CELEBRATIONS

Well, a lot has been happening while I've been away from my blog!

My sweet little niece Alessia turned one!! And in a tradition started when Thomas turned one, and continued when Daniel turned one, my sister and I made her very first birthday cake - for the night of her actual birthday. We are by no means professional cake makers but our butterfly turned out pretty good in the end (the picture doesn't do it justice as the people who were there will attest to lol). Even the inside double layer with chocolate cream looked excellent :)

Alessia celebrated her birthday at a farming homestead where the kids got to watch a sheep being shorn...

before heading off to watch sheep being rounded up by sheep dogs... (it was raining so my brother took over babysitting duties)

Then it was off to see the rabbits, the whip cracking and the milking of a cow. Apparently, my brother milked the cow and Thomas and Daniel had a go as well :)

Then it was back inside for the cutting of the official cake...

Alessia loved the attention! She's such a cutie pie :) Love her cheeks and curly hair, and I love her dainty little feet ...

On 19th February, Sam and I also celebrated 9 years of wedded bliss :) We spent that evening at a special dinner/entertainment night by his cousin Pasquale from Italy. A good night was had by all. We were even serenaded in Italian by Pasquale singing his new song. My Italian's not too good so not sure of everything he was singing but it was sweet...

He is pictured below with the boys on a separate evening... He adored them and all their cheekiness!

The following weekend we went to dinner with friends (namely Sam's other wife and his wife) at Buon Ricordo in Paddington, made famous by Billy Joel. It was gorgeously yummy!!! Here was a good old fashioned restaurant, hidden in a little laneway, practising excellent individual service and serving up food that danced on the tastebuds! We will definitely be returning to sample more dishes... We then stayed in an apartment at the Meriton World Tower (with amazing views over Sydney) before enjoying breakfast at Bill's and returning home....PERFECT!

The weekend then continued with a visit from Rob, Maria, Giorgia and Biaggio...we caught up and feasted on foccacias (what a gourmet dinner lol). I promise to make pasta next time Rob!!

My nephews also recently celebrated birthdays... Giuseppe on the left (pictured with cousin Giuseppe) turned 13 and below that is Joey (translates to Giuseppe in Italian) who turned 6! Have you guessed that they were all named after my father-in-law? Sam and I broke tradition by calling Thomas "Thomas", although we did add Giuseppe as his middle name...

And funnily enough, our Godson is also named Giuseppe and he celebrated his 4th birthday last night. He loves dinosaurs and he is an absolute sweetheart!! His Mum's dinosaur cake rocked!!

Okay, that's it for now even though there is lots more to share...including the secret. I haven't forgotten, it's just that well...it's still a secret! Stay tuned... :)

Happy Valentine's Day

Above: Sweethearts print from Elegant Snobbery

Yes, the day is over-commercialised! But who really cares?

We are planning to go to dinner at my nephew's restaurant (Have I previously mentioned he's only 19 years old!? Very impressed with his efforts!) - The catch is that we are taking the boys with us!! This should make for a very interesting evening, especially for fellow diners intent on having a romantic dinner...

In regards to the bushfires, just thought I would update statistics...while the official death toll still stands at 181 people, it is now estimated that more than 1800 homes have been lost (previous estimate was 700). And relief funds have topped the 100 million dollar mark which is great news. Firefighters and volunteers, supported by specialist personnel from New Zealand, the United States and Canada are still fighting fires...

AUSTRALIA - A LAND OF CONTRASTS
I'm finally getting around to writing this post, after many days of watching the news and reading the papers, in utter shock at the destruction that has swept across many towns in both Victoria and Queensland.

For my overseas friends, below is a map of Australia, with states and capital cities marked. As you can see, I am safe in Sydney. Unfortunately, many others have not been so lucky...
Before this Summer, the Ash Wednesday bushfires stood as our worst fires ever. In February 1983, 75 people lost their lives, and many were left homeless...yet all the statistics from that Summer fade in comparison to the 2009 bushfires that have ravaged Victoria. Latest figures indicate that the death toll stands at 181 people (however, this is expected to rise as many are still missing), 5000 have been left homeless and possibly up to 1 million animals have been killed or lost their own homes.

The following images are taken from The Daily Telegraph's website, where you can also read countless stories of both heartbreak and bravery.

This burnt out ute almost looks like it's sitting in snow,

but it's actually ash...

