lanne

No photos. Funny Photos.

There are no photos of me. Actually that is lie. My Mum has some. In an album. I was a kid. LOL
There was even one of me at 14? I found the other when Lochie was pouring over a kid version of Mummy (as he calls it).. there is even a a wedding photo *gasp*.. i forgot we gave Mum some.

I dont do photos of me. Lochie has one of me and him (at 2) in his room. There is also a BAD photo of the two of us when he is about 8 months old. Its not good. I HATE photos of me. I know people say that alot.. but i seriously do NOT do photos. I didn't want wedding pics. I dont ever want to be in photos. It isn't how I remember things. I just HATE it. It borders on needing assistance! I feel nauseous thinking about photos of me. Ironic for someone who is doing this for a living. i know.. I am a complex beast.. deal with it..LOL

We want to pull down the TV cabinet (removing the top) and turn it into a bench unit. :) :) this idea thrills me.. except.. there would then be a blank wall to fill in. I have a 20 x 30 there but it isn't really working and it certainly wont fill the space. I dont REALLY want to fill it with more photos of Lochie.LOL I kinda think it should be FAMILY photos.(we dont have a photo of all three of us together) and I dont want some big sappy beach print etc.

I want something fun. I want something US...

The only photo i dont look back on and die about is ones taken in a photo booth when I was a kid. My sister and I are pulling funny faces. (hehe Love it! so much so I used 'me' on my birthday invites a couple o years ago) and I am loving 'photobooth' style photos with friends and clients. It is fun! - it really helps people relax and be themselves.. and you learn about all the great personal tricks and odd things people can do!

I simply ask people to sit in close and everytime I say CLICK. .. they pull a new face.. simple!

The ones of Kris and Lochie from Monday are a great example... (see prev. post).. and here are some I previously posted of a client.

So I am wondering if I shouldn't do a series of us.. where we all pull funny faces/dress up.. PLAY and see what we get back.. maybe with some clever cropping I can live with the results! a series of funny faces up on the wall might be fun!

and if i reeeeeally hate them.. i can leave them on the computer..;)

Learning to Share

You kind of assume by the time you have had your 30th birthday you have learned to share. Money.. sure... house .. sure.. share a child.. sure... share a life.. no problem...

but yesterday I learned that I have the underdeveloped sharing skills of a 4 year old..LOL where did you go wrong Mum? LOL

It isn't my mothers fault though. She just couldn't have prepared me!

My gorgeous friend.. of many many years... moved to Perth (other side of the country) and only makes it back once or twice a year :( .. OH HOW I MISS HER. We have been friends since we were 18? 19? something like that... and we have been very close from the beginning... I was describing her to em via email the other day and went with this...

" while and she and I are nothing but trouble together and there is no peace to be had. Andrew does despair.

I met her in jan 96.. she was sitting next to me in a child care and ed class. No one else looked very friendly and I noticed she was paying about as much attention as I was. LOL We struck up a conversation and I soon discovered she was getting a bus to and from our night classes in a dodgey area.. so.. I drove her home.. about an hour round trip out of my way.. 3 nights a week. BUt what do you care when your 19 and love to drive and have few responsibilities.

Since then - we accidently stole a car together (got in the wrong one!) .. have embarrassed ourselves more times than i care to remember.. been through 15 boyfriends between us, (who I still say.. hey at least I wasnt dating a HANDBAG and she retorts with.. hey.. you dated XXXXX..nuff said..LOL) we have had long (looooong) weekends of CHEAP drinks and lazy about on the deck of a holiday house watching clouds.. and saying. hey.. i wonder what ever happened too.

