Eye Spy... adventures

I'm going to choose my funnest (and often silly) adventure, dating back to 1998 (before digital cameras!), where my best friend and I packed her parents camper van up and traveled from Geelong (Vic) up the east coast for 3 months. We started late September..... had the time of our lives!
We had a business called B'zerk Objects! and were selling off our products at markets along the way for extra money. Photo above is us at Albert Park in Brisbane on market day for radio 3zzz.fm. We had been up all night enjoying the night life of Fortitude Valley and met a guy from the radio station who told us about the market day on the next day and the next thing you know we had a stall set up!

This was our ever faithful van "Noggie" (number plates were NOG....), who, as you can see, had many uses! We're at Gympie market here. We did a stint of zucchini picking in Gympie and sorry to say will never return to that town again!

It was not all work... we did do stacks of exploring and seeing the touristy spots as well. (This shot is in Mount Warning N.P. and that's me) Some of our 'highlights' were:
* Me crashing the van at the start of the journey (we were fine, Noggie would have to be put down after our travels though...)
* Doing the 900 steps of the Giant Stairway in the Blue Mountains
* Discovering fave spots like Glebe, Byron Bay area (inc. Nimbin and Bangalow)
* Freebie nights (saying in the van somewhere public) and getting caught in the morning! (Noosa)
* Helpful neighbour thinking we found a snake in our van, when all it was just a spider, ready to get it out (Grafton Park)
* A tick in a neck.... freaky experience for those not use to ticks! (Thanks Tea Tree Plantation, Ballina)
* Playing pool (billiards) OUTSIDE at the pub! (Nth Straddie Island)
* Feeding dolphins (Tin Can Bay)
* Sawing coconuts in half and drinking cocktails on the beach, while sitting on a broken blow up bed (Inskip Point)
* Commando Kev (!) our tour 'guide' on Frazer Island (and the Island itself)
* Scuba diving lessons at Lake McKenzie
* Hot chips with chilli sour cream (Railway Hotel, Byron)
* Tasting different rums (Bunderburg).
I'm sure there was lots more, but these ones seem to stand out.

Ahhh, the days of freedom, where all you had to worry about was yourself! Anyway.....

Thanks to Weezie's Woolies for this theme, was a good one for flipping through photo albums!
Head over to Bug and Pop's for more adventures.

Eye Spy... shoes

These are my favourite shoes for Summer.... or when ever I can wear them! I got them a couple of Christmas' ago from my girls (they have great taste!).

These are my fancy shoes, for special outings and when I want to tower over Mat. So they don't get used very often.... well, not by me anyway! (The girls LOVE playing with all my shoes and have no problem strutting around in heels either.)

I was looking at my (small) collection of shoes for this eye spy and noticed I have a lot of red shoes and black shoes. The ones I wear the most are either pink or red!

If I could fit into any of my girls shoes, I'd be wearing these ones that Chai is wearing (all the time at the moment)! They are so fun and seem to go with anything.... my kinda shoe! You can buy them here at bpab.... by the way.... (hehehehe)

Thanks to Anastasia Drawing and Dreaming for the theme this week.
Head over to Bug and Pop for more shoes during this week.

Eye Spy.... my front door

Pretty exciting isn't it?
Am thinking it would look more interesting painted blue or with coloured glass.... but there's an even lovelier fly wire / metal door in front of it - so you won't see it properly anyway.
Plus we wouldn't want to steal the lime light from the yellow bricks now would we??

Formal guests and unwanted canvassers knock on this door, or ring on the bell. Some couriers like to ring twice on the door bell, which ALWAYS makes me want to answer it quicker! (like that's going to happen)
Lots of leaves and pink petals collect at the door way too.

Those who know us go around the back and say 'hello' at the door before they come in. Sometimes I get a fright, other times I yell, from the other end of the house, 'come in'.

Thanks to The Mrs. for choosing this week's theme. Her door looks much more inviting!
Drop on over to Bug and Pop's for a virtual cuppa and more Eye Spy sticky beaking.

Eye Spy.... an inspirational person in my life

There are lots of people who are in my immediate life that are very inspirational to me on a daily basis.... but every time I spend some catch up time with this gorgeous gal I always marvel at the things she achieves and how she lives her life is really something to aspire to. She motivates me to get off my bum and go for what I truly believe in. She has great dress sense, her own look, which is enough to make me want to look at myself and make an effort. She rides a motor bike and drives a classic, has traveled the world, excels in what ever she does - believing she can do anything. Yes, I'd say she's an inspirational person in my life...... lucky me!

