Nesting

My last chance to play,

before school holidays start next week,

and a different type of playing begins.

Tidying up the study ...

... which had a makeover earlier this year

and has still not appeared in its entirety here on my blog.

It's a difficult room to photograph, being very dark on the south side of the house,

and filled with instruments, piano students and the like ...

But here are some snippets.

Above, a thrifted white dish, with a little nest Laura found in our front garden,

and a sweet silver-coloured bird from Bed, Bath & Table.

(A bird theme seems to have developed in this room ...)

And every time I go to my local op shop I find another white urn to add to my collection.

So now I've started to be a bit choosy with my urns,

I actually left one at the shop the other day ...

These all sit on the white bookcase, for sheet music, that I had made to put under the window.

Our Banksia Rose (which grows on the lattice on our front verandah) is flowering,

so when I came across this sheet music it seemed appropriate to pick some.

It has been raining here this morning, can you see the raindrops?

(and now are you humming "a few of my favourite things ...." ?)

But it's not really the Last Rose of Summer here,

more The First Rose of Spring

The roses are a much more buttery yellow in real life ...

Luna Park Day

On Saturday the girls and I went to Luna Park, with my sister and her two girls,

to celebrate an 11th birthday.

(see the Harbour Bridge in the background?)

Much fun was had by all.

Much screaming

much squealing

and much giggling.

There they are, peeking out of the blue carriage on the ferris wheel.

My sister and I were just the carriers, carrying the backpacks, the jumpers, the hats, the drinks ...

my parents joined us for a few hours and helped carry ....

We stayed much longer than I thought, and when we left the lights were coming on and the sun was setting. A perfect moment for a photo.

From the Garden

Things were getting a bit stressful indoors, so I headed outside before dark to pick some flowers from the front garden.

The wind was blowing a gale, but the sun was shining.

I put the freesias in a thrifted yellow jug on the pedestal wear I keep some of my favourite vintage china, the lovely sandwich plate was my Gran's. This is a spot between two windows in our living room.

They look gorgeous in the lamplight.

I think freesias must be my favourite flowers.

(or did I once say that about daisies?)

They were scattered in amongst other plants throughout the garden, I left plenty growing to cheer passers-by.

This spring we have three types of daisy, yellow, pink and blue, lots of lavender, eriostemon, wallflower, and pentas, in addition to the freesias peeking out everywhere.

So pretty for a little posy in the bathroom.

After picking the flowers, then finding jugs and spots for my two posies, I felt much better.

Sunshine inside

Today is another dull, grey, Thursday, like last week.

At least today there is some rain to show for it.

But I have my own sunshine inside!

My thoughtful neighbour dropped in the other day with a floral arrangement she was given, but can't keep in her house any longer. So she thought we might like to enjoy it!

And we do!

Lovely bright lilies and more roses!

.... and some cool stuff I'm itching to play with after the flowers are no more!

Yesterday there was sunshine outside and inside, and Jacqui gave me a wonderful birthday gift of a lunch out together. We went to the national park and ate fish and chips (me) and chicken schnitzel(Jacqui) and sweet goodies in the sunshine, by the water, with encouraging conversation as our main sustaining dish!

When I arrived home, there was a parcel on the doorstep!

(which, now I think of it, is becoming a common occurrence these days ...)

Anyway... a surprise birthday present from a sister-in-law, I received her present last week but she forgot to include this:

Woohoo! A set of crochet hooks!

I was so excited!

Looking forward to making some very fine lacy crochet with the very fine hooks,

and some more yarn-y goodness with the larger ones.

A lovely gift.

I am completely spoiled!

And that's not all ...

this morning I bought this book with a voucher I was given:

Website here.

Haven't had time to read it yet, but it's full of delicious pictures of vintage linens, which I love, and some iron-on transfers to embroider myself.

When I got home I refrained from reading it (till I have a little more time) and instead looked at

the Country Homes & Interiors magazine I was also given for my birthday ... some inspiration for summer.

Flowers ... pretty pictures ... craft projects in mind ...

... yep, I'm one happy cookie.

Roses

Still enjoying my gorgeous birthday roses.

Their intense pink and the little blue flowers exactly match the thrifted doily I have been keeping on the dining table lately.

Just perfect.

September thoughts

Well, September has come, and Spring!

I seem to have been so busy since our holiday, and even before that.

But now my busyness is coming to an end and I can begin to look ahead!

Last week I held a Stampin' Up! afternoon and gave the guests some goodies, including these pillow boxes with cute little paperclips.

We ate cupcakes, also decorated, of course!

(Emily's cupcake recipe is soooooo good, with it's huge amount of butter!)

On Thursday it was my birthday!

I can't believe that it's a year since I had my Jane Austen birthday party!

last birthday, ready for my Jane Austen Party

Where does the time go???

I was soooooo tired when I woke up on my birthday, I'd really been overdoing it earlier in the week. I spent the first part of the day feeling quite miserable, and the weather was dismal, but then things improved, thank goodness.

My good friend Tanya gave me the most gorgeous bouquet, left on the doorstep - what a wonderful surprise!

Incredible deep pink roses with a lovely fragrance I could smell even outside on the doorstep!

They look lovely in an old silver tankard

(a prize for a grandfather for being on the winning side of a tug-of-war during World War I

- how times have changed!)

Then after the flowers arrived I went out for a lovely lunch with my Mum at a cafe, and that night dinner with we four dined at our favourite Thai restaurant. I was also given so many lovely presents, including lots of DVDs I will enjoy watching -

Return to Cranford, No. 1 Ladies Detective, 27 Dresses, and To the Manor Born

On Friday night we held a big event for the women at our church, where we learnt to cook ...

Savoury Choux Buns

(with spinach and pine nut filling)

Cheese Souffle

and Lime and Ginger Creme Brulee.

Not quite so much fun as this:

- but almost!

All very delicious but a LOT of work to run the evening with some friends.

Amongst other things I made these candles for the night:

The night was a great success, and lots of fun, but I am relieved that it is over, because I was just way too busy preparing for it and making it beautiful.

For now I am taking things a little easier, still continuing with my piano and recorder students, and that, plus daily life, is quite enough. Waiting for some spring energy to revive me now!