Eye Spy what I want for Christmas

A great new meme from Cindy at bug and pop called Eye Spy. This week's theme is What I want for Christmas. I know I should say a happy family, goodwill to all, and of course peace on earth. But today, I'm tired of the sibling squabbles, the house is a mess, the laundry out of control, I have to cook dinner and get ready for the Monday rush. Indulge me won't you, while I take a minute to dream about gifts for me. Mmmm off the top of my head:

Hunter boots, jeans and frock from here

a red holga camera

And from the "not in my lifetime category", a snowy white AGA...

Thank you for your time, and thank you Cindy for hosting a great new game.
Now back to reality.....

schDULE Handmade Christmas

The enigmatic Kootoyoo has us on a treasure hunt to win this fantastic booty of hamdmade goodness. It goes like this:

Still feeling totally inspired by the handmade issue of mankind mag from my favourite design blog.
Q What is the blog author's first name? ANSWER: ERIN
use the first letter - LETTER: E
We like to keep lunch casual, I've found some fabulous BBQ recipes for the big day.
Q What type of meat is pictured on the rotisserie? ANSWER: LAMB
use the first letter - LETTER: L

Getting some great ideas for upcycling (my favourite craft) & enjoying the revamp over at this fabulous craft website.
Q They list everyone's favourite Portland based author mama as one of their inspirational sites. Which Portland based author mama is she? ANSWER: SOULE MAMA
use the second letter of her last name - LETTER: O

Looking forward to being able to buy handmade at the shopping shindig with the craft book Queen.
Q What type of car is pictured? ANSWER: VW
use the first letter - LETTER: V

All these letters unscramble to reveal: LOVE
WHAT? is all you need.

What fun! Thanks Kirsty!

Sandy and Happy

As soon I woke up this morning something felt different.... what was it... I know! It's warm! The sun was shining, the sky was bright. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Summer had finally arrived. Well, there was nothing else for it, with carefree abandon we bunked school, piled in the car and heading for the nearest beach. (Not before packing nappies, wipes, swimming nappies, swimmers, hats, towels, sunscreen, bucket, spades, picnic blanket, drinks, cups and nutritionally sound yet delicious snacks. You know how it goes!)
The car thermometer confirmed what my instincts told me - the mercury had hit a sweltering 15C ph-ew - get me to the beach!

We drove to our favourite little secret beach, known as Fossil beach by some. It was pretty crowded by Tasmanian standards, with one family of three already taking up one end of the beach. Which is just how I like it, half a beach to yourself, with the comfort of knowing someone reliable is nearby in case you get bitten by a tiger snake (no phone signal here).

we made our own rock pool

we scrambled over rocks

we got our feet wet

Miss E drew mermaids in the sand

and made funny seaweed people.

Our first visit to the beach this summer.
We're warm and tired. Sandy and happy.

Little Darlings

Meet our two new girls, Jasmine and Mary Jane, christened by Miss E. They're our new 16 week old Barnevelders. I know, I know, they look a bit weird now, but they're at that awkward teenager stage, no longer a cute chick yet not quite a blossoming young hen with lovely glossy brown and black feathers and fluffy charcoal bloomers.

That brings our hen count to five and we need to upgrade, extend or rebuild the coop to accommodate the growing flock. Which brings me to the vexed topic of chook housing. Quite a dilemma. Do we go chook dome, (pretty ugly), mobile electric fence, (pretty dangerous) or something like this...

Awright! This is Martha's chook palace. Isn't it dreamy.....well at 10,000USD it sure is... but I've stuck it on my inspiration board, so you never know....
In the meantime I've locked the little ones away from the big girls and will slowly introduce them to Charlotte, Emily and Anne over the next few days.
By the way, in the background is a picture of my effort to espalier a Morello cherry tree. Part of the orchard I've planted. I'll show you more, if you'd like to see it. Would you?

All the white stuff

lovely rainy day today

my little prince helped me paint the hallway white
Jamie's slow cooked shoulder of lamb roasts away in the oven
Small Magazine arrived, such small goodness
it's all making me happy

Your Time Starts Now

A fun meme from Pottymouthmama, with questions from her favourite section of the Herald's Good Weekend...
Today it's my turn to answer the questions:

My earliest memory is... my dad's magic tricks.

At school I... always had Mercurichrome on my knees.

My first relationship was... a long time ago.

I don't like talking about...it.

