pretty essential

Finis

2011-10-22T09:21:00.001+11:00

I laughed when I came back to Pretty Essential recently and saw that it looked like we were still "Stuck in Albany". We did get on our way eventually and continued our little caravan adventure, enjoying our time in Western Australia very much.

But so much has happened, and actually was happening while we were travelling. And, I really haven't been able to write about it before now.

Just before we set off, my Mother was given a diagnosis of cancer. The worst possible category of cancer, with primary and metastatic locations. It was a devastating time for her and all of us. Treatment was started immediately to try to prolong the amount of time she would have left. But truly, it was hard for all of us to take in. At just 58, and a very healthy, non drinking, non smoking person, to say we didn't understand would be an understatement.

My parents were married very young, at just 17 and 20. So, for my Father it was simply impossible to come to terms with the reality of the situation. The fact that my Mother was also the main carer for her 92 year old Mother at the time was another difficulty to face. We also had to say goodbye to the house that has been the family home for six generations, the one my Grandmother was born in and her Father and Grandfather built.

My mother passed away on August 18th 2010.

She would have been 60 at the beginning of October this year. I don't feel like I'm at the point of acceptance or understanding yet, but I am beginning to feel less sad about it a little bit more each day. Mum was such a 'doer', she never sat around much, and always had projects, activities and events on the go. I am trying to keep that in mind.

At this point, I feel the need to close my Pretty Essential blog that was focused mainly of craft and family. I have enjoyed the time spent recording the bits and pieces of my daily life and interacting with such lovely people in 'blogland'. To all those who have stopped by and left me comments, I want to say a huge Thank You! Really, it has meant a lot to me.

To honour Mum - the person who taught me so much - I have started a new blog called Hat Hill Farm. It feels like the right thing to do. Mum loved blogs. She found them immensely inspiring and loved to see so many people creating and sharing.

Hat Hill Farm will document the new home that we are making for ourselves. It will be like a gardening diary and will detail the steps we take each day. Keith and I will work on it together.

Stuck in Albany

2010-02-23T16:12:00.015+11:00

We had been in Albany, which is an old whaling town south of Perth, for about an hour when there was a bit of an incident which means we'll be here for a whole lot longer than we planned.

The Gap, Albany, WA

After finding a caravan park in town we went for a drive along the coast to see the Blowhole, Gap and Natural Bridge. On the path down to the Gap, we passed some young guys heading back up to the car park after doing some fishing. Just as we started to head back up one of the guys came running down to us to see if we owned a 'gold x-trail'. As you say 'yes' to a such a question you just know it isn't going to be good news!

Natural Bridge, Albany, WA

He explained, very apologetically, how he'd only just got his license and car a few days ago and as he was backing out his car door swung open and he panicked and hit the accelerator instead of the break . . .

It must have been quite an impact because the back door of the car, bumper and back window were damaged extensively. Oh, and he also explained that he hadn't got around to getting any insurance yet.

That was on Saturday night. We went and bought a tarp to cover the back window and cleaned out all the glass from the car, which was everywhere. On Monday we took it to the smash repairers to get a quote and the young guy's Mum called us to say they would pay for the damage. We have a car on loan from the repairers so we can get around and our car should be ready on Friday. So, it's all working out okay.

Hey I'm sure there are a lot worse places to be stuck than Albany. There are lots of lovely beaches, yesterday we went to Whale World and today we visited Porongurup National Park.

Mutton Bird Island Beach, Albany WA

But when your on the road and then you suddenly have seven days to spend in the one place, well what can I say . . . we're headed to Margaret River next and I kinda wish we were stuck there. Sorry Albany!

Rescued

2010-02-21T21:26:00.012+11:00

It's the first time I've ever been glad that a car wouldn't start!

We set off for a drive to look at more of the stunning Esperance coastline, stopping along the way at Look Outs, etc. At Observatory Beach, after a quick look, we all piled back into the car only to find that the engine wouldn't turn over. A little shocked, the car has been traveling so well and had an extensive service before we left home, we all got back out and stood looking in the engine.

Really we had no clue what was wrong - starter engine maybe Keith suggested?

A lady who had been walking her dog on the beach and was about to leave came over to see if she could help. There was no mobile reception and she was the only other person around. Very quickly she offered to take me and the children back to her house to use her phone and hang out till the Roadside Assistance man came and hopefully got the car started.

So, I took her up on her generous offer. We headed back to Deb's house, quickly covering many topics and by the time we reached her gorgeous property we felt like old friends. The kids were very excited to meet her four alpacas, including two babies.

Deb is one of those people who is always rescuing people. She's widely traveled and after settling in Esperance with her husband four years ago has created a very beautiful lifestyle based loosely on permaculture principals. There was so much to talk about, including the care of those alpacas. I'm sure we'll end up with some one day. . . Deb has even started learning to spin their fleece.

Keith arrived all too quickly. The Esperance man had been very prompt and quickly worked out that our cars battery had simply come to the end of its life. Luckily for us it chose Esperance that morning, at that beach, and not any of the few days before when we were driving across the desert!

Meeting people along the way always adds to the experience of traveling, but there was something more to meeting Deb and seeing how she lives at this particular time in my life. There were so many similarities to someone very close to me who is going through a difficult and frightening time at the moment that I was a little thrown by the whole experience. But very glad of it none the less.

A new adventure

2010-02-19T22:31:00.018+11:00

So, it has been a while since I've wanted to return to my Journal here at Pretty Essential. A lot of changes have taken place over the last year. Family have moved close to us in Blackheath, I've been working a few days a week, Keith has been working like crazy around the property and of course the children have grown up a lot. My energies have been fully occupied to say the least!

Over Christmas and the New Year, I started to feel like we needed a little break to our regular routine. The end of a school year always gets me thinking like this, but this time it was different. We have always talked of taking the children out of school and doing the 'trip around Australia' but I've always felt like the time wasn't right or preferred the idea of taking them to Europe instead. But the more we thought about it the more keen we became. "Let's just do it now while we feel like it" we kept saying to each other.

So, with very little planning we set about buying a caravan, finding someone to look after the dog, talked to the school and pretty much that was it - we were ready.

At the end of January 2010 we drove out of Blackheath, NSW with a very vague plan to head west, then south and travel as far across Australia as we can in approx. 10 weeks!

Tonight, I right this from a town called Esperance in Western Australia, surely home to the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. We've packed a lot in already, and there are many highlights from Victoria and South Australia. Keira and Caley are having a great time. They're keeping a daily journal of life on the road and making the most of an extended summer . . .

Camping under the Koalas, Otway National Park, Victoria

12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Crossing the Nullarbor Desert, South Australia and Western Australia

As we travel along, seeing new places for the first time, it feels very special to have my family together like this.

Counting down

2008-12-10T19:45:00.007+11:00

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Running a bit behind with our little 'advent' tealight calender - we lit ten candles tonight to play catch up!

It's a simple idea, not fancy at all. This year I'm really striving for some simple, handmade, thoughtful touches for our first Christmas in our new home.

aa

Two landmarks in one weekend

2008-11-10T08:35:00.014+11:00

On Saturday, Keira played in a piano graduation concert at the Opera House in Sydney. The children learn the piano following the Suzuki method and each year they are invited to play in concerts at the Opera House if they have passed their level during the year.

This was the third time that Keira has played in one of these concerts and I think it's the first time I have ever seen her anxious about it. The concerts are great in that they are meant to be a celebration of the hard work the students have done. They need to be dressed very smartly (lot's of boys in mini tuxes!) and they play on a grand piano in the Utzon Room which has a large wall of glass that makes you feel as though you are right in the harbour.

But, the standard is very high and Keira was worried that she would make a mistake (which many kids do and it isn't a big deal but Keira is quite tough on herself). Of course when her turn came she played beautifully and I could see that she felt good about herself afterwards.

After the concert we made a very quick dash back up the Mountains, because Keith and I had a school function at the very beautiful and historic Collits' Inn to get to.

This used to be run as a restaurant/b&b, but a family from the school bought it recently and now it is their home. They opened it up to us on Saturday night for dinner and I can't tell you how wonderful it was. We all arrived in the late afternoon when it was still light and could have a good look around. The Inn was built in 1823 and has been lovingly restored right down to the original room that the Governor would stay in when they were moving convicts through the area. In fact the previous owners who had done a huge amount of work in building up a library of the history of the place, left everything intact on the property when they left.

We had a guided walk around the cemetery before dinner, where there are 62 people buried from the area including the poet Henry Lawson's father. Apparently one of Lawson's poems is about the murder of one of the Collits' daughters (some sort of love triangle back in the 1800's!).

Then it was on to dinner which was served in the original barn and afterwards the owner and another father from school played their guitars and sang until late into the night. By then everyone was in very good form and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Sunday saw me a little tired and weary, but the weather was fantastic so I sat in the sun and watched Cal and his friend learn how to put up a tent for their first overnight camping expedition with the school this week. Listening to the patience in Keith's voice as he gave instructions from the side was a little amusing as well!

