Hola pandas

We’re back with my usual scrapbook of photos + ramblings from the past couple of weeks (okay, more like past month!)

Be warned… dis one is BIIIIIIIIIIIIIG.

WORLD RECORD ACHIEVING IN FACT!

Well… in Leonie World at least…

on with da show!

Me & my ex-cubicle boss Lile.

Hilarious but true:

We were out together + I got recognised… and then they recognised Lile as well because she features so heavily on my Instagram.

HAHAHAHAHA Lil… You’re famoooos by proxy!

Because I don’t have enough happening right now… I wrote the final pages for Internet Addiction: The Zine. And I handed it over to my sexy production assistant to digitise and clean up and Indesign it. Poor Chris gets verrrrrry sexually harassed in his workplace. ANYWAYS!!!! This colourful, honest illustrated zine will be given exclusively to our mailing list lovers. Sign up to be a mailing list lover so we can send you lots of fun, free, useful & magical gifties. Let us pour some luuuuuurve on you!!!!!!

Yayyyyyyyy!!!! Got to hang with baby Grace and my mates and our tribe of wombfruits at the park by the lake. Sunshine and getting swooped by marauding birds after our food. We left when 3/5 of the wombfruits started having meltdowns. Always a wonderful way to know when a play date is at its natural conclusion. HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA

A portrait of true love. Me & Dr Kate Byrne from Betty Means Business (as in… “have you met my friend, the good Doctor Kate?” that’s how I introduce her… she hates it/loves it/hates it but still likes me anyway WOOOO! YEAH!)

I took this incredible portrait whilst spending a delightful afternoon “working” at a cafe. And by “working”, I mean eating cake, talking shit, and occasionally brainstorming. #nailedit

One of my favourite things about our new home is the garden. It is a cornucopia of flowers, so very well thought out and loved. I love that there are no stairs to get out there… It’s just an extension of the house. I love that our fairy girls disappear out there to sing songs and collect flowers in their pockets. We might have moved back to the city, but they are more deeply connected to the earth than ever.

My Halloween costume this year is

“exhausted mum counting the minutes until children’s bedtime and whispering that nobody better come trick or treating tonight otherwise the dogs will go ballistic and wake the children and seriouslyfuckaduck I just need to emotionally eat chocolate on the couch with my husband and talk to no one else.”

I feel like I’m nailing it. #realtalk #realparenting

If you’ve been following me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll know I’ve been restoring toys from my daughter’s kindergarten room.

These handmade toys had become verrrrry well loved. Heads falling off, raggedy hair, clothes getting drab. Can’t wait to show Mermaid Daughter #1 in the morning and see if she gives it her approval!!!

I love that there will be toys in her kindy room that she plays with through the day that her mama has put some love into.

We survived Halloween.

Only one set of Trick or Treaters thank goodness.

Once Mermaid Daughter #1 realised it was Halloween she asked if she could play too. So we let them dress up (Mermaid Daughter #2 put a towel on her head and was done) and we hid behind our bedroom door. They knocked, we opened,she said “TWICKER TWEAT” and Mermaid Daughter #2 said “NAAAAAA!!!!” (her word for “I’m so hungry I could cut a bitch!” and we gave them random crap from the kitchen including mandarins and biscuits and one sad, aged Freddo frog we found at the back of the cupboard.

Mermaid Daughter #1 was gracious. Mermaid Daughter #2 was not. She threw the boring food on the ground and ran down the hall attempting to chew through the Freddo packet. It was magical. No, really.

We laughed and laughed and then got them into bed. One day we might try harder at Halloween but this year – with a rambunctious 18 month old and two cross-country moves under our belt and a still not-fully-unpacked-house – now is not the year.

Now we are enjoying a leisure soaked Sunday lay-in with LOTS of personal space. #nope

Mermaid Daughter #1 said this morning

“Mummy, aren’t you so glad I chose you to be my family?”

More than you could ever possibly know, my darling.

