Tea Bread.........

Yesterday, I was able to bake in the afternoon. It was lovely to have some time to do something as simple as bake a yummy loaf. It is a Welsh Tea Bread, the recipe was in the February issue of the British Country Living (I love that magazine). Before I went to work I actually thought far enough ahead to put the fruit into soak in the hot tea.

I resisted yesterday afternoon, but this morning for morning tea it was delicious!!

Better get back into some work now - sorting childrens clothing. Change of season. I have a very generous sister - in - law who passes clothes onto Alexandra, so we are very fortunate to get them but always a big job to sort it all out.

A Night With the Phantom........

What a lovely evening we had at the Lyric Theatre last Wednesday night. It was actually the second time BJ and I had seen this show, the last time was when I was pregnant with Alexandra, so eleven years ago.

I think Anthony Warlow is getting better with age - his performance was brilliant. The full cast was wonderful. The costumes and set, fantastic. The children enjoyed their evening too. The boys decided they didn't like the songs - but enjoyed the music and all the action on stage.

I sometimes just wanted to close my eyes and enjoy the voices and the orchestra - but of course would have missed too much that was going on. It was so nice to be in the city for just the evening - maybe I will get to visit and stay longer next time.

Last week was busy but enjoyable just the same. Alexandra stayed with Grandma and Grandad for a few nights since it was the holidays - so after work the afternoons were a little more free.

I actually made it into the sewing room too and finally made my new PJ's. It is so nice to have achieved that. I have had that fabric for probably three years, so great to have another project done.

I love the ruffles on the top, I would usually baulk at little ruffles like that but the pattern had a great tip on how to turn the neat little hem and it worked really well.

I am looking forward to a visit to my dear friend Barb's tomorrow and hopefully some more creative pursuits this week.

In The Mail......

Lovely mail in my mail box today. Isn't it fun when postie brings lovely things instead of bills and junk.

Last week I won a giveaway over at The Beehive Cottage. Maryjane is a lovely lady and it is so nice to meet her in blogland. My parcel arrived today and it contained some lovely bits and pieces. Look at the cute paper covered in bees!!

I received a pincushion, some dishclothes that Maryjane has crocheted herself and a pillowcase. Thank you so much Maryjane, your gifts to me are very much appreciated.

Also in the post today was the May issue of Romantic Homes. I just love this magazine and it is so worth getting each month. I have only had time for a quick look through and will look forward to getting back to reading it from cover to cover.

This page jumped out at me and I thought it was just lovely.

Also I noticed another lovely project from Cathy Penton. Just beautiful once again.

It has turned into a beautiful rainy day here. The children picked some lettuce from our garden this morning, it looks beautiful.

We are off to see a show in Brisbane tonight and then tomorrow is a public holiday here for our local show.

It will be nice to spend the day at home pottering (I hope). We have more turf ordered to finish the footpath in front of our house, so that will be Friday afternoons job.

A Gift.......

At the end of February my dear friend Barb arranged for me to meet a lovely lady Angela and to see her garden. I had the most lovely morning that day. Barb had also arranged for me to choose a beautiful charm that Angela made for me.

This week, I met up with Barb and received my beautiful gift. Thank you so much again my friend.

Angela paints the lovely little water colours onto old papers and then solders them into the beautiful charms. I just love the beautiful minute details. The little box that it was delivered in is also an absolute work of art. Covered in lovely old music and then waxed and tied up with a sweet pink ribbon - all just me to a tee!!!

The lace in the background was a recent find at the "thrift" shop!!! Just beautiful.

So glad the weekend and the school holidays are here. I so look forward to the weekends at the moment when I hopefully don't have to venture very far from my home and garden.

A trip to the large Bunnings near us last night produced some lovely purchases that will need to be planted out tomorrow. I will show you more next time. Looking forward to a great weekend.

Sunday Picnic.......

With the turf laying out of the way on Friday afternoon we only had work to contend with. With our youngest away on music camp we only had the boys at home, so just a little quieter than usual.

BJ had to work on Sunday as our relief baker was away, so after he had a little nap we set out with Mum and Dad for a picnic and a look at a lovely Open Garden in Warwick.

Our first stop on the way was a picnic lunch at Allora. It is a lovely little town where my Dad grew up. The park we stopped at was just outside the Anglican Church there. I was so pleased that the front door was open as this is the church where my dear Nana and Pop were married in 1940. I have been to that area many times in my lifetime but have never seen the beautiful little church.

The timber inside and the stain glass windows are just beautiful.

Warwick is a lovely city about an hours drive south of where we live. A little while ago I had been over that way and by chance discovered a beautiful quilt shop and B & B. I found out too that they were to be having an open garden weekend.

