intuition

months ago i put this artist in my fave's. never heard of her before. don't know how i stumbled upon her. nothing. just liked what i saw. thought, one day i'd like to see one of her exhibitions....

then, on masterchef, i see this woman who i vaguely thought i recognised when they went to her paintings....and sure enough, when i checked today. it was her!

i have so many spooky moments in my life that i could bore you with. wierd stuff that i just know.... or i just stumble across things that reveal their true meaning later..

i would call it intuition...i love a good psychic and all but i don't think i am psychic. i am just a little creepy in a friendly smiley way. just ask my husband....but i do know stuff....

this made me cry this morning. i am a bit teary of late...you know. i have had a very emotional week & am bunkered down to regain strength.
and the biggest loser is over....how amazing were they all at the end. except for tanya as she appeared to not try very hard at all. she is a tanty thrower & expects others to do the work for her. she will always be fat....just saying!!
the good thing is, i am now loving masterchef. anyone else into it? this can be my new addiction.
well, of course i had to cook a citrus tart last night - it turned out very citrusy. a little too tarty maybe. i will be posting the recipes on my other blog when i find time.
and we had some panfried snapper with spicy chickpeas....omg, so yummy!! from the latest edition of delicious i think....officially i was on tart duty. and i only chopped the onion for the main one...so cannot really claim is as my own. so yum though. i have been a little fearful of chickpea after effects, but so far, so good....for everyone.
have much sewing to finish off for the mother's day stall at school. a great way to avoid the pile of ironing...
and i am off to the craft fair tomorrow. i am sneaking in at some stage. i hold high hopes but feel i may be disappointed. i know the melbourne one would have been amazing, just a little scared it will be a little country up here. i am going with my best attitude though & am sure i will be pleasantly surprised....brisbane is all grown up now & there are some amazing crafters up here, so there is much hope!

death by powerpoint

new job start = amazingly boring orientation program.
i think the peeps who design these days should be required to sit through the hellishly boring process of it. have they not heard of adult learning/varying the program a little/having a personality/welcoming peeps with a smile???
i had to leave at lunchtime to go home sick. i was not sure whether i was just sick of the day or had a bug. i felt no better overnight or this morning, so am hanging out quietly at home.
i still have to face it again but maybe i'll go in better prepared - like with my ipod!!
give me strength....

no more naked weddings & other goodness

so here are some of my old faves from etsy..... i have been searching of late for a little gift for someone special. and i now have someone on the job. i do love etsy, the internet and the universal access to amazingly talented peeps....

more goodness.....i won't be going naked to the wedding....yeah!! thank god for girlfriends, witchery & pashminas. so....

• it does have teeny straps but the pashmina will prevent frostbite
• it is a dress
• it is a nude/light grey colour
• it does cover my knees
• it did cost more than i wanted to pay
• it does cover most of my worse bits - i will be wearing bridget jones pants to suck it all in!
• it does go with shoes i already own
• it does allow me to wear a strapless bra for a boost
• it does make me smile when i put it on

so not all bad this week.

life as a patient

yesterday i had an interesting day in a private hospital... on the bed rather than beside it. just a few tests really. it meant i got to watch from a patient's perspective & this is what i noticed:

• most nurses really don't look at themselves in the mirror before coming to work
• confidentiality is virtually non-existent when a curtain is your wall. this i knew already but it reinforced the fact
• anaesthetists are much better at communicating when a patient is sedated & paralyzed under a GA. These guys (& gals) rarely have a personality. this i knew too but my gas guy had less personality than i ever imagined possible. he did do a good job, so i guess we can't all be talkers??
• it's a job for most...it pays the bills & i could tell most of them didn't have their heart in it - sad really

the first nurse i met was impressed i was an easy admission. judging from the grey haired women around me with their walkers, i was an absolute breeze. and she said my hair was great! no makeup, starving, a gown blowing in the breeze and paper knickers but my hair impressed her. must tell my hairdresser....

