The drive up to Stanley was surreal - once we passed Burnie, this heavy rainy mist set in and made the landscape look like a scene out of some medieval movie.

Once we arrived at our hotel, we were greeted with a surprise - we had been upgraded to the Seaview Spa Suite! Score :D

After such a busy few weeks leading up to the wedding, and a very tiring day before, we were just glad to have a nice King size bed to veg out on for a couple hours, so we ordered room service for dinner, and napped until 7PM. Ahh bliss...

Here's the view from the hotel room:

9.30AM:
I didn't wake up as early as I thought I would - thankfully! To be honest, I was glad for the extra sleep.

10AM:
Mum arrived earlier than I expected her - I think she was just as excited as I was!

10:40AM:
Lisa and Ben also arrived earlier than I expected. I was just making coffee, and definitely had not had a shower yet!

11AM:
By this time I was showered, and ready to let Lisa get started on my hair. Casey was also on her way. Mum was also making yummy sandwiches for us to get stuck into - Ham, Avocado, Smoked Salmon and Philly are just a few of the fillings we had - mmmm...

11.30AM:
Brittany, Casey & Tim arrived in fairly quick succession - I'm not even sure who came first (I'm sure one of them knows!). Brittany was bouncing and raring to go, and Casey had brought much needed supplies - a couple of bottles of Zibbibo to liven up the morning.

The time between:
This became a bit of a blur for me. Lisa worked hard on my hair - and Casey & Brittany's - until a little before 2PM I think. Casey did an awesome job on her 'instant manicure' (read: false nails), I did Brittany's and my nails while my hair was setting, and then did Brittany's makeup - she looked like a beautiful little angel. Then we started getting dressed - Brittany, then Casey, then myself. Getting into my dress was fine, but getting it to sit in the right place was a little bit of a drama, as I had somehow managed to tone my tummy up in the two weeks since my last fitting - even though I tried not to!!

3:45PM:
Brent and Tonia arrived. Brent was to be our chauffeur for the afternoon - the car was beautifully shiny thanks to Broc's attentions over the last few weeks. All she needed was the traditional ribbon - and the Bride, Maid of Honor and Flower Girl of course! The ribbon was a job best left to Brent I thought - and he did a fine job. Buggered if I knew how to put the thing on! I think I was shaking a little by this point anyway.

4.05PM:
The four of us - Brittany, Brent, Casey and myself - were all ready and raring to go, but we had to wait! It wouldn't be a wedding if the Bride arrived before the guests - or the Groom! So we chatted idly, and finished off the Zibbibo. Still shaking!

4.18PM:
We just couldn't wait any longer. We all piled into the car (no mean feat with my great big dress - especially since I chose to sit in the middle!), to find that several flies had found their way in during the preceding hours. All the car windows had been left open to air the car out for us (by my always sweet Broc), but the flies had other ideas. Oh well! Turns out bouquets also make great fly swats! :D The drive there was amazing - I felt like royalty! Still shaking a little though - not nervous, just so excited!!!

4.32PM:
We arrived - greeted by my Mum, Grandad and Joe, our dedicated photographer. It's funny. You think everything will happen so quickly, but not so! You have to do everything slowly, take your time, so the photographer can get that perfect shot. I eventually made it out of the car - assisted by my beautiful girls - and thankfully grabbed Granddad's arm for him to lead me to the deck.

Well, that's it for now... Writing all that has been more draining than I thought! But I will finish it - I promise!!

What beautiful weather we've had!

I had a lovely day out with our niece & two nephews on Saturday at the Launceston Church Grammar School Fair - it was a treat to get out in the sunshine, even if I did get a little burnt! With only 12 days left until the big day, I really needed a relaxing day - if you can still call being out in a large, crowded public space with an 8 year old and very active 5 & 2 yr old boys relaxing! But I enjoyed myself.

We also went out on Saturday night to celebrate Dan's Birthday/Housewarming. Much food was eaten, many glow-sticks used in interesting ways and much Wii was played by all. A good night. (Where's the PICS Dan?!)

I still have such a long list of things to do, and it seems that every time I cross something off, there's something else to do! Will I ever get it all finished??

Did a little shopping today - fabric for our mini ring pillow (to fit in the Best Mans pocket), and also for my beautiful flower girls basket!

