G I F T S

Hello lovelies,

Hope all are well! We've been very busy down at the Summer of Coconuts big top shop!

We have just got a whole new range of home wares in the store and its looking divine! Lots of bird decorated photo frames, white straw hanging hearts, pretty wooden fish, vintage clocks, homely signage, gold and glass candle holders, dream catchers, unique shells, beautiful coat hooks and much more!

Its great chatting to customers from all different places and stages in life! I love helping them find the perfect gifts for their loved ones, as its nearing the 25th of December. I'm looking forward to Christmas, personally I cant wait to see the whole family and to indulge in Mothers roast turkey with fresh cranberry sauce. Is anyone doing anything exciting for Christmas this year?

You should let us know via comment or come and visit us at Maroochydre in the Big tent of splendor!

Love

h a p p y s p r i n g , n e w b e g i n n i n g s x o x o

Hola blossoms,

What a perfect day to start re-blogging, SPRING, the seasons of new beginnings.

I have to admit petals, the whole of 2011 has been a new beginning for me, and spring really is just the icing on the cake... :)

So I guess all you rays of sunshines, have been wondering why I havnt been blogging lately?

Well I been kinda busy travelling our amazing planet, spending a month in Vietnam, and a month in India.

I did two weeks work in a baby orphanage in Vietnam, Tam Sky. That part of the trip was defiantly the highlight, and I only wished that I spent longer there, as two weeks was defiantly not long enough. I will tells all you beutifuls more about my adventures in another blog as there is really too much to tell you about right now, as I am swamp trying to put all the new collection online. x

On a personal vanity front, after chemo my hair has finally grown to half decent length, I now have a fringe, and I can put my hair in a tinsy winsy pony tail. That really is quite a relief as it was really crazy!! It is quite thick and curly, and it was really was quite unmanagable. It kinda just grew straight up like a afro.....well you girls with afro's can relate to my delema!

So do all you blossoms looooooove Summer of Coconuts new look? and the new stock? I do!

Its kinda a modern, romantic, shabby chic, vintage feel. It really does reflect where I am personally...

thesunhasset.

Sorry lovelies for not blogging lately... and introducing my orange sunset shop. I've actually been taking things a little easy and enjoying life. The last few weeks I have been socialising a lot! Been on a couple of camping trips... One to fraser Island, and the other to Double Island (I will post some photos). And when it has come to work.... I have been, ummm, a little unmotivated. Sorry Guys! Its not that I havnt have lots of unique and wonderful ideas in mind... Its just, I really have to put my head down, and show case them to all you wonderfuls :).

So what does everyone think of my orange sunset shop? I think that it has turned out pretty good! So many people said "are you crazy, your going to paint it bright orange?" I was so sure it ws going to look fantastic, but, when it was first painted, I thought oh my gosh I think I have made a big mistake, its so bright. It kinda reminded me of a fluro workmen shirt!

But as we put the sunset pictures on, the bird flying and the dandilions on, it really started to come together. I think the end result turned out wonderful. The sun has set.

And if your wondering, that is my crazy daughter in the pictures... She is a bit of a camera hog, and demanded to pose and be in all the photographs! She's such a clown. I love her to bits xoxo

anewleaseoflife.

Aloha my friends...

Check-out my old daggy green dull shop.... is this in need for a make over or what?

Well lovelies, its almost renovated, and I cant wait to show you all what it looks like.

The shop (like me) has a new lease of life.... It looks great!

Its bright, happy and inviting..... I'm so hopeless at surprises.... I cant wait to show you :-) love to you all. xoxo

“Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.”

herecomesthesun.

Dear Lovelies,

It's almost been a year since I first open my retail shop... so what a fitting way to celebrate by finally getting some signage? I have designed it to look like big orange SUN... Its going to get painted, printed, and make-up on, yeah! It will have birds flying and dandelions growing on the windows... It will be magical and whimsical x Check out the pictures to have a sneak peak, to what its going to look like.

I wish all of you lovelies could come and visit me here and see the shop, but I know most of you live too far away... so once the signage is fully complete, I will take photograph's to show you all exactly what it looks like.

What? I hear people say... You have had the shop for one whole year and you still have not got a sign for your shop!

