Our late autumnal nature display...

This week...

an Etsy purchased wool felt leaf....a pretty amber glass and wrought iron candle holder (a present from my sister) and decorated with crabapples from our garden.   A rosette from a Douglas Fir, and a postcard with a  nod to the next season, in eager anticipation of my son's school's lantern walk.

Hope your week is going well dear readers.

xx 

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Lucky I know how to roll my 'r's eh?
As I was tucking my 7 and 1/2 year old son snugly to bed last night, I told him it was going to be a cold night (2 degrees C).
He came out a half hour later, announcing that he couldn't sleep because he had never lived through a night that cold before.  (sensitive soul that he is)
We had already put an extra blanket on his bed, and had no choice but to slather him with yet another woollen layer, reassuring him that lucky we weren't camping, and pointing out that the heater was on right outside his bedroom door!
I chuckled to myself all the way to my cup of tea and chocolate!

Even still, it's lovely to feel the sun coming through the windows this morning...
have a happy day readers.
xx

Soft Polenta with Mushrooms

Do you like earthy, casual entertaining?

I'm looking forward to making this for dinner this weekend, and a catch up with friends.  I've made this a handful of times, it always comes up trumps, and nothing can beat it for warming up the soul and your insides!
Perfect Autumn fare...and thanks to Maggie Beer, one of my favourite Aussie cooks.
It takes a little organisation, and it's best made after your guests have arrived and settled in with a good preservative free wine.  This dish demands a little of your attention at first, but it's done quite quickly and I like to present it on a big, white, deep dish in front of everyone already seated and waiting with baited breath!

Recipe here by Maggie Beer

My parents literally grew up on polenta in Northern Italy, my mum still eats it with vigour, although her stirring capabilities have slowed down a lot...This version is quite special and luxe!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

 I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of my faithful readers, who invest time to come and visit my blog to see what I've been rambling about!

  I truly do appreciate it more than you know!

xx

my creative space - a bit of everything

My creative space has been a mixed bag this week, a bit quiet on the creative side, as we have been out every day, and spent a gorgeous morning yesterday at a newly discovered park. 

 Nearby was a newly opened op shop called 'the hunt'...and it was filled with the most tempting array of retro, and vintage wares...I bought a little tray with horses on it for Bethany's teaset, and a fantastic retro Dymo labelmaker for me.  It is very, very bad that I have discovered this place!

We also checked out a steiner school for a playgroup opportunity.

and...

 - here is a finished dress and wind wand that I meant to show you earlier...this was a photo taken at the Hobart Botanical Gardens a couple of Sunday's ago on Mother's day.

terrible photo quality, I apologise for the fadedness.

I don't know why I put this in here, I just like it...plans to make it next week, when the boy is home on school hols!

oh, and I spent a couple of hours at a course for 'intellectual property', and didn't that open up a big can of worms!

It opened up my eyes to the plight that graphic designers and artists share. 

http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/

also, reading the May issue of mybusiness, just about every page in this edition has some help for even a little business like mine. 

 Just a little recommendation!

Hope your week is going well.

Check out some lovely warm creative spaces here.

xx

journalling & photo album thoughts

Baltic folk art has always been a favourite of mine...and I've just discovered the work by the talented Pole, Kasia Jacquot, who sells these wonderful once-a-year-books, under her label Laikonik. 

her blog link is here.  Wouldn't they make a special gift for a mum to be?

All you need is one photo for each year of your child's life and a few minutes to write a brief record of significant events of that year, to create a precious keepsake of their first 18 years.

Once-a-year-book

I began searching for a special kind of journalling book for Willow* and Bethany*, something I can record the day to day and special moments in, without it being to cumbersome to drag out, or precious to want write in (using pencil, then going over with pen isn't my idea of timewise).

Finding time for scrapbooking is something that eludes me, I really want to do it, but so far it's been more of a chore than something I feel passionate enough about doing.

  The best solution I have come up with is this.

~ Use special quality acid free, etc photo albums for the photos, and write the what, where, when, who, and why.  Being succinct takes the pressure off, but allowing myself the freedom to write more if I want to.  

~ Cut the frivolous paper stuff to a mimimum.

 (it's not necessary, it's expensive, time-consuming, and oftentimes overpowers your photos, which you want to be the feature) 

 Simple, effective, fast layouts are what I'm after.

(I'm not the ribbony, accessory type of girl anyway).  

~ Journal thoughts, and moments, day-to-day things of the children, in another book that I can just write in when the moment takes me.

(Quality of pens are really important, acid free, but also non fading..buy the best you can...I have heard some stories!)

That way I don't need to wait until the photos are in the albums, before I journal.

