Get Your Arse Back Home

Surfer Boy is off doing this again...

And although he was due to fly in yesterday for Gidgets first day of school, bad weather and technical difficulties have meant that the chopper can't get them off until today (fingers crossed) . As much as I love having the house to myself and get excited at the bad T.V. viewing opportunities, I'm really starting to miss him now.

Sick of being a single-mother, need some lov'n from someone over 4ft.

What are the odds they really let him do this ...

To this....?

Be My Valentine Gift Guide Part 1

Heart Frying Pan @ Cox & Cox (I would kill for one of these!! So Cute!!)

The Book of the Kiss @ Cox & Cox

I Love You Screenprinted Hearts by Sarah Parrott @ Etsy

Teatowel from Fisk & Fern @ Etsy

Flowers from Saipua ( only if you live in New York)

4th Ave Soap Co @ Etsy

Antique Victorian Sterling Luggage Tag Bracelet @ Paris Hotel Boutique

Love Gift bags @ Kikki.k

Break The Routine Print Studio Mela @ Etsy

Here is Part 1 of my Be My Valentine Gift Guide...just enough to whet your appetite!! Enjoy... there's more to come!!

Find Of The Week

I definately think this beautiful original condition Antique Regency Brazillian Rosewood & Birdseye Maple Inlay tea caddy c1820 is my find for this week from Hunters & Collectors Antiques (Australia). If you're after a little something special (at a great price) head on over to their online store as they are about to close down their retail outlet and are therefore offering 20-50% off all stock.

Vintage Vintage & More Vintage

I love this beautiful image of vintage pieces placed so perfectly imperfectly - yes that's right perfectly imperfectly (one of my favourite little sayings). Oh and I spot another portrait in the top right hand corner but this time it's a man!!

Pool Houses To Dream About

Image above via Elle Decor

Image above via Hollywood Homes

Image above via Style Court & image below & bottom via Karnas House Blog

I love the concept of a pool house - a seperate pavillion to entertain and relax in around the pool. I have a whole file of beautiful pool houses which continues to expand in the hope that one day I will have a yard large enough to have one of these beautiful structures. I've listed a few of my favourites above, some of which I have posted before but I just couldn't help it as they continue to speak to me and inspire me.

**BTW - Just to fill you in I am still experiencing some technical problems with the blog which are blocking me from posting but I am working on them and all I can say is I'll have them fixed as soon as I can. Sorry for the lack of posts while I work on these problems and thanks for your patience!

She's Off!

All went swinmmingly! She couldn't wait to go and when we got to the classroom she cheerfully kissed me goodbye and then ignored me. There was nothing for me to do except leave - which I promptly did. Now I just need to think what to do with Moondoggie for the rest of the year. Yikes!

Here's the shot I took through the window as I was leaving - see how upset she is to be at school...

Today I Love...

I love this bedroom which Urban Grace Interiors blog posted a while back. The very bold and broad striped wallpaper is softened by the vintage pieces of furniture and paintings - love it!!

Image - Anna Spiro - Flowers on Straddie Table

Sorry for the lack of posts this week however, I am having a couple of little technical issues with the blog so please do forgive me if my posts are a little lighter on than usual. I am hoping to get a special Valentines post up within the next day or so and a few other little goodies so please do bear with me!! It should all be fixed up very, very soon.
xx


Anna

New Beginnings

It's a busy week this week with both the offspring starting at their respective educational facilities. Sounds fun when you say it like that doesn't it!

Moondoggie and I went off today to his first ever day of institutionalised care, aka 3 year old kinder, and Gidget starts Prep tomorrow at 9.00am sharp.

I'm starting to worry that I am an unnatural parent as every other prep mother I speak to is lamenting the loss of their baby, the end of an era, such a big transition etc etc. And I'm just really, really excited. I am so thrilled for Gidg as I know she is going to LOVE school and I can't wait for her to start. Maybe tomorrow all normal parental anxieties will assail me as I wave my darling goodbye, but I seriously doubt it. It's strange 'cause I cry at anything and everything usually.

