Feather and Nest

in this little neck of the woods

2013-05-21T07:12:00.001+10:00

In this little neck of the woods we’ve been completely preoccupied with chook pens and fencing and mulch blowing everywhere! Still. But we’re nearly there. The fencing is almost done – gates just need to be fixed to posts and then our little house will be all enclosed. The chook pen’s virtually done too. It also needs a door and then we can get some girls. Can’t wait for that day.

Another pointy tin roof to add to the collection.

Besties and brothers have caught up for late autumn swims, walks and play. It’s lovely to see these two beautiful brothers rumble and tumble and play like they would’ve when they were tiny pups, still with their mum and Dad and brother’s and sister’s.

I’ve been enjoying this for breaky. It’s baked egg and it’s flipping yummo! I’ll post the recipe soon. So easy and delish. Another reason why I can’t wait for the girls to arrive:)

My clever sister has been on a cake pop rampage. Thankfully we get to do a lot of trialling for her. They are so delicious. Have you ever had one? To be honest, I’ve always thought they were just another one of those faddy things – cake on a stick, big deal. But they are so not just cake on a stick. They are cake mixed with sticky, sticky icing and then rolled into a ball and smothered with pure chocolate. They are so moist and yummy. It’s impossible to stop at just one.

Art lessons this term are providing me with so many lovely art works for our nest. Lew has been doing the most wonderful pieces and I’m so very pleased:) This one is a charcoal drawing on brown paper with white paint showing the light and charcoal shading showing the dark bits {shadow}. Love, love, love it! Though this photo is pretty crappy.

We’ve lit the outside fire pit and cooked potatoes in their jackets. This is such a lovely ritual – sitting outside in the crisp, autumn air, darkness quickly falling, stars twinkling, the smell of a fire and chatting with my boy.

So what about you? What have you been up to in your lovely little neck of the woods?

nesty crumbs :: summer pesto in autumn

2013-05-20T08:02:00.001+10:00

Has anyone else got basil growing madly in their garden, still? Mine hasn’t skipped a beat. Actually, I think I’d have to say, it’s doing better now than it was in the height of summer. The weather is still so warm and although I’m also craving the slow cooked loveliness that is all autumn and cooking and dinner time I’m still enjoying fresh, light meals with pesto and tomatoes. Some lucky people have still got tomatoes happening in their gardens down here in the south. Strange gardeny times.

So I thought, before my basil really does freeze up and and disappear for the winter I’d share with you my pesto, pasta and tomatoes recipe. It’s soooooo easy!

It’s so easy and so fresh and sooooo yummy!

Enjoy!

Oh and a little reminder about my Second Hand Styling link up fun. Come and join in. The theme this week is: TEA. Looking forward to having a sticky beak around at your lovely second hand treasures.

second hand styling link up :: tea

2013-05-18T05:00:00.000+10:00

Thank you so much for not leaving me on my lonesome last week, my first Second Hand Styling link up. It was so lovely sticky beaking around your second hand styling loveliness. Not only did I get to see some gorgy second hand pieces I also got to check out some new blogs and meet some lovely new bloggy people who also happen to love old stuff. I love that about blogging.

Don’t you?

So today’s Second Hand Styling link up is all about TEA. I’ve had lots of fun with this one because tea is one of my favourite things to have and think about. It’s so cosy, isn’t it? – a cup of tea. It’s a warm fuzzy kind of thing and I’ll find any excuse to grab the chance to have a nice hot cuppa.
Add the word ‘tea’ to second hand and styling and I get very excited! Tea’s an old fashioned kind of thing anyway and it reminds me of my Grandma and my Nan and precious china and sugar cubes and a well loved teapot. So tea and second hand styling go hand in hand, in my book at least:)

When I’m on my own I tend to be a little lazy and grab a tea bag {the strongest sort I can find} and have my tea in a big, modern kind of mug.
When I’m trying to make things a bit special though, I love to get out my teapot and teacups and have real tea.

One of my favourite tea pot/tea cup combo is this little pale green teapot for tea with the blue and white johnson bros tea cups that a lovely friend gave to me a few years ago. This teapot is my favourite ‘tea for two’ pot. It’s actually not second hand, though. I get so many compliments over this tea pot but the truth is I got it years and years and years ago at Coles when they had tea pot sets. It cost me about 4 bux. I broke the lid of the teapot not long after I bought it but with a little bit of glue it now looks …. well, second hand:) I love using it with those watery blue tea cups {they are second hand}. That colour combo is my favourite of all time combos. Love it!

This red enamel teapot is another favourite. I got it for a bargain at a garage sale and love using it for tea with 3 or more people. It pours beautifully and I love it with blue or green or white tea cups. It’s probably not actually that old – I think it’s one of those army disposal ones but I love it and have used it a lot.

The retro blue teapot is a more recent addition to my second hand collection. I love it’s retro shape and that colour blue has really grown on me over the past year or so. I’m finding myself more and more drawn to this shade of blue and I love using it with my retro cup and saucers. This one was also a garage sale treasure {so too the little white jug and the yellow tea cup and saucer}. Everything is second hand in this photo, even the chrysanthumum! I got a cutting from friend’s garden over the summer and was so excited to see it flower for Mother’s Day.

So that’s my Second Hand Tea Styling for you. Now it’s your turn. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Grab something second hand from around your nest {or outside it} that is somehow related to this week’s theme of TEA. Then go mad with the styling. You can choose one thing to style or 1000. You can be as creative or as low key as you like. Just have fun and enjoy your lovely second hand treasures.

2. Share a photo or 10 of your Second Hand Styling via a blog post on your blog.

3. Link up your actual blog post to the Second Hand Styling link party down there.

4. Share on facebook, twitter or instagram if you want to:)

5. Pop on over to some of the other links. Leave a comment and say hi!

This linky party is open from today until the 22nd of May so get styling your second hand lovelies and link up!

