Oh... Mr Rochester!

I am so enjoying Jane Eyre. So girly. I read way too much, and have now found a way to both read and do all those boring things that need to be done every day. I use the term read loosely, as it is a talking book and I am addicted. The language of Jane Eyre is so quaint, so beautifully descriptive, all from another time. The males in this household miss no opportunity to scoff and snigger, but I don't care.

Today doesn't get much more girly. I have spent the morning picking flowers, sipping tea and skirt twirling. Not my skirt as such but that lovely frothy pink Tutu above. Bought for Poppy, but secretly wanted by me. The sun is streaming through the windows and I am about to indulge in a bit of sewing. Lovely, peaceful and quiet (with only Jane Eyre sighing over Mr Rochester), just the way I like it.

Yarraville

I love Yarraville. In fact, I want to be Yarraville. If I was a postcode that is.

It has everything going for it. Good food, great coffee, fabulous bookshops and wonderful gift shops.

Today was all about the Kransky. We used to visit Andrew's Choice all the time until we discovered that eating lots of cheese kranskies may actually make you F-A-T!

This is the butcher shop that beats all butcher shops. Their smallgoods are to die for. All made on site, and all great. Today, along with the usual cheese kransky order, I bought some fleischwurst (german meatloaf). Yum.

After stocking up on smallgoods, we headed off to my second favourite Yarraville food haunt, Plump Organic Grocery. Here I bought the heaviest, densest fruitbread you can imagine, and was very restrained, not buying the luscious Tasmanian butter they sell.

Last stop was my all time favourite destination: The Younger Sun Bookstore. We discovered this by accident and it has been faithfully visited ever since. Today I bought medium sized boy another novel, one recommended by the super helpful shop assistant. A zombie book. How could we go wrong?

A trip over the road had me treating myself to a very special book by Jane Brocket AND I have just had a quick glance at her wonderful blog. Go see, it's an inspirational read.

I cannot wait to get into this book. I picked it up, put it down and then decided I simply had to have it and have been flipping through it ever since. There is nothing better than buying a new book that you really, really wanted.

With any luck, the kids will go to bed nice and early, and I can curl up in bed and read to my hearts content. Fingers crossed.

Let's not talk about the Choux

I am a failure. Dud Choux. Great Creme Patisserie though. I was attempting Mini Eclairs, but these had no lift. I'm going to fill and top them anyway because I know they will get eaten regardless. Makes me sad because my Grandmother made these with such ease, and I dutifully followed the recipe to no avail.

At least I know dinner will be a success. French onion soup. Can't go wrong....

New Boots

This could only happen to me.

After umming and ahhing for soooo long about these boots, I decided to really splurge and get a pair of MOOVBOOTS from here.

Gumboots with sheepskin lining, what could possibly be better to garden in?

Perhaps a pair that fit. They sent two different sizes. Gotta love online shopping. I want them to fit, but sadly, my feet are the same size. Yes, very normal I'm afraid. Am waiting now to hear back, but have fallen in love with them already and am desperate to get out in the garden in them. Especially now that I have new gloves, new seeds arrived and I am eager to plant some more roses. All things that need fancy gumboots.

Instead I think a day of baking may be in order. I'm tackling Choux pastry today. Something to cheer up the medium sized boy who is off school with a cold. Who wouldn't cheer up after a chocolate eclair? My Grandmother, was the Queen of Choux pastry, so I am hoping that I can get it right. If all goes well, I'll post a picture. If not so good, please don't mention the word Choux.

Artsy

We had the best day yesterday.
It was husband's birthday and we headed off in to the city to visit the Dali exhibition and have a boozy lunch

Dali was fantastic. Very crowded, but we were very impressed. It was beautifully put together, and the amount of his work on show was pretty big. Got to see the phone up close. Watched a short animated film he did with Walt Disney. And gazed at a bit of fabulous black and white photography.

We lunched at The Gallery and were treated to the most amazing food. I chose a rabbit terrine and a citrus creme brulee, both of which were just perfect.

After lunch we strolled around the Grollo gardens at the Gallery and got to see the Five Elements - Water. A bamboo sculpture by Master Tetsunori Kawana. I'm so glad we got to see this, it's only there for a couple more days and it would have been a real shame to miss it.

I love this ceiling. The photo doesn't really do it justice. My lens had fogged up due to the cold!

Every time I go in to the city I remember how much I love it.

Great buildings,

weird, vision impaired buskers singing loud Elvis renditions, and quirky people everywhere.

Yesterday was no exception. It was one of those crisp, but sunny Melbourne days, everyone dressed in black, hurrying from place to place kind of days. All the better because we were in no hurry and were able to wander around, enjoy the exhibition, have a leisurely lunch and do a spot of shoe shopping (no shoes!).

After a great day out, we headed home, met up with some friends and took ourselves off to a local Japanese restaurant for an early dinner. A perfect day.

