a new beginning

i have been AWOL but i've been thinking of you...!

on 26 April we welcomed Max Gabriele into the world. he is a real joy - a happy baby that has consumed my world for the past couple of months. here he is...

(i'm also without a laptop as it's on the blink so i'm sorry i haven't visited your blog or been around the past few months. i have missed you all!)

an arty shot of our home renovation + update

Wow - it's been so long since I was last here. I wonder if there is anyone out other or if I've lost you? Here is an update of sorts:

• I'm 37 weeks pregnant - 3 weeks to go. Where did the time go? I'm feeling excited and and scared at the same time!
• Cue arty shot of our home renovation...the frame is up - next the roof beams and roofing will go up. It will be another few months before it's all finished. I haven't posted that many photos because the progress has been a little slow - slower than we thought. But it's getting there! Our Stegbar window and stacking doors have arrived AND that's exciting. The space will open up so much, can't wait to show you how when it progresses a little more.
• I've been away so long because I've been a bit unmotivated to blog. I've been wondering lately whether I should continue with the blog at all. How can I get motivated again?
• Here is a preggers photo update featuring Lizzy...!

Lizzy & me at 36 weeks pregnant hanging out!

a baby shower - sans photos

it's been a while since my last post - quite a while! i finish work this friday to have a bit of a rest before bub arrives - not long to go now! and yesterday i had my baby shower. i went to all this effort with my thank you gifts for guests and decorations such as pink, white, purple and yellow flowers in simple jars - and forgot to take photos! how annoying. and everyone else forgot to take photos too. i guess that's a good measure of how good a day it was!

i used these party bags from emerald & ella for my thank you gifts - i filled them with chocolates, home made heart shaped biscuits and a home made paper fortune cookie filled with a personalised thank you message - you can find the DIY here.

note to self: next time take photos!

Images - emerald & ella

preggers in port willunga

It's been a while since I've given a preggers update mainly because my lack of motivation lately has seen me lose interest in posting up on my blog of late. I'm 32 weeks pregnant, I have 3 weeks of work left and our house renovation continues. So much to do and only 2 months before bub arrives is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed. So, in the meantime here are some pics of me at 32 weeks at Port Willunga (beach)...

citta design + two halves

We had a fabulous weekend away just gone and I was lucky enough to do a bit of shopping at some really funky shops in Port Elliot. Port Elliot is a wonderful little seaside town full of great shops and one famous bakery (there was a line up out the door on Sunday when we lined up for our pasties and iced coffee!). It's just down the road from another little seasside town called Middleton where David Bromley used to live and work. Adelaide was in fact where he started his career. I digress - here are some goodies I picked up ...

Coat hooks (which we'd been looking for, for ages!) made by Two Halves - two industrial design graduates from Adelaide. They'll live on the back of our bedroom door. One boy, one girl, both black, both fabulous on form + function!

Citta Design from NZ never fails to impress me. I couldn't go past Salvador the dog! He is adorable and looks so good I could eat him. I'm hoping Lizzy or the Baby won't! [Diego the cat would make a great companion for Salvador, even if just for the name alone!]

Images - 1) Two Halves, 2) Artessen

if it's good enough for Kylie it's good enough for me!

This weekend we're off to Port Willunga for a bit of a mini (babymoon) break. Port Willunga is a sea-side town, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, about a 45 minute drive from Adelaide. It's home to some fabulous restaurants such as the Star of Greece which Kylie apparently loves, and Russell's for their famous wood-oven pizza's.

Image - http://tk-tiffanyk.blogspot.com/

The view from the Star of Greece - Port Willunga beach

We're planning on eating some good food, including shopping for produce at the Award winning Willunga Farmer's Markets. Vogue loves them! I want to see what the fuss is all about.

If we have time, we'll pop into Dog Dragon at Port Elliot who specialise in recycled teak furniture, artefacts and art pieces. And Little Bird for craft, homewares, textiles and cushions.

Image  - Little Bird

We're staying in a little cottage with a spa bath...that's all I really cared about - a spa bath (we don't have a bath) and close proximity to good food and the beach. What more could you want for a weekend away? Just for our new slab to get poured on Friday as planned!

Hello!! What a year 2010 was. It was H.U.G.E. Thank you for joining me for part of 2010!

One of the highlights for me this year (other than marrying my best friend and becoming pregnant!) was walking the Inca Trail to Macchu Pichu on our South American honeymoon. Something I'll never forget.

