~ taking stock - me right now ~

It's Monday.
We've bought birthday presents (Lego and a terrarium - 11 year olds are tricky) and had coffee.
We've spent hours waiting for the washing machine man.
We're on our way to school pick up and gym soon.
It's grey outside  - for like the 100th day in a row.
I'm taking stock with Pip.

Making : felt reindeer ornaments to send to new friends as part of a snail mail swap

Cooking : baby meringues for the eldest to take to school for her birthday tomorrow

Drinking : green tea with rose petals  (but I need something stronger after dealing with fisher and paykel about my washing machine all morning)

Reading: Refuge by Jackie French  - Lily just finished it and it sounded like an interesting take on the refugee situation - it is

Wanting: a washing machine that works

Looking: forward to the holidays

Playing: hockey on Sundays

Deciding: trying to decide which camera to take travelling next year - I think the D80 is too big and I'm trying to choose a small mirrorless camera - ?the Fuji XM1

Wishing: I was somewhere warm and sunny

Enjoying: sorting through photos to make photo books and calendars for Christmas

Waiting: for summer

Liking: listening to him practice his 2 lines for the nativity play

Wondering: what to cook for dinner tonight

Loving: the fresh cherries I splurged on this morning

Pondering: the differences between 11 now and 11 when it was me (and the similarities)

Considering: how to make internet rules for an 11 year old that we're both happy with

Watching: hardly any tv - I'm thinking this is a good thing

Hoping: our raspberry crop lives up to our expectations

Marvelling: at the resilience of children

Needing: time alone

Smelling: the roses - literally - they're flourishing at the front door

Wearing:winter boots still!! grrrr

Following: so many interesting blogs that I never get around to catching up with them all

Noticing: I'm spending less time on line and loving it

Knowing: I need to be a good example to my children (see above)

Thinking: there are not enough hours in the day

Feeling: quietly excited about Christmas

Admiring: Quintin Bryce

Buying: chocolate and baking supplies to make Christmas treats

Getting: fitter, slowly but surely

Bookmarking: great Christmas recipes

Opening: lovely snail mail from my IG friends

Giggling: when he says "chinese running" instead of "high knees running" in our 7 minute work out sessions

♥

~ stills from a week of birthdays ~

 

 

 

 

The weather has been foul here this week - cold and rainy - spring has virtually passed us by  - here's hoping that summer has a lot more to offer.
We've been busy with birthday celebrations and trips to the laundromat as our washing machine has given up the ghost for the 3rd time in a month (grrr...)
I thought I'd had the camera out a lot...but there weren't many pictures when I went to look...nearly all on the phone again - what would I do without it?

1. A card from me and origami flowers from her friend for our gorgeous 9 year old.  We had dinner with family and the friends that are family and her party is next weekend.  There was birthday pavlova but it was eaten before I got a decent pic!

2.  $6 roses from the lovely ladies at the Flower Room.  My garden is full of roses...but these smelt too good to leave behind.  They do awesome bikkies and cakes for last minute morning tea options as well.

3. Piccolo snuggled up on our bed (hiding from the rain) with a friend

4.  I made washi tape feathers.  I may have become slightly addicted to making these.  So easy.  So pretty.

5.  Party bag bits and pieces for the bowling party today.

6.  How can my baby be wearing size 13 bowling shoes already?  

7 and 8.  The party table from this afternoon.  You can't go wrong with flowers and spots!

Here's hoping this week brings a working washing machine, a happy 11 year old, a great pool party and some sunshine.

Joining up with Em at the Beetleshack to share some stills from our week.

♥
 

~ getting my craft on ~

This time of the year brings out the craft in me
Except I'm not very crafty.  Or creative.
I wish I was.

So I turn to pinterest and IG and get inspired and then tend to leave half-finished projects all over the house well into the new year (and lets not mention the hexie quilt that is gathering dust as I type..)

I've been watching Sonia from Dandelyne make her delightful hooped jewellery and wall hangings over on IG for months now ... and then last week I was tempted by a 5 pack of tiny hoops at her gorgeous Etsy shop and this week I've actually been getting my craft on.

I'm determined to finish the other two and make some more of these gorgeous reindeer tree decorations this weekend (as well as host a party for an 11 year old) - wish me luck.

Are you crafty?
What's your latest project? 

 ♥

~ stills - roses, chicks and snail mail ~

 

 

 

 

 

1 and 2.  Our front yard is a mass of pink and white roses at the moment.  I had a stranger come and knock on the door this week to compliment me on them - and ask me my secret - its neglect sadly!

3 and 4.  More chicks.  This one is Grace's favourite - Penguin is his/her name.  And this is her sketch of Penguin.

5.  Invitations for a joint pool party with her best friend.  Can't wait.

6.  Snail mail - always brightens my day - this was from a lovely IG friend in the states - its amazing what connections can be made through photo sharing.

