tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53199706632262417342024-02-07T15:16:04.472+11:00wing by seaMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-54626450706675673222013-01-04T21:26:00.000+11:002013-01-04T21:38:03.134+11:00Cooking with PinterestI'm happy to admit to being a Pinterest addict, but one of the things I find it truly useful for is <a href="http://pinterest.com/michellelorimer/eating/" target="_blank">recipes</a>. I meal plan, sort of, and I'm always looking for something new, quick and easy to try out. When I find it I pin it, and sometimes I just search Pinterest itself.<br />
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This week I picked two new recipes from Pinterest, <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/125819383311286266/" target="_blank">Brown Rice Greek Salad</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/125819383311630291/" target="_blank">Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPj6ftP_F8eAdlO8HU4ZQSA5Vg1A5ru_fkmVpz5kNZb4vjPeyPRCJ9S49RjhuKoTnTc-0S34XgU6OCynVgWYFqnCxJ0Hpm-ym-1ZEaCD3uOwV9XoqdNlOJLyP-12muBtnKdyQwrgoxf5KV/s1600/IMG_0080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Brown Rice Greek Salad" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPj6ftP_F8eAdlO8HU4ZQSA5Vg1A5ru_fkmVpz5kNZb4vjPeyPRCJ9S49RjhuKoTnTc-0S34XgU6OCynVgWYFqnCxJ0Hpm-ym-1ZEaCD3uOwV9XoqdNlOJLyP-12muBtnKdyQwrgoxf5KV/s640/IMG_0080.jpg" title="Brown Rice Greek Salad" width="476" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://thelemonbowl.com/2012/09/brown-rice-greek-salad.html" target="_blank">Brown Rice Greek Salad</a> is originally from The Lemon Bowl. I left out the corn, and I'd do that next time too. This one is a definite keeper though. Delicious. And will suffice as a vegetarian meal on a hot day! When it's hot I only want to eat salads, but it's a matter of keeping the whole crew happy too. Which is where the next dish comes in. Pasta.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG38s0ah3A6qWnVPG_bhVLur_ICwSIQrS613i8FyDbVZfH-FAbJxqSgE-3Hzu0nCyoZFb2F0lyg2oIUeOV9_hf0iJw9pjvd-AMwJn2SZqG-r2_0Q4yivUc0jSQgYRCKbHhICxndtmXpqpS/s1600/IMG_0094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG38s0ah3A6qWnVPG_bhVLur_ICwSIQrS613i8FyDbVZfH-FAbJxqSgE-3Hzu0nCyoZFb2F0lyg2oIUeOV9_hf0iJw9pjvd-AMwJn2SZqG-r2_0Q4yivUc0jSQgYRCKbHhICxndtmXpqpS/s640/IMG_0094.jpg" title="Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese" width="478" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://www.notquitenigella.com/2012/08/22/cauliflower-macaroni-cheese/" target="_blank">Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese</a> is from Not Quite Nigella. I added a grated carrot and zucchini, to up the veg factor as I couldn't be bothered with a separate salad. Looked fantastic and went down really well with the boys.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLfPk6ZXOr7finwDIw8krzx6Oya7MaNACRDr8OUsimzic41fjhpB1dDBHU2nO7Qy-RWyHGu25Vfjfuvwwlh46YywtOumWBstGnx2or3nVdK51zqEfOwSSs3pi8KxXWI-ZK6LM13BlwLsb/s1600/IMG_0085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLfPk6ZXOr7finwDIw8krzx6Oya7MaNACRDr8OUsimzic41fjhpB1dDBHU2nO7Qy-RWyHGu25Vfjfuvwwlh46YywtOumWBstGnx2or3nVdK51zqEfOwSSs3pi8KxXWI-ZK6LM13BlwLsb/s640/IMG_0085.jpg" title="Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese" width="478" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> It got a little rich for me towards the end, but it was a warm night, not the best for a hot creamy pasta dish. Probably a crisp green side salad would have stopped that! Silly me. The funny thing was Jamie Oliver was on the television that night cooking the same dish! I'm going to compare versions. I can't help myself, do you do that too?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FzSP6rVFsVU5IVoItOhZ066Kmhn4EtJwedbVWE18gMkmdLE35eLdDl6jGW-V8IFBndAVRwo4Cs61jI4ZiWHUlMqduLYizz2qaczuDZBFiGhFIry-GHRsj07VKi_YfTw-VNnMa0tLiZ9I/s1600/IMG_0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FzSP6rVFsVU5IVoItOhZ066Kmhn4EtJwedbVWE18gMkmdLE35eLdDl6jGW-V8IFBndAVRwo4Cs61jI4ZiWHUlMqduLYizz2qaczuDZBFiGhFIry-GHRsj07VKi_YfTw-VNnMa0tLiZ9I/s640/IMG_0082.jpg" title="Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese" width="478" /></a></div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Just remember - no corn in the salad, and don't forget the bacon in the mac and cheese!</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-53422972133903252792012-09-30T14:12:00.003+10:002012-09-30T14:45:22.420+10:00kitchen string crochet bowl and placemat<br />
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When I completed my last crochet project - the huge grey blue yellow and green blanket for my older son - I wanted my next one to be something quick to finish. Not sure where I got the idea, but I decided to have a go at crocheting something round and about the same time I spotted some kitchen twine, it looked like a plain unbleached cotton to me, whilst trawling the local supermarket. After a quick search I went with the <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crocheting-a-flat-circle.html" target="_blank">Attic24 tutorial for crocheting a flat circle</a> and quickly knocked up a cute placemat type thing with the cotton, doing the final two rounds in the leftover grey cotton (Jo Sharp - Fog) from the big blanket. Actually I had to alter the design a little as after 10 or so rounds it wouldn't sit flat anymore, so mine had 10 'segments' rather than 11. This may be due to a difference in yarn weight? The cotton string is a bit thinner than the usual 8-ply cotton I use, but denser, and I used a 3.5mm crochet hook. And as you can see the resulting shape isn't awfully round, more a decagon!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted to see if I could finish the last round before the yarn ran out. Nope.</td></tr>
