a date to remember

hard to believe that it has been 3 weeks since my last post. i seem to be ultra busy but getting nowhere! i am loving my night fill job at Big W but wish it was a more permanent thing. i don't like having to wait by the phone but i guess it is better than nothing. the pay is a third that of relief teaching but it is a no thinking job, just what i need right now. apart from night fill and relief teaching i have been trying to keep up with making stock for the cottage and filling an order for Christmas peg dolls.

it is so much fun making these sweet pegs but time consuming...i have so many ideas for Christmas stock but so little time.

in amongst all of this work i still have to run the house...keep up with the cleaning, cooking , shopping etc... and be a shoulder to cry on for mick who is going through a low point. i just wish i knew the future would be fine but at the moment it is just one big ball of stress.

anyhow, some good news to cheer us up is that my sister Anita is coming home from London for good!! she has been gone for over 7 years and we have missed her so much. it will be nice to have her home and start working towards a joint venture. she is a very creative soul, just wish she was home right now.

and today marks 12 years since mick and i first met here in Brisbane on a blind date. my sister Narelle thought that we would make a great couple and she was right...12 years on here we are with 10 years of marriage, 3 kids, 2 cars and a mortgage!

that is why Halloween will always be special to me.

best go and work on one of the many things i want to make this week...

xxxrosey

look whose had a facelift

no I haven't had a face lift but Coutts Cottage has. Lilly Cottage and Friends now takes up 2 of the 4 rooms and both verandahs and the new colour really highlights our shabby pretties. Despite the rain, we opened the doors to those brave enough to come out and had quite a reasonable trading day. i just love rainy days but this weather is seriously outrageous! the rain seems to have been non stop for at least 2 weeks with the past 3 days seeing record falls. i kept the girls home today (and our gorgeous neighbour) as the thought of heading out in that swirling rain was unimaginable. hope it has eased by Wednesday because i have to go to work, no ifs or buts!

anyhow i thought i better post some shots of the new look Coutts Cottage and some pretties to tantalise you.

here she is in all her cream glory, she is not quite finished yet mind you, i am not sure what the trim will be but anything will be an improvement on THAT apricot. the painters still have a way to go but you can see that apricot just disappearing... we usually have some items hanging but of course all of our nails and screws have been removed. looks a tad bare but still pretty. the windy rainy weather was a bit worrisome, we ended up putting this vase on the ground as we were worried the wind would blow it over. come inside and I'll show you a few pretties. cupcake anyone? some pretties for you to swoon over. my little flea market/bohemian style shelf looks super cute, just love my little owls...

especially this one Linda painted this pretty gal, just lovely don't you think?

there you have it, our little cottage coming together nicely. it certainly doesn't feel like work that's for sure.

hope you have a wonderful week, i will be trying to stay dry...quack quack!

xxrosey

Goodbye September Hello October

is it just me or did September fly by at a phenomenal speed? lucky i took some photos during the month because i am buggered if i can recall any of it... we are on the slippery slope into Christmas and as always each weekend seems to fill up fast with activities or 'must do' tasks and i find that my head is already spinning. luckily kerryanne is organising a home made Christmas blogging special with amazing ideas, money saving tips from herself and guest bloggers, and even a giveaway or two, so if you are stuck for ideas or need some inspiration become a follower to keep up to date.

the first step in her homemade Christmas is an all important organiser which can be downloaded from her blog (see told you she would keep you on track). i will add her button to my sidebar as soon as i work out how to do it (someone remind me please...).

but before i look to the future i might just go back to the past and recap what September actually held for me and my little family. as i said before the camera reveals all and reminds me of the fun we had.

during the month of September we were visited by some dear friends who travelled from my home town of toowoomba to come see us and our little space out at the markets. i have known Darren for over 15 years and his lovely wife Sarena for 10, so when we get together we just pick up where we left off. we had a great time eating and drinking and watching the girls play with their gorgeous daughter Adelaide.

here's Adelaide on the trampoline. for better/more photos click here we met up with some more friends out at the markets and enjoyed a tasty lunch and a play in the park. (which is most likely where we got the ticks from!)

the next night we gathered up my dad and headed over to my nieces school for a musical extravaganza...

this was the best night out! amazing how young children can be so very entertaining. here is Chelsea surrounded by her adoring fans... my sister Narelle and my dad Boris waiting to go in.

here is Chelsea on stage during one of the many songs. i must say we were all thoroughly entertained and amazed at the talent of these young children.

on the first weekend of the school holidays Mick blew out 37 candles... cuddles and present opening... not quite 37 candles but i didn't want to burn the house down ~_~ raspberry swirl cake is our most favourite!

then the very next day we celebrated Chloe's 4th birthday at hungry jacks

she is such a cutie!

