Party time...

How do I define my blog?

A smidge of crafty creativity

A few fab furniture finds

Some painting creativity

fed well with food and coffee....mmmm

tossed wtih some home musings and renovating

and embraced with a bit of family fun

I hope that this answers the most important of questions being asked at the latest party held by the wonderful Sarah at Modern Country Style.





I am late...as usual! And perhaps that perfectly illustrates my blogging style: I am a relaxed cruisy blogger with all the best intentions of being here more often.  Instead, due to family, work and day-to-day life commitments, I am here maybe once a week.

I love colour - house paint, oils, pastels, acrylics, fabric, leaves, trees, sky...I just love it. It was my constant ramblings of creativity, met with glazed expressions and the "uh-huhs" of my husband (clearly thinking about something else), that led me to engaging with the blogging community.

My affinity for colour means I love to paint, draw and doodle; to dabble in mixing, blending, smoodging (yeh, surely that is an art term!). I love it so much, sometimes in my enthusiasm to get started, I don't change out of my "normal" day clothes - so I have lots of clothes with paint on them.  Whoops!

So that's where my second blog comes in: Paint With Me!

The intention of that blog is to engage and inspire other people who *may* want to give painting a try, but find "learn to paint" or "pay to learn" either intimidating or more of a commitment than they really want.

I figure I love painting and sharing...I love talking!...so why not combine the two and if just one person gets something from it, then that makes me happy.

And, that's me!!

I really am enjoying Sarah's party, because there are some truly wonderful blogs and I feel a little sad that there is just not enough time in the day to pay credit to all the talent that there is out there!

Thank you Sarah for organising a super party!!

Hugs

Cath

It's my birthday!

Hello my lovely friends

Today it was my birthday.

Normally this is the one day of the year that I can indulge myself by staying put in bed and have my family wait on me. What's not to love!

This morning was particularly special, because my lovely children are old enough now to make me breakfast in bed without guidance from an adult.

Spoilt!!

Normally I am not *all about the presents*: I'm more of an attention hound, soaking up lots of love.

Well today, I admit, I was all about the present. But I think after I tell you about it, you will see why.

(insert melodic "earlier that day" harp music)

There I was, propped up in our bed with my lovely husband Mark next to me, the children were all excited about giving me my presents.

I should mention, Mark spent all last night giggling to himself about his present, so I knew he was pretty chuffed with his efforts this year.

First up, Boo hands me a beautifully wrapped present; being three, she took it straight back instructing that she must open it for me!

What do you know, a book!

Woo hoo!!

I love books.

I love French stuff.

Happy days!

Next, my two little men gave me a hand made card with a beautifully drawn Eiffel Tower on the front.

My eldest little man and I had been printing Paris maps on fabric together over the weekend, so I was proud he was paying attention to what I like.

You know.

French stuff.

My present was a new scarf and beanie. Beautiful! We are coming into cooler weather, so this is perfect for watching them play their outdoor weekend sports. A beautiful, logical and thoughtful gift.

Finally, my lovely husband handed me a gorgeous card with some cryptic message that the squirrel with nuts on the front (the card itself says "that's nuts, your not that old". Bless him.) is a distant hint to the present. Okay....?

He hands me my present. It's another wrapped book.

What?!

Eloquent, I know.

Now I have to explain that Mark has this way about him, that when he knows that he has me completely speechless, he just blinks at me.

I kid you not.

He has these big blue peepers; he gets this look on his face and he blinks.

The truth is, behind those big blue eyes is a man performing a happy dance, giving himself a hi-five and yelling out "score!".

I finally managed to squeak out a few incoherent questions which enabled me to properly put the puzzle together.

The scarf and beanie are actually (if I looked closer), a scarf and BERET.
There are squirrels in Paris.

There may have been a little grinding sound as my caffeine deprived brain finally moved into gear.

It turns out, we are going to enjoy Paris in Autumn this September as a combined birthday and anniversary present.

Yup!!

Now, I won't lie, I spent my birthday a little bit dazed and stunned.  Mark on the other hand; well, the little dancing man in his head had finally escaped, so he was proudly strutting around, proud as punch!

I love Autumn. I was born in Autumn. We got married in Autum. What's not to love about Autumn!! Forget Spring; for me, Autumn is the season of love.

And I am in love with my husband who is,...well, he is the bees knees!!

Love you baby!!

Have a thoroughly happy day everyone,

Hugs

Cath
x

PS - all tips, hints and recommendations for where to go in Paris are *very* welcome. x

Autumn food inspiration

The last couple of weeks has brought a real change in the weather;

the nights are cooler and

the sun takes longer to rise in the morning.

The early golden rays,

peeking through the gum trees at the back of our home,

highlight the russet display of colour

that creeps further into our yard with each passing day.

So today, feeling inspired, my little Belle and I made bread,

topped with the Blackberry Jam I made a month or so ago.

Lucky us!!

I hope you are having an equally beautiful Monday.

Big hugs

Cath

Goodbye dear friend

This is our gorgeous dog Bronson, who gently passed away to sleep this weekend.

