Wednesday, December 20, 2006

More Updates...

And the wedding preperations are coming along nicely. No I haven't tried on any dresses yet. In fact I'm a little scared about that part. What if I don't find one I absolutely love?!!...what if I look terrible in them all?!!...
Eventually I'll get there.
But what I have managed to find is the style of dresses that I was really, really wanting for the bridesmaids. Black - check. Cocktail length - check. Femine - check. A little unique - check. Ebay yielded these little beauties. So only time will tell whether or not you'll be able to spot them in the wedding shots.What other updates can I give you...

Oh! the bridesmaids are locked in...and all the girls are so excited! it's actually alot of fun, because they're all so good at keeping me upbeat and in the best mood! so the wedding day is going to be an absolute blast! [not to mention the fact I'll be marrying the love of my life...that should be fun too!! :P]

Maid Of Honour

Katie: An obvious one, apart from being my twin sis she's also my best friend in the whole world. I love her so much, and it just wouldn't be right without katie standing right there beside me.


Bridesmaids
Rea: I've known her since I was 3, and she's been one of the greatest friends of my life. No matter what we've always stayed in touch, and times are always grand when we're together.




Jess: Best friends since primary school, we were united in our wackiness [go the 'J-Team'], and no matter how much time has past, it always feels so good between us. Love chuckles.




Belle: Well this should be obvious too! Belle and I have been the best of mates since High school, and it's kept on going and going ever since. I love her to bits.

.............................................................................................................................

What's kinda cool is i noticed that the girls I chose to be my bridesmaids, actually span my entire life thus far. Rea: since I was 3, Jess: Since Primary school, Belle: Since high school... and Katie: for the entirety (sp?), all of them have carried right through to the present. Friendship truely is such a beautiful and precious thing...and while everyone I love can't be part of the bridal party, I do sincerely look forward to sharing this amazing day with all the people I love.

other updates...? Well the vases have been bought, for...well remember this?
**Minus all the pink erckiness!!

So we now have a vast number of boxes piled up in the corner, full of these vases;
And pretty soon I'll be buying something close to 400 Peacock feathers to turn these vases into a pretty spectacular centrepiece [well I hope so]

I shall keep you updated.
here ya go...take some love
xoxo

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Christmas comes early.

Timmy bought me a Kitten!


This isn't actually him, but I googled and managed to find this piccy, which holds an uncanny likeness.
He's a 6 week old, black moggy. And boy-oh-boy is he brave. He was wandering up to dizzy, who's at least 4 times his size, giving him a good sniff over, while dizzy [the absolute wuss] was freaking out! Though Tim and I aren't entirely convinced that he's brave, rather just naive ;)

Anywhoo, after some consideration, going by his looks and [believed] boldness I've called him Bear.

And he's beautiful!!

I'll pop some piccies of him up just as soon as I can get some here.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Countdown


10 months till the wedding and I am so desperately excited!!
I cannot wait to be Tims wife!
I have been so blessed with and by this mighty man. and I just want to encourage any of you who are still waiting. I was single for what felt like the longest time and often I would begin to lose hope, as though I would have to lose some of my standards and desires and 'be more realistic' if I wanted to find a man.
Can I just say to you. Do not ever sell yourself short. Place your requests before God. I put mine there probably about 3 years ago and I think for a while I forgot about it.
God loves marriage and he loves love...funny that, since he created both. I do not believe for a second that God is cruel or malicious. Get this he WANTS to bless you!! he really really does.
Trust
Trust
Trust
Thats all I can say.
Please do not think for a second that I am being condescending...I do not mean to be that way at all.
I just really want to encourage you. Stay strong, and hold the faith. God always comes through on his promises.
This post is directed at someone...and you know who you are [at least you should]
there is someone out there for you! and he is amazing!! never ever give up yourself to anyone less worthy, you are a priceless jewel in the eyes of God and in my eyes too...and in Gods time, that bloke who agrees with us will rock up. I am sorry that Gods watch ins't syncronised with yours, but hold fast.
I love you more than you know.
Be all that you can be, through Gods grace and love!

overview...[blessings]

I'm back home in Forster. I have been for at least the last 2 weeks and I'll be here for at least another week.

Dad is on long service leave, so mum and dad packed up the car and have hit the road and they're travelling to a few of the nooks and crannies around Australia. Thus why I have been called back home, as I explain it, I'm "babysitting my little sister" To which most people who know me will say, "isn't your sister your twin, meaning she's the same age as you?"
The answer to that is indeed Yes.
Mum and dad were worried that Kate would get lonely, and I had no hesitation in coming to visit my best buddy for 3 weeks.