Role reversal… It’s past my bedtime and I’m picking my dad up from the bus station. He’s been travelling with his girlfriend. Guess I’m repaying him for picking me up at 3am sometimes…

The conversations you think are HILARIOUS during Launch Week of 2016 Create Your Shining Year goals workbooks + diary/planner.

Launch Week face. I feel radiant. So well rested. So in control. LOLZZZZZZZZZZ NOPE.

#realbusiness #realentrepreneurship

My Dad is visiting this week, our launch week, which may be the best or worst timing ever.

Probably for the best though, because it makes me take breaks and get recentred. We went to the Arboretum this morning to eat pies and look at a bonsai museum.

Then I scored 10 minutes in the gift store alone with Chris while Mermaid Daughter #2 & Grandad played.

LIVING THE PARENTING DREAM GUYZZZZ.

Now I’m having a lay down before I get back into work.

Me + my mini-me. Mermaid Daughter #1 has my sensitivities, my second mermaid daughter has my face + deep adoration of food.

I went for a hike with Dad to stretch my legs and record some videos for 2016 Shining Year workbook launch. My favourite walk here… ambling around the paddocks and talking to the kangaroos and wombats and rabbits.

Nooooooooooooo… Have woken up with a burning throat and a headache… Usually impending sign of a throat infection for me. Quick, tell me all the shit I should be throwing at it now to stop it!!!

Phew… all that garlic I ate killed the beast in my throat.

So we went for a family adventure to Questacon – the National Science + Technology Centre.

This one is a kaleidescope of Leonie + Mermaid Daughter #1 particles.

The girls in a distorted room at Questacon. Beff had stolen my prayer beads for the day to dress up as a tiny whirlwind of a Tibetan monk.

Launch day arrives at last…

oh guys… the antici……………………………pation!

just did a final walkthrough of the 2016 product collection pages with my incredible chiefs Amber + Grant.

it is looking absolutely STUNNING… this is absolutely the most beautiful thing we’ve ever produced. i’m so very, very, very proud of my team and the incredible people we have worked with who have poured a HUGE number of hours and love and sweat and joy and tears in over the last year to birth these products. it has been a labour of love, through + through. one that is so very worth it to see this shining creation burst forth at the end.

we’re just polishing up the last couple of pieces and will launch in a couple of hours.

i can’t wait to share it with you. thank you for your patience. and excitement. and love.

i love you all.
love,
Big Happy Heart Beating Fast
(aka Leonie)

One more coding bug to fix…. Fuccccck… Hold tight my lovelies. In the meantime here’s some mermaid boobies.

And then… like an overdue orgasm, they arrived.

9 months of hard work + 21 people all pouring their hearts into them.

A relief… SUCH a relief to have them out into the world.

And – what a gift – that they’ve been so joyfully embraced.

We’ve already sold out of our To Do List pads.

We’ve already sold over half of our 2016 Biz Goals workbooks.

Amazing.

Have spent the whole day in bed. Three hour nap this morning, ate lunch, now doing some top quality lolling about. This #2016shiningyear launch has been absolutely huge.

Broadbean harvest from our garden. Now being consumed lightly boiled with a dash of salted butter. OM NOM NOM #freakyeating

November Resolution: do 100km on the exercise bike by the end of November. I’m trying to underdo, not overdo, but not do nothing at all. This Scorpio is trying to learn moderation. Ha!!!!

End of month update: I ended up doing just over 50. I didn’t get to my goal, but I did more than I would have otherwise. Hooray!

WHAT A LAFF!!!!!!! About a year ago, I shared a photo of this cup because I thought it was fucking hilarious. It went on to become viral and was seen 25 million times.

The cup company Holy Flaps reached out to us a couple of weeks ago telling us that it had made a huge difference to their business and the had gotten so many orders. It was the loveliest feeling ever!!!

They sent me a box of cups to say thank you. Me and Chris just opened it and pissed ourselves laughing at every single one. They are perfect. Hilarious!!!!! You will be seeing more of these in my photos fo sho… Tea is important. Rude tea is essential.

(And nope – not a sponsored post. I don’t do them. I share about what I love. Including full fat Coke.)

Guess what’s happening here????

