#reverb12 Day 30: What can I celebrate NOW?

I can celebrate reaching the end of a very long year. A year full of the highest highs & the lowest lows I have had in a long time. I can celebrate raising my son to be the gorgeous little pocket-rocket of a toddler he is, supporting my husband through his last, oft tumultuous year of med school & managing to set aside valuable time amidst the chaos to indulge my creative self & learn new things.

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 29: Hearing my word...

My word for 2012, without a doubt, has been 'Banjo'. 

The word & the boy were my constant companions - the first thought in my head when I woke up, this precious being to love & hold & feed & change, to cuddle, play with & cherish; the focus of all my daily tasks & often the subject of my dreams too. I had this boy & his name on high rotation &, unlike the numerous songs we wrote for him & those featuring his name-sake instrument that filled our lives & our hearts along with him, I just couldn't get enough.

The loveliest thing is, in recent days he has been saying it himself - his own name! Although it sounds a lot more like 'Pit-chow, pit-chow' (he always repeats it twice)...just adorable. *sigh*

Here are some of the songs we wrote & sing to him:

Banjo, he's our little Newman boy

Banjo, he's our little son

Banjo, he's our little Newman boy

What's he gonna be when he grows up?

My name is Banjo

I feel emotions...all of the time.

[when he's having a melt-down]

Sleepy time, little Banjo.

Sleepy time, little Banjo.

[speaks for itself...I'm not ashamed to say there is often a mumbled 'fucking' in between the first & second lines!]

Banjo's going to child care
Two days a week.
[preparing him for life without Mummy & Daddy]

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 22: My most important gift...

The most important gift in 2012 is one that I gave.

A few months ago my husband's Buddhist teacher, the 9th incarnation of the Traleg tulku lineage, His Holiness Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche passed away. His death was quite sudden & thus came as a shock to all who knew and loved him. Traleg has played a very significant role in my husband's life over the past 10 years & I too came to be fond of him through our volunteer work, living in his monastery in Tibet & attending the annual Buddhist summer school he convened in Melbourne.

For Christmas, I decided to give my husband something to remember Traleg fondly. Forever in our hearts & now forever on our wall in a beautiful 80x50cm canvas of this picture:

Image courtesy of Evam Institute

The sweetest thing of all is when we ask Banjo (who is only just learning his first words) 'Where's Rinpoche?", he runs into the dining room & points up to the picture on the wall. Traleg Rinpoche has a very special place in Banjo's life too...but that story is for another day.

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 21: What's on the dream list?

My dream list for 2013 consists of very practical, achievable things. I am not a high maintenance gal. I live small & am most often delighted by the simplest of things.

1. I'd like a 2-1/2" scrapbooking hole punch.
2. I want little B to get a spot at the awesome day care centre near our house (waiting, waiting).
3. With my husband starting his intern year, I hope we can still manage to have our meaningful chats & time alone together.
4. I'd like to refresh my logo / blog design & get in the habit of posting regularly.
5. I hope to finish a crochet rug before winter is here.
6. I am desperate to find a cute old chest of drawers to upcycle for our bedroom (you're out there somewhere & I'll know you when I see you!)
7. To be able to say I have a little boy who eats all his vegetables (maybe a tad ambitious).
8. Complete a 12 week group training & helfi eating program.
9. Make more things for myself.
10. I want to be a mummy again (fingers crossed).

What's on your dream list this year?

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 19: How I've nourished myself...

I taught myself to crochet...

#reverb12 Day 18: The colour of me...

...is mint green. Pantone 14-6324 a.k.a Peapod or thereabouts...

Image Source: Fab

I am way behind on colour trends. I like what I like when I like it. Usually just as it is disappearing from the fashion & homewares stores, resulting in huge missions across town to find what I like or cruising online to catch the last remaining morsels of the fad of the day.

I just didn't get in to pastels. Mainly because I don't think they look good on me & they also don't suit the bright, colourful palette of my home. I did however recently acquire some pastel paints to upcycle 3 Ikea chairs I bought for $15 off Gumtree. The tangerine one is done with the pink & green yet to come. Also searching for a round wooden table if anyone in Brisbane is selling one cheap?

