Relatives by marriage but close friends by choice, these locals say they drew the lucky straw when it comes to in-laws.
TONI MARTIN & MARIA SELWOOD
Both go-getters, Maria and her daughter-in-law Toni share a feistiness that they recognise and respect in one another.
“Maria looks like a sweet, innocent old gal but she has the quickest mouth I know and I’ve seen her stand up to some pretty interesting characters without batting an eyelid,” Toni laughs.
“When she opened up Vintage Rose, I was so impressed with her work ethic. She put hours into the shop while also making hats and fascinators for her customers. She travelled all over the world to source her clothes and even created her own clothing line.”
The admiration goes both ways, with Maria impressed by Toni’s dedication to her profession as a teacher, her love of animals and her commitment to the environment.
“She’s also a great mother and stands up for what she believes in — a bit like me,” Maria says.
“I enjoy our discussions about family and rearing children. Toni and my son, Damien, have a three-year-old son (Lane) who is a little character and the light of our lives. My advice to her as a mother is ‘do what works for you’.”
Maria and Toni have shared a lot of fun times at race meets, especially when Maria owned Vintage Rose.
“I have fond memories of attending Burdekin race days together, along with my sister-in-laws Andrea and Mel,” Toni says.
“Maria dressed us head to toe in Vintage Rose and we’d all jump in Maria’s car and go down to Home Hill for the day. We’d overfill our boxes with fruit and veg, then cram into Maria’s Corolla and do 60km/hr all the way home as we laughed and told stories from the day.
“My friends always tell me I’ve hit the jackpot when it comes to mother-in-laws. She loves her grandchildren dearly and they all love her to pieces right back.”