catherine & david

My little sister got herself married a few weeks ago to a pretty special guy. It was the most wonderful day filled with many beautiful memories. I hope you enjoy looking at the photos as much as we do (taken by my brother Ben who is more than brilliant with the camera!). Head over to his blog to check out the rest.

pa's billy-cart

My Dad has made this fantastic little billy-cart for the grand kids to use when they visit. Our kids think it is just great, and had so much fun with it over the Easter break! Luke found the perfect place to trial it- an empty carpark with a gentle slope to it and the most gorgeous view. Maeve tried her hardest to ride it backwards down the hill (eyes closed) which was very funny to watch- she is a crack up that kid!

easter bonnet

This was an Easter gift for our little niece Honor (who is a bit too young to be feasting on chocolate).

The velor was cut from an old hoodie, and made for a very soft bonnet!

Pattern is from Ottobre 4/10.

hot cross buns

Hot cross buns were on the menu for afternoon tea today, but by the time we finished baking it was more like dinner. So dinner it was. The kids thought it was great! We are heading off for a break over the long weekend which will be very welcomed by all. We cant wait to catch up with family and friends, and celebrate the life of Jesus. Happy Easter to you all!

planting

Before the rain came we spent some time outdoors tending to our pots. The tomato plants had seen better days, so we removed them, fertilised the soil, added sugar can mulch and planted some new seedlings suitable for the cooler days to come. Then we watered, watered and watered some more, just to make sure they had plenty to drink. No doubt they are now entirely saturated thanks to the latest downpour from the heavens! The cherry tomatoes we had previously planted did amazingly well, and we ate tub after tub over summer- they were rather tasty! A couple of self seeded tomato plant had popped up, so we replanted those as well. Not quiet sure if its the right season, but happy to experiment and see what happens. We also planted spinach, kale and marigolds for added prettiness.  There is a little bit of room left in some pots, so we might add some herbs at a later date.
And just as we were packing away our tools, I discovered this delicate moth on the washing- isn't she pretty!

seven

We celebrated Grace's 7th birthday on the weekend- with a mermaid party of course! With 18 children in the house it was somewhat hectic, but all went to plan. A big thanks to all our helpers! We normally try to keep birthday's very simple, but I am realising just how quickly the years are passing us by so decided to make this one just a little more special for her to remember. I found these graphics on etsy, which I used to make cupcake topper, tags for party bags ect, which was a bit of fun! I also managed to finish off all the mermaids for her friends just in time. We made mermaid necklaces with all the children, with sparkly jewels, pearls and 'sea weed'. They looked fantastic on!

And the morning of the birthday is always fun, isn't it? I love the delight on little faces as gifts are opened. Its lovely to see everyone enjoying the birthday celebrations!

Happy 7th Birthday Grace xx

lovely lounge & cosy cushions

So here's the lounge: cleaned, repaired and slightly modified - goodbye skirt, hello legs! I am so, so happy with how it scrubbed up. We finally brought it inside today, which was just a little bit exciting. It goes kind of well with our other mismatched lounges. And you will be glad to know that I have actually been doing some sewing again - yep, I know... super exciting!! See those colourful cushions? Some were finished about six months ago, and the others I churned out this week. Piping, zips and all. And even though I chose the fabrics over a year ago, I must say they are a perfect match for this couch and really bring it to life. The fabrics are a mix of 'Nicey Jane' by Heather Bailey and 'Love' by Amy Butler.
In case anyone was wondering about the *sleeping* children on the lounge, I can assure you they are not - just happy to get in a photo any way they can!