Lily Car

We have this running joke in our family about Lily having a certain type of car.  I'm not sure how it started but I have a feeling it was when we were in London in July 2010, where we bought from Hamley's Toy Store a 'My Little Pony' tiny toy car for Monet, that Lily became attached to.  We always said we could imagine Lily driving that actual car.  Anyway...

A couple of weeks ago I took Lily to an indoor play center where she spent ages in, what I called, a 'Lily Car'.  I MMSed Lyndon the below photo and thought it was as hilarious as what I did.  Lily in a Lily Car.  Cute little button she is. 

On the weekend, we found ourselves in a car yard where Lily immediately spotted a particular car and claimed it as her own.

Lily's future car perhaps.

Clowning Around...

...Not me.  The girls.  They love to dress up.  Monet especially loves to dress up her younger sister and we all get a good giggle!  I think Lily loves the attention and loves to role play.  

The girls had me in tears when Lily came out dressed a few weeks ago in an el'cheapo Kaftan I had bought in Abu Dhabi (for dress ups), a lei and a prayer hat.  When she came out she immediately got down on her knees and began to pray - which is actually quite strange as we are not a praying family!

On the weekend, Monet dressed up Lily in some United Arab Emirate gear.  How could I resist?  And how could Lily not pose?  (Not sure what this face is all about!)

Monet too, is not one to miss out.  She would blend in rather wonderfully in the UAE - I think this girl has seen one too many labourers in the past few years.

The Point

Since we have arrived back in Far North Queensland, I had been waiting to re-visit one of my most favourite places, in not just this area but in the world. A place known as The Point.  We went there a fortnight ago.

If you have ever been to Port Douglas, a 45 minute drive up the Captain Cook Highway from Cairns Northern Beaches, you will know what I am talking about.  There is a real vibe to the town, full of high-end to low-end hotels and resorts and amazing views of nature.

The township sits jutting out into the Coral Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef.  A lot of boats head off from the jetty here, loaded with tourists who go snorkeling for the day.

The mountains surrounding the area are national park with the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest not too far away.

It is a magical spot.  And very much worth a visit.

Cockatoos!

There was a bit of a racket going on outside the other evening as I sat under shade sails with the girls. Then we spied them! There was (at one point) eight yellow-crested cockatoos in some kind of tropical wattle tree next door. Noisy birds are those cockatoos, but they are spectacular to see in the wild.

There were about another dozen or so flying about but they settled in trees further on...

There was one really scraggly "I've-had-a-hard-life" elderly cockatoo.  They're pretty revolting birds when they aren't covered up with their white feathers.  That's him below, having a stretch.  (Actually thought he might cark it up in that tree, but no. *phew*)

I'd welcome them back any time if it wasn't for the noise they make.  Sheesh.  =P

Saturday

Saturday saw myself and the girls head 'up the range' to a little hamlet called 'Speewah'. Up through rainforest, a windy road and twenty-odd minutes later we were there. Monet had been invited to a birthday party at the 'Tavern'. I was a little weary about going to a birthday party at a Speewah to begin with, but to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. Surrounded by trees, the Tavern had heaps of outside undercover seating and tables, a lush green lawn and a safe, two tiered swimming pool behind a child-proof gate.

Lily and I dropped off Monet and headed back to Kuranda, a five minute drive away.  They call Kuranda a village in the rainforest.  I call it a Hippy Town in the Rainforest.   We actually had a nice time together, looking at the little shops and market stalls.  Lily was rewarded with an ice-cream (BANANA!!) for her good behaviour.  I'm pretty sure she enjoyed every lick...

Kuranda is one of those towns that is actually very pretty and it is nice to visit.

I particularly love the big trees in the main street.  Made us realise we are a long way from Abu Dhabi.

With a bit of time still to kill before collecting Monet from the party, Lily and I drove down to the Barron Falls Lookout.  After living in the area previously, it was one place I had never been before, except by the Scenic railway back when we first moved to Cairns in 2006.

It was awesome.  I only wished we had seen the falls six weeks ago when they were in full flight!  It isn't so much of the wet season up here now...

It was very pretty, with a fabulous boardwalk through the forest treetops.  Lily and I did start the walk but as time was clicking we turned around to collect Monet.  I will make sure that we keep going along the boardwalk at a later date.

Monet had a terrific time at her party which was nice to see.  She's starting to fit in and find friends from school.

And it made me realise just how amazingly different the world is.  From rainforest, to desert and back to rainforest again.

New Skirts

I am happy to say that I have started to sew again and it feels great!  I'm still only selling via my Monet & Lily Threads Facebook page but all in due time I am planning on my own Web Page if all goes well.  I have business cards now too (ooo getting professional) and in the pipeline is a special Mother's Day Market happening in this neck of the woods which I am planning on having a stall at.  

Anyway, listed this week are two new fabrics in skirts.  

'Sweet Teacups'...

and 'London's Brilliant', my current personal favourite.  

Blog This and That.

I found a little display folder in the bookshelf that I had forgotten about.  It was my first blog that I had printed out - biglittlesister - which I began on one of my sister's typepad accounts.  It was my first time at 'blogging' and the date was July 5, 2004.  Two months before Monet was born.  Now here she is reading it coming up to eight years later...  Weird.  That original blog is now deleted as I started my own 'blogger' account in October 2006.  That's this blog you are currently reading.

I thought I would post a photo of the table runner MrL brought home from Abu Dhabi for me.  I requested a couple (I have a purple one too).  It is gorgeous - lots of detail and looks lovely on our dining table.

That's it for today. ;)

Art Outside

We have really been making the most of the gorgeous tropical weather that has been happening over the past week.  In the afternoon when the backyard starts to get shaded and the heat of the sun isn't so bad, we sit outside.  Usually with bevvie in hand (considering MrL has been on break before starting a new job).  

The girls usually annoy us run around and play games of types.  I suggested the other late afternoon for the girls to lie on a big piece of paper and trace their bodies.  Lily was not keen and disappeared to do something else, but Monet quite enjoyed the little project...

And her result made me smile.