{dannelle}

Thankful...

Thankful today for people that love my work. 

My "Message in a Bottle" boho necklace was purchased today.  I feel so flattered to know people love my work & will wear & enjoy it for many years to come.

I love wrapping up little parcels ready to send far away to a new home.

Thankful today for the companionship of a dear pet who was my friend for 15 years. Thankful for beautiful memories of a special friend...now galloping through greenest of pastures.

a day to celebrate...

those who have been before us, those who are in the "now" & those yet to "be"... those who have impacted on our lives & inspired us even without trying, those who led by strong example & those amongst us who love us so unconditionally    Their patience, kindness & dedication is what defines them... they are mother's!

i know it has been a long time between dances... but life is good, crazy busy but GOOD!

beauty from today... taking time to smell the flower's (literally!!),  my family, my dad telling me how beautiful i looked, my boy being so unaware of mother's day but being his regular sweet lil' self!

robert, mum & i drove out to a lil' village about 20 mins away to check out the markets.  while mum & robert wandered around the markets i was content at the bead stall hunting thru the treasures.  it was pure heaven... bowls & jars full to the bream with beads N buttons.  yum-mo!

& then... a sweet looking lady caught my eye & i wandered over for a chat... & then i spotted what she was selling... & then... well they just had to come come didn't they?

so that was the moment mother's day took on a whole new meaning.   louis became mummy to his new "babies"...

they are 'chinese silkie bantams' & they are supa cute!  see why i just had to bring them home?!

& in other news... i have just discovered this... so nice to get happy mail!

happy mummy's day to u all !

love & happiness!!  :)

oh BTW... for some divine mother's day inspiration - see here

~*wings*~

arh the dreaded "lurgie" strikes again!  in an attempt to ward off whatever nasty bug has inflicted me i am gobbling down home made chicken soup.  it does seem a little daft to be eating soup in summer, but hey if it does the trick!

just had to share this with you...

its a lil' out of focus as i was madly snapping to catch the moment.  louis found these feathers by the river on the weekend & has spent the last few days "flying' everywhere with his "wings".  too cute hey.  luv watching his little imagination unfold! :)

& thought you might like to take a peak at my new play things...

so i have the whole day at home.  first the boring stuff, attempt to restore order to chaos ridden house.  then play!!

have a great day!

mud puddle happiness :)

when i was a little girl, one of my most fav things was summer storms...summer storms made mud puddles, & mud puddles were the ultimate fun!!  the warm muddy water squishing between your toes, the squelching sound of your feet in the mud, never worrying about the mess or muddy clothes... arhhh bliss!  puddles are kinda rare out this way lately, the wet stuff rarely falls from the sky.  but on sunday it did.  not much, but there were puddles.  always one to seize the moment... of i went!  louis & i had the best fun!  & it was the most serene experience... ( sounds silly right?) but i felt like i was 7 again, not a care in the world!

i luv that i had some quiet time on saturday to work on my cards for em's challenge.  i am just loving this.  everyones work is fab & it is cool to see everyone's interpretation of the prompts.  i have completed weeks 1 -4.  this is my fav...

This lil' card is all about how proud i am to be a mamma.  i am defiantly not a perfect mum but i learn a little more about this job every day!

I am really happy with my cards.  it is such a nice feeling to finish something & truly love what you have created.

winds of change...

ok, so i have no idea where december went. christmas came & went.  i truly love christmas, but everything happened so fast this year, & i have been left in a spin.  already the new year gleams before us like a shiny new pin. 

i have always been a person who wants do it all.  its not that I'm greedy, i just yearn to fill my life & my families with experiences, memories, sights & sounds.  I'm always dreaming & planning & looking forward to the next adventure.  this is the year for doing! the world beckons & we have itchy feet!

i really want this to be the year that i step outside the square.  i want to be daring, i want to have the courage to fill my life with amazing experiences & to fill my mind with the culture of the world!  i am excited! i feel like this is going to be a great year!

my first LO of the year... yer, how slack!

the journaling reads..."with dreams in our head's & hopes in our heart's, we begin a new year... we know not where it will lead, but together we will be."

was cleaning the boy's room yesterday... ( this child, bless him is like a walking cyclone!) & i said to louis, " you are such a lucky boy, you have so many nice things.  there are lots of children in the world like heidy ( our sponsor child.)  who don't have beautiful things like you!"  & he replies, " yes, i should share!"  so i went one step further, " would you like to pick out some of the toys you don't use & send them to those children to cuddle & love?"  then waited for him to throw him self protectively at the toys, after all he is only three!  to my surprise he starts making a little pile.  " i will give this one to them & this one.  um, not this one.  but this one..." etc.  was i just the proudest mummy!  i know he is just a little boy, but i want him to grow up knowing how lucky he is.  i would like him to take pleasure in helping others whenever he can.  so i think this is the perfect opportunity!

