I'm grateful for....{ciao ciao}

Source: sterlingstyle.net via a s h l e e on Pinterest

Yes, joining in with Maxabella Loves as I have every reason to be Grateful! 

Today I'm Grateful For....

1.  Overseas Travel....depending on when you read this post - me and my little family will be taking off on the beginning of our overseas adventure. 

2. My pocket Italian translation book -So che inizialmente sarà la mia bibbia, ma I' la m. che spera di guadagnare la fiducia per lasciarla è e per comunicare appena il colloquio!

3. reunions and new family - during our travels, we will be reunited with family already known, but will get to meet others for the first time.  

xx

Join here

xx

English translation for number 2

"I know that initially it will be my bible, but I'm hoping to gain the confidence to just leave it be and talk the talk!" 

house quirks

 

Source: goodmorningandgoodnight.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I've realised lately my house has quirks - many of them!

You see, in my preparation for heading off on our overseas travels, one of my tasks includes doing some much needed preparation for the house-sitter. Yes, that includes cleaning the fridge, mopping behind the washing machine, getting the cobwebs in the far corner of the hall and so and so on.

Then I began to think "Oh i must tell her about the door that doesn't shut quite right" or "the kettle lid is broken" or "I tend to keep my towels over here - not in that cupboard", "that light switch is broken", "the floor boards over there are loose (don't worry about that!)"  and "that room has a lean - so drop anything, and it will roll to that corner over there" etc etc etc...

So as my mental list got bigger - i began to write it all down....all of it.

Gee my house as quirks.  It's the way I know and no other, but to someone who doesn't live here, how would they know all this stuff.  It's like the manual to my home.

If you had to write all your little house quirks down, what would be on it?

Any cringe-worthy?

Like all the bedrooms in my house have broken lights! Yep, we just survive on lamps!

Imagine if  I lived in the house above - now wouldn't that be an adventure?? 

xx

{and the winners!}

Source: delaneygates.typepad.com via Connie on Pinterest

Ok, so my birthday has come and gone....

And the Giveaways on my blog have ended....

So the exciting part of finding out who each of the prizes were going to....

I used a very technical system - a vintage bingo set!

So it's time to reveal the winners

The Bakers Delight Giveaway - $5 voucher coming to these winners

1 - Lioness Lady

7. Lou

9. Frog goose & bear

13. Eco MILF

14. Kymmie

The doMore $150 voucher goes to comment 9;

Kymmie

Hubby got the draw the winner for the $100 Myer voucher which is number 43;

The Provincial Homemaker

And the pack of crafty goodness goes to comment 8;

Emma @ Frog, goose and Bear

Congratulations to all of you!  And two multiple winners!!  

And thanks to all of you who stopped by to enter....

I'll be in touch with the lucky entrants to discuss getting your loot to you! 

xx

Don't miss out {giveaway reminder!}

(beach of Capo Vaticano, Italy - where we will be staying very very soon!)

My four giveaway's end tomorrow at Midday, so if you haven't already, enter away, and if you have entered but want more chances, just spread the word (twitter, facebook, or blog) for more entries.  Because - you have to be in it - to win it! 

You'll find

Bakers Delight Giveaway here,

$150 doMore voucher here and

$100 myer gift card giveaway here. 

And the crafty goody bag here

Good luck

xx

my creative space {when more, is, more!}

Nothing is going on here in the singular!  phew, now that I see all the multiples lying around my house, I can understand why I've felt "in production".....

You see, I crafted (no pun intended) a little idea to make some gifts to bring with us overseas.....And when I thought about our lovely ladies in their stunning Italian village....I thought to food, which made me think of cooking....which of course.....make me think of aprons.   These eight aprons, are now safely packed ready for their italian food adventure! 

And for the younger, girls in the family......a little drawstring bag....with little sleeve for a pen or pencil.