(Photos of Collits Inn from the National Trust, I of course forgot to take my camera . . .)

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Surprise mail

2008-11-06T19:36:00.011+11:00

Not long ago I decided to put on my sidebar a book recommendation from both Keira and Caley. Keira was raving about a book that she had just finished so I thought I'd include some of their favourites along with mine. I asked Cal for the name of a book that he had read recently and liked, and he said Samurai Kids, White Crane.

Then out of the blue we received an email from the author, Sandy Fussell. I have to say we were very excited by this! For the kids, who read and read and read, it was wonderful to have an author directly contact us like this.

But that wasn't all. Sandy very generously offered to send Cal a copy of her latest book, Polar Boy. As she put it - "its about an Inuit brother and sister - lots of whales, polar bears and Vikings". Which of course sounds just right for Cal!

The package arrived in the mail today, along with a special note from Sandy and some posters from Samurai Kids for Cal's bedroom.

Cal is a great reader, but I have had to work quite hard to get him interested in fiction. He loves his facts, on nature, history or science. He's always loved listening to the stories that I've read to them but hadn't been drawn to them for himself. So I looked for books that I thought he'd like if he gave them a chance and got far enough into them. We've built up a little library for him with books of his own in his bedroom (as opposed to reading 'Keira's' books) and over time I'm noticing that he's reading more fiction that non-fiction these days.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with reading non-fiction, and I'm sure Cal's knowledge of reptiles, the Elizabethans and Tudors, and Elvis Presley would rival most 8 year olds! It's just that I know how much pleasure reading fiction can bring and I really feel that the earlier that you 'get' it the better.

Of course, now the kids are expecting great things from my blog, and Keira keeps asking me if I've heard from the author of her book . . .

(a very big thank you Sandy!)

This time last year

2008-10-21T12:50:00.006+11:00

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I was walking to -

Base Camp, Mt Everest

Staying here -

Gorek Shep, last stop before Mt Everest
(we stayed in the tea house on the far right,
the upmarket end of town!)

and looking at -

Mt Everest, Nepal.

Usefull skills

2008-10-20T15:02:00.013+11:00

I now have experience in all sorts of building jobs, and can add gyprocking and cornicing to the list. My arm and neck muscles are aching, but luckily the bath has finally been installed so much soaking and relaxing in the evening has been happening.

Cornice in my new bedroom - Gyprocking the carport

I've learnt two things; Keith is very lucky that I'm not scared of heights, and life would be a lot easier if I was just a bit taller . . .

Along the way I found some time to finish my scrap challenge. I decided to make a little zippered bag and use the different scrap fabrics as decoration.

Each one was cut out in a hexagon shape and sewed together. I used a piece of felt as backing to give it a padded feel.

The back is a piece of linen with one of the fabrics highlighted.

It's a little wonky and a bit smaller than I had in mind, but I like the way the fabrics look together and the patchwork feel of it.

There are some really clever things being made, it's well worth a look at the flickr group. A big thank you to Jennifer from JC handmade for organising this swap!

Scrap Challenge

2008-10-14T13:37:00.005+11:00

My package from JC Handmade arrived yesterday. I've signed up for my first ever blog fabric swap. It appealed to me because I liked the idea of receiving a little parcel of fabric scraps and then the challenge of having to make something out of them (if your not a fabric person I get that this probably just sounds weird).

Not sure what to make, when it's quiet after dinner I'll have a good look at the fabric and think of something. The finished pieces can be seen here.

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The herb garden

2008-10-13T11:25:00.012+11:00

I have a large and fairly grand plan of the vegetable garden that I'd like to have. But as it involves constructing large walls and clearing some land (& Keith has a house to finish...) it will have to wait.

Making a start

So a much more achievable and really useful project was finished on the weekend.

Made from besser blocks

Finished with some capping

It is outside the kitchen window, just a few steps from the back door, making it perfect for collecting from when cooking.

Some render and gravel around the outside to finish

Planted and watered

There's a great Growers Market here in Blackheath every second Sunday and we went there to get the plants. Parsley, Oregano, Sage, Rosemary, Basil, Chives, Thyme and Lemon Thyme. Plus Spinach, Leeks, Capsicum, and four varieties of Lettuce.

Cal helped out last night, picking parsley for our pasta.

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Mapped Out

2008-10-11T09:27:00.009+11:00

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We tackled this job in Cal's room while the kids are away. I was a little nervous, never having done any wallpapering before. There are 8 panels that you put up in the order you prefer, we chose the Asia/Australia focus. It's big - 264cm x 396cm (8ft 8in x 13ft) and covers an entire wall in his bedroom.

It started out well, the first sheet went up without any problems but the second was a little tricky... I don't recommend having a door in the wall for your first wallpapering attempt! We kept going, hoping it would all turn out okay in the end.

I'm really pleased with it, yes there are a few creases and air bubbles but the overall effect is fantastic. I can't wait for Cal to get home tomorrow and see his reaction.

aa

Living with nature

2008-10-07T19:33:00.030+11:00

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I had a little break from posting last week, our first week of school holidays and focused on spending lovely sunny days with the kids. It was relaxing and good to be outside together.

Yesterday my family came up from Sydney for lunch and we got to show them our new house and property. They've heard so much about it (including occasional moaning on my part...) and it was fun to be able to show them around.

The weather was a bit cold but we still managed to eat outside. It's interesting times for all of us at the moment and it was really great to eat, drink and talk things over together. (I haven't quite got the hang of the blogging way of taking photos of everything as it's happening! So no photos, must get into the habit of taking more photos)

Keira and Cal left with my parents to spend this week at their place. They love doing this. It's a break from the usual routine of being at home and there's always lots going on.

I miss them already but am also relishing the quiet. Apparently Keith has a list of jobs he wants us to get done while they're away - argh! I am insisting on one day of sewing though!

Before the kids left, they worked on this nature table. It's a little school like, but they had fun collecting things for it and we plan to keep it as a changing display.

Also spotted hanging out at our place recently, was this beautiful blue kingfisher. Mary, you need to come and get a good photo of him!

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Colorstrology - huh?

2008-09-25T08:15:00.008+10:00

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I've just discovered that my personal colour is Pantone's Amberlight. (I got here in a very round about way, via How About Orange).

Apparently it means that I am dramatic, creative and sensitive. Okay, what else?

"You are enormously creative and inspiring to watch and be around. You have your own way of thinking and doing things. You come across as self-assured and powerful. You tend to have a strong point of view, so it is important to cultivate flexibility and ease when dealing with others. Your personal colour blends greatness with humility."

Keith got pretty vocal when I read out the bit about having strong views and needing to be flexible, don't know why . . . any family members out there reading this might agree, I guess . . .

You can go to Colorstrology and find your birthday's colour, if like me, you are putting off cleaning up after breakfast, doing some laundry, stripping beds, painting ceilings, etc. etc.

aa

Quite a surprise

2008-09-23T19:23:00.011+10:00

Well, it was quite a weekend. After months and months of keeping a secret it was finally time to party!

Despite it not being a complete surprise at the end, I'm sure Mary was pretty blown away by the crowd of friends and family who were waiting for her at the lovely Paragon Cafe in Katoomba on Saturday night.

Of course I also got a surprise when Mary introduced me to two of my favourite bloggers - M and Fairlie. This was the first time that I have met any blog friends and it was quite strange that we knew so much about each others lives despite having not met in 'real' life before. Fairlie's recent post about the weekend really describes this colliding of two worlds beautifully.

The whole weekend really made me think about blogging and what my blog means to me. I think of my blog as a journal of my family's day to day activities and try to have a craft/creating focus. But of course it is so much more than that when you start connecting with the large, lovely community out there!

This is particularly highlighted every time you read a post that describes struggle, loss, frustration, love, etc. and see the response the blog world has. It blows you away the connections forged around the world over shared responses, how we all relate to each other. These connections and emotional responses are real. They have a real impact on people's lives.

But the main thing that I keep coming back to is how often I smile and laugh when reading other blogs. Often I can't believe how much time has passed by, as I travel from one blog to the next following some thread. Often I think it's sucking up too much of my time, but I've never failed to be inspired and energised from these journeys.

So thank you blog friends, it's great to be a part of this world.

(Walking around the house today I suddenly noticed waratahs in various stages of flowering everywhere.)

sss

Working on

2008-09-15T13:45:00.003+10:00

A mural for a wall in the school playground.

(Need a clearer, larger photo . . . will update later when I add colour to the layout)

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Birthday sewing #2 (& cute visitors)

2008-09-11T16:45:00.006+10:00

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Also whipped up just in time for Keira's birthday was this bag from Amy's Bend the Rules Sewing. I've had this book a while now and this is the first thing I've made. Just like the Sublime Stitching book which I bought at the same time and have only now used the alphabet stencils.

It's really cute the way the long handle slips through the smaller one and closes up the bag. I added an inch to each handle (they seemed too short to me) and it fits Keira fine now but I may add to the longer one in the future.

