Positively Pretty

I had such a good day yesterday, aired my dirty laundry to the world so to speak!!! It was something I needed to do as part of my grieving process/journey.

The beautiful comments left made me feel so good, the kindness and caring that flowed in from around the world gave me such comfort. Thank you!

I had real life visitors, lovely friends bearing gifts of bags of fruit, to keep my vitamins up and this gorgeous hot pink cyclamen.


I Skyped with my brother who lives in Australia and had a late night supportive phone call from my other brother who works in Australia but lives near by. Also a travel update from my Mum who is currently holidaying in . . . Armenia . . .

Backtracking a little bit to the weekend just gone . . . a good friend gave me a lovely idea for the Princess and I to do which is to keep a "Happy Diary" and each day journal something positive in it.

We 'made' our 'Happy Diaries" on Saturday, just hard covered notebooks we decorated (thanks Linda for the supplies!),

mine here, yes the couple was a deliberate choice, I am not going to give up on my love, hopes and dreams of having romance in my life!


and the Princess's, how cute is that!


On Sunday I felt really down and quite lethargic, it was an overcast and windy day, matched my mood really! anyway . . . quite spur of the moment, the Princess and I jumped in the car and drove to a nearby beach, she in her pink slippers, now ruined!. We walked and collected shells and Neptune's necklaces (seaweed) and blew the cobwebs away!


And do you know, it was so nice not to be thinking of having to get home to get a cooked meal on the table and all that sort of stuff!

Finding my positives where I can!

Off now, need to get some stuff put on Trade Me as my financial circumstances have changed dramatically, along with everything else!

My toes are still waiting as well, I am thinking Revlon Red, its sexy!

Have a good day

Take Care
Rachaelxo

A broken heart

Just over a week ago my 12 year marriage to Babes ended shockingly and suddenly with the added complication of a third party presence.

Its very difficult to accept as I thought we had a relatively stable and harmonious relationship. We certainly provided the Princess with a happy home life.

The depth of my hurt and pain is unbelievable and at times feels unbearable.

In saying that I have dug very deep and pulled up an inner strength I didn't know I had to get the Princess and I through this in a way that will have the least long term damage, particularly on her.

I have been reading and writing, making tiny tentative plans that are helping to empower me to work towards the bright and sunny future the Princess and I have ahead of us.

We are so very lucky to be cushioned by the loving support of family and friends.

We are going to make it through this, with or without Babes, and be better for it.

I am going to try and blog everyday, keeping my future posts light and positive with lots of pretty things to show and tell!

I was going to clean my house today which is not so pretty but I think I will take a little 'me' time and paint my toes or something!

Take Care
Rachaelxo

I need to take a blogging break

I have stuff going on at the moment, will be back just not sure when.

Take care
Rachaelxo

Some pretties

My prettiest pretty of all, the toothless Princess!! She's dressed and ready to go to her best friend Ruchitha's birthday party. As you can see she is wearing her 'high heels'!!!


and just a few more pretty treasures brought home from one of my decluttering trips to the 'op shop'.


I adore these quilted fabric bags that I found stuffed inside a box of yukky fabric! Wonder what they were made for, hankies, stockings . . .?


such beautiful colours,


I am going to sell them in my web store . . . soon . . .


and last but not least, the Princess and I sat in fascination the other night and watched from our grown up room window this plump black bird bathing in our bird bird, he was having a wonderful time splashing about. I wish the photo was clearer but it was early evening and the light was all wrong from where we watching.


ha, ha, that's my bird bath back on as you might guess!!! Love the cherub's cheeky cheeks!

This weekend we are having a stay at home weekend, some house cleaning and just general pottering about and relaxing and maybe even a bit of crafting.

Hope you all have a great weekend

Bye for now
Rachaelxo

Its been a good week . . .

The Princess and I had a play date with each other mid week, we played "lets pretend we are ducks laying eggs"!!!, memory card game, jumping on the trampoline together and we sat at the table and drew. We love to do art together.

One of my budding little artist's pieces is a 'Canday Floss' shop, I love how she spelt 'canday'!!!


Here is my effort, obviously inspired by watching Marie Antoinette again! Not sure about the 'Gorilla' arm pose though!


In my never ending quest for order and simplicity in our home I took a pile more stuff over to our local op shop (thrift shop). The only problem with that is that I am really kidding myself as I keep coming home with more than I have taken.

Some of today's haul, tea cosies, Belgium linen, hand embroidered doily and this fabulous Royal Staffordshire breakfast set, egg cups and toast rack. Just love it, but . . . its for sale!!

GORGEOUS!


This weekend is busy, busy, the Princess has a party tomorrow afternoon and a play date at a little friends house on Sunday morning. Me . . . a little house cleaning and I want to craft! My head is buzzing with ideas and my fingers itching to do something.

