For Adrianne with Love

We all have family friends who have been part of our lives for as long as we can recall. 

Often those people are dear to us but not always so near due to geography. 

This is the case with our friend who gifted me this amazing chair. 

It came with a beautiful wooden desk that I have yet to tackle.

In 2004, I had  redecorated a dining room at a friends home. Using a rich burgundy fabric with a fleur de lys pattern. I made table accessories & a window pelmet which thankfully turned out well. Unfortunately my camera skills let me down,  so the photo's below do not them justice.

Nonetheless, I loved this fabric & had some spare from that project. 


Firstly, the chair base was stripped, webbed and recovered 

  Then the repair needed only a little wood glue at its dowel joints 

and a good sanding, stain and a polish. 

I didn't apply a varnish, instead I elected to use a rub on oil 

after the stain had dried which feeds the chair

 & bring out it's colour. 

I have been working on making over this piece for the last couple of weeks

& am thrilled with it's outcome. 

Fleur-de-lys from French to English translation is Flower of The Lily.

The symbol represents a stylized lily or lotus flower. 

Traditionally, it has been used to represent French royalty and it is said to signify perfection, light & life. 

I look forward to starting soon on the matching desk 
and thank our dear friend for trusting me to bring it back to beautiful. 


Thanks Adrianne
You are always in our thoughts 


Big hugs  
  V  x 

Back in Action & Time to Cull

It has been almost a month since I have looked at my blog page. So much has happened in the last month I still feel like I am living in July. Sickness has been rife in my family, and I spent 6 full days flat on my back in bed with the flu, not to mention the last 3 weeks Ive been coughing non stop. Normally I am in my element in winter. It has always been my most favourite time of the year. This year I am getting a little over it though. Constant raining means the painting projects I have half done cant get finished and I am becoming ever so frustrated with stock piles of garage sale items that sit in the garage where my car should be. Local markets have been empty on Sunday mornings thanks to the cold and rain so alas I wait a little longer and hope for some sunshine. 

Yesterday I had my first car accident in over 20 years. Thankfully no one was injured given I had 3 kids in my car . The other party has insurance ( as do I ) to cover the damage being it was their fault. Just a little inconvenient being without a car. Always a bright side being that no one was hurt.

This week I am endeavouring to cull . Kids clothes, paperwork, sort pics on the computer, generally just get a little more organised. After being so sick myself, followed by sick children to care for, things have gotten a little on top of me around the house. I am without a camera at the moment while I am waiting for my new one to be delivered. I bought myself a Fujifilm S4000 Digital Camera after my toddler dropped and smashed my Samsung. Luckily it was old and only a cheapie but I decided an upgrade was long overdue.  
The FujiFilm S4000 has a huge 30x super long zoom telephoto lens  together with all the features including 720p HD video recording. I really wanted a Canon but the $ 1500 minimum price difference I cant justify paying when I am only an amateur photographer and have little time to learn how to be a professional !
This camera looks the part even if it doesnt have the same pricetag as the Canon.

As soon as this little ripper arrives in at my door I'll be clicking like a cricket to get pictures on ebay and a few other classified sites to cull this house. I am an avid thrift shopper but once I start to feel I am drowning in stuff its time to declutter and move things out.

Sadly back in June my father-in-law, Drew, who I'de previously blogged about, passed away.

He, too, was somewhat of a hoarder but on a small scale. Nanny has been wanting to clear out some of his treasure from his shed. Although she refers to it as junk there may well be some handy things that he would have wanted to pass down to the grandkids, like his tools or fishing gear, so this is another job I should get onto sometime this week for her.

Finally this week, I am also going to start major planning for my up n coming trip to Melbourne.

I need to arrange a hire car & some accommodation along the way and map out our intended route driving to Sydney. I cant wait. A girlie week is long over due & what better way than to Thelma & Louise it from Melbourne to Sydney doing a little op shopping along the way.

I really must get culling if I am going to be bringing more stuff home !!!

A Culling I will go ..... A culling I will go 

Ms  V  xx

 

Happy 4th July - Go Hug Your Kids !

  

Everytime I see this Video I end up in stitches laughing.

  My adorable 5 year old loves to break out in song at any opportunity.

He's  Priceless in his oversized head phones ..

