getting older

We are watching Sting- Live in Berlin with the Berlin Symphony on Foxtel. This is in lieu of paying $200 a ticket to see him earlier this year. I saw Sting's Dream of the Blue Turtles concert when I was a girl - 1986. At the time I didn't think he was anything more than a seriously great singer (I was more fascinated with Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet). But now - 25 years later, I need to declare that he is ridiculously attractive. Amber suggests it his regime of yoga, running and tantric sex. Now there's something to think about.

good things come to an end

Back to school tomorrow. We have loved the past fortnight (and a bit extra thanks to Easter). We have baked...

We have crafted...

 We have made jewellery...

 We have drunk A LOT of smoothies...

 Sometimes we played Scrabble during breakfast...

 Sometimes we all ate lunch in our bedrooms...

 

We saw Grandma...

and cousin Adele...

and Uncle John, but he did not stop working long enough for a photo. We tried busking but banging on pots and pans proved fruitless...

We baked some more...

and at the very end, there were Easter Eggs to hunt...

Only nine and a half weeks until the next lot of holidays. We can't wait.

stalled

It is almost 1pm and my heels are dragging on this school work. In classic procrastination style I am achieving neither the thing I have to get done, nor anything else. Surely I would be bettter off working flat out and factoring in breaks which I could actually enjoy rather than constantly stalling which prompts guilt and horror. This blog post is one of those guilty stops - I thought I use it as a pep talk moment. Also thought I would post this message from Sam, he had hopes of entering the Guinness Book of Records for toy writing but these hopes have been dashed upon realisation that three words do not a record make.

one thing... (day four and five)

I will do one thing tomorrow: I will FINALLY assess all the Geography assignments I have avoided all holidays

as for the one thing I did today - I went with the kids and Michael to the pool rather than staying home and avoiding it.

one thing... (day three)

It is the end of the day and I have not sewn a thing as per today's planned 'one thing'. However, I don't feel at all a failure as I have read a novel from start to finish and enjoyed every word. Each time my thoughts went to haberdashery I chose instead to turn another page. We've had a quiet, easy Easter Saturday with very few exertions beyond my workout and a fleeting visit to a supermarket. Our dinner of slow cooked osso bucco summed up the feel of the day and I spend most of it with my bottom molding its shape onto a chair beautifully situated under a heater vent. I did take a few breaks from my novel to look through Inspiration by Terence Conran. It is such a beautiful book, borrowed from the library and I think it may well be my first purchase from the Book Depository (I am slow to jump on this bandwagon). Really, I would rather go to London and have free access to wander around Sir Terence's office, homes, wharf complex, gardens, furniture design studios - such treasures would be found.

I will do one thing tomorrow: I will write a letter.

childhood

Tonight both the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy will be visiting us here at number 55. A big day for Sam, as a 6 and a half year old he has suffered from something of a developmental retardation when it comes to the loss of his first baby tooth. I am not sure if he more excited or relieved to hit the milestone. In a quite inglorious fashion he swallowed the tooth but has been assured that the Tooth Fairy 'intuits' the loss of a tooth in a household and does not require enamel based evidence under the pillow before leaving a glittering coin.

It is likely that the 2 dozen chocolate eggs now lurking under the foliage in the back garden beds will promote the swift loss of more teeth. Happy Easter.

one thing... (day two)

I extended my daily run/walk/shuffle/run/walk (repeat x 5) to an hour today and between the huffing and puffing I couldn't help but think how lucky I am to have the river at the (literal) end of my street. A glorious way to start Good Friday.

I will do one thing tomorrow: I will sew something.

pinterest

 

 

I have been using Pinterest for a while now and love it as a place to catalogue images. I have about 18 'boards' (categories) which vary in theme from House Renovations to Colour to Beautiful Things. These are some of the images I have been collecting over the past months. Aren't they all beautiful? Pinterest is a magnificent time waster but paradoxically gives a fabulous record of my internet meanderings, completely referenced and catalogued so it makes those hours spent wandering through blogs and sites more tangible.

one thing...

A super quick post to update on this daily project I have committed to. Firstly: I made the necklace yesterday. Not sure if I actually like the necklace but i did make it. More on that later (am currently posting via the phone, still in bed). Today's "thing" is going to test me a little, but I will be doing it at soon as I post this, put down the phone and hop out of bed...

I will do one thing today: I will double the length of my run.

one thing...

I have recently found this image (tumbler.com) and it resonated with me - I have decided to embrace the concept. For the purpose of the blog, mine will take the form of "I will do one thing tomorrow." I have just over a week until I go back to work. I can achieve 7 things in 7 days. Some will be bigger than others, but I will commit to something, then report in at the end of the day. So, to get started:

I will do one thing tomorrow. I will make a necklace.

my right brained boy and gender-ised girl

No drawing, no painting, no splashing around with art supplies for my oldest. Nope - he is into colour-by-numbers. Not a dash of creative thinking required, just follow the rules as set out by someone who is obviously the expert and the result will always be pleasing. When I suggested he decide his own colours and ignore the guidelines he was disgusted.

