My Creative Space

 A little late this week.....but I did find that time I was hanging out for late this afternoon......

I dug out SOME of my doily collection and tried to create something that I could see in my head.....

 With Fathers Day celebrations being held here on Sunday, I wanted to get on and create a table runner for the beautiful table that was crafted by my hubby a while back......

 I ended up using a linen damask tablecloth that needed up cycling and arranged and sewed some of the doilies......

 Not sure white is going to be overly practical but wanted to keep it simple and then I can add the colour with the other additions on the table.....

 So pleased I popped back to the little gift shop and got myself a set of these little glass jars....

 Flowers today.....

 and by night time...maybe some tea lights......

It is not like what I set out to achieve but I am so pleased with the deviations that I made.....

Roll on sunny Spring days to share this lovely space with friends and family. 

Check out other creative spaces here. 

(Actually yesterday's book week costume  was also creative I guess!!!)

Things I am Loving - Book Week edition

 It's Friday ....again...

I am loving that Book Week has come and gone and was successful for all concerned....except if you ask the little guy who said he was beat in the parade competition by an ELF.....he was not happy.....oh dear and I thought it was all just fun and games......

Anyway..... Pirate this year was the request...

so pirate it was......

 I had a few other great ideas but when the little guy has an idea and after all he is the one wearing the costume.....I let him lead the way.


So I am loving that this year there were clear ideas and they were executed days before the event.. my only rule is that we have to create the costume from what we have or can create....harsh...maybe but I am sure the whole point was not to go and buy an expensive dime a dozen costume.

 So here's to another year of Book week costumes and that fun was had all round......

 Joining in here with other today.


I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something you can be thankful for..no matter how simple it is.

September Sort it.....

September is almost here.....

Is that crazy or what??????

September is an exciting month ...I mean who doesn't like the start of Spring???

So what better way than to kick start with a Spring Clean....

  

Well it is a pretty busy month in our household so I thought even  better to take the

 Sort it challenge put out by Tamar.

So here is my September Sort it list.....

!. Fraser's Clothes drawer

2.Pantry clean out

3.Declutter the toy shelves

4. Clean out the craft cupboard

5.Second drawer in the kitchen

6.Top of the fridge

7.Baskets on my craft shelves

8.Cupboards under the computer

9.Help Meg sort her room (ongoing)

10.Laundry Cupboard ( make own washing powder)( no washing powder making though)

11.Ironing pile never ending task

12.Bathroom cupboard

13.Memory boxes for kids

14.DVDs

15.Cd's

16.Sort own Wardrobe

17. sock and undies drawer

18.Jumper basket

19.Remove winter clothes

20.shoes

21. T-shirt basket

22. Move filing cabinet contents

23. Fridge surface

24. Op shop filings sorted

25.Games box

26. Kids Books

27.Xmas in a Shoebox materials

28.Wool Collection

29. Scrap Booking supplies

30. Fraser's top cupboard

Not sure I will follow any particular order but my goal is to get through the whole list by the end of the month.

Nothing like sticking it out there for all to see.!!!!!

Hey if you are inspired to get started to check out The Organised Housewife  for more motivation.

Today....

 

 

Today would have been the perfect day for you to come for a cuppa......

 

I was home all day..

Without a car even....

 

Well except when I walked Fraser to school and stayed for a bit to change the readers...

 

oh then I walked to the shops to pick up some shower cleaner...

 

But then I was home....

 

I baked some Raspberry Coconut Slice from my Woman's Weekly cookbook - one of the first cookbooks I ever owned....

 

I had a cuppa in the quiet and thought about the week ahead...

 

Thought about a nephew that is coming to stay for a few days...

and the forty hour famine being tackled on the weekend....

 

about the arrangements that need to be made for Fathers Day celebrations

 

about the Fathers Day craft for playgroup this week....

 

I pondered and added to my growing list for the "Sort It"  attempt I will make in September....

 

 

I even put fresh sheets on our bed and did a few loads of washing....

I wiped all the finger marks off the french doors ...

 

and set a new loaf of bread in the bread machine.....

 

did a little blog hopping and sent an email or two....

 

Gave some thought to dinner and what may grace our table.

 

read a few pages from the latest book I am reading....

 

Monday needed to be a day to think through the rest of the week...

 

but I would have put the kettle on again if I knew you were coming.....

