WHY INSTAGRAM IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND. AND MAX BRENNAR'S.

Round these parts, there is definitely a love for all things techie. As well as being a self-confessed blogoholic, I am quite partial to new technology.

Like my iPhone. It was like learning how to ride a bike in those first few days, but now we're best mates. And definitely velcroed at each other's waist. (More about my love of iPhones here.)

And while my husband has noticed I don't go anywhere without my iPhone (he might be right), he's also noted my love of taking photos. A professional photographer I am not. But that doesn't stop me from taking photos or movie footage every day.

And what are the chances of combining the two? Credit to my good friend Kate and her computer programming brother Aran for sharing with me something that combines my first two tech loves: instagram.

It's like Twitter, but instead of 140 letters or less, your post is a photograph. One awesome photograph. Or twenty. You can name it. Or search it. People can like or comment on it, and you can follow (or be followed). People can view your photograph the same way they can search in Twitter #putthehashfirst. Easy!

And to compliment instagram, I've also discovered the following apps: PhotoFx, Camera+, ProCamera, Hipstamatic (okay, she's not so new), TiltShiftGen (probably my favourite) and Diptic (for splicing). All for their fancy effects.

While I'm on a role of trying something new this week, I posted these adorable photographs to Instagram using TiltShiftGen while my youngest lad Noah and I had our first toddler date, his first babycino at our first visit ever to Max Brennar's.

Would you be surprised to hear that it's not only Instagram that is slightly addictive?

What about you? Are you in love with new technology or photography? Do you love Max Brennar's as much as I do? Or do you stick with what you know? (You know, Gloria Jeans or just Blogging?) What new thing have you tried this week?

  <center> <a href="http://kympiez.blogspot.com/search/try%20something%20new%20ever%20week"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3d7LF3Qfx0Emp9G74v2YlebVkmr-kPI2ZemB-pPe3Rg3Xy8YvIWpBxbIl_sKNlOnvKLEgoSKQnUc2HYvzd7pvMoylbcfQ_UmqbTEIgjGUyaQM8Y2iL3XtNSqQ7YXTOturAJcTw/s200/2011+01+January+006.JPG"/></a></center>

HAVING BABIES: IS THERE AN OFF SWITCH?

Inside of me, there was a switch that was turned on when I gave birth to my first child. Or perhaps it started in those first few moments of pregnancy, or that first twinge of morning sickness.

The attachment to the growing form begins. And when a child is born, there is the undying love, the adoration, the overwhelming responsibility. After a while this new chapter of your life which started in utter chaos, soon evolves into something more organised, or perhaps a little like a household factory line.

Life continues. The infant becomes a baby. The baby becomes a toddler. Then a little person.

And while you are adoring this growing being as the fog of sleeplessness lifts, something happens.

fancy pants

 

There are some days where you just feel like being demure. Like today when I wore sensible shoes, a plain cardigan and a camel skirt belted up with a matching skinny belt.

And my reason? Hubby was a guest preacher at a country church which we visited today. I felt like a little tired, plus I was The Preacher's Wife. (I like to be appropriate when I can.)

We ended up having a fabulous day with such a friendly bunch of people. We came home after a delicious huge lunch, a wonderful afternoon with new friends, full, tired (hence the bags under the eyes!) and happy. Our four year old made lots of new little friends and wanted to know when we would go back and visit again. Our one year old slept the whole afternoon, which is always a treat!

Are there times when you dress to suit how you feel? Or change your attire to suit the situation?

All you have to do is follow me, add your Fancy Pants post below and add a link back to me in your post. You can also include the lovely button (below). Then pop over to visit other bloggers who are dressing up this week. As for me, I can't wait to see what you've put together (and what excuse you had to dress up).
 
Kymmie wears: CARDIGAN, Glassons (2 for $30). SUEDE-LIKE SKIRT, Suzanne Grae (purchased eight years ago). SHOES, Zu. BELT, Dotti (cute, cute, cute!). PERSONALISED NECKLACE, Koolaman Designs (details here). RING, A celtic market somewhere. NAIL POLISH, Maybelline Forever Strong Berry Persistent (my favourite colour!).




<center><a href="http://kympiez.blogspot.com/search/fancy%20pants"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywbFbayEId5157-ISrORWUUr0ZLVk_jBnkI2y998yaDp48Syum_2ymBn15iwt53grnFb0ARM6dmlJtmpHASpwSkwZAX6t_YJeA0qZuYn8oRstxjdTGxaWoiU0PhtozGsdFKJ_zA/s200/Blog+Button+Fancy+Pants.jpg"/></a></center>

this saturday i'm grateful for... our fabulous garden

Oh, how the weeks have flown! (So much so that I forgot to press the Publish Post button last night.) Doh! Life is full of hopping in and out of the car, squeezing in all the housework, so I can sit at my desk and work, work, work. While I love working from home, it's a tight schedule. But things I can be grateful for this week include...

