Valentines

We've done it, our first Valentines day is completed and there were no casualties. All but one deliveries were made successfully.

Kevin and I were down in the workroom creating masterpieces of floral art, Maria, Julieann and Brian were up in the shop selling their socks off, and Gaven and Sue were running around the coast making deliveries.We opened the doors at 6:00am and the centre's shutters came down at 6:30pm as we shooed out the last customer.

My only real disappointment during the day is that we didn't sell more of the large balloons. We only had one blown up and I think if the rest had been, inflated we could have gotten rid of them.

On a home note, mom and dad, thanks again for the housewarming present of the huge pot, we love it. As you can see we put it too good use and it gets filled to the brim with yummy food.

let me introduce Bob

bob, say hello to everyone.

everyone, Bob.Bob is from the Wimcee family and is a new addition to the shop. He joins a couple top knot and headdress dolls that are hopping to find new homes soon.Here's the new sign for the shop. It's supposed to be a nice pastel green. It looks good but it's not right and it really isn't consistent with the image we're trying to give the world.
Everyone, say hi to Maddie. She's a bit bigger now :)

nice

new beginnings part duex

Righto

{so this is not mine, but I can now do one like it, my photo though}


so here's the shop, notice missing sign. It used to read "Kevin the Florist" the new one will read "Surfers Paradise Flowers."

{here's one of mine}

Julianne's been working non-stop on the business side of getting this venture up and running: the flower arranging side of it all is left up to me for now. Our business cards should be arriving in the next week as will new order pads, a yellow pages online listing and a big poster for display in the centre. Things are now rapidly moving now that the design and tweaking of the logo are complete. The process seemed to drag everything to a crawl. Soon the website will be up and running and we're hoping that it will really increase our business.

So, keep checking this space, http://www.surfersparadise.com.au/

Did a bit of gardening this morning. Our front yard had become a dead jungle of four foot tall marigold seed heads. Dry twigs and creeping grass had criss-crossed and swallowed up the poor old roses and herbs scattered throughout the beds. All fixed now, I think we need to get some good mulch in. We get a good breeze across the front and it saps every last drop of moisture from the soil, so some good protection is in order. Besides it'll help with weeds, right?

I'm very pleased to inform you that our: Jalapeno, Anaheim, Rainbow Chard and Mediterranean herbs fought well against the marigold onslaught and came out more healthy than could have really ever been expected.

A few weeks ago while dressing in our bedroom, I looked up and could see our back neighboors verandah. When the wind blows or when something disturbs the delicate hang of our blinds, all the world could see in. Not acceptable.

To market, to market (like I need an excuse anyways). Get this though, Mick came with me!!! shock of all shocks. Right, back to the potential peeping Tom crisis, we were at the markets in search of appropriate hedging. Found it in the form of some nice fast growing lilypillies and some acacia frimbrata (brisbane golden wattle). Hopefully the greenery will survive me long enough to provide some good privacy in a couple years.

Yes, I hear you saying "get some draps!" I will, I will, just as soon as we finish painting our bedroom and maybe get a new bed. Until then, we've got a huge blanket hanging in the window.

That's all for now folks, later skaters.

I'm back!

Please accept my apologies for having been gone for almost three months, it's been a very busy time.

So wanna know what life's been up to?

Well, I now work at Surfers Paradise Flowers in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast and I'm working at the Carina Leagues Club whoooo hoooo. If you can't guess my favorite is the flower shop :)

Mick is good, they increased his medication and he's handling it all well. The doctors say that they can't do surgery again because his tumor has merged to much with his pituitary gland. His hormone levels are down from 146 to 59, and with the current dosage will hopefully get to the 40's which is normal.

Maddie has grown and grown, but still is a very cute, energetic and smart puppy. She caught the frisbee twice at the park yesterday.

Derby is back into serious mode with the new star program being instituted and a bout between us and Victoria being planned for June or July. We have so many awesome freshmeat this year, they all get along really well and they're skating is improving so rapidly it's scary, good scary though.

The house, oh the house. Today is Australia Day and we're continuing the great aussie tradition of renovating. All eight different types of wall paper has been removed. The lounge and hall has been sanded, plastered, sanded and then painted and then sanded and plastered again. I bought a test tin of paint for our bedroom, emerald green, but haven't yet had the chance to open it up for a go.

The lounge won't be a stark white like we were originally thinking but instead a creamy colour still with Paris red and mahogany for accents.

The day Roger attacked his room with the wall paper remover was a day of morning. Gone are the ships floating on the sea of silver, the cherub gods of wind have been themselves steamed away and the compasses have been directed to the black plastic bins of no return.

So what else is happening? For starters neither Mick or I are drinking. Him because of health and me in support. What do you do on a Saturday night if you don't drink (go the the movies!) What do you do on a public holiday (we renovate!) Just watched Gran Torino last night, very very good movie, mesmerising and heart warming. Watched Role Models last weekend, unexpectedly funny even if it has the typical Hollywood ending.

Yep, so life is still happening. It's mainly work life but that's ok for now.

week one

Well my life is in limbo. My last day working for the Optometrists Association was on Friday. I had an interview at the local Convention Centre on Monday followed by job offer on Tuesday and now it's Thursday and I'm waiting to hear when I start my part time work. I've taken this job to fill in the times I won't be down the coast working in the flower shop.

In the mean time it's derby derby derby. Our third and final bout of the season is Saturday 8 November. My team, the Golden Roughs, have lost the last two games and this time we're out for blood. Just kidding! We're having fun and focusing on making the crowd love this sport.

new life

So I'm changing careers and becoming a florist. Here's my first attempt at a corsage.

it's Spring

For some reason there are birds that chirp all night long in our perfect tree outback. I get up at midnight to let Maddie out and there they are. I get up at 3 am and yep, still twittering away. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for birdies singing their little hearts out but come on, 3 am!? Must be global warming or the poles reversing. Something is going on and I mid-as-well get in on it.

So I bought $65 worth of plants last weekend and have been working on getting them into the ground all week. So far, the three pumpkin plants are in, so is the dill, four citronella plants (ones gone missing already-I'm blaming Maddie), oregano, sage and wisteria are all in.
The eggplant, tomatoes, basil, Meyer lemon, galangal, chamomile, squash, zucchini, and a couple plants forgotten what are, still sit scattered around the property. Tomorrow, the day starts early with a trip to the markets for cut flowers, a Kaffir lime and a bunch of rosemary plants. Then it's off to puppy school with our growing terrorist, and then to Bunnnings, to buy a little spade, some garden and potting soil and some blood and bone. All this before noon when it's time for a four year olds Princess (read costume) birthday party. Fun times.

Our lawn went a bit feral and Mick got the mower going yesterday, I think he started daydreaming, cause I came home to discover two of my three ginger plants now are little stumps. I'm going to have to tie bright orange safety tape to them and everything else I plant outside the apricot brick beds. silly boys!