Inside I added an embroidery that Keira had made of a drawing she did when quite young. It was just hanging around in the sewing box and I thought she might like to see it when she looks inside the bag. It's such a happy little figure and makes me smile when I see it

And of course there's always a pocket inside too. This one with her name like on the pencil wrap. I seem to be adding names to everything at the moment.

This morning we woke up to two very excited children because we had visitors - very close to the house visitors and one of them has a baby! (Not a great photo through the window, didn't want to disturb them or draw the dog's attention to them!) If you look closely you can see a little head poking out. Gorgeous!

Birthday sewing

2008-09-09T16:17:00.008+10:00

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I've managed to set up my sewing machine in the corner of Keith's office (my room won't be ready for a while) and have done a bit of sewing for Keira's birthday. I really enjoyed making her a pencil roll (from this book).

Going through my stash of fabrics and matching them up to the pencils was good fun. (I'll even admit to selecting the pencils with the nicest colours!)

I embroidered her name in running stitch on the outside.

I'll definitely be making more of these.

sss

A very wet Saturday

2008-09-06T21:03:00.009+10:00

Our spring weather lasted 2 days before the rain and cold set in again. I think this happens every year but I always get excited that the cold is over and then have to go through a bit more winter before spring weather becomes the norm.

We used this wet weather day to work inside and started the day by painting this wall in the kitchen. It's a colour that Porters calls White Clay, but the guy who mixed it at the store (a friend of Keiths) nicknamed it Sick Camel and it seems that it will only be known by this name now. . .

I also finished this rug that was started a long time ago in a slightly different way. When I didn't have any wool and was looking for something to do one night, I found the squares I'd started and undid them, then started again making a giant granny square.

I like the way it turned out, particularly the wide border and of course am feeling very pleased with myself for getting it finished quite quickly!

Keira's birthday is on Monday but the celebrating starts tomorrow so this Lemon Cake was made and decorated with her name. It's a bit bright for my liking but she loves it.

The kids amused themselves with some cardboard that came home from Ikea, first Keira started with a K for herself.

Then Caley had a go and made a D for Dad in honour of Fathers Day tomorrow.

A good day. Enjoy your weekend!

Playing outside

2008-09-02T20:39:00.011+10:00

This was the first load of soil delivered this morning. We're very keen to get a patch of grass growing at the back of the house and hopefully cut down on some of the red dirt that is walked inside constantly.

When I came outside to take a photo, Keith ran over and stuck his spade in the dirt. Which made me laugh because he actually used this to spread it around.

So I refuse to call it work, as this is by far his favourite toy!

This is what my work looked like today, so I guess I can't complain either.

Knock, knock, who's there?

2008-09-01T19:42:00.009+10:00

So, it looks like I've completely missed August . . .

Oh well, I do plan to record a bit more of what's happening around here. There's a lot going on in our lives at the moment and finding time to take pictures and jot down a few thoughts has been a bit tough. But I'm disappointed when I look back at this journal and see how little I've recorded so I've set myself a challenge to make more of an effort.

It seems like a good time for a new start, the first day of Spring and all. I have been looking forward to this season with a longing unlike anything I can ever remember before and today really delivered! A beautiful warm day that allowed for the house to be opened up and gave me a much needed energy boost.

We put this door knocker on the front door yesterday and it feels like this is a home now instead of a building site!

I finished Keira's Big Round rug a little while back and it's been busy keeping her warm in bed ever since.

This is the border that I added after sewing the blocks together.

Happy Spring!

How happy does she look?

2008-07-24T15:04:00.016+10:00

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Where we live is a pretty small town. It doesn't seem to take too long to meet people around the place. (So far this has been a good thing!)

We've noticed a woman walking two miniature horses along the street we live on a few times since we moved here and every time we passed these tiny horses, Keira would come up with elaborate schemes for how she could get to meet them. I'd have to drive very slowly pass them so she could have a good look, the poor woman probably thought she was being stalked!

Then one day a man came to work on the house, got talking to Keith, and sure enough it's his wife who owns the horses. So of course they said Keira could come and meet them and walk them back to their house where they sleep each night.

Keira is a typical 9 year old girl who is keen on horses. A close friend of hers has a pony that she keeps nearby and the two of them hang out on the weekends there, riding and looking after 'Dexter'. This arrangement suits us fine as the last thing we want right now is the responsibility of a horse to look after!

I love these photos. Keira just looks so happy! The last one is obviously way too dark, but I included it because I like the feel of it. It's gone dusk, and they're headed home for the night . . .

ddd

Back to School

2008-07-21T14:36:00.008+10:00

After three weeks of school holidays, it was a very quiet morning tea time here today. It's been really great to have had Keira and Caley around while Keith and I continue to work on getting the rest of the house habitable. We had given ourselves the deadline of these holidays to try to have the children's bedrooms ready, well we haven't made it. We're waiting on the Electrician, he's now supposed to be here on Wednesday . . .

We take heart by looking at how far we've come, and for me the fun part of playing around decorating the rooms is just around the corner. Time to get that folder of ideas out and get inspired to keep working.

Today's job - working on the staircase. Oiling treads and painting balustrades. All 47 of them!

(ps. I did manage to take the kids on a few outings these holidays and I'm sure they've enjoyed the break - I wouldn't want it to sound too much like boot camp around here!)

They're ready

2008-07-17T19:04:00.006+10:00

All 64 squares are finished (including threading the ends in!) and are ready to be sewn together. I think I'll try out the different methods for joining the squares and see which effect I like the best. I also plan to crochet a border around the outside of the rug, using up the left over yarn, not that there's much of that really. I'm quite surprised by how much yarn a rug takes! But hopefully it will be with us for a long time and I know Keira is looking forward to snuggling up with it.

This will be my first finished crothet project and I'm feeling quite proud of myself for getting this far!

Also, I came home from visiting a good friend today with a little gift.

The photo isn't very good, but the scarf is in the most lovely green, blue and grey shades. It's very warm and soft and I love it - thank you!

Schiacciata con le Cipolle Rosse e Formaggio

2008-07-13T20:09:00.011+10:00

We took the day off from working on the house today and headed down the hill to my brother's place in Windsor. Using a recipe from my bread bible, Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno, which I've had for years, I made Schiacciata with Roasted Red Onions and Cheese (which doesn't have quite the same ring to it as it does in Italian!).

You make a starter the night before and then the next day add the rest of the flour and other ingredients. I just throw it all into the bread machine on the dough cycle and then shape as per the instructions.

Schiacciata translates as "squashed" or "flattened" and is the Florentine version of Focaccia, which comes from Genoa (according to my bread bible). It tasted great - the topping of red onion, gruyere cheese and thyme was perfect.

Playing too

2008-06-01T16:52:00.006+10:00

My answers turned up this combination . . .

A bit of fun.

As seen at Pea Soup.

Flashback 1980's

2008-05-29T13:46:00.005+10:00

Yesterday we had a visit from one of our new neighbours. She had come to see who had bought the block of land that apparently she knows very well and is very fond of. Whilst talking to her, I couldn't stop imagining brightly coloured knits and graphic designs of Australian images, basically it was straight back to the early 80's !!

Yes, Jenny Kee is one of our new neighbours. I knew she lived in the area, there is a large mural in Blackheath that she painted a long time ago, but she was the last person I expected to see when I looked up from painting doors in the garage yesterday!

(It was a good excuse for a break though!)

Just lovely

2008-05-12T13:30:00.006+10:00

It was a lovely weekend.

Lunch with close friends on Saturday, where we sat in the sun, ate, drank and talked and talked and talked. So relaxed with each other, our children playing together happily all day. Just what was needed.

Sunday started with hugs in bed and cups of tea. Everyone wanted to make me a cup and bring it into bed (I needed all of them to wake up!). Then there was the unwrapping of the school-organised pressies. Very cute - everything so special - Caley kept pointing out all the details and how everything was made. Keira explained how on Friday morning when she was still in bed, not feeling very well and I had decided that she could stay home for the day, she suddenly remembered that if she didn't go in then she wouldn't have the present for me on Sunday. This explains why she clambered out of bed at the last minute adamant she wanted to go to school after all. I couldn't work it out on Friday but it all made beautiful sense on Sunday!

Then we headed to Sydney to have lunch at my parents. We were able to catch up with lots of family during the afternoon. It's quite a group when we get together, with 4 generations going from 90 to 1!

We also took Honey, our newest member of the family, who had a great day. She even managed to not look too shocked when she discovered the fish pond - the hard (& v.wet) way!

Hoping everyone enjoyed the weekend and they're own special Mother's Day!

Hint, hint

2008-05-07T18:25:00.006+10:00

Very subtle, eh?!

Escape route

2008-05-05T18:55:00.006+10:00

Wow, that last week went by sooooo fast!

The 'staircase man' has just been to measure up our space for the stairs. This is very exciting - upstairs is just sitting there with no easy way up . . .

What I have in mind is similar to this picture. Ours won't be curved, and will have a wooden banister instead of iron but otherwise very much like this.

