Faithful..

My lovely and very talented sister in law recently recommended that I try switching the picture style on my camera to faithful.

After playing around with different actions for a while I have come back to wanting some nice natural looking shots of the girls.  I think that it has made a difference...Miss 3 and I had an impromptu photo shoot while Miss 15 months had her afternoon nap.

She has messy hair and is dressed in a distracting t-shirt and a fairy skirt but we had FUN. She has come through the stage where she doesn't want the camera in her face and is now more than willing to pose...in fact she didn't want to stop. I even let her take a photo with my camera.

These photos haven't had much post processing at all...a little lighten and some eye pop.

These are probably the nicest photos of this kid I have taken in quite some time.

This is her Blund from Ikea (bought when she was 6 months old)...currently named Cindebrella...yes it's Cinderella with a b in the middle. Doesn't matter how many times I try to correct her she insists that its Cindebrella. I held the camera, she pointed it and pressed the button...she did a good job.

Managed to make it to the Rhubarb sale last week and picked up a few things including this dress...

which is labelled 3 - 6 months on the tag. I thought it a little large for a little bub and decided it might fit my pixie...and obviously it does. Bit of a tight squeeze to get it over her head, but it's the perfect length and fits beautifully around her chest. Even the sleeves are a good length on her. Very cute. All it needs is a bright red flower for embellishment me thinks.

Feeling a little bit back to myself today...boy have I been difficult to live with for the past week. I HATE feeling so tired and drained and GRUMPY. So if I have been nasty or seemed distracted...my apologies.

Daybook Monday

FOR TODAY... 29th of March 2010

Outside My Window...It's a grey old day...but it's still warm.

I am thinking...that I really need to get some more sleep. I am fighting a head cold, that turns into a vicious sore throat around 7 o'clock at night. I just feel really drained. I think Miss C slept through last night!!! Although I can't be sure that I didn't just roll over and feed her in the middle of the night...I should say she didn't wake up and cry out last night!!

I am thankful for...Miss S being able to entertain herself for a time while Miss C sleeps.

From the kitchen...Pumpkin roasting in honey in preparation to be turned into soup...I've never been a big fan of the pumpkin soup, but homemade is lovely and I have declared Mr Pixies sport nights as soup night. Makes life a little easier.

I am wearing...Covet...after years and years of not being allowed to wear perfume (because my father is sensitive to smells), it's nice to be able to have that little bit of luxury every day.

I am creating...something for my girls for easter...that isn't made of chocolate

I am going...to do my grocery shopping *sigh* when the little pixie wakes up.

I am reading...the weather forecast for Yarrawonga...and all about rubbish free lunchboxes.

I am hoping...that my brother in law fixes the air bed so that Mr Pixies, Miss C and I have something to sleep on in Yarrawonga...cos I really don't wanna sleep on the ground. Sleeping in a tent isn't even my thing, but it's our only option if we want to spend easter with our family.

I am hearing...my 3 year old explaining why the crease of one of her toes is cracked and bleeding. "It's cracked because it hasn't had enough rain". Like the walls of the house being cracked from the ground shifting because of drought.

Around the house...the kitchen is clean and my craft room is also clean...now it just needs a bit of dressing...some shelves perhaps, maybe some paint. I need to convince my dad to come and help me hang a new door, which I will then paint with Chalkboard Paint for the girls to go wild with.

One of my favourite things...Miss C having a long sleep in the early afternoon. It allows me the tiniest amount of down time.

A few plans for the rest of the week...prep for camping...organise something to keep the girls occupied for the long car trip we will be taking...get the house spotless before we go so my mum doesn't have to contend with it while we are away...finish doing the "easter bunny thing"...Doctor appointment.

A photo to share...photos are a bit lite on around here at the moment...this is the reaction I get when I say smile...apparently a smile involves sticking ones tongue out...

Have a good week...

Cheeky Monkey...

While I was taking photos of these...

this little one was very very interested.

Not in the tanks...but in what I was using to take the photos.

No...not the camera, although that is a source of much curiosity for her.

She was so excited to climb into the lightbox...and she fit in there perfectly...just.

She thought it was fabulous.

She doesn't look too impressed in this particular photo, but believe me when I say she didn't want to get out.

although she did eventually...with some coaxing.

Very cheeky...

The lightbox is a fantastic tool for taking photos of small objects when you want true colour and no distractions...it's not so kind on the complexion...

FOR TODAY... 22nd of  March 2010

Outside My Window...The sun in shining and the weeds just keep on growing.

