Sew, Cook, Laugh and Live

I can crochet a beanie!

2013-05-17T09:33:00.003+10:00

I am seriously amazed with the things that you can crochet. Well, that I am now able to crochet. If you had told me 3 weeks ago that I would be spending every single moment with a crochet hook & wool in my hands, I would have told you that you were mad! But I have picked it up quicker than I have ever imagined & I can now tick it off my list of things I want to learn this year. I am attending a bloggers baby shower next month for 4 local bloggers who are all expecting babies soon so there is no better time to be learning how to crochet.

I am able to share the photo’s of the gifts because with 4 presents to make, no one knows which one is for them!

I have a few more things to make to go with the pink & grey beanie. I love pink & grey together for a little baby girl. I also still have 2 more gift sets to make, one for a boy & 1 for a girl. I would like to keep going with the crochet theme.

If you have any great baby gift crochet tutorials, I would love for you to share the links below! Or even if you have a great crochet Pinterest board, feel free to share that as well. You can find mine HERE.

Today we are feeling a little blue

2013-05-14T09:49:00.000+10:00

Today we are all feeling a little blue here. We had to make a hard decision. It took us weeks to finally realise that we had to do it. We had to say goodbye to Betty White, our chook.

I have spoken before about Betty White (the black chook) who thinks she is a crow. Unfortunately it became a rather loud problem. Too loud for suburbia. If I was our neighbours, I would not be happy because she is THAT loud. She starts at 6am goes until lunch time. We are lucky enough that the owners of our local produce store were more than happy to help & are going to take her to their farm as she is a fantastic egg layer. She will be spending her days free ranging with 20 other chooks. They also made it a lot easier for poor Georgia who was devastated. They are going to give us a baby Chinese Bantam chick that should hopefully be born today! We will be getting her when she is just a couple of days old so as you can imagine, it has helped heal Georgia’s broken heart to know that she will be a “Mother” to another chook in just a few days. Well, she will be a Mother to it while she is at home & when she goes to school or wants to watch TV, I will be on baby chick duty! Somehow Mr P gets Georgia these baby chicks & then I go along & raise them! I think that Mr P & Georgia should not be allowed to go to get new chooks unattended. I am still looking after the Silkie chick that they got 2 weeks ago!

But I am more than happy when it makes Georgia smile like this. I am also happy that the teenager collects high top sneakers & not pets like Georgia does!

Crochet for beginners. I can now crochet a granny square!

2013-05-13T08:23:00.001+10:00

I can finally say that I can crochet! Now, I may not be perfect it at (far from it!) but in the past 2 weeks I have gone from only being able to crochet a chain stitch to this….

I can now crochet a basic granny square! From what I can gather, it is the foundation to most crochet projects. If you can do this, then you can make rugs, blankets, pillows, jackets, etc. The thing is that it becomes very addictive! I found that very quickly, I had a whole stack of them!

I made them quite large & I am thinking I may even add more rows to them. I want to make a throw to put on my bed. The colours will match perfectly. I love the way the light grey compliments the bright pink & aqua.

Now not only do I have a fabric obsession but on Saturday I spent ages in the wool section at Lincraft & Mr P had to drag me out! The colours, textures & feel had me hypnotised. I am now going to have to set aside a space in my future craft room (fingers crossed it built before the year is out!) just for wool!

One of the biggest things that I have learnt since I put it out there on Facebook that I wanted to how to crochet is the amazing community that comes with crochet. I have had so many wonderful ladies offer help, talk me through it & share websites, tutorials, Pinterest boards & patterns with me. Thank you to you all. It means the world to me.

I also have to give a massive shout out to Australian Country Spinners who sent me a fabulous package full of crochet goodies to help me get started. I fell in love with this book as soon as I laid eyes on it!

It is full of the most beautiful patterns. I was lucky enough to also find in my parcel enough wool to make this beautiful blanket.

When I have practiced & I am feeling a little more confidant, it is on the top of my to do list.

You can find a wide range of free patterns on the Australian Country Spinners website. You can also find some fabulous books to purchase & everything else you need to crochet.

Because of the support & encouragement that I have received, I want to pay it forward. I am going to share all the links, blogs, sites that have helped me to finally be able to say that I can crochet.

I spent my Friday night watching this video on YouTube & instagraming photos of my progress (thanks for joining in the crochet heart fun Anita!). This is a great little clip that shows you how you can make a small heart.

How to Crochet a small heart

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I used this tutorial to kick start my granny square practice.

DIY Granny Square triangle

It has the most amazing step by step photos that helped me to finally “get it”.

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This is the tutorial that then sealed it for me.

How to crochet a granny square step by step

This is the tutorial that made it all seem easy. This is when I really got it.

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I have been pinning like mad to my Crochet board on Pinterest. You can follow it HERE.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has encouraged me to learn how to crochet. I now get why you are all so passionate about it. If learning to crochet also means that I get to be part of this fabulous community, my only regret is that I didn’t learn sooner!