Oh and if you don’t want to stick to the theme you really don’t have to just as long as you use at least one item that is second hand in your styling}. I’ve also set up an instagram tag called #secondhandstyling so if you’re an instagrammer you can pop your photo on that as well.

Happy Saturday! Happy Second Hand Styling! {The link up thingy is down there under my name}

a little bit of rug drool

2013-05-17T09:15:00.001+10:00

My mind, lately, has been of life outdoors. It’s been filled with chook pens and fences and vegie gardens and planting and painting and all of the stuff I have to get done out there. Since the wintery edge seems to be heading our way {yah!!!} I’ve also been doing a little bit of inside pondering. Rugs. Floor rugs to be precise.

I haven’t yet floor rugged our concrete floors mainly because I hadn’t found anything that I really loved or that I could make a firm decision on. After some lovely googling time this morning though, I think I’ve made my decision firm.

Do you want to see what I’d like to pop on these grey concretey floors of ours?

Tathra Beach Designs by La de dah

Tathra Beach Designs by la de dah

Yep, it’s a mega doily look and I’m loving it!

And these too …

Fine Craft Guild

From Architecture Art Design

Custom Made

Do you likey?

Oh, and before I venture outdoors for some more chook pen netting put-upping, don’t forget tomorrow’s Second Hand Styling link up fun. It was lots of fun last week so I’m hoping even more of you will join in. Do you want the theme for tomorrow, today? OK:)

tea

Looking forward to checking this little space tomorrow to see your lovely second hand tea styling. Used tea bags are welcome! Haha!

all of the nesty crumbs are here

2013-05-14T19:58:00.001+10:00

If you’re looking for recipes or foodie posts then they’ll be here in the Nesty Crumbs corner of this blog.

Here are this year’s ones for you to check out.

Swedish Apple Cake

Zucchini Balls:: River Cottage Meets Feather & Nest

Genevieve's Zucchini Pickles

A Pre Mother's Day Treat

May the crumbs fall freely in you nest and may there always be a little dust pan and broom handy;)

nesty crumbs :: a pre-mother’s day treat

2013-05-13T09:00:00.001+10:00

Thankyou, Darling!

Yep, it was a bit like that on Saturday.

A Mother’s Day High Tea at a lovely local function centre with my gorgy homeschooling mumma friends was where I was at on the weekend.

Yes, we gorged ourselves silly. Yes, we laughed A.L.O.T. Yes, we cherished this time together as mummas of homeschoolers. Yes, we agreed we must do this again and really soon.

And yes, Steve from here, has to be one of the most wonderful chef’s in the world. For a mans man to set up his own funky festival catering food van called Hardcore Carnivore {and hopefully you’ll get to see this right here at Feather & Nest really soon … it’s sooo cute!} and then whip up a deliciously delicate feast of Mother’s Day high tea morsels like we scoffed – well, he’s just plain fantastic in my mind.

There weren’t many crumbs left, that’s for sure.

Hoping all of you mummas had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday. Oh, and thank you to you lovely people who joined in with my Second Hand Styling link up over the weekend. I’m looking forward to next Saturday already:)

second hand styling :: new linky fun here

2013-05-11T07:00:00.000+10:00

Okey doke, well hello there and welcome to my new little link up party which I’m calling Second Hand Styling. I’m a little bit nervous today because I really don’t want to be hanging out here on my lonesome. I want to be able to sticky beak at your blogs and see your lovely second hand treasure and what you’ve done with them.

But apart from the nerves I’m also feeling very excited because I love, love, love chatting about second hand loveliness and using it in my nest. I love old stuff.

My Dad has instilled a love of repurposing and second hand in me since I was really little. He’s always been a tip lover. Back in the day, when I was a kid my Dad loved nothing more than a trip to the tip. At the time, i have to say, I wasn’t a tip fan. The smell would make me heave and it felt like the blowies, if they got the chance, would carry me away at any given moment. I’d usually be found, on these tippy adventures, inside the old holden, windows wound right up, jumper sleeve covering my nose waiting impatiently for Dad to get back in the car and get us the heck out of there. And off to the milk bar for a treat or two. He was a good Dad like that:)

But regardless of the smell and flies and the desire to leave the tip as quickly as possible something about those tip adventures with my Dad sunk into my veins. Into my bones. I found that by my mid 20’s I started to look at the tip through my Dad’s treasure hunting eyes. It was around that time that we became the owners of our first home and so began the ever growing love I have for feathering and nesting. Those days we were on a very tight budget {not at all unlike now, to be honest} so the tip became extremely appealing. It was then that I also began garage saleing, auctioning and op shopping.

Between now and then we’ve been on fluctuating budgets – sometimes tight, sometimes quite relaxed but no matter what sort of funds I’ve had I’ve always preferred buying old things to feather my nest with. It’s become a passion. A hobby. An obsession at times and mostly my second hand treasures have brought me loads of fun.

I’m so thankful to my lovely Dad for instilling in me a love for second hand stuff. I didn’t realise it at the time but those trips to the tip when I was 10 years old have lead me to this very post and linky blog hop. And my Dad, well he’s still having regular adventures to the tip and coming home with lots of lovely treasure. Unfortunately though, the local council have decided that repurposing from the tip’s stance is now an occupational hazard and bans are being put into place to stop people like my Dad from treasure hunting and recycling. But that’s another story ….

So now let the Second Hand Styling fun begin!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Grab something second hand from around your nest {or outside it} that’s related to this week’s theme and then go mad with the styling. You can choose one thing to style or 1000. You can be as creative or as low key as you like. Just have fun and enjoy your lovely second hand treasures.

2. Share a photo or 10 of your Second Hand Styling via a blog post on your blog.

3. Link up your actual blog post to the Second Hand Styling link party down there.

4. Share on facebook, twitter or instagram if you want to:)

5. Pop on over to some of the other links. Leave a comment and say hi!

This linky party is open from today until the 15th of May so get styling your second hand lovelies and link up!

