The Great Australian Dream 'House' Party

Australia Day Picnic, at my half finished house, for my birthday!  A gorgeous day, a chance for my tassie friends to visit and see the work in progress for the first time and lots of yummy food that Mum and I baked. Oh and the Hottest 100, was pretty perfect.

I didn't get the camera out until late in the day, so not many peeps in the photos, but my sweet "niece and nephews", being aunty Julie to a crew of my friends children is awesome.

 Aidan, Marty and Olivia exploring

 never to young to play the 'game' - and don't you just love that dress!

(yes one of mine)

 'look Mum, aunty Julie has a drain!  I love drains'

 picnic vista backdrop

 frame up, tours of the house were had

 the party is over

 standing in the kitchen pantry doorway, looking through kitchen, dining/living and out to the view

 from the living room looking back through to the kitchen

 

a peak at the master bedroom!

I had a fabulous birthday with old and new tassie friends and can't wait to invite them all back for the housewarming once I'm in.  Next the deck is being put on, then the roof, windows and cladding - will look very different very soon.....

Cupcakes

It was a dear little girl's 2nd birthday party today and I gleefully made cupcakes to help celebrate the occasion!

raspberry creme butterfly cakes

 the birthday girl checks for quality

Bec's cupcakes with the cutest animals - I have a lion bookmark now!

life is sweet

sewing retro love

There really is so much joy in recycled crafting.  There is the delight of finding treasures in opshops, the delving into the stash of inspiring but yet minimally used craft books and planning the perfect gift for that special one in your life and then pulling it all together and creating the new object of desire which will hopefully bring lots of others joy too.

Yesterday morning I took the kids doona cover I found in Deloraine and turned a piece of it into a dress for my lovely friend Nicola's 1 year old Olivia.  I used the sewing machine for the first time in months, had some trouble with the bias binding edges, but ultimately achieved a very cute 'pillow case' dress from Betz White's Sewing Green,  and then the oos and ahs of recognition, and "i think Mum still has those sheets at home!"  big smile.  Can wait to see Olivia in it this summer.

Tasmanian Craft Fair and Deloraine op-shop goodness

I have never before been to the Deloraine / Tasmanian Craft fair which has grown to be a huge event in Tasmania every year.  Surprising but true - but then neither had Mum, so that is probably why.  So I proposed a trip and off we went on a perfect mum & daughter bonding adventure day.  We left South Hobart at about 8.20am and arrive back pretty much 12 hours later. I have well and truly gotten used to the required three hour drive after my time in SA and that meant we had about 6 hours to wonder and look, and buy and chill and eat and wonder some more! We both got lots of inspiration, but didn't buy to much, except my weakness came when I took Mum to Fresh Fabric - probably the best fabric store in Tasmania.  The first time I every walked into that shop I exclaimed I wanted to move in and live there!  And of course it is surrounded by three country op-shops in which i found so many yummy bargains....

there were some great displays, which i sometimes admired more than the products...

Lunch was a Mum special of Spinach & Ricotta pie with salad, in the car in the green green padock

Fresh Fabric and 2 Quilt Ladies, fat quarters

bargain bundles

 I have a bit of an orange / yellow container thing happening lately, not normally my thing

came with 6 cups and saucers, and a found one matching tea cup and saucer

tea cups for cactus

  can't wait to make some kids clothes with this!

We hardly got any rain during the day, until it was time to leave.  We went the scenic route through Westbury and stopped for local ice cream from Andy's - and it was amazing.  I had Jaffa and Chocolate Hazelnut and Mum had Chocolate Rough and Hazelnut - and it was full of roasted crushed nuts and little chocolate chunks and was just bloody good way to finish the day.

Tip Shop Treasure and pieces of house colours

Last weekend and the way to the block I visited my soon (ish) to be local op shop and tip shop to acquaint myself with them.  For some weird reason I find it hard to go to new places for the first time and then once I have they become a regular attraction.  The op shop was not so exciting this week and they don't have much in the non clothes items but the tip shop was an exciting cave of treasures.  I found great desks, pieces of furniture, tea cups, a huge vinal record collection......  these are not necessarily things I want now but they provided lots of creative ideas, it was great to see what kinds of things were there and I did splurge on one awesome vintage find.

Cake or cookies anyone? 

