Chiffon Rose

The Police...

Saw The Police in concert last night... it was fantastic!  Absolutely loved it and had such a great time.  I have loved their music since I was 15 and it was so exciting for me to see them perform.  They had so much energy and enthusiasm and are such great musicians.

">Roxanne - The Police

Fergie was on before hand and she was also great.  I can't believe she's about the same age as me.  I certainly don't have her energy (or figure!!) or Josh Duhamel as my fiance... lol!! 

Very tired today though.  Not the best day to take a new photo for my blog but what the heck, just felt like it anyway.  With a little adjustment you can't see the bags under my eyes too much... I hope?? lol...

Well, not much else to share today.  The girls are home in four days and I am missing them terribly and can't wait to give them the biggest hug.  I think they will be slightly embarrased by my enthusiasm when I see them at the airport on Tuesday :-)  They are in Hawaii and Becky says she is going to move there to live.  (HUH, I don't think so!)  I do know the day will come when she can and will live wherever she wants, and Hawaii would be a lovely place to visit.

Well I hope you all have a great weekend.

And to all us Aussies, happy Australia Day celebrations.

Nel xx

Be blessed

I found this video on Phyllis's site and loved it...   I knew the song well but hadn't seen the video and I was really touched by the simpleness of it while conveying so much depth for all it stands for.

                                               Michael W. Smith - Healing Rain

I only just met with my pastor yesterday and said that I wanted to do something to take Christ to the community instead of me just sitting in church every Sunday and waiting for the the community to come to us.  It has been my heart for many years and I feel it's about time for me to do something with it.

Jesus walked with the people, he didn't sit in a temple waiting for the people to come.  He met them where they were at and still does... only it's my turn to do the walking for him.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, thank you Phyllis :-)

Hope you have a wonderful day.

Be blessed,  Nel xx

p.s.  and I just LOVE standing in the rain.  Guess there's still a little girl inside of me wanting to enjoy the fun, simple things in life... hope there is in you too!

                                                

oh so pretty...

I have been thinking about what I'm going to do this year... I have had some major changes in my life over the last 12 months and there are a few more in store, but last year I felt such a hopelessness at times that I had no control over what was happening in my life.  This year I have more freedom to make decisions and I want to make them count for something good.  I have decided this year to focus my creativity into specific areas of things I really enjoy doing and see where it takes me.  So with that in mind, I found these pretty fabrics the other day begging to find a new home (smile!) and knew it just had to be mine. 

At the moment it is making itself useful as a tablecloth... but perhaps it could become a beautiful evening bag, or lovely lacey skirt, or part of a beautiful collage to hang on the wall, or even some beautiful headbands decorated with roses and ribbon...

I also found some beautiful silk and another pretty lace.  I bought some muslin too... always so versatile and begging to be dyed in an array of gorgeous, soft, muted colours.

I just know I am going to have so much fun!

I am going to strip back my dining chairs too and give them a coat of paint.  I was going to buy new ones but they are all so pristine and stark looking... not the look I am after at all!  It will be fiddly but hopefully rewarding in the end (I hope I remember that after the 1st chair... I have six to do!).

I am also having a friend give my kitchen a makeover.  It is such a dark hole in the corner of my room and doesn't match anything else at all!!!  I want it to be light and simple.  Nothing that makes a huge statement but something that blends in with the rest of the room and can be dressed up a little with beautiful bits and pieces.

Last but by no means least, I am meeting up with my pastor this week to discuss a project I would like to get underway this year.  More about that later when I have more definite news!

I hope you have a great week,

(me and Coco New Years Eve)

Nel x

oh, oh, oh, it's magic...

I received a text from Becky yesterday... They are in Las Vegas at the moment and having a great time with their Dad.  She was very excited though and couldn't wait to share with me what happened.

They went to see David Copperfield and Beck was picked out of the audience to go on stage with him and he did some sort of magic trick (details aren't important to an 18 year old on a stage in vegas!) and then he gave her a rose and a kiss on the cheek, lol!  She thought it was very funny.  I told her I was glad he didn't make her disappear, so was she!  I do hope they had their camera and got some photos of it all, though I'm not sure if they would be allowed to take pictures of the show??