(That's me at the back, breastfeeding La....)
Thank you Sally from Virtually Sally for this week's theme.
Pop on over to Cindy's for more inspirational people.

Eye Spy... Seasons change

We are now at the start of Spring and will soon be:
Spotting mummy duck and her ducklings waddling down our street
Training for Triathlons (or just trying to get rid of some excess body weight)
Saying goodbye to leafless trees
Wearing our (sun)hats all the time when outside
Going gooey over little lambs
Running around flying kites
Dreaming about soft green grass under our bare feet
Giggling at little kids as they wobble when they walk (at Collingwood Children's Farm, Vic.)

Looking forward to all these changes in our daily lives and more! Can't wait!

Thanks to Lisa at The Princess & The Monkey for this weeks theme.
Click on the Eye Spy do dad on the left here to join in the fun.

Eye Spy.... something blooming

Have been wanting to do this eye spy for a couple of days now! Better late than never.
In our garden, there are lots of flowers blooming, so I thought it fitting to put them here. A pink mix of Camellias, Rhododendrons, Magnolia - which are kinda pink.
I've also included me in this mix, as it was my birthday last Thursday.... it was a blooming lovely day! The giant tea cup was one of my presents and it has lots of blooms on it too. (From Tea Too) I've been enjoying many a cuppa from it. My sister gave it to me and bought herself one too, so we can have giant teas together. Isn't that sweet??

Of course I have to show off my two little girls, who have bloomed into their own unique little personalities. Very different to each other.

And, well, all I can say about this shot is - blooming gorgeous!

Thanks to Holly from Snipping, Snippets & Snapshots for this week's theme.
Click on the Eye Spy badge on the side to join in.

Eye Spy.... something red

When I was pregnant with La.....

Chai and I wore red coats with hoods. We loved our red coats! They went everywhere we went...
This is my favourite Chai eating chocolate photo.... we have a lot of them.

Thank you Ellieboo for this week's theme!
Click on the Eye spy link on the left to see what Eye spy is all about.... and why not join in while you're at it! Enjoy your week. x

Eye Spy... inspiration

I haven't been very well lately and am in the middle of working out why.... doctor yesterday, finally. So have not been blogging as much, just doing what needs to be done. I'm sure everything will be fine.
Anyway, this week's theme is Inspiration.
The painting above is by my brother-in-law, Rob Creedon. It's sitting in our dining room at the moment.... I move it around from time to time. It's fun and makes us all feel happy when we look at it. It's very chunky and the girls have tried to pick off pieces when no one is around to stop them.
This painting is a little bit of inspiration to me..... sitting there, reminding me that you can do anything, in any way you desire - as long as it makes you happy.

I get inspiration from lots of things on a daily basis, one main way is through magazines.
Same story..... a big fat pile or two of glossies, dog eared at interesting pages. I find other's ideas and experiences, or the way they present something in a different light to how I would normally perceive it, very inspiring. It's endless and it blows my mind!


I found the last page of Sept. Real Living very inspiring, as it featured two young lassies that I deeply admire - The girls from Poppies For Grace (which bpab proudly stocks their gorgeous paper goods.). Here's some inspiration for you.....



Thanks as always to Cindy from Bug and Pop for hosting Eye Spy. It's good fun and makes for an interesting Sunday morning task. Will always be playing along as much as I can.... it allows you to get to know me a little bit doesn't it. x

Eye Spy.... Beauty

These eyes say beauty to me.... they're Mat's and I love looking into them every day!
They're green and sometimes have a hint of orange-brown near the center of the pupil.
All us girls have chocolate brown eyes........ so Mat's are more mesmerising.


This week's theme brought to you by Sheep's Clothing.... thank you!
Click on the Eye Spy link to your left to enjoy more beauty.

Eye Spy.... something I should use

A glue gun! I've got a growing collection of broken things that need to be fixed by glue.... I just have to remember to ask my sister for a lend of her glue gun.... soon it seems!

Oh look - my trusty sewing machine! I should start using it on a regular basis. At the moment she looks at me adoringly from on top of one of the dining room tables, in the corner, where all the rest of my sewing stuff is, in boxes..... oh dear.

Blank canvases. Had been hunting these for a while and finally found some square ones at a $5 shop at a good price. Some will be for use for alphalfabeetroot letter wall art - but I've got other ideas for the others.... so I should use them then, eh??

Other things that directly come to mind that I should use:
vacuum cleaner
feather duster (while wearing a black maids outfit I guess)
my body (in a more physical sense.... it sits in the same position a lot come to think of it and would benefit from more physical activity) - so that adds:
my bike
stretching book
local walking track
sneakers....

my weekly planner.... I wonder where that is??