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Part way through, loving this make things quickly approach, I decided a little bowl using the same materials and technique would soon follow. I figured if you just stop increasing after you'd made the size circle you wanted, you'd get a bowl. So off I went...<br />
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And really that's all there was to it! When it was first completed the bowl was much rounder at the bottom, the bottom edge wasn't a sharp corner, but over time it has settled and now has a much squarer profile. I think this heavy little collection of shells that mr.5 picked up one day helped!</div>
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-89260044079024624592012-09-17T10:45:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:14:27.672+10:00The ultimate Lego table<br />
Okay so maybe 'ultimate' is a big call, but this 'Ikea hack' Lego table certainly fits the bill for our needs. My son has a lot of Lego. I know we all say things like that, but really he does. Not adult collector lots, but lots for your average 5 year old kid. Partly this is because we have most of the Lego my father collected for my brother and I when we were kids. Kind of disappointing we don't have all of it, we are missing crucial bits, like the trains for the old train set, and the track for the space train. Frustrating! But as our family moved so much really it's lucky we have any left.<br />
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With a new baby joining the family it became important to find a way to store and play with Lego that got it off the ground and behind toddler-proof doors. It also had to be large enough to hold all of the Lego. I don't subscribe to the 'chuck it all in a plastic tub' school of thought, I'm too anal for that. We keep each model in it's own ziplock bag, with the instructions and spare parts. Otherwise what's the point of buying models? Okay let's not go into that here! Ziplock bags aren't ideal, especially as for now they all just get shoved into the cupboards under the table. Another little problem to solve one day. We do have a lot of loose Lego, all of it vintage though. Is it just me or does old Lego seem so much harder to pull apart? Anyway for the loose Lego we actually have vintage Lego storage trays, which slide nicely into the shelves inside the cupboards.</div>
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There was already storage units from the Besta range in my sons room, so it seemed a good idea to adapt some Besta units for the job. Later we could pull the table apart and make shelves, or a long low entertainment unit, all we'd need would be the glass tops you can get for the Besta range. It seemed at first it was going to be a breeze, screw the units back to back, screw the elevated table top on (so you can slip large lego plates under for storing), of course nothing is ever so simple is it? There aren't many spots where there is solid material for screwing securely into. Under the short ends of the table we used aluminium plates (amazing what you find in the garage), 5mm thick, about 100mm wide, and about 5mm short either end of the length of the short side of the table. The wheels were attached through the plates, they still screwed in fine. Set behind the middle set of wheels, spanning side to side, is a plank of 18mm plywood. If anyone is keen I can provide better details on just how it all went together.<br />
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My husband was a total champ, figuring out the nuts and bolts of it after I brought home all the bits with very vague instructions as to how I saw it all working out. We are still to fit the child-proof catches and push-openers, but we have a few months before the little one is mobile! Once he is pulling himself up on the furniture we'll have another set of challenges, the big one is used to leaving Lego out for days, weeks, on end, and that won't work with a little toddler around.</div>
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An unexpected bonus to having this table is I'm loving the limewashed top as a finish in my jewellery photos!</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-11315379690905509392012-08-17T14:40:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:14:44.989+10:00The big blue green yellow and grey crochet blanket<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love finishing a project! Unless of course I really don't want to finish it, like that scarf. Anyway this one I really did want to finish, and so here it is, all done. It is intended for my 5 year old but I'm having trouble letting go of it, so it's still out on the sofa. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish I'd kept track of how much yarn and time has gone into it, but it was a fairly organic process. I started out intending to use up some yarn from my stash but have ended up with more than I started with! I'd originally wanted it to be mostly shades of yellow which proved incredibly hard to get hold of in cotton. Instead lots of blue and green and just a little yellow was added. Grey (</span>Jo Sharp cotton in Fog)<span style="font-family: inherit;"> ended up being the background colour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is a basic crochet blanket, 140 granny squares, join-as-you-go joining method, with two very simple rounds at the end to edge it - <span style="background-color: white;">one row of single crochet, one row of half double crochet</span>. It is big enough to decorate a single bed, the last photo shows my husband holding it up, he isn't that tall, maybe 5'7", but as you can see the blanket is bigger than he is.</span><br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-41422018627080632102012-06-08T12:44:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:15:10.194+10:00A week of food<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTu6ZEN1Wpj-ABzOEoMTtPelJHuqjjgGIJOtxZYce7Uvvx5rkrEBQRoZMhoY6z3OuyqSJLu6-Ocphjyk-ktMLoCKi8yutmHs96I882fxPpRbblRgCrpyWy3cKfNdI47XLNccZ1EBM-LDzB/s1600/baconherbmuffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTu6ZEN1Wpj-ABzOEoMTtPelJHuqjjgGIJOtxZYce7Uvvx5rkrEBQRoZMhoY6z3OuyqSJLu6-Ocphjyk-ktMLoCKi8yutmHs96I882fxPpRbblRgCrpyWy3cKfNdI47XLNccZ1EBM-LDzB/s400/baconherbmuffins.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the delicious new bakery treats I made this week!</td></tr>