Rainbow mermaid hair!

BOOOOOO YEAHHHHHHHHHH I’m a finalist in the MyBusiness Awards for Australian Business Woman of the Year and am heading to Sydney this Friday for the awards night. Decided to follow my usual awards uniform: rainbow hair, turquoise dress.

Start them young. #prideandprejudice

My hairdresser blow wave washed out last night… Thank goodness. I feel so much more like myself with wild untamed mermaid hair.

I’m writing // illustrating a guide for creating face-to-face goals workbook groups… This will be given as a bonus to all our workbook purchasers + Academy members!

Oh gosh! What an honour! A friend from my hometown sent in this newspaper article about me being a finalist for Australian Business Woman of the Year! Thanks Kerry!

Last photo of me as a 32 year old. Goodnight beautiful world. I’m so glad to be in you.

It is indeed. Brunch with my darlings to celebrate my birthday.

The rest of today’s agenda: quiet home time on this beautiful rainy day (my very favourite weather). Watching INSIDE OUT for the first time. Indian takeout for dinner.

And packing for my 27 hour solo trip tomorrow to Sydney for #myBusinessawards. I get to see my beloved bestie and meet a bunch of my Sydney tribe as well. I’m so very lucky.

Thanks for the birthday flowers, my lovely team.

I love that you got flowers that matched my hair!!!!!

#priorities

Oh how adorable!!!! A posie of flowers from my sweet girl Kate (YES! That IS Dr Kate! Funny you should ask!) works perfectly in a Holy Flaps mug!!!! MEANTTTTT TOOOOO BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

A bunch of y’all mentioned the similarities between lil me & Beffyboo. Pretty close! She defo has her own spirit though. #sherunswiththewolves

I can’t stop laughing…

Peeps are soooo excited about getting their 2016 Shining Year books in the mail they are taking heaps of photos of their packages and sending them into us which makes us so happy.

This is some next level shit right here… One gorgeous soul was so excited she got the postman to post with her delivery!!!!! Hahahahahahahaaaaaaaa… I LOVE IT.

And I love this Ginger Bearded Stud. #insertmanypackagepunshere

We’ve been receiving SOOOOOOOOOO many lovely pics of the 2016 product collection and I just looooooooove seeing all of the happiness around the world! Have you grabbed yours?

Off to Sydney for MyBusiness Awards !!! I decided to take the bus instead of fly because the thought of 3.5 hours by myself with no children sounds like a fucking spiritual retreat. Can’t wait to see my beloved bestie t and meet all our Sydney tribe at this afternoon’s meet up. Its going to be a huge day and night… I feel so lucky.

Thank you Mr. Dawson for looking after our darling screamers yet again while I galavant around the country.

One million sex fairy points to you.

Listening to my first Brene Brown book on the bus on the way to Sydney. I’m late to the party, but fuuuuck she is good.

Jumped off the bus in Sydney and straight into the arms of my darling Sone.

Sone + I met a decade ago or so…

When I had an inner marriage ceremony to commit to loving and honouring myself… And invited some strangers off the Internet to come stay at my house and be my goddesses of honour. As soon as we set eyes on each other, we knew we were sisters + she has been one of my dearest friends ever since.

I haven’t had any 1-on-1 time with Sone since I had my first baby 5 years ago and we started travelling around the countryside… we’ve seen each other twice since then for a flash in time.

It was so so so so so so so so so so so so good to see her again.

We walked down the street holding hands gleefully like two little girls.

She is so very precious to me.

She took me straight across the city to a Sydney meetup I was running.

And by “I was running” I mean “I mentioned it to Sone + she project managed + event organised the fuck out of it + I just turned up + hugged a lot of people + laughed.”

SUCH beautiful women. My face hurt from smiling so much.

I really adore meeting you lot… spirited, sweet, passionate, creative women!

We had lunch + then I did an hour or so of Q&A including some fantastic demonstrations of how to get your head stuck up your own asshole.

I’m not even kidding.

We headed to my hotel in the pouring room, and we got dressed for the MyBusiness Awards.

