Happy Easter!

Image found here

 

I hope everyone had a marvellous Easter!

I had a super / busy / fun / manic / wonderful day yesterday with all my favourite people, gorging on chocolate (chocolate is OK to eat for breakfast on Easter, right?) ,cakes, pastries and then more chocolate. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

As non religious people Easter is more about spending time with family for us, and it is a bit of a tradition for the extended family to flock to my house for afternoon tea and an Easter egg hunt in a park across the road from us.

Oh, and chocolate.

But mostly the day is all about hanging out with loved ones and making sure the kids are having

a hoot.

This year my kids and I got good and messy making an Easter egg tree inspired by Aunt Peaches fab creations.

 

 

 

 

And "ta-dah", the finished product.

 

 

 

We were pretty chuffed with our lovely centrepiece, even if it did try and poke every ones eye out!

The weather tried to sabotage our Easter egg hunt (I knew I'd be cursing the rain soon enough - I'm never happy am I?), but thankfully we were spared a downpour and a very fun hunt ensued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the gazillion chocolate eggs that the Easter bunny was kind enough to leave for us, we retired to a groaning table full of cheesecakes, custard tarts, lumberjack cakes, cheeses and yeah, chocolate.

 

 

 

Yum yum yum!

What does one wear for hunting eggs and gorging on chocolate?

 

 

Stupidly, I didn't wear a skirt with an elastic waistband. When will I learn?

Even now, on Monday, I'm still high on sugar and happiness.

I do hope that Easter brought everyone love, family and yes, lots of chocolate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



We all need a little 80's in our life.



 

I wish I had the courage to show you a photo of me from the 80's.

But I don't.

Rest assured that, for a very young girl, there was an abundance of neon lycra, masses of leg-warmers, uncountable terrible hair-do's, many of them featuring BIG hair (I was so cool I was allowed a perm when I was 12!) and heaps of ill fitting matching skirt and jumper combo's made of polar fleece. Uuuugggghhh!!

But you know what? Not everything from the 80's was so hideous.

Hits of the 80's will always have me busting out some Molly Ringwald-esque moves on the dance floor. Always.

And how amazing is this early 1980's cotton dress I found op shopping not long ago.

Is it leopard print? Is it floral?

Yeah, its both!

I added the peter pan collar because I thought a bit of "school girl" was another style to throw in the crazy mix.

 

 

 

 

It is just such a fun print with bright pink, blue and a splash of yellow .

 

 

And it feels so lovely and comfortable on, light and breezy and perfect for the  beautiful Autumn weather we have had lately.

 

 

(That's me enjoying a little bridge action in the sun. Don't tell me that you don't like hanging out on bridges squinting into the distance.)

 

Anyhoo, I am up to my armpits in frock mending and altering so I must fly.

I will show off all my freshly hemmed and finished frocks soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lions and tigers and bears. (Oh my!)

 

After a horrendously busy week at work (grrrrrrr) and feeling tired and cranky, I thought a day out was in order for my kids and I. So on Saturday off we traipsed to the Melbourne Zoo.

I LOOOOOVE THE ZOO!!!

(You can't see me but I'm bouncing in my chair and yelling in my excitement!)

 

 

The zoo unleashes my inner child, and I run from exhibit to exhibit, squealing at each new discovery and looking in awe at the amazing world of these exotic (and not so) creatures.

I couldn't drag myself from voyeuristicly (that is now a word) watching the apes.

There was a younger ape that was obviously in the bad books with the others. God only knows what heinous ape crime he had committed (because throwing your own poo at others is pretty normal I hear), because the others kept avoiding him like he had ape herpes. He'd amble over, all "Hey Sheryl, whats up?" and then Sheryl ape wouldn't make eye contact and with her head down shuffled off muttering, "So yeah, I just gotta, um, do stuff over here, like..... wash my pelt, so......"

And every time he'd approach another ape it would happen again. Poor guy.

 

 

 

The Melbourne Zoo grounds are so incredibly stimulating yet so relaxing at the same time. Invigorating and serene all at once. I found the meander through many of the wild tropical forest areas the perfect tonic to my busy week.

 

 

Of course my kids had a blast. When they weren't running, climbing, hiding, bouncing (they never just walk!) they were enthralled by the game of "spot the animal" and then read about the creature.

 

 

We were all enraptured by the exploits of the elephant family, and loved how they were so affectionate towards each other, nudging (cuddling) and holding trunks (kissing). The baby elephant was even being a cheeky little bugger, standing on his hind legs at the back of his mum and blowing sand on her rear. Bloody children!

 

 

Some of us got very up close and personal with the reptiles.

 

 

Some of us got very up close and personal with wooden animals.

 

 

And animals from days gone by.

