My flea market finds....

There was no op shopping for me this week, however....

My Mum went op shopping and this is what she found for me.

Oh my, such embroidered linen goodness!

She also bought me a pair of $2.oo jeans that I just tossed aside. (Sorry Mum) Fashion is her thing, not mine. It was a crazy tomato preserving day, the day Mum dropped by, I don't think I thanked her properly for the great finds.

Thanks Mum, I'm a very happy girl indeed.





Love, love, love.

Go here, to see what other treasures have been found this week

Our busy 'back to school' week

This week the kids have gone back to school.



Actually, Miss Moo Moo has just started.

She was very excited about starting school. On Monday morning while I was still at the breakfast table, she disappeared. She soon re-appeared, dressed in her school uniform, socks, shoes and hat (it was raining - it was 7:00am) She had her lunch and drink bottle in her bag and her bag was in her hand ready to go. She had cleaned her teeth and brushed her hair.

I wish I could say that Spunky Monkey has the same enthusiasm. This morning it took me over half an hour to get him to get himself dressed, then he carried on about his sock feeling funny for almost 45 minutes.

Miss Moo Moo has made a best friend. They clicked within the first five minutes of day one and have been inseparable ever since. Running up and hugging each other on arrival and drawing little pictures for each other. How lovely to be five.





We have been loving and hating the rain.

Loving: crumble and custard for dessert, yummy soups for dinner and for lunch, an excuse to go to the movies again, splashing in puddles after school, hot chocolate and cookies for afternoon tea, snuggling up in bed in the mornings to read before breakfast, long slow cooked roasts.

Hating: get soaked at school pick-up despite having umbrellas and raincoats, too many damp towels, tea towels dishcloths and washers piling up in the laundry, local flooding, missing out on a traditional Aussie barbecue on Australia day, mould all over the outdoor furniture, including our daybed mattress and cushions.



I have started reading this book. I borrowed it from the library just before Christmas, I read half of the introduction and went on line to buy it immediately. I have only this week had a chance to sit down with it.

I think it is a 'must read'.

I know that I need to simplify the things in our home (oh my, the stuff!) both for my own sake and the children's. This book tells why it is so very important.

I have just discovered there is also a website, you can take a look here.





Yesterday we celebrated Australia day. We started our day with barbecued bacon and egg burgers for breakfast (yes, is it actually stopped raining just long enough) But with all of our usual traditions canceled, we took Mr Moo to the cinema to see 'The Muppets'. The rest of the day was pretty quiet with a nap, some sewing, a bit of gardening in the rain and an early dinner.



I have spent some quiet moments stitching. It's been a while.



And I spent a day in the kitchen preserving this box of tomatoes that I had bought locally for just $4.00.



Unfortunately the day ended at 4:45pm in disaster!

Today I've already had a doctors appointment and later today I have a dentist appointment. We need to return overdue library books after school, a 20 minute drive away and grab something on the way home to make a simple dinner.

Tomorrow and Sunday I am planning to fall into a heap, and maybe some more reading.

Have a lovely weekend.

Our last days....

We have really been enjoying the last few days of the school holidays. I am very aware that these casual, lazy days will soon be over. In just few days, new routines will be made, stricter bedtimes will need to be adhered to.

This year, both of my children will be going to school.



Our farm stay was so much fun (as usual) we did not want to come home.

Soap making, apple, rhubarb and peach crumble, pink fairy dress ups and baby dolls, baby chickens, leg ham and salad sandwiches on fresh white bread, swimming pools, sandpits and ice-blocks, crochet, embroidery and vegetable gardens.



My cousin and I enjoyed many cups of tea and some lovely mummy chitchat. Despite the constant interruptions that come with seven children, a husband at home and a kitchen renovation in full swing, we happily found time to discuss motherhood, op shopping, expectations, crafting, family, homesteading, dreams, reality, gardening, blogging, farming and slowing down.



This morning (back at home) we went to see "Charlotte's Web" a fantastic production put on by a small local theatre company. I loved it! Lots of laughs and fun for all ages. Tonight we took the book off the shelf and we have started reading our first chapter book together.



But it's not all fun and games. While Mr Moo and the kids watched "Horton Hears a Who" on DVD this afternoon, I had other things on my mind.

• I brought in, folded and put away three loads of washing. I put on another load of whites to soak overnight.