This morning as I stirred, glancing briefly out my bedroom window and guessing the time to be something around 8am, smiling softly at the thought I had beaten my alarm. However it seems the overcast weather deceived me quite effectively as the time was actually 12:30 and somehow I had slept through the alarm without even stirring. Being deceived so early into the day is not the greatest of starts, I would have been more annoyed had I actually had a reason for getting up before the alarm.
Instead I just lay there and it was in that moment that I was overcome with a sadness. Like a blanket it came over me.
I miss all the blessings of Armidale, of my time in Armidale. My friends.
I had left Armidale 2 weeks ago only moments after hugging Laura tightly and swearing to stay in touch. Loz was heading back to her hometown of Orange for the next 3 months and it was very posible that I would have moved away from Armi by the time she returned for her final year of Uni.

I realise that I'm at a big place right now. The decisions that I will be making over the next few months and the decisions I have made over the last few months are determining the course of my life...at least the next stage of my life.

As I look at permanent teaching positions, I have resided myself to the fact that I will probably have to accept something further west into the state, and I am quite confident and comfortable about that. I think, if I have learnt nothing else over the last 4 years it is this;

God is a truely gracious and merciful God. He always has the best for me and if I fight him less and trust him more, in time, I will see that what he offers me is what I really need and want.

I look back on the last 4 years and I can see Gods blessings all over it.When I think about how I would worry, how often during that first year I felt so alone and so hopeless. The time spent in prayer pleading with him to grant me real and authentic friendships...to grant me peace in Armi

Anyone who knows me well knows that for probably the first year of Armidale I couldn't wait to get out. And now as I sit at the tail end of my adventure I will be pained to leave.

I know that Armidale was exactly where God wanted me to be - in faithfulness I followed him there trusting that everything he promised me would come into being. Believe me when I say these things I am not trying to make myself into some sort of loyal saint. Rather to the contrary, I followed God there and in my heart of hearts I trusted him, but during the whole journey I often lacked faith and I often lacked the stamina...praise God I did make it, praise God that he gave me the strength I needed when I needed it. When what he probably really wanted to do was give me a good clonk over the head [I'm sure there were times when he did, as all good fathers should] Heck knows that for at least half the journey I was like that whingey kid in the back seat whining with "Are we there yet?!!!"

Whining didn't get me there any quicker and I can see that now. But sometimes it's easier to pretend to be a victim than to stand tall, be confident and know it's all going to work out beautifully, sometimes as faithful as God has always been, we need him to prove himself once more.

I can still remember what it was that proved to me once and for all that God was with me all the way. It was the break-up with Aaron. I can remember lying on my bedroom floor in flat 28 crying so hard that it hurt, crying untill tears ran dry and all that was left were dry, breaking sobs.
I can remember that as I lay there and just cried I knew, in the midst of all of that despair...God was there, I knew that he lay there beside me, he didn't speak he just cried with me.
When i awoke the next morning and pulled myslef off the floor where I had fallen asleep I was filled with a confidence I cannot describe, a confidence that God was with me for the long haul. Where people had fallen short and let me down, he never did and he never has.

It was as though the plug was pulled, and with that realisation came a clear flow of blessing.

I think that in order for me to really appreciate the things he had for me, I needed to realise that the greatest of all was simply his presence. I still earnestly believe that.

So as I prepare myself to possibly leave armidale at the dawn of the new year I want to say thankyou. I want to pray blessing and prosperity and joy and love in Jesus name over all those friends in Armidale who were nothing less than pure and holy and righteous blessings of God into my life. Who spoke love and life into me. Who invested and were invested in. Leaving armidale is not the end...far from it dear friend. You are my brothers and sisters, the bond we have runs thicker than blood and I will spend the rest of my life investing in what you are, what you do and who you become.

Thankyou dear dear, Laura, Felicity [fless], Rhen, tess, Wae-jae, Timmy, Timmi, Alex, Dan, Brit, Suzie, Sam, Bron, Siovahn, kerry, Christine, Dave, Nick, Nicole, Bec, Bree.

Also I want to thank you who I include in my Armidale bunch, because while you may not have physically been in Armidale you were also what helped me through, you too spoke the truths and blessings into my life and I want to include you in all the thankyou's and blessings - Paul, Bec, Mon, Kate [and my whole family], Belle, Rea, Jess.W.

But the biggest thankyou of All goes to the big dude, J.C.

You have given me incredible friends, and a beautiful and amazing fiance Tim
I love you, I trust you...even though sometimes it's hard when I face the future. I believe your promises and place all my hope in you...

Matthew 6:25
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

More.

Well since some of you find the wedding preperations interesting, and since I myself find the wedding preperations interesting, I thought I would share some more of them.
It seems that over the last few days through discussions with katie, that a basic theme has emerged.
A shabby chic style, but with bolder colours. Drawing inspiration from vintage, classic, sort of vibes.
The central decorative piece is indeed still the peacock feathers. Deciding to use the Central rich Royal blue as the major colour.

