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 :)

Introducing the Versatile Shopper....

Hooray! I've finished one of the projects I had on the go.

The idea for this bag came from the ever increasing number of shops cutting back on plastic shopping bags (yay for the environment). But I've been less excited about the ugly shopping bags you can get from your supermarket etc. so decided to have a go at making one myself using some Amy Butler Mid West Modern fabric - so now I can shop while looking fabulous and doing my bit for the environment!

Never one to do things by halves this is my first ever go at sewing a zipper (no straight and simple zips for me). After a little bit of fluffing about and a little bit of cursing it came to me and I am very pleased with my first effort!

The zippered pouch which the bag folds up into when not in use, forms a nifty little pocket on the front when the bag is open.

The bag is nice and light weight - perfect for carrying around in your handbag just waiting for those emergency/must have/impulse purchases. All the seams are reinforced to carry the heaviest of loads.

This will be going straight into my handbag!

I would love to hear what you think, let me know wont you?

Crafty goodness

I've been feeling a little uninspired and despondent about my crafting of late, with several projects on the go and none of them going right.

BUT after a lovely day spent on the northern beaches with a group of talented and lovely crafters, getting a few more squares for my quilt done,

and after receiving this lovely gift from Sophie I do feel much better.

My swap item seemed well received and has found a new home here, where I hope a lovely little girl will grow to love her.

Thank you Craftroom (of course I mean you Corrie!)

wet weather wonders

This precipitation has been......persistent.

Therefore lot's of indoor creative activity was called for, resulting in...

allergy friendly cookie baking

recipe as follows:

Basic Cookie Dough

120gm margarine

1/2 cup caster sugar

Orgran 'No Egg' - 1 egg equivelant

2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

3-4 drops vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 170C, and line two ovens trays with baking paper.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat together the marg and caster sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the 'No Egg' and mix until combined.

4. Add the sifted flour and vanilla.

5. Knead mixture to form a ball. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in fridge to rest (approx. 20 minutes).

6. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough evenly on a clean, lightly floured surface, until it is 4-5mm thick.

7. Use cutter to shape dough into desired shapes and place on oven trays.

8. Place in oven and cook for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden .

9. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.

I also added some Lindt 85% cocoa dark chocolate (contains no dairy!), roughly chopped, at the kneading stage - yum!

Strawberry Coconut slice, recipe from current addition of Family Circle

Chocolate truffles

and some flannelette pyjama's for the girls!

It's the first time I have tried machine applique and my machine was not cooperating (I hear you Tania), but I had promised I would have them ready by next morning - and so I would God damn it.

The pants were made with some flannelette I had purchased oh, maybe three years ago and somehow or other there just didn't seem enough fabric to make a whole pair of pants for my 'babies' anymore. Hmmm, they do have a habit of growing....

So I paired up the fabrics and made one pair of pj's each. The girls are over the moon, I think they would wear them out if I let them. This just makes the effort so much more rewarding don't you think?

The white tops I bought from my local clothes shop and hey presto a new pair of pyjama's. As miss A said "at least there are no buttons". Spoken like a true four year old!

I have to say I am quite chuffed as well.

Hope your weekend has been as pleasant and productive as mine :)

P.S. I seem to be having major issues with my spacing and page layout - H E L P!