Saturday, 28 December 2013

Closing Time - One last call for alcohol so finish your whiskey or beer

Closing time - you don't have to go home but you can't stay here
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
Take me home

Sorry - love that song - got a bit carried away!

Well well well - 2013 draws to an end. What an amazing year!!!

Alas the end of 2013 also means the end of Stones & Birds and this little blogging adventure (I can hear the collective sigh of relief from here!)

Thank you everyone for sharing in my year - good and bad - fun and boring - amazing and just plain ridiculous...I've enjoyed sharing the year with you all very much!

I had so many ideas when I first started and haven't gotten to all of them yet but believe me when I tell you you'll be glad I didn't. Some things just shouldn't be shared on the internet Miranda! (You can insert either Kris' or Tones' voice here!)

Tones was a great advocate for 'censored' posts during the year and was responsible for a few things being culled before I hit the publish button. I still can't figure out why she wouldn't let me write about Gobby Road in my 'Date Night' blog? Guess I got to mention it after all hey Tones?

Kris was a very good sport when it came to letting me blog about him and us. I think he even enjoyed posing for all the photos I wanted to include. Seriously though - he deserves a lot of thanks this year - I've affectionately called it the 'year of Miranda' as we've been trying to change things at home a bit, and sometimes it feels like it's all about me. But hey - happy wife, happy life right? I might try get another year of Miranda in when I'm not having to study all the time. Hardly seems fair using up all my me time on study. I'm glad you all agree - I'll put it to him later!

And to those of you who inspired a post, or gave me an idea along the way, or allowed me to take a gazillion pics of a day out just in case I needed to blog it, thank you! Who am I kidding - I'll still take a gazillion pics of a day out! But don't worry - they'll mostly be of me! And you'll all still be inspiring me - I'll just save up the wittiness for texts, PM's and god forbid, face to face conversations if it bloody well has to come to that!

So I guess as the end of the year has arrived I should evaluate the blogs effectiveness, use some KPI's and industry standard data to decide if I made my mark on the big www.

Of the 56 entries I posted here are the top 5 as far as readers:

 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/the-one-i-never-thought-i-would-have.html
 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/lachlan-update.html
 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/selfies-you-know-you-love-them.html
 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/a-love-storywhen-molly-met-bruce.html
 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/finally-one-worth-reading.html
 

And here's a few that were personal faves of mine that didn't make the top 5. (Listed in order of readers)

 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/the-list-because-sharing-is-caring.html
 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/the-harvey-dam-goes-over.html
 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/giddy-up.html
 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/pie-off-may-best-man-win.html
 - http://norollingstone.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/nights-out-its-hard-work-being-18.html

But the main goal of the blog was to give me an outlet other than alcohol to aide in stress relief and that horrible feeling of wanting to run away from my life. So did it work??? I think so - I've only had one hideously drunken experience during 2013 - but I was in another country so I'm letting myself off the hook. I've had a few biggish nights that probably dangled on the edge of going too far but I didn't feel enough regret to class them as a bad choice! Although the Boxing Day jury is still out...eeek!!

So where to from here though? I guess I'll start with a bottle or 4 of champagne and print hard copies of my 2013 stories to read over and over and remind myself that I once had it all!!! (Including an average weekly readership of about 117.3) And I guess it's OK to get excessively drunk again now seems no one is watching me?? (Winking Tones and Kris) And I guess...actually I'm out of guesses but couldn't resist typing I guess once more!

And the final good news from me for 2013....guess what...what happens on the internet....STAYS on the internet! So as long as you don't forget norollingstone.blogspot.com.au you can take me with you forever and be on your merry way!

2014 has big shoes to fill but I'm feeling confident... Happy New Year to you all!!

But I can't leave without photos - here's a pic from each month of this awesome year...

 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 

 



 
Not sure about the rest of you but I'm finishing the year with some Foo Fighters:
 
And I wonder...when I sing along with you
if everything could ever feel this real forever
if anything could ever be this good again
the only thing I'll ever ask of you
you gotta promise not to stop when I say when
 
Over and out xxx
 
 
 
 
 
 






December - Selfie Month

Can I start by saying I have bloody surprised myself this month. Wait for it...

On the 19th December I HIT THE WALL - was OVER the selfies big time! I almost shed a tear over the 12 pics left until I grabbed a beer and decided to have my staff Xmas party in the office. My staff (and the beer) cheered me up nicely and I made a little plan of attack for the last 12 'selfies' of Xmas!

The good news is I've now critiqued my block head from every angle possible and should stay away from the camera for a little while. I've also realised which clothes I wear too often and have implemented a wardrobe rotation policy to rectify the horror.

