petalplum

party dresses for my mama

2012-01-18T09:54:00.000+10:00

today is my mother's birthday. she's not here to celebrate - but she's here, in my heart, mind, soul. so she's somewhere.

so we will make a cake for her - i know my mum would love that we make cakes for her birthday. and light a candle and sing and celebrate with happiness. and think about her. she would really like the cake - that's for sure. probably some champagne and orange juice as well - but we won't do that; we'll just think about it and know she liked that.
so - i'm not feeling too philosophical to talk about my mum. just a bit perhaps. last night, while driving home on my own in the dark, i was listening to joni and thinking of my mum. a few tears, some extra loud singing, and some smiling as well.

{images from my 'clippings folder' that i haven't yet uploaded to pinterest. this is what i did before pinterest came along..... top left: from Toast, top right: from Selvedge Magazine, bottom left: Zooey on the English Muse, bottom right: Catherine Maladrino

anyway - i thought that instead of sadness, i would think about what dress i would be wearing to my mama's party today if she was here to have a party with us. and what cake would we make her? something fun and indulgent and extravagant perhaps - the dress and the cake!!

dress making will happen once the kids go back to school. for now just planning and thinking about what the dress may be.
one of Leah's aims for this year is to make herself a dress - i aim to be making mine over the coming weeks. will you join me maybe - in making a party dress to wear to my mama's party. what would you make / wear? please share with me.

places that i am looking for inspiration ::
+ my pinterest clothing board
+ these lovely free downloadable patterns from Nani Iro - which would totally mean some new fabric, wouldn't it!!
+ Veronika Maine - endlessly classic and inspiring to me. loving her blue / green combinations.
+ Toast - always. i love receiving the catalogues. sumptious silk velvets in jewel colours. i used to have a most beautiful, simple and perfectly fitted deep green silk velvet dress that floated and swung about. oh - i loved it.
+ other endless clippings on my computer, that I keep aiming to upload to Pinterest.
...... for a start anyway......... perhaps i'll aim to sew myself a new dress once a month. wouldn't that be lovely. oh yes. my mama would love that for sure!

happy birthday mummy plummy. cakes and candles and dressing up for you today.

it's Sunday, and I am ::

2012-01-08T09:05:00.000+10:00

+ eating watermelon
+ finishing another crochet rock - a big one to use as a door stop
+ crocheting old t-shirts into a kitchen floor rug, slowly slowly
+ enjoying the quiet stillness after my family rushed out the door (for the local second-hand market)
+ thinking and sending love to my dear friend.sister
+ planning photo shoots with our newest cushion collection
+ enjoying the sunshine - perhaps a visit to my grandma + the beach this afternoon
+ packing the swimming bags for the week long swimming lessons that start at 9am tomorrow (eeekkkk chlorine......)

what are you doing my dear friends xxxxxx

colour playing

2012-01-03T07:55:00.000+10:00

I just found this, from a link on Pinterest. I really do learn so much from Pinterest - don't you!!

How to generate your own colour palette from an image. I don't use photoshop - but if you do, then you probably already know how to do this is. If you don't - then visit here for the tutorial, then here to get to the color palette generator.
So much fun. I'm addicted already. I have seen these around the web, but never knew how to do it. Yah!
{The image does have to be online - but all my good ones are mostly on flickr or my blog or instagram(search petalplum) anyway - so that's no worry for me.....}.

letters for a new year

2012-01-02T17:02:00.000+10:00

I'm still having a really hard time being at this blog. The (lack of) electricity thing is making it a stretch to be as consistent as I want. I miss it here so much. But when I get here - it seems I have nothing to say.......... Or too much that it streams into a way-to-long-to-publish post.

Hmmmmmm. I've been wondering if that can get fixed. Don't think so, at least not until we have electricity at our home. Oh well. It's not the worst thing ever, is it!

What I've been thinking is.... well..... I'd really like it if you wanted to join me in a little mystery letter writing project. I found this fantastic blog, and have been highly influenced by their mystery letters. So - I'm planning on doing some regular real snail mail letter writing this year. I want to write to you! Do you want to receive and send some real letters.

My idea is - that we each send a letter, say once a month, to someone on our list. The person won't know they're getting a letter. It'll be a lovely and sweet surprise for them. So - if you join up, you'll also receive a letter(s) throughout the year. You may receive one a month, or only one (depending on how many people join up - and how many letters we all want to post). You don't need to become regular pen pals, just send one letter to one person a month (but more if you want).
You can include other things in your letter - perhaps some stationary or stamps from your country or other similar things. But you don't have to. You can send a postcard or a sweet notelet, or a long written letter.

Join up by leaving me a comment or sending me an email to ellieabeck AT hotmail DOT com
As I want to start letter writing now(ish) I'm hoping you'll add your name pretty soon. Before the month drifts away on us (I know that'll happen to me). Spread the word on your blogs, if you like. This could be a fun reason to check our real mail boxes and not our inboxes this year!!
{Once I get participants, I'll work out the finer details and let you know the 'rules'}.

heart-felt happiness and wishes of peaceful, joy and light

2011-12-23T23:22:00.002+10:00

dear friends,
some little merry wishes for you all. i hope you are enjoying all your sweet making and planning and wrapping and enjoying and laughing.
i hope you are soaking up your holiday time with your children and family and friends. we went for a little walk in the forest today - it was good and lovely.

tomorrow we are having a gathering at my sister's house with all our family. all the cousins to play and run around and laugh and be silly and eat up all the delicious food that we have so enjoyed planning and making (today Mishi and I made hand rolled chocolates, in the morning i will make chickpea dahl and spicey brown rice),

i am still enjoying crocheting these little rocks. this one became a heart almost all on it's own. i will search for more tri-angle rocks, as this shape seems good for heart making. Ari has claimed this one for himself - which i am happy with. a piece of mama-made love for my boy.

keep safe, content, exploring, enjoying, and breathing. xxxxxx E

Alone

2011-12-16T12:23:00.002+10:00

Today I am at home alone. Except for the ants, the birds, the cicadas, the cat padding around the floor, and the impending rain....
I am writing in my journal. Writing letters to friends. Making polenta with garden beans + lots of black pepper. Dreaming and planning. And just being and breathing - something I really really needed to take time to do.

It has been a hectic crazy week. School ends today. I have to dash soon to do the pick up. It is Mishi's final ever day of preschool - she will be at big school next year. And Ari will be in Yr 2 (and having the challenge of a younger sister who it seems perhaps is already more popular than him in the playground. Oh my poor boy - some life lessons are hard.)

Enjoy your weekend my friends. In my gratitude journal I wrote that I am grateful for friends, supports and connections from other places. That's all of you - I am endlessly grateful for the friendships I have made here in this little space. I thank you for visiting, and welcoming me into your spaces as well. It's been said before- but non-bloggers just don't understand this connection; yet I don't need to explain it to any of you.

xoxoxo E

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

why didn't you tell me!!!!!

2011-12-13T12:57:00.000+10:00

so, it seems i'm still not here. in these blog-parts.
i am spending time over here - if you can be there too. it's a fun place to hang out. or pop in once in a while; which seems to be the thing to do.

now, i'm just wondering why none of you warned me that christmas is only less than 2 weeks away. i mean - i rely on you people out there to pop in and say, hey - excuse me, but we've neither seen nor heard an ounce of christmas making out of you!!! hmmmm.

anyway - you'll just say i should have opened my eyes and looked at the signs. well - i'll tell you that i simply chose to ignore them.... so - yes, ok then. all my fault, isn't it.

all my fault that tomorrow i have to brave the shopping town to search for goodness-knows-what-i'm looking for. some bits and pieces to bring home, to mid-night craft into something else or other. or perhaps there'll be some empty boxes under the tree. kids have fun in boxes, don't they!!

yesterday the kids were playing reindeer and santa. i heard Mishi sorting in her draws looking for some brown pants; she was the reindeer. i think she ended up wearing a tutu. we all know she has a few of them! Ari was santa - i saw him throwing the presents over the edge of the (cardboard box) sleigh. he said the kids were happy unwrapping their presents now. [the parents were later seen picking up said presents]. the little tutu reindeer was heard saying 'that was a big night's work'.

i've been making more crochet covered stones. i'm wishing i could just simply give one of those to everyone for their gifts. i don't know if they'll appreciate / like / get what those funny little stones are all about. i've said it before - if my 5yr old, rough-n-tumble nephew says 'i love it' when you give him a crochet covered stone, then how could anyone else not like it. i'm averaging at least 1 a day at the moment. that's one project i could get made it time before the big day arrives. [if you are reading this, and are a member of my family - first of all, act surprised when you get a yarn-covered stone for christmas, secondly - don't act surprised when i give you an iou for a yarn-covered stone, telling you i ran out of time. you know that's how i roll! you might get it one day........ or not!].

but you know what, actually. that's not even the real reason why i haven't been around here lately. apart from needing to use the precious computer power for late night etsy / blue caravan / biome / kikki k / apple / electrabikes (can you ship quickly!!) shopping****, i just haven't been here. simple as that. i either have a whole lot to say - or nothing to say. there's no inbetween with me. which is hard for good blog reading, i think.

so - now that i've said the whole lot i had to say (plus some more). i'm going again. i might be back or not. i'm planning (somewhere in the pile of lists i keep in my head) on having a giveaway here in the new year - will you come back for that. i promise i'll be here for that.

wishing safe, fun, crazy, noisy, lush, over-indulgence for you all. no silly new year's resolutions, please!!! xxxxx

**** some of these may / may not include wish list items, perhaps, maybes, whimsical wishes, and other random clutching-at-last-minute-ideas, and do not at all represent the actual items i'll be wrapping on the eve of giving.......

+ these photos were taken with my real (digital) camera, and not my phone camera. they have never been seen on instagram - unlike any other photos i've taken over the past few weeks....

last minute

2011-12-02T07:17:00.000+10:00

i really am a last minute kinda girl. it's not so much what i keep wanting, life just keeps making it happen / i keep making it happen.

anyway, my market is tomorrow. we haven't done a market stall for a year now (due to living here, with no facilities for proper making). i'm so glad we're doing this one - but also starting to wonder why i pushed myself into it when there was/is so much other stuff happening.

signs kept telling me that i shouldnt be doing it. but it was too late by then. when i went to screen print my tea towels on wednesday afternoon, i could hold the big big screen on my own properly so didn't get a good print. i washed up and went to help Sam do the concreting!
yesterday when i was sewing (my machine finally back from being serviced), the needle broke, the thread snapped at least three times, the bobbin kept running out at the wrong time, the zips wouldn't sew, i was doing lots of unpicking.
the wind outside picked up, the rain came down. i breathed and breathed. my dad came home and said keep going, don't stop, do more, sew more. so i did - even though my tummy was grumbling and all signs were saying to stop.

more work to do today, market tomorrow. my sister is coming over to help me label and price and make some of our mirrors + badges. we'll also get a much needed chance to chat with no kids. yah to that! i'll stress and rush and stay up late, and then be all shiny and excited at the market tomorrow. doesn't matter does it - the lead up to the market. it all starts again on the morning doesn't it. like the opening of a show. once the curtains are up, all mistakes and forgotten lines don't matter. you smile and chat and have fun (and hopefully take home a lighter car load). and then get to sleep in the next morning.

just had to put this cherry photo in. makes me happy to look at it. aside from being addicted to instagram, it has actually been a good tool for me doing little styled shots of different things. doing it regularly (which i don't get to do with the big camera) is something that makes it keep happen. it's a good thing to keep practicing.

{these are some photos that Ari took, on my phone, while we were all posing for a photo shoot for the local newspaper. i quite like his little viewpoints - there were a few not so nice ones..... we made the front page of the newspaper - that's pretty cool, hey! this is in Helle's super cute and creative studio space, that's her on the very left with the spotty cup. also at the shoot were Lyn (the President of the Friends of the Gallery), Judy and Nikki (out of shot). i love the shot of Helle looking out the window}.

Christmas Market at the beautiful Tweed Art Gallery

2011-11-28T12:14:00.000+10:00

We're having a market at the Tweed River Art Gallery this coming Saturday. I hope you can come along to see the new bits and pieces we've been working on.

Sam and I got to handpick all the stallholders, so let me tell you - they are all talented artisans whose work you'll totally enjoy seeing. I plan on doing all the Christmas shopping there! (The rest I'll be handcrafting myself, of course.....).

So - come along. The view alone, from the gallery verandah is spectacular, and there are some excellent looking exhibitions on at the moment, that I can't wait to see myself.

PS - if you'd like to join our mailing list to receive news about this sort of thing, and other happenings (on a very irregular basis!), please join our mailing list over here.

........

2011-11-24T11:47:00.000+10:00

still here..... slightly. vaguely.
anyway. in the air. and juggling. and bumping about trying to do lots and lots of things. probably actually doing nothing.

happenings around here (in no particular order - as there really is no order).
+ the boy has pneumonia. can you believe it? i can't. we spent the whole of tuesday in town, at the doctor then x-ray, (then the library while we waited for the doctor to finish his lunch break), then back to the doctor. the tiny little x-ray of my boy - with the white floaty stuff around his lungs.
+ i have been doing small amounts of making for an upcoming market (next weekend, as in one week away!!). not as much making as i wanted, or needed. but life has got in the way.
+ more and more preschool things happening. being on the preschool committee has taken so much this year - i simply cannot believe it was that crazy. (our president left, so i became president as well as secretary. we hired a new teacher as well as a new admin clerk - that took a lot of sub-committee workings. we had many meetings and in-between other stuff. we had fundraisers). but next year, i will still join the school p&c committee and do it all over again. really - wouldn't you want to be part of how your child's school spends their money?
+ my sewing machine started skipping stitches. i had to find a new place to take her for servicing - new town, new mechanic. i'm still waiting for her to come home again. my sister's machine isn't quite as smooth as mine, so i'm stuck for the moment. with a market coming up in one week.
+ tomorrow i'm going for a photo shoot for the local newspaper, for a little thing about the upcoming market. that will be fun. i might even have time to put some make-up on!
+ the stupid internet is stupidly crappy in the country. cause you know - i live in the middle of no-where, so telstra has an excuse to have crappy internet. as in, i cannot even upload an image to my website! (just so you know - i do live in the country, but it is not in the middle of no-where, we are 1/2hr from Byron Bay, 1/2hr from Gold Coast, in a very bustling town. yes - we do live in the forest, but we can see the tv towers from our road).

