our garden overhaul...

Last weekend we found ourselves some seedlings at the market. We spent the week umming & aahhing about where to put them... ok, so we may have just not thought about them at all.
After our huge & I mean HUGE weeding session (think waist high here), we decided to put them in a bed near the kitchen.
We squared it up, added a brick edging & then wrapped chicken wire around it to fend off naughty dogs & chooks. I planted potatoes, peas, a mix of beans, cucumber, lettuce, zuchinni, tomatoes & herbs.
Samuel even made me a little gate.
I planted out a row of sunflowers, fending off the chooks as they tried to scratch them out.
As the sun started to set, we decided to fence off that section of the yard. Soon we'll dig up the remaining lawn & plant some more. The gate will be moved to where the path is & we may even make a prettier fence with some ancient palings we have lying around.
Our established plants are thriving with all this rain of late. The rhubarb & mint have tripled in size, the passion fruit vines are starting to take & it looks like our tomatoes are starting to fruit.
Hooray for lovely gardening weather.

last night...

The sky was a big swirl of fairyfloss. Pink, orange, blue, purple & white.
We sat out til late admiring our achievements in the garden & marveling at the great sky.
Birds of all sorts were calling their evening songs. Magpies, crows, blackbirds, wattle birds, blue herons & kookaburras.
The alpacas stood on the hill by the dam, quietly mowing the grass.
Such a peaceful evening after a long day of gardening.
I'll show you some of our efforts tomorrow.
Have a fantastic weekend!

my creative space...

It feels like a bit of a whirlwind is happening at the moment. It's almost december, I'm mama to a 7 month old, trying to get organised for our trip to queensland, desperately trying to organise house/dog/poultry/alpaca/garden sitter for whilst we're away... the list goes on.
Amongst all this I'm crafting away, trying to get through my list of "to do's". At least I can tick shorts for Huckle off the list. The blue stripey pair were fashioned from an old men's shirt & the linen pair came from the stash. I think I'll be whipping a few more pairs up, as they were so easy & perfect for summer. Maybe I'll use some bright prints next time. Something garish to embarrass the poor boy when he's older. Ha, just kidding Huckle.
I'm playing around with these little felt rocks as well. They've flown all the way from Lithuania into my hot little hands. Customs felt the need to investigate them, suspicious little felty rocks. Hmmm. You can find your own here, if you too would like some.
I've been toying around with some old style kids clothes. Trying to get my head around how I would construct them. I think this is a project for the new year.
I'm also working on some Nest & Bindle products, however little obstacles keep popping up. My printer is playing 'silly buggers' & I'm still waiting for supplies to arrive to finish off a few pieces. But, I am a patient woman (ahem) & I am speaking the mantra "good things come to those who wait". They do don't they? Tell me it's true.
I haven't forgotten that I'm making stuff (which is surprising really, because that's what usually happens), I'm not holding out on you either. Promise.

Tropical Gippsland was in fine form today. Lovely muggy weather, with the gentle pitter patter of rain throughout the day. We spent the good part of it in a cloud. These pictures were taken just before midday. It looks quite magical, don't you think?

Well, that's all I know for today. Cheerio.
See more here.

wednesday colour...

A little colour to brighten your week.

other peoples trash...

Is my treasure!
Like this old roll of paper found in the paper recycling at the tip.

The first few layers are a bit ripped, but underneath is pure gold. I just couldn't leave it there.

I'm off today to have my first driving lesson. Hopefully the instructor will tell me I can go for my test. I have my full motorcycle license & I can drive, I've just never had the urge to get my car license. Wish me luck! Maybe I won't need any more lessons.

so long hairy cows...

The hairy cows have moved on to greener pastures. After many weeks of chasing them back into their paddocks, we made the decision to sell them. They had a total disregard for fences & when they weren't pushing through them, they were jumping them. It really was quite a sight to see a 400kg cow jump a 5 foot fence. No matter how many times the fences were fixed or improvements were made, they just kept escaping. Let me tell you now... herding 2 insolent cows up out of a steep gully with grass waist high & wombat holes everywhere, is not my cup of tea really. Especially not every week!

So there we go, I've had my little rant & peace has been restored on the farm.

