Last post for the year....

 Slowly packing up ready to head to the coast tomorrow for a wonderful break... Long walks on the beach, riding our bikes, swimming and eating yummy food...This photo was taken at the Christmas markets in Verona last December...I loved this city so much.... So many wonderful families out enjoying each others company...I will enjoy every second with my beautiful little family this Christmas... Thank you to all of you out there for a wonderful year in blog land...I hope you have a truly blessed Christmas and a magical new year....

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas .......

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  ~Norman Vincent Peale

Just finishing off my last order for the year....Quiet a nice feeling :) so I thought I would take a few photos this afternoon.... We are heading to the coast for 9 nights over Christmas/New Year break so my extremely exhausted hubby can have a proper break...

Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance.  It may weave a spell of nostalgia.  Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.  ~Augusta E. Rundel

Twelve years have gone by......

A little plaque for my dad on his favourite tree at the family farm

I awoke this morning to the beautiful sound of rain on my tin roof....I lay in bed and thought about my gorgeous dad that passed away 12 years ago today...  Andrew was just waking up so I jumped into bed with him and I told him how proud his pop would have been of him, of his achievements and of how this lovely boy treated his mamma.....I lay with Andrew for a long while and we talked about the wonderful man my dad was...  He lived a very simple life and his greatest love and joy was his family, I was the youngest of 5 children and he was one of those men that would tell you how beautiful you were every day, he was never ashamed to cry over a movie and tell you how much he loved you... He went to school till he was only 12 and then worked on the family farm till his mum passed away when he was only 15...he then moved away and worked in the mines for over 10 years and then came home and married my mum.... They adored each other and still looked at each other like they had just fallen in love for the first time after 49 years of marriage... When my dad was very, very ill and we had all came home to see him, he talked to us all and cuddled us and said he never ever wanted to leave any of us because we were his greatest joy of his life...

I love my father as the stars - he's a bright shining example and a happy twinkling in my heart.  ~Terri Guillemets

Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever.  ~Author Unknown 

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

1st December 2011

Today was a day of listening to lovely Christmas music, visiting a new kitchen ware shop that we all hope to go to for cooking lessons in 2012.... Baking yummy cookies and making marshmallows with raspberry coolie through them.... We all wore red either in a scarf or Andrew had a red shirt on and we smiled at the joy of being together... Missing europe so much this year on the run into Christmas.   At this time last year we were staying at a chateau in north eastern France...and playing in the snow....Visiting europe changed me forever... Even though sitting in my studio right now listening to the rain on the tin roof of my little cottage is pretty special too.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. 

my children....

My little girl got her P's this week...Sorry not a great photo but only had her mobile phone at the time.... We have a new little white Mazda 3 hatch that will be hers in a years time at the moment she will share it with us...Both my beautiful children are home with me now, school and uni are finished for the year...They both should be extremely proud of themselves, they have worked so very hard....Just trying to finish up my orders and I will take about a month off work to enjoy them and be refreshed for loads more creating in 2012...

Famille day :)

What a lovely day with my beautiful family.....

Firstly, a beautiful little french patisserie in Brisbane, organic raspberry and apple juice and pastries to share...and some yummy macarons in all different flavours to bring home...  Then the boys dropped Kirstie and I off at the Finders Keepers markets while they did a little shopping.  Wonderful hand made goods from extremely talented artists...Bought a couple of Christmas presents and browsed for a couple of hours and then off to Ikea to pick up a couple of big photo frames Kirstie wanted for her room.......

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.

Help for a friend PLEASE....

My dear friend Leanne from Tassie just bought this house and HATES the colours....She was wondering if my blogging friends had any ideas for her..... ?????? It is a 1920's Californian Bungalow....

Well tomorrow will be our 20 year anniversary....  Geoff and I have known each other since we were 15...  He was one of those boys that would drive you insane but he become one of my closest friends...He had liked me for 3 years but I didn't want to cross the line of friendship and boyfriend... One day while visiting me at the farm we were mucking around chasing each other around his car and we kissed and the rest as they say is history...(even though its a bit of a running joke because he thinks I kissed him and I think he kissed me) We dated for 7 years before we married.... He still drives me a little crazy but I wouldn't change him for the world....  

Look into my eyes - you will see 

What you mean to me 

Search your heart - search your soul 

And when you find me there you'll search no more 

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for 

You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for 

You know it's true 

Everything I do - I do it for you 

Look into your heart - you will find 

There's nothin' there to hide 

Take me as I am - take my life 

I would give it all - I would sacrifice 

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for 

I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more 

Ya know it's true 

Everything I do - I do it for you 

There's no love - like your love 

And no other - could give more love 

There's nowhere - unless you're there 

All the time - all the way 

Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for 

I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more 

I would fight for you - I'd lie for you 

Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you 

this song we had at our wedding and it says it all.... we have definitely had our ups and downs but love is worth it...

Inspiration - quotes, sayings and my childhood...

We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing. 

Louisa May Alcott 

 I have been slowly starting to get back into the swing of creating and just enjoying....Trying not to take on too much so I can use more creativity rather then feeling like I am mass producing...  My latest inspiration for charms are some of my favourite books or quotes from my favourite books.... Especially classics from my childhood.....

