we are OVER A MONTH later and I still haven't done the post !! Sheesh !!

Maybe I should give the award back !!

Nah.

I'll keep it.

Onto the post I'd started so long ago ...

Sarah from Coffee at the Cabin has given me The Sisterhood Award. Here's what she had to say about me ... "Bonnie at Simple Beauty - she has a great flair for keeping life uncomplicated and real. I enjoy her reflections and insight, and find it amazing that she is on the other side of the world from me!"

Isn't that neat ? I love the relationships I have developed in blog land ! It would be great to one day meet each of these blog friends of mine ! I guess I'm on my way ... I got to meet Karen, one down ... only a bazillion to go ! ha ha

And then just the other day, I got it again from Amy ! Here's what she had to say ... "I love Bonnie's creativity and love for her family. She inspires me in my photography, cooking, and crafting. She is one of my most favorite blogs to visit.... I hope to come to Australia one day and meet you face to face, girl! Then we can have a cuppa together... ;D"

Me too Amy ! Me too ...

Now, I don't always play by the rules but I will this time, here they are ...

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link the person from whom you received your award.

And here in lies the reason it took me so long to do this post. Picking 10 blogs is so hard. There are just too many that I love visiting !!

In no particular order ...

1. Jane who writes the Spain Daily blog. A fairly recent discovery but instantly a favorite ! Jane already had a heads up with the title including the country of my birth but with each post, I became hooked ! With talk of Cola Cao, views like this, yummy looking tortilla, and pan con chocolate, I'm often transported to my childhood ! Thank you Jane for sharing Spain with me !!

2. Kimm, the amazing repurposer at Reinvented! This girl is an inspiration. She can make anything out of whatever she has on hand ! She has amazing ideas, great perspective and my goodness she makes me laugh ... like in the post where she posted a picture upside down !!! Not to mention she is a kindred list makin' spirit ... just last week she posted that she puts stuff she's already done on her to do lists so she can have some stuff crossed off straight away ! Hello !? I totally do that too !!

3. Khrista who is my friend in real life, was my inspiration for blogging ! I didn't even know about blogging before she had one. She is a blogging expert in my eyes and is always willing to help me !! I love love love every post that she does ! She's crafty, as is her daughter ! She's an amazing photographer. Not to mention, an amazing cook. She is one of the authors on my beans blog. She's pregnant with baby #2 and I just love watching her progress !! Oh ... and did I mention she lives in Alaska ?

4. Kayren, the pink daisy girl at Everything's Coming Up Daisies. A fellow menu planner and organizer, and let's not forget about the OCD ... I just feel so at home at Kayren's place !! A favorite recent post that I really enjoyed ... the video post ... does she have an accent or not ? Uh, yeah ! I'm thinking of copying this idea soon ...

5. If you haven't been over to visit Lisa at the MODsquad, you are missing out ! Seriously, I love her blog ! It's got everything. Poetry, and garden beds, and greens, and blues, and lots and lots of vintage. Oh yeah ... her "corner view" is always wonderful !!

Phew ... half way there !!

BUT ... I'm going to leave it at that !! Sheesh, if I keep going, I may never get this posted and I already feel guilty that I've taken SOOOO STINKIN' LONG to get this far !!

Trash To Treasure Tuesday - Dollhouse

My discovery of the Reinvented blog is a fairly new one,
but one I instantly marked as a 'daily read' in google reader !
I loooooooooooooove this blog !
Kimm is one creative lady !
She's resourceful.
Inspirational.
Inventive.
Clever.
And hilarious to boot !

This week, I'm joining in her Trash to Treasure Tuesday.

I must make a disclaimer though.
This was not my idea.
I saw it at the art studio where I paint and thought it would be fun to do with the kids.
I think it will take us a fair while to do it but it is already serving it's purpose.
They are loving thinking of how we can make things out of trash !

So ... what are we making ?

A dollhouse ...
The materials we've used so far are cardboard boxes.
Paint.
An old towel to make a rug.
An old sheet to make bed sheets.
Cracker boxes to make a bed and the kitchen counter.
Cardboard to make a flat screen tv and some wall hangings.

We'll be collecting trash that we use in the kitchen.
Boxes and plastics to make tables and chairs and outdoor furniture.
I think we'll make the people and animals and everything ...

