social commentary Sunday . . . 'knowing when to take a break from blogging'

Greetings all, 

My blogging journey has come to a stop-start-halt lately, i've just lost the passion, enjoyment & time for it.  While i started my blog 6 years ago & blogged regularly during 2010 to 2012 while my husband lived interstate, sharing 'our life' with him . . . i'm finding less & less time to post about craft, lifestyle, animals, baking, children, my husband & our happiness.  

My studio is only working on large commissions, not pretty blog-worthy-craft; i'm spending many more hours in the garden, tending to animals, exercising & preparing healthy meals, less blog-worthy-cakes; the children are growing fast, i am not missing a minute & considering next year we'll have three teenagers - it's incredibly busy with sports, academics & their social engagements, i'm not comfortable posting lots of images of teenagers, especially as they are not allowed their own social media; my husband is here & being a wife takes up a lot of time, i'd prefer his company than reading blogs . . . as for our happiness, we've never been happier, with exciting dreams.  Spending less time on the computer is a good example to our children too.  

I've been using my non-blogging-time making more calls to my elderly parents, catching up with people who bring me joy & soaking in the lucky life i have as a housewife.  I refuse to be 'busy' as it implies i don't have time for the things i love.  I still adore the idea of a blog & the blogging community is lovely; trolls - their loss, i click delete & refuse to engage with them, absolutely not worth a second thought; stalkers - go get a life, especially the ones who know me personally, it's creepy you read my posts (& pretend you don't) yet don't communicate with me directly!!

So it's for positive reasons that i am taking a break from blogging.  I want to offer the world quality or nothing, i won't blog for the sake of blogging.  I'll be hanging around on Instagram, which is so much fun, friendly, engaging & fast . . . i find it like mini-speed-blogging.  While blogging has been a wonderful adventure with 700 posts, 15000 comments & 2000 hits per day, if i was paid to blog - i'd reconsider taking a break, i just can't maintain 'free' work - yes, 'work' . . . i put great consideration/ thought/ ideas/ effort into my posts: an extension of my business & the personality behind it . . . i'm closing down the on line store & no longer attend markets, as i'm starting a new chapter in my creative life.  Stay tuned. 

 I'd love to be invited to blog conferences . . . i have great ideas & lots of inspiration to offer; i'd love to be given freebies & opportunities . . . i do fantastic & thoughtful reviews; i'd love to sit in a particular niche . . . but i don't . . . no babies (our youngest is 9) or live in the cities where the events take place, so i'll hum along doing my own thing.  While i've always been popular & social, i really enjoy my own company & avoid cliques at all costs.  Blogging has changed a lot over the years with awards, sponsorship & obvious circles, a lot is self-congratulatory & below average quality.  It wasn't my end-game to make money from blogging - i started as i had my own home-design-studio business to promote & make money from - i was never 'discovered' (even with 10000 social media followers) & that's Ok.  Maybe, one day??

Just to wrap up a few things, like my last giveaway & ensuring i organise all pervious giveaway winners receive their prizes (apologies for the delay) the lucky people who won the LEGO Hero Factory packs are:

Claire Hewitt of Clairey Hewitt blog,

Sash of Indigo Elephant blog &

Beck from Baby Laila blog.

Congratulations.  Please email me your delivery (street address for courier) for delivery. 

 Thanks everyone - it has truly been a wonderful experience, i appreciate all your comments & connections.  This isn't good bye or farewell, just a see you later for now.  I feel it's really important if you know your blogging journey is stalling, that you take a break.  It might be Christmas time before i blog again, but i will be back, renewed & thoroughly reinspired, love Posie

PS all images are recent snap shots from my Instagram account Posie Shoots with lots of stories & gorgeous engagement, you'll see why i completely adore this social media platform!!

win one of SIX LEGO Friends prize packs GIVEAWAY

 Greetings all,

How much fun are latest offerings from the LEGO Friends range??!!  My four children really enjoy this series - fun girls with friendships, hobbies & personality - including my son, this LEGO is not just for girls!!  They have adventures & ambition which young ladies can relate to.  Meet the girls . . .