1. Swings. My four year old gets it. After weeks of "lean back legs straight out, lean forward tuck in your legs", he's finally on his way to a new step of independence. And look at that happy face! So worth it.
2. Our fabulous garden. I've realised that I've not ever ever mentioned how grateful I am for our garden. We have vegetables, fruit trees, vines, a fabulous cubby with sandpit, and the most quaint little paths that any little person would think rivals The Secret Garden. Many a game has been played on those arched shaped paths, many a meal enjoyed from the food planted in our garden, and hours spent sitting on the garden chair in the middle opposite the persimmon tree (the centre of our garden). And in honour of those lovely bloggers who have requested more photos, below are a whole bunch of photographs of our very own private paradise.
3. The gardener. Not only am I grateful for the garden's beauty and sustenance, but for my local gardener who plans and plants all that I enjoy. No, we don't pay a gardener. I married him.

The view from our back verandah

Irises around the lawn in front of the tomato plants

The compost bin with three sections

Rhubarb galore

The cubby and sandpit

Corn anyone?

Lemon, Orange and mandarin plants just in (behind is the passionfruit)

Cute paths

Happy Grateful Day.

Why not celebrate your gratefuls with the lovely Maxabella... actually her sister who is hosting it this week. She is just as divine... click here.

SWITCHING RADIO STATIONS.

I love music. And the radio. Oh, the radio. Since I've been able to, I've listened to it from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. But when we decided to live in remote Australia, or even a developing country, there just aren't any options.

So, I starved of radio music for seven long years.

But now I have plenty to chose from now we live in urban Australia again. And when I first moved to Melbourne at the age of 23, Fox FM was what I listened to.

Just last week we celebrated a friend's 50th. Our close friends stayed long after the family had left, and we chatted as the music television station Max played in the background. That night there was an 80's special and on occasion we broke out in song mid-conversation. Our host and friend had her children singing along too (she has five kids aged between 5 and 17). She casually mentioned that it was good to teach the children young so they like your music when they're older. As part of the lesson she happened to mention that she listened to Gold FM.

Well, I confess I've not ever listened to Gold FM voluntarily. Because that's my dad's station of choice. But as hubby and I made our way to a day of fishing and fun last weekend, we switched stations to Gold FM and found ourselves listening (and enjoying) every. single. song. Even our 4 year old son piped in saying he liked a few tunes.

Who knew that switching channels would be so much fun?

Of late, I've even been listening to ABC National. Hmm, I think I'm showing my age...

What about you? Have you switched stations recently? Have you been pleasantly surprised by what you have heard? Are you comfortable with your current radio station? Or do you switch around whenever you feel like it?



<center> <a href="http://kympiez.blogspot.com/search/try%20something%20new%20ever%20week"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3d7LF3Qfx0Emp9G74v2YlebVkmr-kPI2ZemB-pPe3Rg3Xy8YvIWpBxbIl_sKNlOnvKLEgoSKQnUc2HYvzd7pvMoylbcfQ_UmqbTEIgjGUyaQM8Y2iL3XtNSqQ7YXTOturAJcTw/s200/2011+01+January+006.JPG"/></a></center>

when you have the winning feeling

When you hear those words, "You've won!" it's a little unbelievable.

Firstly, there's the cynism. Yeah, right. What do I have to do to win this? Then there's the disbelief. You mean me? Surely not.

But then there are times when it happens for real.

Last week I won something for the first time in my life. Okay, it wasn't the lottery, but it was a DVD that I can enjoy with my family, thanks to Joni and Anya.

You see Joni has all these fantastic giveaways on her blog. I don't usually enter anything, but I figured to win it, you have to be in it. (I guess the same goes with the Lottery?). It was to win a Fantasia DVD for my kids. And well, I'd do anything for them. Plus I've never seen the Disney classic.

It was such a great DVD. At first I didn't know what the kids would think. But I didn't have to worry for long. As soon as it was over, the boys wanted to watch it again. How great is that? Classical music put to animation, and nothing more. Thanks Disney!

Thanks too, to Joni for your lovely giveaways (to visit Joni, click here). It just goes to show that there's a chance of winning if you actually enter!

Have you won anything? How did it make you feel?

fancy pants

With the show Mad Men encouraging a fifties revival of sorts, my fellow foodies and I were abuzz with excitement. Our theme this month? The Fabulous Fifties. We all made food which was popular in this decade including salads in jelly moulds and layered fish casseroles, and the main event: Julia Childs' recipes like potage celestine and baked cucumbers. (According to our tastebuds and the movie Julie & Julia, they are a "revelation"!)