Yes people, I have been a little slack, but im still plotting along :-) , I am finally getting there! The signage would have been done a long time ago if I didnt get sick.. Pretty much the first couple of weeks I opened the shop last year, was the same time I got diagnosed with the breast cancer. So as you all could imagine, the past year was more about surviving, and the shop signage (along with other things) really just got put on the back burner.

So one year on from being diagnosed with cancer + opening the shop, a lot has happened, a lot has been conquered. I feel healthy and happy. So now is a time for celebration, HERE COMES THE SUN....

Goodluck.

Some superstitions say that peacock feathers are bad luck....Others say they are goodluck! I personally think they are goodluck, + beautiful x

The Pharaoh superstition say that the peacock is considered to be a bird of protection and safe guarding. This bird is also valued as a protection for the psychic self. There has been lore that writes that to have a peacock feather within the home this helps to safe guard any of the energy in the environment.

The peacock brings harmony and joy to our mind. This bird is majestic, proud with much expression and as the male bird walks and dances to the female in courting. This reminds us of the celebration in life...

The peacock feathers have certainly been lucky for Amanda Gorton, as she is the lucky winner of our Competition. Amanda has won $50 of our jewellery, and all she had to do was share our fan page with her friends... CONGRATULATIONS AMANDA XOXO Thanks for entering :-)

I would like to thank everyone of you lovely ladies who has entered this competition, and I really would love to give each and everyone of you a prize! But dont worry, I will be doing another competition real soon x Love you guys x

farfaraway.

Once upon a time, there was place far far away, that you could run away too and escape all your troubles. It was a place where you could find endless happiness, laugh all day have no resposibility, be healthy and content. Lets pack up our suitcase (and our gobstoppers), lets GO!

Oh, if only a place existed...

In all seriousness there's no reason it can't. Well at least for a while anyway? Everyone really should have there own escape, whether its painting far far away landscape, reading a book that takes you far far away, or swimming in a ocean that takes your mind far far away. Its so important that everyone has there own "FAIRYTALE", and have "YOU TIME!"

OK, after snapping my fingers and getting back to reality... What a week I have had! As per usual I have been run of my feet with SOC's (summer of coconuts). But to really top my week of my poor baby cat Alice is now at the vet and I dont know when she's comming home. (yes i am a crazy cat woman!)

You see I put Alice in to get a routine spayed (desexing). No probs, right? WRONG! If anything could go wrong, everything did. Alice came home after her operation, they told me keep her quite, dont let her run around. I bought the bitter spray they recommended me, so she wouldnt bite her stiches out.... The thing no-one predicted was that Alice becomes hypo-active, from the anaesetic. So instead of her being groggy and sedated, she was running around like an energiser bunny. The bitter spray didnt work, and she bit through her stiches so her stomach was all exposed. I quickly run her down to the vet, she had a second operation and the stitches were repaired + a collar put around her neck.

Two operations later I was grumbling - having to pay double the money, thought it would be the end of it? Right, maybe? NO! Sunday came, she started vomiting everywhere, then she formed a large lump just above her stitches and it starts growing really quickly... I rush her down to emergency (which I might add, is expensive!), they tell me it does not look good and it might be a hernia, but it could be fluid.. gave her some antibiotics, and told me to take her to my vet first thing in the morning. So I took her to my vet, he confirms he really thinks its a hernia. He said it looks really bad and wants to operate straight away. So third operation later... (wont say how much it all cost me :-(..... She did have a hernia, she most probably got it when she became hypoactive from the anaesetic, and was flipping around like a energiser bunny.

She's at the vet right now... and she will have to stay there for a few days, as I really want them to monitor her.

What a nightmare! Has anyone else have a problem like this from getting there cat spayed?

Ok - I might go to my far far away place right now. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm x

mysunday.

These day's Im actually becoming scaryling organised, and very routined. Especially on Sundays! Let me share this Sunday with you! Photography is by Laini (my daughter). Every Sunday I sleep in - I love a good sleep in and Sunday's is the only day I really can do it, as I work 6 days most weeks! I leisurely get up, and head for the local markets. I buy all my fruit and veges there (Im a mad juicer and I don't trust supermarkets manufactured fruits!). At the moment Im absolutely crazy about mangoes, so half my budget went on them. Because of all the floods in QLD they tell me that this will be the last lot, so I stocked up..

