Christmas is almost here!

Eeeek it has been slightly manic around here lately. A lot of faffing around doing those end of year must dos, running around like a headless chicken and Christmas crafting madness! I have so enjoyed doing handmade presents this year- such fun! I really can't wait to reveal all the handmade goodness! But I guess it would only be polite to let people open them first :)

I do have some ready to reveal crafty projects....

I whipped up a few of these amazing Little Stars from Lucy at Attic24... I adore her style... Fun and whimsical, bright and fun. Hang them on a few twigs and TA-DAH!

 

 What is Christmas without BUNTING!? I had dreams of using gorgeous Christmas fabrics but completely ran out of time... But put some left over red and green fabric, yarn and bells to good use :)

The Christmas parties have started... Good friends and fun, who can complain! 

Now these I ADORE! The idea came from another of my favorite blogs According to Matt. Matt is a creative Genius! These Christmas Jars were fast to make, fun to adorn, and look dreamy and beautiful at night! Super Pleased!

I am starting to feel Giddy with Christmas excitement :) I really can't wait! 

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Lately...

 Phew... It has been busy busy busy round here lately! I am cheekily starting to think that my life has gotten so busy recently that I don't think I will ever be able to go back to work- how will I find the time!? You know,  when I am so busy hooking, knitting, sewing, mothering, planting, harvesting, cooking, becoming an expert sandcastle builder, making presents, baking, trying to get ready for my next half-marathon, taking advantage of the beach... All of which is essential to life of course! But more than the usual chaos the closer we get to the end of the year the more I feel like a mouse running on a wheel desperately trying to keep up.

Big L has his first Kindergarten Gala coming up this weekend and he is Oh So Excited! He will be competing in the Challenge-a-thon and has even managed to get a few sponsors :) I think it will be a great day but has added a bit of baking, making Jolly Jars and completing some 'duties' to my to do list. And so my Mousy Wheel keeps spinning...

Little S and Little L have also made the Big Move to BEDS! It has been tricky. I'm working hard to understand the way Little S works, to know how to be a good mum to her. But she is stubborn and loves to to encourage Little L in all things crazy. So the evenings here have turned into somewhat of a circus. When we were packing down the cots I had a bit of a weepy moment, last time ever a Little Body of mine will sleep in there. Even thinking about it now I feel a tad choked up. Time is just ticking by, they are only getting bigger. I enjoy them so so so very much that I get a wee bit scared at times that it will change. I'm hoping that every phase they go through will be at least as good as the last if not better. Will I still enjoy them this much when they are 10? 15? 30? The Mousy Wheel only keeps spinning...

I am also furiously working on various Christmas Projects. I want to create some sort of interactive/fun/play with nativity set. I have been making presents galore, working on funky Christmas decorations, and have plans for a knitted Christmas tree (don't laugh!)... I guess my little Mouse Wheel is not slowing down here either...

So in attempt to take time to appreciate the 'Slower Living' aspects of my life I decided to pull together some photos of the quiter moments in the past week or so...

I am ABSOLUTELY loving the warm sunny evenings! We all eat out on the deck (it is amazing how dining Al Fresco can make even the most boring family meal taste great) where there is no need for obsessive wiping down. Post dinner the Rascals generally strip down, spend a bit of time in the sprinkler and then head for the sandpit for some serious work time. Oh My we have gotten good at making castles, digging tunnels, constructing roads, creating dinosaur habitats, all while enjoying the warn evening sun.

I have had time to put in a trellis for the Sugar Snaps, which are coming along nicely :) And every evening we are enjoying salads made it our own lettuce and spinach, as well as yummy pesto!

The Rascals have helped me to clear out another part of the garden and create another nice spot for some more vege/flower growing.

Everything in the garden is thriving! It is such a pleasure to see that. I cannot wait to harvest these carrots and beets- I have such great plans for them!

 This photo is not as suspicious as it looks.... I have had my first SUCCESSFUL trail of drying herbs. Yum Yum!

 And I have completed my fist batch of Christmas Decorations! I am so please with them! I decided to hand sew them as I wanted to be able to spend time with N in the evenings or sit out on the deck and work on them. I think this weekend the Rascals and I will go about putting them up all over the house :)

I love looking back at the past few weeks and seeing that despite everything feeling crazy busy I have started learning how to carve out some Slow Living time in our lives. I really do think we are better off for it:)

I hope the feeling of crazy spiraling busyness is not mutual and that you are all taking the end of year in your stride :)

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Miniature Garden- Ta-Dah!

 My Miniature Garden is complete!

And I am proud as punch :) 

Little boxes of flowery happiness!

 This is now my favourite wall at home.

 A beautiful shot of N becoming a father for the first time. 

A picture of Home.

Boxes of Flowers.

Crochet.

Some of the things I love the most in this life :)

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Garden Update

So far the Vege Garden Experiment is....... a SUCCESS! Everything is flourishing and looking great... and tasting great! The Perpetual Spinach is the first that we have been able to eat. Daily Spinachy salads- YUM! I have also really enjoyed cooking with fresh herbs everyday :) Yum Yum Yum! 

I have had to put some bird netting over the strawberries as there are lots of berries starting to ripen and we want them all to ourselves :) Oddly enough I have also had to put bird netting on the Fancy Lettuce as the ducks adore it! The ducks keep the plants trimmed right down to the ground!