So that’s the ins and outs of it. Pretty simple. Now for our theme of the week {but remember, if you don’t want to stick to the theme you don’t have to just as long as you use at least one item that is second hand in your styling}:

things of stone and wood

Here’s my Second Hand Styling for this week.

I love all of these second hand treasures. Actually there isn’t one thing in this photo that isn’t second hand. Most of these lovelies I got from garage sales and a few have been from local auctions. A good deal of those cream Johnson Brothers plates came from a lovely and very generous friend of mine who knew I was collecting this set at the time.

The chip in that big stone ware bowl is something that, to me, gives the bowl it’s character. Every time I look at it sitting, usually, on my kitchen bench, I wonder how that chip got there. I wonder how many cakes were mixed in it and I imagine lots and lots of fruit cake batter dribbling down the sides. It makes me think of Christmas.

I’m really loving cream stone ware and ceramics mixed with white and rustic timbers. It’s one of my favourite styling themes at the moment – so fresh and simple yet with that worn and slightly imperfect feel to it. It’s funny, I have always been such a colour person but lately I’m craving the calm of natural tones, white and cream. Team it with stone and wood and I’m very happy:)

Well, that’s my turn. Now it’s over to you. I can't wait to see what you've all been up to with your second hand treasures.

Happy Second Hand Styling this weekend!

a new link up for feather & nest

2013-05-10T09:20:00.001+10:00

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time now you probably have noticed that I like old stuff. Second hand stuff. I love the idea of re-using and re-purposing something. I love the stories that are held within something pre-loved. I love the old look of vintage treasures. I love the character that it brings to my home and I especially love that it’s affordable.

You might also notice that I like to play around with my second hand treasures and try to make them look pretty {styling} – which isn’t hard at all ‘cos old stuff is so very, very lovely all on it’s own.

Did you get those three key words? Second. Hand. Styling.

So I’ve been thinking that I’d like to have a cosy little spot here, where we, who like second hand stuff and styling it, can come together and share the little stories that we make with our precious treasures. That’s what we do when we put things together – we tell a story. A visual story. We might not even realise the story as we go along but a story is shared nonetheless about you, the featherer and your lovely nest.

The styling could be as simple as a couple of old rolling pins leaning against the wall ….

or a pile of old Johnson Brothers plates …

or as thought out as a bunch of stuff arranged with a little extra time and effort.

Oh, and you don’t have to forget your new things either. Mixing and matching is really cool too. Just as long as there is something second hand in the shot, ‘tis all. I’ve got newbies and oldies up there in that all white vignette.

However simple or extravagant you want to be is totally up to you. It’s all just an excuse to do a bit of styling and have some fun with the stuff we’ve got lying about the place as well as a chance to sticky beak around other people’s blogs and get to make a few new second hand-aholic styling friends.

What do you think? Would you join me or will I be here on my lonesome – no guilt trip intended, I promise. Nudge nudge wink wink.

OK, well I’m hoping you’ll be here tomorrow for the start of a fun new styling link up. It’ll be loosely theme based just so we’ve got something to go with but if you don’t want to stick with the theme you don’t have to. Totally up to you. The main thing is that we share our love of second hand stuff and get to sticky beak around a bit.

So go and get your second hand stuff out and dusted {or not, dust can be pretty too!} and get ready to have some Second Hand Styling fun on … Saturday (tomorrow). Do you like all of those S’s?

I’ll be here waiting for you to join me. Please? Beg. Grovel.

how does a 13 year old unschooler spend his autumny days?

2013-05-09T21:39:00.001+10:00

He draws cool stuff.

He plays with and walks and looks after his new pup.

He catches up with friends.

He watches his favourite movie reviewers on Youtube.

He writes movie reviews and stuff about movies on his blog.

He talks ALOT about movies.

He goes to art classes.

He hangs out with Steel, his pet bluey.

He watches movies.

He reads.

He researches animals he’s interested in.

He sets himself projects, usually on wildlife.

He sometimes makes dinner.

We read together. {Unwholly at the moment}

He spends time with his family.

He’s helps out around the place.

He’s fun to chat with and have cool discussions with.

He games {Skyrim, Call of Duty, Halo, Bioshock}

He watches game reviews on Youtube.

He googles.

He works on his spelling and some times tables.

He goes to homeschooling get togethers.

I wonder what his wintery days will look like?

garden goings on …

2013-05-07T08:09:00.001+10:00

At the moment there’s so much to do around here. I’m a one-thing-at-a-time kind of person but sometimes life doesn’t go that way and so I’m in the midst of doing a few things at once and feeling the chaos. But it’s also exciting because, well it’s productivity and that feels good.

So what’s been going on in this neck of the woods?

Well, I’ve had lots of tree holes dug for my tree planting expeditions that will be starting anytime soon. I started hand digging them but the ground was so hard! Once you get past the topsoil here it’s like rock! Well at least it was before the rain but I didn’t want to wait for the rain so I called my trusty dingo digger man, Lyall, and he got the job done so quickly. Money well spent that’s for sure {he also dug the fence post holes at the same time}. I’m really pleased that the place looks like a scene from Miner Max {did you ever get addicted to that PC game?}.

We’ve also started fencing around the house which has come at a perfect time now that we have a new puppy in the family. I’m hoping it will be finished later this week but it feels so good to have boundaries and structure about the place.

The chook pen is also happening. My lovely Dad came and reassembled the one he gave me a while ago.The pen bit is also happening along with the fence so hopefully we’ll be able to get some chookies in the next few weeks. Lew’s really keen to have a little flock and I’m super excited about having them lay me some eggs. Win-win!

I’ve also been buying lots of lovely bits and pieces at our local Friday Farmers’ Markets but haven’t had a moment to put any of them in the ground. It’s on my to do list with a gazillion other things.

I recently scored some bargain olives at our local nursery. That makes 5 olives all up. A few more and I’ll have a grove:) I’m thinking of planting them in a ‘walk’ to the chook pen??? A citrus walk would be nice too.

