....Samantha Bret...

"peponi" - a swahili word meaning "paradise"

2012-02-21T18:28:00.002+11:00

Today I am loving...

Goosebumps.

.bunting.

2012-02-20T19:08:00.004+11:00

I have been itching to do a bit of decorating in the baby's room and have loved the numberless ideas that creative minded people have posted on the internet. While living in a newly built rental does limit the options a bit (the chalkboard wall was out), I found something that I liked just as much, which was simple, easy to do and best of all, easy to remove.

Paper bunting.

Bunting does seem to be the hot thing at the moment and though I'm not usually one to conform with the latest fashion, I don't mind following a crowd if said crowd have awesome decorating taste.

So in two simple hours bubs wall went from plain to kinda cute. (Never mind that the rest of the room is in disarray with Ty's excess clothes, old schoolbooks and the ironing board).

Want to make a paper bunting too?

Here's how in 6 easy steps.

1. Choose some thick card paper in design of your choice and cut out several triangles, any size, it's up to you.

2. Choose some string. It can be anything from bakers twine to fishing line. For myself I used some Craft thread, which is light and comes in heaps of pretty colours.

3. Poke 4 holes in each individual bunting, 2 one side and 2 the other.

4. Thread your string through the holes in the bunting, starting from behind.

5. Continue with the rest of your bunting. You can adjust the distances between each bunting by just dragging them along the string. (Because you threaded the bunting they won't slide along the string on their own).

6. Attach to wall! (I used masking tape because my bunting was very light and I didn't wan't to put any nails in the wall.)

And you're done. Really simple, really.

P.S.

(The clothes are washed, folded and put away ready for the big day. I wish all my clothes could fit snugly onto one shelf like that!)

.baby bump.

2012-02-18T17:51:00.002+11:00

The baby bump.

I am super excited because we now own an iPhone which means I now have an easy to use camera with the-bad-photo-fixing-wonders of instagram (hence all the decapitated self portraits).

Today has been a bit of a rainy day, and not just because it rained. Rainy days are inspire me days, the I-can-create-wonders days.

Not many wonders were actually created, admittedly, but after a bit of household cleaning and a thorough perusal of pinterest, I felt completely motivated and wrote a looooong list of to-dos which I gradually narrowed down to three main things.

1. Prepare for baby. Yes, only nine weeks left and I feel thoroughly unprepared in the physical sense. Still so much to buy and make and do.

2. Blog. I want to start recording our day-to-day lives more. Not just because no. 1 is on the way, but because recent events have made me realize how important the day-to-day things are. They matter, even if only to me. Journal writing was a no go, because I always give up halfway due to either hand cramps or disgust at my un-beautiful writing. And journals are easily misplaced. So blogging it was.

and

3. Draw something. Achieved. I got down and I did it. I don't draw as much as I used too. No school means no bored scribbles in my text books on a daily basis. I miss it. I think I need to draw more.

I was happy with the finished result, which is a rare occurrence. Perhaps I'll frame it.

And that was my rainy day. I like them. So rain, come when you please. You make a productive person out of me.

On a random, only-really-matters-to-me side note, we have grass! I'd almost given up hope. Laying seeds in the heat of summer was a risky move, but after constant TLC and a few overcast days it paid off. We now have a wild (but soon to be mowed, thanks Ty!) lawn for our friendly wallaby neighbours to poop all over.)

Lovely.

A Temple Wedding

2012-01-23T21:13:00.001+11:00

(Australia Melbourne Temple)

A wonderful day for a wedding, weather aside.

(I love this photo. It captures a moment so wonderfully. The flurry between shots as everyone jostles into position, valiantly battling the wind. Look at the married couple. Happily content with each other in the midst of chaos.)

Here is Rachael, the newest addition to the Prebble clan.

She already fits in so well. She, and my big brother dear, are like hot chocolates with marshmallows on rainy days.

Just perfect.

Only two more to come, and then we're complete (excluding grand-kids).

The groomsmen looked dashing, the bridesmaids dressed to impress.

And typical Jack, in all his lack-of-emotion and cardboard-ness, hit it off instantly with the ladies. Even as a cut-out he's got charm.

Us Prebble girls are pretty pleased. We're even in ranks again. 4 males, 4 females. It's always great having another on our side.