Here are some of my minty green faves for your viewing pleasure. Brew yourself a Mint Green Tea & enjoy!

Image source: Castles, Crowns, Cottages

That would be nice! Shall we take this cute little mint green bug?

Image source: Style Me Pretty

With shoes & nails to match!

Image Source: Ssense

Image Source: Cupcakes & Cashmere

Don't forget your camera...

Image Source: Urban Outfitters

And for the DIYer in all of us:

Ombre walls...

Image Source: PS. I Made This

A paper garland...

Image Source: Apple in My Heart

Painted mason jars...

Image Source: Kootut Murut

And the best kind of dresser upcycle: chevron!

Image Source: The New Home

What colour is inspiring your palette this summer?

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 15: What tingled my tastebuds...

I must say, this past year food has been a total non-event for me. I have basically shovelled whatever I had in my pantry or fridge (sometimes that which was barely passable as 'food') into my body whenever I had the chance. That's what being a Mum is all about. There is more important stuff to do. When I wasn't parenting, I was either cleaning (if you could call it that), washing or crafting. Stuff flavour...give me 6 dry biscuits with spreadable cheese (they balance nicely in a row on top of my sewing machine) & a packet of pepitas anyday.

I might just add that my loathing for cooking shows has grown in tandem with their popularity. Seriously, who has time to cook that shit?

♥ Dani 

#reverb12 Day 13: My favourite photo of me from 2012...

good times. great friends. wonderful memories. beautiful bubbas.

♥ Dani 

#reverb12: Day 12: My most intense emotion

This year has certainly been a merry-go-round of emotions.

At times I've squealed for it never to stop & looked up in wonder at the way the sunlight plays with the leaves on the trees, trying to focus on a single point in an attempt to hold that moment in time while the world around me kept on spinning.

I squealed for the sheer joy of being a mother

I squealed for my little boy when he walked & talked

I squealed when my wonderful husband became a Doctor

I squealed when my parents visited for B's first birthday

I squealed for my brother when he got the job that would bring him & his family closer to us

And other times I've pleaded for the world to slow down, yelling "Let me off! I feel sick...".

I pleaded for time on my own

I pleaded for my little baby boy not to grow up so fast

I pleaded for my #fabulousnewmanboys to get better

I pleaded for this not to be happening to us again

I pleaded for my life

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 11: What was music to my ears?

Two simple words: "I passed!"

 

After four long & often gruelling years, my husband announcing he had passed his final medical exams was like finding water in the desert.

 

And today, it was official...Ladies & Gentleman....my husband, MD.

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 9: Your favourite book?

I always freak out a little when someone asks me a question like this...mainly because there are just too many to choose from!

My main loves are literary fiction & good fantasy...how do you compare the two or pick one over the other?

Anyhow, luckily the parameters of this particular exercise narrow it down to books I've read in the last year - very narrow indeed considering having a little bub has been somewhat incompatible with doing anything 'me' related purely for leisure or pleasure.

And the winner is...'Jasper Jones' by Craig Silvey. 

I've got to be honest, the reason I picked up this book was because it had a big gold circle on the front...Indie Book of the Year Award 2009 (yep, a little behind the times) plus I'd heard it had been short-listed for the Miles Franklin. And  it didn't disappoint. A beautifully written, easy to read novel about love, betrayal & small town life...the story was easily recognisable without being predictable & the characters just crawled right up inside my heart & nestled themselves there. Loved it!

Having said that, I'm not quite sure what it is doing on the First Tuesday Book Club's 10 Aussie Books to Read Before You Die. It's a great book, but there are quite a few I'd put in front of it. Don't get me started on Tim Winton...I just don't get it people!

