an end and a beginning

To farewell 2013 we decided to go away for a couple of nights with two other families, it was a perfect end to the year. We headed south to a little place called Bellbrook. The house we stayed in was made perfect by it's bountiful breezes on the deck, ample space for everyone and it's stunning views,  yes the river had a fair amount of cow poo in it and yes there was a warning from the neighbour about the large amount of brown snakes he had recently sighted but we chose to put these hindrances aside and focus on the positives. New Years Eve was celebrated with a curry feast, what else, cocktails, glamorous outfits, a game of Spicks and Specks, lots of laughter and heartfelt moments. Instead of resolutions we burnt some sage and decided what we wanted to leave in 2013, a lovely cleansing ceremony.
We then spent the next day or so, playing, swimming, lazing about while the children played, napping, eating and enjoying this relaxing space.

On the morning of the 2nd we hightailed it back home to spend time with some lovelies from Sydney.  Dear friends who are family, friends with whom just being in each other's company is a delight and oh so easy.

I love the end of one year and the start of another, for me it is the perfect opportunity to let some things go and embrace the positiveness of the future. A couple of days before the end of the year I went to visit my amazing Naturopath/Healer, he is someone I go to whenever I need help in shifting stuff and the end of the year is the perfect time to do just that. We spoke about life's bumps and the gifts that come along with them and looking back at the bumps of my year I can truly be thankful for them. Thankful for the closeness those bumps have given Scott and I and thankful to the increased intimacy with friends. The bumps that forced us to open wounds and share, to cry, to hurt and to ultimately understand. I feel so very blessed and am so excited about how this year will unfold, armed with a bit more knowledge and a whole lot more love.

* and yes there I know there are three photos of Scott all in a row, some may say that is excessive, some may get bored of seeing the same gorgeous being over and over but I say why not, I couldn't resist, he just looks so damn beautiful in every shot. 

festivities

1. Breakfast of croissants, jam and cheese, such decadence. 2. Bucket loads of toasted muesli being made. 3. A perfectly coloured rolling pin. 4. Eggplant pickle. 5 Poe's gift for Phil. 6. The stick tree 7. Teepee Bags (with everything you need to make your own mini teepee) and little bags for the little ones, filled with treasures. 8. & 9. Printed and embroidered linen hangings for our loves. 10. A Christmas Eve Birthday celebration. 11. Phil (Grandpa) got the honours of unwrapping the first gift. 12. His very own fiddle, there has been lots of busy, busy, stop, stops in our home since. 13. Plaits and a croquembouche perfect ingredients for a wonderful day. 14. A table laden with food and excitement. 15. 16. & 17. Nina sharing the light from her beautiful German Pyramid. 18. Our favourite thing about the last few days was sharing it with my dad, he is always so open and generous with his spirit and love, brimming with love and support and is an absolute delight to have around. My mum is in Malaysia with her sister, it was definitely different, not having her around, but it was so special having my dad all to ourselves. 

musical interlude

In the tradition of some dear old friends, I have been getting together my list of favourite songs from 2013, not necessarily from 2013 (although the majority are), just those enjoyed this past year. I love this process; thinking back over the year, remembering, associating tunes and times, planning how the songs all work together. Hope you find some new music loves. I am particularly partial to the last two tunes, very fun party tunes, I dare to to try and not dance around the lounge room to those two numbers.
All of Me - Sarah Blasko
Lying to You - Keaton Heston
All about to Change - Patrick James
Longyearbyen - Packwood
Another Story - The Head and the Heart
San Fransisco - Foxygen
Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings - Father John Misty
Well Respected Man- The Kinks
Devil by Her Side- Potato Potato
Buffalo Tales- Amsterdam
Master Hunter-Laura Marling
Tropical Oceans - DD Dumbo
Sun Song- Laura Veirs
Southern Sun- Boy and Bear
Myth - Beach House
The Breach - Dustin Tebbutt
Tennis Court- Lorde
Shake - The Head and the Heart
You Can't be Told - Valerie June
Birmingham- Shovels & Rope
You Didn't Have to Go - Caleb Klauder & Reeb Williams
Come All You Virginia Gals - Foghorn Stringband
Kemba's Got the Cabbage Moth Blues - Shovels & Rope
Better Days - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
Penitentiary Blues- Vic Manuel
Come to My Party - Black Joe Lewis
Is This How You Feel - The Preatures