To be perfectly honest I'm not that in to pre-school aged kids and I'm thrilled I'm nearly out of that phase. I have always said that I'd love a big family if I could get pregnant, give birth then farm them out until they are 6. I adore my babies but in general school kids are heaps cooler. Many of my friends are aware of my weird preference and often hand me their babies just to annoy me, others don't even bother and pass me by when little Johnnie is being handed around the doting friends.

So tomorrow if you see me at school and I am a blubbering mess you'll be able to point and laugh and I'll be eating my words in tomorrow's post.

For now I am off to pack my first ever school lunch, which, by the way, is a whole other set of issues and may indeed make me cry after all. Who knew the humble school lunch could be so fraught with difficulties! I'll save that rant for another post....

Valley Girl trailer (1983)

Please tell me there is someone else out there who remembers EVERY word of this film!!!!

Dreaming of Paris

Image (above) Source Unknown

Photographer - Jerome d'Almeida

In a few months I am travelling to Paris which is very exciting as it will be my first ever visit to the city which I have dreamed of visiting since I was a little girl. I was recently thrilled to find The Hotel du Panthéon which is a little boutique hotel located in the Saint-Germain des Prés area right opposite the Pantheon and very close to the Luxembourg Gardens. I couldn't resist posting some pictures of the hotel above - so pretty in pink and yellow and so perfectly 'girly' as I am going with a girlfriend who will appreciate the prettiness unlike my husband who would just say in a very meaningless tone 'yes honey it's great'!!

Close The Gap

I thought this was pretty cool -

The John Butler Trio and Keith Urban have released the version of "Funky Tonight" that they played at the ARIAs ... all proceeds go to the CLOSE THE GAP campaign (health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) ... buy a copy on iTunes ...

You can also see a video of the performance on YouTube.

Starstruck - Monkey in Me (1982)

This week I spent an obscene amount of time with my head on a really uncomfortable angle checking out all the videos that my local Video Shop is selling off. I can't begin to explain my delight when I unearthed STARSTRUCK, arguably one of the best movies Australia has ever produced!! (actually many may dispute that) In 1982 Jo Kennedy was my screen queen and here she is camping it up in the final musical number. For those of you who share the love - enjoy, and to all you others... shame on you! (By the way the roadie pushing himself off the stage at the beginning of the clip is - Geoffrey Rush)

Australia Day

Wishing everyone a fabulous Australia Day. I am unashamedly nationalistic and believe we live in the most wonderful country on this planet. Why on earth would you want to live anywhere else???

Tip of the Week

If you are going to get a flat tyre make sure your car is parked directly outside the local pub where there are lots of men just waiting for an excuse to show everyone how great they are with all things car related.

It also helps if you look particularly bemused by the whole tyre changing thing and are willing to look a little helpless.

In all seriousness, the wonderful local drinkers at the Blarney Stone in Anderson St Yarraville got me out of a fix and I am genuinely grateful. Once again proving that I live in the greatest town in the world! These photos don't do justice to the number of men it took to change my tyre. At one point there were 6 of these treasures discussing the best way to raise the jack, led by the most helpful Bouncer I have ever come across. Thanks Guys!

Happy (Long) Weekend!

It's a long weekend here this weekend for Australia Day so Happy Long Weekend & Happy Australia Day! See you next week!!

Image via Garden Rooms

Portrait Obsession

Another wonderful portrait in this image above via Cottage Living Magazine. I am completely obsessed with vintage lady portraits at the moment as you all no doubt can tell. Lyn over at Paris Hotel Boutique has a couple currently available but I must say nice ones are proving to be a little hard to track down. Even good old reliable Ebay isn't throwing any my way!!

