One month down

Well its the end of January already, all major celebrations are over, the school holidays are ending & most new years resolutions will have been forgotten...

OR HAVE THEY!!!!

Not for me, Im still powering on...full steam ahead I say....

Look I will show you!

Here we are at Week 4 over at

Family volley

& the challenge this week was "Daily Routine" & although this isn't exactly my daily routine, it is my goal to make it just that.

How often do you exercise?

I have done some form of exercise 3 x a week for the month of January, but I plan to step it up to 4-5 x a week in Feb.

Just gotta improve my diet & i will be a "yummy mummy" before I know it!!

I am really pleased that I have stuck with it so far...remember one of my goals was to exercise consistently...so....one month down....eleven to go!!!

One of my other goals was to get more creative & of course skillful with my camera.

These photo challenges have been very motivating. Having a theme to prompt you each week really does get you thinking & I have to say, I am really enjoying it so far....it's not to late to join in if its something you have been thinking about. You don't have to have a fancy camera or any great skills, some even just use their iPhone.

I find I have really taken a lot more notice of what goes on around me & how we live as a family because of these challenges & I think that's the part of  I am enjoying most!!!

The theme this week over at

Life with my 3boybarians

was "Self portrait"

& seen as though we celebrated Australia Day this week I thought it would be the best time to take a mug shot of me!

We have an annual BBQ with family & friends.

 We have the same core group of people at the party, all people from our old home town, that have also relocated here to The Hunter Valley  & we try to have someone different from that group host the BBQ each year &then  they invite a few extras from their circle of friends.

This year was at my sisters house, you all know Erin from her blog

Life...Style'n 

I am hoping its my turn again next year, I do love having a good excuse for some decorating!!!

It is always a fantastic day with lots of fun food & games, like back yard cricket & of course your Aussie themed hats, glasses & any other accessories you can get your hands on...

My family  refused to pose for a photo & this is all I got from dream child no4.

I hope all of my fellow Aussies enjoyed some great Australia Day festivities.

Have a great weekend everyone!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Stunning Study Nook

Ok I think this space speaks for itself...

Image via Diary of a Renovation

What a fantastic use of space & a great way to finish off the underneath of a staircase.

I could see myself happily blogging away in this little study nook...

How about you?

Happy friday everyone!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Lounging around in luxury

Image via cottage & vine

I love to see beautiful white chairs & sofas.

They look fantastic in this ink blue room don't you think?

Image via Decorpad

I am assuming this lovely chair is in a bedroom being located near that gorgeous mirrored dresser.

 I can only imagine how glamorous the rest of the room must be. I expect it is very formal  due to the symmetry in the lamps & the grouping of art on the wall, but I think it would be a rather romantic space as well looking at the pretty mirror over the dresser.

How does your imagination recreate the rest of this room?

 I am visualising a tufted bed head & plush white bedding!

Image via Decorpad

I dream of one day owning an ottoman like this one, only not in white.

 My family & white would never work well together, he he he!!!

I certainly wouldn't say I lounge in luxury but were not to shabby here either.

Oh that's right, I am not meant to be lounging at all, I am meant to be exercising.

Catch you all later.

 I am off to honour my new years goal to exercise consistently.

 So far, so good.

 I have been working out 3 x a week & next week I plan to up the ante to 4 x a week.

 I will be a yummy mummy before we know it.

YAY!!!!

How are you going with your goals, are you still on track?

CHEERS

Trish xxx



My week

I have been a slack blogger this week & with NO real excuse other than I just didn't get around to it.

I have however taken the photo's for the two weekly photography challenges I have been participating in & I have also been staying true to my other new years goal of exercising consistently.

Now the theme for week 3's photo challenge over at

Family Volley

is "hands"

 The whole idea of this 52 week challenge is to slow down & notice the everyday things around you, so I chose to photograph Dream child No4's hands

She starts school in 10 days time & I am all to aware of how quickly she is growing up...

all those little dimples that she has instead of knuckles will disappear & her hands will transform into big kid hands, just like the rest of her body. She has really slimmed down & sprouted up this past year, she has lost all of that cute baby pudge that I love...

We call her our little "merbaby" because she will swim ALL day if you let her...

gotta love those dimples!

I really will miss hanging out with my little best friend all day, everyday, but I know she is just going to luuuurve school, she really is a little sponge, she uses words like "brilliant, fabulous, wonderful, awesome & delicious" in her everyday conversation & its so cute. I can't wait until she can write a story with this large vocabulary, I think it will be "Fabulous!"