After I finish all my fruit and veges, I purchased some multi-coloured roses (who wouldnt for 10 for $8...), had a bit of a wander (I really should bring more cash with me as there are some pretty cool stuff there), then decided to buy myself a snow cone coz it was so stinking hot! Now I havnt had on in years... and Gee's it was good...

After the markets I always go to Aldi's, to pick up Laini's school lunch stuff. Aldi's is a strange supermarket isnt it? I think that's why I go there coz it isnt main stream... I love it how they have other stuff like TV's, washing machines, fridges. Last week I bought an air-conditioner, this week a cat playground. That's Laini's cat Alice - isnt she beautiful? (No she's an evil lioness).

After Aldi's it was time to play and I went around to my life time friends Lisa's house (I have known her since I was 3 years old... Im now 35, long long time). I bought around some of the fruit I just got, and natually a couple of those delicious mango's..., Then we decided to make some headbands.... Luka (Lisa daughter is wearing one, isnt it so fun?, and Luka's just a treat :-))

Evening soon came and Laini and I put on a face make and had a relax.. It was nice, and that was my Sunday.

Why did I tell you all this? No reason, :-) x

redrosesformytruelove.

every sunday I go to the local markets and buy my fruit and veges... as I were pondering around the stores I came across a store selling roses. Those babies were only 10 for $6, so obviously they were a MUST HAVE. To top it off, the store owner wrapped them in newspaper which just gave the all so vintage look. I was so inspired that I decided to do a photo shoot using these exquisite beauties..

As I was photographing my whimsical gorgeous daughter, it dawned on me, red roses, LOVE, soul mate, valentine. My true love would defiantly have to be my daughter Laini. She has to be the most beautiful kindest person I know. She truly is my best friend, and a inspiration to me. 2010 was a tough year, going through my diagnosis, losing a breast, doing chemo, losing my hair... Lets just say I had some moments! But my eleven turning twelve year old daughter went through it all too... And truly she was my rock. She picked me up when I was down, she was optimistic, joyful and always dependable. I am truly blessed to have the most joyful, kindest daughter ever. The two of us have gone through alot, but we have come out of the other side smiling and shining, and have a unbelievable bond, that I believe no other could match.

So laini, these roses are for you. I love you. I thank you. You inspire me. You are my true love. xoxo

aussieday.

We really do live in the luckiest country in the world. Australia is a natural wonderland of beautiful beaches, crystal blue waters, amazing ancient rock formations and pristine rainforests. We have historic townships, bustling cities, vivid landscapes and exotic flora and fauna all adding to its unique appeal.

Our lifestyle is second to none, and let's face it, Aussie's are cool people!

I particularly appreciated Australia when I did chemo this year... I had no insurance so I had to go through the public system.... Now I know a lot of people complain about our health care system, and I must admit even my files were misplaced which held up me getting my chemo done. But I also knew just how lucky I was to be able to get treated for free. If I was living in another country I would have has to pay for all the chemo and medication out of own pocket. I have read breast cancer blogs over in America,and if you didnt have health cover, it would cost you tenths of thousands dollars to get treated. I jokingly said to my Oncologists nurse that I was surprised the government was keeping me alive! If thats in America, imagine if you were in a third world county with a life threatening medical condition. In Australia we are very muched looked after. So yeah, I partied this year for Australia, and boy does Australia know how to party!

This Aussie day I went to Mooloolaba beach for the Havaiana big thongs competition.... I have never seen the beach so crowded. It was an awesome day. There were tents set up on the beach... people bought there bbq's down, eskies and there Aussie spirit! There was the Australian flag everywere... people even dresses up in costumes... the atmosphere was captivating...

Every state competes participants by buying a big blow-up floating Havaiana thong and paddling out into the ocean and linking hands..

Bondi won - getting a whopping 2068 inflatable Havaianas on the water! Mooloolaba finished with 1167 floating Havaianas...

Across the states nearly 7,000 people took to the water in a huge showing of Aussie spirit, raising over $60,000 for Nippers and $20,000 for our mates recovering from floods in Queensland.

Hope your Australia day was great xoxo