52 Week Project: Twenty.

I love my Converse. They're on their last legs and it's time for me to trade them in. The question is for what? Converse of course, but what colour. I'll miss my shiny silver shoes. Perhaps I'll wear them for just a few months longer...

Point & Shoot.

We prepared for the forecast cyclone conditions by donning our daggiest clothes and snuggling inside. We waited and waited, until it felt like we were wasting away blue skies and potential play time. So we escaped to the playground to burn off some toddler sized energy.


We took the ball and kicked it around, running after each other. Most of all we played pretend, it's what our little toddler likes to do best. We found magical tickets and took adventures through the trees, over the hills and down low in the grass. We fought tigers and sharks until we found our way home.

And the cyclone never came. Thankfully.

What did you get up to?

*Share your Point & Shoot picture below {for newcomers: it's any photo from your weekend, with or without words}. Don't forget to link back to here in your post to let your readers see everyone else's beautiful photos. Thanks for playing along. It makes my Monday to see all the fun.

Big or Small.

{image}

Nice weather for ducks, eh? It's been raining non-stop here since... since I can remember. I've washed and rewashed so many loads of washing, and failed to get any of them dry. I quite like the rain though. I don't mind if it continues all weekend, because I plan on doing a whole lot of nothing. My throat feels like I swallowed razor blades so I don't think I'll have choice.

I have been so busy over the past few months, that I've struggled to read all the blogs I love, or answer my emails. I'll get around to answering those next week. Thanks for being so patient. Now is your chance, if you have anything you want to know, or want me to find out {on life, blogging, anything}... no matter how big or small... just leave a comment or send me an email and I'll get around to answering them next week.

Have a lovely weekend. What have you got planned?

52 Week Project: Nineteen.

I see a mirror and I embrace the opportunity to take a self portrait. The weirder the better. Welcome to week nineteen. Bored yet?

Our Little Dancing Girl.

she loves to dance

our little girl

she wakes and yells, friday! dancing!

although the sun is yet to wake

her enthusiasm is overwhelmingly sweet

so we wake and smile too

she dons her best & pinkest skirt

twirling around the house

dancing her way to and fro

in and out of each room

as we arrive at class

her eyes widen and she becomes a shy

version of our little dancing girl

she dances

with her eyes watching to make sure mama

isn't far from her side at all

as the time passes her confidence grows

she blossoms

dancing, twirling, balancing, swaying, singing

our little dancing girl

Shazam!

I was driving along with two teens in the car, as you do, and I wanted to fill the empty, almost awkward space with something, anything. A song was playing on the radio, and I was unsure of the artist "Isn't that someone's wife singing that song?"

The teen in the front seat promptly replied, "I'll tell you."

I looked over at her with a puzzled expression all over my face, "But.. how?"

"Shazam!"

I waited for the fireworks and magic that 'shazam' usually implies. But nothing.

She whipped out her iPhone, placed it next to the speakers and moments later told me the artist of the song.

And then the almost awkward silence continued.

Just when 30 wasn't seeming so old, I'm thrown a curve ball. What the heck just happened?

Little Bit Of Laughter.

We saw these at the supermarket and immediately cracked up, and then popped them in the trolley. The kids at work are always calling me Smellem {an affectionate mix of our surname, Ellem and smelly} so when we stumbled across these, we had to have them.

On the back of the bottle it states: Water soluble! Tastes Bad! Don't Drink!

And let me just tell you from accidental experience, they do taste very, very bad.

One Thing.

What is one that has made you smile today?

Me? I got sleep! Lacey only woke twice last night, which was bliss.

{image via here}

When We Were Young.

Photography by Nirrimi

Reading blogs is like falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. One minute you're reading one blog, and than you click through to another, and another... and before you know it you don't know where you came from or where you were going.

I get a little upset with myself if I've found a gem and I forget to bookmark it. How will I ever find it again? Will our paths cross once more?

Last week was a series of disappointments regarding sleeping. Lacey refused to go to sleep to begin with and then woke at least 8 times each night. I am so beyond over it, I just don't know what to do. Instead of fighting it, sometimes I just go with it. She lays awake next to me and I just read blogs on my laptop. I know, I know. It's probably not helping the situation... but I've tried everything, and nothing is working. Surrendering feels good, sometimes.

I fell down the rabbit hole. And it went like this. I visited LA at the Freckled Nest {lovely, inspiring, amazing} and then I read about a creative duo, Jordan Taylah who make and sell pyjamas. They're only 14 years old... and they're already on their way. Crazy. And then I fell a little further and found an amazing teenage photographer, Nirrimi.