(That’s our prom shot after we got dressed… bahahahahahahahaha!!!!)

I got a new mermaid dress from Noni B for it. And proceeded to be Very Very Normal for the whole night.

NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.

I’m sitting next to Heather Woods who is another Businesswoman of the Year finalist and she is a fucking LEGEND ANNNNNNNNNNND weird but true…

We are from regional towns way out wakkawakka that are right next to each other!!!!!!!!!!! Must be something in the water up that way!!!!!!

They started running a social media screen at the awards night… so I dutifully kept taking horrific selfies + hashtagging them appropriately… they ended up flooding the screen with my horrific selfies and I couldn’t stop laffffffffffffffing.

Once my ugly selfies started hitting the big screen other peeps started doing the same. I then went and jumped on there for a group ugly selfie.

Thanks @techinfection for the groupie. I mean group selfie. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANNN

The very important social media bloke from Optus is easily persuaded to be involved in my shenanigans. Love you Richard. I shall never forget you.

What a huge day.

Left Canberra this morning, got into Sydney and ran straight into the arms of my darling Sone then straight to my Sydney meetup where I got to meet so many beautiful souls… What a joy to wrap my arms around people who were once just lil icons on the Internet.

Then off to the hotel for Bestie Hang Time which was just glorious. It’s been five years since we have had that and I have missed it and missed her so very much.

Then off to the #mbawards15 to meet glorious, goal-getter souls and laugh until I was hoarse. It is quiet now. Sone dropped me back to my room.

I’m looking over the Sydney lights.

And I’m wondering how I got so very lucky to be doing this thing I adore and meeting and loving so very many incredible souls.

I like it. I like it so very much.

Love, your pink-haired friend who just bought a $9 bottle of water from the hotel room bar. It’s the most amazing water I’ve ever tasted in my life.

P.S Not really, it just tastes like water but apparently it has Australian Bush Flower Essences in it. #fancyasfuuuuuuckkkkkk

Goodbye, beautiful Sydney. You are old and brand new and busy and wild. Always good to visit you and have my eyes enlivened and washed clean and excited. I’m returning home with gladness and adventures and stories in my pocket. Also, I have learned the profound truth from yesterday’s trip to never, ever sit near the bus toilet.

My darling Sone gave me a turquoise necklace she got while trekking in Nepal. It feels so very good to wear. I’m on the bus heading home now, back to my place under the sun… My beloved ‘Berra.

It feels good to have these hours of staring out a bus window buffering such a busy, quick trip.

Gives my highly sensitive parts time to integrate and be still again.

So glad I didn’t fly… The time would have gone too fast.

The slower pace suits me better.

Looking forward to kissing the faces of my darlings again.

We are still getting settled into our new home, finding where furniture and art needs to be. I noticed our bedroom still didn’t feel homely… And remembered a bookcase in the bedroom always makes me and hunky life’s souls feel at home. Still need to chose all the books from the other bookcases to put in it…

But gosh it feels good already. Mermaid Daughter #2 is napping so it is time for me to loll about in bed and do fuckkkkkallllllllllllllll while Mermaid Daughter #1 and Chris watch movies together. #lazysundaysarethebest #bookwhore

Me & Just Woke Up From A Nap Baby.

Short nap today – only 2 hours. She usually does at least 3. It’s a shock after having suuuuuuuch a terrible sleeper first time around. Kids that sleep for long stretches are so much easier.

I get way less anxiety flare ups this time around because I’m not as physically broken and I get actual breaks.

It is my love’s birthday in two days.

So I thought I would take my (sweet) 5 year old and my (deranged, runaway) 18 month old on a shopping expedition to buy a gift for him.

IT WILL BE FUN I thought. WE WILL HAVE A GIRLZ DATE.

I was wrong, guyz. So very, very wrong.

I couldn’t ever stop for one moment to look at something on a shelf before Mermaid Daughter #2 was legging it to every dangerous, stupid place she wasn’t meant to be.

Oh bloody hell! was the mantra again today. I was ready to cry/drink/panic attack/lay on the floor to get my breath back by the end.