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I use a menu planner to keep the week from becoming just too absolutely hectic, and I'm sure many of you do too! However I do just throw the menu out at the end of each week, which is a shame really. It'd be useful to know which weeks worked well, which new recipes were a hit or a miss, and old menus could be useful when I'm having a total mental blank when faced with a new menu plan to fill in!<br />
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So here is this weeks plan. I only plan dinners, with the occasional new weekend breakfast or bit of baking thrown in.<br />
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<h4>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinners </span></b></h4>
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<b>Monday</b>: Meatballs and pasta<br />
<i>Monday nights I'm exhausted, so this will be an easy dinner, with pre-made meatballs. I'll probably use a pre-made pasta sauce or tinned tomatoes and add some finely diced or grated vegetables to it.</i><br />
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<b>Tuesday</b>: Risotto or barley with chicken, red capsicum, onion and peas<br />
<i>This meal was planned to use up some bits and bobs left over from the week before! Tuesday is our shopping day. </i><br />
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<b>Wednesday</b>: Kedgeree<br />
<i>Cooked by the Mr, recipe from <a href="http://www.bookoffers.com.au/kitchen-classics-slow-cookers-jane-price/" target="_blank">'Slow Cookers' by Jane Price</a></i><br />
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<b>Thursday</b>: Pizza, homemade dough<br />
<i>Cooked by the Mr (I know, I'm a lucky girl!), he used our new pizza stone for the first time, I highly recommend getting one! He used the pizza dough recipe that came with the stone. Was fab.</i><br />
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<b>Friday</b>: Baked tuna casserole<br />
<i>I found the recipe <a href="http://www.thehealthychef.com/2011/06/baked-tuna-casserole/" target="_blank">here</a>, pinned it <a href="http://pinterest.com/wingbysea/eating/" target="_blank">here</a>. See I do use the recipes I pin in Pinterest!</i><br />
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<b>Saturday</b>: <a href="http://emmadime.com/simply-wholesome-01/" target="_blank">Black bean tacos</a><br />
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<b>Sunday</b>: Chilli con carne sweet potato cottage pie<br />
<i>This is an adaptation of <a href="http://www.thehealthychef.com/2012/04/chilli-con-carne/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>. I'm just turning it into a pie by adding sweet potato mash on top.</i><br />
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<h4>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other stuff</span></b></h4>
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Bacon and fresh herb muffins, from <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/australian-womens-weekly/aww-baking-day-9781742452555.aspx" target="_blank">'Baking Day' by the Woman's Weekly</a>, see photo above!<br />
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For breakfast this week I'm going to try <a href="http://www.thehealthychef.com/2011/08/power-porridge-with-a-hint-of-cinnamon/" target="_blank">this porridge recipe on the Healthy Chef website</a>. No oats! Not that I have anything against oats, I love them, but looked interesting.<br />
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I'm also hoping to make another Pear cake, to refine my recipe, and I'm working on an adaptation of a muesli bar style slice that I hope to share soon.<br />
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So that's my week in food! Do you do a weekly menu plan? If you've blogged it please share!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-41094006820749989902012-05-07T19:58:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:16:21.869+10:00Pear and Oat Cake<br />
<img alt="" class="spotlight" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p480x480/581983_10150953872841057_719861056_11963292_587305864_n.jpg" /> <br />
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Today I was in a baking mood, and had some lovely pears needing to be eaten. Pear cake! Perfect! We love a fruit based dessert here, and I knew a freshly baked dessert would make everybody here happy.<br />
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This recipe was based on my strawberry cake recipe, with slight modifications because I wanted to use pears, and have it be more of a dessert cake than a tea cake. Plus I love sticking rolled oats in things. It's an ad hoc recipe, and has only been tested once, if you decide to try it let me know how it goes!<br />
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<img alt="" class="spotlight" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/p480x480/540359_10150953781886057_719861056_11962980_1697760083_n.jpg" /> <br />
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<b>Pear and Oat Dessert Cake</b><br />
<ul>
<li>100g of butter</li>
<li> half cup of brown sugar</li>
<li>a quarter cup of golden syrup</li>