It was so nice to hear from her and that they are having such a great time on holidays.  I asked Chloe the other day if she had any funny stories to share and she assured me that she did!  I'm sure I will hear them all when they get back.  There is nothing like Vegas here in Australia so I'm sure their little eyes are popping out of their heads taking it all in and loving every minute of the excitement of it all.

I also wanted to show you some cute stationery I found the other day.  It's called "The Dumpling Dynasty"  ... how cute is that!

 

There are four different designs.   Milk and Cookies, Cupcakes for Tea, Time for No. 1 Tiffin (don't ask me what Tiffin is?), and Lashings of Pop for you, me and all our friends.  They all have their little fury hats on and the envelopes are gorgeous and they come with a set of stickers.  My favourite is the little cupcake boy on his moped, I have always wanted one of those!

Well I am back at work today and lots to do before I go.  I Hope you have a great day whatever you're doing.

Love Nel x

ps.  It's really nice to be posting again and I love that my blogging friends are still dropping by.  Thank you:-)

      

almost unbelievable...

I received some bad news yesterday... but I need to start at the beginning.

Every year for the past 11 years we have been going to Byron Bay for our summer holidays in January.  When Chloe started school 6 years ago we met a lovely family that also spends their holidays at Byron Bay and we have been spending holidays up there with them and their family since.  Their second eldest is one of Chloe's best little friends at school.  Steve and Sally are the parents, they have four beautiful children and Sally's sister Jennie and her husband Paul and their children also holiday up there and own a holiday house there.  Last January (2007) while up in Byron, Paul had been unwell.  He drove back to Sydney with Steve and went to the doctor only to received the awful news that he had cancer.  Jennie flew back home straight away and Sally and I were left with the children and tried to protect them from what was happening as much as we could.

Paul passed away in August last year.  He didn't have a good day from the day he found out the news. 

This year, Jennie wanted the family to spend Christmas at Byron Bay at their holiday home to create some happy memories out of what was a very sad time.  They all went up there only to have the same thing happen again, but this time to Sally's husband Steve.  He flew home unwell from Byron Bay and received the news he has an inoperable brain tumor.

I am shocked and devestated at this news.  How much suffering can one family take.  Sally is such a dear, special friend and her heart is broken for her husband and children.  They have been told there is nothing that can be done, only the hope of it shrinking if it responds to treatment.  Everytime I think of them I break down and cry.  It just doesn't make any sense at all. 

There are no easy answers if any answers at all.  I have seen two friends lose their husband's to cancer in the last 5 months and now a very dear friend is under that same dark cloud at the threat of losing her husband and her children losing their dad.  Worse still the children have just seen their uncle go through a very painful journey and not survive cancer so I cannot imagine the fear that this must put in their precious hearts.  Please pray that the tumor responds to treatment and shrinks and at least that gives them more time.  Even more so, pray for a miracle. 

I hope that you and your loved ones are well,

take care, Nel xo

our study...

I have a set amount of money put aside to fix up our home... So I did what any red blooded female would do, I went shopping!  And I had so much fun.

I don't have everything yet, some of it is on order.  I did manage to order a gorgeous Laura Ashley bed for my room and bought a new doona cover (on sale :-) ), a throw cushion and a couple of bits and pieces.  The bed arrives mid February so once it's all set up and done I will take some lovely photos to show you.

 

I did manage to buy these cute bits and pieces for the study for myself and the girls.  Becky and Chloe are in America at the moment so I hope to have it all set up by the time they get home (I have ALOT of work to do in 2 weeks...)  I bought the above from Kikki K and it was all on sale... makes it even nicer!  I couldn't resist the little giraffe tins and I bought 3 of each of the boxes and magazine racks and I am going to make little labels for myself, Beck and Chloe. 

The little mouse pad has a giraffe on it too!

I am really excited about getting it all together with some other bits and pieces and some shelving and making a really nice area for us to work in.  I Will show you when it's all together.

I also managed to get a portable hard drive for my laptop (also on sale!!) and it is now running so much faster.  I have downloaded everything onto it and my computer is like new again.

I haven't heard alot from Becky and Chloe.  Their dad's bag was pinched from the airport in LA when they arrived and it has his phone charger in it so communication has been very limited.  I am looking forward to hearing all about it when they get back.  I'm sure there will be lots of funny stories for them to tell me... there always is when those two get together.  They are truly becoming best friends and have so much fun together.  They share the same sense of humour and are always laughing and being cheeky.  I love it!

