tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005320864789858422024-02-20T07:04:17.317-08:00MummasphereMummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-88866480459648667092012-10-30T22:05:00.001-07:002012-10-30T22:05:41.233-07:00My Confident Little Fairy<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About a year ago, if I tried to drop Emily at childcare she would cling onto me so tightly and the childcare worker would have to pry her little arms from around my neck and I would leave in tears because my little girl could be heard screaming from the car park. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A change of childcare centres and a year later and I have one confident little girl. This morning for the first time EVER she walked confidently into her room....by herself.....without being carried! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It might have been the fairy costume she had on, it could have been the party music bellowing from her room, it could have been that she also had a full nights sleep the night before. Either way I was absolutely chuffed that she did it all by herself. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaB6-qcgUzVZc3c-WiBvmng5BoLGHl6Ep3DSn4v6-zFSH9tmORS5PqkSFozoyZX8jLgaQwWdp7jdC1kG4H1EYorDUCRfOmMYxY-WtYO5iHID0pu0v43dzuSpCjVpqkwLiqIMMNDnIof4Ka/s1600/Fairy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaB6-qcgUzVZc3c-WiBvmng5BoLGHl6Ep3DSn4v6-zFSH9tmORS5PqkSFozoyZX8jLgaQwWdp7jdC1kG4H1EYorDUCRfOmMYxY-WtYO5iHID0pu0v43dzuSpCjVpqkwLiqIMMNDnIof4Ka/s400/Fairy.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>and yes she did have a top on..... but isn't just the budding little artist too! </i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-73429897728654439522012-10-07T20:52:00.001-07:002012-10-07T20:52:56.361-07:00Metroman<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been a little quiet of late and whilst I could bore you with all the details of how crazy and ridiculously busy my life has been lately, I'll instead just tell you that:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. My husband is back home with Emily and I finally!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. The <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">shop</a> has opened and so far so good with the need to already re-order stock as it's been so busy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. My <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">website</a> for the shop is almost done</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. We've realised life is way too busy and we now have a gardener/handyman who can pick up the slack and do all the jobs we never have time to do (this is huge for us since we're scrooges when it comes to stuff like this). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So that stuff out of the way I can resume blogging as normal right? Well I thought I might cover off one other area. I have consistently referred to my husband as 'hubby' but it's never sat well with me. It's my choice to blog about my life but he deserves some privacy so whilst I need to call him something, I don't want to use his name. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our friends have often referred to him affectionately as Metroman. This is because he takes pride in his appearance, often goes to spa's for waxing and treatments, uses a face moisturiser and dresses like one of those models in a Country Road catalogue. He loves his labels and probably stresses more about what he's going to wear than I do. It's not uncommon for me to hear him say "I've got no clothes", something you'd expect from me, not him. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qNAcVedPLFZ5T4bi8NkfxEU-45qiUdJb69I0VzwpVMbe71Ktyb188MguulJ3P_EdnTsgZUnqle6Dr1sI-DgmKANcdcBj4hYoAnc-akwQ1AbgM1dueQ9Fo7yUbtFkZfPWKppMrSRnA2mH/s1600/character_large_332x363_metroman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qNAcVedPLFZ5T4bi8NkfxEU-45qiUdJb69I0VzwpVMbe71Ktyb188MguulJ3P_EdnTsgZUnqle6Dr1sI-DgmKANcdcBj4hYoAnc-akwQ1AbgM1dueQ9Fo7yUbtFkZfPWKppMrSRnA2mH/s400/character_large_332x363_metroman.jpg" width="365" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But he's also incredibly manly, fixing our daughters broken bike on the weekend, installing shelves in my shop, changing the flat tyre on my car etc. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So Metroman is a fitting name to refer to my husband. I'm so lucky that we got a second chance and in talking to him about my blog and how it helped me through all those nights where I thought I'd go insane with loneliness and despair, he said he wants support me in all area's of my life, including the shop and the blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm working on a post about his illness and how everything turned around. I think it's important to tell the story as I fund it so hard not knowing anyone going through our situation and people should know there can be a happy ending. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We're still working on ours and it's still one day at a time but every moment that passes and every day we get through gives us hope for a bright and happy future together. </span><br />
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Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-7853870260773635172012-09-17T22:07:00.000-07:002012-09-17T22:07:07.893-07:00Petit Amoir - My New Adventure!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought I better do a bit of a post about what I've been working on for the last 6 months. Finally on 8th September <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Petit Armoir</a> was born! She has been a labor of love and I'm more than pleased with the result. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whilst there's still a long way to go in both renovations, website development and stock, she's looking so good and it's been flat out since opening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what she looks like....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGTifvzD9mxQNrjWOdhO3ZAa2I9m8-EylyqlPAuSRLBXj6TA6yyO6zsbOoZtVdtt-Yp3KgawygxJkDPLMxunAy7uuYq5Aj2mPt2ywiew2bMj8PlUtrjkCREv2qkbF2mf7qNGlZ3IgTojC/s1600/Street+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGTifvzD9mxQNrjWOdhO3ZAa2I9m8-EylyqlPAuSRLBXj6TA6yyO6zsbOoZtVdtt-Yp3KgawygxJkDPLMxunAy7uuYq5Aj2mPt2ywiew2bMj8PlUtrjkCREv2qkbF2mf7qNGlZ3IgTojC/s400/Street+View.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Street view</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIpkWwF6zvYghihY6FONXfmoM-2Mb6EehswYvpWHgKP_GczoG46Qkm6JIrXYiRm4TKE1o_UKGspRRvAFltW-P4tONjeEdGQoaib66icMh165qzHAW-apoBiz-sEGjVS_JgSXaH9vOG1eH/s1600/Window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIpkWwF6zvYghihY6FONXfmoM-2Mb6EehswYvpWHgKP_GczoG46Qkm6JIrXYiRm4TKE1o_UKGspRRvAFltW-P4tONjeEdGQoaib66icMh165qzHAW-apoBiz-sEGjVS_JgSXaH9vOG1eH/s400/Window.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Front window</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynRnBFm3-HmHEB535s_jDGI25SoMS0mO7pTKgv-BPzOyQKuKrO7yYpDeQVP7O9VrlME3xGyQVoZrOtc-OTwf0N2sJxmcuKh7vMLRd6GBym4zsGdWO-_WBn6tvpIO5jMoeAbtICDVpRmVm/s1600/Signage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynRnBFm3-HmHEB535s_jDGI25SoMS0mO7pTKgv-BPzOyQKuKrO7yYpDeQVP7O9VrlME3xGyQVoZrOtc-OTwf0N2sJxmcuKh7vMLRd6GBym4zsGdWO-_WBn6tvpIO5jMoeAbtICDVpRmVm/s400/Signage.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Signage (which I love!)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Be-9XHvbvINnK7I6nsU2spVZ-Sh56TbivX4woWYiNniJpu6KpcEQvy0ld7oZQHQP4VfRuHakKPQlcnDSsQmkgpv0b5pSpy-la5HH-OYqSzuKpGvQk2Eb1PDwQjMoXpKzk9vUSliFdoRj/s1600/Shop+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Be-9XHvbvINnK7I6nsU2spVZ-Sh56TbivX4woWYiNniJpu6KpcEQvy0ld7oZQHQP4VfRuHakKPQlcnDSsQmkgpv0b5pSpy-la5HH-OYqSzuKpGvQk2Eb1PDwQjMoXpKzk9vUSliFdoRj/s400/Shop+2.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Inside</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkPfcaKjqG-60ufmrURRnmI3uUG5u5A6kYRuNT0yQsym_6aeeDSrBWp5pFm8HasWg3ngUkM_5EYwa-PlnrLn4YRA8_RVDbQhp0ZTjMHp8E0sD32UqRSlfFWXJsyDYH0l_A19tn1DDuVn6/s1600/Counter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkPfcaKjqG-60ufmrURRnmI3uUG5u5A6kYRuNT0yQsym_6aeeDSrBWp5pFm8HasWg3ngUkM_5EYwa-PlnrLn4YRA8_RVDbQhp0ZTjMHp8E0sD32UqRSlfFWXJsyDYH0l_A19tn1DDuVn6/s400/Counter.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Front counter which is yet to have the logo added. Note awesome chandelier!</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j3ep-CxcXigjmaQx1XYePR195vXYzcbNogHGV1UjaTOV4fM1I_Bkc90vUlZgNAr-94ZrdBsLajKNhW40hrYyiLKdmijJWB2WqppsT8hOVniNPIk4vy32pN7RHJ0FaXuLWHYHkA3yEkw-/s1600/Play+Area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j3ep-CxcXigjmaQx1XYePR195vXYzcbNogHGV1UjaTOV4fM1I_Bkc90vUlZgNAr-94ZrdBsLajKNhW40hrYyiLKdmijJWB2WqppsT8hOVniNPIk4vy32pN7RHJ0FaXuLWHYHkA3yEkw-/s400/Play+Area.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Kids play area complete with perspex barrier in front of TV so no breakages!</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvM1eWJ4w-f4gHlhoJL742NLCSlUcNThdoPF9eBVJPPXqSYhmN3VQDc2SiuHfETcdLVEhtm8oGdEVnXlEOKDEn1pEyzWz7RWGhjTH7gdxkfvOl-C3S8dlKNFsIqpV5pPTlJBh7vaTZStIp/s1600/Blankets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvM1eWJ4w-f4gHlhoJL742NLCSlUcNThdoPF9eBVJPPXqSYhmN3VQDc2SiuHfETcdLVEhtm8oGdEVnXlEOKDEn1pEyzWz7RWGhjTH7gdxkfvOl-C3S8dlKNFsIqpV5pPTlJBh7vaTZStIp/s400/Blankets.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Linen from <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">BABU</a> & '<a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">and the little dog laughed</a>'</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n6mxT-81xPA43RazL0TIEsSFwiIRfOlv5idn1-a-uI0MfBvwhZQN-FC8l4Wzf0sRISG0TmhCXCCTHgENaZlg_THM1cl6ab1v5DxDEEeHbJl-CitHyjszPeDxKux0URML4KbkCJ01wD8o/s1600/Babies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n6mxT-81xPA43RazL0TIEsSFwiIRfOlv5idn1-a-uI0MfBvwhZQN-FC8l4Wzf0sRISG0TmhCXCCTHgENaZlg_THM1cl6ab1v5DxDEEeHbJl-CitHyjszPeDxKux0URML4KbkCJ01wD8o/s400/Babies.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Babies</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2GMtyLpCmERDzy-YddLOMPY0PD0vfUtBOXGn5gM2KBFYoBpqgbWFaEsCvVSuYg3MF9YhYFy-dQ0C9oyJXtmZdoC8QS2a4l_Ajg4pG-_ND7ubVgUzzCNnvMNboWwYQh-NiyuvJJW8FsF7/s1600/Kids+2-14+yrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2GMtyLpCmERDzy-YddLOMPY0PD0vfUtBOXGn5gM2KBFYoBpqgbWFaEsCvVSuYg3MF9YhYFy-dQ0C9oyJXtmZdoC8QS2a4l_Ajg4pG-_ND7ubVgUzzCNnvMNboWwYQh-NiyuvJJW8FsF7/s400/Kids+2-14+yrs.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Boys & Girls sizes 2-14yrs</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's still lots to do like wallpaper the back wall, more stock to buy, advertising to organize etc. But so far so good. I'm so proud of what I've put together and I've had lots of great feedback. It makes all the long nights after working all day in the old shop worthwhile!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>What do you think?</i></b> </span></div>
