Shadow Shot Sunday {7}

These 'shadow shots' were taken this time last week, at the lagoon-style pool at the Marriott Hotel. It's funny to think, that the sun was providing such perfect light for midday shadows {and a little bit of sunburn was had}.....yet, when I look out the window today.....it's raining & overcast! I'm glad we were down at the hotel last week & not this :)

Enjoy your Sunday!

Playing along with Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday!

Better Late Than Never!.....{week-a-boo}

Hello Hello!

We're back from our 'last minute' night away :( I had to be dragged home, kicking & screaming, the whole way! I really could be on vacation {resort style in summer of course} ALL DAY EVERYDAY, quite happily LOL! Coffees, cocktails, gourmet sandwiches all brought to us as we sunbaked & lazed.....meals out.....amazingly comfy hotel beds....fluffy white robes.....a content toddler.....no cleaning....no cooking.....not a care in the world.....hmmm, I could get used to this! Haaa!! We haven't 'holidayed' much since Ella was born....so 3 holidays in the past 2 months has been HEAVENLY!

Our weekend started off in a not-so-pleasurable way, with Ella having a shocking night terror at about 11pm Friday night! She's had quite a few of these over the past 2 years, but this one went on for quite a while. In fact, I think she woke from the terror after about 15minutes, but by then she was so worked up & so inconsolable that the tantrum continued :( Finally she passed out & returned to the world of slumber...until about 3am!! Even though Night Terrors are a common thing & I must admit that by now we are so used to Ella's crazy sleeping, but there is nothing worse than not being able to calm your own child....it absolutely breaks my heart to see her so out-of-whack & distressed for no obvious reason! Chris & I aren't good with seeing Ella like that, and consequently it creates some tension, worry & anxiety amongst our little family. BUT....Saturday rolled around, and like all parenting hardships....you just have to learn from it, accept it & move on :) As I've written about before....being a parent, is the most amazing, rewarding & magical life-experience & something I treasure so much! BUT...it's also one of the hardest, most heart-wrenching & soul-digging of journeys to be a part of!

So.....{yes, I like to start my blog sentences with so, although grammatically incorrect....it just rolls for me!} Saturday was slow & easy! I downed a few coffees before any real activities commenced :) We painted & crafted & vacuumed & mopped & threw out every sweet treat & naughty food-type that was hiding in our pantry {in a worried frenzy that something in Ella's diet is causing the night terrors! Anything's worth a try hey?!}

{The new cruiser bike ~ Ella's birthday present from Mummy & Daddy last week!}

Saturday afternoon consisted of ballet & tap shoe and leotard shopping {more on that another day soon} and practising riding her new big girl bike!!

We then headed out for dinner with Chris's childhood friend Paul & 2 of his 4 children. They live in Victoria, but Paul brought the 2 girls up for a holiday to 'do' all the theme parks before Summer ends :) It was over dinner on Saturday night that Chris made the impulsive decision that we too, would join Paul & his girls at The Marriott for Sunday night :)

I won't go into much detail what happened from there.......but it looked a little something like this:

{The view from our hotel room! And the pool that we practically stayed in ALL DAY today! BLISS}

{A mojito....poolside....yummy!}

{My Love}

{Yep, our little Miss soaked it all up baby!!}

{Dinner at our favourite restaurant!!}

Oh, how I love that resort! It was on the 26th of August 2003 {my 21st Birthday} that Chris proposed marriage to me at that exact hotel, so as you can see, it holds a MAGICAL piece in my heart!

And another piece of goodness from the weekend was Ella's Annual Birthday Tradition of a trip to Build-a-Bear :) But I think I'll save that for a separate post, coz I need to get my little Princess off to bed :)

So, please...I know I'm a little late this week, but I'd LOVE to know what your weekend brought you? If you've blogged about or photoed your weekend....please leave your linky below!

Have a great week my friends!

See you tomorrow....{staycation time}

Totally last minute, but we're heading down the coast in about 5 mins for a last minute night away! So, I had to pop in to say Hi.....and Goodbye :) And I'll be a little late with WEEK-A-BOO this week! I'll be back online tomorrow afternoon to update my blog with our weekend antics & our night away :) Please pop back then to add your weekend linky :)

I hope you're having a gorgeous weekend full of smiles & fun!

