Weekend Grateful: Special Occasions and Bling!

Yadda, yadda, it is time for Weekend Grateful!

Melbourne Cup lunch 2011 - Madmother & Big Boy

WHAT a WEEK! Tuesday Melbourne Cup. Thursday my birthday. Manic weekend coming up and my head is exploding from looking at children's illustrator sites!

Whose bloody thirteen year old writes a kid's book and needs an illustrator anyway? Hmm? Okay, so mine does. Crap.

Bloody kids.

Bloody amazing kids.

But back to the topic at hand... This week, as mentioned, was my birthday. And Melbourne Cup. Not on the same day, but as we are on the home run to the shop closing we could only have one day together and I chose to celebrate on the Tuesday as it was close enough.

Beauty & The Beasts

Thirteen of us trooped off to a local restaurant. Three course meal, fashion show, prizes of which our group won many, lots of laughter and fun and just an all round wonderful time!

Two gorgeous girls - and they are as LOUD as me!

It was the BEST Melbourne Cup day I have ever had the privilege to enjoy!

Recognise the hot one in the middle?

And then on my BIRTHDAY I was very spoilt (even though we had to work). We had a family dinner at a wonderful local restaurant - though the one we intended to go to was closed, and of course Big Boy, keeping to his record, had NOT rung to check. We were just lucky the other choice was not closed too!

This weekend we are off to another friend's 40th (actually have two on the same night), and as our babysitter fell through last minute, I am also very grateful to good friends who are having my boys for sleepovers!

Oh, and the bling bit?

You like?

So, I am very grateful for the fun and celebrations, friends and family. And I must also thank those who made this possible - the two who sought to make my life bad and yet have made it so much better than ever! Karma is a bitch, eh? Very grateful for Karma...

Weekend Grateful? Hell yeah!

Beads of a Wise Woman

My life has become a series of bizarre co-incidences. I won't post the boring details, but it is all good - the flow is a positive one, if slightly weird.

The latest is within this post. This evening I have been sitting with an idea tumbling and tossing on the stream of my consciousness. And then as I was brewing on the concept, up pops this link in my browser:

Maxabella Loves... Bling on love on the big day.

The perfect blog hop to bring it to fruition.

My mother's beads. Today I wore my mother's beads. I feel her close to me when I wear them, she shadows my moves, smiles to see a little of her decorum and elegance rubbing off on her rambunctious daughter.

They are like her: stunningly beautiful, elegant, revealing more and more depth with every glance. I bought these for her in a little antique shop at the bottom of our mountain. Angel's it was aptly named. Hand-painted venetian glass beads. Fit for a queen, perfect for my queen.

She laughed when I presented them to her, shook her head and told me I was incorrigable. "I thought I said no more jewellery?"

"No, you said no more scarves or brooches. You said nothing about beads."

We both giggled at that. Then she lifted them to the light, straining to see the detailed fine work, revelling in their beauty. And smiled. "Thank you."

"You are welcome Mumma. They reminded me of you."

Today I wore my mother's beads. People smiled, drew closer, breathed in awe at the richness of their splendour. And I could feel her warmth surrounding me, wrapping me in her love, always.