Monday, May 26, 2014

Sitting here wondering if I'm Pollyanna or Eeyore - Day 146: First bout of Vivid-ness!

Worked today for Jane and on way to station stopped to take some #VividSydney2014 shots in Martin Place where a giant waterfall has all the tweets attached to the hashtag cascading down it. FAB!












And a rare shot of Zara with both her mum (my sister) and her dad) ...



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Saturday, May 11, 2013

Holding the Reins of the Runaway Extrovert 2013: Day 131 - Family time!

Helen and Shayne and my lovely niece Zara came to Sydney for a brief holiday and we got to spend a wonderful sunny day with them, largely in and around Darling Harbour.

Started off the day at Buddha's Birthday Festival which was fascinating. Zara LOVED the dragon dance which culminated in the bowing to the giant Buddha on the stage. Lots of fun stuff to see and do including amazing calligraphy, and displays of art, food, religion. Zara even got a fun balloon animal!

Met up too with Shayne's cousins who were just lovely.

While they had a late lunch, Helen, Steve Zara and I went on one last ride on the monorail - after Zara and her second cousin rode the merry-go-round - which was our way of saying goodbye to a Sydney institution that for good or bad I still like.

Finished up with curry dinners from Coles and wine in Shayne and Helen's beautiful serviced apartment - after Zara had her nightly swim in the pool - before catching the train home.

Awesome day and so lovely to see Helen, Zara and Shayne in my own city :)


Irish Line Dancers at an Asian Buddhist festival ... I LOVE multiculturalism!





























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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Holding the Reins of the Runaway Extrovert 2013: Day 82 - Steve's and Amie's wonderful wedding day

Big day!

My brother Steve got married to his gorgeous very sweet fiancee Amie at Alsonville Anglican Church, where all of Amie's family have been married since 1939.

We stayed overnight at Helen and Shayne's and then headed to Alstonville early morning to enter what I expected was going to be the delightful chaos of a big event. Instead, we found everything wonderfully calm  with Steve dropping in mid-morning and looking very chilled. We did a grocery run with Becky and Steve and also headed out to House With No Steps to drop off some of the wedding candelabra and bows for the chairs. We even practiced tying them up. Fun morning!



My guy Steve and my delightful cousin Rebecca.


My brother Steve (Beves), the groom and I



After lunch at mum and dad's - yummy sandwiches - back to the motel to get ready. I was worried about getting into a suit because it was such a hot humid day (30+) and was lulled into heavily air con unit into thinking we'd be fine. Within minutes of getting to church, I was soaked (helped along by helping Nanna into the church) but thankfully fans in cool stone church dried me out quickly and I was able to enjoy a beautiful, heartwarming ceremony with my family around me.


Bodhi

Aunt Helen, Lois and Nanna

My niece Zara and sister Helen

Nephew Bodhi and my sister Rachel



Zara and her Nanna (my mum) with my Nanna (Zara's "Ninny" in the background)


Steve and I

My gorgeous cousins Lois and Rebecca



Anxiously waiting for the bride

Amie arrives looking FABULOUS

Steve with groomsmen, Steve Eggins and my brother-in-law, Michael







Exchanging vows



Signing the paperwork with the ridiculously young-looking priest Trent looking on





My mum read a Bible passage and prayed beautifully




We headed out of the church into scorchingly bright afternoon sunshine (about 4.15pm) and so glad the photographer took the pics at the shady back of the church. The church put on a yummy afternoon tea in the hall but we only stayed a little while before heading out to House With No Steps to put all the chandeliers out, tie all the bows on chairs etc. It was our contribution to Steve and Amie's big day (and bonus: air con to dry me out; I was totally soaked ... TOTALLY bar one small strip where shirt was open to air under jacket) ...



Shayne, Zara and Helen

Rebecca, Nanna and Lois

The fancy cars were a surprise for Amie!

What a gorgeous couple!

All the Gillman siblings with the new sister in the family, Amie

A tender moment between Steve and Zara

Amie, Nanna and Lois

A very pregnant Rachel (due to give birth 26 April)

The extended Gillman clan + Steve's flatmate Jody and close friends of the family Alf and Jean Hicks

Rachel, Bodhi and Michael


The reception was a bundle of fun ... great food, catchups with all sorts of people - Nicole Eggins, Bill Daley - lovely chats with Becky, Lois and Steve's old housemate Jody and I ended up taking all the photos for these cool placemats that Amie's sister created where you had to write your favourite memory of the couple, things you love most about them, relational advice etc ... lots of fun! Plus we got to show everyone to their table so I met them all ... it was a dry wedding too (Steve and Amie don't drink) so we grabbed a bottle or two of wine ... cleaned up the bows and chandeliers later too which was fun as well ... greta night and home by 11.30 ...


Shayne, who was the MC, with his daughter Zara and nephew Bodhi

My mum, Joy Bailey, Dad and Jean Hicks


Steve and I

The groomsmen with their gorgeous kids

Dad catches up with Amie





BEFORE ...
... AFTER





















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