at my house

Hands up!!  Who had a crazy weekend? We did, phew! At my house today I'm sitting here in the kitchen having a nice hot cup of tea & trying to catch my breath. This time of year is so full on isn't it? End of year things, pre Christmas planning, school wind up...I seriously need a secretary, or a wife, or both..

All weekend the rain poured down and last night the wind nearly took our roof off. I'm not a big fan of wind, it makes me feel all tetchy & unsettled. Silly wind. The ducks loved the rain though, doing ducky things and squelching around on their webby feet in the puddles.

In amongst the madness of dance rehearsals I managed to squeeze in a visit with gorgeous Jess. Gee I love Jess.  She is one of my favourite bloggy mates, such a warm hearted, funny & creative person, and a genuine friend. I loved hanging out with her & some of her creatures at Cliffy's. So relaxing & great conversation too. Thanks Jess.

After dropping Jess in town I high tailed it back to our house to pick up a special girl who was voting for the first time! woo hoo!

Yesteday the same lovely girl & I got up early and drove through the rain to good old Ballarat, home of my dad's side of the family,  to the Sugar & Spice Childrens Market.

Here I am looking like a demented festive housewife, what's with my hair? Just ignore me and focus on that colourful stall...I was very happy with how it looked yesterday. Loving the spots.

We had a pretty good day, met lots of people, sold some bunnies and bits and ate delicious cake from a lovely local business in Main Road, Ballarat, CAKE! Yum! Have you visited Main Road lately? It reminds me on an up & coming Piper St, very quirky & interesting.

Ali from Sugar & Spice did a fantastic job getting everything organised yesterday after a last minute venue change. Thanks Ali! I'm really looking forward to the Woodend market on December 12, more fun!  At my house today I'm getting ready to go and buy some new chooks, thinking about Bill's 9th birthday on Friday, the dress rehearsal & recital this weekend, and how I can fit in some relaxation time for me..is it possible? Hmmm. At my house I'm thinking about the Craft Group dinner tonight and how I"m going to get there as My Beloved has just joined the Daylesford Brass Band who practice on Monday nights. Hmmmm. At my house I'm thinking of you and wondering what you are up to today? Are you playing along with Lou Lou? Have a great week, see you soon xo

Chaos & happiness

It's been a cold & grey week so far, here in Daylesford. But in amoungst the somewhat dreary weather there has been some sunshine breaking through the clouds and some lovely cosy times at home & out.

A friend visited last week, for the first time, and looking around at my house she was obviously struck by the clutter/mess/chaos. As a reader of my blog perhaps she had imagined my home in a different way, I hope I don't portray it as a tidy and organised space, because it isn't! It was late when she called in, the kids school bags and projects were scattered around and yes, there was that Friday night-it's-been-a-long-week type feel.

It's funny how a fresh set of eyes, or a harmless comment, can make you go into a tail spin! The next day I tided like a maniac, fussed and flapped and chucked. And guess what? It doesn't look much different. The leaves are still finding their way under the front door, the kitchen floor could do with a wash, the piles of washing keep growing and the sense of happy chaos is still here.

Our house is our home and a space where we can be ourselves, be a family. It will never be an immaculate show piece but I hope it will always be a place filled with colour and imagination, questions & adventure, comfort & cosiness. The dishes get done, the kids have clean clothes and lots of cuddles, they are warm, fed, listened too and loved. So I'm not obsessing about it any longer! Do you keep up with all the housework? Are you a good organiser? Is your house super tidy? I like things to be organised and tidy but I have had to surrender to some of the chaos and disorder, otherwise I would go mad.

So yes, life can be messy both at home and sometimes in relationships, or in the community where we live. Some recent events have got me thinking about the ups and downs of life. There will always be challenges, it's really how we deal, cope & grow with life that makes the difference. I always aim to be positive and try and work things out, even if it is hard sometimes. Just as I hope my home is a welcoming and happy place it's important to me to try and be a thoughtful & caring person too.

Housework will always be there but lets face it, there are some much more important things to be doing! Like making a String of Hearts for new baby, Rose. Oh how lovely to see a new baby, the dear little sweetie, so adorable.

And meeting up with some ace local women at Craft night last night! What a fun evening we had,

chatting and sitting by the fire at Peppers, sipping soothing drinks, having a laugh and crafting, of course. I couldn't think of a nicer bunch of people to hang out with & I can't wait for next Craft night!

I was also so happy to this week to receive this gorgeous little frame from Bec as part of her recent giveaway! Thanks so much Bec for making this especially for me, I love it!

I'm thrilled too that our biodynamic garlic is now for sale at Cliffy's in Daylesford! Have you visited this fantastic local cafe/grocer? Filled with locally grown & sourced produce it really is a little piece of heaven. So many delicious things, and excellent coffee too. I love the atmosphere of Cliffy's, the low lights and warm fire make it such a cosy place to meet for a cuppa.

So, enough about me, what's been happening with you? Hope all is well in your world, see you soon xo

Saturday

Yesterday I went to Ballan to pick up Charlotte from the station, she hasn't been home for five weeks so I was pretty excited. I passed this couple, made from haybales, who are advertising the Ballan Country Fair, aren't they cool?!

There's always alot to tell Charlotte when she comes home. We all miss her so much and the kids love to tell her all that they have been up to. Rosie was so proud about coming second in the Little Kids race at the athletics day at school.

Yesterday I also had fun at the Anglican Church's Trash & Treasure. It's one of my favourite events of the year! There is something so appealing about the old fashioned atmosphere, the beautiful women and men who run it and of course the amazing treasures that can be found. I came home with some great finds, a pile of Ladybird books for Sunday, lots of lovely linen and a great little table. Later as I looked at all these goodies I wondered again whether I should have a shop where I could then pass on these pretty things to others. I already have enough things, I don't really need any more but I get such a thrill from finding gorgeous old things. It would be so much fun to have my own little shop one day. So it's something to think about, the high rents in Daylesford are enough to put me off though!



This morning I tootled up the hill to meet up with local superstar Steph & sweet Jess who is visiting from Melbourne. We had a happy time drinking tea and chatting in the soft warm light of Cliffy's. It was so lovely to meet Jess whose blog I love to read, her teddies always make me smile.



There's something magical about the mood in Cliffy's, it's a bit timeless and dreamy. A lovely way to start the day, and the weekend. I feel like I need a soft focus day today, a slower and more thoughtful space. Perhaps I've been whirling and spinning this week, caught up in the rush of family life and squeezing in time for my own interests while also jumping and trying to catch thoughts and ideas as they fly by.

This weekend is a busy one in our little town as the Chillout Festival is on. Lots of lovely rainbow colours everywhere, smiling people enjoying some time out from the city & a chance to celebrate and have some fun. I'm looking forward to the parade tomorrow which is always a hoot. It's absolutely pouring with rain now so I hope that doesn't spoil the party atmosphere. My kids are a bit concerned that the makeup will wash off 'the men who dress up as women'!

A friend is a present you give yourself

The last couple of days I have been feeling a bit anxious. Not sure why, I am sometimes plagued with self doubt & have an annoying running dialogue in my head. Maybe it's hormonal and I'm sure it will pass. In the meantime I'm loving being with my family, seeing my beautiful niece who I don't get to see enough, trying to find some stillness and comfort in just being me. I found these two great cups recently and they are so sweet the words on them make me feel good too.

Hope you are having a happy weekend with the ones you love, xo