a picnic at the beach

became naked swimming session in the rock pool (us mamas stayed clothed and dry). sunny and bright i chased my giggling toddler around and around as he threw pebbles into the sea. a fast and swirling in-coming tide made for the best kind of puddles. i mastered the art of putting up the beach umbrella. and i realised that when you take a child to the beach the mama always looks like she's leaving home for a week. a morning spent with mumas and their children, in bright winter sunshine, near the water's edge is good. and makes me feel happy. inside and out. while he slept oh so well this afternoon...i cooked pumpkin soup and knitted a few more rows. and talked to my mum who is knitting with bamboo - the sweetest little vest for the little boy who makes us all smile a little bigger. i love days like today. i hope you get one soon.

be well.

lavender, white, grey (shades of.)

it's the middle of winter and yet this morning, as ché ché and i dawdled along the beach, the sun was bright, the air was warm and the ocean a little like a bath. tepid, perhaps. seaweed lay strewn in one long, long line, spontaneous clumps of sealife every so often. i found shades of lavender, white and grey. shells and sea flora. and i realised that the beach with a toddler is an entirely new and wondrous adventure. this morning was a little tease for summer. where we will spend early mornings and late afternoons. i feel so lucky that we live here. we live near the ocean.

when the thrifting gods shine

they really do shine. I truly believe in the rule of wishing. Telling yourself that you'll find that item you most want. However, if you go into an op-shop looking for it, you won't find it that day. It may be a week, a month, even years afterward. Then one day, when you aren't even thinking about it, you turn your head and there it is. Sitting quietly, solemnly, waiting for you to take it home.

Our new dining table and my knitting bag (my nana's actually)

I found a really, really, really old children's table and chairs set. Hand made. Raw wood. Stained from tea cups. A few little cobwebs. When I saw it I smiled, my heart skipped and I knew the waiting was over. After I had paid I noticed the most perfect terracotta bowl, glazed white with painted apricots as decoration. And engraved on the bottom: made in australia by kate. I bought it too. Thank you Kate.

new floor cushions + a couch cushion (lotus fabric from ink and spindle)

I love the re-arranging when new furniture arrives. I love the styling. And so yesterday when the little one slept I dusted and cleaned and put things in their place. I bought some flowers and brightened up what has been a dull little abode these past few (sick) weeks.

A few weeks ago Katie suggested her readers blog about their favourite op-shopping find. I have about 7 years worth of 'found' clothes, vases, plates, teacups and bags in my home. I suppose my favourite 'found' object would have to be my knitting bag. It was my Nana's and in my early uni days I used to take it with me...all the way to Sydney and back three times a week. I don't think I've ever worn or carried an item that was commented on like this bag was. The handles are a little worn now and so it stays inside - getting a little older and hence more rich with memories.

That knitting bag is home to those beautiful skeins of yarn that are sitting patiently, waiting for their turn on the needles. A few of you have asked if I'm knitting Purl Bee's super easy baby blanket and yes, I am. Purl Bee suggest using Alchemy Yarns' Temple - a superfine merino wool. However, Alchemy doesn't have an Australian distributor. I found the most beautiful Australian certified organic merino fleece wool - woolganic. Best of all it's created by a sweet little family (buy it from them directly) and it's super soft. Ché already cuddles up to the blanket so I know he's not going to find it prickly. I did encounter a little problem though - the pattern requires 40 rows (20ridges) per colour. That's fine if you're using Alchemy Yarn because it's 117metres...but if you use Woolganic you only get 104metres per skein. I purchased two skeins of each colour (knowing that the extra will get used eventually) and I'm knitting 48 rows per colour.

Most importantly - the colours. I chose grapefruit moon, gaia, sangha, leura, raindrops, gondwana and chilli pepper. Bliss.

thanks for all your comments re. white space. i like it...the space. i also like what claerwen said: white really is the new black.

Be well.

"white space" - the pondering place

white space, bedroom space

There's a post over at Camp Creek Blog about the 'white space' on a page. The blank bits, the nothingness between words, paragraphs, thoughts. It really made me think about the way a writer uses white space as a form of punctuation. To highlight an idea.