Can you imagine having such talent and success at that age? And they're Australian.

What were you doing at 14? Building empires and taking amazing photos? I was busy obsessing over boys who had no idea I even existed and collecting teddy bears. Yes, seriously.

More Than This.

Back in July 2008 when I started my blog I didn't put much thought into it. I thought I'd write a post, and then forget about it like I did with most things. It was just the same as I the way I start a new novel, read the first chapter and put the book down never to meet again with it. The way I start writing journals, and forget about them. Or exactly the same way I eagerly start a new diet and then give up within days.

I was breastfeeding a newborn baby when I started my blog. I was bored. It seemed all I did was breastfeed. I was working at the time, but needed something more {I think I was just going crazy} so I started my blog with no real intentions. I didn't plan to write all the time, or even more than once. I'm a spur of the moment type person, sometimes. And this was one of those moments.

So when I was prompted to type in the name of my blog, that too didn't take too much thought. I probably looked up at the ceiling as I do when making any decisions and quickly wrote down Fat Mum Slim.

And so the name stuck.

I'm often asked: Why Fat Mum Slim?

My response is usually: Well, I'm Fat, I want to be Slim, and I'm a Mum. That's how it is.

Almost two years on, I wonder if it should have been something else. Over these many months I've had emails asking if I am some sort of diet. Or can I give some weight loss tips? Some people have even misread and thought the title was actually Fat Muslim.

So now I'm thinking out loud. And I'd love you to think aloud with me. I've thought recently about changing my blog name. To something else. I always stop short though. Fat Mum Slim has become my baby, and I love what it is. I don't want people to think I'm running a diet club, but I'm sure that's the first thought that runs through new reader's minds.

What do you think? Should I change my blog name? I have a list of ideas written up. I have only really fallen in love with one a little bit.

I'd love to read your thoughts. xx

{image via here}

Staycation.

There's something oddly alluring about packing a bag, travelling just twenty minutes from home and having a staycation.

I called my Lil Sis earlier in the week and asked her what she thought about having a night in the City, just the girls. As with everything she does, she jumped at the idea with child-like enthusiasm. We booked a room and invited Big Sis {who couldn't join us due to work} and Ma. Hubby was busy all weekend so it would be nice to be a little bit busy too.

We let valet take care of the car and our bags, and we checked in alongside celebrities and people in tuxedos. We laughed out how under dressed we felt, but how we could have cared less.

The weather was miserable. It had rained all week, allowing a few sunny periods, and continued to rain all weekend. We still wanted to explore though. We walked the streets in search of a delicious dinner {we all had Thai on our minds}.

We always struggle to to think of place to dine in the City. We do it every time. We look at the room service and decide we could do better with our money elsewhere. That somewhere elsewhere is always quite difficult to find.

After an hour of walking through puddles, and bumping into busy, bustling people we stumbled across an old favourite, Chinta Ria. We rubbed buddha bellies, smelt incense and slurped noodles.

We then caught the monorail back to our hotel, where we cuddled up in our warm bed and fell asleep whilst watching movies. It was the perfect weekend.

Do you ever have indulge in staycations?

Point & Shoot.

We trekked all the way to Whale Beach to treat Gaga to a belated birthday lunch. Jonah's has been on her must-do list since the day she ever heard about it, and I'd always promised I'd take her.

The last time I visited Jonah's was when Hubby and I were newlyweds. We stayed the night and had dinner and wine. It poured and the view from our room was replaced with rain and cloudy skies. When we arrived on Saturday the weather was exactly that same, but we still had a beautiful time.

Lacey ordered french fries and chocolate cake. Gaga and I dined on scallops, kingfish and lamb, sipping wine in between.

{Lacey sheepishly peeking behind her cone of french fries}

We were eager to get back because we had a fun afternoon planned. Come back later today to see what we got up to.

In the meantime... how was your weekend?

Sunny Mummy Winner.

Whoops. I just realised I forgot to announce the winner of the Sunny Mummy Assistant! Naughty me. The winner is Susannah. I'll be in touch to grab your address details.

And just a sunny little reminder to everyone else. Sunny Mummy's Buffet of Life is happening next Saturday. You can snap up your tickets here, as well as her snazzy drink bottles too. I tell you, Stacey is taking over the world.

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. {via Soule Mama}

Have a lovely weekend all. I'll see you on Monday with your Point & Shoot.

The Countdown Begins.

In exactly a month now, I'll be turning 30.



I can remember when my Dad turned 30. He had a big party in the backyard with lots of beer and a cake in the shape of women's breasts. At ten years of age I thought it was the most hilarious thing ever. I ended up in bed for most of the party with a sugar-induced migraine.