He was 16 years old and spent much of the past year asleep near the front door, during the day, or at the end of the bed at night time. Both these spaces are now very empty.

Bronnie had the most beautiful and patient nature;

He taught my eldest son that dogs can be gentle;

He taught my middle son that a dog really is mans best friend; and

He taught our little angel that if she drops food she doesn't like on the floor,
he will always be there to hoover it up;
that if she lies on him, kisses him, smothers him or takes his chew balls...
he will be willing to take such treatment, to a point, in exchange for all food shared.

Bronson now has a beautiful resting place in our garden.

Forever in our hearts.

My new inspiration addiction

Hi all

Today I wanted to share a new blog and a great new inspiration party to join;

Bird/Like,

Decor and Fashion inspired by birds and nature. 

Wonderful!

Anne from Bird/Like is hosting a Bird Inspired Design Board Monday, and in doing so introduced me to my new addiction: Olioboard!! 

It is a fantastic interactive online tool that allows you to create multiple mood boards, from a wealth of decor items.

Fun!!

I have spent so much time just playing with my very first mood board, inspired by the Bower Bird.

I have to admit this little chap totally inspired me, as did Olioboard, because:

just like a bower bird,

off I went, 

collecting items to store away:

for what?

I have no idea!

But they sure were pretty!!

Please go and take a look at Bird/Like to hook up with Inspiration Monday!!

It sure does promise to be LOTS of fun!!

Hugs

Cath

A quick addition for the wall

Hello dear friends

First, thank you for your sweet comments and emails about my last post.  I am glad to report that this last week has proved considerably quieter on many fronts, and on others the stresses are finally come to a close.

I took some time for myself during this to whip up a couple of quick paintings for our family room walls.

We are slowly decorating.  In fact, I think it is so slow at times I have to wonder if we can call it "decorating" - is decorating an actual concerted effort towards change, or a gradual change that just seems to happen?  Either way, change is the intent, and we are getting there :-)

Anyway, enough rambling.

Believe me when I say this was quick and in context of the room, very effective.

Do you want to learn how?

I have used wall paint (yep, no fancy paints here!) that I have incorporated into my recent home changes;


White
Beige
Aqua, and
chocolate (this sounds so much better than brown)
 
And you know, I can show you how to do the same!

Keen?  Pop on over to my other blog Paint with Me (see the button to the left...no, make that the right!), where I will post a tutorial in the coming week.

Again, you guys are the best!! Mwah!

Big hugs

Cath
xx

Having a moment...

Hi all my lovelies

 

I am sorry I have been missing in action; there is just too much on my plate at the moment and unfortunately this means I just want to flunk on the couch at the end of the day.

In no particular order:

• my husbands parents, who are in their 80s are in the early stages of dementia; they are only 2 minutes from us so my husband has spent the last year assisting with numerous health assesments, supporting the sale of their home, organising their move into a retirement village...only two more weeks and they will be settled in. Luckily his sister is near enough to also be helped this process along beautifully - but it all takes it's toll after a while;
• Our dog of 16 years is, well...on his last legs.  We have had the talk with the children and now it is just time to get the vet to come over; he has a lovely place ready in the garden.
• my grandmother in QLD, who is 93, has had a fall recently and broke her collar bone.  She has dementia which means she is in a heightened state of confusion - while she was in the hospital they found that she was terribly aenemic, which is most likely why she fell, and required two blood transfusions. The aenemia was due to massive ulceration of her esophogus (I have no idea if I am spelling any of these words correctly!)so she is getting treatment for that too;
• I have had both my boys have massive crashes on their skooters in the last month - both involving facial and limb injury.  The first was my youngest man who crashed on the way home from school; skidded along his nose and lip and battered up his elbow: I had a phone call at work from the side of the road for that one. The second crash was my eldest out the front out of our house - he timed this perfectly with our wee one jamming two of her fingers. He crashed off his home made ramp: as he later said it was a "three point landing" knee, head, shoulder. Let's not talk about the helmet he wasn't wearing, but he couldn't walk, so that included a trip the hospital. No breaks, but a severe amount of swelling, antibiotics to prevent infection in his wound (blergh!) and Mumma attention required constantly. Boys!!
• I can't find my special doovie to download my photos off my camera...hence, no photos at the moment either.

Sorry about the big blergh,... I am missing catching up on all my favourite blogs and telling you all the GOOD things that are happening here too. Because yes, there is good.

• We have a new beautiful TV cabinet for our family room;
• I recovered and painted my kids toy box for a "storage" box;
• I have made cushion covers;
• I have (as at now) undercoated another chest, ready for painting;
• I have whipped up a painting for the wall to compliment the new colour scheme - white, aqua and chocolate.  It is abstract and very simple;
• I've made blackberry jam; it was my first time and OH MY! I kept making scones, just so I could eat the jam...!  Yep, a couple of extra kgs went on there!

I have also been working: it sort of straddles the good and bad category :-D

 

So please forgive my absence - I will be back soon!

 

Big hugs

 

Cath
xx