Sydney trip

 We decided to visit some friends in Newcastle for the long weekend..

and they suggested we head to Sydney to check out Viv.d - light and music show

It was the kids and my first time in Sydney and we were mesmerized by her beauty..

Miss Sydney put on a spectacular sunny day as we strolled, enjoyed a ferry ride and waited until dark for the lights to begin..

The lights of the city were gorgeous in their own right... taken from the deck of the Sea Shepherd.. We enjoyed a tour and learnt more about their mission to save the whales..

Our littlest is now planning when she will join the crew of the Shepherd to join them when they return to Antarctica to save the whales being illegally hunted..

The photos of the lights just don't go near doing them any justice...They were just amazing...I'm sure we walked around for hours with our jaws dropped and constantly saying...WOW..

I took 350 pics...But thought I'd spare you just share a few..

We spent the whole day and half the night at Circular Quay and the Rocks

and honestly could have stayed for longer...

Highly recommend it for big and small peeps

This year it runs from end of May to mid June - we will be definitely looking up the dates for next year..

Hope you all had a safe and warm long weekend and did something that lit you up!

Melissa x

"Muuuuum what can i draw?"

Because I hear "mummmmmm what can i draw?" several times a day from my picture drawing obsessed cherubs, when I came across the below picture on pinterest I knew we needed to make some of these here drawing dices as a matter of urgency.

                                                                                Source: howsweeteritis.blogspot.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Given the recent build it was not hard to find some pieces of timber laying around outside. Daddy chopped them into squares and we sanded the corners down so no splinters in little fingers..

Then we got busy with the paint and whilst the drawing dices were drying,  got even more creative with the paint...

                                                                       

Once dry, the girls chose animals and feelings to write on each side of the dice..

never short of ideas for drawings now!

Melissa x

girls HQ

Girls HQ is almost complete..

There are a few little things that I still want to do but on the whole it's done.

Mid Saturday morning pajama play session I have managed to take some snaps to share..

I have put this room together using everything that we already had..

The only "new addition" is the blackboard..

Mr Right and his cordless drill, a piece of MDF - standard size, so no need for cutting, and a tin of blackboard paint and a little motivation is all it took...

The girls and their friends are loving it and it is well used by them and ME! 

It's really handy for subliminal messages and job lists...

Sweetness corner...

Prints were gifts and fairy cross stitch was a special gift too.

Dolls house was spotted at a friends house in the "donate" pile..

Needless to say my heart skipped a beat, a small exchange and she was ours..

Thanks miss Julie x

Now well loved and well used..

Dolly corner..

Little table handmade by my grandfather and little vintage kinda chair picked up by my mum

$5 dolls house kit from Cotton on Kids...

Couldn't believe my luck

then quickly realised there was a very valid reason why they were heavily reduced to $5...

Two five dollar dolls houses = at least 3 hours work...

But i love them sooooooooo...

girly friends....

the "unfinished"  reading corner...

Such an amazingly beautiful spot to curl up with a book..

It currently has - a lovely old wingback chair picked up from my favourite op shop, draped in a sheet - for now... Still deciding whether i cover her myself or just leave it to a professional..
Also have a few other little ideas for his spot.

                                                                                    Source: pinkandpolkadot.net via Melissa on Pinterest

This chair is almost the identical shape...

Maybe a little brave for my first upholstery attempt...
but i can see it now...

until I'm brave enough....this is how she sits...

Blackboard love

under my feet as I snapped...

Blissful Saturday morning..

Play and pajamas...

 followed by berries and pancakes..
Oh how we love the weekend..

Big girls and small are drawn to this room...
 I have soo many big & little girls comment that it their favorite room in the house..
It is probably one of the only rooms "almost finished"... Perhaps that's why..
The girls have the tv and Wii in there too...
But i tend to hear more singing, voice impersonations, music, thumping from dancing and tiffs coming from this room...

So this room works...
The girls and their friends love it
It cost next to nothing to style
It is tucked away down the "girls" end of the house - so i never have to worry about cleaning and fluffing it before guests..It has a sliding door that is in regular use...
Winner..

Enjoy your weekend :)
Oh and news flash - I have (another) new addiction....
Instagram.. I have always loved but as my personality would have it, I am now well and truly hooked - line and sinker...
Come find me at Melissa@whiteverandah....

Melissa xx

wordless weekending...

wordless weekending