Anna Lloyd

Beach Holiday

2012-01-14T22:03:00.018+11:00

Just spent 10 days on a traditional Lloyd summer holiday with extended in-law family; around 30 of us in total this year. By traditional, see patched up beach umbrella which has seen its fair share of beach holidays. The break was much needed after December craziness... Bah humbug (Honestly dislike pre-Christmas more and more each year). Came back home a few days ago feeling refreshed and invigorated, ready to start 2012 with renewed enthuisiasm. Again vowing to think of ways to create a stress free Christmas this year.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-14T20:58:00.007+11:00

Christmas wrapping, Pavlova and Nibbles wreath (idea from Pinterest of course).

Nursery

2011-12-20T22:05:00.004+11:00

I sewed these little stuffed Spool birds when I was pregnant with my second born. Here they are sitting on a bit of driftwood suspended above her cot. I had to make extras for my son and he plays with them all the time.

Pretty things

2011-12-20T21:51:00.007+11:00

Strawberries from my garden and Teapot (gift from my sister), teacup (my husband brought back from Japan last year) and wooden heart board (from my friends wedding).

Kangaroo Valley

2011-12-06T22:24:00.007+11:00

A few photos from a trip to the country in Spring. The echidna was crossing the road as we drove along and I stopped to take this photo. He/she ambled down a driveway after letting me take some pictures. It was the first echidna I have ever seen in the wild!

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. I am busy working on a very exciting project!

Spring in the garden

2011-09-22T21:28:00.006+10:00

Hurrah for spring, life is good right now. I am enjoying my work immensely, my kids are a beautiful age (one and almost 4) so very cute and playing well together (most of the time). The washing can go outside every day and dries in the sun. It makes such a difference doesn't it?

An experiment, growing carrots in old clay pipes.

My first strawberry for the season. I got to eat it this time, last year the possums and birds ate them all. To my utter dismay "the Cat" takes after his Dad and refuses to eat fruit.

Philotheca flowers in a vinegar bottle.

The little antique pecks fish paste bottle we found in the backyard now holds lavender on the kitchen windowsill.

Inspiration

2011-07-25T21:24:00.006+10:00

Enjoying looking through old photos that I took near my former home in Perth. Inspiration for current work. Reminiscing about a beautiful place that I once called home...

Winter fun indoors

2011-07-17T20:52:00.002+10:00

This winter has been particularly cold. I have been feeling it a lot especially considering that I was pregnant this time last year and I was feeling pretty toasty! So this winter the Cat and I have been enjoying some time indoors doing craft and you can see more over here.

Visit to a maze park

2011-06-28T22:33:00.005+10:00

My little edible patch

2011-06-28T14:09:00.007+10:00

Since these photos were taken the lettuce and parsley have been eaten by the local possums. They are just resprouting now.

Currently in my winter garden I have:

strawberry plants
oregano (recovering well)
sage (going crazy)
lemongrass (re-potted today)
mint (sad, re-potted today)
parsley (nibbled by possums)
perpetual lettuce (nibbled by possums)
mizuna greens (looking and tasting good)
garlic chives (yummy in corn fritters tonight)
onion (experiment)

A sprouting store bought onion which I planted in a pot to see what it would do.

I have never used sage in cooking before so I'm looking forward to trying this. Feel free to send me any of your favourite recipes with sage.

Dear Cat - 3 years 4 months

2011-06-10T21:42:00.012+10:00

You have recently been very sick with Bronchialitis. We have never seen you so sick. Generally when you are sick it doesn't slow you down, you just keep going at normal. But this time you slept for 3 1/2 days and had a temperature around 39 degrees celcius which hardly went down with paracetamol. Normally you like medicine, but we had trouble giving you anything and you wanted lights off, curtains closed, TV off and you just slept. I slept with you at night to make sure you were ok and keeping hydrated. Now you are much better but clingier than usual, you want more hugs and affection.

Your most annoying habit at the moment is to pick a time when I am really busy and attach yourself to me so I can't move. You know the exact way to make yourself really heavy and hindering. I can't wait until you get over this stage.

You are not sure about your sister "the monster". I think you are afraid of her when she cries or makes loud unintelligible sounds. But we have fun playing together with her sometimes. Today we rolled a ball around with her, we had a lovely time. She just adores you and thinks you are hilarious and also cries if you leave the room if I am not there.

At the moment you favourite thing is space rockets and planets. You love to watch the rocket launch on Apollo 13 (the movie) and also read your books on space rockets and planets. Your first word was star and we have to sing "twinkle, twinkle" every night before you go to sleep as part of your routine.

You like to help me cook cakes, muffins and biscuits and also recently you have taken an interest in watching me cook dinner. Your new habit is to get a stool to peer in my pot to see what I am making. I would not be surprised if you turn out to be a cook yourself.

You like to pretend you are different animals, one day you are a dog, the next a bird, then a cat or a bunny. We nicknamed you Cat because you love your little Kitty Cat toy. It is your best friend.

You are growing up quickly, you have just lost your baby look and you are starting to look like a boy. You are acting more grown up too. You will often help me with things when I ask you to.

You have been doing great at swimming, starting to follow instructions really well, wearing your goggles and kicking and blowing bubbles. We decided to take you out of swimming over winter because you kept getting sick. You might take up soccer in July with your friend Torren.

You are clever and pick most things up very quickly, I showed you how to use scissors today. We cut up some tissue paper for a craft activity. You said "mummy show the cat how to use the scissors" (meaning you kitty cat toy sitting beside you) and I showed you and you started cutting like a pro right away.

You can not stay still, you are not easy to cuddle because you are always jerking around. You are just full of beans. It is hard to get a photo of you that isn't in a blur, it doesn't help that you want to see the photo before it has even been taken!

Thank you sweet little man for being my son.

Mum

Dear little Monster - 8 1/2 months

2011-06-08T15:24:00.002+10:00

Just a little note to remember you at this stage in your life. You like to bounce. Earlier we used to put you in a Jolly Jumper, you don't need a Jolly Jumper, you can bounce quite well un-aided. You will bounce sitting on my knee or while being held, or held standing. This will be something about you I think I will remember overall about you as a baby. You have exuberance and joy. You love people - at a distance.

You are definitely Mummy's girl at the moment. You cry bitterly if I leave the room or if someone else holds you... this is flattering but frustrating at the same time.

You have three teeth now, the day you got your last two teeth you were chewing on my fingers like a Tassie devil.

Food You love your Mandarins, they are in season right now. When I am at the shops and you are in my sling you grab for Mandarins while I pick them of the shelf. Your eye's light up when I start peeling one for you and you love to grab and squeeze segments between your fingers. I peel the skin off the segments and tear the segments in two, removing the seeds for you. Otherwise you will eat pretty much anything, but you are not a huge fan of rich creamy things such as avocado or ricotta cheese.

SleepYou sleep well now. At night you will sleep from about 7pm (or when I get you to bed) until about 5.30 - 6am. I am so thankful for this because I value my sleep, I call you my dream baby. By day you prefer to sleep in bed and rarely nap if we are out and about, there is too much to look at and you wouldn't want to miss anything!

Your hair sticks up a lot. I love this, I like to imagine it is a mohawk. My hair was like that too at your age.

You adore your big brother. You will often stop crying if he is around or stop feeding if he is nearby. You follow his every move. You also love to watch Dad when he is home and you bounce in excitement when he is around. You like to "talk", saying "Ahhh" a lot and sometimes "mumumum", "bababab", "dadada", "yeah" stuff like that.

When you were a newborn you would scream if we put you in the bath. Sometimes you were ok with it if we put a warm wet washer on your belly. Now you love it! You kick you legs and splash with you hands and tease your brother. You don't mind to much if the Cat(bro) splashes you. You still enjoy a washer on your belly though.

You are great at sitting up, you can't quite lift yourself up from lying yet but you are very close. You are physically strong but not in a hurry to go anywhere just yet. This is A-ok with me right now. You'll do stuff in your own time. Today I think you waved back at me, but I couldn't be sure.

Love,
Mum.

Autumn flow

2011-05-31T21:02:00.008+10:00

This Autumn we have been busy. We kicked some goals with the home renovations. We agree that the house feels more ours now and more homely too. We finally have a back fence which is an amazing feeling, privacy from the neighbours (lovely as they are), safety for the children and we can now plant some plants and make other changes to the backyard.

We went camping with the kids for the first time, it turned out well and the kids enjoyed it a lot, especially our oldest who had a ball.

I have been sick with a cold for over a month and the kids for several weeks. E is so sick now with Bronchialitis poor little man. He has been quite clingy. It makes me realize how much comfort I give him as his mum, which is a nice feeling.

I have also been making a lot of baby food. I love making it, I find it relaxing but haven't had as much time as I'd like to try different recipes. The William Bartlett pears have been amazing, but most of them go into baby food.

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T21:42:00.004+10:00

Easter craft with E. We drew on hard boiled eggs with crayons, mum and I dripped candle wax on some and we dyed them different colours with food colouring. I was reliving fond memories of my childhood. Easter is my favourite holiday.

In the nursery

2011-03-03T20:51:00.009+11:00

I'm still decorating the nursery, it's a work in progress. The lovely artwork "Singing in the Rain" is by paper artist Dawn. The elephant toy was a gift from my sister and brother in law.

The chair was secondhand from Gumtree, the doll was a gift from my friend Jen.

Five months old

2011-02-24T08:11:00.001+11:00

Joy.

3rd Birthday Party

2011-02-03T08:06:00.003+11:00

E's third birthday was last Sunday. We had a train party because trains are his current obsession. I had so much fun organizing this party, I think there is a frustrated party planner in me... what with the Wedding and High tea I planned last year for my sister. It is nice that he is a bit older now so they can play some party games. We did pass the parcel and some train craft activity. The train cake was the first cake I had made on my own. My mum made the cupcakes last year and for his first birthday mum helped me make the aeroplane cake.

4 months old

2011-02-03T07:47:00.005+11:00

Things are much better around here. Z is doing better, much healthier now. She is a delight.

Bedroom

2010-12-30T22:30:00.008+11:00

This is the bedroom for our firstborn which we decorated this year. It will always be a work in progress as he grows up, but for now it is mostly finished. Blue paint colour is from Nippon paint, Cloud decals from Kikki K ($7), Pictures painted by me, quilt made by me, striped cushion cover made by my mum, floor cushion from Freedom furniture, Trofast storage from Ikea, Miffy toy bought by Steve in Japan, Bunny was a gift from my sister, bed is a cutdown cot - Steve made the side rail.

Gingerbread House

2010-12-21T21:13:00.007+11:00

The Mister bought this kit Gingerbread from Ikea for me to put together with E. Several hours later it had collapsed in on itself.

This year has been crazy. The Christmas cards are going to be late, and I'm not making them this year. We do have a real Christmas tree though, so our Christmas traditions aren't completely broken.

Purple and yellow

2010-12-15T21:04:00.005+11:00

Gorgeous roses from my sister in law's garden. The purple ones smell amazing, like turkish delight.

My Illustration in Easy Living UK

2010-12-15T01:21:00.008+11:00

Back in September I had my illustration the "Crow and the Peacock" published in Easy Living Magazine UK. It was around the same time I gave birth to Zoe so it missed a mention back then. I have finally taken some photos of the magazine. The issue was an Inspiration special, detailing where people got their inspiration for their various endeavours. My illustration was coupled with some of Alex Monroe's beautiful jewellery. He was inspired by the fable the Crow and the Peacock.

Christmas activites

2010-12-15T01:12:00.001+11:00

My friend from Mother's group held a Christmas craft party for the kids, so I decided to make some gingerbread men with E to take to the party. I must admit I find it hard to relax and let him get too messy while cooking and crafting, I am too much of a control freak and my husband hates mess too. The recipe is a great one from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2. I want to use this recipe to make a gingerbread house because it made a nice sturdy gingerbread.

She read a book about the Christmas story, we sang Silent Night and we did some craft activities like these star pictures using bits of paper stuck on vellum with a star frame around it. When you stick it on the window it looks really pretty with the light shining through it.

Summer food

2010-12-07T14:05:00.004+11:00

One night when we had my mum and sister to visit I made this asian style sago dessert.

Soak 1/2 a cup of sago or tapioca with the contents of 1 tin of coconut milk for about an hour. Pour into medium sized pot and add 1/2 cup of water, 30grams of castor sugar and 3 cubes of Jeeny's palm sugar. Simmer on the stove stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the sago turns completely translucent right through. Pour into dishes and leave to set a little. Add chopped mango on top(optional) and serve.

Feeding problems

2010-11-24T08:33:00.003+11:00

The last 10 weeks have been the hardest weeks in my life thus far...

Written at 7 weeks old Well my bub is 7 weeks old now. I must say that my first was not an "easy" bub but I can honestly say that looking after him was a walk in the park compared to my experience so far with Zoe.

E had reflux as a bub and was constantly regurgitating his feeds, where here I think Zoe has what is called silent reflux. I feed her on a slope so her head is up high so gravity helps her with digestion. When I put her down flat for a play, or on her front for tummy time she will scream the house down. I need to hold her upright on my shoulder for at least half an hour to an hour for her to digest after a feed and then put her in her bassinet which is propped up by towels. If I'm lucky she'll go to sleep. But mostly she is hungry again by that stage and we start the process all over again. She is using up so much energy through lack of sleep and crying that she isn't gaining weight. Although she is getting taller. If I need to put her down to tend to something else I put her in her bouncer which has a good angle to it, she is sometimes happy enough in this position for a short while unless she is having a particularly bad bout of reflux.

8 Weeks old. Her Paediatrician admits us to hospital "Failure to thrive." She is diagnosed with insufficient suck and reflux. We had tried feeding her with all different types of bottles at home and she couldn't get milk from any of them. We ended up feeding her with those plastic syringes you get with children's medicine. In hospital she has all sorts of tests for various problems that babies can have. She has an ultrasound, barium test (scary), blood test (just horrible) and urine test (messy). All of these tests come back clear thankfully except for the barium which confirms that she has reflux.

Zoe is 10 weeks old now and she is finally putting on weight. She is having breastfeeds and then is supplement fed with a nifty bottle called the Haberman feeder. This great bottle allows her to feed a lot quicker. She is also taking a supplement called poly-joule powder. It basically extra carbs to give her more calories (energy).

I am taking motillium to boost my milk supply since Zoe cannot draw the milk well and keep my milk coming strong. And I'm pumping when I can. I'm also eating all the things that are meant to help with milk supply.... Weleda breastfeeding tea (which contains fenugreek), steamed fish (the Chinese believe this helps) and sago (Indians say this helps).

And now I am looking towards breastfeeding her normally, am trying to see Speech Pathologist who specializes in infant feeding problems. There are only a few who practise in Sydney.

Some pages that have been useful...
Fact sheet on bottles

Paper for Art swap with Dawbis

2010-11-08T04:52:00.006+11:00

Photo by Dawbis.

I have been following the artwork of Dawn for years now and have been pestering her to let me do a paper for art swap. Once she agreed I started saving some papers I thought she might like. One design I had bought in Florence, Italy. Another at a gift store in the Hunter Valley. Some are from my favourite art supply stores, others are origami papers from a Japanese gift store in the city.

Photo by Dawbis.

Growing our own food

2010-10-31T09:38:00.001+11:00

Recently I have been immersing myself in reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and watching "Gardening Australia" and "the Edible Garden" while feeding Zoe. I have been inspired to grow our own fruit, herbs and vegetables and have so far started planting a small amount of herbs and salad greens. We have been delighted with the results, enjoying salad from our own garden most days. It tastes so much better when it hasn't been sitting in storage for awhile, and it saves us buying a massive lettuce or bunch of herbs and wasting what we don't need.

Above is the Mizuna which is a Japanese lettuce with yellow flowers which you can also eat. We also have mustard greens, perpetual lettuce and sweet rocket (which is a delicious spicy flavour). In the herbs we have rosemary (established), lemongrass, oregano, continental parsley, mint, lemon thyme and garlic chives.

I have two types of strawberries, one type has white flowers and they were a gift from a friend, the other has pink flowers and has green fruit now. My white flowering strawberry plants have produced two ripe strawberries so far, but they where nabbed by birds before I could get to them. I might have to put netting over them so I get to try one this season!

And then there were four...

2010-10-08T02:49:00.005+11:00

Our Spring baby was born one stormy night in September. We named her Zoe which seems fitting as the name means "Life". There was something magical to me about the night she was born. She was a big girl at 4.35kg and 54cm long. Zoe and her big brother have been keeping me busy!

Bringing Zoe home.

Sleeping on Daddy.

Spring in the garden

2010-09-28T04:12:00.005+10:00

Catching up on some posts... I have been otherwise occupied having my spring baby! I'll update on that soon. Meanwhile all the flowers and bees are out in our garden. When it rains you can hear frogs chirping happily from their leafy homes, and the bell birds tinking away at the tops of the trees. I love this time of year.

Late pregnancy

2010-09-12T05:35:00.003+10:00

I'm all bump. It's quite comical really.

My Creative Space - Finished Quilt

2010-08-26T07:31:00.005+10:00

Finally this quilt is done! It is my first finished quilt for my firstborn. Finished just in time for him to use it on his toddler bed. I used some Peas and Carrots fabrics and various others I picked up to match. The design is a really simple log pattern block. I decided to hand quilt it in a circle pattern because I much prefer the look of hand quilting than machine quilting.

I'm pretty chuffed with the binding fabric that I chose to finish it off. It ties all the fabrics together with the blue, yellow and red.

See more creative spaces over at Kootoyoo!

Sewing for the nursery

2010-08-25T22:11:00.003+10:00

I'm making a flock of birds right now. The tulips were from my Mr, aren't they perdy? That bird feels right at home.

Home Inspiration

2010-08-23T11:05:00.007+10:00

Just discovered this sneekpeak on DesignSponge which I love. We all know how much I love green and I have also been loving reds, orange and blues lately. I love the mix of old and new in this place. Somehow it just looks fresh.

I must admit I have been loving frames made from recycled bits of wood recently (like the ones in the bedroom) I think I am a frustrated beachcomber.

And the nursery has been done in similar colours to ours. We have done the green wall again like in E's room with orange and red accessories. I can't wait to finish our house someday. It is currently so far removed from my vision for it that I am secretly embarrassed whenever anyone visits!

winter trip to the country

2010-08-14T22:09:00.011+10:00

My little man on some vintage play equipment.

Brunch at my favourite cafe. I had bread and butter pudding and Chai tea. It was sooooo good.

I love the signage in this cafe and everything about it. It is cozy and warm inside in winter and lovely outside in the warmer months.

This moment

2010-08-13T08:00:00.000+10:00

I love the colours in this photo of E playing with his friends. I'm trying to make the most of these last months with my son before my second baby arrives. Anyone got any suggestions for activities I can do with him? I am 35 weeks pregnant now.

My Creative Space - High Tea

2010-08-05T07:30:00.005+10:00

Last weekend I hosted a high tea celebration for my sister who is getting married this weekend. Actually it was more of a brunch because more sparkling wine was consumed than tea. The frustrated stylist in me had so much fun putting this table together! I was road testing the cake stands that we had made for the wedding cupcakes. They are made using thrifted plates and glasses. The homemade flavoured marshmallows are from a local Patisserie called Sweetness. The birds I am currently making for a mobile which will go in the nursery. The bird pattern is from Spool sewing.

I didn't get photos of the food once it was all in place but you get the idea. We had Strawberries, Baklava, marshmallows, Orange and Cranberry Oat cookies, Golden syrup slice (vegan), mini quiches, cucumber sandwiches (some with avocado, swiss cheese or salmon), cherry cheese cake, cranberry brownies and chilli chocolate muffins.

Visit more Creative Spaces over here.

Winter at our house

2010-07-07T20:59:00.004+10:00

We have gotten over our winter colds and are spending this chilly winter mostly indoors. We're still nesting and have a bit more to do before baby arrives. I have almost finished the quilt (my first) for my little man. It has taken so long and it was in storage for awhile when we moved back to Sydney, so I feel like it is a huge achievement getting it completed!

My thrifted pinch teapot and African violets.

In the garden with the little man.

The japanese maple losing it's leaves.

Inspiration for picnic wedding

2010-05-24T13:15:00.007+10:00

My sister is getting married in August and the wedding planning is ramping up. Here are some inspiration photos we have collected of similar wedding ideas. The colours will be white and red with a bit of pink thrown in.

Decorations by Pixieart

Cupcake from unknown source, sorry!

Forks for a picnic by Liz Banfield. We have found some bamboo cutlery online.

Bread baskets by Nicole Davis.

Roses by Morgan is cool

Second Pregnancy - 19 week ultrasound

2010-05-14T20:39:00.004+10:00

I had the 19 week ultrasound a few weeks ago and I have finally got around to scanning the pictures! As far as they could tell everything is going well! Next week the new babies room should be all finished and we can move E in there and start on decorating his bedroom. I have been feeling a bit crummy of late, hubby has been away for work this week and his work has been pretty crazy lately. And we've all been sick with the first round of winter colds going around. E has been a handfull but he is a two year old so that is to be expected!

Painting

2010-05-04T22:45:00.003+10:00

Green for the new babies room. It feels like we have been prepping and painting this room forever, it's been three weekends now. There were so many bits to fill and sand and so many coats to paint over the submarine grey it was before! This green is the same colour we did E's room in Perth. E's room is going to be a bright blue.

Someone throw me a life jacket!

2010-04-28T21:49:00.003+10:00

This year is speeding by I tell you. Before I know it I'll have my second baby in my arms. I can't believe I am over 20 weeks pregnant now! These photos are from a few weeks ago when we went to visit family... Anyone would think looking at this blog that we were always at the beach or lake. But thats not really the case, we are mostly painting and renovating the house at snails pace. I should be posting pictures of paint tins and holes in walls.

The scones were made by my neice Gabby. I seem to be eating a lot of scones lately, are they in vogue at the moment and no-one told me?

Autumn Garden

2010-04-15T12:29:00.002+10:00

In summer it is a bit hot to hang out in our backyard too much but lately it has been cooler and lovely out there. We have got Ethan some more outdoor toys so he is loving it out the back too. Now we are looking for a little cubby house to put out there.

Our chillies have been turning red too, these ones are really spicy hot.

On making things

2010-03-19T21:03:00.015+11:00

I was thinking about a conversation I had with a friend the other day, on having time to make things... and I realised something (which is probably quite obvious really)... That the best friends you can have are those that encourage you to improve or grow. Friends can do that in different ways, they can listen to you or comment on your life / actions (in a positive way) or empathise, or share their philosophies on life. Friendships can go through "seasons" too, so stick with them if you can!

What I was lamenting was the fact that I don't find the time to make things because I used to be able to find hours at a time to paint or create, so I would wallow in a creation or creations for maybe even a whole day (much to my husbands frustration). Now I struggle with the fact that my creative hours have turned to minutes at a time. I was asking said friend how she found time to create and she told me that she had to change her pre-concieved ideas of the outcome. She doesn't think "I have to create this perfect object that I have in mind, I'm just going to create because I need to, to stay sane!"

I loved this idea from Jenny Sue and this post by Penny and this post which I happened to read not long after this conversation. It also got me onto thinking about my life and current stresses too, my bad back and all the things we want to do to the house. I just need to step back and realise there is no hurry, I can spend an half an hour to an hour gardening instead of two and maybe my back won't get so bad, it doesn't matter if we don't get everything done, so do it by half.

One thing I know is that I have to be creative in some way, it doesn't really matter what it is, I can cook, decorate, draw, paint, collage, make jewellery, sew, do web design, you name it. At the moment it is cooking. Today I made healthy pear muffins and pumpkin soup! Oh and I made playdough shapes with E!

My current to-do list (much shortened version)

~~finish hand quilting E's quilt!~~

Finish the quilted coasters I'm making for my sister

~~Finish blocks for my friend's son's birthday~~

new website for my friends business

Potty training book for E in Aussie wording and doesn't talk about buying a new potty (we already have one)

Finish the book I am writing

Table runners for living room

Placemats for the dining table

Rug for Ethan's room (Handmade Home)

Door stop (from Crafty Minx book)

Sketches for children's books

Make a Colouring book

Lots of cooking going on...

2010-03-14T22:10:00.008+11:00

This weekend we had family visiting so we did a bit more cooking than usual. My favourite Tiramisu recipe I have tried so far is from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2. It is really simple too.

And Potato pancakes... My husband cooks the potatoes and makes the batter and I do the pan frying. The batter is really delicate and my husband doesn't have the patience for flipping these ones! The recipe is from a Delicious cookbook, I think it is called "5 of the best".

And something I cook if I want to use up some things in the fridge or I am just cooking for me one night. This frittata has pumpkin and mushrooms and a bit of capsicum in it.

Our news!

2010-03-09T14:01:00.011+11:00

We are very excited that we have another baby on the way! It is due in mid September. I haven't been too unwell morning sickness but I have a bad back already. It doesn't help that I have my little poppet to pick up and cuddle, put in the car, take out of the car and whisk out of mischief!

We have also been in a big rush to try and get our home the way we want it before the second baby arrives. That way we can focus on enjoying being a family... In the to-be-babies room there is a pull down wall bed, which we don't use, so I need to sell that on Gumtree (like Craigslist) and paint the room in some nice light and bright colours. At the moment it is submarine grey in there - how lovely. We have been doing lots of weed removal in the garden and painting inside among other things. I purchased some vegetable seeds yesterday and we have a new compost bin. The plan is to make a start on a vegetable garden...

Picnic at the beach

2010-03-08T21:38:00.006+11:00

On the weekend we visited a friend who lives near the beach, we had a picnic in a little cove and took E for a paddle. I just love finding fun things in nature like these red and black Waratah anemones! There were also lots of little schools of fish, if you were fast enough you could catch them with your cupped hands.

In the garden

2010-03-05T13:42:00.006+11:00

These native violets I planted in the front yard when we moved in, they are flowering like crazy now. I'm hoping that soon we will have carpets of these between the other plants. I think I will move the ones in the pot to the back garden and plant my strawberries in the pot. These plants love a bit of precipitation, they go a bit nuts after the rain, but they also do ok when it is dry. I love them.

Quiet week

2010-03-05T13:07:00.003+11:00

With the change in weather now that Autumn has arrived, the little one and I have been sick this week. So this photo makes me remember this week with E, cosy indoors with the occasional venture outside.

Lovely pendant lamps

2010-03-04T14:54:00.003+11:00

Lamps from here as seen in this home featured on the Design Files.

Paris 2007

2010-02-26T09:15:00.005+11:00

I want to live here!

The final photo I posted because it is a little joke. Hubby took the photo because he thinks "Baby on Board" signs are hilarious, particularly in French... but the funny thing for me, is that I am in the background and little did we know that I had a baby on board...

My Creative Space - Magazine files

2010-02-25T15:27:00.024+11:00

I so enjoyed the most recent issue of Frankie mag that I decided it was high time I decorated my Ikea "Knuff" magazine files!

This is how to cover a magazine file...

1. First paint the front with off white acrylic paint. You could skip this step, but I like to see a little white around the edges when I sand back the paper.

2. Cut a piece of your chosen paper to the size of the front part of the file, make it slightly bigger than the file so you can sand the edges back.

3. When the paint is dry, put a coat of Mod Podge glue over the top. Quickly paint a coat of glue on the back of your paper and stick to the still wet front of your magazine file.

4. Using a craft knife cut an x (cross) in the circle of the hole, pushing the paper in to the inside (be careful not to damage the file or paper surrounding).

5. When the glue has dried, sand the edges around the rectangle of the file using a sanding block so that the excess paper is removed. Push backwards as you do this so it makes a clean line.

6. Rip a piece of sandpaper and do the same inside the hole.

7. Use sealer to varnish over the paper to protect it from getting grubby. When I varnished over some of the papers it changed the colours a little, so you may want to test the varnish on a scrap of the same paper first.

Next I might cover some storage drawers...

To see many more Creative Spaces visit kootoyoo

Lovely things

2010-02-17T13:28:00.005+11:00

Salad bowl from Grounded. It's such an organic shape, it makes me want to hold it in my hands. As seen on Jeana Sohn's blog. Hey, a girl can dream...

Things to make

2010-01-30T22:18:00.012+11:00

There is a tutorial to make this mirror on Design Sponge, I'd like to make one. Luckily my Mum has some leatherworking tools!

The forest wall art is sold at Freedom Furniture. I want to make something similar using three wood panels, painting them white and carving out some trees. I want to paint our fireplace a green colour ( I think) and hang them there.

I want to make similar cushions using some of my cherished fabrics from Cloth, Ink and Spindle and Umbrella Prints. Photo from the home of Shelley and Stephan as seen on the Design Files. I also love the old ladder in the background which holds picture frames.

And because I think this would look lovely with the other things pictured here, a vintage lamp - I would love to find one similar!

Found on the Design Files from Lyn Gardener's White House - photo by Tim James.

Home Inspirations....

2010-01-30T21:18:00.012+11:00

Photo from the home of Eleanor Grosch on Design Sponge. I just love the detail on this sideboard and the little house and the pom pom trim on the lamp. I might try that somewhere, it's so cute!

From Heather Frazier's place on Design Sponge. I love her space for the use of light and colour. I personally wouldn't use so many pale gelato colours, but I admire what she has done and the coloured glass collection is to die for! I'm also aiming for the same lightness and brightness in our place by painting all the doors and skirtings in crisp white. I'm also in love with those curtains, have been since I saw similar in Home beautiful a while back. I have chosen this picture as inspiration for our place because we have a fireplace which is in a main thoroughfare, so somehow I want to create a cozy place to sit while not getting in the way of the flow of the house. I'm thinking some small armchairs on either side of the fireplace.

John Murphy's place from Design Sponge. I love the plant on the window sill and the lived in look of the thrifted peices.

This image is for colour inspiration. A little while ago I bought a cushion which is designed by an Indigenous Australian artist. It has some of these terracotta orange tones in it and I want to match it with some blues and other orange things I have. Photo is from the home of illustrator Sanna Annukka and Jasper Goodall and found on Design Sponge. Take a peak at the rest of their home it's very interesting!

Visiting friends

2010-01-28T15:51:00.006+11:00

On the way to and from Queensland we stopped in on our friends in Coffs Harbour. Going by what fun two days we had, I think we should have stayed there the whole time we were on holidays!!

My friend Fi created all these fun things for us to do. Steve and her husband went fishing whilst we took the two boys to look for soldier crabs. We didn't find any crabs, but the kids and us mum's loved splashing in the water! Then we had a little picnic and played on the play equipment. When we got home we filled up their canoe for the boys to splosh around in. We threw in some beach toys and empty squirty bottles for them to play with. Then I decided we should do some painting so the boys did some painting and then hopped back in the canoe pool to clean off. Now that's what I call toddler fun! Fi's husband makes homebrew beer, very good ( a bit like bees knees) so Steve had a couple. Fi made 100% fruit sorbet with mango, banana and peach, it was so yummy and healthy. The boys loved it too.

Fi sent me home with some vegies and some orchids she grows in her garden. While we were there she was sundrying tomatoes on the washing line. I admire Fi's energy and resourcefulness in everything she does.

Back from the beach

2010-01-27T14:38:00.006+11:00

Fallen yellow hibiscus lit up by the morning sun.

Artist - Maira Kalman

2010-01-04T13:28:00.005+11:00

I recently discovered this excellent artist Maira Kalman and read her NY times blog in the pursuit of happiness and an interview with her. I instantly felt some affinity with her art. When I was in highschool I would sometimes paint picures quite similar to hers; bright colours, a bit naive, quickly painted, at the time my style was somewhat influenced by Chagall and Matisse. Also I have recently been toying with the idea of painting a lot of "brain dump" sort of pictures for my blog, rather than using so many photos and using hand written text like Penelope Dullaghan and Jenny Kostecki-Shaw.

International Art Exchange

2010-01-01T22:04:00.006+11:00

Not long ago a surprise package arrived in the mail from Susan at Art Esprit. I was over the moon as I have been enjoying her blog for several years now. Thanks Susan!!

Fun cooking

2010-01-01T22:00:00.008+11:00

Recently we have been inspired to cook fun stuff. We made fish tacos with a spicy salsa. These were delicious. I think it would have been better if I had stopped at just the one!

and on another occasion, Vegetarian dumplings - the recipe was from Jeana Sohn's blog. These were a huge hit with the family as well.

Handmade Christmas

2010-01-01T21:43:00.008+11:00

For Christmas I wanted to make many gifts by hand but started too late and ran out of time. I did however manage to make five customized t-shirts and 2 decorative throw cushions. These t-shirts were actually made for a friends little girl for her birthday. The bird print is from a thrifted dress, I cut it up to use the fabric.

The nieces loved the cushions. You may remember the cushion at the back from the Umbrella Prints trimmings competition. The one in front I made more recently.

International Art Exchange

2009-12-23T14:00:00.004+11:00

A while back I was invited to participate in the International Art Exchange. I thought it would be fun, so I sent off my package to my dedicated person and some invites to some other people. I only got one person interested due to the busy time of year and some of the people I invited had done it before. So of the 36 possible works of art I could have received, I got one from the amazing Emma Kidd of Ben Conservato. Even the envelope is a work of art. Thanks Emma!! Now I need to find a frame for a friendly little monster! And I still want to send off something to the person who invited me to participate.

Corners of my home this week

2009-12-22T16:03:00.013+11:00

We have a real Christmas tree this year. I grew up with them and I just love the smell! Do you think someone has bottled the smell of pine tree yet?

From my mother's stash are the heart and apple decorations she gave to me. The pinecones and banksia man I spray painted when I was a kid. I thought they would look nice in a bowl this year.

The tinsel decoration with faux pearl in the centre was my Mum's. Ethan likes to pull that one off the tree, so it will look pretty ratty by the end of the holidays!

Polyvored

2009-12-14T20:17:00.020+11:00

It was a quick drawing I did for Illustration friday for the topic "seed". Ethan was just a baby at the time so I went for a walk in the local park and drew it as he slept. A few months ago I found this on polyvore and was at first alarmed, then flattered, but now I am not sure how to feel about it. When I found it, it had been up there on Polyvore for a whole year. When I told my husband and my sister they said "that's great Anna!!". I am happy that the image is linked back to my blog, which is the way I found it in the first place. But then the artwork looks terrible cut like that. I do not condone the use of other peoples work, but I also like to do collages for my own scrapbooks and sometimes as inspiration for my artworks using photos I have cut from magazines. I also play around with fashion styling using pictures I have saved off fashion sites, plus I have dabbled with polyvore using fashion images. I assume that most of the collages on polyvore are done by young teenagers who have probably not even thought of the ownership issues. So where do you draw the line?

On my book wish list

2009-12-11T12:40:00.023+11:00

Christmas is a good excuse to post about all those things I have been lusting after for ages... On my wish list are...

Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule. Because she is the Queen of all things crafty and I love it, or maybe it's Martha Stewart and she is a Princess? Anyway who cares, I want to make a beach quilt.

Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts because I have been reading her blog for yonks, she makes you want to be her best friend. I love her collage style.

Artisan bread in five minutes a day because my sister has this book and swears by their technique. It would be a great gift paired with a pizza stone and wooden pizza scoop.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger because I loved her book the Time Travellers Wife.

Wreck this journal by Kerri Smith. Because it looks like fun doesn't it?

Red and green

2009-12-10T22:20:00.003+11:00

Beautiful parrot perched in our Japanese maple. He was very friendly and curious.

Strawberries in my mother-in-laws vegie patch.

Shoe gazing

2009-12-01T23:04:00.005+11:00

I love my new sandals almost as much as I love the jacarandas in flower at the moment! Don't worry I do have have little toes squished in there somewhere... And I must say I badly need a pedicure, but I generally go natural.

Blue Wren

2009-11-30T09:06:00.002+11:00

Watercolour and Ink on paper.

New website!