What's waiting upstairs is the much longed for room of my own!! I can't quite believe it really, a room for doing my projects, where everything can be left out and not packed away.

All those who like to sew, paint, read, knit, crotchet, drink tea, daydream . . . . will be welcome.

Too close for comfort

2008-04-27T19:20:00.013+10:00

After all the rain, it was wonderful to have the sun back for the weekend. All of us we're keen to sit and bask in it as much as possible. We also went on many walks around our new back yard.

There's quite a bit to explore, with 20 acres of bushland that's only slightly been cleared. Of course that means we're living quite closely with the wildlife! So far that's consisted of grey kangaroos and a little mouse-like marsupial called the Yellow-footed Antechinus. All quite cute and easy to live with, especially now that we've stopped the antechinus from coming inside the house!

But this morning we met another resident, a rather large Brown snake. Keith, Keira and Honey were walking along, when Honey ventured off the path and started madly barking at something. Keith and Keira kept walking and then Keira waited for Honey to follow. When she wouldn't come, Keira went back to see what was going on. Only to get the shock of her life!

Honey, apparently was very close to the snake which as Keira put it (through much wailing) "was moving towards me". She couldn't get Honey to follow her, so raced ahead to catch up with Keith and he ran back and picked Honey up and brought her back to the house.

Honey was extremely excited and we were all very worried that she might have been bitten. But she's shown no sign of it and I think she's been very lucky to get off so lightly from such a close call!

So now I'm wondering who else is out there for us to meet!

Big Round

2008-04-24T15:26:00.021+10:00

With my sewing projects mostly on hold these days, having some crotchet to do in the evenings has been great. I bought some lovely silk/merino wool from The Knittery and am making a block rug for Keira.

It features her favourite colour - aqua. Although she has long grown out of the pink phase, I've added a few touches of pink to break up all the blue.

The block, the Big Round, is from Jan Eaton's Book 200 Crotchet Blocks. It took me quite a few goes to get the clusters working right. Then joining the second colour also took a while to be sure I was doing it correctly, but I'm pleased with the way they're turning out.

Baby Blue & Aqua

Peony & Aqua

Mountain Berry & Aqua

The only thing is, I've just estimated that it'll take 64 blocks to make a decent size rug. 64! So far I have 22 finished and 12 inner circles done. So quite a bit to go!! I think that will be enough crotchet for me for a while. Of course in my usual way I'm already thinking about the next rug I'd like to make . . . this time with knitted blocks.

A bit of baking

2008-04-21T20:19:00.009+10:00

I came home from a visit to Sydney a little while ago with a huge bag of oats (courtesy of my Mum - leftover from a large catering job). So I decided to try out some recipes from a couple of books that I have on loan at the moment.

The first book is Frost Bite by Susan Austin. It gives you lots of recipes aimed at children (babies to teenagers) that are suitable for freezing. I'm in dire need of some inspiration for lunch boxes! The biggest hit from this book so far are theses Oat and Choc Chip Cookies.

On the weekend, we gave the flapjacks a try from this beautiful book. They turned out great although not sure that I got the timing just right, but no one seems to be complaining!

Not such great photos unfortunately. It's very dark and rainy around here, not to mention cold. A bit too cold for April I think . . . But of course that means it's just right for doing some crotchet using beautiful wool from here.

Introducing . . .

2008-04-17T15:23:00.010+10:00

. . . the newest member of our family, Honey.

This gorgeous girl joined our family seven weeks ago (although no one believed me when I just mentioned this to the family - it feels like she's always been with us).

She's a local girl that I heard about through a friend of a friend, and then a certain friend helped me decide that we really should take a drive a check out the litter of puppies and the mother. Of course when we got out of the car and eight little puppies came running through the grass towards us, our husbands really were quite lucky that we only came home with one!

Honey is a recent graduate of Puppy Preschool and I plan to start taking her to the local Dog Training mornings each week. This is a bit of a new world to me, not sure if I'm turning into one of those dog obsessed people (no offence meant of course!).

I'm finding it quite fun teaching her, luckily she's a fast learner and is very good company on our many walks around the new property. Also, as a Blue Heeler I think training is a must and will make our life together much more enjoyable for all.

Another pleasing part of having Honey come to live with us, is seeing my daughter Keira grow in confidence around dogs. She had a nasty incident with a dog when she was about 18 months old and I can't tell you how terrified she has been of any dog ever since.

We have worked hard for many years to help her overcome this and my mothers dog has been fantastic in helping Keira to relax. But now, seeing the difference in Keira's demeanour from when Honey first came to now is amazing and very beautiful.

Welcome, Honey.

A new home

2008-04-15T20:14:00.015+10:00

Well, that little break I planned to have from posting on this blog has really blown out! I needed to get so much done over Christmas and New Year that I just had to let it go. But it's interesting that I really feel like getting back to making regular posts, I think blogging gets under your skin after a while. It's also something only other bloggers 'get', I think.

Anyway, we have a new home! Yeh!! We moved in early in January, to a not-quite-ready house and have been living in a building site ever since. It's not too bad really, I shouldn't complain, I mean we've got walls and windows, a roof, a small bathroom, mmm, oh and our kitchen has just been installed!

The plan is to live in one end of the house (approx. 1/3 of the house) while the rest is being finished. I just couldn't face moving into a rental house and then having to pack it all up to move again, and this way more seems to be happening with us here to keep things going.

It's a beautiful spot that we're all really enjoying, especially at the moment with the children on school holidays. We're having a break from schedules, early starts, homework, etc and just taking it easy.

Back soon, hopefully!

Online again, at last

2007-12-12T08:13:00.000+11:00

Last Friday afternoon, while happily snatching a few minutes to quickly look at a couple of lovely blogs - kapow - went something in our computer room. My screen sort of flashed out towards me and then that was it. A fuse had blown, we still had lights but all appliances were off. Out into the rain I went to the box and flicked the switch and everything was back on. Back in the computer room, however, was a very strong burning smell!

Yes, it was another afternoon storm and I should of turned everything off, but these storms are happening so often it's driving me crazy. Our power routinely goes off and on throughout the afternoons.

So anyway, today I'm finally back online, yay! I'm going to take a quick look at what everyone's been up to and then the kids and I are off to buy various bathroom fittings - not very Christmassy but v.important I assure you.

Projects

2007-12-05T19:23:00.000+11:00

Bought this fun fabric by Moda yesterday with the plan to make a library/music bag for a girl who is leaving our school next year, and has very kindly passed on her brand new (& v.expensive) school duffle coat to Keira.

The sewing had to wait till the kids had gone to bed. It's quite hectic this week as the school year comes to an end. Today was the Infants Nativity performance, which Caley's Year 2 class stars in. The kids wait till Year 2 to get a speaking part, and as my two seem to have quite a liking for the stage, Caley was determined to have some lines to say. He did very well and I was quite proud, especially as I hadn't helped him learn his lines at all and had delegated that to Keira who is definitely the Drama expert around here!

I had made a bag like this for Keira at the start of the year, so just used it as a guide for this one. I enjoy mixing the fabrics up and these were fun to work with. A local shop has just started to stock some more interesting fabrics which is great. Usually, I have to travel further (or order online) to find fun stuff to use which isn't so great when you want to make something on the spur of the moment.

Now it's on to the next project - which is to make 16 cheerleading pom poms for a ballet performance of the Wizard of Oz (yes, apparently there will be cheerleaders along the yellow brick road). These need to be ready for a rehearsal on Saturday. Kind of regretting volunteering for this one now that I see how long it takes to put them together (!!), but it's the only help I'm providing for the show so will be glad in the end . . .

I am so ready for the school holidays to start! And to start decorating the house for Christmas, a bit behind schedule in that department this year!

Things I like

2007-11-28T07:33:00.000+11:00

All from Cox & Cox.

A special parcel from Finland

2007-11-26T11:56:00.000+11:00

When I arrived home from Nepal recently, there was a lovely box waiting for me from Outi. We had a little magazine swap a while back and I am only now finding some time to be able to show what Outi very generously sent me and to say a very BIG thank you !!

Instead of sending me magazines, Outi sent a gorgeous Finnish book that showcases the most beautiful homes ever. I really do feel the need to gush, just a bit, about this book because it really hits on the style I like the most and is of course perfect timing, as we attempt to finish our new house at Blackheath.

Also included in the package, were some very yummy choc mints (which are very moorish!), lovely napkins from Green Gate, a great onion bag from Outi's company Minessa and a beautiful handmade card. To receive a parcel like this (from someone I've not actually met!) is such a joy and makes me very happy.

(You can see what I sent to Outi, here.)

Time is moving extremely quickly for me at the moment. There is soooo much to be done around here that I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed. Every day brings new decisions about our house that need to be made quickly as we have a deadline of early January to move. Keira and Caley have two weeks left at school, which is good, but I really wanted to get a lot more done before their holidays started. Oh, and of course there's Christmas to prepare for as well !!

