wedding fever...

for most of my life, i really did think that i was (middle) named after our queen. but what else was a 10 year old to think?

so is it any wonder that i'm getting a bit excited for this royal wedding?

my girlfriends and i are catching up for wedding party. we thought it would be a great idea to wear our wedding dresses. but there is no way i'll be fitting into mine anytime soon! instead, we're going to bring along our wedding photos to remind ourselves about our big day.

we'll eat some etons mess, drink a few cups of tea... and be thankful for our very own prince charmings!

call me a tragic, but i saw this tea towel on etsy and thought it too beautiful to pass up.

tell me, will you be watching?

spring has sprung

... after a very wet and wild week (or two!), the sun made a spectacular appearance this weekend...

we are a no-dryer household, so i felt a little chained to the washing machine with all the back log of washing... but i do love my trusty hills-hoist. such an aussie classic!

i also had a little fight with the (should be) white grout in the bathroom... a winner hasn't been declared yet, and alas, i don't think i'm a chance for the gold medal!

 

 there was also considerable time spent yelling at this little brood... we are dog-sitting two loveable cocker-spaniels for some friends at the moment! there is a lot of puppy love to go around, but sometimes i think they gang up on us!

tonight we're having a simple dinner of thin spaghetti with a cherry tomato sauce (and plenty of parmegiano!!)... oh bliss!


what domestic delights did you get up to this weekend!

{making} rainy days - finished!

the finished project :: rainy days baby quilt

{making} rainy days

this week has been about rainy days and sunny days... and a petite baby quilt. it's just something i made up: i'm loving clouds at the moment! i also love the combination of the yellow and the blue, and i think this will be a perfect little baby present. a little baby being born on the other side of the world. with love from australia!

(my trusty sidekick)

don't be scared of them - those walking feet make life a lot easier!

finished product pictures to come!

all pics - my flickr

{blog love} irresistable discoveries

run, don't walk, to this fab blog: irresistible discoveries

everyone loves a little bit of cute/craft/fashion/new inspiration - and here you can find it daily. this week, the rooftop garden from re-nest they featured made me gasp. love!!

head over and say hello!

{making} bird mobile

...a recent creation for a friends baby... i think handmade gifts are always nice, don't you?

i found the pattern here via here . If you've got a spare hour, it's tres easy!

{cooking} chilli chocolate & pear tarts

i love my chocolate.  (that sound you hear, that's my husband choking/coughing/laughing in the background at that previous statement. he would call my love of chocolate, well, an obsession perhaps!)  chilli chocolate, in my humble opinion, is a pretty awesome part of the chocolate world...

my personal favourite is the Seatonfire Chilli chocolate (available in mild or wild varieties!) made by a family company in queensland - do yourself a favour and run (don't walk) to the specialty shops to buy some!

this is a little treat i made for my best friend when we caught up over the weekend. it's a gluten free tart that is sure to make a good impression! (and, it couldn't be easier).

ingredients

1 block dark chilli chocolate (usually about 80g), roughly chopped or grated

75g butter

3 eggs, separated

1/3 cup sugar, and an extra 2 tablespoons

100g ground almond meal

1 tin diced pears, drained (could also use fresh)

method
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over a low heat, until glossy. Allow to cool slightly before adding the sugar, egg yolks and almond meal. Mix well.
Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Add in the extra 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat well.
Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites carefully. Divide mixture between 6 greased ramekins. Add one piece of sliced pear into each ramekin, pushing it down slightly into the mixture.
Cook in a moderate 160degree oven for 35 minutes.
Serve with a dollop of fresh cream... Bon Appetit!

image :: Seatonfire

{making} zakka

ok, so i've said it before. but i'll say it again: i love tea cosies. i just think they're... well... kitsch & comforting. there's something very homely about a tea cosy, don't you think? so when a good friend of mine gave me this book for christmas i was very excited. this book takes the humble tea cosy to a whole. new. level.

it's called Zakka Sewing, zakka being a japanese term for something handmade that is for around the home. think the squirrel tea-cosy, slippers, fabric book jackets, pencil cases, aprons... all done in a tasteful, quirky and beautiful japanese-inspired way. lots of luscious linen fabrics, wool felt, and hand sewn embroidery. the book gives you detailed instructions for 25 gorgeous projects... take a peek at some of the beautiful photos of what you can make.

 images :: STC Craft

if you like your home crafts, this is definetly a book for you! something a little different, and a little special. all of the projects would make great gifts if you can bear to part with them.

but first, i'm off to make one amazing squirrel tea cosy...i wonder what my grandmother would have thought of it?

what a weekend...

What a weekend! as always, it went too fast... but hey, that's life.

it's fun to do crazy things every now and again. like put up a christmas tree. in july. and have secret santa presents. and bon bons. and sit around a table and have a big cooked dinner and tell the stupid jokes from the bon bons.
[eg. what's big and green and always points north? a magnetic cucumber. seriously. who comes up with these?? ]



so yes, Christmas In July happened this weekend for us. and it was great to catch up with some friends that we haven't seen for AGES... it's good, isn't it?? to catch up. chew the fat. laugh. cry.

(love christmas!)

and here i am, sunday night. i have so much blog inspiration: and so little time. but here is a little promise: a blog this week! mayhaps two... oh i'd like that :)
shall i finish with a picture of rudolf in my lounge room. He's gotta have a red nose for Christmas, right?!



i think'd make santa proud, don't you?