An aerial view of Kinglake, just one of many towns

completely devastated by these fires.


An image of the sun, enveloped by the heat of the
blazes.


The Erickson Air Crane, desperately dumping water over
Bunyip National Park.


Drouin West, another town hit by the fires...

Kinglake and surrounding suburbs ablaze...

By all accounts, these fires swept through so quickly that many did not have a chance to flee. Whole families were found burned in cars trying to escape, others in pools trying to finding refuge...it's a horrible, horrible thought.

It makes me angry that some of these fires were deliberately lit! At least one fire that was started by an arsonist was responsible for 21 deaths! I think any arsonist caught shouldn't be given the luxury of an air-conditioned gaol cell...they should be sent to the front lines, to stand next to our brave volunteers still battling these blazes. They should be made to sift through the ruins of people's homes. They should be made to search for the remains of the missing. They should be confronted with the entire horror of their actions, but who knows if they have any shred of humanity in them...

But as always, out of great tragedy, comes a great show of kindness and selflessness. How lucky are we to live in a country where hundreds of volunteers put their own lives at risk to save others? I take my hat off to those men and women, who are still out there fighting these fires, enduring extremely harsh conditions and long shifts, often in places where they themselves live and have emotional ties...it's just incredible!

I also feel for members of the different emergency services who are coming face to face with the tragedy on a daily basis... recently I read about the triple zero operators who listened to terrified Victorians "dying over the phone" at the height of the bushfire horror. I can only begin to imagine how terrible this was...

But again, we are fortunate to live in Australia. People across the country have donated thousands of bags of clothes and toys for those left homeless, and prior to yesterday, the Australian Red Cross Bushfire Appeal had already raised about 50 million dollars. Another 26 million dollars was raised in last night's Telethon. And I'm sure people aren't finished yet with this amazing generosity.

Donations have also been made by Ingham residents, who are themselves in a state of emergency, having felt the opposite wrath of nature with devastating floods in Queensland. More rain in predicted for that region too...

Ingham Airport under water.

Please keep all families affected in your prayers...And please keep our firefighters and volunteers in your prayers as they continue to battle blazes.

MARISA'S MASTERPIECES
Recently I went on a spending spree in Marisa's store, Elegant Snobbery. I love her prints but with the exchange rate the way it is, it's a bit hard to buy lots. The alternative, for me at least, is even better - she very kindly agreed to make me up a whole series of greeting cards using copies of her original drawings! I bought 2 each of all my favorite designs. The prints are each on different backgrounds and come with their own gorgeous, original handmade envelopes. Marisa even includes envelope sealers which are mini copies of her prints as well!

These scans do not do the prints or cards justice at all, so I would definitely encourage you all to visit her store and see for yourselves what all the fuss is about. Can't wait to give these to people with their gifts - original and beautiful cards, which in the end work out cheaper for me than going to a shop here in Sydney and buying a whole heap of cards!

And here's a birthday album I made up for Alicia. No fuss but fun. Just like Alicia! She celebrates her 21st tonight - it will be a sweltering night but I'm sure we'll have lots of fun! Happy Birthday Alicia!

It was also my nephew Giuseppe's 13th birthday a few days ago and he will celebrating with family tonight, so Happy Birthday Seppe!

Finally, can I just say that everytime I visit Caitlin's blog, I hate mine even more! Soooooo Peg Bundy, whereas Caitlin's is all Audrey Hepburn! I'm jealous! Can I copy your layout Caitlin? After all, imitation is a form of flattery... hee hee seriously need to give it an overhaul! Will get to it eventually...*sigh*

TOP SECRET
I have sooooooooo much to share with you guys, my faithful blog readers...but I can't! There may be a few spies reading this blog, and as such, I must wait before sharing...

Suffice to say, things are looking up around here... Hopefully I'm not totally jinxing us... good news is springing up everywhere...we just need a bit more of it.

Is this my worst post ever? Quite possibly! It could be weeks, months or even years before I'm able to share lol so hope you're all still reading in a few years time :)

TODAY

Perfect weather. Perfect location.

Sam and I, along with our parents and Sam's cousin from Italy, dined out on fine seafood at Nick's Bar and Grill (King Street Wharf, Sydney). We all had vouchers from various occasions so we decided to use them today. The food was so fresh and tasted so good! A great day!!

If only I didn't have to work tomorrow...