Start Your Week Off With..

Some Thoughts On The Christmas Spirit by Scathingly Brilliant

Ear Stretching 101: A Quick + Easy Guide by Little Chief Honeybee

12 Days Of DIY: Hand Stamped Gift Bag by Pin N' The Sky

Best Friends 4 Eva by Manzanita

A Fleeting Visit by I Think I Just Blogged Myself

There are so many creative and festive DIY's being featured on so many creative and delightful blogs the past couple of days, I just wish I had the time to do some of them! I am a little shocked that December has officially passed the halfway mark, and Christmas is less than two weeks away. The ladies that own the cafe I work at decided to open up another business recently (as in two weeks ago!) and have been rushing around like crazy trying to pull off their own Christmas miracle. In two weeks they were given the go ahead to take over an abandoned business a block down from the cafe, have new contracts drawn up, paint and furnish the shop, and source equipment. So while they have been organising their new venture, I've been working almost everyday. Which has been a pretty lovely distraction because my clothes are starting to get a little snug as my baby bump is starting to show now! Trying on various different outfits and finding most of them no longer work is a little defeating, so I'm quite happy to be wearing my work clothes for now! 

Have a great little week!  

Fun Fact: I Hated Flowers Until Recently

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Until recently I hated flowers. Although the majority of my dresses have a floral print, and I have a fine collection of floral material that I have bought over the years, because I love the look of flowers in print and illustration. I just never got around to appreciating actual flowers. I do believe I even once told Luke when we first started dating that I didn't want him to ever buy them for me. However, during the year I've started to let go of certain things I had a strong aversion to, and have found myself making comments on the colours of flowers. Now, Luke isn't the most perceptive person but when it comes to me making comments about what I like/want/don't like he pays attention and this is one of the reasons why he is the absolute best gift giver! I have like/want/don't like verbal diarrhoea, and especially so in the first three months of my pregnancy. I was constantly saying I wanted things like bagels or a lemon tart, and I would come home from work and Luke would have spent his day off making them for me.

So when Luke started to hear my flower comments he made a note to buy them for me for my birthday. And the night before my birthday I was having cups of tea with my Mum and I told her I was going to be slightly disappointed if Luke didn't buy me flowers for my birthday (and yes I know I am unreasonable sometimes!). And I had to work on my birthday so Luke thought it would be a nice surprise to have flowers sent to my work. However when I came home from work empty handed, Luke got really flustered and told me what he had planned. It turns out the florist had wrote the wrong date down, and I won't lie I was a little disappointed upon hearing it. My Mum's birthday is two days after mine, so my Sister Ash came over for the weekend to see us both and she did not come empty handed. Along with some BB cream + Kora's Rose Hip Body Oil, there was a lovely bunch of orange floral delights for me! The universe clearly wanted me to convert me, and now I totally get the appeal of a receiving a bunch of flowers!

Start Your Week Off With..

French Toast In A Cup by Lana Red

Scalloped Nails DIY by Susannabean

Thrifty, Or Something Like It by Caught On A Whim

Salt Dough Ornaments by Gypsy In Jasper

The past week has just flown by! Last week it was mine and my Mum's birthdays, and they came just as quickly as they passed and now the next thing is Christmas. I cannot believe that it will be here in just two weeks. The weeks just seem to be passing so quickly lately that I can't keep up with everything. I'm now beginning to understand the benefits of scheduling posts.

Have a great week!

24

Today I turned 24. My day started off at 5.30am with banana pancakes, mango cheeks and cups of tea prepared by Luke while I was getting ready for work. We had breakfast together, a ritual that we often do not get to enjoy together. I went to work at 7 am, and had a rather pleasant day despite working on my birthday. When I got home Luke & I had cups of tea and scones for afternoon tea, which was followed by a foot massage and a quick cat nap. After a couple of birthday calls from my family, we popped over to my parents house for home made pizza, ginger beer and birthday cake. My parents bought me a Kindle for my birthday, which was a total surprise! My birthday present from Luke awaits me in Sydney, which is where we shall be going tomorrow for city adventures and a lunch date. All up, it was a lovely, low key birthday.

Start Your Week Off With..

Looking Back by Caught On A Whim

Sisterly Love by Veggie Table

Ode To A Beautiful Weekend by Polka Dots & Whiskers

My Tattoo Collection by The Charley Girl

Lately I haven't been able to read as many new blogs as I would like to, or comment on and read my favourites. I've been allocating what little spare time I've had the past week to working my way through the illustrations I have been commissioned to do in time for Christmas. During the week when I finished a couple of illustrations, I treated myself to some tea & cookies during a power blog reading session. I came across three new blogs this week that I am delighted to share with you all. I cannot get enough of Erica from Caught On A Whim, each of her posts is just as delightful as the last and I'm excited to be swapping buttons with her this month. If you're looking for a new lady to love with some fresh DIY's, then Erica is your lady! I also came across Veggie Table, a lifestyle blog about a couple and their furry third wheel, and Polka Dots & Whiskers, which is written by a young lady who lives in Newcastle. I was a Novocastrian for four years, so it is always exciting to come across bloggers that live close to home. 

Have a great little week!

A Recent Custom Portrait

Late last week I finished up this custom illustration for the loveliest lady, Edie. She is a customer at my work and a couple of months ago she asked me about one of my tattoos and the conversation led to how I studied graphic design and love drawing custom portraits of people. So for her son's birthday she was putting together a photo book of all the travelling they have done together and this illustration is going to be on the cover of the book. I think it is going to be such a sweet gift and I can't wait to hear about it when she gets home from giving it to him. Edie & her son are from California, so it is also exciting to think that one of my illustrations will find a home half way across the world! 

That Time Of The Month

Would you like to swap buttons for the month of December? I'd love to hear from you! Send me a 230x110 size button to laurenemily[at]y7mail[dot]com