Let's celebrate the little rays of sunshine

Wow!!

It has been so long since I have been here that I almost forgot what you look like!

I must say though, 

you are looking rather lovely today

...have you done something new with your hair?

No?  Well, let me tell you then that you look WoNDerful today!!

At this time of year we are smack in the middle of winter...smack cold, frozen, iced over, winter.  But let's be honest, we are in Australia...

So how cold can it get?

Well, where I live we have cars frosted over that need de-icing.  My boys like to do this by using the warmth of their hands so I end up with little warm hand prints all over the frosted windows.  That's about as bad as it gets.

If it snows, which has happened here in the last 2 years, we get really excited and stand around in the yard with our mouths open trying to catch flakes on our tongues.

Well, the kids and I do at least - the lovely just looks on fondly.

The truth is I love winter!! Mostly for the special days where the wind is still, the sun shines and the freshness of the cold morning is invigorating and makes you feel alive.

So in celebration of the winter rays of sunshine, let's have a wee peek at some beautiful inspiration.

I don't know about you, but I have noticed lots of yellow with black, white and grey lately.  I am not talking the yellow walls that we injected into happy homes in the 90s,  but rather the pops of sunny cheery yellow.

Don't you think that the yellow really sparkles

in the calming neutrals we love right now?

I am loving this gorgeous abstract, 

set behind the crisp white vase and the bare branches.

Seriously, who needs flowers?

Actually, I do...so lets just forget that last question.

all images from decorpad

For me it is the artwork that makes this scheme work.

Being a large piece, it helps to break the wallpaper 

and bring together the striking combination

of contrasting colour and pattern.

Would you have picked yellow, turquoise and grey together?

I don't truly know if I could live in this 24/7,  

but I do love the colour adventure...

 the solid turquoise and grey chairs, 

the yellow curtains, 

all set against the patterned grey rug and happy yellow wallpaper...

As you all know, I love colour and for me yellow is happy.  

Plain and simple.

Happy Sunshine!!!

Hugs

Cath

x

Please be kind...phone blogging is not easy....

Hi friends!!

I'm terrible, yes? I know, I know; it is too long between posts and standard excuses of family, work and other commitments all start to sound thin when EVERYONE has the same hectic lifestyle.

Add to that, I've returned to blog and now, for some odd reason, blogger is not loading. I am hoping it is a temporary issue that will miraculously resolve itself.

However, for now, I am typing one fingered on my phone. Fun!!

I spent a lovely winter Sunday with my folks down the coast, and what I wanted to share today was my Dad and his photography. Just quietly, he rocks photography! And since Dad has followed me since the beginning, I know he will be reading.

Hey Dad! Yes; permission is granted to glow ;)

While we were at the coast Dad entered the 'weekly shooter' comp at Photo Art. Dad came second in one of the previous BIG international competitions. This week Dad won the weekly 'shoot out' theme of movement...with a photo of our little Boo riding a tricycle.

Very proud!!

So please check out my Dadda, here : http://www.photoartgallery.com/artist/tiabunna

I am sooo disappointed I can't post a photo to show you all the super photo he took on the weekend when I demonstrated to my middle little-man (after we ate) why you don't feed seagulls while you are eating...they swarm! He thought it was a hoot!!

Anyway, again forgive me. Hopefully I will be back to normal soon.

Hugs,

Cath

Family history

Hi all my beautiful, and patient, friends

Can you guess what this is?

Or, perhaps the question should be: who did this?

Before I tell you, I do need to apologise for my absence.  Short and sweet: work is busy.  So please stick with me;  you aren't forgotten.

Now, on to the exciting news.... 

Recently my lovely Dad sent an email to family members with a link to this beautiful sampler.

On the reverse it reads:

Phillis Dixon 1873, Prestatyn, born 1863 Melide Flint North Wales. In 1881 listed as unmarried & living with her parents Thomas & Catherine on their 250 acre farm, with two sisters Catherine Jessie & Emily Jane & 4 servants, her father born in Scotland.

What is so fabulous is that it was done by my great, great Aunt!  Another way to look at it is, Phillis (Phyllis) Dixon's niece, Katherine Dixon, married my paternal Great Grandfather.

I don't know how Dad found this trawling for family historical information, but somehow a search popped this sampler up for sale here!

Hmmmmm, maybe if it is still for sale when I do my holiday later this year I can go and take a look. :-)

I think it is so wonderful that technology allows to take a glimpse like this into the past.

Looking at it I can't help but wonder:

Where did Phillis choose to do her work? Did she do this on a beautiful Spring day in the garden, or by the light of a window on a cold Winters day. 

Did her mother Catherine sit patiently by her side guiding her with each stitch?

How long did it take, I wonder, for a 10 year old to do this?

Can you picture the happy face when she had finally completed it? I can; a smile big and proud.

The mind but can't help but imagine and it is such a lovely step back in time.

Til next time, big hugs!!

Cath
xx

Australian Linen love

Hi my lovelies

Don't you just love this glorious bed!

I have spent a little bit of time in bed lately 

recouping after my inconveniently timed trip to the hospital,

(yep, all good now thanks!)

and I suspect had this bed been mine...

...I may have been tempted to stay in bed a little longer.

(Cheeky, I know...but who could blame me!)

Take a look at more of the beautiful KAS linens;  

I love how Australia is beautifully captured in the images.

Devine!

Have a super Monday!!!

Hugs

Cath

x

Our wedding anniversary!

Today is our first wedding anniversary.

We were married in the beautiful gardens of Mona Estate in Braidwood, New South Wales.

It was the most beautiful Autumn day.

My beautiful sons walked me down the "garden aisle" 

Our gorgeous daughter ran across the lawns to meet me,
then walked with us the rest of the way

(that wasn't planned, but oh my, it brought a tear to many!)

The light was perfect for some most beautiful photos

We then celebrated our wedding with a bush dance in a renovated wool shed 

with our family and a small group of friends;

It was fabulous fun! 

Everyone danced, everyone laughed; 

it was everything we had wanted in a celebration.

How did we celebrate?

Not how we planned.
We spent it here...

In the theme of "in sickness and in health" 

we spent the night of our anniversary eve

in the emergency department

 with suspected appendicitis...

I even got to spend the night!

But you know what, it doesn't matter where we celebrate; 

we were together;

we are as in love today, 

if not more so,

than we were this time last year.

Love you babe! It just keeps getting better.

Hugs

Cath
x

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