{twelve}

 

Happy anniversary Ms L.  You're absolutely the best thing that ever happened to me. Muah!

{things i'm diggin}

My beautiful word of the year necklace from Liz Lamaroux and Kelly Barton.  I feel 'nourished' every time I wear it.

Celebrating 4 years of blogging this week.  It all started here and WOW what an amazing, life changing, soul defining journey it has taken me on.

Dana's new ARTFULL sketchbook e-course.  I love seeing friends spread their wings and fly.  It's ridiculously affordable too.  I am so signing up for this one.  Check out the great video she made about it too.

Chrissy's annual heart and seek project.  There's something so lovely about seeking out hearts and love everywhere.

Getting back into running again.  I'm doing the couch to 5k program and I love it.  I seriously love running.  I always wanted to run and I always thought I'd never be able to.  And now I can.  Ah, we so underestimate ourselves hey?

 

Making the last big push to get ready for the exhibition opening next week.  I've even got a fancy pants artist page over on the Red Brick website.  Feeling like a real artist much? Anyway, you should totes come along to the opening if you can.

 

Settling in to 2012, finding my rhythm and enjoying what feels like a busy but more fluid way of working and living.

 

Anticipating dinner with my favourite lady at my favourite food van this evening.

 

{sunday snippets, and the long promised button}

{sunday snippets}: a collection of photos from your week.  No need for words.  Let the pictures tell your story. Pop your link in below if you're joining in.

*****

I finally got to creating that blog button for {sunday snippets} that I've been promising.  

Do you like?  I'm a wee bit chuffed with how it turned out.

I've created a couple of different sizes and you'll find the code for them over on the {sunday snippets} page or you can grab the 150 size over on my sidebar.  Just let me know if you need a different size and I'll whip one up for you.

{and i love him so}

BigCat and I, snapped by Ms L

{from ours to yours}

Wishing you and yours the merriest of merry days.  

We're off to Mumsy's to eat, drink and be merry.

{oh christmas chair, oh christmas chair}

We didn't get around to getting a Christmas tree this year {the luxury of living in an all adult house hey?}.  Ms L sorted us out though with a beautiful Christmas chair and some other bits of cheer around the house.  She's a good one that Ms L.

My very favourite Christmas ornaments.  Handed down from my Mum.  We've had these for as long as I can remember.

Hope your festive season preparations are coming along nicely!

{i heart Ms L - blogtoberfest day XVIII}

From my heart to yours.

Happy birthday Ms L, aka Dr Doc!

{hooray hooray}

it's a holi-holiday!

I'm off for a mini-break with my beloved.  

I'll be back on Thursday.  Just in time to get ready for Blogtoberfest!  I don't know about you, but I can't wait.

In the meantime ... enjoy!

{unfolding}

Out of the darkness of the last week a path is starting to emerge.  I'm re-examining decisions I've made in the past six months that now seem more like self sabotage.  It's interesting this business of finding your way.  Sometimes you think you've got it all figured out only to realise that everything you've been thinking is skewed through the lens of self-doubt.  That all you've really been doing is holding back and protecting, nurturing and growing your giant fear of failure. {When I say 'you' and 'your' I really mean 'me' and 'my' but I thought perhaps you might feel this way too}

Ms L was right, this sickness was a catharsis.  She knows her stuff that one.  

Boy do I feel like I've got a long road to travel though.  And I can hardly manage getting out of bed at the moment!  I'm looking forward to the 'Do What You Love' e-course starting up in a couple of weeks.  Feels like the timing may well be just perfect.

{a river runs through it}

I was thinking more about that amazing journey that I wrote about in my last post.  All of those people, and connections, and events, all weaving through my life to make my dreams come true.

It got me thinking about one of the most important parts, not included at all in that story.  A river of hope and love that ties all of those things together.

Ms L.  Through every single part of that story Ms L was beside me, encouraging me, believing in my dreams, believing that dreams matter.  A mirror reminding me that we are meant to dream big, live large and reach beyond what we think is possible for ourselves.

Tonight I came home from work and waiting for me on the kitchen bench was a gift, with a note.  "You'll need this for FLORA!!!!"

I am truly blessed, and truly grateful {not to mention pretty chuffed about having a brand spanking new camera}.

Happy weekend my friends.

{let me count the ways - blogtoberfest day XVIII}

how i love thee Ms L

happy birthday

xxx

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I hit the random number generator up for a giveaway winner.

18 on the 18th.  Pretty cool huh?

Congrats to dorothybills.  You've won the $50 gift voucher.  I'll be in touch to organise things.

Okay, I won't be around much for the next 36 hours or so, but I'll see you soon.

{still friday somewhere in the world - blogtoberfest day IX}

After some thought I realised that I'm actually not late for the Friday Giveaway at all.  After all, it's still Friday in many parts of the world, and blogtoberfest is very much an international event.

