Updating status...

I have been on hiatus. Between morning sickness, terrible twos, housework, visitors and my neighbours things in my household have been manic. My self journey has been... well, challenging.

I have had "epiphanies" and self discoveries and have found that it is much easier to have these than actually continue to follow them through. especially when my general nature is passive. I seem to be a target for some people, and others just don't have time for me, but I do feel that, that is their issue not mine. It doesn't mean that statements don't hurt, that I am not affected by others actions but it does mean that I have the power to "let it go".

In case you missed the neon sign in the fist paragraph, B and I are expecting Baby #3. Miss 1 and Miss 2.75 are still a little young to understand what is going on but I know Miss 2.75 is clued in enough to work it out. Some people in our lives have expressed disapproval, some have simply claimed that we are crazy and others have been genuinely thrilled for us. Certainly when someone at the shops or in the street sees my growing belly you get "wow, you'll have your hands full" or "you must be crazy". My first response is "I am really clever cos the nappies will be over with sooner". We find the judgement hard to swallow, because we always wanted our children aged close together. Although a little sooner than we had thought it would happen we are still very excited. I guess that it is a shame that others get caught up in their issues and cannot see beyond what is socially deemed practical and see that this is a little baby, another little family member and someone that we want and will love just as much as our girls. As you can gather this (and one other issue) is what I have been struggling to push through during my journey. How do you not feel hurt that someone thinks your pregnancy is a negative thing or shrouded in social stigma that you are "common".

The other part of my journey has been the targeted attack of some people nearby who have been trying to get us in trouble. I have two beautiful, active, happy and energetic children, who play together well, who enjoy being outside. Others don't feel that way about them and I am concerned for their well being and mine as I warm my back in the sun with my cup of tea. To be told that you need to change your family, yes even children under 3, it feels like a judgement on your parenting skills. If this had only been a once off event, then I would be saying "they need to get over themselves". The problem is that now it has occurred again and despite their behaviours (which I can assure you are less that acceptable), it is my family who are being put on trial. I live in a state where most of the time the sun is beaming and the backyard is calling their name. I'm not going to put my children in front of a television for the benefit of someone I don't know.

I knew when I undertook this journey that it would be slow and I would be faced with setbacks, but to be honest I didn't expect to have such lows. I found that I was getting caught up in other people's drama, that I was being disappointed by people, that I was being affected negatively emotionally by other people. May I add here, that I used to enjoy Facebook, because I used to be able to keep up with others movements and adventures, when otherwise life was busy. Then something changed, people stopped using it for keeping in touch, it became the primary source of communication. Instead of picking up their phone to contact you, they post a photo or comment to cover telling everyone. To be honest, I have felt angry for some time now that the only time I heard from people was via Facebook. So I decided that I was going to remove myself from something that created such angst. I was better than this. That if people really cared about me they would contact me otherwise. Needless to say a week on, no one has noticed.

I have been busy with furniture up cycling as well , I promise I will post about these soon, and after possibly wearing out Bryan's sander, I may have to do things the "hard" way, which I am sure will only make things more interesting for you.

If I haven't bored you to sleep, I hope to bring you some furniture re do'e soon.

Keep smiling

Lauren
xxx

Miss 2

Having survived Miss 1's special first birthday, I had the sudden realisation that I had not shared with you Miss 2.5's 2nd birthday.

Last year B and I needed to be apart (not by choice) but because he was working in WA and I had just had darling Miss 1. His work required him to be in WA for the remainder of 2012 and I had already packed up the house, popped it in storage in Qld and we couldn't really afford to be paying for us to live in two states, so after many conversations, my parents asked me to stay with them and Bryan worked FIFO out of Tasmania. When Miss 2.5 turned 1 we were in WA and had a party with all our friends, it was too far for some family members to travel. When the decision to say in Tasmania with my family had been made, I looked for things to keep me occupied and to distract me from the fact that there was a significant family missing. One of these things was organising Miss 2.5's, 2nd birthday. It was so much fun!!!

