Simplicity

Not quite sure what it is about this image ...  I was searching for something totally different and this image popped up in my search and just jumped out at me....

I find it interesting, pretty, intriguing and somehow it's stunning in its simplicity.

One of those just because moments xx

Image: B.Poetic

Alphabet Train; Vanuatu

Next Stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is Vanuatu ...

Toot Toot ....  All Aboard ....

Such a gorgeous place to visit ....

Beautiful people, Beautiful Beaches, Stunning Waterfalls!

Did you know?

That the Frangipani is the national flower of Vanuatu?  I remember growing up and having frangipani flowers in my hair ... have tea parties and playing with my friends.... so much fun!

Images:  (web)

Merry Christmas

We wish you a wonderful, safe and happy holiday season and a very Merry Christmas


Image: Christmas Tree  Photographer: Salvatore Vuono
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Christmas_g54-Christmas_Tree_p22591.html

The First Emperor

Even at this young age, E shares a fascination of history with me... and I have to say that I love it!!

He is interested in where things come from, how old they are, why they look like they do and who invented it or built it.

We spend a fair bit of time talking about all manner of things from pyramids, to how engines work & how they were invented along with new discoveries that he is making .... like an old fashioned manual typewriter that he thinks is very amusing ...

The current exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW - The First Emperor  is something that he is really interested in at the moment.  We have watched a few specials on the exhibition and I've found that E is just so intrigued by the whole story... he asks about visiting the Gallery almost daily.

His fascination lies with how real they look and who spent all that time making such detailed, life like people to put in the ground like that.

I have to say that I love his interest, love the way he wants to explore the 'why and how' they got to be there and his overall love of the story.

Something we might be able to explore further over the School holidays!

For more information on the Exhibition at the Art Gallery NSW, please visit:
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/first-emperor/

My Inspiration today....

My inspiration today comes in honour of my Grandparents who came to Australia after being prisoners during WW2 ....

Love to you both xx

Images: The Chopin Monument, Warsaw photographer; unknown
Palace on the Water Royal, Lazienkowski, Poland photographer; unknown

Sesame Street: Will.i.am's Song "What I Am"

For my Munchkin, who had a little fall last night and is a bit out of sorts today.

Hope it makes you smile xx

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ....

I love that song....

"Everywhere you go" ....

and although we have a warm sunny Christmas here in Australia, I am always inspired by the very pretty, very cold white winter Christmas on the other side of the world....

Image:  The century-old Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Hotel overlooking the St Lawrence River in Quebec Photographer:  Richard T Nowitz, National Geographic


Please visit the National Geographic website to see this and more amazing and beautiful images!
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com.au/travel/world-heritage/historic-district-old-quebec/

and a Snail named Stanley

E found a snail in our garden some time ago and wanted to keep it as a pet... he gave him a name... Stanley ..... "Mummy, please meet Stanley, he is my new friend and he is going to come and stay with us as part of our family"

So off he went with Stanley to make a house....  with carpet to keep Stanley warm and cosy "All houses have some carpet Mummy"

Some grass out the back for Stanley to play in when he goes out to get some fresh air and instead of a paved area... he gave Stanley a tissue with some toys on it for him to play with just in case he was feeling a little bored.... all the comforts of home for our new family member Stanley!

Of course the next morning Stanley had moved on.  E handled it quite well - He told me "Mummy, it's ok Stanley is a wild animal and you really can't keep him in a house, he needs to free"  .... "I will keep his house here for him, so he has somewhere to stay when he comes to visit"    .... my little guy has such a gorgeous soul!

In honour of Stanley's time with us .... he is going to be in our new book.... we'd love to introduce you to Stanley!

Enjoy your day xx

In need of some sparkle

Always love some shine and sparkles on a grey and rainy day!

and these are just the thing to bring a smile to a girl's face.... These very gorgeous shoes are Christian Louboutin's Studio 120 Peep Toe Pumps

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend xx

Out & About on a Sunday

On my travels....  a day out and about .....

some of the things that I came across today.....

Enjoy your Sunday!

"The only way to endure the quake is to adjust your stance. 

You can't avoid the daily tremors. 

They come with being alive. 

These experiences are really gifts that force us to step to the right or left in search of a new center of gravity.

 Don't fight them. 

Just find a different way to stand." 

~ Oprah

Image: A Spring Tree Photographer:  Prozac1 

Please meet our Molly

How gorgeous is this photo?  I think it's stunning!!

Our very lovely friend Kim breeds Monarch Butterflies in Canada and recently sent us this beautiful photo after she spent some time talking to E and teaching him a little bit about Monarchs.