Numbers for the reception are nearly finalised - just waiting to hear from a handfull of people, so then I can get the seating arrangements sorted. What joy that will be - lol

Looking forward to Dan's housewarming party this weekend, will give us a chance to relax a little before the crazy final two weeks heading up to the wedding.

I did see an extremely funny YouTube video today, taking the piss of the new Vegemite - iSnack 2.0 (I still can't believe it, I thought it was a hoax!!). It's called: "Hitler finds out that the marketing team have chosen 'iSnack 2.0' "
>> WARNING: Some viewers may find this video offensive <<
So anyway, here it is!

The sound of baby birds chirping has again graced our home - along with all the poop, early and late feeds and learning to fly that goes with raising birds! We have three little cockatiels this time, and they are growing fast - flying already!! I'm not looking forward to seeing them go so soon, but there will be more over the coming months, with plenty of pictures!!

I've had a busy few weeks, bringing together all the planning from the last 12 months, and finalising everything to get ready for our big day!!!

I have spent the last two mornings at the dentists!

But it's not all bad. Yesterday was a check-up and a nice clean, and today I had some microabrasion treatment done on my front teeth. I'm so excited! They look so much better already, and over the next 6 weeks they will continue to whiten as they remineralise following todays acid treatment.
PS: The treatment tasted AWFUL!

Also, I bought my wedding shoes today!!! they are a nice Beige which should compliment my dress nicely, and they were also on special. Win! They look really nice, don't make my foot look HUGE, and they are quite comfortable. They have a respectable little heel on them, but not too much. Can't wait to try them on with my dress!

I also bought my wedding flowers and ribbon today so I can start working on the boquet. No more details as yet - you'll just have to wait!! ;)

Anyway, I think that's about it for now. We got a couple of new fish recently - I'll endeavour to take some nice pictures of them and put them up soon. There's a couple of pictures of one of the new additions up on Facebook - click here to check them out.

Yep, you guessed it - I've been a busy little bride getting all the wedding plans finalised, with all the associated stresses!!

So far this month we've... Bought Broc's suit (Oh My! So Gorgeous!), and John's shirt & tie

Picked, Bought & Sized Mine & Broc's wedding bands

Picked up Casey's Bridesmaids gown (not the same as the earlier picture, much much prettier!)

Finalised - and added to - the guest list

Printed, trimmed, addressed and mailed all the invitations

And.. well... that's enough for now isn't it?! :D

Now we just have to decide on the wording for the ceremony, finish sorting out the flowers, sort out the cake and confirm the photographer. Oh, and I need to find some shoes!!! Not too much longer and I'll have to go in for my fitting... this scares me!

Even though we decided on asking our guests to contribute towards the cost of their meal for the reception, we've decided to have a wishing well aswell, as lots of people have asked if they are still able to give us gifts. For those unfamiliar with this idea, basically there will be a Wishing Well at the reception where guests can drop in their card - or just an envelope - with a gift of cash or gift vouchers and make a wish to our future.

I had made up a little poem to include with peoples invitations, but ended up just wording things normally (so everyone can understand!). But, I'll have this little poem printed next to the wishing well on the day, but I thought I would share it here too...



Getting pretty excited now - there's not long to go!! My Hen's Night is all organised too, so if you haven't recieved your invitation yet, ring Casey and yell at her, or get in contact with me and I'll pass the message on.

Ok, so it's been forever since I posted, but I have good reasons - really!!

I'll start with the imminent news first. My Mum is getting married this weekend!! Hoorah to her and Jeff :D

In other news, I've been working hard on a couple of websites, which has taken up a reasonable chunk of my time.

Firstly, I've created a new website for Weightlifting Tasmania Inc, a local Olympic Weightlifting club with 4 branches around Tasmania. It's been a very interesting project, and I look forward to working with them further to mould the content of their site into a very valuable tool for the social, organisational and promotional aspects of their club.
You chan check it out at http://weightliftingtas.org/

The other site I have been working on is a complete redesign of an existing site for Pepper Bush Adventures - a tour company operating out of Scottsdale who run 4WD, gourmet bush tucker, adventure and hiking tours at beautiful and tasty destinations all over Tasmania, as well as offering a unique mobile catering service. While the site is still set for a couple more improvements, such as a gallery, most of the important stuff is now available for viewing.
You can check this one out at http://pepperbush.com.au/

We've also been reasonably sociable lately, having attended both Ben's 30th Birthday Party, and LAN after-party the following day, as well as an enjoyable night of bowling, another friends going away party and assorted other social gatherings.