In the meantime -
The children have been their usual selves; complete angels at school / elsewhere, and horrible brats at home. Ah well. At least they do look sweet and cute doing it. We got the yellow tutu last weekend at a market, second hand. She put it on straight away and has worn it almost everyday since - with her other 2 tutus on top. A frilly tulle extravaganza that only my little one could possibly pull off, with a twirl and a whirl.

The timber, windows + doors (all second hand) were meant to be delivered today, but it's raining - so we've had to put it off until another day.

I got a stack of dvds from the library this week - the kids watched Jungle Book and Heidi (with Shirley Temple).

Anyway - just some things happening around here. I'm learning to juggle and breathe at the same time. Or trying to anyway.

Still enjoying all the beautiful new blooms that are popping up around this place each and everyday. So many things to look at and enjoy. And my garden is still giving me such pleasure and joy.

I hope things are well for you, my friends. Let me know what's up in your little part of the world. Be back here soon, I hope..........

in the olden days

2011-11-16T20:18:00.000+10:00

Was so happy to hear that my kids think the olden days was before even my grandma was around, rather than when I was young.

It then got us talking about things that my kids have no idea about. Like a cassette tape (which they did know; we found one once that they pulled apart. Ari said 'a little white box with string stuff inside') or a walkman (a walking robot). And did you know 'videos are so yesterday'.

'Videos are in the olden days.
Geckoblasters are in the olden days'.

Ghetoblaster - a gecko that farts and blasts off to space, hence called a geckoblaster.

It got Sam and me on a tangent from how quickly Walkmans have been replaced with these funny personal computers you carry in your pocket and do all manner of everything with.

.......rambled in our family sometime back in late August, possibly sitting around the kitchen/dining table. I'm sure there was lots of silly laughter and giggling. And me wondering if really I am now 'not young' - meaning I might be heading the direction of "old".

*carved stamp cassette tape from my sweet friend Holly's blog, thanks xx.
* cassette tape in a mess, found on flickr.

sang the bird....

2011-11-15T19:36:00.000+10:00

My dear darling sister, Leah has opened a new and beautiful online shop - with a sweet collection of carefully curated pieces. sang the bird houses cushions, tea towels, little purses and beautiful necklaces. Focusing on handcrafted and ethically designed products, Leah has chosen a small opening range of designers who make her heart sing. A little something special to feather your nest!

Leah also has a pretty little blog where she shares her inspiration, daily journeys, and lots of lovely beauty-full things!

She's currently offering 20% off all items in her shop, just in time for Christmas (use the code 'christmas2011' at the checkout to receive the discount). So - go check it out. I'm sure you'll find a little something.something for yourself, while you're doing a spot of gift shopping for your friends. I just know that Leah will send you a beautifully wrapped little parcel.......

hooked! addicted!

2011-11-14T13:04:00.000+10:00

Despite telling other people (myself really!), that I don't have an addictive nature. I think I do.........

umm...........

:: addicted ::
while I haven't been around these blog-parts lately, I've been in Insta-land. I've made some new friends over there, and deepened relationships with others (who I made in this here blog-land). As it so happens - both Jacqui and I now know that our daughters have the same Barbie doll, yet in different colours!
You know what, I've also taken some really cool photos in Insta-land. Some I really love! I think, seeing as how it's my blog and all, I'm allowed to blow my own trumpet about how good the photos are.
Also - I'm having a relationship with my husband on Instagr.am. We 'like' each others pictures, sometimes he's in the kitchen and I'm on the verandah - a mere metre away from each other. Isn't technology good!

I'm sending all my photos to flickr, if you want to see them. Or over here, as well. Or, if you have one of 'those phones', you can follow me. If you want........ And then we can be Insta-addicted together!

:: hooked ::

a couple of weeks ago, I went with a friend to do some crochet with the very talented and witty Helle Jorgenson. She has a sweet little studio space in my town, Murwillumbah. To be honest, when I moved back down here (to this little country town), I didn't know if there were any (well, many) cool and crafty people. So, actually are. Helle is one of them! {Check out her blog, she makes the most amazing crochet coral and sea creatures using the tiniest hooks, and some great alternatives 'yarns'}.
While I knew how to crochet before the class, what Helle did was take my hand and show me some new things, and helped me overcome my fear of using teeny weeny tiny crochet hooks. Some of her work is done using a .5mm. That's tiny!

So - since last Thursday, I've barely had the 2mm hook and some cotton yarn out of my hands. Well - we did have to do concreting on Friday; I couldn't really crochet at the same time as that! (photographic proof below - I wheeled that heavy barrow of concrete for a solid most-of-the-day)!

Helle and I made little crochet covered beach stones, like Margie's. There's a pattern on Purl Bee (it has some errors, so I just made bits up and went along merrily......).
With hook and yarn in hands, and the light of a candle, I've been doing some experimenting at home (late at night), some unraveling and some stitching/hooking/crocheting. I made myself a little necklace of crochet flower shapes (and promptly Instagr.am-ed it!). And then some more. I finished one for my sister to wear to work (we stayed up chatting until 1am one night; of course the kids got us up at 6.30 the next morning....). I'm currently working on one using some op-shopped cotton yarn, in a colour I'm calling berry. It's a bit of a thicker weight, but is still turning out very pretty.

And now, seeing as how my sewing machine has decided it doesn't want to play (when I really MOST need it for my market making), I'm wondering if I should make these little necklaces for selling at the market.......... {what do you think? Would you buy one?}

Oh yes - I'm probably addicted to chocolate too. But really, that's all..... There's nothing more to reveal.

I'll see you on Instagr.am with a hook in hand!

hello saturday

2011-10-29T12:20:00.000+10:00

This is where we're at this week.
+ Lots of beautiful calendulas from the garden - they continue to bloom and grow, and give me enjoyment.
+ Some screen printing of new designs for some sewing that will be done next week (fingers crossed). For my upcoming Christmas market.
+ A few beautiful rainy misty mornings - the clouds tumble over our mountains so spectacularly.
+ Gathering and collecting from the garden - enough for one meal at our dinner table. The greens (lettuce + silverbeet + japanese spinach) continue to feed us each night.
+ There's been some bread baking with a rye sourdough starter. I'm experimenting. And enjoying the results.
+ Some crochet, using t-shirt yarn. A had a little class with Helle of Gooseflesh this week. It was fun. She's so inspiring and her stitches are amazing.
+ Sam has been working on his skateboard jewellery pieces, for the market. Enjoying the handwork.

Enjoy your weekend my friends...... xxx

some making

2011-10-27T15:18:00.002+10:00

Today Sam and I sat down for an hour or so of quiet makings....
Him working on his recycled skateboard jewelry.
Me working on some embroidery for making into purses.
We are preparing for a market for Christmas time, to be held at the Tweed River Art Gallery in Murwillumbah.

Learning to integrate our handcrafting work into our days and life, around school hours and no electricity. Stretching boundaries. Working with our hands. All good things.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

little day dreams.....

2011-10-05T22:42:00.000+10:00

I picked this little posy today, from our garden. I tied it up with a little bit of twine that was sitting on my table.

A purple sweet pea - oh, it smelt simply divine. That lovely perfume.
And some yellow orange golden calendula flowers. They really are very cheerful.

I can't wait until there are more sweet peas blooming. So far we have only had three little blossoms. This pink one was pretty. I planted a dwarf version, really wishing I had planted a regular size plant that would stretch to the sky. I do have some seeds; perhaps it's not too close too Summer. Perhaps I'll try anyway, and hope for the best - rather than keeping the seeds for a whole year.

Anyway. about the day dreams.....
Looking as this posy made me start to drift off and ponder on the shop I'd like to one day own. One day in the future. In my little shop I'd sell posies like this, and other little blooms picked from the garden and roadside. Simple, hand-grown flowers, for putting into tiny vases and glass jars. To remind us that beauty comes in the simplest of ways - we don't need big showy blooms or long-stem roses to proclaim our love. A simple little posy of the most delicious blooms is enough for me!
Of course there'd be lots of of other wonderful loveliness in my little shop as well..... oh yes.

right now {small journey}

2011-10-01T17:05:00.000+10:00

right now ::

it's Saturday. 1st October. Can you believe that it's already October! That happened simply too too quickly.

raining. hailing. sunshine. rainbows. all at once. outside in the sky. inside with the children.

[Mish + I are visiting with Leah, S, E + T].

I had these images on my desktop. The middle one is mine, a project I am s.l.o.w.l.y working on. Perhaps it won't be happen until next year, when I can dedicate enough computer time to it. The middle + top images came from here.

I've made up a reason why these images work together..... Do they? Of course, if I say so!

+ I am doing many projects, in my head. They all seem to be hurrying to a need-to-be-ready now date. I'll start the actual making quite very soon. When it gets to the last minute panic moment, I guess.

+ My life is made up with lots of small journeys at the moment. I'm really learning to enjoy the small journeys, and know that step-by-step and moment-by-moment they'll take me somewhere. somewhere. somewhere. slowly.

+ I do sort of feel like that little ant trapped inside a bubble. It's quiet in my bubble. No blogland. No outside noise. The sound of my own breathing. Of course, I also have the sound of the breathing/living/being of my family. But they are part of my breathing. Like an ant I cannot live without them. We are one. I am alive inside this bubble. And thriving. But one day I do hope that I can pop through to experience that wonderful purple flower/leaf/world outside the bubble.

So; right now I am waiting for inspiration, in my own little bubble, walking a slow journey. Right now.

Enjoy your weekend my friends. xx

oh, hello!

2011-09-19T11:20:00.000+10:00

"When the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy,

there is always the garden"

Minnie Aumonier

I read this quote the other day. Wrote it down straight away. So I could keep remembering it. So so true for where I'm at right now.

Spring is here. And it's lovely lovely.

My blog stats are down. I don't blame you all. I'm not here much either. Thanks for keeping on coming. Just putting little toes every so often into blog land, or pinterest world, or any other sort of wonderful place in this big web is hard. You need to be here often, have endless moments to loose in it [which includes solid decent internet connection + electricity. I'm currently watching the little battery icon on my computer shrink while I scurry to do the few things I can.]

My dear dear friend who lives in NZ, [who I went to visit in January - and haven't spoken to since!] emailed me the other to say a person shouldn't be this hard to contact is this day and age.

I'm missing so much by being away from this online community. But I'm gaining so much by being where I am. Sitting in the garden. Watching the snowpeas get bigger, and the calendula flowers bud and start to bloom. And sitting with my family at the table searching through the bird book, and mimicing bird calls and talking to the birds. And setting up tents in the yard. And walking through the forest, drinking cool refreshing water straight from the creek. Watching the sun each day as it creeps across the sky in it's arc, each day in a different spot than yesterday, rising and setting at different times. Noting all this in my head, my memory.

*The 'hello' button sign is from a shop counter in Byron Bay, on a rare night out with my sister and niece to see an exhibition opening.
All photos taken with my phone - the real camera isn't seeing much action lately. Mainly due to the annoying aspect of then having to process all images through the computer.

Also, just in case you wanted to know. I'm working {slowly} on a new range of things. Lovely things to be ready in time for a market I'm organising at the local art gallery for Christmas time. I'm aiming to get some up on my new website [let me know your thoughts on it!!] in time for Christmas postage - if you're interested.....

the garden song and dance

2011-09-08T12:59:00.000+10:00

If you can't find me anywhere else, look for me in the garden.

I'm loving this little space of ours. The first proper real vege garden we've had in a long long time. It's not really very planned, but it's growing happily and that's what matters most.

I am enjoying just sitting at the garden and watching what has grown from yesterday, or even this morning. Seeing the growth of little plants, and the changes that are happening every single day is just wonderful. Now that Spring is here it is so easy to notice the changes. I'm soaking it all up.

I do think one of the big reasons I'm enjoying being in this little spot so much is because of the possibilities of it all. What will we eat over the coming weeks and months. What new plants and seeds will I put in those extra spaces. What will we have extra of that we'll be able to preserve for the colder months. Oh the possibilities. Also, the fact that I can see things happening - well nothing much is happening around the rest of our lives, nothing so obvious anyway.

[House building is creeping closer to beginning. We bought some second hand windows + doors yesterday, and I do think we have almost got a final house plan. And my dad is almost ready to begin the job. I guess we do have to wait for the weather to be sunshiney now.....].

We have lots of lettuce at the moment. Some lovely freckle leaf lettuces that I enjoy looking at.
The carrots are growing slowly - we're waiting eagerly, impatiently.
The snow peas are popping new flowers each day. So beautiful. Snow pea dance. The flowers look like a Georgia O'Keeffe painting contender. Oh yes.
The strawberries are growing bit by bit - green fruits, we made a good little bamboo frame with netting for them to be protected from the birds. There is so much happening, and I keep planning and dreaming more.
Silverbeet and Asian greens happily being picked every second day or so.
Basil and tomatoes growing beside each other. Not ready yet, but growing. A creature has been nibbling the tops of the tomato plants, but there are more - and more planted. I'm planning a whole bed of tomatoes for eating raw fresh from the bush, cooked and also (hoping hoping) preserved / canned.

"I have but one desire as a painter – that is to paint what I see, as I see it, in my own way, without regard for the desires or taste of the professional dealer or the professional collector."-
Georgia O’Keeffe

how much effort to wash a spoon?