Our two new replacement lawn mowers arrived today, let's hope they stay put. We got alpacas as they will act as guards for our chooks & ducks & they're fairly agreeable creatures. These boys are five years old & are yet to be named. Any ideas? We're thinking something spanish.
Did you know that alpacas only poo in the one spot. They'll also line up to take turns if more than one needs to go at once. Another interesting fact... when they feel threatened, they just sit down. They can also become very emotional, if upset or angry they may stomp back & forth across the paddock. What curious creatures.
We had a fantastic weekend of hanging out with my bestie, yummy food, treasure hunting at the market, lots of gardening & best of all, soaking up some much needed sun. I think my vitamin D levels are finally being restored.
Today was spent recovering from all the excitement, hopefully tomorrow I'll be back to normal programming.
Happy monday!

a little weeding...

A lot has been put on hold these past two days. I've given in to chaos & just gone with the flow. I'm trying not to think about all that is half done.

Huckle & I sat in the warm sun & did some necessary weeding. We didn't finish the job, but it's the thought that counts I guess. The wee man quite enjoyed throwing dirt around & did a taste test of what was on offer.

As you can see, he wasn't too impressed with the quality.

The three stooges supervised as usual & the chickens also joined in, scratching away at the weed piles.

My bestie Emma arrives in the morning, so I'm looking forward to a weekend of chatter & crafting. Maybe my arms will get a rest from carrying a certain heavy boy around too.

Hope you all had a great week. Here's to a magnificent weekend.

blessed...

A good friend & her mum came round today. They brought cake, made soup for lunch & made me some meals for my freezer. I now have 5 dinners worth of food, ready at my command.
There was barley soup, apple cake, chickpea stew, scarecrow pie & a fresh loaf of bread of course. It's all very simple homestyle food, made with love to nourish the body & soul.
I feel so lucky to have Tash & Lola in my life. To have their support, friendship & love means so much. Sitting in the kitchen with tea & cake, whilst the Huckle napped, was such an amazing experience. Stories were shared, discussions were had & I learnt so much from these two amazing souls.
The sense of community I get from my family & friends is at times overwhelming. I feel so blessed. Thank you.
This goes to you too, reading this post right now. Thank you too.
On days like today, I feel I could do anything.

wednesday colour...

A little colour to brighten your week.

on balance, roses & crafting...

I'm learning alot about balance at the moment. Balance between being a mama, a wifey, a maker, a cleaner, a cook... the list goes on. It's only new to me & I'm learning what has been learnt by women since forever (a very technical & well researched term). I don't have huge expectations on what I should be getting done, but I do have some things that I'd like to happen. Even if they happen oh so very slowly. There's always tomorrow.
Amongst all of this, I try to find time for me. Time to just have a peaceful cuppa, a long hot shower or a read of a magazine. Today I took 20 minutes to stroll about the garden in the fine misty rain. The roses are starting to bloom, so I picked the first posy of the season. The colours are so vibrant, they make my heart sing. I never used to like roses, somewhere along the line something changed & now I have quite the soft spot for them.
There's been some crafty action happening too. Huckle has two cute bib kerchiefs to add to his wardrobe along with two pairs of shorts. Yep, I made shorts! They were so easy, I didn't know what I was so scared about. They are yet to have elastic (befuddled mama brain can't for the life of me remember where I put it, must go buy some more), so I'll show them when they're all finished. Two sleepy bye bears are waiting to be pieced together, along with a few more ready to be cut. I'd be printing a heap of cards too, if my printer decided to work. I've been encouraged by a dear friend to design some cards & now I'm giving it a go. Hopefully soon they'll be printed & ready for the shop.
It's slowly coming together, perhaps a bit slower than desired. Every step forward is still a step forward I guess. I've told the universe this is what I'm doing & I know it will happen.
Well that was alot more words than I thought I had this evening. Now I am for sleeping. I hope you all have a great week.

turning over a new loaf...