She was my bridesmaid, we was at the hospital 3 hours after I gave birth..She is one of a kind.. and so despite her gypsy-ness and roaming the earth looking for happiness. I am the one at the airport at 5am ready to hug her.. and I will no doubt get into trouble for something in the next 3 weeks that grown ups should know better about. and then I will be the one sobbing my way out of the airport at midnight when she catches the overnight flight home back accross the country. "

She is great. I love her to bits. We are always there for one another. She came to visit me at the hospital when I had Lochie and I packed up.. (i was OVER not being looked after or even getting pain killers!) and so i decided there was a whole chemist available to me at home and I was leaving! she was horrified - how could I leave.. only hours after giving birth (which had taken a couple of days anyway).. and then go home and care for a baby.. No... it wasnt happening.. she came home with us! LOL and she stayed up all night with me.. and Lochie and loved us both.

But... you see.. yesterday.. I had to share. Because from that first night when Lochie came home.. and she become Aunty Kris - I have not been heard clearly since..LOL I can't get a word in. They just sit there adoring one another and I look on and smile. Kris comes and hangs out with me when he teethed.. when we celebrated his birthdays.. when we watched him walk.. when we were SO tired.. when we were enjoying an early morning breaky out. It is all good.. and along she came and if I got 10% Mummy/Aunty Kris time.. I was good with that!

but I wasnt yesterday. She is only back for a short time and the world has much to be discussed. There are boyfriends to chat about (not mine..LOL) and life to be mused on! but no...

There was a very beautiful lil curled up on her lap and every time she spoke to me.. he just ever so gently puts his lil hand up on her face and directs her back to him. hehe. He is smitten and adores her.

We roamed through Paddington and once again i scored some dress ups for the lil one next door.. Kris and Lochie poured over rings and he insisted he would marry her one day..LOL.

We had morning tea at Spoon and headed home.. THank goodness for rest time! Lochie watched George and Kris and I curled up on the day bed on the deck .. ate a hot open french tart.. and spoke of the world.... for one hour anyway..LOL. before I was removed from the day bed.. and replaced by a smaller body.. haha

I couldn't be more thrilled that they are so close.. and I am not jealous..just bemused... and ever so warm to watch them together.. how lucky he is to have such a wonderful person in his world...

now if i can just convince her to move back .. ;)

here they are.. hamming it up for me.. after some dreadful attempts at a photo...

On Saturday I worked all day and finally got my letterhead and stationary sorted.. wooohooooot
Sunday we shopped.. ALL day... lol Markets in the morning... groceries before lunch... lunch.. and then a trip out to Chermside for Lochie's winter gear... inc leather jacket that he just looked adorable in!

today.. i must shop. I need some gumboots for my neice (we got her a very cool umbrella yesterday!) and something for very special lil guy turning 1.

and maybe I will spend some time laying on the day bed... and see if anyone small will come and cuddle me. ahhh bliss.

I AM FINISHED...

Those of you have been reading this blog for a while now will know i have been spending an AWFULLY AWFULLY ... very very very very long time on 'rebranding'. GAH....

I recently hired a graphic artist to take care of it all for me. My assumption was.. I would hand it all over they would send back something brilliant and we would move on..LOL umm it doesnt work like that. She has been great... the process has been even better. I saw designs, logos, concepts, explained, filled in forms, created briefs and debated. The process was SO important for me. I feel really isolated in this business sometimes.. but to have someone who was invested in getting it right to bounce off... made all the difference. (and thank you to everyone who helped me,let me send them odd pictures/screen shots and a series of 'not me' logos!

Ironically I ended up going with my own design. LOL

BUT I couldn't have gotten there without seeing things and questioning if they were me? What do I look like when you put me in a logo? or when you make me into letterhead?

I wanted simple, stylish but not girly, relaxed but not messy, casual but not 'flakey', minimalist but not empty.

and I am sure if you know me .. you would agree.. i am simple, relaxed, casual and minimalist... and the style is something I can all strive to acheive..LOL

I also want my items to reach people. I dont want them to be boring stark and impersonal. I like that every client gets a handwritten note.. in a beautiful box.. with nice cards etc.. it is important to me.

Today .. after deciding on the logo and making some tweaks... it is done. www.paintedwithlight.com.au

I have also finished designing (not making but designing) the new .pdf information sheets... very excited about these.. I will post them when I am done.