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<br />Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-78923525443064722032012-09-16T13:55:00.000-07:002012-09-16T13:55:45.166-07:00Back to life<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Life finally feels like it's getting back to normal around here. We're back to work, back to 6am starts with a toddler, back to the housework and back to paying bills. The mundane life I adored has returned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Somehow it's a better kind of normal. There's more sharing of the load, there's more caring and there's more loving. I keep waiting for it to end but so far so good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel like I can set some new goals now. The new shop is built and next on the list is the website. Do I dare start planning for our dream house? A family holiday? Another baby? Right now I think I'll start with planning the rest of the month. If we can make it through that in one peice I'll plan until Christmas and then reassess. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's easy to get carried away in this blissful bubble. It's not totally perfect but it feels pretty damn close. And like I said, part of me is waiting for it all to end, the other part is lapping it up and enjoying all that I've missed out on in the last couple of years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One day at a time......one day at a time.......</span>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-2988379836559087242012-09-12T04:28:00.001-07:002012-09-12T04:28:59.511-07:00Finally! Answers!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I haven't been able to blog for the last week and a bit. It's been both due to time and just because I haven't been able to put the last week or two's events into words until now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh where to start.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Petit Armoir is finally up and running. Not everything got done on time such as the website, wallpapering the back wall, some stock hasn't arrived yet and not everything was put into the computer by opening. But I still managed to pull off a huge grand opening and even though I was meant to close at 2pm, people were still trying to get in at 2:30pm and I didn't get out the door till well after 3pm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All of this was achieved despite massive personal challenges over the last 2 weeks. For anyone who's ever been married to or lived with someone suffering from anxiety and/or depression, you know what a roller coaster it can be. Every day you wonder what mood the person you love will be in. Will he be happy? Will he be sad? Will he be angry? It's been the most difficult two years of my life and over the last week it all came to a head. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won't go into too much detail but finally there is a sense of relief. Rock bottom was finally hit and although it's not how both he and I would like the diagnosis and realization that there was something wrong to have happened, we're both glad it did. I nearly lost him, but with some help from a wonderful medical team and friends and family, we now have a diagnosis, a treatment and a plan. There's more hope than there has ever been. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's no surprise that this week I feel completely flat. I've been running on pure adrenalin for so long now that it seems even though all the drama has stopped, my brain can't quite slow down. I'm craving silence. Even the tapping of the keyboard drives me crazy. It will pass. It's the waiting I hate. Time heals and all that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emily is of course over the moon. She's settling more easily and happier to go to childcare knowing she has both Mummy and Daddy home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So a new beginning and a bright future is in store. I'm determined to quieten my mind this week and stay focused on what's important. My family. </span><br />
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<br />Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-67133380494630207692012-08-24T21:31:00.000-07:002012-08-24T21:31:23.474-07:00Emily's First Photo Shoot - and she's 2 years old!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emily was up at 5am this morning and bounced into my room telling me to "get up!" and declared she was ready for shopping. I'd promised her last night we were going shopping today and she went straight off to sleep so the morning would come quicker. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought I was brilliant of course. I'd solved the 'how to get Emily to stop wandering out of the bedroom and go the f*ck to sleep!" problem. In doing that I created the "how to get Emily to sleep past 6am" problem. I've made promises at bed time previously and although she's slept soundly all the way through, she's always up early the next morning and remembers exactly what I promised the night before. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So up at 5am and by 7:30am this was my sookie little girl......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course I was in full housework mode by this time. Dishes were being done, washing was on, I was considering vacuuming the floor..... My little miss just wanted to go back to bed! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Problem was we had a haircut booked for 9am and photo's booked for 10:30am. How the hell was I going to get her dressed and out the door by 8:30am? I know, I'll let her choose her own dress for the photo shoot! I held up a pink dress and a cream dress positive she'd choose the pink one as it's her favorite color at the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course she chose the cream dress.....the one that would show her spencer underneath and every bit of food and drink she consumed on the way. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AEagpb6BBfXwzXqV5yw8pD92II90ZDenSF_KL_LvUS4f7c74WryPlDlYrbF9KIKxXSJl5qZUaF-o_99guQMnJnbaDPk1NG0goCWsBMeVLBtjMaJ6jr3nPZ95aICJ7qG_VyLMJK-veWtN/s1600/Emily+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AEagpb6BBfXwzXqV5yw8pD92II90ZDenSF_KL_LvUS4f7c74WryPlDlYrbF9KIKxXSJl5qZUaF-o_99guQMnJnbaDPk1NG0goCWsBMeVLBtjMaJ6jr3nPZ95aICJ7qG_VyLMJK-veWtN/s400/Emily+4.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All ready to go complete with annoying bloody baby in pram and handbag over shoulder!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First up at the hairdressers and she would not let go of me. I had plans to cut her hair into a bob just above her shoulders. She refuses to let me do her hair most mornings and I'm sick of the battles so I was determined to chop it off and that way all I had to do was chase her around the house with a hair brush and not worry about tying it up. She wouldn't have a bar of it. She squirmed and cried and clung onto me like the lovely hairdresser was going to chop her head off. We couldn't even get the cape on her! I gave up and decided we would go to the cafe next door instead because mummy really needed a caffeine fix!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By this time it was 10am and she was already telling me she wanted her dummy and hippo, a clear sign she was tired. We raced to the shopping center for our free Pixie Photo's portrait sitting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I have never been a fan of Pixie Photo's I "won" this free portrait (along with a hundred other mums I suspect) and the woman on the phone convinced me to take advantage of the free offer and there was no obligation to buy. I've always thought of Pixie Photo's as the type with fairy dresses and babies sitting in terracotta pots holding sunflowers etc. Definitely not my style! I'm a plain jane, prefer the classic, hate cheesy kinda gal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can still get the flower pot shots and props are still offered, however we went for the plain backgrounds and let Emily be the star. I was very impressed with the way the photographer and assistant managed to get Emily to dance and jump and lie down and look into a mirror. Now if only I could make her do things for me on command! </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A bit grainy but it is a photo of a photo. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So while I was impressed with the photo's I wasn't surprised with the prices of their packages. Starting at $300 for 5 images, you need some serious dough for these guys! They were shooting through a family an hour so that's 8 potential photo packages a day! Even if everyone bought the base package, it's still $14,000 a week. I should have been a bloody photographer.......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, I chose my portrait (the picture above), said it was Emily's nap time and I would consider the packages and come back with my Mum next week (who'll totally buy half the images). I'm considering this gorgeous one for my bookshelf. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1RQGM7HkgGxu4uFDgf515_b54Ts9FHspq6nja6oaZ0ALO65TKaY0xeRSgUWSe570dK8yVhMb7IO87k7tsLYFW56skqDYjdgMlqTZbLEWVsgk-W5J7ZtUOhfuA-T4Ec7KqvU21F8CUFj0/s1600/Emily+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1RQGM7HkgGxu4uFDgf515_b54Ts9FHspq6nja6oaZ0ALO65TKaY0xeRSgUWSe570dK8yVhMb7IO87k7tsLYFW56skqDYjdgMlqTZbLEWVsgk-W5J7ZtUOhfuA-T4Ec7KqvU21F8CUFj0/s400/Emily+2.jpg" width="298" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kinda glad we didn't cut the hair off now</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What's a reasonable price to pay for a photo pack of your little angel/s? </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are these pictures boring and should I get some outside pictures done when the summer comes? Should I chop her hair off or leave it alone? </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Help! </span></b></div>
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Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-64462444484304286712012-08-24T04:32:00.001-07:002012-08-24T04:32:37.547-07:00Reason, Season or Lifetime<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I saw this today and it just seemed to make sense: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Reason, Season, or Lifetime</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.<br />When you figure out which one it is,<br />you will know what to do for each person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When someone is in your life for a REASON,<br />it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.<br />They have come to assist you through a difficulty;<br />to provide you with guidance and support;<br />to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.<br />They may seem like a godsend, and they are.<br />They are there for the reason you need them to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,<br />this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.<br />Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.<br />Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.<br />What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.<br />The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some people come into your life for a SEASON,<br />because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.<br />They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.<br />They may teach you something you have never done.<br />They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.<br />Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;<br />things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.<br />Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,<br />and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.<br />It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>— Unknown</em></span>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-43414118249269005242012-08-23T06:03:00.000-07:002012-08-23T06:03:49.338-07:00Disruption to Routine is My Enemy<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today was slightly better than yesterday. I feel like I got a few things achieved finally. I still don't know how to use my new accounting system but I did get all but one of my winter 2013 orders completed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last order was for </span><a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fabrik</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a label I love. Exquisite designs and gorgeous fabrics. It ticks all my boxes.