What’s on my camera Wednesday

2013-05-08T07:25:00.001+10:00

Seeing Georgia with baby animals, or any animals for that matter, just completely melts my heart.

She has this calming effect on all animals.

{sigh} Perfection.

When faced with a roadblock, learn to crochet!

2013-05-07T09:30:00.000+10:00

As most of you know, I have been Walking For Fitness for over a month now. Yesterday I faced a BIG setback. For the past week, my right foot had been throbbing when I walk more than a couple hundred meters at a time. So at the end of my 5-6 kms walks, I was in so much pain that it became unbearable. So off to the Dr I went. I have to have a week of rest & if my foot is no better, I have to then have an MRI to see if I have a stress fracture. Really not the news that I wanted to hear. I cried the whole way home in the car. After so many years of not being able to face my fear of walking alone {you can read all about it here}, I now had to stop. While 1 week doesn’t sound like a long time, I am worried that it might be enough to set me right back where I started. I am also worried that if there is in fact a stress fracture, I then have to rest my foot for a further 6-8 weeks. I have gone through & dusted off all the exercise DVD’s that I have collected over the years & I have a few good yoga & Pilates ones. I even have a yogalates whish is a cross between both. Hopefully doing some low impact exercise will keep me moving in the rest period. I have also been told that cycling on a stationary exercise bike is a great way to keep moving without putting more stress on my foot.

So, that leaves me with a lot of time to do something creative. I finally taught myself how to crochet yesterday!

I had struggled for years to learn how to crochet more than just a single chain. So I put all that built up energy into learning. I put aside all the books & I just went with my gut instinct. It is the same way that I learnt to sew. I came up with these pretty cute looking flowers.

They are not perfect but they are mine! I have plenty of free time to practice over the next week so I think you will find me with a crochet hook in one hand at all times!!

I am hoping to have enough to make into a garland of crochet flowers.

When life hands you a roadblock, learn something new!

Is there something that you have always wanted to learn how to do?

Well, hello Sunshine!

2013-05-05T13:13:00.003+10:00

We have a new addition to the family!

Well, hello Sunshine!

Sunshine is our newest chook & much to Georgia’s delight, she is a Silkie!

She is only 6 weeks old & can fit in your hand.

She is adorable & hence the breeds name “Silkie”, she is as soft as silk!

With a Mohawk that would make a punk rocker envious!

We have been researching Silkies for quite a while now. I wanted to make sure that we had our other chooks in a laying routine before we got a chook that is purely a pet. If she lays eggs, that is a bonus but our 3 other girls are giving us quite a supply at the moment. We headed off to the local market today to see if we could find one. At the Poultry shed, we were all a little upset to hear that the only Silkie’s they had were already sold & gone. I sent Mr P back into the shed after much discussion to see if he could find out about a local breeder. As he was waiting to talk to one of the farmers, another one walked in with a massive crate filled with around 20 birds. Mr P asked him if he had any Silkies, he did! As they were all being let out of the cage, we spotted a grey one that was big, robust & healthy. It looked at least 12 weeks old. I told Mr P that I liked that one. I left the shed because I get a little upset when a chook needs to be caught & all the other chooks start flapping & screaming. I am a bit of an animal lover like that. So out they came with a box. Inside that box was the Silkie that I thought I had chosen. It was not so! When we got home & they opened the box, I was shocked to say the least! Inside was not a the big grey one but a little 6 week old blue Silkie!! Georgia chose it! I am smitten with it so all is good. She still needs a bit more love & care before she can go in the big pen with the other chooks so she is spending her time in a portable pen till she is bigger & ready for some friends.

Why did we call it Sunshine? As we were driving to the markets in the early morning, the sun popped out from behind some clouds & these massive sunbeams came streaming down. Georgia had said in the car that it was a good sign that she was going to find a Silkie chook there. That is how we came to name the chook Sunshine.

So we are now putting up the “No vacancy” sign because our yard is full!

Poor Molly dog is so in love with every chook we have. She likes to lick them & clean them but they are not so sure about her.

She really is the mother hen of the bunch!

When only the freshest will do!

2013-05-02T19:03:00.002+10:00

*This is not a sponsored post, I was not gifted anything! I paid for this myself & was so impressed that I want to tell you all about it!*

Fresh fruit & veg is what my family loves the most. A crunchy apple, green grapes that burst in your mouth, watermelon that is not only juicy but crisp at the same time. That is what we like best. Over the past few months, I have noticed that the quality of the fruit & veg that I was buying was not only not of the highest standard but down right offensive. Pumpkin that when you cut open, you find that it is not fit for human consumption. Watermelon that goes rancid only 1 day after buying it. Apples that no longer have taste because they are certainly not fresh from the farm but obviously straight from the supermarket deep freeze. I was on a mission to provide my family with the freshest fruit & veg that I could possibly find. And, I have found it!!

Check this out!

For the very first time, I placed an order with an online fruit & veg delivery company called

Freshmart

For $71, I purchased all of this…..

plus this!

