the migrating swans

My Weekly 5

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:45:00 +0000

This post is a couple of days late because I wasn't feeling very inspired on Wednesday. One could say I was having a mid-week inspiration-slump kinda day. But here it is now...

*******

I don't know about you, but I'm embracing this whole 'colour pop' trend that is all the rage now. And with that in mind, I came across some awesome accessories that would also inject a spot of colour into the usually drab blacks and greys of winter clothing.

And I threw a snood in the mix there too. Aren't snoods wonderful? I've got a couple and they get a lot of wear during winter.

Scarves & Wraps by J.Crew
Rings by Ice.com

Father and Daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Going through my photos recently, I happened upon this.

Smile. It's Thursday.

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Sometimes when I start dancing around here, my kids get worried looks on their faces too.

Aren't Teenagers Fun?

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Source: davis-dirt.blogspot.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Now let me start off by saying that my kid is 13.

13!

So I'm only in the first year of this teenager thing! But damn! D-a-m-n!

I'm tired, you guys. Tired.

And changing my former game plan;

and taking deep breaths.

Whoa on this whole teenage thing! I seriously need a book or a class or something a little stronger than wine, is what I'm saying.

And really, my kid is just your typical teenager. It's me. I'm over here needing some lovin', general patting, words of empathy and encouragement - you get my drift...

And you know what? I'm not that old that I can't remember that I also slept in until lunch time. (Maybe my body knew that I'd be having three kids and wouldn't be getting much sleep later in life? Of course, at the time I thought I was growing and my body needed that time to stretch and fill out. Sad thing is I didn't get past 5f4in and a 34A. So really, what the hell was that about then?)

And I also remember my mother telling me that our house was not, in fact, a hotel. Much to my great surprise!

And one of my fondest memories is of coming home from school and sitting down in front of the TV with a large vanilla milkshake. Every day.

So, believe me when I say that I get those parts of the teenage years. The endless sleeping, TV and snacking. But either I was perfect (which I wasn't) or I seem to be forgetting the other parts. Oi! The parts where I exerted my independence. (Isn't that saying it nicely?)

Anyway, I'm writing this post because I need to. Heaven knows, those teenage years are tough on teenagers. All those emotions and hormones are not easy to deal with, I get it. I've been there.

And while I don't want any advice, I'd love to hear an "Amen, sista!" or a "I'm rooting for ya!" and lots of "Be strong, you're not alone!". Is all.

*******

Okay, so I know this often happens because it's top of mind, but while I was on pinterest recently, I came across this song. And I know it's certainly not mind-blowing - but it reassures me that I'm not alone.

Longing For Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:45:00 +0000

Summer seems to have given us a total miss here in Auckland this year. So I'm incredibly thankful that we got to spend those three weeks in Cape Town, where we had some lovely warm weather.

Here are a few photos of the time we spent in Betty's Bay (up the east coast, from Cape Town) with our lovely friends, Stewart and Lindy, and their kids.

Okay, I'm wearing a scarf and jacket here because we're up a mountain and the sun was beginning to slip away so it was getting a bit nippy...

How awesome is this lamp?

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

I'm Missing My Boy!

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:48:00 +0000

He's on his very first school camp - two days of activities and a one night sleep-over at school. And what a superb experience for him! He'd been looking forward to it with so much enthusiasm. But you guys - despite the fact that he's having great fun - he's away on camp! and the house feels so empty without him!

Hmpff.

So anyway, I signed up to help out on both days of the camp - 'cos I'm crazy helpful like that. But when it came to signing up for assisting with the sleep-over part, I remembered my extreme aversion to sleeping on a thin mattress, getting tangled up in a sleeping bag and trying to get a roomful of excited seven year olds to sleep, and quickly decided that I wasn't that crazy helpful.

