My girl, a party, some clown pops, a carousel cake and a photobooth

Tomorrow, this gorgeous girl turns three!

Yesterday we celebrated with a little person circus party (tomorrow night it will be a family affair)

I was at my disorganised best (one day I will find my long misplaced sense and ability of time management and order)... I had many moments of doubt as to whether it would all come together or be one big dismal and chaotic mess... I had cooking disasters, planned party activity misjudgements, a colour scheme decision that caused nothing but angst (surprising considering they were really mainstream nothing out of the ordinary), orders for party wear not arrive in time (and you can bet my house it'll arrive in tomorrows mail now that the party is done and dusted), and just not enough hours in the day...

but it all turned out well in the end and most importantly my little lady had a great day with friends and family that I just know she adores!

I think my problem is I get a picture in my mind of how I want everything to look and be for the day and that picture is sometimes a little overboard or unrealistic! I mean what three year old seriously gives a second thought about colour co-ordinated candy, napkins, tableclothes or even the detail on the cake so long as there is cake?

Speaking of cake... here 'tis:

(and yes those horses do look familiar... I forgot to add to my list of pre-party disasters the fact that the horses I decorated and painted just did not make the grade this year and at an ungodly hour on the morning of the party I was rummaging about, then dusting off the horses I'd painted, saddled and reined and glitzed up for my big girls party a couple of years ago).

*Sigh* I truly felt jinxed at many (MANY) points during the party prep!

I do quite love how it turned out - I just don't know if appearance matches the time input on this baby though! Again, most importantly the little one loved it! Nothing beats the sparkly way their eye's light up when they see the cake for the first time all finished!

When I manage to work out the video editing program (which is being unco-operative at the minute) I will post a little video of the cake in action... I'd set it on an automatic rotating disc so that it actually rotated as well... to add to the whole carousel effect - and yes I do believe I mentioned already my tendency to go just a tad overboard for birthdays... but as a mum I do take quite seriously my title (self-appointed of course) of Chief Childhood Memory Creator for my little munchkins!) 

And so here's a few other party related pics...

The clown pops... these pops gave me a little grief this time round - have made pops quite a few times now and not ever had dramas but honestly jinxed I tell you... I'd had a massive production line going making about three times the amount you see below only to be afflicted with cracks, sliding pop heads (down the stick that is). I managed to salvage this motley bunch by reattaching hats and more hair to cover the cracks... I love their little faces and how when I look at this photo they look like they've got all different personalities! 

And just so you know, all the time spent on these and I left them at home in the fridge!

They didn't even get a showing at the venue!

But never mind I have a feeling they are going to 'pop' up at the family birthday dinner tomorrow.

My hastily thrown together 'photo-booth' and dress up station...

My gorgeous birthday girl xo

What you can't see is the little wooden blue stool that I painted (and repainted) for this whole scene... check out my instagram if you want to admire (tongue in cheek obv.) my awesome spray painting abilities!

More photobooth...

Big Little Miss M and gorgeous City Cousin (here on in designated the psuedonym C.C)

and more...

Pity Big Little Miss M had lost interest in posing and was nowhere to be found! Feels all sorts of wrong to have a family pic like this but without all of us in it... I've decided to maybe try a recreated photo session with all of us... maybe tomorrow on her birthday I'm thinking!

Still more...

SIL and the super cute CC ;) Huge commitment from SIL who travelled a round trip of 4hrs when she quite literally could have bub no.2 at any stage... My girls love their awesome Auntie and cousin!

Pinata time...

Do you ever find it a little odd or troubling that we encourage our kids at parties to belt the you know what out of a poor unsuspecting clown with a great big baton until his body is quite literally severed from his head and flung across the room and then instantaneously pounced upon by the kiddos with a raging display of pack mentality all in order to load up, stash and secure as their own as much candy as possible? Whilst we then try to teach them to share and be kind and to not hit etc etc... Hmm... thinking too much I think. I LOVED pinata's as a child and I turned out alright... 

