hello there, it's been a while...

Apologies for my long absence, life is really throwing quite a lot at us at the moment. Along with not being able to find the time to blog, I just haven't been able to find the right words to express all that is happening. I'm sure the words will come eventually, but right now I'm just processing everything and trying to be the best Mama and Wifey to look after my boys.

A few lovely folk (Hello Peter! Hello Alison!) have requested some action, so I thought I'd put up these pics from a date I had with my little man last week. There's a letter to go with it too.

I hope you are all well and happy. I'll be sure to return to my usual blogging self soon.

Dear Huckle,
Today I was a very tired Mama and I was struggling to come up with to cook for dinner. You were restless and needing my attention. So I devised a plan to drive to San Remo to have fish and chips by the shore and watch the pelicans. I bundled you up, jumped in the car and we hot-footed it to the shore. 
Only to discover the fish & chip shop was closed and there wasn't a pelican in sight! 
We strolled up the street searching for a worthy alternative and decided that Thai sounded like it could do the trick for a hungry Mama and Huckle. You sat on a big chair and sipped your water from a big cup. We munched on prawn crackers (which you loved) while we waited for our dumplings and fried rice. You gobbled up the rice with a big spoon. Such a dear little fellow you were, with lovely manners sitting nicely upon your chair. I felt so proud to be your Mama.
After dinner we played in the park, where you insisted on climbing the big rope ladder. The sun was shining as you scrambled about through tunnels and down slides.
Thank you for a most perfect afternoon.
All my love 
Mama xxx

far north queensland :: the tablelands...

We're back from our little adventure up north & are slowly falling back into the rhythm of home life. Huckle & I had such a fun time with Nanna & Grandad (my folks). We spent our days seeing the sights, swimming, eating & generally lazing about & relaxing. 

Huckle decided that 4am was an awesome time to wake up (almost every morning) & I did my best not to go completely crazy. I did manage a few afternoon catch up naps on the couch, whilst Huckle was entertained (thanks Mum & Dad). So thankfully some sanity is still intact.

It was quite amazing to watch Huckle learn new things while we were away. New words, animal sounds, gestures & new forms of communication, like nodding. My little baby is changing before my eyes, he's turning into a little boy! 

Here are some pics of our adventures. These were all taken up on the tablelands, a thousand odd metres above sea level. I've never been to Cairns before (even though I spent two thirds of my life in Queensland) & I was captivated by just how different this region is to where I live now. What an amazing country we live in. I'm really itching to see more of it.

Learning to climb with Grandad, with support from Mama

Cuddles with Nanny & Grandad (who likes to pull silly faces)

Giving a 2 tonne Rhino a scratch at the Safari Zoo

At Gallo Dairy

Millaa Millaa Falls & a very big Curtain Fig Tree

wednesday colour

A little colour to brighten your week.

Our weeping mulberry is beginning to shoot. Each year it gifts us a small bowl full of delicious berries. The rich red in the background is blurred pavers. Don't they bring a lovely autumn feel to the photo.

Happy Wednesday.

gathering my thoughts...

The past few days have been crazy hectic, trying to catch my tail before I run off to Queensland. I have lists coming out of my ears to try & tame the chaos. Here's the inventory

:: packing list ::

:: S & K to do list ::

:: freezer meals to make list (so the husband doesn't just eat pizza & pasta for 10 days) ::

:: people I need to call/email list ::

:: shopping list ::

:: things to sew list (this one has been thrown out the window... who am I kidding?!) ::

:: a cleaning list (again, who am I kidding?!) ::

:: clothes to wash list ::

Some may call me highly organised, others may decide the term is neurotic. I don't mind either way. The lists really may not even be helping, but at least I have a piece of paper where I have gathered my thoughts so when I really do go off the rails I'll still know how many pairs of underwear to pack. 

I think Huckle is feeding off my crazy listing & busyness, he has gone wild the past few days. Climbing chairs, standing atop his wheelybug to clamber over gate, pulling out the entire contents of my freezer, & the entire contents of all drawers & cupboards within reach, whilst pouring frozen peas into a cup & asking for milk in his bowl, all while I'm trying to cook (& not burn) dinner. CA-RAZY town. I think today alone, I have had 180 mini pretend heart attacks. I just need to lie down for a while... a long while! 

My posting will most likely be sporadic for the next few weeks, while I soak up some warmth & serenity.

The photos have not relevence to this post at all. Although they do envoke a serene feeling when I look at them. Aaah, serenity. Rolling hills & golden sun how thee calm me.

my creative space...