So here I sit, in the comfort of my own home, thinking back on this busy day and wondering whether my son was sufficiently tired after the 2 hour walk this morning, the orienteering activity, the bush art and the hobo stove cooking, to climb into his sleeping bag after their movie this evening and fall asleep straight away. You see, one of his goals for camp was to avoid chatting endlessly to his friends when they should be going to sleep tonight - but I'm sure I have nothing to worry about because if he's feeling anything like I am, I'm sure he's fast asleep by now. As I should be...

Good Night, Luke! I love you. See you in the morning. xo

My Weekly 5

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:54:00 +0000

Here are some interesting things that I've been looking at on the internet lately:

1. These spectacular trees. I can't see myself doing this in my garden, but I do admire the work that's gone into these beauties.

2. And speaking of trees, here's something spooky...

Source: livelovesmall.com via Bianca on Pinterest

3. And then I saw this and now I think I might have to visit the Maldives at some point in my life. I mean, who wouldn't want to lie around this pool, reading a good book and sipping on a cocktail?

Source: adelto.co.uk via Bianca on Pinterest

4. Our smoothie maker/blender recently broke, so we're looking to buy another one and when I saw this one, my heart beat just a little bit faster. Have any of you got one of these? Is it as good as it looks?

Source: sunbeam.co.nz via Bianca on Pinterest

5. Last night Grant and I went to the movies and we saw the trailer to the movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. It's the next movie I want to watch. I recently finished the book and I LOVED it.

I hope you're all having a good week out there!

More Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:19:00 +0000

This guy really is the best. It says so on his t-shirt.

Sometimes You've Just Got To Be Cheesy

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:44:00 +0000

Source: dl.box.com via Erika on Pinterest

I don't know what's got into me, but I'm loving this whole Valentine's Day thing this year.

We're even going out on a date tonight! Dinner and a movie.

Can't wait.

♡ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! ♡

The Backward Dive

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

I spent a large chunk of my youth swimming; and loved to do backward dives into the pool. So, a couple of weekends ago, after telling Luke about my awesome diving skills *hahaha*, I decided to teach him how to do one.

And after he'd perfected it, I thought: let me see whether I can still do this thing.

As I perched at the edge of the pool, my husband - fearing for my safety - timidly asked whether I should be attempting something so risky. Damn cheeky, really! But, his remark only made me more determined.

It took me a good few deep breaths and some serious focussing, but I stepped out of my comfort zone and took the plunge. Literally. My kids were well impressed. And I was both relieved and super chuffed that I still had it!

Sorry, no video of that, I'm afraid! You'll just have to take my word for it.

What I Did This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:59:00 +0000

So it's been one of those weeks. The busy ones. The ones that are so full, they leave you physically exhausted at the end of each day. But you still don't go to bed any earlier because, well because you're a moron, that's why. (I'm talking about myself here, not you. I'd never call you a moron. I promise.)

Anyway.

So here's what caused my exhaustion:

1. I spent most of Tuesday poolside, watching Sarah swim at her swim sports day. She swam like a star and I was one proud mama!

2. I went to a Class Coordinators meeting after the swim sports - yes, can you believe I signed up for that?

3. Later that same day, I took Sarah to her first water polo training session.

4. And then, because let's face it, I was on a roll at that point, I took Jessica to her first water polo training session at yet another pool, that evening. I'm not even kidding. Three different pools in three different areas in one day. I got home at 9.30pm that night. Tuesday was a killer!

Okay, so I don't know why I was tired when it was my daughters who'd been swimming and treading water all day. But I've just got to say that watching, cheering, waiting and driving is utterly exhausting. It's true. My tired body attests to that.

Why are you smirking?

5. I also bought some more plants for my veggie patch.

6. I did grocery shopping. More than once.

7. I did laundry. A lot of laundry.

8. I tidied. And tidied.

9. I unpacked and packed that dishwasher.

10. I made phone calls and read and replied to emails.

11. I even ironed.

12. I did some planning.

13. I cooked.

Okay, I'll stop now because... yawn.

*******

Then last night we lingered after dinner and I got to have a gorgeous conversation with my daughters, while the light was fading outside. It was the first time I'd sat down and relaxed the whole week. And it felt so good that I opened my eyes and heart a little bit wider, just to take it all in.

