Traditional Afternoon Tea

Three generations treated themselves to a traditional afternoon tea at the 

QVB Tea Rooms.

Full silver service was in use, as was pristine starched white table linen.

We were served tea in Royal Albert 

Country Rose tea cups.

(As was the hot chocolate for the youngest generation - all of four years of age).

Each serving comprised petite fours, cucumber,cheese and dill sandwiches, savouries, pastries and scones with jam and cream, served on a three tier cake stand with matching plates.

All enjoyed in a setting reminiscent of the nineteenth century.

I haven't linked to Terri's Tea Cup Tuesday in a while, but I think this occasion warrants a link.

Thanks Terri for hosting.

Blueberries

My first crop of blueberries.

These have been delicious atop my oats at breakfast, or simply to snack on.

Blueberry bush in flower.

Upcycling - Christmas Cards.

I have a confession to make, that is I have kept every greeting card given to me, Mr Honey Pie and my children (while they lived at home) for over forty years!

Then one day I said to myself, enough is enough!

And I allowed myself to cut up the not so expensive Christmas cards and upcycled them.

Never wanting to throw out any of these cards I have remade them into Christmas gift tags to use this Christmas.

(Don't tell anyone, but most of the cards I cut up were my sister's.  She usually throws hers out but she gave them to me.)

Linking to Artful Affirmations. 

Why don't you stop by and say hi to Terri and see what others are doing in way of Christmas preparations.

This Month In The Garden.

November

Another Dedication

To my cousin, aged 54, who gave up his struggle with lung cancer.

To Mr Honey Pie's work colleague, killed in a motoring accident while travelling to work.

This post is for you.

Trigger Plant.

New South Wales Christmas Bush.

Bracts will turn a burnished red closer to Christmas.

Traditionally used as a cut flower in homes at Christmas.

Feng Shui Tortoise.

Messy Corner.

Leptospurmum in flower.

Misty Morning.

Banksia Serata.

Rainbow Lorikeet. 

Bronze Wing Pigeon.

Jerusalem Artichoke.

Dill Seed Head

Dill Seed Head

 

Broad Beans and Herbs.

Angophora Costata Shedding Its Bark.

Herbs going to Crop & Swap.

Jobs Left Undone.

Centre Step Card

Thanks to Frances Byrne over at Splitcoaststampers I'm proud to show you the beautiful card I made for my now thirteen year old niece.

I made my own flowers using a UME CP-2 Carl Punch, used lots of vintage buttons, glitter glue and some Kaisercraft lace.

The super clear instructions ensured great results and a card made with little effort.

Centre Step Card Instructions.

Julie & Julia

It's not often that I sit down at three in the afternoon to watch a movie all on my lonesome.

Julie & Julia was recommended to me by Youngest Son.

He said I'd love it.

Youngest Son is only twenty four years old but I think he is the most intuitive of my four children.

So, welcome to my first ever movie review.

In a sentence I loved it!

It is contemporary and historic.

It is funny and sad.

If I wasn't laughing I was smiling.  In fact I don't think I've ever smiled so much during any movie I've watched.

And in some very short bits I cried.

It's romantic too.

If your a blogger and dream of being a writer, this movie is for you.

If your a blogger, dream of being a writer and love cooking this movie is DEFINITELY for you.

Watching this movie stirred up many issues for me.

Since starting this blog, I have often asked myself why do I blog?

My first and foremost reason for starting this blog was because I enjoy writing.

I have journaled  for over twenty years now.  The reasons for this are many and varied.

Blogging has taken over from where my journaling left off.

Sometime people ask me why do I bother with blogging, that it's time consuming and what's the point.

In Julie and Julia, Julia unintentionally takes on a pen pal.

I sometimes liken my time spent blogging a bit like writing to a pen pal. As a child, taking a pen pal was encouraged. 

 I never did have a pen pal but I spent many hours writing to relatives, some of whom I'd never met. 

I have written poetry, and have had a few published in anthologies.

My first piece of writing to be published was while I was in high school when I sent off a composition (essay)  that I had completed for one of my assignments, to the Sunday Herald's Charlie Chuckles Club.

I received two dollars in payment for that composition.

Sadly, I don't have a copy of the composition.

But I do have a copy of the certificate I received with my payment.

It's unfortunate that it's not dated, but it's from the mid 1960s.

From the age of eight I wanted to be a writer and started writing a story in an exercise book.  

I don't know what happened to that book.

My first career choice was to become a journalist.

Mum said "no".  And that was that.

Life sometimes takes us on a weird and a puzzling journey - a detour even.

Under my circumstance could I have done anything to change my destiny?

Much has been written on this same topic.

I don't know the answer.

What I do know is that every day is the beginning of the rest of my life and while I am still able to take breath, then the opportunity achieve my lifetime ambition of being a writer remains.

Crop & Swap

Saturday 12th November, Inaugural Meeting Of Crop & Swap, Faulconbridge NSW.

A big thank you to Jo & Joe!

Here is what I took (or some of it at least) 

Broad beans, herbs, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves.

Potted herbs.

Sprouted adzuki beans and live silkworms!

Here is Joe giving the inauguration speech!

And below are some of the goodies I came home with, nom, nom, nom!

