Blocks for Jake.

I don't often get the chance to create blocks for boys, so when I got the order for a little boy by the name of Jake, I became pretty excited. Don't get me wrong, I still love creating blocks for girls, but it was nice to deviate away from pinks, greens and chocolates and get into the greens, reds and blues for a change.

My client said her little boy loved trucks, so I made sure to embellish the last block with a truck in bright primary colours. I also used felt, scrapbooking paper, ribbon and buttons to finish them off. 

Want to know more? Here's my Facebook page and Madeit Store!

Sophia Blocks.

Over the last couple of weeks I've had a bit of an influx of block orders, and I spent the weekend finishing up a few of them. Well, trying to finish them anyway amongst the dramas created by the Little Lion, such as him locking me out of the house and spilling food all over the couch. A fabric couch too, might I add, which resulted in me having to take all the covers off to wash them. Next couch will definitely be a leather one!

I've almost finished a gorgeous set that I'm excited to share soon as they're different to anything I've made before. If anyone would like to take a closer look, check out my Hummingbird's Song Facebook page and Madeit Store!

What did you get up to this weekend? Play along with Sunny and Scout!

When Your Heart Stops Beating for a Second...

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I'm feeling a tad bit mentally exhausted after spending four days in Melbourne with 18 students, sticking to a full-on schedule and playing bad cop at night time making sure they're all in their rooms asleep. Not only that, but I have an incredibly sore butt from sitting in the most uncomfortable bus seat in the world for what seemed to be a million hours. I can't tell you how happy I was to finally see my own bed and not have to share a bathroom.... hostel living definitely isn't my cup of tea!

But anyway, the trip was wonderful and Rock of Ages was absolutely fan-freaking-tastic... I probably totally embarrassed some of my students by getting up and dancing at the end, but who cares? Melbournians, you have to go see it, trust me! Anyway, all I wanted to do was chill out and have a relaxing, stress free day today. 

Alas, that was not to be. 

I raced outside to grab some washing off the line, and when i came back I went to open the screen door. 

It wouldn't open. 

My brain refused to register what was happening, and I tried again. Carter looked at me solemnly from the other side.

All of a sudden, it felt like my heart stopped beating for a second when I realised that he had locked me outside. 

Craaaaaap.

I forced myself to calm down and think of my options. I tried coaxing Carter to flick the lock back up, but he just looked puzzled. Front door? Locked. Laundry door? Locked. Carport? Remote inside on my keys. Windows? All shut. 

Holy craaaaaaaaap. This was not good. 

I raced to the neighbors and asked to borrow their phone. They were so lovely, all the boys going over to try and find a way in any way they could and the mum calling the dad to come home and help them. Poor Deon was over an hour away and felt helpless, and kept saying that if there was no way in, I should just smash a window. 

Carter was picking up that something was wrong, and started to tear up. Luckily the little girl also came over to keep him occupied and make him smile while I tried to help the others. The boys tried everything they could, but found no way in. I have to hand it to my mum, she definitely knows how to make a house secure!

After close to an hour, the boys decided to try the kitchen window again. It was almost there then.. SMASH! The window was no more. And honestly? I didn't care. All I wanted to do was get to my little boy and make sure he was OK. The wonderful boys cleaned it all up, taped the window up for me and made sure everything was fine before leaving.

Not to self- ensure you cut spare keys you can give to your Nanna who lives 5 minutes away. That would save a whole lot of stress, panic and money in case it ever happens again.

A Short Break and a Grumpy Cat.

Well cherubs, I'm off on a school camp for the rest of this week, so things are going to be a little quiet around these parts. Unfortunately I'm unable to access internet on my archaic phone (grr... another story in itself) so I won't be seeing you until the weekend. 

I'll leave you with an image of a very grumpy cat I had on my hands last Sunday while it was pouring rain. I had just mopped the floors, and refused to let her in with her muddy little paws, so she glared at me sulkily while she took refuge on the window sill and I took photos outside. Mischa never holds back when she wants you to know exactly how she feels!

See you on Saturday! xx

A Blissful Morning.

