{I had a} Happy Mother’s Day
This year was the second year I have been fortunate to celebrate Mother’s Day and it was gloriously spent with my family.
My first Mother’s Day wasn’t exactly the ceremonious back-pat I was expecting, due to SAH having to go away on business. And while I was a little disappointed I couldn’t tell him no – Hello!? Business class trip to Milan? Yeah, no babe you have to stay home and worship me like mother earth, as I am Gia incarnate, my body unfurled and I produced your heir. Now feed me chocolates!
It’s alright, don’t feel bad for me as after rising at an appalling 5am (thanks Bub) I answered a knock at the door in my bedraggled state, sporting ginormous bed-hair and was surprised by a bunch of flowers SAH had organised to have made up and arranged by our talented florist friend, Lou. The bunch was so voluminous it was larger than the baby.
Later that day Bub took me to lunch at Kitchen By Mike, where we ran into friends and were able to borrow some of their Mother’s Day joy.
This year, however SAH took all the planning into his own hands I just sat back and enjoyed the day.
I woke late to my little family nosily greeting me with gifts – 3 pairs of fabulously bright and patterned Happy Socks – and a card. Yes, little family, worship at the shrine of bed-head mamma. We then headed out the door with a rucksack packed with SAH assembled picnic and swimming togs, along with our new fancy 4-wheel drive Bugaboo pram (an incredible hard rubbish road side find from last month).
And where were we merry three off to? A spot of frolicking on the beach was in order as we caught the ferry from Cronulla to Bundeena.
We could hardly contain our little jumping bean Bub on the old wooden ferry that took us across Port Hacking. He was so excited by the wonderful experience and set about pointing out all the boats he could see (there were many). The trip was slow and mellow and as we travelled along a feeling of holiday relaxation washed over us.
The sun shone warm and the sky was clear as we chased Bub around the beach and sprinted after him as he attempted to swim fully clothed. We ate sandwiches on the rug, soaking up the warmth and occasionally batting away annoying off leash small fluffy dogs with no recall skills “Fluffy! Flufffffy!! Come here!” And later we paddled in the stream beside the beach.
In the evening, after a baby nap for Bub and a nana nap for me, we all headed to my parents house to celebrate again.
Once home and the Bub safely and soundly asleep, SAH produced the most delectable box of delicacies created by Gelato Messina, a limited edition Mother’s Day gelato bon bons. Which I savoured and pondered over, tasting each unique flavour, texture and ingredient… oh who am I kidding? I scoffed most of them making many appreciative noises while watching Dr Who – a perfect end to a perfect day.
How was your Mother’s Day?
19/52
“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
Cheeky chops.
Peaking over his Oma’s sholder, grinning at his aunty Ursula. I love my cheeky chops.
52 a portrait a week link group / Che & Fidel
18/52
“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
Green beans.
Just sitting chillin’ on the couch munching on raw green beans, as you do.
We have been worried about Bub’s eating lately, he has changed from a voracious eat-anything baby to a selective toddler. I know it’s a normal development but I’ve just lost some of my smug ‘my baby eats grown up food’ shine – le sigh! So SAH and I have decided not to push the issue, making sure there is always at least 2 things on his plate that we know he will eat and something else to try (and reject). It makes dinner time a little less stressful and we can focus on chatting with our jibberish chatterbox and spending time together as a family.
52 a portrait a week link group / Che & Fidel
17/52
“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
Raaa!
Animals are a hit around these parts. We spend a lot of down time searching and watching YouTube videos on the iPad of seals and elephants with some lions thrown in for good measure. It’s a bit of a challenge trying to find videos that are small child appropriate so our favourites list is very short.
We are also making very good use of Bub’s xmas present from Santa – a Taronga zoo membership. His favourites are the giraffes, elephants and seals (of course). This week we were lucky enough to see the elephants having their morning showers. Being just a few feet from these amazing creatures while their keepers gave them a scrub was an incredible privilege that we all will remember for a long time.
52 a portrait a week link group / Che & Fidel
Your trash is my craft
Last year I happened to drive past what would turn out to be one of the best hard rubbish piles I have ever had the good fortune of rummaging through. You may remember it, I wrote about the spoils here.
Amongst the beautiful vintage bits and pieces I saved from landfill were a few linoleum samples. I have often wondered if the owner of the house was a lino salesman or just saved the samples from a fabulous kitchen renovation in the 50s – these thoughts that have made me desperately want to knock on their door and take a peek at their (possibly) amazing interiors.
Do you think they’d mind? How would your grandparents feel if some redhead in an old frock came knocking asking to sniff around their house? Well, with the best intentions I assure you. But it might be a little confrontational … but then again nothing ventured nothing gained!
Never the less, I had acquired lovely lino samples, some of which were a little cracked with age and all of which were dirty and needed a bit of a clean. What to do with them? I mentioned framing them on facebook and a friend suggested a solution that her picture-framing-parents employ: mount them on pre-stretched canvases. She added that the best place to get them was a $2 shop. Thanking her I locked the suggestion away in my head and stored the cleaned lino to await the day that I may have the time or energy to mount them.
Miraculously that day came last month. Waking to a lovely sunshine morning, SAH and Bub curled up next to me I announced that I wanted to make something that day.