I’ve finished the garden beds along the verandah. I’ve edged them in brick to match the brick of the verandah floor but I can’t show you yet because they look a little on the feral side. I finished them right when we got the new pup and so they now have lovely little dodgey, bright blue ribbon fences around them to help deter the little munchkin(s) {Poppy loves mulch too!} from running through it and spreading mulch everywhere, which is such a delight. Not!

I plan on planting these happy, sunny daffies in the new beds very soon along with some more roses and perennials. Once June comes around I’ll buy some pink and red pierre de ronsards to climb up the verandah poles.

Note to self: Must finish painting those posts before I plant the climbers.

What else?

I’ve been agonising over my vegie garden fence. I had decided to grow a hedge around it instead of a fence but now I really need to keep the dogs out of there plus I’ve always wanted a fenced in vegie garden and haven’t been able to fully let go of the dream. Budget says wire and star pickets and a cute little back gate. My head says more post and rail like at the front. I’ll be hedging it as well so you won’t be able to see a lot of the fence eventually anyway. Still, a tricky decision to make and I don’t have much time to decide as Rodney, the fencer man, will be coming back later on this week to finish off that section.

Procrastinators loathe pressure. But can’t make decisions without it. Oh the dilemma!

That’s about it on the garden front.

Suggestions welcome re: the vegie fence– please!!!

a story about a boy and a dog

2013-05-05T07:27:00.001+10:00

This is the story about a big, black hairy pup and a boy.

One day the boy decided he wanted a dog all for his very own. But the poor boy happened to have a mother who was not able to cope with the thought of having another dog so she put it off and put it off and put it off …. until one day.

One day, not very long ago, a big, black, hairy pup needed a new home. He happened to be the brother of the boy’s very dear friend’s dog.

How could the mother refuse.

So the big, black hairy pup came to live with the boy and his mother and their much, much older and not-very-impressed cockerspaniel.

Hopefully they will all live happily ever after.

The beginning.

PS. It’s nice to be back here with you. I’m so sorry about all of the changes going on around these parts and the lack of blogging. I’m hoping that all’s well now and we can get back to a good bout of blogging and chatting. And I have a bloggy hop/linky thingy coming up soon so I’m really hoping you’ll join in the fun.

guest nest :: peaches and maple

2013-04-30T20:30:00.001+10:00

Country, coastal and homey are perfect describers for my April Guest Nester, the lovely Cas from the nesty blog Peaches and Maple.

Cas is going to show us around her gorgeous nest today. Over to you, Cas:)

……………………………………………

This is our little fixer-upper which we bought just over two years ago and have been slowly renovating on a very tight budget.

When we first moved in it was all very brown and dark, so the first thing we did was paint everything white to brighten the whole place up.

My style is very relaxed and country/coastal and most of our furniture is thrifted and painted white.

I'm a major homebody so nothing pleases me more than making our house as cosy and welcoming as possible. My favourite room would have to be the lounge room with it's bay window and VJ panelled walls.

It has become a comfortable little retreat my husband, our two girls and I to just sit and talk, read or watch a movie and we spend a lot of time in there. We still have a lot of work to do but I'm really pleased with how far we've come and how much we've learnt along the way!

Thanks so much for having me Kim :) Cas ……………………………………………

No, no, no thank YOU, Cas for being a part of The Guest Nest. It was an absolute delight to sticky beak through your gorgeous nest. It all looks so lovely and calming and serene. What a perfect haven for you and your family.

Happy days …

april food swap

2013-04-27T07:47:00.001+10:00

Another local Food Swap has happened and I’m still left gobsmacked at the amount of goodies our local neighbourhood can produce and share.

Take a gorgeous setting.

Invite the lovely local community.

Fill a table with an abundance of home grown produce.

Throw in some home baked goodies.

Add milk and stir.

There you have a recipe for one happy, productive, sharey neighbourhood Food Swap.

And if you’re lucky, a sea eagle might just fly over for a little sticky beak {no pun intended}.

Giving and taking is all part and parcel.

{my take home goodies}

Learning is essential. I learnt about watercress and water chestnut planting, currant and berry propagation, cabbage moth eradication, champion pickle king identification, choko wildness and stuff like that.

Do you have a local Food Swap in your neighbourhood? If not, why don’t you start one up. They are such fun.

Happy Weekend!

tea with me

2013-04-19T18:23:00.001+10:00

Today is my first time doing Tea With Me. Have you heard of it? It’s a lovely link up organised by Em over at Teacups Too.

So today I’m imagining you sitting here, in my nest, having tea with me. I’d ask you which mug you’d like to drink out of. I’m quite partial to the yellow chevron one at the moment. But no pressure, you choose whatever you like. Would you like green tea? peppermint? ginger? or normal black tea? I’ll go for normal today, I’m feeling like I need a bit of a pick me up. I have it white with one, how about you?

Do you feel like sitting at the table or on the lounge?

If you were having tea with me today I’d also ask you if you’d like some Gran’s Caramel Chocolate. Oh my goodness, have you ever had it before? It is to die for. It’s pure caramel fudge smothered in milk chocolate. I’ve not tasted a better thing than it. I’d beg you to have as much as your heart desires because I wouldn’t trust myself, when you leave, not to eat the rest!

We’d probably start chatting about this very strange change in the weather. Snow on a near by mountain, the freezing cold chill in the air, the strong wind a blowing, and the clouds promising rain. You’d probably here me beg for the rain to hurry up and arrive – more than once:)

If you were here having tea with me I’d tell you about my garden plans and how many trees I need to be planting very, very soon. I’d probably ask your opinion on the chook pen and how to make it fox proof. I’d be really hoping you’d have some pointers and share all of your chook keeping secrets. Lord, help our poor chooks when we get them.

