summer list

Given that we are facing the last days of summer already, I thought I had better post a summer list before it is too late! I always knew, even last summer, that this summer was going to be good. That we would have a baby at an age where we would have fun and make the most of the warmth. I think we have definitely given it our best, lots of beach days, swims in the ocean, outdoor dinners, and lunches in the park.

Making: I have two knitting projects on the go at the moment. I started a grey gilet/vest for Elroy, but I ordered the wool in the pattern and it turned out that it is not wool, but in fact a wool/acrylic blend, which isn't terribly nice to knit with (lesson learnt, always read and not assume!). Then I found some brilliant cobalt blue wool and have started to knit a cardigan for him instead. Hoping I will finish both in time for winter!

Cooking: things with zucchini mostly, for both Elroy and ourselves. Turns out Matt doesn't even like it, but I didn't realise until the other day. Also thinking we might need one more pavlova topped with blueberries and strawberries for the summer.

Drinking: it has been the summer of the $1 frozen coke.

Reading: I am maybe 30 pages into Anna Karenina, I need to spend more of my spare time reading and knitting, rather than looking at pinterest and instagram....

Listening to: mostly triple j lately, I had a few years of just not feeling it and not really listening to the radio at all, but over the last few months it has grown on me. Plus, I can't believe I am going to write this but, I rather like Flume's new track Never Be Like You. I haven't really been into any of his other stuff at all.

Thinking: so many things right now, about returning to work, about Elroy and childcare, about him turning one in a few weeks, about how this year will pan out. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by thoughts and what I want to do, that I get a bit frozen and am not very good at getting anything done. So I'm thinking small achievable goals (Matt will smile when he reads that), have to start somewhere.

Wanting: more time before real life kicks in.

Enjoying: the fact that this summer the ocean has been vaguely warm! It has been the best feeling getting into the sea and swimming about, and not getting numb, very very refreshing.

Needing: to do some serious house purging, I am so ready to do a major sort and clear out. I need to just get a massive box and walk around each room and plonk all the clutter in it and move it out. It's so hard when you have a house with no built in storage, and no bookcases, and we have a lot of books and magazines.

Wearing: a little necklace, Elroy (well, Matt) gave me for chirstmas. 

Buying: first birthday presents and party goods!! So much fun! I'll do a few seven things posts for them, because they look cute.

Anticipating: the second edition of Lunch Lady, which I think is out next week. I really enjoyed reading the first edition.

Feeling: all the feelings at the moment.

Summer holidays

Happy new year! I had intended to write several posts before this one, one summing up last year, one about my thoughts for the new year and maybe even a recipe post.....but then the above happened. Summer holidays!!! We were fortunate that Matt could take two weeks off following christmas and that the weather has been pretty good for January in Tasmania. Even the water has been warmish and perfect for refreshing swims. We tried to have a mix of slow days, beach days and outings to Mona and Cygnet as well as a get a few home projects done. It has been a good combination and I'm a little sad it's over, but we will make the most of the weekends and long weekends coming up!

The last few weeks in 2015 were tough, but overall it was the most amazing year, certainly one like no other and it flew by so quickly. I know everyone says that happens with babies but I really didn't anticipate just how true that would be. We learnt a lot about Elroy (he is a very happy and content boy) about ourselves, and about the value of sleep (and yet we are still really bad at going to bed at a reasonable time), oh and the value of listening to your body and going to the doctor (I was diagnosed with Graves disease). I felt sad to say goodbye to 2105, to the opportunity to stay home from work and care for Elroy but I know this year will be just as amazing. We will celebrate a first birthday, so many more achievements and milestones for Elroy, I will return part time to the workforce, and all going to plan commence (and hopefully finish) our house renovations!! I am soooo excited about this one!

Lets hope 2016 is happy and productive!

double poppy

This weekend I went to Salamanca market for flowers for the first time in a few months, over christmas I was buying peonies from the farmers market and they were so lovely, but sadly only have a short availability time. So it was back to the market, I was looking for tulips but came home with poppies instead. They are so pretty, particularly this double one which is beautiful peach and orange. I hadn't seen a double before.

This weekend

Friday was the hottest day Hobart's seen, and I watched the fire trucks leaving the city from my poorly air conditioned office and felt a bit sick. The bushfires are disturbing and unsettling and while I like it warm 42 is too much for me. So we had a simple nice dinner of bbq prawns and mojitos and then on saturday morning took Jerry to the beach for some cool air. We also visited the mona market for the second week running (Ridgeline Pottery you will be my downfall!) and then today has been the quietest day at home. I think that's a good thing.

This Weekend.....

......strawberries, peonies, good treats from the farmers market and a wee bit of christmas decorating, not to mention the fact that the weather has been pretty amazing. This year I am hanging out for the break, because the weekends seem to go far too quickly!

Gorman

The weather has been typically Tasmanian over the past few days, Sunday so hot and still my house was most unbearable (so much so a bottle of beer I had out of the fridge exploded!) and then yesterday a 360 change to the point where I may have needed the electric blanket on low last night…. madness! Anyway I don’t mind because I can now justifiably (well for today!) admire the new Gorman collection….and I love it! So many great colours and patterns.

I also can't stop thinking about the Jodhpur boots by Swedish Hasbeens, and these Marc Jacobs sunglasses- love the colour of the arms.

Summer

Today definitely feels like summer, mostly because I have spent what could possibly be Hobart's warmest evening for the year leaning over a hot boiling vat of apricot jam because the fruit needed to be used before it dropped to the ground (oh and in the midst of a thunder storm!). But the positive side is I love apricot jam, and while I am not a bread or toast person at all, I now feel like buttery toast and jam. I also love all the blueberries that are out right now and I'm thinking I might need to make some blueberry cinnamon buns.....I'd also better keep up with the gym I think.