2011-09-06T19:52:00.003+10:00

I love this! I want to put it on a tea towel.
Found on Judy's blog Lithospherial. From here (pity it's now sold out). Check out his blog Maxistentialism - which is wonderful, witty, wordy, intelligent and fun.

to stop and look

2011-09-06T07:30:00.001+10:00

I was reading an email from my sister Leah. Was talking about stopping and enjoying what you have, instead of always looking for the next biggest, better thing. Something that I'm really trying to work on and do and live. I feel / hope that I am slowly getting better about this.

While sitting at the kitchen table, responding to her email, my boy (home sick from school), at the other end of the table called out "mum, look at the beautiful butterfly". We both stopped and watched the glorious creature flit and flutter about the yard outside our kitchen window.

I love the look of wonder on his face. And the excitement in his voice. Kids are good at making us stop and look and enjoy. And be content with what we have. They are good at looking and observing in a way most adults aren't. I feel ever fortunate to have my children here to help me on my slow down journey.

from garden to table

2011-09-05T17:19:00.001+10:00

The children collected from our garden :: lettuces, teeny tiny baby carrots (too early for picking, but sweet and oh so cute) and herbs.
They set themselves up at the kitchen table and made us a delicious salad using our very own garden collections and other veges from the local area [the farmers market and our local farm shop].
We ate it with fresh sourdough bread made by our neighbour [while we have no oven, she is baking us a weekly loaf of bread. yumbo].
Enjoyed with soft boiled eggs [free range and locally laid. Soon we will have our own chickens and eggs, but for now we are enjoying local ones].

So good to sit down at our table and enjoy a meal either grown by us or the local soil around us, and made locally.

country :: city

2011-08-27T17:52:00.000+10:00

Some images I snapped this weekend.
Mostly from the passenger seat of the moving car.
Country - driving from our home up to Brisbane.
City - Story Bridge, Brisbane. In the rain.
Colour - skate bracelets + stacks skateboards.

more - less

2011-08-25T12:22:00.000+10:00

[above + below are wild raspberries. Sweet white flowers. The red below is, I think, perhaps either the male or female fruit; you don't eat that one.]

The more I'm away from here, the less I come back. It's hard to come back when I can't be here regularly. I keep wondering if I should just go on a blog holiday for the next six months or something. But I would miss it here too much, and miss you. Thank you all for keeping on visiting - it's good to know you're still there.

I haven't been doing much stitching lately, and no screen printing at all. But I've been doing a little bit of drawing and watercolour painting, which has been making me really happy. Setting myself up with little vases of flowers and the watercolour pencils. Kids being at school, giving me quiet and creative time is really helping, too - even though they are rare and brief moments.

I'm currently organising a market stall at the local art gallery for Christmas time. This means that Sam + I have to do some more designing and making. Which is good. Giving us a deadline for getting back into doing some work. I'm exciting to be organising the market - such a beautiful location, an excellent gallery. [this image was taken from the gallery, on a rainy afternoon this week].

It's been raining this past week. Our creek went from bone dry to overflowing almost flooding in one night. It's eased off and since gone down a bit. Overcast days. My seedlings in the garden + my soul are needing a little bit of sunshine to warm us up. Fresh roses on my table, from the local farmers market, are doing a splendid job of helping my soul warm, combined with the fresh bread our neighbour brought us yesterday.

I wonder if I am changing / have changed. I wonder if I can recognise it. Feel it in my self, in my days. If life living here has changed me. Can you notice a difference?

with ever love, E xx

beautiful things

2011-08-17T22:44:00.002+10:00

There have been beautiful things happening around here. Mostly I am just enjoying them, rather than stopping to run and get the camera (these are all phone photos - what would we do without phone cameras!! How did we cope?!).

I want to show you around this place we live in. This glorious magical wonderful place that I feel so lucky to be able to spend my days in. One day soon I'll take you on a walkaround.

Today a big load of garden soil was delivered. Sam and I shoveled and barrowed it into the garden bed in the rain. It was so good. I'll finish the job tomorrow (Sam's off to have a well deserved massage), and plant some more seedlings. Spring really is here and everything is flourishing. Me included, I do believe.

Just so you know - that's the girl have a tantrum in her tutu skirt. Of course it did then turn into a little primping and preening and playing as happens......

xxxx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

dye pot :: camellia japonic #1

2011-08-15T07:21:00.002+10:00

This piece came out of the dye two weeks ago. It's an old woolen blanket I picked up from the op shop.

Solar dyed (left in a glass jar, with water and dye materials for about a week or so).
I used the flowers from the wonderful camellia tree (top image) growing in our yard - it doesn't seem to be stopping it's flowering anytime soon; so hopefully there'll be lots of of it appearing in the dye colours.
I've discovered that if I put some rusty pieces (nails and screws and such) in the pot as well, then the flowers dye this amazing grey sort of colour. There are some patches of rustish browns. The colours change throughout the length of the piece, as it was rolled up to be able to fit into the small bottle I have. Inside the roll were the yellow pollen pieces - the petals torn off create these lovely shapes (as seen above).

I'm not sure what I'll do with this piece, but I do really love it.
*if you follow on Instagram then you'll have seen this before, but I wanted to document the process for myself. My sister bought me some journals to use as a proper paper (not computer) recording process, but I'm not actually sure I can bring myself to cut up these pieces of cloth to make samples and such, plus one little sample piece doesn't clearly show the full depth of colour.

dye pot :: passionfruit, camellia + beetroot

2011-08-11T22:23:00.001+10:00

I pulled all of these out of the dye pots this morning. All solar dyed - it's just what I'm doing at the moment - sticking things and fabric and plant bits in glass jars of water and leaving them in the sun for at least a week, more if I can wait.

They are::
- the shibori folded piece - pink camellia flowers / rusty pieces makes a fantastic grey colour.
- the pinkish crochet scarf (one I crocheted a year or so ago, in white/cream organic wool) + pink lacy flower pieces - pink from beetroot, which was first boiled for a short while (half hour or so) on the stove top. Then left in a jar outside for a few days. I've been pulling it out and letting it drip dry, then putting it back in, hoping to get more colour into it, and also to perhaps create some sort of patterns through it.
- all the purple pieces are from passionfruit (the purple skin ones). We tore the skins apart and put the in, with hot water and some alum.
- the piece you see with some flower bits all over it is a woolen blanket (which had self stripe pink already). The flowers are from the camellia tree - if there's no rust then they turn a more purple-brown-yellow colour. It was all rolled up inside the blanket piece, which was then in the passionfruit dye pot.

They're all drip drying on the line right now. I'll have to wait and see what fades, what doesn't. I'm really pleased with the shibori tied piece - there'll be more of that, as I have an excellent book from the library which actually diagrams how to do the ties and stitches.

Anyway, this is my visual dyeing notebook of sorts. I think because of the way I do things (random, unplanned, without reading instructions or recipes...) then if I want to get regular results from the dye pot, I'll have to take note of what works / what doesn't. I do hope you enjoy following along with my dyeing recording.

counting small moments

2011-08-08T16:24:00.001+10:00

The house is messy again, after yesterday morning spent tidying, cleaning, rearranging.... Messy again.

But I'm trying to count small moments. To ignore the dolls clothes spread in corner, the discarded school bag at the front door, the washing up that's piled up again, the bits and things and obscure mess that children make. The broken lid and handle on my favourite tea pot. The children having afternoon meltdowns + freakouts the moment we're home from the school bus pick up.

Small moments /
An afternoon cup of tea/
A newly graveled driveway + some plants put in today/
Beautiful blossoms we can pick for inside and also enjoy looking at on the trees outside/
Brilliant delicious fruit from trees on our land/
The fact that my teapot now looks like a sweet little creature/
New fish friends in our outside pond/
Brand new, blank journals full of possibilities/

It's all about learning to change my viewpoint / perspective / expectations. And learning to breathe through it all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

::

2011-08-05T15:04:00.002+10:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

overview

2011-08-01T08:11:00.002+10:00

a small selection of images i've snapped (on my phone) lately.
a small selection of life.
from top -
1)the boy wanted to have a sweet biscuit, i said no sugar, so he crossed out 'sugar' on the ingredient list. i so so so wanted to give him one, just to let him know how fantastic he was, and how much i love the way his head works.
2) a scene driving into town. afternoon. sun setting after the briefest of rain showers. heading on my own, out to dinner + a play with my sister.
3) on our window sill this morning. collections that Sam + the kids brought home from school athletics carnival the other day (which was held near the beach, hence the beachy type plants).
4) on the window sill - blossoms from our stone fruit trees. never any success with the fruits, so i think it's okay to pick and enjoy the blossoms.
5) as #2
6) the bees from HoneyWorld. school excursion yesterday. was quite amazing standing a room with all those hives - a most delicious sweetness of honey-smell.
7) a little piece of coral set into the stonework of the wall in our kitchen.
and below) is a fuzzy shot of those bees. i love the "mess" of their wax. and the colour. i'm so curious about the wonderful, complex world of bees - what an interesting, important creature. do you know much about bees? we have a native stingless beehive at our house (my brother put it there). they don't produce much honey (about 1kg per year), so i'm considering another hive of imported bees so we can maybe 'steal their honey'. i have to do the research about how imported honeybees might attack / take over from the native defenceless tiny little bees.
[talking about bees, look at this amazingness! what a lovely mama bee, making baby nests inside flower petals.].

from outside

2011-07-26T12:42:00.000+10:00

Outside Spring is already bursting forth. The Autumn colours are still on the ground where they fell what seems only a few short months ago. It is still cold at night, and morning - but I do think that the Winter has passed. Of course, it could trick us all and pop back again with one or two last frosty nights which may freeze those little blossoms.

While we're watching the world move along, quite quickly, we are still moving in our slow motion way. Still only talking about the building process - nothing started. It feels like we need the biggest push to get started. This means, also, no work as there's no space for working.

I have been doing small bottles of solar dyeing. Little experiments. It's fun, but then the waiting to see what it will be - well that's good too.

School is back now. Week two already. Trying to settle into a rhythm of some sort. I think perhaps that will never successfully happen in this tiny house. The house is often messy, as there's no space for everything to live - all my paperwork, books, thoughts spilling and joining with the children's toys, clothes, school pieces, noise, voices, dramas, smiles............. Living within each other.

credit

2011-07-23T08:46:00.002+10:00

Last week I went to a talk / seminar on copyright. It was taken by someone from the Sydney National Art Gallery, who works with all the gallery's major artworks and keeps track of what is still in copyright, what's not, etc. Was an interesting talk. Unfortunately it was a bit too aim towards big industry / artists / galleries, etc; rather than hand crafted or smaller artists. She didn't talk very much about online 'stealing' or 'appropriation'.
There were a few questions from people about what could they do if they find out someone has used (stolen) their work. Surprisingly one person put his hand up and said he uses images from online and changes them slightly to turn them into print (he asked what the percentage rule was - something I've head numerous times over the past years, which really doesn't mean too much, I don't think).
There's been many, oh too too many, times I've noticed and heard people's work / ideas / intellectual property has been taken and reused by someone else.

I just found this site, called Link With Love. Isn't that a sweet little name, and what an excellent idea. With all these continually and rapidly growing sites where people repin or retweet or re.....somethingelse someone else's work, it gets hard finding the original source. I have many images I've lost the original for - oh, I dearly wish I still had them (I do try very had to keep track of all sources, but sometimes I can't find it try as hard as I can).
So, the next time you find something really lovely that you want to share with us all - please make sure you link it back to the original source. Cause I for one know that I will probably want to visit them to check out more beautiful they do - the photographer, model, stylist, designer, hair, make-up................

Isn't this poster so so so excellent. It's by Erin Loechner and Pia Jane Bikerk*, with font by Yvette van Boven.

*I still haven't got Pia's new book, have you? Is it as beautifully scrumptious as it looks........
** click on images to be taken to source; Erin + Pia.

camping / family

2011-07-22T07:24:00.003+10:00

During the holidays my brother was up from Melbourne, with his girlfriend + son. We hadn't seen them for so so long. I miss my brother so much when he's not here - sometimes I forget how much I miss him. He gives good good hugs, you know. Real hugs, where he stops and is there with you. Not thinking about where the next rushing off thing is happening.
Anyway, we all got together and camped in our yard. All of us - me+my siblings and our bits of associated family - haven't been together for such a long time. Too long actually.
It was lots of fun. I think the kids all had an excellent time. There were enough adults to help out with all things, the food was delicious and overflowing. The camp fire was beautiful.
Moments were at times rushed with life, and - as it happened - death as well.
We talked about doing it again, soon. Perhaps as soon as Christmas time - camping in Summer means swimming at the creek and not being in the 3degreesC mornings, waiting for the sun arrive.

Anyway, these are a few photos from those days together. Not excellent. Not many. And not one single photo of all of us together. Oh well. Perhaps next time I'll be more organised to MAKE the family photo happen!

cut!

2011-07-21T07:39:00.003+10:00

one day, last term, Sam + i were in town (both kids at school + pre-school).
we were at Sam's favourite eating* place, in town.
i suddenly said i wanted to colour + cut my hair.
at the hair-dressers.

now, one thing - i have never ever not once in my whole entire life had a hairdresser (or indeed i believe anyone else) put a pair of scissors to my hair. i have had a hair-dresser dye my hair only a handful of times.
growing up my mum always hennaed our hair. after she died i didn't henna it for a long long time. it seemed like a ritual that wasn't right without her doing it.
i dyed my hair, or got Sam to do it sometimes with those yukky buy-from-the-supermarket type dyes.
i also one or two times hennaed my hair myself. i didn't feel right; doing it myself.
and life never configured to have a sister do it for me either.

so, on that day a few weeks ago i walked into the hair-dresser in town who had been recommended (and where we took Mishi for her stylish little swishy do).
they use organic, natural products.
they have a lovely minimal, yet pretty interior.
and they are lovely women who work there.

so, here it is. a before photo taken self-portrait with my phone. trying, of course, to be arty and also not really get my face. the last two are afters. bit hard to notice, but take it from me - my hair is much much shorter than before.

there's some during photos too.... like the organic tea they bring you (a whole menu with organic teas + coffee). [the hair on floor photos were taken by the kids, one each].

i do like it. and my hair is now much healthier. and has some good style to it - she cut some nice little bits of shaping into it, so it sits well.
but it's just the teensiest bit too short. i keep going to tie it up in a knot as i used to at the nape of my neck or on top of my head. i've had to find hairbands (i always always use pieces of old stockings that i cut up, so soft on my hair).
so, i'm growing my hair again...........

