Things are much better around here. Z is doing better, much healthier now. She is a delight.
4 months old
Things are much better around here. Z is doing better, much healthier now. She is a delight.
Things are much better around here. Z is doing better, much healthier now. She is a delight.
Toddler bedroom decorating
This is the bedroom for our firstborn which we decorated this year. It will always be a work in progress as he grows up, but for now it is mostly finished. Blue paint colour is from Nippon paint, Cloud decals from
($7),
painted by me,
made by me, striped cushion cover made by my Mum, floor cushion from Freedom furniture, Trofast storage from Ikea, Miffy toy bought by Steve in Japan, Bunny was a gift from my sister, bed is a cutdown cot - Steve made the side rail.
Purple and yellow
Gorgeous roses from my sister in law's garden. The purple ones smell amazing, like turkish delight.
My Illustration in Easy Living UK
Back in September I had my illustration the "Crow and the Peacock" published in Easy Living Magazine UK. It was around the same time I gave birth to Zoe so it missed a mention back then. I have finally taken some photos of the magazine. The issue was an Inspiration special, detailing where people got their inspiration for their various endeavours. My illustration was coupled with some of Alex Monroe's beautiful jewellery. He was inspired by the fable the Crow and the Peacock.
Christmas activities
My friend from Mother's group held a Christmas craft party for the kids, so I decided to make some gingerbread men with E to take to the party. I must admit I find it hard to relax and let him get too messy while cooking and crafting, I am too much of a control freak and my husband hates mess too. The recipe is a great one from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2. I want to use this recipe to make a gingerbread house because it made a nice sturdy gingerbread.
She read a book about the Christmas story, we sang Silent Night and we did some craft activities like these star pictures using bits of paper stuck on vellum with a star frame around it. When you stick it on the window it looks really pretty with the light shining through it.
Summer food
One night when we had my mum and sister to visit I made this asian style sago dessert.
Soak 1/2 a cup of sago or tapioca with the contents of 1 tin of coconut milk for about an hour. Pour into medium sized pot and add 1/2 cup of water, 30grams of castor sugar and 3 cubes of Jeeny's palm sugar. Simmer on the stove stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the sago turns completely translucent right through. Pour into dishes and leave to set a little. Add chopped mango on top(optional) and serve.
Soak 1/2 a cup of sago or tapioca with the contents of 1 tin of coconut milk for about an hour. Pour into medium sized pot and add 1/2 cup of water, 30grams of castor sugar and 3 cubes of Jeeny's palm sugar. Simmer on the stove stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the sago turns completely translucent right through. Pour into dishes and leave to set a little. Add chopped mango on top(optional) and serve.
Paper for Art swap with Dawbis
Photo by Dawbis.
I have been following the artwork of Dawn for years now and asked her if she’d do a paper for art swap. Once she agreed I started saving some papers I thought she might like. One design I had bought in Florence, Italy. Another at a gift store in the Hunter Valley. Some are from my favourite art supply stores, others are origami papers from a Japanese gift store in the city.
Photo by Dawbis.
Growing our own food
Recently I have been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and watching "Gardening Australia" and "the Edible Garden". I have been inspired to grow our own fruit, herbs and vegetables and have so far started planting a small amount of herbs and salad greens. We have been happy with the results, enjoying salad from our own garden most days. It tastes so much better when it hasn't been sitting in storage for awhile, and it saves us buying a massive lettuce or bunch of herbs and wasting what we don't need.
Above is the Mizuna which is a Japanese lettuce with yellow flowers which you can also eat. We also have mustard greens, perpetual lettuce and sweet rocket (which is a delicious spicy flavour). In the herbs we have rosemary (established), lemongrass, oregano, continental parsley, mint, lemon thyme and garlic chives.
I have two types of strawberries, one type has white flowers and they were a gift from a friend, the other has pink flowers and has green fruit now. My white flowering strawberry plants have produced two ripe strawberries so far, but they where nabbed by birds before I could get to them. I might have to put netting over them so I get to try one this season!
And then there were four...
Our Spring baby was born one stormy night in September. There was something magical to me about the night she was born. She was a big girl at 4.35kg and 54cm long. Zoe and her big brother have been keeping me busy!
Bringing her home.
Sleeping on Daddy.
Spring in the garden
Catching up on some posts... I have been otherwise occupied having my spring baby! I'll update on that soon. Meanwhile all the flowers and bees are out in our garden. When it rains you can hear frogs chirping happily from their leafy homes, and the bell birds tinking away at the tops of the trees. I love this time of year.
