50 Things

The current challenge over at Blog This is "50 Things".

I decided to create a list of 50 Things I want to do, some with or for my daughter, and some just for me. I'm going to print this out and tick them off as I can...probably over the next 50 years!

With or for my daughter:

1. Give her a great education – both scholastically and via experience.
2. Build on her love of books and reading. TICK
3. Live overseas for a year or so. Preferably in France.
4. Learn to speak fluent French.
5. Take her to top of the Eifel tower instead of only to the second level then having to leave because a small child wants to go to the toilet.
6. Take her to Italy and show her beautiful works of art.
7. Encourage her to stick with her ballet – it will give her grace and poise.
8. Spend a month in New Zealand over the Christmas Holidays so she can experience the country her mama comes from.
9. Encourage her to learn an instrument and read music.
10. Buy her a piano
11. Take her to Canada
12. To live in a rambling old Queenslander, with gracious verandahs and a swinging porch seat and secret spaces to hide and explore. TICK
13. Take her to Japan
14. Make sure she can swim, and foster her love of water
15. Teach her to sew TICK
16. Teach her to knit
17. Show her the delights of growing your own food (working on it – hopefully by summer!)
18. Take her to places where she can experience the freedom city kids don’t have much of these days
19. Buy her paints and canvas and encourage her to express herself
20. Visit Tasmania
21. Let her climb trees and get scrapes and bruises
22. Teach her life lessons
23. Encourage her individuality and quirky style
24. Laugh with her, sing with her, dance with her
25. Love her with all my heart

Then just for me:

26. Explore every shop and market in France
27. Have my own mini orchard. That would be in the yard of the old Queenslander. TICK
28. Go to New York almost TICK
29. Become an internationally established, profitable children’s fashion label.
30. Have a beautiful shop of my own
31. Take beautiful photos SOOC
32. Find a ‘signature dish’ that I can whip up for dinner parties and guests will rave about
33. Go on a luxury cruise
34. Learn to play the guitar. I’ve always wanted to be able to sit around a campfire and whip out my guitar and strum along.
35. Master crochet. This is in the works – I have the materials, just need to find the time. It shouldn’t be too hard as I was able to crochet when I was a kid!
36. Go on a Thelma & Louise style girly road trip, without the killing and dying parts.
37. Own a real designer handbag TICK - does Kate Spade count?
38. Master ice skating. I can go around and around, go backwards and snowplough but would like to be able to do something a bit fancier.
39. Discover good health
40. Ride my bike without getting puffed
41. Learn to sew in a zip properly
42. Learn to make Chaussons-aux-pommes
43. Accept my wrinkles as laughter lines
44. Find some comfortable yet stylish shoes
45. Learn to sleep for 8 hours unaided
46. Start stretching properly so I’m not putting my chiropractors kids through private school
47. Learn to make amazing iced cakes
48. Find patience
49. Start painting again
50. Choose joy!

Image source: Eva Juliet

{Blog This} Challenge 49 - History

Challenge 49 for Blog This
What were you doing 5, 10, 15, 20 etc years ago. 2005. 2000. 1995. 1990. 1985. 1980. 1975... Just go back as far as you can, we have a wide range of ages in our contributors!
Words, pictures or both, whatever you please.

I don't have much to say today. I'm not great with dates and remembering what happened when, so I'm telling this story mainly in photos.

2005 - 33 years old
Got married, and pregnant. Big year for me!

2000 - 28 years old
My beautiful cousin stayed for a few weeks. probably the highlight of this year.

1995 - 23 years old
Can't find a photo of me, so here's my beautiful Molly girl xx

1990 - 18 years old
This is actually early '91. Living out west as a governess. Obligatory chambray shirt and webbed belt.

1985 - I don't have a photo even remotely close to this year. I was 13, which probably explains it.

1980 - 8 years old
First day of brownies.

1975 - 3 years old
Now you see why I take care to dress my daughter in nice clothes. Brown skivvy and ugly flares. Noice.

10 things I love about my world

Today I'm participating in a blog this challenge. I haven't participated for a while, but given I wrote the challenge I thought I should!

Blog This Challenge 48:

Select 10 things you love about your life and tell us why. It could be certain people, where you live, your local shop...include images if you like.

I started this off listing people and before I knew it I had reached number 8. So I've had to bundle them up a bit!

1. First of all my family. I mean, it goes witout saying, number one is my girl. From the minute I saw those two pink lines, she became the centre of my universe, but the rest of my family pretty much rock as well. Husband, parents, sister, cousins, grandparents, auntie & uncles. It would be pretty hard to find better!

2. Friends, both new and old. Last year we had a great little group that managed to catch up at least fortnightly. This year with people working, some kids at school, and one overseas, we don't see each other as often, but we still love each other. I was feeling a little lonely, until all of a sudden I got to know some of our kindy mums, and I have a whole new group of friends who all live locally. Some of our girls attend ballet together which is also a good excuse to grab a coffee and chat. Community kindergarten rocks! I have to add a special mention to my wonderful best friend I seldom see - love you lots xxx.