 

Maybe next time.

xx

 

 



Sunday Snippets...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a spyed my children and then my nieces using the lovely new space created by my hard working hubby....a smile came to my face.....

This is what weekends are filled with.....{not sure my hubbies back agrees tonight though.}

Hope your weekend was full of smiles too.

Joining in with other snippets here.

This Moment

 

I snapped this photo this morning as I was standing doing my dishes at the kitchen sink....

I looked up and just knew I had to reach for the camera and record this moment in time...

Meg was practising her dance moves....

Fraser just outside the door lost in a game with his cars and off cuts of wood....

Derek way in the distance working on his latest garden project....

Each in our own space...

Each doing our own thing....

and all in the line of my eye......

A fleeting moment ..

Things I am Loving .....

This Friday I am loving.........

That I finally bought a bread slice guide..... to save us heaps on the bread we make.......best $30 I have spent in a while......

Loving the almost finished garden project that hubbie and little guy have been working on this week.....

Loving that signs of Spring are appearing in the garden.......

 

Loving a cute gift I bought for a friend....but am thinking of keeping them and going and purchasing a whole heap more......

Super loving that the little guy at 7 1/2 years old now knows how to tie his shoelaces......amazing what they can do when you show them...ooops

Loving the time for some early morning baking to give to a friend for some cheer......

Loving that is Friday!!!!!

Have a great weekend ...off to do some parent help at school.

Check out other lovelies here.

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something you can be thankful for..no matter how simple it is.

My Creative Space....

This week I desperately wanted to create a new piece for my wardrobe from these lovely Spring delights....

maybe it was the desperate part that has given me a creative block......

Probably just as well because I have a huge basket full of pencil cases , drawstring bags and scarves that need finishing for our Shoebox Project.......

 Also the arrival of a new magazine to fill me with lovely things to look at and try......add to the "to do one day" list, has been a distraction.....

Hmmm..... sometimes being torn in so many directions happens and so then little happens everywhere.

I am sure you will be more inspired by all these creative peeps .

The Happiest Refugee

This is my latest read.......my hubbie made the comment that I hadn't put down my Kindle much in the last few days....

It was a great read.....a really inspiring tale of Anh Do and beginning with his journey as a toddler on a boat from Vietnam to Australia, to begin a new life with his family.

Wow the tales of overcoming such trials and mixed with his comedic humor made this a compelling read.

I highly recommend this book .

Now any suggestions for my next  read???

Just do it.......

 

Living with someone who loves to be fit and IS indeed fit but has an injury is very tricky....

My hubbie loves his triathlons but has struggled of late with a niggling injury that has stopped him in his tracks....

His physio has suggested along with some other ideas that he just walk...not run ...not cycle just rest up a little and walk....


So off we went tonight...all of us....blustering winds....threatening rain...and we walked....

Maybe we will all benefit from this instruction from the physio....

Do you get out much?

Dumplings....

Growing up my worst nightmare was mum serving a casserole or stew for dinner!!!!
I just could not make that meat go down...or deal with the combination of all the ingredients....


Years later and cooking for a growing family and wanting to make the most of some cheaper cuts of meat....

I am making AND eating delicious Hearty Casseroles that all my family devour...

(mum would be so proud of me!!!!)

Tonight I found a recipe here for Dumplings.....

They were so simple and took no time at all....they were added in the last 10 mins of the casserole being finished......

Oh yum......excuse the messy pot....making a juicy meat and veg filled casserole is messy business.

Dumplings will definitely be featuring in this dish again.

Sunday Snippets..Bonfire Edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our annual get together at  friends property for the bonfire night......

A Guy Fawkes/Scarecrow..

Marshmallows...

and plenty of fire poking ....

marks the nearing end of the winter and the return of the fire ban season....

my lucky city kids just love Bonfire Night.

Joining in with Sunday Snippets.

Homemade Tomato Soup

We have a fine crop of a few varieties of tomatoes.....

Thanks to the hubbie who has tenderly cared for them we now are reaping the rewards....

So in order to beat the critters to our crop we picked the ripe ones and made........

Some Homemade Tomato Soup.........

using this recipe...

 

It was delicious and even the non soup eater in our family was convinced to have a taste and said he thought it was tasty....

Only problem there wasn't enough for us to eat again the following day.