Sunday 26 December 2010

Christmas 2010.........


A beautifiul Christmas.......



with family......




Thank you Kent & Karen for a lovely day.
So very blessed this Christmas.........

Hope you have all had a beautiful Christmas weekend. 

With Love to all my blogging friends.


Sunday 12 December 2010

Christmas Decorating.......



Just wanted to share my Christmas decorating with you.




Christmas Wishes.......




Little birds on the sideboard........with



Berry garlands.......


Baubles.........

and

Dragonflies............



Hope you and your family are enjoying your Christmas preparations.  I just can't wait for the time off - if I am ready for Christmas day it will be a miracle!  Full time work tends to do that.

Alexandra and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon at a sweet little Christmas show - princesses, pirates and Santa too!  Much fun!  I am so pleased we at least got to do that together.


Audrey fun.........

Friday night was my work Christmas party with the theme of movies.

For weeks I have tried to come up with an idea without spending too much money.

In the end I went as Audrey Hepburn.


I had so much fun........

Lovely meal and dancing fun,  out with my work colleagues.......

9 1/2 work days until the Christmas break - I can't wait for the holidays.

Saturday 4 December 2010

Christmas Morph.........

Can you believe this pic I found on my computer when I got home tonight! Leave a seventeen year old to his own devices & it's amazing how creative they can be.






He is available to live with anyone who would like him for their very own Christmas morph!

Sunday 28 November 2010

Christmas Cake


Last night I prepared the fruit to get my first Christmas Cake made today. 
 I just love making my own Christmas cakes.


All that delicious dried fruit and nuts.


This morning the ingredients were mixed and the cake assembled.


This morning as I mixed using my beautiful old spoon I thought again about my dear Nana and Grandma.  I have a spoon from each of their kitchens and I love and use them daily.

I thought about all the cakes that had been mixed by their hands with these very same spoons and the love that had gone into our family by doing so.

I thought about them and how much I miss them and being in their kitchens cooking. 



So with my Christmas preparations finally started, I hope my family will one day remember the love that goes into the preparation of Christmas and maybe one day treasure the very special memories that I hope I have created for them.


Sunday 21 November 2010

Mmmmm Blueberry Muffins



Another Sunday morning trip to deliver one son to his job at Woolworths, saw me come home with a punnet of Blueberries!



Muffin Mix

1 Cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 Cup Plain Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Bicarb Soda
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
3/4 Cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Sift dry ingredients into bowl, stir in sugar, the combined eggs, milk and oil.  Do not over mix, batter should be lumpy. 
Stir through 125g Blueberries (reserve a few for the top)

Topping

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Plain Flour
40g butter chopped

Rub Butter into dry ingredients.  Sprinkle on top of muffins and top with reserved berries

Bake in a moderate oven approximately 20 minutes.

This recipe works well with other fruit alternatives e.g. apple, stawberry


They are delicious!

Sunday 14 November 2010

Sunday Morning Friands........



There is something about getting out of bed very early on a Sunday morning.........first of all it makes me very tired.  But secondly, I can achieve so much! 

Mitchell had to go to work by 6 a.m. this morning and with BJ already at work, that leaves me as the taxi driver.  Only for a little while longer though.  Mitchell has finally achieved that magical 100 hours on his Learners Permit and now can book a driving test.  Here's hoping he can get through first go.  It will make our life so much easier, but filled with more worry!


So by 8 a.m. yummy lemon friands were in the oven and by 9 a.m., pancakes had also been made.


By 10.30 I had enjoyed said Friands on the front verandah with a lovely coffee! 
The washing and ironing are done so I am off to stitch for awhile!!

Sunday 24 October 2010

Artichokes........



For some fun, I planted a punnet of Artichokes.......



One plant in the vege patch......

The rest in the garden beds......



Inspired by The Vintage Rose, who has a beautiful home, garden and shop in Tasmania.

Amanda and her family were featured in Australian Country Style magazine earlier in the year.



I am going to pick these beauties and put them in a vase..........

More head shaking from the male species in this home will surely follow~!

Sunday 17 October 2010

Sweet Peas......

I think Sweet Peas would have to be my favourite Spring flower.  Mine have finally started flowering. 

I planted them this year on the teepee in the vegepatch, where they have gone mad. 


The perfume in my dining area is just beautiful. 

Saturday 16 October 2010

Yonder Lane.........


Today, we visited the most delightful garden which was open as part of Australia's Open Garden Scheme.  It was beautiful. 

The front door and verandah was just beautiful, with Pierre De Ronsard roses being trained along the front.  Pierre De Ronsard is certainly blooming beautifully everywhere at the moment.  The season must have been just perfect for it.

The Potager below, was also a lovely highlight for me.  Very similar to our own Potager, but on a larger scale.  I was a little jealous!  You can see over to the left of the Potager a beautiful, Wisteria covered arbour where there were seats to enjoy all the hard work the owners must put in.  Four very large Olive trees occupied each corner and there were sixteen raised beds.  Stunning!



"Summerfield" is down a lovely little country lane at Carbalah near Toowoomba.  After all the recent rain, we had to park up the road a way and walk down the lane.



It was a lovely little walk.  The weather has turned quite cool here after the rain, even with frost predicted for the morning.  We certainly didn't get at all hot on our walk.

As we neared the end of the lane, the house came into view.  What a sight to behold.  It is just beautiful.  I so wish my home was situated in such a lovely setting. 



A red barn - be still my beating heart!!  At that moment, I wanted to sell up and start again!! I think?  I loved how they have put traditional timber barn doors on their barn, instead of the usual 'colorbond' roller door. 




The verandah wrapped around two sides of the home, with one side being quite deep and facing the north.  What a lovely spot it must be to spend some time.



Around to the south of the home, another beautiful area to spend some time.  I so wanted to take those two chairs home with me!!

One the way home we stopped off for a lovely coffee and a wander through a little nursery.  Such a lovely afternoon.  I am glad we took time away from our own pruning and weeding to enjoy this lovely garden, down Yonder Lane........

Monday 11 October 2010

Roses & More........



Yesterday afternoon as the wind began to howl, I decided to fill my home with my roses.
The little jug above, which is a favourite little jug of mine is filled with Jean Ducher - isn't she a lovely lady!


Iceberg, Mrs B R Cant and Seduction




After all the beautiful rain we have received the roses are just stunning.  With the wind howling in from the east this morning, I'm not sure how long will be looking beautiful for.  The front lawn is strewn with rose petals already.

Sunday 3 October 2010

Doily Bird.........


Playing for a little while today with flowers from the garden........

A while ago now I made this sweet little Doiley Bird from Rosalie Quinlans' lovely book A Stitch in Time.
She is very sweet with her little wings made from an old doily.


She looks so sweet nestled in there with the flowers and the vintage milk bottles.

Queen Anne's Lace.......


My Queen Anne's Lace is finally flowering.


The plants are huge and covered in flowers.



A big bunch for my kitchen table this morning.....

Saturday 25 September 2010

Barbara..............


My dear friend Barbara invited a group of her friends to share in a lovely Spring Morning Tea at her home this morning.

We enjoyed such a lovely morning in her home and then enjoyed her lovely garden full of special plants which she enjoys.

The Wisteria was such a lovely sight as you drive towards her home.



Barbara always has such lovely and different plants and flowers to enjoy every time I visit her.


The view across the beautiful vegetable and herb garden back towards the house.


Thank you Barbara for such a lovely morning.........