Rummage

There's a great set of caves at Wee Jasper called Carey's Caves. We headed off there for a bit of sub-terranean edification with small children and lunatic whippet in tow. The Frenchman announced that he would wait with Kipper in the shade whilst I head to the caves with the offspring. I was all a-lather at the idea of trying to explain the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite to bright young minds when I don't know my arse from elbow in a geological sense. 

You can imagine my relief when we were told we were just in time for a scandinavian folk music extravaganza that involved sitting on chairs and listening to string trios playing polkas. I was tempted to get up and polka myself with the sheer relief - that was until we got to the scandinavian wedding marches. Who knew those northerners were so dour about weddings. Rather than skipping down the aisle in a light-hearted fashion those brides would be stomping down with a stern expression - MARRIAGE IS NO LAUGHING MATTER. No sir.

 

 Letty: he nearly garrotted himself against the lead, making a bid for freedom to terrorise the bovines.

Jek: love your style, glad you like the dollies.

Kirst: If I could have palmed off the nutcase on someone I would have! Too bloody disorganised, us!

Margret & Zofia: thanks!!

We bought a camper to go rollicking about the countryside in. The maiden voyage was spent at Wee Jasper - just over and hour and a half from home. If you visit Canberra and are set up for a spot of camping you should head out there. It's spectacular, trust me, the frenchman was in conniptions.

This was the view of the gurgling river from my bed.

This is where we ate lunch.

This is where Kipper nearly severed the carotid artery trying to chase a cow, (not to worry - he made a full recovery!)

Hope your weekend was lovely too! xx

This is as far as I'm flexing the craft muscle at the moment. Hack off a frock of mine and use the bottom part as a skirt for a small person. And yes, those are new school shoes she's wearing in.

In other news the dolls are having splendid tea parties and the girls are running amok in the vintage apron collection.

Go over and check out the laydeez who craft - here!

Michelle: Wow! We're going to get the whole series now too. The girls can't get enough.

Seepi: Absolutely, it gives you a real insight into that stuff.

Prue: Thanks, me too.

Kate: We haven't reached the maple syrup thingies, will look out for it!

Siskin: I'm look forward to reading that one too.

Claire: Great name for a blog - intrigued about the 'M'

Tania: just reached another nail-bitey moment when Pa saves his friend down the well! I needed a cup of tea and a flannel over the ankles after that one.

Elizabeth: thanks, I'll definitely follow up that recommendation.

Claire and Nauli: thanks heaps

Jo: so glad you've hopped over.

Andrea: that sounds like an invitation that would be hard to pass up!

Leah: MARTINIS! I'll take you straight to the hippo bar.

Lordloveaduck it's hot. We're going to eat pineapple, play scrabble and read Little House all day tomorrow until the heat subsides and then venture forth for a spot of lawn croquet. Am hoping the Frenchman will come over all Jeeves-like and supply a goodly amount of Pimms and cucumber sandwiches but I reckon I've got a snowball's chance in hell on that one.

It was a great weekend, we took Kipper to a dog park where he ran a tight competition with a miniature poodle for the title of, "Canine at a Complete and Utter Loss to Navigate Puddles Without Falling in Headfirst". I think Kipper took the crown by a nose. We picniced in the car after a sudden downpour and ate a whole packet of chocolate biscuits to bide the time. We read the first eight chapters of Little House on the Prairie - the girls are RIGHT into it. I've never read it before and am really enjoying it too despite a nail-bitey moment this evening when Pa was nearly eaten by giant wolves - the house of rummage was on tenterhooks, I can tell you.

Hope you had a beautiful weekend! xx

Thanks everyone for the doll-love, I passed on your comments to the girls who were pleased.

Leah: you can come and play big sister to the girls anytime!

As we sail into the last few weeks of the school holidays, the smalls are more and more into the craft thing. I got this idea from Rosa whose work I always find hugely inspiring.

These are super simple to make, just cut a half-oval shape out of a plain coloured fabric, use textile markers to create faces, bodies and hair. 

Cut simple rectangles for arms and legs. 

Pin arms and legs to the body - sew around the shape, leaving a smallish hole for stuffing

Accessorise in an overthetopfashion et voila!

The very last word in creative spaces - here! xx

I know this looks like a previous photo but there she was sitting in almost the same position , I pinky swear this wasn't set up.

Here are some of the small people's summer book-reading choices: Tove Jansson's Moomin comic strips, anything Enid Blyton, (my preference is for Five Go Mad in Dorset, but perhaps we should save that until they're older), Tin-tin, Milly-Molly-Mandy, Mrs Pepperpot, the Borrowers. Me? I just finished Evelyn Waugh's 'The Loved One', having exhausted my stash of PG Wodehouses. The Loved One was a bloody wicked satire set in an American funeral home - it's very horrible and very funny - I'd recommend it.

PS That's agastache and achillea down below, injecting some serious colour into the summer garden. xx

Mrs BC: Thanks for the fantastic recommendation for Kyril Bonfiglioli - I'll look out for it.

Katrina: I LOVE THAT CHAP BOOK. Thanks heaps for the link!

I love Tom Waits. Pure unbridled passion. Watch out Frenchman, if Tom was around and was into mildly neurotic women who sport mullets and wear a garden trowel in a bumbag artfully arrayed about the hips, it would be ON.

PS if anyone has old Tom Waits records lurking about the place I'd be up for a swap of some fashion - I have some excellent Engelbert Humperdinck I'd love to flog give to someone. xx

Letty: Nup! Definitely not in combination but bloody beautiful when separated!

Sally: Good work Sally, you won't regret it - they're fab!

Laura: thanks for swinging by - I love summer but I'm looking forward to the return of the cold.

This shot kind of encapsulates what's going on round here this summer, you're missing the Hot August Night soundtrack on the record player in the background and the heaped plate of white peaches just out of shot but I think you get the picture.

There's been lots of kicking back with a book here, my man of the moment is PG Wodehouse - can't quite believe it has taken me this long to cotton on to him but lordy! I've fallen hook, line and sinker. I bought Meet Mr Mulliner at Canty's, (my fave local 2nd hand bookseller), and snorted, nay, bellowed with laughter all the way home. Don't worry, the french was driving although at one point he asked me whether he needed to pull over, such was the hilarity in the vehicle. I'm now on the look-out for the entire collection. Happy Monday. xx

Margret & Eugenie: Thanks, the flowers are all from here - I love the colour combo too.

Kay: It'll be summer before you know it where you are too! 

Brunch is my favourite meal mainly because I can get up late and no one raises an eyebrow at popping the champagne cork at 10:30 in the morning. Today we had friends over and I cooked buttermilk pancakes - the Bill Granger recipe, baked catalan eggs and ham and creme de coeur - a thoroughly debaucherous concoction of yoghurt, egg whites, cream and vanilla sugar served with macerated strawberries, (I am fancy-schmancy). I'll dig up any or all of the recipes if you're interested.

Eugenie: sorry, I can't reply to your email for some reason, all our carpets come from Afghan Interiors in Newtown, not from Canberra.

Kristie: hello, lovely. Yes it is shit in french - I felt compelled to put it in front of my sewing machine because I swear like a trooper when I'm in sew-mode. x

Anthea and Catherine: thanks, glad we're thinking on similar lines.

Meg: your new site rocks my world. I might just write that in big wooden letters and pop it on top of my bedframe @#%!@^#!! x

Ellie: You leave the nicest comments - ta lovely!

Corrie: yep, they're a real blast from the past - still can't find halves 8&9 though!!