The tomato plants are growing growing growing.... with lots of flowers starting to appear! 

Carrots and Beets are looking very happy indeed. I have so many delicious plans for the beets that I am starting to think that I might not have planted enough....The Rascals are very curious about what is happening underground with the carrots, as am I to be honest! I think the process of pulling a carrot out of the ground fascinates them- I can't wait for harvest day!

New to the Vege Garden Family.... Rocket and Sugar Snaps! There are six very healthy looking Sugar Snap Plants so I'm hoping for a healthy harvest :) I really adore those! 

Our daily Spinach and Parsley harvest :)But today it is not destined for salad, instead...

I made Spinach and Cashew pesto for tonight's pizza! YUM! Bring on dinner time! 

The organic snail and slug repellent has also been VERY successful, even keeps the cats away. The one week I forgot to sprinkle it on the plants a cat decided to sleep on top of the herbs at night- grrrrr! Luckily for the cats sake it has not returned since I put more on the plants....

Turns out producing your own food is a real buzz!

Lets hope all the plants survive another month!

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Birthday Celebrations :)

Two Years

They made it

   We made it 

Definitely reason to celebrate :)

With Little S and Little L's first birthday I thought I would feel a huge sense of relief that we had survived a year, but due to various reasons I didnt feel like that in the slightest. The Second Birthday however was a different story, it was so much more than a sense of relief - it was really FUN! 

Two is really such a fabulous age :) Everything is exciting! They have no preconceived notions of what a 'good' birthday should be like so anything is just a BIG treat. They loved having their family and friends together, mixed with a bit of sugar. Big L was the model of a gracious older brother- sweet boy he is :) 

And we felt so blessed:

To have such amazing kids

To have been able to get through the past two years together

To have such great support

To have family and friends who love our kids 

I am really looking forward to this next year! 

Happy Kitchen :)

 Recently made a couple of these as 'Flowers of Encouragement' and fell in love with them :) Fabulous pattern by the ever exciting Lucy of Attic24... Such fun!

I haven't settled on where they will live but adore them :) 

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Doily-lishious

A little while ago an idea was put into my head and I have been searching for ways to make it come to life ever since. N assures me that the idea is bizarre but I have become completely obsessed with having a giant doily mat in my house... And I want it white... Neither of these are practical with 3 Rascally Rascals but the heart wants what the heart wants...

So while I was away on my fabulous weekend away (Thanks a million N!) I came accross just what I wanted to make this mat from. Strips of nylon fabric rolled into a ball in the purest brightest white... must have must have... must make must make... So what do you think?

For the first time I used my own pattern and I am rather proud of it :) If I can get it all written down I will share it with you later in the week :)

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Spoilt Rotten

N arrived home last night with a package for me full of Lush goodies and a ticket

for me to visit my sister for the weekend.

 Marrying N was the best decision I have ever made :) 

It is nice to have some one on your side

 

Appreciated

Lucky

That's me! 

 

Excercising Our Green Fingers :)

 Do you remember a 'little' while ago I shared with you N's beautifully crafted planter boxes? Over the long winter they were starting to look rather empty and sad but that has now all changed! They are filled to the brim with goodies :)

Big Tomatoes

Small Tomatoes

Strawberries

Fancy Lettuce

Spinach

Lots of Herbs 

Beets

Carrots

and.....

FLOWERS!

So far all the plants are doing well and we have high hopes of summer salads, roast veges, fresh herbs in everything, sun ripened strawberries and even better fresh strawberry daiquiris!

I really want to make and bottle some yummy pasta sauces so we planted quite a few tomato plants :) 

Also we didn't want anything too 'fancy'- so decided to stick to what we love and know will grow easily. Although being the 'forever dreamer' that I am, I can't stop thinking of things to plant- some of which are very fancy...

The chaotic sandpit/play area of the yard actually looks rather pretty now :) It has been fun noodling around and playing in my garden while the Rascals do the same in their sandpit. The Rascals helped N to set up the potting shed properly and planted the first lot of seeds that will hopefully be ready by the time we harvest the first lot of veges, but more on that another day :) My ever productive family members!

In effort to keep things nice and organic I am trying this product to keep the squidgy slugs and snails away- so far so good! Even smells like coffee! 

So what is the problem with this picture? 

We don't have a clue what we are doing...

This is some very new territory for our wee family...

All Wisdom Welcome!!!

I sure am excited though :)

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Poor Sick Little S

I have spent the past week nursing Little S back to health.
Poor sick baby.

Luckily my parents were able to look after the boys, which was great because Little S was very labour intensive. She mostly only slept with me, which I didnt mind because it was my first time with her on her own EVER! She is such a sweet little lady even when she is sick.
I spent countless hours cuddling her while she felt miserable, having her doze in my arms. I just couldn't stop looking at her! She is so beautiful :)
I am one lucky Mamma.

Even luckier now that she is better and I have all my Rascals together again :)
And now I can get on with some of my planned creativeness!

Yay for my Fabulous Parents- they are worth their weight in gold!

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I Heart this...

Something exciting that I am working on... One of those projects I have been dreaming of for ages and it is finally coming together... Can't wait to show you all!

I think this paper is soooo pretty! 

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