*Sam enjoys going to The Austral Cafe in town. It's one of those places that's been around for a long time (since 1919 in fact). We used to go there as kids, for hot chips. They still make milkshakes the old fashioned way - malted milk in those metal containers. Makes me think, perhaps I should do a post of Murwillumbah buildings as it's a very pretty town with some lovely buildings and historic look to it.

from the solar dye pot

2011-07-20T12:37:00.001+10:00

I took these pieces out of the dye jars. I couldn't wait any longer; I figure a week is a good amount of time before things start to go smelly.

The pinks are some silk, that seems to be tearing - perhaps age. One piece was wrapped with pomegranate seeds within it, the other had moss fallen from our tree (old mans beard?) and red /pink camellia flowers. Both were in the same jar with pomegranate skin, moss and a creek rock - mainly to weigh the fabrics down. The rock went a beautiful deep almost black colour.

The purple is from avocado skin. Also wrapped within the folds of the fabric was coffee and tea discards. I also put fire ash on top. This is hemp / organic cotton fabric that I had previously (as in a year+ ago!) stitched with silk thread. There are lovely little speckles from the coffee grains within the purple shades. And little bits of brownish as well. I did put some old rusty falling apart metal sheeting - not sure if that actually made much difference or not.

I know that I put too many different things in one pot, to get clear conclusions of what gives what colour, etc. But as it's the first dyeing I've done for a while I was excited to just be putting things in. Now that I have some lovely, pleasing results (and not just mucky brown), I'm going to start being more methodical in my process. Here goes with the journalling....

*note: these pieces hung in the Winter sun for a full day, and faded quite dramatically. The were not pre- or post-mordanted at all. So, I'll be doing some more experimenting with what to use to keep the colour strong and not fade so easily. I've sent Sam into town searching for some alum.

tuesdays moments

2011-07-12T15:35:00.000+10:00

+ i'm listening to Tiny Ruins - beautiful voice, music and sounds (especially for the head space i'm in right now)

+ i'm enjoying another cup of gen mai tea
+ i'm at my dads house, in the cold afternoon air
+ i'm looking forward to going down the hill to my house and lighting the fire and curling in for the night
+ i've been doing a little rejigging on my blog - do you read this in some reader form, head on over and check out the new set-up + pretty header image
+ i'm enjoying the quiet, slow, soft moments of the past few days with my family away and just the cat and me at home
+ the weather is continuing to be gloriously beautiful with clear clear blue skies and cold nights
+ the moon is slowly moving back to full again
+ i've been doing some small starts of some solar dyeing - some pieces of fabric folded into jars with assortments of things

i'm exploring experimenting adventuring and enjoying in a quiet way. i'm feeling a creativity slowly start back again, and learning to fit that into the quiet slow (busy) of the rest of my life. to work within what i have. i'm being inspired and encouraged that i'm not the only one.
*photos are an assortment from the past few days - from the proper big camera and the phone camera (including instagram images)

::

2011-07-09T13:17:00.000+10:00

i still smell like campfire

in my hair and my coat and on my skin

i am breathing

barely.

today. slowly. my head in a dusty haze. in a swimming mist.

i am softly. quietly.

last night a long time old family friend..........

[i must admit i do not like the phrase past away. i prefer to say that someone died. i am again going through thoughts in my head about how our society doesn't deal with death and dying in an easy way] .............. is gone.

we saw him at the hospital.

we spoke to him

about the chana we had made - he told me to put in those big black cardamom pods -

about the yellow breasted robin visiting our house that morning

about the pitta bird who had broken a forest snail shell on a rock outside his bedroom window the last time he was home

he laughed and joked

he held tightly onto the palm leaves we had brought

he said

'it's not that hard'

scraps from the week

2011-06-29T15:47:00.000+10:00

I am feeling slow, again.
Not much happening around here. I have wanted to do work on the stitching that I started last week (? the week before? days are slipping away). I was allowed to leave my stitching on the table for about a day, then the kids took over and my things were shoved to one side until I packed them up. I am hoping to have some time during the school holidays (only 2 more days of school to go), when Sam takes the kids to Brisbane and I stay here. We'll see.

You may have seen some of these images before, if you've been following me on Instagram or flickr - I'm enjoying the instantness of Instagram (hence the name, of course), and it being already up on screen and online with just a few clicks. And being so close to other people, through their photos has been lovely too. It's a different way of expressing yourself than through a blog. Short little snippets.

I hope you are all enjoying your moments and days. I am still trying to learn how to have patience with things here, and the slowness of our days (and not building, and not having power for sewing machines or much computer time - I generally charge my laptop at my dads and only have as much time until the battery runs out). My ideas and want for a house and a space to work in are jumping out of my head and my heart, and I am hoping and wishing, and living in the future - in a dream at times. One day it will be the now. For now..... I must content with now.

I am working on a new project. Something that doesn't take space in our small house. Something that I can do with my mind and to extend my creativity that seems to be pushing to do things at the moment. You'll have to wait for a while. It's a slow project. Would you expect anymore else from me, at this time of my slow living.

my mind has turned into a slow numb. No wonder I am enjoying driving along the country roads, with a teeny bit of speed under my wheels and some music in my ears - something different to the slow.

texture & colour

2011-06-26T22:50:00.000+10:00

A small collection of some photos. making me happy at this moment {Sunday evening, 10.40pm. The whole house asleep, Ari in his bed, Mishi in our bed, Sam on the couch, Lou (the cat) beside me on the floor in front of the fire. Something or other on the radio in my background mind}.
One week left until school holidays. I am hoping that I'll get something (some work, sewing sewing sewing) done during this week and will have time during the holidays while Sam + the kids are away (visiting Grandma in Brisbane) for some more of my own work.
It is a busy last week of school term, with a dress up day for Story Dogs, an end of term party, parent-teacher meetings, and the endless last minute things I'll need to finalise for preschool.
During this time, Sam and I optimistically stupidly hope to dig and plan and start the construction of our composting toilet. Don't hold your breath about that getting done this week!

Wishing you happy moments, enjoying the colours, textures and shapes within your daily landscapes. xx
PS - if you are following me on Instrgr.am then you'll have seen some of these images before. Are you on Instagr.am too?

morphed

2011-06-25T18:39:00.002+10:00

We've been enjoying playing with the App 'Photosynth'. Some good fun and very interesting images have resulted.

The image ends up flattened when it goes through to the photo album of my phone. When in the Photosynth album you can rotate 360 degrees. Check it out for yourself (if you happen to have one of 'those' phones).

fine, chilly morning

2011-06-19T09:14:00.001+10:00

I am still in bed -hence it doesn't look like this at the moment. {that's our new birthday blanket from L, beautifully hand stitched from Bholu}.
The weather report says fine, chilly morning. That's true - 3degrees C outside this morn. Sam + the kids are sitting in front of the fire having their cereal (breakfast delight) with warm milk and honey from down the road.

I have a busy week ahead -this slow country life seems to be picking speed in certain areas; mostly with me having to be away from home and not here starting building our home.

I just wanted to say a big big heart felt thank you to all of you for stopping by (and baring with all this "slowness"), leaving sweet comments and sharing your life with mine. I enjoy that sharing so much more than I could ever have known when I started this blog so long ago.....

I'll leave you with a joke from my (just about to turn 5) nephew: "what do you call a fossil that doesn't work? ....... Lazy bones".

Enjoy your Sunday my friends.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

falling in love {again}

2011-06-17T07:21:00.001+10:00

Since moving out of the city, and living here in this tiny house surrounded by all this possibility, things have changed and evolved. I mean, within me and my relationships.

I'm finding that I'm falling in love with my husband all over again. But in a new and different way. Not that I ever stopped loving him - never at all ever!

But before now we've never really had 'time' just being together. Haven't been on big adventure holidays together (not backpacking or anything else). Nor done much anything other than just doing 'regular every-day living' :: work, house work, children, shopping, etc etc. Just like any normal couple. Good and wonderful and loving times together, but always other things competing for energy, thoughts, emotions, time.

Now - with neither of us working outside the home (except for all the constant things I seem to keep volunteering for), and both children at school & preschool for five and three days each, we have time together. Living in our tiny home, and not having anywhere to escape - no extra rooms (no bedroom, study, etc) and no computers or internet to take our time away. Now we are together. Talking and working alongside each other.

We are planning and thinking, and planting new trees, or pulling weeds or discovering more ant nests around the yard. We are sitting inside watching the rain pool outside our door. We both point out the little birds flying about to each other. Or count the leaves left on the tree and marvel together for the hundredth time how much we both love that tree. And sit quietly together enjoying those moments of being part of something else.

Part of something else together.

I am falling in love with my husband all over again. In a new way.

the tree :: watching this season evolve :: Winter

2011-06-16T08:22:00.003+10:00

{From top. 1- Taken September last year. 2- Taken mid-May this year. 3- Taken late-May this year}

{taken early June}

{taken late March, when we collected the fruits. blogged here}

{taken early February this year, when we first moved down here - look at all that over grown grass and bracken fern that Sam has steadily mowed and cut to give an almost lawn}

This tree has been a constant in our day. Watching, enjoying, being inspired by.
I've taken lots of photos of it at some times, and then none at other times. Perhaps I will document it with a weekly photo - at some stage. Maybe when the Spring new growth bursts forth; a good time to begin a new project, no?

We collected sweet persimmons from the tree earlier this year. Took some lovely shimmery images of the fruit, and the collecting people (Mishi + Sam).
We've spent the past few months sitting on our little verandah and watching the leaves first turn golden and yellow and some orange or red. Then watching them flutter off - sometimes one by one, sometimes in a big big gust of Autumn breeze that showers handfuls to the ground below. Slowly slowly. And then there were only a handful left on the branches. Like the little yellow leaf, some clung on longer than others. And slower still, until there were none left.

And then the kookaburras came to visit. Two and three at a time. Sitting in the bare branches and spying the ground, watching for worms to swoop down on.

It's been good to watch the Autumn then Winter slip into our little part of the world here, by way of the visual reference of nature around us.

Don't be surprised if these trees feature in some new designs of ours, at some stage or other. {When we move past this phase of 'not working' - which I'm optimistically calling 'gathering, collecting inspiration' stage. Or alternatively the time of rest that every tree, plant, flower, animal, human does need at some time in their life}.

scraps, stitching, tea & the start of a dress

2011-06-15T13:59:00.001+10:00

This morning, while driving home from dropping kids at school + preschool, I passed my dad + Sam going in the other direction. Last minute plans meant Sam was spending the day helping my dad do some building on a job my dads working on.

That meant a day at home alone, for me!

A long chat to my sister on the phone, the first of many cups of gen Mai (green tea with burnt rice - very yum). I picked up the piles of clothes those children leave everywhere, swept the floors, shook the rugs, a few other little jobs.

Then some inspirations and thoughts jumped into my mind. And here I am with fabric, scissors, needle and thread in front of me.

I'm hoping to get to my sewing machine tomorrow so I can stitch this up properly and turn it into the dress that's in my mind. Stay tuned for more.......

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

stitching :: planned mistakes

2011-06-14T08:23:00.005+10:00

I have two slow stitching projects on the go at the moment.
I'm calling them 'slow' for two reasons :: firstly they are taking me time to pick them up between stitching days and get working on them, secondly because I am working by hand on them both.

Crochet, of course, is always by hand (rather than machine) - but I think it's the process which which I'm working it, that's making it feel slower and more by hand than usual, for me. This is the piece* that I started last year, sometime. I took it with me to the Brisbane school pick-up and drop-offs, standing there waiting and stitching row upon row upon row. Straight rows, one after the other. Occasional double crochet added, but mainly single crochet stitch after stitch. I got bored with it. I love the organic wool. I love the feel, and the colours. But I got bored stitching row after row and wondering when (if) it would ever get to a suitable size to be called a blanket - rather than a big scarf. So I unraveled it. All three+ balls of it - the kids helped me to pull and then wind it all up into one big ball.
Now I am stitching in the round. It started as a spiral, then morphed into circles. It's meant to have stepping ups to the next row - but generally it doesn't. So there's a lot of mistakes. But that doesn't matter to me. It's happening. Enjoyably. Fairly quickly - slowly or not at all at some times. Of course it won't be ready for this Winter - but that's okay. Perhaps next Winter we'll have it in our new house, to snuggle under in a new room, on a new couch (or some sort of thing to sit on, depending on funds at the end of building!).

Hand stitching these pieces together is fun. Giving me the freedom to allow myself to stitch loose and big and not at all in any sense of 'perfection'. At the moment I've lost the needle somewhere within a pile of fabric, but next week (or even this afternoon) I'll find it again and pick it up and start stitching some more. These warm flannel fabrics are lovely to work with, and easy to imagine joining the crochet blanket next year in that new house of ours - despite the fact the colours won't match at all. All I did was cut the big squares (don't know the sizes, as my tape measure is packed somewhere in a box, with the spare sewing needles and extra threads) into quarters, and now am stitching them back together in different colour variations. I'm working on all reds / pinks together, all yellowy / orangey / pinks and then the blues / greens together. Once they're working into bigger squares of block colours, I'll arrange it again and see how the colours + patterns work together. I'm doing it without thinking too much, or more to the point, without overthinking it (Something I do too much, too often). It won't be perfect - but that's good. I'm aiming for not perfect. I'm even assuming and planning for the fact that I'll probably have to do repair work on my wonky, loose stitching at some stage (perhaps even in it's first year of use).