Without further ado allow me to present the 31 days of M I R A N D A....(Yes - I snuck ahead for the last few so I could share on the weekend)

Day 1: Off to Kids Xmas party #lovemykids #newhat #didimentionilovemykids

 
Day 2: #Monday #dietday #paleo #cleaneating #shredded #proteinshake #proteinballs #needtopaintmynailsbeforetakingselfies #stopmirandastop

 
Day 3: Love this dog #tessagirl #meanseverything #specialmorning

 
Day 4: Love me a good sleeping selfie #sotalented

Day 5: #fml #missingmakep #shouldhavetakenselfiebeforeclientarrived #fivetaxreturnsdone #onfire

 
Day 6: #bestnight #loveher #greatcatchup #friendsfor27years #bff061213*9:12pm #sogoodtoseeher #thai #ssb

 
Day 7: About to cross live to Bruce in the studio #olympicdressup #commentaryteam #greenandyellow

 
 
Day 8: Signs of a good night #goingtbealongday #mighttakesomemoreselfiestopassthetime
 
 
Day 9:Spending quality time with Ems! #couldbemybestangle #nofilter
 
 
Day 10: School mums Xmas catchup #yummylunch #lovelyladies #feralchild #lovethispicofhelen #shelookssooooogood

 
Day 11: Needed some help for this one #ihavenolips #quackquack

 
Day 12: Day 21 bites the dust #mayhavebackeditupwith18and14 #thisisliving #adventadventures #straighttothenaughtylist



 
Day 13: #enoughsaid #nofilterjustteenypics #prouddaybutnokidstoselfiewith #lookslikeitsjustme #again

 
Day 14: Beautiful wedding #stunningbride #soooooobloodyhot
 
 

 
Day 15: The best I can muster today #toooldforthisstuff #undertheweather #groombustedmytoe #needsleep

 
Day 16: #lovingtheipadselfieslately #issheorisntshe #somuchcoverage #whatisphotostreamingthoughandshoulditurnitoff?
 
 
Day17: #freshair #parktime #3dayhangover #orsomethingnasty #boughtnewbuckets #getbetterme

 
Day 18: #bigdayshopping #alosbecameanauntieagain #alsolostmytoenail #somanyreasonstocelebrate #luckyiwenttodanmurphys #almostbacktonormal #yesshehadapepsi

 
Day 19: Last day of school #bringonholidays #shameimworking 
 
Day 20: Nothing like a #selfiesesh with a  #selfiequeen to lift my selfies funk #matchymatchy #sonotplanned

 
Day 21:Happy Birthday to the always glamorous Cass #shehadmeatWitchery

 
Day 22: Aunty Molly meets Abbie Cadabby #perfection

 
Day 23: Lachy and I meet baby Minnie #awwwwskip #ttttt

 
Day 24: #hardtoselfiewhenphonewasconfiscated #straighttothenaughylist #badass

 
Day 25: Yes you can open your presents...as soon as Mummy gets her selfie! #tired 25 down...6 to go...#ithinkicanithinkican

 
Day 26: #toiletselfies #withadifference #annabanana #nicehair

 
Day 27: Boxing day fun #toiletselfies

 
Day 28: Hard to resist a kissing selfie #yesplease #loveher

 
Day 29: Haircut time #obliged

 
Day 30: Happy Birthday #mrmick #birthdayboyselfie

 
Day 31: And that's it!!!! No more selfies (for a day or two at least!) #2013 #whatayear #feelinglucky #byebye

 

Wednesday, 25 December 2013

Tis the season

Warning - photo overload. I should have done some collages to cut it down but that will take valuable drinking time during the festive season. They haven't even uploaded in order bugger it!!

What an awesome few days we've had - feeling lucky!!! And we still have Boxing Day, Belated Xmas day with my Mum and sisters and of course New Years to come!

Cheers and Merry Xmas all xxx

 
Lachy and Minnie

 
Aunty Molly meets Abbie



 
Sprinkler fun!

Us - Xmas 2013

Sprinkler again - this order is annoying...

Yabbies!!


 
Quad bike fun! Will let me have a go finally ;-)

 
Lach dressed in Kris' Scout uniform

Happy Birthday Nanna Shell xxx

Nonna

Suz and Will are too cool

Lachy and the Furby (Santa might be getting the noisy bugger back!)

Nanna tests out her camera on Wilby's new shoes!

Food comas for Kris and Pop


Will's zombie shirt!

Nanna Jen and Ems

Frisbee has a ride

Lachy decided he could do it too!!

This NEVER happens! 6:30pm - all fast asleep, except the bloody Furby!! 
Teaching Dad to selfie!
New bike for Will

And for Feral Cheryl and Bubba


Visit to Nonna

Nice shot Will


Kris (hates cats he tells me!)

Lachy and Nonna

Me and Ems

Wilby dressed up for Presents  - Round 2

 
Enough with the photos (said Miranda NEVER)

Xmas lunch in Pingelly

 
The cool kids again
 

Wilby took some pics of us!

Tessa girl x

Sam the ram eating figs

Wilby the Bumblebee

Me on my phone (again!!)

 
 
Lunch with Dad and Noreen

 
Pop and Lachy discussing Minnie the Roo

 
Tones and Minnie

 
Kris and Georgie

 
Lachy's new bike!!

 
Getting my newborn fix with baby Minnie xxx
 
And I promise I'll stop there!!!