I must admit I don’t watch the news that often.  I find it depressing and superficial.  So I missed the whole Haiti Earthquake when it happened.  If it wasn’t for a friend telling me about it one day at work I would have been oblivious.  To this day I’ve only caught glimpses of what’s been happening.  Ever since Hurricane Catrina there’s been a rule in our house that bans me from watching CNN or any other news source that’s covering world disasters.  Apparently HUBBY doesn’t like having to deal with me all teary and gun-ho on the couch.  Men?!?!

When the Hurricane happened I wanted to pack up and move to New Orleans to help them rebuild.  Obviously the last thing a city suffering under a crippling natural disaster needs is a gnome that knows nothing about anything.  But I wanted to help.

I didn’t know how to help.  But this time with Haiti I’ve found the perfect way to feel like I’m helping in some small way.  I’m going to make a Dolly for the Dolly Donations Drive.  I’ve got all the materials that I need right here at home and I finally know how to sew so there’s no excuse.

My goal is to have made and posted the Dolly by Wednesday 24 February.  Hopefully that way it’ll make it to it’s intended destination in time.

If you want to participate too there’s a free doll pattern and tutorial on the blogsite.  There’s also some really helpful information about how to give your doll personality, i.e. a face.

It’s something small, but you just know that some child will love having a companion to listen to their fears, thoughts and laughter.  Not to mention provide them with unlimited hugs.

Etsy: Good Things Will Happen Note Card

I got some very, very, good news today.   I got a job.  Not only did I get a job, but HUBBY got a job yesterday.  It was touch and go there for a few weeks, but once again the LORD has provided and Casa Wilsonia is back on it’s feet.

Having two unemployed people in the one house with bills to pay and no income is a scary position to be in.  We have both been extremely lucky.

I don’t know how people manage with long term unemployment.  Nor do I know how they manage when they have children and they’re unemployed.  The pressure of the stress must be crippling.

Needless to say a large weight has been lifted from our house.  Much rejoicing shall be undertaken tonight.

Yet another Tweet Up today.  This time it involved Alivicwil (of course), Schlep_star (understandably), Spence_84, Crankye, Joolery and Cryingpenguin.  The purpose of today’s gathering? To finally put a body to the voice that is Crankye.  Oh and get a lesson in crochet!

The place of our gathering, Edgar’s Inn.  Normally Edgar’s is a pretty safe bet.  Good location, great food and usually pretty interesting characters.  Today however the weather let us down and so did Edgar’s food.  But never fear the company more than made up for the little disappointments.

Apart from having a terrible hair day I was chuffed to be able to take my Thai Coke shirt on it’s first outing since purchasing it on holiday in 2006.  (It’s the little things in my world!)  I also took along my psychedelic wool and crochet needles.  I showed Crankye what I had learned from studiously studying Meet Me At Mikes tutorials on crocheting.

The previous day I couldn’t get anything to look right to save myself, but the power of Crankye soon had me sorted.  I managed to work out how to start my granny square and continue without it looking like something George had been alone with.  I was really proud.  (Again, it’s the little things!)

It was a wonderful afternoon.  It was awesome to meet some new people, catch up with some old ones and learn a new skill.  I haven’t had a lovely afternoon of lazying about socially in a long time and it’s made me long for more.  It also left me with a hell of a sugar headache.  (Much skittle and smartie action was consumed afterward when we wrapped up the afternoon with some Mario.)

I did manage to start on a less full on wool this afternoon to try and pay more attention to my stitching and get something a little more cohesive going.  I’ve managed to do this so far…

I’m happy with it and I’m planning on making it into a big lap blankie instead of granny squares as I’m all about the practicing at the moment.  Multiple granny squares will definitely be in my future though!

Today being the first of December I have installed our Christmas tree.  Last year we didn’t have the tree up and it didn’t quite feel like Christmas.  This year we’re staying home for Christmas and given all that’s happening in our lives I’ve decided we need some festive cheer.

I purchased our tree the first Christmas HUBBY and I were together.  Year year I buy a Christmas ornament that has the year on it and I try and get ornaments that reflect what we’ve done that year.  I usually head out to the Christmas Barn in Bredbo and purchase individual ornaments for us and our family and friends.  I haven’t had a chance to get out there this year and I’m starting to consider making my own ornaments instead.

Last year when I was in the UK I was lucky enough to be there in time for pre-Christmas shopping so I made sure to buy Christmas ornaments.  Both the puppies have their own ornaments with the year of their birth on there.  We have ornaments celebrating our wedding, our first home and our trips overseas.  I love the there’s so many memories attached to our tree.

I’ve stuck with a basic theme of red and gold.  I occasionally wish I could change the theme, but colour fads come and go but the traditional stick around.  This year I’ve not put any tinsel on the tree.  I’m going for a basic look.  (That and I hate tinsel.)  We have some skeleton ornaments which I adore.  Not really the traditional Christmas message, but it’s reflective of us.