It's easy to get caught up in our own little worlds and forget there's a whole big world happening out there.  One of the things that I love about blogging is the way that it brings the world to your doorstep, but in a real and connected way.

So without apology, or further ado, I present to you the Friday Giveaway for this week.  It just wouldn't be blogtoberfest if I didn't give away some of my original artwork.

Blossoming

Acrylics on canvas

8 x 8 inch

Blooming

Acrylics on canvas

8 x 8 inch

Leave a comment any time up till the end of Monday telling me two things:

1. what part of the world would you love to live in if you could go and live anywhere.  No rules.  It could be for a little while, for a lifetime, you can have as much money as you want, do whatever job you like, live exactly as you want.  Let your imagination run free. (for me it would be Paris or New York City or somewhere in the Middle East, or all 3 for a few months at a time.  Money would be no object and I'd be living in an amazing apartment in the city, painting, eating out every night, wandering the cities by day)
2. which of the two paintings you'd like to win.

I'll draw two winners on Tuesday.

I hope you have a lovely weekend in your little corner of the world peeps.

Pop over and visit Ms L's blog if you want to put a smile on your face today.  It made me smile.

I Like You & You Like Me

I'm shouting it from the rooftops

I love you Ms L

because you know that I really do need an air dancer
because you like coffee, almost as much as I do
because I can make you laugh, lots
because you're the most loyal person I've ever met
because you understand the things that truly matter
because you love cats
because you've taught me the things I didn't even know I needed to learn
because you're a 'foodie'
because you buy the best, the absolute best presents
because, like me, you want to be the best person you can be
because you like me
because you know me
because you've always loved me, since the moment we met

and I always will!

Ten amazing years. Happy anniversary!

Home Sweet Home

Indigenous Art Installation - Sydney International Transit Lounge

Spending the weekend hanging out with Ms L, unpacking, cuddling fur children and catching up with CurlyPops over dinner. Also, fighting mild jet lag. Blurgh to jet lag.

A Table Set For Five

We had a table set for five at lunch today, but only four were there.
And it got me to thinking about where Ms L might be,
and we all talked about how we wished she was there with us.
We miss you Ms L.

Mat, Audrey, Phil and Me

It's raining in San Fran today.

The lights and the rain are making pretty patterns on my bathroom window.

*****************************************************

Did I tell you I've got a darn cold? Such a nuisance.

*****************************************************

If you're looking for something to do tomorrow night and you're in Thornbury you might like to pop along to the Northern Craft Bonanza for crafty fun and great food. On the other hand, if you're in San Francisco, you might like to try Kuletos for a great bite of Italian.

BLOGTOBERFEST - Day 18 - Normal Programming Will Resume

Oh my goodness, we had such a fabulous weekend, Ms L and I. Chicago, The Press Club, Madame Brussels, being out and about in town. It was decadent, relaxed and oh so good.

We're all a little weary so I'm just popping in to say a quick hello. Normal programming will resume tomorrow, along with that promised Friday Giveaway.

Ms L says thanks very much for all the birthday wishes.

BLOGTOBERFEST - Day 17 - It's My Party!

Dear Blogtoberfesties,

Hi my name is Ms L. Some of you may know me from BLOGTOBERFEST 2008, and others may have met me in person (you lucky people!), but there will be others of you that have no idea who I am. I am Tinniegirl's partner, and I have a fantastic story to tell you all today.

Tomorrow is my birthday (thank you, thank you very much!), and I found out something very exciting this morning. Tinniegirl has organised a lovely weekend of celebration - and it is not even a 0 or 5 birthday!

In a little while we are heading off to the city to check into a lovely hotel. Now your first thought may be that this is to satisfy Tinniegirl's love of shopping and all things "city". On this occasion you would be wrong. We are off to dinner in Chinatown and then we have tickets to Chicago for tonight!



I am SO excited, I love musicals, and have been banging on about Chicago for months! So you can imagine how excited I am. If you thought, as I did, that this in itself is a brilliant enough surprise, well wait there's more ...

After the show and a night in a lovely hotel, tomorrow, we are having a special lunch at ... drum roll please ...



OMG! It is so exciting. We have been talking about going for ages, and so on top of dinner and a show and a lovely night sleeping away from home!, we are going to have a lovely lunch as well.

"How Tres, Tres Fancy" I hear you say.

Indeed! I am being so very spoiled, and we are going to have a lovely weekend together. It has been a while since we have taken time to do some lovely things together. I am anticipating a weekend of intelligent conversation (don't let me down Tinniegirl, you can do it!!! ha ha), laughter, luxury, shopping and who knows what else. There exists in all of this, the possibility for all sorts of fantastic things to happen!

So off we go, and thank you so much Tinniegirl. YAY! XXX
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend also. Ms L