messyart

Did you know...

... i have my very own slave?

 The Mr. is not so great at gifts. Birthday gifts, Xmas gifts....any gifts really. I think he gets all flustered at the idea of having to buy a gift and over thinks it and often just cant do it at all. (sorry if your reading this A, but you know it’s true ;). This year, however, he got it so so right! After years of hearing me constantly complain “you know what i REALLY want? I want help! Help catching up on my ridiculous, never -ending to do list! Thats what i want for my birthday!” So on Wednesday ( the day before my birthday) he rang me from work to ‘give’ me my gift early. It was him. He was volunteering himself to me as my slave for 4 days, to help me do, make, clean whatever i wanted! He was telling me a day early so that i had time to get whatever i needed together ,write my lists and plan what we would do.

Best. Birthday. Gift. Ever.

So the first day (my bday) we met friends for coffee and breakfast and spent most of the day at Bunnings. I had thought long and hard about what i wanted to achieve in these four days. In the end, i didn’t choose what needed to be done most, instead i chose to complete all the projects that bugged me not having them done the most. I figured the important projects will get done anyways, because they’re important. But the projects i chose to tackle are the ones that aren’t a necessity and would probably otherwise keep getting pushed to the back burner. So we bought wood, and plants and soil and paint. We didn’t get much done the first day, but that was ok. We enjoyed hanging out together.

Day 2 we acheived alot though.The Mr. worked tirelessly. It was awesome.

Day 3 not so much as we were tired and hungover from my Bday dinner the night before. But we did have a glorious day of lounging about and swimming and eating. And although we didn’t get much done, I didn’t do a thing on Saturday. The Mr. made me and my sista a beautiful breakfast, did all the dishes and daily cleaning up that day. I literally didn’t lift a finger. We ordered takeaway for dinner and watched videos until we fell asleep. Gloriously relaxing.

Sunday after Nippers, we got back to work and finished most of the projects we started. We finally finished my pallet herb garden.

(from this)

(to this)

And we potted and hung vines that we hope will eventually grow to cover our old ricketty fences.

We hung up some wall planters with more wall cover that we also hope will grow to eventually cover our awnings. And he started painting our outdoor areas (we are painting over all the maroon YUK! and painting it white...of course ;)

We finished my birthday weekend with a family dinner at Bennihanna’s, one of my favourite restraunts. Mmmmmm.....sooooo good!

Let me just say it again. Best. Birthday . Ever.

Hope your weekend was as awesome as mine!

A confession....

OK, so i have a little confession to make.

 I hate breakfast in bed.

 Not fond of the idea at all (much to the horror of most people i know). Yet every year my sweet sweet children ever so thoughtfully put together a beautiful little breakfast treat to wake me with. This happens maybe two or three times a year. You know, for birthdays, mothers day and as a random treat. And every time i force myself to eat, swallowing the pieces of toast and egg down with my tea and a great big smile on my face. Every year i tell my partner “pleeeease dont do breakfast for me in bed this year...please!” But i dont think he really believed i didnt love it ( im pretty sure its his idea of bliss). But it’s true...i don’t love it.  I cant stand the idea of eating in bed. Hate it! Or the idea of eating as soon as i wake up. Cant do it. I usually eat breakfast at least an hour after ive been up and gone for a walk.   Tea first thing in the morning i DO love though. And this year, thats just what i got! (Guess the Mr. finally believed me when i said i really dont like breakfast in bed!) So he convinced the kids to make me a cup of tea instead. It came with so many sweet kisses and cuddles, and little gifts that my littlest man couldnt wait to open for me “pwesents mummy, pwesents!!!!!!”

Then the kids did extra morning chores before heading off to school, so i wouldn’t have to clean.

While i do hate breakfast in bed, i do love going out for breakfast! So the day before my birthday i had breakkie with my siser.

And the day of my birthday i have breakfast with these to gals.

I got totally spoilt! A sweet friend dropped round a gorgeous street find for me , followed by a beautiful bunch of flowers from my step-mum (she knows me so well....oh how i love my flowers). I of course re-arranged the flowers into several little jars so i could spread them around the house.

My bff is taking me away for a girls weekend to Sydney and my sister bought me an outdoor rug that i had been wanting FOREVER!

This year we celebrated my birthday with a gorgeous dinner at a new little spanish place in Palmy. I was so thankful to have all my closest friends with me. It’s not often we can all get together with our crazy lives! 

And of course, we had photo props ;)

So yes, it was a pretty awesome Birthday! Probably my best one yet :) So heres to hoping this year will also be my best one yet!