<li>half a cup of rolled oats</li>
<li>1 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>one and a half cups of self raising flour</li>
<li>about third a cup of milk - as needed</li>
<li>two ripe william bartlett style pears</li>
<li>an extra tablespoon of rolled oats</li>
<li>raw sugar for sprinkling on top of cake before baking</li>
</ul>
<br />
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees, fan forced. Line a standard loaf tin with baking paper.<br />
<br />
Soften the butter, mix it with the sugar. Add remaining ingredients except the milk and pear. Mix to combine, gradually start adding milk, until the consistency seems right. (Sorry about the vague instructions!)<br />
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Peel and roughly chop the pears into inch dice. Gently fold the pear through the mix, and tip into loaf tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with extra rolled oats and a sprinkle of raw sugar. Bake for about 60minutes, but keep an eye on it and check with skewer when it appears done. The skewer may not come out clean if you pierce a lump of pear! So check a couple of spots.<br />
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I intended this cake to be quite dense with fruit, quite 'desserty' so it was lovely served warm with a dollop of plain yoghurt.<br />
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<img alt="" class="spotlight" height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/541278_10150954112221057_719861056_11963523_318717388_n.jpg" width="400" />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-9732005397534015682011-07-10T19:55:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:16:52.833+10:00yellow still rocksAnd because yellow still rocks we have our party 'theme' sorted. It's just got to be yellow. I've started to get preparations underway, although I think I should have got more done by now! Pretty sure I need way more straws too. A visit to <a href="http://www.littlepaperlane.com.au/">Little Paper Lane</a> helped my Loot Bag ideas crystallize, I picked up those snazzy little brown paper bags with windows and I'm going to make some tags to match the invite and sew them to the bag as I sew the top of the bag shut. I'll have to take a photo and show you that later, hope I'm making sense!<br />
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://store.thepartystudio.com.au/product-categories/disposablePartySupplies/accessories/WoodenForks">Wooden forks</a> for the fruit salad, from The Party Studio</li>
<li>Biodegradeable gelato cups for the fruit salad, from <a href="http://stores.ebay.com.au/biopackagingcompany">The Bio Packaging Company on Ebay </a></li>
<li><a href="http://store.thepartystudio.com.au/yellowPolkadotBakingCups">Adorable polka dot baking cups</a> (not sure for what yet, chocolate crackles?) from The Party Studio</li>
<li><a href="http://store.thepartystudio.com.au/product-categories/disposablePartySupplies/accessories/yellowPaperStraws">Yellow stripey straws</a>, from The Party Studio</li>
<li><a href="http://store.thepartystudio.com.au/YellowChevronMiniBags">Mini yellow chevron snack bags</a> for my smartie cookies, from The Party Studio</li>
<li>Loot bags from <a href="http://www.littlepaperlane.com.au/">Little Paper Lane</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.littlebetsybaker.com.au/store/pc/viewprd.asp?idproduct=907">Scalloped kraft paper baking cups</a> for blueberry and apple oat muffins, from Little Betsy Baker</li>
</ol>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-65428016866186585322011-07-03T10:49:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:17:09.550+10:00the fluffy kookaburraI captured a few (okay about 50) photos of a kookaburra that had decided to perch awhile on our deck railing yesterday. So fluffy! And big! We wondered whether or not it was okay for a bit there, as it seemed completely unconcerned as I gradually sidled closer and closer, trying to get a better view. In the end it sat there long after I took all my photos, just keeping the occasional eye on the young fella as he showed him various toys that may have been of interest to a kookaburra.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxSm-zvuGRUH9B7QmqN975fABjDWVRMNdWjd04GTsVsNsUN-zyathBWSj_R4sDDolOyMGzrZjqkkEhFoGfYG5hMCtv7faIeY9z7312NQJxXygZOn-igO-BBjy7WssjGINt3CGttXhx_Ua/s1600/kookaburra-053-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxSm-zvuGRUH9B7QmqN975fABjDWVRMNdWjd04GTsVsNsUN-zyathBWSj_R4sDDolOyMGzrZjqkkEhFoGfYG5hMCtv7faIeY9z7312NQJxXygZOn-igO-BBjy7WssjGINt3CGttXhx_Ua/s1600/kookaburra-053-edit.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"yeah, close enough lady..."</td></tr>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-57098732626893315642011-06-12T13:57:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:17:26.127+10:00a quick status update on blankieBelieve it or not, 80 squares are now done! I'm slower than I hoped, but not too surprised - I always hope I'll get more done than I can. I've introduced some more colours since the last update - but have been quite frustrated in my search for a good range of colours in cotton yarn. Does no-one else find wool itchy?<br />
