Coffee = Therapy....I have a place to fix that!

Once upon a time, to release the weeks stresses of life in the events world I would cruise to a cool bar for a drink....or dance my worries away at some fabulous place decorating Sydneys nightclub circuit....once upon a time...that was what you did when you were free as a bird...with a semi-disposable income....

Those days have changed.

These days my therapy is coffee....whilst I do like to brew my own at home, for that intrevenous lifeline...holding the moment to breathe...in the aroma of freshly grounded beans and sit and breathe out the moment to survive the next minute....but sometimes home isn't enough, and I have to get out....

So those days of desperation, I have a place where the Barista brews a latte "true to the bean" ...and named appropriately so. A neat little establishment with a bar where I drape my sorry self, to talk away my worries...and drown my sorrows in a perfect brew. Lisa and Craig, the owners are friends of ours...as are all her family and so, this has become an institution where my children are welcome and we have found recluse since the first week they were born (sometimes I am lucky enough to have my hands freed, whilst the children are nursed by one of the family who dwell there). The place is True to the bean Katoomba...you must visit when your in town.

I also have a place...which takes me back...to those days of a Darlinghurst cafe strip culture...where I used to tap up the sidewalk in my heels and buy a minutes peace from the desk of the corporate event queen. A place which I dare not visit with the children....and probably will not frequent even with friends. Its a place where usually its only the owner who knows me, so I am left bliss out with a nice strong espresso, listen to the beats and remember a day when it was only me. The place is Nikita Bar, Leura....you must visit....but only if you promise to pretend not to know me.

And then there is the place...where we go for a bite and let the children run crazy in the gardens, around the ponds. Its a place where I visit with our favourite play date mates. Where theres lots on offer for my non-wheat eating days....where we sit outdoors, even when the sun is shining....a place where the children feel at home. The place is Lilys Pad Cafe Leura....Take the kids when you visit....They will love it...and so will you.

So! When your visiting the Blue Mountains...these are the haunts....make sure you say hi...enjoy the warmth of those who own these fabulous establishments for they are all very special people in my life - they provide me with sanity and a home away from home....I like to call them Therapy...in more ways than one!

Yoga....to reconnect with me

I am Nicole and I am a stress bucket … without a chance to reconnect with myself from time to time….well, it can lead to catastrophe…like Monday. Usually a fresh start to the week with hubby on standby with the children all weekend, Monday is my day at home blissfully playing Mummy doing the chores….usually. After getting the children down for their nap, I tried a yoga stretch, and broke into tears…..Cue husband arriving home for a quick lunch – great! Just what you want…an audience.

The truth was after three weeks of sick family and teething children I had given all I could…to everyone else. I had nothing left in my little red wagon to give to myself or anyone else for that matter. It was that old familiar feeling of too many gigs back to back…once upon a time when I was the career girl in the big smoke.

You need to go back to Yoga, hubby said. Well, sniff, theres a Yoga class on Friday mornings at 7, with my favourite teacher….sniff, can I go? Whilst Friday wasn’t ideal for him, he took the morning shift and I was booked and ready to go.

This morning despite a long night with miss 5 month old, I was up at sunrise, showered, dressed and literally skipping off to studio….I drove down a little lane to find the most beautiful little sanctuary…cold climate gardens, with the leaves just on the verge of turning…and a pretty little studio, big picture windows and a crackling fire….what a way to welcome the day.

Though its been nearly 2 years and a pregnancy since my last class, I did quite well physically, considering…the challenge was in silencing the mind…and finding my balance…but in time this will come and for now just being in this class is the most perfect way to give to me…one hour a week to surrender to my inner self and find my balance….for me…and nobody else…so I can be better at being me, the one that cares for them!

seeeing stars...in my shop and every moment of a special celebration...is this just sleep deprivation?

This morning was like many a Saturday morning, but without the unforgettable buzz that one can only experience on a Friday night in some fabulous Sydney bar (ahhhh those were the days!)....I woke, totally sleep deprived...this time from bed hopping from toddler to baby and back again....she is teething, he has a cold - So with a heady wave we got the family dressed and kept them alive with the standard fruit and oats spread and got ready....for a looong lunch, to celebrate our wedding anniversary...!
Its our first wedding anniversary, well technically on Wednesday it will be our first, but really its our fourth as we chose the 29th Feb to get hitched....we decided that way we have less chance of getting sick of each other....if you get the whole leap year drift! Cue grandparents right on noon with the toddler down for a nap and the baby entertaining the grandparents with angelic smiles we barefooted it out the door, strung on my highest of strappy heels in the car, and hotfooted it to one of our local simple venues, yet boasting the most fabulous views in the Blue Mountains.
Rewind to the old days and such an affair would see us in some fabulous hatted restaurant, devouring world boasted delights and sipping some special labelled vino...but today we byo'ed, turned a brasserie menu into a 3 course feast and stared out into the wilderness that surrounds our locality. Then talked, for three hours, uninterrupted by toddler or baby....or business commitments, or television....just us....like the old days....bliss!
When we got to dessert, I realised I wasn't even wearing makeup due to the giddy morning of sleeplessness....but you don't need it said the landscaper....awwww sweetness....
So tonight I am seeing stars....(and so is our shop!) check out our latest garland...which i also made for the toddlers bedroom...its been catching my eye when I pass his door and it really looks fab if I may say so myself! I can see why the garland is such a popular item....it really is a unique and super cute way to decorate. I have always dug the blue blue and red palate, its perfect for a boys room...(a timeless classic)...well for this little garland we needed one more contrast and grey fits the bill nicely...in a nutshell....I love it!