Well, I have to say there has been absolutely NO sewing here this week. I'm not very impressed, but there's been so much going on I just haven't had the time or the energy. 

There's still another week before FNQ, let's see what comes of it.

The craftiest thing I've managed this week was a collage with Huckle. The lucky little man received a sweet Belle & Boo dinner set to eat from & the box was too cute not to keep. He grew quite fond of it & loved finding the animals, so we cut them out & stuck 'em down. 

It is very rough, but that's what you get when there's a 16 month old squatting in the middle of your work. Huckle contributed too, can you see the light scribbles here & there?

Who doesn't love a bit of kiddy craft?

Pop over here if you're looking for some super crafty craft. 

My favourites this week are

Christina's bump,

Jess' Bowie bear &

Susan's fish 

wednesday colour...

A little colour to brighten your week.

A little snapshot from 6:30 this morning. 

I was up before the little man & was out before the rain came. 

Standing under the tea trees, I gazed through my half open eyes at the beauty of the morning. The sun crept over the hills & cast a gentle glow over the endless green. 

Every colour you could ever imagine, nature gives to us. It all changes with the ever changing light of the sun. From the softest pastels in a sunrise, to the brightest neons in a summer sunset, the moody shades as night sets & the bold of hues of noon. 

I'm so entranced by colour, I love it. I love capturing it through photography, studying it & creating little palettes. They inspire many other parts of my work. I hope they inspire you too.

a most handsome sideboard...

Our latest piece is this most handsome sideboard & it's ready to find a lovely new home.

Thank you all for your encouragement to shoot it outside. We didn't quite make it out into the paddock (it is a heavy fellow), but we did manage to get it overlooking the Farmer Mick's paddock.

As well as consulting with the whole process, I had my own little part to do. Can you tell what it was? Do you see that gorgeous vintage wallpaper lining the drawers? I love putting individual touches on things, you know that no one else will own a piece like it. 

Pop over to the S & K website to see more.

Happy Monday!

father's day...

Just look at these two. My heart melts whenever I see them together. I can't wait to watch their special bond grow as the years pass. Getting up to mischief together, building forts, climbing trees, gardening in the vegie patch, playing the drums & guitar. Huckle has a life of wonder ahead of him & I know Samuel will be by his side gently guiding him.

Happy Father's day dear husband.

Happy Father's day also to my Dad.

The man who taught me how to catch a ball, play cricket & how to be absolutely ridiculous. He's a funny, silly, naughty man who's always getting himself into trouble... ANTHONY!!!

I hope you're all having a lovely restful Sunday. 

my creative space...

I'm officially on a mission. My shoulder op is a month away & after that sewing is going to be a tad difficult for a while. So, my mission is to sew like a woman possessed & crank out as much as possible in the next four weeks. Huckle & I are off to far north Queensland soon, for 10 days. That throws a little spanner in my mission. I might steal some time at my Mum's machine to make up for lost hours. 

I've got the ball rolling already & I'm off to a flying start. If you read this post, you may have noticed how dapper Huckle looked in his plaid shorts & bucket hat. For the curious, the shorts are from the made flat front pant tutorial & the hat is from the Oliver & S book. The latest additions are a hoodie, using the Urban hoodie pattern & a backpack also from the Oliver & S book.

Huckle was so chuffed with his new get-up. As I put the backpack on him, he called out for Dada to have a look. He stamped about with such excitement, pointing & squealing away. It was such a sweet moment. I soaked it all up, as I know he won't let me dress him forever.

All of these patterns have been well written & easy to follow. I pushed myself a little & learnt some new skills along the way. Both have been made with fabric from the stash. I love having a stash to choose from. The hoodie used up some cheap knit offcuts that I purchased from the local sewing store a while back. I think they were less than $2 a piece from memory. The backpack was made from a vintage bed throw I discovered way back when & it's lined with red honeycomb left over from my nephew's quilt.

Seriously, how cute is this backpack?!? I only wish I'd added some interfacing to keep it's shape better. It's so cute, I might have to make another. 

There's something else I've made too... well ok I helped with a tiny part. You'll have to wait until I photograph it though. 

That brings me to something else... do you think it would be odd if I photographed our next piece of furniture in the paddock? You see it's quite large & we don't have a suitable wall to shoot it against inside. I'm thinking that we can pull it off, but maybe it would look strange. Thoughts?

We're off up town for treatment today. 

I hope your day is lovely.

I'm joining in with these crafty chicks.

wednesday colour...

A little colour to brighten your week.

a rainbow at my feet...