And to make it more fun we dressed up. Cardigans, flipped hairdos, pearls, headbands and flouncy skirts. We all admitted that we had spent quite a bit of time researching what food was eaten in the fifties. Me? I spent far too long looking at 50s outfits, and how they put it all together. The fashions were just fabulous!

 

We even had a little fun reading up on 1950s good wife etiquette, just to realise how much has changed in the past 55 years. For the better? Or not?

 

While most of us wore red lipstick, others wore headbands or pearls. I confess my favourite outfit was fellow foodie and friend, Rachael. She wore authentic 50s gear - her mother's. And even though Rach could hardly breathe while wearing it, I think her mother had fabulous taste. Maybe it was because she was the host looking all domesticated, or just that she pulled off the whole look the best. (You can see a picture of Rachael at Food Club night here.)
 

And just because I'm loving the sunset in this shot...

All I need now is to be a little gay, pop on an apron and I'm all set. Hang on a minute, I just need to go and freshen up... hubby will be home in a minute.

 

Is your wardrobe inspired by the fifties, or do you feel like you were just born in the wrong generation?

All you have to do is follow me, add your Fancy Pants post below and add a link back to me in your post. You can also include the lovely button (below). Then pop over to visit other bloggers who are dressing up this week. As for me, I can't wait to see what you've put together (and what excuse you had to dress up).

Kymmie wears: DRESS, Very Very! (purchased ten years ago - and it fits again, almost!). SHOES, Zu. NECKLACE (worn as bracelet), Equip ($3). LIPLINER, Avon Ultra Luxury in True Red. LIPSTICK, Avon Ultra Color Rich in Red 2000.




<center><a href="http://kympiez.blogspot.com/search/fancy%20pants"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywbFbayEId5157-ISrORWUUr0ZLVk_jBnkI2y998yaDp48Syum_2ymBn15iwt53grnFb0ARM6dmlJtmpHASpwSkwZAX6t_YJeA0qZuYn8oRstxjdTGxaWoiU0PhtozGsdFKJ_zA/s200/Blog+Button+Fancy+Pants.jpg"/></a></center>

this saturday i'm grateful for... the fifties

Our holidays have come to an end. And while I feel rested, I'm a little worried that I haven't
'achieved' enough during the past two weeks. Can you tell that it's hard for me to sit still? Nevertheless, I'm extremely grateful for:

1. The 1950s. If it wasn't for those fabulous fifties, then Food Club wouldn't have been so much fun this week. Dressed in our full skirts and cardigans with flipped hair and red lipstick, we feasted on pumpkin pie, macaroni and cheese, fish casserole, fancy sandwiches, deviled eggs, carrot tartlets and a jelly mould salad (which tasted better than it looked). Oh, I forgot to mention the upside down pineapple cake and wonderfully light sponge, and potage celestine and baked cucumbers (what a revelation!) made from Julia Childs' very first cookbook. It was all so good. (Look out for tomorrow's Fabulous Fifties Fancy Pants.)
2. Rest. Not feeling the pressure of work or a strict routine has been just lovely for the soul. Perhaps I'm liking it too much or my body feels it's not had enough rest, but I'm just wanting a little bit more.
3. Consolidation. And more about my holidays... this week I've been feeling a little blue that our kitchen lino isn't up and the floors underneath haven't been polished, that we haven't sold the car, or finished the garden. But we have consolidated. That means we have actually finished those little jobs that we've been meaning to do for months. And back to that Type A personality I have? Well, hubby has it too. And yesterday he said, "Sure we haven't done everything we'd hoped for, but we've taken it easy and actually had a holiday." He couldn't be more right.

Happy Grateful Day.

Why not celebrate your gratefuls with the lovely Maxabella...?

 

DID SOMEONE SAY NOODLES?

It's really important to get my children to try new stuff, even if it doesn't seem that adventurous to me. This week: Chinese.

Lemon chicken and noodles, in fact. But my boy has really decided he loves noodles from our very first 'try something new' outing. So I'm going with it.

And here we are at a food court. Classy? Oui.

Success rate? 100%. I even ordered another dish afterwards. Something different again, of course!

So, what did you try new this week? Was it the beginning of your 20 push ups every morning, or trying a new recipe? Whatever it is, I hope you join in the below linky and get inspired by trying something new every week.


<center> <a href="http://kympiez.blogspot.com/search/try%20something%20new%20ever%20week"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3d7LF3Qfx0Emp9G74v2YlebVkmr-kPI2ZemB-pPe3Rg3Xy8YvIWpBxbIl_sKNlOnvKLEgoSKQnUc2HYvzd7pvMoylbcfQ_UmqbTEIgjGUyaQM8Y2iL3XtNSqQ7YXTOturAJcTw/s200/2011+01+January+006.JPG"/></a></center>

how to celebrate a birthday in style

So, the big birthday date is looming. And it's approaching awfully quickly. And instead of wishing that the numbers weren't getting so jolly high, I'm getting proactive about it and making plans so when it arrives there's no last minute event, or even worse, nothing planned at all.