Planned mistakes, letting things evolve as they happen - stitch by stitch, row by row (either crochet wool or stitched cotton fabric). That's a good thing to do sometimes. Letting my hands work slowly, happily bit by bit by bit by moments at a time......

{I'll find the pieces I'm working on, along with the camera, and the correct sunshine lighting, and the spare moment - possibly with or without little hands in the frame - and show you the actual stitches that are happening. Rather than the before shots - before it was unraveled, and before it was cut}

*Looking back on that blog post, and seeing the drawn plans for our home. How lovely - of course, there have been at least a half dozen or more reinterpretations of the ideas since then. But always, always, with a room of my own.

patience {slow}

2011-06-13T08:06:00.001+10:00

{sweet pea shoots}

{new strawberry plants -

they now have straw on them, to keep them warm during these cold nights}

{one garden bed at a time}

{the blueberry leaves turning their glorious red hues}

{our little home, viewed through the treeferns, blueberry plant, and tree waratah}

Some days around here we all wonder if we are actually living in the 21st Century. Of course, it's a silly thing, but currently we are having to learn to live within a slow time scale of life.

With :: no electricity (which means no television, limited phone charging options, short computer time) :: an outside shower (it's Winter and windy here) :: candles & torches to cook dinner (on a gas camping stove), to eat dinner and to read :: a bucket for a toilet (that needs a big hole dug every few weeks or so to empty). We do have a radio, which seems to only tune into either the country channel or mostly Triple J (which has a bit too much drum beat and such for me, but on some occasions has some good songs to listen to and also regular news updates and most importantly no adverts).

Surprisingly both children have easily fitting into having no tv. They do on rare occasions play games on our phones (if we have enough power charged up).

We are mostly happy to sit and read (endless trips to the town library, and great reads from Ari's school library). There's been lots of chapter book reading around here with the whole family involved, sitting around our fireplace - currently Milly Molly Mandy. And a big favourite with us all (Sam included) was Where the Mountain meets the Moon - highly recommended by us all!

Watching kookaburras visit our now bare persimmon trees, listening to the little fairy wrens, finches and other small birds, waiting for the call of the black cockatoos overhead, or gazing at the native pigeons circling around. Being intrigued by the call of a fox in the forest, or excited by the sighting of a powerful owl in the yard.

Slowly I am tending patches of soil, and planting seeds and seedlings. Strawberry plants were put in last week - I am dreaming of eating luscious warm fruits plucked straight from the garden in Summer. Raspberries will go in soon, and the blueberry is doing it's thing well enough on it's own (as it has been for the past few years). The sweet peas are growing steadily - I can't wait for the flowers, though I know it will be some time off yet.

Being slow, and learning to have patience for things is a good thing. Learning to settle in to where we are and enjoy the day-to-day pleasures and joys. To be excited about the seedlings springing forth, and watch their growth slowly - to imagine them in the warmer months, to think about the 60 days until harvest of the cauliflowers or broccoli, but to also just stop and watch and patiently wait for the slow passing of time. To enjoy the slow passing of time.

I know I've been talking about SLOW a lot lately, but it's where I'm at.
:: Slow stitching - by hand with a needle and crochet hook at different times
:: Slow cooking
:: Slow nights - quiet and dark by the fireside
:: Slow days in town looking through op-shops
:: Slow breathing (at times... still working on that one)
:: Slow growing

....... slow being........

right now

2011-06-11T12:53:00.002+10:00

These photos all taken inside today. Dark inside, where I was / am. Sunshine was outside; it passed me by today.

I was sitting by the bedside of an elderly neighbour while her carer /partner went to town for food and a short time out. While it was an easy day, I am not an excellent "carer" and cannot make endless chatter with someone I barely know. The hours quietly slowly slipped by for us both. (photos are my current crochet project, I'll show you more another time and the Lino flooring at Eileen's house).

And now afternoon tea with the two little ones home from school. Gen Mai green tea. Bread, local honey and fresh ricotta cheese. On our pretty plates, saucers and cups - most of them from the local op-shops (a perk of small towns is the cheaper op-shops).

Now I am sitting by the fire. It is predicted to be another cold night tonight, down to 3C.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

better than school {sunshine, smiles, singing, sand, shells, sea}

2011-06-01T23:20:00.002+10:00

They all start with 's', but our tiny couple of hours at the beach was better than school.
We stayed Monday night at my grandmas and were meant to head back to school and home again on Tuesday morning; but Ari had other ideas.
Me being the pushover mama meant that we ended up at the beach instead of school. In fact, I'm not totally a pushover - I just know the benefits of the beach instead of school -for all involved.

The sky was glorious. The sun was shimmering across the water in the moat wonderful way - all silvery sparkling.

Mishi sang songs the whole time. She saw so many of her mermaid friends - "my friend Mermaid Wave and Mermaid Rainbow and Mermaid Sparkle.....". A whole lot of them, though I was sad that Ari and I didn't see any.

We found a little sheltered bay part, where the waves where smaller and there were mermaid castle rocks. Those two little ones of mine could have played all day. (I had to get back to town and do boring things like vege shopping and be home in time to start the fire and cook dinner....).

We collected shells and rocks. We smiled and sang and soaked up all that sunshine, oceany goodness. Oh what a glorious thing to be able to do with my two precious ones.

It was the last day of Autumn - doesn't the sky look so Summery. How lucky we are to have our Winters mostly mild enough for some brief ocean dipping.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

about being here

2011-05-31T09:48:00.000+10:00

The longer I stay away from this blog, the harder it seems to come back again. I'm staying away mostly because I can't easily be here - no electricity to charge my computer (except irregular walks up to my dads house for mains power). Our house is dark at night time, except for candle light and dull solar garden lamps. We all cuddle up to our fireplace, and read then fall asleep at a terribly early hour of the evening.

I am so missing being here; in blogland. With you, my blogland friends. Thank you those who are still visiting - one day {soon??!!} I'll be back again with more regularity. I do promise.

For now it's just quiet.

We are doing lots of yard work. While weeding gardens I am dreaming about the raspberries and strawberries I will plant, or the tomatoes we will grow - I plan on having so many that I'll be bottling them for the Winter time. We do have some little sweet peas that are growing strongly; I am watching them each day with anticipation for Spring and when they'll be big and start to sweetly bloom. Sam is mowing and cutting grass, making trails and paths and cleared area around the house and further into the bush, up to the dam, across the paddock. Finding the most marvellous mushrooms and fungi.

I am still drawing endlessly changing house plans. Ever watching where the sun is moving across the sky; wondering the best spot to build the bathroom, or a sun catching-morning coffee spot, or how to get good light into all the rooms. Soon soon, I am ever hopeful that soon we will start building.

Working and making and drawing and sewing and designing have mostly taken a backseat to just being and enjoying and watching and weeding and collecting water from the creek. Though lots of dreaming and ideas and thinking and mulling and pondering........... Soon soon... {As long as there isn't another b****y preschool committee meeting again anytime soon! Words of warning - once you step up and offer any slight bit of 'yes, I can do that' at a community pre/school you'll be called upon to do it always....}.

Winter is here in two days. The cold has crept in, and we've been having a fire every night how. Sam is getting very good at chopping the wood and making the fire go. The kids and I go off into the forest and collect the kindling - which I am finding strangely meditative {despite the fact that my dad had the hardest time getting me and my sister to do it when we were kids. The hardest time! My kids are acting quite similar to that}.

I must admit the slow and quiet is suiting me well. I find that I am more relaxed and less anxious about things (like the silliness I sometimes bring up in myself when looking at other blogs, websites, lives, etc...). Being away from here is a good way to just be and enjoy and be happy and content with myself and with the small things I have.

{We cut Mishi's hair - too many knots and not letting us brush it or tie it up.

The new bob cut is perfect on her, still tucks behind her ears and is easy to manage.}

{A beautiful stack of fabric that I've finally started working with. Hand stitching pieces, which I'm enjoying so so so much. Hopefully I'll have something finished to show you soon - it's actually going quite quickly, despite my messy hand stitches}.

lovely things today

2011-05-21T15:33:00.000+10:00

it's raining again here. quiet and thoughtful mood. i have lots of things i want to post about - but no photos to share (camera isn't with me at the moment..), so instead i want to show you some beautiful images i am enjoying around the web today. {just a very small selection, mind you - there's always more over here, if you want....}

{sweet crochet mushrooms, by Kate from Greedy For Colour.}

{glorious curtains + colours, from my collections of links - forgotten where, sorry}

{this beautiful bedroom scene, from Flora Douville}

{these peonies from House on Hill Road - they look like ballerina dresses.

i so wish we could grow these here}

{this amazing, divine, dreamy scene from Tim Walker}

{this image from the soon-to-be released "Second Skin" by India Flint}

{from Rummage. oh - no words to describe how this makes me feel}

*all images used with big thanks from the original sources.

{selvedge}

2011-05-20T12:40:00.001+10:00

My dad just dropped off our mail, from the post box in town. I hadn't even realised that I was due the Selvedge magazine. A lovely surprise.
I've downed my hand stitching that I'm working on to sit and flip through the richly varied pages.
I enjoy how Selvedge has a combination of modern and current alongside history. Inspiration in each page, image, word.

It's been raining again here; overcast today and coldish. We are all still sick with the sniffles.
I am enjoying the soft quiet of the day (except Sam is mowing now; but that is necessary), and the slowness of my routines and daily happenings. I am working on a hand stitched piece, that is making me happy while I work, and to think about it being finished and being used. I do hope you are having pleasant and contented days.

some lovely wedding-ness

2011-05-17T20:18:00.000+10:00

{don't you just love his socks pocking out....}

Here are just a few images that I took at Ben & Jo's wedding last week.

It was held at beautiful Customs, along Brisbane river, in the city. Such a spectacular location. And of course, the wedding couple were sweet and lovely together, and Jo looked very very elegant and classically beautiful in her dress. It was a perfect silhouette on her, with special princess detailing.

A big rain storm came across only half an hour before Jo was due to arrived, but thankfully it was all over before she got there. (The wedding staff were frantically mopping the red carpet outside!). It did mean there was a bit of wind and was a bit cool after the ceremony. But then, without the wind, I wouldn't have snapped these few spectacular images - clicked quickly as I came around the corner to bring the kids (flower girl + page boy), so they could all walk down the aisle together.

These ones of my two sweet little ones were taken before the wedding. On the red carpet of the front steps, and also upstairs in the little room we sat in, while quietly waiting for the bride to arrive (and not dirty the white outfit....). What sweetness, don't you think?

I love the light shinning through her dress, as she preened herself, and poufed the layers up.

And finally, one of Sam and me. There were barely any taken of us, which was a bit of a pity - the last time I saw Sam in a suit was at our wedding! The lighting isn't excellent in this one, but I am smiling... My necklace was a beautiful piece we found, at the last minute, at Beads and Beads in the city. It's rock crystal pieces, very rough and spiky. I got the lady to make an extra bit that hung down my back as well. Something I'll wear again for sure.

the sunshine and Mother's Day

2011-05-11T22:09:00.000+10:00

This morning, after Ari went off to school, I went in search of some sunshine. Our little house sits under some big beautiful Hoop Pine trees, which cast a little bit too much morning shade. But as they are giant, and old and native and simply beautiful - the trees are staying exactly where they are. Which means that we need to move around to follow the sun.

We set up a little table, for our second morning coffee, and Mishi's teddy friends came to visit.

What a beautiful time sitting in the morning sun, soaking it into our body. Chatting and reading (Papier Mache magazine's first print issue. What lush images, styling and clothing, and sweet sweet children), and moving our chairs around as the sun moves around.

And on Mother's Day just gone, I did have a delightfully lovely day. I was sick with a head cold, and spent as much time in bed as was allowed. I kept getting jumped on by excited little creatures who wanted to tell me they loved me, and give me cuddles. And of course, I got up to sit in the sun and warm myself up. What a lizard I'm becoming.

While I was sick (still am), Sam looked after us all. He stocked up the fire and got it going again, and made breakfast and good warm drinks that sick people should drink (grated ginger and honey). And he made lunch, and dinner, and swept the floor, and did the washing up. Not sure if it was because I was sick, or due to it being Mother's Day, or simply because he loves me?

He also made a beautiful ikebana display for our table. It was my Mother's Day gift from him. Made with flowers, seedpods and leaves collected from the garden. Such a simple and beautiful work of art.

Little beautiful Ari boy presented me with a sweetly wrapped, and perfectly written card. Each year at school they have a special persons stall where the kids take along some money and buy a gift for their mother / father / grandparents / etc. They are so excited to choose something all by themselves (with some help, perhaps, by the teachers), and then give it their loved one. Ari could barely wait to give me his gift. It's a little ceramic mother birdy, that he chose so thoughtfully and with great care. Mostly it's not the gift they choose, but the excitement with which they present it; but it's so so lovely to see him growing into a person who can look at things and think through what I would like best. I do know a few mamas who received body care lotions and such.

Right now, as a Mama to two independent, inspiring, thinking, intelligent, artistic and active children, I am so happy where I am. I look around the table at our evening meal shared together, and feel joy and contentment swell within me. While there are many challenging and troublesome moments in our days, there are also so many moments of sheer happiness, giggling fun, or perfect raw contentment.

{For me, I think - I aim to be contented in life, more than happiness. While happiness really is a most delicious emotion to feel, it is fleeting, and we always seem to be searching for it. Contentment often slips up, quietly unannounced, and stays warmly in my heart for a long time. A soft ebb that flows earnestly throughout my days. It warms me more to realise I am at ease with where I am, I am content and satisfied, rather than always yearning and aching for the next high of happiness}.

This was written yesterday, Tuesday, but due to photos being on camera and me being lazy, it's only posting today.

the kids clothes challenge

2011-05-10T15:44:00.001+10:00

Well, this is the week for Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge.

I'm not sure it's going to happen for me this week. As no cutting, planning, pinning or least of all sewing was done on Monday or Tuesday, and none is planned for Wednesday or Thursday (and then I'll be at preschool all day Friday); seems as if the weeks a bit of a write-off. Of course, I'm going to make excuses for myself, why wouldn't I!