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At this stage I am planning to do the final join-as-you-go round in the same grey that edges all of the squares. I think introducing white at this stage would be a bit jarring, or better suited if it was a babies blanket. Here's a quick photo of my stacks of squares - there are ten squares per stack, and then I'd better get back to it!<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-2363868153028708042011-05-26T20:47:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:17:56.054+10:00mmm macarons!It's been all about macarons lately! You know when that coincidence thing happens, when you hear about something or bump into someone three times in a row? Well that's what happened to me with macarons! First I spotted the <a href="http://www.donnahay.com.au/shop-online/food/almond-macaron-with-chocolate-filling">Donna Hay Macaron Kit</a> in the local supermarket, and couldn't resist. I've been wanting to try making them but been too intimidated, the kit provided the perfect opportunity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSge9HzVB48YkxwmXnI3OA_szXX7q6wAWpBULCjcJ9pYkmnYEmEzrqkhuGh5afGmGegLu1qj2KxO3SAGO_CypGLYiBKxj0qo7RL_T0N-KMjn7oEhurtTPFPbcaAbrCTA2vYXZN_T6jXQn/s1600/donnahay+008bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSge9HzVB48YkxwmXnI3OA_szXX7q6wAWpBULCjcJ9pYkmnYEmEzrqkhuGh5afGmGegLu1qj2KxO3SAGO_CypGLYiBKxj0qo7RL_T0N-KMjn7oEhurtTPFPbcaAbrCTA2vYXZN_T6jXQn/s1600/donnahay+008bw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not too shabby for my first macaron!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-mBI-FRgcB7-z8EshDC80wgquNOHUndaJlUboVxMQ7LAg2hdfunN0z4HncYjYH18pdgcJgcggmA2VI659qC2YFnOaNWdzx7ktFPAFuxN98nFZn0h4guaHix-wLmksbwKaqtkzwLepMzd/s1600/donnahay+004bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-mBI-FRgcB7-z8EshDC80wgquNOHUndaJlUboVxMQ7LAg2hdfunN0z4HncYjYH18pdgcJgcggmA2VI659qC2YFnOaNWdzx7ktFPAFuxN98nFZn0h4guaHix-wLmksbwKaqtkzwLepMzd/s1600/donnahay+004bw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, they were completely and utterly scrumptious!</td></tr>
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Super easy to make, and impressively delicious, I'd highly recommend giving it a go unless you already know how to make them! Here's a tip from a pro if you do - instead of waiting the ten minutes recommended on the box before putting them in the oven, wait until they don't stick to your finger when you lightly touch them. And here's a tip from me - check out the instructions on the website because I think they instruct you to make the ganache filling after baking the biscuits, rather than on the box where they tell you to make it before. I made the ganache first, and I took so long doing the biscuits I had to add more cream over low heat to the ganache to get it back to a spreadable consistency.<br />
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Then, I received the Woman's Weekly Macaroon and Biscuits cookbook for my birthday! I'm so loving my Woman's Weekly cookbooks, (and my Donna Hay ones too actually), and this new cookbook not only has macaron recipes, but loads of other traditional biscuits too, like Monte Carlo biscuits, just like my grandma used to make. Watch this space, I'll be reporting back on recipes from it soon! Meanwhile checkout the cover and the chocolate macarons inside, lovely right?<br />
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And finally, on my birthday my son and I went to Manly and stopped in at Adriano Zumbo's, and took home a selection of five delicious little crispy treats. Salted caramel was by far our favourite flavour! Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of the Zumbo macarons, but follow <a href="http://adrianozumbo.com/patisserie-manly/">this link to his website for the Manly patisserie</a>, and check out the super cool floor detail in the shop. Monkey was completely impressed with the miniature building site under the clear section of floor, which gave me lots of time to make up my mind about which macarons to buy!<br />
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So that was the week that was all about macarons!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-54244798502168154122011-04-15T15:05:00.000+10:002012-09-30T14:18:11.915+10:00grey blue green and yellowI said I'd blog my second crochet project, and here it is! The plan for this one is that it will be a blanket for my son's bed. When I first started crocheting up some left-over cotton I hadn't thought that far ahead, but looking at the colours I think it will be good for his room. If he gets too old for it then it would probably suit our bed too, as a blanket across the bottom of the bed.<br />
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Just looking at this photo I'm realising how different in size some of the squares are! Because I'm using leftovers, and buying odd balls here and there, the yarns are quite different thicknesses, even though they all recommend the same needle size. Some of the yarns I've used so far are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Jo Sharp Soho Summer dk cotton in Fog (I need so much more of this! It's the grey every square will be finished in!)</li>
<li>Jo Sharp Soho Summer dk cotton in Shamrock</li>
<li>Heirloom cotton 8-ply in denim blue (I have some of this in a dark navy blue too)</li>
<li>Heirloom cotton 8-ply in yellow</li>
<li>Heirloom cotton 8-ply in pale lime (the heirloom yarns are by far the thinnest yarn)</li>
<li>Sugar'n'cream cotton 8-ply in turquoise (very thick, would love more of this in various colours)</li>
<li>Twilley's of Stamford Freedom Denim - desperately seeking more of this discontinued yarn, it's the middle colour in the top right square</li>
<li>Some unknown yellow cotton, middle of bottom left and right squares</li>
<li>Katia Mississippi, the dark lime/pistachio green, which is actually only 60% cotton</li>
</ul>
What I'm craving is more yellows! I have an interim solution for this, and that is to dye some plain white yarn. We'll see how that idea pans out after the Easter break.<br />
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My plan for this blanket is to do 10 squares of each colour combination, and then finish the blanket off by doing a final round in white, joining as I go. I have roughly estimated I will need about 192 squares, which quite frankly is terrifying! It seems an awful lot of squares! I'll need 15 more colour combinations! I'm hoping to have something about 1.5m x 2m, so it will be a large single bed blanket. I just hope he still likes it by the time I've finished it!<br />