I better scoot....this pool is awaiting us YAY and dinner at our all time favourite restaurant is booked :) And just to ice the cake of our unplanned staycation.....we're heading to Build-a-Bear this afternoon, so Ella can make her annual birthday-tradition bear :) 

I love last minute plans & impulsive decisions......makes life all the more interesting :) Don't you agree?

{I couldn't NOT do a post without any photos LOL!!! I caught Ella yesterday....on the window sill in this pose! Haaaa.....she's a funny little lady :) Gosh, she makes me smile!}

See you tomorrow Lovelies!

Quick Three.....{countries I'd like to visit}

This morning I'm playing along with Kasiabear's fun weekly blog link; quick three!

This week's QUICK THREE is..... Countries I'd Like to Visit!

{1} USA ~ With 1 of my Brothers, his wife & their 3 little children living in the USA again for the next 2-3 years.....and Chris's brother about to move to New York for a year or 2..... I have a massive itch to get over there!!!! And to get there for a White Christmas would be even more perfect!!! I've always wanted to travel parts of the USA, but even more so, now that I'm a Mumma! I want to take Ella to Disney Land :)

{2} And while I've made the trip all the way over there....I'd like to go to Canada!! Another place I've always wanted to experience....but now for different reasons :) I don't want to go there to even travel it or stay in fancy hotels....I have a very special friend living in Canada with her husband & 2 gorgeous babies!! Oh how I'd love to spend a week {or more} cozied up in their home with them....chatting person to person over MANY coffees, while the kids play & explore!! It'll happen one day.....IT WILL :)

{3} I haven't left Australian shores in the past 10 years! The last time I went OS was in 1997 to Africa & England with stops in Singapore & Paris. Although, I have every desire to head back to these places again one day....it's THAILAND that I really want to experience soon. Chris & I have so nearly booked a holiday there several times in the last few years. It's a fairly 'cheap' holiday, so it's not so much money holding us back....it's that I really would love to go there....child-free :) I want to lay in the sun & sip cocktails on the beach, dine late, sleep late, snorkel, ride elephants, browse the cheap markets, buy MANY knock-offs {lol} & simply RELAX.....couple style :) But.....I/we haven't had the guts to leave Ella yet....I think she'd be fine for a week with her Grandparents....but it's us....I don't know how well, we'd cope setting off without her :) I'll get the guts to do it one day......but probably by then, she'll be older enough to come too LOL :)

So, that's my 3! Of course, I have more holiday destinations stored away in my future plans & heart....but for now...that's my TOP 3 :)

Where would you love to jetset off to right now? Do you have a Top 3?

Head over to KASIABEAR to join in.....or buy from her lovely store!

2 images from here

A Love Affair......and feeling recharged!

We're home :) And the ironic thing is....the weather before we left to head away on our holiday was pretty dismal.....the weather whilst we were holidaying was pure, picture PERFECT, long summer days.....and the weather on our return home.....is dismal again!! So.....I am so very, VERY grateful that the weather Gods blessed us with amazing beach days whilst we enjoyed 4 days away at Coolum.....our sweet, SWEET Coolum!

If I wasn't happily married & 100% committed to my marriage, I think I would propose to Coolum Beach & declare my ever-lasting love for it! We'd spend the long-summery days together....just chillin! And we'd just hang out all day, arm in arm, as true lovers do :) I'm sure I could tweak some laws to make it possible for me to be wed to a place....couldn't I? LOL! No seriously, Coolum ROCKS!! It holds such special memories for both Chris & I....and I am so SO glad that we decided to holiday there this week!

When I met Chris {10years ago this year....wow!}, and we were going through the motions of first-date chit-chat.....we stumbled across the topic of Coolum Beach! A lot of my childhood & teenage memories contain pieces of Coolum.....summers there, rainy Easters there, quick weekend trips there, staying with friends there....I've always had a love for that place & even to this day, we have a little glass bottle of sand sitting on our lounge-room IKEA shelving unit that is filled with sand....Coolum Sand! Sand I took from the beach at the end of a summer holiday in 1998. Sand that is filled with so many memories of youth & fun & teenage-filled moments! So, back in 2001, as Chris & I were conversing about our links to that exact surf-side town, I discovered Chris had lived there for several years....right about the time I was holidaying there....we had that it's-a-small-world moment, when we realised we were probably at the beach at the same time, at some stage in our lives.....and that's just freaky....in some cosmic-fate-destiny type way :) And when I told him I had joined in with the local men's fitness group each morning for a week in the summer of 96 {a group of local men, called the 79ers, who run the beach & swim the surf every morning....they are so friggen fit....it's crazy!} we then had the moment: "OMG, you ran with the 79ers?" "My Grandfather Ken Chadwick, is part of that group!" "So, that means you know......." etc etc.... Yeah....another cosmic-fate-destiny moment :)

