Pages

Friday 31 January 2014

The return of routine...





My two older kids went back to school on Wednesday after almost seven weeks of school holidays.  I am a little tired....frayed around the edges.....knotty.

There have been too many weeks of no structure. I'm unsettled and itchy. I've lost my focus.

It was good  to have a break from the routine though , no ironing of uniforms, no school lunches, no strict time for bed.  But I am ready for some structure back in our days. For me, the start of the school year is the official start of the year. Up until then I am still in holiday mode.

I am looking forward to getting on with it......to the school days, homework, after school activities....to be swept along with the gentle rhythm of our family life.  





There is work to be done, drawers to be sorted, rooms and cupboards to be de-cluttered, last years clothes to be sorted and given to goodwill, babies to be snuggled, toddlers to be played with, new recipes to try, and crochet projects to start.....  

I know from experience how good I feel once the house is in order, after it's had a good spring clean and there is a basic routine in place. It does wonders for the soul doesn't it??

Happy Friday,

Tina xx







Thursday 30 January 2014

Currently Reading

...Back from the library today and I've got lots of inspiration from these lovely books.....
 

The Shabby Chic Inspiration is just beautiful to flick through.  Pages and pages of very pretty photographs....lovely, lovely, lovely to look at...... dreaming that my house looks like this.......in every room........ *sigh*


....and reading this.....


.....'The Rosie Project' by Graeme Simsion.  I've read the first couple of pages and I'm hooked.   Very funny.

Happy reading!!!

Tina xx

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Wordless Wednesday - Pretty Pastels

This is the start of my (hopefully) regular weekly post called wordless Wednesday. As the name suggests, there will be no words, just photographs taken during the day or week of whatever takes my fancy. I have no formal training with a camera, just a love of taking photos, so this is my chance to get creative and learn more about photography. I hope you like them....

So, here we go...no more talky.....




Friday 24 January 2014

Summer Rain

At last we have had some rain.... 

We woke this morning to grey skies and a cooler temperature.


And then it began to rain....

....big, fat, happy drops of rain... 


Perfect weather for books and tea. So when the older three went to swimming lessons and the wee one was in bed for the morning, instead of doing the dishes, the ironing, the general cleaning, I grabbed my book, a cup of tea and sat down listening to the gentle patter of rain on our roof.




I love everything about rain; the smell, the sound, and the feeling of everything being cleansed and nourished by it.



It's the simple things that make my day. Nothing fancy for me;  give me a good book, hot sweet tea, a rainy day and I am content. X

Wednesday 22 January 2014

taking stock...





Making : a crocheted christening bonnet for little Miss 'I'
Cooking : as little as possible - it's too hot to be in the kitchen so we've been having fruit and cheese platters, cold meats and salads.
Drinking : water, water and more water, but wishing for a glass of red
Reading: some old historical romance favourites
Wanting: the return of some routine in our days
Looking: forward to autumn; cooler days, comfort food, and wearing scarves and boots

Playing: anything by Emilie Sande
Wasting: time on Pinterest
Sewing: nothing but I've got lots of new fabric to make Miss 'I' some little skirts and bloomers
Wishing: for a few extra hours in the day to get things done
Enjoying: this whole blogging scene
Waiting: for the arrival of a long awaited clothes dresser
Liking: eating the delicious raspberries that are in season now
Wondering: what this year will bring
Loving: late night cuddles with a drowsy baby
Hoping: for a great school year for the older two children
Marvelling: at the beautiful things that can be made from yarn and a hook
Needing: a few extra hours sleep
Smelling: the pure sweet smell of my 5 month old babe
Wearing: DKNY Be Delicious Blossom Fresh perfume,
Following: lots of lovely crochet blogs
Noticing: that my firstborn is no longer a little boy

Knowing: that babies grow up so quickly and that things really do get easier
Thinking: of ways to organise my house and simplify my life
Feeling: hot and tired
 
Bookmarking: too many crafty blogs 
Opening: another sparkling mineral water
Giggling: at the Diary of a wimpy kid movies I've been watching with the older two children.
Feeling: grateful for so many things

joining in with Pip  at Meet me at mikes ...

Monday 20 January 2014

Kooky Crochet

Remember I said I was crocheting something kooky, something a little bit different and not normally my crochet style????

Well, here it is - the finished product .......





..........crochet taxidermy........

I saw something similar as I was looking through pinterest and thought I'd give it a go.  It was fun and it looks great in little F's room.   It's about as close as I'll get to having a dead animal mounted on my wall!!

The pattern is basically just single crochets worked in rounds, so it's pretty easy - it's sewing all the pieces together that's a bit time consuming and fiddly.  



The original pattern can be found here - the only problem is that it's in French.  I've written it out though and will post it over the next couple of days if you're interested.

Go on .... everyone needs a crocheted reindeer on their wall!   Leave me a link if you make one - I'd love to see some more. x

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Colours of an Aussie Summer - Part 4

I am trying to be positive about summer, to just go with the season and all it brings, but it is so unbelievably hot. The mercury is hitting 40 degrees C (104 degrees F). We are confined indoors for most of the day, so we've all become a little cranky, irritable and short tempered.  It is exhausting.  

I am still taking pictures of our summer whenever I can; to remind myself that there is beauty in every season; that there is good in every day.  


Each day the sky is filled with big, fluffy marshmallow clouds as far as the eye can see.....