Emma’s Karate Class (RRP $15.99) Practice Emma's favorite martial arts and help her to prepare for another fantastic performance. Train hard to win the trophy by chopping the practice block in half! After a great practice, wind down in the tranquil environment with the cute bonsai tree and drink some water. Includes Emma mini-doll figure.

 My children all learn Japanese at school so spotted lots of cool things in this set - like the Samurai accessories & the LEGO bonsai.  

 Mia’s Magic Tricks (RRP $15.99) Mia's practicing hard for the big Heartlake City magic show. Help her to learn tricks with cards, a magic wand, flowers, her bunny and a top hat. Build her stage for the big performance then stun the crowds with a cute performing bunny that disappears into its own magic cabinet. Amaze the crowds when the bunny disappears! Includes Mia mini-doll figure. 

This set is so cute with the bunny & magic tricks were such a part of my childhood - my Grandfather was always pulling something out from behind my ear or playing cards.

 Win 1 of 6 LEGO Friends prize packs, valued at $31.98 each! Each prize pack consists of Emma's Karate Class and Mia's Magic Tricks!!

Leave a comment at this post & make sure you follow this blog for your chance to win!!  Six lucky winners will be randomly drawn after midnight Sunday 3rd March 2013.  Australian residents only.  Extra entries (one per link) of this giveaway on your social media (Blogs, FaceBook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter etc!!)  Thank you. 

 Thank you LEGO & One Green Bean for the goodies to test drive in the school holidays, we had a great time.  Good luck everyone, love Posie

PS please contact me if you were a winner of my last round of giveaways in 2012 (announced here) as i have lots of prizes to send off.

The Lord of the Rings Lego for xBox

Greetings all,

Last week we received a pre-release copy of the Lord of the Rings LEGO for xBox game, which my son test drove on the weekend.  He had a ball & i was a bit of a hero for providing the game.   Thanks One Green Bean & Warner Brothers!!

We set our boy up to play the xBox & heard him giggling away.  Sisters came & went (up to two players at a time) as he worked his way around Mordor, living out the Lord of the Rings stories.  There is action, horse riding, scary trees attacking you, a creepy Lego Gollum is involved . . . & Frodo is the main character.  The goal is to destroy the ring, just like the books/ movies.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this, the graphics are fantastic & story comprehensive.

Personally, i thought the facial expressions were hilarious & very entertaining.  Between the action on each level - the story plays out with the Lego characters - like the Hollywood actors in the movies.  Yes that's a 'Lego' Orlando Bloom!! 

Like a typical 8 year old boy, he didn't want to put the controls down (he is allowed a couple of hours of gaming on the weekends only) & pose for a photo . . . this was the best i could do.  Yes the xBox is currently in our bedroom as my husband has back issues & this keeps him quiet too!!  Don't judge, the xBox only just came back to our house here in Canberra, it was living in Brisbane at the bachelor pad.

Due for release this week, keep your eyes peeled for this fun stocking filler.  Love Posie

a Lego Hero Factory G I V E A W A Y for brave little Lego fans

Greetings all,

Lego Hero Factory is not for the faint hearted, it's down right monster scary.  But isn't that what children love - transformerish Lego creations which twist & morph into the most frightening & ominous creature they can imagine??  My 4 sweet angelic children love a bit of evil Voldermort kind of horror.

My 7 year old did ask for some assistance in the construction of our complimentary new friend Raw Jaw, the revolutionary ball & socket joints are a bit tough to click in place for little fingers.  We'll be adding to the collection with his heroes Storma, Nex, Bulk & Rocka (they even have back stories on their strengths & abilities!!)  It's really suitable for ages 7-16 or fathers, i know they LOVE their Lego too!!