So 2011 is shaping up to be a busy year too. What are you hoping for in 2011? I'm dreaming of a newly renovated house and for the baby to be healthy and fashionably late to accommodate the first wish. I'll settle for on time!

christmas feast

      Baked Cocunut & Pistachio White Christmas Tarts - photo courtesy Pinecone Camp

It's been a while since I last posted. This is what I've been up to:

• I'm 22 weeks pregnant and feeling good. Getting lots of movement and lots of kicks which are now visible from the outside. Pretty amazing stuff! Must post baby bump pics soon!
• I have changed jobs as of yesterday. I seem to always be moving from job to job but this time I'm back to an old job after my recent contract finished. The change feels good, and after all it's only for another 3 months before I leave to have baby..
• We have received part-approval from Council for the house extension/renovation (or extenovation?!). The skip and bobcat arrive in a couple of days. OMG!!! First task is to rip up part of our concrete driveway. I will post pics as I'd like to show the progression of the house 'extenovation' as it moves towards a 27th April deadline!!
• Planning a feast on Xmas Eve. Just for me and hubby. We're spending Xmas Eve cooking up a feast. I'm thinking a whole baked snapper in the weber with roast potatoes and asian coleslaw. And I might try my hand at Janis's (Pinecone Camp) Baked Coconut and Pistachio White Christmas Tarts.
• Planning another feast - Xmas morning hubby and I are having a whole lobster with champagne and orange. We decided not to give each other presents, but instead we're making a lobster and champagne breakfast a Xmas morning tradition. Our gift to each other.

So - in case I don't get a chance to post before Christmas...please have a wonderful Christmas wherever you are in the world.

I hope yours is filled with happiness, love, laughter, warmth and joy.
xxx

Image - courtesy Pinecone Camp

a whirlwind of a time

I got to thinking lately that the last few months have been a whirlwind. In a matter of months (5 to be exact) I got married, went to South America for 6 weeks, welcomed a puppy into our home and got pregnant!  Whew.

Starting to slightly panic thinking about all the things that we need to do before baby arrives next April!  Before that though, it was just champagne and frocks...

some things you don't know about me

The lovely Jaclyn from Little Paper Trees has passed the Versatile Blog Award to Cocoon & Chic. I follow Jaclyn's blog regularly so I was touched that she thought of me. Think what you will of the so-called blog Award but I'm gonna do the honours and give it a crack. I only have 4 followers (at least it's an even number, I have a weird thing about odd numbers!), but here's 7 things you didn't know about me. I'll then pass the award onto 7 other lovely verstatile blogs that I follow...

1. I hate mice. I'm terrified of them. Childhood memory of a mouse running around in one of my underwear drawers will do that.

2. I'm scared of deep water. I need to be able to touch my feet on the bottom of a pool or the beach, otherwise I start to panic. I once went snorkelling with my family in Vanuatu, in deep water, and started hyperventilating when I realised how deep it was (only came to my realisation when I saw a big, mammoth fridge-sized piece of coral!!).

3. I was never one of those girls desperate to get married. I was more interested in travelling the world and living life. But now that I'm married, I couldn't be happier.

4. I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for 2 years. It was two of the best years of my life.

5. Bad customer service gets on my nerves. When did being helpful become so passe? Hello and a smile can go a long way!

6. I am covered in moles but I have three distinct ones on the top of my right breast. They're special because my Mum has the exact same ones in the exact same spot :)

7. I am known for curling my eyelashes. Yes, I love my eyelash curler and couldn't live without it!

I'm passing this award onto:

1. she left on a monday
2. pinecone camp
3. little lady
4. mel bomba
5. la la lovely
6. olive and joy
7. one sydney road

+1 = 4

I'm 15 weeks pregnant today! We couldn't be happier. And I feel huge! I thought it was time to tell you (which I wasn't sure about, I'm not sure if anyone will be interested and I'm wary of having pregnant (er fat) photos of me on the web!! But on the other hand, if I didn't tell you and all of a sudden I say I've had a baby, would that be more weird?!). So here I am at 15 weeks...

Being pregnant is so freaking exhausting (oh my god, no one tells you about the tiredness, the utter exhaustion on a daily basis) and eye opening in that why-is-my-lower-back-sore-all-of-a-sudden kind of way (especially when you've never had back problems before!). I'm fascinated by watching my body change shape. I think it's totally amazing and scary at the same time!

On another note, my lovely Mum bought me this dress from Sussan the other day. Very bump friendly, very 40c summer heatwave friendly! I think I'll be living in maxi dresses this summer...and for once instead of maxi's making me look pregnant, I'll actually be pregnant!

Sorry about the fuzzy photo - but it sure shows my bump :)

much ado about nothing!

I have had an odd week - started off badly (there were tears - it will make sense soon!), I had a sick day off work and today I had a job interview, of which I only found out about yesterday! It has meant a fairly quiet week in the blogosphere. Along with all of that, I missed our 6 month wedding anniversary on 24 October! What a terrible wifey I am.

But I have given him the best anniversary present of all - will share soon! In the meantime, I wanted to share with you where we got married..... oh how I'd do anything to be back there now...

Lotus House on Magnetic Island, Far North Queensland. Heaven on earth!

The lush pool at Lotus House - where the wedding was held and where L & I stayed whilst on the Island. My Dad jumped into the pool at our reception - it was one of the highlights of our wedding! Everyone still talks about it!

We had our reception here on the lawn area with a marquee (forecast was rain and gee, did it rain!)

Absolutely stunning (and the smokers thought so too!)

We had our ceremony here on the decking instead of on the beach front due to the rain.

It was such a tropical, lush and unforgettable setting!

And I would do it all over again! Have a lovely weekend x

Images - Lotus on Magnetic (c/o Best of Magnetic Island)