...crops have been harvested leaving the paddocks stubby and golden.....


...we've been taking refuge from the heat under shady verandas.......


..........and eating sweet summer berries.........


Tina xx

Thursday 9 January 2014

On my hook this week...

There are soooooo many projects bouncing around my head right now that some nights I go to bed thinking how on earth I will ever have the time to get to them all.  I am constantly coming across new ideas for projects and things I want to try so they get added to the list and heavens - the list is HUGE! I think that's why I've got a few little projects on the go at the moment. I really would love to commit to something bigger (I'm thinking big cozy blanket) but I'm actually a little apprehensive truth be told to start something so BIG.  Maybe I could just start the blanket and pick it up when I feel the need and then do other little things on the side......mmm yes, that would work.  Now all I need to do is decide on which patterns and colours.  Eeek!

Until then this is what I've been hooking this week...........


 .......Lovely little marabelle flowers which will eventually be a garland for little miss 'I' s room.  I'm doing a vintage whimsical theme for her so this should work in beautifully......




.......little acorns and leaves in anticipation of autumn.  I know it's months away.....but time has been known to get away from me in the past so I'm getting prepared.......




and here is a sneak peak at something else I came across whilst scrolling through Pinterest.  It's not normally my crochet style, but I thought it would look cute in my 2 year old boy's room.  Any ideas???

..... no they are not little hats or bowls ..........

.........it's the start of something a little bit kooky....... stay tuned......

This afternoon, my three older children went to my sister's place for a play which left me at home with just the wee one.  After she was safely tucked up in bed for her afternoon nap, I had the whole house to myself.  It was so quiet.  The house has not been that quiet for at least two years.  I love all the noise and chaos that children bring, but boy when I get a little quiet time, it really is something special!  It. Was. So. Peaceful.  You know when you haven't eaten something for a long time and then you get to eat it, it's like pure indulgence and you savour every bite, well that was me this afternoon.  Absolutely savouring every last bit of quietness.  *Sigh*    I also got a bit of hooking time in.  I probably should have been doing my ironing as the pile is getting as BIG as my project list, but I decided on doing a little crochet instead.  Much better for me....he he.


What's been on your hook this week??

Tina xx


Monday 6 January 2014

Colours of an Aussie Summer - Part 3



Bright yellow sunflowers.....


 ........An abundance of vibrant red cherry tomatoes picked straight from the garden, drizzled with rosemary infused olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt, roasted and crushed on top of fresh baguettes.........


 ...........the road trip to our favourite coffee shop - only 30 minutes drive away.........


 ...........the endless blue sky.............


...........the wrinkly skin of a Lemon Scented Gum..........


and beautiful coral coloured evening skies.........


The weather has been spectacular for us of late; long warm days, blue skies and gorgeous colours everywhere you look.  I know that other parts of the world haven't been so lucky with the weather - if you're reading this from Europe or the United States, leave a comment and let us know how you're fairing with the wintery weather. 


Tina xx





Friday 3 January 2014

Happy New Year ...




Luscious Christmas Day berry desserts and pink Australian Natives.


Happy New Year!!! 
What a busy year 2013 was for our little family.  I went back to (paid) work after having 14 months off with baby number 3, only to discover that I was pregnant again.  Fast forward a number of months and we welcomed little Miss 'I' into our family.  As most new mums know, that first 3 months is a bit of a blur, so as I was coming out of that newborn 'fog',  Christmas was fast approaching.  Life became a whirlwind of feeding, sleeping, nappies, homework, sport, end of year activities and Christmas preparation.  I feel like I've missed most of this year, it really did go by with a whoosh.

I'm welcoming this new year with wide, open arms.  I always love the start of a new year - I thinks its the feeling of starting things afresh; new possibilities and all that.   I have never been one to make New Year Resolutions, but I do set a goal for myself.  I came across a great idea in a blog I've been following where you choose one word to focus on throughout the year, like strength or calm.  This really appealed to me, so for the last couple of days I've been trying to come up with a word for me, for where I'm at in my life.  It has been difficult to choose, but I've decided that my word for the year will be .......

let it go....

I know, I know, it's more than one word and it's actually the same word that Mel from Loved Handmade is using in her blog.  I tossed around a couple of words but I kept coming back to these three words.  (Her life sounds incredibly similar to mine at the moment!!) For me I really need to learn how to let things go, pick my battles so to speak; focus on what's important rather than getting caught up in the little things.   I need to take a step back, breathe and just let it go ........  let go of the frustration I feel when I'm not able to do everything I want to do right now, let it go when my house is crazy and untidy, let go and let my kids be kids. My babies won't be babies for ever and I really need to be with them, enjoy them and create beautiful, happy childhood memories for them.  Pretty much what every mum wants for her babes right?  So it's settled.....they will be my words for the year.  We shall see how I go.

"If there must be madness and time crunches and chaos in your life, then let there be chaos. But find strength and stillness to be the eye inside that storm. These things are happening around you; NOTHING is happening to you"(not sure of the original source - I came across it via pinterest)

I must remember this throughout the year too!!!  Yes, right now my life is CRAZY and CHAOTIC, but I actually like it that way.  I like being busy, I like my house being loud... I just have to remember these wise words and not sweat the small stuff.

What's your word going to be this year???

Tina xx


If you want to follow along, you can link up with Mel at Loved Handmade.