This was my order…

1 x Jumbo box $55

6 Royal gala apples
4 Valencia oranges
1 Small pineapple
4 WBC pears
1 500g bunch of White grapes
6 Gourmet tomatoes
3 Zucchinis
2 Gold sweet potatoes
1 Half cauliflower
1 head of Broccoli
1 kilo bag of Carrots
4 Brown onions

1 qtr. piece of Pumpkins (Kent)
1 kilo of Brushed potatoes
1 Whole rockmelon
1 qtr. piece of Watermelons
1 bunch (5pcs) of Cavendish bananas
1 bag (200g) of Snow peas
1 bag (200g) of Button mushrooms
2 Shephard avocados
1 Iceberg lettuce
4 Imperial mandarins

Plus I also added these extras…

1 x Imperial mandarins $3
1 x Green beans (bag (500g)) $3.5
1 x Pumpkin (Kent) (qtr. piece) $1.5
1 x Watermelon (qtr. piece) $2
1 x Brushed potatoes (5kg bag) $6

It was delivered to my front door in foam eskies & the van that it came in was refrigerated.

Honestly, I was a little sceptical & I was a little nervous about ordering fruit & veg sight unseen, I am now thinking that I will place an order every week! If you too are sick of buying inferior fruit & veg, why not try something like this. I know that I did not regret it & I think it has changed the way I shop for fresh food forever! There is a wide selection of pre selected boxes of fruit & veg to suit any budget, taste & family size.

What’s on my camera Wednesday

2013-05-01T08:17:00.001+10:00

It’s that time of the week again where I share my fave photo’s that are on my camera for the week.

This week has been a great week for looking at the moon. This was the morning moon that greeted me when I went out to the chooks the other day.

Some days, you can see the perfect photo op & then realise that your car really needs a wash!

I love the way sometime the reflection is the best part of a photo.

One of my fave things to do as a mother is to watch my kids play sport. This past week saw my baby try out for the regional touch footy team. My Georgia is tiny & seeing her run rings around the bigger girls made me so proud & showed her that her small size can sometimes be an asset.

My garden is in full bloom at the moment. It is bringing in all sorts of wildlife & creatures.

I have been planting a lot of new plants as I want to be able to walk out the front door & pick my own bunch of flowers. I am totally in love with bright coloured roses at the moment. This yellow is just stunning!

I have also planted some white ones & lavender coloured ones. They are still just branches at the moment so it will be a little while before I get to see the beautiful roses buds.

I am smitten with Dahlia’s! They are just so full & the colours are spectacular.

As the season is changing, I think this may be the last time that the Frangipani trees in our yard will be in bloom this season. The leaves are starting to fall so this bunch of flowers was very unexpected.

So I am wondering, what is your favourite cut flower? I can’t wait to have my vase overflowing with all different coloured roses.

This is my time. A progress update on walking for fitness.

2013-04-30T10:14:00.001+10:00

I have been consciously walking for fitness for over 1 month now. I have noticed such a big difference in how I see myself, how I think of myself & how I behave. I am now my number one priority. The reason why? Because I am worth it!

I have not once said to myself or others that I am on a diet, because I am not. I am on a fitness journey. I am not depriving myself of anything. If you have been following on Instagram or even read my last post (found here) I am still eating pavlova! I am enjoying all the yummy foods that I love the most. The difference is that I am walking for fitness every single day. I am walking a minimum of 5kms. I am even walking twice a day sometimes! 2 months ago, I would have used the excuse, “I am just to busy to walk.” I have changed my way of thinking to, “I am worth it.” It was hard at the start & many days I would have an internal fight with myself. I would try & find reasons or excuses to not go for a walk. I never let the lazy voice win. I just get dressed, put my sneakers on, put the iPod shuffle on & turn on the Endomondo fitness tracker app.

Some days I walk with my walking buddy (Hi Leah!), some days with the kids, some days with the dog, some days Mr P even joins us & most surprising to me…some days I even walk by myself. Walking by myself has always been my greatest fears. When I was the same age that my teenager is now, I had a very close encounter with a rapist when I was walking to school one day. He followed me, I could sense that something wasn’t right. I trusted my gut instincts & headed to the nearest house which was about 200m away. This guy chased me down. I got to the gate just as he was right behind me. It was very fortunate for me that day that there was a father home at the house I went to & he came out when I started yelling for the guy to get away from me. The guy ran off. To cut a long story short, the police told me that had I not followed my instincts, things would have been worse. They knew who he was, he had tried to do it to another girl that same day & he had previously been charged with rape. So for me, walking by myself is not something I had done since that very day 19 years ago. I let that man have a hold over me for that long. It affected my life in so many ways. But I decided last week that I would no longer let him stop me from doing anything. But I will always be cautious. I will always walk at times when I know people are around. I will never walk through a park by myself. I will stick to main roads & I will always be aware of my surroundings.

