Eye Spy - something I want to try...

This is not so much a case of something I want to try, more something we ARE going to do. We are building a pizza oven. Yes we are. Starting this week. I've always wanted an outdoor brick oven and we've had Russell's book for years in anticipation.

Now it's all systems go. Work is starting tomorrow. I'll keep you updated on how we fare. Have you ever made a brick oven? Any tips?

Thanks to Cindy as ever, for hosting and to Melanie for this weeks theme. It's meant I've put the dream out out there, so now there's no turning back! Who's for a slice?

Good things about winter :: moving on

This is almond blossom. From my wiry old tree. Sadly, it hasn't really produced anything more than a handful of nuts in the few years we've been here. However this year, we buried a dead wild rabbit underneath. I'm hoping for big things from that rabbit this year, well at least a decent crop of almonds.

There's still another 9 days or so left of winter. And already you can feel its icy hold fading. With the change in weather we've been spending some glorious days outside. Watching signs of new life everywhere. Spring blooms of jonquils, daffodils and snowdrops have arrived, along with the first of the blossoms.

Which is all well and good but I'm not ready to say goodbye to winter yet. Heck no. I haven't had enough evenings by the fire, hardly done any knitting, and most importantly, I haven't eaten any osso bucco. At all. This. Entire. Winter. Can you believe it?

So before I move on, I still have a few more things about winter to celebrate. Like, the lack of killer ants in the garden, lack of snakes in the long grass, lack of blowies in the house, lack of weeds gone to seed. Wearing favourite jumpers, scarves and gloves. Tights with boots. Little people in woolly gnome hats. Rosy cheeked walks in the mist. Coming home to the delicious comfort of hot chocolate, puddings and soup. Getting cozy.

I have a lot of hibernating to do in the next few days. Pass the shanks please.

Sweet Sunday

Scenes from inside on a crazy wild and windy day.

Hope your weekend was a good one.

1. ruby and isaac, 2. morning tea, 3. building, 4. verandah, 5. cupcake, 6. doodle, 7. elsa's flowers, 8. pussy willows, 9. yellow

Sweet Sweet Life giveaway

Have you seen Sweet Sweet Life? Amy's blog is one of my favourite places to visit. There's always something gorgeous to see. Right now she's giving away two of her super sweet handmade puppets. Here is Mlle. Matilde who wears a little bird nest on her head, and there is also Mlle Collette who wears the cutest red shoes. Both are darling.

Head over here to visit, you'll be so glad you did.

Thank you so much dear friends for all your warm birthday wishes xx

It was twenty years ago today...

...that I turned twenty one....

So today I celebrated twenty years of being a grown up,

by trying not to be one.

Here's what we did:

::Played outside in our pyjamas in the early morning

::Which meant we didn't get dressed until 10.30

::Which meant we skipped school

: So went out for ice cream instead

::Then went to the beach in the freezing cold rain

::And got our feet wet

::Collecting shells, chasing seagulls and racing waves

::Bought magnifying glasses at the $2 shop

:: Then went to the pet store to play with the puppies

::Came home and made chocolate cake

::And toasted cheese sandwiches

::Then had bread and cheese for dinner

::With French champagne (okay so that's pretty grown up)

::Read pop up books in bed with the children

::Did not do any housework.

Time for another glass I think. And toast to the next twenty years. Cheers!

Eye Spy - inspiration

I get a lot of my inspiration from the cyberworld, and my favourite at the moment is Down___to___earth. Rhonda's almost daily posts on living a simple life are so inspiring. From gardening, baking bread, green cleaning, looking after your chickens to knitting your own dishclothes, I find Rhonda's blog so helpful and she is so generous with sharing information. Her thrifty simple life is something I certainly aspire to. Another great theme from Cindy's Eye Spy...head on over for more inspiration...

Always a great source inspiration are magazines, here is a picture of some mini doughnuts with plum jam we made on the weekend - inspired by the cover this month's V E&T,...they were, in the words of the late, great Joan Campbell, "bloody delicious"....

Good things about winter :: my birthday

source

Yep, my birthday next week. So in the lead up I'm dreaming of what I'd really like this year. And dreaming big. So here's the heads up, in case any loved ones are reading....

I'd like to take the family camping to Maria Island please. With its historic ruins, sweeping bays, rugged cliffs and abundant wildlife, it would be perfect for some much needed down time with the family. Bliss. The island, off the east coast of Tasmania, is accessed only by ferry, there are no cars and no shops, so you have to carry everything you need with you. I'd like to take a canvas bell tent from here, inspired by Emma Bradshaw's dreamy camping tales. And because the island is perfect for cycling, I'll take my new bike : : either of these which I've long dreamt of : : this Pashley Princess or a Skeppshult black natur.

If the camping trip all seems too hard, what about a new kitchen please? I'd like one just like this at the Agrarian Kitchen. This is my dream kitchen...

Out of the question? What about an uninterrupted night's sleep, without sweet little peeps crying out in the night, crawling into our bed and taking up most of the space. Followed by a sleep in beyond 5am? Sigh, now I really am dreaming....

Good things about winter :: weeding

It's a truth universally acknowledged, that a person in possession of a large garden, must be in want of a lot of weeding. And ooh my giddy aunt, do we ever have weeds! I would say at least 99% of my time in the garden is spent weeding. All this rain has meant that previously dry dusty borders are a verdant oasis of lush weeds growing in a bed of sticky mud.

Luckily the rain has meant that weeds are easier to pull. And winter is the best time to get things under control before they seed and the pesky buggers really take off. You know, "one year's seed, seven years' weed."

My lovely Hunter boots are full of holes, so I've been a bit hesitant to attack the weeding without proper footwear. Problem solved this week when Hugo and I went to the local rural supplies store for some sturdy new gumboots. The shelves were almost bare, I guess there's been quite a rush with half the valley underwater, but I did manage to score a pair. And a red pair for Hugo.

I feel much more confident striding around the mud in these robust beauties. A bit like Mr Darcy really.

Good things about winter :: planning summer gardens

I like drawing my garden, well, my dreams of a garden. Thinking about the colours and mixing vegetables and flowers in the same bed. Bronze fennel, amaranth, coloured silverbeet, sunflowers, yellow daisies and scarlet runner beans. The good thing about winter is that it doesn't matter if my imaginary summer garden never eventuates, on a cold rainy day, it's just lovely to dream...

Eye Spy - a collection

It's been some time since I played a long, what with life and all, but this week's them by Liesl is a great one. You can headover to Cindy's for some more collections.

Here is a collection of rainy days. This is the rainfall forecast for my district this month. I wish it was a month of Sundays, but no it's a month of rain.

Anyone for tennis on Sunday the 9th?

Lower Derwent 28-day rainfall forecast Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 4 Med 5 High 6 High 7 High 8 Low 9 10 High 11 High 12 High 13 High 14 Med 15 High 16 High 17 High 18 High 19 High 20 High 21 High 22 High 23 High 24 High 25 High 26 High 27 High 28 High 29 High 30 High 31 Med