I’d probably try and rope you in to coming along to our next local Food Swap. It was such fun last weekend sharing our produce with neighbours and the community around. I’d share with you about how lovely it feels to be going back to basics and sharing food and tips and gardening thoughts with others who are living a similar kind of life. I’d try not to be preachy about it though.

I’d ask you what you’d recently been planting in your garden and I’d probably ask you how you’re coping with the cabbage moths that are intent on devouring all brassicas in sight. I’d probably try to wrangle some cabbage moth destroying tips out of you too.

If you were having tea with me I’d ask how your kids were going and if you asked me how Lew was I’d tell you that he’s going well and keen on movies right now. I’d probably tell you about some of the projects he’s been into lately and he’d come in and show you some of his drawings that he’s been working on for his Nan.

I may need gaphotaping while I ramble on about how much I love his artwork. He may feel a little embarrassed by my outbursts and run for the gaphotape himself.

He’d want to show you the underwater photo of a crab he and his friend found the other day just to side track us from my gushing over his artwork.

If you were to have tea with me today I may also admit to you, depending on how much Gran’s caramel chocolate fudge we had shared, that my Couch to 5k training app thingy has been failing miserably {not the actual app but my ability to follow through with it} and that I’ve only done 2 weeks of it so far. I’d have to admit that, in hind sight, I was feeling loads better while I was doing it and that I’ve lost momentum and how on earth am I going to get it back. I’d probably tell you that I plan to get right back on track again with it all and I imagine you’d be thinking to yourself: ‘Yeh yeh, sure Ted, I’ve heard that a gazillion times before.’

{shared by my sister via facebook}

I’d also be asking you if you’d come across any new recipes lately. I’d be busting to share Pip Lincolne’s Baked Risotto with you and tell you that we’ve had it 3 times in less than 2 weeks. It’s just that good and easy and delish. I’d write it down for you:)

If you were having tea with me today I’d tell you that I totally love our Third Thursday Book Club and I’d lend you my copy of the book we did last night, Schroder. I’d tell you how much I loved reading it and that I had to speed read the last half of it to get it finished in time for book club – like 10 minutes before! I’d be asking you if you’d read any good books lately.

There’d be lots of other things to chat about. I think we’d need a couple of cups of tea, don’t you?

What would you share with me if we were having tea together today?

Linking up with Em at teacups too}

pottering in my garden

2013-04-18T07:36:00.001+10:00

I love pottering in the garden. Planting a little something here. Tugging out a weed there. Squishing a nasty fat, green grub here. Munching a bean or 5 there. It’s a time where I can really disconnect with the rest of my life and marvel at the wonder that is creation.

I love finding the self seeded things doing there thing. Effortless and growing way better than any of the plants I try to tame and tend.

Even the gravel and hard as a rock decomposed granite doesn’t seem to deter the self seeder.

I’ve managed to remember to do the continuous seeding thing – well at least with the carrots, lettuce and beetroot.

I’m wondering if it’s too late to plant some more snow peas? Do you know? These ones are up and happening but I feel there won’t be enough to keep us going through the winter.

Brassicas! Agh! I swore I’d never plant them again after 6 years of no success at the Purple Nest but here I am having another go at it, realising that I knew nothing about them and still have much to learn. They like lime. I’ve learnt that. The cabbage moths love them. This I knew but never really dealt with. Now I have a full-on loathing for those white moths. They are all pretty and lovely as they dance around the garden but then you find their eggs e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e and you begin to curse them. Derris dust hasn’t been a great success. As soon as it washes off it doesn’t seem to work. Apparently salty water can be sprayed on them twice a week which breaks the cycle but you can only spray them on brassicas, nothing else can handle the salt. So I’m too scared to try that one. My neighbour uses dipel and swears by it. It’s a bacteria and is safe for animals, bees and other good bugs. It’s a natural way of treating the little suckers and I’m definitely going to be grabbing myself some this week. At least I’m not losing whole plants this time around and they do seem to be growing. Horse poo and seasol have helped and I’m going to have a go at worm farming very soon. The last time I tried this all of the worms escaped. This time around my neighbour has leant me a proper worm farm to try. There’ll be no escaping this time. Bwaaaawawawa! Apparently feeding them helps. Good tip, I thought:)

The onions are sprouting. I’ve staggered these too so I am still waiting on some of the other varieties to pop through. It’s so exciting when you see their little green heads pop out from under their dirty blanket.

I’ve planted lots of garlic too. My lovely neighbour {another one – I am blessed with lovely neighbours} gave me a big bag of her garlic to plant out. I bought some organic bulbs from the local nursery as well so it’ll be fun watching it all start sprouting away. Garlic’s one of the most rewarding things to grow. From one little clove you get an entire bulb and it lasts for so long.

So much more to do and plant and plan and begin. Chook pens and runs, fencing, trees to establish, more garden beds to make – the list is endless. Exciting and overwhelming times. I’m excited about things starting to happen here but I am also continually overwhelmed with feelings of responsibility and getting it wrong and over planning for the perfect design {and we all know there is no perfect design} and procrastinating due to fear or money pressures or lack of ability or any other hurdles that come into play on any given day.

That’s life though, isn’t it? It’s filled with this stuff wherever we are, whatever we’re doing. Day by day, bit by bit is the only way I can do it these days. Slow and steady as the fable goes …

How about you? Tell me what you’ve been planting lately. Are you a potterer too?

changes & bloglovin’

2013-04-16T06:34:00.001+10:00

You may have noticed things are looking a bit changed around and unfinished here lately??? A lovely bloggy friend of mine is helping me out of some html trouble. She’s fixing all of the trouble I caused by attempting to get into my html and make things nice. Let’s just say I’m not an html kind of girl. I mucked a lot of things up and couldn’t get stuff to work so my lovely Domestic Mumma friend, Vicki, is working very hard to get things right again here in this nest. So stay tuned, all will be well very soon.

While we’re here though, I was wondering if you’d pop on over to Bloglovin’ and follow me over there as well? I hear things are not well in the Google Friends world and that it will soon be a thing of the past. I wouldn’t want to lose you:) If you click on the button just down there you should go straight to my Bloglovin’ page where you can press the follow button.