This cost me a huge $1, which is about all I can manage on the current budget so I was very happy!  I think this will look fabulous in my new kitchen.

And speaking of kitchens - I also went to the kitchen place and picked out my bench and cupboard colours - this is one of the fun things!

 

 River Pebble Dimensions Finish bench top

Parchment doors and drawers and Black ends, breakfast bar and kickboards

 And while I'm talking colours the house will be:

Black roof (night sky) and Deep Ocean Cladding

 and a 

something like this

putting together the pieces of my house is the biggest treat. :-)

 

Barossa Treasures

The gorgeous Alice F and I had a girls road trip to the Barossa on Saturday and I couldn't have thought up a more perfect way to spend a day.

We left pretty early (7am ish) and headed down to the Barossa Farmers Market and headed straight to the breakfast - coffee, fresh oj and egg and bacon rolls - so very good.  I had mine with beetroot relish - yum

barossa fm breakfast

sated we then had a good look around.  my first stop was Careme for gorgeous cake and pastry.  I picked up sourdough fruit bread - my absolute favourite bread and a lush chocolate brownie with fig.  I convinced Alice to try the lemon tart - they are too good.

Careme goodies on offer

I wanted to buy a Careme shopping bag as a keepsake but they gave it to me for free!

after the market we hit the towns Angaston and Tanunda for op shopping adventures.  The awesome secondhand clothes shop in Angaston was shut but I managed to pick up a couple of funky aprons...

$2, $5, $1.50

some lovely glassware

 10c - $2.99

and some retro craft books for inspiration

$1 each

I also grabbed a couple of shirts and an old sheet for craft fabric projects - not sure what yet.....

I seemed to be inspired by autumn colours on this outing

After so much shopping - for so little money we headed back to Angaston for a late late lunch at Blonde Coffee a gorgeous cafe and deli/food store that I love for it's atmosphere and simple yet tasty food, great coffee and chai and lush cakes.  it is the kind of place I would love to run one day and the kind of place I so wish we had in the Riverland.

It was the best of days, with fun window shopping and antique browsing, bargain buys, such good food and the best company.  sweet memories - thanks alice :-)

Melbourne Round Up

Since I got back it has been crazy at work and i've been feeling less than fabulous so there has been a bleep in the blog.

The rest of my Melbourne trip was busy, challenging and thought provoking.  Plus some fun.  Most of my friends had lots of life stuff going on so not much socialising around the conference but I did get to have breakfast with Ben on his Birthday - AMAZING french toast with caramelised banana at Gas Eateries & Supply Cafe in South Melbourne and then of course Ben's 30th party where I got to catch up with Andrew and some old faces.

Ben had a Bonn Voyage party so I trimmed up a tee-shirt for a sailor girl look.  wearing it made me feel very anime, sailor moon.....

ahoy- thanks costume store for inspiration

On Sunday the lovely Louris and I went and checked out the Rose Street Artist Market which was filled with lovely things.  nothing I had to buy - luck because i had my suitcase with me and there was NO room in it.  But lots of inspiration!  Then we went to The Vegie Bar for coffee (and juice for me as a bit seedy fro the 30th!) I haven't been there for so long - not surprising since i don't live in Melbourne but I was reminded of the amazing menu they have, I wish I'd been hungry.

With time to kill and nothing to do but wonder before I headed to the airport I found myself at the Sustainable Living Festival at Fed Square.  I was tired and hot but I found a lovely vege buger (finally hungry) and some shade and chilled out on the river front.  Melbourne really has a lot going for it, that i didn't always make the most of when I lived there.

The flight home involved a mid air delay and diversion around a storm and I landed in Mildura very tired.  Dinner with Thom turned into a an overnight stay thanks to a spare room with inviting new1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, bit not before I was introduce to the PlayStation and war games - not really my thing but insightful watching the boys all the same...

Treat One - from Craft Victoria shop

Material Treats from Clear It on Brunswick - Dangerfield and Alana Hill

 

Alana Hill Ribbon treat - pretty

Food for Thought

I found this apron at my local op shop and paid 50 cents.  While I was in Melbourne I checked out Hunter Gatherer on Brunswick St - they had a suitcase full of vintage aprons - most at $20.00  

No more trips for me (at least nothing interstate) until I head back to Tas.  But I think I have plenty to keep me busy......