I'm not a party animal by any standards, but this birthday is probably one worth remembering. It's an '0' one. Yep. And there's no denial in the numbers at all.

Really.

But the problem is, what to do? It seems there is only one big birthday every ten or so years, but a million different ideas. It's like getting married. Should the wedding be at the beach, a church or in the garden? Black tie, formal or barefoot? So many options, only one (hopefully) big day.

So far, I've attended a few big birthday bashes, and as a result, here are some of the ideas floating around in my head:

1. A whopping great big themed party, everyone invited (classy DJ included)
2. Taking an overseas trip with my husband (sans children)
3. A girls' weekend at a bed & breakfast
4. A great big family brunch/lunch/dinner
5. A mystery weekend with a few close friends
6. Riding in a hot air balloon
7. Jumping out of an airplane

See? Too many options, only one birthday (and a limited budget, I might like to add).

So, any wonderful ideas worth sharing? What did you do for your special birthday?

FANCY PANTS [A TOUCH OF RED]

It just goes to show that everyone has different taste. I bought this skirt seven years ago during a girls' weekend in Bali and fell in love with it immediately. But other's have stated their dislike for it.

"Didn't you have enough money to buy a whole skirt?"

"Did you make it yourself out of leftovers?"

"Didn't you have white cotton to sew it all together?"

The comments that have been made about this skirt are exactly the things I love about it. How the skirt is pieces of fabric sewn together haphazardly, how the hem is all jagged. I love the contrast stitching. To me, it's never gone out of fashion. I use to wear it with a loose bright green halter top (hung out), but now I tuck in a singlet (any colour matches) and wear a skinny belt (thanks to my new small stash of cheap waist accessories that I've never tried wearing before).

Of course, accessories include a white pair of wedges and some very futuristic nailpolish.

Even some red lippy and a splash of gloss.

And today, when I wore this outfit, the remarks were:

"How on earth do you wear such high heels?"

"Why would you wear white with young boys?"

While the first question is an easy one to answer (they're not that high, and are actually quite comfortable). The second one certainly is a good question. And I ask myself this very thing often. While constructive criticism is always valued at this place, it's never once stopped me from wearing this skirt!

What item of clothing do you love, but others don't? Have you had an excuse to dress up this week? All you have to do is follow me, add your Fancy Pants post below and add a link back to me in your post. You can also include the lovely button (below). Then pop over to visit other bloggers who are dressing up this week. As for me, I can't wait to see what you've put together (and what excuse you had to dress up).

SINGLET, Witchery (on sale).
SKIRT, Body & Soul (purchased in Bali, Indonesia for a small sum).
BELT, Dotti ($12.95).
WEDGES, Roc ($30).
NECKLACE, Equip ($5).
NAILPOLISH, Revlon Silver Screen.
LIP LINER, Avon Ultra Luxury in True Red.
LIP GLOSS, Witchery Maxi Lip Booster.

<center> <a href="http://kympiez.blogspot.com/search/fancy%20pants"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywbFbayEId5157-ISrORWUUr0ZLVk_jBnkI2y998yaDp48Syum_2ymBn15iwt53grnFb0ARM6dmlJtmpHASpwSkwZAX6t_YJeA0qZuYn8oRstxjdTGxaWoiU0PhtozGsdFKJ_zA/s200/Blog+Button+Fancy+Pants.jpg"/></a></center>

THIS SATURDAY I'M GRATEFUL FOR... FUN PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

Aaah, the joy of holidays. Bumming around the house, getting those unfinished tasks done, and conducting proper research for our kitchen renovation sure has been delightful. But this week I am especially grateful for...

1. Beachhouses. There's nothing better than looking at different walls for a few days, which gives you a little more appreciation for the home you live in the other 359 days a week.
2. Unexpected Guests. At a friend's funeral my hubby bumped into friends from his childhood. They haven't seen each other for four years, so ended up coming over for dinner. And while I type this hubby and his friend are playing guitars while his sister and I sing harmonies (and their mother sleeps in our spare room). It's been a night of laughter and reminiscing (and lots of tok pisin - the language they all speak). It reminds me of our life in Papua New Guinea.
3. Fun photographic opportunities. When a friend asked us to contribue to the card for her husband's big birthday bash which will this weekend, we were able to create the madness that was this photograph (see above). I don't see my husband this animated very often. (And if you're wondering, yes - we're saying "Hooray!") Memories are made up of these silly moments.

Happy Grateful Day.

Why not celebrate your gratefuls with the lovely Maxabella...?

 

Plus join in the easiest (and most interesting) linky at Life in a Pink Fibro: