My Place & Yours: Where I blog...

I'm joining in the fun with this weeks meme, blog H.Q., thanks to the lovely Tania from Ninon.

I usually sit at this little table when I'm blogging. The table was one of a set that belonged to my grandparents, Nan & Hume. The tables are all different sizes (like the Three Bears) and fit into each other. The small stool was once a chair but my Beloved sat on it and broke the back off. Nice one. (Does that make him Goldilocks?) I seem to have a thing for small chairs and tables, my sewing table & chair are also tiny. Not sure what thats all about...maybe I just don't want to grow up.



This is my brothers' teddy, Teddy. He is a soothing presense in a chaotic world. Yes folks, my world is definitely chaotic, especially today as there is alot of pent up Hallloween energy and anticipation filling the house.




At five o'clock the children's friends will arrive to go on the annual Trick or Treating extravaganza. Today is special in our house because it is Mark's birthday too which must have been fun for him growing up in America.



Dandelion blog action takes place all over the place though. But mostly here in my boudoir where I sometimes sneak away to for some quiet r & r.




My bed is a good spot to peruse the many wonderous blogs that are out there. Where I catch up with crafty things, newsy bits and see whats happening with bloggy friends and meet new ones.



Another spot is here in the hallway where it's all hustle and bustle. This black bakelite phone belonged to my stepfather, Lenton Parr. It sat in Len's hallway and still has his number on the dial. It's a nice way to remember a lovely man and his cool, dark house in Sandringham.




Looking down at me is my family, taken in about 1973, at Eganstown. My mum was a weaver and the Womens Weekly came and took this photo. Love the poses. That's me in the pink skivvy.

Hope you are all having a happy weekend, see more blog H.Q.'s here

My Creative Space

This week I am breathing a sigh of relief as things seem to be a little calmer. The Love Hearts order for Big Dreams is finished, my first assignment for my course is handed in and the garlic has been weeded. Phew. I'm feeling like there is a bit more room to move, to look around me, to think & daydream.

I really enjoyed that last batch of Love Hearts (thank you for all your lovely comments), and I will be making more for the Daylesford Makers Market. But now there is some space for other ideas and projects. I found these buttons at the opshop yesterday, not sure what they will become yet but I like them! The white ones need cleaning, any ideas? I think someone suggested putting them in the dishwasher...

I can't get enough colour this week. The colours in the country are so inspiring at the moment. With all the rain we've had everything is so lush and bright. Which reminds me of this gorgeous pot holder which was a birthday present for my mum. Beautifully made by the very clever Kate, from Foxs Lane. Thanks so much Kate.

With the market coming up I am starting to sort through the leftovers and mayhem from last time. This bunny needed some eye surgery. His eyes were always a bit askew so he had a mini makeover today.
And he found a friend.

Do you think he needs pants?

I'm still wondering about these scrabble pieces. I think they might turn into brooches...

So my creative space today is filled with lots of finished and lots of unfinished things.

Questions, letters, buttons, bunnies, birds and the colours of the rainbow.

Want to see some gorgeous spaces? Try here xo

Happy Birthday, Beautiful Girl

This week & weekend we have been celebrating Charlotte's 17th birthday!!! I can't believe she is seventeen now, it somehow seems so much older than sixteen.

I have also been reflecting on Charlotte's life so far, as a baby, as a child and now that she is almost an adult.

It only seems like yesterday that I was living in Darwin, having left my family, my job and the boy I was seeing. I had gone to the Northern Territory to continue studying a Professional Writing & Literature degree and spend some more time in another part of Australia. I was staying with a cousin of my mum, and didn't really know anyone else.

It was Valentines Day when I found out I was pregnant.

At first I was amazed, shocked and teary.

I was on my own, a long way from home, without a partner, without my family.

But when I calmed down I realised it was going to be ok.

I can clearly remember thinking,

it will be fine, I will make it work, we will be a family,

the baby and me.

And it was, and I did and we were.
Not only was it fine but it was wonderful.
Charlotte & I had so much fun together when she was little. She was a sensitive little girl who loved weddings, playing with her friends, the tv show Heart Beat,
(we had budgies called Nick and Kate).
She was obsessed with the book
Charles and Diana, The Royal Wedding".
She was scared of loud noises, she was funny,
a mimic, a dancer and did amazing drawings.
Charlotte also was very close to my mum & still is today.

Being a sole parent was challenging, I didn't have alot of money,
it could be hard & lonely at times.
But for me though it really gave my life purpose and meaning, I really wanted to be
the best parent I could and from the first day I just loved
being Charlottes mum. Because of those early years together I feel a bond with her,
a special connection, it's a beautiful thing.

I met Mark when Charlotte was about four and a half & it wasn't long

before our little family got bigger, and bigger

and bigger.

Yesterday we had a tea party

to celebrate the birthday
of our
lovely girl.

We had little cakes, pink lemonade, cucumber sandwiches,
champagne, fairy bread, strawberries
and cups of tea.
Like all our family parties there was
a show, lots of dancing,
tears & laughter.