I think :P

The take-home party treat boxes...

And that's it for now... more coming soon.

Birthday Season...

Time for another catch up!

Check out Instagram to see a little more of this funny fellow!

Life is busy, busy, BUSY at the moment! It's birthday season here... Mine, the hubs and my sweet girls all have our birthdays in May and June.

And you know what that means?

Yep.

I get to go nuts... totally, somewhat overboard (and just a little stressed) about all things cake, party and themes!!!

I LOVE birthday cakes and cake decorating - you may (or may not have) read in a past post (here, here or here)... As I've mentioned in those posts making themed cakes takes me right back to childhood and how magical birthday's were as a child... I want that magic for my girls... the grown up world is sadly lacking in some of that magic sparkle (curse you reality and your horrible responsibilities :P )!

If you check out my instagram you'll get 'hot of the press' sneaky peeks into the prep for my Little Little Miss M's Circus themed party this Saturday (she's three on Monday - OMG!).

And whilst we're on about Instagram...

Here's my catch up pics from FatMumSlims photo a day May Challenge:

DAY 18: Something I made...

Well, I think I've shown you before but here is one of the BOW dolls I made a little while back.

DAY 19: A favourite place...

Outdoors on a sunny day, exploring parks with my two little ladies.

DAY 20: Something I can't live without

(plenty more things I couldn't do without and this is by far not the most important obviously... but you knew that)

DAY 21: Where I stand...

(Every time I thought about this one I'd get that darn Lady Gaga song, Edge of Glory in my mind - not for grandiose, self inflating thoughts but more just standing on the edge... if you get my drift? But alas, I went all boring and everyday...)

Yep... ma legs, ma legs... they kinda look like I'm dangling - which is a little disconcerting, I think the blur did that... oh and from this angle my legs look kinda long (even if they are anyhow - I'm 5'10)

DAY 22: Pink

Simple really... a pretty camellia from the back yard

Okay, we're almost all caught up (one more for now)...

DAY 22: Technology

Well, so much to choose from... Good old internet - It's hard to imagine how we did it before, bit like mobile phones... or even cordless phones for that matter... or temperature controlled heating and cooling... how about remote controls? My older brother and I used to fight to cover the buttons on the box tv when we were arguing over channels... on a TV that came with it's own legs!

Well, there you have it... all caught up!

Not sure if I'll get back on here before the party on Saturda ... I am due to go into 'crazy-lady-stressing-over-a-kiddie-party-that-has-gone-overboard'... but secretly, I'll be loving it!!!

Cheers

xo

♥

LOVE these two beautiful little ladies more than anything with every single last fibre and cell in my being....

They make the world rosy when everything else is grey

☺

The truth shall set you free...

FOREWORD: Definitely not a winge, totally malice-free, mostly tongue-in-cheek thoughts on the inconsequential whilst gaining a little cathartic purging of musings..  ☺

Com·pet·i·tive/kəmˈpetətiv/

Adjective: 1. Of, relating to, or characterized by competition.

                2. Having or displaying a strong desire to be more 

                    successful than others.

Doesn't sound so bad does it? I could deal with that... oh, hang on... how about some synonyms?

Synonyms: aggressive, ambitious, antagonistic, at odds, ombative, competing, cut-throat, dog-eat-     dog, emulous, killer instinct, opposing, rival, streetwise, vying

Well, that's a little craptastic considering what I'm about to tell...

In the past week or so I've had a friend (probably one of my closest friends since shifting to the country life) tell me that she see's me as being quite competitive... followed with the phrase... "but it's okay, in a good way."

(So, now I'm hoping that "in a good way" means I can strike out most all those synonyms... maybe except streetwise - I'd take streetwise)

She honestly is the first person that I can recall actually telling me this (and I in turn told her this). I've never thought myself overly competitive - well, not to the point that it would be considered a word to describe my personality... so naturally I was surprised as I truly just don't see myself as being competitive. Thirty plus some years and I'm only just being told and learning of this now!

