~ stills - the last week of 2013 ~

1.  My Christmas Elves - I had this printed as a card - and I even managed to write and few and send them before Christmas.  Seriously of the 50 shots I took I think this is the only one where they all have their eyes open!

2.  Apparently teeny tiny car magnets (to fit inside those teeny tiny advent calendar boxes) adhere to the side of our table - who knew?

3.  Self seeded poppies growing madly where there should be veggies... maybe next year

4.  Podding peas for lunch - an age old tradition in both our families

5. Santa brought a cricket set.  And yes we were out there bowling to him in our pjs at 7am.

6.  Santa also brought water pistols (inspired?  mad?)  -  they were momentarily abandoned here for dessert

7. Taking the Christmas decorating just a step too far

8.  My Marley and Lockyer star  - I bought us all one this year - lovely new treasures for our tree.

9.  There are always lilies in the garden and in the house for Christmas


We had a relatively quiet (the neighbours may dispute that - we were up at 5am, playing cricket with very noisy appealing by 7am and then there was a LOT of screaming as the water pistol fights amped up during the afternoon) at home with mum and my in-laws.  We started lunching at 1 with prawns and seafood and finally finished with raspberries, pavlova and pudding at about 6pm.  There may have been napping between courses!  It was a lovely, relaxed day.

Tonight we headed down to the Taste of Tasmania with some friends  - fantastic entertainment, classic tempura mushrooms and some lovely Tassie pinot.  The kids sat entranced by the street performers and we chatted.  Now I'm supposed to be packing - we head to the shack tomorrow for a few weeks - my fingers are firmly crossed for sunshine and good tempers.

I'm linking up with Em at the Beetleshack sharing weekly stills - and I'm super happy to learn that the linky will continue in 2014 - sharing and remembering these little moments of our week is a lovely way to tell some of our story.


 ♥

~ summer reading ~

I'm packing up the house this weekend and we're heading to the shack for a couple of weeks
(please tell me I'm not going to be haunted by the ghost of Christmas past and years of bad luck for packing up too early ... I usually leave it for the 12 days after Christmas but we won't be here... and already the house feels lighter, more summery)

We've packed cricket bats, bikes, kayaks, boogie boards, skim balls, wet suits, tennis racquets, totem tennis, kits, roller blades... the car is overflowing with stuff to keep us busy and active and having fun ...but what I'm secretly looking forward to the most is some time on my towel reading a book with my toes in the sand and breaks for swims and icy pole.

This is what I'm taking:

• Q&A a day for kids is an activity book we've been doing for the last month or so - it last 3 years and every day the kids answer a prompt - good fun - and creating memories as we go.

• Barracuda - I found "the slap" one of the most confronting books I'd read for ages - I'm expecting a lot from this

• Life after Life - I really like Kate Atkinson's style - clever and entertaining - and a groundhog day theme - should be good.

• The signature of all things - I loathed Eat, Pray, Love but so many people have recommended this that I couldn't resist - I hope I don't regret it!

• The narrow road to the deep north - one of my hubby's books - this will be last as I won't get a try until he's finished

• Burial Rites - I think I must be the only person I know who hasn't read this yet - based on a true story with guaranteed tragic ending - I see tears coming.

 What's in your summer reading pile?  Any recommendations for me?

♥ 

~ twas the week before Christmas ~

1.  Snail mail loveliness from one of my IG friends.  Sue takes beautiful photos and makes gorgeous cards.  I'm so grateful for all the cards etc from my online friends  - they are far more into snail mail than my "real" friends this year.  Do you send cards?

2. Summer arrived this week - we headed down to the beach after school for ice creams and a quick swim.

3.  Lots of hama-bead crafting here this week - we are loving the snowflakes.

4.  Finally on holidays and we did some baking.   Lots of fun.  We might even tackle a ginger bread house next.

5.  Sweet Envy in North Hobart make the best macarons.

6.  Christmas lilies and clean surfaces as we get ready for the big day.

7.  More snail mail lovelies - the angel is so sweet - thanks sweet P

8.  Holiday breakfast this morning - raspberries fresh from the garden and cocopops - the kids are in heaven.  Very grateful for the only crop we are producing at the moment.


School has finally finished, the sun has remembered how to shine (except for today - its freezing) and we are busy getting ready for Christmas and summer holidays. 

All shots on the phone - and insta-grammed  - this week - I've been too busy/lazy to get out the big camera.  I think I'm almost ready for the big day.   I'm certainly looking forward to some bubbly, some pudding and a new book to read on Christmas afternoon.

How are your prepartations going?  What do you hope Santa is bringing for you?

I really love these weekly collections of little moments from our week - I'll be keeping it going next year - hope Em at the Beetleshack does too.

♥

~ yesterday ~

For 3 years we've met on Tuesdays.
Straight after school drop-off we've headed to the park near the beach.
Someone picks up the coffees.
We bring snacks, drinks, scooters, hats, sunscreen, coats, the stories of our weeks.