That is, if I’ve done it all properly????

Let’s see how it all pans out ….

Are you on Bloglovin’ yet? I’m sure you are a lot more hip and savvy than I am and have been bloglovin’ or ages. If you are please leave me your bloglovin’ link in my comments and I’ll be sure to catch up with you over there:)

Happy Tuesday!

beautiful autumn

2013-04-13T06:27:00.001+10:00

Is this not the most beautiful time of year in Australia?

Happy autumny weekend:)

13 & 14/52

2013-04-12T19:46:00.001+10:00

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Lewi enjoying freshly baked cookies at my sister’s place. More memories being made with his cousin – who didn’t want to be photographed:) It’s the simple things that make the loveliest memories – a walk, a swing, some climbing, a cookie, or two, some chatting, some laughing.

Joining in with Jodi over at Che & Fidel.

Have a lovely Friday evening:)

the bird man

2013-04-10T08:35:00.001+10:00

Yesterday our natural learners group spent a lovely morning wondering around the home of a local bird loving man, Ray. I think I would call him a collector of birds and perhaps the bird whisperer. He’s also in WIRES so not only does he love the birds but he takes very, very good care of them.

He said that every day, 7 days a week, he spends almost 5 hours feeding and caring for his birds. He has 30 plus different species and they’ve all got aviaries that they can fly in. I’m normally not one for caged birds but these birds seem really happy in their environments and most of them have quite lovely habitats. He releases his WIRES rescue birds but many of them don’t want to leave. We could all see why.

He also has the cutest ever pet curlew. I’ve never seen one of these in real life before and I was totally stunned by it’s curiosity and protectiveness towards his carer. Some of the littler kids in our group were deemed a threat and so there were a few tears as little people were hissed at and peck-threatened. He wandered about protecting Ray like he owned him. His big, starry eyes and gangly legs made him look like he’d just stepped out of the prehistoric age and now I have a 13 year old boy who feels he needs a curlew of his very own. As you would.

My old-stuff-loving eye couldn’t help noticing all of the wonderful rusty, vintagey treasures that were dotted all around Ray’s property. It wasn’t hard to work out that once upon a time Ray had run a motor mechanics shop just up the road. I’ve never seen so many lovely old, in much need of repair, vintage cars in one spot before. This one caught my eye …

It’s so lovely to meet people, experts, who are passionate. So lovely for our kids to be a part of the lives of passionate people. It’s inspiring and motivating for me too. One more mentor to pop in my notebook of mentor possibilities for my wild life loving boy.

in the nest :: second hand styling

2013-04-09T08:12:00.001+10:00

When I’m feeling a little flustered, overwhelmed or lacking in creative juices there are a few things that get me back in the groove.

1. Gardening. This is, hands down, the best way for me to feel calmed and sorted. Pottering about or digging new garden beds, pruning, weeding or simply snipping stems of pretty flowers to bring inside are all therapy for me.

2. Sipping tea. A.l.w.a.y.s. a soothing balm.

3. Styling my second hand stuff.

And this is the thing I wanted to chat about today.

Making little vignettes in my nest {or outside sometimes too} with my second hand, vintagey pieces for no good reason other than to snap a few shots here and there gives me sooooo much pleasure. It’s a frivolous thing for some, I know. But for me it’s a way I can get creative but not in the crafty kind of way {because that’s not my forte, as you’ve probably realised over the years of reading here} and become lost in my own little world, even for 15 minutes or so. It rejuvenates me like the gardening does and helps bring order to my chaos. It’s probably very closely related to my slight OCD tendencies but it rarely hurts anyone {as long as I’m not leaving around too many pieces of china on concrete floors in the middle of doorways} and so I continue with styling my stuff. And I’m a better person for it, for 15 minutes of the day, at least.

There’s a story to each piece. How I got to owning it is a story in itself. I love to wonder about the people who owned my stuff before me. Who was Tina, anyway? Was she the shoemaker’s wife with the tiniest foot in the world?

Who ate off these plates? What sort of meals did they love to cook? What did the cabinet that they lived in look like?

Where is Tramway Road? Is there still a sign up saying Tramway Road? Did a tram ever cross it?

What recipe did the owner of those rolling pins use for their pastry? Or were they pie makers?

How did that chip get on that bowl? Was it a favourite in someone’s kitchen?

Oh so many questions. So many stories. This is what I love about second hand and recycled and vintage.

So it got me thinking about you and your second hand stuff. It got me wondering about what lies within your cabinet doors and hides inside your drawers. And I wondered whether you’d share some of your second hand loveliness with me.

Would you?

If you would I’d love to set up a link and/or an instagram tag for all of our lovely second hand goodies.

Let me know what you think down there in the comments. Let’s see if we can nut this thing out together. Second hand Styling, I like the sound of that.

2013-04-07T06:57:00.002+10:00

This morning I wanted to share with you a really fun giveaway that my lovely friend, Vicki, from Domestic Mamma has been organising for some lucky duck readers. Instead of me rambling on today though, I thought I'd hand you over to Vicki. She'll explain it all much better than I would:)

Over to you,Vicki .....

Threads and Style l Facebook l Twitter l Pinterest l YouTube l Instagram

I have a really special treat for you all today my party peeps...

I've been working on a special giveaway with the people at Style Tread and Threads & Style that will make your eyes water.....I mean seriously....if you don't want it, I'll be more than happy to take it off your hands.

StyleTread l Facebook l Twitter l Instagram l YouTube

Both Style Tread and Threads & Style are giving away a $200 gift voucher to one of my very special readers. Say again??? Yep that's right, a $200 voucher from Style Tread and a $200 voucher from Threads & Style - can you believe that!

Still got your interest?? Good!

Now just to sweeten this deal a little more, myself and a few of my bloggy sponsors….

have thrown in to buy this makeup kit for you as well.....why? Because we can!

