Trying my hand at it.

So what a week it's been, firstly getting over my four days with the Angel aka Elle aka Sweet Pea.  A good sleep and I was better and you know Monday afternoon after she had been gone a few hours I really missed her.  Tuesday my babies 22nd birthdays, okay I admit it I am getting old arghh!!!!  Wednesday ironing, ironing, ironing yuk!! Thursday morning tea with some friends and a massage I am still recovering from ouch!  Today play, I loved it I really did.  A lot of photographs, up close and personal, my favourites.

I love the colours in these shots.

Oh and I forgot to mention, I booked us on a cruise on the Princess Lines, for New Years Eve, yahoo!!!!!! Off to New Zealand we go 14 nights of sailing the high seas, meeting new people, and seeing as much as we can of the beautiful islands, I cannot wait.

My camera will surely get a work out, which by the way I will also be giving myself from now until then.  I do not want to be the fat lady laying by the pool.  So a lot of Wii dance and walking coming up for the next few months.

Oh and a few happy snaps from Tuesday night all my girls ha ha and Elle enjoying a little tomato sauce on her chop.  Her mummy had a fit, arghh watch out for her sweater, don't let her touch it argh, really funny.

And lastly I have been dabbling a little with some mixed media artwork,

This one turned out a little darker than I wanted, but I still quite like the overall effect.

I like this one as well, I love the colour runs, I used transparent acrylics and tissue paper for texture.  What do you think?

Off now to play some more, have a good weekend now.

They are 22 Today

It's hard to believe that Ashleigh and Danielle are 22 today.  My babies are all grown up!  Above they are 3 months old and Danielle is at the back, you know I used to have to put little signs with A & D on them near each girl so I could tell who was who in the photos.  I have hundreds of shots in which I have no idea who is who ha ha!!!

They have played together and been together almost every day since they were born.  they travel together and live together without too many hiccups at all.  They are best friends, though they would probably never admit it.  The used to fight over the same pair of jeans or shirts when we went shopping, now they have their own tastes, even though they are similar.  Their personalities though differ. 

They drove their big sister mad with jealousy and now they are great friends.  They are identical mirror image twins.

They were stunning at their high school formals and were even bridesmaids for their friend Amy.

They are funny, fun, kind, happy, single, come on young men who will marry my girls where are you.  They still like to hang out with their parents, I love that.  They are travellers and explorers and adventurers.

They look alike, sometimes, even though they are identical.  One is a lefty and one is right handed.  They act like that too, one is very serious and one isn't and I'm not telling who is who.

They certainly didn't come with a handbook but it has been fun.  We love them and we are proud of them, they are my daughters, my twins, aunties and sisters, grand daughters and nieces and they are wonderful, beautiful women.

Happy Birthday Darlings.

Texture Tuesday

Texture Tuesday is here and this week we had to use Kim's new freebie CrackerJack.  My recipe for this is

A Brightness and Contrast tweek

A soft pink colour fill

Then a layer of Crackerjack on Multiply at 83%

Another layer of an oldie but a goodie All My Lovin' on Softlight at 93%

I really like this, what with Spring upon us now and the city gardens blooming beautifully.  I took a little photo walk today, look what I found.

Ranunculas everywhere, all the colours you can imagine absolutely beautiful.

Huge white ones I love these.

I so love taking shots of flowers, I love strolling around the parks and gardens, so peaceful.

So pretty.

Primulas I think, there was a drift of white in one garden, like snow.

And from Sunday on Father's Day, my beautiful flowers.

Oh yeah crazy kids.

A few minutes after this shot they had a food fight!!!!!!!  Children will always be children I guess.

Of course someone had to come of worst.

Not too bad really considering, a little caramel tart never hurt anyone really.

And of course for Father's Day a portrait with Sweet Pea.

21 TODAY

I know you've met them before, but here once again are my twin daughters, on the right Ashleigh and the left Danielle.  As you can see they are in the US at the moment.  We gave them a choice, a 21st party or a trip back to the states to see some of the places they didn't on their last visit in 2008.  They of course chose the trip who wouldn't and here they are.  They started in LA where they landed and today they are already on there way to VEGAS!!!!!  They have booked 3 nights at the Bellagio Hotel in a Penthouse Suite and they will be picked up at the airport by a limo.  Talk about doing it in style.  They plan to skydive over the desert, similar to what they did in Switzerland and of course have it recorded and on a DVD so I can turn green with terror not envy when I watch it.  Where they get their bravery from I don't know.

I posted this shot a few days back of the three girls together at Ashleigh and Danielle's 21st dinner before they left.  Proud proud proud that's all I can say.

