daria + otto

i love miniature schnauzers and finally convinced my friend daria and her family to get one too! little otto is now the newest member of the family and is puppy pal to isaac.  i can't wait for otto to come and stay with us in april.

otto with daria

otto

merv + sal :: married!

a couple of weekends ago, my girlfriend mervacious tied the knot. my sensei was the photographer for her wedding so lucky for me, i got the chance to go along and take some hot pics too! so the photos below were taken by moi & created with love for the beautifully elegant merv & her handsome husband sal, a most stunning couple.

i loved spending this time together with you guys and hope that we will continue to have shared experiences and memories together in our lives. wishing you both a loving, happy and healthy life together.

merv, a special mention about your vintage styled pronovias wedding gown... it could only be described as being "breathtaking".

the lovely bones by alice sebold

novel.... 14-year old susie salmon is murdered by strange introverted neighbour mr. harvey. the story is about susie's observations (from heaven) of the impact of her death on her family, friends and neighbours.

delicately written and emotive......

recommended

summer days

i love this time of year, long days, warm weather and the anticipation of christmas. we have been doing some more spring cleaning (yes we are still at it!) because we did have some interruptions in between my last blog until now.

since the start of spring we have:

• travelled to the US & Canada (photos to come later....)
• cleaned out the study and refreshed it with a more open feel
• changed the set-up in the middle bedroom
• started pilates (dee) and loving it
• given zac 2 haircuts!

things still to do:

• clean up the little bedroom
• clean out the garage for items that we have used in the past 18months
• re-mulch the garden
• sort thru our travel photos and post them! alas even the pics from feb haven't been posted
• re-plant the camilla sasanqua that has died :(
• start ukelele lessons (those start on 28/11)
• start going to the photoclub in nth syd

some things we still haven't quite worked out so we haven't done anything about it yet:

• are we extending our home or do we continue with the in between plan of internalising the laundry by knocking a hole through the wall and putting some steps in and ripping out the existing (really ancient cupboards) and putting in new space friendly ones?
• what do we do with the big big big MASSIVE pecan tree in the backyard.... which I'm currently loving to death because of its big shady branches overhanging into our yard that makes sitting outside so enjoyable

in the meantime, we have been enjoying laundry days in the comfort of our own backyard......

things I've discovered & am loving........

• 103.5 qm/fm which is a canadian radio station that I discovered on our drive to Vancouver Island and listen to over the internet. it plays my fav style of music... soft rock
• pilates
• knitting & crochet.... contemporary styles thanks
• sewn home accessories
• daiso!!! why do they NOT have this in aus?
• the strong AUD - absolutely lurve this one
• jose villa - photographer extroadinaire
• work/life balance :)
• the love of good & true friends

Isaac is the ruler of our roost! he guards our precious laundry with the courage and stamina of the queen's guard.

presenting janet + hefin jones

janet is a very dear friend of mine and someone i hold very dear to my heart. for the past few years we have been studying the bible together and praying together. mr hefin jones is also near and dear to me... he used to be the assistant pastor at my church and his sermons were inspiring to me who was a new christian at the time. he is a very witty and a very colourful character! oh and did i mention that he is welsh?

i had the pleasure of attending their wedding yesterday at st thomas' in north sydney and took some photos at their wedding. i wish you guys the best in your new life together and janet, i love your gorgeous wedding dress, tres chic!!

the beautiful bride...

the lovely bridesmaids, fiona & emily 

janet's parents

janet & hefin... against a backdrop of st thomas' arches

{i love this photo}

posing for the wedding photographer

heartfelt messages for the new couple

some behind the scenes stuff - that makes weddings!

nathan on guitar

elaine on piano

from the corner of his eye by dean koontz

novel... technofantasy/physho thriller. superbly written complex story about good vs evil. just read the online reviews about it.

recommended

refresh

its time for a fresh new simple look on the blog and a more open, spread out feel, thanks to the new minima s-t-r-e-t-c-h template.....  i heart spaciousness! =)

tmrw i'm off to fashion weekend which i'm quite excited about. i'm going to sell some frocks for viva la frock..... plus if i'm lucky might buy a few for moir! should i take my camera?

j. hudson taylor by roger steer

biography.... j. hudson taylor - a 21-year old christian missionary from england sails to china to share the gospel with the chinese people in the 1850's. he is the founder of the "china inland mission" (now know as omf international). he is one of the best known missionaries and is famous for his commitment and cultural sensitivity to the chinese people by wearing chinese dress to relate to the people and immerse himself in their culture and for the people to accept him into their culture so that he is able to share the gospel with them.

recommended

postcards from macau

macau holds a really special place in my heart because my dad spent his childhood growing up on this little island. the portuguese administered this little island for nearly 420 years, from 1582 to 1999. evidence of the portuguese influence spans the architecture of the buildings, the cobblestone streets, religion and education, food (i adore portuguese tarts!) & the people... i love the romance of this little island & re-live this every time i've visited. the island does have a seedier side to it & is well known for its casinos & other ongoings too.... but for me, i see it through my rose coloured glasses... we had a really enjoyable day spent re-discovering my dad's old haunts! :)

and fisherman's wharf & venetian casino would be new haunts...

postcards from hong kong #4 {jonas + natalie}

caught up with some of my extended family too. introducing jonas + natalie.

:: jonas ::

:: natalie ::