3. My home. I have a love/hate relationship with this place. If I had unlimited funds to renovate I could make it pretty special - new kitchen, paintwork and all the trimmings. It's a pretty good size for the three of us to rattle around in, and we have a nice pool. The location is good as well, not far from the city, we have cafes within a 3 minute drive, a big park/reserve down the road and my parents are 5 minutes away, which is really handy!

4. TikiBoo Kids. This little business has a special place in my heart. My daughter was the inspiration for it, and it gives me a creative outlet.

5. Coffee. Whether it's at home, the cute local cafe or a takeaway from the bakery, I love my coffee.

6. Travel. I have so many plans which revolve around travel. There is so much of the world still left to see. I want to explore more of France, that's number one. Canada, Italy, New York are also on the list, hopefully sooner rather than later.

7. Reading. I love to curl in my chair and read a book or magazine. Recently we rearranged a little and I now have a winter reading nook, not that I get to use it much, but sitting there with a cup of coffee and the latest Country Style is a little slice of heaven.

8. My gadgets. I love gadgets - my awesome overlocker, the kitchenaid, my iPhone. I'm itching to get an iPad but have to resist the whole first release issue.

9. Brisbane winters. As much as I do love the snow and real cold, it's nice to have these winters where I can still wander round in bare feet and sit in the sun with short sleeves. Brisbane summer though - not a fan.

10. I can't think of another, but I think that's a pretty good list. It makes me thankful for the good things and great people I have in my life!

{Blog This} Can you do without?

Challenge 16 at Blog This
Have you ever had to give anything up that was difficult?

Over the past year I have reluctantly given up many things. Chocolate. Ice Cream. Cheese. Before we went away earlier this year I also gave up sugar and white flour. I felt fantastic. I looked fantastic. The dark circles under my eyes vanished, my skin glowed. The one thing I could not - would not - give up was coffee. No way, uh-uh. I can't start the day without my skinnyflatwhiteonesugar. Even though it's big, noisy and ugly, I love my old Saeco Magic. Merlo beans.

Paris shocked me. My visions of sitting and sipping while watching Parisian life go by were shattered. Bitter beans, burnt milk. Filthy looks when I requested a cafe au lait. After 4 days trying to stomach the espresso with a dash, I gave up and resorted to tea.

My first request when we returned home? Please honey, could you make me a coffee?

Oh, and the no sugar, no white flour lasted until we got on the plane!

(Image broowed from antedorr)

Gifts, Glorious Gifts!

Blog This Challenge 13

Do people think you're hard to buy for or are you constantly dropping hints? What's on your ultimate gift list? If you were to write a list of 5 things that would be on the list of perfect presents for your next birthday what would they be? Would it be a particular thing or anything from a particular store/shop? An experience or something with pretty bows? Practical or whimsical? They don't need to be physical or even attainable gifts - tell us (and those who read your blog) what you want!!

Yes, I'm one of those horribly annoying people that nobody likes to buy for. I can't recall the last time I was given a surprise, everyone always asks me what I want.

Trying to write a list is always hard, and I do have rather expensive tastes (think Tiffany & Co), but honestly, this year my list would have nothing at all to do with material goods. If the following were to happen I would be the happiest girl in all the land!

1. Obviously the best gift of all would be for my Mum to be completely free of the big C forever more. If we think positive and wear our red undies on chemo day I'm certain this will happen!

2. A few more wholesale orders would be fantastic. (Oh, am I shameless?!)

3. My daughter to quit asking for 'something to eat' every.five.minutes.

4. My husband to suddenly decide that another overseas trip would be a really fabulous idea.

5. Oh, really, I just have to throw this one in - a Babylock Evolve. That's what I really have asked for this birthday!

Meet the Parents

Challenge 12 at Blog This
Meet The Parents.
Share with us your favourite memory of your mother or father or another parent-figure in your life. It may be a wonderful mother-daughter experience you had with your mum, or something special you've done with your children... inspire us!

Anyone who knows me, knows how close my Mum and I are - she really is my best friend as well as my mum, as corny as that sounds. My parents don't live far from us so I get to see them almost every day, either popping in to say hello or to go shopping, or discuss sewing - Mum is a huge part of TikiBoo Kids.
Mum is not well at the moment. She is having treatment and she is going to get better, the specialists are supremely confident. But, I felt we needed some pampering. This morning, while I coerced Grandpa into taking Miss TikiBoo to ballet class, Mum and I went up the road to one of those funny little nail places to have ourselves a pedicure. It was the first ever for mum! At $28 each I'm sure we can make it a slightly regular event. We have matching California Raspberry toenails now. When we got home, Miss Boo insisted I paint hers as well.
I love my Mum!
If you really want to see some photos, Rachel Richter recently took some family portraits for us and post a preview on her blog.

