TECHNOLOGY..GADGETS..A TOTAL LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP!!!!!

Hi ladies....hope you are all having a great productive week!!

Well, I dont know about you but I think I kind of have a real LOVE/HATE relationship with MODERN technology!!

I am 52 yo...and as a little girl, everything was quite basic...no computers..no microwaves..no fancy tvs with everything just black & white with just 4 channels closing down at midnight!!...no dvds..no videos even!!...OLD big RECORD players playing the OLD vinyls..??

NO mobile phones...no faxes......(younger readers are probably thinking what a NEANDERTHOL I AM!!!)....

BUT somehow...we all seemed to survive & communicate & still enjoy our lives.

Dont get me wrong...I LOVE my computer..my big flat screen tv..etc etc...BUT BUT ..

when things go wrong...or you dont know how to change the channel as you have soo many gadgets you have to deal with?? the pleasure kind of dissipates..

My problems started the other night when i went to MICROWAVE SOMETHING.

OKAY...IT BLEW UP...(must say after 22 yrs of service this microwave has done US proud)..

BUT then that caused my TV to blow up..& my home alarm system...(all hooked onto the same circuit i guess)..

SOO HOME ALONE...went to OUR store room..as I knew i would have to reset the safety switch..

soo tried again with the microwave...BLEW UP again...

OKAY...rang byron (my son) in qld (as you do..)...he talked me through pressing a hundred thousand buttons on 5 x different channel changers...didnt work..

rang foxtel...press this button for this problem...press another for something else..

NO person to talk to...ALL AUTOMATED!!! said to ring back in 30 minutes!!!

didnt work!!

OKAY rang Byron again...he said go to the BIG REMOTE..press a certain button and see if that works...VOILA....

FOXTEL was back on track...thank goodness for that...

so I have purchased a NEW microwave today....

BUT in between the internet has gone PSYCHO with my provider...down for 24 hrs the other day...

IN & out today...getting VERY GRUMPY...

BUT OF course you ring the provider...& transferred to a call centre off shore with limited ENGLISH???

I LOVE MY MODERN LIFE......BUT i sometimes still just think how nice it was being SIMPLISTIC ??? back when i was a little girl....

YES...I know i dont REALLY mean it...BUT it was a very very NICE time in life...

lovely ladies similar to my age will/may empathise with me...i think??

the problems us OLDER WOMEN FACE???!!

xx andrea

HAVING A LITTLE PLAY AROUND RE XMAS DECS..& LISTING OF COURSE!!

Hi again ladies...

I did purchase some lovely Christmas decorations yesterday..

I bought TWO of the TIN hearts..have added my red/white gingham ribbon & tied to the front balcony door...?? the other one will go on my FRONT entrance doors...

Bought these hearts from another YUMMY little NEW shop JUST opened in williamstown..very french chic...gorgeous...(another shop I will have to blog about)...!!

I DO NOT like the proverbial Green Wreath type arrangement....I actually much prefer the Scandinavian look?? much more simple...clean..just NICE..if you get my drift..which i think that TiN heart kind of represents..well to me anyway...,

I am not going to put up a BIG tree this year as I find it a bit too cumbersome & not totally necessary with both boys adults...and ONE not even being able to be home for christmas... AGAIN!!

last yr he was studying in Japan...before that in England....!!

I would JUST LOVE him to be able to come home...so if you read this...CAN YOU

SURPRISE ME!!!! ?????? (dont answer that...as then it wouldnt be a surprise!!)...

SOO i decorate the PROVERBIAL bane of my life in our middle room...THE TABLE TENNIS TABLE...(but to be honest I quite like it there as i can PLONK all my shopping on it...put my ebay stuff i have to list & PLONK that on it!!

AND everything else when going from ONE end of the house to the other!! soo poor Christian NEVER gets to play table tennis with his mates as it is ALWAYS FULL of MY STUFF!! ha ha!!)...

anyway....have kind of started decorating THIS table for Christmas..Little tree...with some lovely FAUX gingerbread decs...

paper napkins..& some gift tags etc...sugar candy thingeys!! just a start...Just looking at it?? not sure if i even want these colours??

DECISIONS...DECISIONS!!

plus listing stuff on ebay per usual....AND of course those photos have appeared ahead of my decs...!! CAN NEVER get the order right.even when i try to cut & drag and stuff N that!!

have a great week!!

xx andrea

OOOOHHH!!! I DO LOVE A GOOD THUNDERSTORM!!

Hi ladies...

well sitting at my laptop on my frenchy little table AND have just LOVED the BIG thunderstorm passing through...

I love thunder and lightening...dark clouds...THAT eerie feeling ..

I guess as we DONT get it that much here in Melbourne...when we dOOO i LOVE IT!!

although i must admit I have just rung christian who is playing GOLF!! of all things in this weather...left him a message to stop playing..but havent heard back from him...so i guess he has his phone in his buggy & is safe & sound!!

It has now passed through...BUT she was a beauty...lightening...thunder...& in between I am listing goodies on ebay & watching the aussies playing cricket against the west indies on the tv in the other room!!

I JUST LOVE watching the BIG gorgeous CONTAINER SHIP passing by....& slowing fading away in the background against the storm..last photo shows how she is almost "GONE"!!!.../not visible...

the pleasures of living by the BAY in beautiful Melbourne!!

the scenery is every changing...I LOVE IT!!

xx andrea

CHANGING THINGS AROUND..GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS!

OOPS!! haven't posted for ages..and as usual...photos are out of sequence!! BUT I hope you get my drift!!???

not much has been happening in my world!!

My ankle is now pretty much A ONE!! so have been back on the tennis court smashing balls and dying from the 38 degree heat last friday..

In between just listing bits & bobs on ebay in between having A BIG BIG pre XMAS clean up..

BOY my kitchen now looks awesome...changed lots of things around...& have a little PINK centre piece happening....on top of a crochet doiley I DYED!!!

changed my collection of MAMMY'S from one side of the kitchen to the other...

placed a gorgeous MAMMY cloth doll on top of my NZ magazines...!! as you do!!

So my little bit of the world at the minute is cleaning...ebaying..dyeing linen..hunting for vintage stuff...& a bit of COOKING to feed son & hubby in between... & OF course SOOTY has to have something to eat!!!

xx andrea

NEW BOOKS.NEW OP SHOP FINDS.MORE PINK LINEN..& A LITTLE BIT MORE!

Hello again ladies...

well the OLD foot is kind of coming good...still swollen..& bruised..but quite "walkable"...is there such a word??

OOPS...photo of SWOLLEN foot was meant to be at the END of this blog..BUT couldnt kind of get it there!! soo quite sorry this horrid picture is in amongst other stuff!!

I have just had a delivery of some GORGEOUS NEW books .. to list on ebay.

I LOVE FRENCH GENERAL stuff... stickers..HER new book...

AND LOTS of other gorgeous FRENCH CHIC Books..

i have been dyeing some more VINTAGE LINEN I purchased....a yummy PINK..

hanging gracefully on the line on this beautiful Melbourne day to dry....

WITH MY BIG BIG tree in the background..

Hubby & I purchased this as a little little tree some 24 yrs ago...NOW LOOK AT HER....or him?? BEAUTIFUL big shade for summer..

SOO been busy doing bits & pieces...with my sore foot...should be okay for tennis on Monday...???

& shown a few VINTAGE finds....gorgeous ROSES tin...& two fantastic chairs from the local op shop for $6.00!! (for BOTH...NOT each!!)...

AND OF COURSE photos are out of sequence...BUT hope you get my drift!!!??

xx andrea