Saturday Dress-ups

Inspiration everywhere I look! I just love visiting all the delicious blogs out there and soaking up all the artistic goodness. I was much inspired (as I always am) by Vanessa over at the magical http://afancifultwist.typepad.com/ She did a post that prompted me to straighten up my little corner of my world, and delight in all the little things that make me smile. And of course tidying up in dress-ups always makes the job that more fun! I picked my dressing table up many years ago at a local op-shop (I think overseas you call them thrift stores) for a song...I love it! It holds all my jewellery (I love costume jewellery and semi-precious stones rather than the 'real stuff').
























As I was straightening up, I remembered a similar dressing table we had when I was very young, and I loved it...isn't it funny how our memories store these little snippets of goodness?

This dressing table set was given to me by my mother - it was her nana's (my great grandmother) so it is very precious to me...



















The little cards tied up in a bow are ones I got when I turned 40, 3 years ago now...I am such a magpie, and hold onto things, just like my mother.























Here is a peek inside my silver jewellery box....a gift from my man a couple of Christmases ago... the string of pearls were given to me by my mum and dad when I finished high school.


















In my playful mood, I decided to take my wedding dress down from the top shelf of my wardrobe and put it on my mannequin...it really is a fairytale dress...I had my wedding bouquet made at a florist, but when they delivered it, I hated the formality of it, so my beautiful bridesmaid and best friend Wendy http://www.wendyrule.com/ jumped in her car and went to the local shop and bought some long-stemmed roses and 'threw' them together into an informal arrangement - much nicer...please check out her website, she is an amazing singer/songwriter, who also happens to be a witch...she made me the little bag hanging on my dressing-table from material that was used to make my wedding dress - in it I keep my tarot cards. Here she is looking decadently outrageous at her 40th masquerade party - a most extravagant affair!























The painting of the nude tucked into the top of the dress was done by my beautiful niece, and given to me on my 40th birthday, with some heartfelt words inside - these things are very special to me...























Straightening up the bookshelf, I found more yummy inspiration! Have you guessed that I love fairies? (Never really grew up)...I love all of these delicious books.





































I would also like to thank Celia at http://adventuresofthestripedstockings.blogspot.com/ for bestowing upon me a lovely award. I get kind of get embarrassed with these but I do want to acknowledge it and let her know I am honored.

I am supposed to sum up in 5 words the motivation,philosophy and experience behind my blog. Suffice to say that I came up with this... "Getting the creative juices flowing".

I hope that you have enjoyed a little peek into my world...and a glimpse at the things that are very close to my heart. I will leave you with a little taste of Wendy - enjoy x

A most eggcellent day...

My day began with a lovely suprise...do you remember these I collected the other morning from the little black hen?

Well, when I cracked the big one into my pan for breakfast, look what I found! A double yoker! Clever little black hen....

So after my yummy breakfast, I picked some more flowers from the garden and straightened up the house (with some bluesey tunes on the stereo...makes housework that bit more bearable, I find)

Because today is the day the mister returns from his overseas journey!

Just look at this gorgeous tapestry cushion he brought back for me from Paris - I just love it!

Pip thought she would dress-up and suprise him for his return home....funny Pip - always making us smile, bless her little panda ears...so excuse me, while I go and prepare a lamb roast for dinner.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Well, it's been a busy week here despite the cold... I have managed to get out into the garden and have made quite a few trips to a few local nurseries to buy some plants for my garden...

Just when I think there is nothing much happening in my winter garden, I take a closer look....and my mosaics always lend a much needed burst of colour...

Ooh, and when I visited my lovely black hen today, I found two eggs...I think I told you Mr Fox has been visiting lately, and I had to have a very stern word with him...we have lost so many chickens - it makes me so sad...but Pip helped me collect these two lovely eggs...I think I may scramble them for breakfast tomorrow.

But when I wandered through the garden today, there was so much goodness on offer...this little cup and saucer was a gift from mum and dad - they visited a garage sale the other day and found this treasure for me...it is just perfect with some lovely camellias and daphne from my garden. The scent from the daphne is just beautiful.

Oh, and the violets are blooming - I picked some for you....I love to decorate my cakes with these lovelies.

And would you look at these beautiful blooms that I picked for my favourite teapot...they make my heart happy...

And after gardening on a winter's day, there's nothing I love more than curling up beside the open fire with a good book...bliss. I hope everyone's Sunday was as lovely as mine...tell me what you did, I love to hear from you x

Warming the cockles of my heart on this cold, cold day

You know the days...the ones where there are too many thoughts swirling through your head, and you just need to stop and take a breath..

That's how I have been for the past few days. Ian is in France, did I tell you? No, he's not holidaying, he's actually working, but that doesn't make me any less jealous! He keeps sending me pics of the gorgeous places he is staying while following the Tour De France (see photos above). Don't get me wrong - I am happy he has such a fabulous job where he gets amazing opportunities like this, but I must admit, I am feeling a bit sorry for myself. It doesn't help that we are in the midst of a cold winter, and I have been stuck at home with sick kids (Georgia had the flu for over a week and we didn't really do anything!)

So, this morning I rugged up and made myself go for a walk - Brrrrr! It really does make me feel better, it's true, and I am working on a painting for Georgia's room, and just creating always takes me to a happy place.

Before you feel too sorry for me that my husband is overseas while I am stuck here, he has taken me to France before, but Georgia was 9 months old at the time, so I saw England and Paris with a baby attached to my breast most of the time, he he...it was lovely though, and I hope to return one day....hmmmm. Here's a little shot of me back then (check out those eyebrows!)

So, I thought I would share here something else that warms the cockles of my heart - it is Abby singing at a concert a few months back. We recorded it on Ian's I-phone, so the quality is not fantastic, but you will get the idea. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do - but then, I'm biased, he he....

Friday Night Decadence

It's Friday night so I have made some chocolate brownies (recipe at the end of this post) and poured a glass of sparkling.

I have had a busy week in the garden, so I think I deserve a night of decadence - join me, won't you....

These brownies are truly delicious and so easy to make...they are something that I always whip up when I am having people over, and they never last very long on the plate...gooey, chocolatey goodness!

The girls have some friends sleeping over tonight, so it's home-made pizzas and ice-cream for dessert - here's hoping I get some sleep...

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

200g butter

1/2 cup cocoa

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup plain flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

(I never add the nuts)

Turn oven to 180 celcius. Grease a 30 x 20cm tin.

Put butter and cocoa in a saucepan and melt gently. Don't boil it!

Add sugar and vanilla and stir it really well.

Take off heat and sift in the flour. Stir it in.

Add eggs. Beat them in really well.

If you are using nuts, add them now, and stir in.

Spread evenly in tin. Bake 20 - 25 minutes.

You can ice them, but I never bother...I just dust them with some icing sugar - DELICIOUS!

Thyme in a Garden

As you know, it is Winter here, but today we were treated to a sunshiney day, so I grabbed the girls and we went for a walk to this gorgeous historic cottage...I think I should like to live here.

I felt very inspired after our walk, so I got out in my garden and ripped out all of my neglected lavender, and prepared the earth for some new plant love. I plan to visit the nursery tomorrow and buy some gorgeous plants to make my heart sing. I really love these informal garden beds in the picture below.

I just adore camellias - a pop of colour during the colder months...

I love the hinges on the old stable door.

Such a quaint little cottage...if it were mine, I would invite you in for scones with jam and cream.

I will share some pics once my new garden is planted...