So here we are in Summer of 2011 & I wasn't holidaying in Coolum as a careless, free-spirited teenager on a mission to discover myself, make new friends, run-a-muck or find a new adventure....I was there....with my HUSBAND & DAUGHTER!! And that made Coolum all the more magical! I got to show Ella all the little quirks of the once-quiet, now-bustling beach-side town! We got to watch a Coolum sunrise & sunset as a family! Chris & I took note of all the new hotels & restaurants & shops, but oohed & ahhed & felt recognition for the original stores & iconic spots....such as the original hand painted bus stop & board-riders club, the giant pine trees lining the shores & the Freetime Surf Shop. 

I often refer to the beach being my place of sanctuary.....where I go to recharge my batteries! And this week, with blue skies, long summer days, a touch of Coolum magic & time with my 2 loves ~ Ella & Chris......I've come home with not only a tan {yay} but a more refreshed outlook, a content heart & a happy soul! Pity we've come to grey clouds, constant rain & a sick cat which has cost us $500 today in vet bills.....but hey...that's life....and all we can do is take the bad with the good & cherish it.....cherish it ALL!

BUT......You gotta love holidays :) 

{Ella passed out in the pram there next to me...something she NEVER does these days....but 5:30am swims & plenty of sunshine was the key to getting some shuteye from our little Princess :))) }

{Cocktails & lunch with friends!! Loving life}

{Ella pushing me in the pool...and Chris getting on camera!}

With my batteries feeling recharged, it's time to kick 2011 off with a motivated & banging' start! I'm keen to get more de-cluttering done {already filled a HEAP of bags & boxes to donate to the local charity shop}, I'm eager to get my photo-wall COMPLETE!!, I've started re-decorating our main bedroom...with the theme being LOVE!, I'm on a mission to attack our mess of a garage, I've designed some new PRINT designs & am eager to get them printed & photographed ready for release next week & I have a drive to build this blog with all my heart! 2011 is going to be FAB! 

What about YOU? Are you charging into 2011 with arms & eyes wide open? Or slightly hesitant & grasping onto the last few emotions of 2010? Did you make any resolutions for this year? What were they?

Cheers to holidays! Cheers to Summer! And a big cheers to LIFE! :)

Happy Days.....{on holiday}

Yesterday, we arrived here..... one of my all-time favourite places in the world.....

Let me start by saying......I LOVE BEING ON HOLIDAYS!!!

After several weeks of overcast days, huge downpours, massive thunder storms & crazy flooding in Queensland....we've now been greeted with crystal clear blue skies & amazingly long sunny days! It's been BLISS! We've been swimming {with the choice of 2 pools & spas & the beach directly over the road, we've managed to do HOURS of swimming each day!!}, shopping, wining, dining, sunbaking, we enjoyed an early morning beach walk & we're loving that our skin is finally getting sun-kissed for the first time this summer :) The cafe's & restaurants here are amazing {even though my waistline may not agree!} and lunchtime cocktails are a MUST :) Ella {who rarely has a day sleep these days} passed out in the pram today 1 minute down the road as we browsed the shops :) The hours of swimming with our little water baby have definitely paid off....she stayed asleep in the pram throughout the whole of lunch today.....Chris & I felt like we were on a 'date', as we sipped our drinks & savoured the food, without chatting toddler talk, wiping up spilt messes & entertaining an active 2 year old. It was nice to enjoy that 'couple' time whilst our little Princess snoozed safely beside us!!

{above: our early morning walk}

{above: Chris enjoying an easy lunch}

{Above: me & my girl out & about}

Anyways, I better be off.....I've got some more pool-side lounging to do, a new magazine to buy & more holidaying to enjoy..... :) And I'm lapping it all up Baby....every second of it.....coz I know reality awaits us back at home on our return later this week & the steady flow of balancing working & family will have to be concentrated on again :)

HAPPY DAYS!!!

{All photos on this post taken on my iPhone.}