And last but not least, our wedding!!!

While not a huge amount has happened, I have made up samples of our invitation and placecards. I have chosen the paper, card and envelopes, as well as the embellishments, so this is well underway. I just need to go and buy the correct quantities and get printing!

There's also been a bit of a re-struchture of the wedding party. We think we will be going with one attendant each. Not quite traditional, but it should suit our needs.

Okay, I think that just about covers everything for now!! I will try my best to keep this thing more up-to-date in future, but if all else fails, you can always come see me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/annette.tas/

Okay, so I've been really, really slack with the blog lately. But I've been so busy!!

There's been Easter, a trip to Melbourne, we sold two cars and bought a new one. Plus there's been work, work, work and all the usual stuff aswell!

Anyway, I'm finally here again.

We sold our beloved Blue XD, and my trusty old Pulsar, to help pay for our newest purchase - a 1994 Ford Falcon XR6!!

Isn't it just gorgeous?! Of course, Tasmanian car prices being what they are, this necessitated an overnight trip to Melbourne for the two of us (can't let Broc have all the fun!). We managed to get in a little bit of touristy stuff between our extended stay at Vic Roads and boarding the Spirit II to sail back home.

We visited the Melbourne Aquarium to see the Penguin Exhibit (and all the others of course!), then went for a look around the Crown Casino where we wasted some of our hard-earned simoleons, and sampled some yummyness from their food court. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures inside the Crown, but I must say, their main foyer is just amazing. Giant marble fountains spanning 3 floors, and an amazing ceiling light display - if you ever get the chance, make sure you go and have a look.

I've posted some of the better pics from the aquarium up on FB - look here.

C and I went into town on Friday for lunch and some light shopping, and happened to wander into Chenoa Botique to check out the new styles of formal dresses.

SHOCK! We found the perfect bridesmaids dresses, in the perfect color to complement my gown.

By designer Mr K, these are just beautiful. I stole a picture of the dress from their website - I hope they don't mind ;)

moar funny pictures

Broc was lovely enough to get me a box of my favorite chocolates - Lindor Milk Chocolate - for Valentines Day, so I thought I'd treat him with a decadent breakfast!

Chocolate French Toast for Two

4 Slices of White Bread
4 Lindor Milk Chocolates (or other chocolate), sliced or grated
3 Eggs
1/4 Cup Milk or Cream
Butter or oil for cooking
Icing Sugar for dusting

• Preheat frypan or flat grill
• Add eggs and milk to a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined
• Soak 2 slices of bread in egg mixture, until they have absorbed about half of it
• Coat pan with butter or oil (butter tastes best), and add the first slice to the pan
• Sprinkle half of the chocolate onto this slice, keeping about 1.5cm away from the edges, and cover with the other piece of bread
• Turn after a few minutes, once the eggy bread is crispy golden and repeat for other side
• Repeat these steps with the other two slices of bread, remaining egg mix and chocolate
• Serve sliced in half (into two large triangles), and dust with icing sugar. Add whipped cream if desired.

Note: If you're using a dark chocolate or you would like this recipe a little sweeter, add a teaspoon or two of pure icing sugar to the egg mix.

Just a sneak peak of where the Wedding & Reception will be held.

And just look at this view... this will be the backdrop for the ceremony.

Well, I bet you can guess by the title what I was doing on Thursday!

Yep, trying on wedding gowns. Lots of them! I swear I lost about 2 Kgs in sweat, lol.

Wow some of them were just gorgeous. Found two that had a huge WOW factor! A two-piece Ivory one, and a beautiful White one. I'm going with the Ivory one - wasn't my first choice in color, and in fact it was the only Ivory gown I tried on, but it's just beautiful.

Yes, I did get Casey to take a couple photos, but no - you don't get to see them!!

So there you go, I'm going for the romantic Ivory gown. Now all I need is a veil, shoes, dilly bag, garter, underwear, jewellery....