  Because by the time I get the photos juxtapositioned on the pages, I have 'lost' the freshness of the moment.

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I am hoping by using this method, it will ease the brain drain, and the pressure, of having to remember everything to put in the photo album.

I'm even going to stop calling it scrapbooking, because for me it's a mindblock calling me back to the old way I used to do it, and failed.

Does any of this make any sense?  This has turned out more rambly than I had hoped.

Are you passionate about recording your family's history?  How do you do it?  I would love to hear your ideas.

*I am sick of calling my kids mr and miss!

xx

the barn market here i come

Jumping up and down for joy, I found out last night that I have been accepted into the barn market, and will be holding my next stall there on the 5th of June.  I am really excited about this market, as the organisers Miriam and Helen seem to have a reputation for being professional, yet warm and welcoming.  Can't wait to see the venue itself, it's held in a rustic old barn, with sandstone walls, (perhaps I could move in there!).

Things are getting quite busy all of a sudden, with 2 markets coming up, a special apron to procure, orders to fill.  I'm hoping this winter will therefore fly by, and I'll hardly notice the cold!  Strangely this year, we have had mini snaps of cold weather, but all in all, it's been really lovely weather...On my little sorjourn yesterday afternoon, it felt like late summer, and I felt quite overdressed in long sleeves.   So, I am sorry if I haven't had time to reply to comments of late, a fledgling business, and kiddies, I hope you understand.
x

be happy

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"The happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist. 

For man, it is to know that and to wonder at it."

Jacques Cousteau

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, with those you hold dear in your hearts,

 and in all you do.

x

a little bit country - flickr favs

From the flickr group:

Country Living - esque

Described as....

 'an outlet for all of us who have been brainwashed by the UK Country Living Magazine ethos from an early age.

 Jugs of chilled home made lemonade under the dappled sunlight of an old apple tree with a casually draped vintage tray cloth.'

Ah...this is me to a 't'..enjoy!

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skeins and flowers

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first peonies

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kitchen shelves

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mother's day gift

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heart shaped scones

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wedding wreath

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loo with no view

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pretty to be here

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50's apron

The last one is because I have aprons on my mind at the moment, I have been partnered with Lululiz in Lalaland for an apron swap organised by Sarah from Red Gingham.  Mmm..perhaps I should call Cathy from Little Eve for advice, she's the apron queen!

What is intellectual property?

Intellectual Property can be defined as Creative ideas and expressions of the human mind that have commercial value and receive the legal protection of a property right. The major legal mechanisms for protecting intellectual property rights are copyrights, patents, and trademarks. Intellectual property rights enable owners to select who may access and use their property and to protect it from unauthorized use.
source: http://www.c7.ca/

Intellectual property (IP) is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which property rights are recognised--and the corresponding fields of law.[1] Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets in some jurisdictions.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property

This subject is out of my field of depth, but if you are in Hobart, and want to know more (com'on you crafty ladies who read this blog! - you know I know who you are now!),
I would urge you to come along next Tuesday the 18th May 6-8pm to a course Business and Employment will be running, and best of all, it's FREE.  Call 1800 709 552.
For those of us trying to grow our small businesses, this is essential information to know!

oops...left out the credit for the image; it's from here.

my special selections from Natural Kids Team

Enjoy!

'Three green window stars' by Harvest Moon by Hand

'Wetfelted Candle Holder' by Vilt a la Kim

'Organic Newborn Preemie Hat' by Three Fish Shop

'At the village well' by Pretty Dreamer

'felted wool mobile' by Sqrl & Bee Studio 

'reaching heaven' by Nushkie

'OOAK Soft Sculpture Cloth Art Doll'- the Autumn Harvest

 by Fairies Nest

'Reversible Merino Hoodie Wrap Jacket' by Sew Katie Pie

'House blocks' by Just Hatched

'be your own superhero silk cape (you pick colours)' by Beneath the Rowan Tree

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For a full comprehensive list of all the natural kids store members click here:

x

a beautiful expensive life

I think about this stuff alot...wavering between living a simplier life, then coveting a heated towel rail for winter.   

Grand Designs, and those Tiny Tumbleweed Houses sit side by side in my mental 'want' list.

Sometimes it a struggle to know where money is best served. 

  I baulk when charities ring up for donations, yet gladly and willingly spend my money on op shop frivalities.

Changing the way I think about money, and use it, is a daily challenge...I have spent money on magazines that I will probably do no more than glance through once, and even though I really promised myself I wouldn't buy another one, I sucumb.  The lure of the cover, the promise of a great article about stuff that is so imperative to know...it's one of my weaknesses.   Even that new magazine smell does it for me! 

