Easter, my birthday and other musings.... Part ONE

GOOD MORNING

Moovers and shakers, its time once again for the blogger, (moi) to get her arse into gear and tell you what I have been doing!  Forgive me oh blog gods as its been since before bloody Easter that I posted anything...

Ah yes, I was dragged away from the end of the last blog to Jupiters Casino in Townsville for a lovely boozy, cocktail fuelled weekend.

But before I get to that bit, I have to start with the ending I wanted to put on the last blog.

My fantastic tips for home decor... Its true, too many copies of 'Home Beautiful' read in the hair dressers has turned my brain!

Yes, I've discovered things you can stick on the walls and make "the boudoir" or for the non French speaking among us, the bedroom, look sexy and inviting.

Our bedroom  March 2013

As you can see from the above pic, I have a rather large collection of handbags (this being only a small fraction) so I decided to stick them on the wall.  (My own idea - but feel free to copy!)

Now I think I have bored my readers stiff with the hatred I have of sliding mirror doors on built in wardrobes?   After racking my brains I finally came up with a solution to the problem.

The dreaded mirrored doors, (now transformed) - March 2013

I was going to stick posters on them at first, but of course,  being a vain cow, I want to see myself getting dressed in the mornings.  (Scary as that is!)  

Then I found some stick on hooks in the local hardware shop and my imagination took flight.   That pink corset on the left is actually too big (a gift from my dear chum Carmen - Thanks) and the other corset on the left is a size 8, something, like dreams of being a rocket scientist, I will never realise again in this lifetime...   

So rather than these 2 lovely items being stuck in a trunk, I dug them out and voila!  One door has a very sexy makeover.  An Indian cotton bag and some fake pearls complete the trio.  Most things look better hanging or displayed in odd numbers, so I'm told...  

I hope this inspires any of you out there with the same problem.  Dig out those sexy undies and display them.  Granny knickers excepted!

Oh yes, Jupiters Casino - Easter time.

Matt my lovely husband kept the whole thing a big secret; which for someone who is not good at this sort of thing, must have been an agony.

After springing it on me, he just said 'Pack for cocktails by the pool'.   Then he took off with Eric our doggie to be looked after by his folks, and left me frantically packing my mini case on wheels.

Now I am not a quick packer, it takes me days to decide what to take away.  I whirled around our house like a banshee and threw in what I thought would be OK.  But what if we were flying somewhere?  Would I need a passport?  Or adaptors for appliances?  

Luckily Matt came home as I was musing these thoughts.   

'Darling - are we going overseas?  Just so I know what to wear if we are going on a plane?'

Matt looked at the carpet for a bit ruminating on whether to say anything.

'Ok, I'll tell you this Louise, we are not flying...'   

Relief flooded through me, as I put the last of my makeup in the case and we left for the ferry to town.  Then and only then, did I realise our destination as we walked past the taxi zone and headed towards the Casino.  

Ah hah!  Jupiters!   Matt slowed down and said to me, 'Waddya think? Fancy it?'  

I gave him a big kiss and said 'Sure do!' and onwards we trudged in the 33C heat.

We checked into our room, and I nearly fell over when at the mini bar the price of a bottle of water was $7.50!  Please!  So glad the water is Ok to drink up here.

We ordered room service for lunch, then viewed the pool and surrounds.  But as we were booked into the Aqua Restaurant for the seafood buffet that night I said no to cocktails and yes to Diet Coke.

Matt outside the Aqua Restaurant, Jupiters Casino, 29 March 2013

Before dinner, 29 March 2013

   Happily  the cocktails arrived with dinner and a Margarita went down very well.

Sat 30 March 13, by the pool at last, Mojito in hand.

Matt with mojito 30.3.13

And on an even happier note, the next day we finally got the cocktails by the pool...  Matt's sister Deni was in town and stopped by to say hello.  The weather was so good that a wedding took place behind me there on the grassed area.  Honestly...

Sat night saw dinner at Cactus Jacks in Palmer St.   Very nice it was too.  We got back to the casino part of the hotel, and splurged a whole $20 on the $2 roulette wheel.  I wish I could say one of my lucky numbers came up, but NO!  So we shuffled off to our room to see what delights the mini bar had in store.

Next day we had a quick walk around town to see the markets in Flinders St., but then got the ferry home back to the Island.  Ah it was great while it lasted.

On 21nd April, Matt's Auntie Lyn came to the island for a visit with Will and Lily (her grand kids).  

On Monday 22 we decided it would be fun to go at high tide to the Picnic Bay Jetty and jump off the thing.  Yep, bungy jumping Maggie Island style.  Now we had to dress a bit odd for this exercise as the dreaded box jellyfish 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_jellyfish

are known to sometimes frequent the waters here; very venomous (see above link) so one must dress in garments that stop the tentacles actually touching the flesh:

Matt at the jetty 22/4/13

Here we have Matt modelling a very nice line in ladies tan coloured pantie hose, with reinforced gusset with his board shorts under them.   Complemented with a long sleeve rash vest in white by the Billabong label.  A must for any swimmer in these tropical waters!

OK, I agree, my husband looks like a deranged cross dresser, but hey, if it stops getting stung I'll just have a good laugh at him trying to get the pantyhose ON and tell  him that tan is so not his colour...

Auntie Lyn, Picnic Bay Jetty 22.4.13, restraining our Eric.

See that ladder in the pic above?  That's the reason we can jump in and get out again.  Not a bother, except to our dog Eric.   

It went like this; Matt jumps in, and Eric (who is off the lead) rushes to side by the ladder to check on what is going on and whines like a banshee.

Next Louise looking like a ninja in black tights and l/s t shirt follows Matt.   

Uh oh, its Ninja Louise in action!  22/4/13

As I surface and come to near the ladder, (where Matt at the base) I nearly die.  Eric has decided that we have both lost our minds and he starts to come down the ladder!    Luckily he got stuck between the wharf and the ladder itself.  Matt rushed up the rungs and grabbed him before he hit the water.   Lyn said 'I just turned away for a minute and he was gone!'   No damage done, but we had to tie him to the wharf.

Lily coming out of the water: 22.4.13

Will  - 23.4.13 - Arthur Bay

I have included a pic of Will here, the ones of him at the Jetty came out too blurred.

Next day we all went snorkeling at Arthur Bay;  again the Ninja suits came out.  Fantastic weather and the water was lovely.  

L-R  Matt, Will, Lily and Lyn: Arthur Bay 24.4.13

OK  Amigos,  I am making this a 2 part effort.  I worry about too long a blog becoming tedious!

 Lots to tell you about our Sydney visit and other excitements.   Soo, I will get this part published and put out Part 2 hopefully on Sunday 16th June.

Ciao for now

Louise