A few of the things Kim spoke to E about were;

• Monarchs only eat one type of plant called Milkweed 
• They migrate 3000 miles from Canada to Mexico and back every year
• Their habit in Mexico is diminishing each year

Inspired by these beautiful creatures and Kim's amazing stories, we have a lovely Monarch Butterfly in our book named Molly in honour of Kim.

Thanks for the inspiration Kim!  xx

Image:  Monarch Butterfly by Kim

and a Camel named Enie ....

Working on my new book, I am spending quite a bit of time talking about it with my little guy.  He has an amazing perspective on things and I love hearing his thoughts on the different countries, places and animals we are going to meet through the book.

It's quite interesting to listen to him tell other people about how he is an author and that he and his mummy are writing their new book at the moment - priceless!

E is helping me name the animals and I am loving the way that he is taking so much time to think about the animal, where it comes from and who he knows and loves so that he can try and name an animal after them .

Enie is the nickname my brother and I called my dad for years whilst growing up ... it is a take on his name and something we would call him when we were all mucking around and having fun.... although we are 'all grown-up' now, we still to this day call my dad that when we all get together ....  E loves this name and thinks it's very funny and cool when we say it... and so now we have a Camel named Enie from Egypt in our new book!

We also have a Koala named Ava after one of his friends, a Monarch Butterfly called Molly and a snail named Stanley....

Loving beyond words the joy that comes from working on this new book with my little guy, not to mention how chuffed my dad was when we told him on the weekend xx

Our dog

Our dog thinks that he is human, actually he thinks he is a person.

He likes to have a chat and be involved with everything that we do .... inside and outside

He gets his nose out of joint when he is treated 'like a dog' ... looks at me as if I have done something terrible to him... mind you it's only been that I have made him stay outside when we've had friends over.

He huffs and puffs all over the place when he gets to come back inside... then will proceed to ignore us all for a short period of time... just to make sure that we get the fact that we treated him like a dog.

He is kookie, he is lovable, he is smelly (like a dog) and he is oh so special.. he is a huge part of our family, quirks and all xx

Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train ....

Bubba Louie has been very busy reading and writing out his Alphabet and learning so much about the wonderful countries all over the world!

It has been so much fun travelling in his very cool magic red train that takes him from place to place ...

So far we've made a stop in Australia, where we met an Amazing Koala named Ava and ate some yummy green Apples! .... then off to

Brazil .... for some Bouncing Bagels and lots of giggles

and I can not wait for you to meet my wonderful friend Eenie the Camel from Egypt!

Next stop on my Alphabet Train will be with some Funny Friends in France.

Toot Toot ... til next time! xx

Family, Laughter & Food

"Laughter spills out of the front door as guests arrive.

Children clamour to push their chairs back from the table.

Conversations linger in the air long after the 

dishes are done....

In neighbourhoods across the country ~ 

These are the sounds of home"

Writer Unknown

Enjoy your weekend with your family & friends xx

Today's inspirational photos .... new collection

Have been so busy working away designing ... and have almost completed a new collection for our client in the USA....  just playing around with names at the moment while I continue to tinker with the prints for the tees and the final final fabric selections!

I am loving the reds in these photos and have been quite drawn to them for this particular collection... not normally a colour that I would go towards, so it has been an interesting process as I am usually "always" pulled in the direction of greens... it's nice to be working with strong, vibrant colours! 

This photo I find quite amazing... the water coming down the face of the rocks, the red just jumping right out at you, however it's still soft ... cascading.... flowing nature.

Images:  Child's Shadow, South Aftrica Photographer: Chris Jones

              Iron Rich Creek Photographer: Michael Melford

to see more images, please visit:  www.nationalgeographic.com

Kate Spade

Loving this gorgeous piece from Kate Spade ~ Palace of Mirrors Bib necklace.... so pretty!

Book Signings, Readings, Colouring ... a day of fun!

Such a wonderful array of talent was displayed in prime position on Sunday...

A very talented bunch of aspiring young author's, artists and creative little ones spent the day listening to readings of Meet the Cackleberry Kids, playing and colouring, sharing their dreams of becoming author's when they grow up!

Such a gorgeous day was had by all as we also watched the amazing talents of some budding young Chefs who took part the Jnr Masterchef cooking challenge out at Rodney's.

Congratulations to our winners;  Isabella winner of the 2-4yr Age Category, Jonty winner of the 4-7yr Age Category and Calli winner of the 7+ Age Category.

xx

Picasso & Youth

"Every child is an Artist

The problem is

How to remain

an Artist when he

Grows Up!"

Pablo Picasso

Image: Pablo Picasso ~ The Dance of Youth

Falling leaves

As my friend Tigger would say "Fall is a fantastical time of the year!"