Thanks for all your comments about my new 'do'. I really don't like the black though, way too harsh for my skin tone. And for all of you who admired my toe tattoo, it hurt like hell, the tattoo-ist even asked if I really wanted it there because it would hurt a lot. He was right!!!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Bye for now
Rachaelxo

Random-ness

Its me again, I know . . . unbelievable, two posts within days of each other, its a new dawn . . .

actually its a new me!!! So much better than the dark horrible place I was in a year ago and a new 'do' to go with the new happy me!!!

The black hair is a big accident, a mix up of hair colour on the shelves, I am supposed to be a nice natural brown not a very dark and harsh NATURAL BLACK!!! Very scary . . . Susan my gem of a hair stylist has tutted tutted for two visits, I wanted to strip it but would cause too much damage to my gorgeous 'tresses' so yesterday she convinced me to have a little light 'perm' to 'soften' the NATURAL BLACK. Less damaging than stripping the colour.

So here you go, here is the new me in my natural glory (clothed!!!) . . . NATURAL BLACK CURLY HAIR!!!!

Its quite ridiculous taking a photo of yourself isn't it!!!



Moving along, very quickly . . .

thrifting finds, gorgeous vintage dressing table set ( for sale on my website if you so desire),


and vintage linens, can never resist . . .


just adore this, breakfast tray cloth with the napkin nattily tucked into the teapot,


love it (for sale on my website if you so desire),


and really, a girl can never have too many vintage linens, so many uses, such has covering up the bleach stain on your favourite jeans!

Do you like my pink toes?? Did that last night in between watching the divine Marie Antoinette movie which was televised on TV, could watch it over and over.

I bought this book from Trade Me recently, its going to be my new winter, while watching TV hobby.


And finally, here is what I sent my swap partners in Dollys Valentines Swap.

Loved putting this together, each lady got a mosaic heart, love banner, wooden peg girl magnets, vintage valentines postcards, scraps and scrapbook paper, key ring with their initial on one side and valentines image on the other, sheet music rose soap, heart candles, heart sparkles and chocolate.

I mass produced the hearts one weekend, made heaps of them, some of which are on my website.


That's it for me, see you in a month or so, nah just kidding, I really miss blogging and must try to be more regular . . . sounds like something else doesn't it???!!!

Off now to load stock on here and here . . .

Bye for now
Rachaelxo

Remember me . . .

I can barely remember me!

but . . . I' m back, been a bit busy, well quite busy in fact . . .

I have got a JOB!!! Outside of the house and my own little business ventures, its one that pays regular money each week, which we so need at the moment (recession!) and its only 15 very flexible hours per week within a school so I get to work around the Princess's needs and her school times. Some of the work is at night time also. The only thing is for the last four weeks the 15 hours have been way more while I have been in training . . .

So I have been quite madly busy, lots of things have temporarily gone out the window while I get used to this new path in my life . . .

However, I did eventually emerge from my garage clean up, here is a 'before' of my future craft studio part . . .


and here is the 'after' of my new craft studio and it works!!! I can find things . . . just need to find some time . . .


Back tracking to February, I did a couple of Valentines Swaps, one of which I organised for family and friends down under!!!

My partner was Babe's Aunty Eileen, she made me this divine cushion, all hand stitched and beaded, I had more photos of my goodies from her and think I have accidentally deleted them. Sorry Aunty Eileen.


I had two partners for Dolly's Valentines Swap. My second partner was Isabella in Tasmania. She does beautiful quilting and sewing and sent me this lovely bag,


inside was a little pouch and a doily and hearts and a cherub that Isabella made on her sewing machine, clever!!!


I won a gift on One World One Heart give way from the fabulously talented Lila in Hawaii. She sent me this wonderful art book and a brooch. Thank you so much Lila, I adore both of them and have enjoyed our emails as well!


It was the Princess's 6th birthday last weekend. I did her a fairy tea party, here is the invite we sent out to the fairy guests,


I set up a fairy tea table in the grown up living room, vintage linens and their own china cup setting, roses (stolen from the absent neighbours!) fairy wands, wings and lots of fairy sparkles scattered around the table.

I served them pink fairy food and poured them pink fairy tea from a vintage china tea pot. Before they sat down to eat they 'crafted' their own fairy crowns at a craft table I had set up in the dining room.


The Princess's cake was a butter cake I made, her fairy godmother Mary Thistle iced it and I decorated it with sprinkles and a ballerina purchased from Heather, I turned her into a fairy ballerina with a pair of glittered wings hot glued gunned onto her back. No burns! The ballerina that is, not the Princess!


Did you notice my Princess's gummy smile? In the last few weeks she has lost her two top teeth . . . did you know the tooth fairy pays out quite well these days!!!

Its now Friday night, I started this post last night! Right now I am sitting here with a nice glass of red wine, Babes is away until Sunday for work, the Princess is in my bed with a pile of Barbies I am going to have to squish myself around when I go to bed.

A lazy relaxing weekend is planned, quite a few crafty projects to complete and cross off my to do list. Its all good here right now . . . .

Will post again over the weekend, promise . . .

Until then, take care

Rachaelxo