It has taken some time for my family to adjust to the fact that my number one priority right now is to get fit. I am not saying that I am neglecting my kids, quite the opposite in fact. I am doing everything I can to be there for my kids for as long as I can. My health over the past few years has suffered greatly because of my weight gain. I found excuses to not do things with my kids because I was just to un fit. I want to be the best Mother I can & I want to still be alive to meet my grandkids (in the very distant future!). I would love to be able to play touch footy with my girls. I would even love to be able to join a local touch footy comp. I used to be so sporty as a teenager & I loved the thrill of the game. I don’t want to join a gym. I have been there, done that. I certainly lost a lot of weight when I was always at the gym but that was the problem….I was always at the gym. I want to find ways to be fit as a family. Walking with my girls is one of the things I have enjoyed a lot over the last few weeks. My girls can talk, a lot! We talk about everything & everything while we are walking. It gets us away from the house, away from the TV, away from the computer. It gives us an hour of solid taking & walking. This is one of the enjoyable things about having your children grow older.

And who wouldn’t want to walk when you get to see things like this…

When you find the right fitness tracker app, you are motivated to keep going!

What to do with all those eggs!

2013-04-29T12:29:00.001+10:00

The chooks are working overtime again. We have a stockpile of eggs that could feed an army! Well, they are feeding the neighbours as well as us at the moment. So I wanted to start doing things with the eggs that I had never done before. If you have been following on Instagram & Facebook, you will have seen that I have been making a lot of pavlova, A LOT! Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had never made a pavlova from scratch. My how things have changed!

I have tried a few different recipes but I have to say that this one that I found on the Taste website has been the one the one that has worked the best. It is nice & crisp on the outside like a meringue & soft & delicate on the inside like a silken marshmallow. Perfection!

Perfection!

I can't believe that I waited so long to learn how to make one! Now we are eating them way too often!

I also had never cooked a poached egg using the saucepan/water method. Well, I will never go back to a fried egg again!!

It was perfect for having with my ceaser salad the other day. So perfect that I in fact made 2!!

I used this method that you can find here.

What is your favourite way to eat eggs?

A magic moon

2013-04-25T19:33:00.002+10:00

Is there anything more magical than looking up into the night sky & seeing a full moon?

This afternoon Georgia was the first one to spot the full moon rising. I waited for that perfect moment where it is at the right height in the dark night sky to take a photo.

It gives me a chance to learn a little more about photography. I research the right settings for that perfect photo & put it into practice.

I love looking at the moon. For some reason it makes me think that dreams really can come true.

What’s on my camera Wednesday

2013-04-24T06:11:00.000+10:00

A collection of photo’s that I have taken over the past week.

This is the teenagers hammock. I got it for her for her birthday. She has afternoon sleeps in it, reads her book in it & often just watches the world pass by in it.

The chooks have totally taken over the yard. Izzy loves to have her dirt bath in the front garden.

The chooks favourite food at the moment is rockmelon. They will come running from all corners of the yard to get the biggest piece. As you can see by the next photo, Betty White got there last! Not happy at all.

Ruby is like a puppy. If there is trouble to be made, she is there. As you can see, this was SUPPOSED to be a wheelbarrow to plant the strawberries in. She had other ideas!

The days have been truly fabulous. The weather has ben perfect. I don’t own a dryer & a probably never will because I get immense pleasure from hanging washing on the line outside. I think that the sunshine adds that something extra that only comes from hanging clothes outside.

The teenager has been doing so much cooking of late. She searches through this blog to find our family fave recipes. This batch of choc chip cookies was delicious because it was made with love.

It was Mr P’s birthday on the weekend. He likes his cakes to be chocolate & with a lot of cream. I made this one for him.

Doesn’t everyone use kitchen utensils for light shades?

2013-04-22T18:35:00.001+10:00

Last week I made a decision to share some of the quirky things around my house that I have made. Today I am going to share another one. This was one that I did quite some time ago but like most of my projects, it somehow never made it to the blog! Yes, I am a very slack blogger!

What would your husband say if you stood in the kitchen one day holding a colander & asked if he could turn it into a kitchen light shade? Mine, says “Sure, why not!” He is over the insane craziness & has just come to accept that it is just me. I get the strange ideas & he goes with the flow. I mean, seriously, doesn’t everyone use kitchen utensils for light shades?

Somehow Mr P makes my ideas work! He made a large hole in the colander that was big enough to fit the light fixture through.

It is such a talking point when people walk into our house. It puts out such a pretty pattern on the ceiling from all the holes in the colander.

Also, it is so easy to clean. You take it down & put it in the dishwasher! It only cost $5 so I would say it would be one of the cheapest light shades around. It is blue on the outside so it goes with all the decor in the house. The silver on the inside radiates the light perfectly for preparing food for dinner under. The white energy saver bulbs seem twice as bright which is awesome because I often find that they are not bright enough.

In case you missed it last week, here is one of my other quirky ideas.

A funk hand soap bottle

Lemon brownies. {recipe}

2013-04-21T13:31:00.000+10:00

{recipe}

When life hands you lemons….make lemon brownies! Well, that it what I will be doing from now on! I found a few different recipes to make them but they were either way too full of sugar or just didn’t seem like it would be moist enough (like a regular brownie should). So I played around in the kitchen & came up with what I think is the perfect Lemon Brownie!