A Song For Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

One day I'd like to go to San Francisco.

How about you?

My Weekly 5

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

So, do you and your children celebrate Valentine's Day?

Our family doesn't normally go overboard when it comes to this 'day of love', but after finding these adorable ideas and goodies on the internet recently, I'm thinking that we might have to start...

Source: google.com via Bianca on Pinterest

Source: karaspartyideas.com via Bianca on Pinterest

Source: fiskars.com via Bianca on Pinterest

Source: familyfun.go.com via Bianca on Pinterest

Source: ohhhmhhh.de via Bianca on Pinterest

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

So, what are your plans for Valentine's Day? Anything exciting? Do tell.

OMG! Look At Me! I'm Planting Things.

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

So remember when I wrote that post about my veggie patch? And I said "watch this space"?

No?

Okay, fair enough. It was a very long time ago. And I'm sure you've had other more pressing issues on your mind...

But anyway, I cleared that patch. About three times. Then I eventually got my act together and bought herbs and vegetables to plant, before the weeds took over for the fourth time. I know. Ridiculous. Some might even say lazy.

I say: Oh be quiet! And have a look at it now!

Pretty damn cool, no?

This is my first attempt at growing my own herbs and veggies, dudes! I've got rosemary, thyme, coriander, italian parsley, basil, lettuce, spinach, celery, peas, spring onions, red cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and a Cape Gooseberry.

Oh, and a little Meyer lemon tree that I've also managed to keep alive so far.

Notice how I've only planted on the one side of the patch? Well, the other side is clear of weeds - see below - but I haven't planted anything there yet because I might have to open a veggie shop if I plant out the whole box! There's just so much! (Those lettuces on the right were planted by the previous owners and I found them under all of the weeds.)

I'm thinking I might plant some flowers on that side. Or is there something else I should be looking at planting in there? Any ideas?

Par-tay Rockers In Da House!

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Seriously?

Sometimes?

Our life can look a little bit like an episode of The Kardashians!

*Tongue in cheek*

Roller Coaster Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:02:00 +0000

Every so often I open my Photo Booth application and go through all the photos and videos that my children have made when they're bored but still feeling creative! They're quite prolific little photographers so I have to sift through hundreds of photos and edit all the duplicates otherwise it gets a little out of control over there.

Anyway, here's a little video that Luke made recently. And it made me laugh, so I thought I'd share it with you too.

The Warmth Of The Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I probably get the best photos of my husband when he's unaware that I have my camera pointing at him.

My Weekly 5

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:45:00 +0000

This week I thought I'd share my five favourite iPhone apps with you. These are the ones that have become a part of my daily life. It's true.

1. The first one is Instagram, a photo sharing app which I absolutely love at the moment. It's easy to use, and I'm endlessly inspired by all the beautiful photos out there. If you're on Instagram, you can follow me on biancaswanepoel1.

2. Another app that I adore is Diptic which allows one to combine multiple photos and transform them into a new image. Here's the first one that I made:

3. I also downloaded the Pinterest app onto my phone recently - so now I can 'pin on the trot' ('cos every girl has to be able to pin on the trot, of course). Pinterest is a very cool website that allows one to collect (pin) all the gorgeous things that you come across while you're surfing the internet and put them together on your various pinboards. These boards can be used for inspiration for an upcoming wedding, a birthday, a new renovation or even travel ideas - whatever.

4. The fourth app I enjoy is Foursquare - click on this link for Wikipedia's explanation of what Foursquare is all about.

To me, Foursquare is not only about it being a fun social media game, but it's a handy source of invaluable tips and suggestions for good places to visit in my city. For example, there is an Explore section which features recommended and trending locations; there's also a section that lists places that are offering specials; and one can make a 'to do' list of places you come across that you'd like to visit in future.