You'd think that a sleep in would be the perfect way to start a Sunday morning. I was looking forward to one, however, the Little Lion had other plans and woke at 6:30am. He'd had a pretty restless night due to teething, and the thought of getting up at that particular time on this Wintry morning wasn't appealing in the slightest. So, half asleep and bleary eyed I stumbled my way to his bedroom, picked him up out of his cot and bought him back to our room.

Deon and I dozed on and off while he babbled quietly, snuggled up to us and for an hour we all listened to the beautiful sound of the thunderstorm outside. We watched the slivers of lightning punctuate the darkness, and just enjoyed the feeling of time standing still for us for that hour. Bliss.



Play along with Sunny and Scout

Baking Bliss #13- Lemon and Coconut Brownies

We have fruit trees that grow down the back of our school. Apples, oranges, persimmons, limes and even pomegranates. We also have a lemon tree, and I scored a whole heap of lemons to take home this weekend. Now, there's only so many lemons you can use for tequila shots, so I decided to try a recipe on my beloved Taste website- Lemon and Coconut Brownies. 

Lemon and Coconut Brownies from Taste

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

35 minutes

Makes

15

Ingredients

• 250g butter
• 430g (2 cups) caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 85g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
• 3 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
• Icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line a 20 x 30cm (base measurement) slab pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and stir until mixture is thick and glossy.
3. Sift the flour over the egg mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in coconut, lemon rind and lemon juice. Spread over base of prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan to cool completely. Cut into pieces. Dust with icing sugar.

This is such a delicious version of a brownie! Still rich and moist, but with a subtle lemon tang. Extremely quick and easy to make too, and it's the perfect afternoon snack to have with a cup of tea. Now I just have to try and limit myself to one slice per day... well, maybe two! 

 I always love to see what other people have baked, as it gives me inspiration and ideas on what to cook next weekend. Each Sunday I'm going to post a photo of what I've created (whether it's a success or not!) and I would love for you to link back to your own blog and show me what culinary delight you've whipped up! Remember, it's not just limited to baking, show me your soups, casseroles, pastas.. anything you like!

Love Those Books...

You know how certain songs remind you of various times in your life? Well, books tend to do that for me too. Growing up, I was a book freak. I always had to read before going to bed, and I would deliberately set my alarm half an hour before having to get up for school so I could get another chapter of whatever I was reading in.

I had nearly the whole Babysitter's Club set in Primary School and would read them religiously before going onto Sweet Valley High in High School. And, you can start sniggering now, but that's when I went on a whole Virginia Andrews craze. I couldn't get enough of those damn Heaven books. Seriously.

But anyway, what I'm trying to get at is the Little Lion has also become fixated on books. I've been reading to him since the day he was born, and now he's quite content to sit in his room and flip through the pages of Diary of a Wombat or The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

As you can see, there's been a fair bit of wear and tear on these poor books. We've had to replace Hungry Caterpillar and it looks like Where is the Green Sheep? is close to follow. A secret though, I don't throw the old copies out. I can't bear to. I love that he's loved them so much that they've fallen to bits. One day he may want to look back and reminice over his first books. 

I always try to ensure that he has a story before bedtime, and honestly he doesn't let me forget. Once he's had his bath, he drags out his favourite blanket and the book that's the flavour of the month (currently Press Here which is a fabulous interactive book, make sure you check it out!) and we read it together.

I've been buying books for him since before he was born, and I was always thrilled when he received books as presents. The latest one was Dog from his Uncle Joey and Aunty Lan. It's just gorgeous! 

Oh, and it looks like poor Where's Spot? is next on the list to be replaced. So tell me, what books did you read growing up? Were you as tragic as me? If you have kids, what are their favourites, and what title would you recommend I buy for Carter next? 

Wordless Wednesday- Afternoon Gardening.

If you'd like to play, head on over to Faith, Hope and a Whole Lotta Love. 

New Hat.

The cold is here. Ick. One good thing about the cold though? Woolly accessories. Yesterday while in Target picking up a few singlets for the Little Lion I found some black knitted fingerless gloves for $8 (love) and from Dotti this cute grey hat for $9.95. Now I'm on the lookout for a cute knitted scarf....

Just a Lazy Sunday.

After a busy week, the Little Lion and I decided to have a quiet Sunday where we enjoyed lazing around on the couch, watching some TV and reading a few books. It was far too cold to be outside anyway, it was much nicer to rug up indoors! 


