Is It Really Worth It?

Can someone please explain why as soon as you decide to watch what you eat in time to look decent for summer, everyone around you seems to be eating cake!!!

Jessica Alba I will be, so help me God

Oh My God - I'm in so much pain!!!
Tonights pain was totally self-inflicted at my reformer pilates course. (Which I am absolutely loving by the way)
Tuesday's pain was kind of by choice but I stepped innocently into an open pilates class with the gorgeous Karla who I have now re-named the 'Smiling Assassin'. Little did I know her love of travelling lunges, duck walks and crab laps!! As a result I have not been able to lower myself without my thigh muscles screaming. Sitting at the computer was hard but getting up from this chair is going to be harder!
Wednesday I stupidly agreed to help out one of the instructors by allowing her to use me as a guinea pig while she practised her routine. God I'm stupider than I thought.
So... having done very minimal exercise in the last 6 months I opt to do 3 open pilates classes in 3 days!! Can anyone say 'moron'?
Excuse me while I get Kahuna to rig up a rope and pulley system to lower me into a hot bath...

Flashback Friday

What happened to the days when parents felt comfortable letting their children ride scooters up and down their street, or climb ridiculously high trees, or ride their bikes to the creek for some yabbying (whatever happened to Yabbies? Are they still out there?), or let their firstborn share her blankie with their boxer dogs? Yes DOGS. There is a photo somewhere of me asleep wedged between two of these gorgeous creatures. This one is the matriarch of our Boxers - Bijou, who was Dad's first child and who graciously made room in the family for me.

Yesterday I was so excited you could see the drool on my chin. My heart rate was soaring and my hands were all warm and clammy... the reason for all this panting and sweating was maybe not what you would expect.....

Yes the Mill Markets. What a place of wonder. Due to bureaucratic red tape they have had to move from the actual Mill in Geelong but have found themselves a new home in Newcomb which is conveniently but dangerously on route to the holiday house. I stood at the doorway and had to pause a few moments to soak in the scent of old wood, dusty nicknacks and moth eaten clothing. This place is like a shrine for someone like me. A glorious jumble of yesterdays finery and oddments. To complete my almost erotic pleasure - there is a cafe tucked away amongst the treasures! How good is that.

This place is MASSIVE so there is hours of spaced-out wondering that can be done.

To really cap off my day we headed to HOW BAZAAR on the way home. This gem almost eclipses The Mill as there is not so much stuff but it is all quality treasure. (no cafe though)

The kids and I spent a glorious hour sticking our noses into every corner.

'1000 square metres of fine antiques, used furniture, collectibles, books, and a few things we haven't quite figured out yet!'

I'll save our purchases for another day but let me assure you there are a lot more items with my name written all over them - if I only had a bigger car (and a bigger house for that matter).

Yellow Snow

The kids and I took a drive down to the beach house today, and what a glorious day to do it. The town looked like it was in dress rehearsal for summer. It was worth the drive just to see this vista. Photos like this have always made my heart sing - I must have dozens taken from the same spot over the years and it still thrills me.

I think there is even a photo just like this in Mum's album of Mick and I many moons ago!

The loveliest sight was the blanket of yellow flowers that has been thrown over the Bellarine Peninsula. I know these are weeds but they are just gorgeous. Every paddock, roadside verge and spare inch of grass is starred with gold. We kept catching our breath as around every corner there was a new delight. What a gem of a day!

Flashback Friday

Photo removed due to the fact that it may incriminate others.

I think the less said about this photo, the better!!!!

Introducing....

I'd like to introduce you all to Beau.

Beau is one of my favourite people and I know he'd appreciate a mention.

Beau was EXTREMELY fortunate and found himself, in grade three with the most amazing teacher - Me. Don't let those big brown eyes fool you - he drove me mad all year, and not the way most students do - he had the unfortunate habit of making me laugh at the most inappropriate times - assemblies, chapel, while telling someone off etc. He is still making me laugh and now wants to know why he is not this weeks' eye-candy!!

Beau is now nearly 16 years old and although I'd love to oblige I think there might be laws against that kind of thing! Sorry Beau, I'd love to help you achieve fame and glory but his will have to suffice.

Move Over Dillon

Time for new eye-candy! Any suggestions?

Littlehorn

Last summer we stocked a brand called Littlehorn which is owned by Anita Horn-Cosgrove. Anita lives in Bali for much of the year and is married to Sean Cosgrove (former owner of Mooks, M-One-11 and Stussy stores). She involves Sean and her 3 kids, Sheriff 5, Sweeney 3 and Cash 1 the whole way through the Littlehorn design process, letting them choose styles and select their favourite prints, or even design their own items for the collection.

Littlehorn was a great success and we've got some gorgeous pieces again this summer. I particularly love this skirt with the patch pocket but unfortunately for me they only come in small sizes so Emma misses out on this gem.

More Littlehorn styles will be arriving throughout the season so I'll keep you posted.

Thanks to Simone Ryan for her stolen sentence.