a few lovely things to look at from etsy, bloesem & decor8. my dreams of crocheting are in a bag in the linen cupboard with my amigurumi book.....another 5opercent effort. i remember my nan teaching me to crochet as a kid. this rug does inspire me now the evenings are cooler.... top row left....o how i wish my sewing space looked this cool & tidy! decor8
top row right...where is my crochet hook???.bloesem

bottom row....etsy finds here for the bookplates and here for the amazing vases

thanks to amanda at swish and swanky for some photo tips. i am trying hard to brighten up the blog & have more yummy things to peek at.

half baked kaz

okay, on a whim i just created www.halfbakedkaz.blogspot.com
i don't know when i will get around to starting it.i haven't even figured out how to do all the cool stuff for this one yet....but i couldn't resist. some things are meant to be!
look out though!
while cf is busy pimping it out in jakarta, i may as well have some fun.....

baking

got this cute photo here. i have linked to creature comforts before as i love her photography & style.

last weekend i went on a baking binge.....like izzy in gray's anatomy. i baked banana cake, choc chip muffins, banana bread and caramel slice....ahh the loveliness of it all.

and cf brought me my donna hay mag. is it just me or has she gotten a tad boring? i used to love her styling tips and have all her books. maybe she is just too familiar now.

but i did buy these from here. they are a bit donna hay-ish aren't they?

they are an editable (not edible) pdf, so you can type up your recipes, print them out & keep them neat. you just can't save them. for the cost of a few dollars, snap them up. i love them.

***please excuse the poor layout of photos - no time to figure it all out!

we raced home yesterday to bake a batch of scones. so yummy straight out of the oven with raspberry jam & cream. my nan would've been proud.

am all up myself on the baking front & might even have a little baking blog in the near future. because i have so much time on my hands - not!

more tits less arse

yesterday i bounced out of the hairdressers with a fab newish look, feeling beautiful & full of confidence........an hour later i was in the depths of depression in a myer dressing room with a bubbly assistant (i am sure she was swigging a v out the back) who spent more time looking at herself in the mirror than i could bare . i'd already been into witchery with 17 year old girls giving so called advice on how i looked......call me skeptical but i don't think they had my best interests at heart.

it appears i need more tits, less arse & about 6 inches in height. the good news is i now fit into most size 12's i tried on. the down side is, they still look shit!

the choices i tried on had me looking like i had 2 choices - granny v's hooker.

surely it's not that hard is it?

shoe string straps = freeze my (not large enough already) tits off in may.

too much fabric = looking frumpy on my 5 foot frame.

satin = show off every lump & bump on my body.

lace = not so sure.

is it bad taste to wear black to a wedding? i am always drawn to black & most of the frocks yesterday were black or mostly black....i was thinking of lightening it up with a cream flower brooch/headband or something?

wedding is at 2pm at paddo with the reception here. at this stage i am fearful i will be donning a toga or worse. i have a little voice saying make something....that could end in tears for sure.

any advice greatly accepted peeps!

where the fuck are trinny & susannah when you need them?

one day too long

ok, so we breezed through these school holidays....they flew...cf had some time off which helped. the thing is, he is in jakarta now and my boys had a "pupil free" day today....like 2 weeks wasn't quite enough rest for the teachers. we were all a bit lost today. boys were a tad bored. i was a bit over it all. we all did our own thing. and we all felt a little bored. these holidays were just a day too long.

so, i was thinking....what if we had a "patient free" day at work. you know, so we could get all of those boring jobs done without the interruptions. How civilised - no one pushing at knock off time. no one breaking their waters at morning tea time. no one having an emergency prior to me having breakfast......wouldn't it be nice! get all of the online education packages done in peace. catch up on the latest research in work time. actually pee and eat during the 8 hours at work! Noooooo!

teachers are a precious lot aren't they? they have schedules and routine and set times to pee and eat......such luxuries don't exist in my world that's for sure. So, i pay private school fees for my boys to have several pupil free days each term. yippee. i'd like to know what goes on at school on these days. it had better be good people!

inspiration

i found this here.
sorta cool i thought.
have a great easter weekend. this bunny is off to work today but then it is all board games and baking. have fun!

what i don't get

call me crazy (again) but i don't get:

• a woman so pure that she doesn't eat anything with a face (vegetarian apparently) but will happily sleep her way to the top. maybe the men she sleeps with don't have faces either?? did i mention the marriage and children too?
• parents who worry about pedophiles wondering the streets and then happily let their children (all under 7) roam the neighbourhood for hours on end without a parent in site.
• peeps on power trips who don't bat a mascara painted eyelash at stealing colleagues' ideas and passing them off as their own - continually. taking the credit and climbing their way over humble hard working peeps on their race to the top....while leaving their children at home alone with a babysitter.

is it just me? it makes me sad....children are not an accessory or an inconvenience. they need love and encouragement that only a parent knows. or is meant to know.....just saying...

weed addiction

no, i am not smoking it! i am totally addicted to weeds. for those who haven't had the pleasure, it is for adult viewers with a good sense of humour who can handle adult themes....and the f word. everyone i tell about it ends up loving it and addicted too. i am waiting for series 5 to be released. it is the first series i have ever watched beyond series 2. they all usually go to crap after that. this is the real deal. check it out...if you are game....you may just see where my head is really at!

and my man is addicted too. so we are meant to be together.

bunnies

ok, so i have new respect for the softie makers of the universe. here is my first attempt at a softie. the opinions (from the ones with penises) so far are:

• mutent scissor head bunny
• it doesn't look like a rabbit
• its sooo soft
• why aren't the ears floppier
• how do you know it's a she (durr)

i think i made it hard for myself...i had some super soft fur fabric which i thought would be perfect for a soft bunnie back. yes but not quick and easy. and this is the first face i have ever attempted too. after a glass of wine, i thought i could do anything...i was almost too scared to look in the daylight of this morning. a bit like when you are out drinking and reapply makeup in the girls toilets and look at the photos later....it has been many years since that has happened! a bridget jones moment for sure.

i loosely followed this tutorial here. i made the face up myself. and i ditched the instructions at the half way point. very 50percent...

well, she is finished. and of course she is a girl. as if i'd have another boy in the house! even the bird and cat are boys, so i need a chick on my side.....

weddings & love stories

he have a wedding to attend in a month. precious friends with a gorgeous girl. we have booked a room at the reception and the boys can watch movies and eat out the minibar to their heart's content. it is the first time we will be letting the kids do this. as #1 will be 13 soon, we need to give it a go. and we will be 1 floor down....

it got us to remembering our own wedding. we were so in love, broke and about to move to darwin and never lived together before. the wedding was arranged in just 6 weeks and was very small. 28 guests. it was emotional and relaxed. that was 14 years ago. we paid for it ourselves and it was on a very tight budget. but i don't think it's about the money and frills. it's about 2 peeps in love on a crazy journey together.

everyone thought i was up the duff....no, just in love!

see, i had just had the ink dry on my divorce papers - granted on valentines day (of course)...i had married young, the wrong person, wrong time. no kids. it happens....no regrets. i escaped to work in the middle east and came home to sell a house and repack bags for another adventure. i wasn't counting on ever getting married again....and then we found one another...and i just knew.
it was beautiful. and still is. my heart still skips a beat when he comes home from being away. we have been through so much and we are still here, in love and looking forward to each and every new chapter....good and bad...together it will work out....i want the happy ending.

this is the first photo of a wedding i found with a quick search. check out their gorgeous photos here they are so in love and it makes my heart sing. and yes, he is bald! i am not into the tats though....

tea (or condom) wallet

i saw this on nerida's blog this morning and had to give it a go. perfect for the mother's day stall at school. perfect for my mum as a little extra to her mother's day present and perfect for me too. CF says it could fit condoms too.....i am sure he is still suffering from post-vasectomy-stress disorder. seriously, i doubt he could remember the last time he needed a condom wallet!

so, if you need a stash of condoms discreetly hidden away, or peppermint teabags to stow in your bag...give this a go. it takes around 30 minutes if you are nerida or an hour if you are me. i have been storing my teabags in a plastic ziplock bag, so now they have a pretty home.

there is much for me to improve on here...it is a prototype. i didn't bother with the topstitching either as i was sure to stuff that up. and i used some ribbon i had and a cheap button from big w - hey, it looks all vintage! i am avoiding spotlight of late, so using what i have.

and i would stick with velcro if you are the condom type. you wouldn't want to lose precious moments with a fiddly button!

current addictions

i have to confess i am a magazine whore......i devour them and make piles beside my bed and re-read often and dream of future projects.....ahhh. stuff like these

i am also hooked on the twilight series...don't ask why. i cannot explain....maybe it is my adolescent brain making a comeback...i escape into a world of vampires each night before bed...and i am sleeping better than ever now...wtf???

in other randomness....

