messing about in boats...

we had a lovely time on the mountain this past weekend,



wind in the willows, such a delight!



spending time in the garden,



and making fairy rings...

treasures...

When I was a little girl, I loved peering into my Gran's china cabinet. The pieces there told lovely stories, both real and imagined. I'm lucky enough to have a small collection of my own now and packing and unpacking it recently I was transported back to those days. China tea-cups and plates, small pieces of crystal, old cookery books and jam jars, each piece has a special meaning.

These are some of my favourites...

may...

in september,
from my walk this morning,
i love may...

gently...

Well hello there, we have finally moved back home to what feels like a new house. It's been unusually hot in these parts so we are taking our time to unpack and it seems right to ease back into this space with a few snapshots.

I hope you are all well, see you again soon...

hi...

busy times and dial-up do not a blogger make but things are moving along at the house and i hope to be back with you soon,

happy friday!

occasions past...

These are pictures from a morning tea long ago, shades of white with a touch of blue, oaty fruit scones and coconut bread...

We are on the edge of the kindy holidays so i'm going to take a tiny break from this space. {just a little one, promise!}

Before I go, can i remind you how absolutely amazing spring hill fair still sounds, especially on a wet winter day,

of how beautiful Paris: Made by Hand is, really an inspiration...

and if you haven't seen it already, this picture just blows me away, especially large!

Okay, i'll see you here in a couple of weeks and if you keep an eye on flickr you might spot some kitchen action in between xxx

the last of the autumn leaves...

Aren't they beautiful?



I know I promised you granny squares,

they are coming,

just after the tea cosy is finished...

scenes from a long weekend...

It was a gorgeous weekend in these parts, birthday celebrations for my love and finally getting back to my granny blanket.

You know, the one I have been working on for a gazillion years.

I was all set to tackle the last lot of squares at Easter when I discovered that I had run out of cream cotton. The cream cotton that has become the backbone of this project. I'm well aware that this was meant to be a stash project and it should really matter which cream yarn I use. But I've come so far I just couldn't finish it in anything else but the yarn I started with.

I'm happy to tell you that the cotton arrived last Thursday.

Expect to be inundated with photos of granny squares, I've a list of colour combinations still to be tried and I'm determined to finish before Winter is over.

You have been warned...

sometimes...

I forget to turn the pages of the calendar.

Clearly it's no longer March, though in some ways I wish it were... this year is speeding past a little to quickly for my liking. My head is full of thoughts about kitchens and bathrooms, none of them coherent enough to articulate just yet but I think we are making progress.

My friend Kia has her lovely applique kits available here. Such a satisfying project, I made one into a t-shirt for Miss A and it looks super cute on, especially with a lazy days skirt. I'm also keen to put them on drawstring bags for all the four & a half year old stuff that we seem to cart around these days.


I've a lot to do so must fly, see you soon!

a note... the pattern for the little mat is from an Ondori crochet book, isbn 9784277261333 and the calendar is o-check from Telegram Paper Goods.

by the sea shore...

A little something made on a rainy Wednesday has safely reached it's destination...

A mobile made with shells, buttons, tiny seed pearl beads, linen ties, old silver trinket bits, a paper boat and crochet flower. Threaded with linen thread and attached to the inside ring of an embroidery hoop.

I was inspired for this project by Kristina's beautiful petit bateau kits and the lovely mobile in Meet Me At Mikes. If you haven't already acquainted yourself with this gorgeous book you quite simply must, it's fabulous!

Kitchen planning is progressing nicely with a major find this afternoon. Deserving of a post all it's own I think, back soon...

woof...

Thank-you for your kind words about our new cushion. I seem to be in a finishing phase at present and I must say it's very satisfying. This little guy, a gift for my darling nephew {pattern from sock and glove} was finished a couple of weeks ago.





May is a big month for birthdays in our world, lots of friends and family celebrating so I have a few things on the go. We are also in the process of some serious planning for our kitchen renovation and are finding inspiration from some favourite books and are keenly watching the progress over at shelter.



It's a gorgeous day here, hope you are having a happy Wednesday, where ever you may be...

for quite some time...

A pillow for kindy has been on my to-do list for quite some time. It was originally proposed to help get over a little hump, you know... the kind that pop up from time to time. And so drawings were made and fabrics selected {a combination of reds and pinks to keep us both happy} and they sat in a sweet little pile, for quite some time.

Until yesterday.

Taking inspiration from the pages of one of my favourite books and armed with the trusty notes from my lesson, {thanks t} I made a start. It's not properly quilted as time was of the essence at the end of the day, but I'm happy with the result and more importantly so is my kindy girl!




And the best part is that I know she will treasure it for quite some time...

hello there...

Did you think i was falling into old habits again? I've been quite comfortable with my little weekly postings but found I got waylaid by kindy holidays and the mini mountains of boxes that have been arriving at the store! In any case I wanted to stop by to wish you all a happy weekend, leave you with a pretty picture or two and fingers crossed, will see you again next week...





a note... the paper cuts in the first photo are from a lovely japanese book by Yaguchi Kanako, isbn9784262152462.

good times...

Last weekend I made biscotti for the very first time and find myself wondering why I haven't tried it before. Pistachio & Lemon, it's an adaptation of a recipe from a great book, Seasonal Kitchen by Michele Cranston and I'm planning to make another batch in the morning.



I've been saving Fun Fair for Miss A and we played last Sunday. This was one of my favourite childhood games and I'm thrilled to report that she loves it as much as I did. {and still do!}



And finally, I had grand plans to be finishing the blanket this weekend. Alas I've run out the cream yarn so it's not to be just yet. A smaller blanket is on the cards in the meantime. I'm using a design from a book of Japanese crochet patterns, and am pleased with how it's looking so far. I'll hopefully have more to show you next week.

Happy Easter & have a lovely weekend...

april...

snippets...

have a lovely weekend...

ps... seeing these made me smile today!

and still...

the summer continues, {although it's technically autumn!}
this past weekend - raspberry & white chocolate muffins and a little bit of crochet,


a coaster for my work table {yarn from one of my favourite shops and pattern from this japanese craft book}

and in news for locals, pencils & prints are now in store...

quietly now...

my table is clear, with space for new projects
making efforts anew to embrace a quieter existence
{a constant challenge, no?}
i love the idea that shanna posted about here...

on my morning walk i saw a man collecting papers that others had thoughtlessly discarded, surely a lesson for us all...

and to all a good night...

it's late on christmas eve here, the gifts are all wrapped and ready under the tree and the table is laid for a family celebration...

thank-you all for taking the time to tell me about your holiday traditions, i so enjoyed reading your comments, the random number {out of a hat} was #15, the lovely lisa so the parcel of goodies will be on it's way to you in the soon my dear!

and so i bid you goodnight my friends and wish you the merriest of days, i'll see you in the new year xxx

wish...

my little helper and i are having a lovely time preparing for christmas,
today we made bon-bons, filled with treats, bad jokes {i couldn't resist} and candy canes...



and i've just realised that this is my 200th post, fancy that! a little giveaway is in order i think, a surprise parcel of goodies to one randomly selected commenter,

do tell me about your favourite holiday tradition, i'll leave comments open until the end of the week and post out in the new year...