Image via Brown Turtleneck Sweater

HEATH LEDGER

Silhouette Madness

Caitlin Moran via The Scoop

Ebay

I was recently captured by the gorgeous cluster of pictures by US based Interior Designer Caitlin Moran in the San Francisco Designer Showcase and in particular the silhouettes she used. Blog land has certainly been bombarded by posts about silhouettes over the last few months but I couldn't help but post this gorgeous piece which is currently available on Ebay which struck me as very similar to the look and feel of the room by Caitlin above.

Christian Lacroix Does Water Bottles

Check these out: Christian Lacroix designed Evian water bottles which I found via Pomegranate & Patchouli. I'm so envious as I haven't seen these in Australia. Here's the scoop from Pomegranate;

"This time, it was Christian Lacroix, people! Christian Lacroix!! The French designer created limited edition bottles for French water-producing company Evian "Pour les fétes"- translation for the celebrations/holidays. I think the idea was absolutely genius! There's a pret-a-porter bottle, and a couture bottle. Personally, I prefer the pret-a-porter one. It's so pretty (inspired by snowflakes and winter) and delicate."

Wow I just think they are gorgeous. Wouldn't they be lovely placed down the middle of a dining table set for dinner with a pretty flower in each one!

Heath

Is it strange to spend the day with a knot in your stomach and a feeling of immense sadness you just can't shake over the death of a boy you never knew?
That is how I have felt today.
When I read the news on the Internet this morning that Heath Ledger had died my immediate reaction was to deny emphatically to myself that it had happened - it must be a joke, an elaborate hoax, not him... etc. Similar feelings to that of the news of Princess Diana's accident.
I even shut down the computer in some weird and feeble attempt to stop the news from being real. Then I cried, in fact sobbed, for a life only half lived and a little girl left with out her Daddy, for a family who have lost their bright boy and for me.. someone who never knew him, never breathed the same air but who followed his career from his stint on Home and Away, Sweat, Roar and on to bigger and brighter things. His photo graced the space behind my desk when I was teaching and moved to pride of place on our fridge when I left. That immensely talented, media awkward, doting father can not be gone. He just can't.

Kylie Minogue - Better The Devil You Know

As promised here is the one song that can get me up on the dancefloor no matter what! Our Kylie throwing off the Stock/Akien/Waterman shackles to deliver this absolute gem of a pop song in 1991 I think. This song is the soundtrack of the early 90's for me and brings back an absolute flood of great memories. I own every album and have been to every concert but this is still one of my favourite tracks. Enjoy.

Today I Love...

My friend Sally emailed me this gorgeous digital & ink print by illustrator Samantha Hahn the other day and I just love it! What a lovely gift for a special friend! Samantha is about to set up an online shop but if you are interested in purchasing any of her gorgeous pieces now just email her on info@samanthahahn.com Be sure to check out all of her other fantastic pieces on her website.

Soulful Adornments

I'm absolutely loving these beautiful things which Lorie has posted on her gorgeous new blog Soulful Adornments. I am a huge fan of vintage lady portraits and the one she has posted as pictured above is one of the nicest ones I have seen. The Antique fabric sacred heart is such a great find - I would love to make a cushion out of it and the small Antique locket Ex Votos would be gorgeous to give to your loved one for Valentines day with a special love note inside!! Thanks for sharing such gorgeous bits and pieces Lorie. I can't wait to see what you have in store for us next!!

Summer

We have had the most wonderful Summer. Day upon day of glorious weather, days spent at the beach exploring rock pools, learning to body surf at high tide, hours on end of just hanging with the cousins, swinging in the hammock reading trashy mags (me, not the kids). What more could you ask for. It has been so fantastic to watch the kids have the sort of summer we had when we were young. Lots of freedom, salty skin and flopping into bed exhausted at the end of a long hot day.

And of course Surfer Boy could not resist building something - so waa laa! A cubby.

And thank you to everyone who was so sympathetic to my plight after the great cat pee disaster. Much appreciated.

Heading back down the beach tomorrow so stay well.