Around the Backyard...

 

hi!

 

i know it's been a while...i apologise.

 

things have been pretty stressful around here

&

when i'm in turmoil

my creative energy leaves me completely.

 

there were a few years

when i didn't get 'round to anything creative at all...

probably serving out the dinner attractively

or brushing my daughters hair into a ponytail smoothly

were the artiest things i did at that time.

 

well thankfully

those days have passed

&

i have only needed a few weeks so far...hehe!

 

 

i thought i'd take you on a little tour

of the happenings in our backyard today...just for fun.

 

 

 

 

 

i haven't seen this variety of pansy before...

we found a metal toolbox to plant them into...

much cheaper than a ceramic or plastic pot.

 

 

 

 

 

we couldn't resist buying this stunning hibiscus either.

 

 

we have had many days recently

cleaning walls and furnishings

and rearranging the furniture

to fit an extra body in the house.

 

 

 

we thought a pot of lavender

at the front steps

would be just the thing to survive

the intense afternoon heat

of queensland's summer sun.

 

i haven't bought seedlings for ages

&

it was a lot of fun shopping for them

with my newly arrived home daughter!

 

are you thinking of spring yet?...

just a few weeks away now

down here in australia!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 



Jonquil Study & My Sister's Giveaway!

 

good morning!

 

i feel like i'm almost a stranger here in my own space

having only briefly popped in

over the last week or so.

 

wandering through our local shopping centre last week

i was delighted by these jonquils

&

had to bring a bunch home...

 

 

 

in the winter

our dining room gets the afternoon sun

which is the only time

to successfully take some pics...

 

 

 

the setting sun

was brilliant

&

cast a golden glow into the room...

 

 

 

late in the day

&

as mr t and i messed around having fun with the camera

the light grew into night

and evening was upon us!

 

 

 

enjoying these jonquils calmed my battered soul.

 

it has been a week of emotional stretching...

wonderful to embrace another adultchild into the fold again

but of course change...

even a good one...

brought the household into a state of chaos

physically and mentally.

 

 

equilibrium

has been gently reached

&

peace obtained

although we're all a little weary and fragile.

 

enough about this though...

 

my sister jill (the artistic talent of the family!)

is having the most superb giveaway!

 

 

a set of these handpainted designer coasters...

the choice of which is yours...

 

 

may be yours

 

just by going to her giveaway post

&

leaving a comment

 

on her new design blog..."jill butler design".

 

 

'cos I've been late telling you..

there is only about 30 hours left to enter...

the draw is tomorrow...saturday at five pm, nz time...

so don't delay.

 

i got a set for christmas last year

and love them...

they designs are stunning

&

they wear really well,

even after many hot cuppas this winter

and all the icy cold ones over summer

they look brand new!

 

 

enjoy your weekend

i hope the clouds flee and give us a sunny day!

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

p.s...kai is seven weeks old tomorrow, maybe i can score some new pics off his mum and dad!!!

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



Lego!

 

good morning!

 

after thinking about it for a couple of years,

i finally went downstairs

and fetched the huge bucket of lego

from under the house...
collected by five children over about 15 years
it's quite a collection!

 

as the children became adults,
it's been sitting there since we moved in nine years ago...

still with packaging tape around it to hold it all together

from our move to queensland from canberra.

 

at first i thought i could just chuck all the pieces in the bath,

fish it out and dry it on a towel...

it's not that easy.

 

i realised that i should get it ready for the next generation

of little boys...and maybe girls...

we haven't any girls yet

and our little boy is only six weeks old!

 

 

i spent several hours

dismantling all the buildings

after realising i couldn't do it under water with wet hands..hehe!

 

after that

i washed the container

and put them back in there to bathe with some sugar soap overnight...

 

 

i found that lego men love to float.

 

 

i've been fishing the lego out with a sieve...

 

 

rinsing it under the tap...

{'garage' is one of the pieces from mr w's collection... early '60's most likely!}

 

 

drying it off with a towel...

 

 

separating legomen, monkeys and fabuland animals

and all the tiny tiny pieces

so they won't choke babies

and will be easily found to play with by the older ones.

 

i'm just doing a bit at a time

so it will probably take another couple of days

before the job is done.

 

we have all decided to shun sugar

and refined foods here

so have to go out foraging this morning

in our local supermarket

for nuts, seeds and berries!

{and a few other things...}

 

i hope you enjoy your day too!

 

naturally Carol xox