And we do dearly love Rach :)

I think Dale does too :)

On a side note, baby-belly is finally deciding to pop, with only 12 weeks left.

And my mother and me, becoming scarily similar in appearance. I think she's slowly looking younger, as I'm slowly getting older.

I'm glad I have your genes mummy. I consider myself lucky.

I could have landed dad's.

;)

Hello...

2011-05-19T18:57:00.000+10:00

big

wide

place of

adventure

on the other

side of the world.

I look forward to finally meeting you.

Till tomorrow.

This day...

2011-05-12T09:29:00.000+10:00

is a wonderful day, for many reasons.

1. Waking up to the drumming of rain on the roof made me smile. I love the rain.

2. Teaching seminary, a spiritually uplifting start to the day.

3. The smell of bacon and eggs in the air as my husband cooks a hearty breakfast.

4. An appointment with Service Tas which means I will finally be taking down my P-plates.

5. The thought of my gumboots sa-loshing as I walk around the thriving metropolis of Launceston.

6. Seeing my Mum and Dad and sister dear.

But

what makes this day most wonderfully wonderful, more then any other reason I can think of, more then bacon and eggs or gumboots or raindrops, is...

7. Dale's coming home.

Soon...

2011-04-22T14:08:00.000+10:00

You will be home soon.

Have I mentioned lately that I miss you?

I miss both of you, of course.

Did you know, that things will be so very different when you get home.

Lizzie has grown quite tall, taller than me.

She is 13, but she acts like she's 20.

She's very funny, our sister.

And I am married.

Married! Me?!

I like it very much.

in my house,

2011-04-22T11:02:00.000+10:00

there will be ranunculus sitting sweet upon the kitchen bench,

and rustic wooden floors that inspire thoughts of Jane Austen and all things pretty,

and a bookshelf with a ladder because bookshelves and ladders are like peanut butter and jam,

and this quote engraven upon the wall of my house, that you will see when you open the cherry red front door.

butterfly, fly away

2011-04-14T20:07:00.000+10:00

ripe and ready canvas

carefully selected paper

meticulous cutting

a non-insect-annihilating taxonomist

Because today...

2011-04-13T20:41:00.000+10:00

was rainy and grey,

we were inspired.

Here is Ty modelling the marvelous Fake it Perfect t-shirt range that he has just created.

I think I smell a fraud.

And because the skies were raining ink I thought I would put it to good use.

Since Ty is going to Hobart tonight, he requested one for his friend, so that his friend could hang it on his refrigerator.

He was going to turn it into a t-shirt too, of course, but he ran out of time.

Which is unfortunate.

Childhood Dreams

2011-02-17T23:20:00.000+11:00

Here it is.

Your gift.

I made it just for you, you know.

Being the wonderful mother you are of four imaginatively exquisite children, I knew.

I just knew, that you of all people would understand there is nothing so precious as childhood dreams.

So I'm entrusting mine to you.

Here is me...

2011-02-16T15:06:00.000+11:00

Here is me hoping that my pen-pal dear will forgive the terrible lateness of this birthday present that is hers.

Here is me loving my sister-in-laws particularly sweet talent of gift-giving.

Here is me laughing with my sister about things that no one else laughs at. What would I do without you.

Here is me fancying our new pristine white bed cover from a special friend.

Here is me appreciating such wonderful men like Allen Lane for allowing people to discover new worlds and experiencing marvelous adventures for nothing more then $7.95.

($3.95 if you shop here).

Here is me considering the fortune of having my own little nook where which to read my $7.95 books.

(Complete with tissues for the likely event of tears)

Here is me knowing that I'm going to dreadfully miss my dear curly-red-haired best friend who is moving to Hobart today to begin a frightfully fascinating adventure.

Here is me marveling at my mother who is cleverest of all mothers on my list of "100 Cleverest Mothers".

Here is me dreaming of living here and attending this school and creating marvelous wonders for a magazine like this.

Here is me,

being wonderfully happy.

Positive attitude...

2010-12-03T00:11:00.000+11:00

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.

"So it is," replied Piglet.

"And freezing."

"Is it?"

"Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little,

"We haven't had an earthquake lately."

- A.A. Milne

Penpal

2010-09-18T17:56:00.000+10:00

To my dear penpal

With much appreciation and surprise, I recieved your package in the mail.

The other recipitent of your delightful gift was with me at the time, which was rather fortunate.