I can’t wait for the Christmas spirit to start seeping into our days.  I adore Christmas time.  I love listening to Carols and Hymns.  (I even listen to them during the year when I need cheering up!)  This year I need to get stocking anchors so I can hang our stocking on the bookshelves.  Need to see if I can find some online…

I want to see a photo or photos of what it is that you collect.
Then if you feel like it you could let us know what your collection rules are;
Does it have to be green? Does it have to be from another country? Does it have to be second hand or a gift? Does it have to be old or complete?…
What constitutes a collection for you? Is it more than three of the same thing? Is it rare things?Is your collection ongoing or is it complete? …what’s your story?

This was the challenge set by Meet Me At Mikes for this weeks My Place & Yours.  I have many collections in the house, little things that are reflective of the different influences on my life.  But there’s only one real collection in the house that is closest to my heart; it’s my rubber duck collection.

The rubber duck collection started in 2005.  Rubber ducks were the “theme” to our wedding reception.  What started off as something just between HUBBY and I turned into one of the best parts of our wedding.  There were over 500 rubber ducks at the wedding.  When we visit homes of our guests all these years later we still see the rubber ducks scattered around people’s homes.

Ever since that fateful day I’ve been collecting rubber ducks on my travels.  I have three ducks that I purchased while in the UK on a working holiday.  I have a Doctor Who duck that I love.  My favorite duck is a tolo duck that’s large and round – just like me.  My favourite ducks to find are Bud Ducks.

I don’t really have any rules for the collection – it just has to be a rubber duck.  The shape’s not even really a consideration seen-as-though I have a rubber duck shaped like Big Ben which I found in London.  Generally I just buy ducks that appeal to me.  People have been giving me rubber ducks as gifts, which is always great.

There’s one rubber duck out there that I’m still hunting for… a rubber duck tattoo.  I’ve never been able to find the perfect looking rubber duck image to translate into a tattoo, but one day I will and when that happens I have just the place to put it.

I have about 30 ducks in my collection scattered through our house and on my work desk.  In my opinion a collection if just three things or more that have a common link.  But it’s really up to the individual I guess.  I’m sure that there’s some collectors rule out there, but I don’t really bother with that sort of thing.  All I know is one day our kids are going to have a great bath time collection!

I’ve been thinking about this concept for the last few days.  I tend to think about this quote whenever I’m weighing up doing something or not. I try not to talk about my personal life too much in this space as I like the escape that it provides.  However the next month is going to see some big changes in my life that will most likely impact on this space.  (To what extent remains to be seen.)

I have surgery booked for December and the outcome of that surgery is going to have life long impacts.  HUBBY and I have spent a lot of time talking about what direction we’re taking with our lives and how best to achieve our goals.  It’s been a really good experience between the two of us.  I feel it’s brought us closer together and solidified our relationship a little more.  It’s funny to think that I thought there would be no more surprises after we got married, but it’s just a constant evolution.  It’s amazing and it’s a blessing; its also bloody hard work.

Life is constantly amazing me.  There’s wonder in every day.  It’s just some days I have to dig really deep to find that wonder and to keep it in focus.  I feel like I’ve been drowning lately in the circumstances and I’ve felt out of control.  However, I feel like a change is coming.  While I can’t control what happens, I can control how I react to it.  So that’s what I’ll do.  After all time just keeps on marching… so you’d better make the most of it.

Quote from Quote Garden, image from Getty Images.

Every year MacDonalds raises money for the Ronald MacDonald House Charities with McHappy Day.  For every Big Mac sold a $1 is donated to the Ronald MacDonald House Charities.

I’ve always believed that the Ronald MacDonald House is a brilliant charity, but after having my first stint in hospital I now believe them to be invaluable.  I can’t imagine being a family with someone ill and not be able to be near them.

Even if you don’t eat MacDonalds you can donate via the website, all you have to do is click on this link.  Every little bit helps and you never know you may one day be in need of the assistance that Ronald MacDonald House Charities provide.

Let me start by saying that I put my love of Britney Spears in the same closet as my love for the British Monarchy.  I don’t know why I love them so, but I can’t help it.  It’s fundamental to my existence.  Therefore it made perfect sense to go and see Britney when she toured Australia.

HUBBY and I attended the show on Wednesday 11 November at Rod Laver Arena.   A few days prior to the concert the papers were going nuts with opinions about her miming her show.  My personal belief, you charge for people to see you ‘live’ you sing live.  If you’re dance routines are going to be so hectic that you need to use backing tracks than I expect to see a damn good show and it would be expected that this information be put in the ticket details.

