Keeping it real.....

I read this post yesterday (another absolute favourite blog!) and laughed so much that it inspired me to go and investigate the contents of my own bag.  I was actually horrified when I emptied it out!!  My obsession with home organisation clearly has not translated to my handbag.  The shame.

1.  The bag itself, can I blame the bag for this, it is huge?
2. Sunglasses, (in a stolen case, EYEBIZ feel free to take this one up with boy number 2)

3. L'Occitane lip balm (gift from flight attendant friend, possibly also stolen from an inflight amenities pack....)
4. Bracelet and necklace (was wondering where this bracelet was actually)
5. Lego bits (x 17)
6.  Loose change ($4.70)
7. Rubbish/Receipts/Tissues (planning to dispose of all this appropriately....)
8. One sock (boys x-sml)
9. Ferry tickets and 1 x Ferry Timetable (all out of date so technically more rubbish)
10. Jewellery bag, contents missing..... (boy number 2 again?)
11. Eco-shopping bag (carried around 2673 times,  actually remembered to use: maybe twice?)
11. The other 11, the one in red. (Apparently I can't count... ) a plastic knight wielding a sword, minus his horse.
12.  First Aid Kit containing:

Transformers bandaids x 12
Rapaid Tea tree Oil first aid spray (this is actually very good, one of my desert island list thingys)
Stop Itch 
Nars lip gloss - Oasis (a first aid kit essential)
Revlon lip gloss - 160 (just in case)
Weleda Pomegranate hand cream (very soothing)
Chupa Chup lollipop (for genuine emergencies only)
Sewing Repair Kit (for fashion emergencies only)

13. Wipes
14. Tissues
15.  Purse

Underneath 14 and 15 is my notepad, contents include:
2 "To Do" lists (by me)
402 drawings (by the little one)


16.  Two pairs of "days of the week" (Sunday/Thursday) underpants (boys size sml)
17. Numerous paper bags, previously containing items purchased at the French Patisserie next to the Captain's art class.  Obviously, if I want to lose weight I am going to have to find him a new art school.
18. Two Matchbox cars and one Matchbox plane.

Lastly.... what I discovered once I had pulled everything out.  The offending pen is of course absent.  Not sure whether to call it art or google how to remove ball point pen from suede.

Hello to all my new followers as well! I will be along to visit you all soon.  Now go read Loosy's bag contents, seriously funny!  Emma xx

My first ever "Friday Phone Dump"

So, I have finally worked out how to do it....  and yes, some of these photos are very old!  Have restrained myself and only included the favourites!

How can a dandelion ever be dismissed as a weed?

The most beautiful crown ever, pity it fell off!

Nicasso's most recent masterpiece, 'tis very Hundertwasser.

Out of several hundred photos I only posted a few!  Well, admittedly a lot of them were more along the lines of Emma's wish list items and not so much photos of the kids! Maybe I should do a post on that next! Have a lovely weekend everyone! xx

Things I regret....

Years ago R and I lived in a fabulous art deco apartment in the heart of Tamarama.  It was a fantastic, breezy apartment in the most amazing location, just moments from the spectacular cliff path that meanders along the eastern suburbs beaches.   In the eat-in-kitchen, the owner had painted an entire wall with blackboard paint.  On this wall we would scribble notes to each other, write out the shopping list and so on.  One day a flight attendant friend popped over to visit us with her then boyfriend who was an up and coming artist.  On our blackboard wall he drew the most amazing chalk drawing of our apartment building and the airport, planes flying in and out and so on!  We were flight attendants after all!  His wonderful mural then remained up on the wall until the day we moved out.  A sad day, but the Australia's Next Top Model contestants, who lived in the apartment underneath ours drove us away with their incessant partying!

Fast forward to today, my friend married her up and coming artist boyfriend and he is no longer up and coming, in fact he has been a finalist for both the Archibald and the Wynne Prize a number of times, two very prestigious art awards, and he is well and truly a success.

My regret?  I never even took a photo of his amazing chalk drawing!  But, I can say that for about 6 months I had an original Alexander McKenzie on the wall in my dining room.

Image

Image

My other regret?  That we didn't actually buy one of his paintings way back when we could actually afford to!  His paintings are breathtakingly evocative.  Landscapes that are vast and timeless and hauntingly beautiful.   Just imagine for a moment that you had one hanging on your wall and the feelings that it would inspire in you on a daily basis!

If you are in Sydney,  Alex has an exhibition coming up in May at Martin Browne Fine Art in Paddington.

The view from the front door.

Every time I step out the front door the carpet of jacaranda blossoms covering the lawn takes my breath away.  The contrast between the purple of blossom and the emerald green of the grass is divine.  Reminds me of playing with my beloved box of 72 Derwent Pencils as a child, I used to love re-arranging the order of the pencils trying to decide which colours best complemented each other.

The little one is in flower heaven at the moment, the garden is in full bloom and he spends ages examing and gathering flowers.  Fla fla (flower) was one of his very first words and his favourites are the yellow ones.  Lellow being his favourite colour and all!

He is itching to get his grubby paws on some of these and keeps asking me to go "cut some flowers for the house please mumma" but I am loving the gardenias and their glorious fragrance so much that it is towards them that the secateurs are headed:

Lastly Julia... I can't find your email address (or your blog?) to send this to you but I have been wanting to show it to you for ages... just couldn't find my high school year book in the chaos of the renovation!  Very boring for everyone but Julia... anyway see arrow below!

Thought it might amuse you!

Photo Challenge - Day 16

"Technology"

We pass these satellite dishes on our way to and from school.  It is a lovely shortcut to school as we pass horses in paddocks and often have to slow down or stop to allow chickens and ducks to pass.  At one point we drive across a creek.  If there has been heavy rainfall the road is often closed to traffic.  Situated amongst all this rural charm are these enormous satellite dishes.  The boys are fascinated by them and regularly scan the sky as we drive past, vainly searching for the space shuttle!

Thank you Leah!

I was thrilled to win a giveaway recently on Leah's blog The Inside Story.  It is one of my absolute favourite blogs.  Full of stunning and very inspiring images. Leah also lives in one of my favourite places in the world.  Lucky thing!

Thank you so much Leah for such a lovely gift.  I am thrilled with the bag and the sweet little storage box and they will be well loved.

Hmmm, 6 things...

The lovely and inspiring Sarah from One Perfect Day has tagged me as part of the Creative Blogger Meme. Thank you Sarah!

So six things about me...

1. I collect vintage children's books. Obsessively. The majority of my collection (it is in the hundreds!) is made up of first edition Enid Blytons.

2. For my 25th birthday a friend gave me a palm reading as a fun birthday present and rather alarmingly, everything that the palm reader has said has come true (so far anyway....). He even predicted the two boys correctly. I scoffed at him at the time as well.

3. I was born in Bangkok and spent most of my childhood living in different parts of Asia. I attended school in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, France and Australia. Best. Childhood. Ever. Thank you Mum and Dad!

4. I am an optimist and try to always look for the good in every situation and the best in people.

5. I am almost blind in one eye. My mum had dengue fever when she was pregnant with me.

6. I was quite the tom boy as a little girl. (I blame George from the Famous Five for this!). I insisted on having my hair short, loved dressing up as a pirate, was always up a tree (if not reading a book!) and loved playing with all the boys! Good preparation for playing with my two pirates!