As I go to make more lists, have another cup of tea and try not to panic, I'll leave you with some pictures from Outi's lovely book which relaxes me every time I look through it.

Thanks again, Outi!!

Very proud

2007-11-18T10:12:00.000+11:00

[[[
Yesterday morning we headed down the mountain to Sydney for a very special event. After completing their next level in piano this year, both Keira and Caley were invited to play in the graduation concert at the Opera House.

Making the decision for the children to learn a musical instrument was quite easy, the benefits are pretty clear I think, but the dedication and discipline to keep practicing isn't always as easy. Piano practice is something that is very repetitive and often tedious. Our teacher has to keep me inspired as much as the children, so that I can keep the practicing at home fun and not too boring.

I quite like this aspect of it, actually. We play games, have lucky dips, at christmas make decorations like chains, all tied in to doing our practice. But of course in real life, when your busy it takes an extra effort sometimes and then sometimes we simply just run out of time.

The children have learnt that sometimes you have to do things you don't always feel like doing and that in the end it is worth it. They both enjoy being able to play different pieces of music and I think, take some pride in their achievement. We've all learnt that it's not really about ability at all, but in fact it's the practicing that makes a difference and of course keeping it fun!

For Caley, this was his first time performing in this sort of concert and I think he was feeling quite proud that he had made it, but also a little nervous having to stand up in front of so many people. He was very sure that he wanted to wear his suit that had been bought earlier in the year for the Ball we attended. To see how happy he was after the concert made it all worth it for me.

[[[

Never to late to be organised

2007-11-14T16:16:00.000+11:00

All year I've been using this Planner from Miriam Bereson to jot down the family's busy schedule. I like the way the whole year is on display and the fun layout and colours. But the only problem was that it wouldn't stay on the wall. No matter what sticky type device I tried, we would eventually find it slumped on the floor. Very annoying.

So this week I took it into the local framers and asked them to make up a simple frame that I can reuse each year (without glass, of course!). I'm really pleased with the result and will be happy to find the right spot to hang it my new kitchen in January. Next years planner is in green and looks great, you can see it here.

Out and about in Kathmandu

2007-11-13T19:21:00.000+11:00

This last photo was taken from the roof of the house where we stayed in Kathmandu. They have a one-day (Saturday) weekend in Nepal, so the women worked all day cutting the rice on their only day off from their regular jobs. I think all the neighbours came together to work in the fields surrounding their houses to prepare the rice they'll need over the upcoming winter.

I felt a bit lazy sitting around drinking tea while they did all the work! I also admired they way they managed to do such physically demanding work in their gorgeous saris!

The best day

2007-11-09T10:04:00.001+11:00

This was taken in the afternoon on Day 7 of our trek. That's Mt Everest with the snow being whipped off it. We're standing at a place called Kala Patar, which is a look-out that gives you the best view of Everest. When you get to Base Camp, your sort of right in amongst the mountains and the actual view isn't so good, so most people aim to reach Kala Patar as the pinnacle of their trek. It's actually higher than Base Camp at 5550 metres and is quite spectacular when you finally make it to the top. With only 50% oxygen in the air - it's pretty tough going!

Kala Patar

To say that I was elated to have made it is definitely an understatement now! We both felt so good physically and it was such a wonderful feeling to be there at 'the top of the world' that it really was a moment we'll never forget. I'm so glad that we got to share it together. By that afternoon we felt like such a team, as it turned out that we did the whole trek by ourselves.

Mt Everest from Kala Patar

So much has happened since we've been back! Our house has finally sold - this is a huge relief. It means we can now hit the 'go' button with the builder of our new house and feel like we're getting on with our plans for the future. Also, those really inconvenient inspections are over - yay! Of course it also means packing up a family home and moving into a half built house, another adventure I guess . . .

I also came home to find some very lovely mail from the other side of the world which I really want to talk about soon. But right now it's off to work on a window schedule and look after a sick little boy home from school.

Home Safely

2007-11-01T17:02:00.000+11:00

Just arrived back home last night from our month in Nepal.

Many signs and balloons greeted us, along with a little Halloween display at the front door.

The trip was wonderful and I have much to share, but for now am very busy catching up on all the goings on at home. Hopefully on the weekend I'll be able to post some photos from Everest (and of course take a look at all my favourite blogs and see what you've all been up to while I've been away!).

Ready, almost!

2007-10-01T15:24:00.000+10:00

So, I have been organising, washing, cleaning and packing non-stop and I think I'm almost there! We fly tomorrow night to Bangkok and then on to Kathmandu. We'll spend nearly a week in Kathmandu before we start on the trek to Everest Base Camp.

It's very exciting, but right now I just feel slightly queasy - once the children are settled at my parents and we leave for the airport, I'm sure I'll start to relax.

It's a strangely surreal feeling to be leaving everything behind. It's a fairly busy time for the children with school musicals, ballet exams etc. coming up and Keith and I will be completely removed from it all for a whole month. I know we'll both enjoy the adventure of living so differently in Nepal and the time together and I feel very lucky that we are getting to do this at this stage in our lives.

On another note, I've just been reading the comments over at Yarnstorm in response to a review on Jane's new book. It really annoys me that this conversation is still going on and that people can't be more accepting of other peoples choices in life. I've had my fair share of comments from others who express utter shock that I might be able to (and enjoy) make a cake, knit or heaven forbid sew!! So much so that I find myself never mentioning that I do these weird 'things'.

It's also interesting to me that when others hear about or see a painting I've done this seems to be very acceptable, but if they hear that I've made a patchwork quilt, it's usually met with derision. I guess this explains my happiness at finding this wonderful blog world where I have 'met' others who get it! (apart from my Mum and Sister who also get it in a big way!)

So a very big thank you to everyone who has left me a comment or sent me an email, it really does mean a lot.

Where I Live

2007-09-26T09:40:00.000+10:00

The village that we live in is called Leura and is about 100kms west of the city of Sydney. Sydney is quite a sprawling city, with suburbs spreading out a long way, but up here we definitely feel quite separate. The weather is very different to Sydney, much colder obviously and with very distinct seasons. The cold is often what takes the longest to get used to when you move here, but I think most people really come to love the changing seasons with spring and autumn being clear favourites.

There is just one main street, The Mall, and October is probably the best time to see it. There are some lovely shops, above is my favourite Maison Montage. It is very french in style and is full of beautiful tableware, linen, candles, books, jewellery, etc etc.

Megalong Books is our fabulous local bookstore, you can often find us hanging out the back in the children's section.

Also, definitely worth a mention, is Silks Brasserie. A very, very lovely place to eat. We had a great lunch there yesterday celebrating a birthday and lots of upcoming travel.

Thanks for visiting Leura with me!

Keeping busy

2007-09-15T16:44:00.000+10:00

My latest bags made this week. I wanted to get a bunch finished before I go away (it's coming up sooo quickly). Now I can focus on what needs to be organised before the end of September for Keith and I, and also for the children and grandparents who'll be looking after them.

Really enjoying the beautiful spring weather that has arrived in the Mountains - today is fabulous!

The best smelling and tasting lemons ever

2007-09-12T18:10:00.000+10:00

I promise they won't all be used in G&T's!!

Keith brought home this lemon bonanza today from a tree that's easily over 100 years old and produces a fantastic crop every year. Lemons are a favourite of mine, I love all kinds of 'lemony' desserts and of course they're essential in the aforementioned drink . . .

We also came home from my mothers recently with a larger than normal quantity of lovely free-range, organic eggs. These are from my mother's hens and also from some that had come over to be chicken-sat while their owner was away on a holiday.

So, now I'm off to make the Classic Lemon Tart from this book. It's my favourite cooking book at the moment. I should actually be helping the kids plan their book week costumes for tomorrow (!), but I'm sure everyone around here will be much happier with a lemon tart.

Nine

2007-09-09T15:26:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was Keira's 9th birthday. She had requested a strawberry cake which was very easy to put together. Two vanilla cakes with a layer of whipped cream and strawberries in between. Dotted on top are chocolate coated dried strawberries (thanks, Mary!) which I used in place of strawberries dipped in chocolate.

No party as such this year, there was a large Bowling party last year that my ears are still recovering from. But we seem to have done a lot of celebrating nonetheless, there's been lunch with our family earlier, yesterday was spent with some school friends and dinner was out with close friends whose children helped to sing Happy Birthday when Keira's dessert emerged from the kitchen alight with candles. I think we're all a little bit weary now!!

Oh, and these, are now permanently attached to
her feet . . . .

29 Days to go

2007-09-03T11:53:00.001+10:00

I won't be going to the top!! But to reach Base Camp at Mount Everest will be a lifetime achievement for both Keith and I.

We fly to Kathmandu at the beginning of October and start walking on the 10th. It will take 14 days to do the walk, this allows for rest days along the way. We don't know how we are going to react to the altitude but hopefully we'll cope and have lots of great photos to share afterwards.