7.  Investigating tadpoles at school.  Back legs have appeared this week.

8. and 9.   My favourite rose - Cecile Brunner - which also thrives on neglect (luckily) - I've been playing with these inside this week - I love their spicy, sweet scent.


Do you grow roses?  What's your favourite?
How's your week been?

I'm sharing the little things that have made my week at the Beetle Shack.

 ♥

~ 5.30 am : question time ~

5.26 am (or thereabouts)

Heavy footsteps.  Down the hall, down the stairs, right to my bedside (he's inherited the elephant like tread of his father and sister)

Mama?  Mama?  You wake?

(wee interlude.  heavy footsteps back to beside the bed)

He wriggles in.  
Moves into the spooning position for a "pwoper" cuddle.  
Shuts his eyes briefly.  Opens them again.
 
And the questions begin:

Where does the wind come from?

Why do volcaneys send out ash clouds?

Can ash clouds get in the house and kill you?

Why is a tree called a tree?

How will I know when I'm big?

How many days until Christmas?

If we get a dog and it eats the cats what will we do?

Why does the rain decide to fall?

Do dragons set fire to themselves?

Why is Christmas called Christmas?

What's the best way to fall down a mountain?

How many sleeps til Christmas?

Why are they called nostrils?

I know how the flower made ET die.  Do you?

Do you know what baby Jesus did?

How do bricks stick?

What is 55?

How do waves work?

What does just mean mummy?  I just don't get it.

So when is Christmas?

I'm not at my best at 5.30am but these are our best conversations.  In the warm fug of a snuggly doona, as sleep slowly loosens its grip, we chat. About anything he wants, wherever his questions take us.  

For an hour he has me all to himself while the house slumbers on.  

The responsibility, the privilege, the sheer wonder of parenting does not escape me.



♥

~ this week around here ~

1.  Our new groovy doona cover - thanks to Sophie who alerted me to the fact it was back in stock - I missed out last year - I'm loving it

2.  The pink peonies ready to burst into bloom - so close now.

3.  We waited until show day to plant our tomatoes (a Tasmanian tradition) - the weather has not obliged by suddenly warming up - it's still stormy and freezing and we've had the fire going all week.  Luckily the little seedlings are still ok.

4.  Roses straight from the front garden  - their scent is divine.

5.  Lemon drizzle cake liberally decorated with violas as well - pretty and delish.

6.  Ever since he was tiny he's loved lining up cars - it's still his go to activity.  There's more evidence that kids live here here.

7.  The first peony 

8.  Grace's class are hatching bantam chicks this term - this was one of the first out - a very well loved chick.

9.  Leftovers from my garden mood board this week.  The granny's bonnets are coming up like weeds.  The rambly, chaotic English country style garden is so easy at this time of year - and so pretty.

The ballet concert is getting closer - apparently I have to paint the ballet shoes this week so they're pink again??

I'm also doing party invitations for both the girls birthdays and trying to learn my case for the med students exams this week.

How are things at your place?
  
♥

~ kids were here November 2013 ~

 

I was once told that children see magic because they look for it. As mothers and photographers, we also see magic. Its called “kids were here”.

Kids live here and their stuff lives everywhere - on the shelves, the fruit bowl, the drawers, the floor.

Do they leave pieces of themselves lying here, there and everywhere so I never forget them?

How could I?

Inspired by this collection and this lady.

♥

 

~ hoopla - a month of vignettes ~

{holiday}

{stack}

{hanging}

{recipe}

{soft}

{reflective}

{paper}

{the whole hoopla}

I've been madly vignetting again this month.  Which means I've been slightly anxious (I'm an over thinker from way back), the house is messy and my phone is full of not-quite-right shots that I never get around to deleting.  

For some reason I set myself the added challenge of using the hoop in all the shots this week (probably to justify buying it last week - total impulse purchase - I can't imagine what I'm going to really use it for).

The top shot is the most exciting one as we are really in the middle of planning a European adventure next year - and Paris is definitely on the itinerary  - more details soon.  I can't choose a favourite this month.

Do you vignette??  Every month there's a little competition over on IG - and you know how much I love that community.  It's creative, inspiring and fun - I'd love to see you there.

♥

~ garden mood board oct/nov 2013 ~

My garden is awash in tones of pink/purple and blue.  

Lupins, granny's bonnets, foxgloves, lavender and delphiniums.  

There are roses in bud - masses of them.

The grass and the weeds grow riotiously -  as do the forget-me-nots.

The peonies are waiting patiently for their turn to shine.

Summer is in the wind.

How does your garden grow?  

I share a mood board each month here.  Last month I was all about the pinks and blues too - can you tell they're my favourites? 

♥