{images are all from Elsie Marley. Top two are Mani Mina, bottom left Much Too Sweet,

bottom right from Pinterest; looking for original link!}

My big excuses :: I really do have barely any space in our tiny house for storing of fabric (it's all in the shipping container, stacked in boxes), and there's no light what-so-ever at night time to see anything, barely to read a book at all. Sewing machine is at my dads (where the electricity is), and while I know he won't at all mind me being there to sew, I do know he won't be too keen on me leaving my stuff all over the place.

I had planned on making them both a dressing gown from the Amy Butler pattern, but have searched high and low for some decent flannel fabric. I did not get enough time in Brisbane to check out the range at the dreaded Spotlight, and our local fabric shop has the more boring and uninspiring selection of any sort of fabric at all, ever. And without being able to feel the weight of a flannel I'm not sure that it will actually be warm enough for our Winter - which means barely any use buying, cutting, sewing. I do love Anna Maria's flannel fabrics, but they are awfully hard to find in Australia's stores (either online or in my local vicinity), at least not in the designs we like best. I do have the full collection stack, cut into fat quarters (purchased from AMH's shop), and I did consider getting something from there; but she seems to only do her fabrics in pre-chosen pairs. I wasn't really keen on spending $50+ per dressing gown...

One more excuse is that if I do manage to make it to the sewing machine any time in the next few weeks (months, eeekkk??), I really should be making something for Red Seed. You know, that business I'm trying to run. Well, we'll talk about that another time, maybe. {There are things being planned, planned, and over-planned, just nothing being done}.

Ari does need an apron for his Kids in the Kitchen class on Friday, and I believe that that is something I can manage. A simple apron. All I have to do is cross my fingers that I have some suitable fabric and can find it somewhere in the storage....

In the meantime there is so much delightfully wonderful inspiration over at Elsie Marley's blog, with some beautiful images that I'm adding to my 'clothes for the little ones' Pinterest collection. Oh, I'm loving the colours in these pieces - wow! Kids clothes are just the most fun.

Some time in the {near :: distant :: unknown} future I'll have my sewing machine, and my own space again to put my dreams and ideas into practice. In the meantime, while living in our little house, I am enjoying our family time, and lots of early nights to bed and reading with a torch. {I've just 'labeled' this post under sewing. I think I really should have a 'not sewing' label as well, don't you agree?}.

in our {old} city

2011-05-07T18:08:00.001+10:00

Last week we were in Brisbane for the wedding of my brother-in-law to my new (finally!) sister-in-law.

Our week was busy and rushed, with lots of wedding prep, sewing ring pillow, shoe-size changes for the little ones flower girl outfit, and my wedding-guest dress outfit disaster needing to redo my whole outfit two days before the wedding.

In between all this we had some lovely moments exploring our old city of Brisbane. Sometimes lovely to be tourists in a place you know fairly well. We stayed a few nights (for wedding purposes) in serviced apartments in the city; always good to 'need to' stay at a lovely hotel. And especially considering our bedding & bathing conditions back at home (one big room, where the kids sleep less than a metre away from us; and an outside shower, which while lovely and hot isn't the most luxurious).

The view from our big balcony was quite lovely. I actually was up at 5am with the camera to capture these images. They are mostly a bit sort of blurry or "moody" as they are all shot hand held and with super slow speed, and I've done nothing to edit them. Didn't get up as early the next morning (big night at the wedding, and then a bottle of sparkling bubbly finished off at the hotel later on!).

While walking along the riverwalk, the kids and I came across the enchanting HMB Endeavour anchored in (is that what you say?). We really wanted to go aboard, which you could do (for a reasonable fee), but our Brisbane days had run out, and the opening hours were over. We enjoyed watching the setting sun between those spectacular masts, and talked about all that may have gone on while on board in the olden days. Make sure you visit their website, as it seems Brisbane was the start of the Australia-wide tour, and you may find you'll be nearby a port one day. If you happen to hop on board, please take some photos and share the moments with us as well. {Perhaps we could plan a holiday around a future port call? Hobart? Melbourne?}.

I must admit that I was very impressed by the fact that the whole Riverside area had been totally fixed up since the January floods. A lot of damage was done there, with many restaurants having to be closed for the past three months.

Sometimes it really is fun to be a tourist in your own city. You must try it - do take us along on the journey, won't you!

{books} colour inspiration

2011-04-20T21:24:00.002+10:00

Going through the shelf of library books; making sure I've read them all before they go back.

Lots of beautiful rich lush full colour and pattern inspiration here. Images above are from Shannon Fricke's book "Sense of Style - Colour". Images below are all from Tricia Guild's "Pattern".

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

kids clothes week challenge

2011-04-19T16:57:00.000+10:00

Elsie Marley has her KCWC (Kids Clothes Week Challenge) on again. I'm trying to decide if I can commit to doing it or not. Perhaps it'll be the perfect boost to getting something done.

I've been playing on Pinterest these past few days, and have started a board filled with inspiration for clothing for the little ones. There are some very very pretty things over there, do have a look. Lots of girly things, of course. So, I am on the search for some boyish things too.

When I got the Weekender pattern, I also bought the Little Splashes pattern as well. I plan on making it into a dressing gown for each kid, as well as a raincoat - in this wet, cold Wintry weather we've been having these will be worn lots. I've yet to get fabric for both those projects. Do you know how hard it is to find boy fabric that isn't babyish or grey/car/guns/etc? Especially in laminated oilcloth and flannel fabrics.

Both kids also need some more warm long pants + tops, for our just.about.on.us Winter cold. They've both suddenly gained a lot of extra length in their legs. Ari particularly has grown out of his pants; while Mishi's dresses are just much shorter (and look very cute over colourful tights). I found some stretch cottons at the op-shop last week, that would be good for making into tights for them both. {Am currently having conversations about how boys actually can wear tights if they want, and it's not just for girls!}. I may also aim for another nighty like this one I made last year, that's still being worn even right now as I'm typing. And these pants look like they'd be worn quite a bit by my boy - they're very similar to some I made a few years ago for one or other of the kids.

Seeing as how the challenge is to encourage about an hour of sewing each day, I know that realistically this is even more than I can make in a week. So, really, it's no use planning or listing more, is it? The kids will be back at school and (3 days per week) preschool by the time the challenge starts; which makes it much easier to know I'll have time on my own with fabric and a sewing machine. I'll cut out the patterns / fabric in the evening on our kitchen table, then up to my dads once the school drop off is done (and the second coffee of the day!) to sit and sew for a while.

Are you joining the challenge as well? I'd love to see what you've got planned, and how you progress throughout the week.

planning the Weekender

2011-04-18T15:25:00.000+10:00

Since we've moved out of Brisbane, I think we've been away for more weekend (or longer) trips in the past few months, than ever before. Sam + the kids have been to Brisbane (without me) at least 2-3 times; I've been with them another 3 or so times. That's 6+ times (in the past 3 months) of packing clothes for four people into a random assortment of bags, baskets, totes.

I decided, last time, while packing all the clothes (do you always take more than necessary for a long weekend visit?), that I really needed to change the bag situation. You'd think, wouldn't you, that we'd really have enough bags in our belongings. But none seem just suitable for a weekend away.

Finally, after a little bit of research, I decided to actually buy a new paper pattern. I normally don't like buying single patterns, as they are so much more expensive than a whole pattern book. But I've heard (read) good things about Amy Butler patterns, and really wanted this very specific Weekender Travel Bag. {I got mine from Kelani Fabric, who always has excellent speedy and free postage - within Australia. And a lovely website to browse through as well}.

I've read through the pattern about twice now, and it seems quite easy and very do-able. I must admit I've scared about the piping/cording - as I know I won't sew it as perfectly as I want to. There are some excellent tips from other sewers around. The scarier thing is that most of them say how hard, and what a challenge, this bag was to sew, even for experienced sewers. Not because of the pattern or the bag, but because of all the layers of fabric, interfacing + Peltex / Timtex that has to go through the machine. The excellent thing is that everyone says that even after the challenge (and swearing, unpicking, ripping out, hours of cutting the fabrics) they still love their bag.

I'm hoping I love it so much that I want to sew more than one. As I'm planning one for myself, and one each for the kids. And I've already been asked to make one for someone else (she even offered to have my kids while I sewed it).

These are some posts that have really urged me on. here. here {love the fabric}. here. here {cute styling}. and here {great idea; extend zip so bag opens wider}. and here as well. oh and here and here as well. There are a lot of Weekender Travel Bags out there; I do hope at least some of them are going on regular holidays and not languishing in the wardrobe (though this is pretty languishing, isn't it).

My biggest challenges right now are ::

:: I can't decide what fabric to use.

> I'm thinking of going with this Heather Ross Sleeping Beauty in grey linen. But only using it for the main outside pockets, and using a darker linen (which I have yet to find) for the rest of the bag body. But I'm really not sure if I'll get bored of the fabric after a short while; is it too cutesy?

> I've also been thinking of some Ikea fabric (though I don't even know what may be in store when I get there). But this involves going to Ikea; which I dread dread dread and don't have time to do on my next Brisbane trip. Ikea fabric is such an excellent bold design, cheap in price, but good quality woven fabric. But, I sometimes feel.think that it's sometimes just a bit too obvious. Is that a bad thing?

> And right now, I've just seen this Poppy fabric, over at Tree Fall. It's so pretty, and vintagey. I'm not at all sure if it's my colours - but then, does that really matter too much for a travel bag? Using piping in any of those four colours (yellow, light blue, dark blue or grey) would make a big difference to the finished look. {It's grey and raining here today, and cold.cold; this fabric is making me sunshine happy. Plus it's only about $9 yard}.

> Oh, and this is organic cotton, and such a great print. All Heather Moore's designs are excellent, aren't they.

> If you can suggest anything - please let me know. I think I'll never start the making, due to the planning!

:: Setting up my sewing machine involves finding the sewing foot in a box in the shipping container. I'm quite sure it's just there, out of reach, under something else. At least I know that I did label all my boxes.

:: It also involves going up the hill to my dad's house - as he has electricity and we don't. Which involves waiting until the kids are somewhere else, or with someone else (and not on school holidays).

:: I have other sewing to do that NEEDS to be completed this week. A little tulle underskirt for Mishi's flower girl outfit, and the ring pillow that Ari (the pageboy) will carry down the aisle. Both for my brother-in-law + sister-in-law's (to be) wedding at the end of this month.

Until I start the cutting and stitching - there's a lot of dreaming and wishing happening around here. And lots more 'research' (you know the sort.... hours lost in looking for just the right fabric).

*Images from each fabric website listed. Others are Amy Butler images.

in the countryside

2011-04-07T09:50:00.001+10:00

Good morning. Sunshine. The view from the car window.
Life in the countryside has some pretty scenery.

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and the sun streamed in like butterscotch....

2011-04-06T16:59:00.000+10:00

just as i was strolling out the door to pick the boy up from the bus stop,
the sun streamed in the window
like butterscotch.

do you know that song? {you can hear it here}*
i think of it at moments like this. with the sun coming out from behind the dark clouds that have been dotting our skies lately. and the strong light shines in. if only momentarily.

this was the scene on our table. with the sun shining on it. and me heading out to the bus.

and of course, the kids come home from school / preschool and things change.shift.the sun goes away. the afternoon fades towards evening.bed.sleep. tomorrow.again.
and some times some moments during that time we have a moment.one little moment, perhaps two or more of contentment or peace or just to be. but sometimes not.

{these lovelies are from outside, in our 'garden'. the yellows are weeds, which burst open. the seedpods are the most amazing little shapes that look like woven baskets holding their seeds}

*I have just decided that I need to now get all of Joni's music, some how or other... raid my Dad's CD draw perhaps!

one of the best things

2011-03-31T09:53:00.001+10:00

One of the best things of all is standing in the warming sunshine. Letting it soak into your body and soul and essense. Just stopping and letting it happen. And breathing.

And stripping all the beds, hanging bedding out to air. New freshly made beds to climb into tonight.

Enjoy your day my friends.

{what intense images from the sun, from the glow around it.}

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about today

2011-03-30T21:47:00.000+10:00

this morning did not really go so well.
the big boy (my nephew who has been staying with us for almost three weeks now) and i had some not so nice words with each other, in not so very nice voices.
i did not react to his behaviour the way i knew.know i should. i forgot to breathe. to stop and breathe. to stop and remember the little quote on the side-bar of my blog {it's in the side-bar of my brain as well}.

Between stimulus and response there is a space.

In that space is our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Viktor E. Frankl

I have to keep reminding myself about how to respond to all situations. Right now, that is my journey, my lessons. I am trying. To remember. Trying to breathe.

We did hug, when I dropped him off at school. I saw the tears in his eyes, and felt the tearing in my heart. I tried to smile with my heart, to his heart, with my eye to his eye.

Later, when I was home, in the few quiet hours between the preschool committee meeting, and then the back to pick everyone up afternoon routine, I did stop and breathe. On my own, in the quiet of the house, by myself. I let the quiet, rainy day wash over me and ease me. I let the guilt go, the anger, the upset at the situation having got to the point it got to. I tried to remind myself that I need to breathe, when I'm in the situation. {And when this afternoon came, and there was still some anger from the big.little boy, I did breathe, and talked to him in a good and calm voice}.

Right now, bed is calling me. There are two little children and one cat in there, waiting for me. (With Sam in Brisbane for a few nights, the kids have clambered into bed with me; and let me tell you, I love it - their warm little bodies, feeling their dreams skitter about in their sleep. I have such wonderful memories of sleeping in the bed with my own mama). The rain is falling on our tin roof. A good sound, despite the fact that it means the outside will be muddy, and the grass too wet to mow, too high to run easily in. (And more more more rain means house building ideas slip week by week along....).

Tomorrow will start all over again. And tomorrow, I will try harder to breathe. To remember my response and reaction.