What you need;

3/4 cup of plain flour

2/3 cup of raw caster sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of margarine

3 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

2 teaspoons of lemon zest

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Topping

icing sugar to dust

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

*Pre heat oven to 180 degrees

*Beat the flour, sugar, salt, margarine & vanilla with an electric mixer until well combine.

* In a small bowl, beat the eggs, lemon zest & lemon juice with a fork until well combined.

*Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture & beat on a medium speed for 5 minutes or until well combined & smooth.

*cook for 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Please note, do not over cook. You want it to be nice & moist.

*Take out of the oven & while still in the pan & warm, dust with icing sugar & sprinkle with the lemon zest.

This is super delish served nice & warm.

If you have left overs, store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The dusted icing sugar will get moist over time & it will form it’s own glaze.

In case you missed it last week, I also posted this recipe.

Apple Slice {revamped recipe}

Apple slice, revamped {recipe}

2013-04-19T13:30:00.000+10:00

It is that time of year where the temperature cools & apples are starting to come back in to season. That means it is time to start cooking with apples again. And who doesn’t love a nice apple slice? Nearly 1 year ago, I posted a recipe called Dot's apple slice. It is a big fave in our house. So much so that Mr P requests it all the time for morning tea. I decided to revamp the recipe.

It worked & it has taken on a whole new flavour. I have made it to have more of a biscuit base by adding processed rolled oats to it. There is something about apples & oats that go hand in hand. But I was sneaky about it. So that the kids don’t know that it has oats in it, I process them using the food processor so that they become fine. Just a bit courser than flour. I use the processed oats in a lot of recipes & the kids have never once noticed.

Here is the recipe.

1 packet of butter cake mix. {I just use the cheap generic brand cake mix from the supermarket}

1 cup of rolled oats, processed till they are fine

1/2 cup of melted butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 apples, peeled cored & sliced {I used granny smith}

1 tub of light sour cream

1 teaspoon on ground cinnamon

1 t2 teaspoons of raw cater sugar.

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, oats, butter & egg.

when it is all combined, pressed into a baking paper lined slice tin.

Cook for 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Place the sliced apple on the top of the base.

Spread the sour cream over the apples & top with the ground cinnamon & raw caster sugar.

Bake for a further 30 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin.

Cut into slices & enjoy!

It is perfect for popping in the school or work lunch box or having ready for when the kids get home from school for afternoon tea.

Keep it stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days {if it lasts that long!}

Yum, yum Chicken dinners!

2013-04-18T12:01:00.001+10:00

{cooking with Lenard's Chicken}

Right now, life is pretty busy. I have started exercising more so the time that I used to spend preparing dinner, has been replaced with going for a walk. While I love making things from scratch, sometimes it is really nice for someone else to do the hard work for you. That is why I love Lenard's Chicken. Did you know that Lenard's make their products right there in store? Well, they do. All the products are made with the freshest ingredients. Kind of just like they were made right in my kitchen! The kids have loved going in to the store every week to pick out new things to try. I find that it is easier to get kids to try new flavours if you let them help with the buying process. I had been trying to get my kids to eat chicken sausages for years but they would not even take one bite! When we went to the store, one of the fabulous staff members told us everything that was in the sausages & the girls were convinced they would be good. That night we cooked up some of the Chicken Kiev Sausages & they loved them!

I served them with potato bake, peas & corn. Chicken kiev sausages & potato bake go together like a match made in heaven!

Stir fries are a staple in our house. Noodles, veg, chicken & sauce. One of the new products at Lenard's is the Korean BBQ Meal Kits. Everything you need comes in a brown paper bag. You just have to cook it all! And it tastes delish!

I like to pick up the meal kits when I have had a particularly busy day. It is cheaper than buying takeaway & cooks quicker than jumping in the car & going to get takeaway. It is also a one pot wonder. It is all cooked in the wok.

Mr P has been doing the late shift at work which means he gets home really late, around 10 or 11pm. Having some easy to cook dinners on hand makes life a lot easier. The chicken enchiladas & pinwheels are perfect for this.

Simple yet so yum! They are almost a meal in them selves but I do like to serve them with a fresh salad or potato salad on the side.

The Greek Pinwheels are my fave. Freshly minced chicken scrolled in light puff pastry with roast capsicum, shallots, and fetta.

We have been going away for weekends quite a bit of late so I have been making sure that the freezer is stocked with things that are easy to cook on the BBQ. Lenard’s have a whole new range of chicken kebabs that are perfect for cooking on the BBQ. We had these one when we were away last weekend.

So as you can see, you don’t have spend hours preparing dinner, why not just let Lenard's Chicken do all of the hard work for you!

You can find more chicken dinner ideas HERE

{upcycle} A funky hand soap bottle.

