Favourite blog post for January

Thought I would do a little something different for 2013 & that is to mention my favourite blog & or post each month.

So without any further droning on from me,this is my without a doubt favourite blog post for the month of January. Check it out I am sure you will love Paige, her wonderful husband Dan & her four gorgeous gals as much as I do. Oh by the way she's an awesome photographer to!!

  

You can view her blog & watch my fav. post(video) here. 
Don't forget to leave her a comment & tell her I "SENT" you. 

Run don't walk my faithful Simple Things followers.

Her open straight from the heart video really spoke to me maybe because that's where my little ole mind is at this time or just that's she's a genuinely likeable soul. Oh and did I mention she's an awesome photographer :)

What is your favourite blog & or post this month?
Tell me cause it's kinda nice to share!

Caroline xo

I Heart This.....

Why?

because I do rustic REAL well

AND

if I ever have a kitchen that it can be put in, it will be there before I can say

"I LOVE rustic butcher blocks"

Caroline xo

Mooloolaba Fish Market

On the New Years Day holiday we had on Monday we went over to The Mooloolaba Fish Market to get a last bit of holiday seafood. We LOVE this place for seafood, they have their own boats so it is fresh fresh fresh.

While over there picking up our seafood we got a serve of their calamari, they soak it in milk & garlic overnight & it really is the most tenderness, flavourful calamari I have ever had. Everything is really fresh, filleted in-house & the staff are SO helpful even when it is busy(& believe me it gets super busy at times)

So in-case your wondering if I've been paid or have received product for this good plug, I haven't (they don't even know I'm doing it) I simply like good service combined with good products something I think is sorely missing of late.

So if you live or are travelling/holidaying in the area try it, give it a go & let me know what you think?

This year I'm going to tell you a few more places I like to go.

Good service /product deserves a good word & is much nicer than complaining about the bad that seems to be so common now.

Where do you like to go/shop/eat??

Caroline

Not MORE Wedding Pictures!

Soldier Boy's Wedding -Part 2

You'll have to ignore the C*!# scanning job my scanners been playing up of late & even when you put the photo's in straight they come out looking like this. Hope you can see past it to the beautiful photos.

I still couldn't resist posting them....Mmmm a mother's heart.

And don't start me about blogger...it hasn't let me load photo's for weeks

Emerald(Dd), My new daughter, Soldier Boy(Ds), Lane(Ds)

My Two Boyz!

All of us together!!

Have a great weekend

Caroline xoxo

PS-Just for the record I will probably just HAVE to post more yet.

Stay tuned!

Soldier Boy Marry's- Part 1

Soldier Boy married his sweetheart of 2 years in July

@ The Crowne Plaza Pelican Waters.

Everything about the day was simply beautiful.

Soldier Boy's Sweetheart brings her own little sweetie to our family

as she already has a little 4y.o

"poppin"

Soldier Boy hugging me....

(he still calls me "Mumma" *tears*)

]

No caption needed

the joy on his face says it all!!

Waiting for his Bride.

One of their friends did the cake

& what an awesome job she did,

complete with the groom on the cake topper

wearing a hat -Just like my boys

Wow...what beautiful vows.

Soldier Boy said vows to the little "Poppin" as well.

He also lit a candle during the ceremony in memory of his

Dadda who died when he was eight.

Sorry to those who new & had to wait so long, I wanted to respect their privacy & get permission before posting this & since the wedding Soldier Boy has been away busy with his job.

More to come

Caroline xoxo

PS- I just wish I had the professional photographer's photos on disc!

A Little Gift.....

from a darling son.

Who is able to always find me a gift I love even when he's on the strictest of budgets-now that's one gift that HE has!!

Do you have THAT gift??

Caroline xoxo

Blue Hors Matine'

Even if you aren't a horse lover you may enjoy this.

Please take the time, broaden the horizons and take a peak at this.

Blue hors matine' is a show stopper an amazing mare who just simply loved to dance.

Dressage at it's finest!!