Luckily, Chris ordered some stuff online he said we could use as presents because all I managed to grab besides my runaway daughter was a terrible Christmas shirt. Sorry, boo. Better luck next year when our baby grows out of her current insanity. I hope. Otherwise… Gift shopping… Or indeed any other kind of shopping… Never again. Love, Recovering In Bed

A scrumptious mail day!!!! Skirt by Sunny Daisy Tie Dye and mermaid mala beads. Such a scrumptious way to celebrate our 2016 Shining Year product collection launch!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness. What an amazing mail day!!!!

Just got these in the mail. They look and feel DIVINE. But I’ve come to expect that from my darling Lish from Naughty Naturopath Mum… Gosh she is a good one.

Happy happy birthday to this man who has walked by my side through hell & high water for the last 14 years.

He has believed in me & never ever thinks I’m weird.

Nobody believes that, but it’s true.

He likes to sit under a ginormous golden Buddha painting. He reads piles of books on psychology and I never ever know what he is going to say next. People think I’m the intense one until they meet him and really get to know him. He’s also hotttttttt.

Happy birthday Mr D.

Thanks for keeping this wild boat from capsizing a million times and more.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA X A MILLION.

Holy Flaps sent this cup for Chris.

I told him I was only taking a photo of him with it to share it with our team.

He didn’t believe me.

LUCKYYYYYYY COZ HE WASSSS RIIIIIIIIGHT.

Mwahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

To make up for that whole “I told the whole world you’re a massive minge chomper” thing, I bought myself a KISS shirt. Mr D is a massive KISS fan. He asked me why I didn’t buy him a shirt instead.

I said “Because this way you can bang a girl wearing a KISS shirt. Way better, right?”

My logic is flawless. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be deeeeeeeelighted that I’ve also decided to share this story too.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Family Adventure Morning with the wombfruits and Mr Hot Arms. It amazes me that my bloke’s only arms routine is lifting kids and his biceps are… *takes personal moment to think of arms and swoon like a Victorian lady*………

Spent the morning with a baby sleeping on me. AUNTY OF THE YEARRRRRRRRRR.

Me and my Canberra mates have officially adopted each other and each other’s kids as “Fr-amily” (friend-family).

Fridays are now Framily Funday play dates. I think next week we will set up a sweatshop and factory line sew some summer sundresses for our clan of girls.

Sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet man.

FAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKKKK SOOOOOOOOOOOO HOTTTTTTTTTTTTT #allAustralianstoday

So here’s the thing: sometimes (always) people don’t believe me when I say my husband genuinely doesn’t think I’m weird. But I know in almost 15 years he has not once even considered it, much less said it.

And I realised today that it’s because very few people know that Chris is just as filthy-minded, spiritually-woo, intense and kooky as me, if not more so. He’s just quiet about it.

When I told him my theory, he agreed. And he said that he’s probably even kookier than me because he’s mysterious about it, whereas I’m so overtly expressive. Ha!!!!

Best idea ever… One on one date with my first mermaid girl.

I feel like I can really breathe and enjoy my kids more when I can focus on one at a time. Especially when it’s not the toddler that likes to run in car parks.

Today we headed to the fabric store to get supplies for our Framily Summer Sundress Sweatshop to make dresses for our Girl Squad of 5.

I can’t wait to show the results with you!!!

Mermaid Daughter #2 woke up early this morning for the first time ever… Earlier than her sleep-adverse older sister!!!

I got up to give Chris a sleep in for once and promptly decided to go on an adventure to Bunnings for sample pots of paint. Chris hasn’t even raised an eyebrow.

It’s only taken almost 15 years for him to no longer “passionately discuss” interior decorating decisions. Notttttt because we have particularly different tastes… Just because we are both Scorpios who like to have opinions. Haaaa!!!!

Anyways I think I’ll make our dining room both the orange and red colours. The other one looks too much like skin painted on wall.

Weekend reading. Need a good lay down, I’ve been choring like a mofo!!

Transforming one boring white hallway…. The before shot with a splash of incoming colour!!!!

