Friday Night

To me Friday night doesn't get much better than this!  After the kids are in bed this is the way I kick off my weekend; a glass of red, chocolate, Better Homes and Gardens on the telly (followed by a movie or Moving to the Country); a bit of knitting with my new favourite needles (bought from Kathysfibres.com) and some playing with new CM product.  If I'm lucky I can normally sneak in a bubble bath too :)
Sometimes it is the simple things that make us happy (and yes I know it is Wednesday but I'm already looking forward to Friday!)

Hangin with the Cousins

What a difference a bit of sunshine makes.  Yesterday was grey and horrible and I got NOTHING done and I was GRUMPY all day.  Today (with a little one back at school and a big one back at work) and the sun shining I have done 5 loads of washing, changed all the kids sheets, let the bunny and chooks out for a run, made a nummy casserole/beef stew for tea, played puzzles with Dan, cleaned Dan's room, answered essential emails and paid bills, tried Maddie with yoghurt for the first time (not a success LOL) and it is only just midday!  At this rate I might even get some crafting in!!!

I promised to post trip photos in a few different groupings and whilst I will get to the specky scenery shots I wanted to share these first because our trip was also about catching up with dear family members that we don't see nearly often enough.  So here we are just hanging out with the UK cousins!

Till next time,

Keep smiling,

Nell

While we were O/S...

While we were away this breathtakingly beautiful child turned 6, and while I love the age she is at and the wonderful conversations we are having I still struggle to see her growing up so quickly.

 And then, to really add insult to injury this sweet piece of enchantment turned 6 months old! Now where did THAT time go?!?!

Till next time,

Keep smiling,

Nell

Best of British Countryside : Travel shots part 1

We're back after a glorious two weeks in Britain (with 24 hours in Paris).  Between us Hannah and I took close to 1000 photos so I will share some of the favourites in a few random groupings over the next few posts. 

First up: quintessential English countryside; brambles, hedgerows, thickets, lakes. I felt like Beatrix Potter!

Lower Mill Estate, the CotswaldsSomerford LakeThames Path (public walking track that goes all the way to London)

What a heavenly week surrounded by Beautiful English countryside!

While Daddy is away...

James spent Friday night and Saturday of last week in the Barossa for work (insert coughing snorting sound and a roll of the eyes here - lots of red wine and golf me thinks LOL)  Anyway, for the first time in a long time I was solo parenting.  I feel incredibly blessed to have a husband that works close to home and only has one night meeting once a month.  On the nights/times when he isn't around I find that it is best to slow our pace and let the day/night unfold in its own way.  Tea is sometimes unconventional.  Bath time usually involves bubbles and deep water and ALL of us crammed in the tub.  Sometimes there is even splashing and driplets of water on the walls and ceiling.  And if I snuggle and cuddle and read and reread a little longer then it is all okay.

Saturday morning unfolded with Hannah's favourite breakfast - pancakes and because I just cannot put down Molly Wisenberg's achingly beautiful book "A Homemade Life" we tried her pancake recipe (subsitituting buttermilk for regular milk and a teaspoon of vinegar, and buck wheat flour for regular)  The result were the best pancakes I have ever eaten.  Hannah had 7!  How do you like your pancakes?  We load up the table with cream and maple syrup and golden syrup and honey and jam and sugar and lemon and everyone picks and chooses their own combinations. 

So you see, I think the solo parent thing was okay as a change.  Wouldn't want to make a habit of it though!

It was "Sweet" while it lasted...

Do you remember this?  This quilt started a serious affair with that red spot fabric and the Moda "Sweet" range by Urban Chiks.  It started harmlessly with a charm pack and Bronwyn Hayes "Little Chicken Feathers" book and ended with this quilt for my darling niece Ruby (born in September of 2008)  I LOVED making this quilt.

When my bestest buddy Nessie announced she was pregnant something insane in the back of my brain knew that I wasn't finished with this fabric, or the stitcheries...so there was a layer cake, and more red spot, and with a little inspiration from Leanne Beasley's "Living the Dream" book this became Olivia's quilt in August 2009.  I LOVED this quilt just as much as the first.

There is a lot of fabric in a layer cake.  When you add off-white homespun (and red spot fabric!) there is enough for at least one more cot quilt AND leftovers to make this:So of course it was logical when our own baby number three was on the way (and she will be our last) to do something with the leftovers. 

I finished binding this quilt last night.  It turned out bigger than I'd anticipated.  A happy accident which means Maddie might get more use out of it as she grows.  I have LOVED making this quilt and I think that maybe this is where the "Sweet" story stops.  Everyone knows that too many sweets aren't good for you?!  I do still have enough leftovers for a stitchery name plaque for Maddie's room but for now I think 3 quilts is enough.

"Sweet" huh?

p.s. Loved the Little Chicken Feathers stitcheries so much that I bought a copy for my grandmother and she embroidered the designs on 33 pillowcases for the great grandies between September and Christmas of 2009.  I wonder what Bronwyn Hayes would think about that?

Spring Swap

The delightful Corrie from over at http://www.dutch-blue.blogspot.com/ organised a Spring Swap.  Here in the Southern hemisphere the leaves are turning and an Autumn chill is in the air but it was actually really nice to be thinking of others enjoying Spring a world away!  Now I haven't blogged about this before now because I was worried that I might spoil the surprise for my lovely partner Inge.  Hopefully by now she has received her package and I can blog about them both.

Do you remember the sneak peak of this:

Well, it became this (using Rosalie Quinlan's stitchery pattern in "A Stitch In Time" and fabric from her Grandma's flower garden range):Which travelled to the Netherlands in this (made quickly from a block repurposed from my UFOs)

I hope Inge liked it!

Now Inge is very talented and also very lucky (she has an island "crafting" holiday away with her mother each year - I am just a bit jealous!!!)  For the Spring Swap she stitched this:Her stitching is exquisite.  Have a look at the label:and the pieces in the blocks are teeny tiny:Inge packed it all up with a lovely Spring bag, a beautiful tulip card and two gorgeous flower fabrics.  Thank you so much Inge.  It was just a beautiful swap present!

I was really so glad when my partner was from the Netherlands.  I travelled there many years ago (to visit a pen friend that I had since high school through until a few years ago)  It is such a beautiful country.

Thanks Corrie for hosting, and Inge for my lovely presents.  Time to go now before the two bigger kids do serious damage to each other.  Have to say that I am convinced (after only a few days of school holidays) that I definitely don't have the patience to home school!  The two of them have had their Easter baskets confiscated, along with several favourite toys, and are about to be banished to their rooms for an hour.  Gotta love kids LOL!