a little love.

 

So I have blogged before about my love of this sweet etsy shop. And now the lovely Alli is hosting a giveaway on her blog.

So hop on over to Hooray and you could win a cute canister filled with valentines goodies...

But please don't win cause I want this one pretty bad ;)

!

kt hearts ...

These earrings which i have been eyeing for awhile!

There really sweet aren't they?!

other colours I think I need:

red, turqouise and grey :)

these ones are only $6.50 and I found them here.

Totally Spoilt

Remember when I mentioned that I was very spoilt this Christmas?

We'll it's true I totally was!!

 And not that we take note or anything.. but I also won the prize for the top two biggest presents of the year - always fun! 

We opened presents with my family on Christmas Eve (as they spent Christmas on the boat and had to leave that afternoon) which meant we got to dig into this loot early too.

On top of a beautiful cutlery set (a belated engagement present from the parents), a USA power adaptor from brother, some fun USA spending money and a few other fun things M presented me with this large box... which I didn't even know was for me until then (he sneakily got it upstairs while I was out)

And guess what was inside...

A white Eames Rocker!!!

I may have screamed, ran into his arms and then just burst into tears right there on the spot - just maybe - I was so excited!

Isn't it lovely... only wish I had hardwood floors in my bedroom for photo purposes too!

And if you have been a reader of my blog for some time you might remember this post where I mentioned my search for the perfect unit for my room. And the crush I had on this one that was just over $1,000.00 aka NOT IN THE BUDGET! The search has been going on all year with no luck and so this is what my dad built me for Christmas:

 

And can you believe he found those shuttered door fronts on an old cupboard by the side of the road, Cut and modified them to fit and painted them up?!? How clever is he?

I was so excited to see it all finished and sitting in my room.

I also got a little teary when he pulled out the middle drawer and mentioned how he had written a little message for me there!

And oh how I love the extra storage!

Although I think I am in need of the rest of the furniture in this set now ;)

Hope you and yours were just as spoilt during the holiday season too!
oh and total cost of the unit just over $100, crazy huh!

the gumdrop shoppe!

So remember when I mentioned that I will soon be flying on over to the US to meet some of my dear sweet bloggy friends?

To help cover some of our accommodation costs we have got together and started 'The Gumdrop Etsy Shoppe' (as in goody goody gumdrops - because we are THAT excited about pulling this thing off. That and Chelle always thinks of cute names - love her!)

I thought you might want to pop on over and have a look, possibly make a purchase?!

and please do keep checking back, there are always new items being added and there will be lots of fun items coming in for Valentines Day too :)

so...

SHOP HERE.

the one where I try to catch up...

Wow.. it's been nearly two whole months since my last blog - so sad!
And I seem to have a writer's block...
where to start?
what to share?
Which one of the many half started posts to begin with?
there's just been so much happening lately...
Dec and Jan are busy months!

So since I last posted I have:

- Finished College - Did I mention this?!
I cannot believe I actually made it through that final major project I felt like I didn't sleep or eat properly for weeks (only about 10 out of 18 of us actually presented the day it was due - it was a crazy time!)

- Enjoyed Christmas time with M's family... my first Christmas I haven't woken up and shared pressies with my own family!

- Was totally totally spoilt by my family and M for Chrissy (more on that later).

- Laughed at babushka tool boxes that just.keep.coming.

- Spent Boxing Day on the boat with my family and M's ... eating seafood and gourmet salads, and Oma's over-supply of snacks, swimming and listening to those cicadas (they are SO loud this year!)

- Spent a few days on the boat with different friends just relaxing... and eating!

- Had an amazing New Years Eve:

- NYE#1: Went to the summer Fair down at the local waterfront. Carnie took M's money and I went on some crazy dare-devil rides with my sister-in-law-to-be. I love that she loves rides too - M will never go on them with me he stood there freaking out from the ground!

- NYE#2: Waved to mum and dad who were on the boat from up the top of the biggest ride - they didn't see me.