I'm Pointing and Shooting this week with Sunny and Scout

Baking Bliss #12- Vegetable, Barley and Bacon Soup

This week I wanted to make a soup recipe that was rich and hearty, and I could that I could take to work for lunch. I wanted it to be fairly thick and chunky too, to get me through the day.  I actually did a hybrid of a few recipes, so I wasn't sure if would be a hit or a miss! 

Vegetable, Barley and Bacon Soup (recipe by me!)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soup mix (found in the soup and lentil isle at your supermarket)
I carrot, diced
I celery stick, diced
I brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium zucchini, diced
400gm can diced tomotoes
1 litre beef stock
1/2 cup mini dried penne pasta


Method:
1. Place soup mix in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, then let simmer for 2 hours. 

2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and bacon. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes or until bacon is golden. Add zucchini, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables start to brown. 

3. Add tomato, stock and 2 cups cold water. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. 

Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. 

4. Add pasta and soup mix. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve with crusty bread rolls

This soup recipe is definitely fulfilling, and perfect for those cold Winter nights! If you want to try some variations on this recipe, using ham instead of bacon is quite cost effective, or you add lamb or beef too.

Enjoy!



I always love to see what other people have baked, as it gives me inspiration and ideas on what to cook next weekend. Each Sunday I'm going to post a photo of what I've created (whether it's a success or not!) and I would love for you to link back to your own blog and show me what culinary delight you've whipped up! Remember, it's not just limited to baking, show me your soups, casseroles, pastas.. anything you like!

Kids and Creativity.

I've been wanting to write this post since Sunday, but between me being incredibly sick and blogger chucking tanties here and there this is the first chance I've had to actually create it!

As you know, Mother's Day was last Sunday. Carter and I decided we'd make a card for his Grandma, so we pulled out the coloured pencils, photos, card, glue and various embellishments. 

Carter adores colouring and drawing. I'm not surprised though, as it's in his blood. I'm an art teacher, my mother began her career as an art teacher, my sister is training to be an art/visual communication teacher and my nanna was a beautiful painter. Deon's side is full of architect/drafters. There was no way he could escape it!

I loved seeing the concentration etched on his face as he contemplated which colour to go for next. He's never satisfied with just one colour, it has to be a whole rainbow palette! I'm not surprised that his favourite show on ABC for Kids is Mister Maker, I have memories of making sure I never missed an episode of Art Attack when I was a kid. Did anyone else used to watch it? I always loved when he created the big artwork out of small objects! 

Being an Art teacher from Prep to Year 12, I may be slightly biased but I think it's so important for kids to have access to art materials and let them create to their heart's content. It's beneficial for their self confidence, skill development, helps them develop persistence and teaches them how to express themselves in a safe way. It's not just one big mess, they're using their imagination! 

 

Drawing together is a special bonding time that Carter and I share. Even though he's still quite young, I teach him about colour and shape, repeating the names of the colours we use. I'll draw a shape, and he will try to colour it in. 

After colouring in his Grandma's card, I helped him glue on a photo, a few little embellishments and wrote a special message inside. 

All done! We made up a little movie to show what we had created and sent it to his Grandma for Mother's Day. I've decided that maybe once a month I'll post about an art project that my Primary kids create, and also how to adapt it to a toddler age. Would anyone be interested in that? If so, let me know!

Wordless Wednesday- Carter & Mischa.

Unfortunately I've been too sick to wander around with my camera this week, so I'm using one of my favourite ones from a few years ago. If you'd like to play, head on over to Faith, Hope and a Whole Lotta Love

Baking Bliss #11- Killer Jerk Chicken

Apologies in advance, this Baking Bliss isn't going to be anywhere near as good as the previous posts as I stupidly forgot to take photos of the dishes we served up last night- D'oh! We were so hungry that once they hit the table we dug in straight away!

Carlie and Jarrod are two of our dearest friends, and in fact I'd call them family I love them both so much. Carlie and I have been tackling recipes out of Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals cookbook, and last night we decided to have a go at the Killer Jerk Chicken, Rice & Beans, Refreshing Chopped Salad and Chargrilled Corn.

And now, I'm shamed into having to use photos that aren't my own... but it looked the same, promise! 