(And if you're reading this, my friend... I'm not losing sleep, I'm over  semi-over it... and I think I'm cool with it... I know I'll laugh about it with you over a bottle of red I'm sure - perhaps whilst challenging you to a cook-off... oooh bu*#er and shoot, that's just reminded me I have in the past mentioned the term 'cook-off'... in a competitive challenge to you - and to others present at the declaration time too! Have I been so ignorant to it? Blinded by my own competitiveness?)

In my quest of acceptance (or of proving this assessment wrong), sitting around having morning catch up coffee with this friend and another I asked the obvious... "Do I really come across as competitive?"

Answer: 

I don't believe there was one as they were too busy laughing their guts out at the fact I clearly didn't believe myself to be competitive. Is it that blatantly obvious that my ignorance is hilarious?

Hmm... fast forward a couple of hours.

Home with the hubs, I call out to him as he's rummaging through things in another room:

"Would you describe me as competitive?"

Answer:

An all too telling silence... (insert birds whistling/elevator music)... I swear, I could almost hear his sweat inducing panicked thoughts.... 

"What's the right answer? Is there a right answer? Does she want an answer? Surely it's rhetorical? Does she want the truth? Does she ever want the truth? How will she handle the cold hard facts? What SHOULD I say? What does she want me to say? I won't say anything. Will she ignore the non-answer? Will the silence make her believe she know's my answer? (which I will subtly note: It does!) "

Eventually, he braved a rather meek, "Well, you are a kind of determined... (followed by an even more sheepish) ...kind of in a stubborn way."

Hmm... I decided to press him more (plus imagining the new wave of flurried thoughts he'd be struck with kind of amused me), "Okay, so give me an example. What have I done that would demonstrate my being competitive?"

That, my friends was answered with the, I'm just going to crack a huff, tell her she's over analysing and beat a hasty retreat to my shed (aka man-cave).

Well, I guess maybe I am just a little competitive. Maybe I'd just never thought to consider myself so.

Is it so bad? I'd like to think not... mostly I think that if I were to consider myself competitive it would be in opposition to myself because I will easily admit that I don't mind setting myself challenges, bettering last efforts and wanting to do and be better (and yes, this does at times cause self-induced stress of varying proportions). 

The more I think of it the more examples that come to mind of my prior offending competitiveness, like:

How (in another life-time) when I was a police prosecutor one of the more regular criminal lawyers and I would keep a friendly running tally of our head-to-head bar table battles...

And yes, I loved - and miss at times - the argument, adrenaline and intensity that could be found in the courtroom (and the prep before when formulating the arguments, researching the legislation and case law and nothing beat the feeling of using that research to win... now I do pretty much the same - but at home and the topic of argument is toy equality and daily candy cut off times and the law of the household, which I must say has case law in a class of it's own)...

The time I did an evening time test (with an outdoor fitness group I trained with) for a run and failed to beat my last test time by only 8 seconds and how I was so cut that I got up at 5am the next morning to re-run the test with the morning session... just so I could better my time...

Oh... and shame on me... how if someone would get on the treadmill beside me at the gym I'd keep on running... harder... longer... lest they think me an unfit slug... tell me you do that too? Surely?  

Oh and woe me... the list is gaining momentum!

Okay. 

I'm a big girl.

I can handle it.

My name (or pseudonym as is the case) is The SpaNGler.

I have a competitive streak.

I was in denial.

But now... 

I am free because I do believe: 

 "The truth will set you free"

(unless of course you are guilty of a crime punishable by imprisonment and are found so... :P )

So with that I do believe that I am now over it - purged of the dilemma, cathartically cleansed via the typed word - and in acceptance (even if it is still with a shadow of reluctance) of the fact that I am a competitive person (but hopefully minus all those horrible synonyms).