Wow, this is a really depressing eye spy! I think I need some chocolate....
Thanks to The Bird Bath for this weeks 'revealing' theme (don't worry, I'm not really that sad and I don't blame you at all.... really!)
Head over to Bug And Pop's for more procrastinating fun!

Right time to get off this computer (and comfy chair) and enjoy my Sunday, with my family. It's sunny right now. Lots of beautiful gifts to enjoy today. Enjoy yours. xx

Eye Spy... favourite childhood party games

(pass the parcel at Chai's 1st birthday party, with daddy playing the music on guitar)

We've always loved throwing parties... for birthdays mainly. Since the girls have come along, we've had to all take turns on the party front, as they've become rather huge and 'themes' always come into the equation!
My favourite party games from childhood are pass the parcel and musical chairs. Funny they both involve moving to music. We still play pass the parcel at the kiddie parties.... it's become a standard I think.

Thanks to Princess Kristie Jane for this weeks theme (yeah... I'm late this week!).
Head over to Bug and Pop's for more players.

Eye Spy... something I made for a little person

Mr bpab and I had a 'Cowboy and Indians' birthday party last year and everyone had a blast dressing up as either.
I made our costumes (as always...) and La was transformed into a little Indian girl and Chai became a Cowgirl for the day.


It's fun making dress ups for the little people in my life! And they will wear them over and over, mix and match with regular clothing..... good value.
The girls keep making suggestions of what costumes they'd like next, especially from Chai.... there's a kangaroo (or tail more likely) and ballerina dress that are on top of the list. Now to actually put some time aside to do them!

Thanks to Sweet Emmelie for this weeks Eye Spy theme.
Click on the Eye Spy banner on the left here to join in the fun.

Eye Spy... something in bloom / scars

We have this amazingly big and beautiful peach rose bush out the front that blooms such humongous roses a few times a year. They are in bloom right now! I was able to cut 4 of them and put them inside to enjoy, but sadly, they didn't last too long.
Lots of little white roses bloom all the time outside the front too and the girls like to 'snow' them... this means pulling them off the bush and breaking them apart and then throwing the petals up in the air (hence snowing). It's all in good fun, but I'm afraid I've created a monster and now no flower is safe! (Esp. roses...)

Now about scars...... I have a few - no pictures though okay?
1. On my right hand pointer finger near the nail... I sliced it doing Stanley knife workings. That one bled for ages and I sat in emergency with several period pads wrapped around it until they could see me. (That was the best they could do for 4 hours) I always check first before slicing now days.
2. On my left elbow... fell off the top bunk while jumping on the bed and banged into the wardrobe. I chipped a bone, nothing serious. That was when I was little. I think everyone has jumped and fallen! These days, we have our beds on the ground so the girls don't have far to fall...(not the main reason we sleep on the floor though).
3. A small bump on the right side of my forehead that only I know is there (not really noticeable)... every time I rub it, I remember how cruel kids can be. I was in high school (lower years) and ended up in the line of fire of a mud fight and go hit by a rock. I remember feeling something wet on my face and then holding my head and blood was everywhere. Got fixed up at 'sick bay' and had a bandage on my head for a few days. That wasn't the bad part! I earned the name 'rock head' because of it.... yeah, I got teased because I got hit. Ahhh, school days! Don't you love 'em!

So there you go. You'll be able to identify my body now! Lets hope that never happens....
Thanks to Fuzzy Dragons for this week's double theme.
If you think you'd like to play along, click on the eye spy logo on the left here. Every Sunday!

Eye spy.... A morning ritual

I confess there is no morning ritual at our place.
We all sleep together, we all get up at different times, some mornings the following happens:
*we cry because we woke up all wrong
*we play in bed until we need to go to the toilet
*we sneak out of bed and let others stay sleeping (my favourite!)
*we have milo in sipper cups
*we watch a movie in the lounge room (or in bed if daddy hasn't taken his laptop away...)
*we eagerly wait for daddy to come inside from the studio to give us morning kisses and cuddles
*we jump into the shower and wake up

Who can tell what we will do tomorrow morning?
Perhaps THIS is our 'ritual'... to wake up and embrace a new day in a different way!
Well, what do you know.



Thank you 3 Red Buttons for this weeks theme.
Head on over to Bug And Pop's for more morning rituals..... hopefully they'll all have some!

Eye Spy... green

Here's to 5 years of 'green' parenting!
Chai and La (with mum and dad). Enjoy!

Thanks to TrashCan for this weeks theme.
Visit Bug and Pop for more Eye Spy green stuff. (Do a search for eye spy on her blog)
(My head is throbbing from this horrible cold..... will add descriptions another day....)