Just in time for summer

Two of the wonderful girls from Yarraville's 'Energy For Everybody' are re-opening their Yoga and Pilates studio in the next couple of weeks. They have taken over the LOOK warehouse on Somerville Rd and the new 'PILATES AND YOGA SHED' will open on the 20th.

Thank god because I for one need a complete overhaul before the sun starts shining on a regular basis. I have every faith that Melissa and Jody will be able to sort me out in time! (yes they are that good) They are putting in reformer beds which I have never used before so I think a beginners course is in my future... hands up if you think I'll be able to see my abs by December?

Flashback Friday 1982

This is a bit of a cheats Flashback Friday as this is of my beautiful husband (on the right), not me. Most photos of me pre '85 are still in Mum and Dad's albums and as they are away I can't get my hands on them.

I LOVE this photo.

This is how I remember James, a salt encrusted surfie dude with a shock of blonde fringe. James was in my brothers group of friends down at Point Lonsdale where we spent our holidays. To me, three years older, they skirted around the periphery of those lazy summer days. I was always aware of James - as you may know I have a thing for slim pretty boys! - but it wasn't until I spotted him again in his 20's that my radar went off.

I particularly love the fact that compared to his mate Bolly, he was so slight, the board is hardly upright! Bolly is also a part of my childhood as our parents are good friends, his brother was one of my first buddies and their house was just up the hill. The asbestos shed in the background, the old mals, the dunes, the tan, they all evoke such strong feelings in me. This is Australia in summer as I knew it.

And this what Bolly's brother Steve and I were probably doing on that day!

(I'm on the right in the navy bikini with matching hair ribbon no less!!)

things that made me smile today

James left to go interstate again today so I thought I'd concerntrate on the things that made me smile....














1. The gorgeous tray I was given as a belated b'day present.
2. Finally hanging stuff in the kids room.


3. Dressing and printing out these girls from Barbie.com with Emma.








4. Jasmine starting to flower outside my window.








5. My Georgette Heyer collection.










6. My new mouse pad.









7. My evenings viewing.

Still Addicted to the Gilmores

Look what arrived in the mail for me today! I wasn't expecting it until Feb 08 so you can imagine how much I'm loving the people at Amazon. "The Unauthorised Gilmore Girls Gab Fest". How good is that! I can't wait to curl up on the couch with a tea and a huge pile of choc chip cookies and indulge.

By the way my boots are the brown ones and Dillon is winning at the moment!!!

the 90's were hot!

Here are the boys from the 90's that have been suggested so far - pretty good selection I think.

First up is the poster boy for good moral judgement (with a minor alcohol problem along the way) - Mr Brandon Walsh..

followed by the boy we all wanted to fix - Mr Dillon McKay

Next we have the underlord of dark and brooding - ANGEL


And the fun loving prankster forever in Dawson's shadow - Mr Pacey Witter

and last but not least the head of the cheery Salinger family - Mr Charlie Sallinger.

They were all so cute I had to show you a shot of each to help with the decision making...

Eye Candy

Tonight I need your help.
I was about to change the 'Eye Candy of the Week' and decided I'd throw it open to all you discerning blog readers. I'm going to theme it though so as to narrow the field and this weeks theme is 90's TV stars. So start racking your brains for hot candy from 90210, Melrose, Dawson's Creek etc. (This will give you a reprieve from the Keith Urban photo I was going to post!!)
I you have as much trouble as I do with the comments page just shoot me an email and I'll post it on the blog. jenny@chalkconcepts.com.au

Life In Style

I went to the Life In Style trade fair today for a wonder around and who should I meet but two of my favourite bloggers,Angela and Alison. It was lovely to be able to put faces to the blogs and to see all their wonderful products.


There wasn't a lot there that I hadn't seen before but I did find some great alphabet friezes from Miriam Bereson which will be great and they also do these amazing mirror birds for your wall which I think are amazing. They should be arriving instore early September so I'll keep you posted.


The other product I am looking forward to is the School Days Record Book from Milestone Press. This is a fabulous looking book with pages to record memories from the first day of Prep to the last day of secondary school. Each year has a pocket to store items such as paintings, certificates, photos etc and it is an amazing record of the school years.


We are also doing their baby version 'A Book About Me' to record memories from pregnancy to age 5.

All in all a successful outing - now hopefully everyone else will like what I chose and come a buy up all these great new products. (Or I'm going to be giving everyone I know an Alphabet frieze for Christmas!!)

A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS TO

LISA AND SAM

- THE POSTER COUPLE FOR THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP. WE LOVE YOU LONG TIME.

Please Visit

If you haven't already done so please visit these 2 very special Flashback Friday posts! Believe me it is worth it. They will make your heart sing. Bec and Call and Poppalina

Flashback Friday

God It's Flashback Friday again already and I nearly forgot!!

This photo just scrapes in as it's taken in 1985. It's one of my favourite photos as it is so evocative of my fabulous school days. This is Kris and I catching some rays in the corridor at school and although I look like I'm puckering up for a kiss I 'm sure Kris was just offering me some of her lunch. This photo makes me want to go back to those days so much... when you spent all day with your best friends instead of trying to catch a spare half hour together around kids, work, husbands, LIFE!!!