Meanwhile, yesterday I suggested to Milly that as she was smart she could figure something out, her response? "I'm not a boy". Swallowing my horror and misery at such evidence of my failing as a mother to a girl I asked what she meant, she then made it worse by telling me - "Girls are pretty, Boys are smart." Kill. Me. Now. I hope our lengthy discussion about boys - handsome / girls - pretty / everyone - smart has sunk in - she has just over 24 hours before her feminist Grandma gets here.

school holidays, my new approach and a frenchman

The holidays are well and truly here. I have spent the last 48 hours as a single mum (in school holidays no less!) - not for the weak of spirit or anyone who wants to live in an organised house (I gave up on organised at 8 o'clock this morning and my stress level has gone down but the mess level continues to rise - alas, it may be the only way I can cling to sanity for the fortnight). Today we have been to the library and the High Street precinct for a wander and play. I love that this foray into our local community means we bump into friends of Sam's from school and their mothers who I can talk to for ten minutes or so (another dose of sanity). The big news of the day is that I borrowed the new recipe book by Manu Fieldel - Manu's French Kitchen. Looks like it will be a winter heavy on the soups, braises and various dauphinoise and gratin. Everything looks amazing but it the desserts that I am itching to try - mousse, clafoutis, souffle. I am tempted to go down to the (soon to be closed down so everything is heavily reduced) Border's Bookstore and buy it but I shall remind myself that I am pinching pennies and thrift will prevail. It is, however, the first recipe book in a long time that I have borrowed from the library and itched to own.

Regular blogging may take a back seat for the hols as I snatch any time to myself that I can - at the moment I am on my bed (the only room that has not been a casualty of my new 'don't care about mess, it's the holidays' approach to life) looking at Manu's recipe for Braised Veal Shanks, the kids are playing Spy Kids in the lounge. Spy Kids involves lurking around corners and talking into pretend hidden microphones to report their observations - my aim is that their only report about their mother is that she is lying on her bed, reading and looking relaxed. Wish me luck.

today's thrifted treasure

Day one of the holidays and I have exhausted myself going to over a dozen op. shops today. I was on the hunt for lovely old cotton floral sheets. I have an inkling for a quilt. Over the past couple of months I have picked up a few pairs but today I went through linen bins with a vengeance. The result - 11 pairs of sheets for just over $30. When I think that each pair is more than enough fabric for one quilt I am a little concerned about what I will do with the left over fabric. Perhaps floral quilts for every room of the house? It's time to turn my inkling into an actual idea and then a pattern and then a quilt. Stay tuned, I may give myself the challenge of completing this one within a set time frame (yikes, just typing that gives me jitters). In the meantime I am searching for inspiration...

diaryofaquilter.com / tumblr.com / flickr.com

an idea for using left over fabric (flickr.com)

hydrated

I've been drinking lots more water lately. The consequence is that I am drinking a lot less diet coke. A good thing. When I saw this photo (from ffffound.com) it made me smile.

to do list

I am on holiday for the next two weeks and I have a few things on my list. Some of the things I will be doing are mundane but satisfying: organising the kids' cupboards. Others are completely non negotiable: I will be sewing something - anything, doesn't matter what it is, but I will start it, sew it and finish it. One of the  things on my list is highly daunting: I am going to make macarons. I don't actually eat them (too sweet) but I think they are beautiful and in my dreams I am the person who invites people over for afternoon tea and serve a beautiful palette of macarons piled high on my blown glass cake stands. (photo from oneleague.co.za)

front garden grassy glory

A couple of weeks ago Kate came over and declared one of my miscanthus a 'specimen plant' - the plant that is photographed as an example of the specimen. Such a compliment - and although I can only take a small amount of credit for it I will let you know that while grasses (and I have a lot in my gardens) are drought tolerant, dry loving plants mine have loved the huge amounts of water they received this summer and have never been as big and show-offy with their fluffy heads competing for attention throughout the beds.

a boy's pockets

Rock. Lego Alien. $10 000 000 note (fake). 10 cent coin (real). Battery. Dice. A quick forage in the pockets of Sam's school shorts gives me a glimpse into his day. How all these items work together and end up in his pockets is totally beyond my understanding but I think it is evidence of a pretty good day for a 6 year old.

laundry beauty

This laundry basket trolley has been (and I don't want to overstate this...) completely life changing. I have a terrible habit of bringing laundry in from the line and leaving it neatly piled up on the laundry bench for days before I fold and put it away. Who knew that all I needed was a laundry trolley and I would fold each item as I take it off the line then bring it in and put things away straight away?

It may also help that this trolley is so beautiful - a find for $50 in Adelaide.

light o'clock

I am really loving the first few days since the end of day light savings. It has been warm and it is nice to be outside in the early evening enjoying what Amber and Russell call "light o'clock" - the quick snapshot of time just before dusk, when light hits everything and makes it beautiful. I think it may be my goal to stop for light o'clock a little more regularly. Tonight I was sitting on the front verandah chatting to Amber enjoying the dappled light coming through the Silver Birches.