I'll keep you posted on our progress ...

Do make sure to pop round to Reinvented and see what other cool projects are happening in blogdom !!

Corner View - Modes of Transportation

The theme for this week's 'corner view' at Spain Daily is modes of transportation.

The most obvious mode of transportation is 'the automobile' but since a picture of that would be pretty darn boring ... at least not with my automobile which is neither flashy, sporty, classic nor cool !



I was wishing I lived somewhere that had large Amish communities so I could take a horse and carriage photo to post.

But ... I don't.

I live in Australia.

On the beach.

ok ... not RIGHT on it.

But, very close.

Anyhoo ...

Apart from using our cars, our most common modes of transportation are as follows ...



On foot.

We like to walk.

We walk a lot.

Well, we did before we moved.

We'll get back into it soon !



On scooter.

Ok ... I don't have a scooter.

Rory doesn't have a scooter.

But the kiddos do.

And they transport themselves on them.

Regularly.



And of course ... drum roll please ... the bicycle !!

So there you have it ... my corner of the world and our modes of transportation.

****

Here are the links to the other 'corner view' participants if you want to check 'em out !!

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, couturecoucou, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo

8 things ... A tag !

Kayren, aka Pink Daisy Girl, over at Everything' Coming Up Daisies, tagged me ...

Here's how 8 THINGS works:

1. Mention the person that tagged you.
2. Complete the lists of 8's.
3. Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends.
4. Go tell them you tagged them!

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO:

1. Our house finally being unpacked.
2. Knitting again. Once the house is unpacked.
3. My bath. Oh how I love my new bathtub. I can't wait to get in it as often as possible !
4. Our house finally being unpacked.
5. Our friend's Gregg and Cheryl's wedding next weekend.
6. The pizza I'm making tonight.
7. The painting studio I'm setting up in the garage.
8. Our house finally being unpacked ! Have I said that already ?

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY:

1. Unpacked boxes.
2. Moved furniture.
3. Took the kids to the park.
4. Started a new book. Addition.
5. Unpacked more boxes.
6. Went to work.
7. Used my crock pot. Mexican Chicken.
8. Stayed up too late.

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO:

1. Convince Shay to uproot her family, move them all to Australia and live next door to me.
2. Convince my new neighbors to sell Shay and Shawn their house.
3. Crochet.
4. Snap my fingers and have these boxes unpack themselves !!
5. Speak every language.
6. Travel to every country. Starting with Greece.
7. Afford to own a private jet.
8. Meet my favorite bloggy friends.

8 SHOWS I WATCH:

1. The Mentalist
2. Oprah ... when she's not talking to the freaky earth suit guy or discussing menopause AGAIN !
3. Any cooking show I can find !
4. The CSI's ... Miami is my favorite. Don't watch New York ... on too late.
5. Bones
6. 24 ... oh how I wish I could watch it. But it's on way too late. Waiting for DVD !!
7. House ... but only in the ad breaks b/c it's on the same time as #1 !!
8. The Law and Orders

8 BLOGGERS TAGGED:

If you want to do it ... do. And let me know you did !!

My Dad, the blogger

What does Yesh Li Blog mean ?

"We would translate (i.e. interpret) yesh li blog to mean "I have a blog" in English, but the literal Hebrew means "There is for (or to) me a blog." You cannot literally say "I have" something or other in Hebrew. It is always "there is for me," or "there is for you," or "there is for us," etc. Hebrew, the language of the Bible, is showing us that we are really stewards of what has been provided for us and for our use. Rather than private ownership, perhaps a better term for what we "own" would be private stewardship.

Languages have been my passion since at least the fourth grade, when I studied Spanish from a library book called Fun with Spanish. In high school, I was the rara avis that became enamored of Latin. In later U.S. Navy tours of duty in Spain, Italy, and Japan, we did our best to learn the local languages. Along the way, I studied some Russian and picked up some Greek by studying etymologies and some Chinese by studying Japanese writing systems.

My first introduction to Hebrew was in the early 1980s, when I took a correspondence course, but it was not until the past decade that my primary focus has been on this wondrous language. It has been deeply rewarding, and especially in the past few years since we met Ori, an amazing Israeli woman, who has become not only my primary Hebrew mentor but also our good friend. Moreover, the small group of people who meet weekly to study Torah in Hebrew in Boulder have become dear to us and enriched our lives greatly. Further, reading Jewish commentaries on the Web of the weekly Torah portions has deepened my own faith and opened up new understandings of the scriptures we share and of Christian writings based on those scriptures.