Sometimes we look for beauty in our everyday. Other times, the beauty finds us.

Huckle & I had walked up the drive to collect the mail. On our way back he stopped to collect some treasures from the ground. I stood & watched as he busied himself with the gravel & leaves. I was smiling, thinking how lovely it must be to explore & discover the beauty of gravel & leaves. As I was looking toward the ground, I noticed a rainbow. A wonderful, scattered leaf rainbow covering the whole driveway. I walk this driveway everyday & only today do I notice this great delight. I squatted down beside my little man & together we collected a rainbow.

It's truly a marvelous thing to find such beauty amongst the everyday. To know that no matter how rubbish the day might be, or how many times you've walked that path before; if you take a moment to look around, you're sure to find something special.

Do you think this way too?

What unexpected beauty have you discovered recently?

hello spring...

I know it's not officially spring yet... but the weather has been quite delightful of late & when the going is good, the good get's going... outside that is. Winter is a tad (did I just say tad? I mean very!) miserable up here on the hill. There's a great expanse of grey & a lot of soggy ground (think mud & lots of it). The winds howl & going outside isn't for the faint hearted. Yep, that's me... faint hearted Kitty. 

So yes, I am clicking my heels & skipping about. For winter my dears, is on it's way OUT! Can you feel my excitement? 

Each day we try & get out into the garden (even during the freeze). We admire the view & notice the changes amongst the rolling hills. The sky is never the same, but the grass is forever green. 

There's so much happening in the garden when spring is around the corner. Our great big willow bursts to life with new shoots & pretty yellow flowers. Two very cheeky alpaca's have taken to nibbling away on them, along with anything else that takes their fancy. The apricot, nectarine & almond trees have begun to blossom, with the cherry tree not far off as well. The ground is starting to dry up, soon it will be ready for spring plantings. Work needs doing in the vegie patch to get it ready. Today Huckle & I started with a spot of weeding. We also fixed the border of bricks, dug up some ever-multiplying potatoes from last season & scattered a collection of lemons over the freshly weeded section. Can you guess who this was? He's such a helpful little man.

Can you feel spring around the corner? Are you too, happy to wave farewell to winter?

Here's to a lovely week ahead. Have a good one.

mama inspiration...

I hope you're having a lovely weekend.

How magical is this sunset over Western Port Bay. Can you see the insects flying about?

Today was all about making happiness for Huckle. He was very upset & I think the teething, sore toe & a slight fever was all a bit much. Much of the day was spent grizzling or thrashing anything in sight... books, teddies, Mama. Crying after tripping over, when usually he'd get straight up & keep going.

I didn't handle it as gracefully as I would have liked, it's been a long week for me too. 

Tonight has been spent reading a few new to me blogs & I now feel inspired to do it all again tomorrow. I'm grateful for Mama's who blog & share their stories. It's like having a community of like minded spirits, right here in my home. 

So much of motherhood is instinct (& fumbling through until it works), but it's also about learning from each other. Taking what resonates with you & working it into your everyday. Over time it becomes part of your rhythm, part of you & hopefully you will inspire another Mama.

I'm off to rest my weary head & restore my energy for whatever tomorrow shall bring. 

finding peace...

Sometimes life gives you lemons... lots of them, but you know in your heart that you're strong enough to take those lemons & make some mighty fine lemonade (or limoncello, if you're that way inclined). 

In the grand scheme of life, our problems are not that bad. I know that. But they're still there & they're real & they take a lot of deep breaths & hard work to get to the other side. 

A dear friend emailed me this quote yesterday, it's just what I needed to hear. Thank you so much Celia. 

Courage does not always roar.

Sometimes courage is the quiet voice

at the end of the day saying,

“I will try again tomorrow”

……

Mary Anne Radmacher

Amongst all the chaos that life brings, we're left to find peace & happiness in the everyday. Some days, it can be found in scrubbing your pots. Other days it can be found in a family adventure to the shore. 

We spent last sunday exploring the beach at Kilcunda. Frolicking under the bluest of blue skies & watching our little man delight in all the beach has to offer. 

Days like this day are so precious. I am forever grateful for this little family of mine.

my creative space...

It's been one of those weeks. To sum it up... 

Tuesday - an hour & a half at the doctors, ingrown toenail (poor little guy), immunisations, out of sorts grizzly Huckle, who also has 4 teeth coming through, dogs barking incessantly at sheep through the night, very little sleep.

