I am going through all of our family photos from 2009 to put together some books for Christmas (we made hard covered photobooks from here last year and they were a big hit!).

These are a few of my favourites. This is my Eloise as a flower girl at her Uncle David’s wedding back in April. She will be five in a few weeks time. Five!? I can hardly believe it. We bought her school uniform last week and she looked so small but so grown up. Happy, sad, excited, nervous…and that’s only me! She is such a joy and oh so very funny! It wasn’t so long ago she looked like this, or this. My lovely girl is growing up fast!

When you have kids they’re barely out of the womb and people start looking for family resemblances and wondering who looks like ‘the baby’…

Left: Me in 1975.  Right: Caitlin last week, 2009. This is what happens when you ask for a smile. Eloise was blessed with my hair but Caitlin got my smile haha

I’m a bit short on time today but I wasn’t going to let NaBloPoMo get the better of me! I’m heading out to see Tori Amos at the Regent Theatre tonight so will be home too late to post! I’m really looking forward to it! Back on track posting tomorrow…

I’ve got a few Paper Moon and ‘prop photo’ posts to come over the next couple of weeks. I’ve been gathering quite a collection. Unfortunately I’m a bit snowed under with a pressing work deadline this week, so in the meantime, if anyone is in Melbourne and looking for something to do, go and take your own Paper Moon photograph at the Museum and ride the roller coaster (and beat the heat at the same time – BONUS!). They have a Paper Moon set up in the Melbourne Gallery as part of the display on Luna Park. Eloise wasn’t very obliging when we were last there, so I am itching to go back! My heart skipped a beat when I first discovered it. Oh how I love the Melbourne Gallery, I could spend hours in there (although Eloise isn’t too keen on the ‘spooky house’). What I would give to have an original Coles Book Arcade ‘tin egg’! I think I definitely have my Dad to thank for my appreciation of Australian history.

More to come…

How are fellow Melbournians surviving the heat? It’s just been too hideously hot to do anything, let alone take photos of all my thrifted goodies. So here’s a photo of my two treasures taken last Sunday (Caitlin wearing thrifted summer overalls and Eloise in a matching thrifted skirt – not bad for $7 all up!). I had good intentions and I did attempt to photograph some lovely handbags I’ve scored lately, but failed miserably! I’ll save that for another day.

I’m rather pleased with myself. This makes eleven posts in eleven days. That’s a record for me and it proves I can do it. It’s especially good considering how busy things are getting around here with Christmas fast approaching. The party season certainly has arrived already in these parts! Not to mention the crazy work deadlines, school orientation sessions and dance concert rehearsals. Nuts!

And now it seems the heat has me so confuzzled I think it’s Thursday and it’s only Wednesday. Thank goodness it’s only Wednesday. I have too much to do this week! Maybe Thrifty Thursday will go ahead afterall…

The Melbourne Myer Christmas Windows opened at midday today. When we heard who was going to be the ‘star’ this year we decided to get in early and take a trip into town. The windows this year are based on the Ian Falconer book, Olivia Helps With Christmas, narrated by Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries).

We’re big Olivia fans in this house….my Madame Alexander Olivia doll has sat on my desk since before Eloise was born! It was a beautiful night. Perfect for ice cream, very warm….and not a queue to be seen!!