I am thinking...that this week has gone by really fast. First term of Kinder finishes at the end of this week and I can't believe how quickly it has gone by. I haven't even gotten to know any of the other parents or the teachers really. I haven't had any feedback about how she is going with it either. It's a little strange to just drop her off and pick her up and not know anything much about what she does and how she is behaving for those 2 and a half hours.

I am thankful for...small sleep ins. They don't happen very often...but every now and then I can stay in bed until almost 9 o'clock...bliss. 

From the kitchen...Spaghetti Meatballs. The oven is having a "no go" day today...doesn't matter, they work just as well cooked on the stovetop...just won't get garlic bread tonight...no drama.

I am wearing...Jeans and a t-shirt. We have been out visiting and shopping today. It's nice to keep busy and get away from the house for a time, but it doesn't get the housework done. I HATE coming home to a messy house.

I am creating...a cot quilt for a little girl to be born in May. My fabric should arrive tomorrow and I'm itching to begin.

I am going...to start cooking dinner when I finish this post...or perhaps in the middle of this post. Time has gotten away from me again.

I am reading...all about how to waterproof a shower cubicle. We have decided to bite the bullet and do our own bathroom reno. Scared much!!!

I am hoping...to make a start on the bathroom in the next week or so...or perhaps we should leave it until Easter is over. I want to do it while I have the enthusiasm for it and I think we could at the very least get some cement sheet up around the bath.

I am hearing...relative peace and quiet. Some time has elapsed since I started this post and the kidlets are now tucked up in bed fast asleep. I am really liking the weather at the moment, because although it is warm during the day, at night it cools right down and it's nice to snuggle up under a doona.

Around the house...the table is covered in folded washing, ready to be put away in the morning. Cat number 2, Peanut Butter, is looking to curl up on my lap, and I have made significant impact on the cleanliness of the craft room. I do still go and sit out there and stare blankly into space wondering what I am going to do with all the last odds and ends though.

One of my favourite things...clean kitchen benchtops...if only they would stay that way.

A few plans for the rest of the week...get to the Rhubarb sale on Wednesday. Do my groceries, which I would normally have done today, but I had other things to attend to, and anyhow, the girls are a little grumpy and tired today (we had a VERY big day yesterday). Not much else planned except the usual...changing butts, making food, endless cleaning, keeping the troops entertained.

A photo to share...

It appears that my blog doesn't want to upload any photos today...I will try again later perhaps.

So I tried again, and here in my photo to share.

Flowers...fabric flowers...these are attached to a name cushion I made. Very girly and a bit more grown up. I did intend to post the photo of the first boy cushion I have made, but I couldn't be bothered...it will appear here in the near future.

That's me for another week.

Have a good one.

Too Much STUFF!!!

How is it that we manage to accumulate so much STUFF??

It feels like my house is bursting at the seams. Do we need it all?

Books, DVD's Magazines, Toys, Fabric, Kitchen Gadgets, Clothes.

Clutter clutter everywhere and not a spare storage spot to be found.

Toss it out. Feel guilty about the waste of money, resources, landfill space. Catch 22.

Operation craft room cleanup has stalled...Well, lets be honest...it's not really a craft room (that's just what I would like it to be). It's really the room in the house that seems to be a dumping ground for STUFF that doesn't go anywhere else. It does have my industrial sewing machine in it, and all my fabric. Not to mention all of Mr Pixies Warhammer and Flames of War STUFF!!

I have managed to move out any superfluous furtinure. I have packed alot of books and given alot of books away. I have gone through 2 boxes of fabric...just 2 more smallish ones to go. I have jettisoned quite a bit of fabric. Some will be going to Miss S's kinder. It's all the little things now. Things I need to find homes for. The details. The part I always find most difficult.

Perhaps I should take it all out into the backyard and decide what stays and what goes that way. Bring it back in bit by bit. Totally lacking in motivation. Well actually I have motivation, but I just don't have the will to do it. Call me lazy. Call me disheartened.

It's really not fair that I have to clean out to make room for Mr's miniatures, but he can't find time to help me. He certainly found time to fill an empty spot in the bookshelf with miniatures. How difficult is it to open a cupboard door and put your box of stuff in instead of just putting it on the floor at the foot of said cupboard???

Well, this has turned into a bit of a rant, hasn't it. Excuse me. I should expend some energy on the "craft room" now.

Wish me luck.