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Fabrik marries that neat little girl with nanna’s handicrafts, warmth and care, a splash of colour, a dash of inspiration and wraps them all together in a unique and environmentally friendly package."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm thinking I might need some of their summer range too so tomorrow's job is to contact them/my agent and see if I can get some last minute stock. It's just too beautiful!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just as I was about to walk out the door I got a call from one of my newest suppliers, </span><a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lullaby Linen</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Helen, one of the owners, was absolutely lovely and so helpful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How often do you see really great </span><a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">boys linen</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">? I haven't seen a range as sophisticated and suitable for babies through to teens ever! I absolutely think this is an exceptional rage of linen and I'm so excited to be stocking it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So finally I got out of there and loaded my car with some boxes of coat hangers to make some space in my overflowing storage room. I picked up Emily who had apparently been allowed to sleep from 1pm to 4:15pm!!! Any Mum of a 2 year old knows this is a disaster. Her bedtime was less than 3 hours away and there was no way I was going to get her off to sleep at that time now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At 7:30pm we did the usual bedtime routine of bottle and story while she cuddled her hippo and laid quietly in bed. No sooner had I shut the door when I hear "Mummy!".....and so began my night of bedtime negotiating and re-settling. In the end I gave in and sat beside her holding her hand and patting her off to sleep. It was 9:30pm when I left her room. She was up at 5am this morning and she was beyond over-tired tonight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's times like this that I really struggle with loving having my own business and wanting to stay with my little girl. Routine is so important to her at the moment. When Daddy doesn't pick her up on the nights he's supposed to she's beside herself asking for him all night. When she doesn't sleep properly during the day or if I'm away working for a night she takes a couple of days to settle back into the routine. 3am wandering into Mummy's bed is not unusual for Emily. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But we'll work with it and struggle through for now. Just a couple more weeks and things can settle down and I can spend more time with her. At least that's the idea......</span></div>
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Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-85901548339885939522012-08-22T05:43:00.000-07:002012-08-22T05:43:19.012-07:00The Thin Line of SanitySo apparently swapping from my current accounting and inventory system to my new one wasn't going to be so easy.......<br />
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One of the many hiccups this week as I go on the countdown to the opening of <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Petit Armoir</a>. <br />
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Today I received the script for the radio ads I've booked and it was laughable. i really think I should be given a discount for all the times I've written the scripts for them. I'm not big noting myself here, a five year old could have done a better job. Cheesy and loud is not the way I want my boutique represented. <br />
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I have been doing a back and forth with my printer for three weeks now just trying to get a quote for business cards and stickers. How hard can it be? Apparently very hard because I get the same quote over and over again and my repeated calls to talk to the general manager who's sending me the quotes results in more incorrect quotes and emails. Today I finally snapped and emailed him that I would be using someone else. Actually it went more like "your gross incompetence" and "lack of customer service give me no choice but to take my business elsewhere" and that was me being reserved! I won't name them but lets just say there's no longer a 'darkhorse' in the running for my business!!<br />
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One of my major labels still hasn't advised if they can supply me by grand opening on September 8th. I've been chasing them for quite some time and I've had excuse after excuse. I email and call and no-one gets back to me. So I'm two weeks away from opening and I'm trying to decide if one, I tell them where to go, and two, who can I replace them with at such short notice since you would normally order 6 months in advance. <br />
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Telstra still haven't sorted my phone and broadband change over (surprise, surprise!) and my bank is giving me grief about the new merchant terminal I'm getting installed. <br />
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It's all happening at once and threatening to drive me insane! <br />
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The one thing that puts a smile on my face every single day is my little girl. I pick her up from childcare after a rotten day and as soon as she see's me she runs into my arms with an excited "Mummy!" and holds on tight until we get to the car. The whole way home she non-stop chatters about her day and who her friends are and what they did. She is totally oblivious to my worries and while I listen to her they temporarily fade away. <br />
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Emily is my blessing every day. She keeps me sane and keeps me moving forward. She makes me laugh and gives me the biggest, warmest cuddles. <br />
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Thank God I have this weekend off. I plan to make the most of our time together because the next couple of weeks are going to be so busy. Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-22194082545110478822012-08-20T06:10:00.001-07:002012-08-20T06:10:40.906-07:00Did Someone Say Salted Caramel? <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Saturday it was my birthday. It was my first birthday as a single Mum and I was in Melbourne away from my baby girl. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd celebrated with my bestie the night before at <a href="http://mummasphere.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/seriouslymore-shopping.html" target="_blank">Mama Baba's</a> and after visiting a few friends Saturday morning I thought I'd make one final stop before heading home to my girl. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My stop was at </span><a href="http://www.burchandpurchese.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Burch & Purchese</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.....just my all time favourite sweet studio in South Yarra! I almost didn't stop, the traffic on Chapel Street was so bad. <em>Almost</em>. Then a free car space appeared right in front of the shop and BAM! I was in there! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The place was crowded. Really crowded. I wouldn't even be able to see the salted caramel eclairs let alone get served. Where the hell did all these people come from? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then I saw them.....</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello boys!</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75NhNKCYu9-N1zV5FzjtQcNV3VnLhDfRvLC7lsZi4TKIUwEWpeADOHLKRNRPoKG3d8L2Z-oYOg_okTyPA_E7RNkn_qjOzeDg19j7cYnHfkGYn55zhL4Vro3i6l-3XeCTsg2f6zDqt_ARb/s1600/1102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75NhNKCYu9-N1zV5FzjtQcNV3VnLhDfRvLC7lsZi4TKIUwEWpeADOHLKRNRPoKG3d8L2Z-oYOg_okTyPA_E7RNkn_qjOzeDg19j7cYnHfkGYn55zhL4Vro3i6l-3XeCTsg2f6zDqt_ARb/s400/1102.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She was so lovely and we chatted about Mama Baba and how she will be working for Adriano Zumbo in Sydney. </span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3Dt3iBTZ7uzMlz3pf9Gb6-dE2j2JAMjEY2HE9paFtp4gqw0akQxJ4dF3eAl14Abv0reKzIqfpr6Zd4CYoBzhCh6p8z0wM85fseONfF15eYLUCAH_-zZg1JJv3H_87MNzo3AlrNTv4J4d/s1600/1212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3Dt3iBTZ7uzMlz3pf9Gb6-dE2j2JAMjEY2HE9paFtp4gqw0akQxJ4dF3eAl14Abv0reKzIqfpr6Zd4CYoBzhCh6p8z0wM85fseONfF15eYLUCAH_-zZg1JJv3H_87MNzo3AlrNTv4J4d/s400/1212.jpg" width="300" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My stash....salted caramel chocolate, toasted macadamia caramelised white chocolate, a salted caramel eclair and a chocolate hazelnut tart. There's no such thing as too much caramel!</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF4PKzIcsJZ1_9y21DTy-EYCY9GqkK7zLoetHtFvWz8QlkW6Whqx7B2IHnN4ycfmu6bVBwQ4AAZg3EOZsNO2fvgLoVyBD7GkrJa2F3UYvWUXf4l3yP7E7rVs3Q7QpnxrKsg-GMEC_D-A7/s1600/1222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF4PKzIcsJZ1_9y21DTy-EYCY9GqkK7zLoetHtFvWz8QlkW6Whqx7B2IHnN4ycfmu6bVBwQ4AAZg3EOZsNO2fvgLoVyBD7GkrJa2F3UYvWUXf4l3yP7E7rVs3Q7QpnxrKsg-GMEC_D-A7/s400/1222.jpg" width="400" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the chocolate hazelnut tart.....Yum!</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After that it was the 3 hour drive home to Albury and I couldn't wait to see my little girl. I arrived to a home cooked birthday dinner at Mums and Emily had already been bathed and in her jammies. Those little arms around my neck was all I needed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Opening my birthday present from Emily. It was a photo frame with "Best Mummy" inscribed on it.</em> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All up it was a great weekend. Emily and I spent Sunday together having lunch out with Mum and Dad and catching up on the mundane, housework and grocery shopping. I have managed to keep almost all of the Burch & Purchese stash hidden at the back of the fridge, although I did demolish the hazelnut tart and Dad enjoyed the eclair. If your ever in Melbourne it is definitely well worth the side trip. </span></div>
Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-48534440756453075362012-08-19T05:35:00.000-07:002012-08-19T05:36:34.881-07:00Seriously....More Shopping!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Friday I took off to Melbourne for another big day of buying. This time it's to pick Winter 2013 stock. I've always found it fairly difficult to choose 6 months in advance but on one hand you at least know what customers wanted that you didn't have this winter. I also know what has sold out the quickest, so I know what to make sure I have loads of next time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next winter is going to be very different from this seasons colorways. There is loads of orange and purple, navy and green, florals and patchwork fabrics. I'm so excited about what I can bring to <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">my little shop</a>. Here's a sneak peak at what I'm looking at when I meet with my agents.....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RhU-A4nBIRN25oTFoRsve3E2tKJrYLz4uWbz4nZUJ8BCRbSpIM_9t3xxIDHeBDhvwY-SSgZRy7izQZSlg61N2hs-vrWVnKDKx8KN9GIPrArpeRJkV08GKlneUHZvFBIrxThx4FvosOUQ/s1600/060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RhU-A4nBIRN25oTFoRsve3E2tKJrYLz4uWbz4nZUJ8BCRbSpIM_9t3xxIDHeBDhvwY-SSgZRy7izQZSlg61N2hs-vrWVnKDKx8KN9GIPrArpeRJkV08GKlneUHZvFBIrxThx4FvosOUQ/s400/060.JPG" width="298" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUp2Q2vMLszlGeISbJlU7JOf4bwr0b697b65qp0_z-emHBmARS02Algo3XEoK6pTrZRgHOg3cJgs__8J2WcXPEqCFlUtl_TEnBj4GhKgYNS2wbaaKCXojq0GWbncb034rIA0KOSRyUFBB/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picking from the new range<a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank"> Fabrik</a> was just delightful!</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUp2Q2vMLszlGeISbJlU7JOf4bwr0b697b65qp0_z-emHBmARS02Algo3XEoK6pTrZRgHOg3cJgs__8J2WcXPEqCFlUtl_TEnBj4GhKgYNS2wbaaKCXojq0GWbncb034rIA0KOSRyUFBB/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUp2Q2vMLszlGeISbJlU7JOf4bwr0b697b65qp0_z-emHBmARS02Algo3XEoK6pTrZRgHOg3cJgs__8J2WcXPEqCFlUtl_TEnBj4GhKgYNS2wbaaKCXojq0GWbncb034rIA0KOSRyUFBB/s400/059.JPG" width="298" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Baobab</a> has some very funky designs</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Mizzle</a> basics</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These gorgeous crotchet booties are part of the new Mizzle winter range and I just love them!</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Four and a half hours of buying and I was exhausted. I'd hoped to get a bit of shopping in but since it was 4:30pm on a Friday afternoon and I knew I'd have to battle peak hour traffic back to the hotel in St Kilda, I decided to call it a day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My bestie turned up at 7pm and we headed out to Mama Baba for dinner. I wasn't sure what to expect. I was ready to be disappointed since there was such a hype about George Calombaris's latest restaraunt venture and I'm not normally a fan of going to celebrity chef restaraunts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not foodie, I know nothing about wines and I couldn't care less who the chef is. But, I know what I like and don't like in a meal. There's no point in plating up a pretty dish if it's not going to fill me up and taste delicious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama Baba is at the end of a little lane just off Chappel Street in South Yarra. You would never know it was there and it's totally unexpected in appearance. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFywqJxLPRkYiOWDsiBhHX_aZwOE0rubHipkQ4TT5xu2gcU6wRvF3Ydr4TXXWaC4U-fGFEmPizekTcEGaar76PKao4c5xlahEJZEsuFB__BjaWb3QuoBQ_8-FAVF-YN_zjkXV4N5vb8xDa/s1600/0772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFywqJxLPRkYiOWDsiBhHX_aZwOE0rubHipkQ4TT5xu2gcU6wRvF3Ydr4TXXWaC4U-fGFEmPizekTcEGaar76PKao4c5xlahEJZEsuFB__BjaWb3QuoBQ_8-FAVF-YN_zjkXV4N5vb8xDa/s400/0772.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The entrance. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We started at the bar and enjoyed a few drinks before we were seated at our table. If you don't like noise this is not the place for you. The music is loud and so are the customers. The seats are close together so expect to be able to hear all of your neighbouring tables conversations. Somehow this works well though and we had some great conversation with our neighbours. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoErrITNsYlq1YRIY1lF1qd_xjjBptR2O2lOpFJSlKl_x8480NHAQaHnneG726-ig00nus4A79MXUoew-yOtwfSEMMvmQF65PyGTv7Q0fl-9iJX9y5_rkcM7JW6_53wOm8gfQ8FbRSPhE/s1600/0862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoErrITNsYlq1YRIY1lF1qd_xjjBptR2O2lOpFJSlKl_x8480NHAQaHnneG726-ig00nus4A79MXUoew-yOtwfSEMMvmQF65PyGTv7Q0fl-9iJX9y5_rkcM7JW6_53wOm8gfQ8FbRSPhE/s400/0862.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Entree of beef carpaccio......oh yeah!</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsKI7pfr3xhSrihdwVZzxAq8sXXShwVpICauqScrV1M4VUoHvzFl4KT_-IKi0SrWW-uiO4xRK5oqt1k5BFMEcvFYlqJpEoRjDE0vnhgtSmiCnKwpQ1bZvd-FV2FcS_EkORiUBFcHofAro/s1600/0872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsKI7pfr3xhSrihdwVZzxAq8sXXShwVpICauqScrV1M4VUoHvzFl4KT_-IKi0SrWW-uiO4xRK5oqt1k5BFMEcvFYlqJpEoRjDE0vnhgtSmiCnKwpQ1bZvd-FV2FcS_EkORiUBFcHofAro/s400/0872.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scollop's and they were perfect</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5TEZfh9NCp4yuXjZ01Sb9j_7ur37v0HopHd2TGqcUV1ndBNyxw3pvhgBgW37Rby7ee7VYOkX3N0_ztYHsL8otwpw8TX1rlikn61dQwmj_rr0bXzcdx2g-i_jZS6SkWx18O84Z5LyaJwl/s1600/0882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5TEZfh9NCp4yuXjZ01Sb9j_7ur37v0HopHd2TGqcUV1ndBNyxw3pvhgBgW37Rby7ee7VYOkX3N0_ztYHsL8otwpw8TX1rlikn61dQwmj_rr0bXzcdx2g-i_jZS6SkWx18O84Z5LyaJwl/s400/0882.jpg" width="400" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tortellini Prawn saganaki, tomato & feta. It honestly tasted more like crab to me but it's definitely a dish I wouldn't normally order so maybe it just wasn't my taste. </span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwcamaDuX-rD4exnRSI_WVxT1JDsqIdJo_Rs1m-wGYc-JZvWDCFCivTYQCnIVfbcq-E4cIaczuCq4j743DdhOgxh-br_s1GpUd7UGcQCMnyTmO2ROXsZ9lkZEnKV2a-vuSytxyOzjMcz7/s1600/0942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwcamaDuX-rD4exnRSI_WVxT1JDsqIdJo_Rs1m-wGYc-JZvWDCFCivTYQCnIVfbcq-E4cIaczuCq4j743DdhOgxh-br_s1GpUd7UGcQCMnyTmO2ROXsZ9lkZEnKV2a-vuSytxyOzjMcz7/s400/0942.jpg" width="400" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Desert...... this was the Ferraro Roche and it tasted exactly like one! Oh this was heaven. </span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeqx8NdAqo_yE7m3PQGV-FsU8R7_4F73q9CShdzlDnGkYuEjfdUXINvJGUqKgWMGXpWvKsCroKcrXqw0m0LjACNqhn5KuHQCdYOChWB5CVp0LVZ5KbmZvAR8yNDAWffQxz3TKIFXO_zRy/s1600/0932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeqx8NdAqo_yE7m3PQGV-FsU8R7_4F73q9CShdzlDnGkYuEjfdUXINvJGUqKgWMGXpWvKsCroKcrXqw0m0LjACNqhn5KuHQCdYOChWB5CVp0LVZ5KbmZvAR8yNDAWffQxz3TKIFXO_zRy/s400/0932.jpg" width="400" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An Italian Mess. By this stage I was so over full I just couldn't fit it in. But my bestie demolished 3/4 of it!</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All up I was definitely not disappointed by Mama Baba. Totally worth the 4 phone calls I made over two weeks trying to get a booking. And to Stacey on the reservations line....you are so lovely to deal with. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So that was day one of my freakin' weekend. Part two tomorrow as I'm buggered and it's time for some sleep. </span></div>
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<br />Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-81913379093810723932012-08-09T04:57:00.000-07:002012-08-09T04:57:46.325-07:00Kids In Style 2012<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So last Friday I headed off to Melbourne with my Mum for the Kids In Style Expo. I went to the Sydney expo back in February for the first time and it was mind boggling. Imagine every top kids fashion label, shoes and accessories and baby and kids products all under the one roof. They all want you to buy on the spot and you are bombarded with minimum spends, product information and the benefits of having their stuff in your shop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is why I took my Mum this time. I needed a seasoned shopper to help me make some important decisions about what kids clothing and products I was going to stock in my shop. Also it was Mum's birthday and since one of the things she loves most is shopping I thought this was a perfect way for her to spend the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this is what we saw:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHudfoilV0aW24SrJJVpjIVLgKzDVvmzPRUu7KBLl9nLoSr-QDPpMiNdp31BGbjaKFZSNUaMc3E3iXdRZkXTUopPCnNQEPoiGozG62YMvLmW-5X-zZIOA7m7Kdw-LhrWPXuRyQY4QVSlz/s1600/Gaia+Kids+In+Style.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHudfoilV0aW24SrJJVpjIVLgKzDVvmzPRUu7KBLl9nLoSr-QDPpMiNdp31BGbjaKFZSNUaMc3E3iXdRZkXTUopPCnNQEPoiGozG62YMvLmW-5X-zZIOA7m7Kdw-LhrWPXuRyQY4QVSlz/s400/Gaia+Kids+In+Style.jpg" width="400" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My favourite.... Gaia Organic Cotton. </span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9eHibvnoSGYqFNm5Y06Yk2D-opl55acKHVvNk-w2eXrRGoe0GEEL2TJv62Ke2kwsnZQEEDPnBB9Z5CXwG1_u8acD50tqrDXMlZl0GeVzdlyLtX6wzdcbUhJcVNXwToa23QybYsqWLA-R/s1600/018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9eHibvnoSGYqFNm5Y06Yk2D-opl55acKHVvNk-w2eXrRGoe0GEEL2TJv62Ke2kwsnZQEEDPnBB9Z5CXwG1_u8acD50tqrDXMlZl0GeVzdlyLtX6wzdcbUhJcVNXwToa23QybYsqWLA-R/s320/018.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I need these for Emily's next birthday party - cute little milk bottles from Lark</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5c2nyK_M3QLfNOfqAtu9KJIxPSVCQfePCJxg1P0PGBI0U9RsBhXc_mNMKBUrEx_32OeqNDqBDG75CIpJIlBSH5l8rThIljSpPzvMOcGBYixkRb3xWFdx3JQ2I4SUQHkkHVFY6rVfYkut/s1600/043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5c2nyK_M3QLfNOfqAtu9KJIxPSVCQfePCJxg1P0PGBI0U9RsBhXc_mNMKBUrEx_32OeqNDqBDG75CIpJIlBSH5l8rThIljSpPzvMOcGBYixkRb3xWFdx3JQ2I4SUQHkkHVFY6rVfYkut/s320/043.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Owls Owls and more Owls!</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXeJIlrcP42adCk32JmnlknuwEgeI4XttadaRj3cXwrkWr07qqn-JAk_LmHTweBztJhCUBYPMXBli1r82foX869K-fq8ynkoV7Ny4TeVyAZOI8ZpHXA2SuhBVwUGgCUQio3lJZlvIIZk3/s1600/Aden&Anais+Serenity+Star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXeJIlrcP42adCk32JmnlknuwEgeI4XttadaRj3cXwrkWr07qqn-JAk_LmHTweBztJhCUBYPMXBli1r82foX869K-fq8ynkoV7Ny4TeVyAZOI8ZpHXA2SuhBVwUGgCUQio3lJZlvIIZk3/s320/Aden&Anais+Serenity+Star.jpg" width="217" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The new Serentity Star from Aiden & Anais</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfCBFvdZucy_QLhtFOWqLnxUHkB48l92M34oFKPQ4jR6jE-hmIvz4eX66smkuu_-YDOH5uL9AnYlnfsuxaIw1EOdRp0RYtFsAZQgM8Qhxe93wN3lyeH8_MqQaiIE9JGjFQOsZsU3R9U2T/s1600/Gather+Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfCBFvdZucy_QLhtFOWqLnxUHkB48l92M34oFKPQ4jR6jE-hmIvz4eX66smkuu_-YDOH5uL9AnYlnfsuxaIw1EOdRp0RYtFsAZQgM8Qhxe93wN3lyeH8_MqQaiIE9JGjFQOsZsU3R9U2T/s320/Gather+Kids.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gorgeous & functional furniture from Gather Kids</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC5NOj4qsi-sBVq0RWDyE0jz8TGC0dOSS_yw5_8rd5rOUFdNaGnM6C5jcu5B1bsShKD_Ep1HX3a3tJg7E3lY_M8rRhFnClZWbHXDHaQ7_J8GcPl1ZqI0a8khm_eHs8YxBxukCo9Y-uh3z/s1600/Walnut+Sandals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC5NOj4qsi-sBVq0RWDyE0jz8TGC0dOSS_yw5_8rd5rOUFdNaGnM6C5jcu5B1bsShKD_Ep1HX3a3tJg7E3lY_M8rRhFnClZWbHXDHaQ7_J8GcPl1ZqI0a8khm_eHs8YxBxukCo9Y-uh3z/s320/Walnut+Sandals.jpg" width="320" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sandals from WALNUT Melbourne</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRnKYWdLN07HadAd-rXJH41Ye5rtiMBBb-t0D-Yf_DTc5JuMMmk5R_qGZMje6mRnprf0weYA-2kadXwuSuH0CmwLF848FHi8Us7vD4DB2FdFvNFKSob7BOFPm0njiay-_-n65f4g7BQa_/s1600/048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRnKYWdLN07HadAd-rXJH41Ye5rtiMBBb-t0D-Yf_DTc5JuMMmk5R_qGZMje6mRnprf0weYA-2kadXwuSuH0CmwLF848FHi8Us7vD4DB2FdFvNFKSob7BOFPm0njiay-_-n65f4g7BQa_/s320/048.jpg" width="239" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christmas rattles - I just love this as a display idea</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3xUFWIz0mx8lJqRvw7Xh403RyS7nKFzgybdxCjhN0hlkBunPRx1HrK8UfYJ9L36-YrYiNkxxzMYO3a1LFfjWakua8IYdjZmLaBf_6lnxCTMPr-kWz9GnOcJ4dSQsOYqwEW9uqOso1O8c/s1600/Oshi-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3xUFWIz0mx8lJqRvw7Xh403RyS7nKFzgybdxCjhN0hlkBunPRx1HrK8UfYJ9L36-YrYiNkxxzMYO3a1LFfjWakua8IYdjZmLaBf_6lnxCTMPr-kWz9GnOcJ4dSQsOYqwEW9uqOso1O8c/s320/Oshi-M.jpg" width="320" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oshi-M - one of my new favourite suppliers for toddler gear</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQH12fNSUdEJCPdgwWa36jaCVZEHj2XTbq7nKfH1JHeiWe17uG6J6VPE0xgohEgRiuLvbvkbUa_OxPcXNTXp4sKwI5oIQDIRUMlbeK4zKBET811-sZyd-eQ3ux92sYhaafoAZmq6T3NgYl/s1600/045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQH12fNSUdEJCPdgwWa36jaCVZEHj2XTbq7nKfH1JHeiWe17uG6J6VPE0xgohEgRiuLvbvkbUa_OxPcXNTXp4sKwI5oIQDIRUMlbeK4zKBET811-sZyd-eQ3ux92sYhaafoAZmq6T3NgYl/s320/045.jpg" width="239" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lots of beautiful linen</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Goo Collection</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K2l1l0L2nBXHmibjkFs7pD21yaXOdvJhEFqDcVUSoOvvSekxfo0nirN2vHOrwFNSyiRZqpsCAjABhOrxPwoFSnfxphynouWwZQPJhpjyAwo3sUWSE9zLUuICZaFiilKMdx6W3TYNp1cX/s1600/LaDeDah+Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K2l1l0L2nBXHmibjkFs7pD21yaXOdvJhEFqDcVUSoOvvSekxfo0nirN2vHOrwFNSyiRZqpsCAjABhOrxPwoFSnfxphynouWwZQPJhpjyAwo3sUWSE9zLUuICZaFiilKMdx6W3TYNp1cX/s320/LaDeDah+Kids.jpg" width="320" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">La De Dah Kids for classic toys</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKgKxG_ECfNasGsDokErI-L7zIjErUZDISVKMPrTznuvxZMGuHZJfC5rxONUZR5xLzRq10j3r1u14HuXe_M3oYPmCx2WzD7CgSYiuQxm1N-Tduxy3SNqzGLLP1j20C9CKnCxLaZ1A_RLu/s1600/organ-plushies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKgKxG_ECfNasGsDokErI-L7zIjErUZDISVKMPrTznuvxZMGuHZJfC5rxONUZR5xLzRq10j3r1u14HuXe_M3oYPmCx2WzD7CgSYiuQxm1N-Tduxy3SNqzGLLP1j20C9CKnCxLaZ1A_RLu/s320/organ-plushies.jpg" width="320" /></span></em></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then there were these..........</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I understand why people take a week for these shows. They are huge and amazing and scary and wonderful. I had a ball and I can't wait till the next show in Sydney 2013!</span></div>