Eye Spy.... What I'm reading

I've just finished reading this book last night.
I went through a big Irvine Welsh thing years ago and collected all his novels.
Lots of weird stories, mainly about drug taking and Edinburgh lads (they're written the way they talk) ....... if you've read or seen Trainspotting, you'll get the gist.
Was going to give them all away recently, but Mr bpab stopped me as he wants to read them 'one day'. So they are still in our book case. The covers are all bright and great looking!
Anyway, I always need something to read before I go to sleep at night and I found this on my bed - so I read it. Still a good read.

But if you want a great read... laughs, country living, getting away from it all and falling in love with another mum's life (as she tries to live the bohemian lifestyle and feels pathetic, but you love her 'cause you can really relate to her.....)- then this next book is for you!
I love it and Raffaella Barker's writting style is fantastic. Really gets you in and lets you enjoy a fun story. I'm a serial Author collector..... once I find a great book, I keep looking for more from the same author. So yeah, I've got all her books too! Waiting for her to write something new actually, so I can stop re-reading......

Thanks to A Glass Half Full for this great theme.
Click on the Eye Spy link on the left side to join in and say Hi to Cindy while you're there.

Eye Spy.... my new favourite blog

I must admit that I don't have a NEW favourite blog.
But the ones I love to click on often would be these two:
(bpab stocks both labels.... very handy to keep tabs on things when suppliers have blogs!! Plus you can build a better relationship with them too.)

The Lark
Alison always as lovely posts on the quaint life she leads in Daylesford... I love Daylesford (plus there's always vintage / op-shop stuff to drool over).

Poss Bloss - What's new
Jodie is a great supporter of all women in business and I like to keep an eye out on what's new with Poss Bloss.

Thanks to One Red Robin for this week's theme.
Join Eye Spy by clicking on the picture link on your left.

Eye Spy... a work in progress

If you've been following my blathering for a while, you may be familiar with this picture.
It's the very back corner of our large yard. The old guy who blessed our yard with amazing wonders when he called it his own, left us with these metal beds which we think he used to house all his orchids on. We have since grown a passion fruit vine on it and paved the area, hoping to turn it into an entertainment spot with the chiminea and cushions to laze around on the metal wire beds. It has never been the perfect spot for real entertaining and since the kids have come along, it's been used as a jungle gym and place for exploration..... which is all well and good, but i still yearn for that spot to entertain!

Hence this work is now definitely in progress! Yay!!
We've cut the vine back a bit (don't worry, it needed a good prune), taken off all the wire bedding and wire roof, raised one side of the roof area (as it's too short for me to stand straight under and will create a run off effect for when it rains... water should go onto the garden) and taken down the 'decrepit shack' that housed the wood pile.

The boys have been working on it for the past week and solidly this weekend (right now they are researching how best to put the roof on.....) We are planning seats and a table too. Making everything, recycling where we can and thinking beyond the square to solve those 'if only we had a million dollars' problems.
Will post once all is finished. Now to crack that whip! hehehe


Thanks to Hugo and Elsa for this weeks theme!
Visit Bugandpop for others playing Eye Spy Sunday too.

Eye Spy... a magic elixir

I must warn you - this will not be pretty.
Mr bpab has always had this thing for the magic of garlic... he even made juices with garlic and red onion in it! Blahhh!
Anyway I have to give all the credit to him for this 'magic' elixir.... he made it up and it works a treat!

To ward off any signs of colds / flu / things that ail ya:

Garlic and Chilli Vodka!

This bottle is almost empty and I can swear by it personally. Actually I was coming down with a yucky cold on Friday afternoon. Took a shot of this with some juice and I was feeling much better come Sat. morning.
To make this:
1 bottle of vodka
1 red chilli (yes, the chilli you see here WAS red)
4 0r so garlic cloves (skins off)
plop it all together and let it infuse in a dark place for about a week.
Then off you go! Not a yummy drink to whip out at cocktail parties........ but a life saver when you feel sick. Enjoy!!

Thanks to Badskirt for this weeks theme. Join in on the fun very Sunday - click on the EYE SPY link on left side there.

Eye Spy... a surprise!

More of a surprise for the girls than me!
Some bunny's hiding in the tree.....


A softie bunny for each for Easter. How lucky are they to catch their very own bunnies!
Will they produce chocolate on call do you think??

Here are the bunnies I finished making on Friday while the girls were away at nanny and poppy's for the afternoon. They're a hit! Yay!

Thanks Miss Muggins for this weeks theme. Hope you had a very bunny Easter too.
Come join in on all the fun! Click on the Eye Spy button on the left.