It’s hard to be objective about the show as I’d been fortunate enough to see Pink in concert a few months before hand.  For starters the ticket to Pink was a quarter of the price to see Britney and the seats were three times better.  Now, Pink and Britney are two completely different performing animals, but you can’t help but draw parallels between the shows.

Pink was engaging, full of energy, animated and physically dominate.  Britney seemed to be going through the motions.  She address the audience twice, both times the audio was hard to understand and it was short lived.  As a member of the audience I left the Pink concert feeling like I’d gotten a glimpse of Pink the person and the artist.  I left Britney’s show feeling like I’d just paid to see the Dolphin Show at Seaworld.

There were claims leaking from the Perth show that she spent a lot of time with her back to the audience.  Well, it’s true she did, but lets be fair the stage was large and they were trying to perform to every seat in the house.  The choreographers definitely tried to give all people a view of the show.  However this meant that there was a lot of time spent moving from one stage mark to another.

There were also claims that you didn’t see much of her on the big screen.  I don’t think this claim is founded in reality.  The use of the big screens was great.  A real mix of the live performance and pre-recorded videos.  It’s a shame that Britney’s performance on stage flagged in comparison between the pre-recorded moves and the live show.  The inclusion of Perez Hilton made me chuckle, and the use of the big countdown clock worked really well to get the audience excited.

The dance routines had moments of brilliance which were rewarded with much love from the audience.  I really enjoyed the routine for “Piece of Me” (which is included below).  However at times it felt like Britney was dancing around her handbag in a nightclub; just marking time before she moved on to the next set piece.  She seemed lost somehow. When you see some of the footage of the show from other concerts it may be easier to speculate that she was just having a bad night.  Obviously dealing with jet lag, her boys turning up, the bad press from Perth and life in general; and you can forgive someone a little for that.

There were sparks of Britney.  Sparks of the performer that you saw early on in her career and in the entertainment media.  When she’d smile her face was like  a beacon.  It was easy to understand why people feel so drawn to her.  But those moments were few and far between. I think I would have been more forgiving if she’d interacted with the audience more.  Showed some of the southern belle sweetness she’s known for.

The costuming at times left something to be desired.  If I was Britney I’d be asking questions of the designers – do they hate her?  They were not flattering to a body that’s had two children in quick succession and enjoyed it’s far share of Starbucks and Drive-Thru meals.  She’s skinny, but she’s not toned.  Pink was ripped.  When she did the belly moves nothing moved, it was tight.  Unfortunately there were times when Britney could have been mistaken for doing the truffle shuffle.  Costuming that made advantage of nude lycra and supportive construction would have made a world of difference.  Even something that was flattering to her body shape would have made a world of difference.  She’s not Beyonce so she’s not going to be able to pull off the current one piece fashion trend like Beyonce can.  Sometimes less really is more.

It’s hard to separate Britney the paparazzi version and the entertainment version.  I don’t know how she manages to get out of bed everyday in a world that is constantly hounding her.  How can she step back and prepare for her tours when she can’t get a moments peace.  As much as I love hearing about Britney, I think there should be legislation passed globally that puts restraints around what the paparazzi can and cannot do while stalking a star.  It’s mental and it’s a vicious circle.  Everyone’s looking to say how she’s failing at life, and I’ll admit that the perception of her show suffers for this.  However, I think for me it boils down to ticket price.  I don’t feel like I got value for money. (Especially when there was no encore… who doesn’t do an encore?  People expect an encore.  People don’t expect to have the house lights turned on and everything come to a holt!)

I can’t stress enough – I really wanted this show to rock.  I wanted to be Dazzled just like Edward did to Bella.  But I wasn’t.  I did find that I wanted to rush the stage and give her a big hug and tell her that everything will work out and not to listen to the critics.  I’ve got the pound puppy rescue mentality something shocking when it comes to Britney.  In my head she’s this sweet person that’s just trying to make it in a crazy world.  Even if a fifth of what you read or hear about her is true, no one should have to deal with that sort of scrutiny or invasion.  But no amount of personal wishing and hoping for her to have a better time of it makes up for the fact that I traveled interstate to  see an average show.

Britney would benefit from seeing Bette Middler in show.  I paid marginally more per ticket to see the Divine Miss M in concert a few years ago and I left that show feeling like I’d been dazzled.  She interacted with the audience.  She could belt out a tune.  The costuming and choreography was amazing.   The stage wasn’t massive for an arena show, but they made such good use of it.  Even the cheap seats (which weren’t that cheap!) felt like they got a diamond class performance.  That’s what my ticket price for Britney had me expecting and it fell short of that.