I picked a theme and location first. I googled children's birthday parties and did some searching on Pinterest. I also happen to have two amazing pages on Facebook that I liked that always have the most divine inspiration. Whimsy Petite Styling and Party Inspirations. My gorgeous sister worked at a "Fast food restaurant" and was able to book the room. I asked lots of questions about what I was and wasnt allowed to do there (regarding decorations etc) and then got planning.

Once I had found my inspiration, I then began the prop and decoration hunt. There are some brilliant party websites, that if you plan in advance will deliver to your door. Some of my favourites are actually located on the Sunshine Coast (you should have heard the squealing when I discovered the warehouse), so whilst I advocate using local stores (I believe you risk losing them if you don't support them), I understand that sometimes when you are looking for something specific (as I was) you do need the internet. I did discover that the local wholesale florist supplier had some of the things that I needed that I couldn't find anywhere...

Then began the food preparation. As I knew that the venue had food (yes it was unhealthy, but it was a once a year thing), I decided that I wasn't going to be able to redeem myself so I made some sweet treats to counteract the restaurant food.

Just a side note to everyone... make sure you arrive at LEAST half hour before party time because the most stressful thing was having everyone turning up as you were, and hovering while you were setting up... Being the perfectionist that I am, I wanted them to walk in the room and have the "WOW" factor, not be helping me set up. I was grateful for the help, please don't get me wrong, but it wasn't the way I saw things playing out...

The end result though was brilliant... Well at least I thought so...

 

Making decisions

Hope you have your drink (wine, coffee or tea) ready...

My positive journey has been... difficult. I am not a negative person as such, it is just very easy to let the actions of other affect you and make you feel like you are inferior or unintelligent. I have always been someone who has taken to heart, the words, actions or in some cases inaction of others. Those who know me (and I mean KNOW me well), know that I spend a disproportionate amount of time doing things to make others happy, worrying about what others think and giving. I don't have any regrets about my life, about decisions I've made, about things that have or have not happened.

I have, however made some decisions (after much reflection):

1. I am not going to be able to just switch off and become another person. I need to take small steps at a time. Forgive myself for slip ups and learn from them, allowing them to make me stronger.

2. I will only allow people to treat me the way my parents do. I figure that if two people that have shaped who I am today, treat me with respect, kindness and love, then noone else has the right to treat me any differently.

3. I am going to emotionally distance myself from people who make me feel less of a person or inferior.

4. I am not going to allow people to dictate the way that I raise my children or tell me that I am doing something wrong. I am not perfect, I have never raised children before, but I want to have happy, confident, kind, respectful and helpful children and THAT is how I will be raising them. Whether an action or inaction is perceived as wrong.

5. I will not compromise my values or beliefs just because people attempt to bully me into agreeing with them.

6. I will not be disresepectful, unkind or hateful, even if other are being so to me. I will just refer to Decision 3.

7. I will forgive people for their actions but I will not forget them. If they compromise who I am then I will again refer to Decision 3.

8. I will stand up for myself  without compromising my value and belief system or Decision 6.

9. Probably the most important, I will not allow people to treat my husband or children in a way that I wouldn't treat them. They are the most important people in the world to me and while I cannot wrap them in bubble wrap, I will not allow them to love themselves any less than I do.

10. I will continue to work hard on my "mindset" journey.


These decisions have been about 15 years in the making. I finally have the guts (1/3 way into my life) to implement them. I know that these decisions seem like something that in life you should already be doing but to avoid conflict, to keep the peace and because it is against my nature (and WAY out of my comfort zone) I have compromised who I am, in so many different circumstances, simply, the time has come.

Miss B, Mrs B and Mrs F have been my inspiration for this. They are the strongest women I know. Yes, they have been kicked in the guts and we have shared many tears and lots of laughter but I am very fortunate to have amazing role models and friends. I surround myself with these incredibly strong in character women and I should have made this decision a long time ago. Mrs B, even sent me books of encouragement ( I should have got the hint then).

 

 

Remember to always value yourself and have self respect. YOU are the only one who can make your life amazing.

 

Hope that I can inspire some of you to make some decisions to make your life wonderful. YOU are amazing.

 

Keep smiling.

 

Lauren

xxx

Inspiration

What inspires you? What gets the blood in your veins pumping (bar your heart beating)?