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You can find Jamie's Killer Jerk Chicken, Rice & Beans, Chargrilled Corn and Refreshing Chopped Salad here.

We had a few little hiccups here and there. Ok, it was pretty much me that created all the hiccups! Even after going into two supermarkets, I couldn't find the chicory or black beans anywhere. The rice was still delicious though, and we didn't notice the chicory missing from the salad. 

My second mistake was to accidentally pour whiskey into the sauce instead of rum... whoops! Luckily Carlie saw my mistake and we could start that part again! We then had to replace the fresh rosemary after discovering that the bunch Carlie bought in from outside had a black spider nestled in it- Eep! 


After all that, I can say that the rice, corn and chicken was absolutely delicious, although the sauce was a tad bit overpowering for me. The rum was quite potent, and I definitely needed the yoghurt with it. The crispy skin was so good though!




I always love to see what other people have baked, as it gives me inspiration and ideas on what to cook next weekend. Each Sunday I'm going to post a photo of what I've created (whether it's a success or not!) and I would love for you to link back to your own blog and show me what culinary delight you've whipped up! Remember, it's not just limited to baking, show me your soups, casseroles, pastas.. anything you like!

Thank You! ♥

I feel a little bit chuffed, as two lovely bloggers have awarded me a Versatile Blogger award. So, Ashleigh from Saga of Potential Maturity and My Mummy Daze, thank you very much! 

So now, I need to list seven things about myself, and then handball this award to some of my favourite bloggers...

• Yesterday I ran 5km with the Senior boys at our school's cross country. It was in soft dirt and spongy grass, worlds away from the pavement and road I normally run on! What a killer! 

• I'm currently hooked on The Dark Tower series by Stephen King thanks to one of my friends. It lovely escapism at the end of the day.

• We have friends that come over nearly every weekend, and we're working our way through Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals. On the menu tonight is Killer Jerk Chicken, Rice & Beans, Refreshing Chopped Salad and Chargrilled Corn. 

• I have tried to like coffee. I love the smell of it, but it's just way too bitter for me.

• I love to dress up. I always look forward to theme days at school, and have been planning my outfit for Book Week. Trust me, it's more fun to be a teacher when you're dressed up as Batgirl than in regular clothes.

• The first thing I do when I walk into a hotel room is to check what sort of little shampoos, body lotions, etc they have. I was more than impressed that the last place I stayed in had MOR products. Then, I check out the room service menu. Chocolate cake? Hello!

• Nearly every morning the Little Lion and I dance while I put my makeup on. It's one of my favourite parts of the day. 

Now, you should totally go and cyber stalk some of these fabulous blogs (along with the ones that gave me this award!)

Faith, Hope and a Whole Lotta Love

Suger Coat It

Sydney Shop Girl

Prue Says It

My Vanity Press

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Beautiful Inspiration.

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Have a lovely weekend everyone ♥

Polly Dolly- Graphic Tee 2.0

Yep, back again to play Polly Dolly and this week is all about one of my favourite clothing items- the Graphic Tee.

Graphic Tee by Rhi* featuring feather jewelry

Madewell long sleeve cardigan
$125 - madewell.com

Rabens Saloner jersey tee
$74 - youheshe.com

Old Navy pleated short
$25 - oldnavy.gap.com

Lauren by Ralph Lauren argyle tight
$18 - macys.com

Lace up boot
25 GBP - amazon.co.uk

Feather jewelry
30 AUD - birdsnest.com.au

Dolce & Gabbana Makeup Ultra-Shine Lipgloss Innocence
20 GBP - harrods.com

ELF Cosmetics UK - Liquid Eyeliner
eyeslipsface.co.uk

Rock Coat - Accélérateur de séchage de DIOR sur Sephora.fr Parfumerie...
sephora.fr

Picture Frames - Birds on a Wire Photo Display - Paper Source#
paper-source.com

 


I'm a pretty big fan of the Graphic Tee, especially as is it can be worn so many different ways. This set was actually inspired by what I wore yesterday- black shorts, patterned tights, a graphic tee and a light cardigan. I'm finishing it all off with black nail polish, a soft pink lipgloss and a pair of this season's Military Boots.


Wanna play too? Head on over to Danimezza!