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE TIKIBOO KIDS GIVEAWAY!

What's on your bedside table?

Challenge 11 at Blog This

What are you reading at the moment? What book can you not put down or just can't finish? Are you drawn to certain authors, genres or just what's in the bargain bin? Do you get books from a book exchange, library or are you beating the doors down at Dymocks on release day? Write all about the last book you read or the one you're reading/struggling to read!

I am an avid reader. I love to read and tend to churn through books, often complaining that I have nothing to read...I should make better use of the local library!

Currently on my bedside table are a pile of books I have 'just finished' and not yet put away in our overflowing bookcase.

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote.
My all time favourite movie, though I had never read the book. I found the book to be not as bittersweet as the movie, it was almost a little depressing. Usually I prefer books to movies but this time, the movie wins, although Audrey Hepburn would have much to do with that!

The Queen's Sorrow - Suzannah Dunn.
Hmmmm. Can't say I would recommend this one! The cover leads you to believe it is about Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary), but it really only has a little bit about her. It was ok, but not great. Again, rather depressing, but unlike Holly Golightly, the characters were not particularly endearing.

My daughter is also a book lover, and would possibly sit all day and listen to stories being read to her. Her current favourites are the Madeline stories by Ludwig Bemelmans. I have to admit, I am becoming a big fan of these sweet tales too! "In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines". The stories are cute and funny, and cheeky Madeline is so endearing. So far we have 3 of the series and I'm on the hunt for the rest.

Although I love books, I'm also a secret magazine junkie. My Child, Real Living and Notebook are probably my favourites right now. I used to love Marie Claire & Vogue types but these days I wait and read them at the hairdresser, for some reason I don't really relate as well to them anymore!

The perfect day

Do not attempt to try this recipe before 10am!

Ingredients, Base

1 happy, well behaved child
1 cheerful husband
1 vehicle

Take husband and child, place in shower and wash. Dress child and instruct husband to dress himself. Take husband and child and place in vehicle, along with oneself. Drive to New Farm. Find café and eat delicious breakfast and drink much coffee. Mix in a dash of browsing the local shops. Return to car and drive home.

Ingredients, Filling

1 happy, well behaved child
1 cheerful husband
1 swing
50 metres of fabric
1 Camera
3 bikes
Strawberries
Cake

Place husband and child in backyard with swing and mix well. Take fabric and play with it for at least two hours. Return outside to husband and child, use camera to take photos. At this point you may wish to throw in a little extra coffee, and a vegemite roll will ensure child remains happy. After a small rest, place husband, child and self on bikes and ride around for approximately one hour. Sit to rest for a few moments, eat strawberries. Resume riding.
If child starts to look not so happy, you know you are ready to return home and consume cake. Again, rest for a short time.


Ingredients, Topping

1 or 2 grandparents
1 cheerful husband
1 sleepy child
1 vehicle
2 lovely meals
1 nice bottle of red
Interesting conversation
Optional - Friends

Place child in car for 5 minutes and drive to grandparents house. Leave child to sleep until morning. Add husband to vehicle and drive to restaurant and mix lovely meals with nice bottle of wine and interesting conversation. Adding friends to the mixture at this point is optional, though can enhance the mixture. You will need to add extra wine and meals if friends are added.

The Wish List

Blog This Challenge Number 8: Shopaholic

Bought something fabulous lately? Wanna share? Wanna brag? Blog some pictures, write a sonnet about it, tell the story about how you got it in the house without your husband noticing. What made you buy it? Have you been secretly coveting it for a while? Or are you an impulse shopper. And of course, now you have it, was it worth it??

This was surprisingly difficult, for someone who love to shop and even has a blog devoted to shopping! I just haven't had timeto shop recently. Not for me, not for Alexandra. The last thing I bought was "Lucy", see previous post, so I can't blog about that. Maybe I can share with you the thing I will be buying once I have time (ie: after the Mathilda's Market next Sunday!).

The Bike.

Oh yes, it will be mine. I just have to find time to get to the bike store. I am envisioning beautiful spring Sunday afternoon rides with the family. Cycling and singing. Stopping for picnics. Lover-ly.

Dinner for 8

Blog This Challenge 6: The Dinner Party
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to plan a fabulous dinner party. You've been given a healthy budget, so don't scrimp! Guest list - 8 people, dead or alive, real or ficticious. The menu - will this be your very own masterchef moment, or is outsourcing more your style? Is there a theme? What will be the entertainment for the evening? What will you wear? What will you talk about? Don't forget the wine! Have fun planning, be as creative as you like. If you're creative, maybe even design the invitation. Make this an event not to be missed!