 

My littlest man turned 2!!!

So we celebrated a birthday this weekend. My littlest man turned 2, which makes me happy because i love this age :) 

( i know, i say that about every age, but i guess i just love it all)

But it also makes me sad because he is growing up so fast! Too fast . *sigh* His real birthday was tuesday before the weekend. In true mumma style we celebreated from tuesday to sunday! He didn't understant at first, but very quickly realised that everyime someone sang him Happy Birthday, it was usually followed with the presentation of a gift of some sort. So then he spent the next few day singing himself Happy Birthday and then turning to us with an expectant look on his face. It was kinda super cute.

He opened his gifts from the kids in bed. They had made up thoughtful little gifts from toys and treasures from their room, and had each made him their own card. So sweet. This little man just has no idea how very loved he is .

Then we made him some blue pancakes with sprinkles on top. (The blue was an accident, the sprinkles turned them blue! ) And we blew up balloons and had them scattered over the lounge , cause he loves balloons. That was his actual Bday celebrations.

The Mr. and i had planned to have his room finished for his birthday. Somehow, things just didnt work out, but although it may not be finished, we did get alot done. We were making him a reading bed out of an old pallet, i'll share some pics of that soon. 

But heres some pillows my dear friend made for his reading bed...

And a hanging decoration she made for him last year that we only finally got to hanging up! (Just don't mind the ugly table cloth/curtain behind it. We still have no proper window fittings!)

And these are some little canvas's i made.

Today we celebrated his birthday with family and friends. 

We had lots of food and lots of fun. Although not everyone could be there, as my sister was overseas, mum was working to cover for her and my brother was fishing ( nice one, Jamil ;P ). 

This was the set up before everyone came :)

 

Can you spot the birthday boy?

 OUtdoor Daybed....where i plan to spend this evening ;)

Pinyata.

Photo Bunting. 

Mojitos....yum! 

Food

Just desserts thrown onto a table, NOT a dessert table ;)

The commotion was all just a little too much for daddy...

Happy Birthday Little man!

a missing coffee tradgedy....and other stuff

So on the weekend i attended/helped with my good friends daughters birthday party. This woman never ceases to amaze me with her talent. Just so creative! Unfortunatley i can't post any pics....but hopefully she will soon! And then i'll add a link to her pics :)

But the morning before i was supposed to go round and help her set up was a terrible morning. And to top that, my coffee machine was dead.

D.E.A.D.

Not cool.

So in the middle of all the craziness i told all the kids to get into the car, in thier pjs, no shoes on....just get into the car quick, quick , quick! Wedrove down to my fave coffee joint and i grabbed the largest takeaway available. Ahhhhhh.....the peace within me was restored. Life was ok now, i had coffee.

So i get back home and get everyone back inside and continue my morning craziness but this time at least with..... what.....wait... Where's my coffee??????

I looked everywhere, the bathroom, the car, the fridge, the stove.......WHERE WAS MY COFFEE!!!!!!!

After a good 20minutes of looking i realised i was wasting time (i was already late) and gave up. But it was like some kind of sick joke, so desperatley needing coffee, knowing there was a damn good one somewhere in my house, but not knowing where.

Torture i tell you.

Anywho....the party was gorgeous (of course) and the girls all had a great day.

Happy belated Birthday Miss Abigail!!!! You are quite simply AMAZING and we love having you to brighten our days :)

After the days craziness i get home, open up my pantry cupboard to start on dinner and guess what i found.

not cool.

 

party of 5?

Or for 5, in this case! We have 5 birthdays in 2 weeks...my mum, the Mr.,  the twins, and Lorenzo, my sisters boyfriend. So we decided to throw one big birthday dinner at my house and kill 5 birds with one stone, so to speak. Remember all the crazy amount of seafood we had here? Well dad did it again...2 HUGE boxes of seafood...prawns, crab, bugs, oysters, salmon....you name it! My sister and Robyn did all the salads and bread, my mum made hummos, my brother brought the drinks and i made the desserts. Between us , we had it nailed!

Dad and all his grandchildren (well almost all of them....one was asleep)

I love a good cheese plate...

The kids table....


Gluten free lemon curd cakes and vanilla cupcakes...
I also made lemon and custart tarts (T likes lemon, E loves custard) and caramel slice (robyns fave). Oh, and choc chip cookies for Lorenzo.

Whew....now i only have 4 more birthday parties to plan! Really?!

{sigh}