 

My little girls inspire me.

 

Miss 2.5 is full of energy and creativity and cheeky boundary pushing character. She loves noise and any activity that involves dancing and music. She asks to do "paintin' and "swing". She loves to get mummy's cleaning products when mummy has her back turned, sneak off to one of the rooms and let loose spraying and wiping to her hearts content. She pushes her gorgeous and well loved retro couch up to the sink where she turns on the tap and "washing" (washes dishes). The best of all, she dotes on her little sister, playing chasing (with a child who is only JUST walking) and giving her cups of tea.

 

Miss 1, is timid, loving, playful and curious. Loud noises startle her and upset her, yet she will happily join in on the dancing as long as it is a song she likes. She follows Miss 2.5 around hoping that at some point Miss 2.5 will play a game with her. As soon as the sliding door is open she makes a run for it, just to get outside in the sunshine. She picks a toy and spends the entire day walking around with it or playing with it. Whenever she hears Peppa Pig theme or In The Night Garden theme she zones out and if she could run she makes a beeline for the tv.

 

Obviously, I think that both my girls are very pretty little girls. They are both slim and tall for their ages with petite features. They already display very different personalities and traits. Miss 2.5 is my "mini adult", who has NO fear (that is going to cause a few sleepless nights) whereas Miss 1 is timid and loves company and being close by. In every way I love them both, so very much and I love their differences.

 

It is because of my two darlings, that I really found a love for sewing, knitting and all things pretty. I always liked (and could) sew, knitting I had very little patience for and making pretty things became a new fascination for me. I found when I had children that the thing that I craved the most was having my own home. Something that I could decorate myself. Make my home and make a home for the children.

 

That is what drives me, not only to do my furniture upcycling but also my sewing and knitting (I'm not up to yarn bombing anything just yet, I would need to be much quicker knitter than I am right now).

 

Being a lovely sunny Tuesday and reflecting on the things that inspire me, I am going to share some of these with you. I hope that some of you find inspiration in the prettiness of life.

 

I really want to credit relevant people for their pictures but the images are so old (well at least 12 months) that I cannot find where they link back to. Enjoy these images and if anyone can pin point where they come from please let me know so that I can attribute credit where credit is due...

 

Have a beautiful Tuesday all...

 

Keep smiling!

 

L

xxx

 

 

Changing Mindsets

Do you ever find yourself drawing on all the negative around you and feeling the smae way yourself? I do. I am a nearly 30, mother of two, who STILL finds herself trying to please people around her. Someone who is always worried about other peoples welfare, neglecting her own. Why? I think that I have always been that way. I am not saying that having empathy and considering others welfare is a bad thing, but I do think that when it results in you comprimising your own standards then there is a problem.

I don't know about you all but I like being happy. I like feeling successful. I like feeling loved and I like making others feel cared about.

I think that it is about changing your mindset or attitude. If you are negative or have a bad attitude you are going to attract negativity. If you are positive or have a good attitude then you will generate positivity and the negativity wont affect you. There are three people who spring to mind when I think of positivity and good attitude and great mindsets (I am going to name)...

Miss Suzie - Suzie has the most amazing attitude. She is smiling all the time. She is positive. She is confident and she makes you feel the same way (even if it is only when she is around). She is beautiful not only on the outside but on the inside and people are drawn to her.

Miss Tahlia - Tahlia exudes positive. She is like a little energiser bunny. She is fantastically encouraging and happy and has the ability to face adversity and go "ok, it happened... what is the good?" I trained with Tahlia after Miss 2.5 and before Miss 0.9 and she made me feel like I can achieve anything.

Miss Lorna Jane - now I don't know this woman personally but she has built an entire empire out of positive thinking and healthy life and healthy thoughts. Particularly where I live, everyone lives in Lorna Jane clothing. You walk along a track (with the pram) and a pretty, fit, smiling blonde jogs past and her tshirt reads "you can do it", you might pass 50 people like this and as you are walking along you read these slogans and you think about it and you feel encouraged by it so you push a little harder.