-NYE#3: Watched the New Years eve Fireworks on the roof of our boat with champagne and yummy cheese cakes. We were 100 m away from the barge they were letting the fireworks off from and they were so loud, you could even hear the sound bouncing off the mountains behind us - talk about surround sound - it was so great.

- NYE#4: Went to a party at a friends house and enjoyed watching the Sydney fireworks on TV and catching up with friends.

- Went through another possible sale of our house which fell through again - seriously weren't we just here this time last year too?

- Spent lots of time crafting.

- Booked wedding cars, a photographer, tried dresses on and enjoyed many more wedding related activities.

- Dated my boy a few times:

- Date#1: Had lunch at the venue we are having our wedding reception at on a REALLY hot day the food was scrummy!

- Date#2: Enjoyed a yummy date eating seafood, watching the pelicans at the waterfront restaurant - also on a REALLY hot day!

- Have been to the beach lots - because did I mention, it's been really HOT here!

- Realized I need a new swimmers - with working elastic!

- Continued planning my trip to the States coming up NEXT MONTH to meet some amazing women!

- Found out my cousin Sarey is going to be in LA at the same time as me - yippee!

- Have gotten into the TV show 30 rock with these crazy guys:

- Celebrated the church I grew up in's 30th birthday. Had a great service, loved having Ps Pat preach again, enjoyed a party and watched old church camp and dance videos which made us crack up SO much!

- Also enjoyed checking out M all dressed up in his new vest and haircut (and Mitch and him accidentally wearing matching outfits - as M says 'oh how embarrassing' but not really cause they are boys!):

- Watched dad take on a new business. Selling Thermomix machines (my my these little guys are amazing!)

- Watched dad play around with our thermo mix - we've made yummy dips, salads, ice cream, sorbet, burrito mix, custard, muesli bar balls etc etc

- Gotten my first Interior Design job through a client of dad's who is in the process of buying an old weatherboard cottage with a waterfront and completely renovating the whole thing! colours, furniture, layouts - It's exciting people!

- Have gotten excited over what is going to be an awesome (and busy) year - three weddings (2 of which M is involved in), two exciting holidays, a honeymoon, a new job, a new house with renovations and one spunky husband later!

-And an even more amazing decade for us - getting married, buying houses, babies, careers and leaning more and growing closer to our God - stay tuned it's going to be good!

"34!"

Today we got our first piece of furniture for our house - for the craft room to be exact!
A chest of drawers sitting at the end of our street with a sign attached that read "Free"
I was immediately sold...
(probably before I even checked the condition it was in!- which is really good by the way)
I am seeing a new coat of fresh white paint over the existing pine and some pretty patterns to line the drawers. It wouldn't fit in Morgan's car boot so I jokingly said he'd have the carry it up the street - he didn't even think twice before he picked up those heavy drawers and started waddling up the street proudly providing for his Mrs-to-be.
aaw!

Then we had this funny conversation:

K: "Watching you proudly carry that heavy chest of drawers up the street for me in 34 degree heat made me fall in love with you all over again!"
M: *laughing at me* ... "34 degree heat huh?" (yup that's the bit he chose to take from that sentence!)
K: "yup, why's that so funny?"
M: "that's really precise"

He then goes on to cheekily say that he thinks it actually feels a bit more like "31"
There are kisses and then he jumps into his car to leave and pushes the button to check the outside temperature.
And I see him laughing his head off.
He winds the window down and I hear
"34!"
& that was the part where I won...
both a man who carry's heavy cupboards for me without thinking twice and the ability to correctly guess the heat of the day!

ps. did I mention it was HOT!?
both him AND today ;)

kt hearts ...

Inside Out Magazine's Christmas special which showed up on my door a few weeks ago (my lovely Aunty K brought me a ears subscription for my birthday - score!)
As this is an Australian magazine and many of you, my dear readers will not be able to get your hands on a copy here is some delicious eye candy just for you...

oh how i want to make one of these paper wreaths!

an amazing christmassy treehouse!

 

and how I love this Christmas tree take.

