Paddock to plate

I adore sitting down to a meal and realizing that we bought nothing. 

Tonight's meal was another one of those times.  Baxter Monty and Savannah went out and expertly cut our broccoli...

A bit of hand raised and killed sheep.

The last of our pumpkins from last year - roasted and golden delicious.

And homemade ricotta from our milk, lemons and rosemary from our garden.

Duly scoffed.

A Terrarium

 

 

I adore a homemade present - especially when it comes to the kids birthday parties.  They always seem to end up with so much landfill and plastic toys!

Gretta and I made a very special and simple terrarium for her gorgeous little friend Maeve who was turning seven.  A little bit of rock dust, a bit of lichen and some baby succulents, three jacks and a little dog to watch over things.

 

Happy to report a few weeks on that Maeve's terrarium is living well and growing heaps!

Do you like handmade gifts?  What about for children?
Share some inspiration with me!

x Amy

Kids Room Re-vamp

My girls wanted to be close.  Really close.

Who am I to deny sisters that adore each other this wish!?

And Monty has taken over an entire space.  He was funny when he was tooling around the shared room saying, "that's mine!" and racing whatever it was over to his red shelf (even fairy skirts and dolls!)  We salvaged 2 of these old school shelves from going on the tip when the school was chucking them out.  I got them powdercoated and they came up a dream.  The red to match Monty's bed that we spied in the rafters of the old shearing shed back on Nic's family farm in New Zealand.  We later found out that Monty's Grandad used to sleep in it!

 

P.S. That little possum in the hand crocheted cardi thanks Emma! is walking and discovering a whole new perspective on life.

And another chapter opens for her.

Freedom

It's finally happening.  The penny has dropped and the reading freedom is upon her. 
Two down.  Two to go!
I can still remember the bliss I felt when I could pick up a book and go to another time and place.  I still do.
My childhood favorites were
Go dogs go
Berenstain bears
The babysitting Club
Sweet Valley High. ...
Am I taking you back yet?

Celebrating Savvy

We had a party.

Our little darling, Savannah Bronwyn.

One year old.

The girl LOVES food.

This shot is her with her daddy - but someone had just brought a plate of cupcakes out.  Look at those eyes. Like an eagle with it's prey!

So... Food we gave her:

I was uber sick with a flu and resulting sinusitis. Without this friend and her sister, we would've been eating frozen baking out of ratty tupperware containers, but alas - Liz and Mary grabbed the box of decorations and hooked in to style a party for the little girl that they both adore. 

I am still in awe that I made all of these little people.

 "Healthy sandwich - no way! Give me CAKE!"

She found a lot of satisfaction sitting on dad's lap that day.  There was usually something sweet to be shared. 

But the sweetest of all was the little girl that everyone came together to celebrate.  Our little bonus baby. The glue that holds us together. The bees knees.  The apple of our eye.  

Savvy

Savlova

Louie

Louby-loo

Husqvanna

Whatever we name her - she's our little gem.

Now, it's been quiet for 3 minutes - I'd better go investigate... Has she found the toothpaste again? Will the drawers in the kitchen be emptied out? Has she worked out how to slide open the door?

xx

October Eve

On the eve of October...

I've been reflecting - a year ago today I was preparing my body and our family for the final addition to it.  

To say that Savannah was a "bonus" baby would be an understatement, and I truly struggled and grappled with the thought of being a mother of four - but alas... one year down and I'd never have it any other way.

so here, I share again a moment that changed our lives forever.
The password is paul.

Tomorrow is my funny little button's first birthday.  

She's so excellent.
She's a nut.
She completes us.
She fills us with joy.
She's the apple of our eye.

numbers

{from}

Eight weeks.

Ten and a half kilos lost.

(actually not "lost" but given up - as I certainly won't be looking to find them again!)

Running has commenced again.

Tomorrow I turn a magnificent thirty-five.

The numbers are good today.

xx

reading...

“But how? How can you just get over these things, darling?...You've had so much strife but you're always happy. How do you do it?'
'I choose to...I can leave myself to rot in the past, spend my time hating people for what happened, like my father did, or I can forgive and forget.'
'But it's not that easy.'
He smiled that Frank smile. 'Oh, but my treasure, it is so much less exhausting. You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day. You have to keep remembering all the bad things...I would have to make a list, a very, very long list and make sure I hated the people on it the right amount. That I did a proper job of hating, too: very Teutonic! No' - his voice became sober- 'we always have a choice. All of us.'" p.323” 
― M.L. Stedman, The Light Between Oceans

I've just finished this superb first novel from M.L. Stedman, and I truly loved it.  I went from wishing that things turned out the way that my heart felt they should, to just observing what humans so fiercely do - and the struggles with truth and fiction and the ever enduring love a mother has for her child -- in whichever form that child comes.

The above quote was just huge and profound.

And I want to remember it always.

The truth in it is so blaringly obvious - and so very applicable.

Thornbury

:: men in scarves
:: hot tea
:: coffee machines hissing their caffeine thru their veins
:: hipsters and rockabilly
:: op shop love
:: sweet potato and haloumi salad - who said low carb is no fun?
:: must advert my eyes away from the sweet counter. 
:: well behaved smalls wagging school for the dentist. 

Spring?

Babies are arriving.  And 5 more mouths to feed arrived this morning.  They're mothers are milked for cheese and these little ones are the males that we put our hand up to raise.  How will I know when we have enough if they're this cute! Uh oh! Happy weekending. Stay warm and well.  X