*e*

recipe book.

i found this little gem for 20c at the op-shop and decided it was time to change my recipe organisation system for the past 10+ years. that system involved a scrappy old book full of scribbles and oil stains jammed with loose bits of paper with all my precious favourite recipes. classy, i know.

this new one has fancy little tabs and everything. i've been slowly transferring recipes over, but find myself still reaching for the stained paper scraps. comfort, i guess.

so ivy has been watching me do this at the kitchen table and scurried off one afternoon and came back with her own blank notebook. she wanted her own recipe book, full of simple things she could make by herself (or with a little bit of help), and easily understand in her own wording/writing/pictures!

so far we have broccoli soup, nachos and smoothies in her book - with more to come, don't you worry!

since the book writing and discussing, there has been LOTS of willing help in this little kitchen of mine. of course she's helped stir and chop things over the years (and licked plenty of spoons!), but now we are making whole meals from start to finish, and she is fascinated by the process. yeah, it's faster and easier to do it on my own - but i love love love spending this time together...chatting and chopping...and filling her up with goodness for the future!

do your little people like to cook on their own(ish) too? we would love to add some more simple (vegetarian) recipes to ivy's collection, if you have them to share!

hot tips also welcome ;)

draw!

thankyou so so much to everyone who donated to the qld flood appeal...the tribes of good souls who came together to help has been so beautiful and touching to see. i'm happy this blog could contribute in a small way, and grateful to toni for organizing the crafty sales and raffles.

guess what?

 

amazing hey!

 

yindi helped me draw the winner for my golden ticket raffle...

 

jane, you had 20 entries and it paid off!

thanks heaps to everyone for your generosity...big love to you all! xo

that chocolate made me productive

remember my bliss session? well that pile of fabric soon became this cute (if i do say so myself, and i do) little quilt for my friend liz's new baby boy...

she just sent me this picture - look at him! what a yummy little nugget!

 

bring on the chocolate is what i say - who knows what i am capable of next, with a bit of help from my friend cadbury!

some aussie day baking

we couldn't let australia day come without hanging our flag in the window, and baking some treats for a little afternoon tea party! my gorgeous little baker-girl donned the apron i found at an op-shop in utah (?!!) and got kneading, mixing, rolling...

with a willing taste-tester sidekick...

we made a nice batch of slightly brown anzac biscuits while the dough was riding for our cheesymite scrolls.

cheesymite scrolls! by far the most loved treat in our home. baker's delight, i miss you. so now we have to make our own - here's how:

make a batch of bread dough, roll it out flat, spread with vegemite, sprinkle with grated cheese, roll up, chop and bake!

YUM!

little girls decorated the table with any australian stuffed animal they could find and we had a lovely feast...australia, we love you!

some days

it's best to forget about everything else, and have tea parties on the carpet...

and cuddles on the couch.

all day long :)

winter wonderland

i was orginally terrified of the long snowy months that loomed ahead...but now we are in the thick of it - i actually am kind of in love with the snow...the pretty, white, fresh snow anyway!

we've been bundling up and getting out in the snow as often as banjo will let us (he's a bit of a sook when it comes to being cold). everyone LOVES sledding...and luckily we've made friends with some people who have amazing sledding hills in their own backyards...how pretty is this?!! my camera hasn't been coming out with us much, but i braved the frozen fingers for a while to remember this winter wonderland we've been enjoying...

(please note my borrowed gloves...just incase i lost my hands in the snow. we wouldn't have a hard time finding them again)




it should be noted that after romping around out in the snow, nothing beats heading inside for a nice warm milo!

qld flood relief raffle

 this raffle will remain open until wednesday, 10am EST (11pm perth time) - thanks to all for supporting the flood appeal so far :)

on offer is a golden ticket to any and all online workshops i run...(and i have a few fun ones planned for this year - more felting, some painting, clothes-making and more!). whatever i am running online - you will always have a free spot in that class. forever and ever! yeah!

*this includes a spot in 'got paint' which is running over at big picture scrapbooking next month, and felt-a-licious felting which ran last year but is still accessible

How the raffle works:

1. donate $5 directly to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal

2. leave your name, and contact details in the comments section below.

3. when the raffle closes on monday 24th (10am EST), i will draw a name and email the winner.

you can enter as many times as you wish to donate $5!

thankyou!

*winner is jane!*

a picture of heaven

true story:

10ish years ago when i was a childless newlywed my mother-in-law (hi sue!) told me that her idea of heaven was being alone in the house with a bar of chocolate and a crossword puzzle.

i thought - sue, that is really sad, you need to get a life!!! (thought in a loving way of course)

but now...look at me! a pile of fabric and a bar of chocolate - alone in my poky studio room...and i am blissed out!

(another true story, i also sound like MY mother when i scold my children)

 sue, i'm sorry for thinking you were lame - i'll send you a crossword book and treats for your birthday this year, promise!!

snow days, we love 'em!

two snow days in one week! yeah! this is the life (actually it would be more the life if i found out school was cancelled prior to heading out the door)...after checking out the crazy amounts of fluffy white stuff outside we busy ourselves with cosy-ing up inside. it feels so exciting to be tucked in on a stormy day, our street changed to a crisp white magic-land...everything outside seems slow and still and quiet. the girls made a nest for themselves on the couch to watch the snow (and our crazy neighbour who struts outside in shorts and tshirt!) and listen to more little house. i put some hessian in embroidery hoops to keep their hands busy (with vain hopes for my own hands to be crafty too), such a sweet sisterly scene!

lucky us, dadda had a snow day too - i can't even tell you how much this photo melts me!

we're all crossing fingers and toes for another snow day soon!

warms for our girl

yindi has suddenly grown UP...and i wish i could figure out how to stop it, or at least slow the growth somehow - because oh i get sad when those chubby baby arms and legs start becoming more kid-like!

i was planning to make some new pants for these suddenly longer legs of hers but then spotted some trakky daks (i believe 'sweatpants' are the politically correct term in this country?) at tar-jay for $1.98. i grabbed 3 pairs. sort of ugly colours (and lets not forget they are trakky daks too), but i was sure i could do something to make them more fun.

i chopped the hems off the bottom of the pants because a) they were a bit long, (i wanted my $1.98 to go all the way into 2012 thanks), and b) they looked much cooler with a raw edge - i stretched them out too for a bit of flare!

pair #1 - red wool knee patches. felted woolen sweater + embroidery thread + one episode of a trashy tv show that i will not admit to watching = ta da! these are my faves :)

pair #2 - two blue doilies from sweet vintage 78 + blue embroidery thread = better than they were before!

pair #3 is now in the 'to fix' pile as i sewed too-wonky-to-be-cool pockets on them and need to unpick. i'm pleased with my $1.98 specials...these days it's the small crafty achievements that make life worth living! or something like that.

so with toasty warm legs may i also present a toasty warm neck...ivy's gift for yindi this christmas. she had sneakily been working on it for months and hidden it away  before christmas...and what a happy moment when it was finally opened and received with such GLEE!

she's so proud of her sissy-made scarf. and her modelling poses too i might add!