CHALK

Here's some random shots of the shop for those of you who can't get in or just haven't been for a while.



And for those of you who look so disappointed when you come to the shop and see I'm working instead of Mick....

Uncle Mick and Ben

Mr Kiely Comes Home

ONLY ONE MORE SLEEP!!!

The kids can't wait and I must say I'm pretty excited myself.

We even get to go to the airport and pick him up.

He rang tonight and told me that work want him to leave again on Monday to work offshore on an oil rig!!!!!

Luckily for his marital health he said no.

Better go and get my beauty sleep or he may just take them up on the offer!

Blu Moose

Just wanted to let you know that our Blu Moose slippers are our special item for July.They were $42.00 and Mick has just put them at $27.00! As well as the blue ones in the photo we have the pink Fleur de lis version in stock. They come in 4 sizes - 6-12 mths, 12-18mths, 18-24mths, and 2-3yrs. Come and grab a pair before they disappear for good.

Sunny Sweeney

This always makes me smile - no matter how often I listen to it. The girl can sing but not too sure about her acting talents.... check it out.

Sunny Sweeney- "If I Could"

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Yee Ha!

I've had a very 'Country and Western' type of day today.

I worked in the shop today which means that most of the day Kieth Urban was on the stereo. (I'm using subliminal messaging techniques to convert my customers to the way of KIETH)

Last night I bit the bullet and ordered a pair of cowboy boots from the truly fabulous SHEPLERS in America. I've been thinking about them all day.
They also sell the most astonishing wedding fashion if anyone is about to walk down the aisle!

I also got on ebay and ordered Heartbreakers Hall Of Fame from the superb Sunny Sweeney. I can't wait for it to arrive and I know James is just going to love it!! NOT!
Check out her myspace site and have a listen to 'If I Could'.
If that song does not get stuck in your head then I'll go 'hee'

I also had a visit today from my all time favourite radio DJ - Ms Denise Hylands. Denise has a radio show on RRR called TWANG and if you're in the store on a Saturday arvo that is what you'll be listening to. A plethora of alternative country and roots influenced music.

And lastly can you please feast your eyes on this fetching hat and tell me it doesn't make you want to boot-scoot your way down the aisle immediately.

Jen xo

Witch Of Portobello

Just walked in the door from bookgroup, which luckily for me was just across the road this month.

I have come to realise over the last 6 years that bookgroup has been going that there is not a lot I would rather do of an evening than sit around with a group of interesting, talented, loving women discussing literature and anything else that happens to take our fancy.

I always come home feeling rejuvenated and 'buzzy'. (and this month, rather full of chocolate cake)

This month we read Paulo Coelho's 'The Witch Of Portobello', and next month we are discussing Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road'. If you have any thoughts on either please leave a comment.

4 More Sleeps ('till James comes home!)

Grease 2 is 25!!

Some of you may not realise that this month we celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest movies of all time .....

What is not to love about this fantastic musical? 1982 saw a 23 year old Michelle Phieffer team up with Maxwell Caulfield and sing and dance her way into our hearts with such classics as - 'We're Gonna Score tonight', 'Cool Rider', and 'Reproduction'.

If any of you can listen to 'Cool Rider' and not want to be the cool Stephanie Zenoni then there is no hope for you.

If you really want to know

What I want in a guy...

Well, I'm lookin' for a dream on a mean machine

With hell in his eyes.

I want a devil in skin tight leather,

And he's gonna be wild as the wind.

And one fine night, I'll be holdin' on tight...

To a coooool rider, a coooool rider.

If he's cool enough,

He can burn me through and through.

Whhoa ohhhh If it takes forever,

Then I'll wait forever.

No ordinary boy,No ordinary boy is gonna do.

I want a rider that's cool.

I found this fabulous fan site so check it out for your Rydell High fix.

Pure Baby In A Rocket Ship

We still have a few of these divine Pure Baby jackets in stock and they are just perfect for this less than warm weather we are having. They are quilted and come in 000, 00, and 0. we also have the hats in blue and pink and the leggings in blue, pink and brown.

One of the newer products we have in the shop are the fabulous rocket and castle cubbys.