<br />Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-24446471706800664502012-07-29T04:28:00.000-07:002012-07-29T04:28:02.684-07:00What I Can Do on Very Little Sleep<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have had one sleep deprived weekend. Emily has a cold and although it's nothing serious, it's hard to breath through runny nose when you still suck on a dummy all night. I believe the last decent nights sleep I had was last Thursday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This morning she woke up at 4am and decided that it was time to get up and play. After an hour and a half of warm milk, back patting and lullaby's I put her in my bed. Half an hour of kicking and mucking around later I decided stuff it, we're up! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday night Emily told me she wanted Macaroni Cheese for dinner....either that or it was Macca's. In two year old speak they both sound the same. Anyway I thought I'd do a little experimenting. We had no macaroni and I have no idea what cheese goes into it so I cooked up some spiral pasta and cauliflower. Then I sweated off some chopped leek and garlic and poured in some cream, grated Edam & Chedder cheese, and seasoned with salt and pepper. I mixed the sauce with the pasta and cauliflower. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emily did her first bit of cooking by sprinkling the breadcrumbs, cheese & rosemary mixture on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I popped it in the oven for 15 minutes till the top was golden. Emily wolfed it down and we even had enough leftover for Sunday lunch, which was good because I was definitely too tired to cook. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To kill some time today, and to burn off a little excess toddler energy, we went to the park. Finally Emily can reach the peddles on her tricycle and it was nice that she actually sat on it without insisting on jumping off and pushing it herself. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBbjsRS1qmQ18JE06M8RD-qc5eGQlsTF0HK2q_B56JBtTRjvJWiyKu7Br-rjWC3yog7u9unNAhlWfI7vroC3V01nMoXA-4zDXNzpNxe1dYkQECNlu-59GOo2DY5gW6xSufeyDfBYU1n5z/s1600/Emily+at+Park+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBbjsRS1qmQ18JE06M8RD-qc5eGQlsTF0HK2q_B56JBtTRjvJWiyKu7Br-rjWC3yog7u9unNAhlWfI7vroC3V01nMoXA-4zDXNzpNxe1dYkQECNlu-59GOo2DY5gW6xSufeyDfBYU1n5z/s640/Emily+at+Park+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm loving this stage that she's at. It's all make believe and pretend play. She watches everything I do and if I'm sweeping the floor, she has to get her little broom out and sweep too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With a huge week ahead including the Kids In Style expo next Friday, I really hope she sleeps well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How was your weekend? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-11192926760449262012012-07-26T04:33:00.001-07:002012-07-26T04:33:44.704-07:00Miss Emily<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emily is at both a gorgeous age and one that totally does my head in. How a two year old can have this much attitude at such a young age I have no idea! For the last week I've heard "my turn!" and "No, mine!" at least a thousand times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the drama! If you move something to the wrong place, or you try to help in any way, you'd think the world was ending. There's head down, face burried in her hands, thrashing about and screaming. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But tonight I just had to laugh. Emily has a couple of 'babies' that she has really taken to playing with lately. Every night while I'm cooking the dinner she lines them up, reads them a story, and then one by one changes their nappies. At first I had no idea what she was doing when I saw this.....</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apologies for the poor photo. Just after I tried to sneak this pic with the IPhone she totally cracked it at me for daring to take a picture of her!</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes that's right, she has socks on her hands. But to her they're not socks, they're gloves and every time she changes her babies nappies she has them on. At childcare they read stories to the toddlers and change their nappies with gloves on. It seems Emily has created her own childcare center in our living room and it's complete with a naughty corner. While I was having a shower this morning I heard her telling one of the babies to "sit here!" and "Sshhhh!". I think she might have got that bit from me......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm totally loving her embrace of this new make believe world. It reminds me of when I was her age and everything was fun and a game. She has no idea of bad things in the world, of loss, of sadness. All she know is eat, sleep, play and love. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She is learning new words every day and mumbled sentences are starting to become clear. She now has friends at daycare who wave to her through the window when we arrive. A little red headed boy named Dean rushed over to us yesterday and said "Emawee ball!" and gave her a green ball. She was absolutely delighted and turned to me and said "bye", waved and ran off with him. It was totally adorable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know it won't be like this for long and I'm totally going to soak up every moment of it.</span>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-32400633058202996652012-07-24T18:47:00.001-07:002012-07-24T18:47:56.782-07:00Nobody's Daughter<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the front page of The Border Mail today (our local newspaper) was a story about two teenage girls aged 14 who broke into a house and several cars in my parents street. It happened at about 4am and these girls had a mother, home alone with her children, cowering in the bedroom while they ransacked the house for car keys, money and iPhone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The headline of the story is <a href="http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/143192/nobodys-girl-14-nowhere-to-go/" target="_blank">Family in fear as home ransacked but girl, 14, is....Child No One Wants</a>. I don't know these girls and what their backgrounds are, but I have to ask the question, where the hell were their parents and what were they doing roaming the streets at that time of the morning? I truly believe that if your under the age of 16 and the sun is down, you should not be roaming around unaccompanied by an adult. It's not just for our safety, it's for theirs too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stories like this raise the question of whether parents should be held accountable for their child's actions. Clearly in this case one of the girls parents is refusing to take her back. On the one hand I say teach this rat-bag a lesson and let her sit in detention for a couple of days until she realises how serious her crime was. On the other hand I truly feel sorry for her that she has no-one showing her love and trying to help her with her behavioural issues. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This girl is barely a teenager, probably has no idea of the terror she caused this mother and her two children, as well as the rest of the street who heard the commotion and woke to a street full of police the next morning.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year my sisters were travelling home to Canberra from my place after Emily's 1st Birthday party. They had decided to put the 5 children they have between them with their partners in the Torago, and get some sister time and peace and quiet for half the journey home in my older sisters Ford. As they travelled up the main road a 13 year old girl came straight through a give-way sign and hit them side on pushing them into a telegraph pole head on. The force of the accident was huge and we were so lucky that air-bags deployed and injuries were not too major. Luckier still that no one was killed and that all the kids were in the Torago behind them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This 13 year old girl came from a single parent home and her mother worked night shift. She had an eight year old friend in the passenger seat and they wanted to buy lollies from Coles and watch DVD's for the afternoon. Their mother, who was exhausted after pulling a 10 hour shift the night before, refused to take them to the supermarket so while she was asleep the girl took her mothers car. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The actions of that girl had such a domino affect. She was charged with several offences and had to appear in juvenile court. Her mothers car wasn't covered by insurance as the driver was an immediate family member and unlicensed. It also didn't cover the damage to my sisters car. This single mother already struggled to make ends meet and now she was down a car and had to pay costs for damage done by her daughter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This mother did nothing wrong. When she arrived on the scene her primary concern was that her daughter wasn't injured and that no one else was seriously hurt. She was doing her level best to nurture and bring this girl up in a decent environment and I remember her commenting that the behaviour was unlike her daughter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teenagers think they're invincible. They have raging hormones and often act before thinking. How can we ensure they stay safe and do the right thing? I remember what I was like and if I'd made up my mind that I wanted something, no one was going to stop me. How do we ensure that our youth understand the consequences of their actions and should we hold parents accountable when they break the law? Do we leave it up to the magistrate to make individual calls depending on circumstances or do we have a blanket rule for all? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What do you think? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-51727882005570762172012-07-22T19:11:00.002-07:002012-07-22T19:11:20.374-07:00Sneak Peak Summer 2012<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Something</span> a little different today and more in line with my passion......