We're starting to get really excited about it now. The flights are booked, we've had the shots and have plenty of 'just in case' medications to take with us. I've been trying to exercise regularly and feel a lot stronger for it. Keith, who's permanently fit, hasn't had to worry too much and will no doubt take it all in his stride.

Our group includes 2 people who have done this exact walk before, they live in Nepal and have done most of the organising for us. This is an incredible bonus for us and was what made us decide to do it now.

The children will be staying with my parents in Sydney while we are away, this is also such a wonderful gift to us, as we know they will be looked after with love and kindness. It makes it possible for me to leave them for such a long time. I will miss them terribly, we've talked with them a great deal about the trip and they are excited for us. Caley in particular keeps reminding us that we have to take them both there when they are older.

Apparently, we will need to have lots of resting time, because of the altitude, and have been told to take lots of books to read. We thought we'd put a book order in soon, so I thought I'd ask for some suggestions of great reads. I know there are lots of enthusiastic readers out there so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

The Worry Tree

2007-08-30T18:10:00.000+10:00

My 8 year old daughter, Keira has been coming home from school lately quite sad about the goings on with her friends. She can't understand why they are friends one day but not the next and I tell you it quite breaks my heart to hear about some of the stuff being said. But we always try to keep the talk about solutions, so when I read about this book in the paper on the weekend I couldn't wait to get it for her.

Being a constant reader, Keira devoured it in one sitting and then sat down to tell me all about it. The main character, Juliet, worries about a lot of things going on in her life and it stops her from getting to sleep at night. Then she discovers an old painting of a special tree behind the wallpaper in her bedroom. Each night, Juliet imagines wrapping her worries up like christmas decorations and then hanging them on the tree.

Each animal on the tree has different areas to look after. Wolfgang the Wombat looks after friend worries, Petronella the Pig looks after school worries and Gwyneth the Goat makes you feel better when your sick. Dimitri the Dog looks after family worries, Piers the Peacock is in charge of minding worries about things that are lost and Delia the Duck knows it's hard to get used to change, changing houses, changing schools, even changing bedrooms. The Hole in the Trunk is for those worries that you can't quite describe.

It might sound kind of far fetched, but Keira really took to the idea. When we bought the book, the lady in the shop kindly offered me one of the posters they had, so we've put that up in her room. She says she's going to write down her worries and put them in a box by her bed, but imagine that she has handed them over to the animals on the tree.

I'm all for using whatever tools help, and if using her imagination in this way helps her to relax and fall asleep, then I'm all for it.

Feels like Spring

2007-08-27T12:53:00.000+10:00

I found this pot around the side of our house, discarded from last year with the bulbs still left in it. A nice surprise to find it growing happily amongst various other abandoned items! So today its been brought inside for everyone to enjoy.

This is our second day of true warmth and sunshine. Everyone seems to have just that little bit of extra energy and a big smile on their face. I've opened every window in the house to let the fresh air in, really hope that's it for winter this year.

Lots and lots of stars

2007-08-24T12:48:00.000+10:00

It's a start. This is another quilt from Kaffe Fassett's V&A Quilts book that I have on the go. It's for Keira, she picked some colours for me to start with and I've tried to make it work with lots of bright fabrics so it'll be nice and cheerful. I can't tell you how many diamonds you've got to cut out . . . I really must be crazy!! I keep saying 'just think how great it'll be when you've finished'. But really, omg it's a lot of work!!

On another note, my thoughts are with Mary at the moment who has suffered a terrible loss. She is being very brave.

Mum and me

2007-08-21T10:59:00.001+10:00

I've been trying to set aside some time to work on the photo book I'm making for my grandmother. Going through all the old photos is great, the ones my grandfather took in the Middle East during the Second World War are really interesting especially as they are of places I went to in my travels.

This photo is not quite so old. It's of my mother and me in 1969. I really like this photo, something about it makes me happy. I love the way my Mum looks in her sixties dress and bag. As my baby approaches her 9th birthday (gasp!) it gets me thinking about mums and daughters, and about what a great job my mum did. Thanks Mum!

Patchwork Tuesday

2007-08-14T09:53:00.000+10:00

Today I plan to go to my patchwork class for the first time in quite a while. I started going to classes half way through 2006 (I think) and they've been invaluable for learning the basic techniques and for gaining an insight into how fabric can look so different on bolts in the shop to when it's cut up and stitched together into a quilt.

But not long ago the shop that I was going to closed down (very, very sad) and the class transfered to a different shop in a nearby area. Same teacher and most of my classmates, but a very different feel to the whole thing. The lady who owns the new shop is lovely and has great intentions, but the room where we work is very cramped now that two classes have been combined and it's kind of dark and I just wasn't enjoying the afternoons there as much. So I've had a little break, (also due to school holidays and other commitments clashing with when the class is on) but today I want to go back and try to get back into it.

I love the quilts I've started, one each for all our beds, and even though I don't really need too much tuition as such for my current projects I do need the time assigned to the class to keep them ticking over. It can be difficult to find the time to pick them up at home.

In the magazine, Lantliv, that Nina sent me, I spotted these two lovely quilt ideas. The first has some great cross-stitching on it which reminded me of how I 'sign' my quilts. The S above, is on the back of my first quilt that I made for my son. All the hand quilting isn't finished yet but it's together and I'm pleased with the way it's turned out. The top of a matching one is almost ready to be sewn together to go on his bunk beds.

Also love this yo-yo quilt idea. Could be a good way to use up scraps all sewn onto a neutral background. It's good to be able to store up ideas on this blog for the future, because right now I really need to keep saying to myself - "Must not start any new projects, must not start . . ."!!

The swift bag

2007-08-10T12:09:00.000+10:00

Enjoyed making a small linen bag this morning, especially embroidering the little swift. I haven't done any embroidery like this before, so just kept looking at the photo in the book. I think it turned out okay, but would like to try a different method for transferring the pattern next time.

I used this book for the pattern. It's got a lot of great ideas for bags, mostly I just take one bit of one bag and mix it with a shape or detail from another design. They also don't take very long to put together which I find appealing. Not much time around here for complicated projects, hence my lack of finished patchwork quilts. Although that is something that I do dream about putting some effort into soon . . . just not sure when.

Also, I've had some good news. After taking in a selection of bags to the shop on Wednesday, it turns out that this one sold in about 1/2 hour! I was pretty pleased about that, I must say.

Edited to Add: Have just posted the Swift Bag to Nina as a thankyou for the lovely magazines she sent me. Hope you like it Nina!

A posy for Mum

2007-08-07T18:25:00.000+10:00

This afternoon was quite warm when they came home from school, so it was outside to play. Days like this make you feel like winter is coming to an end.

Keira came in so happy with this posy she picked for me, with all the talk these days of children growing up so fast, it's nice to know that for this 8 year old the simple things still count.

Hand Stitching

2007-08-06T20:14:00.000+10:00

The weekend went by in a blur.

There was lots of baking (custard tarts and damper), very yummy.

There was lots and lots of hand stitching, so much so I think I've suffered my first 'sewing' muscle injury! The middle finger on my right hand was actually aching on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning the joint seemed swollen, visibly larger than on my left hand! A work-place injury, with only myself to blame cause I actually couldn't stop sewing. I was on a roll, with lots of ideas taking shape, and was not going to let a sore finger get in my way.

Keith thinks I'm going mad . . .

Above, is a calico tablecloth I was asked to hem for my childrens' school. A teacher, who taught both Keira and Caley in Kindergarten, is leaving soon and as a present all the children in the Junior school are going to draw a small picture and sign their name onto the tablecloth. We've seen tea towels done like this to great effect and another parent has donated fabric markers for them to use. They just said to hem it, but I thought some hand stitching, in red would be fun and add to the overall look. I probably should've thought about how long the tablecloth was before I started.

Surprise Mail

2007-08-03T13:48:00.000+10:00

Well actually I knew it was coming - but I wasn't expecting it to arrive so quickly! A little while ago Nina at kirjakahvila - book cafe offered to send me some Scandinavian magazines as a little surprise gift - very generous of her and perfect for me (being a magazine-addict).

I usually can get my hands on lots of English and American home/lifestyle magazines and if I'm lucky I also manage my favourite Cote Sud from France, all in the name of research, of course (ie. for our new house). But I've not come across any magazines from Scandinavia before. I've had a quick glance through and they look wonderful, full of lovely homes and gardens, so I'm just waiting for a moment of quiet and a cup of tea . . .

Thank you Nina!

More Bags

2007-08-01T17:32:00.000+10:00

Following on from the bag I finished in the last post, I've been very busy making some more . . .

Small blue toille tote

Inside - zippered pocket and metallic stud

Japanese style bag carry bag with grosgrain ribbon

Inside - pocket and metallic stud

I even spoke to a local shop today and have arranged to go in next week to show them some of the bags I've finished. Quite a big step for me, and one I've been thinking about for some time so it felt good to actually do it. I have lots of ideas for different styles and enjoy deciding on which fabric to use, what sort of handles would suit, etc. At the moment I'm experimenting with lots of different styles to see which ones are more popular and also to find out which ones I prefer to make.