Perfect for glasses, a notebook, camera or change. I made eight, but only needed five, but already the other three have been allocated to some special recipients.....I'm kicking myself i didn't make nine so I could keep one myself! 

And then, well, I couldn't stand looking at my bowl overflowing with lemons, that I just had to make some Lemon Butter! 

Yesterday was my Nonna's 81st Birthday, so the kids and I made some hummingbird cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to take over for morning tea......yum!!!

I finished off some adorable snack mats for the kids.....and no I don't have three kids.....but again, this extra one will have a new home soon!  See I just can't help myself, I'm always making MORE!

They have a plastic covering, so just wipe clean.  My kids LOVE them!  No need for a plate, just sit the snack on the mat and they love sitting a cup on the circle....

My inspiration for these came from here (I changed the wording though)

Actually the only thing singular in my creative space, is this one pair of baby booties I made....but then again, there are two of them.....

More is more, when it comes to craft and you can find so much more in this creative hub...

Speaking of more....check out all 4 of my giveaways! 

You'll find
Bakers Delight Giveaway here,
$150 doMore voucher here and
$100 myer gift card giveaway here. 
And the crafty goody bag here

xx

wordless wednesday {my brown-eyed girl}

(join in)

easing into it.....

I'm easing slowly back into routine here....

With a son who has four days of Kinder, Mondays are our full day together, so it was like getting a little extra day of holidays....

....plus, I'm not getting to used to the routine.....we head off on our overseas trip very, very soon!  So I think my brain is quite happy to stay in holiday mode...although the packing has me a little baffled.....

So, whilst I pack, I'm enjoying just sipping tea from this glorious op-shop find last week....with my new found favourite tea - Lady Grey!

What's your favourite tea?
What are your travel tips with kids?

ps - Don't forget about my giveaways....four of them!

You'll find
Bakers Delight Giveaway here,
doMore voucher here and
$100 myer gift card giveaway here. 
And the crafty goody bag here

Giveaway Part 4 {Crafty goodness}

Source: google.de via Sabrina on Pinterest

It's no secret I love craft.  I don't remember ever not loving craft.  I think if you love something so innately, you will do it no matter what comes your way in life.  I've crafted ever since I can remember.  It may have started re-fashioning old thrifted beads, or making dolls clothes with scraps, but each step I was learning, creative, using my imagination and get lost in the world of craft.

For the last installment of my Bloggy Birthday Giveaway is of course is a prize pack of crafty goodness....

From the Mira Narnie range....

An Elephant Mobile and some funky wall art
An Oh So Handy Key Fob
6  handmade fabric and paper sewn bunting cards and
A fabric brooch
Total value - $80

 Bec at Little Shop of...

has contributed a pair of her gorgeous Tea Party earrings (in the winners choice of Red, White or Black) valued at $12!

And

Steph from Mon Petit Poppet also has added to this crafty extravaganza by adding this addorable shirred top in your choice of size 0, 1 or 2. Valued at $30.

One lucky person will win the lot... What a great prize pack!  Keep some for yourself, gift some to others - there is something for everyone!  Total value over $130!!!!

To enter,

- be a follower if you are not already
- open to everyone!
- just leave a comment below

For extra entries, spread the word on twitter, facebook or your blog and you'll get one entry per shout! Just come back and let me know....

Now, this finalises my four days of Birthday Bloggy Giveaways!  Be sure to check out my other three fabulous giveaways too.

You'll find
Bakers Delight Giveaway here,
doMore voucher here and
$100 myer gift card giveaway here.

All four giveaways will close on Sunday 24th of July at noon - and the winners will be announced!  Good Luck!

xx

Giveaway Part 3 {Fancy a $100 Myer gift card?}

You know I love fashion right? right? And if you frequent here on a Sunday, you can usually catch me linking up with Ms Fancy Pants herself in our quest to make an effort with Fashion at least once a week!

yeah well, I was a little stuck as to how I'd tie in my love of fashion in my Bloggy Birthday Giveaway Extraveganza....