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Here is how far along I am - as of today, I have 26 squares done, roughly an eighth of the way.<br />
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Wish me luck! I think I'm going to need it!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-77243038966846601412011-04-09T20:45:00.001+10:002012-09-30T14:18:34.215+10:00my first crochet projectNot too long ago, I got the urge to learn to crochet. As with any newly learnt craft skill I quickly became obsessed, and approached it the usual way. Dive in head-first, avoid patterns, and learn only what I need to complete the first thing I decide to make. I really can't recommend this approach at all, it has resulted in far too many UFO's (unfinished objects) over the years! It is only thanks to the craft itself here that I did actually finish my first ever crochet project. Crochet has an addictive quality, and as my first project was granny squares, the bite size pieces give you lots of opportunities to feel a sense of accomplishment. The first square - AWESOME! First ten, YAY! A neat stack you can photograph, Woo Hoo! and so on.<br />
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This project came about because I am an awfully slow knitter. I have only ever finished simple scarves, and they take me about two months. Because of this I ended up with a lovely stash of yarn that clearly would be sitting there for years waiting to be knitted up.<br />
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For this project I went with some yummy Twilley's of Stamford cotton. I had only the vaguest of plans at this stage - perhaps it would be a little sofa throw? I didn't know how far the yarn would go until I had used a whole ball.<br />
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Oh the sense of accomplishment! My first little stack of granny squares! Now we have to fast forward this bit of the project, because I forgot to take any more pictures. I forged ahead and simply turned all the yarn into granny squares. I tossed about ideas like, should I buy more yarn and make it a nice big throw? How was I going to join the squares together? What colour should I use to join them, now that I've used up all the yarn?<br />
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Then I realised I'd better keep it short and sweet, and get something finished. Abandoning any plans to make anything large, after playing with the squares for a while I decided on one big cushion. So I just started sewing them all together, using my crochet hook. Now I really wish I had seen <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/joining-granny-sqaures.html">this tutorial</a> over at Attic24 before I rushed into this step. Because then you wouldn't be able to see the joining yarn! Live and learn!<br />
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Fortunately I did see <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crochet-wooly-jumper-cushion-.html">this tutorial</a> at Attic24 just before I finished sewing the squares together. It inspired my final decision to make two cushions with envelope style linen backs. Because I couldn't see how I would finish the cushion quickly and simply if the whole thing was crocheted front and back, and still be able to remove the insert! I also decided the crochet would need a piece of backing fabric, it was too gappy to simply pop in any old insert.<br />
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And once again - as I rushed through the final stages we go from the above just sewn together cushion front to...<br />
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The final cushions! I did so many things wrong it's best you didn't see all that inbetween stuff anyway!<br />
And the backs with their overlap envelope opening, easy peasy with no buttons, snaps, ties or zips.<br />
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I do love them, they are snuggly and feel lovely and huggable - with zero itch factor for this family full of wool-itchers. But most of all I am just so chuffed to have finished them! I have started my next project, initially learning nothing from my previous mistakes as I plowed straight in to my cotton stash. I will tell you all about it very soon, and you'll be proud of me - I have started planning how it's going to work!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-65934975066891871572011-04-07T18:16:00.001+10:002011-04-07T18:17:30.830+10:00walking homeSometimes I forget to just enjoy what's around me. I rush, try to get everything on my list done each day, use every moment. Even planning in 'relaxing' time. Last week, while heading home with the kidlet from preschool, I was starting to worry about getting home quickly, wishing I had the car. But I didn't, and I was tired, and he was super tired. And so I stopped for a minute, and thought instead of trying to rush and making both of us more tired, and then cranky, I could relax, take it slow, enjoy this bit of time alone with him, where all we have to do is walk for a bit. So that's what we did, chatting, holding hands, one of us eating ice cream, and the other taking photos. I'm so glad I stopped to think that afternoon.<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-19387188358574915192011-04-02T12:44:00.005+11:002012-09-30T14:19:37.104+10:00spotted in peppermint!Spotted in the current issue of <a href="http://peppermintmag.com/">Peppermint Magazine</a>? My <a href="http://www.madeit.com.au/detail.asp?id=236026">sweet vintage glass bunnies</a>! Thank you Peppermint!<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-82159872046740997032011-04-01T12:05:00.000+11:002012-09-30T14:20:13.219+10:00from the other side of australia to my mailboxI received some <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlemoandfriends">Little Mo and Friends</a> goodness in the mail yesterday! I was super lucky and won a print for naming one of two new characters in the Little Mo gang - YAY! As always, even the packaging was divine...<br />