A finished bag - and a yummy dessert

2007-07-26T19:28:00.000+10:00

After being inspired by Mary posting pics of a finished project, I decided to finally finish a little bag I started quite some time ago . . . I was also motivated to finish after spending too much time wandering around shops trying to find a present for a friends birthday on the weekend. She's a great friend, but has quite different taste to me so I always struggle a bit because I really would like to get something she'll like.

Anyway, as I was wandering around picking things up and putting them back down again (all things I would gladly have bought for myself, I might add), I remembered this bag sitting at home patiently waiting for handles. It's a great size for my friend I think, and I'm hoping she'll like the fabric.

Also managed a dessert for the family tonight that was hugely appreciated - and considering how quick and easy it was I really will have to make it more often. Its the Apple Tart from More Perfect Recipes by David Herbert. You just spread some apricot jam onto a sheet of puff pastry, then lay the apple slices around, sprinkle sugar and dot with butter, 15mins in the oven and your done. Beautiful! The children, who are calling this apple pizza, requested small versions for school morning teas. But right now it's back to my crotchet as a lovely bundle of wool arrived in the post today!

Fun at the snow

2007-07-24T09:47:00.000+10:00

Ready for action . . .

Making snowmen . . .

Running from snowballs . . .

Well, it was a great week! We got lucky with the biggest snowfall in years which turned the village at Thredbo completely white and made it all very magical. Everyone enjoyed the skiing part, kids just keep getting better, I actually managed to move off the beginners slopes and still kept breathing, and Keith despite the "worst flu known to man" was still able to pack in as much skiing as is possible.

It's now back to school, work, building a house, music exams, trying to sell a house, getting fit for a very big adventure later in year, oh and hopefully - crotchet, patchwork, sewing and reading.

I finally got the hang of it

2007-07-13T14:36:00.000+10:00

Just when I thought I must be the only person in the world not to be able to crotchet a granny square I finally got it to work! A great book helped and also a patient teacher (!). I'm using the wool that I wound back here to practice on. I'm sorry I know how great they look in different colours, but I'm really enjoying not having to worry about changing every row and just letting the colour of the wool do its thing.

My plan is to make squares like this but probably about double normal size and then join them together with another wool from The Knittery called latte. In Erika Knights simple knits for easy living, she has a grey knitted blanket on a bed that I've always had in the back of my mind to make one day. It's just big squares sewn together and I love the simplicity of it. I also love this blanket from flea market style (I saw it originally at Pozy gets Cozy). That's where the idea of the wide border comes from.

So anyway that's the plan. I can see what everyone means about it being addictive, just hope it lasts long enough to finish a blanket.

This is my last post for a week as the family and I are off to Thredbo for a week of skiing. We are all really looking forward to it, as last year we had a great time and the kids really took to skiing and of course are now much better than me! Never mind, I also enjoy staying in the lovely village, oh and of course having a break from cooking and cleaning!! See you in a week.

Holiday Craft

2007-07-10T13:09:00.000+10:00

Enjoying not rushing in the mornings, having time to sew and get messy with glue, seeing our friends and family, The Hobbit, bike riding, hot chocolates . . .

Comfort Food

2007-07-07T15:49:00.000+10:00

I got a hot tip about this recipe - it's Chicken sauteed with cheese & milk from the beautiful Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros. As promised, it was very quick to prepare and loved by children and adults alike when served in our house. It is now destined to be a firm favourite around here. That's the great thing about this cookbook, it's full of the sort of food you want to make for your family and the sort of food your children will remember when they've grown up. Many of Tessa's recipes I can remember my mother and grandmother making for me, actually I would never of thought of them as recipes, just quick dishes that you loved, for me there are a couple that I always asked for when I wasn't feeling well and I now make them for my two.

We took a quick run up to Blackheath to check on the progress of our new house this morning. Most of the internal walls are now in place, so you can get a real feel of what it's going to be like living there. Very exciting!

This will be our kitchen one day . . .

Beautiful wool

2007-07-05T19:33:00.000+10:00

We spent a great day at Mary's yesterday. The kids were kept busy with journal making, cupcake eating, watching movies and generally having a good time mucking around together.

These school holidays (it's our 3 week winter holiday) can sometimes prove the most difficult for activities if you stay home and brave the weather. Today we've had a high of 4 degrees Celsius, huge winds and a smattering of snow. So it was great to be able to get out of the house for the day and for me to check out Mary's beautiful wool stash!

While the kids were entertained we sorted, untangled and wound wool and I had my first crotchet lesson. I aspire to crotchet a rug of some sort, either granny or babette or maybe even both if I get carried away . . . (I mean it has happened before when I've learnt a new craft.) Especially when I see the beautiful colours of the wool and start picturing the finished product. But for now I better keep practicing my granny squares.

Kitchen colour

2007-06-28T20:05:00.000+10:00

I'm thinking of doing something like this in our new kitchen. The painted chairs are fun and something I can do myself. It shouldn't be to hard to find inexpensive pine chairs to paint and then I can look for a rustic, country table. I wonder if everyone will want to sit on their favourite 'colour' each morning!

Knitting nancy - modern style

2007-06-27T13:18:00.000+10:00

A great parcel arrived for us yesterday. It was from my Mum and inside was a knitting loom kit and lots of balls of wool. When she came to stay for the weekend a little while back, Keira had great fun whipping up beanies for everyone. It's a bit like french knitting or knitting nancy only on a much bigger scale and instead of churning out a long cord of knitting, with this you go round and round and when it's big enough you pull up the end and voila you've got a beanie. As modeled below . . .

Pretty stylish eh?! Keira made one for her 4 month old cousin and I'm sure many more will be produced before the upcoming school holidays are over! Mum also sent 2 pom pom maker kits so we'll have to have a go at making some of those as well. Any ideas for what to do with pom poms??

A winter scarf for me

2007-06-26T19:55:00.001+10:00

One finished brown knitted scarf! (The one I started here). It sure is nice to start and finish a project in a short space of time for a change. I enjoyed the actual knitting far more than I thought. I mean it was just plain knitting - 20 stitches on big, size 8 needles - row after row, but I really got into it.

I've been looking at the lovely, handpainted wool at The Knittery. The colours are just so lovely and it's tempting to start a rug of some sort. I think knitting in the evening is quite soothing and not too taxing. Just right for me at the moment.

Making me happy

2007-06-20T08:56:00.000+10:00

Keira is home from school for the second day, trying to rest and finally get over the tonsillitis that she suffers from at this time of the year (we're into the 6th week!!). So lots and lots of knitting is happening around here. The scarves are a perfect project when your not feeling so great, not much thought required and v.satisfying to see them growing.

I got these tulips on Monday (thanks Mary!) and they add a nice bit of colour to my kitchen. We're all watching them open.

Magnolias

2007-06-17T13:59:00.001+10:00

Delivered last night! One painting for Ali's 40th Birthday. I was a bit nervous giving a painting as a present, but I think she liked it. Now I can start sewing.

Knitting together

2007-06-15T09:53:00.001+10:00

Mum found these adorable little girl knitting needles for Keira last week. Keira asked for "blue wool to knit myself a scarf", so I found this ball of blues for her. She was quite specific about there being no pink, that faze is definitely over. Of course walking into the wool shop you have to pass the sale baskets out the front and I spotted lovely Jo Sharp mocha coloured wool marked down. With no plans to knit myself (lots of plans for patchworking and bag making!) I found myself talking to the lady in the shop about what I could make with the 5 balls they had left. Well, after a few tips and some new needles, I've also started a scarf for myself. So last night the girls sat on the couch together and knitted.

It's a 12ply wool, silk and cashmere blend. It feels lovely and soft to touch, just the thing as the temperature has really dropped lately and it's nice to do something that makes you feel cozy.

A day with Kaffe

2007-06-14T12:21:00.000+10:00

It's been so busy that I haven't had a chance to write about the workshop I went to last week with Kaffe Fassett in Sydney. I can't tell you how excited I was leading up to the day! I particularly admire Kaffe's way with colour and pattern and love his V&A Quilt Book. I had already planned (and started collecting material) to make the Leafy Snowball Quilt as it is in the book for my bed, so when I found out this was the quilt we would be doing for the workshop it was too good to be true.

The day was organised by Material Obsession and it was fantastic. We were told to bring our own fabrics, not to copy Kaffe's, this way we would get the most out of the day. Kaffe and his assistant Brandon helped us with the placement of the squares and our colour choices. The whole day was really confidence boosting, Kaffe kept stressing a "have a go and see what works" approach. I was quite nervous, I'm fairly new to patchwork and stress way too much about whether it'll work or not. So this way of working - we had a flannel sheet up on the wall to put the pieces onto as we went - was quite liberating. It was also fantastic to see all the different fabrics going up around the room and the way they looked in different combinations.