A front page listing, a miserable infant and a single moment of zen - all in a day at the house of red elephant creative!

We madeit on the front page of madeit today! YAY! It was a day for lime ... both on the madeit selection with our lime swing tags and in our house with a not so sweet, rather miserable and sour flavoured Miss Angel...snotty and blocked up...and tired after a night with no sleep...for any of us oh, except the toddler (thank goodness Mr Action Man sleeps like a log)!
Today being daycare day for Mr 2...I usually have a big long list of tasks for the Landscapers business and red elephant creative....not to mention the usual domestic chores of a superhero (sorry, SAHM)....and so the day became a jumble of School run, Toddler screaming to come back home, BAS, Attempting to settle miss grizzle, Filling orders, Attempting to settle miss grizzle, Paper supply orders, Nursing miss grizzle and Picking up toddler and so begins the evening routine, dinners, baths, feeds........Settling miss grizzle....it took nearly 2 hours to get her down....after vicks, panadol and finally the steamer mixed with a funny little settling sway thing going...we got there...and she settled....PHEW!
....AND THEN! I did something I haven't done for a very long time. I sat on the floor next to her cot....and stretched, in my favourite yoga pose, and breathed....for quite some time. Then I did another stretch ... and I found my inner sanctuary... for just one moment of peace.
I walked out to the landscaper, who asked me if I was okay....actually, I feel great....to which he replied with a tone of surprise, You look very relaxed.
I am Nicole, and a lot of the time...I am a bit of a stress bucket. Rewind back to my former life as Event Manager extraordinaire, and the place of zen amongst a whirlwind of gigs, clients demands, meetings, airports and hotels was to stretch and breathe....My discipline was yoga and it grounded me (not to mention the fab things it did for my body)!
Fast forward, two little miracles later, two family businesses and a house under renovation - I seem to have forgotten the important place that Yoga holds in my life. A very dear family friend reminded me the other day to give a little to myself....and so I will make this pledge...to myself....to remember to stretch, and breathe, and give to myself for just a moment of each day......as everyone should, in their own little way (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).......

Living with a monkey....well just about!

I have two opinions on parenting...one is that the challenge is all relative...some of us have good sleepers, some have babies that don't sleep, others are social angels and some bawk and cry at the sight of a stranger. No matter what our offspring bring to our lives, the challenge of being a parent is all relative to our experience and not an easy ride for anyone...no matter what their situation beholds.
I for one, have a climber...we call him the monkey...from the age of 5 months, before he was even able to sit he was climbing the couch and commando crawling around the ground....a real live wire! Lucky I like his name....and god bless my poor neighbours because the constant drill of my voice is 'monkey, get down from there, please come here, please don't drag the chair over to the kitchen bench/fridge/desk to help yourself....'blah blah blah.
When we moved here we thought renovating an 'open plan house' was a great idea....all budding renovators, do re-think that if you plan to have toddlers in your midst! Aside from spreading anything of any part of the house to another...his latest trick is to drag said chair over to the front door, to let himself out...
I have to confess, some days I really wonder how I am going to get through the day! Juggling a monkey and three month old (who is already rolling mind you - I thought a girl was my get out of jail free card this time...think again Mummy)!
So as I write this blog, amongst a floor decorated in toys, a laundry dressed in clean washing and chairs littered anywhere but near a table I think to myself...its no wonder my house looks like a hurricane just went through...this shouldn't last forever...and breathe whilst I remind myself to enjoy it whilst it lasts...because I am sure one day they will be off to school....and I will miss them! (then i might find the time to paint the front door -see photo).
So, off I go to take my only daily spell, with piece of chocolate, glass of milk and home lifestyle magazine to sit and dream of when my house could resemble a fresh, clutter free sanctuary...amongst a little of fisher price and duplo....As for the other opinion? That is parenting is a very personal thing....but that I am sure will come to head with a whole new blog entry!

Welcome Lily Grace

Well the best of my creations has just arrived...(9 days ago now) in the shape of a wee little lady, Lily Grace. She has completed our little family just perfectly and for the moment I am indulging my creative time staring at all her little features....

Don't think that this doesn't mean that you can't get your hands on red elephant creative fabulous creations tho....in person at Making Spaces marketplace in Parramatta and our online store will reopen shortly at http://www.madeit.com.au/. Theres plenty of stock all made up and ready to go!