Image: Fallen Maple Leaf, Maine Photographer; Raul Touzon

The Spirit Collection, High Tea & Jazz

The sun was shinning and the beautiful spring weather was upon us as we took part in the Spring/Summer fashion parade as part of the Jasmin & Jazz High Tea out in Pialligo....

Rodney's is such a beautiful setting for such an event and MissChief Maker did a fabulous job in hosting the event.... The food was delicious, the Jazz relaxed, the atmosphere was welcoming and the day was Spectacular!

We launched our new Spirit Collection and the boy's had quite a lot of fun doing their walks and "strutting their stuff" for those attending the event.  

The fashion parade included Children's fashion from a wonderful range of Local Designers along with some fabulous vintage fashion for Women, and of course great accessories.

A gorgeous day was had by all xx

Meet the Cackleberry Kids!

"Meet the Cackleberry Kids"

The Cackleberry Kids are a family.

Together they travel all over the world meeting new friends.

They love to learn about new countries, traditions and cultures.

We'd love you to come on the Journey with us,

Who knows where we might end up?

Cool Greens

Isn't this a great photo?!

Such a vibrant green .... such inspiration was gained from these stunning photos again from the amazingly talented photographers at National Geographic... If you've still not ventured over to their site, pop on over and have a look .... Inspiring and gorgeous to say the least!!

Cool colour palettes ... loving the different shades of greens and matching tones xx

Photos: Green Frog - photographer; Blair

Green Grass - photographer; Gehman

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Spirit ....

SPIRIT: One who is Vivacious and Lively, The Spirit of a human being is the Animating, Sensitive

.

This sums up my little one to a tee ... The essence of Spirit

.

Photograph: Giraffes; Photographer: Johns

Today's Inspirations

These images are just gorgeous - hats off to the wonderful photographers who took these amazing and very inspirational shots!

Photographs: Shark Island Turtle; photographer unknown

Yellow Car; Richardson

Green Grass; Gehman

If you haven't had an opportunity to visit the beautiful National Geographic website I highly recommend it... the photos are stunning, the information is wonderful and the kids will love it ..... especially the photo of the Deep Sea Creature!

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Love it xx

Alphabet Train .... Iceland

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is Iceland ...

Toot Toot .... All Aboard ....

Did you know?

Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean

Iceland is a hot spot of volcanic and geothermal activity. Natural hot water supplies the majority of the population with its heating that is pollution free!

Summer Solstice is on of the festivals that you can visit in the month of June, with the 21st of June being the celebration of the magic from the Midnight Sun.


To find out more on what to see and do in Iceland, visit http://www.visiticeland.com/

Photographs: Northern Lights, Iceland; photographer unknown
Iceland via the Travel Peach.com

Dropping by for a visit!

Since 2007, the Cackleberry Kids have been working hard on getting their books ready for you and the first in the series is not too far away now!

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The second and third books in the series are also underway!

.

Gee and Bear have stopped by for a visit, with Woof Doggie, Cheeky Monkey and Bubba Louie next to pop in.

Fun facts about the Cackleberry Kids ... Did you know?

.

• Each of the Cackleberry Kids were born in the year 2006 they celebrate and share their birthday with someone special or on a very important date that has special meaning to our family.
• Each of the Cackleberry Kids has a little bit of E in them ... from their smiles to their names to their personalities, they all have a special part of our little munchkin in them!

Old Town Alexandria

Photo: Christmas time in Old Town, Photographer unknown
.

Photo: Street View, Photographer unknown

Some gorgeous photos of Old Town Alexandria .... It is such a beautiful place!

Inspired by these photos today ....

Photo: "A rare snowy day in Paris" photographer unknown

Photo: "Women standing in the Parc au Champ-de-Mars, Paris" photographer unknown

Alphabet Train .... Australia

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is Australia ...

Toot Toot .... All Aboard ....

Did you know?

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It's about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA and 50% larger than Europe, but has the lowest population density in the world.

Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent and it's outlying islands. The mainland is the largest island and the world's smallest and flattest continent.

The capital of Australia is Canberra. With many gorgeous tourist paths and beautiful scenery, there are so many different things that you can do and see when you visit Australia!

To find out more, please visit:

http://www.visitvictoria.com/

http://www.australia.com/index.aspx

Alphabet Train .... Egypt

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet train is Egypt ...

Toot Toot .... All Aboard ....

Did you know?

Egypt is famous for it's ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments including; The Giza Pyramid complex (photo above) and Great Sphinx (photo below)

The great majority of it's population live near the banks of the Nile River, whilst large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited.

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa and is boarded by the Mediterranean Sea to the North and the Red Sea to the East.

To find out more about Egypt you can visit http://www.lonelyplanet.com/egypt