It was delicious, fun, mad and just the best way ever to say
happy birthday to

Bunny, La-La,

Guk Guk's,

Lotta,

to our Charlotte.

We love you Charlotte xo

My Place & Yours: Bedside

I'm playing along again this week with Pip's fun meme. I'd have to say my bed is probably one of my favourite spaces. It's my sanctuary, my (hopefully) peaceful place. My bedside table is a good place for a cup of tea, books and things that inspire or make me smile.

Here are some scrabble letters that may turn into something else for the upcoming Daylesford Makers Market.

There is always something(s) to read as well. At the moment I'm reading this fabulous book.

This is my 3 year old kinder photo, taken when we lived in Kallista in the Dandenongs. My mum made the dress I'm wearing. And probably cut my wonky fringe. For some bizarre reason I tried to burn this photo when I was five...also the year I ran away from school and painted my brand new, white shoes.... red!

Here is my honey and me when we were young & wild & free.

(Before we went crazy and had four children in six years...)

That's me folks, I'm off outside to enjoy some of this magnificent weather!! Wow, how gorgeous is this sunshiney day? May sure to check out some other people's spaces here xo

My Creative Space

A couple of months ago when one of my children was having trouble sleeping I made them a little lavender filled heart to help them relax. It wasn't long before all five kids had hearts. Since then they have been taken to bed to snuggle, taken to sleepovers, to school, put in pillows, cuddled and have become nice, relaxing, comforting, transportable pieces of love.




It took a while to come up with the right shape and size. The first few were wonky, and not quite right. I like a bit of wonkiness but it wasn't until I used the pinking shears that I got the look I was after.








I love that they are easy to make,







That they are filled with locally grown lavender, from Lavandula,



and that they seem to make people smile.

I also love that I get to use my big collection of vintage fabrics.

Choosing different colours, shades & patterns is so much fun.

Filling them up with my trusty red funnel,

hearing the rice & lavender fall,

adding a label,

done.

They remind me of

mixed lollies from

the milkbar.

I find I have a favourite but then,

suddenly,

I'm in love with another,

& then I can't choose....

It's been really fun designing these little sweeties. Lavender hearts aren't exactly an original idea, but I hope I've put my own stamp on them and made them uniquely Dandelion.

Of course I like the love connection too,

Have you told someone you love them today?

.

Anyway, I'm excited to say my hearts became Love Hearts & are now out in the world.

You can find them at the Lark shop in Daylesford and yesterday I delivered

fifty more to Big Dreams

in High St, Northcote.

More creative spaces here..

I'm also excited to say that this is my 99th post and I can feel a giveaway coming on....see you soon xo

Garlic girls...

On Saturday Michelle & I left Daylesford at the crack of dawn for a day of weeding our garlic, up at Callawadda. We drove through the usual towns, winding our way to Avoca where we stopped at the amazing Parkview Cafe for provisions.

We arrived at Terry's farm just as John from Biodynamic Growing magazine was leaving. Bummer, we missed out on a photo opportunity! And we had our matching gumboots on too! John was there to do a piece on Terry and his farm and apparently he was also very interested in our garlic. Hopefully he will mention it in the December edition. There was no time to dilly dally though so we hightailed it up to the paddocks and got down to business. The gods were kind and gave us a beautiful day, no wind, no rain and some lovely soft sunshine.

Crawling along the ground pulling out monster weeds isn't everyone's idea of fun but we always make the most of it and have a great time. Chat, chat, laugh, laugh, cackle, cackle, the time goes quickly.

It's a wonderful feeling being out in the fields, under a big blue sky with the birds tweeting and the garlic growing big & strong.

After a break for lunch we finished off the beds and the garlic was free to grow without the annoying weeds cramping it's style. There has been so much rain this year that the weeds have gone crazy. So different to last year when we had much less weed and had to water more often. We came across alot more daisy this year too, which is pretty, but very deep rooted & quite hard to pull out!

I love going to Callawadda, the country is so different to where we live. I really admire Terry who runs his farm all on his own, with the help of his 10 year old son, William. He has sheep, cattle and grows a variety of crops. He works long, long hours and often doesn't see anyone else for days.

He is such a lovely, warm man who always has a smile for us and makes us so welcome. Michelle grew up with Terry & it's thanks to him we have this opportunity to grow our garlic in his rich, fertile, bio dynamic soil. What a guy.

Driving home I was so exhausted, but the good exhausted you feel after a hard days work. Having been sick last week and dealing with all that asthma, I did feel pretty wrecked. The drive home was lovely though, with the late afternoon sun & the colours of spring making everything seem larger than life.

Sunday was a tough day, I didn't have much patience and I really just wanted to lie in bed with a hot water bottle! But I hung in there and kept my grumpy comments to myself (mostly..!) I did fall into bed about nine o'clock and today I feel alot better. The sun is shining and it's the start of a brand new week. What are you up to? Can't wait to hear, see you soon xo