Divine Tea Party

How to host a decadent afternoon tea party with gorgeous Goddesses....

Step One - Send out a beautiful invitation which your lovely friends will not be able to refuse. 

Step Two - Rope in some help in the kitchen...

These girls made THE best sandwiches.

And provided plenty of laughs in the process...

Step Three - Set a luscious table of goodness (and go pop on a frock and a flower in your hair)

Step Four - Welcome your lovely visitors with a big smile, a glass of iced tea with strawberries (or perhaps a glass of wine, wink)

Step Five - Eat, drink and be merry!

Step Six - be sure to leave some pretty props around for impromptu photo shoots!

SISTERS

Step Seven - plan to do it all again sooner than soon.

Summertime...and the livin' is easy

Well here we are a couple of weeks into January already! We are in the midst of summer holidays here in Australia, so I thought it might be nice to share a little of what summertime looks like for me. We spent a lovely New Year's Eve at my nephew's, overlooking the beautiful city of Melbourne. From his deck, we watched the gorgeous fireworks display.

We ate amazing paella by the beach...

Explored incredibly beautiful beaches...

Hiked (in thongs no less) to the top of this mountain where the views were amazing!

Had picnics on the beach...

Drank green smoothies everyday...they just make me feel so good! I like to mix them up everyday, and use whatever fruits are in season. I always throw in some chia seeds and a little organic raw honey. I like to toss in a handful of spinach or kale and a tablespoon of coconut oil for healthy fats. It's nice to buy fruit that's in season and chop it up in little bags to pop in the freezer. Makes morning smoothies so easy and delicious. Bananas are a favourite for me, because they fill me up, and I usually find I don't need anything else for breakfast. They are also delicious with some almond butter thrown in. The past few days I have been enjoying banana, pineapple, strawberries, passionfruit, honey, chia and spinach - yum! The Christmas before last, I was lucky enough to receive a Vitamix, and honestly, I use mine everyday! 

I've also been experimenting with chia puddings...these are so easy, and really yum (and oh so good for you). This one has a punnet of organic strawberries, a handful of blackberries, a tablespoon of organic raw honey, two tablespoons of chia seeds and around 1/4 cup of almond milk. Whizzed up in the Vitamix and chilled for a couple of hours, then topped with extra fruit, toasted slivered almonds and a drizzle of honey. A healthy and delicious dessert. The chia seeds expand in liquid, giving a thick consistency. The possibilities are endless. 

Eating nachos at the beach house (cos sometimes you just gotta be naughty)

Spending summer nights on my back deck, sipping wine and watching the sun go down behind the gum trees.

Finding beautiful places in nature to meditate...

Visiting quirky bars and listening to live music. Have I told you before that my youngest daughter Abby is a singer? This is her performing at her first jazz gig.

We still have a couple of weeks left before school starts again, but it's off to work for me this week. Yes, I begin yoga teaching this week! 

Last night was the first new moon of 2013, and I set some intentions for the year (I much prefer doing this than new year's resolutions). This year, I hope to continue learning all I can about yoga and meditation, and then sharing that knowledge with others. I hope to shine my light to as many people as I can. I really would like to learn Reiki, which I feel will only enhance my teaching. I wish to continue my own personal journey of growth and awareness and inspire those around me. I open myself up to new experiences and new friendships. I hope to spend lots of time in the kitchen, experimenting with new, healthy recipes, and learning all that I can about nutrition (another area I have always been passionate about). I would really like to travel, so I also put that intention out into the universe. 

What are your intentions for the year? What are you going to do with this one beautiful life you have been given?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy 2013 friends! It seems time has passed me by. I finished my yoga teacher training last month, and in less than 2 weeks I begin my new career. I am truly excited to be embarking on this next chapter of my life. So I thought I would pop in here to share a little of what has been happening in my world.

Christmas was busy, as it always is, spent with family and friends. Where has the year gone? As I reflect back upon these past months, I realise I am most definitely a different person to the one I was this time last year. I have grown so much, and have never felt better. 

We took a little holiday prior to the Christmas craziness to one of my very favourite places - Byron Bay   which is a gorgeous seaside town. It has a hippy vibe, and is a favourite destination for many. It is a beautiful, spiritual place, which speaks to my soul. We were lucky enough to be staying right across the road from the beautiful Byron beach, so every morning we would rise early and walk to the lighthouse and back, which takes you along the beach, through beautiful rainforest, enjoying gorgeous scenery along the way. 

We were even lucky enough one day to see several pods of dolphins right on the eastern most point of Australia. Magical. Each day after my walk, I would do some yoga, even before my girls were awake. Such a beautiful start to the day, and one that I miss already.

I have made a little slideshow of our time in this sacred place. I enjoyed my birthday while away, and was lucky enough to spend it at a very special place called Crystal Castle. We had the most perfect weather for the day, and after wandering through the beautiful gardens, admiring all the Goddess statues and crystals strewn throughout, we enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the Byron hinterland. 

I hope you enjoy a little taste of one of my very favourite destinations. Byron Bay has my heart, and I know it won't be long before I return.

"Had I not created my whole world, I would certainly have died in other people's" - Anais Nin

fairy cake pond

"Wishes do come true"....a few years back, I was in a pretty dark place. I won't go into details, but suffice to say that I was on a bit of a downward spiral, and then the universe stepped in to teach me some big lessons. Perhaps one day I shall share here, but for now, I shall just leave it at letting you know that I did some things that I wasn't terribly proud of.

But life has a funny way of providing you with the people and the situations you need to learn some big life lessons. My journey these past few years has been pretty intense, and I've learned some amazing things about myself. The big one is that I am responsible for the decisions I make, and I can choose to be bitter and resentful about a lot of stuff, or I can suck it up and change my perspective, and also how I feel about things, and take responsiblity for my own life. I also learned that I am a lot stronger than I thought I was!

My journey led me to study Art Therapy, which peeled away so many layers, years and years of 'stuff'which was holding me back. From there, yoga became a natural progression of my unfurling and shedding that which no longer served me. I am almost finished my Yoga Teacher Training, and it has been incredible and wonderful. I can't wait to get out into the world and inspire others.

Anyway, back to my story (sorry, I kind of veered off course there, didn't mean to) and what the picture above is all about. As I was in my dark place, and at home much of the time, I discovered a magical world that spoke to my inner child, and that inspired me with it's magic and creativity. That blog was Old Flowers 4 Me written by the whimsical Miss Jo. I have shared Jo's blog with you here before, and told you about how we came to meet. (The first time I met Jo, I felt as though I had just met a movie star, giggle).

Something began to awaken in me as I perused Jo's world, and I was truly inspired...she really does live her life out loud and in colour, dresses in her own style, decorates her home with her amazing collection of treasures, and is a beautifully, generous soul on top of it all. She believes in magic and adventures and making wishes come true.

Anyway, the delightful Miss Jo turned 50 last week, and I was lucky enough to receive an invitation in the post. Of course I got busy making my headpiece (Jo had asked that all the girls wore frocks, with flowers and feathers in their hair) and Ian and I took a little roadtrip to Fairy Cake Pond, where we enjoyed a magical night of dancing, decadent treats and Alice in Wonderland type fun. We sipped champagne and ate sweet treats, and talked by the fire into the wee hours of the morning. After having a swing with Jo, we snuck off to bed and were greeted the next morning with "hello, are you awake in there?"Miss Jo had brought us a tray with a pot of tea, two vintage cups and some musk stick lollies (who else but Miss Jo would bring musk sticks to stir our tea?)

I wish I had taken some more photos to show you - everyone looked so amazing. There were fairy lights strung about and chandeliers. We were even serenaded by a friend of Jo's who sang opera.

It really was such fun to dress up and let my inner child out to play. Thankyou divine Miss Jo for the gift of your friendship, and a wonderfully, whimsical night.

 

We never stop growing and evolving, and I am by no means perfect. Hell, some days I am a downright mess!  I am most definitely á work in progress'. Friends and family sometimes ask me why do I blog? It is because of you, dear friends, and your wonderful little notes you leave, and also because sometimes, just sometimes, I may be lucky enough to inspire one or two of you. And I can tell you, that is a pretty amazing feeling.

It's such a big wide world out there, and sometimes we can feel so teeny, but this amazing internet has gifted me with some beautiful friends around the world. Kindred sisters x

My little post today just goes to show you that the connections we make on here, can indeed lead to connections in the 'real world'....and that's pretty special, don't you think?

Dream, Play, Dance, Dress-up, Have Tea Parties, Be Awesome, Create, Hug, but most importantly, BE YOU, cos YOU are amazing xxx

HELLO...

What have I been up to? Well, let's see...we finally got some new chickens, and I upcycled an old chest of drawers into a nesting box. The ladies seem more than happy with this and have been gifting us with fresh eggs everyday!

So I have been baking up a storm! It's that time of year again where my girls celebrate their birthdays, so chocolate cake is definitely in order.

Ian and I have been on some adventures, stepping outside our little boxes, and experiencing new places...the girls are getting older, the times they are a-changing.

Pip is as adorable as ever...she really is the sweetest little girl, although she is a bit of a pudding at the moment. Our winter has been long and cold and I am afraid I have been a bit lazy walking her...I know, I am naughty. But thankfully, spring has arrived (not before time, I tell you!) and we have hit the pavements again.

I have been having fun on Instagram (you can follow me on Carousel Dreams if you like), so these photos are some I have been posting there. This one was taken the other night when we were out for dinner, and were lucky enough to order the dessert tasting plate...OMG! Can you tell how happy I am, lol?

Remember our annual street dinner party? Well, this time the theme was eighties, so of course I had to channel Madonna! Lots of fun...

 

Our favourite times are snuggling on the couch in our pyjamas in front of the fire...

I always like to make a big pot of chicken soup when the weather is lousy...extra good with noodles thrown in! So simple to make, and keeps the winter lurgies at bay. I just throw in chopped onion, carrot, celery, a free range chook and some water to cover with a couple of bay leaves and salt and pepper. I simmer it away for a couple of hours (which imbues the whole house with delicious smells), then toss in some noodles at the end, and maybe some Chinese veges such as bok choy - Voila!!! Healthy and yummy!

As I mentioned earlier, we just celebrated Georgia's 19th birthday (I know, I'm old!!!) We decided to have a picnic in front of the fire. It was so lovely and cosy, and as the light faded, I lit lots of candles, and we stayed here until late, making music and just chilling. It was so lovely. Next week is Abby's sweet 16 - I cannot believe how they are growing.

And I am nearing the end of my Yoga Teacher Training. It has been such an amazing journey for me. Truly, I cannot express how wonderful the yoga makes me feel...I so look forward to finishing my course so I can begin to teach others how to empower and heal themselves. It's been such an amazing year, this 2012 - big changes in the air. Can anyone else feel the magic?