bread dough magnets

An idea, day to day chatter.
Flour, water, salt. Kneading.
Pudgy fingers. Rollers and cutters.
Slow, gentle heat.
Morning sun, bare feet and ocean toned paints.
Patience and dexterity. Haphazardness and final flourishes.
Hot glue and magnets. Pride.

Sea star magnets for Remy's party were made using this recipe.
Joining in with this magnificent community.

Steph x

nourish

 

To fuel, to strengthen, to provide growth and sustenance. To enliven, to restore, to make hearts sing. To tempt, to comfort.....to nourish.

Lemon Tart from Bill's Basics by Bill Granger. Oh how we love Mr. Granger in these parts!
Cracking open another bottle of our homemade, ruby hued Quince Jelly. Sweet, sweet nectar.
Extra large organic free range eggs....we go through oodles of them each week. Perhaps it's time to fill this backyard with some feathered friends of our very own.
Salt and pepper calamari - squid tubes cut into rings were tossed in seasoned flour and shallow fried for a whisker of time. Spritzed with lemon and sprinkled with a little more sea salt. Eaten with gusto with one hand whilst fighting off the babies with the other!
Neon borlotti beans were boiled to soften then tossed in a hot pan with garlic oil. Smashed onto buttered sour dough toast and topped with chopped parsley and a whisker more garlic oil and sea salt. Oh my word!

What gorgeous smells are permeating from your kitchen lately? What are you devouring?

Last days to enter my little thank-you giveaway too.

Steph x

just us

The day after the little man's birthday we found ourselves the most perfect of days. A day with no plans, a day of spontaneity, a day with just us. Organised parties are so special in their way with their abundance of food, laughter and good spirit; the overflowing of excitement, warmth and love. But to be handed a serendipitous day to regroup, recharge and celebrate our baby boy's first year was pure magic.

While the soaring temperatures and the air thick with humidity drove lunch goers indoors to bathe in frosty air conditioning, we chose the outdoor courtyard. A serene space of timber, foliage and dappled light shadowed by a magnificent frangipani tree; her scent languidly wafting on the breeze.

Divine coffee for us and fresh fruit cocktails for the babies. Pork belly cassoulet, beef and tomato hash with poached eggs, pesto and house made dukkah. And the brownie to beat all brownies with honeycomb icecream, white chocolate ganache and chocolate fairy floss! Best of all....one wee candle and the chance to wish our boy the happiest of birthdays...just us.

Steph x

We spent a gorgeous few hours at Lock and Load Bistro in West End. The service was impeccable, the food divine and the beautiful aesthetics helped us to stop time for a while.

And don't forget to enter my little thank-you giveaway.

his birthday

 

The sun rose and the morning birds could be heard heralding it's arrival. They busied themselves preparing for their day ahead. The little man slept. We rose and pottered about in the cool morning air. Tables were set, lovingly prepared decorations were hung to create a sea scape amongst our garden foliage, baskets of wooden blocks were laid out on a rug for our younger friends, this and that was checked. He still slept...such is his way.

In his own time his melodious babble could be heard and we finally greeted our birthday boy. Presents were opened and new friends were introduced. His gentleness, his serenity, all that we hold so very dear in him seemed all the more apparent on his special day as those sea blue eyes took in all the wonder around him.

A turtle cake of his very own, a bounty of thoughtful gifts, gentle touches, giant smiles, misty eyes.
A beautiful day marking not only his first birthday but that of his Great Granddad's. He has ninety years on our little man.

When the last well wisher had departed we put this boy of ours to bed. He slept for three hours and woke to find his world back the way he knows it best. We delighted in each other that afternoon and felt so very blessed to have shared our day with so many loved ones and friends.

Our baby boy is one and we love him to the the moon and the stars and the sun.....and back.

Steph x

We gave Remy a beautiful Steiner doll from Dragonfly Toys and added some new gorillas to our collection of Schleich animals. Thanks K for the gorgeous party picture of us together.
And I'd love you to enter my thank-you giveaway over here.