• I unpacked our farm stay bag.

• I made three batches of bolognese sauce and three batches of taco mince to go into the freezer.

• I cleaned out the fridge and tried to find room for the three large boxes of fruit I bought on the way home from my cousin's farm. There is sauce making and preserving on the list for later in the week.

• I sorted out all of the school books (and supplies) ready to be covered and labelled tomorrow morning.

I am really looking forward to bed tonight.

Are you ready for school? Are your children rested?

Rest and relaxation

It's five more sleeps until school starts here in Queensland.

Where has the time gone?

With just days to spare, we are squeezing in little farm stay for the next few days.

It's been raining here all week, I'd better pack the gumboots!

(this cute image is from the book 'Marie Claire - Real and Simple')

My flea market finds....

During the week I cut up some of my Australian vintage tea towel collection. I am making 'Australia Day' bunting to decorate our house on the 26th.

I found this very hard to do. This first one I actually haven't cut up yet. I think I would prefer to see it left whole as a cushion. But the rest have been neatly cut up into little triangles ready to be sewn up this afternoon or tomorrow. I really want to do it today, but we have started cleaning out our garage this weekend (and that's no quick job!) It is not nearly as fun as making vintage tea towel bunting.

Do you remember these calender tea towels. My Nana used to sticky tape her calender tea towels to the kitchen wall. Did yours?

Queensland

New South Wales

Tasmania

And South Australia.

Go here, to see what other treasures have been found this week

Not much handmade

Our Christmas wasn't as handmade as I would have liked. I started a few things for my children that didn't get finished in time. Those projects now sit in my WIP basket for another time. Perhaps once the children return to school.

For friends and cousins we made some little vintage style dolls and christmas tree decorations. I used the last of this transfer paper, (I now prefer to use this product, even though it is more expensive) and some paper doll images. Miss Moo Moo was very particular and picked out a doll design and dress for each person. Mr Moo was in charge of photoshop.

I also made some library/tote bags from vintage fabric, sorry no photos.



But since then it has been all ideas and no time to get anywhere near my sewing machine.

I have been doing some mending: a little cow toy now has his tail sewn back on, a mermaid dress has it's straps repaired, there has been new buttons put onto an old dress, two dolly pillows have been mended, a thrifted dolly's ballet tutu has been mended and now dolly is ready to twirl, a reindeer antler has been reattached to it's headband and a small rip in Miss Moo Moo flamenco dress has been darned.



On Sunday I started cutting up my Australian vintage tea towel collection to be made into bunting, (hopefully) this weekend it will be sewn up.

The third most important gift

"laughter is the third-most important gift you can give"

- "The Muppets"

The first being - children and the second being - ice-cream.

Life here has been hot, busy, exhausting.

I'm so glad that we decided to go and see "The Muppets" this afternoon.

It was just what I needed.

I laughed (and cried) I absolutely loved it. I want to go back to see it again tomorrow!

Oh, yes, the kids loved it too.

My flea market finds....

I seem to have hit the 'vintage sheet jackpot' over the last couple of weeks. On just two different thrifting days here are the latest additions to my vintage sheet stash.







15 pillowcases and 7 sheets, total cost $12.00.



Included in that price was a vintage bunny cot sheet - I'm thinking Easter pillowcases here.



And two tiny pillowcases made from this vintage Australian/Christmas cotton.

Delightful.

Go here, to see what other treasures have been found this week

New things

Can you believe it, I am only now, this morning, finding a home for some of the new christmas presents that have come into our house over the last few weeks.

This year I did most of my own (for me) Christmas present shopping. There is nothing quiet like a little bit of spoiling.

A beautiful soft pink nightdress from Lazybones was wrapped under the tree for me.



A few pairs of gorgeous earrings from Emeeme had been slipped into my Christmas stocking.



'The Notebook' DVD was also found in my stocking.



New cookbooks: 'Rose Petal Jam' and "The Real Food Companion"



New long sleeve swimshirts: for me, and for the children.



Beautiful antique china.





And lovely handmade gifts.

Also looking for some cupboard space this morning is a new blender and popcorn maker.

Did Santa bring you what you wanted for Christmas?

Happy New Year!

It was happy chaos at our house last night.

I hope you enjoyed some happy chaos too.