I collected about a hundred vintage Valentine cards last year to use for our save the date cards for our wedding, but I never ended up using them (they were too good to send away!). I love all of the cute puns and old timey graphics - and a lot of them came with sweet handwritten notes on the back, dated from the fifties from school children to their friends. I scanned a bunch of them and you're welcome to use them as you please - print them out onto some card stock and give them to a couple of people who deserve a sweet Valentine! Click on each image to view size options for downloading/printing. Now, allow me to bombard you with Valentines!








Got a favourite? I like the lady painting a picture.
Ps. You can view all of the downloadable/printable things I've shared here if you're ever keen.

I have been meaning to take more photos of the progression of this growing belly of mine but I'll admit I have been putting less and less effort into my appearance as the weeks progress. In the last two weeks I feel like this belly/baby of mine has doubled in size. Comfort is foremost! Lots of stretchy things and high waisted jersey skirts - nothing particularly photograph worthy. After these photos were taken C and I went out for our there-abouts-pretty-much-four-year-anniversary. We tend to just celebrate some time in February and both having the night off work, we decided to eat at our favourite Indian restaurant and we went to see Silver Linings Playbook at the cinema. I so enjoyed it. I don't give out five stars for films very often, but I think this one gets it from me. We had a lovely evening. What a lovely four years we've had together.



Mini rant: I know it's meant only in jest, but my work colleagues walking up to me when they see me and shouting "oh my god you are so fat!"/"you look like you're overdue!"/"you're freaking enormous!" is kind of starting to grate on me. I think commenting on pregnant womens' size is fine, but should possibly be done with more tact? Maybe it's just me? I guess it just makes me feel more like a hideous beast than a glowing baby vessel! I'm not really even phased by the walking-up-and-touching-a-pregnant-woman's-belly-without-asking issue, just the verbal stuff! Ha. Fifteen weeks to go!

I've been meaning to announce that the winner of one of my prints is Corinne of Shimmer and Glow (I'll email you shortly!). Thanks so much for all the lovely entries.
If you didn't win and you're still keen on a print, I've listed them for sale in my Etsy shop for four dollars each for this week (then the price will heavily inflate to five dollars each!). Due to postage restrictions I have printed them at A4 size instead of A3. I like the larger poster size, but do they still look nice at A4 size too.



+ Home Is Wherever I'm With You Print



+ Handkerchiefs Print


+ Snowdomes Print


+ Tree Rings Print


+ Owls On Branches Print


+ Shine On You Crazy Diamond Print

...in January.



I started the new year by trying to learn how to eat a pomegranate. I also watched the fireworks from a hill near our house and could see a dog sitting peacefully in his backyard by himself casually watching the fireworks too.



I did a bunch of drawings and actually stuck to my self imposed deadline (highly out of character).


I had some successful market and opshopping trips (and feel like I am now addicted to Gumtree and feel the need to go opshopping every two days).


I built some shelves in these old school lockers (currently on wishlist: my own cordless drill).


I flew to Newcastle and back to visit my family for a week and attend the wedding of one of my best friends from high school (and sat in Melbourne airport for way too long watching planes and eating really overpriced mi goreng).


I stayed in my sister's lovely new house while visiting Newcastle (and bought her these fabulous flowers).


I watched my niece Rose eat a macaron and wandered around the city with her and my brother and sister.


I met my fresh 4-day-old nephew Moby and got used to holding a baby (I'm sure this will come in handy shortly. I did however take a pass on changing my first dirty nappy...).


I met my sweet second cousin Mikah, whose parents have just moved back to Australia with her after almost ten years in Bermuda.


My step sister gave me a really cute brooch.


I had a delicious family lunch (my step dad is the master watermelon carver).


I had a delicious 'strawberries and cream' iced tea at Frankie's Place (Golden books as placemats, so cute!).




On my last day in Newcastle I paid a visit to the Centenary Centre. I wish I had a portal between my house in Tasmania and this gem of a vintage store (I'd be extremely poor).



We took a day trip through the countryside on the way to lunch at a raspberry farm.


I met this sweet black kitty (the other cats are slowly warming to him).


And I went into nursery decorating overdrive.

Watching... The Mindy Project (love!) & lots of Australian Open tennis games.
Listening... Sophie Hunger & Gravenhurst.
Reading... The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Up The Duff  & (I just started) Bossypants by Tina Fey and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling.
Visiting... Family and friends in NSW.
Making... lots of drawings and prettying up furniture for the nursery.
Buying... baby necessities and lots of opshopped bits and pieces.
Looking forward to... another month of baby growing.

In February I'd like to:
Keep filling the nursery with fun things and make some collages to hang on the walls, cook more, ride my bike a couple of times before I get too enormous and finish a couple of books.