During the school holidays we managed to get up to visit micks dad and step mum in their new home in Hervey Bay. it was a really nice drive, the scenery was pretty and stopping along the way broke the drive up. we pulled into a rest area and were greeted by many birds who live by the man made lakes. these fellas got a little too close for comfort but were fascinating as the girls had never been so close to geese of this size. we had a really nice time, very relaxing indeed. this is my attempt at an artistic shot at Burrum Heads while the girls did this... look at that water!! the water was chilly but you cant stop children from getting in.... here are the girls and mick with Jim and Leona. we hope to get back up there in the new year before school starts again.

we returned to Brisbane just in time for a skating party held in honour of Hannah's 8th birthday. the girls had such a good time. i forgot how much of a workout skating can be, i dressed the girls in warmish clothes cause our day was overcast...big mistake, look how red my lili is!!

here is the birthday girl.

and here are the 4 year olds. these 2 are so cute! look how red she is! it is hard to believe that lili came 2nd in the limbo competition..she cant skate. Mia held on the whole time, a few more sessions and she might be able to go round without holding on and falling over . they had a great time, makes me want to go back and join in the fun...

phew what a long post...sorry bout that, perhaps i shouldn't leave it so long next time...

it has taken me a whole hour to write this post! i best be off and do some sort of housework before school pick up time.

mwah rosey

tuesdays treasures

hello and welcome to another installment of 'Tuesdays Treasures'. as much as i would like to play along with Clare each Tuesday, something always pops up and before i know it Tuesday is but a memory...anyhow this time i am showing some items of clothing that hold sentimental value to me.

is it just me or when it comes to fine details of events does your memory fail? i am not sure if what i think is accurate but i believe that this little item of clothing was made by my mother out of her wedding dress...not sure if i wore it or whether it was intended for a doll or teddy. in my memory i believe some friend of the family gave it to me when i was in my late teens and told me that my mother had made it, they had kept it to give to me...sounds silly but that is my memory. (if any of my family read this, not many do, maybe they could tell me the truth)

the second item of clothing is much clearer to me.

this is the slip that my gorgeous grandmother wore (maternal) every day of her life, well maybe not everyday of her life, but to me it seems like it. when i look at it i am transported back in time to her little room at the nursing home. i spent many an hour making her cups of tea eating biscuits with her and laying on her bed while she sang or stroked my hair. i would sit in the old arm chair and read the readers digest and listen to her complaints about this and that. the strap on this slip would always hang down her arm and i would pop it back into place. i loved walking around the nursing home, past the dining hall, the entrance and the infirmary (which always scared me). i know it seems strange to keep them, but to me they are a piece of my history, even if i don't remember it all that well.

i like to think i was a good granddaughter, others may have different memories to me, perhaps there were times when i didn't want to visit but when i was in university i would drive myself out and take her some panadol and some tasty treat.

it was fun showing the girls and telling them how ladies always wore a slip under their dresses for fear of revealing too much flesh. boy, gone are THOSE days!

thanks for reading along, head here to see others treasures.

xxrosey

lets celebrate

we celebrated a religious milestone on Friday night, lili received the first sacrament of reconciliation after many weeks of preparation. it was a lovely ceremony that ended with the releasing of balloons into the night sky and a big fat piece of cake. we presented lili with a lovely cross before we left for the church and headed out for ice cream after it was all over. lili was pleased as punch with the whole event and has a wonderful memory of this special occasion. her lovely teacher made the effort to be there to support her and the other children. i am so glad it is over though as the guilt of missing one Sundays mass is enough to drive me to drink 0_o the photos below show some of the fun we had.

lili loved this little cross which is now hanging above her bed.

having a cuddle before we head off, i straightened Mia's hair very quickly so it looks a bit funny...

lili took this photo, i really don't like being in photos... heading out to set the balloons free along with their sins.

tasty cake!

lili with her lovely teacher Mrs Williams and here she is with Father Chinua

congratulations lili, we are proud of you and your love for being a good girl.

book week surprise win

it is hard to believe that another week is almost over, some days the sun goes up and down before i even know it!! i am still enjoying my relief teaching days but am yet to have two consecutive days in a row. that day off is always filled to the brim with things to do and still i find no time for crafting or sewing..how is this possible???

anyhow this week was 'book week' at my girls school and on Wednesday they had to dress as a character from a book and if they were lucky enough they could win a certificate and a prize. i never go to any expense for these day and usually find something suitable in the dress up box or something from our cupboards. this is what we came up with and amazingly enough one of the girls won! can you guess who??

Mia was happy to go as Goldilocks and found a cute hand me down dress from the dress up box, popped her favourite teddy under her arm and carried a wooden spoon and bowl. i thought she looked super cute! lili went as Mr Pockets a character from one of the short listed books and look just a treat in mister moos over sized jacket and hat.

can you guess who won??

surprise surprise lili won!!! i was very surprised indeed. proves that spending NO MONEY can still get you somewhere :) she actually won the same thing when she was in prep and that was with a thrifted jacket from Linda. i think lili is very lucky and perhaps i should pop my lotto ticket under her pillow...

oh and i had to pop this photo in... ol' sour puss was very upset cause she wasn't involved in the day. she has to wait another year before she gets to go to big school and have such great days... isn't her sad face so cute? and before i go a big happy fathers day to all those wonderful dads and grandpas out there, hope you were treated well.

xxrosey