See they have always been brave.  No way would I sit with a snake round my neck, but these two yep they would just have to have a go.  Having twins was for me a life saver I think.  Sounds a little dramatic I guess, but I was really smothering Alicia, our eldest daughter.  So it probably saved her too, though she would have disagreed a while ago.  She wasn't at all happy about having two sisters show up at the same time.  After all she had been the very centre of attention for almost 6 years before the girls were born.  Needless to say Alicia wasn't very impressed.  But having the girls, well it made me be a little more disciplined, I had to have a routine.  I twin fed for 6 weeks, yep both together at the same time.  What was I thinking!!!!!!!  Actually it worked well, I woke which ever child was still sleeping if one was ready to feed.  For those of you who are hard core demand feeders, sorry but get over it really.  I would have had a baby awake 24/7 if I hadn't done it that way.  It worked well, for years the girls woke at the same time, were hungry at the same time and even went to the toilet at the same time.  Yes truly they did.

We had a placenta check done at their birth and we were told that it was 98 point something percent that they were identical, what do you think?  They are mirror image twins.  Danielle is left handed and Ashleigh is right.  Ashleigh is older by 2 minutes but weighed 8 ounces less than Danielle.  Trivia I know.

The girls have never spoken some secret language or finished each others sentences.  I hate that and so do they.  While they were tiny I dressed them the same or similar maybe a different colour.  But as they grew they really wanted to be individuals and we encouraged that.  Ashleigh has a more laid back personality while Danielle is very much like Alicia and quite prim and proper.  Ashleigh has always been the clown, causing problems sometimes at school, but she is very funny.  Now Danielle has a great sense of humour very dry.

Note the same clothes, honestly the girls are gonna kill me for this oh well.  Mothers choice.

It has been an experience having twins, amazing seeing them become their own people and wonderful to see the bond, whether they know it or not that they share.  They have each others backs always.  They never need to fear being alone, the other part of them is always there.  They travel together so well, but have seperate friends.  They work in similar jobs but like to have that personal space.  They know each other very well, but they don't cling.  

They are delightful and the joy of my life.  All my children have been my life.  Sometimes I think now that they are grown and with Alicia being a mother herself now, what have I done with my life.  I stayed home by choice to raise the girls, now they are gone I have missed the boat a little with regards to the work place.  50 in January doesn't read well on a resume along with worked at home for the last 26 years.  But then I look at my girls, they have travelled, worked, bought and sold and bought again cars and houses.  They have married well, given birth, grieved and celebrated.  They all support each other and love each other and now we have our angel Elle.  Maybe my time has been well spent after all.

Ashleigh suffered through 18 months of braces to become absolutely gorgeous, but it was difficult at times.  Not that she wasn't beautiful anyway, but you get my drift.  They are determined, strong, reliable, well most of the time, honest, oh except that time they wagged school while Adrian and I were in Israel, hmmm thought I forgotten about that didn't you girls?!!!! And Danielle forged my signature on the absent note.  Huh I never would have thought it possible.  They have tormented their big sister with clowns  a morbid fear she has, I did say they got on didn't I?!

They have been bridesmaids for Alicia, as in the picture above.  So they must actually get on. Just kidding girls!!!!!

They have played the clown, more than once.  They have brought us joy, and wonder, and laughter, and tears and so much more.  They are remarkable young ladies and we wish them a HAPPY 21ST today.

We love you and are proud of you now and always.

So Delicious

Ashleigh and Danielle will be 21 on the 11th October and they won't be here as I have said before.  So Friday night was their pre 21st dinner.  We all except our little Sweet Pea Elle went for dinner at the newest restaurant in town The Olive Branch.  It lived up to its reputation and the meals were superb.

 How darn proud do you think we were surrounded by the people we love most in this world, and how gorgeous are they all?!!!!

Even I who detests having my photo taken succumbed and smiled away like a tool.

Anyway to the food. oh my goodness it was amazing.  Ashleigh had the Beef Cheek below as an entree and said it was delicious and all the girls had the crispy duck for mains.  I sampled it and I have to say scrummy.

I devoured the scallops, breaded and served on sauteed leeks in a second, gosh they were good.

We asked the poor waitress to take our picture and of course the lighting is dreadful. Oh well!!

Deserts were yummy too.  Danielle and I shared the Jaffa brulee and Alicia and Ash had one of each of these and shared.  How could they I was stuffed.

I love these family get togethers, and now with Elle as well, they just get better.  So in a few days my babies, yeah right will fly off to the States.  Spend their 21st sky diving in Vegas and who knows what else they will get up to.  What a blast they'll have.  Oh to be 21 again.