Glenrose is set on four acres of beautiful gardens. The house is a big old Queenslander that was shifted to the site. The front part of the house contains the quilt shop Glenrose Patchwork. It is just beautiful. The front verandah has tables and chairs and would be an absolutely delightful place to spend the day quilting.

In the grounds there are four beautiful cottages that are run as a B & B. Just beautiful. I hope BJ and I can escape one weekend in the winter and enjoy the little wood burners each cottage has. As much as I love my air con and don't miss the mess of a wood stove, I really do miss a lovely fireplace in winter. Glenrose Cottages are certainly very lovely. This whole garden and associated businesses are certainly a credit to the owners.

My Dad took us on some back roads on the way home, past where my Mum had attended a little school as a child. I enjoyed hearing and seeing where Mum had ridden her pushbike as a child and where the magpies used to swoop her and her brother and sister in the springtime. She pointed out the homes and who had lived in them and where she her sister had been invited to little birthday parties. It also made me feel a little sad when Mitchell's comment was he doesn't know where any of his friends live. What a different world we live in when attending school in the city. I am grateful that I also have had a country childhood and can drive around my district where I grew up and remember where everyone lived!!

With the beautiful rain we have had the Darling Downs is just beautiful. The eastern Downs is mostly rolling hills and at the moment it is looking just picture perfect. What a lovely day we had. I am just so thankful for that one little outing and for the change of scenery and different things to enjoy, even if just for an afternoon.

And Then There Was......

Grass. 100 square metres of it, but first there was 5 cubic metres of topsoil, all of which had to be barrowed down the side of the house before the turf could be laid. My legs are so sore today but it is so lovely to look out the back and see the whole yard covered in lawn. I was beginning to think I would never talk BJ into finishing off the back yard - he does that to me - get partway through a job and then he thinks it's done and I think it's only half way there!!!! It's the details you know!!

Brendon and I were going to be doing the turf laying ourselves today. My Mum was here when the load of soil arrived, so she rang my dear Dad and told him he had better come and help!! Thank goodness she did, BJ teed up his dad too, so we had four wheel barrows on the go. So the job was totally done yesterday afternoon. I am so thankful we had that extra help. Even the Henny Pennies have lawn to their front door.

It's just over a year since we put down the first part of the lawn. It was 400 square metres, so I am really glad we paid someone to put it down.

This is my Cape Chestnet tree. I can't wait until it is big enough to have a garden seat under.

The vege patch is looking really great at the moment. We have started picking beans, snow peas, lettuce and some peas. There is broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, corn and potatos still to come. Yum!! The Seduction Rose is also quite lovely at the moment, covered in buds.

Not much else happening here at the moment, we are so busy trying to keep stock up to the shop. I know I should be thankful for a successful business, but I really want to just stitch and garden!! Naughty aren't I!! My little girl is away at music camp this weekend - so just the boys at home. I might even get to my lovely sewing room today if I am lucky.

Did You See that Bunny in my Garden!!.....

Well, I keep telling my family if they keep shaking their heads it might just fall off one of these days. You would think they would be used to "our" decorating style by now!!!!

Easter is almost upon us. So early this year. Of course it is Autumn here and I guess most Easter decorating is based on the theme of Spring and of course the new life that brings with it. Of course the celebration of Easter and the new life God gave to us never changes, so Easter in Autumn is of course different for us here is Australia. But, of course some of us may like to pretend that it is spring and do some decorating in pastel colours!! Much to the dismay of the family!!

So, here is my "Easter Tree"!! Now, I know there are some lurkers out there who know me and don't comment - so now you too can join my family and shake your head and agree with them. You can get the little decorations here, so we must be meant to have Easter trees. It does have an Australian theme too - I went onto the block next door where some gum trees have just be knocked down and got my branch from there.

My two cute little bunny ornaments came from a trip to the "thrift" shop this week - they were even having a half price sale. Bargain!!

What a roller coaster of a week I've had this week, hence only posting once again this week. My Mitchell has been sick for almost 8 weeks and has had four courses of antibiotics and still is so unwell. So, back to the doctor again and asked for blood tests - the results being he has Ross River virus. My poor boy. I feel so terrible as I have made him soldier on with only a few days off school. So home he is to rest completely at least until after Easter weekend and then I will have to see how he goes. I know he will recover and thankfully it is viral and not something worse but it did make me feel like a very bad Mummy!!

Did you see the Easter Bunny in my garden?

I am so pleased with how she turned out. I think I will call her Gracie. The pattern came from Australian Homespun No. 46 Vol.8 No.3. Too cute!!

The back is made from an old beadspread that I rescued from Nana's house, so I was very pleased to put it to good use.

Well I had better hippity hop out of here now, have a cuppa and off into the garden to finish the day off.