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...and here is the adorable art print! Some frame shopping is in order I think! Can't wait to have this cutie up on the wall. Thank you Helena! <br />
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See what Helena is up to <a href="http://www.littlemoandfriends.com%20/">here on her blog</a> - or visit her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlemoandfriends">store on Etsy</a> for lots of sweet papery goodness!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-81079598564119836952011-03-27T12:20:00.001+11:002012-09-30T14:20:38.465+10:00the most delicious lemon yoghurt cakeI have found the most delicious lemon yoghurt cake! Not that I've eaten a lot of lemon yoghurt cake in my time, but still, it's pretty darn good, and the thing I truly love about it is the recipe worked beautifully for me, which doesn't always happen! I think it is a forgiving recipe, not too hung up on whether or not you do things <i>exactly</i> by the book. For example I didn't have a plain vegetable oil, I only had Flax Seed oil, which to me had a strong smell for a cake, so I only used a bit under a third of a cup instead of the recommended half a cup. Still an incredibly moist cake.<br />
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Also I could see this cake recipe being quite adaptable - add blueberries for a visual treat and a little extra goodness, make cupcakes to share. I could see a few different toppings working here too. I didn't actually put the finishing icing glaze on it, and it was still delish. So glaze it, and maybe sprinkle sugar over the glaze for a frosted look, try your hand at marshmallow frosting, or even cream cheese frosting might work here too. <br />
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Tempted? Of course you are! So run over to <a href="http://chasingsomebluesky.blogspot.com/">Chasing Some Blue Sky</a> (loads of fab recipes!) and get the recipe <a href="http://chasingsomebluesky.blogspot.com/2009/08/barefoot-contessa-lemon-yogurt-cake.html">here</a>! Bake it today!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-58758474743892350312011-03-26T21:47:00.000+11:002012-09-30T14:20:55.251+10:00And the winner is....First of all I would like to thank all of you for entering! Thank you so much! Also thank you for tweeting, or following my blog, or liking wing by sea on Facebook!<br />
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Well I'm afraid there can be only one winner. I carefully went through the comments, and allocated each comment, and each comment about a tweet - even if they were in the same comment - a number, 1 through 77. I then used the website Random.org to give me a randomly generated number.<br />
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The winner of the sterling silver Shimmer earrings is.... drum roll please... Petaliferous!<br />
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Congratulations! I will be in touch with you shortly to arrange to send you your prize!<br />
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Keep an eye out for my next giveaway!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-51640007492533787792011-03-19T15:12:00.000+11:002012-09-30T14:21:22.838+10:00Cheers!It's time for a GIVE-AWAY! Yay! The crowd goes wild! I am giving away a pair of 'Shimmer' earrings to thank all my fans, followers and friends, for being so supportive of wing by sea. Seriously if it wasn't for all of you, it would not have been half the fun.<br />
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These are the earrings you could win! Sterling silver earwires, with a dangling sterling silver ball, beneath which shimmying strands of sterling silver chain sway. I hope you love them, I think they would be perfect for celebrating in!<br />
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How to enter:<br />
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Well it's super simple!<br />
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All you need to do to enter is visit either of my shops and come back here and let me know your favorite piece of jewellery! I'd love to know what you all love ;)<br />
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wing by sea on Etsy - <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/wingbysea">http://www.etsy.com/shop/wingbysea </a><br />
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wing by sea on MadeIt - <a href="http://www.madeit.com.au/wingbysea" style="font-size: 14px;">http://www.madeit.com.au/wingbysea</a><br />
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For a second entry, tweet my giveaway - include @wingbysea in your tweet, and come back here and let me know you did!<br />
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The winner will be chosen by a random number generator on Saturday the 25th, entries close at 9pm (Sydney, Australia time!). Please ensure to leave some way to contact you, or check back here Saturday the 25th to see who won!<br />
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Thank you and good luck!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.</em></span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-68497214125786122782011-03-03T12:42:00.001+11:002012-09-30T14:22:06.072+10:00flirty skirtyI had an urge and decided to run with it this morning. Lately I've been a bit mad about skirts, hunting skirts, dreaming up skirts, and desperately wanting to make a skirt. But I have no patience for patterns most of the time, and very limited sewing skills, so I decided to make a skirt using only what I had to hand. This satiny fabric has been sitting in my sewing box for years, I don't remember what I had originally intended it for.<br />