Till next time, take care,

Love Nel xo 

hello and Happy New Year!...

I simply cannot believe how long it's been since I last posted... life has been one hectic roller coaster over the last 12 months and I for one was extremely happy to welcome in the New Year.

I have an awful lot that has been going on and alot to catch you up on (if you are still interested??) lol.  Here's a quick version.

After separating in February, my 'husband' decided he was going to change his mind on moving out and refused to go until the financial settlement was completed.  That just happened the week before Christmas.  No amount of begging or pleading on behalf of myself or the children would shift his decision.  I spend the last 10 months living in my bedroom... Don't get me wrong, I have a lovely, big bedroom and was given a TV very kindly from a friend and bought the cheapest DVD player I could find from Big W and a kettle and set myself up.  But after 10 months, it felt like a prison and I hated the sight of it.  I have just sold my bedroom suite on e-bay for a RIDICULOUS price and I am going to re-do my bedroom and start again. 

The house has been left in disarray both inside and out.  I live on a large block of land that slopes down to a riverfront and the house is up the top.  Though my ex was still here, he didn't do any maintenance work on the outside of the house and it was sooo overgrown.  Luckily I had a wonderful friend (more on that later ;-)  ) who came to visit and stay last week and helped me get in and get started on cleaning it all up.  We have 150 steps from the back of the house down to the river so you can imagine how long the land is and how hard the work is.  But we made a great start.

My friend also took me to buy my first lawn mower and I have mowed my front lawn... very proud of it too I am!

I have also just bought a clothes line for the first time in 9 years (I have had to use a dryer).  It's amazing how the most simple things excited you though I'm sure the novelty will fast wear off!! lol...

My eldest daughter did her final year at High School in the midst of all this.  She coped amazingly well and her result were wonderful... so much better than we anticipated.  I am sooo proud of her.

I also had two dear friends lose their husbands to cancer this year.  I also heard of a childhood friend lose his battle with cancer and another childhood friend lost his wife to cancer.  Cancer is such an awful word and is becoming more and more common.  I am learning more and more to cherish those around me and my friends have become more dear to me through the past 12 months.  I could never have got through last year without them and I am so utterly grateful to them all.

I have met a 'friend'.  I met him in September and he has been a wonderful support and constant friend through the last few months since I have known him.  He lives a couple of hours north of Sydney and we have been spending time together with me mostly visiting him as he's on his own.  It's a little too soon for the girls (and for me!) to have him here when they are here.  It is sooo nice to meet someone that I can talk to and connect with and who treats me so well (apart from his cheeky outbursts every now and then!)  The nicest thing is I was not expecting it, which is always the way it seems to happen.  It is lovely and I am very happy with him in the midst of everything else.  And that's enough on that, lol...

There is alot ahead of  me, I know.  I now have a quite large house to look after, I'm a single Mum, finances to watch and use wisely (and sooo much to learn about that one!)  I have also lost alot of friends through it all.  Not deliberately on their part, it's just hard sometimes I guess to know where they are meant to put their loyalty and unfortunately, I have lost out with some of them.  I have also basically lost a whole family on his side.  Except for 1 sister in law the rest have literally taken his side and with my own family not being in Sydney and out of touch, that has been very difficult and rather heartbreaking too.

But above all that, it's my beautiful girls who break my heart the most.  It's just not fair on them and I have no words to let them know how sorry I am.  All I can do is be there for them and still love them and not say anything negative about their Dad.  That is one thing I have promised myself that I won't do and I think it's the least I can do for them.  They have been absolutely amazing and handling it all with so much maturity and grace and I am so grateful to them for that.

They are going away in 2 days with their Dad to America for 3 weeks.  It's the first time they have been that far overseas and it's the first time I will be separated from Chloe for that length of time.  I am very excited with them and for them but I know I will miss them terribly.  But this is part of the life I live now and I have to get used to it so I refuse to feel sorry for myself.  I have plenty to do and lots of wonderful friends who have offered their support and I will be taking them up on it.

I know this has been sooo looong... I apologise for that.  But it is really good to be back here and I hope to be back again soon with photos of finishing off the house as I make progress and with lots of good news and happy times to report. 

Take care, lots of love,

(wild daisies from the beautiful Blue Mountains in Katoomba)

Nel xo