Little Printer....

This is Mia's latest work of art....I can't tell you how much I love this! Have we got a little printer or textile artist in the making or what? Her colour choice is beautiful.
Excuse my photography...very poor....I am making do with our mobile phones and my video camera minus flash. I'd lurrve a digi cam.....there's something to be said for photo quality! Hmm so what does strongly desiring a new camera make me in the scheme of consumerism?
I miss the little Princess today. She was so brave this morning when I left Kindy.....no real tears and we did "goodbyes" on our own. She's growing up....
and to make me a little sadder this is what I found behind the empty motionless swing....my bird feeder.....waterlogged, broken.....it has succumbed and become another victim of the excess rain.

Stop Consumerism...save Yourself and the World!

I found this! How great....and so so timely with my thoughts being preoccupied lately with the state of our ever over consuming society!

What date is it this year? Love it!

We have made changes this year to our own consumption and after having finished last year debt free we talked loosely about spending the next 12 months without buying anything brand new....highly inspired by Eilleen.....and with my big dream to one day experience the simple life like Linda and family. But we are sadly not ready yet...though baby steps! It is a big change and there is still some preparation before we are ready to warmly, happily and wholeheartedly commit to it as a family.

In the meantime I will continue to plant my little somethings worthy of being "consumable" in our backyard. We are a little way off being able to eat anything substantial, like the Cockburns (!), for the long term from our garden yet but we are getting there and enjoying the process. Space is holding us back at present but I have plans to "delawn" the backyard and turn things into a twisting turning veg/herb/fruit discovery extravaganza! I'm currently schooling myself up on cob ovens too. Time is poor though with two little ones so my plans are long term....though hopefully next year will prove to be quite productive on the fruity side of things.... and lets hope the rains keep a coming regularly so these wonderful plans don't frizzle up with any crispy dried veg leaves that I can't water quickly enough, in the drought, bucketing from our tank! I'm planning on so much more gardeny satisfaction to come.

It all starts small....even big dreams!

Arty creations from the imagination of Mia....

Thought I'd keep a little record of Mia's creative genius......This one is "Clouds".....made especially for Mummy today.....

her first Kindy painting.... "Colours"

and what's a girl without some serious "Bling"!?

Gettin' Crafty for Kindy.....

Mia started Kindy last week! The same Kindy my brothers, sister and I went to....very lucky...feels a bit like home.
Anyway with that and the timely return of my sewing machine from the linen cupboard it was time to make some funky kindy sheets! So a shoppin' we went for the coolest fabric we could find and we came home with this little number....too yummy.

And here is the bag for them....made from a remnant fabric. Lurve stripes! I also made a little pillow slip from the same with a flower like one on the bag in the middle of it..... We also made her a library bag with the stripes for lining and a floral outer. I embroidered her name on the front. Will post a piccy later when I have one.....

And to cheer the little cherub up come nap time at Kindy, this is "Bumble"....too funny!....I made him from some vintage fabrics that belonged to my Grandmother that I raided from my Mum's sewing room recently! I hid him in the sheets bag for Mia to find and keep her company while resting. She was chuffed...bless her.

My Little Dolphin....

Our Super Little Swimmer Mia Anise is going up a level in her swimming class..... Congratulations little goggly girl!!!

Garden Musings....

This is what you end up with when wandering the garden with a camera...lots of piccies of not much else other than what you find "pretty". Here's a few pics of the greenery this weekend.....

BOUNTY!.....some little pods of goodness from the smiling sunny faces we've had gracing our patch, thanks to Mia, the last month or so....

Our very own little "PassionFruit" Mia Anise.......Hopefully we will have some golden globes of tasty fruit soon....
Some spectacular garden "wildlife"!
I love leaves! This is an ants eye view of our papaya...growing beautifully in all this heat and rain. Bring on that sweet fleshy fruit!
Some lady finger narnies in the making.....
The march (climb) of the pumpkins....watch out shed!! Hopefully the vine will cool the shed, save space and produce some big round beauties....lots of flowers so far.

My most anticipated treasure yet!! A precious gift from a couple of years ago...Thanks Angela!! My brown turkey fig tree. Growing beautifully after I won the war on the fig leaf beetles! Dadadadahhhhh!! I had 3 "babies" on it this year that mysteriously disappeared....hopefully the numbers will increase next year and be guarded night and day!

So...where to start this blog....

waiting for bambino number two to join us...... (yes I was huuuuge)!

Our little wild spirit Mia.....

and, here he is, number 2, Bam when he was 6 days old....

and our little Zoolander, a couple of weeks old giving his best "Blue Steel" look...

Now we are complete.

~*~