These are some photos that I took today, while having my lunch. My eggs were slightly more than the just slightly soft boiled that I like them; I think due to stopping to take photos and not peeling them straight away. But they were still nourishingly good anyway. Isn't that an intense orange - need I even say that they are local and free-range (though not our own, yet. I am still waiting to build a chook pen and bring some hens home).
This little purple lilac bloom was the only one of the whole plant. I told the girl to not pick it, to let it be and enjoy it, to see if any more would grow. I was watching while I walked past each day. But she picked it - she does so like picking little blossoms and blooms and bringing them in to place in a glass, jar or other vessel for us to look at. And you know what - each day I was walked right past looking at the mass of flowers (all three blooms that there are!), but not appreciating the detail. Now that they are sitting on our table, I am looking and so enjoying seeing those delicate petals.lines.shapes.colours up close. One looks as if someone has done the most delicate of embroidery stitches along the petal seamline, with the prettiest of thread colours. I keep expecting to see fairy silver dust sprinkled upon it!

frost

2011-03-29T13:18:00.001+10:00

The girl and I are having hot cocoa. We whiz the milk up with a little battery whisk machine. Frosty cocoa is very good.

In NZ they call them 'fluffies', here in Australia we call them babycinos. Well, when you're at a cafe anyway.

At home we made simple yummy hot cocoa. We just use Cadbury cocoa powder, would love to say that we use organic, but really our budget doesn't stretch that far for cocoa. We mix it with a little sugar and warmed half milk / half water.

Just so you know, the girl posed and directed all these photos, she wanted me to take more and more. She is a little poser, that's for sure!

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oh toasty toasty {inspiration}

2011-03-29T07:23:00.002+10:00

Last week, Sam came home from town, with the mail*, and handed me the two new catalogues from Toast. I know I've mentioned these lovely lovely catalogues before. Check them out, please do. They send these for free.

The styling is so so me. I love every bit of it. The mood, the colours, the light. And oh those settings. One of the big things about living in this country of mine (Australia), is that we are so far away from places like Morocco, Spain, France, Italy....

Toast, being a UK company, can just flit off there for their photo shoots. Oh. Oh. Oh. Those locations.

I really love the styling, and never realised before my Shannon Fricke workshop, that it was by Twig Hutchinson. Oh, have a look over at her site. Now. I'm waiting here for you to look.

Anyway. I'm loving looking through the Toast catalogues, both the house&home and the Early Spring fashion one. Simply lovely. And so so continually inspiring. I have the Christmas one on my bookshelf, and flip through it often - to gaze at the luscious deep velvet dresses and shoes and.....

* Now that we live in the 'country' we have a mail box in town, at the main post office. This means no daily mail box check, only whenever we go into town once or twice a week. Sometimes I miss that feeling of hearing the mail delivery (wo)man driving down the street and stopping at our mail box, and running outside to check. But, then the up-side is that there's the anticipation of waiting to open the mail box with our key and peer inside the box. Sometimes a parcel slip means we have to head into the post office and hand the slip over, stating our box number, and then waiting while the ladies go off to find our parcel. The anticipation of a parcel......
HA - I just thought..... Does anyone want to do a parcel swap with me. Something little, something special, something thoughtful, something crafty, or a magazine from your country/town...... something something something. Email me if you like this idea {redseedstudio@gmail.com} or leave a comment.

{collecting} fuyu

2011-03-28T07:02:00.004+10:00

this beautiful tree sits quietly in our garden.

going through it's seasonal changes moment by moment.

providing cooling shade during the hot summer months.

loosing it's leaves to allow sunlight for winter.

it's autumn now.

the leaves are turning.

the colours changing.

the fruit.

oh the fruit.

we sit at our kitchen table

and spot bright orange balls of colour

amongst the leaves.

some too high to reach.

left to the birds.

{Sam's going to hate me putting this photo up, but I do think it's fuzzy enough to be ok? Plus, I just wanted you to know the fruit picking help I have around here!! The fuzzy in the centre of the photo is my camera being cold in the humid/cool/wetish mornings around here; she takes a while to warm herself up. Some of the fuzzy photos are turning out with a beautiful moodiness.}

We got out our ladder and climbed up to pluck the firm round fruits from the branch. Persimmons. This is the variety known as fuyu. Can be eaten firm, or soften more. None of us here in this house actually like persimmons; but I must admit that I have been thinking of the other variety (known as hachiya), which is squidgy and stringy, and not at all what I like to put in my mouth. So - perhaps I really do need to retry this fruit. Not now, though. These few we collected we taken this weekend past to Grandma's house (Sam's mum), as she does really like them a whole lot. I hope she gobbled them up with a smile on her face!

If you happen to have a glut of persimmons, you could make them into a jam, I believe. But we had only a few fruits on the whole tree, and even less that we could reach with our ladder.

This tree will turn from green to yellow to orange over the next few days and weeks. Even now as I look, I can see more yellow leaves on the bigger tree, and the little tree has less leaves than last week. For some strange reason, the little/younger tree has shown it's colour earlier; Sam told me he saw the other day a big gust of wind come along and shake a big handful of leaves from the little tree. Isn't that a lovely little image to this about. {Have you read this book? We love it, a good one to add to your Autumn reading list.}

more words?

2011-03-27T10:12:00.000+10:00

I don't have more words today.

There are more words from other days, other years, other memories, other..... lives. Some years I've written lots of words. That was good. At that moment. {this, this, this or this one if you feel like having a little sob about your own losses}.

But right now. On this overcast, rainy day (the sun is trying trying trying to peek out), with the birds around me as company. Not so many words.

eight years. a long time. a blink of an eye.

I do think that being here, on this land. Her land. Is good. For me, right now. It's good. Of course, there's moments when really it's not good either. When the what ifs, the not fairs, the what abouts come bursting forth in my mind. Trying to make a different reality. Can't be done. This is the reality.

Living here. On this land. Without her. With thoughts, and memories, and dreams, and wishes. But without her.

there is much loss in the world, today, as every day. there is grief, and heartwrenching pain, there is throbbing endurance, there is understanding and knowledge, there is mis-understanding. there are wishes, dreams, what ifs, perhapses. and there is knowing that this is just the way. on this day. this day of my days.

i send my love to my dear ones, my family. my long big wide laughing crying crazy beautiful family. all of those of you who are my family. my close, my far, my near, my distant family. those i've had connections with.

i am thinking also of others who are feeling loss today. shared loss. personal loss.

there are many of us who have a moment in our lives.life where something happens and we are forced onto that other existence. to become our parallel being. to not be ourselves anymore. to be the other person that we are. i am myself, but not myself.

in my mind and heart right now. dear friends who are facing.have faced moments of becoming a different person.woman.daughter.mother.father.son.lover.man my love to you today, for today, but also for the future, for the strength, the courage. i am naming you in my heart, my mind, my soul, my love.

"How can we compare sufferings?

Each person's suffering is the most important.

But what enables us to go on?

Only sound, which comes and goes

like water amongst the stones."

Goran Tunstrom

(found in the book "The Mark of the Angel" by Nancy Huston)

important things to do to remind yourself you're still a girl

2011-03-25T23:08:00.000+10:00

> Give your man a really big, long smooch goodbye (cause he's taking the kids away for the weekend, and cause giving your man a big, long smooch is a good thing to do!).
> Pack your basket of things for a night away on your own.
> Remember to include a good book or two to enjoy. And some fresh lemons for your grandma.
> Turn the music up nice and loud.
> Put your sunglasses on. Enjoy the look of the road behind you, in the rearview mirror. And look forward to the road in front with a light heart.

> Drive nice and fast*, with the wind in your hair. Sing as loud as you want, and make sure you tap and bang your fingers on the steering wheel.
> Swing past the post office, in town, just in case there's a nice little treasure for you. (Ooohhh, there is.) Ignore the phone bill that came with it.
> Head on up the coast. Wind, music, sunglasses, mountains all about you. Doesn't the car feel just that little bit lighter without the car seats or the kids.
> Stop off for a dip in the ocean. All on your own. At the best ocean spot in the whole wide entire world. Jump about in the waves for just as long as you want. Feel the sun on your back, as you sit on the sand. All on your own. The sand under your feet as you look for rocks along the water's edge. (Ignore the fact that your body doesn't look exactly the same as it did when you where a girl. Or even a bit younger than you are now....). Wrap your sarong around you, and head on back to the car - don't have to worry about drying/dressing/cleaning sand off any body but yourself.
> Head on further up the coast, just a little bit. To your grandma's house. Visiting your grandma is a good thing to do. You still feel like a girl, even though you are the one now cooking the dinner and cleaning the dishes, compared to her doing it for you when you were a girl.

Being a woman is really really good, of course. But sometimes, being a girl again (of indeterminate age) is really really important.

Enjoy your weekend. I'm staying at my grandma's for just one night, then heading back home for some peace and quiet until the noise arrives back on Sunday afternoon. I'll be lapping up every moment of the quiet that living in the bush brings.

*though of course, not too fast, stick to the speed limit please. One of the good things about country living is those road signs that say 'drive to suit conditions'....

Saturday at our kitchen table

2011-03-19T07:07:00.001+10:00

Food is very important in our family. But more so is the sitting down together and enjoying a beautifully, lovingly cooked meal.
Spending time talking, laughing, enjoying.

Right now, Sam is impressed, surprised, incredulous that I am blogging while I'm cooking pancakes. I tell him I'm a modern woman!

It's never quiet at our kitchen table.

Enjoy your weekend, my friends. And take care to enjoy your loved ones, wherever you may be in this wonderful, scary world of ours. xx
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Friday night at our house

2011-03-18T16:41:00.001+10:00

Dinner made by Sam :: ratatouille, rice + corn chips.

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thoughts from here

2011-03-15T13:00:00.001+10:00

It's the second day of glorious sunshine here - though the rain keeps creeping in.
Washing sheets, towels, tea towels while we can.

We will go to the creek later on; when the boys get off the school bus.

We are sending thoughts, prayers, care, wishes to all those affected in the Japanese earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear reactor meltdowns. Our love to you Dan + Aya.

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afternoon tea & a few good books on the back verandah {or what would you call your autobiography....}

2011-03-10T19:57:00.001+10:00

This is my little styled scene from the Shannon Fricke workshop last week. We did a theme board, using magazine tearsheets. I really like the colour tones.moods I've used; though a lot of the elements aren't quite right. The cushions should be much bigger, it really is out of proportion. And the white pebbles on the ground were putting me off quite a bit (though looking at the image on Shannon's blog they don't look too terrible).

Isn't that old metal tambourine just amazingly beautiful. Shannon had pulled some fantastic treasures from her collections for us to use in our styling. The cushion is from Cloth Fabric, and the little red vessel is from Shannon's new Free Range collection. That piece of blue cloth really reminded me of my mum, as many years ago she hand dyed some similar colour tones onto similar weave fabric; and we had pieces she'd made (cushions and things) around our home while I was growing up. And of course, that roll of twine is so very us - as we use jute and hemp twine in our packaging and always have a few rolls about. Though none of ours are on such pretty wooden spools. Note to self: Must look out for pretty wooden spools.

This is Lea's corner, which didn't quite get finished. A long day ran away from us too quickly and we didn't have time for all that we wanted! I love her tender little colours and attention to the smallest details - those budlets sitting in the vases, and the sparkly theme running through it all. And let me tell you - that piece of fabric sitting there was the most sublime piece of almost costume-like theatricality of perfection. I saw many woman stop and be enthralled by it during the day. I'm sure I've shown you scenes of Lea's home before, perhaps I'll have to search my archives and show you again and she does have a wonderful knack for styling in a real warm sense, and beautiful collection of special pieces in her home. {You see, I told you she was our sister by interest and talent and such}.

This was Sylv's corner. Afternoon tea and a few good books on the back verandah. Ha - that could be the title to Sylv's memoirs. No.....? Those green colours are just perfectly Sylv. Well, actually I think perhaps she's actually really a bit of a deeper green, but it's not far off. And the rambling shelf of plants with that beautiful touch-me-touch-me-but only ever so gently teapot. It has translucent spots on the lid. Oh, it was lovely. {Both Sylv + I spotted it on the kitchen counter as we walked into the room at the start of the day}. I'll just let you know, though, Sylv doesn't read Country Style magazine - not quite her cup-of-tea; just so you don't get different ideas about who she is, and all......

Looking at these three images now. I do quite like that in some way they somehow each vaguely represent each of the three of us as people. Maybe I'm just rambling now, or maybe my tired thoughts are making some real sense. {It is almost 9pm people, and now that I live in the county it's quite my bedtime! Though I do have some new library books I'm going to curl up with....}.

This is Take One, well, Take Two actually, but the top (first) picture is Take Three which is really Take One. If you get what I mean. ie - I just wanted to try something different, but went back to my original first setting, after having to check that less really was more and took out those play matchboxes.

One important thing that Shannon made us remember/realise was that even though you may have an excellent theme.idea.storyboard.location it might all go to pieces on the day of the styling shoot. So, be prepared for Plan B, which is to fly by the seat of you perfectly knowledgeable stylish pants.

*Shannon wrote a lovely little post about the workshop day on her blog too. And look.look.look she included the styling corners of both mine + Sylvs. Yah to that!

the process of making things look beautiful

2011-03-09T07:24:00.005+10:00

{This was the props table, full of all the things we could use to

make our own little scenes. What a glorious collection of beautiful pieces}

Last week I went to a styling workshop, with two of my sisters*.

It was with the lovely, talented and very friendly Shannon Fricke. She has a beautiful, open, light and dreamy studio space in Bangalow; where she works on her styling for magazines (such as RealLiving, InsideOut, Country Style, and many many overseas editions), her books, as well as her interior designer business. She has also just launched her first collection of ceramic pieces, which are made locally, and were dotted all around the studio space with a perfect feel of touch-me please glaze.shapes.colours.