In the mean time you can see a happy snap of my screen with one of them on there.. (taken for 365 - hence the calendar)

This morning I nailed the letterhead and new thank you notes. Two hours.. DONE! Unbelievable.. Mostly because now I can see it all as a brand.. a look.. something consistent it is becoming clearer to me how to put it all together!

On the website - the thumbnails each have 2 rounded and 2 straight corners and my new stationary (digital and print) does too. My new letterhead is gorgeous white textured paper.. with a yellow version of my logo in the top centre.. followed by the contact details and quote at the bottom... the paper has two rounded and two straight corners to match the thumbnails. The thank you notes are 10 x 21cm (1/3 A4) and repeat the letterhead design. The slide into gorgeous envelopes I order from a wedding stationer.. it has an open end (short end) and they slide in and out. The plain white envelopes are bound with a yellow ribbon, layered around the middle and tied in a simple knot.

and I am done. It all matches. Even the business cards from last year (which I still ahve a couple of hundred left of) match... (just)..LOL but they do.. and it is all good and I am thrilled. Phew..

it was hard work but worthwhile.....

One for Em.. and to remember

I was sharing this story with Em today and she encouraged me to share...

so.. I hope you all get a giggle from this...

As many of you know last Saturday, Lochie found the hermit crab, Zac, had passed away. It was all terribly sad and he discussed many ways of saying goodbye (from viking funeral to visiting a desert)... I mentioned burying him in the yard (I think Zac would have wanted something simple after all).

Lochie was on the phone to my Mum telling her his tragic news and asked her to bring over a shovel (we dont have one having never really needed one).. and Mum said she would (i think she said she would after breakfast). He suggested she come immediately and we would give her coffee on arrival. LOL Go Lochie.

I remembered the little hand held shovel thing (think sandcastle building type but in metal).. surely that would do? He was a teeny tiny crab after all? Mum agreed.. lil hand shovel would be fine.

and so the burial was held on Sunday morning (once Daddy had come home and had a chance to say goodbye). There was a little hole dug under the front stairs, and Zac was carefully placed in the ground. He was covered over and nice things were said. Good bye Zac.. we love you etc.

Lochie came upstairs, washed his hands and went on to play. ahhh all seemed better for a while.

Later in the day.. He comes and sees me and says... " Mummy I didnt mind digging that little hole for Zac."
"But if any humans die then we should def get Grandma to bring over the big shovel. It would take forever to dig a hole for a human with that little one!"

I am not sure who he thinks we are going to bury in the front yard?

I do laugh when he calls people humans. (he refers to people as humans - pronounced WHO_mans)He will say.. oh look at that dog going for a walk with it's human. or.. I saw two humans having a cup of tea on their deck. hehehe

Have I mentioned how much I love being his Mum...?

AHOY there blog readers!

Yesterday we picked up some felt.. and I made Lochie a lil black vest (pirate vest).. i have white felt to do the skull and cross bones, but wanted to make sure the vest fitted first!

It was incredible simple once I thought it through. I managed to cut ONE piece.. and just do two lil hand seams! (across the shoulders).. and i left it hanging on his door for this morning along with his pirate hat (from the antique store on the weekend).. he was so excited this morning. I had also grabbed some face paint pens yesterday so a scar was added...

He has spent the morning ahoying and ahhhh'harrring.. all over the house. I grabbed him and snapped these quickly before making him walk the breakfast plank..

Loving his lil snarl...LOL

There is a legend...

and his name is BONO.

Lochie and I just got back from U2 3D and I LOVED it.. i am hanging out for 9pm.. when I can ring K (who lives in another time zone) so i can prebook her to come see it with me next week! We missed out on going to see U2 live (ok I missed out she went..LOL) and it would be awesome to experience it together.

Lochie and I were rocking out in the cinema... we went to a day time session us and 3 people in their late teens.. that was it.. Lochie was doing air guitar.. singing... drumming.. dancing.. and just loving it.

