Feet Love and randomness

This is my nephew, Caeleb and his new shoes we bought him. They look so big on him because of his little legs :)

I thought I would add this little picture. It's from about 2 years ago and Jason was showing Caeleb how to tie his shoelaces. He was about 3 here. They were sitting on the floor at church :)

This is what my desk looks like at the moment. It's an assortment of letters and packages that need to be put together and sent out.

This is our new lounge and the new coffee table we just bought on the weekend. I spend much of my time on this lounge, blogging, reading, writing letters and eating.

As I decorate more I will post more pictures of the house. A few things we are thinking of getting.

Via Ikea

It's actually a chest of drawers but we are going to use it as a buffet and put it under the staircase.

Via Freedom

And I would love to this shaded chandelier for our lounge room. We have a sloped ceiling and part of it is quite high and we thought a chandelier would be perfect. But at the moment it's more a want than a need so most likely won't be getting it for awhile :(

One day I will do a post about how I would like to decorate our home and other inspirations. This might be my last post of the week because starting tomorrow it will be a week of wedding activities for my brother and his fiance.

Taken by Laura

Wedding week includes...hens night, family dinner, rehearsal and wedding day on Saturday. I hope the weather holds out! There will be fun times I'm sure.

Have a wonderful rest of week!

P.S. I told you this is a very random post.

Much Love Monday

I love: Going to Ikea. I love their displays, their meatballs, their furniture...and I love playing with the trolleys when you pick your furniture from the self serve area.

Jason let me take a photo. He has a bandage because he had just given blood that morning, through our church.

And I would ride the trolley down the empty aisles. I look a bit awkward here because my trolley was going the wrong way and my bag was not helping with the balancing.

I love our new white coffee table and our new mirror which were our purchases from Ikea. Next item will be a buffet, then hopefully a chest of drawers and some bedside tables.

Other things I love

* Being a kid - why we had fun riding trolleys

* Writing letters

* Eating mini homemade pavlovas! I have to learn how to make them

* Talking until 1:30 am with friends (even though I was so tired and was feeling a bit cold)

* Planning the restoration of an old round dining table and chairs (I have big plans)

* Getting caught up in re watching Heroes season 1

* Chandeliers. Thinking of getting one for our lounge room.

* The tiny trolley the little toddler girl was pushing in Bunnings. And me trying to take a subtle photo on my iPhone.

You can't see the picture all that well but it was the cutest thing. Bunnings is a large hardware store here and she just looked so cute pushing the trolley along.

Haha maybe I should say I love trolleys because they are mentioned a lot in this post.

Anyway, for more Much Love Monday go here. Have a wonderful week lovelies :)

Feeling Lazy

It is overcast again! If you have ever been to Queensland you know that we are known for our beautiful weather and sunshine. But for the past several weeks it has either been raining or overcast. Or it will be sunny in the morning only to suddenly change. And it always, always happens when doing my washing. You can not imagine the amount of times I have had to bring the clothes in and dry them all around the house. I'm over it! Come back wonderful sun :(

If that's happening I would rather be doing this....

Via Weheartit

Or this and wearing those rain boots

Via Beauty is Everything

Or this

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I adore this movie and I thought this was always so romantic.

But I know that I will most likely be writing these....

Via Inscriber

So this will be filled

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with lots of these

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I really miss getting mail so I intend to write lots of it over the next few days. My poor mailbox is so lonely :(

Have a beautiful, wonderful and amazing weekend everyone!

Giveaway Winner....and book list

Via Weheartit

I really want to say thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway and for listing your favourite books and recommendations. I have a pretty hefty list of books now, which I will post. But first the winner!

This is Belen! :)

I really do want to say thank you to everyone. It has been fun.

Here is the list of books that were recommended. Some were listed a few times so I will just mention them once. It's listed in order of comments. I've also tried to look for authors so hopefully I have the right ones. Let me know if it's the wrong author (if it's a book you recommended).

* Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

* Eleven Minutes - Paulo Coelho

* The Bell Jar - Sylvia Path

* Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

* Polly - Freya North

* Kartography - Kamila Shamsie

* Beer in the Snooker Club - Waguih Ghali

* A map of Love - Ahdaf Souief

* On the Road - Jack Kerouac

* The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

* The Perks of being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

* Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

* Little Children - Tom Perotta

* Nerd in Shining Armor - Vicki Lewis Thompson

* Pages for you - Sylvia Brownrigg

* The Orion Series - Ben Bova

* Conversations with the Fat Girl - Liza Palmer

* Mr Maybe - Jane Green

* Percy Jackson Series - Rick Riordan

* The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides

* Perfume - Patrick Suskind

* Company - Max Barry

* Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson

* Jennifer Government - Max Barry

* Adopted Jane - Helen Fern Daringer

* April Fool's Day - Bryce Courtnay

* Hunting and Gathering - Anna Gavalda

* Hannah's Dream - Diane Coplin Hammond

* The Doomsday Conspiracy - Sidney Sheldon (and other Sidney Sheldon books)

* John Grisham novels

* The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

* Eat, Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

* Why Women should Rule the World - Dee Dee Myers

* Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer

* The Kind Diet - Alicia Silverstone

* Skinny Bitch - Rory Freedman

* Bitter is the New Black - Jen Lancaster

* To Sir with Love - E.R. Braithwaite

* The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

* Can you hear the Nightbird Call - Anita Rau Badami

* Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

* The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

* Memoirs of a Geisha - Authur Golden

* The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

* Twilight Saga - Stephenie Meyer

* Southern Vampire Mysteries - Charlaine Harris (I've read the first few in the series)

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* The Giver - Lois Lowry

* Mandy - Julie Andrews Edward and Joanna Westerman

* Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli

* The Curious incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon

* She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb

* Ender's Games - Orson Scott Card

*Emma - Jane Austen

* Paul Arden books

* Seth Godin books

* Love Walked in - Marisa De Los Santos

* A Year in the World - Frances Mayes

* Dead Sleep - Greg Iles

* The Enchanted Forest Chronicles

* PS...I love You - Cecelia Ahern

* Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

* Last Olympian - Rick Riordan

* Lost Colony - Eion Colfer

* Until You - Judith McNaught

* Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson

* Suite Francaise - Irene Nemirovsky

* Griffin and Sabine Trilogy - Nick Bantock

* The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde (currently reading)

* Five Quarters of the Orange - Joanne Harris

* Karen Kingsbury books

* The Knife of Never Letting go - Patrick Ness

* Maze Runner - James Dashner

* Homeland - RA Salvatore

* Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery

* A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

* And God created the Au Pair - Benedicte Newland and Pascale Smets

* A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

* The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

* Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt

* A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett

* The Magician's Nephew - C.S. Lewis

* Charlotte's Web - E.B. White

* Because of Winn Dixie - Kate DiCamillo

* Jane Austen Books

* Before you know Kindness - Chris Bohjalian

* Plain Truth - Jodi Picoult

* A Womans Place - Lynn Austin

* Handle with Care - Jodi Picoult

* The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian

* The Tale of Genji - Murasaki Shikibu

* Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

* The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

* Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse

I've highlighted ones I've read (which isn't many). Maybe next time I will list all my favourite books and other recommended ones. I will let you know how I go. And please comment or email me (gracienne.nancy@gmail.com) if there is a book on this list that you try and really enjoy.

Feet Love...and award

I've finally decided to join Nicole's Tuesday = Feet Love. I guess we are a little early here in Australia though.

These are my new cute little ballet flats I mentioned in my last post. They were a gift from Jason's brother and his girlfriend for my birthday. I love them.

These are my awesome fluffy, soft ballet like slippers I also mentioned in the post. They too were part of a birthday present from the sister in law. These are so comfy.

And I received an award from lovely Sandra. We are new blog friends :) It's so wonderful to make another friend. Thanks Sandra!

Rules: Post on blog | Link to the other bloggers within your post. | Let them know you have shared this award with them by commenting on their blogs. | Share the Love by linking to the person from whom you received this Sweetalicious Blog Award.

I'm awarding this Sweetalicious Blog Award to: Megan, Mara, Caroline, Bunnie, Alyssa and Fiona. All lovely blogs and girls.

And just letting you know that the giveaway is now closed. It's Tuesday here in Australia :) Thanks to everyone for entering. I will announce the winner tomorrow and list the books too.

Much Love Monday

I've decided to participate in a series via Much Love. Every Monday you can take a photo of something heart shaped and write down one thing you love. Simple :)

I love: This book to write about your other half. I got it from Kikki.K. I was meant to give it to Jason for Christmas but I didn't have it finished. Then I tried to have it done for just after the wedding...nope. So I tried for Valentine's Day. Still not done so I finished it for his 25th birthday (which was on the weekend). I had to have Post Wedding answers because some things had changed.