Infact I have seen one similiar at ne of our local shops - so pretty!

Although M is definitely a real pine tree kinda guy. mmm maybe we one day can have two trees?!

& look circle garlands on the front cover similar to the ones I made last year :)

ps. today marked ONE year exactly till I become a Mrs!! I can't wait to start our life together.
Today while waiting for our Chinese takeaway (we spoiled ourselves tonight) I asked M how many different emotions he thinks he will go through exactly one year from now...
to which he chuckled and teasingly replied
"uggh do we have to talk about our emotions?!"
of course my dearest that's just what we girls do :)
but he did tell me he will cry for sure - aaaw!!

the one where I am super proud :)

So I was on a bit of a role there for awhile.. but I seem to have lost my momentum, that and I am in the middle of my FINAL assessment before I am a qualified junior designer - yes I said FINAL.. eek! So that is (mostly) all I have been doing lately. But last night I took a break curled my hair and put on a cute skirt and we went out to support our amazing friend Corinne (you met her a few posts ago) and her band Jonnday at their cd launch and live dvd recording. And it was great - they are all such talented musicians and I was so proud of Miss Rinny, who is their new lead singer and has an amazing voice - but I'm biased right? I also loved one of their supporting artists Amy Rose Buckle who has the darlingest voice... I am sure I was standing there with my mouth gaping open at the way she just sat there singing like it was the easiest thing in the world. And some fun shots of the gorgeous Rinny (and the band)...

isn't she cute?

And here is their trailer just so you can here her sing :)

 ooh and you can listen to their music on their myspace here too.

kt hearts ...

This cute free download - a customizable card & hand drawn labels.

I of course love the little bird motif...

Found on Creature Comforts.

+ also the free recipe card download 

+ this free library card download too!

Seriously if you do not already follow the creature comforts blog - you should check it out, there is so much daily eye candy and inspiration over there!

super gorgeous girls

We now have a full bridal party & can I just say that my bridesmaids are amazing and fun and oh so cute! They have even made themselves a private facebook group (which I am not privy to) to "To bring us all closer together in preparation for the big day!" aaww
I wanted to think of a fun way to ask these girls to have a special part in our day so I made them each a little card out of some lovely Heather Bailey scrapbooking paper and ribbon.
It was such a great idea because not only did I get to sit down and play with pretty paper but I got to really think why I wanted these girls to be my bridesmaids and what they mean to me (& M).
And it was fun to look at their faces as they read over the card and then came to the word 'bridesmaid' - in fact one of them even started crying :)

so would you like to meet them?

sarah.

My Maid of Honour

my amazing, sweet and beautiful cousin.

Miss Mac # 1 (but only cause shes the oldest - or so we have to keep telling her ;)

So many fun childhood memories, so many similar interests.

& so many laughs and good chats when we get together.

I love her fiercely!

plus she's so cute - she was SO super excited when I asked her and after screaming and hugging she went out and brought a 'bridesmaid handbook' and has been reading it ever since. She's also already starting to plan the hens and kitchen tea party and been in contact with dress makers too.

Paige.

Morgan's gorgeous sister.
so loving. so supportive. so helpful. so sweet. so caring. so fun to be around + to laugh with.
& SO glad I get her as my sister-in-law :)
She's also wedding-blog obsessed too and has been sharing lovely things she knows I will just adore.
and she's a frequent reader of my blog - hi lovely!!
and no she doesn't usually wear masks but I just adore this photo of her :) 

Leesa. 

my dearest friend since junior high school.
in 2007 we got her to the chapel to marry her prince + now it's her turn.
Leese is also the creative eye behind all our engagement photoshoot photos
& many of the photos at our engagement party.
she's creative, funny and super fun to be around too!!

 Corinne
I have been blessed to have known this funny and spunky girl for around 15 years!!
she is beautiful inside. outside and upside down.
not only does she makes our hairs look pretty
but she is also a great friend (to us both)
and we share such fun memories together as well as many little letters we have sent to each other over the years - oh my they are so funny to read over!

aren't they beautiful?