Five days before my Dad turned 30, my Ma turned 30 too. I don't remember any celebrations for her, and I can probably guarantee that she didn't want any fuss.

A few weeks ago I sent a text to my little sister. We're all going away for my birthday and I wanted to get in early before anyone started planning anything, but in reality they all know me well enough by now to do anything over the top. I told her no cake, no singing and no fuss.

We can have cake. Of course I want cake. I just don't want a cake with sparklers and candles in a full restaurant with lots of people looking. You know what I mean?

I feel quite okay about turning 30. There are things I wish I'd done by now that I haven't, but I have no real regrets. I know it's not old, but it's older. People that seemed generations away from me, now seem to be almost the same age as me. For the first time ever Hubby and I will be in our thirties together. We were never in our twenties together, so this is new. I'm catching up.

I think as the date nears I'll probably spend what little spare time I have reflecting, and fretting slightly... but I have cake and a holiday to look forward to. Thirty is the new twenty anyways, right?

{1st image via here, 2nd image my own}

I'm A Little Bit Excited...

My tickets are booked and I'm ready to go.


So far I've tried to avoid watching snippets from the new Sex & the City movie, and any interviews too. I want to watch it for the first time in the cinema. I don't want to know who's wearing what, or dating whoever now, I want to see it then. I'm a Sex & the City tragic. I could {and do} watch reruns over and over again without getting bored. I love it so so much.

When it first aired on television I didn't watch it. For two reasons really, before Hubby I didn't really watch TV, and I thought it would be a bit crude. Now I own the series on DVD and I can recite the lines by heart. I even have a favourite episode: the one wear Miranda fits back into her skinny jeans and Carrie gets over the post-it note.

So I'm a tragic. I can't wait. Can you?

{one thing}

What is one thing that made you smile today?

Me? It's only early yet and I got very, very little sleep last night so I'm not smiling yet...but it's only a matter of time. Happy hump day. xx

You Touched Me.

One day when I was a little girl my mother asked my sister and I if we wanted to go to the grocery store with her. Immediately we began fighting over who got the front seat, and my mum settled it by making us both sit in the back seat together. After a few minutes we began bickering again.

'Hey! You're on my side!'

'You touched me!'

Looking back on that childish fighting, I realised that something beautiful has happened to us. we have grown close. And that closeness has lasted a lifetime.

My sister and I are grown up now and our childhood battles are over. We don't 'tell' on each other anymore. Yet comments we made as kids still ring true today.

You are on my side. You have touched me.

I gave this to my sister years and years ago in a card for her birthday. I think I read it in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. It's so true for us. We used to bicker like that about nothing. And now we are both on the same side. xx

{image}

Bits Of Beautiful.

The Papier Mache magazine is available now. As always, it's beautiful. x

Basic Butter Biscuits.

Almost every day Lacey has been walking into the kitchen requesting biscuits. She doesn't like the ones we buy her, so I thought it was about time that I pulled out the old {or not quite so old} mixer and made a batch myself.


Not sure what flavour she would like the best, I made a basic butter dough and created a few different flavours: jam, choc-chip and passion fruit. Choc-chip won.

Here is the recipe:

Makes 30

Ingredients

125g butter softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg, at room temp

2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon milk

Method

♥ Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

♥ Using an electric mixer beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.

♥ Add egg and mix until well combined.

♥ Sift flour {I didn't sift, I never do} and baking powder over butter mixture.

♥ Add milk and stir until just combined.

♥ Add which ever flavours you like.

♥ Cook until golden brown.

Recipe from Taste.

52 Week Project: Eighteen.

It was only as I was showing Lacey her little shadow that I thought I could use my own shadow as my self portrait. Easiest week by far. Is it cheating? I don't think so.

*If you're new here: I take a self portrait once a week. I'm quickly running out of ideas... but I vow to continue on. x

Point & Shoot.

As far as perfect weekends go, I think I just had one. A little adventure mixed with a dash of sunshine, a scoop of icecream {Ben & Jerry}, manicure & pedicure, picking up a dining table for $20, sleep-ins, people we love, a clean home and lots of laughter. It couldn't have been more perfect...

How was your weekend?

My Point & Shoot this week was taken just after breakfast out. We sat by the water, in the sun as Lacey played peek-a-boo. I love this time of year.

Point & Shoot is a fun game we play each Monday. You share a photo from part of your weekend, any part. You link to your blog below, and link back to here on your blog. Perfect!

I look forward to visiting you all and seeing what you saw. xx