Lisha from One House One Couple

BLOG

Melanie from Violet's Buds

BLOG l ETSY l FACEBOOK

Use the code:

SHOPSMALLBIZ10 for 10%

off in her Etsy shop

Kirsty from Geelong Fashionista

BLOG

Kim from Feather & Nest

BLOG

Vicki from Domestic Mamma

BLOG l Bloglovin l Twitter l Facebook l Instagram l Pinterest

So all up we are giving away the $200 Threads & Style voucher, the $200 Style Tread voucher and the $59.95 Nude by Nature kit, and all you have to do to be in the running is follow our sponsors and follow me on Bloglovin'.

Enjoy your week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks,Vicki:) Doesn't that look great?

You've got to be in it to win so enjoy and pop on over to Vicki's and tell her I said hi.

Happy Sunday to you all!

in the nest :: garage sale treasures

2013-04-05T07:03:00.001+11:00

Garage sales have been one of my indulgences for quite some years now. Saturday mornings couldn’t be lovelier than filled with a long stretch of garage sales to hunt around in.

For the past year I have been pretty quiet on the garage sale front, though. With all the selling and moving and building and down sizing goings on I’ve tried to keep a pretty low profile on the garage sale {and op shop} scene. The idea of more stuff would send waves of panic through me as I struggled to find {still struggle!} room for the things I already owned in this pared down, new, tiny tin nest of ours. But as the dust is beginning to settle I’m starting to get the yearning to get back on the garage sale treasure hunt.

Here are some recent additions to my treasure collection …

These cute little metal chairs will be perfect in my vegie garden. $10 for the pair. All they need is a seat bit and they’ll be perfect. Not sure if I want metal or timber seats?

This frame was $5. I plan to paint it and turn it into a blackboard for Lew’s weekly planner.

And these bits and pieces cost me less than $5. It’s hard to justify more kitchen stuff. But some how I justified;)

How about you? Do you enjoy a good old garage sale treasure hunt? Tell me, what was your latest bargain?

#52Lists 13

2013-04-03T08:03:00.001+11:00

I’m so loving these lists of Pip’s.

This one could just go on and on and on and ……on1

Are you a list maker?

If you are, why don’t you join in over at Meet Me at Mikes and have some fun listing making with us all.

See you there!

happy easter, some easter pretties & some more #52 lists

2013-03-31T09:09:00.001+11:00

Happy Easter to you all!

Thank you so much for reading my blog and taking the time to say hi. Your comments here really do make my day:) Have a lovely and safe long weekend xxx

Before I go off to prepare for a lovely family lunch I wanted to share some pretties I found recently on Etsy.

Lucy Dyer

Graphique

lafabriqueabricole

Aren’t they cute? Have you discovered anything lovely online lately? I’d love to hear about it if you have, to fill my pinterest boards and all …;)

Oh, and before I go I wanted to get all up to date with the lovely Pip Lincolne’s linky fun, #52 Lists. I have loved doing these lists but for some reason I’ve not been able to post about them often enough. So a B.I.G catch up has been on the cards for …oh, about 6 weeks worth now. Agh! Hopefully I’ll stay on track from now on…please?

I’d love you to share something that you also love from my list. I bet there’s something there that we love together. Got to be:)

Happy, Happy Eastery Sunday to you xx

the guest nest :: steve and meg’s handmade nest

2013-03-30T07:12:00.001+11:00

This month’s Guest Nest is one that I’ve been excited about sharing with you for quite some time now. The owners of this lovely nest, Steve and Meg, who live just up the road, have graciously allowed me in to sticky beak around, snap away with my camera and become absorbed in their lovely handmade nesty story. Are you ready to feel inspired and excited about all things nesty and homey?

Welcome to Steve and Meg’s nest …

Nestled in the heart of our beautiful valley, surrounded by 12.5 green, hilly acres sits this handmade home. Five years of blood, sweat and, I’m hoping, not too many tears, have gone into making this gorgeous piece of old dairy country paradise into a unique and gorgeous nest that Steve and Meg now call home.

Steve and Meg built every bit of this house themselves in true owner builder style. From start to finish {so far .. there’s more to be added onto this nest a little bit later on} Steve has placed timber upon timber, nail upon timber, floorboard upon joist {and that’s where my knowledge of building ceases} over the past 5 years, meticulously researching and planning and researching some more to find the best possible way of making this labour of love. Hours and hours of reading every night went into this project. Steve had to learn the art of house building as he was going along, and not just any old house either. It’s no meccano set, that’s for sure, as you’re about to see ….

BYO House

Oh, but before we take a look inside I just wanted to mention that Steve's story of this 5 year long {so far!} project can be read over here at BYO House. From start to finish, Steve gives an honest and thorough run down of the whole owner building process.He’s also shared lots of photos as he’s gone along. I’ve dotted this post with photos from Steve’s story and a couple of excerpts over at BYO House because I think it’s so lovely to capture the stages that this house has gone through from its’ very beginnings and also because Steve said I could!

OK, no more dilly dallying, let’s get sticky beaking…

I’ll start at the beginning bit of the story. The bit before I stepped foot onto this lovely little sanctuary. Let’s wonder around the work site for a bit and check out Steve’s handiwork at the beginning stages ….

That view is gorgeous, don’t you think? What a place to spend a working day.

BYO House Forum

Ok that’s some ‘before’ for you. Now let’s have a look at the now.

After a lovely little meander up a windy drive way you step out of your car and suck in a lung full of that fresh air. You walk into this nest and the first thing that hits you like a waft of magical calming potion, is the view. A 180 degree view of the valley has been totally taken advantage of. The whole front of the house is glass and so the impact is huge. It feels like your floating on top of a cloud looking down at the pretty valley below – at eye level with the eagles.

These steps which lead into this lovely nest are made from old bridging timbers, the Bombala Bridge to be precise. They are such a feature and set the tone so perfectly for what you might expect to find once you step inside. Recycled loveliness everywhere!

