Eye spy...... a morning ritual.

This week's theme comes from 3 Red Buttons.

Well, there are no photos of our morning ritual..... rushing often abounds and really, you don't want to see my in my PJs with my bedhair and crusty features.......

Usually, we do the normal getting dressed, eating breakfast thing. But Thursdays do have their own special ritual. It's pancake day! Every Thursday I get up and make pancakes and we sit down as a family to eat breakfast. Instead of me running around, Moo runs around in circles screaming, 'PANCAKES~~~ PANCAKES~~~' Hubby works from home that day so it's a nice relaxed brekky. After breakfast it's time for running around - getting Moo ready for creche. I leave 30 mins before start time because Moo needs plenty of time to walk the 50m. We have to say hello to every dog, cat and neighbour, pick some flowers, collect some autumn leaves and perform other random toddler actions. Thursday is my favorite day - pancakes and sacred 'Mummy alone' time.......

photo by roosterruler

If you'd like to join in head on over and visit Cindy at bugandpop.

Well, I'd better run. Tonight the out-laws are coming over for dinner and I need to;

• fold some of the washing that is making an obstacle course of our dining room
• excavate the sofa
• scrape unidentified sticky goo off the floor
• cook something

More cheering!

I know I keep going on about it but I just had to share the news that Mike's art will be gracing the credits of this week's Sunday Arts program on the ABC. Obviously, it will be on this Sunday - 5pm on ABC1 or 7:30 on ABC2 if you missed it the first time. Go Mike! GO!~

Eye spy....... my Karoke song

In the true spirit of Karoke, here is a lovely Korean tune with the required high pitched singing....



In Korea there is a 'norae-bang' (lit. song room/Karoke) on every street corner. You get your own little room so it's not quite as embarrassing as singing in front of a bunch of complete strangers. Just you and your other drunk friends....... If you want to live for any time at all in Korea you will NEED to sing Karoke as it's a huge social activity. But be careful - you may get addicted!
Whenever my friend B and I used to feel stressed out/bored we would go down to our local and get down to the following......



and



Thanks to bugandpop for hosting and Tis Rhubarb for this weeks delightful theme.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~~~~~``

I heard the 80's are making a come back. Oh God no!

Wanna laugh? Head on over to AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com.

I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!!!

Totoro hat from Hello Yarn. Now I really do have to learn how to knit....

Finally! Actual craftiness.

I finally got around to making the monkey laundry bag from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones.
As usual, the pattern was absolutely easy to follow with clear instructions. I didn't end up making the draw ties as per the pattern because I wanted it to hang down a fair way and I just wasn't in the mood for cutting and sewing fabric..... I just used some bias tape I had lying around. Maybe, one day, if I can be bothered (!) I will make the original ties.....
The fabric is a 70's sheet oppy find and the rest are scraps I got from Mum. The yellow lining is an oppy table cloth. Buttons off an old shirt. Totally recycled!

Above: close up
Below an 'In situ' shot

Our next creative venture was the bunting for Moo's birthday party a few weeks ago. On her birthday morning it was pouring with rain so together we painted A4 sheets of computer paper. (I highly recommend Crayola washable finger paint - it actually washes out. Revelation!) We sprinkled glitter on some of the paintings while they were wet so they were sparkly too.

After the paint was dry I cut the A4 sheets into triangles and sewed them together on the sewing machine. An idea which I think came from Maya-made's snowflake garland. Totally easy to make and very effective. All our party guests commented on how lovely they looked.

Can you guess which ones I painted and which ones Moo did?

And finally, Moo and Grandad got creative and put up some trellis on the deck - to stop small children falling great distances when they are being adventurous.....

Hooray for craftiness!
I sure hope I can fit some more in shortly......

More on 'bicycles'

The Dutch do it again~!

Check out this awesome product from Taga.

Is it a bike? Is it a stroller? A cargo bike? Twin stroller? TOTALLY AWESOME!



Can't get them in Australia (yet) and the current price is £1,695 if you want to go to the UK and buy one......... bummer. One can dream.....

A peaceful night's rest....

.... was not had by a certain toddler mamma last night. A particular 2 year old woke at 3 and 3.30 and 4.00 and 4.30 until her mother gave up and got into bed with her so that she could give her a strangle death grip cuddle around the neck. Which apparently is the best way to sleep. For some.......

Grrrrrrr *yawn* rrrrrrrrrr

Where's my damn coffee?

Look what we found!

Do you remember the post about the Bakfiets?

Cargo cycle, made in Australia - only $1295.

On the stove....

... pea and ham soup. Yummo!

Just need to pop some bread in the oven so I can eat crusty bread with it. Perfect for this cold, dreary day.

Carry on from previous post......