 The Hero Factory is set in the jungle, they're on a mission to restore peace in Quatros, by defeating the sinister, spell casting Evil Witch Doctor.  New age Lego = a unique code to unlock exclusive content at www.HeroFactory.LEGO.com + a movie on Nickelodeon, of course!!  Go old school & let your children undertake their own imaginery missions, or they can listen to Hero Factory FM for the latest Hero Challenges.  If your child is heavily into computers, there is Hero Recon to customise their own Hero at www.herorecon.lego.com. 

Raw Jaw is nice & solid, bits have not been falling off him & he's been in a few battles this weekend, yes, including smurfs (i have my original ones from the 1980's, mum saved them for me with my childhood Lego). 

Ok, so he is MUCH loved & has had a few kisses.

Just a little shout out that Lego Creator released Lighthouse Island, Hillside House & Cool Cruiser last month, along with The Hidden Forest, The Knight Bus & Howarts to the Harry Potter range.  For the Star Wars freaks, you can add a bunch of new Lego to your collection with very scary names like Sith Nightspeeder & Ewok Attack - i thought Ewoks were cute, squeaky & cuddly??  Must be wrong.      

Have you noticed this on my side bar "it's always Lego time at our house" keep scrolling.  I queued up almost 2 hours in Canberra Winter to see creations like this cuckoo clock at the Lego Brick Expo - which was so good i spread it over 2 posts here & here.  We are nothing if not devoted to Lego.

Alrighty, the friendly folk at One Green Bean & Lego are offering . . .
3 boxes of Hero Factory to giveaway, value $19.99 each. 
Just follow this blog & leave a comment here, da dah, you're in.  The 3 lucky winners will be drawn randomly, at 9p.m. on Sunday 11th September 2011, good luck!!

Before you go, some feel good Lego facts . . . the Lego Group is still a private family company in Denmark, devoted to children's creative & imagination abilities, available in 130 countries.  Lego was founded in 1932 (the year my daddy was born & the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened) - a very good year indeed.  Love Posie

PS Massive thanks to all the interesting feedback & comments on yesterday's post!!  I'm responding to everyone with an email contact, such a wonderful, hearty opinions from all sides.  You're the best!!

does a house need a style or a theme or a mood or an era??

Greetings all,

As i have the exciting task of planning a homestead for my family . . . what i do know after 15 years of marriage & living in Army housing - is what i don't want!!  Seeing we've lived all over Australia & gathered 4 children along the way + left the concept of building a house for ourselves for so long . . . we're now planning/ building a homestead for where we will be in a few years time . . . regional Canberra with almost 4 teenagers, a retired soldier & my sewing will become a hobby again!!

Oh we've had some weird aspects to our Army houses - a cyclone shelter in the bathroom, orange/ brown shower screens & the first 4 houses all had the same lino??  Add to that some bizarre colour combinations - like butter yellow walls with red carpet & sky blue doors with grey walls.  In true rental property style, they all have vertical blinds, crappy gardens & zero storage.  

We want to build on 100 acres/ 40 ha - not to farm it, but for the space & privacy, with animals, a barn, swimming pool & running track.  We need 5 bedrooms, an open study, an adult-sized bath in our ensuite & serious walk in pantry. 
We don't necessarily have a style, theme, mood or an era in mind . . . does it matter??  I think it would work in an established home or neighbourhood but we're building from scratch in the middle of a paddock, so plan a classic style, a modest theme, a welcoming mood & uncomplicated era.  I like plain & neutral, allowing art & furniture to do the talking, or as the television experts would say "the hero of the room" by way of colour/ interest/ feature.  I think if you're planning an Early Settler unadorned style homestead for a large family, swanky period features can look a bit . . . wanky.      

 Last night i was kicking myself that my husband was on a plane & not watching Grand Designs with me, as i think they featuered my favourite house EVER!!  The simple elegance of it all, attention to detail = clean lines & a sheer joy of a home!!