52

 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week."



Bijou: As I hang out the washing she tea parties in the shade. I can hear her constant imaginary chatter. I love the leafy offerings.
Remy: One today! A beautiful party...a big, big sleep...bird watching and berry smoothie drinking in the afternoon. Joy.

Joining in with this lovely.

Steph x

little things - party preparation

Bread dough sea stars for the party bags.
Every night for a week this man poured wax into teeny little walnut shells....be still my heart.
A fleet of boats ready for sail.
Fluorescent coloured fruit and the joys of a melon baller.
Sharing the beater. Your turn, my turn, your turn....
Jute twine...oh so much jute twine.

Little things that make our world. Things I want to capture, tuck away and peak at another day....and smile.

Ever inspired by this gorgeous lady.

And don't forget my little thank-you giveaway.

Steph x

birthday bags

With my smallest babe's birthday upon us my thoughts have turned to gift wrappings. I remember as a child having parcels wrapped in an eclectic mix of recycled papers; small yellowed sections showing where the sticky tape had once held the gift's contents secret.

Garish sunflowers from our next door neighbour's kitchen tea, embossed champagne flutes intertwined and circled with ribbon for her engagement party, silver bells from her wedding, powder blue rattles from her first Barn's christening. My Mum kept an enormous bag of snips and scraps of pretty paper she squirrelled away for another day. I have her to thank for my make do philosophy.

A serendipitous find of a vintage birthday tablecloth coupled with our desire to tread more lightly on this beautiful planet lead to a collection of birthday bags. A variety of rectangles were cut to accomodate all sorts of lovely things, with right sides together they were over locked (you could simply sew them using a straight stitch and then zig zag stitch around them for durability). A small hem was made around the top of the bag by folding about 1 centimetre and pressing and then another centimetre and stitching. The bags were then turned the right way and pieces of bias binding long enough to make a good bow were attached with a few rows of stitching a little way from the top of the bag.

I have a dream that these bags will still be making an appearance at my babies' twenty firsts and greeted with the same childish enthusiasm. I can hope.

As a thank-you to all of you for so wholeheartedly embracing my new blog I'd like to offer a set of eight of these birthday bags. You simply have to be a follower (or become one) and leave a comment on this post. It is open to international readers also.  I will keep it open until 5pm Thursday 29th November 2012 est and will choose a winner by random number generator.

Hoping the rest of your week is grand,

Steph x

Joining in with these lovelies today.

Comments are now closed. The winner drawn by random number generator is Anne from Take Shape Fitness. Congrats Anne!

his invitations

 

She has always had a second shadow. He follows her everywhere and she wouldn't have it any other way. I often find them side by side with heads almost touching, engaged in some gentle play. Sometimes she leads and he follows. Other times he is the conductor. Of course there is a natural ebb and flow that comes with all human interaction but a mild and tender equilibrium always seems to settle.They have a gentleness; a quietness together. I catch her singing Sarah Humphries' ethereal and utterly beautiful version of John Lennon's Beautiful Boy to him. He watches her so intently; his head cocked to the side. She tousles his soft hair.

On Sunday he turns one and a party is being planned. Invitations have been made, a turtle cake chosen for Mumma to make, wee party bags are being filled with little lovely things. The lawn needs mowing, fruit needs to be cut up and wooden toys need to be wrapped. It is a delicious hive of activity.

But amidst all this flurry of industry I pause to drink in all that is this beautiful being. My boy.

He has kept those piercing blue eyes that have been here since the day he said hello to the world. He smiled early. He still smiles....all the time. Alabaster skin and hair tinged with copper. Almost walking and so very proud of himself. Our little man-y you are so very adored.

Remy's simple party invitations were made from recycled card which was beautifully (and thoroughly!) painted by two little elves. A fish shape was drawn, a template was made and much cutting was done. A jute twine fishing line and party details on the back. Such a pretty, silvery school of fish I dare say.

Beautiful Boy is on Sarah's beautiful "Him" EP.

Steph x