Don’t get me wrong, overall the show was good.  I always enjoy hearing her music and it was great to see her in the flesh.  The support performers were amazing and breath taking.  The sets had some interesting concepts for moving around, making the transition between themes and utilizing the space.  Would I rank it in my top ten concerts of all time?  Unfortunately not.  I can’t help but feel like I paid just to be able to say I saw Britney Spears, when I really wanted to be able to say I saw Britney Spears kick ass, take names and prove her critics wrong!

It’s been awhile since I posted a Friday Fancy, so I thought I would do a weekend inspired Fancy.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed my weekend!

1. Bermagui Beacon – This is the holiday rental we stayed in.  It’s amazing!  Brand new, massive, townhouse.  It has the best views over the Bermagui River and out to the beach and bay.  We spent Saturday morning whale watching from the balcony.  It was amazing.  The townhouse is stylishly decorated with a beach theme.  It has all the modern conveniences including Austar and a saltwater pool.  Everything a girl needs on her weekend away with her Husband and friends.  If you’re looking for a place to escape to you couldn’t find much better than this.

2. Beramugi Bait and Tackle – Kayak Hire – On Saturday afternoon we hired a double sea kayak and a three man canoe.  COUSIN and LEE LEE took the double sea kayak and HUBBY and I took the three man canoe.  HUBBY and I took all the towels and things we wanted to keep dry in with us.  When we started out we had no control over our canoe.  LEE LEE and COUSIN where wiping the floor with us.  It was awesome fun.  The Bermagui River is so clean.  The water is crystal clear.  Amazing.  We stopped for a swim and then continued on down the river.  At one stage the girls suggested we hold on to the back of their canoe and they’d tow us to the beach.

Shame I was the one holding on to the back of the boat.  I’m also the one that is the clumsiest amongst us.  One thing lead to another and our five foot canoe tipped over.  All our towels, shoes, water bottles, paddles, wallet and keys went in the drink.  Luckily for us we’d put our wallet and keys in a clip-seal bag.  It was also in a string bag with the water bottles which meant that it floated.

We managed to right the boat, collect what we could and swim the canoe to the shore.  We were laughing so hard.  It made our afternoon trip some what more memorable.  We were really lucky that nothing serious happened, especially given we had no life-jackets.  I’d do it again in a heart beat!

3. Havaianas – The footwear of choice.  By now those of you that are regular readers should know about my undying love for my Converse Chuck Taylors.  However, when on holiday I choose to wear Havaianas.  I lived in my pink pair all weekend.  It was awesome.  It’s as close to not wearing shoes in public that I will ever go.  Only one snag – it really highlighted that I need to get a pedicure!

4. Maxi Dress – I’m not normally a girl that likes to wear dresses or skirts, but lately I’m in love with these maxi dresses.  So much so that I purchased two of them while I was shopping in Bega.  They’re great for holidaying as you can dress them up or down depending on the occasion.  I tended to wear mine with my Havaianas – so clearly I went the dress down option.  I’m going to see if I can find a pattern and make my own.  Should be interesting!

5. Canberra Pet Care - We wouldn’t be able to go away and have a fun and relaxing weekend if it wasn’t for the wonderful staff at Canberra Pet Care.  George and Tyson are our family and so we can’t relax, or go away without them, if we don’t have somewhere to take care of them.  Canberra Pet Care are awesome.  They look after our babies like they were their babies.  Our dogs are actually excited to be there when we drop them off.  They get great walks and playtime.  They get pampered and bathed.  They get to share accommodation so it’s just like they were at home together.  It’s amazing.  The other great thing – it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.  The rates are really affordable so it doesn’t add a mountain of expense to your weekend away.  There’s also nothing quite like getting home and picking up the kids; I love puppy cuddles.

September in Australia is Book Month, so to celebrate and encourage more reading Bookthingo have been hosting a reading challenge.  The goal is to read as many books from a set of challenges, or make up your own.

Books Alive 2009 is an initiative by the Australian Government and proceeds go to support the Indigenous Literacy Project.  It’s one of the many great initiatives by the Australian Government that are out there at the moment.  I can’t think of an easier, or more enjoyable, way to support a great cause than be getting comfortable in your favourite spot and kicking back with a great book.

I have a reading challenge already for 2009, but I thought I would incorporate this challenge as well as it complimented what I was already trying to do.  So I’ve been busily trying to read as many books this month as possible.  Not an easy feat when I’m spread so thin at the moment with everything else, but I’m hanging in there.

My reading list so far:

1. Acheron, Sherrilyn Kenyon – September 12 2009
2. Twilight, Stephanie Meyers – September 16 2009
3. Sucker for Love, Kimberly Raye – September 18 2009
4. Branded by Fire, Nalini Singh – September 22 2009

Not as impressive as some reading lists that are on the challenge, but I’m punching through my massive to-be-read list.  Who knows, I may even manage to finish a book or two this weekend.  Either way I’ve had fun, and it’s given me the reading motivation I was lacking.