So you know, I am very thankful.

My reply is on its way.

brown box.

2010-08-17T14:58:00.000+10:00

today

as i looked in the letter box

i found a very big surprise

wrapped up in a small brown box

it made me smile :)

you know me well

My little cosy...

2010-08-09T22:38:00.000+10:00

If you have never said "Excuse me" to a parking meter or tripped over a tree root growing through a crack in the cement, you are probably wasting too much valuable reading time.

I cannot count the number of occasions that I have been laughed at in school, because I have been too engrossed in my books to hear a single word spoken to me.

I have an obsession with reading. I simply love it. I get ubsurdly excited over book discussions and if I was invited to join a Jane Austen Bookclub I would probably faint.

When me and my siblings were younger, our form of punishment if we behaved badly was confiscation.

Dale and Jack lost their Gameboys, Lego, or were banned from the computer for a week.

Lizzie lost her dolls, was sent to her room, or wasn't allowed to go outside to play.

Me, I lost my books.

Banned from reading, I'm sure that's a novelty.

I can remember clearly one summer's day when I was about 12. I was in the sunroom, book in hand, and my dad walks in and looks at me with concern. He says quite seriously,

"Sam, all I have ever seen you do this holidays is read. Don't you want to go outside, or spend time with friends?"

His honest anxiety at my sanity was touching.

Perhaps I was a weird child.

Be that as it may, my habits of nesting in my cosy little hole and reading novels has stuck with me up till now. (But may I add that I have learnt to prioritize my time a little more appropriately.)

I suppose I am the type of person that struggles to understand how some cannot have the yearning to read. It is a blindness of mine, I know. However, I still have to agree with the wise words of J. W. Eagan - "Never judge a book by it's movie."

I would infact, be most content, if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.

(Image by Light Thru My Lenses - Flickr)

sigh

2010-08-04T20:52:00.000+10:00

Tree Birds.

2010-07-29T10:33:00.000+10:00

I feel sorry for my two soul sisters at times. It seems whatever my interests may be, their birthday and christmas presents are always something related to it.

Last Christmas were cook books.

The birthdays before were 5 blocks of chocolate (that's when I was going through my "no chocolate eating' stage)

The Christmas before that were black and white, sillouhette paintings, always depicting some sweet, 'naaawww' worthy scene. (I am a soppy romantic)

So this birthday, my dear Tj, you will be recieving my latest love.

Trees and birds.

I confess, this present is VERY late, however I'm sure you understand ;)

I think I got a bit carried away in the making however, and have far more than necessary. You can pick which one you like, and as for the rest... well, I guess I could turn my room into some sort of bird menargerie. :)

Dear brother...

2010-07-27T09:42:00.000+10:00

so, despite what I say to people

that I love having my own room

that I love no more wet bathroom floors

that I love no more toothpaste and hair gel smeared across the sink

that I love no more petty arguments about nothing

that I love no more evil eye when I beat you to the shower in the early morning

that I love no more digs about my goals to lose weight, skip every morning for five minutes or stop eating chocolate, that just never seem to come through

that I love no more rolled eyes and sighs of exasperation when I announce my latest imagination adventure

that I love no more ganging up with Lizzie and having a "let's make fun of Sam day"

and that I love being able to put my special treats in the fridge or cupboard, without having them mysteriously disappear
.

yes. despite all this.

I miss you.

Your last email made me smile, and I am very proud of you and what you are doing.

I envy your oppurtunities to meet new people, and to experience such a different culture.

I laughed how you attached a special side note to Casper, telling him you missed him because there were no dogs there you could safely pat without risk of disease. You're pretty funny sometimes, I'll admit. ;)

I love you, brother.

(Photo courtesy of Lisa King)

While warmth was sleeping, he painted her likeness on the soft, sugar carpet...

2010-07-26T15:06:00.000+10:00

Recall those days:
the white flowers
of winter faded
And life spread across
the page once more.

Whispering in silence:
the popcorn blanket
spread across the treetops
and waves of colour
emerged from
their sea grave.

Light grew:
As the ancient drank
lost photographs
were discovered
and the young cried
as the sunset
warmed their aging backs.

The old tyre swung
its pendulum of time:
the children played
as gold fell
from the oaktree's height
and they danced.

Then we sat under it's
fading gown:
it was there
you said goodbye.
'She has her seasons,'
you said,
'and so do we.'