It is an awesome experience. A U2 Concert would be great.. dont get me wrong but this.. is ... breathtakingly good. You are on stage, off stage, up close... you are able to absorb the maginatude of what it is they do.
You get the politics.. the music... and .. you are incredibly lucky enough to hear Bono sing.... Miss Sarajevo. WOAH. I have LONG listened to Bono and U2 but I didnt know he could sound like that. I was in awe. It rocked.

YOU HAVE TO SEE IT.. if you dont like it.. let me know and we can debate! LOL

Lochie loved it. He liked The Edge (or Beanie Man) has he was calling him for a while..LOL
He thinks that The Edge is probably not the name his Mummy gave him. I tend to agree.. but beanie man isn't very cool is it? He was also loving Larry on drums.. which was cool because he isnt really intro drums ... Adam on Bass was way cool.. (according to lochie) and he shouted.. thanks for the tunes... at the screen at the end.

He also asked if he shouted ENCORE at dinner if we would give him dessert.

I love 4.. and I love my 4 yo.

I explained to Lochie that whilst U2 rock.. they also sing about important things.. and that Bono is a hero.. and he doesnt special things (and losely explained those things).. lochie wants to know.. if a cat was in a tree.. would bono get it down. Yep.. i guess he would.

rock on.... and ... thank you Bono for being a legend of our times.

DONE, Up to Date and ... Phew

My blog has led me to meet some pretty special people..

One of them... Laurie.. very kindly entered me into the ShutterSisters - Sweet Shot... and we got listed! THANK YOU Laurie.. that was super sweet and very appreciated! (Scroll down and I am third in the list).

I have also JUST finished updating my 365.. gosh.. I know everyone is feeling the same way.. but shooting.. EASY enough.. editing and uploading to flickr..Mmm.. much harder. I made it more difficult by adding the calendar (i GUESS uploading the straight image would be easier) but... these will be such a nice collection at the end. I am hoping to make a slide show.. and having the date will be awesome!

I am off to try and get some felt to make Lochie a pirate vest...
and then we are seeing the U2 3D movie together.... followed by a bike ride/walk along the river tonight. Better premake some dinner!

Have fun!

Making it better.

Today was a better day.

I slept in, woke up with a hot coffee.. and the boys had a lil funeral for Zac. It went MUCH better than the hours of sadness from yesterday. :) and for that we are all grateful!!

Then I ran away from home. I stopped at Paddington for a quick waunder through the antique stores. I met a fabulous lady in her mid 60s? with a rolling stone T .. accessories galore and huge boots.. who runs the most fantastic antique clothing store I have ever seen. REAL vintage.. (not second hand store with a flash name!) .. these were beautiful items.. and SO MANY things...

I really couldn't afford the gorgeous outfits.. *alot* of money really.. but they were stunning... I did however plough through the $25 rack and found a HOT PINK ballet outfit/party dress.. complete with sequined front and layered skirt.. no.. not for me.. for the lil girl next door. She is 5.. and doesn't have dressups... after playing at our place the other day she is ALL about the dressups.. so we I picked it up for her. I figured Princess or Ballerina. I also scored a FANTASTIC black felt *pirate* hat for lochie and the owner very very kindly added a big feather and heart badge... perfecto!

I then headed to New Farm for breakfast.. ahhhh I read the entire paper and chilled... bliss.. and then went to Kikki K at Chermside and picked up the gift boxes I needed for packaging. On SALE! and then I booked in for a spa pedicure... ahh. nice.

I came home to groceries and a quick trip next door to create a pink princess gown which was just the right height/fit.. (a few snips here and there!) ..

all in all a good day... and then...

I found this video had been sent to me on my facebook.... i dont often share but this melted me..

They are singing.. HEY JUDE.... LOVE that they have watched a video and keep singing into the mic.. LOL

super cute! and very very sharable.

and now .. I am off to watch Greys and Brothers and Sisters.