there is a wonderful organisation in the uk called containers 4 africa.  they send clothes, toys, pencils, schoolbooks & much more to needy communities, schools & orphanages in africa.

so i got to thinking, we can do this.  ( on a much smaller scale of course.) if a whole bunch of mum's get involved, i'm sure we could find lots of toys, books & children's clothes we no longer need.  seek out communities in need across the world & find possible sponsors to freight the items.  we can make a difference, even if it is only a small one. but what a wonderful example we will set for our little ones. 

if you think you may have some toys or clothes or have a suggestion, let me know!

its a whole new year, lets make it count!! :)

my happiness?

the past few weeks has been a crazy blur.  i know we should learn from everything in our lives, but there are rare times when some things are just best forgotten.  Left alone, not dwell on or over Analyzed.  it takes every bit of my being to hold myself back from doing this, i am an over thinker by nature! through the crazy whirlwind of life i search for positive things to cling to, to be my happiness.  sometimes this happiness comes in the most unexpected ways.  & its when i take time to enjoy the simple everyday things that i find the most happiness, things that i quite often take for granted. when we hit the bottom of the barrel , we can feel so desperately empty.  but its when we begin the steady climb back up that we truly appreciate the depth & extremes of our emotions.  i am climbing back up again... so today i feel fortunate for my happiness...

...& i am thankful for precious moments that remind me how fortunate i am!

hope your day has been filled with happiness...!

sometimes...

sometimes people make good choices for bad reasons...

or maybe its bad choices for good reasons.

sometimes all is not what it seems...

even when it is disguised so well.

sometimes the girl that thinks too much, does not think enough...

or clearly, or rationally.

sometimes you just can't make sense of things...

& the more you try the harder it is...

sometimes standing up for what you believe in is not the best option...

it can get you firmly planted on your but!

sometimes things play out before us like a TV drama...

if possible read the reviews first & see if its worth watching!

get over it...!

ok so todays lesson is... get over it!

lesson #1...  you have 5 days notice to move out of your dance studio & make alternative arrangements, but its "parents & friends watching day" so put on your happy face .. but ya get that!

lesson #2... avoid undergoing beauty treatments with out first checking about side effects...silly me!

lesson #3... when 4 family pets die in the one week, do not tell 3 year old son they have gone to visit their grandma... son only asks when they will return...bad mother!

lesson #4...do not tell 3 year old son that said pets "got sick", son will then ask to visit them in hospital...do not reason with three year old son!

lesson #5...do not live in hope that day can only get better, there is good chance it will only get worse...being the eternal optimist is not always the answer!

lesson #6...do not cling to "false hope"...it is called "false hope" for a reason! ( i'm a little slow!)

Lesson #7... final & most valuable lesson... tomorrow is a new day, one in which you can make all new mistakes & learn from the old!  this is the crazy thing we call "LIFE"...

get over it...!

...on a positive note, we have some really dear friends getting married in a few weeks... i wanna make some cute little nick knacks for their tables @ the reception... ideas please! ... (hope you guys arn;t reading this!!!)

Mmm...

Mmm... feeling a lil' "deep".  there are just times when i feel the need to over process every thought, emotion or feeling!  i have been doing this quite often lately & it is completely exhausting!! not sure if this "over thinking" is a girl trait - does everyone do this? or is it just my very complex personality?  or is it just that we, as people continue to evolve & change through out our lives & we choose to look at things in a completely different perspective...?  its not that i feel down, its almost like a control thing.  to be in complete control of my emotions i have to dissect & analyze them...perhaps i just need a little more sleep!

catching up & cowboys...

this is crazy, its been forever since i posted. 

september has been an insane month, the worst part is i will turn around & do it all again in a week or so.  no point complaining though... just makes me enjoy my time off that much more.

the last few days has been truly blissful. louis & i at home, nowhere we have to be, no reason to hurry.  for us, that is pure joy!

we have made a veggie garden... louis has been watering his little plants & watching them grow.

just being outside with the sun shining makes me feel so happy... life is good.  love that really happy feeling i get every spring. makes me feel so alive, so thankful!

how could you not feel thankful, look at this boy!  yep he's a crazy dude, yep sometimes he makes me crazy, he can be a strong willed tantrum chucking monster... but he's a sweetie!  i guess i have suddenly realized he may not look like me, but he is a quite a bit like me on the inside! (Scary!!)  so i am trying to be the best mummy i can be & be patient!

meet benny, (Black Ben) he is the sweetest friend a lil' boy could have!  ( he also is very patient!) louis just adores him!  my baby is a cowboy... N'  AIN'T HE JUST THE CUTEST!