So, do you have a personality trait or even perhaps a realisation about yourself that was many years in the making?

Enlighten me... I'd love to hear from you!

xo

P.S. FatMumSlims Photo update.

DAY 16 (catch up): What I'm reading

The books on my bedside table, 

"FreeStyle Handmade Bags & Skirts" - because you know I love to sew and sewing books do it for me!

"Gran's Kitchen"  - because I love cooking, particularly good old fashioned country style home cooking.

"Nine Dragons" - because I'm ever so slightly addicted to Michael Connelly novels.

"The Power of Now" - because I think we all need to be reminded from time to time that all we have is this very moment right now.

What are you reading at the moment?

DAY 17: Snack

What do you think of when you see this:

I think of childhood parties and happy, carefree times... Fairy bread - it's a food group all of it's own ♥

P.P.S. Can you tell I also like to talk from the amount I like to type? No new realisations there... I've known for since forever that I love to talk... too much... 

just ask my hubs... I'm sure it falls into one of those categories of 'cute when I met you... but now after 11 years?'

Sewing again...

It's been a while... too long really. 

It seems like so long since I've sat down at my sewing desk and actually felt excited and like I want to sew.

I haven't sewn lately for a whole bundle of reasons... disorganised day-to-day life, a sewing room that was so overwhelmed with fabric it was hard to sit in there and feel even the tiniest bit inspired, sewing-life-children-family-husband-you-name-it balance (or lack thereof)... I could go on and on - but let's face it, the fact is I hadn't been sewing, I didn't feel like it and now I do... and I'm happy about it too!

I'd had a picture in my mind for a while of combining some pretty vinty doilies with denim to create a winter shoe range - oh, how I miss summer already :( but I am excited about making more winter styles to beat sew away the gloomy weather blues... 

So, today I finally felt inspired enough to sew up these mary janes, they are the first pair of my "Dainty Denim" range for this year:

There will be a similarly styled boot in the denims as well... ooh, just thinking about them is making me smile as I type! Yay!

I'm also sewing up a couple pairs of this style and colour, of last years BOOTiful boots, they were super popular...

I have grand (well, in my own mind anyway) visions of a pretty funky hounds-tooth and hot pink version of my BOOTiful boots too... you know you'll see it first on my FB page or maybe get updated on that new love of mine Instagram!

And hopefully will be finishing off a few more projects that have lain about half finished...

...like the red riding hood cape

...the Japanese pattern book top

...some winter dresses

...and the list goes on!

So, all in all a good day... a sleep in (followed by mad, crazy efforts to make up for time lost from my day solely the fault of the aforementioned luxury), sewing, laughs and lemon tree climbing in the back yard with my girls, good gym session... probably should have gone for a run too - damn you cold, misery-guts weather... but yep, overall a really nice day. 

Hope yours was a nice day too!

Yay for nice days!

xo

Instagram: my quasi-new obsession

Okay, no sewing projects... well, no completed ones anyway... to show you all - but there's a couple that are almost there! 

I know, I know... it seems I'm just stringing you all (well, that's if there's anyone out there reading) along...

Hmm... does it irritate you that I totally abuse, misuse and thoroughly overuse ellipses to the point of ridiculousness?

Do you have a favourite grammatical word or punctuation mark that you love to use... both appropriately and inappropriately (and we're just talking typing here people!)...or are you, God-forbid, an unabashedly proud member of the grammar police? (I'd have probably lost you long ago, I'm thinking if you were... maybe?)

Anyhoo...

Onto Instagram, my new love... have I ever told you that I think I have a slightly obsessive, addictive trait? I find something new... a hobby, a website, gadget, a recipe - whatever... and it's my new in-thing till something newer, better, faster, or tastier takes my fancy... lucky my scope is fairly tame and lightly fanciful in this regard (does that even make sense? It does to me so I hope you get me... basically I am a creature of habit and loyalty with regard to the serious, heavy things in life but not so with the inconsequential...*sigh*...like Instagram)

Loving taking snaps and, if you've been reading along, taking part in FatMumSlims May photo challenge... 