Other things I love....

* Breakfast with my family

* Dinner with friends and pretending I'm really into the sports that are playing on the 4 tv's!

* Cheesecake!

* Cute new ballet flats (I will show a picture with the feet love post tomorrow)

* Shopping for clothes to wear to ballet classes

* Wearing soft, fluffy ballet look slippers after getting my feet wet (because it rained again and it even fell through our undercover area) while having dinner with friends and pretending I'm into the sports that are playing on the 4 tv's (and not being able to complain because it's Jason's birthday)

I will have to do more of these lists with photos next time. It will make it more interesting to read. And I have a lot of random photos I want to share because some of them are really cute :)

Via Kikki.K

I just wanted to mention that I bought this Kikki.K stamp set too. It's completely adorable and I used them in the Love book.

Remember you still have at least another day to enter my giveaway. I will announce the winner on Wednesday and list the books that were mentioned. Thank you for your suggestions. It will keep me busy.

Make a tent

Hello lovelies! Thank you so much for entering my giveaway! And for your book suggestions. I will compile a list and post it next week sometime.

Anyway, for awhile now I've been fascinated by pretty tents. Like the beautiful one in The Holiday with Jude Law's little girl's tent.

from here

from here

from here

This was probably my favourite scene from that movie. I thought their tent was completely magical and pretty. I can see their imagination exploding in there. It made me want to build my own.

Here are a few more beautiful tents that I found.

Via Weheartit

Via flickr

Via Xanga

Via Flickr

Via Flickr

Via Flickr

Via Weheartit

Via Weheartit

Via Flickr

I know that if I ever make one it will be made of pretty sheets, soft pillows, maybe some candles , a few stars strung up and fairy lights. It would a be a place to imagine, dream and share fairy tales while drinking hot chocolate and eating cupcakes.

Have a lovely weekend! And don't forget you can still enter my giveaway until Tuesday 23rd of March.

P.S. It's Jason's 25th birthday on Saturday and I really want to name a star after him as part of my gift. He loves looking at stars and I thought then he could have fun looking for his star!

A book challenge and giveaway - Closed!

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I had a thought and was inspired by this book challenge. I usually try to read about 100 books a year and I list when I start and finish them. It's something I've done for the past 2-3 years. I like to keep track of what I've read.

Well for this challenge I would love for my bloggy friends to list your favourite books or ones you would recommend in the comment section. And I will make a list up and post it here and they are the books I will read this year (and others that I want to of course). I'm just curious to know what books you like.

Plus I thought why not turn it into a giveaway too. And I'm due for one to celebrate having over 100 followers :) I thought I would giveaway....

One of my favourite books. Though the cover will be different because we have a different one here in Australia. (And if you're the winner and already have this book I will send you something different)

and

A plain page Moleskine notebook to keep track of your books. (If you want to of course) Or if you prefer lined let me know.

And there will be an assortment of pens because I like them for writing letters and journal writing. I just haven't decided what pens will be part of the giveaway.

So to participate this is what you do.....

1. For you're first entry - List your favourite books or books you recommend

2. For second entry - In a separate comment let me know if you're a follower :)

3. For a third entry - Blog, twitter etc about this and let me know in the comment section.

This will be open until Tuesday the 23rd of March. I really do hope you will join in and list some books. Now Closed!

P.S. It's good to see I'm not the only dreamer :)

Cloud Walking

Taken by me on the plane from Hamilton Island

When I saw this view from the window of the plane I had the biggest urge to jump out and start playing in the clouds. Just seeing them like this makes me think that it is possible to walk on clouds. Nice fluffy, cotton looking ones.

I like to daydream and wonder what it would feel like to have the freedom to go anywhere you wish, to fly away and touch rainbows. I dream of such things.

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What child like fantasies do you have? I think I hold back on this blog sometimes, because I'm not sure what you would think. That I'm weird, that I'm strange. I like to daydream. I like tutus, ballet shoes, baby animals, children's books, bubbles, fairy lights. I feel like such a child sometimes but I guess I never want to lose the imagination that kids have. Or that sense of being able to accomplish anything. Children bring back that sense of joy and that wonderful innocent.

Have a beautiful week.

P.S. The ballet classes are hopefully happening.