I'm going to create this dinner party on a gorgeous secluded beach. We're all outside under the stars on a calm night.
Something like this, but for eight.

The weather is perfect. It's a black tie affair, of course...black tie & bare feet. Men in suits, ladies in elegant gowns. I shall wear pale pink, with pearls.

The entertainment is provided by two greats - Frank Sinatra & Micheal Jackson. We will dance on the sand.

The guests...let's go for an interesting blend. I haven't decided on the seating plan just yet, it will require a little more thought to get it just right.



JFK - The charisma factor. I think he'd get along well with Obama, although we'd have to make sure they didn't talk politics all evening.

It was a hard choice between Grace Kelly & Audrey Hepburn. As much as I adore Audrey, I think I'd rather have her over for tea and cake than a dinner party, which seems to be more Grace's style. Plue it would be interesting to see who she flirted with the most!

Michael J Fox. just because he's great and was a favourite of mine when I was younger. I loved him as Alex P. Keaton. I'd take away his parkinsons for the night as well.

Margaret Mead would simply be a facinating person to chat to, the places she has been, the things she has seen and done. I think I'd claim the seat next to her.

Obama. Well he is man of the moment.

His lovely wife, Michelle.

Dr Phil. I love Dr Phil. I'd love to hear what he has to say to our last guest...

Schapelle Corby. Enough said.

Cooking is not my favourite thing to do, I find it hard to get satisfaction from something that doesn't last longer than an hour! So, we will be outsourcing. Here's my menu:

Yes, 3 desserts.

Holiday Nostalgia

The latest challenge from Blog This:

Everyone loves Holidays. Everyone has had a holiday - be it a great big backpacking adventure, a luxury weekend away,a caravan trek as a kid with the family taking in Big Bananas, Big Prawns, Big Pineapples et al, Camping in the neighbours yard under the stars for a few nights. Elaborately planned holidays, impromptu 'let's get out of here' holidays. Blog about a holiday you've had that stands out - adventure, relaxation, family, friends, disaster, hilarious events! Who were you with? Where did you go? What made it so memorable? Share a photo if you want!

While I'd love to continue raving about our recent family holiday to France, I have already blogged about it recently, so I'll have to pick another!
Our honeymoon was pretty wonderful. We married in Auckland, the city of my birth and pretty special to me. The original plan was to have our honeymoon in Mexico, however coordinating flights became too difficult, so we decided to stay local and head to Waiheke Island. I simply cannot believe I had never been to this blissful little place in the whole 15 years we lived there.


We stayed in a fabulous B&B/Small Hotel called The Boatsheds. Our room was 3 storied. Bathroom on the ground floor, bedroom on the next, and the top floor - the square room on the right of the photo - opened right up and had a daybed, table & chairs. The view was divine.



We spent the entire week eating, strolling and visiting the local wineries and galleries. Perfect. I can't wait to go back one day with Miss TikiBoo!

Challenge 3 at Blog This: It's the little things...Simple, everyday things which make your life a pleasure.
Limit of 10 images...no minimum. You don't have to be a fabulous photographer, just have fun.
No words required, let your photos tell the story...

I played around with actions on some of them, they needed a bit of spicing up!

Oh...and for those who are waiting, I'm a bit late with the draw, I promise to post the winner tomorrow!

Making Life Easier

Challenge 2 at Blog This...

If I were to invent something to make life easier or more fun for me...and WHY.

Right about now, a single tablet to cure colds and flu would come in handy! I seem to spend most of winter coughing and sneezing, so would certainly love an instant fix to this problem - wouldn't we all! Doctors would spend all winter twiddling their thumbs, and pharmacists might start going out of business. For that matter, how would the media cope without the chance of a pandemic to scare us with? What else...A sewing machine that does the sewing for you, another handy invention around here...although I do like the sewing, it's the cutting out which is tedious.

Some thing else which would make my life so much easier would be a robot PA. Turn on the switch and it would make all my phone calls, update my websites and blogs...tidy my desk and make me endless cups of coffee. Oh yes, that's what I need!

If you're an Aussie blogger and want to join in the fun, head on over to Blog This and sign up.

When I grow Up

No, I'm not channelling The Pussycat Dolls, it's a challenge for a new blogging network I've joined, Blogged. (The name is about to change...watch this space!). The theme for this week is When I grow up...A ballerina? A vet? An astronaut? As a small child, what did you dream of becoming?

I'm sure as a small child I wanted to be all those things and more. The one I most vividly recollect was wanting to be a stockbroker. I wanted to work on Wall Street, live in New York and drive a Porsche 911 Carerra. The Targa type. Oh yes, I had all all planned out there for a few years. Buy! Sell! Buy! Sell!

I haven't made it to New York yet, but I'm hoping that one day I'll get to visit and see if I would have enjoyed the reality as much as the childhood dream!