To emphasize.

To make the reader stop

and think
about what is being said.

And then the post goes on to ask, where's the white space in your day? In your child's day? Do you run from sentence to sentence, sometimes overlapping, and find yourself, at the very end of the day, in a ball on the couch, exhausted. Too tired to think?

"When we cram too many experiences into a child’s day/week/life, we don’t leave time for them to think about what they’ve experienced — they just move on to the next thing, letting the previous thing drop away."

Such a good lesson for myself in my life. And the way I find and move with the steady rhythm of our family. Because the resting is just as important as the doing - the restropective thought just as important as engaging in the present task.

It's about the quality, not the quantity. Slow food, slow fashion. Living - It's the new 'slow'.

the extras

One little thing always leads to another in this online world. And although I'm not a huge fan of technology I am grateful for the connection and the inspiration that can be discovered. It's special isn't it. To connect with people across oceans - those sweet ones you know you would love to sit down and share tea with. There have been a few parcels that have arrived on my doorstep that have truly made my day (or week). And when you buy handmade there is always the wonderful little extras that only affirm the package was sent with gratitude and love.

As I work on my knitting project, stitch by stitch, I am reminded of the time and energy imbued in each little handmade item I buy. Precious time, positive energy, kindness and love. Perfect for my home, sweet home.

my man

in his vintage schott leather jacket.
it arrived yesterday and he wanted a photo.
i took advantage of said opportunity and snapped away.
i like his style.
i love him.

you're beautiful

just the way you are.

One of the most wonderful magazine covers I've seen in a while.
Black, white & red.
Super stylish and oh so sweet.

It's helped pass the time as I lay on the couch with the flu.
Four days of bed rest and pyjamas.
Resting, dozing, reading and knitting.
Some much needed down-time for a very burnt-out Mama.
Thank goodness for fabulous Grandmas.
And my marvelous man who makes the best cuppa
and gives the greatest cuddles.

The lovely Evie from Handmade Romance sent me this award:

and so I will pass on the compliments to these lovely people...because i love the way they write, photograph and make. And I'm inspired by the way they see and document the world around them.

emmabradshaw
hazyjane
tinyhappy
udder
marvelouskiddo
littleredcaboose
littlejanest
rabbitandtheduck
alonggriffincreek
onegirl
katiecrackernuts
homegirl

pass this on girls, if you like.

illegal homebirth

I'm so saddened by news that the Australian Federal Government plan to make home birth illegal. From July 2010 midwives who work outside of hospitals and birthing centres will be excluded from insurance schemes. Essentially, from July 2010 if a midwife assists a homebirth she/he will be doing so against federal law and could face a $30,000 fine.

Homebirthing mothers are a passionate bunch and without doubt will continue to birth at home - with an 'underground' midwife (so ridiculous that I had to write that) or they will opt to freebirth, birth without assistance.

Lately I've been so inspired by this beautiful story
I love reading this mumma's words as she prepares for her second homebirth
and this Spanish advertisement is simply stunning.

Visit Home Birth Australia to read more and sign a petition.

kumquats & chilli

but not together. Home-grown flavour and colour to add a little bright around the house. It's so blustery today, the perfect weather for staying in and cuddling under a blanket.

Ché's knitted blanket is coming along. I'm such a perfectionist with things like that though -I've already unravelled it twice because of a dropped stitch or two. Daniel said he's finding this knitting thing to be quite stressful. Hilarious really considering it's supposed to be an enjoyable past-time. I'm just really particular with the things in my home. I like everything to be just so. And if I finished the blanket and there were mistakes I know I would get slightly annoyed every time I looked at it. I'm not bothered by the unravelling and have quite enjoyed the beginning again of it all.

Because it's Friday I'm cooking soup and pizza for dinner. Again, not together, but one-after-the-other. I thought it the perfect opportunity to ask you what your favourite recipe is for pizza dough? And go on, share with me your favourite topping.

I'll share mine tomorrow.