Pondering out loud can sometimes have benefits... Sponsered by my lovely husbands business, he is providing one lucky ready with a $100 Myer Gift Card.

Yep!  $100 bucks, just like that! What would spend it on?  Shoes, coat, jeans, fancy bra!

 Whatever. You. Like!

Ok - how to enter...

simple....

Tell me your favourite colour you love to wear and why?  And I will not accept "Black coz it makes me look skinny"! I'm loving wearing navy, and grey at the moment.  So wintery and not the traditional Melbourne Black!

Please follow my blog if you don't already and ensure that I have a way of contacting you!
Australian Residents Only! Comment away!

For extra entries, just spread the word (twitter, facebook, blog about it - shout it out in the middle of the street - anything really!  Just come back and let me know - one entry for each extra!)

ps - last giveaway tomorrow - so be sure to come back and if you haven't already, go here and here for my other great giveaways!

Giveaway Part 2 {Do More}

Do you like to learn new things?

Are you itching for some quality "me time" and let your hair down?

Want to have fun? Learn?  A Challenge?  Just something you've always wanted to do?

Well.....step this way...

The team at do More is giving one lucky reader a voucher for their fabulous online course site.  This website is full of courses, (on-line, by distance, classes, one-off's) you name it, they have it....doMore is Australia's Education Marketplace connecting people who love to learn with people who live to teach.

As the name suggests, doMore is about living life to the fullest, and the community exists for people who quite literally want to doMore with their life!  For those who are inspired to learn, doMore offers a world of courses and teachers in everything from Guitar and Cooking lessons to Accounting and Management courses that can be found online and in your local community. It's a place where students can search, compare, read and submit real reviews, make direct enquiries, enroll in courses and manage it all in one place!

Up for grabs is a $150 voucher for any doMore course....

Wow!  I've been doing some searching, and well, if you live in Melbourne, what about some Belly Dancing?
For those in Sydney - check out the yoga classes
Brisbine folks I've got you all sorted with great guitar lessons
Adeliade angels, what about some wine tasting?
and those in Perth, I think you will enjoy some crafty courses
 
and there are heaps more.... All you have to do to be in the running to win this great giveaway prize, it pop over to the doMore webite, find a course that appeals to you....come back here, and in the comment box let me know what you found.  Of course, if you win, you wont have to do that course....just go have a look!
 
Please follow my blog if you don't already and ensure I have a way of contacting you if you win.

For extra entries, mention this giveaway via twitter, facebook or on your blog and let me know you've done so (one comment for each)....


*the nitty gritty -
- not transferrable for cash
- you can pick a course for more that $150 and add in the rest yourself. 
- Australian Residents only
- i'll give you the details to discuss directly with the folk at doMore.
 
 Don't forget to pop back here for more in the next few days, and yesterdays giveaway too!



Giveaway Pt 1 {Foodie Friday}

Ok, so here it is....the begining to my bloggy birthday party and we are kicking it off, with a foodie theme.

Here at Mira Narnie Land, we love our food, I love cooking (and more importantly eating) and I love sharing recipes and great products.

My friends at Bakers Delight approached me to try some of their new ready made pizza bases, and without a doubt I jumped at the chance!!!  I love Bakers Delight - you try walking past their stores and not stopping for some tasty scones, loaves, crusty bread or my kids favourite, the cheesymite scroll!

So the other night, we had a "pizza night" and got all the yummy ingredients out on the bench (took all of five minutes).  These pizza bases are par-cooked, so if you like, you can roll them out a little thinner, add your topping and then bake in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes......

what could be easier mid-week?

Here are our creations.  I made some lovely home-made pizza base sauce....so the kids added, ham, mushroom cheese and olives.

Hubby and I had procuttio, cheese, mushrooms, asparagus and caramlised onions.

Yum yum!