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The machine was already strung with some matching thread, and I had some thin black elastic, so voila! Five lines of sewing later and we have skirt! I won't pretend it is the most flattering item of clothing I have, but I had fun, and got the skirt urge off my back, for a while at least.<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-46686598841006364302011-02-14T15:36:00.002+11:002012-09-30T14:23:01.132+10:00but wait there's more!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well after my little foray into washi tape and the adorableness of Little Paper Lane, I thought I'd bring to you today some more washi tape goodness with a <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/valentines-day/diy-valentines-crafts-00000000051192/index.html">V-Day theme</a>. See below for some lovely locally made bunting by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/paperklipdesign?ref=seller_info">Paper Klip Design</a> on Etsy. I also found this gorgeous blog - "<a href="http://www.iloveprettythings.com.au/">i love pretty things</a>" - with a <a href="http://www.iloveprettythings.com.au/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-jayde-from-little-paper-lane/">fab interview</a> from the owner of Little Paper Lane! So get over there and have a read, plus you'll get a tempting sneak peek of the storefront with it's ever-changing always eye-catching displays. Obssessed? Who me?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/59347962/pretty-party-bunting-b-pink-and-red">Party bunting</a> by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/paperklipdesign?ref=seller_info">Paper Klip Design</a></td></tr>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-3227580748084531282011-02-13T15:53:00.003+11:002012-09-30T14:23:34.615+10:00washi tape is lovelyThere is the most gorgeous little shop near me called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LittlePaperLane">Little Paper Lane</a>. One of those shops you always turn to catch a peep at when driving past (as a passenger of course, ahem!). Well after months of saying "I must go visit, I must go visit", my need for a diary - yes, I know, it's already February - drove me to make the time to visit. And how fabulous, even with the little man in tow. Not only did I get a funky little diary, perfect for scrawls and scribbles, lists and notes, I bought washi tape! Silver washi tape! And some baker's twine in black and white. And this is what I did with it!<br />
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The silver washi tape looks lovely with the silver tissue I use for wrapping my jewellery, and I like the simplicity of the twine.<br />
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While I was in the shop I spotted lots of familiar works by Australian creatives <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/pocketcarnival">Pocket Carnival</a>, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/benconservato">Benconservato</a>, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlemoandfriends?ref=seller_info">Little Mo</a> and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedLetterStudio">Red Letter Studio</a>. I think I will be visiting again soon, this time without the kidlet so I can dawdle just a bit longer. Might need to take a packed lunch.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-60760339192438679012011-01-29T12:09:00.000+11:002012-09-30T14:23:54.480+10:00dandelions for the dining room<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first looked at our new home I was left with the impression there was a window in this wall. I was so surprised there wasn't one when we actually moved in! So instead I had a wall crying out for something big. I would have loved to have put a huge mirror up there, it would have reflected the french doors in the living room and brought in sunlight and trees. But instead I have gone for something I can achieve quickly! Because I am impatient and it had to happen <i>right now</i>! So voila, fabric covered canvas. I took a little time to think about how to do the corners neatly, unlike my first canvas attempt, and thought I may as well document it. Just in case there is a next time. Can you see my dining chairs? Covered in fabulous patterned vinyl? They are on my To Do list. As is the maroony-dusty-dark-mushroom painted floor. Yuck!</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-63165198045742865802011-01-21T13:06:00.000+11:002012-09-30T14:24:42.353+10:00*want!*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61302251/black-t-shirt-round-crochet-upcycled">Black t-shirt fabric crocheted rug</a></div>
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How absolutely gorgeous, this rug would be perfect for in front of my new fireplace! Check out lots of other stunning up-cycled, re-cycled, custom crocheted rugs by EKRA <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ekra?ref=pr_shop_more">here</a>.</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5319970663226241734.post-57339221306447483702011-01-12T08:14:00.000+11:002012-09-30T14:24:17.246+10:00new beginnings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The dust is starting to settle, I'll post photos soon! I also want to share my first pavlova and an awesome bbq beef salad I came up with recently. What's new with you?Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615042383524601406noreply@blogger.com0