5. And lastly: I'm highly entertained by some hilarious people I follow on Twitter. But jokes aside, Twitter is a great source of information - both trivial and serious. Your experience depends heavily on the people or organizations you 'follow'.

So, which apps do you use on a daily basis?

Mostly Arbitrary, But Maybe Also Profound? Nah. Maybe Not.

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:45:00 +0000

You probably don't even want to know what I did this morning, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

I dropped my kids off at school. Yes, it's true. Another school year has just begun. And no, I didn't do a happy jig as I dropped them off. In fact, I'm actually going to miss having those little munchkins around during the day. They were mostly entertaining. Mostly.

But even though I missed them, I have to admit that not having them around is certainly conducive to getting a lot of stuff done. Not only did I do a couple of loads of washing, hang up two loads of washing, take the dog for a long walk and water my veggie patch, but I also set up the kids' extra-mural calendar for this term, made 256 phone calls, replied to 3439 emails, did my banking, made some appointments and generally kicked some admin butt. All before 11h00! It almost felt good to be 'back at work'. Almost.

Okay, so that's all I've got for today.

Oh wait, there is one more thing - How the h*ll is it February tomorrow? Could someone please tell me.

Kalk Bay Fisherman, Ek Sê

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:31:00 +0000

While holidaying in Cape Town recently, we visited a little seaside town called Kalk Bay where we ate fish and chips at a restaurant in the harbour and then walked along the pier to enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the surrounding area.

When we got to the lighthouse at the end of the pier, we took a closer look at the wooden structure of a fisherman that we had spotted earlier; and noticed a little plaque attached to it.

And the lines inscribed on that plaque reflect a part of Cape Town that is so unique, so part of our history, so Cape Town, that it resonated quite profoundly with me that day. I took a photograph of it so that I could read it again. And remember. And linger in that familiarity for a while.

I apologize to my readers who cannot speak Afrikaans, one of the local languages in South Africa, as this is the language in which this plaque is written. I would love to translate this for you, but the beauty of the words and the meaning of the message would be sorely lost in translation, and any attempt I would make would certainly not do it justice.

Why Yes, I'm Still Playing Catch Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Documenting our three week trip to Cape Town in December last year seems to be taking longer than I anticipated, but you know what? I'm thoroughly enjoying going through all of my photos, reliving our special times over there and writing all these posts.

And hopefully I'll be done with my catch up before the year is out!

*******

"A cousin is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost."

Marion C. Garretty

Our kids made some wonderful, new memories with their Cape Town cousins when we were there in December. And while it's always sad when we leave, cousins are special in that they'll always be there, a strong familial tie, a connection not easily broken.

A Bit Of New Zealand Music

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Annah Mac is a New Zealand singer/songwriter who has a great new song out at the moment.

So what do you think?

My Weekly 5

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:11:00 +0000

Here's what I'm loving this week:

1. This picture of Aladdin: If Aladdin lived in our day, he'd probably look like this:

Source: heartofgypsy.tumblr.com via Bianca on Pinterest

2. This kitten cushion is so incredibly adorable. It's almost like having a real cat - only much cheaper.

Source: duitang.com via Bianca on Pinterest

3. And look! Here's another one of these photo cushions. I can't get enough of them!

Source: daniellawitte.blogspot.com via Bianca on Pinterest

4. Beach days. Summer has finally arrived so we've been spending a good few days down on the beach lately.

5. The movie, Hugo. We went to see it yesterday and it was special. 11 Academy Award nominations!

A Girl And Her Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:48:00 +0000

"Hello! Bailey! Down here!"

"What? Yeah, yeah, I see you down there. And I'm not coming. No matter how much you beg. Not happening."

Have You Seen This Movie?

noreply@blogger.com (Bianca) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Last week Luke and I went to see the movie, The Adventures of Tintin. And we loved it! In my opinion, it definitely deserved it's Golden Globe award for Best Animated Feature Film this year.

Saw these wooden figurines at the Cape Town Waterfront recently.

And I took this photo at Sky Tower in Auckland City about a week ago.