These play structures are constructed from recycled high-quality cardboard allowing children to develop their imagination and creativity by painting, drawing, or even applying stickers to the outside surface. When not in use they make a great place to store toys.
Each cubby is easy to assemble and packaged flat in an attractive box with a carry handle.

Vertigo

This is what James is up to ....

They are doing something on a cooling tower at a power station in Qld somewhere. Knowledgeable aren't I.


I usually prefer to hear about the job after he is safely back from it.
Especially when he's doing stuff like this...

Baskus Spirit - Somewhere in Bass Strait

The Birthday

Well I guess it's time to tell you about my birthday.

I was still up chatting to a friend in Sydney when the clock ticked over to my birthday. (Kudos to Ringo for being the first one to wish me a Happy Birthday - at 10 past 12) By one o'clock I was curled up in bed , reading my book and loving being 39. At 1.30am it all went pear shaped!
Emma woke up vomiting and did not stop until 1.00pm!!! Not sure if the poor petal had gastro or food poisoning but I do know that that was the end of any hopes of salvaging the birthday. I had to cancel my morning coffee date and ended up spending the day holding Emma's hair out of the bucket and trying to keep Ben amused cooped up inside all day. Joy.

At 2.00pm we all fell asleep - thank god.

I had visions of coming down with it myself and having to miss the ballet but luckily Em perked up, Mick and Alice arrived and off Alice and I went. I've never been so pleased to see my brother.

We had a gorgeous night as my last post will tell you and the birthday was saved - sort of.

My lovely friends have decided to postpone my birthday and hold the Festival in 2 weeks time.

Sounds good to me.

PS. I did get a pressie in the mail from James and even more exciting ... Kieth Urban sent me an email wishing me a happy birthday!!!


This made it all worth it..

New Romantics

Last night I had the good fortune to see the dress rehearsal of 'New Romantics' - the Australian Ballet's latest production. This amazing triplet has ballets by two modern choreographers - Australian Stephen Baynes - 'Constant Variants', and New Yorker Christopher Wheeldon - After The Rain', preceded by the incomparable George Balanchine's Apollo.

What a fabulous evening and we even had the good fortune to see Steven Heathcote in what is to be his last principal role for the Australian Ballet.

In the words of Molly Meldrum...'Do yourself a favour'

Or to bastardise Shakespeare...'Get thee to the ballet'

Birthday festival

I am of the firm belief that a birthday should be celebrated for an entire week, hence the Birthday Festival as it is known in my household. Unfortunately James does not subscribe to this philosophy and rolls his eyes every time June comes around.

This year not only has he scoffed at the Birthday Festival, but he is 2 states away!

I can always rely on my fabulous parents to make a nice big fuss of me....EXCEPT THIS YEAR. Not only is James away but Mum and Dad are frolicking around Europe while their eldest and only daughter celebrates her last birthday in her 30's ON HER OWN!!!

Luckily the friends and in-laws have rallied around and I actually seem to be having a birthday festival after all.

On Tuesday the lovely Ally at 'Gourmet On Gamon' presented me with this when I dropped in for a cuppa...

She is aware of the Festival and heartily approves.

Today my lovely mother-in-law and sis-in law had us over for dinner and produced this....

Tomorrow is the apex of the Festival (my actual birthday). I'm yet to see what treats are in store but it had better include some major sucking up by husband and parents!!

All Hail To The Festival Of Birth

The Crazy Lady With The Cat

Oh My God! I just caught myself talking to my kitchen appliances! And I don't even have very nice kitchen appliances.

James has only been away for four days and already I am chatting to inanimate objects.

Some would say that that isn't very unusual but at least if James is here I can delude myself into believing he is actually listening.

Best I call the cat in because even though talking to a cat is depressingly spinsterish, it is at least a little less weird than asking the kettle what time Brothers and Sisters is on.

Vs.

The Castle Park

I defy anyone to find a better set of play eqipment than this!

It is the most amazing park and has me gazing in awe every time we visit.

The catch is that it will cost you lots of folding stuff for me to tell you where it is. If you all go there will be no room for us ....so it is the first CHALK secret spot.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

A Big Question

Would anyone notice if I disappeared?

The big question was asked on 'Grey's Anatomy' tonight! I defy anyone to watch that episode and not wonder about the answer to that question.