2013-04-17T11:45:00.000+10:00

A lot of things in my house are slightly quirky, a little bit kitsch & totally cool. Because of that, I am constantly finding new ways to use things. I have these light bulb moments where I am looking at something & know that there has to be a better alternative. Take the other night when I was in the kitchen cleaning & I noticed a pretty cool looking glass bottle. I didn’t want to throw it out, so I used it for this!

Yes, glass soft drink bottles make the perfect hand soap bottle! The pump cap fit perfectly on to the screw top bottle.

So much prettier than the generic looking hand soap bottle. I just have to keep refilling this one which will save money on buying a new bottle of hand soap all the time. I can also change the bottle when I splurge & buy a soft drink in a glass bottle. There is something that makes soft drink taste better out of a glass bottle. I think this would also work for smaller bottles of alcohol. I think Mr P would love a bourbon soap bottle for in the shed.

I have a few more upcycled projects that are around my house. I will be sharing them with you over the next couple of weeks.

Who would you most like to have dinner with? My answer may surprise you!

2013-04-16T19:22:00.001+10:00

{warning, you may learn things about me that may surprise you}

Have you ever been asked “Who would you most like to have dinner with if you could chose anyone in the world?” I have.

Now I must warn you that even though I am the lady who sews, cooks, raises 2 daughters & may seem a little straight up & down, there is another side of me that you may not know. I am the lady that loves rock music. I am the lady who took my husband & daughters to see Good Charlotte last year. I am the lady who while sewing, can have the stereo pumping with Stone Temple Pilots. The first rock concert that I went to was Pearl Jam & I think I was only 13 years old. Both of my children have been to The Screaming Jets concerts before they were even born. Yes, they were dancing in the womb. I have lost count of the amount of rock concerts, pub gigs that I have been to. So when I am asked who I would most like to have dinner with, my response is always the same…

Dave Grohl from the rock band The Foo Fighters.

Not only is it because I think he is a fabulously talented singer & musician. Not only is it because I did & still love listening to Nirvana (yes, I was a teenager who spent more time listening to music than to studying). Not only is it because my children know every word to every Foo Fighters song because I play the albums as often as possible. It is because I think he has an amazing insight into how we should behave, treat people & treat ourselves. I can hear some of you saying “What the??” Now yes, Dave may not “speak the same language” as everyone. He is a rocker & they do seem to have their own language. But there is a lot more to him than just the front man of a band. Here is why I would love to have dinner with him.

I came across a photo on Facebook that was shared by one of my fabulous friends. It was a photo of Dave Grohl and it was of him as the keynote speaker at SXSW in Austin,TX.

What he said in his speech was truly thought provoking & this is the reason why he would be the person I would most like to have dinner with.

An interpretation of his Keynote speech at SXSW in Austin,TX

{WARNING, this speech contains course language}

1. No one is you and that is your biggest power.

“It’s YOUR VOICE. Cherish it. Respect it. Nurture it. Challenge it. Stretch it and scream until it’s f**king gone because everyone is blessed with at least that, and who knows how long it will last . . .”
“Who’s to say what’s a good voice, and what’s not a good voice? The Voice? Imagine Bob Dylan sitting there singing ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ in front of Christina Aguilera.”

2. Don’t be afraid of not fitting in.

“I can truly say out loud that ‘Gangnam Style’ is one of my favourite f**king songs of the past decade. Is it any better or worse than the latest Atoms for Peace album? Hmmm… paging Pitchfork! Come in, come in, Pitchfork! We need you to help us determine the value of a song! Who f**king cares.” Don't be someone who designs their lives to impress others.

3. Give a damn about yourself.

It’s about taking care of yourself so you can be a better human being. A 2.0 version of you is way more equipped to help others in need. Take up yoga if you’re stressed. Ask for a big raise. Walk away from a relationship that is abusive or draining. Or just take a nap, for Christ’s sake.

4. Be humble.

No one wants to go to lunch with a supermodel who says things like, “My cheekbones, if you’ve noticed, have a similar incline to an escalator.” One thing I’ve noticed is that if you are good at something, people will acknowledge it. Appreciate the hell out of those people. Should you be blessed enough to have the fortitude to work so hard at something that people celebrate you, your first reaction should be gratitude. And know that there’s a ton of people out there from all races and socioeconomic backgrounds who can still teach you something. I don’t care if you’re Bill Clinton or Jay-Z – always be learning; always be improving.

5. Spark a revolution.

Always have the highest bar for yourself. Wake up everyday and no matter how crappy you feel, want to change something for the better. Do something that makes someone happy. Create something that inspires someone. Be someone’s light when they are hopeless.

Right on Dave! I think that his speech contains some pretty basic messages that we can all use in our every day life.

I could imagine that dinner with Dave would be very interesting, colourful & certainly not boring. He really does show that you should not judge a book by its cover. He may look like a rough around the edges rocker but he also has a wisdom that comes with having faced a lot of love, heartbreak & having lived a life that most of us could only imagine.

So tell me, who would you most want to have dinner with & why?