Pearls will play a large part in the day, seen throughout quite a few of the details. Including the bridesmaids and my jewelly, which are set to be made by my incredibly talented sister Katie.
The bridesmaids will still be in the black cocktail dresses with the Royal blue sash. Bouquet?
Well the bridesmaids are set to carry a simple bunch of Iris's...
As for myself. I will of course be in white, with a simple bunch of Calla Lillies, with a couple of peacock feathers in the mix.
The Key colours are set to be;


I'll fill you in more as I get better pictures and all that jazz...
[aplologies that the whole thing is still very patchy...at the moment the vision is nearly entirely in our heads...it's just getting it out in a visual way thats tricky...we'll get there :P]
























Thursday, November 16, 2006

Art Spotters


I've had a few questions about the large Painting of the Sunflower, seen in the photo's taken of the flat decorated for Christimas.
In answer to your questions, yes I do think it's lovely, and hopefully I would since I'm the artist :P
Apologies for the quality of the image here, it was taken on a camera phone, and the blue bit in the bottom right corner isn't actually part of the painting, it's a bit of christmas decoration which got in the way.

I am trying to get back into my art, and I just wanted to say thatnkyou to those of you who commented on MSN about how much you liked it, even before you knew you had to brown nose to me :P
Your beautiful

Maths Equation

What does

One guitar


+ One Amp




+ One guitar Stand



+ One guitar case and Strap



= ???

$50 acoording to the guy Timmy bought this kit, for me, off today!
Oh how I love a good bargain!

Already?!!






Christmas already!!








I know it's early, But since I head back to Forster on Saturday, Timmy was gracious and let me decorate his flat early :D
Some of the best fun I've had in a long time.



Laura then came out and we had a whimsical chat under the christmas tree lights. Over the course of the conversation Laura mentioned "Gee I wonder where the whole idea of the Christmas tree came from..."
To which, (due to last years research) I was able to say..."Well actually..."



















This launched into a big discussion about How commercialised Christmas has become and how sad it is that just spending the holidays with Family and friends just isn't enough for some people anymore.
God sent his son to earth, the greatest gift we could ever hope for, that son walks as man, completely man (yet without sin) he lives a life of worship and justice, and then he dies the death of a sinner, all so we don't have to live as the scum we earnt the role of. Instead, we can live in righteousness and walk out in victory...
...And yet, after all of that, after the greatest gift has already been given, knowing that no gift can ever possibly surpass it,... sometimes....just sometimes we still manage to get lost in the chaos of a commercialised christmas, a christmas that tells us we have to get the BEST presents, the BEST decorations, The BEST of everything, or else christmas is crap.
...
Well let me just say, that I think thats crap.
...
It's times like these that I'm reminded why we are enemies with the world, So in my loyalty to J.C. I'm going against the world on this one...

This year, all I want for Christmas are my family and friends...and maybe some photos to remember it by.

Absence does make the heart grow fonder...

I love you guys, enjoy the holiday season, Theres a birthday to celebrate!!
OH!!...




and let yourself get silly once in a while.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

$2.95!!!!

Gosh I love a good bargain!
And as I was shuffling through the reduced bucket at Sportsgirl I managed to snaffle a gooden. $2.95 for this little number.

I'm not a huge hat person, but this was just too cute, and too cheap to pass up.

Also, to make me even happier, apparantly it was supposed to be $7.95, but someone must have labelled it incorrectly, and thus they had to give it to me for the advised price :D :D

bargains make me so happy!!

[Had a quick look through my wardrobe today and realised I haven't paid full price for anything in there...Oh yes, I know how to bargain shop, wanna learn the tricks then you should hit the shops with me sometime ;) ]

Race Day

Last Tuesday, as I'm sure we all know, was Melbourne Cup - the race that stops a nation.

I was woken at 12pm by a message from Timmi reading; "So...it's race day, we getting spruced up and going somewhere?"

I quickly chat to my Timmy, followed by a message sent back to Timmi and within an hour we're all decked up and headed down to the Wicklow for Melbourne Cup fever.

The group of us ended up being Timmy, Myself, laura, Timmi, Steve and Annabell.

Can I just say that it was so nice to see the boys in suits. I don't think a guy ever looks as good as when he's scrubbed up and in a suit. My three boys were no exception. Plus add to that the treatment, it was as though the old time suits brought out old-time treatment of the ladies...to which my feminist mind was not at all complaining about. Everywhere we went the boys escourted us around by linking our arm through theirs, they opened doors, pulled out chairs - it's was fabulous!!