What an immense comfort it is to me to be confident that my absence would be missed. I guess it is one of the often unrecognised comforts of marriage. Often when James is away, as now, I contemplate the terrifying thought that if something was to happen to me, what would my kids do and how long would it be before anyone noticed something was wrong.

Such cheery thoughts for a Sunday night, but how terribly tragic if you weren't sure that anyone would. That would have to be a very scary state to contemplate.

I have come to realise that I have the most amazing group of girlfriends who would come at the drop of a hat and one in particular who would move heaven and earth if she thought I needed her. She worries about me if I haven't returned a call for a few days and this is infinitely comforting.

So to Alex and all my other guardian angels I thankyou and want you to know that I have your back also.

1990

Famous Blue Raincoat

I get very excited these days by the simplest things! This month I've discovered my new favourite place to hang out.

When getting out of the house for an hour is mandatory and there are only so many times you can cope with freezing your arse off at the park.. where else could be better than a warm and welcoming cafe? My problem has always been the issue of 'allowed number of visits per day'. I have realised that if you go to the same cafe all the time then the staff quickly become aware that you have been 3 times in a day.... therefore you need to spread yourself around so no one knows exactly how often you drag your kids to cafes.

As far as Ian and Matt at 'Le Chien' know I am only there every other day....


Here is Matt after discovering my secret



Now that I can add The Famous Blue Raincoat to my list I am pretty much set and can roll from one to another, to another with no one (including hubby) being any the wiser! Clever aren't I!

The Famous Blue Raincoat

Series 2 episode 1 - 'Beach Blanket Brandon'

Has anyone ever noticed how high Brandon Walsh wears his shorts??
I've spent the evening watching Brenda and Dillon break up because 'they are getting too intense', Brandon leaving Nat at the Peach Pit for a new gig at the Beach Club, and apart from still wishing Dillon would throw me over the back of his Harley, I haven't been able to get past the shorts. They are criminal and followed in close second place by Kelly's severe lack of gammas! She is ghostly pale and really could have done with some fake tan.
Despite all this the gang at West Beverley still make me smile (and tear up occasionally), and I really wouldn't change a thing about them.

Don't Give Up On Me

Due to computer glitches I won''t be able to post until Friday. See you then.
Jen

Alphabet Is Back

For all our lovely customers who have had Fabric letters on order, or have wanted them, we have finally received the new shipment. The are lots of new fabric designs and some letters have a couple of fabric options.

Fabric Letters - $17.00

MONSTAR

The lovely Fiona from Monstar arrived at the store on Saturday with her arms laden with goodies. As usual her boys tees are fantastic. Here's the owl, and we now have a great robot, a scooter and the babushka doll tee. She has also replenished our dwindling supply of denim dresses for those who have been waiting.

Too Well Loved

For James' last birthday I had the idea to place his extremely well loved and cherished soft toy in a frame to mount on the wall. It proved too hard for my skills so in the end James made the box for himself to my specifications. He loved his self-made birthday present and so did everyone else!

We are now taking orders, and can't wait to give all those well loved toys a resting place safe from little hands and hopefully halt the ravages of time.

The Commercial

Last night was another wonderful night at the Pub. We have an amazing one down the road that is perfect for the early family dinner, followed by dancing on the stage. The guys behind the bar at The Commercial always put the disco lights and great music on for the kids to go nuts to after dinner.

Meals are always good and in summer the playground in the beer garden is a big draw card. Apart from sending the husbands in occasionally to check, you can pretend the kids are not yours which is a bonus in my book!

Pride And Prejudice

I had book group last night so am once again faced with the dilemma of where to fit this months book in my shelves. I think it is time my gorgeous hubby built me another although he doesn't seem to think it is high on our list of priorities. I am pretty positive that if his surfboard collection was without a suitable home they would soon be built one - so why not my books?

Occasionally gorgeous hubby will suggest I just get rid of some!!!!

Hello to my lovely, lovely book group girls.

Hissy Fit!

B's room prior to this mornings Hissy Fit.

Ben's room after Hissy Fit!!

And yes, that is every item of his clothing pulled out and lying on the floor.

I love three year olds!!