Now the giveaway part!  I've got 5 x $5 vouchers to give away! Also, if you make your own pizza using the Bakers Delight Pizza Bases, you can enter on their Facebook page, and possibly win $5000!

Entry is simple:

1. Follow my blog (if you don't alreay)
2.  Leave me a comment...

That's it....

ps - Come back tomorrow for Part 2 of my Bloggy Birthday Giveaway!

my creative space.....{giveaway planning}

Yep, you heard right.....I'm planning a giveaway!

To celebrate my up-coming notable birthday.....the birthday with an "0" on the end, I thought what a better way, than to have a bloggy party, invite all my wonderful bloggy friends and have loads of fun.

And give too!

So over the next few days, there will be a great selection of giveaway treats for you!

Make sure you come past, each day as their will be a giveaway post for the next 4 days.  You can enter one or all, take your pick!  Here's a hint of whats on offer...

It's a Foodie Friday

Saturday will be about Fun

Sunday - get all Fancy with Fashion....
Monday - Crafty goodness

Let the Party Begin!

One of these little birdy or elephant mobile will be in the giveaway!

For more creative spaces click this way...

Wordless Wednesday {empty lake}

 for more snaps head this way...

three ohhhhhhh

Source: flickr.com via Brenda on Pinterest

Oh dear!  It's nearly here....

yep, these are the last few days of my beloved 20's.

I've loved being 20 something.  Infact, I still feel 24 at least!  I know I should embrace turning 30, but it seems like such a leap - like suddenly I'm grown up.

Do you get strange about milestone birthdays.  I didn't think I would.   

But it's given a great idea - and I'll be celebrating in style with a great giveaway on my blog, so stay tuned. 

In the meantime...If you are, ahem, 30-something.  Tell me something amazing about being in your 30's!

xx

(image - of marilyn blowing out the candles on her 30th Birthday!)

a little fancy 80's revival

On my recent trip back home I helped my mum do some much needed culling of her wardrobe so I could make some donations to the local op-shops (and not just clear out their stock!).  Oh I had heaps of fun, sorting through bits and peices for her.  Gosh shoulder pads were such the rage in the 80's!!  I think its easier to be ruthless with clothes that aren't your own.  Although we've kept a few real vintage peices even Kath and Kim would be impressed with.



I remember giving my mum a hard time with some of her outfit choices when I was young.  She would pick me up from primary school and I'd say "Oh mum, that jacket is all wrong on you, what are you thinking?" Need less to say, I mostly accompainied her shopping to as to be the honest voice of reason!

But one of my finds in my own mum's wardrobe was this gorgeous leather 80's belt.  The gold leaf clasp is just divine and something you'd even see in the stores now.

It's tricky though, wearing a vintage peice .  I think, the key is to wear it with clothes that compliment but that are of todays era.  Too much vintage and well, you tend to look vintage too. 

Worn today with some cozy denim jeggings, on oversized grey jumper and little pixie boots.

Joining in with the gorgeous Kymmie who I get the chance to catch up with in real life this week! yay!

Wearing;

Jeggings - Sussan

Jumper - Sportsgirl

Belt - mum's vintage

boots - Payless shoes

Earrings - Diva

 xx

I'm grateful for..... (nostalgia)

Joining in with the beautiful minded Maxabella Loves, on this day to be Grateful.

Today I'm grateful for....

1.  Heading home - I took the kids up to the country town where my mum and dad live, and I spent a lot of my childhood.  It's a small country town that is very sleepy during the winter months.

2. Nostalgia - The return home meant re-living some memories that I enjoyed as a kid.  Above is a picture of the dodgem cars that are at a very small and almost vintage entertainment park.  The kids had an awesome time, just like I remember spending waaaaayyyyy to many hours doing the exact same thing when I was small.

3. Country Op shops - Whilst my kids were entertained by grandma, I got the hit the country op shops.  Why are they so much better than city ones?

Happy Grateful day - Join here. 

xx