hellebores

surely one of the most humble and unassuming additions to any garden.
it makes them all the more attractive to me.
i really, really must plant some.
these lovely specimens came from my friend's glorious garden.

 

    

 

i've been working on these for a few weeks on and off, inspired by heather shaw.  i'd love some feedback as to whether you think they'd be best left on my wall, or donated to the school fete.  they are 8" x 10".

the canvas is painted in the most perfect shade of blue/green/grey it really is neither one nor the other.  i just adore it.  it was an unplanned purchase at the paint store.  i saw a mistinted sample and asked if they had any in blue/grey/green and rather than giving me the odd look you might be making, the man kindly tinted my tiny pot. 

if you'd like a sample of this perfect colour just let me know and i'll send you a swatch of it to take to your own paint shop for colour matching.

the objects on the canvas are vintage hymn book sheets and cotton + hemp swatches with organza overlays. the 'billy button', twig + sea glass were all found by tiggs and me.

baking

it's always so well received. this time i managed to wait until it cooled to add the luscious lemon icing. - oh the self-control!

friends

waiting ...

time flies hey?  sorry for the unexpected vanishing act. i guess it wasn't really unexpected for me though, i just rudely didn't mention it.  my gorgeous friend kylie and her beautiful children made their annual pilgrimage home from far flung abu dhabi.  it's a long year without them.

playing out                                                          playing in

we had so much fun together, plenty of lattes, too many yummy nibbles. 

eating out, eating in.  doing 'things', doing nothing.

intrepid exploring                                                    intimate times

there is nothing quite like the friends you have had for a long time, especially the ones from pre-children.  it's effortless; relaxed; peaceful and tear-streamingly hilarious; layers of inside jokes built up over years ('flaps up' kylie), the lightning glances that reveal exactly how the other feels - imperceptible to others and an entire conversation to us.

until next year i'll treasure the memories.  see you soon kylie-annie

Dead Easy Lemon Cake

I highly recommend you whip one of these up for after school on a cold and wintery Melbourne day.

I've been meaning to post the link to the recipe for ages and am not quite sure why today was the day when the house is falling down around me and my yukky cold.

Hope you enjoy it and at the risk of being a complete blog bore, here's the original photo to the cake.

Now I'd better get my bottom into gear and clean the house, do the laundry, put the baby to bed, prepare lunch for my mummy and, oh, yes, bake a cake.

E x

yellow

nudey lilly pilly's on the way to school.
i love their cheery yellow berries against the sombre winter sky.

wrap rap

what's the best part about presents? the wrapping!
she stamped and jumped and hopped and popped, until it popped no more.
what fun!