fresh flowers...

A few weeks back I was driving home from the city centre and there was a stall on the side of road, 'the flower shack', bunches for flowers for $5.  I often see it and drive past thinking I should stop and get some fresh flowers especially for $5!!! a bargain.  This particular day I did stop and I bought the most gorgeous bunch of non-scented orange lilies, I love lilies and the colour orange.  They have lasted so well, even when I have neglected to hydrate them since putting them in the vase...shocking!! they still survived for a good 2 plus weeks.  

My orange lilies on their last days, still giving so much joy.

I have enjoyed having fresh cut flowers in the house that today I bought some more as they add cheer to my home on these wet winter days, that seem bleak and grey.  I reckon everyone should have fresh flowers in the house they really do bring a smile to your face, and from now on I endeavor to have fresh flowers more often.  In the spring/summer hopefully from my own garden but for the winter months I will have to purchase them from 'the flower shack'.  So if you see a flower stall stop and buy a colourful bunch to brighten your day and home, they could just be the lift you need to get you through the day.

finishing projects...

Today I made myself sit down and finish off a few projects that I had started last week, as I dislike to have unfinished projects around the house, I'm very much a finish what you start kind of person.  I dislike clutter and in effect this means I like to see what is in my cupboards so once they start looking clutter I schedule in some de-cluttering time and have a clean out.

It felt good to finish a couple of my projects this afternoon, as last week went belly up (literally) when our whole family came down with some NASTY!!!! tummy bug.  Which lasted a good 8days...epic!! and now a few kilos lighter we are all good and on the mend and believe me, I'm making up for lost eating time. Needless to say with caring for a little one and myself who got crazy sick, it felt good to indulge in some creativeness and well deserved sewing time.

What did I make??? 

A cute little vest/ hoodie for Summah using leftover sweat shirt material and a nightie that I bought when I was pregnant and never wore once.

(Summah decided stashing her toys in the hood was a good idea too.)

Then I whipped up a few more cushions for the conservatory couch, I'll do a blog on the final look of conservatory when I'm finished that...working process.

What have you all been creating this week?

conservatory make-over part 1...

We have a conservatory in our house and it is awesome in summer time and winter too, but I need to re-do the look, since moving in over 3yrs ago we haven't done anything to it besides buying the couch for it.  The time has come and I'm on the look out for cool ideas to reinvent this space of our house, as it will be used a lot more now with a small child around.  The perfect play room space but then I also want to use part of it as a hairdressing space to cut hair, so the make-over begins.

Below is what it currently looks like:

what this space as I re-decorate this room so it feels more apart of the rest of our house, not just a room that gets shut up in winter months and not used.

Are you re-decorating rooms at the moment share some of your ideas?

a walk in the park...

As the official Autumn months draw to a close Summah and I took the liberty to take a walk in the park behind our house.   There is this stream (not for swimming in I will add...yuk!) through part of park and the trees have had the most gorgeous autumn coloured leaves on them this season.  I wanted to take some photos of Summah exploring the leaves, the texture and sounds they make when you crunch them in your hand or under feet.  She loved it!!! and the best bit is when she is sooo excited her hands clench and she yells with glee.  Love it! Enjoy the pictures from our little exploration in the park the other day, making the most of these beautiful autumn days before we plunge into winter.

We had so much fun together, playing in the leaves and rolling around like kids, it was a beautiful way to spend the afternoon.

Oh! and Summah wears her new t-shirt from Venezia that Daddy bought her on his trip to Italy recently, and the cute red scarf we bought down the South Island...love it!

Nana's bran muffins...

I love a good bran muffin and one day whilst waiting for my car to get a warrant of fitness (WOF) I stumbled upon this recipe, which is delicious and has become my favourite bran muffin recipe.  It is simple and no fail, they always turn out moist and filled with goodness.

Nana's Bran Muffins

what you will need:

25g butter, melted

1 Tbsp golden syrup

1 egg

1 cup milk

1-1 1/2 cups grated apple

1 cup self-raising flour

1 1/2 cup bran flakes

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

Melt Butter & add golden syrup.

Mix egg & milk add to butter, golden syrup & apple.

Add everything to the sifted dry ingredients and mix till just combined.

Bake at 160 C for 12-15mins.

(you can add other fruit besides apple, and I add raisins because a bran muffin is not complete with out these.)

Happy baking ;)

No.2 What's cooking Wednesday?

A quick week night meal that takes 30mins from prep to eating, my kind of cooking.

Chicken with Hoisin Sauce

the ingredients needed, cornflour, sherry, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, selection of vegetables, and cashew nuts.

mix 1 1/2 Tbsp cornflour, 1 1/2 Tbsp sherry, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, add chicken and mix well.  Set aside till needed for cooking.

heat oil in wok, add your vegetables and stir-fry for 2 mins.  

remove vegetables from wok, and then cook chicken for 4mins in wok.

                                       

add your vegetables back into the wok with chicken

add 3Tbsp Hoisin sauce and cashews and heat through.

30mins later from prep time to plating up you have a delicious dinner that can use up odd bits of vegetables.  

(in this dish we used broccoli, celery, red & green capsicum, and mushrooms.  The actual recipe says to use mushroom, red & green capsicum, but we like lots of veggie's)

1st Mother's Day

 This is my very first mother's day (apart from last year when Summah was in the womb) where I get to hold my child in my arms, and I am richly blessed to have this gorgeous girl in my life.

It is a unique experience to become a mother, to be a mother and to be a child loved by a mother, there are not enough words to express how great it can be, and how it should be.

For some though there isn't a great mother child bond, there are some that don't have a mother anymore, some who have never meet, been held, kissed or loved by their mother.  Just last night I watched the movie 'Precious' (if you've seen it you'll know what I'm talking about) it is really sad how Precious is treated by her mother, but awesome to see how Precious changes and decides to be a loving mother to her 2 children, despite the circumstances (be warned it's a very real and raw movie if you watch it.)  Watching this movie made me more aware of how important it is to be an example to your children, not to sweat the small stuff and to embrace them with open arms often.

I'm blessed to be a daughter to an amazing mother and I endeavor to be the best mother I can be to Summah and any children to come. Today, my first mother's day I've started a trend to take a mother child photo every year, as each year I'm being moulded, challenged, and inpsired as a mother.  The photo's will be a reminder of this journey I've begun as a mother and the fun times I've shared with my child/ren.

Happy Mother's day.