{if you would like to listen to the whole speech that Dave Grohl made, you can hear it HERE. Please be aware that it does contain a lot of course language}

I can put all my eggs in one basket! {project}

2013-04-16T09:34:00.003+10:00

{project}

It is no secret, our chooks are over achievers! They compete with each other to lay as many eggs as possible. They get very egg-cited & have been known to lay an egg in the morning & an egg in the afternoon….each! We have so many that we have had to start giving them away to neighbours & relatives. I often run out of room in the egg holder in the fridge so I needed another storage solution. I found a few things in the shops that would have worked but they seriously were so over priced. I wanted something funky, something that could hold a lot of eggs & of course (as with most things in my house) it had to make a statement.

And here it is! Meet Big Red!

She did not look so cool when I found her. She looked like this.

Georgia & I found her in an op shop for $2.50. I gave her a good scrub & put her in the dishwasher to make sure it was totally clean. Then I hit it with a coat of white undercoat spray paint.

A couple of coats of neon pink spray paint & she looks like this!

I know, it looks more red than pink. That is why we have named her Big Red.
But she does exactly what I needed her to do. I needed to put all of my eggs in one basket.

As you can see with this pile of eggs, I have a lot of cooking to do today.

The school holidays are over.

2013-04-14T18:05:00.001+10:00

So that’s it. The QLD school holidays are over. We spent the last weekend changing plans, getting wet & finished with a trip to the hospital & the teenager is now on crutches. Yep, it was just one of those weekends!

We were booked in to go camping. The weather had other ideas though. The wet weather decided that we really should ditch the tent & rent a villa. So we did!

It really wasn’t the best weather for holiday makers but it was perfect conditions for surfers.

It was great fishing weather.

Georgia & Mr P caught quite a few fish that night!

It was weather that was perfect weather for snuggling up under a warm blanket with either the iPad or a good book.

The teenager managed to fall off the massive pillow trampoline where we were staying & had to have a visit to the hospital today for x-rays on her foot. Luckily it is not broken but it is black & blue. She will be on crutches for the next week. It is a common thing in our family for someone to get hurt or injured at the end of the school holidays!

So, another lot of school holidays have come to an end. This beautiful pink sunset was the perfect ending.

An autumn floral blazer. {sewing}

2013-04-11T14:44:00.000+10:00

I love the change of season where it goes from a hot Aussie summer to a more cooler autumn. Where you can wear jeans, t-shirts & jackets. I noticed a big trend in floral blazers this year so I decided to make my own.

I used this pattern…

New Look #6028

I chose the bottom design with the shorter length sleeves. This way I can wear it even in the middle of the day when it heats up. I used a cotton floral fabric. I used the same fabric for the lining. I prefer to have the same fabric on the inside. I find that normal lining fabric can get a little hot during the middle of the day in QLD.

I think this style of jacket is perfect to throw over a t-shirt & jeans for a relaxed look. You could team it with a black skirt or pants for a more dressed up look.

I am going to make the longer length version in a silver fabric for a more sophisticated night time look. I love using these patterns because you can get so many different variations just by changing the fabric.

Stretch beaded bracelets. {tutorial}

2013-04-10T21:02:00.001+10:00

{tutorial}

One thing that my girls love to do is make jewellery. It has always been a passion of mine. My handmade jewellery collection is huge & I am always adding a new piece to it. One of my favourite things to make is stretchy beaded bracelets. They are also great to make as they are super easy & quick. There is not too much fiddling & if you can tie a knot, you can make one. I posted a photo earlier on Instagram & Facebook & have had a few people ask how to make them, well here is how!

All you need is…
some beads (check your local discount store, craft store or bead shop)
bead elastic
jump rings
charms

I pick up all of these things whenever I find them. I buy several spools of the bead elastic at a time because I run out pretty quickly when we get on a jewellery making roll! You can find the storage containers anywhere & they are great for jewellery making.

Chose the colour of the beads you want & the charms to go with it. Think of your personality & what you love the most. Georgia loves Owls so tonight she made the bracelet with the owl on it. As you can see, she also loves pink!

I love blue & anything to do with the beach so I chose a coconut palm tree.

It is easiest to get you charms organised first. Put the charm/s on to a jump ring. I also put the white shell disc behind the charms to make them stand out. I also love shells & I feel calm when I wear them.

Start threading your beads onto the stretchy bead elastic. When you get a few beads on, thread the jump ring with the charm on, then keep going with the beads until you have enough to fit around your wrist. Cut the elastic with 2 inches extra.

You want to make sure that it fits snuggly. Because it is made with stretchy elastic, there is no need for clasps. You just tie several knots at the end. Make sure that it is secure & will not come undone. Trim the elastic but make sure that you leave around 1cm of the elastic & tuck it under the next bead so it is not visible.

And that is how you make them!

You will find that once you make one of these, you will be addicted! I have these in every colour of the rainbow! So do the girls.

*please note….these are not suitable for young children & can be a choking hazard*

{update} These chooks are the happiest chooks!