 It wasn't a challenging castle restoration, or a whacky cliff side renovation; it was a mix of new millenium eco cleverness, Scandinavian lightness & mid century perfection.  The interior designer/ owner Kathryn Tyler has an amazing eye for classic styling - putting years of thrifted finds into storage while she dreamed up the most fabulous home for them. 

 Many fixtures were from hardware stores or DIY, then built over by the carpenter, making them look a million dollars & custom made.  Kathryn designed the most incredible shelves in line with the stairs & clever storage/ seating/ table concepts!!  You could see the television show host & architect Kevin McCloud was extremely impressed (Series 7, Episode 29).

 My inspiration is blue, grey & white throughout with art on the walls & fabric on the soft furnishings providing the colour.  Soaking up building tips from friends who are in the midst of creating their homes . . . grab supplies from hardware stores or on line, if you're flexible & can stomach the fact an internal door is merely a-rectangle-piece-of-wood & you need 20 of them, then $40 doors will do instead of purchasing 20 x $200 doors.  Ditto for taps.  I'm not after the latest award winning Italian tap - so long as water comes out of it, i'll be happy.  Ok i'm not that easy, i want recessed sinks & taps fixed to the walls not the benches (kitchen, bathroom, laundry) as i loathe water pooling around tap bases or sink edge.  I married the son of a plumber who embraces my passion for simple plumbing design. 

So while my husband is busy soldiering & i plan the next Lego giveaway on this blog . . . i am flicking through homey magazines sourcing ideas & starting debates . . . like curtains versus shutters.  I can absolutely see us living in the house in my mind, i could quite easily fill our garage with ornaments & reconditioned furniture as pieces of the future homestead puzzle.
Do you have a style, theme, mood or an era for your home/ dreams??  Love Posie

more & more & more Lego, i can't help myself . . .

Greetings all,
Continuing the Brick Expo Legothon we attended, here are some really fun cameo & quirky Lego favourites we found . . .

 when you queue for 2 hours, entertainment in the car park really helps time pass . . .

 the Lego movies were so funny . . .

 this was a rather bizarre skate boarding broken bones message . . .

 break dancing, as you do . . .

 dancing with zombies (so funny, the zombie's head kept flying off into the audience & body parts falling off) . . .

 an armed bank robbery . . .

 & the shoot out get away . . .

 Santa in a spa with the ladies & um, Jesus??

 Pamela Anderson . . .

 a mime, look at his face, seriously, brilliant, loved the French scene . . .

 Dr Who for those who care . . .

 from that W.A.L.L.E. movie (is that what it was called??) . . .

 & my 3rd girl just couldn't stay upright for one more minute . . . it was a big day.  Note to self: pack a picnic including deck chairs, this was like lining up for tickets to a rock concert, Lego = huge queues.

I hope you enjoyed the Lego & stay tuned for my Lego giveaway coming up shortly.  Love Posie

our day at the Lego Brick Expo

Greetings all,

I should explain what my idea of giving myself the weekend off really means . . . spending 4 hours on Saturday collecting & distributing party goers . . . & Sunday involved 4 hours at the Lego Brick Expo in Canberra (including 2 hours in the queue).  Best $10 entry fee i've ever spent . . . to see the most incredible small scale Lego & smiles on my Lego loving children's faces.

There was a theatre set up with Lego short movies . . . 

 the Blocksford Music Festival . . .

 detailed cities complete with transport . . .

 space Lego . . .

 & kryogenetics??

 I love this family lunch scene, complete with roast chicken . . .

 this amazing street scape with detailed trees & flowers . . .

 police station . . .

 a taste of Europe . . .

 a farm . . .

 an amazing mountain with various cabins & railways . . .

 good old cowboys & indians . . .

with such detail, humour & talent, it was well worth the wait!!
I'll be back tomorrow with some more fun Lego - think quirky Legomen, just too much for one post.  There will also be a Lego giveaway coming up soon, so be sure to follow now so you don't miss it.  Love Posie