2009-11-18T13:21:00.007+11:00

It's not quite finished yet, but I am very excited to announce that my newly updated website is up! Hurrah!! I'm using Pictobrowser for my gallery which is very simple to use, but also seems a bit unreliable. Sometimes the pictures don't load up in the gallery, I may decide to switch to lightbox. What do you think?

Blurry

2009-11-18T12:19:00.014+11:00

E in a t-shirt that I decorated with a cute print of ants and flowers. He's been sick this week with a sore throat and he has produced more snot than ever before! I've been chasing him around with tissues for days.

I'm feeling a little bit stressed out about Christmas at present. My mind is cluttered with all this STUFF that I need to do and make and organize.

I am so happy that we have room for a Christmas tree this year! I am also super excited about making a Gingerbread house like this one my Mum made one year.

My creative space

2009-11-07T20:58:00.017+11:00

A whole lot of fabrics newly washed and folded. They're all ready to make things or sit there until I find some complimentary fabrics.

This week I hope to make a stripey cushion cover for the foam on Ethan's Ikea drawers. My other plans for his room include making some curtains, painting it light blue or green, and getting a rug for the floor. But maybe not all this week.

Ethan going on a boat trip with Puppy.

Today my Mum brought around my old Doll house that she made for my sister and I when we were little (My Mum is a clever lady). My husband suggested that we do it up for Ethan as a Christmas present. I'm going to update all the furniture for him by repainting.

Pop over here for more Creative Spaces!

At our place

2009-11-04T12:32:00.023+11:00

My husband and I have this running joke about eggplants. One of the stores I used to do merchandising for had fake eggplants for room displays and Steve thought they were hilarious! Fake vegetables are pretty funny aren't they! I often found chewed ones around the store which small children (or adults) had gnored on. Real ones are much nicer too look at AND chew on, but these didn't last more than an hour before I put them into a Thai green curry.

This tomato plant came up from seed. It is totally going off!! I hope to have lots of tomatoes soon.

As long as our resident possums don't get to them first. These possums are "very noisy!" as Ethan would say. We call them the Wombats or Elephants on the roof because they sound like they are a lot bigger than they are.

Flannel flowers

2009-11-03T23:24:00.007+11:00

I found these flannel flowers while my sister and I were looking at places to have her wedding.

I will show you our research for the wedding soon! We have been trawling flickr for examples of what we want to do. It's so much easier than when I got married. Don't you just love the Internet!

Mangoes and strawberries

2009-10-26T12:46:00.004+11:00

It's all about the seasonal fruits this week! We're enjoying mangoes from a friends plantation in Darwin. Yum!

Eye Candy

2009-10-24T22:14:00.012+11:00

Some thrift store finds this week. Haniwa Stone bowl in the "Maywood" Pattern (made in Japan) and a bottle of buttons (from the fifties and or sixties?) pictured are some of my favourites. I love the colours and patterns. Haven't decided what to do with the buttons yet.

I'm back!!

2009-10-22T12:02:00.009+11:00

Willy Wagtail bird ( based on a photo I took back in Perth) with Flannel Flowers and butterflies.

I haven't posted artwork for so a long... What with having a baby and moving twice, franticly renovating to sell (twice) and renovating to live in, plus not having a working scanner for a long time. In the last year or so I have been doing lots of sketching and collecting ideas in my journals, but haven't done any finished artworks until now. I'm feeling very rusty, but I am really enjoying drawing and painting again.

Hunter Valley Gardens

2009-10-03T21:24:00.016+10:00

These gardens are just filled with goodness! They are themed in different sections such as Formal garden, Asian garden, Indian Garden, Italian garden, Storybook land (for children!) etc. These photos are just a small section of these amazing gardens. I was really inspired by the Asian and Indian sections.

This table design reminded me of the tables we saw in the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy.

The Indian Garden and mosaic garden were gorgeous. I had never seen an Indian style formal garden before this.

Indian Mosaic Garden, it smelt like Curry plant, the blue bush in the foreground. I bought some of the curry plants to take home and try in our garden.

Some holiday snaps

2009-10-03T21:03:00.019+10:00

We have just returned from our break away. On which we stayed in a cabin for 5 days in the bush.

Spring Wardrobe (in my dreams)

2009-09-19T23:32:00.008+10:00

Every new season I surf the fashion websites. I was inspired this spring by the French Connection top so I thought I would create a little outfit around it ."Wood and Straw" Clutch bag and Floral tank top by French Connection. "Little wings" necklace by Etsy seller Local Library. Bolero vest and shorts by Sportsgirl. "Whisper" Sandals by Giovanna.

hello spring!!

2009-09-14T12:57:00.005+10:00

This week we have really been enjoying the warmer weather. We have visited the park a lot, been doing some gardening, eating strawberries...

Umbrella prints - entry #6

2009-09-08T13:39:00.005+10:00

This black design from Umbrella prints made me think of making a potholder. I think that darker fabrics work best on potholders, so they don't get too grubby or stained.

Umbrella prints - entry #5

2009-09-08T11:23:00.008+10:00

As to these fabrics, I was a bit stumped. Before hearing about the Umbrella prints trimmings competition my intention was to make a cot quilt. For the purpose of the competition I didn't have the fabrics or the time needed to make it. So I ended up making a little decorator cushion with a chenille backing. I love that chenille for kids. Don't they just love tactile fabrics?! I'm thinking this may go to a niece for Christmas.

Umbrella prints - entry #4

2009-09-06T08:50:00.004+10:00

Pin cushion made using Umbrella prints fanflower fabric in three colours and some peas and carrots fabric on the bottom. The pattern I used is by Kootoyoo.

Umbrella prints - entry #3

2009-09-06T06:16:00.008+10:00

For my third entry I have for you a moleskine notebook decorated with a Boab tree and Kapok flowers (Cochloprerum fraseri). I was totally enthralled by the Kimberley when we visited there 3 years ago. So this is my homage to the remote Kimberley region of north-west Australia. The leaves are pieces of Umbrella prints Fanflower fabric.