I chose mustards, browns, rust, greens and a bit of purple! (The photos are really bad, they don't show the colours properly, but never mind.) I plan to make the quilt as a throw to go over our brown lounge. I also plan to use my new sewing machine to make the whole thing, so it might actually get finished this year!

This is the gift we all received from Kathy and Sarah at Material Obsession, lovely perle 8 cottons for feature quilting, embroidery needles, a little badge that says "Carpe Quiltem (Seize the Quilt)" v.cute! and smarties that of course are long gone!

The highlight of the day for me was at the end when Kaffe walked us all around the room stopping at each persons quilt and going through the decisions that were made to get to the final design. He said the most wonderful things about everyones' quilts, made us all laugh, kept making suggestions, it was fascinating, inspiring and I thought most generous of Kaffe. Brandon also played an important role during the day and helped me a lot with my design - even if he and Kaffe did contradict each other sometimes - something we all had a laugh about, including them! A great day - just what I needed to give me the confidence to trust my instincts designwise and get on with making things!

Exploring

2007-06-12T12:27:00.001+10:00

The public holiday yesterday was just what we all needed after a very busy week and weekend. Late in the afternoon Keith took Keira and Caley over to Mt Hay for a walk. They came back with lots of stories about goblins and trolls - we are reading "The Hobbit" at the moment, so perfectly understandable!

Birthday Treats

2007-06-11T19:47:00.001+10:00

This is my very special birthday present . . . a pfaff all of my own!! After borrowing my mum's pfaff machine to sew my patchwork quilt together, I became addicted. It's just perfect. That's all there is to it. I had to have one . . .

Now to start on all those planned projects - although with a deadline to finish a largish painting on Saturday, I might have to wait another week. Oh well, it gives me such pleasure just to see it sitting there on my desk.

Also wanted to show these fun shoes, also for my birthday (!), also found at the treasure chest that is the Victory Theatre Antiques. I feel very "I Dream of Jeanie" wearing them!

Debutante Ball (& a birthday!)

2007-06-10T13:58:00.000+10:00

Last night we all went to the Blue Mountains Grammar School Debutante Ball. Keira, and 5 other girls from Yr 3, were flower girls and looked absolutely beautiful in their matching pink dresses and white patent leather shoes. I had to include a close-up of her hair - we were so pleased with the way it turned out (thanks to the lovely girls at Allure Hair, Leura) and I'm so glad I didn't attempt to do it myself - that would've been way to stressful! Instead we had our first girlie afternoon at the hairdressers together sitting side by side having our hair done.

Of course not to be outdone, the boys also scrubbed up pretty well in matching dinner suits, and I wore (for the first time) my 1920's sequin dress that was found at the Victory Antiques & Cafe in Blackheath while shopping with Mary. This dress is truly divine to wear, it's quite heavy but swishes just so as you walk so that you can't help but feel special. It's one birthday I won't forget - seeing my family all dressed up, looking gorgeous and going out for dinner and dancing together.

(A very large thank you to Mary for coming over and taking these photos for us before we left for the Ball)

edited to add:
Kayla's mum, Jo, just sent me some of her photos and I wanted to add this one of us in action on the dance floor . .

A very big WIP

2007-05-29T13:42:00.000+10:00

Our New House is coming along quickly at the moment. After what seems like a lot of work, we are now seeing it emerge from the ground and there have been lots of decisions to make about windows and doors, for example. Of course a lot of these things have already been worked out but there is something about standing there in the room to really crystallise how you'd like it to be and luckily with Keith as Owner/Builder/Project Manager and our builder Peter working together we can finalise some things as we go.

It was a beautifully warm and sunny afternoon on Sunday. Keira was at a rehearsal for the school musical so Caley, Keith and I pottered about imagining how it will be like when we live here. It's really lovely to see Caley running around making up games in the bush, he seems so at ease and relaxed.

Was very proud of Keira for going along to audition. They had to go in by themselves and sing a short song and then recite a poem or say a reading from a book in front of two teachers from school. She learnt a small poem and decided to sing "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". Afterwards, I asked her how it went and she was very happy - it really seemed to be a pleasant experience for her. I can't begin to imagine singing (especially unaccompanied) in front of anyone when I was 8 years old or now for that matter! I hope she can keep some of that beautiful carefree and unselfconcsious way about her as she grows.

Grandma Jean

2007-05-22T18:15:00.000+10:00

I spent yesterday morning with my Grandmother who will be turning 90 next January. I wanted to sit down with her and go through old photos and record some of her stories. These are the stories I grew up hearing, the one's about her and my pop starting life together, all the fun they had going to dances, Sunday's at the beach and the tough times financially - the things that happen to families living through wars, depressions and changing times.

I'd like to put them down on paper in some sort of book form together with some of the wonderful photos she's collected, so that the family will have them forever. She has quite an amazing memory and would put many of us to shame with her recall of times and events (including how each of her outfits came about!) and we made a good start on the book.

I was fascinated to hear many details of my grandparents lives, particularly of the period where my grandfather was serving in the second world war, for the first time - even though we all lived together during my childhood .

Looking forward to spending many more lovely mornings together Grandma.

Sunday Baking

2007-05-20T18:27:00.000+10:00

I made raspberry friands for morning tea today. They smell fantastic when done and I prefer them to muffins as they taste just as good the next day and are a lot moister. I just love the 'friand' patty pans which I bought at Whisk in Leura - so Parisian, don't you think?!! I use this recipe from the Womens Weekly - tried and tested so many times it really is foolproof! Of course at this time of the year I had to use frozen raspberries but it doesn't seem to make any difference. Managed to save 2 for the kids lunchboxes tomorrow so they'll be happy. Also, made these mini frittatas to take to a friend's house to have before lunch today.

They're crispy ham & cheese frittatas and the recipe comes from Donna Hay - Issue 6. Boy it feels nice when things work out and you make it out the door on time and haven't even had to yell at anyone . . .

It's that kinda day

2007-05-18T09:52:00.000+10:00

Well, the sunshine couldn't last and today it looks like it's going to be raining steadily all day. I really don't feel like leaving the house at all. Keith kindly took the children to their early morning swimming lesson and school, allowing me to hibernate at home - bliss! It's a perfect day for staying put at my desk and slowly finishing some 'almost done' projects. Lot's of tea will be drunk and mellow music listened to.

Embellishments

2007-05-17T19:26:00.000+10:00

I recently made the little purse above that's not quite finished (like most of my projects at the moment . . .) and much to my surprise really enjoyed sewing on the tiny beads. I think it makes it look a lot more special and started thinking about ways to add sequins and beads to lots of other bags/purses I have in mind. So today when I flipped through one of my favourite magazines and saw lots of wild combinations of all sorts of lovely embellishments, I couldn't buy it quick enough! I really like the idea of just "going for it" with the design, and sewing them on in which ever way takes my fancy as I'm doing it. It's pretty radical for me not to plan or at least have a picture in my mind of what I want it to turn out like. Can't wait to get started.

A Bag for Mary

2007-05-16T19:14:00.000+10:00

After telling my sister about my new found love for making bags, she lent me some of her Japanese craft books, which then inspired me to make a few purchases of my own . . . (I know lots of other people have been using these for ages but I'm kinda new to all this!). I love many of the bags and purses in this book by Onishi Junko which I ordered from Kinokuniya in Sydney, and can't wait to try making more of them. Mary saw the bag above and loved it, so we decided to have a go using some of her beautiful merino felt in red. I'm slowly gathering material and hopefully will be able to make a start soon.

Cottonwool

2007-05-15T11:08:00.000+10:00

This is what our world looked like this morning. Keith pushed through the bush to get to the edge of the cliff for this view of Mount Solitary. It really does feel as though we are surrounded by soft, fluffy cottonwool. Must resist the urge to jump into it . . .

2006-01-01T20:27:00.004+11:00

a
Tomato Tarts

These are super quick and easy. Serve them with drinks cut into quarters, or with salads at lunch and my kids don't mind them in their lunchboxes!

Puff pastry (you get 4 per ready rolled sheet)
Dijon mustard
small tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 egg yolk, blended with 1tbsp water
finely shaved Parmesan
extra virgin olive oil

*************************************************************************************

Heat the oven to 220 C (200 C fan oven)

Cut out circles approx. 12cm. Arrange on a couple of baking trays.

Spread a little Dijon mustard in the centre of each circle, to within about 1cm of the rim. Arrange the tomato slices on top in an overlapping circle.

Brush the surrounding rim with the eggwash, then season the tomatoes, top with a few slivers of Parmesan, drizzle over a little olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and risen.

Serve hot or cold.

Recipe (& photo) from Country Living UK magazine.

2006-01-01T19:28:00.005+11:00

Lemon Curd

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1/3 cup (80g) chilled unsalted butter
Zest and juice of 2 lemons

*************************************************************************************

Whisk whole eggs, yolks and sugar in a saucepan until smooth, then place pan over a low heat. Add the butter, juice and zest and whisk continuously until thickened.

Strain through a sieve into a sterilised jar. Lemon curd keeps, covered, in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Recipe from delicious magazine.