Yesterday on the solstice, we burnt some sage, cleansed our home and put out an intention of love and lightness, beginning the process of letting the year go and starting to look forward to the year ahead.
This is short and sweet as I head into a day of last minute sewing and relish/muesli/biscotti and pickle making. Hope you all have a delightful festive season in the close embraces of those you love dearly, cherishing the friendship of loved ones and sitting and being in the moment. Oh and eating lots of delicious goodness.

hello

It feels like an age has passed since I last frequented this space, sorry for the neglect but I have largely been sewing and crafting, albeit with a smattering of delightful interludes. Christmas crafting has involved spots, sticks, bags, pots, ink, tin and a plan of baking/pickling at the very last moment. True none of the aforementioned has actually been finished but the ideas are all there and have pretty much been started, kind of.
You see, I had to leave the Christmas crafting sitting forlornly in a corner as I whipped out the embroidered tablecloths for the markets, last weekend was the Artisans (which was amazing) and this weekend we have the Community markets and then with barely a sigh of relief I will then dig out the Christmas craftiness and get onto it. Well, that's the plan anyway. Unfortunately none of the making will appear online as quite frankly I need all I have for the markets, but next year will be a different story.
I do love to craft at Christmas, heck at anytime really, it just makes me so happy to create little things with intent, with love in my heart and an idea at the tip of my fingers. I focus on each person and send them lots of love as I make. I love this time of year for that reason, to purely bestow handmade goodness onto special ones and if my hand making doesn't quite cut it for everyone, I love supporting other peoples handmade goodness, especially friends and crafty folk around town, yippee.

It is true that I also love to partake in the relaxing, the eating, the reflecting and the time spent with those special ones I keep going on about. To celebrate with those dear to us and to give thanks to the beautiful lives that we share together (and to throw in extra squeezes to those dear ones who have helped us through the crap that life inevitably throws at us). Yes this time of the year can be a nightmare for people, yes it does lead people to consumerism, guilt, jealousy, greed family arguments, over eating, over drinking but it's all how you look at it and how you chose to celebrate, or not celebrate, as may be the case.
Not to go on but as we reflect and think of our luck, our family does like to think about those not as lucky, this obviously happens throughout the year but this time of the year it just seems even more important. Here are just a few special charities who would love some help around now and beautifully some donations even double as a sneaky gift (of which I am sure you are all well aware) such as Oxfam cards (if you do feel the need to consume at Christmas, pop into an Oxfam shop for some delightful fair trade treasures), Kiva (a great place to create wonderful opportunities in impoverished areas), The Redfern Foundation (helping Aboriginal people in Inner Sydney to build skills and strength to create a positive infrastructure within their community, promoting social, educational and employment equity) Australian Conservation Foundation (protecting our environment by creating and infighting change)  One Health Organisation (lobbying for a holistic approach to world wellness) , The Big Issue (providing jobs and independence to homeless people) or just look around for local not for profit  or even someone in your neighbourhood that might need some assistance (a meal cooked, children minded) there are so many people who would love, who need assistance in a plethora of ways. Do you have favourite things to do for others at this time of the year?

Here a few pictures of some happenings of late, despite the images to the contrary we have been quite low key, enjoying kids running around and playing, the relentless hum of the sewing machine and the delight that Scott has finished his big contract and is able to relax and have fun with us all. 

Celebrating beautiful Peppa's birthday; drumming in the garden; loving the wildness of our garden - going crazy after so much rain, hail and sun; celebrating a beautiful new friend's 30th with a delicious picnic by the river, marvelling at their handmade goodness and another crafty home on the property; welcoming the new members of our family, our beautiful bees and always delighting at our beautiful pixie Poe,who wore this on his last day of school for the year.