The Teen Queen Celebration....

Yes, it's happened.

The Diva, only girl child in a family of five, has become a teenager.

Unfortunately, a sadness surrounded our celebrations as we farewelled a much loved grandparent just a day or two before.

So how do you 'celebrate' when you don't feel like celebrating?

Well, this sublime cake in The Divas' favourite colour, helped. It was on my to-do list to make one myself, as has always been my habit, but this was beyond me in the midst of preparations for sadder occasions.

A local lady who charges little for her beautiful work was sourced, and with just 48 hours notice, she was able to produce this pretty-as-a-picture gluten free Red Velvet cake, to put a smile on any 13 year old girls face.

Orange themed party favours were assembled....

....with more orange themed food such as BBQ flavoured chips, Sunny Boy frozen Orange pyramids (a classic here in Australia), and Fanta ice cream spiders being enjoyed by all.

A disco ball outside on the deck,

...and Thrift Shop (clean radio edit version) on the iPod, and a fun time was had by all.

Life goes on.

We spent little, preferring to show The Diva, that celebrations can be had, without the hysteria surrounding the competitive birthday party culture abounding these days.

She had a ball, and so did her friends. It's the little things that make memories, not the big money.

Until next time...Mama Guardian x

Post storm...pegs with raindrop slippers...

Captured post Summer storm.

My plastic pegs, wearing raindrop slippers..

What's on your Tray of Bliss today?



Sunny Queensland....and why we're the epitome of the Green and Gold...

Yes, it's cyclone season here in Sunny Queensland.

 

For some that means flooding, the heartache of lost possessions and muddy cleanups.

 

The floods of 2010 are fresh in our memories, but it's important to note that not all cyclones are the same. And not all of us are affected to the same degree.

 

The mini tornadoes that swept through a beachside resort five hours North of where I live, do not affect us.

 

We are fortunate to live on top of a hill, so likewise, flooding is not a concern for us, althugh we have friends in low lying areas who are keeping a watchful and careful eye on nearby waterways.

 

For us, it means bucketloads of rain, fierce winds and a self imposed homestay.

 

We're forced to find other ways to find the 'sunny' in Sunny Queensland.

 

But it's not hard.

 

There's our home grown sugar bananas, begging to be made in to banana muffins for the start of the school year on Tuesday....

 

 

....home grown Bowen mangoes gifted to me by a friend...

 

 

...being simmered down to mouthwatering Hot Mango chutney, literally as I write...

 

 

.....and the final of the Australian Open to enjoy tonight.

 

And you wondered why our sports colours are green and gold.

 

What's on your Tray of Bliss today?



A Year of Little Lives...

 

"Each Day is a Little Life" Schoepenhauer

 

 

So taken am I by this quote that I declare this my year of Little Lives.

 

So often the day flies by without a thought that this is the only time I'll have TODAY.

 

Each day, I will endeavour to post my little life, and I encourage you to do the same.

 

After all what is life, but a string of days held together by the wisp of our existence.

 

My little life today will include a lunch by the water, sadly not on the River Seine with the picturesque Parisian skyline in the distance, but a pretty view nonetheless. Yes, the sky is grey here today too, but not so much that a jaunt to the many beautiful waterways here shoudn't be a reality.

 

I'll take my daughter and her friend along, and enjoy one last moment of their joyful company before school returns next week.

 

Her childhood is all but behind her and I want to treasure every last moment of the sunset of her youth.

 

What's on your Tray of Bliss today?