Daybook Monday

FOR TODAY... 15th March 2010 (well I started this on Monday, but the clock has just ticked over)

Outside My Window...it's dark, because I had every intention of doing this daybook entry this morning and time just got away from me. Busy busy busy.

I am thinking...that I can't really be bothered with writing my daybook entry this week.

I am thankful for...having my internet back up to speed, so it doesn't take me an eternity to post this, and so I can look at the pictures on other peoples blogs instead of just reading the dialouge.

From the kitchen...Waffles from my new (bargain) waffle iron. YUM!!

I am wearing...PJ's. It's late and I really should be in bed.

I am creating...nothing...too busy cleaning and getting through the daily grind.

I am going...to go to bed as soon as I finish this post.

I am reading...my Donna Hay Seasons cookbook that I got for Christmas. I am running out of new and interesting ideas for my weekly menu...Inspiration desperately needed!!

I am hoping...that Miss S will take a break from being so high maintenance for a day. She is really hard work at the moment. I know, I know, it only gets worse right...wait til she's a teenager.

I am hearing...music in my car again. I fixed the stereo after going without it for what seems like forever. It's so nice to have the option again.

Around the house...The girls are asleep. The cats are asleep. The laundry is a mess.

One of my favourite things...Having some organisation to my week. Groceries on Monday, Swimming on Wednesday, Kinder on Friday...not busy yet but I'm setting the groundwork for a busier future.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Perhaps some gardening, organise a plumber to look at my dodgy toilet and shower, do some fun stuff with my girls (because we don't do that often enough).

A photo to share...

a visitor to our back yard making me wish I had a macro lens. These guys seem to be following me at the moment. I have seen 3 in the last week...

Anyway...it's no longer Monday.

Have a lovely week.

Little Monsters

The two pixies have been two monsters lately.

This one...

...has taken to biting and squealing...mostly when she doesn't get her own way. She thinks it's giggle worthy when mummy says ouch and snatches her hand away from the tiny teeth. She drops her lip and cries when you tell her off...it's funny...but it's not a good idea to laugh.
I am in total denial that she is now 15 months old and should be learning what is and isn't acceptable behaviour.

and this one...

...where do I begin. Should I just say "She's 3".
Everything, and I do mean everything, is an argument with her. We have been getting lots of foot stamping and crocodile tears (she could easily win an Academy Award!!). She doesn't like to get dressed, she doesn't like to eat, she doesn't like to play nice with her sister. It's not all bad though...she doesn't really argue about going to bed. Small but important mercy.
Her and her sister have been at each other all morning. I wasn't prepared for the fighting and arguing to begin quite so early...how naive of me.


Sometimes I feel like the most incompetant mother in the world. I feel like a postive feral when I see some of the other mums at Kinder. My self esteem plummets. They seem to have it all together...or is it an illusion??

I love my little monsters

 and that's what matters right!!

Daybook Monday

FOR TODAY... 8th March 2010

Outside My Window...it's dark and cold and wet...I totally forgot that it was Monday today. It's Labour Day here and my man is home. It's a rare occassion that he has 2 consecutive days off work, it has been nice to have him around so we can do things as a family. Although I made him stay home with the pixies this afternoon so I could do the grocery shop in peace...It was heavenly (as much as a grocery shop can be anyway!!!).

I am thinking...about the monumental task of renovating my bathroom on an extremely tight budget, and doing as much as I can myself. Throw a very reluctant Mr Pixies and two small kiddies into the mix and I want to just put it off forever. The shower is falling apart and it stinks and I hate shower curtains...I WANT a NEW bathroom. I don't mind if we keep the pink bath...I just need a new shower, one that doesn't make me feel icky after showering in it. I don't think that is too much to ask.

I am thankful for...the breastfeeding relationship I still have with my little one. It can be a drag sometimes, but I am not anywhere near ready to give it up and neither is she. Which I guess precludes the idea of having another baby...absolutely no chance of ovulating while breastfeeding for me. My fertility nurse once said "don't give up that beautiful relationship for the chance to have another baby, because it might not ever happen...and then you've thrown it away all for nothing and you will regret it doubly". I did give up breastfeeding with S to conceive C, but this time round I want to enjoy it and her second year without the stress of trying to conceive and the anxiety of pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, I love being pregnant and would dearly love another baby...but the journey to conception and the first half of pregnancy are anxiety ridden for me. I really don't remember much of S's second year and that is something I will always regret.