This video has been around for a while but this mare was simple amazing and I for one never get tired of seeing her talent.

Unfortunately she had to be put down earlier this year when she broke her leg while in her paddock.

Have a fantastic weekend

Caroline xoxo

BOOK FAIR

This is the stash of books I got recently at one of our local second-hand book fairs. Sometimes I go & find great hoards of books, other times I come home with not much at all. This lot of books cost me $50 and there is more than is pictured here as the kids had taken theirs and I also got a few DVDs & a couple of talking books(always good on long road trips)

The Green Cleaner book was a book I had years ago, lent it to someone and usual story-never returned. I was pleased to find another copy of it as it has some handy recipes in it, specially one for liquid detergent that I use to make frequently when the children were young. Also got quite a few Earth Garden & Grass Roots Magazines for my collection which is good as I nearly have a complete set right back to the early 70's. Loads of cook books (Yippee!! one of my fav finds) plus some novels and other groovy finds.

I love buying second hand books and it is such a good way to save!! I can get a boxful of books for the price of maybe only one or two.

Do you buy any books secondhand or do you prefer to buy new out of the bookshop??

Hope you had a lovely weekend
Caroline

ABBEY MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL 2010

My youngest son had been wanting to go to this for the last few years. I didn't think it was quite my thing!! but what do you know I had a fantastic time AND I would go again. Lane is absolutely Knight mad and being autistic he has the classic trait of becoming well and truly obsessed with anything he takes a fancy to.

.

One of the added bonuses for me and impressed me very much was the absence of plastics. EVERYTHING was made from Wood, Metal, Leather, Hides & Paper. Even the majority of the food was served in this way including the use of disposable/recyclable bamboo utensils. Very impressive and no mean feat when feeding 50 000 people.

It was held at the ABBEY MUSEUM which houses wonderful collections spanning the last half million years of humankind. Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque Europe as well as China, Japan, India & The Islamic World.

FANTASTIC!! Highly recommend going to anyone.

Caroline xoxoxo

WISHING!!

It's that time of year again!!

About this time of winter I wish for the long hot summer of lazy days spent on the beach. Now don't get me wrong I love winter. Cold days spent rugged up eating to much "soul food" and watching dvd's. Day's where you have an excuse to stop work early just because you have run out of daylight & the best bit of all -being able to dress up in beanies/hats scarves & other scrummy clothes.

But for now, TODAY anyway..... this chic has decided she has had enough of winter the beach is calling me, might have to go this weekend. Not to swim(to cold bbrr!!) but just to sit and watch the waves come crashing in to shore.

Whatever you do this weekend....I hope it's a good one

Caroline xoxoxo

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING??

I am reading........one of my favourite things to do

What have you been up to??

With Love

Caroline xoxo......

BAGS & SHOES!!

These are a few of my Favourite Things..........



AND all for a grand total of $39 (Off ebay) including a brand new Furla bag valued at $130. Just goes to show one must never ever pay full price for anything.

So are you a shoe or a bag person??(or even more wicked both??)

CAROLINE xoxo

WEEK-END RIDING

Emerald riding Quarter Horse Stallion "Hootchy Kootchy Bid"

What did you and your family get up to on the week-end???

Caroline xoxo...

GRANNY'S EGG CUP

This cute little egg cup was my Granny's she got it for her Birthday in 1928

So I thought being Easter it would be a good time to share it with you all

So now the 80 or so year old egg cup has come to live at our place.

As I am the only Granddaughter, Granny has now entrusted this to me.

It came with strict directions (of course) to use it.

Don't just put it in a cupboard!!

Well now each of Granny's Great grandchildren have eaten a boiled egg & soldiers out of it,

but never the less after that it was banished to the cupboard.

You see the last time soldier boy used it I dropped it when washing it up.

Not a chip nor crack but I tell you everything moved in slow motion as it fell.

I have the fondest memories going back to about when I was four of going to Granny's and having a boiled egg for breakfast in this egg cup.

Of course it became a little ritual of that is what I would have for breakfast at her house and her telling me the little story of how she got it.

