*e*

studio, slowly.

i'd love to do a 'house tour' of this lovely old farmhouse but that would mean organizing, cleaning, decorating and photographing. i get a little bit depressed when i read blogs with people unpacking and decorating and renovating and well, getting so much done in their day - over here at embers, there is no need to feel like an underachiever because i get nothing done!

my 'studio' is nowhere near set up, organised or pretty looking. i basically dumped all my boxes and stuff into it when we moved in 4 months ago, and then started digging through the boxes to make stuff for craft fairs and christmas. that caused a whole lot of chaos in the already chaotic room.

i spent a whole day recently trying to make a dent in the organisation and while it's not at all finished there is a light at the end of the tunnel! i really do love this room - it has 3 nice windows that let in good light (remember i was in a basement all last year, ugh!), really lovely floorboards and room to move around. i'm still working on storage for my growing piles of hoardedness, but if you were wondering where my gorgeous bookshelf went, it is in here!

anyway there you have the few sorted out corners of the room. maybe, just maybe i'll be back here soon blogging about a completely finished room...?!!

hello from our kitchen

what goes on in this kitchen of ours? well, a lot of messiness and a lot of living! our kitchen is small but has everything i need...and all banjo needs is a chair to drag over to the kitchen bench and climb on up to provide hours of happiness...finding hidden treats (there is nowhere we can hide from this child), 'doin dishes', helping himself to food, "wanna watch yoo", helping me bake. the girls drift in and out too - someone is always hungry but funnily enough nowhere to be found when the dishwasher needs unloading...or the table set...anyway...we love to sit together around our table, sing a blessing, light a candle, eat food together. i have grand plans for painting and funk-ing up this space but even as it is i love it! gathering place for all sorts of things - potlucks, art explosions, pretend play (note my 'doggies' below), cooking experiments, science experiments, dancing. you should also know there is crying, whining, fighting, last minute lunch-packing, rummaging for something-anything to feed these always hungry kids and the occasional mumma meltdown too. it all happens here in our kitchen folks!








and i love it. all of it!

remember when we went 'home' for the first time after moving away? it felt like it had been forever (actually only 18 months!) - i felt like a tree that hadn't been watered in years and going home was like standing under a huge downpour of rain. i wanted to cry (probably did, i was pregnant after all) at the sight of all things familiar - seeing the money, drink bottles in a shop fridge, street signs, the kangaroos!

i'm just as excited to be going home this time but recognize the difference of my 'tree'...not feeling as desparate & thirsty as i did that first time but looking forward so much to basking in the shower with my little sprouts nonetheless. so grateful for this trip we are going on!

this blog post brought to you by the letter P

phone theif!

photo taker!

i really have no idea how he managed to take a photobooth picture of himself but he did, and i found it on my phone and had a laugh.

precious.

wintery day walking

i have been getting outside every day this winter...i love the hear the snow crunching under my feet. we bundle up and out we go...

of course it helps that this year is much warmer than last, and i have a nice pair of winter boots to be out in! i am really loving that we get to experience these four distinct seasons, each with their own special flavour.

not a morning person.

my dad (comedian that he is) snapped this while he was here.

pretty much sums up my mornings!

happy monday to you!

i love this picture an insane amount

(also taken by my dad when i wasn't aware...although at least i was awake!)

it just captures a perfectly true moment of my life with these people who i love soooo so intensely.

i can imagine being 82 years old and looking at this photograph over and over again with a full and grateful heart...

siiiigh! yes i do remember when life was more simple...less busy...and i miss it! but i also love the three little 'reasons' my life has become less simple - but i crave a slower pace and try to bring it into our days. and on that note i think that these challenges are just going to come when they come...sorry they have been mia for a few weeks but life has been crazy! another one is coming right up later this week though ;)

if you are joining in or want to check it out, our flickr group is here.

two people alone together

as in,

by ourselves,

unaccompanied,

just us,

without any children!

amazing - this never happens! in fact as we drove away i felt a *gulp* followed by awkward silence for several minutes as we processed the fact of the matter that we were completely free for the day! breakfast, lunch AND dinner alone! oh the bliss.

boston was our destination to have some quality us-time and catch up with some of our besties from LA. it was a grey and cosy day...a little bit of snow...lots of walking and holding of hands. possibly some pda. relaxing. and an aussie pie was also involved.

heaven.

we really need to do this more often.

thanks dad for looking after our little brood...when are you coming back again did you say?!!

l*o*v*e

i like to smother these people of mine in love every day, not just valentines day! ivy was to make a valentine for everyone in her class (even the boys, hmpf) - so i finally tried out the ol 'melt-your-crappy-broken-crayons-to-make-new-ones' trick, putting them in my heart shaped silicone muffin-thinggy. it was all very exciting and satisfying for the whole family! ivy then sewed little fabric pockets onto her heart shaped cardstock to pop a crayon inside.

yindi was also in on the crafting action - she taped and snipped and drew on anything that wasn't moving and i may be finding random hearts and shapes taped to pieces of the house for the next 6 months.

for lunches i couldn't let the family legacy of heart-shaped fun food go down in flames, so with a semi-empty fridge i got as creative as one can get at 6:45am and cut out cheese and wonky heart sandwiches. i hope they know how much i adore them :)

i also put this tshirt (best handmedown ever) on banjo completely unplanned!...we got lots of comments while out and about during the day! love is real people, love is real! xo