My most treasured possession is... my family or my KitchenAid, it's a tough call.

My mother always told me...don't make any toffee.

I wish I had... more patience.

I wish I hadn't... non, je ne regrette rien.

My happiest moment was... I've been lucky to have many, my wedding day, meeting my children.

At home I cook... with love.

My last meal would be... a real shame.

I'm very bad at...restraint.

The book that changed my life... Cloud Street.

When I was a child I wanted to... be an adult.

It's not fashionable, but I love...using the tumble dryer.

Friends say I am...tactless.

The song I'd like played at my funeral is Swingin Safari.

My greatest fear is... losing a loved one.

The last big belly laugh I had was...only this morning.

What I don't find amusing is...fart jokes, well actually, in the company of a two year old, they are pretty amusing.

I'm always being asked... can you get me something to eat?

Cat or dog? I don't like to generalize.

At the moment I'm watching...out for the local summer peaches.

My favourite work of art is... Christinas World.

My worst job was... at an organic babyfood company.

I often wonder...what the future holds for my children.

Come on! Join the fun and play along too, and leave a comment so I can visit you.

La bella vita

A beautiful day today with a visit to a gorgeous vineyard with good friends, good food and good wine. Delicious bread, jamon, runny cheese and a divine tiramisu. Loads of children running around the huge wine barrels and a game of twister to finish. Sigh, La Dolce Vita...

Show me the Money

A trip to our local country show today. So much to see....

the glamour in the poultry shed...

the final judging on the chook beauty pageant...

the gorgeous suffolks...

the gorgeous kids...

reluctant 5 year old...

reluctant jersey...

Lots to spend....
...eight dollars on organic apple juice...

four dollars on the jumping castle...

the look on a two year olds face as he sits in a REAL fire truck...

Priceless.

Nigella love

There I was, late last night, innocently delurking around here when I stumbled upon this amazing Nigella recipe. Despite being late into the night, the urge to whip up a batch immediately was irresistible. Luckily, or embarrassingly, depending on which way you look at it, I had the half kilo of chocolate required in the pantry. I found the recipe here
as the clip doesn't have the first measurement for the chocolate. They are, quite honestly, the most amazing chocolate cookies I have ever tasted.

Late spring blossoms

Quiet times here at chez Hugo and Elsa with a sick little one. A hot westerly is blowin' outside this afternoon so I'm pleased I was out in the garden early this morning to capture these spring blooms.

My mother gave this Princess Mary Rose to me for my birthday last year. It's survived numerous possum attacks to rise triumphantly this summer with three beautiful blooms.

Elsewhere in the garden the parsley has gone to seed. Such pretty flowers.

I don't know what this tree is, but for just a few days in late spring it's awash with these beautiful blossoms. I love it because when we first moved here it was in bloom, so it always reminds me of when we arrived, and the thrill we felt moving into our new home. Happy memories.

Scenes from our Growers Market

Nothing gets me more excited than a ute full of freshly picked organic greens, and today the inaugural Judbury Growers Market came up trumps!






Greens there were by the bucket, by the box and by the brown paper bag. Asparagus, kale, rocket and silverbeet. Green onions, mesclan, broad beans and sugar snaps. Despite less than perfect weather, we were pretty chuffed with the turnout today. Nearly all the stalls sold fresh produce, which is the primary objective of this market. We even had a bit of a rush at the start with the early birds clamoring for produce which took the growers unawares as they unloaded their trucks. Consequently all the fresh stuff sold out early - a good sign.

I held a stall for our school with leftover preserves and plants from our recent fair. Most things sold but there's enough tomato seedlings left to plant for sauce. Local wisdom dictates not to plant out tomato seedlings before Show day, lest a late frost destroy them. That gives me one week to prepare the patch. Busy week in the dirt ahead!

Cool Day

Potted colour for me - pretty cool!
A pair of Dunlop Volleys for Elsa - so cool!
Hugo being so cute - very cool!

Thrifty Friday

We have two great op shops in our town that are only open on Friday - one run by a church and one is the CWA. Both have fresh produce from local backyards, sweet nanna craft and second hand stuff. Both boast an impressive array of perfectly executed sponges and biscuits, my favourite being peach blossoms, a sort of round pink lamington filled with cream. Today we whizzed through and I found a lovely circa 1978 children's book, and a sweet little hankie, perfectly pressed, but crumpled within half an hour in my possession!