Wednesday - Samuels eye playing up again, swollen, blurred & double vision, more doctors, drive hour & a half uptown at short notice, hospital, specialists, treatment, grizzly Huckle very unimpressed with being stuck in the car or doctors office for 2 days in a row. 

Thursday - I am one very exhausted Mama & Wifey, doing my best to keep calm & look after my boys. 

Sometimes though, I would very much like to scream & pull my hair out & ask the universe to give us a break already! I'm pretty certain we've had our fair share of "character building" these past few years thank you very much. 

There's a month of treatment ahead of us which hopefully works it's magic for the second time. Then in early october, my collar bone gets plated back together & then we have six fun weeks of recovery. Aren't we a barrel of fun!

Today was all about doing nothing. We went about our day not expecting much, but a bit of rest. I meditated by scrubbing my pots into glorious wonders (hello salt & bicarb!), a doona cover morphed into little mattress cover, two apple & date loaves were baked & scarecrow pie was eaten for tea. 

You can imagine how pleased I am to see that I actually did get something done today. It feels a tremendous achievement. 

There's been some messing around with watercolours of late & I've drawn a favourite truck for the umpteenth time. There's much more practice needed, as I'm a little clumsy with the brush. Oh well, you have to start somewhere don't you. I'm liking the look & can't wait to paint some more old trucks. This one has been gifted to Samuel, to sit upon his desk.

Check out some more (non whingy) crafting happening here. 

my creative space...

Ooh, Mr Internetweb has perhaps changed his tune & is working (for now anyway). So while the going is good, a posting I shall be.

My creative space isn't really mine this week, it's my husband's. 

We've taken a new venture into his passion for making furniture. .

He's been busy working away on this piece, which is now for sale. What once was an old industrial postal sorting bin is now a handsome island table. I wish I had a "before" photo to show you, it's come a long way.

Click on the S & K DESIGNS button on the right to see more. 

If you're up for a bid, you can also find the ebay listing here.

My creative space has involved logo designing, html, photographing pieces & writing descriptions. Please forgive the nakedness of the website, there is still so much to add. It's been slow going, but we're getting there. 

There has been action in the studio too. A hat for Huckle that is too small for his big noggin, a pair of shorts that fit just right, a hoodie almost finished, vintage sheet fat quarters cut for this swap & lot's of pattern tracing from the Oliver & S book.

Phew! 

What have you been up to?

More spaces over here too.

wednesday colour...

A little colour to brighten your week.

Our internet has retreated to the time of the dinosaurs & is highly lacking in the speed department. Hence this post is being uploaded from our lovely local community centre. I'll see you next week when the ice has melted. 

Til then, isn't this flower so very pretty. 

Ciao.

wednesday colour...

A little colour to brighten your week.

Terribly sorry for rehashing an image from Saturday past, but how lovely is this rose. Sadly it fell away, as roses do. Lucky for me (& you too) I can now look at it as I please, regardless of the season.

Did you know this is my 699th post?!?! I feel a bit like a sitting duck, afraid to move over to 700. Gosh it's almost been 4 years too. I'm so happy to have started this blog. It's the best diary I've ever kept, one that I've actually kept up to date. With pictures & all. Hurrah!

Perhaps I'll do a celebratory post... but then again I may totally forget, or be too distracted. I'm a mother with a Huckle. I'm a very busy (said with a quite matter-of-fact tone & a cheeky glint in my eye). 

I shall leave it to the universe to decide. Sir Universe, you have precisely 24 hours to make my mind up for me, don't dilly dally. 

Til tomorrow... 

tales from the chook house...

Well, after the Otto dog killed of 5 chickens, we were left with three girls that weren't yet laying.

Otto went away to live with his uncle & soon after eggs started appearing. Perhaps they were waiting until they felt safe.

They're now giving us three eggs a day, six days of the week. Lovely little chookies, they are.

Every morning Huckle collects them & carries them in his basket. 

Still to this day, no egg has been harmed. He is a very careful little man.

Do you have chickens? I really do recommend them. Delicious eggs, pest control (we haven't seen a snail since we've had them) & free manure for the garden.

When we move up town, we'll be sure to move to a council that allows chickens. Most Melbourne councils allow up to 6 chickens before requiring a permit. I'm determined to take a little "country" with us.

I hope you Sunday is lovely. 

We're off to Kongwak market for some local vegies, treasure hunting & yummy food.     

in the garden...

Spring is just around the corner. The past week's wamth (warm for us, that is!) gave us a little taste & there are glimpses in the garden too. Flowers blooming, new buds appearing & herbs thriving. 

I'm a little bit excited. Are you?