Don Henley eat your heart out !!!!

He even does a pretty good American accent !

and with America in mind .....

I'de like to wish all my US friends &

my brother who lives in New York City

a very Happy 4th July !!!!

Happy  Independance  Day

Best  Wishes 

Ms  V x

Postcard from the Edge

Well its been a long week & truthfully one that saw me hanging on by my fingernails. My oldest son has had exams at school & he isn't renowned for high marks but has previously managed to usually at least pass. This is his first year in highschool & he is struggling, thou like most teenagers won't admit it nor does it seem to bother him as much as it does me. 

I remember being in his shoes and the transition from primary school to high school was incredibly daunting, not to mention that paying private school fees is financially pretty tough on me, so I guess I had hoped he'de be a high achiever being in a focused academic environment, but like most parents you come to realise that your children are only capable of what they are capable of . I'm proud of him for trying and he is a polite & talented boy in other areas and is healthy & happy. I do the best I can for my boys with what I have & I have to keep reminding myself that it's ok if they don't turn  to be Einstein's.

  I enjoyed a week off from my job this week & I sure achieved alot at home.    I've have been getting stuck into unfinished projects while the boys are at school . The magazine table that was all rusted I showed in an earlier post is all but finished. I have also given this little box from a flea market a new lease of life & now have a place for my postcards family & friends send from overseas.

Before

During

After



This is one of my favourite postcards from New York of the Brooklyn Bridge.
I am itching to get back there on holidays. One day ! 



Tomorrow its back to work for me & exams are done for my boy.

Another bite of the apple taken .. Phew  

&  another day done

Good night all

Ms   V   xx

Farewell Pa xxx

Sadly today we lost Pa .... he passed away peacefully after a short illness.

Thankfully he wasn't in pain & simply stayed sleeping till it was time for him to go.

He was 84. Nanny & Pa were married for 62 years. Their only son, Rod, now 61 was obviously a honeymoon gift. Father & Son had been great buddies through life & with 3 grandsons, aged 24, 13 & 5,  to entertain, Pa was always good for a story, a horse racing tip, fishing advice & always for a beer.

I first met Drew ( aka Pa ) when I started dating Rod back in 1994. He always reminded me so much of my own father but was more like a big bear... always welcoming with big hugs, a coldie & the latest race tip. Watching my own dad, being a keen punter & drinker, I quickly learnt racing etiquite & Drew was no less passionate about his bets.

A man of routine he would venture to the local TAB & papershop, then park his car under the same tree at the Peninsula Hotel in Mandurah to enjoy a coldie and listen to the radio for his race results.  You could time your watch to where he would be at a certain time of day & he still sat under that tree in his car even after the Peninsula Hotel was knocked down. Eventually he was no longer able to drive, so he'de often be seen on his gopher heading for the BoatHouse Tavern & betting shop. I have to say he was the most consistant man I have ever met. He wouldn't faulter. Rain, Hail or Shine he remained faithful to his daily routine. He was like a fish out of water on Xmas day when the races didnt run but he always put in the effort and enjoyed a family Xmas Day.

In the afternoons when the races were run, he'de share a game of Scrabble or Cards with his wife of more then 60 years, Esther, and was fiercely competitive.  

I could write for hours about his interesting life but really I just want to say thanks to Drew.  Thanks for being a fabulous  father-in-law to me &  grandfather to the boys.

For giving us all so many stories & wonderful memories. 

I will surely miss asking you if you're having a win today,  almost as much as i will miss your reply "Not today darlin, The Bloody Barrrrstards !"

God forbid that you should go to any Heaven where they've no beer or betting.

No doubt, you'll find my dad there waiting with a cold one & a tip for a roughie.

