Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Around the Backyard...

 
hi!
 
i know it's been a while...i apologise.
 
things have been pretty stressful around here
&
when i'm in turmoil
my creative energy leaves me completely.
 
there were a few years
when i didn't get 'round to anything creative at all...
probably serving out the dinner attractively
or brushing my daughters hair into a ponytail smoothly
were the artiest things i did at that time.
 
well thankfully
those days have passed
&
i have only needed a few weeks so far...hehe!
 
 
i thought i'd take you on a little tour
of the happenings in our backyard today...just for fun.
 
 
 
 
 
i haven't seen this variety of pansy before...
we found a metal toolbox to plant them into...
much cheaper than a ceramic or plastic pot.
 
 
 
 
 
we couldn't resist buying this stunning hibiscus either.
 
 
we have had many days recently
cleaning walls and furnishings
and rearranging the furniture
to fit an extra body in the house.
 
 
 
we thought a pot of lavender
at the front steps
would be just the thing to survive
the intense afternoon heat
of queensland's summer sun.
 
i haven't bought seedlings for ages
&
it was a lot of fun shopping for them
with my newly arrived home daughter!
 
are you thinking of spring yet?...
just a few weeks away now
down here in australia!
 
 
naturally Carol xox
 
 
 
 


Friday, July 12, 2013

Jonquil Study & My Sister's Giveaway!

 
good morning!
 
i feel like i'm almost a stranger here in my own space
having only briefly popped in
over the last week or so.
 
wandering through our local shopping centre last week
i was delighted by these jonquils
&
had to bring a bunch home...
 
 
 
in the winter
our dining room gets the afternoon sun
which is the only time
to successfully take some pics...
 
 
 
the setting sun
was brilliant
&
cast a golden glow into the room...
 
 
 
late in the day
&
as mr t and i messed around having fun with the camera
the light grew into night
and evening was upon us!
 

 
 
enjoying these jonquils calmed my battered soul.
 
it has been a week of emotional stretching...
wonderful to embrace another adultchild into the fold again
but of course change...
even a good one...
brought the household into a state of chaos
physically and mentally.
 
 
equilibrium
has been gently reached
&
peace obtained
although we're all a little weary and fragile.
 
enough about this though...
 
my sister jill (the artistic talent of the family!)
is having the most superb giveaway!
 
 
a set of these handpainted designer coasters...
the choice of which is yours...
 
 
may be yours
 
just by going to her giveaway post
&
leaving a comment
 
on her new design blog..."jill butler design".
 
 
'cos I've been late telling you..
there is only about 30 hours left to enter...
the draw is tomorrow...saturday at five pm, nz time...
so don't delay.
 
i got a set for christmas last year
and love them...
they designs are stunning
&
they wear really well,
even after many hot cuppas this winter
and all the icy cold ones over summer
they look brand new!
 
 
enjoy your weekend
i hope the clouds flee and give us a sunny day!
 
naturally Carol xox
 
 
p.s...kai is seven weeks old tomorrow, maybe i can score some new pics off his mum and dad!!!
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Lego!

 
good morning!
 
after thinking about it for a couple of years,
i finally went downstairs
and fetched the huge bucket of lego
from under the house...
collected by five children over about 15 years
it's quite a collection!
 
as the children became adults,
it's been sitting there since we moved in nine years ago...
still with packaging tape around it to hold it all together
from our move to queensland from canberra.
 
at first i thought i could just chuck all the pieces in the bath,
fish it out and dry it on a towel...
it's not that easy.
 
i realised that i should get it ready for the next generation
of little boys...and maybe girls...
we haven't any girls yet
and our little boy is only six weeks old!
 
 
i spent several hours
dismantling all the buildings
after realising i couldn't do it under water with wet hands..hehe!
 
after that
i washed the container
and put them back in there to bathe with some sugar soap overnight...
 

 
i found that lego men love to float.
 
 
i've been fishing the lego out with a sieve...
 

 
rinsing it under the tap...
{'garage' is one of the pieces from mr w's collection... early '60's most likely!}
 
 
drying it off with a towel...
 

 
separating legomen, monkeys and fabuland animals
and all the tiny tiny pieces
so they won't choke babies
and will be easily found to play with by the older ones.
 
i'm just doing a bit at a time
so it will probably take another couple of days
before the job is done.
 
we have all decided to shun sugar
and refined foods here
so have to go out foraging this morning
in our local supermarket
for nuts, seeds and berries!
{and a few other things...}
 
i hope you enjoy your day too!
 
naturally Carol xox