As for the race itself...none of us were winners.
I had gone for Number 3: Railings...Timmi had joined me,
My timmy had gone Ice Chariot- which laura whole heartedly agreed with, announcing to us all that it was going to win for sure...No doubt about it.
Annabell and Steve had gone for number 16...whatever that horse was [no idea, they had chosen it for the number and either way...it didn't place ;) ]







The Railings Pickers...Timmi & I*

















The 'Ice Chariot' Barackers...Timmy and laura

















The Number 16 backers, Annabel and Steve








For the record, after all of laura's ravings about ice chariot, it came 22nd, out of 23 horses...it was hilarious!

But what a great day was had...Oh and I even have photo's [Yes, Yes, I am good to you ;) ]

*apologies for my pic...the only one for the day was when Timmy was trying to annoy me :P so it'll do

Thursday, November 09, 2006

input is good...

Again I apologise to all the people who have to read this and really don't care.

I was brainstorming some bridesmaids Ideas with the influence of my mum to get some of this done.
Basically I don't want anything to fancy or over the top. The whole mood of the event is suppose to be relaxed.
When I caught a glimpse of this dress I thought it was beautiful and really what I was thinking when it came to the bridesmaids.
Simple, cocktail dress.



















The colours however would be different. The thoughts Tim and I have had is that the groomsmen would be in Black suits, black shirts and royal blue ties. So the concept emerged of having the maids in black cocktail dresses with royal blue sash, complete in a bow at the back.
bringing some Uniformity to the bridal party. Then I would be in my white, Tim in the black shirt, black shirt and White tie.

The thought was to buy the black dresses for the girls and then simply purchase some thick satin ribbon from Spotlight and do the tie ourselves.
Had a quick squiz around and there are black cocktail dresses everywhere!!

Of course we're keeping the Peacock feather theme, with this Blue coming from the very very centre of the feathers.



















So the overall look should be something like;

Bridesmaids

















Groomsmen




















Next time I'll try and keep my posts more interesting.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Arty-Farty-Pets

Man!! as I sit here I feel incredibly light headed. I realised about five minutes ago that I've had something close to 5 glasses of coke today. Plus a friend of Tims visited from Tamworth so we headed over to the "White Bull" for a beer. Beer on an empty belly will have your head spinning pretty quick (especially if your a light weight like me) but a good meal and 6 hours and that was sorted. Right now I think that I might be suffering from a serious sugar overload. :P

But all of that aside, what I really came on here to share was Kate and my shinnanigans last weekend.

I can generally gurantee some sort of laugh a minute entertainment when Kate's nearby...

So, with nothing but our cheeky grins as a clue, take a moment to guess just what we may have gotten up to last wekend gone...

...

..

.

We painted the cat!!

Did you guess it?!!

Kate visited Armie for Tims 21st and Saturday morning, bored and with nothing but a "midnight Blue" permanent hair dye to ammuse us, katie and I spent the morning chasing Dizzy around the flat painting stripes all over him so he ended up looking like a blue and white Tiger.







Took a bit of getting use to. And quite a bit of us saying "Geez I wish we'd used black"
But now, a week after I'm actually glad we used Blue. had we used black I think it would have been easy to think that it was his natural colouring.
Instead he looks like an Arty-farts cat. And I think he looks unreal!

Friday, November 03, 2006

Wedding



I realise that for some of you, you cannot think of anything worse than listening to me ramble about the wedding plans, however since these are the most interesting happenings in my life currently, they my dear reader, will be what I shall share with you.

The date has been booked. 6th of October, 2007.
I'm so grateful to my mum for being on top of everything. Had we not booked this far in advance, there is no way at all, that we would have gotten what we wanted, where we wanted it and when we wanted it.

So far, what we do know is this;

The ceremony will be held at the Green Cathedral. A gorgeous open air church right on the waters of wallace lake. It's always been a little dream of mine to get married there, so it is exciting that it will be happening.







The reception will be held across in Forster, at the Wharf Bar and grill. Which has this glorious sort of verandah which overlooks the lake. From the second I saw it I was pretty smitten. It is a restaurant on the second level of the building and for the night, they would close it off completely to the wedding. The venue is complete with seating for up to 100, as well as a complete dance floor and sound system.



The Plan is for the whole affair to be fairly low key, relaxed. With 80 people total. Buffet, and a Brassery of sorts. No formal seating plan, the tables will be decorated and arranged (as would be expected) however, we've decided that we would prefer for people to decide where and with whom they would like to sit.






Theme?
Peacock feathers. Already idea's are being formulated, with Kate giving me some amazing idea's.
One that we're both pretty keen on is this;


This is all so pink I nearly wanted to puke. But now imagine Peacock feathers instead of the Pink Ostrich feathers. And blue instead of pink (barf) everywhere note: I'm not planning on all the frilly stuff, just talking the feather vase centrpieces here ;)













The bridesmaids;
Katie (maid of Honour)
Rea
Belle
Jess.W. (go the J team)

I'm sure I will update you soon ;)
xoxo