Now the theme for week 3 over at Life with my 3 boybarians is

"I dreamed a dream"

I found this one rather difficult, which is why its called a challenge, he he he.

 I have many dreams, first & foremost obviously to build a house, but, how DO you photograph these things?

One dream I do have is to eventually travel.

I would love to travel around Australia first, you know, see my own back yard.

Australia has so many incredibly beautiful places to explore...

Once my kids are all older I would really love to travel overseas as well.

 I want to see some of the iconic cities of the world, like New York, Paris & London.

I would  like to experience Gallipoli on Anzac Day&I would also like to  learn to scuba dive enabling me take in some tropical island underwater scenery.

So what better way to capture this dream than with a world globe & a destination sign.

Do you have a fabulous dream?

Could you photograph it?

Have a wonderful week everyone!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Building update

Well there has been some building going on alright, just not in the form of a house.....

Its a fence

It's progress...

We still haven't had any luck selling our old house, so no start date for the dream house yet. That's ok cause there is still plenty of work to go on the fence,

 & there are more retaining walls to build,

as well as more driveway to concrete.

Now I am linking this post up to week 2 at

Life with my 3 boybarians

This weeks theme is

"Made with love"

Now technically the fence did start out being made with love, but.... now I think its been thought more of as back breaking, time consuming & never ending!!!!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!!

CHEERS

Trish xxx



Favourite shoes

Well its week 2 of the photo challenge over at

Family Volley

This weeks theme

"Favourite shoes"

Ha!!!! Who doesn't have a favourite pair of shoes!!!

Now I have 3 daughters & we are all big fans of a little bit if "bling", so I couldn't resist these sparkly little peep toe stiletto's

I actually purchased them to wear to my eldest daughters Yr 12 graduation formal(Prom) & that's how they became my favourites, because I think of her every time I wear them.

 She really loves these shoes as well.

 Mind you I don't think she would ever be able to choose a favourite shoe, as she has a little bit of a shoe obsession.

I think she inherited it from my sister Erin from

Life...Style'n

Erin is also doing the photo challenge so I can't wait to see if she can choose just ONE pair of shoes for her pic!!!

Ah the anguish it will cause her, he he he!

How about you, do you have a serious shoe obsession or are you more of a practical girl like me, I like to admire, but then move on!!!

Or perhaps Im just to poor to indulge, no no, I will call myself practical, it makes me sound much more grown up, he he he!!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

A place to ponder

 The weather this past week has been fantastic providing us with lots of outdoors time.

You just have to love an Aussie summer.

image via home-designing.com

Wouldn't it be lovely to have a daybed like this to just sit & ponder where 2012 will take you!!

A beautiful verandah with a glorious view....Ahhhhh the tranquility!!!

Have a great week everyone & Thank you for all of your fabulous comments, I really do love to hear from you!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Project Resolution

I prefer to call them goals rather than resolutions, I feel like it gives me a better chance at succeeding...crazy I know!!!

Can you guess what this goal is going to be?

Ah yes, you are close.....

My goal is to be

CONSISTENT!

If I am consistent with my exercise program, eventually I will build my fitness & strength & eventually I will loose a few kilograms & eventually I will get back to being a Yummy Mummy....yes that's right, I was once an awesomely fit healthy & super toned mum, but, unfortunately I let it all go & joined the land of the flabby sloths...bummer.... it really does hurt when you have to get fit again!!!!!

I am also continuing on with my goal to be a fabulous & creative photographer so I am joining

Darcy from Life with My 3 Boybarians in her project 52

This weeks theme is "Resolution"

Do you make resolutions or set goals?

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Self Portrait

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Did you have a lovely evening seeing in the New Year?

We celebrated by having a mini street party with several of the neighbors & it was a really great night, the kids had a ball!!

My self portrait!

I have set myself  lots of goals for 2012 & one of those goals is to improve my photography, not just my technical skills but also my creativity.

To do this I am going to attempt to take a photo a day....Don't worry I wont post every single one of them, but, I am joining up with two other bloggers to post one photo a week.

On Wednesdays I will be joining in  with

Heather from Family Volley

 for her 2012 Photo Challenge. 

This weeks theme is

 "Self Portrait"

Its going to be a fun challenge, you should come & join us!

I have a few other goals for 2012 that I will share with you as we go along, I don't wont to bore you with all of this me, me, me talk...... not all at once any way, ha ha ha!!!

What are your goals for 2012?

CHEERS
Trish xxx