I'm beginning to see a theme here..... as I saved the previous post I remembered two of my other favorite illustrators - A A Milne and Karl Larsson. Can you notice a theme? A certain style?

On my want list......

... I just LOVE Belle and Boo. You can buy something for me from here. Yes, you can!

Pleeeeeeeese~~~~~~

Birds and Trees

Went to the opening of Mike's exhibition this evening. Totally wanted to buy an ink drawing but all my favorites had red dots already. So did many of the larger works - GO MIKE!!
I'm really in love with birds and trees, particularly silhouettes so this exhibition was right up my alley. If you'd like to check it out visit Metro 5 in Armadale.

A couple of people there asked me if the painting above was inspired by our daughter. I don't believe so and the child in the picture is older than Annie, but yes, it kind of reminds me of her........ She's the kind of kid who would run up a lane way for a lookee see!

On a side note, as we walked into the gallery my BIL was talking with a couple and he proceeded to introduce me to them. The guy looked really familiar and I thought I must have met him at one of the other gallery openings (these things have a lot of the same people at them) and I almost said, 'Have we met before? You look familiar...' Suddenly, I realised that although I 'knew' him he wouldn't know me because TVs don't work both ways. It was a famous game show host from a few years back (Tony Barber) and I'm SO glad I didn't embarrass myself by asking him if he knew me!

What do I have to say today?

Photo by orangeya

I made it past 10,000 steps! I've got one of those little pedometer doodads that hubby put in my Christmas stocking a few years back (because I asked him too, not because he was making any hints or anything!)
Supposedly, walking 10,000 steps a day indicates an 'active' lifestyle, but I tell you what, it's really hard to make it to 10,000 steps every day! To reach this goal I had to walk to the train station, and then to my friends house, then walk all the way back home (almost 2 stops on the train) and then use my Wii fit for 30 mins on the 'cardio' activities. I'm not sure if the pedometer is accurate or if I'm just a lazy sod...... but reaching 10,000 steps a day leaves me with sore feet at the end of the day. And who has time for all this? *blah*

But, today I made it! Yay!~~~

Latest deliciousness

Photo from Flickr by hardworkinghippy

Hot soup and cheesy toast is one of our winter staples. Lately, it's been chicken and veg soup. We make it like this:

Throw 3 organic chicken drumsticks in a pot. Add lots of vegies (today was leek, pumpkin, potato, celery, zucchini & carrot) and enough water to just cover. Season however you like. Try salt and pepper, garlic, ginger, Kelpamare, curry powder - not all at once!) Boil until meat falls off the bone. While the soup is cooking (I use a pressure cooker so the cooking time is very short) throw a couple of pieces of bread on a tray, cover in grated cheese and chuck it all in the oven at 180. Spoon cooked soup into a bowl. Dip in some toast. Eat. Lick your lips (and then the bowl!).

Usually, I take the chicken out, puree the vegies and then throw the boned and chopped chicken back in because Moo won't eat all vegetables in chunks but will eat anything if she can't see it. Yep, the old, 'hide the vegies from the kid' trick. Today I also added some ground brown rice which results in a thicker, heartier soup. B vitamins, magnesium and fibre are an added bonus!

It takes no effort at all to make but is incredibly delicious and I do love a healthy dish that results in Moo yelling, 'More Mummy! MORE!'

PS I hope I haven't offended anyone with my live chicken photo on a post about cooked chickens..... But, the chicken we eat was alive at one point..... That's one of the many reasons I prefer organic meat. Taste, texture, nutrition and knowing the animal led a natural and free life before it made the ultimate sacrifice. I think about that when I prepare it and when I eat it... Wouldn't you like to think that your dinner roamed about scratching in the sunshine rather than in artificial light, cramped in a crowded shed?
'Off on a tangent' rant over. : ) Yep, I have opinions and I'm not afraid to share them! : )

Menagerie cake

Space on top of the cake was at a premium!
The horse sank into the quagmire.
The dog fell over and got covered in 'grass' and had to have a bath.
But Moo loved it and that's what counts!

I really enjoyed the party. I did a lot of preparation way in advance so wasn't busy running around on the day. Once again, true to form, I over catered and sent a bunch of relatives rolling and groaning to their homes........ : )

Bento

Cleaning out the cupboard the other day I found my old lunchbox from when I lived in Korea. I have to pack a snack for Moo when she goes to creche so I thought I would put it back into service - with knicker elastic (new!) to hold it together because I lost the original strap........

Bentos are great for toddlers because you can put in lots of little snacks without using lots of different containers to keep them seperate. And it goes in the dishwasher!

Michael Peck 2009

My awesome and greatly talented brother-in-law's new exhibition opens on the 13th of May at Metro 5 Gallery in Armadale. Come on down and snap yourself up a beautiful painting! Read about it here. Oooooo, I can't wait for the opening! Yay!