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought I'd share some of the Summer 2012 kids range coming out with a sneak peak of some of the stock I'm getting into my new shop. I also thought it's time to reveal the new name!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Deciding on a business name is really, really, <i>REALLY</i> hard! There were loads of options to choose from but you want to sound original, have the right "feel" to the name because it can dictate your logo, image and ultimately type of customer that walks through your door. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After a lot of debating, back and forth with friends and family I finally chose this name:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">And this is my new logo. You like?</a></i></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've signed quite a few labels already and will be looking at more at the upcoming Kids In Style Expo in Melbourne. So here's a sneak peak at some of the designs coming out for your kids this summer. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg03QpJj-xxS-dPrQ1ryw_W-Ikz9IdwL3v6g8tNnZ6BfTmrZQ4zFNmZz5_E0jt8tp1gJtijmvQYGcIFOY8dq1wfdhly6oSVnQOyeXggd26cU8P7ANSD5Sl2vJmLtcCzH8vLvhMAEpfQOI/s1600/Babiators.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg03QpJj-xxS-dPrQ1ryw_W-Ikz9IdwL3v6g8tNnZ6BfTmrZQ4zFNmZz5_E0jt8tp1gJtijmvQYGcIFOY8dq1wfdhly6oSVnQOyeXggd26cU8P7ANSD5Sl2vJmLtcCzH8vLvhMAEpfQOI/s400/Babiators.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Some very cool sunglasses by <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Babiators</a></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfuyUyo62oYMk4eY0xhayKgTGCpjRPiyACS9UpQFhUTYSTr92r9D8jFdpvQhfBGccMryohbg4UcpSCIVVB_wG6cdQWGRP0rsiR_oghZCmAQgqHVSjZCAYKOUypNmAAJXeVB4ANm10rVPB/s1600/Fawn+&+Milk+Marchmellow+Pink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfuyUyo62oYMk4eY0xhayKgTGCpjRPiyACS9UpQFhUTYSTr92r9D8jFdpvQhfBGccMryohbg4UcpSCIVVB_wG6cdQWGRP0rsiR_oghZCmAQgqHVSjZCAYKOUypNmAAJXeVB4ANm10rVPB/s400/Fawn+&+Milk+Marchmellow+Pink.jpg" width="266" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Gorgeous singlets and matching headbands by <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Fawn & Milk</a></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ByLkplu6LgOs7kEsXIVW1uepIPZ_TJYmlDx0QzgZown-CTfuO2kv1fLLKiAr_sD70zn2pWsc7-Hzn4i9O3IV2AY-N8RLNd0fO12J4DOPvE9eWqmXDLQXn1dUz4PxJnpOC0E7cukV0url/s1600/Walnut+Summer+12+Mary+Janes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ByLkplu6LgOs7kEsXIVW1uepIPZ_TJYmlDx0QzgZown-CTfuO2kv1fLLKiAr_sD70zn2pWsc7-Hzn4i9O3IV2AY-N8RLNd0fO12J4DOPvE9eWqmXDLQXn1dUz4PxJnpOC0E7cukV0url/s400/Walnut+Summer+12+Mary+Janes.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Summer Mary-Jane's by <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">WALNUT Melbourne</a></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMj-dcsoeygE6SoeKp7y8l_Sg95n9fnkCYnVrLDCN-LHV-6MQ2CK5VPJ_yqtzzyoZP50k2sdwM8u6PKGvaMkbRuL6c1lfdAo6gjgxDR4NUH5VUwudZOV3hfz5wu-DEtngYQjx0Dku_UDZ/s1600/EBG2P-GIRLSBABYGRO_PINK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMj-dcsoeygE6SoeKp7y8l_Sg95n9fnkCYnVrLDCN-LHV-6MQ2CK5VPJ_yqtzzyoZP50k2sdwM8u6PKGvaMkbRuL6c1lfdAo6gjgxDR4NUH5VUwudZOV3hfz5wu-DEtngYQjx0Dku_UDZ/s400/EBG2P-GIRLSBABYGRO_PINK.jpg" width="275" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>How adorable is this jumpsuit in dusty pink by <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Baobab</a>? </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNWedV71S-zQqy4-wfbAsnPOaC_kfUggun2-8AvZq8jH3saPI32Lhu7THNDarEFw3ymc9WQ1Eg5kzjIZVnyoTMJeTOgD7cMfHs3uPKtGu-EEQI7FrbG2413HdAu87wZEXLg1ccdSV2C-C/s1600/EBT4P-BOATNECKTEE_PINE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNWedV71S-zQqy4-wfbAsnPOaC_kfUggun2-8AvZq8jH3saPI32Lhu7THNDarEFw3ymc9WQ1Eg5kzjIZVnyoTMJeTOgD7cMfHs3uPKtGu-EEQI7FrbG2413HdAu87wZEXLg1ccdSV2C-C/s400/EBT4P-BOATNECKTEE_PINE.jpg" width="298" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Boys aren't forgotten in these stylish organic cotton unisex harem pants and pine needle print tee by <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Baobab</a></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOWp_fpKspYq3jcJ14lFhBpBxPIC_WTyRBgLZDeWu-q7mcbh6HWnfvZEA4MOL181ktCu59Pfiit-Z3N5ShtcgA6a_BMOW-K55UQaIGvK9DPoKjcUNlMaVks7JCkiBq8ljpLGiwLf21AkJ/s1600/ETJ7N-JUMPSUIT_NAVY_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOWp_fpKspYq3jcJ14lFhBpBxPIC_WTyRBgLZDeWu-q7mcbh6HWnfvZEA4MOL181ktCu59Pfiit-Z3N5ShtcgA6a_BMOW-K55UQaIGvK9DPoKjcUNlMaVks7JCkiBq8ljpLGiwLf21AkJ/s400/ETJ7N-JUMPSUIT_NAVY_2.jpg" width="281" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Fun and practical for play. Chemical free with 100% organic cotton. Emily definitely needs one of these navy play-suits by <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Baobab</a>.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirirD3NkFysq399VK7wruXXne5ejfodxy_UjQ84N3vyYWpGoLjyRqo5mzhuXSPFKC9fXKGFXjOX8P8RAGV4HAE_HIgoqGxFQF0QFg1ZwCo2f8-2P-jL0eBw6OmfOq3L10T7d8WQC14DP4j/s1600/Page16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirirD3NkFysq399VK7wruXXne5ejfodxy_UjQ84N3vyYWpGoLjyRqo5mzhuXSPFKC9fXKGFXjOX8P8RAGV4HAE_HIgoqGxFQF0QFg1ZwCo2f8-2P-jL0eBw6OmfOq3L10T7d8WQC14DP4j/s400/Page16.jpg" width="282" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I've got your cool dude covered with <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Freshbaked</a>. Sizes 3 to 14. </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7fdkmYj-rsJZmrjGJa7OiQElzJ12L7_dGc2jLQkI3aQWEPuwRP8MyVz4BwgVfOiighDoi0QSPgvo2l_Gq4ZhlMKEnOt2VLTNyFJ4g1bsZlBXqoErGa9hnISqXJevrkDwptMpDrBwNCHX/s1600/Page3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7fdkmYj-rsJZmrjGJa7OiQElzJ12L7_dGc2jLQkI3aQWEPuwRP8MyVz4BwgVfOiighDoi0QSPgvo2l_Gq4ZhlMKEnOt2VLTNyFJ4g1bsZlBXqoErGa9hnISqXJevrkDwptMpDrBwNCHX/s400/Page3.jpg" width="282" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>This dress is perfect for year 6 school dances or parties. It comes in sizes 3 to 14 and it's by <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Freshbaked</a>. </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqP0D7I58tuQgJudn4JhvuK10tuZN5LRq6mOWqFW0-92HEsdQd3ntb5g5bJ8nw6rPvnsvBfl4p_9778dN4jV3qaaDn6DHEVEpubhlgiQ-61RWxpDBlyC42i71a-WDGWfOnuNO9gxV0JML/s1600/CG11_Front+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqP0D7I58tuQgJudn4JhvuK10tuZN5LRq6mOWqFW0-92HEsdQd3ntb5g5bJ8nw6rPvnsvBfl4p_9778dN4jV3qaaDn6DHEVEpubhlgiQ-61RWxpDBlyC42i71a-WDGWfOnuNO9gxV0JML/s400/CG11_Front+copy.jpg" width="293" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>New to the kids market is <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Milk & Sugar</a>. Pretty prints and available in sizes 0000 to 0. I'm in love with this new label!</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydJHT4kkbDAsnAzzUKiN8NivaoHD05zcVqWQYXsbo0eBCAjELyEkGmQ1NZlcx38jxozxtVR_K94t8hsHtap2aogKKCXa68o1IAYeaRQtgEM4MLc3Rg4fd3xgBy29JhWGQgsAQErVu7yF_/s1600/CB22_Front+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydJHT4kkbDAsnAzzUKiN8NivaoHD05zcVqWQYXsbo0eBCAjELyEkGmQ1NZlcx38jxozxtVR_K94t8hsHtap2aogKKCXa68o1IAYeaRQtgEM4MLc3Rg4fd3xgBy29JhWGQgsAQErVu7yF_/s400/CB22_Front+copy.jpg" width="300" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Totally on trend, the boys range of <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Milk & Sugar</a> is very special. </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK2eDzd0r3Tvq4xVAvy5VzrR_TP5ocx_5If2WQFvIC11h4g-RTbdiSya-Yi6L9447BBxyOmfmLCCle6F8p970YiVe3nL3zwOlxjbBtCma5Jy2TUOn_QPRCmyXZpIJQl690cWDbYB5r3R0/s1600/172180_176979819011954_100000998103208_375241_7928591_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK2eDzd0r3Tvq4xVAvy5VzrR_TP5ocx_5If2WQFvIC11h4g-RTbdiSya-Yi6L9447BBxyOmfmLCCle6F8p970YiVe3nL3zwOlxjbBtCma5Jy2TUOn_QPRCmyXZpIJQl690cWDbYB5r3R0/s400/172180_176979819011954_100000998103208_375241_7928591_o.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Another new comer. <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">The Letter M</a> specialises in sizes 8 to 14 and it's so refreshing to find a <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">Tweenie</a> label that's both young, on trend and still age appropriate. </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobTQVqe88dFrpol657UojLfZ7ECqCfmTffm66_nztkgUMnnhA4Wesa8qUVQ8kfJ93yLAjM8oqoX7lUuUbnEQ95N5ogse9h4fGHmMqMppMcjT8d50GWztJPo9qFitD7aiLzAtyLW8WvyV0/s1600/dress+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobTQVqe88dFrpol657UojLfZ7ECqCfmTffm66_nztkgUMnnhA4Wesa8qUVQ8kfJ93yLAjM8oqoX7lUuUbnEQ95N5ogse9h4fGHmMqMppMcjT8d50GWztJPo9qFitD7aiLzAtyLW8WvyV0/s400/dress+crop.jpg" width="215" /></i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Natural hues are definitely in this summer for Tween's. How greet would your 12 year old look in this number by <a href="http://www.petitarmoir.com.au/" target="_blank">The Letter M</a> at her school formal or Christmas Party? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So that's my preview of Summer 2012. I think this season is going to be huge and I can't wait to hear what you think of it. </span></div>
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Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-50195731838922847832012-07-22T06:14:00.000-07:002012-07-22T06:15:17.369-07:00A Blissful Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What an absolutely glorious weekend! It helped that I got loads of sleep, something that is normally unheard of in this house. Emily was away at her Daddy's for the weekend so I took full advantage of the peace and quiet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Waking up this morning I just had to go for a run. When my husband and I first met I was running 7km a day (I know that's not much for some but for me it was a huge achievement), but since Emily was born and with all the problems we have been going through at home, the running has been put to the side. </span></div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMpsekRKaux_l1FVB72OrhPH0tH306svU7LY95z3V23zMu6zyrt5uMw7YnV7KOQFC2lP9pZoacnD_uY_oQLs_ahcenjhfBc8Wpq14GfOkR3xbJPN4IBwKszrqgXLCmk_lQm0j7xMaEBba/s1600/blogger-image-2026038459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMpsekRKaux_l1FVB72OrhPH0tH306svU7LY95z3V23zMu6zyrt5uMw7YnV7KOQFC2lP9pZoacnD_uY_oQLs_ahcenjhfBc8Wpq14GfOkR3xbJPN4IBwKszrqgXLCmk_lQm0j7xMaEBba/s400/blogger-image-2026038459.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I felt so good to get out in the fresh air. And boy was it fresh! 2'C fresh! Even the cows were huddled under the trees and I could hear the white frozen grass crunching under my feet as I ran across the paddock and into the reserve. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I got home I couldn't help but notice my garden and the sun shining on it. Even though everything has been pruned and the leaves are long gone from the trees, you could still see color and life everywhere. </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My Mum calls these winter roses and says she just wishes they'd straighten up and hold there heads up. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This precious angel has survived more gardens than I can remember. She has been with me for about 15 years now and looks magical under the white Camellia.</span></em> </div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These beauties popped out there heads in the sunshine last weekend. They were such a lovely surprise as I didn't even know they were there. I must remember to plant more surprise bulbs around the garden this Spring. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So what better way to finish the weekend than with a Sunday Roast? Silverside is a seriously underestimated cut of beef. 1.5kg cost me a mere $7.00 and would be enough to feed a family of six. I knew the best way to do it justice would be to slow cook it all day in my late Nana's crock-pot. Just seasoned with salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil and I cooked that sucker for 8 hours. The result.....juicy, fall-apart on your fork, salty silverside served with roasted root vegetables and green beans. Delicious! </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those beautiful daffodils looked lovely on the table at dinner tonight too. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It was truly a glorious Sunday. How was yours?</span></div>