 Recalling a conversation with a friend about giving up magazines for the Challenge, I was startled with the fact that my frugal friend never buys them.   She can't afford them, so she doesn't.   I felt rather confronted as what I felt like a big sacrifice, was a simple thing to her.  My mistake I fear is that I gave myself an allowance of one per month, and well that's like saying just one biscuit.  

image from here

This post isn't all about magazines, but how easy it is to get lured and seduced by consumerism. 

A very wise person told me, that even if you think you are in complete and utter control, ad's can still reak a huge influence on our spending.  After reading Buyology, I think it's true.   You may have seen an ad for a product, let's say a mattress, brand X.  You don't need it.  It doesn't bother you.  You seem oblivious.  Then one day, you need a new mattress.  Why is it you are so drawn to that brand X?  It seems obviously the right choice, although you can't really put your finger on why.

   Turn off ads, or at least mute the volume, it can lessen the impact.  I think of ads a bit like additives in food...often we can't avoid them completely, desperate though we might be to, but perhaps the best course of action is to minimise them as much as we can.

I want to share this extract from Seth Godin's blog:

 Consumer Debit is not your friend:

Here's a simple MBA lesson: borrow money to buy things that go up in value. Borrow money if it improves your productivity and makes you more money. Leverage multiplies the power of your business because with leverage, every dollar you make in profit is multiplied.

That's very different from the consumer version of this lesson: borrow money to buy things that go down in value. This is wrongheaded, short-term and irrational.
A few decades ago, mass marketers had a problem: American consumers had bought all they could buy. It was hard to grow because dispensable income was spoken for. The only way to grow was to steal market share, and that's difficult. Enter consumer debt.
Why fight for a bigger piece of pie when you can make the whole pie bigger, the marketers think. Charge it, they say. Put it on your card. Pay now, why not, it's like it's free, because you don't have to repay it until later. Why buy a Honda for cash when you can buy a Lexus with credit?
One argument is income shifting: you're going to make a lot of money later, so borrow now so you can have a nicer car, etc. Then, when money is worth less to you, you can pay it back. This idea is actually reasonably new--fifty years or so--and it's not borne out by what actually happens. Debt creates stress, stress creates behaviors that don't lead to happiness...
The other argument is that it's been around so long, it's like a trusted friend. Debt seems like fun for a long time, until it's not. And everyone does it. We've been sold very hard on acquisition = happiness, and consumer debt is the engine that permits this. Until it doesn't.
The thing is, debt has become a marketed product in and of itself. It's not a free service or a convenience, it's a massive industry. And that industry works with all the other players in the system to grow, because (at least for now) when they grow, other marketers benefit as well. As soon as you get into serious consumer debt, you work for them, not for you.
It's simple: when the utility of what you want (however you measure it) is less than the cost of the debt, don't buy it.
Go read Dave Ramsey's post: The truth about debt.
Dave has spent his career teaching people a lesson that many marketers are afraid of: debt is expensive, it compounds, it punishes you. Stuff now is rarely better than stuff later, because stuff now costs you forever if you go into debt to purchase it. He's persistent and persuasive.
It takes discipline to forego pleasure now to avoid a lifetime of pain and fees. Many people, especially when confronted with a blizzard of debt marketing, can't resist.
Resist. Smart people work at keeping their monthly consumer debt burden to zero. Borrow only for things that go up in value. Easy to say, hard to do. Worth it.

I really like the stuff written by Seth Godin, but do you think we are seeing a new generation of marketers, who are still 'peddling' their wares (ideas) to consumers, but in the form of 'we are on your side'?  Interesting.

Just even remembering that ads are designed to make us feel inadequate, can quell some of their power.
You really have to be on your guard, and it's getting harder.
Know that your sense of smell is the 'new' black for luring our senses, that marketers are using, and will continue to do so with increasing vigour.

So, what are some things you have done to make it easier to resist consumer temptation? 
I would love to hear some of your stories.
x

mothers

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” Washington Irving

Are we not doubly blessed to know this first hand, and to be able to do this for our own children?  And even if we are not doubly blessed, we may be singly blessed, and that is still something to be thankful for.
x

windy Autumn days..& wind wands

Those of you that were wondering at the time, this is what these have turned out to be (finally!)
Meagan from ecoMILF, got it right when she guessed;
 'One of those long wavy flaggy poles that kids swirl in the air and dance with...'

My wind wands made their debut at 'the market' on Sunday.  They are for sale at $15 AUD, and will be listed in my Etsy shop soon.   Or contact me directly.
My little girl can't stop swirling and twirling them!