One of this lovely, peaceful Sunday dinners. Also, very neat.

(How proud does Beff look of her creative noodle “masterpiece” though right?)

God
Hey
It’s me
Leonie
I don’t know what to do about this world
I don’t know how to fix all this suffering
There seems so much to do
Please use me
Use me as a vessel
A vessel for healing and light and love
I’m here
I’m listening
Guide me.
Love you,
Leonie

What do I need today?

Connection. Art. Wonder. Beauty. Well-filling.

I need that feeling of being with my very own best friend… My own self.

Knowing in every cell of my body that that is enough. The sweet joy of my own presence. And art. Oh yes.

I’ve felt wet eyed and itchy today, like something is waiting to burst through me but it needs my attention and stillness. So I went on a date with my sweet, beloved self.

First to the National Gallery to gawp open-mouthed at beauty.

Now a cafe for tea and cake and books and letter writing. Time to fill the well.

Finished this on Audible today. I’m late to the party but hollllllllllly fuuuuuuuuuck Brene Brown is right on! Many AHA! moments during this wonderful book!

For my birthday, I begged my husband to get me this $15 unicorn head for my office. I am never, ever, ever growing up.

I’ve been feeling vulnerable and teary and raw this week.

My skin so thin it’s almost translucent. I haven’t been able to shake it, even after a solo artist’s date on Monday. I was starting to feel frustrated… Like SERIOUSLY I HAVE FELT YOU ENOUGH, FEELINGS. Which makes me laugh. Bless my sweet lil human self.

Anyways, today I just felt like sitting in my office and feeling grumpy and reading Buzzfeed clickbait. I knew it wasn’t going to help me work through it. And I realised then that my office was a bare skeleton – I still hadn’t decorated since we moved in.

So I organised. And decluttered. And decorated. And hung art and prayer flags everywhere. I tattooed myself with glittering Darling Tree tattoos I found in my boxes. I wrote thank you letters. When I get lonely or grumpy, writing those letters makes me feel connected again.

I gave Beff a fringe trim. Now she looks like an indie rocker from Melbourne.

Guess what we are doing today???????????

My mate Lile is teaching me & Lena how to sew… We have set up a sweatshop to make summer dresses for our girl squad. Between us, we have five girls and they are all playing like wild things. We couldn’t find any appropriate sun dresses for our wombfruits so we are maaaaaking them!!!!

7 hours. 3 women. We managed to sew… One newborn dress. I can’t even stop laughing about it.

I love that I never have a clue what I will find on Mr Dawson’s bedside reading stack. He thrills me.

Weekending in the backyard. Our garden is magical. So is my husband.

My favourite part of mothering is all the personal space I get.

This girl. I love when my big girl goes to school so I get some one on one time with my baby girl.

Me & Mermaid Daughter #1 had so much special time together for the first four years. I love these lil pockets where I can focus on just one.

Oh… and to finish off…

We visited IKEA for the first time everrrrr (they’ve only just opened here in Canberra!)

All I said for three hours as we tried to find our way out was:

Holy.fuck.

OMG LOOK HOW CHEAP THIS ALL IS!

Wot.da.fuck.sooooooooo many peeeeeople.

OMG CINNAMON BUNS GET IN MY MOUTH NOWWWWWWWWWWW

Squeeee!!! Sensory delight!!!! LOOK AT ALL THE COLOUR + DESIGN!

Ummmm… where are we??? I am soooo lost!!!!

Ughhhh Goddddd I am getting overstimulated…

GET ME THE FUCK OUT NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

It took us the rest of the afternoon to recover. Haaaaaa!!!

And Beff managed to meet her match with IKEA… she fell asleep straight away in the car and stayed that way!

*

So, there you have it! My scrumptious scrapbook!

It’s been a huuuuuge month and a bit…

I’m so very grateful for all the birthdays + adventures + family time + business miracles + work along the way.

Thank you for sharing the journey with me!

Big love,

YOU MAY ALSO LOVE…

[leonie_show_posts ids=”24421,22921,25385,23094″]