An Intentional Life? Check!

Intentional.

deliberate - willful - purposeful - intended

My plan is to live with intention.

Intentionally for Christ.

Intentionally for my family.

Intentionally for myself.

An intentional life takes work, but the reward is ever so great!

It starts with making small tweaks,

that lead to big changes.

For instance, today was my 17th hike.

Regular exercise!

I have made the effort to put on tennis shoes,

every morning for the last 17 days!

Even when my legs feel sore. 

Even when I have other things to do.

Even when I want to make excuses.

I drop the kids off to school and instead of driving home,

since I am dressed for the mountain, I go.

On the weekends, and days when I have other obligations,

I set my alarm clock earlier, make myself get up

and get my hike out of the way!

It has worked.

Fitness progress? ...Check!

Another small tweak,

in my hiking pack I keep headphones.

That way each day,

I can focus on personal growth.

Faith.

I find a new updated seminar/recording.

I listen to all of my favorites.

Joel Osteen, Chuck Swindoll, Joyce Meyer...

And I attend Bible Study once a week.

At the most recent lecture, I wrote this down:

"God's grace provides us these three things:

The Grace to Give.

The Grace to Fight.

The Grace to Grow."

Do I give generously and cheerfully?

Do I "live" beyond my means, or "give" beyond my means?

Am I (are we) spending money on necessities rather than wants?

Am I grateful for the blessings in my life?

Am I teaching my children to be grateful and generous?

Do I give of my time and myself?

Do I rely on Him and the Word more than anything else?

Do I pray as often as I should?

Am I consciously learning from my mistakes?

Most importantly, does my life reflect my beliefs?

Progress? Check!

Today I heard this on my hike,

"Marriage is not about finding the right person,

it is about being the right person."

Have I been intentional in this regard?

Marriage.

Do I meet my husband's needs?

It's easy to give him love and encouragement when things are great,

but do I show him how much I love him when things are not?

Do I give him advice and encouragement on things that benefit him,

even if it doesn't benefit me?

Do I go out of my way for him?

Do I show appreciation for his hard work?

Do I have ((ridiculous or reasonable)) expectations for him?

Do I have those same expectations for myself?

Do I genuinely care about his happiness more than my own?

Do I compliment more than I criticize?

Do I smile more than I frown?

Do I fill the fridge with his favorites?

Do I cook for him?

Am I distracted by other things or am I attentive and put him first?

Do I encourage his relationships with his family and friends?

Do I encourage his hobbies and interests?

Do I do things to serve him/lighten his load?
(like the laundry or ironing?)

Do I listen?
Have I been at home spending quality time with him?

Progress? I think so (I hope so!)... Check!

I also heard the pastor say,

"A Christian home should be beautiful.

It should reflect how much you care for your family."

Homemaking.

Does my home say that love lives here?

That my family spends lots of time together?

That I value my husband and children?

Are there family pictures on the wall?

Is my house clean?

Is the pantry and fridge stocked with food,

so that I can prepare meals for the week?

Is there an unfinished puzzle on the table, is the Bible easily accessible,

and is there a fruit bowl on the counter?

Does my home say that I care about my family members 

mental, physical and spiritual health?

Are there signs that my family enjoys each others company?

Are there calendars marked with appointments, lesson plans,

and chore lists hung up?

Do I keep things organized, routine and on schedule to provide 

accountability and stability?

Progress? Check!

An intentional life? Check!

A Brand New Year!

It's a brand new year!

There is something magical about New Year's Eve.

We have one night left to celebrate the end of a year...

it's the passing of the good times, the not so good times and all the days in between.

Then at the strike of 12...

It's the beginning!

Not just a new day,

...or week,

...or month,

It's the beginning of a whole new YEAR!

A chance to open ourselves up to change, and possibility,

and to whatever the future may bring!

Possibility makes me happy! :)

This year my hubby and I entertained the idea of 

"someday"

 celebrating NYE in Times Square,

but since it wasn't happening this year, 

I decided to bring the city to us.

It was a simple night spent in my parents garage,

playing, singing and eating. 

It was just as good, if not better, than Times Square, 

because there is only one place my

*New Years Kiss*

has to be to make it perfect...

on his lips, in his arms, surrounded by the people that I love~

Of course! ;o)

Wishing you a wonderful New Year!

May we go from one good thing to the next,

appreciating, learning, and growing

all the days in between!

Your Presence is Invaluable

Today was beautiful.

We found an opportunity to sit,

To visit,

To catch up.

We don’t do it often,

And that’s okay.

Life happens.

We are busy.

We have families.

Daily chores.

Things to do.

And so many other people in our lives to make the time for.

But,

Today,

We found the time for each other.

It was wonderful.

I walked away feeling happy.

That’s how ((you)) make me feel.

Happy.

In case you didn’t know, that is how you make everyone feel.

Your personality shines.

It always has.

When we were kids, I looked up to you.

Now, as an adult, nothing has changed.

I look up to you.