Kombucha

Daikon

I made a salad with all of this produce for birthday lunch at my sister's.

Birthday for Second Son, (38 already!!!)and Second Youngest Niece (13).

It's amazing how much more appetizing home grown and fresh is!!!!!

Sorry no pictures of resulting salad...no time, gobbled all up before a chance for photo-shoot(!!).

Also brought home basil, eggs, mushrooms, cookies, sage, well, I really believe I came home with more than I went with.

Priceless...the experience of satisfaction at being able to contribute to the household pantry without exchanging one cent!

Can't wait for next Crop & Swap.

Alysha's Birthday - 200th Post!

Another journal this time for my dear niece's birthday.

Thanks to the Graphics Fairy for Cute Critters graphic and to the design team at Sketch Saturday (Week #181) for the following sketch.

Happy Creating!

Linked to

The Graphics Fairy # 111

Remembrance Day, 11.11.11

If you read this article about  Remembrance Day you will find that this day isn't just coincidentally commemorated on the 11th of November each year.

Today is remarkable for its numerological attributes.

I'd like to recognize today as a new beginning and leave you with this book as an inspiration for change.
I have been trying to read it for years now, and it is one that needs commitment.

Hopefully, today will be the day that I make that commitment.

May today be remembered for the day of positive change in the world.

11.11.11

What will you remember the eleventh of the eleventh of the eleventh for?

So far it's been a rather ordinary day for me, except for one thing:  I have been waiting and waiting for our batch of silkworm eggs to emerge.  I should have know that they would wait for a full moon!

Yes, it was a full moon this morning at 0617hours.

Here is a pic of the emerging silkworms.

Have a fun day!

"Tis The Season

The first Christmas Card for the Season arrived in our mail box this week!

I normally try to send my cards out the first week of December.

Never before have I received one so early.

Thanks Auntie A & Uncle S!

This year the adults in my family are going to do Kris Kringle.

The way I understand Kris Kringle is sort of a Secret Santa, except we haven't kept our giftee secret.

Funnily enough, I picked my daughter and my daughter picked me.

For many years now the extended family stopped buying gifts for adults and one adult buys a gift to the value of $70 for one child.

This eliminates gifts just for the sake of giving a gift.

What do you do at Christmas time when it comes to buying gifts for loved ones?

Do you buy gifts at Christmas?

When do you post out your Christmas Cards?

Opps...

I think I went overboard with the bean sprouts!

Encouraged by the video link  which Leanne at Cottagetails Blogspot posted I have taken to sprouting beans.  

Never have I sprouted anything so well before!

So...if you have any favourite links to yummy recipes to use up my over-abundance I'd be happy to hear from you!  

Have a good day!

Baby Doll - Upcycling.

Vest and booties made from recently purchased Patons baby wool.(New.)

Pilchers made from left over teddy bear fur donated to my stash by my Youngest Sister about five years ago.

Velcro(new).

Carry basket fabric purchased at garage sale many moons ago.  It is curtain fabric.

I purchased Vilene (new) to reinforce the walls.

Coreflute was used to make basket base insert. This was salvaged from an obsolete sign I had made years ago when working as a consultant.

Mattress fabric was purchased at Reverse Garbage...one hundred percent Italian cotton.

Mattress insert was made from left-over quilt batting.

Broderie Anglaise lace, purchased new.

Ribbon salvaged from old baby clothing.

Gathering elastic (new).

Quilt and pillow fabric also from Reverse Garbage, as is basket liner (three types of fabric used here).

Lace on quilt and pillow is Kaiser Crafts scrap booking lace.(New).

Bouclé wool purchased for $1 a ball from St Vinnies.

Believe it or not, the doll herself is made from calico that I had purchased and cut out in the late nineties and never completed.

I found it when I went searching for the pattern I'd also cut out back then!

I had intended to buy some fabric markers to add features to the dolly's face but I found some permanent overhead projector pens from my teacher training days and used these instead.

I asked the assistance of my Angel while drawing on the face as I've had lots of stuff ups in the past when it came to free hand drawing. I insisted that she watch over my shoulder the whole time I was drawing and I'm happy with the results.

Decorating chalks (from my card making/scrap booking supplies)were used to add colour to Dolly's cheeks.

Nightie fabric also from Reverse Garbage...this fabric is divine.

I imagine voluminous folds of this fabric fashioned into a wedding gown fit for royalty!  The nightie is made from three different weights of the same fabric as there was not enough of one weight to make the entire nightie.

Dress and bonnet are made from cotton patchwork fabric left over from previous quilt projects.

Vintage lace purchased at St Vinnies was used to trim the dress.

Ain't she sweet?

Initially, I intended to use left over patchwork fabric, picking out bright colours to clothe the doll and for the basket and bedding.

But instead, I decided because in today's world a child's life is bombarded with bright colours and lights in every aspect of life from food, to toys to clothing that this dolly would be clothed and coddled in soothing, subdued, colours.

Dolly has been gifted.

Her reception has been cool.

After all she has to compete with a brand new bike (with training wheels), Dora the Explorer Doll, a brightly coloured jewellery box, sparkling jewellery, and on and on.

But today GD requested a swirly skirt for dolly.