Rest In Peace Drew   

We Love You  

xoxoxo

The Minds Inner Light Globe - Flick On, Flick Off

This week I took lots of deep breaths. 
Some days Motherhood has to be the most frustrating and trying occupation.
Selective deafness is rife in my house. I have learnt that no matter how loud I yell or scream or rant or rave about anything really, it all falls on deaf ears unless, of course, I said something along the lines of  " Mum's going to McDonalds" then I might just get a response from my youngest though the eldest may still not have responded.
Happy Meals can be the best bribery ! 
At the age of 13,  my Teenager's bribery expectations seem to have hit a high, where a mere Happy Meal doesn't even rate a mention. These days he aims for an extra hours play on the X-Box or,  as a long shot,  phone credit only issued as a form of pocket money for which the dishes must be put away each day and the garbage taken out, both I might add, I still need to remind him to do daily. After years of wall charts & reward schemes I am now at the point of 2 words..... "Ben Dishes" or "Ben Rubbish".  Short & sweet without much dialogue. 
As for my 5 year old, my greatest ask from him is that he " Listens, Focuses & Tries Really Hard " and this has become our catch phrase for most things, both at home & for school.  A tough call in a household of selective deafness !!
So what does a mother do ????   I must admit when I was married my husband would always reinforce "Boys , Listen to your mother" & that reinforcement was productive & appreciated ! When I say get things done, I only mean the general things that need doing as a way of life such as getting in the bath, homework, taking the lunch box out of the school bag, or go to bed on time to sleep.... The normal daily tasks that aren't brain surgery but must be  just as difficult to complete for my children.
Now as the world turns and our children get older you would think that after years of repeating ourselves, we mothers ( & fathers ) would have made some inroads into the minds of our children... wishful thinking on our part  ?  Well I'm completely convinced, particularly in my teenagers case, that his inner "lightglobe" is still completely switched off.   I'm sure looking forward to the day it turns on &  lights up his mind & my life !!!  

So now I go forward about 70 years to my adorable & much loved In-Laws. Regardless of my separation they have always been a big part of all our lives & the boys adore their  Nanny & Pa.  Sadly after a fall, Pa has deteriorated somewhat and is a hospital inpatient, leaving Nanny, after 62 years of marriage, on her own. Lucky their son, Rod,  only lives a few streets away, as am I, cause being independant as she is, Nanny would much rather stay in her own home than come & live with any of us. This week has unfortunately made us all realise that old age & maybe a little trauma from Pa's absence, has dimmed her inner light globe to the point of early dementia. Physically she is amazingly fit for a woman in her 80's  & it seems so odd that virtually overnight her memory has deteriorated so rapidly.  It must be so frustrating for her ... even so much more than it is for all of us that answer her questions a hundred times over. I remember my own Nan being ever so similar & she would laugh when we'de declare she'de already told us that !   My Nan was so little & had such a lovely sense of humour & I see my children's Nanny following the same path as my own did. The saddest thing is eventually as the minds lightglobe dims & darkens we can only watch her disappear from knowing us at all.                                                             Bless them - Nanna's hold our hands for a little while, but our hearts forever. 

So in writing this entry I realise I'm wishing my oldest sons Inner Light Globe would flick on, my youngest sons would flick off & go to sleep at bedtime, and their lovely Nanny's would eliminate and shine forever.

                                    ***   Thats a Light Globe Moment for me  ***





3 generations.... Nanny, Rod &  Grandsons



        With Love

     xxx   Ms V   xxx



Happy 5th Birthday My Boy

Time sure flies when your having fun & the last 5 years has gone by just so quickly & so did a full on day yesterday with fourteen five year old boys at the Fun Factory in Mandurah .

I had only just returned from a short trip to Broome, in the North West of WA, with my boys before the onslaught of Easter Holiday makers embarked on the place.
We spent 5 nice days at Cable Beach Club, relaxing, swimming & of course checking out goodies at the local charity store.
A few bargains I will show you in the near future, but for now I must tell you about the most fabulous cake decorator in the Mandurah area...


I have never had anyone else make my boys cakes before but as I had limited time being in Broome I had trusted Sandy's  Cakes to take it on...  and WOW what a treat. Angus's cake was truly magnificent. His little face was so excited.
The tables I laid out in matching Ben 10 decorations and made cool little signs for the lolly's, fruit and other treats. 

The Fun Factory put on the main party food such as frankfurts, sausage rolls, sandwiches etc & the boys run amok up and down slides and bouncy castles and had a ball. 

Best part for the mums was coffee and a chat & this mum was surely happy to be walking out and leaving the cleaning up for someone else !!!  Worth every dime !!!

Angus was inundated with glorious gifts from very generous friends and family and had a sensational day...  

Happy Birthday my darling boy ....   I Love You Because You're You !