They used to need us to push them on the swings, supervise their sand-pit play, referee their disagreements.  
The scooters were taller than them.  
Mostly they played alongside each other rather than with.
We rarely finished a thought let alone a conversation.

Now they count down the days til park Tuesdays.
Their park buddies are their best buddies.
They hatch plots, swing madly, run up the slides the wrong way, ride their scooters so fast we can't bear to watch. 
They need us only for food and toilet trips.

We stand and we chat, we sip our coffee, for an hour (or two or three) we try to forget the to-do list and we indulge ourselves in some idle chatter, harmless gossip, sharing our woes, our good fortunes, our lives.
We've come to rely on this little window of time in our busy weeks.
To cherish this group of women for support and wisdom, friendship and advice.

Yesterday was our last official park day.  The holidays will start, the big brothers and sisters will be with us for the next few visits and then full time school next year.

And so we will change.  
We will gather - for lunch or craft or play tennis or do pilates.  
They will catch up after school, or at soccer, play dates, random park sessions.

Park Tuesdays may be no more ... but they are evolving ... to something more long-lasting and equally valuable.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Do you have a group of women you gather with regularly?  How did you meet?  What do you do together?  I'd love to hear.



♥

~ our lives this week ~

 

 

1, 2 and 3 are from the garden tonight.  On manual - yay for me!!
Lilies always make me think of Christmas .. although I don't have any of those huge white ones that I love so much - maybe I'll plant some of them for next year.  The delphiniums just appeared from nowhere this year (how good is that?) - the blue colour looks great amongst all the pink and purple.

4.  Carols by candlelight in St David's Park last night.  One of my favourite nights of the year.  I love the lights, the joy on little faces, the singing... everything really.

5. Rainbow toes and raspberries.  He's the best picker because he doesn't like them!!  The girls eat way more than they get into their bowls.  We are enjoying their abundance for dessert (with icecream) and for breakfast (on weetbix and in smoothies).  YUM!

6.  I've sent a few cards and even wrapped a few presents.  Not enough though...there's still time ...right??  

7.  My first Christmas snail mail  - with a gorgeous clay tag - thanks Nadia

8.  We rehashed the reindeer noses idea from last year...too good not to use again as little class gifts.

9.  Nutmeg and Piccolo are so the lucky ones - more time in my bed than me.


My highlight of the week was Jack's nativity play at school - he was a very cute shepherd - I may have shed a few tears.     A few more days of school to go and then it's our very favourite time of the year....summer holidays.

I'm linking up with Em at the Beetleshack to share the ordinary and the beautiful parts of our week.

♥

~ Christmassy stills ~

 

 

1 and 2.  One of my favourite arcades in Melbourne looking all festive and ready for Christmas.  I was super lucky to get a night in Melbourne this week - time to catch up with my little sister, my brother and my pregnant sister-in-de-facto (there must be a better term for this???).  I had a little wander in town, great coffee and awesome company.  I may have bought Haigh's frogs just after this shot was taken.

3.   Pretty bokeh-y Christmas lights in Melbourne Central - I am a terrible shopper - I bought nothing - just wandered and crowd watched.

4.  The stunning installation of a million stars at the design market in Carlton Gardens.  I was quite overwhelmed by all the amazing stalls and goods on offer.  I bought a few lovely little gifts   - and got to meet the lovely Sonia from Dandelyne - would love to go again with more time (and deeper pockets)

5.  My baby has been watching me make some felt decorations and wanted to join in.  I cut but he did all the stitching and stuffing.  I'm impressed.

6 and 7.  I love rediscovering treasures that have been packed away for a year.  I've cleared everything off the mantlepiece and strung lights and put up some precious favourites (safely away from little hands)

8.  Even the poppies are looking festive as they overrun the parsley/rocket/tomato bed.

Are you feeling festive yet?

I'm linking up with Em every week to share the wonderful and the ordinary in my week.

♥♥

~ garden mood board nov/dec ~

 

This rose bush only flowers for a few weeks a year - a huge showy display of roses right in the middle of our garden.  I have no idea what its called and it's in really inconvenient position but each year I'm captivated by just how lovely it is.

Most of the other roses are through their first flush - I dead-headed for a couple of hours on the weekend and the bushes look so empty now.   Many of the other flowers have been knocked around by the seemingly endless November rains - especially my poor peonies. 

So these are my Nov/Dec offerings - one beautiful bunch for my bedside table.

Every month I create a mood board (of sorts!) from my garden.  I link up here  - lots of beautiful photos from different gardens/climates around the world.

How does your garden grow?

♥

~ kids were here - December ~

 

The kids were here.  
Kids who love colouring in and drawing.
A kid who loves to play cars.
Kids who skip and skip and skip some more.
Kids who are getting very excited about Christmas.

Part of a monthly photography project I indulge in...inspired by this collection.

♥