So here's the last three days:

Day 13: Mothers day with the very appropriate trigger word - Mum...

Here's a snap of my gorgeous Mum... 

Day 14: Grass... of the lawn variety

So, here's a little patch of my back yard... along with a dandelion that was feeling a little like I was yesterday - all wished out!

And today, day 15: Love

My engagement, wedding and eternity rings.

♥An engagement band in anticipation of a future together...

♥A wedding band to promise to create just that...

♥An eternity ring for the birth of each of our daughters - the continuation of our future

By the way, and just because it feels right to say... Love is hard work in the real world - I don't think it's meant to be easy, even if I wish it were at times... I don't speak much of my husband on here - not for too many reasons other than I guess that this is MY little space, my time out from the real world - one of kiddie tantrums, grown up tantrums, bills to pay, dishes to wash, laundry, laundry and more laundry... and okay, lots of laughing, baking and finger painting too - I'm just a little private I guess with the super personal stuff and the hubs is even more private and basically I'm just not one to air dirty laundry... or super, sparkly, blind yourself bleachy clean laundry for that matter... oh, and there is also that thing with irrevocable and forever there internet reach... but just so you know - he exists, he's very special, he's a fantastical hand's on dad, he's very much a part of my everyday and I do love him hugely (even though and despite how he tells me I now have my life's quota of bling)!

Now back to my love of the moment - Instagram...

There's just one thing that Instagram has caused me to ponder, and that is why has my actual camera - you know that thing that's a bit bigger, and clunkier, and is purely designed for one thing only... taking photo's - become so redundant... It is presently my most expensive dust collector around here... often it seems my phone is able to produce nicer, sharper and more pleasing photo's; not to mention much easier to edit and play around with... the jury is out on whether I'm glad for this fact or not... 

Or maybe I just need a fancier (aka more expensive) camera? Oohhh, I can dream about it at least!

Okay, I think I've rambled, gibbered and scattered my thoughts about here enough for tonight... it's time I got some sewing projects done!

xo

Life by instagram

Photo a day in May catchup....

Day 9: 

Something you do everyday

Hmm.... time for a new toothbrush I think... strange how showing off a photo of my own toothbrush feels a little personal... was it too much too soon? LOL!

Day 10:

A favourite word

Into the looking glass to see a favourite word or four... oh and I really should have added the word "Escapade"  because who doesn't love a little bit of an escapade to brighten and lighten your day?

Day 11: 

Kitchen

How about a kiss, ginger... this was the going's on and creation from my kitchen on this day... yummo ginger kisses!

Happiness = always my munchkins; sometimes the silence at night; strangely, apple trees - laden with fruit, totally bare or covered in blossoms

And so with that we are up to date...

Wishing all the mum's out there a fabulous and special day tomorrow surrounded by love for mothers day.

xxoo

Oh and if you're inclined, why not follow me on instagram... you'll see a bit more of my everyday amongst other things... like this shot of my two pegs on my clothesline - RIVETING!

or a baked or prettied delight that does not grace the blog

 - and you know I'd love the company!

Check me out - there's a tab to the right or just search for:

the_spangler

☺

Flower Scents...

Another photo a day post...

Today, day eight, it's a smell I adore... the gorgeous fragrance of hyacinths...

I love that they are not only beautiful, slightly quirky flowers but that they can fill a room with a scent that I think is most gorgeous.

Yesterday, whilst in a local hardware nursery store I spied a whole display of these gorgeous hyacinths in bloom... deep blue ones are my favourite.

My girls and I took turns smelling the flowers and it was so nice.

So what's your favourite smell?

(Oh I also really love, LOVE, LOVE, the smell of fresh bread coming out of the oven... I just might have to bake some tomorrow... actually it may have to wait - it's my birthday tomorrow and as much as I love baking I wont be turning out home baked bread tomorrow, that'd be an almost all day effort).

xo

All my love...

I'm really enjoying doing the photo challenge at FatMumSlim's ...It's nice to sit back and just spend a few minutes reflecting and BONUS it's getting me back in the swing of regular blogging!

The topic of the day: Someone that inspires you

I had to contemplate this a while - the world, past and present has so many, varied and different but worthy inspiring people.

I chose to go central and real to my every day. 

These two amazing little people fill my heart and world... they inspire me to become the best I can be, to lead by example, to love and learn right, wrong and morals - through both my mistakes as well as successes... 

Although I maintain my own identity these girls by their very existence do define who I am and forever will... 

I love them like nothing else in this world and more than I could ever comprehend or verbalise.

My flesh, my blood, my heart, my soul, my reason, my purpose, my every breath...

All my love

xo

You... oh wait, that means me...

Day 6 of the Photo a Day challenge being delivered by FatMumSlim.

Topic of the day:
You

...and so here is a couple of photo's of me snapped in the past week:

I've been playing with Instagram (which by the way is the primary forum on which I'm taking part in FMS's photo challenge... why not check out and follow along - there's an instagram link on my right sidebar) and exploring the different free apps available for special effects and filters... It really is quite amazing what can be done these days with a photo and how a bad pic can be made better or even be promoted from the trash-can delete button to the public worthy share option!

All fun, time eaters and distractions from real life I'm sure...

Anyhoo... I'm beginning to worry that I'm transitioning from being a quite private, veritable self-portrait and photo recluse to an out and out, in your face, every post will have a highly edited, moody, (and um... er... try-hardish) self portrait... 

I hereby promise and declare I will not continue to assault your eyes with an overload of self portraits in every post and I will instead try to focus on prepping and putting together a 'knock-your-socks-off-awesome' refashioned clothing tute!

Oooh and just because if it's possible to fall just a little in love with a piece of cookware... 

check out this gorgeous retro, cranberry Corning Visions double boiler... I believe the base saucepan is not the original to the double boiler insert - I may be mistaken - because the saucepan is a teflon coated non-stick one that I think was sold separately and the double boiler base only had small handles... but hey, this was my garage sale find of the weekend...

Can you believe it was only $5? I love the cranberry. I love that it's glass. I don't know if I can bring myself to use it or if it will merely join my slowly growing retro kitchen display collection (actually, compliments of google I've just read of the possible - though low - risk of glass stoveware exploding or shattering and I think that this is a sign that this pretty pot deserves to be on display only). 

Either way, this  purple, cranberry pot set makes me smile!

☺

Shake your tail feather... it's day 5

Day 5 of FatMumSlim's photo a day challenge with the topic, Birds.

Here's my friend down at the local fauna park... she's (I'm just assuming she is a she???) rather friendly and curious... and manages to scare the bah-jeezus out of Big Little Miss M every time we go wandering the park (which is pretty much a weekly event).

I feel for her (BL Miss M) cause I guess my feathered friend here is kinda tall and leggy and somewhat towering when your only knee high to a grasshopper! 

Plus, those curious, amber eyes and the low guttural noise along with the strange 'ticking' sound they make could be the stuff of nightmares for a rather emotional four year old.

We do love the fauna park though and emu-phobe or not, it remains one of my girls most favourite places to visit.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend... 

One day I will actually sew and/or refashion something and do a tutorial again... I just can't seem to find my creative mojo or the hours in the day to hunt it down at the minute!

Baking seems to be dominating at the moment, which is okay for me because I find it somewhat therapeutic and calming... though in the midst of the kitchen chaos I'm sure it doesn't look that way!

Anyhow... I'm just rambling now (or was I all along?)...

xo