I find that whilst social media is good for some things - it can also be so filled with negativity and in some cases hate. I get that people have things happen in their lives and they feel like it always happens to them. That they always get the raw end of the deal. My question is... if everyone spent 5 minutes a day thinking of all the great things that they have achieved. If everyone said "I can do it" not "can I do it" then would it change the self esteem, attitude and mindset?

SO I have decided that I have spent so much time encouraging others, it is time to encourage myself. I am not going to reinvent the wheel. There are some amazing people out there. I am going to reinvent me.

THE CHALLENGE:
For some of you this will be familiar (I succeeded for a while). I am going to spend 12 months celebrating the positive and living a positive mindset. Will I succeed? HELL YEAH!!! This will go for 12 months and my plan is that at the end of the 12 months it will be a permanent change.

I am doing this for me but I am also doing this for my beautiful children so that I can teach them to have positive attitudes and a positive self esteem.

Those who feel inspired on this Monday morning, join me in my quest to celebrate the life that we have been blessed with.

GET EXCITED PEOPLE!!!!!

Keep smiling

Lauren
xxx

Up and Coming

The last few weeks things have been hectic to say the least.

B and I had some sadness

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/lunch-ends-in-death-of-man-90-John-McFarlane/1832729/

We were the third car on the scene. The next day I left a white carnation on the side of the road in honour of John. Certainly not a man I will forget in a hurry. Such tragic circumstances.

B and I have had some joy with the birth of our georgous little niece. Miss L.

Aunty E did brilliant job with the birth of such a LITTLE CUTIE... Yes I think I hear "cluck cluck cluck"... ;-)

I have been shopping with old friends (or should I say established friends, Mrs F)

How nice was it to get out and about, without children, even if only for a few hours. Even if we did end up shopping for the men in our lives ;-)

 

I have had amazing tea and desserts with new friends. Thank you Ms J.

 

 

Ms J is a very talented lady with the same ecclectic taste in things that I do. Have been loving her blog The Sea and Me Change. Photo courtesy of Ms J. HOW CUTE ARE THE PAVLOVA'S???? IN TEACUPS!!!!

 

I have been snuggling with Miss 0.9 (not long now!!!!)

 



 

I love my 1:1 time just before Miss 0.9 goes to bed of an evening. She has just started taking off with the walking so now that she can do something new and exciting, being able to contain her long enough for a cuddle is far and few between. When I had Miss 0.9, I had expressed concern about not having 1:1 time with her, having a toddler as well. Mum said that when she had my sister, Miss G, she used to love the hours through the evening and the cuddles she would get overnight. She made the most of that time. I took that advice and do the same thing. The overnight feeds became the time that I would snuggle and look at her. Just as I would have at any time with Miss 2.5.

 

I have also been researching food for Miss 0.9's birthday. Can you guess what the theme might be?

I have so many wonderful ideas. Wait until you see my next blog post. Miss 2.5's second birthday. I had fun with that.

 



 

You should take a look at this website Repeat Crafter Me. Some cuteness there for sure.

 

Now this blog hasn't been very, well, juicy. BUT I leave you with some teasers of some pending upcycles that I have in store, that I WILL share as soon as they are complete...

 

I am so looking forward to sharing the birthday blog and also all the amazing projects I have "in progress"

Wishing you all a beautiful Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Keep smiling

Lauren
xxx

Tuscan Treasures

Do you ever have those days when you have lots to do (or so you think) and you want to do them but you don't know where to start? Then you get that frustrated feeling because you are not actually solving anything but rather you are doing circles. THEN you feel angry because you are just not achieving anything.

 

Yup! That is my day. I can make all the excuses in the world but the simple fact is that I want it done and I want it done now (and it is not happening). To make things worse Miss 2.5 and Miss .75 must be picking up on my complete... (I cannot even think of the right word), so you can imagine there is squealing and crying and tantrums galore.

 

I wanted to focus on something today that makes me happy. So I thought that I would share with you my very first "revamp". Well the first successful one, that my parents didn't want to paint over ;-)

 

Last year I spent a significant amount of time with my parents. Not by choice (I do love them) but out of necessity. It was a humbling and wonderful experience and I am very lucky that it cemented my relationship with my parents and not tore it apart. I feel like I am very lucky that they could be there for me and I wanted to do something special for them to say thank you. Although I don't feel like I will ever be able to thank them properly, I did try lots of little things to show how grateful I was.