From the kitchen...my oven is sparkling....It's so PRETTY!!! and I think it appreciated the clean because it's actually working consistently now. The whole reason I stuck my head in the grotty thing was because I was too ashamed to ring the plumber to look at it in the filthy state it was in. Now I don't need to ring him (as she knocks on wood so as not to jinx it).

I am wearing...My usual trackpants and t-shirt...bra-less because I just put the littlest Pixie to bed...oh she heard me say that, she just woke up.

I am creating...a special birthday present for a soon to be one year old boy.

I am going...to put my feet up and relax in front of the TV very soon.

I am reading...nothing right now, but as soon as I find my copy of Alice in Wonderland from Uni I will be reading that again. We went and saw the 3D movie yesterday and LOVED it. Except for Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, who I think didn't really even come close to pulling off that role. I adored Helena Bonham-Carter, as for Johnny Depp...I don't know. I will reserve judgement on that one. I need to see it again.

I am hoping...that the rain clears by Friday morning so that I don't have to get wet walking to Kinder again. I put C in the hug a bub all prepared to keep her under the umbrella with me, but wouldn't you know it, I couldn't find said umbrella. I looked everywhere. Of course I found it hiding under the vacuum cleaner...the next day. Perhaps it didn't want to get wet either.

I am hearing...peace and quiet...the girls are in bed and the man is at his cricket. Just the tap tap tap of the keys to keep my company. A little bit of BLISS..enjoying it while it lasts. Doing my best to ignore the housework that I promised myself I would do tonight.

Around the house...the washing is all done and the kitchen is as clean as it is going to get tonight. My excuse - I don't want to wake the sleeping and interrupt the bliss. I need to tidy up the toys from the day and clean down my dining table, but they can wait a little longer.

One of my favourite things...the HUGE hug I get from S when I pick her up from her two and a half hour Kinder session on Friday morning.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...umm!! Perhaps some bathroom planning. I need to go to Bunnings and jot down some measurements and prices but I'm not sure I want to do that with impatient children in tow. Perhaps on Saturday afternoon. I don't have any set plans this week...I really need to get a social life. Make some new friends. A regular gig. Adult conversation over coffee would be grand.

A photo to share...we managed to make it to the final quarter of the Hawthorn v North Melbourne practice match held locally. Mr Pixies is a die hard Hawks supporter and I couldn't let him miss it. I picked him up from work and took him straight there, along with the girls. It was wet but not cold. Miss 3 was bored within minutes, I was a little too absorbed in taking photos (much to the chagrin of Miss 14 months) and the Hawks got flogged. I got a few reasonable shots, but I have a real hankering to go to a match without the tiny distractions and see what I can do. Maybe one day we can leave them with Gran and Grumbles and go to a real AFL match. Do I really want to see my beloved Dees get destroyed by the Hawks?? Could I survive the trip home????

WOW!! That's a long daybook entry...
Congratulations if you made it all the way to here without nodding off :)

Have a lovely week.

Daybook Monday

FOR TODAY... 1st March 2010

Outside My Window...the wind is whistling through the trees and the sun is shining

I am thinking...that I really should pull myself out of the black hole that I seem to have fallen into, it's not proving to be very easy at the moment.

I am thankful for...a partner who will put up with my moods and at least try to understand how I feel sometimes. Even when it isn't rational.

From the kitchen...the sink is desperately calling me to shine it. I'm doing my best to ignore it for the moment.

I am wearing...Long sleeves and trackpants, no shoes. It's cold today...

I am creating...nothing, and it's killing me.

I am going...I wish I was going to Spotlight to buy some fabric to start on a baby quilt...but my 3 year old is uncooperative. She's turning into a real home body. Doesn't want to go out. Doesn't want to get dressed. So I guess I'm going nowhere else today.

I am reading...all about Supercoach. Footy stats aren't really that enthralling.

I am hoping...to see Alice in Wonderland towards the end of the week. Depends on the girls and who we can leave them with. Options are limited.

I am hearing...Playschool on the TV...yet again.

Around the house...the house is a disaster area. If someone knocked on the door right now I would pretend to be out, that's how embarrassed an ashamed I am of my housekeeping efforts.

One of my favourite things...a visit from the neighbours kitten...He's adorable and affectionate and playful, the complete antithesis of our cats.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Clean, clean, clean. But we all know it won't happen.

A photo to share...I haven't been taking many photos recently...lost my mojo a little.

Obviously, these are pegs...they're not even MY pegs...don't ask my why I took it, I couldn't say.

I need to go clean my kitchen and make Lasagne for dinner.
Have a good week.