Di-licious

January always catches me by surprise after the blur of  end of school, Olive's birthday, Xmas (we hosted) and visiting family.  This month I'm..... Loving: Donut peaches.  Sew ing: Ponte-waisted A-line skirts with perfect contrast pockets!!!! Pattern by Woven by Society. Crocheting: Nothing.  Cooking: Lots of veggies from the veggie patch including eggplants, zucchini, snowpeas, sweetcorn and cucumbers. Baking: Not a lot of sourdough bread this month.  Eating: All you can eat Japanese with girlfriends. Drinking: Soda stream water from my awesome Xmas present. Reading: Lily Brett - Only in New York ,  Next read: Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl , a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Wanting: To order some woven labels to sew into my me-made clothes from here . I want them to say Di Made. Looking: Forward to starting my new uni course in March. Playing: The Game of Life. Olive got a whole heap of games for Xma...

My first stitching project. Embroidery is highly addictive - I stayed up to all hours to finish this one.  It's true I haven't posted for a while. Life has been busy - doesn't it always get like that? A couple of months as a working mum and I think I can almost say I've gotten the hang of it. I've had to rethink my approach to the week, how I cook, how I clean and how I carve out time for me. Inspired by my late Nanna, I've made craft my release valve to life. I've completed my first quilt, my first stitching project as well as making items for my CWA branch's upcoming craft stall. I still love cooking but craft has less calories... And I'm still blogging....it's just that sometimes I get a little distracted..... A mug warmer for my niece using some vintage buttons from my Nanna's stash. Making a bundle of tissue holders for my CWA Branch's upcoming craft stall. Great Teacher's Gifts! Last step of my fi...

Hooray! All of our hens are finally laying! That means 4 eggs a day! Bliss! Yesterday morning I experienced the joy that is a poached, fresh egg - literally only hours old. So happy to be a backyard farmer.

The sunny start to spring was short lived. Today it rained and rained. In fact, it's going to rain all weekend. To cheer myself up I wore my red shoes. Mission accomplished.

I finally got a kick in the pants this week to just get on with it. A timely admission of being less than perfect from Glorious Treats made me realise that there’s never going to be a perfect time to bake, create and write. Not everything will bake properly. Not everything will look pretty and I have the kitchen I have so stop wishing and hoping for something better. I have a framed “Keep calm and carry on” tea towel in my family room/kitchen. It’s my daily mantra for when my daughter acts like a preschooler and the house is looking worse for wear. I mutter it under my breath when inevitable baking disasters occur. I force myself to remember it when the dog has dug up my lavender bush to make a nest for herself in the sun. I still swear and throw things at the bench but I take that deep breath sooner and think about how to solve the problem or resolve to start again. When all else fails, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine (depending on the time of day) and a li...