 

Mum and dad have this aluminium table. It was something that was my great grandfather's (not sure where he got it but I remember it being in his garden). Obviously mum and dad inherited it. It was a round aluminium ex military table (it may have been a recreational table like a card table). Over the years as mum and dad's garden has been re landscaped and revamped the table served many uses but I couldn't bear to see it just sit there anymore just flaking away. Mum and dad used it as a alfresco table more than they have ever before, so, I made a decision. I was going to re-do the table so that they had a lovely alfresco space to enjoy a wine or cup of coffee or to just take a break from the hard work of gardening.

 

Now, mum and dad went to Italy and they LOVED everything about the Italians, their food, their passion, their buildings and their decor, so I channelled my inner "Italian Goddess". Pffft!

 

As you can imagine this table has had MANY layers added over the years and it was flaking in some spots, right back to the aluminium. I had to figure out the best way to get the paint off this baby.

 

I initially started by using dad's sander. I changed my mind on this for two reasons.

1. It was as dusty as hell

2. my uncle pointed out that the initial layer could have been lead paint (I don't want to be turning that into dust).

 

So seeing as that is something I should have thought of PRIOR to stripping back the table I went and grabbed some gloves and a paint chisel. I figured the paint was flaking fairly easy so with some elbow grease I should be able to get it off. It was so much easier than I thought. YAY!

 

I just wanted to add here that when I managed to remove the paint there was some names carved into the table that I wish now I had taken better photos of. Imagine my excitement over the history of this table.

 

 

I had decided I was going to do the painting first. I painted the table a beautiful Paprika Red. I used a rust sealing and prevention paint so that I could paint and not only seal the rust that was there so that it wouldn't spread but also to prevent any more rust appearing on the table. I was only painting the legs and the side and I did this because I was planning to grout tiles to the top of the table and I figured it was going to be much easier to do it this way around that tiling first and then painting.

 

 

Ok so once the table was painted I took to the tiles. I went to Bunnings and bought those little square tiles (maybe 100mlx100ml). Now I realised (very quickly) that I couldn't just take to the tiles with a hammer, so I wrapped the tiles in a towel and THEN went to town on them. I wanted a variety of sizes with the tiles so I broke them all up and then the ones that I wanted smalled I broke again. Then came the fun part (not). I had to sort the tiles into colours so that I could make sure that I was putting them evenly on the table. I started initially laying the tiles where I wanted them and I quickly learnt that, that wasn't working.

 

So, I went to plan B. I had the tiles in piles (I can rhyme) and I picked one off each pile and placed them down. I recommend using whatever system works for you, I think I tried 3 or 4 in total. You just have to remember the glue dries quickly. Everything will work differently for everyone. Mum and dad were away in Melbourne for the week while I was doing this so I was on a mission to have a surprise ready for them when they got back. It took about 3 small square tiles in each colour (maybe 5 colours) to cover this table and leave me with some spare (just in case). I would say to you, that you are probably better overbuying and returning that not having enough and not being able to get the tiles that you need.

 

To tile the table top you apply tile glue (I was messy with it because I figured I would be grouting over it). Make sure you apply the tiles to the glue before the glue gets a film over it. It makes it much harder to apply the tiles and get them to stick once it has started the drying process. Once the glue is dry you can apply the grout. Now I recommend here that you used you finger to squish (so technical) and smooth the grout onto the table top. I pre-warn you though that tiles are sharp. So take care when doing this (it hurts when you cut yourself), but I did find it more effective that any other method. Also I recommend being prepared to do all the grouting at once. I thought I could mix in batches but found out that, that wasn't going to work so had to work quickly before the grout set.

 

TA DA!!!!

 

 

Now I took this photo as soon as I finished tiling but before I grouted the table so I hope to get some more photos of this gorgeous (finished) piece in its pride of place in mum and dad's garden.

 

Take the time now to enjoy your table.

 

Keep smiling

 

Lauren

xxx