Things that make me happy:

Angus and his wonderful fluffy furry tummy (just seen in this shot)
Apricots and more apricots and trying new dishes (my bloody mary mussels were a success)
My very first home grown tomatoes finally ripening

also the pretty pink summer roses on my table (that I am yet to take a picture of).

Summer Apricots

Thank you all so much for your kind comments, I always feel a bit unsure and shy about sharing my house so your wonderfully positive response really means a lot to me.

I am having serious brain confusions as to what day it is today, a mid week day off is good but strange as well. I hope everyone had a great Australia day, I decided to have a quiet one and went and picked apricots with my grandmother. Apricots to me are one of the best things about summer, stewed with a handful of squashed up special k sprinkled on top is probably my most favourite dish ever! I made slice with the picks of the bunch and jam with the rest. The smell of apricot jam cooking is heaven!

Chive Flower

A pretty chive flower from my garden of pots, do you know can you eat these? By the way my tomato plants have gone mad and nearly tripled in size over the last week, I'm hoping for a bumper crop.
Happy 1st day of december. 1st day of summer!

Hot and Humid

Hi there,

I hope everyone is having a lovely week, it’s been so hot and humid here I feel so sticky, I’m hoping it will break soon, heat I like, humidity I do not! Anyway i thought I'd share a few pictures I've taken recently, I'm lacking inspiration on the photography front and I'd really like to change that. We have another long weekend coming up so hopefully I will get some time to play around with the camera!

December

Happy December… a day late but no less worthy of celebrating, let the countdown to summer holidays begin! I plan to make this month as festive and enjoyable as possible, starting with some serious decorating this weekend. Lovely packages have been arriving in my letterbox to aid this process, a garland from the fantastic dottie angel, some terribly kitsch but cute deers and some mercury glass baubles for my tree. I feel excited!

Yum!

I made some frozen yoghurt icy poles/popsicles (depending on your part of the world) this weekend, I found the recipe here and used strawberries because are my absolute favourite (when they froze they turned a much brighter pink - so pretty). They are super tasty and worked really well, I think they may become a staple over summer.

The love of little things

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentines. I was given some gorgeous heart shaped chocolates wrapped in gold paper from my Dad, which made my day, it definitely is the little things that mean the most.

Another little thing that has been quite wonderful has been the opportunity to make apricot jam with the fruit from my mum's tree. It was laden with fruit and they've been so fresh and sweet. My favourite fruit and such a strong reminder of summer's past.

Summer Rose

A pretty summer rose to share this week before Valentine's Day and lots of lovely valentine's craft from Martha, so sweet! I wish we could buy it here.

Summer Days

The warm summer days here are making me avoid the computer, there seems to be so many other things to do, walks after dinner, semi-frozen yoghurt to eat, and quilts to piece (coming along very nicely, I will take some pictures this weekend). In the meantime I think I will share a few of my current etsy faves.
Today the new print from Ashleyg. What could be more lovely than big coloured raindrops.

Australia Day Weekend

We celebrated the Australia Day long-weekend in typically Aussie style. We went with eight friends to stay in a little shack complete with corrugated iron bathroom, in the far south east of Tasmania.

We went out on the boats, fished, played beach cricket, walked, went swimming, kayaked, played board games, had a few drinks and ate freshly caught fish and abalone (mmmm). It was brilliant to be out in the fresh air, and that view……. to me there is something amazing about looking out onto the ocean and knowing that there is nothing but more sea until you hit Antarctica.


I realised too that I need to get a polarizing filter for my camera so that I can properly capture the amazing turquoise colour of the water! It’s dreamy – sadly absolutely freezing for swimming in : )

A Small Boat Made of China

For some reason today I feel a little excited, maybe it’s because it is nearly November and building up to christmas, it’s also lot because I got tickets to go and see Crowded House and Josh Pyke play in a few weeks! I can remember my mum playing Sister Madly very loudly, loving that first line of Weather With You (“Well there’s a small boat made of china, it’s going nowhere on the mantlepiece”) being quite obsessed as a thirteen year old, and having a bit of a teary watching their last ever show on the Opera House steps (on tv) because they were all crying and I never had the chance to see them myself. But now it is my turn so I’m excited, and with the lovely josh pyke too! It feels like summer is in the air.

Little oil painting from etsy

Pink Glow

I love these glass bottle tealight holders in gorgeous pink hues. If I was throwing an outdoor birthday party for rd (it's supposed to rain so it will be indoors) I would be snapping them up, and could think of nothing better than cocktails by their warm glow in the summer evening.
I am having a super long four day weekend this weekend and I am so excited, not only do we have a big birthday we also have a wedding to go to, it's going to be busy busy, but I do love being busy!

Reflections

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a wonderful time. I had a lovely night, involving barbeques and walking on the beach at dusk atnd sipping on champagne. With the new year we are having some beautiful summer weather, clear blue skies and hot sun, which I love, definitely a summer-time person. I love that living extends outside and I could spend hours in the fresh air reading, I think it is one of my favourite past times. I spent one of my summers while I was at university doing this, just absorbing the sunshine and whatever I could get my hands on to read, breaking it up from time to time with a walk around the neighbourhood. Sigh! sometimes you really don't appreciate those moments until they are so limited, but I suppose part of their glory is looking back.

However I am so pleased, because I planted some strawberries in pots a few months ago and they are starting to ripen and turn luscious red mmm mm and they taste pretty good too!