What could be more fun on Australia Day than jumping in the car and going on a short road trip to Latrobe to participate in Henley on Mersey?!


View Larger Map

They've got everything, from regatta events, fun activities for the kids, helicopter rides, RC car stunts and market stalls to wood-chopping events, the Betta Milk boat race and the famous Ferret Frolic and Ferret Racing!

This year was possibly the biggest turnout I've ever seen there - cars and people galore! The parl at Bell's Parade was packed - on both sides of the river. It's just a perfect spot for this sort of event - nice cool flowing water and loads and loads of big shady trees.

We were there for the ferret racing of course, sadly we arrived early in the afternoon so missed the boat racing. :(

The Ferret Chocolate wheel is always a big favorite - in place of the traditional wheel, a plastic half-drum with ferret sized holes cut in it is used. The ferret is places inside and the barrel spun - If you are holding the ticket corresponding to the numbered hole the ferret comes out of you win!

But! I did get some awesome ferret pictures, as well as a bit of a shock! Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett was officiating at the event, which included awarding prizes & certificates, and overseeing some of the ferret racng too. I guess he was up for a change from dealing with weasles for something a little cuter ;)

On the way home, we stopped at Ashgrove Cheese to sample their latest creations, and bring some home of course! Broc stuck to the usual suspects - Lancashire and some goold old Farmhouse, but I went a little further afield (as per usual!).

I picked out a block of their new Cumin Seed cheese - a rich creamy club cheese mixed with cumin seeds. Tastes awesome on its' own, and I'm looking forward to having it melted over some tasty curries and other delights - mmm.

I found the most awesome gift - and nibbly snack for myself - taster sticks! At $1.60 each they are great for trying new cheeses that you're still not quite sure of . I bought a stick of Double Gloucester and Bush Pepper. I was tempted to get a stick of Wild Wasabi too but luckily my local Fruit & Veggie place stocks it ;)

I also bought a stick of Lavender cheese for my Nan. It sounds unusual, and the taste is unusual too, but not at all unpleasant. A nice snacky cheese.

I also picked out a nice wedge of Heidi Farm Gruyere - very ouchy on the wallet, but sooo worth it!

We also saw some of the Cow Art on show at Ashgrove - this was my favorite. The program was developed to help schoolchildren gain a greater understanding of the dairy industry. Pretty cool eh?

You can see the full album of the days photos Here.

Holy crap is it hard to take pictures of grown up cockatiels! All they want to do is climb on you and investigate EVERYTHING!



I did manage to take some video of them, but it came out really dark. They can now be viewed live in-store at Petland though - and I'm going to try to take some more pictures of them on Tuesday.

Saying goodbye to them was pretty sad - it's amazing how you can become attatched to something in such a short amount of time. Probably somthing to do with the amount of time you have to spend with them to feed them and socialise them properly. Oh well, st least I know I've done a good job - they're really friendly, happy & healthy.

Of course the first thing I did when I went to the shop on Saturday?? You guessed it - opened their cage and got jumped on by four bouncing babies!

Anyway, enough of that! I'll post some better pics of them once I have some.

Ok, so I'm extremely slack and haven't posted since Christmas Eve - it's a busy time of year!

So, I'd better take this chance to wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year, and I hope you all had a good Xmas and NYE.

Over this busy period, I've missed taking pitures of a few stages of the baby birds' development, but being slightly different ages, these photos should help make up for the last couple of weeks.

The two older ones are strengthening their wing muscles by flapping their wings a lot, and have even tested out the whole flying thing by jumping short distances while madly beating their wings - furthest flight so far: 30cm, lol. They've also started eating a little bit of food - mostly just nibbling, but they're starting to get the idea. At the moment they're getting soaked seed, and cooked Peas, Corn & Capsicum. Broccoli, Spinach and organic baby food have also been tested.

The two smaller ones have most of their feathers out and are starting to nibble at everything - each other, shed feather sheathes (i'm sure they have a proper name, lol), the material, and their feet!

All four are becoming very vocal, and I've started leaving the lid off their brooder so they can hear and see the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.

Anyway, enough of my drivel, here's the latest set of pictures. They're becoming very photogenic, don't you think??