Now, as winter's flowers grow
and the bitter winds
steal some happiness,
as the waves of colour
rise and fall
and the vibrant hoop spins
please
think of me.

Some things are just meant to be yellow...

2010-06-26T18:21:00.000+10:00

I am convinced that some things are just meant to be yellow.

(How could you walk into a kitchen like this and your mood not automatically brighten?!)

This next one is my personal favourite. I do not know how to play the piano, but I am tempted to learn just so I have an excuse to buy one and paint it like this!

How cool are they?! All these and more were discovered on an awesome website my mother found.

www.designspongeonline.com

It's a sight full of crafty/renovating ideas from things like furniture to tin cans and best of all is that they have tutorials showing how for free!

Now, I know these ones aren't exactly yellow (but i'm sure they could be if you wanted them to be) but I love them all the same.

This is my #1 idea for a bed/couch. How completely wallet friendly! Even I could probably afford one of these haha.

((although I should just add that if anyone was to try these, do not use treated pallets, because they would be quite toxic in homes. Not good at all...))

But, they're still awesome. ;)

And this. So simple, so cool.

I won't lie.

2010-04-29T22:39:00.000+10:00

Working at Kmart can be a real drag.

The occasional rude customer, 5 hours of standing still and time that seems to slow down with each passing minute. After most shifts I have to remind myself that it is good money, it's giving me the oppurtunity to work and it's teaching me lots of skills. But this line of thinking doesn't always cause me to eagerly anticipate my next shift.

However, every now and then, moments at Kmart can be the highlight of my day.

Like tonight.

A 1 year old boy who came through my checkout with his grandfather insisted on giving everyone working at the service desk a kiss on the cheek.

I was lucky enough to get two. :)

Etsy Loooove...

2010-04-15T13:33:00.000+10:00

Yes, I'm back.
You can thank my homework for that.
Funny how when you have assignments due you suddenly think of a hundred things you could otherwise be doing.
Like writing a blog.
So this afternoon I have been doing a little Etsy-ing.
And I've said before how much I love etsy, but I have found a new seller whose things I absolutely adore.
Wall stickers seem to be the new thing, and I am a big fan.
My personal favourites are...

This signpost...

(how awesome is this?! You can custom design what you would like the signs to say!)

& trees...

& animals...

& quotes...

& birds.

Awesome wall stickers found at Single Stone Studios

A dedication to Lizzie...

2009-12-12T23:13:00.001+11:00

...and all of her indoobitality.

the big black camera.

2009-12-12T21:42:00.000+11:00

Ever since my father dearest bought his new toy (the big black camera) we have quadrupled the amount of photos that we have stored on our computer, which makes it especially difficult to find anything that I might be looking for. The other day when I had not much else to occupy me, I went roaming through the photo folder and found some great photos, that I have either never seen, or had completely forgotten about.
Funny to think, all my best memories have been with the Youth.

I have had a wonderful year.

My Christmas wish-list...

2009-11-25T16:15:00.000+11:00

I am a major fan of Jane Austen and her works. My absolute favourite of all her writings would be the very romantic and whitty Pride and Prejudice. I feel I know the book by heart since I have read it so many times, and I really can never get sick of it.
I have found, while randomly searching Etsy, the most sweetest P&P handmade things by a very clever person named Brookish.
I often look at her things and each time I tell myself that one day I will buy something from her.

So this year my Christmas wish-list involves mugs, dish towels and T-shirts, all cleverly made with P&P quotes and lines.

I also came across this button by another maker.
"I'd rather be at Pemberley"
I love it.

My chill music man...

2009-11-23T22:12:00.000+11:00

I have an absolute obsession for Michael Buble. He has become my new, chill music man. The man I turn to (aside from the obvious) in distress, anger, happiness, sadness, contentment or confusion. I love his voice and his songs. My new favourite of his that has only recently had a music video made is "Haven't Met You Yet"
Watch it.

Fall in love with it with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJmKkU5POA

The Beginning...

2009-11-23T10:20:00.000+11:00

Summer has started. I love summer. I love winter too and spring and autumn. But I really love summer. Summer to me is happiness. People smile more, everything is relaxed and the world looks beautiful. Perhaps it is the sun that does it? It shines so much more strongly on everything and make everything stand out, bright and sparkly.

What else to say, but life is wonderful?