The pursuit of words has been an essential part of my life for many years (since birth?). Many things have changed in my life, but I don't see that part of it changing any time soon (until death?). Lehitraot! Shalom, Chaverim!"

I love that my Dad has a blog. I love what he has to share and what I learn each time I go there. I love the old photos he digs up of my siblings and myself for the birthday posts he does for us each year ! I love his knowledge of words. His love of language. The fun stuff he and my Mom like to do together. Bed and Breakfasts. Opera.

Seriously, my parents know how to live life to the fullest !

Always have.

Check them out ... this was in 1978. I think this could be my all time favorite photo ...

Aren't they cute ?

Yeah ! I think so too !

Every blogger knows how fun it is to get comments ...
I wonder, would ya'll pop over to Yesh Li Blog and say g'day to my Dad ?
Make sure you stay for a bit and have a look around, you're sure to learn something new !!

Corner View - Week 1

Jane, over at Spain Daily (a great blog I've only recently discovered) is hosting "Corner View" ... where we all post a photo a week showing what it's like to live in our corner of the world. I think it's a fabulous idea and can't wait to get out there looking at my corner of the world through my camera in a new way ! This week, however, there isn't much photography going on ... except photos of the keys to OUR NEW HOUSE !!!!! We're moving tomorrow so I'm posting a photo I took not too long ago of my Alia enjoying an impromptu afternoon wade in the ocean.

Can't wait to see what everyone else posts from their respective 'corners' !

Feeling Artsy Crafty ...

I got out the oil pastels the other day ... before I packed them into boxes !
I played around for a bit.
Didn't finish anything worth keeping except these photos.
None the less, it was fun playing ...

Speaking for fun.
I've got a few fun links for you.
Just a few artsy crafty gems I've found around about blogland this week.
Check 'em out !!

How cute is this ?? Oh my ... I'm totally going to make one after we move !!

My bloggy friend Sandra is having a give away with some of her cute cute CUTE crocheted items. Pop over and comment to enter her Spring Giveaway before Easter !

And here's another one from REINVENTED ... a candlestick and a plate ... who'd have thought to do this with them ? Seriously, I love this blog and her ideas !

~~

I've completed another couple of knitted items.
I'm loving these little dishcloths.
This only took me a couple of hours and I experimented with a little embroidered flower.
You can find the pattern for this here, once you become my friend on Ravelry.



I whipped this little beauty up last night !
I made it up.
Can you believe it ?
Ok ... maybe you can, it was pretty simple.
But, I was (still am) pretty impressed that this came from my brain to my fingers and made the needles make this without a pattern !!



It's a little purple purse.
Perfect for a mobile phone or camera.



It used up all the fluffy purple yarn I had left over from my fluffy purple scarf.
And it only took me 2 hours to make.
I know because I did it during an double episode of NCIS !



See how fluffy ?
So soft !!



And how perfect for my mobile ...

PS ... the button is not functional. Just decorative.
The next one I'm going to try to make a flap ...

Soule Book

Look what came in the mail the other day !!

When we were visiting my parents at Christmas time, my Dad gave me an Amazon voucher.
This is what I bought !

THANKS DAD !!

I had a bit of a read through it last night and I LOVE IT !!
I'm not surprised.
I've been reading Amanda's blog for quite some time now and I love every little bit of it !
Like today ... THIS POST.
How cute is that ?
I'm seriously going to have to look at something like that for our new house ....

Speaking of our house, things are moving along nicely.
I went for a walk through yesterday with the building and pest inspector.
Met the lady who lives there now.
Neat lady.
Wish she could be my neighbor !
They are already packing ...
I think they are as anxious to move into their new place as we are to move into ours !

Speaking of packing, I haven't done any posts on "30 days of moving house ..."
I've done a bit of packing.
Alia's room is 95 % done.
Nothing else.
We've just been too busy living life !
Sure, I could be packing now but I only had a few minutes before I need to cook dinner.

Speaking of dinner, I need to go get it started !!