Life is not perfect,

But oh, how I enjoy sharing our imperfections with each other.

I have a secret,

In my eyes,

You ARE magnificent.

Your imperfections make you unique.

Your struggles make you human.

Your ability to persevere,

To take each day as it comes,

Makes you admirable.

Your successes,

(& you have many) 

They make you irreplaceable!

But, the best part,

Has always been,

Your presence.

Your presence is invaluable.

Perhaps our time together happens only a few times out of each year,

But that’s okay.

A few times is all it takes

To remind me

Just how special you are.

A few times is all it takes

To fill my heart up with enough love to last

Until we meet again!

<3

Ben & Phoebe's Beautiful Wedding

It was a wedding like no other.  It was the most beautiful party for the 2 most beautiful people you could ever wish to meet. 

They have been through more than you could ever imagine and this weekend was in their own words - 'the greatest of their lives'.

Everyone embraced colour for what was a divine garden party at Amileka - a seriously gorgeous private home at Federal in Northern NSW.   Even Brad got into the swing of things with his navy and white polka dot bow tie.



That's my mother in that gorgeous patterned dress and Jen's hot pink Josh Goot dress was STUNNING!!



The flowers were a hit.  This Dahlia measured about 12cm across!!

Phoebe wore Vera Wang...of course!!

We used lots of vintage blue and white vases mixed with old glass bottles, jugs and tea pots which came from family members for the table flower arrangements.  No new vases were purchased. Every single flower came from our garden.  It was my gift to my cousin and Phoebe.


Phoebe's divine mum, Meg made little bottles of chutney for each guest.  The recipe was her father's.  There were so many references to the importance of family at this wedding which made the day so deeply meaningful and beautiful.

The morning after the wedding Ben's mum and dad, my Aunty Jane and Uncle Rob, prepared a huge breakfast at Ben & Phoebe's beach house for all of the wedding guests.  It was so beautiful.  The tables were set with pretty tablecloths from B&S and fresh frangipani and hibiscus.  I have no idea how they did it after what was a huge night of partying.

There was no wiping that beautiful smile from Phoebe's face all weekend.  She is the happiest girl on this planet.

And as for my Brad, he finished up like this...absolutely tanked!!

Here's to you Ben & Phoebe and the wonderful life you have in front of you!!  We love you both SO much...
xx
Anna

Parties, Weddings, Installations...

Over the weekend I met a reader from New York at a party for my soon-to-be cousin-in-law.  She said that one of the things she loves about me is that I always let my readers know when I am going away from the blog or not going to post for a few days.  Well, I must apologise to her and to you as I seem to have been missing in action since last Wednesday with no such notice of absence.  I'm unsure where all of those days have gone to...

So, what have I been up to you might ask?  Well, I won't delve into every single detail however, here's a snapshot of a beautiful bedroom I just finished for a lovely teenage girl.  It was an absolute delight working with her and her mum.  I think she is the most polite, effervescent and happy teenager I have ever met. 

The day we installed the furniture into her room, I took her some dahlias from my garden which we arranged on her antique bedside table I found for her.  On the other side of the lovely upholstered antique French bed we placed a Stuart Membery chest of drawers.  I love the mix of furniture we chose for her room and I must admit I found it very hard parting with the antique bed.  However, I know she will cherish it and that makes me very happy!! 

I wish I got some better photos...I seem to be always saying that but I'm always in such a hurry.

This week is a very big and exciting week for my family as this Saturday my cousin is getting married to his beautiful fiance Phoebe at the most divine property in northern NSW.  We have family flying in from Canada, Sweden, New York, Holland and interstate.  Everyone is coming together which is just so exciting.  I have been given the lovely job of arranging the flowers for the tables.  I am using  the beautiful dahlias and zinnias from our garden which is very exciting.  I can't believe how many flowers we have.  It's quite amazing and so thrilling to be able to use my own flowers for my cousin's wedding.

Oh and tomorrow night is Chanel.  As an update to my post from the other week, Chanel called today to ask for Brad's last name.  Maybe they read my post!!xx

Anna

x

First Dahlias Flowering

Earlier in the year I was so impressed by the pretty Dahlias one of my clients had flowering in her garden, I decided to plant some in our garden for this Summer.  About 4 1/2 weeks ago we planted 60 Dahlia Bulbs and this week I cut my very first bunch.  My Mum and my Grandmother and Aunty came over yesterday afternoon and each of them picked their own large bunch to take home.  It really is such a joy to be able to give flowers from my garden to my family and friends.  I can't wait for the Asters and Zinnias to flower in the week ahead...

A Happy Heart on Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

I thought I’d share a few last minute ideas from the weekend.

My stepdaughter Trinity turns 10 this week, so we had cake and ice cream with the family yesterday.

I made her this quick banner using scrapbook supplies.

She loves chocolate cake, so I used a store bought recipe and decided to turn her cake into a spider cake.

My hubby was home, so I made him a yummy little sundae with the left over cake pieces!