Spring in the garden

2009-09-03T12:25:00.005+10:00

This Sydney rock orchid is one of the few gems in our weed ridden garden. I might try and grow more orchids on this wall. Which I might add is probably populated by horrible deadly funnel web spiders. They love it around holes in rocks. The home where I grew up had so many in the backyard, and honestly I have never seen one alive. My Mum did find quite a few while gardening.

Umbrella prints - entry #2

2009-09-03T11:06:00.008+10:00

Teatowel applique using pieces of the fanflower fabric for the birds wings and a love heart for each birdy! Next time I think I'll applique all by hand and keep the design smaller.

Umbrella prints - entry #1

2009-08-31T12:12:00.013+10:00

This is the first of my entries in the Umbrella prints trimmings competition. I made six quilted coasters featuring the Umbrella prints scraps, mostly Bird in Paradise in storm boy blue and Bambi brown. Only one features the Fan flower design. They were made using a pattern from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. I was also inspired by Julie Knoblock's creations. The other half and Ethan made the gingerbread!

The weekend....

2009-08-24T11:46:00.006+10:00

A road trip to the country to visit family
visiting the farmers market in the morning
lounging in front of a wood fire
winter soup and crusty bread
the kids climbing the cherry tree
Ethan playing with his cousins
a picnic in the park while feeding the ducks
butterscotch icecream at an old icecream parlour

= So much fun.

Greek Style Potato Gnocchi

2009-08-20T15:36:00.006+10:00

I made this vegetarian gnocchi using this sauce recipe and this potato gnocchi recipe. It was tasty and seemed pretty healthy too.

Stitches and Craft show

2009-08-20T14:48:00.009+10:00

Yay!!!!!! I'm so excited! I went to the Stitches and Craft show in Sydney today! I was like Ethan in a cake shop (my boy loves cake - a sometimes treat!). This is my new fabric stash from it. It includes fabric from Cloth, Ink and Spindle, Prints Charming and Saffron Craig.

Pink and Purple!

2009-08-18T12:12:00.009+10:00

A plant I'm thinking of planting.

Fruit of the native Lilly Pilly.

Now I must stop procrastinating and go fix the paperjam!

Give me colour...

2009-08-13T10:55:00.009+10:00

You know when your life just doesn't feel quite right? Like you aren't making the right choices or priorities? I feel like that right now.

I'm finally losing the post baby weight and feeling more comfortable with my body size (which I'm over the moon about) but it's at the gym - and I don't really like being there. I'm not sure I need machines, televisions and pump classes. I really really miss my lovely old Yoga centre in Perth. I'll have to find somewhere new to go where I feel peaceful.

Plus I so need to tick off some chores like doing the tax (it's a big one this year) and all the paperwork housekeeping stuff which is cluttering my brain right now. So I can move on to expressing myself on paper. I've got some artwork busting to get out!!

I also need more colour in my life. I've been choosing paint colours in boring creams and tans for our house because I wanted a "blank canvas" to put artwork up on, but now I'm thinking... that's wrong. We need more colour!!

Corners of my home this week

2009-08-06T13:26:00.008+10:00

Daffodils from Steve....

Teatowel made by a family friend. I'm inspired to make some myself!

Drawing with E

2009-08-03T12:31:00.000+10:00

Lovely wattle

2009-07-27T14:16:00.006+10:00

I haven't posted any flowers for a while. This is a beautiful wattle currently in flower in Sydney. It has a strong perfume which you can smell even when the plant is quite far away.

Fabric stash

2009-07-20T13:01:00.006+10:00

This is my little collection of fabric in the studio. I'm currently psyching myself up to sort out my studio as we have just moved in recently and it's still such a mess. I need to paint, put up some softer curtains, put up my "inspiration wire" and pictures, rearrange the furniture and do some filing. I'm very excited to have a studio again! Eventually it will be the studio / guest room.

On my bookshelves

2009-07-02T21:09:00.013+10:00

A few weeks ago I got a copy of Curvy 6. It features a whole lot of my favourite artists including Lisa Falzon, Melissa Haslam and Flossy P, so how could I resist?

I also had a book voucher from Mother's day, so I treated myself to Material Obsession 2 by Sarah Fielke and Kathy Doughty. It is written by the ladies at the local quilt fabric store Material Obsession. I recommend it if just for the beautiful photos, the bright quilts are stunning.

And lastly Paper folded cut sculpted by Florence Temko. I found it in a secondhand bookstore.

Dried Fruit

2009-07-01T11:20:00.002+10:00

I've been making dried fruit snacks for Ethan. The dried banana, pineapple, watermelon, apple, pear and kiwifruit (green and golden varieties) have been the most successful so far. Citrus takes a really, really long time to dehydrate and I don't think it's worth the effort. I think I will only dehydrate strawberries if they are a bit bland tasting. I use fresh orange juice on the pear, apple and banana to preserve the colour. I like it with lemon juice, but toddlers prefer the orange juice because it isn't so tangy!

Something I've been working on

2009-06-27T21:11:00.006+10:00

I just need to sand and varnish them. I've made about 50 of these so far. I'm finding it slightly addictive. I especially enjoy matching the papers, they're like mini patchworks! I'm having trouble finding papers I like that are more "boy-centric".

Thai meal

2009-06-27T20:55:00.005+10:00

Tuesdays in our house mean family meal night as my Mum and sister come over. We all end up cooking together. It is usually vegetarian Tuesday but tonight we had seafood as well. I really love cooking Thai food so much. We made marinated prawns, fish cakes, corn fritters and cucumber riata.

Fabric love

2009-06-15T08:59:00.011+10:00

Image by Umbrella Prints

I'm one of those people that gets very excited by fabric and textures! Hell, I worked in interior decorating for the last 8 years. Including doing displays for a bedlinen and homewares store. I got really bored and astonished by all the mass production, so I really love that people are creating their own designs. Apart from buying some IKEA furniture and homewares, Steve and I generally try to buy locally made products if we can. So I recently bought some yummy fabric from Umbrella Prints to make some cushions to dress up our new home. Now I just need to set up the sewing machine somewhere and get to work! I would also love to get some fabric from some of my other favourite Australian fabric designers Lara Cameron (Ink and Spindle) and Danielle Smeets (Of paper and thread).

Image by Umbrella Prints