Pardon the pun, I couldn't help myself.
I've been on the bread improving bandwagon of late & I must say this latest recipe is a real winner. It's a bit crusty, a bit chewy, but soft at the same time. You should give it a go, you might like it just as much as I do. It's a cheats sourdough, but since I don't have time for the real thing... this is mighty fine.
Here's the deets...
:: Mix together 2 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of instant yeast & 1 and a half cups of warm water. I use my kitchenaid with the dough hook, but a bowl & wooden spoon works just as well. You'll just get bigger muscles than me.
:: Now add the flour. I use 1/4 cup of rye, 1/2 cup wholemeal & 2 1/4 cups of white. You want the dough to be quite wet, but make sure it's not too wet or handling it later will be a nightmare! I tend to mix this amount of flour in & then slowly add a touch more white at a time until the dough starts to form into a ball & pulls away easily from the sides.
:: Cover with a clean tea towel & let rise for 2 hours.
:: Heat oven to 250 degrees celsius.
:: Lay out towel & pour a little polenta onto centre. Spread polenta out to roughly 20cm circle.
:: Flour your hands & shape dough into a round by pulling & tucking under, rotating as you go.
:: Place neat side down onto polenta & wrap lightly with towel. Pop into a bowl to help with rise.
:: Allow to rise for half an hour, meanwhile heat a lidded cast iron pot in the oven.
:: Turn dough out into pot (polenta side up) & make an x with a knife, it only needs to be about 5 cm.
:: If it falls in lopsided, give the pot a shimmy back & forth to centre it.
:: Cook covered in oven for 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes.
We made curried egg sandwiches with eggs from our girls. Yummo! I like extra curry powder, it reminds me of my nana. This teatowel reminds me of my nana, it's Irish, just like she was. I'm sentimental like that & plus it was only 20c! That too reminds me of nana, she was just as thrifty.
I hope your weekend is fun & filled with love & laughter. Maybe some crusty warm bread too.

this moment...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

inspired by soulemama

wednesday colour...

A little colour to brighten your week

a very trying monday...

Yesterday, the Huckster & I weren't feeling too flash. The bread dough sat on the counter all day, emails went unanswered, the phone was ignored & all work was put on hold.
There was much clashing of the heads too.
Mama wanted to dress Huckle... Huckle did not want to be dressed, kicking & screaming, getting very upset.
Mama tried to breastfeed Huckle... Nope, don't want it, can't make me. More kicking & screaming.
Mama tried to give lunch/dinner... two mouthfuls, yuck yucko, don't want it.
Mama put Huckle down to sleep, 9am, 1pm, 4:30pm... No way, no sleeping, not me, not now, not today!
Dad-dad gave Huckle a bath... Huckle was happy.
Mama gave Huckle his dinner breastfeed... Huckle was happy, fell asleep absolutely exhausted from such a tiring day.
Between the clashing of Mama & Huckle, we spent our time chilling out, keeping Huckle happy & giving lots of cuddles & kisses. I dare say the teeth are to blame for all this. Poor little guy. He's just trying to be the bestest & happiest Huckle that ever was & along come some knobbly little white things that want to spoil his fun. I hope they finally appear & give him a break.
Well, today is a new day & hopefully it's a little easier on us both. I might even get some work done.
And yes, in case you were wondering... the bread did get baked late last night & it was delicious.

sundays are for...

Taking drives through the countryside.
Giving way to cute pedestrians.
Seeing other families out & about.
Discovering an old workshop with a 1953 AEC bus. Definitely something up our alley & perhaps my uncle Warwick's too.
Going to a local market, eating roti & dahl, finding lots of treasures & chatting to a lovely old Austrian man who is all about cooking the perfect strudel & collecting old records.
Then coming home to a cup of tea & a couple of choc almond biscuits.
I've got some treasures to share, but I'm too pooped. I'll be sure to post them in the week.
I hope your sunday was just as lovely.

oh my...

Just look at this gorgeous vintage wallpaper! I have in my hot hands, a whole roll of it. I do have many plans for this of loveliness... but right now, I'm just sitting here admiring it.
It takes me back to my youth, when Enid Blyton took me to magical places far away. When I would lie under my doona late into the night reading with the torch on. Oh, how I loved those books.
I hope your weekend is looking bright & that it's filled with fun & laughter.

this moment...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

inspired by soulemama
{psst... our view east 4:30pm today, click on image for bigger pic}

my creative space...

I'm both very nervous & very excited... but I'm finally doing it!
So here I go, introducing...I've set up a big cartel shop, which I'll be adding a bunch of lovely treasures to over the next few weeks. Expect to see some 'sleepy bye bears', crocheted baby blankets, some wonderfully nostalgic birthday cards & baby mobiles too. I'll be sure to tell as soon as it happens.
Well now, I've put it out there & that's a big step on the way to making it happen. It wasn't that hard either, I don't know what I was so nervous about.
As always, there's much more creativity to soak up right over here.

wednesday colour...

A little colour to brighten the week.