 

 

 

 

I hear that the butterfly house was lovely, but I think you must be a raving loony to want to go into that horror filled cage infested with those disgusting flappy creatures. Eeeuuuggghhhh!!

I loathe and despise moths with their awful dustiness and butterflies are just glammed up moths.

You cant fool me and tell me that if they got the chance those revolting little blighters wouldn't be at my jugular in a flash.

(I may have issues with butterflies. Just saying)

 

 

Of course I only got one photo of all of us together (so I cant show off the cutest gingham Dangerfield skirt), but I manged to capture every other feathered, furry or scaly beastie in photos so I'm pretty happy that as well as amazing memories we will also have some cool pics of our wonderful day at the zoo.

Has any one else been to the zoo lately?

 

 

 

 

 



The smoothie of doom!!!!

 

I caved.

I made it.

And of course it is the most delicious, the most tantalising, the most scrumptiously decadent bloody smoothie on earth. Damn it!!!

Since my will power imploded I have made this delight many times.

Some may say TOO many.

My children would say not enough.

My taste buds would concur.

My tummy, arse and bingo arms would vehemently declare that this divine treat should be a forbidden item. One of the "those which should not be cooked" recipes in the naughty back section of my recipe collection.

 

 

Try it if you dare!!!! (Cue evil laughter)

 

 2 frozen bananas (I always have slightly 'gone' bananas in the freezer now)

1/4 cup Greek or plain yogurt

1 cup milk

1 heaped tablespoon of cocoa powder (I use dutch cocoa)

1 heaped tablespoon of peanut butter

Small handful of ice cubes

Blend all ingredients well in a blender.

Enjoy and praise the universe for such delicious drinks.

 

If you omit the milk and ice-cubes and maybe throw in another banana you can make a lovely ice cream that only needs to be popped in the freezer for a couple of hours before eating.

 

Don't blame me when you become addicted and start to get the shakes if you don't get a daily fix.

I blame The Dainty Squid, because I was inspired by her recipe.

I merely altered it to suit moi.

 

I've gotta run, domestic duties call me and I can only ignore them so long.

(Damn the need for clean underwear. Damn you!)



Pink to make the boys wink.

 

I always forget how much I love pink, and recently have been drawn to sweet lolly shades of the colour.

So when I unearthed this "Jenny Price" vintage beauty  from my local Savers, I fell in pink heaven love with the frocks hue but wasn't sure about the cut on me and a little concerned about the odd stains.

 (No, not Monica type stains - get your minds out of the gutter people!)

For a fiver I thought it was worth the risk, and after a long soak in Nappy San the brown stains (please let them have just been chocolate) are no more.

A little tweaking from Nance my sewing machine and the dress isn't so sack-like.

 

 

As you can see though, the tweaking didn't include an iron of the hem. Grrrrr, I hate ironing!

 

 

I adore the square neckline. It's not something I'd normally wear, but the sweet little knotted fabric buttons and side fastening won me over.

 

 

How beautiful is that colour?

So vibrant and vivid, with a design like a demented child has been at it with some blue, brown and white paint.

 

 

I feel like I need some bright blue tights and raspberry pink heels to complete the look.

 

 

Now, if only I could stop thinking of fairy floss, vanilla ice and raspberry gelato every time I look at the dress!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



That was then. This is now.

 

Today's weather has been pure Melbourne.

Raining one minute, sunny the next. Humid one minute, windy and chilly the next. Crazy!

Despite the weather not being able to gets it's shit together I spent a lovely day shopping on Brunswick Street, hitting the Fitzroy Market (sooo many cool  vintage dresses!) and lunching with my little bro, mum and my little lady.

I found an amazing 50's black and white dress, but alas, it was too big and will have to sold off and

re-homed. Ho hum.

Whilst today I have been revelling in wearing a cardigan and tights (yahoo, at last!) it was only last week that we were trapped in a stinking hot sweat-fest.

 

 

Last Monday my little clan made the most of the heat and public holiday and hit the Chelsea beach after a leisurely breakfast at a little cafe.

We swam, splashed in the waves and soaked up the rays. We chased some seagulls and built (and trashed!) some sand castles. We got sand in all manner of nooks and crannies.

 

 

I am a real sookie-la-la when it comes to swimming at the beach and have issues with "things" touching me in the water.

Floating seaweed becomes a huge, ferocious, woman eating shark.

Drift wood morphs into toe munching crabs.

Those strange crescent shaped jelly fish become......well, just those strange crescent shaped jelly fish.

Those things are weird enough to gross me out.

But we are blessed with beaches where the water is crystal clear and the sand so clean it squeaks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So as I listen to rain now, I can remember that perfect day at the beach.

Ahhh Melbourne! You are tempermental and fickle, but I wouldn't live anywhere else!