I still wish the world would slow down just a little so everything didn't seem so urgent and have to be done yesterday.... I remember as a little girl growing up on a small dairy farm and just sitting for hours watching the cows or playing with my piglets in their pen.  The beautiful days of lush green grass against the picture perfect blue skies and waiting patiently for an easterly breeze to sweep through from the ocean after a scorching hot day.... 

My sweet little girl is going through so much change in her life at the moment...and she is trying to think of all these things she should be doing and I said you just need to breath for a little while....

Have a lovely week :)

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. 

 Hope is a waking dream. 

Aristotle

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. 
Mother Teresa 

 

Pretty Packaging

Well my friends I spent a lovely afternoon cleaning charms on there way to Norway.... I LOVE packaging!!!! I love to make people feel like they are getting a present rather then an order :)...I love the simplicity of white crisp paper ( I am actually using some Australian 100% recycled at the moment - really lovely) or plain kraft... My colour palette is soft grey, brown, white, linen and black.... 

Kirstie is doing her first prac with toddlers and has nearly finished her first week and is just loving it...so nice to watch as a mummy.... She only has 2 weeks left of uni and then her first year is over....

“I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.” 

“You may tire of reality but you never tire of dreams.” 

“There is such a place as fairyland - but only children can find the way to it. And they do not know that it is fairyland until they have grown so old that they forget the way. One bitter day, when they seek it and cannot find it, they realize what they have lost; and that is the tragedy of life. On that day the gates of Eden are shut behind them and the age of gold is over. Henceforth they must dwell in the common light of common day. Only a few, who remain children at heart, can ever find that fair, lost path again; and blessed are they above mortals. They, and only they, can bring us tidings from that dear country where we once sojourned and from which we must evermore be exiles. The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and story-tellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland.”  

 words from ― L.M. Montgomery (one of Kirstie's favourite authors)

Dreaming.....

At the Christmas markets in Roma last December......

It has been a year of change, a year of indecisiveness on my part...Not knowing exactly what I want to do in my creative pursuits...Being home again in the little cottage where my dreams come alive....and come true.....Watching my babies grow into adults....Sharing their hopes and dreams and sometimes their sadness... When opportunity knocks do you just grab it by the throat and run with it or do you sit down and think and prioritise... ??????  What do you think?????

Nature

Driving home the other afternoon at about 4  the sky was just so incredibly pretty...This is a strange sort of sunset (yes this is the sun not the moon) caused by loads of smoke haze.....Nature never ceases to amaze me......

my girl

Precious moments in time..... Earlier this week Kirstie spent a lovely couple of hours in the kitchen baking some extremely yummy red velvet cupcakes....She loved every minute of it and it was so lovely to see that beautiful smile of hers...This year has been a bit of a struggle for her....I think sometimes it is just too much on her plate and not being able to just enjoy moments like this...  She leaves on a 7 day cruise tomorrow so I am missing her already :) and she hasn't even left....I know she will have an amazing time......

 To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”

-- Anatole France

Happy Birthday my beautiful boy !!!

What a lovely day!!!!  My little boy turned 15 ....  We had a yummy breakfast out, did a little shopping and went to the movies (they are both on Spring break)... Kirstie made some absolutely gorgeous little red velvet cheesecakes and wow they were good.... Lots of laughs, hugs and chatting....a perfect day!!!

carnival time - so pretty

Had to go and do a few errands in Toowoomba a couple of days ago so decided to take my little camera...Carnival of Flowers has started and all the parks look so pretty....Yesterday Kirstie and I took a sandwich and sat in the beautiful sun in the park and I did a little paper work while Kirstie finished off a uni assignment...  Still not feeling 100%......but this beautiful sunny weather definitely puts a smile on my face....

playing around.....

Still having a lot of trouble getting over this flu (barky cough, headaches and lack of voice which my hubby is probably happy about :) which makes it near then impossible to solder, concentration level is zip.  So I have packaged up several orders this morning and now just making some notes about things I want to do etc with the weeks and months ahead.... I love this combination of zinc and glass (this will be a new line very soon)....Everyone needs to go over and read Vicki Archer's post today....so truly beautiful it is beyond words....Here is couple of gorgeous sayings from William Ellery Channing......

"We look forward to the time when the power to love will replace the love of power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace."

 “No one should part with their individuality and become that of another.”

“Beauty is an all-pervading presence. It unfolds to the numberless flowers of the Spring; it waves in the branches of the trees and in the green blades of grass; it haunts the depths of the earth and the sea, and gleams out in the hues of the shell and the precious stone. And not only these minute objects, but the ocean, the mountains, the clouds, the heavens, the stars, the rising and the setting sun all overflow with beauty. The universe is its temple; and those people who are alive to it can not lift their eyes without feeling themselves encompassed with it on every side.”

Spring

On the last day of winter a nasty bout of the flu hit me....After 3 days of fevers, no voice, runny nose, barky cough and aching like I have never had before, I decided the best way to cheer myself up was to take some pretty photos..... I hope you like them....