Little House

When we first saw our house in Daylesford, almost nine years ago, we loved it for it's charm and sense of history. It's beautiful garden was also hugely appealing and of course we loved the town. We still love all those things and I guess as the years have gone by we have become a part of it all too. Our own family history is now woven into this beautiful place that we live in. Our own kids will have memories of the little town where they grew up and the yellow house where we live. I hope they remember the sunny afternoons in our garden, running under the hose and having dinner under the apple trees.

Talking of little houses..this little timber building was originally an outhouse of sorts, sometimes an extra bedroom, a bungalow and maybe even a laundry. It would have been built around the same time as the main house, about the turn of the century or a little later.

As we are starting some renovations soon we had to decide what to do with Little House as it was in the wrong spot and stopping us from opening up the back of the house. It would have been simple and easy to demolish it but that wasn't high on my list of options. I really love it and wanted to keep it if possible. So we talked to Col who said he could move it with his crane, woo hoo!

You can see above where it stood and the new stumps/supports that it would be moved on to.

This is Col :)

This is Col's crane! Oh how I wish I had been at home the day it was moved..but I had to go to work which I wasn't at all happy about. Luckily Tom took some ace shots of the house being craned into position.

And getting kind of stuck on the top of the garage....

My neighbour, Alison, came home and walked out her back door to see the little house flying through the sky.

Twisting, turning..spinning!

And as she pointed out later, all the while a jar of paint brushes stood happily in the little window sill!            You can just see it if you look hard.

Careful!

Col and the guys did a great job. Wow. I can't believe it really happened. Little House is now happily sitting in it's new spot in the garden, nestled up against the garage.  Today Tom took the front off it to fix some of the bits that were broken in the move, and to make a new, longer window. Then we will be able to see through it from our new kitchen, and out the other window into the garden. The kids are keen to make it a club house but we'll see. I'm just happy that it's still part of the picture, and that it will continue to be treasured and loved.

I wonder what the Steinhauser's would think about what we have done? They were the family who built our main house and it's little sister house. They owned a cordial factory around the corner from where we live. The very first week we moved here a group of  Stteinhauser descendants came by for a visit. One of them told me that he used to sleep in Little House, in a double bed. It took up most of the room so he would have had to practically jump through the door and onto it!
Funny. I wish I could remember all the amazing stories they told us, there were so many and it was a long time ago now.

Do you know the history of your house? I am so fascinated with the stories of our town, and this area. There are endless interesting tales to be told and so many interesting people.  As I always say, everyone has a story.

Which reminds me, in a  roundabout way, this weekend is a special one. The Daylesford/Hepburn region are celebrating our Swiss Italian culture and heritage with the wonderful Swiss Italia Festa! There are lots of great things on to see and do, you should check out their site here. Also our own school fete is happening on Sunday 4th November, and it's going to be so fantastic!! If you have kids and you live locally you really should come along, there will be lots of kid friendly activities, yummy cakes, the spinning wheel and heaps more. Books, clothes, craft, food..fun! It's on at St Michaels School, Smith St, Daylesford from 9 - 3. I'll be helping to run the second hand clothes stall, come and say hi :)

It's such a busy time of year isn't it? Have you got lots of things on too? 

Hope you are getting some sunshine wherever you are,

see you soon lovelies xo

ps: if you haven't entered my giveaway it's not too late! Click here for details xo

Sunny skies

Yesterday the sun was shining and the sky was a briliant blue. The weather couldn't have been better for the annual Swiss Italian Festa in Hepburn Springs. All the schools marched together, with goats, music, colour and happy faces. It was so much fun and is a great celebration of the Swiss Italian culture & the wonderful community we live in.

The Swiss Italians came to the Hepburn area during the goldrush of the 1850's, many of them walking to the goldfields from many miles away.

They opened up the Jim Crow goldfields which later became Daylesford. Some of the names of the families who came from across the seas are still around today, Tinetti, Rodini, Gervasoni and Lucini & many others.

We marched along the sunny streets and then along a back lane, dappled in sunlight, winding our way down to the maket day on the green grasses of Hepburn Reserve, under the huge shady trees.




Then we listened to all the gorgeous children singing Italian songs, each school performed, led by a wonderful group of kids from Daylesford Secondary College. All the local schools and kinders had stalls as fundraisers, ours made frog-in-a-pond's in red, white and green.




It really was a glorious day and lovely to see families enjoying it together. The only downside was that there was a big crowd and it was hard to keep track of the kids. I heard later that two little prep boys took off and couldn't be found. After a long search they were found right up at Daylesford, where they had walked to, several kilometres away! How scary is that? I haven't heard the whole story yet but it goes to show how easily children can wander off without being noticed.



The weather is so lovely this weekend, it really makes you feel good. Creeks are full of water and the grass is green and lush and the fresh air smells of blossoms & springtime.




Jim Crow creek

I'm finding life so busy at the moment, it's important for me to still enjoy the beautiful outdoors, the sky and birds and life going on all around me. To also help ease the stress I'm making lists, planning meals for the week, anything to make things run smoothly. My main concern is making sure the kids are settled and enjoying life without too much distruption. I hope I can do all the things I want to do as well!

Hope you have enjoyed some sunshine and happiness this weekend, see you soon xo

Lavender & lamingtons

Yesterday Rosie and I and two special friends went to the beautful lavender farm, Lavandula, out at Shepherds Flat. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the little girls ran and ran and ran.

We sat and had a picnic surrounded by daffodils and marvelled at the weather - after a long, long winter it was good to feel that sunshine and smell the spring air. Do you like Rosie's new pink shoes?

Michelle snuck in a cat nap while we went in search of donkeys. Hee haw...

What a lovely place to visit, it always makes you feel good. I don't know alot about its history except that it was once a working farm owned by local Swiss Italians. I'd like to learn a bit more about Lavandula and hope to visit it a bit more often.

The other reason I was there was to purchase some of their lavender. I needed it to fill the little Sleepy Hearts that are my current sewing project. I'll post some photo's soon, I'm quite happy with how they are looking.

I'll be bringing some to the pre Christmas Daylesford Makers Market which is coming up in November, as well as the usual Blanket Bunnies & other Dandelion items. I hope to see lots of bloggy friends there at my Dandelion stall, it's such a lovely way to catch up in 'real life'. Do pop by the DMM blog and have a look, & if you are interested in helping out with the market you can find details on there as well. It should be another amazing market, I'm really looking forward to it.

Besides lavender experiences this week has been choc a block full of things. Raffles at school, PerformingArts night catering, book club, classroom helper, chooks, footy tips & prizes, basketball, art class, ballet, lunches, dinners, washing, sewing, dreaming, screaming (nah..just joking...hang on, maybe there was some screaming... ) and the usual mayhem that is family life. Phew!

Anyway, there has also been Laminton making!! Yep, you heard me, lamingtons. The great Australian cake. Never having been a big fan of these coconut covered delights I am now officially hooked.

Rosie enjoyed the whole process, especially cracking the eggs (No shell in the mix!)

Can you hurry up so I can lick that bowl....?

And here are the little beauties themselves...they didn't last long of course. (If anyone would like the recipe just send me an email. They are easy to make and it's fun dipping the cake in chocolate syrup and rolling them in coconut...mmmm)

So there you have it, another fun packed few days have flown by. I can't believe it's Friday ...hope you all have a great weekend xox