Let’s go in. I want to show you this gorgeous view from inside.

So we step inside those gorgeous front doors, reclaimed from a building in Sydney, to this ….!

That second photo from Steve’s BYO House forum, was taken before the house was finished but I wanted you to get a feel for the view and the immenseness of the glass windows that cover the entire northern end of the house. The windows are industrial salvaged glass from a Sydney demolition site. Steve sourced them for around $3000 – enough to also fit out two more pavilions which will soon be added onto the main living space.What a bargain!

The main living room space is long and open. Down one end of the dining area is the living space. It’s a cosy nook with a nectre wood heater and filled with lovely hints of the featherers who nest here:)

There are guitars resting here and there, books and old wares. Hints of travel, a librarian in the house and recycled loveliness everywhere.

A bowl of old cork screws catches my eye, as you can imagine:)

Artworks are dotted around the walls. They are lovely and your eye is drawn to them but they take nothing away from the simple beauty of the house itself nor that view. They are merely highlights and accentuate rather than intrude on the space. I love that about the decor of this nest.

At the opposite end of the living space is the kitchen.

I love the modern twist that this kitchen gives to the rest of the house. It’s shiny stainless benches and white, white doors with minimal, streamlined handles give Steve and Meg an easy, functional and very lovely to look at work space. Steve, a chef at a local cafe and function centre, loves the functionality of the stainless steel bench tops. They aren’t precious – hot pots can be plonked straight on top, water can be slopped about.

What I also love about this kitchen is that as well as being slightly contrasting to the recycled elements of this nest it also highlights the industrial elements. Stainless steel with heavy, industrial timbers works so well. The wood surrounding the kitchen warms the steel and blends it into the open space. The white painted timber lining on the walls tie in the white of the cabinetry and the massive amounts of glass in those huge northern windows panels mirror the glass splashback.

The centrepiece of this lovely open plan area is this gorgeous 3.5 metre long recycled spotted gum dining table. I don’t know how Steve and Meg manage to drag themselves away from that spot every day to venture into town for work.

Through this lovely old door, just off from the main living area, we find the bathroom.

The main vanity is an old workbench that belonged to Meg’s Grandpa. It’s a gorgeous piece and triggers lots of oohs and aahs from me as I run my fingers along it’s beautifully worn timber. So many stories are embedded within that bench. An old science lab sink has been installed as the vanity basin and a mirror rests against the wall. I’m in love with the simple, rusticness of this place. It oozes history and connection and I feel so at home – even in the bathroom!

And I love that the old vice has been left intact. Hints of it’s earlier days as Meg’s Grandpa’s work bench.

As usual in this Guest Nest feature, I need to know what part of the nest is the owner’s favourite. I’m a sticky beak like that.

Steve says that, for him, it would definitely be the eco elements – the solar gain from such a perfectly northern aspect, the recycled materials, the use of scrap waste products {like the lining boards and exterior weather boards here and there}. Here’s a snippet from Steve’s owner build story over on BYO House:

If I had to put a label on this house it would be something like 'a low impact, minimum foot print, passive heated and cooled, pavilion style, autonomous, post and beam house'.

The house is essentially bridge and store construction that deploys heavy section timber members and bolted connections, using primarily salvaged and recycled hardwood timbers. The large (ground to roof) posts are 150 x 150 (class 1 mixed h/w species) that we salvaged and recycled from bridge/wharf timbers, factory posts, telephone poles etc up to 8.5m long!!. I like recycled material, it has a history, a piece of other lives. The house will have an energy and a patina beyond its age and recycled timber is perhaps the most environmentally benign building material we can use.

Meg’s favourite area is her pantry. It’s huge! The stocks are housed in dreamy pigeon hole shelving, rescued from a farmer’s chicken shed. There’s even space to hang hams and prosciutto in there. Hand raised ham and prosciutto, that is. There;s also plenty of room for storing preserves and pickles and jams and the odd bottle of wine or two:).

My favourite part of this nest, as difficult as it is to choose, are these gorgeous Edison lights. Fitted above the dining table, Meg made them up herself buying all of the components and putting them together. They are exquisite and most definitely a feature element for the entire house.

Can you tell I L.O.V.E those lights?

So that’s the main section of the first part of this nest built and finished. Steve and Meg plan to add on two more pavilions either side of this main living space which will become sleeping quarters. Meg and Steve sleep in the caravan out the back {where they have been since the start of this whole journey} while they await their next owner builder adventures. For the meantime they enjoy the luxury of a finished kitchen and bathroom and a beautiful, beautiful living space to relax in and enjoy home life.

I can’t wait to come back and see the rest of this nest when it’s all finished. Hint, hint.

Before we leave this lovely place I wanted to show you some of the gorgeous outdoor features that Meg and Steve have added along the way.

How cute is that little shed? I love its’ shape and the use of recycled metal cladding and the old timber window.

There’s also a pizza oven not too far from the back end of the house. Steve made it in his spare time;)

And as you drive into the property you find this on the front gate.

L.O.V.E!!!!

I’m sorry to say that that is the end, for now at least, of our time with Steve and Meg in their lovely, lovely nest.

What did you think? Isn’t it just the loveliest hand made nest? I surely think so.

Whenever my mind wanders back to the lovely hours I spent with Steve and Meg I start singing the lines of one of my favourite Neil Young songs:

Where the eagle glides ascending. There’s an ancient river bending.

I’m not sure if it’s the sheer beauty of the place or the guitars all around but the memories of this home bring me back to my childhood in this valley and my love for Neil Young and a yearning for the simple things. For me this is what a true home does, it take you to that cosy place and lets you rest their awhile while it embraces you.

Thanks so much Meg and Steve. What a treat it was to hang out with you guys and chat about your lovely, lovely nest. I so look forward to catching up with you later on down the track.

Woops, another light photo. How did that get here?

Happy Easter weekend everyone!