Hello sunshine....

I know the weather has been fine for about a week now but I have been decidedly under the weather if you know what I mean.... but sunshine always makes me feel more motivated so

today we made some 'new' crayons

and baked a really easy and scrumptious banana cake

here's how:

Banana Cake

Cream 2 tbs of margarine with 1 cup of sugar. Add 1 beaten egg (or "No Egg" equivalent). Add 3 mashed very ripe banana's, one at a time. Mix in 2 cups of SR flour and 1 tsp of Bi-carb soda. Then add 2 tbs of milk (soy in our case) and mix until well combined. Pour into greased and floured loaf tin and bake in a moderate oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean!!! Still licking my lips.....

I have also been doing a number of things of the crafty variety and will post photo's in the next few days.

Hope you have been enjoying the sunshine too :)

Spoilt rotten

So it's the school holidays. The day of the promised sleepover loomed. Two nephews aged 9 and 11 together with my girls aged 3 and 4 - phew, I'm exhausted just thinking about it!


They arrived on Friday morning - me still in my dressing gown.

I spent the morning preparing a picnic lunch then we strolled down to our own little part of the bush known as Girrahween Park, only a 10 minute walk from our house. How lovely it was to sit and eat our sandwiches with the sounds and smells of the bush around us! After a short little bush walk we returned home and I finished of my fantastic new skirt that I've been working on, while my girls happily played with their cousins (yay - no constant interruptions).





I cannot tell you how much I am loving this skirt. I bought the beautiful corduroy back here finally picked up a pattern which was exactly what I wanted (A-line, pockets, zip at back) last week. It was a very easy pattern and I really love the finished product! I convinced my nephew to take afew shots of me, a little blurry but you get the picture.


Today we spent the morning making a scrumptious Apple and Strawberry Crumble. This is another of the recipe's in my repertoire which is delicious, easy and allergy friendly - mmmm. This is how to make it:




Heat in a saucepan 4 peeled, cored and chopped apples with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water and 1 tsp cinnamon. Heat with lid on for 15 mins over low heat until the apple is soft. Stir in a punnet of chopped strawberries. In a mixer blend one cup of rolled oats with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 100g margarine. Fill the bottoms of individual ceramic pots or a single oven dish with the apple mixture and top with the oat mixture. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 mins. Serve with cream, ice-cream or custard.


Tonight, a complete change of pace, my darling husband and I are going out sans children (sleepover at Nanna's) for dinner and then a ghost tour of the Rocks. Can't wait. All in all this has shaped up to be a very satisfactory weekend so far......

Sneaky Mr Sniffles

Not too much has been happening in these parts this week, as sneaky Mr Sniffles has been a most unwelcome guest.



My mum and I took the girls to the Australian Museum's Open Day last Sunday. Poor miss B came down with a fever while we were there and while we were fussing over her miss A did a disappearing act - a most anxious five minutes I NEVER want to repeat.


Miss A was very good, apparently telling the staff member at the reception desk her name, my name and what I was wearing! I think I was more of a mess than she was.


I've been learning new sewing techniques to make this flower brooch....

making fabric covered boxes with my girls (they chose the fabric - the green snake skin print wins over miss B every time!)....

and making these delightful little crochet flower squares - the pattern for which can be found here at this most lovely blog.

A girl's just got to craft (in sickness and in health....).

Feast your eyes....

Today I paid a visit to my in-laws. While this is always a pleasant experience today it was even more so. I went through my mother in-laws pattern stash and came up with these little beauties!

And there are more - but I thought I better pace myself as I'm not too quick in the old actually finishing a project stakes. I was also bestowed with some fabric - you can never have too much you know.....

I've spent much of the past two days (once again) perusing the many wonderful and inspiring blogs out there. There is a giveaway here, from this talented lady which I would really like to win - third time lucky maybe? Fingers crossed xxx.

A quick thank you to all you lovely readers who commented on my last post, your kind words and encouragement have inspired me to make some of my Versatile Shopper bags to sell, hopefully in the not too distant future - so watch this space. Thanks :)