2013-04-09T08:19:00.002+10:00

I thought that it was about time that I gave you all an update on how our 3 chooks are going. They are the happiest chooks in the world! We get 3 eggs most days & they are the tastiest eggs I have ever eaten!

They have fitted into our crazy little family just perfectly. These 3 little ladies Izzy (brown). Betty White (black) & Ruby (white) go every where together. They are never far from each other. They are free range chooks & that means, they rule the yard. We find them in the funniest of places. They seem to love watching us just as we love watching them!

This is our lounge room window. It is also is their favourite place to sit & watch us. At exactly 6pm, every night, they like to roost on the window sill.

They would sleep there if we would let them! They also us this window sill to jump up onto the clothes line that is on the wall next to it. We let them go to sleep then move them into the coop. I get worried with the bats & things around here so they get tucked in every night.
Ruby is the funniest chook of them all. She is more like a puppy. When Mr P goes down to his man cave (the shed) she likes to wander in & check everything out. She climbs up onto the shelves, checks out the piles of wood & just is very inquisitive. He has to make sure to shoo her out before he locks up.

Izzy is the baby of the bunch & the darling. She loves to lay eggs. She sees you coming & just wants to walk beside you. You will often find Georgia carrying her around the yard & they sing to each other.

Betty White is still the crankiest of them all. She is the old Mother hen of the bunch. She lays her egg later in the day so when Ruby & Izzy go in to lay an egg together, Betty White stands at the door of the coop screaming at them. She must feel left out.

And our fave little lady of all, sits back & watches the chooks. She has been spotted rounding them up like sheep & then giving them all a lick!

So, the chooks are doing well, keeping us all on our toes & in return, they give us these!!!

Apple custard tea cake. {recipe}

2013-04-08T08:18:00.003+10:00

{recipe}

It is no secret that I enjoy spending time in the kitchen creating new recipes, changing old recipes or even just making something that I have never cooked before. This past weekend was no exception. With the change of seasons, come new fruit. Apples are just starting to drop in price & the taste is starting to improve. After picking up a big bag of apples at the local fruit market, I wanted to make an apple cake. But the only problem is that when I even hint that I want to make anything with apple in it, my kids refuse to eat it. They are apple purists. They think that apples should be eaten with a crunch & never cooked in something. So I had to come up with a way to hide them. I came across a recipe {here} for Apple custard teacake. It looks so pretty with the Apple slices all arranged pretty on top. But…. that would be enough to send my kids running. So I played around with the recipe a bit & came up with something that is so moist & tasty. I used grated apples in the cake, reduced the amount of sugar, used raw sugar instead of white sugar, a bit more vanilla & I think it is a winner because everyone loved it! I told them it was a cinnamon teacake. I just didn’t mention that there were apples in it!

This is the recipe that I came up with…

1 & 1/4 cup of SR flour
1/2 cup of custard powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
125g of butter/margarine at room temperature
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
1/2 cup of raw caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of low fat milk
2 medium or 3 small Granny Smith apples, peeled & grated {core discarded}
extra 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
extra 2 teaspoons of raw caster sugar

Pre heat oven to 160C.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, custard powder & cinnamon until well combined.
Add the butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs, milk & grated apple. Mix with an electric mixer for around 3 minutes or until it is well combined.
Pour the batter into a lined round cake tin. I like to use a spring form cake tin as they are easier to get a cake out of after cooking.
Sprinkle the extra sugar & cinnamon over the top of the batter.
Cook for around 1 hour or until it is golden brown around the edges. You can test if it is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre but just remember that this is a very moist cake so it won't come out totally clean.
Let it sit in the tin on a cooling rack for around 5 minutes.
Serve with a dusting of icing sugar or with some freshly whipped cream.

Keeps for around 2 days in an air tight container.

The teenagers birthday quilt

2013-04-05T09:01:00.001+10:00

It is finished, finally!

Only 1 week late but better late than never, right?

This was the first time that I used jelly rolls to make a quilt & I have to say that I will most definitely use them again. So quick & easy to use. I used 2 jelly rolls, aqua homespun as the contrast & white for the border.

I promise, the quilt is perfectly straight, it just looks lopsided because of the way the teenager is holding it. Yes, she is there behind it! She chose the colours of this quilt & I think she did a perfect job. It reminds me of all the colours of coastal Australia. The blue of the ocean & the sky, the yellow for the sun & the sand, the white for the clouds & orange for the sunset.

Perfect!

I made the binding out of some aqua & white polka dot fabric which I think adds a great contrast.

When I make quilts for my teenage daughter, it is always on my mind that she will only be an adult soon enough. I want the quilts to be able to used in her own home when she is ready to move out into the big wide world. This one would be perfect thrown over a couch or on a spare bed. It makes my heart happy to know that when I make my daughters a quilt, it will be used by them for the rest of their lives & hopefully passed along to their own children. It makes every bit of blood, sweat & tears that goes into making a quilt worth it.

So over the past couple of months I have made quilts for both of my daughters birthdays. They both chose the fabrics & you really can see just how different they are by the choices they made.