(I loved Greys but honestly.. i just want to throttle Meredith.. and not in a good way! Not in a .. oh I am so riveted.... kinda way.. no it is more in a .. HELLO!! HE IS PATRICK DEMPSEY.. stop being so damned self involved.. kinda way.) .. .

The dinner party

ARGH...

I know it would be unreasonable to cry over a blog post but I just typed out a HUGE blogpost about Lochie's first dinner party which I really wanted to document.. and ... BLAH Safari shut down. And I am not crying .. but i want to.

TODAY SUCKS.. I am waaaaay over tired... having had very little sleep and Zac died and Andrew isn't here, and his work is causing hassles and now my stupid blog post is gone. *sulk*... and I know other people have bigger problems but I am living my own reality.

but here... some pictures of my gorgeous boy's first dinner party.

Table Setting : gift wrap, bright napkins, 'glassware' and ribbons.. all found in my studio..LOL

completed with candles!

Lochie making cheesecakes before preschool in his PJs.. :)

and dessert.

SO Simple! and a hit with both big and lil people.

To create -
one packet cheesecake mix (add butter to biscuit and milk to filling)
cupcake papers (i love the donna hay ones)

add one tablespoon of biscuit mix to the papers, add one ice cream scoop of filling. (loving the ice cream scoop for muffin making etc)

then chop up different choc bars, and add each flavour to its own cupcake paper.

We went with

Areo Bar (peppermint/choc)
Cherry Ripe...
Dark Choc
White Choc
+
Peaches
Cream
Marshmellows

Stack them all in a cupcake rack and serve to delighted guests who can now build their own favorite flavours.

My rack holds 18 cupcakes.. so we make 11/12 cheesecakes.. but you can change the qtys to suit Most people have 2 cupcakes.. because it isn't a whole lotta cheesecake per serve and they like to try new toppings!

RIP.

Todays post was meant to be happy.. full of colour fun and photos.. .Lochie hosted his first dinner party last night. He invited some friends over (my friend and her 14 year old daughter who Lochie is in awe of). He planned.. he cooked.. he marinated.. he shopped.. he decorated he had a wonderful time!

With guests set to arrive at 5:30.. I discovered a lil after 4pm that our hermit crab had died. RIP Zac.
I then made the parent decision we all have to make at one point or other.. tell or not to tell.

I said nothing. I didn't feel good about it. My mum decided not to tell me when my dog passed away.. (she didnt want me to have a day off school so she told me he had gone to the vet and then after school mentioned he had passed away. I overheard her telling Dad on the phone he died in the morning.. I don't think I have forgiven her yet. I could have said goodbye.. and so what if I had a day off school? Mum and Dad were not big on days off school. for ANY reason.. I am all about the days off school for pets/birthdays/fun/life/holidays whatever.

But I digress.. I looked at him prepping for the dinner and just couldn't do it. I figured tomorrow would be soon enough. We had a great dinner.. and lochie did an awesome job.. I will post photos in another post..

He went to bed SUPER late.. and got up at 5 this morning and then I heard the big scream and the sobbing began. Zac's news made its way to Lochie on its own. *gah.. he doesnt NORMALLY go out and say goodmorning to him!!*

We have had tears and sadness on and off all morning. There was talk of a viking style funeral.. complete with burning boat and me launching it into the ocean at the Gold Coast (an hour away). Or us taking Zac to the beach and burying him in the sand. There was talk of keeping him dead in the container and of burying him.

He was also keen to phone everyone we know and ask them what THEY thought would happen to Zac. we rounded it off with the idea that Zac now lives in the stars, ala Mufasa from the Lion King. He was then a lil worried about the transition to the stars.. i indicated it had already occurred.

Then we have done the big conversation with grandma about shovels and hole sizes.. and grave decorations. We have also come to terms with not getting a puppy or another crab. We have broken the bad news to Daddy. Who is .. THANK FULLY... on his way home from the conference.. I pick him up in 5 hours.. YES!

So rest in peace lil Zac. You have made a big impression on us and will always be in our hearts.... Happy digging in the stars.