I must say, the book I'm reading now is shaping up to be a promising contender for favourite book of 2012 (although it's looking like stretching well into 2013 at the current rate of consumption). 'The Twelve' is the long-awaited sequel to Justin Cronin's 'The Passage', which I also loved. Delving into the back-stories of the characters Cronin introduced in the first book has been a lovely journey indeed. Speaking of which...off to bed to snuggle up with my book!

Are you reading anything good at the moment?

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 8: Your most important relationship?

Can I cheat & have two?

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 6: What have I learned?

among other things...'sleeping like a baby' is not what I've always thought it meant!

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 5: What was my dream destination?

Having a bub (especially one that has never slept particularly well) has seen the development of some strange &, in hindsight, quite disturbing thoughts this past year such as:

• Oooh..I hope he lets me sleep in 'til 4:30am!
• That top is fine to wear...you can hardly notice the vomit & mashed banana. 
• 45 minutes to wash/hang 2 loads, dust, vacuum & mop the floors, take the rubbish out, do some online banking & check emails? No worries!

And my absolute fave: 

• If only I could go to the toilet....on my own!

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 4. How will I celebrate me?

As a working mum, homemaker, wife & self-confessed technophile in the grip of a full-blown craft addiction there's barely a spare minute to be found for a pat on the back or 'Yay, me!' nowadays.

But in consideration of today's prompt & with the season of giving upon us, I've made a conscious decision  to give myself one small gift each day for the 12 days of Christmas - as a way of saying 'Thank you, you're a cool chick, a wonderful wife & Mum & I love hanging out with you!'

(in no particular order)
1. Three hours uninterrupted sewing

2. New nail polish
3. Bub-free trip to Spotlight
4. A piece of cake (guilt-free)!
5. A sleep in
6. No grocery shopping week
7. Something from my Book Depository wishlist
8. A chick flick at the cinema
9. A cleaning lady
10. The time & space for a blog revamp
11. A 'Homeland' Season 2 marathon
12. A bottle of 'Giesen' Sauvignon Blanc

Bring on Christmas! Hmmm...now where to start?

What will you do to celebrate you?

♥ Dani 

#reverb12 Day 3. What I really wish for...

I've been struggling with this prompt...it's not that I'm finding it hard to identify things that I wish for, but I'm trying to steer away from cliches. World peace, an end to hunger, cures for horrible diseases, for the health & safety of my family...yes, all that.

There was a lovely story I read somewhere recently that has been doing the social media circuit...& I guess it too is cliche but it really struck a cord with me. It was about a conversation overheard at an airport where a woman & her mother were saying farewell. As they parted, they said 'I wish you enough'. I love that.

I wish for enough....for the people I love & treasure & for the 6 billion others who I probably would if I knew them. I wish you all enough.

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 2. My most significant spend...

This year my most significant spend was a much needed & well deserved tropical holiday full of...

naps...

nostalgia (the beach where we were married)...

kicking & spinning...

nude ball...

swimming...

me time...

babycinos & marshmallows...

playing on the beach...

contemplation...

family time...

BBQ'ing...

chilling out with old friends & new bubbas...

picnics...

& being well-informed about safety matters! ;)

♥ Dani

#reverb12 Day 1. How am I starting?

It feels very odd to be contemplating new beginnings right now...lately my mind has been firmly planted in the either the past or the future as I contemplate the year that was & the path imagined that keeps changing, as it is wont to do.

We have spent this last week holidaying in an old resort town home of ours & it has been a very timely & surreal experience recalling our lives here. This is where we fell in love, where we got married, where we forged some amazing friendships & where many of the dreams for our life together began. Returning here with B to play in the parks we'd previously ignored & meet the bubbas born in our absence has been a magical occasion indeed.

So...how am I starting?

With a fresh perspective on where we are & how far we've come

With reinvigorated friendships & new memories to treasure

With a little boy who is now saying 'car'

With a beautiful & wonderfully clever new Doctor for a husband (so proud!)

With a heavy heart & an empty space for the baby we were longing to meet

With the physical traces of pain & loss

With a Christmas shopping list as long as the line up for Santa photos

With a creative thirst

With a full social calendar

With the smell of sunscreen...

♥ Dani