Happy Halloween!

...pumpkin spiced cookies with cream cheese icing...

...grilled pumpkin seeds...

...pumpkin carving...

Yep, I think it's Halloween!

Wishing everyone a spooky one!

Pictures from last night

Cari and I got all dolled up and went out to a friend's book launch. Seeing as I get dressed up about twice a decade we got our neighbor to take some pictures for us. The pic above is in their kitchen and the one below was taken on their roof.

A good friend, Angela McConnell is a photographer and has been working for 18 months putting together "Burlesque A Retrospective"
We spent a fabulous evening with good friends, drinks, dancing, and Burlesque performances. Well done Angela, it was a fantastic time!

We got home around 2am, I decided it was a great time to strum out a few notes on my ukulele...

Steve (bought way to many shots and is now poor) Dickinson

I'm back!!

Did you miss me? I missed you! I landed in the land down under yesterday and am spending the weekend recovering from jet lag and hanging with my two favorite boys. I had such a fabulous visit at home with my family and friends. I'll be back soon to share more about it. In the meantime, here's me and my Mama, a photo I snapped when we went on a little day trip adventure. I miss everyone at home already! Thanks for such a wonderful visit. xo

Roots and Wings...

I leave tonight on the red eye flight to LA. From there I go to Detroit, Ottawa and finally Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I'm not looking forward to the flights but it'll be great to see everyone once I finally get there! It's funny, I've been quite homesick for Canada the last few months but yesterday was the kind of beautiful day that reminded me of how grateful I am to be living in Australia. I walked Jesse around Albert Park lake (an amazing 5.3 km walk) and saw black swans (only in Australia), lorikeets, cockatoos, and other colorful parrots I don't know the names of. It was pretty amazing, although a little scary at times if you happen to be afraid of birds (ah-hem...). It's swooping season in Australia, so all the more scary and those black swans sure didn't like Jesse walking past, especially when they had their sweet little babies close by! Just so you know, black swans make a very scary pre-historic animal kind of hiss sound when annoyed... Yikes!

How cute are the baby black swans? These ones were a little bigger than others I saw, but adorable just the same!

Everything is so, so pretty right now. It seems that almost every tree, shrub or bush in Australia flowers at some stage. I'm sure this isn't fact but it definitely does feel like it! I haven't even left yet and I'm already missing bits of Melbourne (all the pretty new signs of spring and in particular my two favorite boys!). Sad, I know seeing as I'm only away for 3 weeks! I'm the biggest flip-flopper ever. When I'm here I miss there, when I'm there, I miss here. I always think of the part in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" when Reese Witherspoon's character says...

"I'm happy in New York Jake, but then I come down here (meaning Alabama) and...this fits too." To which Josh Lucas' character replies..."Since when does it have to be one or the other? You can have roots and wings Mel."

Ah, I love that part. It always makes me teary because I can so relate! It's nice to think of it that way...roots and wings:)

I think that's why visits to Canada are so important to me, it helps keep it all in balance. I'm a firm believer that balance equals happiness!

So, I look so forward to all the fabulous things and people I will get to enjoy in Canada over the next 3 weeks, and then the exciting things about coming back to Australia...my handsome boys, spring in full swing, and possibly another piece of this amazing mars bar cheesecake I ate last night at our favorite dessert place. I figure I deserved a little cheat, seeing as I'll be away for awhile!

I'm not sure when I'll get to post again, as I'll be quite busy and all over the place for the next 3 weeks, but I'll pop in whenever I get the chance and have lots to share when I get back! Until then...xo

Packing...

I leave tomorrow for Canada and have finally got around to packing this morning. Jesse isn't too happy about it. He's spent the morning laying on top of every single thing I lay on the bed.

I wish I could take him with me! He'd have a blast running and playing in the Canadian autumn air. Autumn really is Jesse's best season. The colors of fall compliment him well. I can't tell you how many pictures we took of him in the woods in Canada, with leaves changing color all around him. So pretty!

I'll be back later with one more post before I leave. For now I'm off to do a few more last minute things...

Tis the season!

Yesterday was the nicest day ever! Okay, maybe not ever but most definitely the nicest day anyone living in Melbourne has seen in awhile. It was perfect...blue sky, temps in the low 20s (I wore shorts!) and only the odd pretty cloud. We met friends in the Botanical Gardens near our house for a relaxed day of doing...well, not too much! Hanging in the park is definitely an Australian favorite thing to do and it was so wonderful to see everyone out and about drinking in the fabulous day!

We had lots of "nibblies" as I like to call them. I *love* nibblies! One of my favorite things is when everyone brings snacks (nothing too fancy) and we just dig in and enjoy.

Me, sans a sweater or a jacket or even any kind of sleeves at all. It's amazing, especially considering I am always cold. I do have very pale arms at the moment though. Those babies haven't seen sun in months!

Steve-O hanging in the grass.

Friends...Micheal and Alida...

More grass hanging. It was all very relaxed. It was nice too because the guys have been working a lot lately and deserved a good veg out!

Also in true Aussie fashion, we played a little with the cricket bat and ball. Wow, it's tough hitting a ball with that thing. It's nothing like a baseball bat at home. Steve found this out the hard way. How many tries does it take a Canadian to hit a ball with a cricket bat? Lots. ;)

Alida, on the other hand...well she's an Aussie and gave it a pretty good go!

I'm looking forward to many more outings like this in the months to come. Nice weather, good friends and yummy food...what a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Life's simple pleasures...

I've had the best week this week! After being sick for 3 whole weeks, I was finally feeling better and made a real point of getting out of the house. I have been starting to go very stir crazy, which makes me grumpy, negative and overall not the kind of person I want to be. So this week, I made a real point of soaking in and enjoying every little thing and being grateful for all the small things in my life, that make me so happy. Here's a bit of what I loved this week...

...playing at the beach with Jesse...

...the thank you card I received in the mail from a treasured friend...

...applying for jobs...

...finishing and hanging my new spring wreath...

...Steve...

...sunshine!...

...lunch on a rainy day with a bright and cheerful friend...

...a massage...

...cooking...

...new shampoo...

...the nice man i met on my daily walk that told me Jesse has a very beautiful face...

...a yummy Thai dinner and lots of girl chat with 2 amazing women...

...putting the finishing touches on the plans for my trip to Canada (I leave next week!)...

...shopping with a friend...

...soy hot chocolate (yum!)...

...a very kind email from a parent I knew at my old job...

...needing a new shower curtain and finding the perfect one on sale for $5...the very last one!


Ah, it's been a wonderful week and it's calling for a lovely weekend, weather wise. I'm really looking forward to it!

What's been making you happy lately?