weekend : mountains and valleys

 

Some days you just need to get away from it all. After the not-so-nice week that we had, we did what we as a family used to do a lot more of. Packing the 4WD with a picnic and a few other necessities  ( a chainsaw, chains, a lot of water and a few other odd bits and pieces) and taking off for the day to explore some relatively remote mountain areas. Over time I've gotten used to the steep, rocky hill climbs, the river crossings (if in doubt wade through first!) and the constant bumping around. Because the reward of seeing those breathtaking views and discovering those amazing little valleys makes it all worth it. 

And we did find ourselves in a beautiful little valley this trip. Full of history, this remote valley had once supported a self sufficient family of 17. All that remains of their lives are a few old trees and an old bread oven. But their cleared green grassy fields by the river are still appreciated by many campers today. 

It was the perfect place to throw down the blanket and enjoy a simple lunch. To listen to the gently running water and throw a few stones in just for the sake of it. I think it was just what we needed.

hello

Just popping in to say hello. Sorry I haven't been in this space much this week. The whole family had a nasty virus these past few days.  We are all on the mend now and feeling a lot better. Today will find me tackling that pile of laundry that is almost out of control. Perhaps catching up with a little blog reading.

See you all next week!

baby sewing

 During the past month I managed to whip up a few little items for Violet. I think it's no secret that I  just love baby sewing. It's generally quick, easy, requires little fabric and they wear whatever you put them in without complaining! Baby clothes also lend themselves perfectly to repurposing unwanted adult sized clothing.

I picked up an adult sized t-shirt on the one dollar rack in the op shop to make some pants for Violet. It is very hard to pick up baby pants in the op shop that actually fit over a cloth sized nappy. Also hard to pick up one that is not covered with baby print or brand names. Problem solved with a printed tee, cut into two pattern pieces (roughly based on the pants pattern in Simple Sewing for Baby but with a more tapered leg) and using the original tee shirt cover stitch hem for the hem of the pants.

Another adult top (also from that dollar rack) made up another pair of leggings which I added a few felted hearts to.
The top was originally a bodysuit that had been outgrown. So I chopped off the bottom and hemmed it. I used some scrap fabric to make a flower of sorts (I need to twist a little looser next time).

This last project was quickly whipped up before camping to tote around a few of Violet's toys. I used the instructions from Weekend Sewing, and I'm sure there are many similar tutorials online. It is a Japanese print that I picked up on sale awhile ago. It is not only handy for going away, but also handy to stash a few toys out in the lounge room.

Sadly my sewing machine is out of action again. Previously I was waiting for a bobbin case replacement, which seemed to work for a few weeks. But now it seems the problem goes deeper than that. Of course this all happened 17 days out of my warranty. So after much online research, price shopping and some negotiation I am happy to say a new but better quality machine is on it's way. And now no more spending for me for a couple of months!

weekend

It wasn't the easiest of weekends. There were overgrown lawns to mow, weeds to pull out, manure to use, a trailer of mulch for the trees, school aprons and teatowels to add to the normal washing load. Not to mention our first auction..but more on that later. Just to top it off we had our first really hot day.
But in the end most of it did get done. Not without wondering if a suburban block might have been just a little easier. Sometimes, particularly in Spring and Summer, things can become a little overwhelming around here.

But we need to remind ourselves that although there is so much more to do, we did indeed get quite a bit done. It is hard work, but there is a good, useful feeling to working together. Teaching the kid's basic skills about gardening and all learning along as we go. Of course that nice chilled bottle of wine at the end of the day didn't go astray.

There is always so much more to do, but sometimes we need to step back and see how things were not all that long ago.

weekend links

Sharing a few links for the weekend :-

• I need to find a few nice rocks to try this out.
• A christmas wreath idea.
• A simple reversible bag tutorial.
• A lovely cake that we took camping.
• A great idea for being a little more organized (which I think I'm in need of!)

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

this moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - soulemama

home life

1. before there was mud cake there was fudge cake
2. a little knitting confidence was regained this week on this project
3. big brothers are our hero
4. thinking about christmas already
5. bread dough blogged here
6. new labels for the garden for when I've finished all that weeding
7. fresh pillowcases and the removal of all things flannel
8. a new old tray
9. another softie to work on

I do hope yours has been a lovely week so far!

granola

One of our favourite family breakfasts is Granola muesli. There was once a time (pre-third baby) that I had a jar filled with it at all times. But, sad to say I don't make it as often as I used to. I made a batch on the weekend and it reminded me that I really should make it more often. It really is delicious.  Originally from this book.

Here is the recipe

Granola muesli

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup honey

400g rolled oats

100g mixed nuts, seeds or similar (I use anything we have in the pantry - coconut, sesame seeds, pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds are our favourites)

Preheat oven 180 degrees celsius.

Heat a roasting pan in the oven for a few minutes, then add the olive oil and honey. Stir to combine.

Add the oats and nuts and stir to combine well.

Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown or as desired.

Luca likes his just golden whereas Daniel likes his almost burnt.

Remove from oven and leave to cool a little before transferring to an airtight container.

I like to use a large glass canister for storing ours.

Enjoy with milk or you can also add a to yoghurt and fresh or stewed fruit.