Then afterwards the kids made haunted houses out of milk cartons.

The best part was when my brother handed Trinity her jar of fish as part of her gift, her laughter turned to tears of happiness.

She is such a sweetie.

It ended up being a pretty busy day, because we also had a photographer come out for our family pictures, but somehow we fit  everything in, including time to make caramel apples!

No matter how crazy it gets with the holidays and birthday parties, I always end the day with sore feet, but with a happy heart...

because together truly is the best place to be!

Tonight we are making hot dog mummies and then we’ll head out to Trick or Treat.

Hoping you have a SPOOKtacular night ya’ll!

(Sorry I had to fit in a little silly Halloween word in somewhere :)

Happy Days

Throughout life there are many happy days which come and go.  Some we forget and some we treasure as a memory.  For me I think today was one of those days I will long remember as a very happy day with my family. 

I set up our dining table in our garden and we celebrated Fathers Day with lunch on the lawn with my parents, my brother and the boys.  I picked the flowers from our garden this morning and arranged them in a pretty crystal vase which was given to us as a Wedding gift.

Actually talking about Wedding gift, Brad & I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary last week.  I can't believe we have been married for 10 years.  Where did all that time go?  Harry left us a little reminder on the table in our lounge room.  He actually went out into the garden and picked the flowers himself and put them in the vase.  I am sure that boy will make for a wonderful husband one day...might need to do some work on his spelling though!!

Mum did all the cooking today as usual except for the Strawberries.  Some were from our garden and some were from the fruit shop.  I just cut them up and dusted them with a very small amount of icing sugar and voila they were delish!

Harry & Max played on the swing, they kicked the football, they drove Max's car around and around the garden...

They even managed to get Grandad onto the swing...

Our day ended with a messy table which is always a good sign of a fun time had by all...

And a couple of take home alfoil wrapped bunches of flowers from our garden...

Other than having my other brother, who is away working in Western Australia, here with us today I don't think I could have had a nicer day.  It was perfect in every way...

xx
Anna

Alfoil Packages

We have this thing in our family of packaging up food parcels in silver alfoil after big family events for everyone to take home.  My grandmother's soirees always end with a divvy up of the amazing left overs which she has often spent days preparing.  This similarly happens at my mother's house too.  But it really hasn't been a thing which happens at my house as I don't love to cook.  It's just not my thing.  I mean I can cook but I really don't get the enjoyment out of it like my mother and my grandmothers do. 

I think I am starting to become known in our family for a different type of silver alfoil package....

Whenever anyone has visited our house lately they have left with a big bundle of fresh flowers from our garden which are wrapped at the base with wet tissues and silver alfoil for the trip home.  Here's the little bundle of fresh lavender, calendulars, basil, bougainvillea etc. I collected out of our garden today for a special family member.  I hope she gets lots of enjoyment out of them this week.

I am yet to tell the family that our huge trellis of sweet peas will be in flower next week...I'm sure they'll all be dropping in for a visit once they know this!!

xx
Anna

My Very Own Artist

A very funny and lovely thing happened to me today.  As it was a public holiday here, most of our day was spent pottering around the house enjoying some time with our boys.  I cooked a chocolate cake with Harry and Roast Chicken this afternoon for dinner.  I picked some flowers and herbs out of our garden and I tidied up the house.  Brad and I finally sat down in the lounge room tonight after we had fed the boys and bathed them and I looked over my shoulder and spotted Harry on the floor drawing.  I went over to see what he was drawing and I was so surprised and excited to see him drawing the vignette on our entry chest of drawers as pictured above.  You might think that I am making this up after my post yesterday in which I discussed my mother's entry vignette and Cressida's Campbell's artwork but I am not.

At one point he asked me to pass him down the orange vase so that he could examine it's details up-close.  I was even asked to sharpen pencils.  Of course I didn't argue as I was so excited to see him drawing the things I had arranged on our entry table.

This is the end result.  After looking over it and discussing it, he said he made a mistake with the placement of the pink chair and he said he might add the picture frames which hang on the wall behind the vignette but that's for another night.  On the back he has written a special note to me...I think my Mother's Day happened one week early!

PS...Did you notice Harry's fluoro pencils?!  They are the BEST pencils as the colour is just so vivid and bright.  They can be purchased from Toyworld if anyone is interested.

PPS...I must thank my beautiful friend and client Jules for the Phoebe Stephens yellow roses as pictured above which she delivered to me on Friday afternoon along with the big tub of potent Vitamin C which has done me the world of good...my awful flu has pretty much gone!!xx

Happy Easter

The anticipation is building in our household for the Easter Bunny's arrival tonight and for what he might bring.  Today Harry made this large, colourful card for the Easter Bunny which we will leave out tonight along with some carrots and some milk.  It is so fun watching the innocence of young children at times like these.  I am looking forward to our annual Easter Egg hunt in the garden tomorrow morning which I have been preparing for over the last few days.  I hope everyone is enjoying special times with family and friends.  Happy Easter!!