We all had such a fun day - though boy was it tiring sitting and listening to Shannon talk about her amazing life, and all that she gets up to! The lunch was delicious; with some very yummy tastes and nice care and attention to the food. Always good to enjoy well prepared, healthy yet delicious and luxurious food.

These scenes really do look like a proper styled home / studio, don't they. I so like that Shannon's styling is clean, neat, and beautiful, yet very real, livable, a place where you feel you can mess things a little bit, and there is space to curl up your feet on the chair and read a book or two in the afternoon light.

{this is the 'after' image of that beautiful table laden with styling props}

I came away from the workshop quite inspired to get myself into some new projects. Also, with the big reminder that both Sam + I need to be more focussed on certain particular things about Red Seed Studio. The fun part of finally getting all my inspiration images / tearsheets into some sort of order, so that I can actually look at them is a start. Making theme boards is also a really worthwhile process that I'm going to try to do more often. Pinterest is an excellent online way of keeping inspiration images in one place, and organised too; but often I really need the tactileness of some magazine pages to touch.

*for those of you wondering, about "two of my sisters". Yes, I do only actually have two birth sisters; but have another sister by love and common interests. She is the mother of one of my nephews and I've known her since I was about 13 or so.

{one word} breathe

2011-03-08T10:38:00.000+10:00

somewhere in the bloglands i've seen some people who have taken up one word. i can't find any links right now (and with limited internet time, i'm writing about it instead of web-hopping).

anyway.

lately i've been consciously thinking on, trying to live by, be & do by my one word.

{breathe} verb;
~ to pause, as for breathe, take rest
~ to live; exist
~ to express; manifest.

consciously i am stopping and breathing before actions, thoughts, reactions. especially when dealing with the children, and their 'pushing the boundaries' behaviour.

i am trying to remind myself that

Between stimulus and response there is a space.

In that space is our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Viktor E. Frankl

i took these photos around our little home, the other day. when i was home alone. we'd had rain for most of the day, so the sky was cloudy and grey, and the sun was only dimly filtering through. in that afternoon moody light, these textures and colours shone out. i do love love love those green.yellow.chartreuse.moss sorts of colours on the post; the colours slowly mixing together around the wood.

* our days are slowly going by. in a happy contented way. i am trying to find a routine, rhythm to get settled into.

things are good. simple. breathe.

monday things

2011-03-07T10:35:00.001+10:00

am sitting here,
remembering the quiet i had over the weekend, while sam+kids were in brisbane. now they are home, and that little four-yr old girl of mine cannot stop the chatter.

more house plans filling my pages. and random drawings of trees, branches, berries, leaves in my sightline.

it's been raining again. winter seems close, cool nights and mornings - we must get our new fireplace connected in soon. and get firewood. it will be quite cold here in a few short months; or even a few long weeks away.....

i am planning on getting back into knitting; will have to be retaught. these patterns are inspiring me; there are at least five or six jumpers/cardigans that i want to make.

other things are slowly bubbling away. slowly simmering. we are talking new ideas, projects, plans.... just waiting to find the headspace + housespace to start new projects.

a very nice lunch indeed

2011-03-01T09:42:00.001+10:00

{love how the sunlight came streaming in, just as i was taking this photo. glorious}

now that Mishi goes to preschool three days a week, we have a few times of quiet at home without constant chitter chatter of the little ones.

mostly it seems that between Sam or me, we are running here and there doing things (into town for shopping, picking up our new fireplace, gas hot water system, helping out at preschool rostered days, doing reading with school kids, helping the school kids in their little garden projects, yoga, mowing the large expanses of grass, doing house plans, planting seeds for a Winter garden.........).

but sometimes we've found ourselves quietly settled in our little home, at our lovely wooden dining table*, looking out the window to where our new house will be built.

we found ourselves in just this spot, on Friday. with the house just tidied and swept, the rugs taken outside and beaten, the beds all made, and the warm late Summer sun shining down on our roof.

a simple lunch of toasted bread {as we have no electricity we have no toaster, which means we use a camp toaster over our gas open flame cook top. camp toast tastes so different to machine made toast}, with homemade pesto {more on that later, a lovely saga i'm enjoying}, delicious farm-bought tomatoes, the last of the Parmesan cheese (Australian + vegetarian = no animal rennet), and fresh basil leaves. of course a sprinkling of freshly cracked pepper and pinch of Himalayan pink salt.

combined with the bird calls, the warmth of the sun (we've had a lot of rainy days here), the cicadas, and the scent of the basil. looking at these trees that i am loving more each day.

it really was a very nice lunch indeed.....

{and a few photos of the delicious, juicy lychees we've been nibbling on lately. i'm really loving this spot on the table; lighting our candle for dinner each night, and adding new flowers, stones, collections to enjoy.}

{this aromatic basil has part of our life for the past few days. lovely lovely}.

{camp fire toast..... yum yum}

{a corner of our little kitchen}

*we found it under our last house, covered in mud, with an ugly laminate cover that we removed and sanded back to beautiful timber.

honey blossoms & jumping ants {life in the country}

2011-02-08T20:00:00.002+10:00

Are you getting bored with seeing these tiny iPhone photos? I know I am. Internet and computer still haven't happened. 45 tedious minutes on the phone to telstra Saturday evening did not end in a working wi-fi connection. We are looking into different options.... {telstra is the only provider in the area, for phones, so we had no choice but to leave optus, who has served me better than well for the past 15years. We were sad to have to say goodbye.}

These are a few random images taken in our little home the other day. Books on the shelf - a few gardening ones, some house building ones, one about composting toilets (just in case you're interested, we're currently using a bucket), a much-used bird book, and a dangerous creatures book that Sam is avidly reading. Jumping ants are his current obsession. Nasty looking ants, they also have a horrible sting; and we've found a few nests nearby.
These honey scented gum blossoms were found on the forest floor, while we were at the creek helping my dad pump water. We were meant to be learning how to use the pump, but it's one of those pieces of machinery that needs just the right jiggle to get it working. I enjoyed walking and looking and remembering all the spots I explored as a child. If this rain stops, I'll take the camera and let you in on the adventure.

And just to clarify - I've had a few queries about us living in the shipping container. No, we are using it as storage for all our belongings, though it will turn into Sam's workshop/shed/garage at some stage. While we build our new home we're living in a sweet little, though very 'rustic', one roomed building. We currently have no shower (though refreshing creeks nearby, and bucket showers are a lovely thing in themselves. And my dad has a wonderful shower just up the hill), no electricity, and very minimal solar set-up. It's a bit of an adventure for the kids, which they are enjoying in varying degrees depending on the time of day.

Slowing down. Appreciating quiet moments. Enjoying sitting, watching, listening. Isn't that what life in the country is all about? I just wish it came with reliable Internet access....

- Posted from my iPhone

sunset over Mt Warning

2011-02-06T18:54:00.001+10:00

coming home from the beach.
beautiful afternoon swim in the ocean.
visit to my grandmas house.

sunset over Mt Warning, or Wollumbin as the local Aboriginal people call it. Wollumbin - Cloud Catcher.

All photos taken from the moving car window.

- Posted from my iPhone

{weekending} watching, exploring, enjoying

2011-02-05T07:37:00.001+10:00

Slowly, little bit by tiny amount, things are settling into a sort of routine around here.
Mornings on our little verandah, watching the early sun creeping through the trees, settling on the leaves and branches. Straining our necks while we watch the teeny little 'red-brown finches' flitter and flutter, building little nests for their late Summer babies. We can't wait to see how tiny the babies will be - the adult birds are only 6cm or so.

The weekend is upon us {first week of school + preschool successfully completed - Mish asked to go back to preschool today!}. We have plans for ::
> cutting the long Summer grass - think Sam with the big brush cutter strapped to his chest.
> reading and drawing ideas for our new vege garden plot - lettuces, herbs, tomatoes, greens.
> pouring over the bird book; kids learning local birds, me remembering the birds of my childhood.
> swatting march flies, and learning to live with mosquitos.
> swims in the beautiful creek - no need to get the shower set up when there's creeks nearby!
> rearranging + sorting the shipping container; I'm itching to open my tubs of fabric, get out some hand stitching for these long Summer nights.
> many moments of sitting, looking, listening, enjoying, almost disbelieving that we are here!
{top image is Mish's watercolour of our new garden plans. Blossom tree, purple 'petunip' flowers, and an empty chicken/chook pen, and she declares they're all hiding.}

** all photos taken with phone camera.
- Posted from my iPhone

{crochet} Stanley Rabbit & Little Doll

2011-02-04T08:12:00.001+10:00

These two little ones sit on my windowsill, just above our bed in our new little house. My mum made the sweet little doll, a long long time ago {when I was a girl, so perhaps it is 20-25yrs old}. she has a little hat as well, which is still packed somewhere. Both the hat + dress need repairs, for which I feel inadequately skilled - so it's a no kid touch treasure.
Stanley Rabbit was made by, and given to me (while on our NZ holiday) by the delightfully fun and craftily amazing Kate {greedyforcolour.blogspot}. He's the sweetest little guy, with his hands in his pocket and a shy little sideways turn of his foot. I have not let either kid claim him!

The dress below was also made by my mum (creative, multi-skilled, artistic woman she was). I would guess it to be not too far off 30yrs old. It fits (about to turn) four yr old Mish. I'm sure I wore it year round, with longs under it in Winter. {perhaps I will find some photos in my dads photo draw at some stage}.

Little spots like this, in our tiny house are proving to be important and necessary. When most of our belongings are packed away in here (see below) for the next year or so, we're all trying to carve out spaces of 'self', while living so 'cosily' (or cramped!) in this one-room house.

- Posted from my iPhone

3 little puppies

2011-02-01T10:39:00.001+10:00

One day, some time ago, in the heady days before Christmas, school holidays, house packing, flooding throughout our city; a sweet sweet parcel arrived from our lovely blog friend (Jacqui) + penpal friend (Hazel).
Stickers and NZ native wood bird finger puppets (no photos sorry) for the kids, and these three adorable puppies - a green brooch for me + a necklace for each of the kids. I love love love my little green friend with white floppy ears. I wear her proudly - her little orange collar matches perfectly with my orange floral skirt.
These are styled on my Kikki K 2011 diary - which is super cute and fun, yet also very practical with lots of space.

(Jacqui blogs at HazelnutGirl, check her link out in my sidebar, her stitching and crafting is as cute as her daughter!)

Posted from my iPhone

this creek,oh yes,this creek

2011-01-31T21:24:00.001+10:00

We have spent every day since we got here (one week ago) at this creek. Doing what my siblings and I have done since we were kids :: slipping out of our clothes; skipping and jumping over rocks; building dams and towers; dipping our bodies into the (not the warmest) water; giggling; shouting; painting ourselves with ochre rocks -reds,whites,yellows,browns can all be found here.

I grew up in this creek and it gives me endless joy to sit with my little ones and be with them while they explore and play. Learning the ways of being a bush baby seems to come naturally to children. {I was scared my kids would be too citified, but it seems all is okay}.

Thanks to Shanti (see comments on previous post for blog link -will have to work links out another time), who pointed me in the direction of the app blogpress to use on my phone with photo blogging. If you're reading and seeing photos above, then it's working. Yah!

{here :: being present}

2011-01-31T18:24:00.001+10:00

I'm still here.Sort of.
Living in a very present :: now :: conscious way.

One tiny house.Four people.Lots of happiness.

For the first time in a very long time,longer than I can remember, I am living and happy to be living right where I am. Dreams&ideas&wishful thinking has taken a backseat to playing in the creek everyday with two little (naked) ones; listening to the radio in the evening with Sam as we wash-up (no electricity means no tv,CDs,computers,minimal (I)Phone games); going to bed early under the mosquito net with a good book and a torch.

Of course we are still talking,planning,thinking,dreaming about the big house we are to build. But we sit on our little verandah and look directly to the spot where our new house will be. When a long-held dream is sitting looking at you, then somehow it's easier to happily be in the moment. To let the dream evolve by itself and not have to be propelled along.

Until we organize Internet options (phone plans aren't that good for blogging or browsing), I'll be scarce around here.I'm trying to work out how to upload photos to blogger from my iPhone (4), anyone know. I do miss my laptop,don't much like the web world in minimised,app form.

Hope you're all well.I'm missing you. Promise I'll be back soon with beautiful photos to make you jealous of out 'tree-change'.

{making} King Lion + Princess Unicorn

2011-01-22T16:22:00.000+10:00

I made these blankets for the kids for Christmas gifts. I wanted something lightweight that they could use as Summer blankets, and also something they could take in the car (for when we stay out late and they fall asleep on the drive home). Mostly I just wanted an excuse to have some more of that beautiful, delicious double gauze in our home. Being used, and not stored in a box or cupboard (or shipping container as is the current living/storing conditions until our new home is designed, planned + built).

I'm so pleased that they both love them. As much as me, perhaps. Every night for bed they snuggle up under these creamy and soft pieces. It's been quite a mild Summer here, with rain for weeks on end (resulting in the flooding that has ripped through our communities). This week past we've had the only two hot Summer days for the whole holidays. {And yes, those were the two days that Sam packed our new shipping container! Preceeded and followed by walking and working and packing and cleaning the yard in the pouring rain}.

All I did was stitch two lengths (1.5meters each) of double gauze together. With an edge stitching detail to finish it off. Nothing fancy. Simple, quick - something that would be finished in time for wrapping and giving on Christmas morning. Ari's is Echino's Chelsea Lion in purple one side, with aqua on the other; while Mishi's is Heather Ross's Far Far Away Unicorns in purple, with Nani Iro's Fuwari Fuwari in white on the other side. I wasn't sure if I'd like the Fuwari Fuwari as much as some of her others, but it's perfect for a little Princess's blanket (or cloak as the case may be).

I'm sure I'll be making more of these simple to sew up, but splendidly wonderful to use and have and hold blankets and quilts over the coming years. After all, you know - I'm moving to the country, where life is simple and of course that means I'm going to suddenly do all the things I've always had on my really long (in my mind only) list of things I want to do.