• i cannot buy enough danish feta to keep me happy
• i am totally addicted to the biggest loser - i cry each episode and am so proud of their achievements. i put on 30kgs each pregnancy (and i am 5ft 2)...i feel their pain! they inspire me. and no, don't panic...i don't roll around the halls anymore
• basil is my best friend - in pasta, frittatas, salads...you get the idea
• cooking magazines and books....if only i cooked more.
• wagamama - i have eaten here 3 times in about 6 weeks. it is heaven. a definite addiction

ok it is board game time with my boys...i am off to build a hotel empire with aquire. cool game for adults too! and addictive!

rabbits

isn't this the cutest rabbit ever! look here for an inspirational blog and store.

i don't really get into the whole easter thing. it is a great excuse for extra chocolate of the lindt variety but it has never been big for us. what a great excuse to make some softies though! i need to make time for these critters.

love it love it love it

nerida reminded me of this teatowel and i do remember laughing out loud when i first saw it months ago. thanks for making my day again! you can find it here.

i am a woman of contrasts - maybe just crazy!

i have had some time to reflect on me of late. and i am sooooo 50percent! i am a little conflicted. what sort of woman are you?

• i live in a gorgeous big home and am blessed in so many ways - not necessarily materially - but feel sort of guilty because we have so much
• i am little miss a la natural, no medications, pro pranic healing and natural therapies but i have a regular brazillian and hate unpainted toenails
• i like the smell and sound of the ocean but i hate the sand in my pants
• i had a spiritual getaway by myself for my 40th last year. i went to thailand and paid for a coffin for an unclaimed body, attended temples, fed the monks and felt such love and gratitude for the peeps and all i have around me - there and here. and then i stayed in a 5 star hotel for a week
• i hate the politics at work but then find myself being involved in it
• i don't want to move house but i am actively encouraging my husband to apply for a job in bangkok
• i want stability for our boys and i love the school they are in and their friends but am excited at the prospect of a chance of living for 3 years in bangkok

lets face it - i am just crazy!

my very own pierce brosnan

ok, so the same cpr friend - read cpr post - does this thing where she imagines the sort of lives we live outside of work. you would have to work with us to even imagine what we see in a day and trust me, some days we need the escape to imaginary worlds....
anyhow, for me she revealed that i would have a gorgeous doting husband who looks like pierce brosnan, live an amazing life, with my 2 wonderful boys.....cue my hysterical laughter as she was telling me this...she just looks at me and says he's bald isn't he? i was still laughing but managed a nod. we both nearly wet our pants. so, i was retelling this to CF and he just looks at me and says...so now i have gone from being pierce brosnan to george costanza! great, she thinks i am george from seinfeld! honey you are no george...you are my very own 007! and i dig bald guys!!

fabric buy

so here is my fabric booty from during the week. from funky fabrix at mitchelton. i must dream up something cool......one day.
the sun has hidden again, so photo is crap! and it is a tad humid!!!
boy #1 returned from 3 rain soaked days of camp. a little tired and smelly but unharmed.
and yes, oficially school holidays again now. a few sleep ins are planned here i can tell you.
i am very unmotivated and a little grumpy (apparently).....you know the days when everything seems a chore. and you feel a little bitchy and lazy....and want to hide from everyone for peace and quiet.
i am hiding in here pretending to craft but just got found out...the boys are both crafting and painting (and eating cheezles i think) and CF is applying for new jobs. he is trying not to be fat, forty & fired - a funny read if you get the book. but i am sure he secretly wishes he had 6 months to waste away the days....personally, i think he would be bored by week 2. and one of us would be dead. his personality just doesn't suit relaxing! he is mr overachiever, mr bored easily, mr high expectations....and i compliment him so well as i am not these things (apparently).
more on him next post! i adore him though and he knows when it is best to leave me in hiding!

new mantra

thanks to domesticali for this source of inspiration. my previous has been this one....

i think they both came from creaturecomforts
have a great day!