In the 1920's with War & the Great Depression it was not common for children to receive presents for their Birthdays other than a little clutch of lollies.

She must of thought she was the luckiest girl in the world at that time to receive it

Just like I feel now she has passed it on to me.

Love you Gran

CAROLINE xoxo

THRIFT SHOPPING

Our Family loves going to thrift shops,garage sales & markets. We never know what treasures await us. We have been known to bring home some pretty weird & wonderful pre-loved items some we have regretted, some we have soon discarded to our garage sales & some we have loved,cherished & used for many years. We have also been known to bring home the odd animal or two. Hens,Roosters,G/pigs & even a horse.

When I was a young child probably about 5 or 6 my Mum bought home a giveaway, all white Kitten. I still remember him arriving as he was in the funniest cane basket that had a big lid. I remember lifting the lid and being very surprised there was a kitten in there. We named him Ben & Ben became a treasured childhood pet.

These are the things we found on our recent jaunt-

One Vintage & very Aussie pillowcase that my son utterly adores & doesn't

want to use any others now!! It had never been used someone recently told me they

were given away as a promotion thingy in the late 70's. Bargin at $1.

One Little enamel dish for 50cents.

Perfect dog dish for "Chloe Emma"

This cute little barrels 2 for a $1 that I have put toothpicks in.

They suit my Western Decor "Mighty Fine"

Do you go "Op Shopping"?? I would love to hear of your finds!!

CAROLINE xoxo

BEACHCOMBERS WEEKEND

This is the beach where we found all our treasures that are on my last post.

I did think of naming this post "Why I Live where I Live"

Why do you live where you live?? Tell me?? If you do a post let me know!!

We love to go up here of a weekend & camp on the beach @ the base of these cliffs.

The small dots on the beach are the cars.

Often from this spot you can look down and see turtles bobbing around.

This day we saw two. Sometimes you can even see a shark that has come in to feed on the small fish that hang around the rocks.

Heading down the beach to look for a good spot to set up camp.

The breathtaking view from up on top. If you look closely at the lowest
rock there are two people fishing.

This is a great place to do a spot of Whale watching.
AWESOME!!

BEACHCOMBING

BEACHCOMBER (noun) - Person who searches shore debris for anything of worth. (And may I add natural beauty)

Barnacle encrusted coconut from some faraway tropical Isle.


The biggest jelly fish I have ever seen

An itty bitty fishy with a kinda funny antenna that didn't save him

from being stranded

Nasty but oh so fascinating Blue bottle.

Brings back painful childhood

memoirs of being enveloped in their nasty tentacles

And just as the sun rises over the ocean I stumble upon the most precious find
2 little sea urchins.
Think I'll take this pair home and LOve'em to bits!!

CAROLINE xoxo

MY 100th POST & A MYSTERY GIVEAWAY!!

I can't believe I 've done 100 posts already!!

Doing my blog has given me so much pleasure. I am fascinated that anybody even wants to read about me, my life & I. When I first started my blog it was really only just for me a record of happenings a view of where I was at that time in my days & something for my family & I to reflect on.

Fortunately though it has become much more than that. I have "met" some wonderful wonderful people, one I have had the pleasure to met in "real life" and hope to meet up with again soon. Despite being warned by DD15 that it could be a dangerous axe murderer. (you know who you are & I'm sure we will laugh about that for many years to come)

To my wonderful 29 followers I cherish each & everyone of you. Thank you for showing such interest.

So to help me celebrate doing my 100th post I am having a mystery giveaway.

Well mystery to you that is.

One lucky reader will be the winner of my mystery parcel, regardless of where you are in the world I will send it. So international bloggers please comment too.

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me which out of my 100 posts has been your favourite.

CAROLINE xoxox

A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

THE WEDDING KISS!!

How do I know they are married you may ask??

I was there.

My children were actually the celebrants at the marriage of Maverick to Chloe.

They got married on our trampoline.

It has now been blessed.

but they didn't have a honeymoon.