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</div>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-9629432943917064532012-07-10T05:47:00.000-07:002012-07-10T05:47:40.387-07:00Back to Work<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back at work today and I've been flat out busy. It pissed down rain all day and i really thought there would be no one about and it would be an easy day. Instead I had customer after customer and a million emails and admin jobs to catch up on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not that I'm complaining. Being busy is good. The day flew by and before you knew it I'd picked up Emily, served take-away chicken for dinner, bathed her and put her to bed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been playing with logo's for the new shop all night and my eye's are beginning to get sore. Do I do a colored logo or a black and white logo? Do I put a picture on the side or faded behind the name? So many options and I'm terrible at making up my mind on these things. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm so excited about the Melbourne Kids In Style Expo coming up on 3rd August. I've booked Mum and I into the Art Series hotel - The Cullen. Mum was an art student and teacher back in the day and it's right up her alley. She'll love all the art deco furniture and original works on the walls. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomorrow I've got a little more stock ordering and re-organising to do, and endless amount of paperwork and hopefully get this artwork sorted. It's going to be a really busy 6 weeks ahead so this chest infection better hurry up and get better! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-78029947301864561572012-07-08T21:12:00.002-07:002012-07-08T21:12:58.145-07:00Being Sick Sucks<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It totally sucks being sick. I haven't been ill for well over 12 months so this is really unusual for me. Being self employed and a single mother brings a whole set of new problems when i get sick. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For example, last night in the midst of a major coughing fit a list of things went through my mind such as should I call an ambulance, should I call my mother, should I call my ex, am I just a big hypochondriac, what if I stop breathing and die and no one finds Emily for two days? It was scary. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today for the first time I had to close the shop and put a sign up saying I'd be back tomorrow due to illness. That has never happened before. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The doctor has diagnosed me with Pleurisy so it's rest and a lot of antibiotics for me. If I don't get better by Thursday I have to go in for tests for Pneumonia. I seriously thought I'd just go in and he'd tell me I got a head cold on top of my bronchitis. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I'm totally feeling sorry for myself, lying on the couch with nothing to watch on TV and I know I only have a certain number of hours before my whirlwind of a two year old gets home and totally exhausts me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Time for some quick shut eye and hopefully feeling better when I wake up......</span></div>
Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-44967071219112193132012-07-06T02:59:00.002-07:002012-07-06T02:59:51.980-07:00Missing My Angel<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's my first weekend without Emily as she's gone to her Dad's for the next two nights. I have just realised that all my friends are either married and/or have children so distracting myself with dinner and drinks is not going to work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead I'm sitting on the couch with the laptop, nursing a pretty bad chest infection <em>(thanks for passing that on Em),</em> and watching Masterchef. I'd be sipping some red wine too except for the heavy dose of anti-biotics I just took.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the one hand I'm really disappointed that I've no-one to hang out with this weekend, but on the other hand it'll be a nice break to be able to catch up on much needed sleep and get some work for the new shop done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm missing Emily like crazy and every where I look there are reminders of her. The slippers she left in the middle of the lounge this morning when we were running out the door to childcare, the doll house she got for her birthday last weekend that still hasn't made it's way to her bedroom and the baby doll that she's been busy trying to change nappies with lying on one of the chairs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Life will never bee the same now. Every second weekend I'll be missing my little girl. Every second weekend I'll be trying to fill my time with things to distract me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I'll adapt, and I'll get on with it because that's what I do. </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who else can rock red and purple together??</span></em></div>
<br />Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-42490123883507593972012-07-04T23:45:00.000-07:002012-07-04T23:46:24.340-07:00A Very Belated Freakin Weekend Recap<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started writing this post on Monday. Then I got sidetracked with a sick toddler, shop sale, buying and other stuff. Anyway, this is what you should have got on Monday.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A trip to Melbourne, a sick toddler, a birthday cake & a new baby. That was my weekend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It started Thursday (yes I know it's not officially the weekend but any time I am child free and not in the shop is a weekend to me) when I drove to Melbourne to check out a bunch of <a href="http://www.bearlyworn.com.au/" target="_blank">children's clothing boutiques</a>, wholesalers and shop fitting places to get ideas and buy for the new shop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I stopped off at a little place in Moonee Ponds that I won't name because I don't plug businesses that are rude to me. Whilst she had a lovely set up and I got some great ideas for display, the owner was less than helpful and spent most of her time behind the counter chatting to what sounded like a friend on the phone. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did love the little dolls cradle and Tiger Tribe Owl Mobile though. Had she been more helpful I may have purchased it for Emily's birthday......oh well, you snooze you lose!</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After visiting several shops and a couple of wholesalers I checked into my hotel and got ready for my girly night out. I finally found a blue Esprit top in the Myer sale before I left and it was a perfect match with my blue suede shoes. Hair and make-up done I was ready to rock and caught up with my girlfriends for a scrumptious meal and loads of laughs in St Kilda. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Clearly bored I started taking selfies in the hotel room!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My bestie that I was supposed to meet up with has been sick for the past week with an allergic reaction to a medication she's taking and nothing was helping it go away. She had to miss our dinner and was so miserable at home. On Friday I stopped off at <a href="http://burchandpurchese.com/" target="_blank">Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio</a> and picked up some Salted Caramel Éclairs to cheer her up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you're ever in Melbourne you must check it out! Talk about a sweet tooth's heaven! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After that it was a quick stopover at Shop for Shops and Ikea for some shop fittings and then on home to my little girl who had been sent home from childcare with a 38.5'C temp. While I was away she had developed a chest infection and there's nothing worse than being in another state while you little angel is home sick and just wanting her Mummy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After spending Saturday in bed for most of the day she seemed to brighten up briefly on Sunday for her birthday. It may have been the massive amount of gifts she was given.......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For dinner I cooked an amazing slow cooked coriander and cumin marinated leg of lamb in my Nanna's slow cooker. I love that my friends think it's some kind of cool retro piece I purposely bought when in actual fact Nan left it to me. She was the one who gave me my passion for cooking so I love when I can utilise something of hers for big family meals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next I started on the cake. This is another recipe of my Nanna's and I'll put it up on the blog tonight. It's called Beat It Bake It Chocolate Cake It. I don't know who came up with the name but it's been passed down from my Nanna to my Mum to Me and it's such a simple recipe where you throw all the ingredients into the bowl, turn the mixer on for 3-5 minutes and then pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Viola, rich fluffy chocolate cake! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRFjbKHVBM1RrctNW8pTgkIUpozT7kr6HMwvuHQ4XgYEQ1-6Hx7UdHhoqn_SYd63THzj4GLyxwxKAhanZ5C1f7rtpVq_6L2ksgBIyc_qRxPixtlyphoYmH9Jo8TAsDO4aCn7xlRGo58nK/s640/blogger-image-595741520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRFjbKHVBM1RrctNW8pTgkIUpozT7kr6HMwvuHQ4XgYEQ1-6Hx7UdHhoqn_SYd63THzj4GLyxwxKAhanZ5C1f7rtpVq_6L2ksgBIyc_qRxPixtlyphoYmH9Jo8TAsDO4aCn7xlRGo58nK/s640/blogger-image-595741520.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">I took inspiration from the Melbourne trip and Googled a Salted Caramel Frosting which was delicious!</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySvzP7sPoQTIk58PiQ4rTu2SewZPVEv0UcRlHiRe7FQNRBU0acOsJ27gCM872pdSrTpwRX3QwLBH7hYtH0uw0RrpgQY9Iei7IGtXE6P0y1foRzl5v0Rx5VOsxvdM0aDswK4ieblwI7eel/s640/blogger-image--905324152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySvzP7sPoQTIk58PiQ4rTu2SewZPVEv0UcRlHiRe7FQNRBU0acOsJ27gCM872pdSrTpwRX3QwLBH7hYtH0uw0RrpgQY9Iei7IGtXE6P0y1foRzl5v0Rx5VOsxvdM0aDswK4ieblwI7eel/s640/blogger-image--905324152.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It went down a treat, even though she mostly tried to grab the candle and didn't have much of an appetite. Dad (also known as the Chocolate King) and I loved it! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So that was my weekend....how was yours? </span></div>
Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-86171471840382303172012-06-26T03:34:00.000-07:002012-06-26T03:34:25.888-07:00Stealing Time<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lately my life has been so busy. Moving house, single parenting, family get togethers, birthday parties, markets and planning a new shop. There seems to never be enough hours in a day. I sneek extra minutes wherever I can, whether it be sitting in the car waiting for the all-day car park to open and checking my emails on my i-phone while I'm waiting, to sitting on the bathroom floor with the laptop paying bills while Emily takes a bath. I jam as much as possible into my day because at the moment there is just so much to do!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm currently in SALE mode at <a href="http://www.bearlyworn.com.au/" target="_blank">Bearly Worn</a>, getting ready for the endo of financial year and clearing the shop of stock in preparation for the closing down, renovation and opening of the new shop. I have some beautiful handmade clothing and today I put up a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.387208494677410.92926.123812704350325&type=1" target="_blank">Facebook</a> sale for C is for Cat who exclusively stocks <a href="http://www.bearlyworn.com.au/" target="_blank">Bearly Worn</a>. You can check it out <em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.387208494677410.92926.123812704350325&type=1" target="_blank">here</a></em>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-51yMlSlY26pTUll8JtdYDilGOSBDn9aM3UrsBjsKypYyqm-_Yi6C675G7iEo1v66fsoTbATcx54x7VFcB9sfb23yIS02dMjb-ApXTItGbxp-RbBkwnLWYFsTN2ztn5UCEi4CkiUYwuBx/s640/blogger-image-368773180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-51yMlSlY26pTUll8JtdYDilGOSBDn9aM3UrsBjsKypYyqm-_Yi6C675G7iEo1v66fsoTbATcx54x7VFcB9sfb23yIS02dMjb-ApXTItGbxp-RbBkwnLWYFsTN2ztn5UCEi4CkiUYwuBx/s400/blogger-image-368773180.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love her reversible Babushka Pinafores. They are the best thing for pre-school and birthday parties. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I decided that I need a little relaxation at night and something that is just for me. I love <a href="http://retromummy.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">retromummy</a>'s blog and taking inspiration from her last night I trotted down to the local Lincraft before work this morning and picked up a $2.95 pattern book and a couple of balls of wool. I'm going to knit Emily a jumper for next winter. I say next winter because it always takes me ages to knit anything! Jumpers are so expensive to buy new and if i can pull this off I will have a lovely pure wool jumper for Emily for under $20. Not bad....... </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KfB8s0jwUJqL99gXmgxwzDmSsf3kNjB5pjqDByptj1K-CxIcxgDMucmVDwr3iwgjngWe0r8FK84doo1NFq91G4WlcRpL2fQv8y1n11HBrlLB2jg70it4q2v8qbHDmeqjQx4jNAInpXoa/s640/blogger-image--65976205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KfB8s0jwUJqL99gXmgxwzDmSsf3kNjB5pjqDByptj1K-CxIcxgDMucmVDwr3iwgjngWe0r8FK84doo1NFq91G4WlcRpL2fQv8y1n11HBrlLB2jg70it4q2v8qbHDmeqjQx4jNAInpXoa/s640/blogger-image--65976205.jpg" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvqj-3B0CKW4tXhlRnEAuHwuLiw2KanfknmSaJICbSYVb4DVOqECxgRuRDSxsoT6Jen_86T-whrZvsIXpkrv3GzOCKj5FHdelvELjucuxbPwQ_JEsAuGKg57vli6fMToFoVnzNbGqrEfz/s640/blogger-image--690365980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvqj-3B0CKW4tXhlRnEAuHwuLiw2KanfknmSaJICbSYVb4DVOqECxgRuRDSxsoT6Jen_86T-whrZvsIXpkrv3GzOCKj5FHdelvELjucuxbPwQ_JEsAuGKg57vli6fMToFoVnzNbGqrEfz/s640/blogger-image--690365980.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This Thursday I have to go to Melbourne for two days to buy fittings for the new shop and meet with suppliers. I'll also be having a little R&R with my bestie Lisa. She always cheers me up and she's a foodie so we always go to an amazing restaraunt. We'll also be going to a comedy club after dinner and meeting some friends there. I really don't want to look like the frumpy single Mum I've been feeling like lately so I pulled out my absolute favourite shoes and it's been my mission this week to find something that goes with them. </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are these not the hottest blue suede shoes you've ever seen? Mollini baby!</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the whole hour I get to myself between dropping Emily at childcare and opening the shop I stopped off at Valley Girl to see what tops or jackets they had that would go with my awesome shoes. We don't get a lot of choice of shops in Albury and I don't want to risk waiting till I get to Melbourne to find an utfit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I swear </span><a href="http://www.woogsworld.com/2012/06/retail-discrimination.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mrs Woog </span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">was reading my mind this morning when she blogged about Retail Discrimination! Anyway I entered the shop just after the 16 year old shop assistant pulled up the roller door. She looked pissed off that she already had a customer and then proceeded to totally ignore me while I floundered around trying to figure out whether to get a jacket to go over a slinky black dress or a layered top look to go with some skinny black jeans. I left empty handed as it turns out a large at Valley Girl is equivilent to a small at Susan..... seriously..... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway I'm open to all suggestions about the shoes and what would go with them. What would you do?</span></div>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-84569485541002757042012-06-18T04:37:00.000-07:002012-06-18T04:37:17.151-07:00Derailed<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I knew it would happen sooner or later. After the last couple of weeks, and the roller coaster that I've been on, I knew I would have to crash sometime. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This morning was the first time in years that I haven't wanted to get out of bed. I'm tired but I can't sleep. I'm shaky and teary and it feels bloody awful. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPwPA2nzcFKMCCiEJFcyFjb0yCxi_YW9YRJKaYfEU6nhcDQWyRtVnF6o4gkBF_eVqbSVAHOFAv-oWL_u9qOIAfKXIu4MZUfPzug4yO2SSuP8zI48ytwAzmkKSAcQ50WHcyPaJmUlv8wF5/s1600/Amtrak_crash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPwPA2nzcFKMCCiEJFcyFjb0yCxi_YW9YRJKaYfEU6nhcDQWyRtVnF6o4gkBF_eVqbSVAHOFAv-oWL_u9qOIAfKXIu4MZUfPzug4yO2SSuP8zI48ytwAzmkKSAcQ50WHcyPaJmUlv8wF5/s400/Amtrak_crash.jpg" width="354" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've tried to concentrate on work today but I can't seem to still my mind. Too many thoughts are racing around. I'm thinking about Emily and how she's doing, my plans for the shop, whether I'll ever sort things out with my husband, will he ever feel better, will I ever forgive him, can I do the next market, will I be able to hold it all together? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's all too much. I need to be still. I need to just be for a bit. I need the mundane, the boring, the norm, just for a little while. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I probably need some extensive therapy but a single Mums pension doesn't allow for that. Instead I have wonderful friends and family who come to see me, send me text messages and call me on a daily basis to make sure I am OK. They offer support, advice when i want it and today a thoughtful friend convinced me to close the shop for an hour, take some time out and enjoy some lunch together. Just two girls, some good food and a glass of wine. Just what the doctor ordered.....</span></div>
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<br /></div>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-72203158014587582242012-06-17T02:53:00.000-07:002012-06-17T02:53:03.365-07:00The End of a LOOOOOONG Week<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank God this week is finally over.....except tomorrow is Monday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have just worked 7 days straight...again! Today I had the Little Me Markets and it was full on from the start. </span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My stall set-up</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bearlyworn.com.au/" target="_blank">Gaia Organic Cotton</a></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bearlyworn.com.au/" target="_blank">Skeanie</a> & <a href="http://www.bearlyworn.com.au/" target="_blank">Walnut Melbourne</a> Shoes</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bearlyworn.com.au/" target="_blank">Natural Blossoms</a> Skincare</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bearlyworn.com.au/" target="_blank">Squiggle Pop</a></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lots of little things for little ones</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I'm home and relaxing in front of The Voice with a lovely stir fry. Emily is sleeping soundly and I'm really looking forward to slowing down the pace in the next couple of weeks and having some completely normal housebound weekends with my baby. </span></div>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3500532086478985842.post-45048016846713883112012-06-13T03:12:00.000-07:002012-06-13T03:12:54.452-07:00Single Mum's Meal #1 - Baked Salmon & Broccoli<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since separating from my husband a couple of weeks ago one thing I've struggled with (apart from the obvious) is cooking for one and a half. Emily is not quite two and only eats a quarter of my dinner and a lot of the time I don't feel like mashed potato and peas (which is her favorite). </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So tonight I tried something different. And I've decided to start a series of recipes for single mum's who want something healthy, budget conscious and quick to make. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recipe #1 - Baked Salmon with Steamed Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomato's</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Small Salmon Steak with Skin On</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pre-heat your oven to 180'C. Grab some baking paper and a small baking tray. Place your salmon steak in the baking tray and drizzle with some of the extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle the top of the salmon with some dill tips (I used Masterfoods dried but fresh would be great if you have it). Season well with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the lemon (about 3-4 slices) and place them on top of the salmon. Now for the tricky bit. Take the two sides of the baking paper and bring to the center, fold down the top & tuck the ends so you've made a little parcel. Don't do this two tightly as you want air to circulate. Pop your fish in the oven and bake for approximately 30 mins or until the fish is cooked through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While the fish is cooking prepare your dressing. Squeeze the rest of the lemon juice into a jug. Add the remaining olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Add the crushed garlic and stir well. Cut your broccoli into pieces and place in a microwave steamer bowl. I use a Decor one from the supermarket and it does a great job. Sprinkle with the sun-dried tomato strips and dressing. Add a tiny bit of water (about 10ml) to the bowl so your broccoli doesn't dry out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 minutes before your fish is ready put your steamer of broccoli in the microwave and zap on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Check the broccoli and give it a toss. Put them back in and zap for another minute. That should do it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then it's a simple matter of taking your salmon out the oven (it should be done), opening the paper and sliding the fish onto the plate. Add your steamed broccoli and viola! Amazing, delicious and healthy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The salmon cost me around $5 for the piece, the broccoli was about $1 and the sun-dried tomato strips cost me $3.50 but the jar will last me ages and I can use it in lots of other dishes. </span></div>Mummaspherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10508500218780099220noreply@blogger.com0