well wishes

...to each and every one of you who have read and left comments this year...thank you. I still feel excited when I read the words you leave in this space. I hope you all have a shiny, bright and joyous Christmas.

I'm going to have a little rest from here. What will I be doing? I have no idea but the possibilities are exciting. Perhaps just hanging around at the cafe waiting for a coffee (see above). No doubt many beach trips, lazy afternoons reading and mornings at the park will be in store. Some writing in my new notebook and some time with my precious boys.

Our warm summer is here and I'm heading out to play x

not a creature was stirring...

not even this mouse. In our house. I had to get him. Fell in love really. As soon as I looked up to those high out-of-reach shelves and saw him perched there all lonesome I just knew he needed to come home with us. A Christmas mouse, red scarf 'n all who will probably stay out to play all year round.

I have bought and I have baked, wrapped and tied ribbon, written greetings and well wishes on cards. All without too much fuss and not much stress. There's a few more batches of iced jumbles to make, a few more sweet spiced nuts to create. And then...?

We'll drop gifts and cards onto doorsteps, post parcels on their way, celebrate the Solstice and begin to slow down and chill a bit while we wait for the magic of Christmas Eve. I love the Eve, I do I do.




The "sweet spiced nuts" recipe came from the latest edition of Kindred magazine. It is so wonderfully easy to make (perfect to do with children) and so very yummy (with a little bit of this and a sip of tea you may just find yourself in bliss).

All you need is 200grams of raw nuts & seeds (I used cashews, almonds, pepitas and sunflower seeds), 2 heaped teaspoons of cinnamon, finely grated rind of one orange and 4 tablespoons of honey. Mix together, place on a tray (lined with baking paper) and bake at 180degrees for about 10-15mins.

I hope that you, wherever you are, enjoy the preparing and planning. Because if I've learnt anything this year it's that it's about the journey and not so much the 'big day'. x

you are the light i see tonight

Perhaps there is no other time quite like Christmas to observe the season. And it's opposite, on the other side of the world. I keep flicking through blogs and getting all caught up in the magic of the ice, the snow, the coziness of decorated homes and the warmth and love imbuing every single post. And while those of you in the northern hemisphere are reveling in the few hours of daylight, our light is shining bright until eight in the evening. And then as the sun sets, the temperature cools and we settle in for the night, watching the beetles and the bugs swarm around the lights.

Our sun light is so bright, our skies are clear, our nights are balmy. Our family is close, our children excited. Christmas is near...

we do it different here

Sometimes it is hard to create magic at Christmas time - especially considering our Christmas trees are lined up outside the local fruit and veg shop instead of a snowy field. I've walked passed this blue wall so many times and never noticed it's vibrance. It was only when the contrast of the green arrived that I discovered my new favourite wall. I'll have fun with this over summer.

Our Christmas here is casual. Sometimes we swim in the ocean on Christmas Day. We eat prawns, fish and fresh salads for Chrissy lunch. Sometimes we swelter in the mid-summer heat. There is sand instead of snow. Sunscreen instead of mittens.

Now that I'm a Muma Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning. An no doubt next year when my little one has a little more understanding and hence a whole lot more excitement, we will decorate, make, wrap and celebrate much more. And like this year we will revel in our beach Christmas, where the ocean beckons and the sun is hot. It's a more subtle seasonal magic but it's just a wondrous.

oh dear me

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I'm a little weary at the moment. Perhaps my reason is a little different - I'm not tired because of festivities or turkey-needs-to-be-cooked-stress. You see, my little chicken is turning out to be one of those lively spirits. Those children who people refer to as 'balls of energy'. He's a climber.


An explorer and a giggler with the stubbornness of his Dada and the determination of yours truly. Me oh my it is exhausting. He's a grazer too - that's right, he'll eat all day. Some bread, some cheese, some peaches and then some more please. Which means I'm preparing/cooking/serving food for most of the day. Don't get me wrong, I love feeding him with fresh food goodness but it is a bit of a shock to the system. He's grounding me, pulling me down from that cloud I like to float on. This is such uncommon ground for me and I'm taking a while to adjust. I'm being challenged but I'm learning.

He's a screamer, a squealer, a chatter and a giggler. Every sentence is a statement - he never questions. For good reason I am slightly concerned about future tantrums. Goodness gracious me. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Of course there is always balance in our day. However hard it is I always seem to get one of those cuddles with a pat on the back that make everything seem easy peasy. Thank goodness for the hugs, the open-mouth slobbery kisses and the cheekiness. I just have to get better at keeping a straight face when I'm trying to explain that what he is doing isn't nice. I always laugh in the most inappropriate circumstances.

hro...hro

...translation (hello, hello).


New phones, old phones, vintage phones, mobile phones. Give my little one some buttons and he's happy. His little index finger pushes each individual button - 1, 2, 3, 4. And then he giggles. It is rather sweet to watch.

In the last few weeks I've all of a sudden remembered the contentment that comes when a child is in the wonderful world of play. Sometimes I join in, other times I just observe and occasionally I start to work on my own little projects. We are busy, our home is calm and all is well.

And look at this gorgeous new bookshelf that Che's Ommi found in the local church op-shop. It's so wonderful for his books and toys. And very, very red. I love it, love it but I'm not sure if I'll keep it how it is or paint it white. I wonder...

day-to-day

He helps unpack the shopping, taking bites from the fresh fruit & veg as he goes. This makes me happy. Very happy.


Cherries. Ripe, red cherries. Christmas indulgence. $6 for 1kg of yummy yummy cherries.


Hand washing. It always seems like such an arduous task. I procrastinate for weeks sometimes. But I love the satisfaction of delicate garments all fresh and clean and lying on the bed, ready to be put away.


I'm starting to recognise photos in my day. Odd for a writer to find that connection with a camera. Nice though. Nice.

his first artwork

...and then he ate the pen.

original artwork by Ché.

twig light, star bright

And so a pile of twigs, fallen from gum trees, became stars that hang so beautifully in our window. I like them, I do. All different sizes, the twigs joined with hemp cord, and hung with silver matte ribbon. It looks like a little one has made them - I like that organic, homemade, found-stuff-in-the-garden crafting. It's beautiful in its simplicity.

Sadly, we're not decorating a tree this year. Why? Because I have visions of a certain 14-month-old laying flat under a fallen tree and unintentionally getting wrapped in fairy lights. I also see baubles scattered about the place, broken branches and a very frantic Muma.


And so I took to decorating our mantelpiece instead, the feature being the gorgeous advent calender train that Che was given on his first Christmas - something that we will look forward to displaying every December for many, many years to come. Today I lit my Christmas candle so the scent of cinammon, sweet orange, cloves and nutmeg fills the house and I wrote a list of neighbours and friends who will be treated with cookies, well-wishes and good cheer. It was hot today - basking in Summery warmth is a sure sign that Christmas is approaching. The cicadas are singing too...Summer is here.

See that bronze plaque below our mantelpiece? I first saw it when Daniel and I went to breakfast one morning when I was 38 weeks pregnant. It was stuck on the brick wall next to the table we were sitting at. It was covered in brown paper. Daniel started to rip the paper. It says:

Will you marry me

On the 30th May 2006 Daniel and Jodi had their first date.
16 months later he asked her to marry him at the same table of the same cafe.