A little bit of fabulous to end the week

I found this artwork by Megan Whitmarsh on the Hither and Thither blog and I think it's way beyond fabulous. I mean this is embroidered! The patience that this would take is well beyond me - this I know.

Although I have been learning a LOT of patience in life over the last couple of years...still don't think I could do it.  LOVE love it though and would happily have this framed on my wall.   

Color Dance Bomb, 2009, 36” x 36”, embroidery thread on fabric
By Megan Whitmarsh 

How pretty is this...

It's one of those blah days, so to cheer myself up, I got myself a bunch of e-flowers. This gorgeous purply greeny viney grapey pattern was designed by Ros from Pink Blossom Tree.

Which reminds me that I am currently in that blessed (although unasked for) window of time when I am allowed to indulge in a little vino.  A think a glass is called for tonight!

A story to tell the grandchildren

I've been given the word that my next IVF round is going to include the use of Clexane... *shivers* ohhh say it again...Clexane (sorry, you have to be a Lion King fan to get that one).

Now this lovely injectable thins the blood which is supposed to help quell those natural born killer cells (have I got that right...isn't that a movie?) and decrease the chance of miscarriage.  Well I've had experience with these before, and although they are used for a good cause, and at the risk of putting people off, they hurt! I had to psych myself up every time to inject that sucker into my belly.

So in short I am not looking forward to it.  However, of course you do what you need to do.  I'd probably inject myself, doing a handstand against the wall, reciting quotes from Wayne's World if it would help!?

Now that would be a story worth telling the grandchildren!

How cute is this print by Duda Daze on Etsy? I think it's time I reverted to my pre-teen handstanding self.

Valentino, brownies and beachball tummies

Today I went to the Valentino Retrospective Exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery and loved it! I felt like the world's greatest fashion critic as I walked from dress to dress proclaiming a) whether I would wear it or not b) whether I thought it was wonderful or not and c) what was he thinking!? 

It was like my own personal hot or not commentary...just ignoring the fact that Valentino is in fact a well known fashion genius and there is no way I could ever come up with those designs in a blue fit.

I took this photo trying to be sneaky on my iPhone (no photography allowed) so please appreciate the artistry of a quick shot in the dark!  I did get in trouble after I took this one, so that was the end of that.

A good friend of mine who is 36 weeks pregnant was my date for the show and helped me turn what could potentially have been a day wallowing in my jammies on the couch into a fabulous day out.

We had coffee and cake (well she had a juice and cake and I had coffee and a brownie...seriously the best brownie full of white chocolate bits.  I got two thirds through it and my eyes were saying yes but my stomach was saying no....so sad), a good gossip and I was reminded that successful pregnancies can and do tend to happen.  And I loved feeling little knobs of knees (maybe elbows?) through her gorgeous beach ball of a tummy.  He even kicked when I said goodbye!

So I found a bit of hope, and a lot of unexpected fun (with a very pregnant friend) on the day after a very disappointing result to our last IVF round. 

Life just goes on doesn't it. Onwards to Round 4!

Back on the bike

Well, today was the day the 'waiting to know' was over. And sadly these little scraps of life for whatever reason were unable to stay and play. A negative 'home' test this morning, ye olde periode has  kicked in with a vengeance and I'm back to square one.

I really thought that it was going to work this time....*sigh*

But you've gotta have hope and a pinch (or fistful!) of positivity I guess because otherwise there's no point to it all.  So I'll be sad and disappointed for a while, but then I'll get back on the bike and do it all over again with a smile - and maybe put some bright red flowers in my handlebar basket for the ride!

Only because I think I think it's oh so worth it. 

Image source: Jenny Downing, Flickr

Egg testing 101

Today is Friday and I'm very thankful that it's the end of the week because I'm closer to 'the day I know whether I'm making up any supposed pregnancy symptoms in my head or not'. Which will be a relief one way or the other and ensure that my mental badminton is 'game, set, and match' once and for all!

In the meantime, I'm contemplating the omlette that is sitting rather badly in my stomach. In my defence I was really hungry when I woke up, and thought that egg was definitely on the menu. Unfortunately my insides have not agreed at all and have reminded me of this poor decision all morning.

I've been quaffing peppermint tea by the 'mug-load'  to settle things down, but to no avail. And now my ever resourceful brain is wondering if the eggs were bad or......

Although, I know the eggs were fine because I did the water test.  Fun Fact: If eggs are bad, they will float when you put them in a glass of water. If they are good, they will sink.  Both my eggs sank this morning. 

Now at the risk of sounding neurotic, I ALWAYS test my eggs before cracking them open.  It's a little trick my dad taught me very early in life. And in my opinion it's entirely worth 'floating the egg' to avoid cracking open that one rotton sucker that will inevitably come along. Who seriously wants to clean up that smelly mess!?

So I might put my eggs to better use and create something a little less eggy - like these soft cakey pumpkin cookies full of yummy spices, chocolate and goodness from Poppytalk. I have no doubt that my stomach will agree with these.

Image source: Jeannette Ordas of Everybody likes Sandwiches via Poppytalk

Trying for babies is like being in real estate

Another day, another person I know gets pregnant. Why is that EVERYONE seems to be pregnant - except for me? Don't get me wrong - I'm entirely happy for anyone who is in the baby making way, and it's an amazing miracle every time it happens. I just wish it was my turn to announce it to the world.

It's a lot like buying houses really.  When we were looking to sell/buy real estate, there suddenly seemed to be so many 'for sale' signs around the place. I'd never really noticed them before.

It's the same while I've been trying to get pregnant. There are big fat wonderful bellies, babies, prams and toddlers everywhere I look these days. Go shopping or out for coffee and I'm surrounded!

Maybe it's just that my brain is so reproductively tuned that I've developed a sort of tunnel vision when I get out and about. 

Which is probably why I was so captured by this great picture I found while cruising the BrisStyle blog.  How cute is this little girl and I LOVE love LOVE the butterfly badge on her hat. If you want one you just need to go to the OZ Wildlife Studio Etsy store or visit the Mayo Festival in Brisbane this weekend (22-23 October) where they will have a stall.

Image source: Oz Wildlife Studio, Etsy