So off I trotted to the shopping centre to pick up the necessary equipment (cheap canvas frames, all I could find where ones with images to colour in!) and returned home to get to mounting these bits of old plastic. Meanwhile SAH and Bub played around me (occasionally trying to assist). In the end I produced 4 framed pieces and I think they look lovely. However I have no idea where I am going to put them, erm yes I didn’t think of that before I started!
I am sure I will find somewhere, even in their age worn state the patterns and textures are too pleasing not to have them displayed.
16/52
“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
I can do it myself.
Every day we discover something new about our small person as he develops and finds himself in the world. Lately a sense of independence has turned into fierce independence. Don’t try to feed him, he’ll do it himself thankyouverymuch. And don’t even try to touch something he has taken it upon himself to use/move/open/close/push he will push your hands away and say “nayh”. So he delighted in a treat* at the growers market today: his very own ice pop, a delicious Spiced Plum and Honey Yoghurt by Liana Raine artisan pops.
*I’m a mean mummy and together with SAH we have decided that Bub can live without as much processed sugar as possible. He doesn’t eat junk food or chocolate or lolly pops but very occasionally he and I share an fancy ice pop at the markets as a treat.
52 a portrait a week link group / Che & Fidel
15/52
“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
Colourful cleaning up
Bub is experimenting with cleaning up and putting things away, it’s something they get taught at Montessori. He only does it when he feels like it and so our house still regularly looks like a bomb has hit it, but I have my fingers crossed for the future.
I have been taking less photos of Bub lately, I think it’s because I’ve been doing a lot of grown up things like going to rockabilly gigs, going on dates with SAH, having ladies nights out and going to friend’s events. In fact I seem to have cobbled together some semblance of a social life.
52 a portrait a week link group / Che & Fidel
14/52
image to come – I’m running behind!
“A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
52 a portrait a week link group / Che & Fidel
Viva Las Palms
So by now you know we dress a little differently to the mainstream. Our house was chosen for this original era and architectural features. The inside too is filled with old stuff from the period. And yes, we have an old car too albeit in pieces in the garage.
We like the 50s and early 60s.
Coming from separate backgrounds SAH and I were both drawn to Rockabilly music and the culture that surrounds it and in the process we were drawn to each other.
Through this culture and music scene we have forged many friendships with like-minded and equally sartorial people. As we grew older we identified our style less as ‘Rockabilly’ and more ‘Vintage’ (although that word is used a dime a dozen now days and means a little less by encompassing so much).
I found as I got older and wiser about clothes and dressing to suit my shape that I started dispensing with dice earrings, wallet chains, pony tails and girl-quiffs; instead relishing in petticoats, wiggle dresses, capris, play-tops and hot rollers.
This 50s look is not a local trend, it’s a world wide thing and there are many different international festivals that celebrate the music, the clothes, the cars and the general culture of the 50s. I’m not talking Happy Days style diners and poodle skirts either.
One such festival is Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender which is held in Vegas every Easter. It’s a major pilgrimage for a lot of people who chose to live a vintage lifestyle. We have never gone, it’s not a big thing on our ‘to do’ list but many of our friends go and my Facebook and Instagram feed is always flooded with images of plastic cowboy boot cocktail-cup toting finely dressed lads and ladies.
For the last couple of Easter’s friends of ours have held their own VLV style shindig. Which is to say they have a BBQ at their lovely house and invite all our friends and some of the guests get into the VLV spirit and sport many outfit changes over the course of the afternoon.
This year was no different, SAH smoked a side of salmon in his BBQ smoker in the morning, as I packed a suitcase of clothes to take and sell (this year we added imitating the VLV vintage stalls to the list of tongue-in-cheek activities) and headed to Viva Las Palms.
Sue and Marc, the hosts of the event, live in a lovingly restored mid-century modern ranch house in the north of Sydney (You may remember their wedding here) and they have renovated the outside of their house to be perfect for entertaining. It’s such an amazing property it’s been featured in a few magazine spreads and just recently saw it host the boys from Porteño for a photo shoot for their new cookbook.
We spent the afternoon chatting, eating, shopping, child wrangling and of course posing.
A few weeks ago I hosted a crafternoon in lieu of a kitchen tea for bride-to-be Robyn. We made ‘wedding knickers’ for her to wear on her honeymoon. Using a 1950s knicker pattern, amended by Outlaw Kitten seamstress Dragana each craft-lady cut, sewed and embellished a pair for Robyn. They were all so varied and hilarious, but mine took a little extra work after the day and I was finally able to give Robyn the finished product on Saturday (you can see her posing with them above, the blue fabric is sheer so they needed modesty flowers!).
Images 15–18 © Louise Whelan
Melbourne Part 3
Ok, I know I said this trip was split into two parts, but I ended up splitting it into three! Here is the final installation.
On the way back from Queenscliff we stopped at two of the largest Antique centres I’ve seen in some years. We had to tour them very quickly as Bub wasn’t particularly interested. But I still managed to pick up a confetti lucite set of bracelet, earrings and belt, a vintage biscuit tin with awesome children’s illustrations and a few other bits and bobs.
Our last few days in Melbourne consisted of eating wonderful food, visiting family, going to the zoo (twice!), a little bit of shopping and SAH got to go fishing one evening.
The flight home was nightmarish but we all got through it (2 hour delay, toddler tantrum, lost luggage – thanks Jetstar!).
We returned home on Wednesday and drove straight back into life, I started the new semester of lecturing and a stack of new and exciting cover design briefs and don’t think I’ve come up for air since.