Handmade gifts

I try to buy handmade when I can. Or go one step better and actually do the handmaking.
Today I whipped up a little zippered pouch which will be a mini purse for a friend of Poppy's who will be turning six this weekend.
I had some left over fabric from making these, not quite enough to make a zippered pencil case, but certainly enough to make a purse. I use this tutorial, and it really only takes about an hour. I've made quite a few in the past and they are incredibly easy.
To go in the purse, I added a little tube of my favourite Cath Kidston handcream and a little felt brooch I put together.

Very cute I think.

Really, it has been no big ask to spend the day inside sewing. Outside is pretty terrible, awfully windy and blustery. I have another Pencil Roll request which I hope to start today, and numerous other little projects which need finishing.

Plus, near my sewing machine is the nicest bunch of Hyacinths who smell truly delicious!

Kyneton

Is it always cold in Kyneton?
Perhaps this is a little unfair, as I do seem to only visit in the winter months, but today in Kyneton, it seemed especially cold.
We strolled along the main street, visited an antique shop or two, then turned down to the lovely Piper Street.

Shop after shop of loveliness. Gift shops, fabric shops, cafes, gourmet food stores and even a little garden centre. What more could a girl want?

As it is husband's birthday later this week, I had a close look at a menu board or two, with a nice leisurely lunch in mind. This looked particularly good. So did this.

A nice restorative cup of tea at the Slow Living Cafe and back home.
Listening to my new Audiobook "Jane Eyre" that I downloaded before I left.

Computer Games

At the moment I have a love hate relationship with my computer.

I am, on the whole, fairly dense when dealing with most things electronic. Yet. I manage to blog, email, open Facebook accounts and fiddle with Flickr. A lot.

This week saw me opening another Flickr account and then proceeding to stuff up everything in an attempt to move photos from one account to another. Cascading problems. A lot of photos have vanished from the Blog and I am in the process of re-uploading them.

Very boring, but am no longer stressed.

To cheer me up, middle sized boy has been giving me a hand with the laundry. As part of his chores (which I am so poor at enforcing), he is meant to do a tubload of washing a fortnight. It would be nice to say that it happens spontaneously, but usually it is the result of several requests. I wouldn't have thought it was too difficult but I do find myself explaining how to use the washer every single time. Rocket science so it seems.

I can't complain too much because I certainly wasn't doing laundry until I was at least 13. And then only because I was at boarding school. It was a steep learning curve, suddenly thrust upon me. Poor me.

Anyway, having mastered the art of washing now I think a lesson in hanging it out might be timely. I can clearly remember coming home for a weekend and having my Mother berate me for my strange use of pegs. Having hung out literally thousands of tubloads, you do tend to develop a style and forget that we all have to learn from someone. I had to stop myself re-hanging everything and just appreciate that he did it. This time with love.

High Brow

Just to show that I like a little culture in my life, today we went here.

I have been desperately wanting to see this ever since the exhibition was announced last year. It opened in the School Holidays, and while I did consider going with the kids, I realised that I would probably be rushed through it by the small child telling me that it was boring and that she would rather go to the kid's section and play with the giant Lego.

Pompeii has always fascinated me. As a kid I was enthralled by the historic tragedy and the mammoth task undertaken by archeologists to unearth its secrets.

More Low Brow entertainment was had by rewatching Tomb Raider. Because I look just like Lara Croft. Only skinnier. And fitter. Of course.

Mousey Mousey In The Housey

A friend was over recently and I apologised for the messy house.

"What are you talking about? It looks homely and lived in."

Lived in indeed.

We have mice. Or as I like to think of it, we have a mouse.

Heard it. Seen it. Found its nest. Someone's nest. Other people find nice bird nests. We pull down a bit of wall lining and find a mousey/rat nest. Thank God it was empty.

Being the weak, pathetic person that I am, I find myself unable to lay traps (who would empty them?). Instead I am relying on the powers of the bait. Which I know in my heart of hearts is awfully cruel, but means that there is less chance I might actually have to deal with a corpse.

Perhaps my new resolutions will help achieve mouse eradication.

1. No opening computer before 9am, thus giving me time to perhaps clean a little.

2. No staying up until midnight watching rubbishy TV (less chance of seeing mouse).

3. Turn on, and move around the vacuum that has been sitting in my bedroom for days.

Extreme measures. Yes. Achievable? Probably not.

Facebook

Yes, succumbed to a Facebook account. But don't bother looking. Nothing to see.

Mother Daughter Day

This is my lovely Mum. Today was a day out together, not doing anything much, just spending time together.

A bit of shopping, a cup of tea and a quiet chat with someone who probably knows me better than I know myself.

We are scarily like minded. Finish each others sentences and with a shared glance know what the other is thinking.

Both being overly interested in food, we took the opportunity to visit a local Sri Lankan grocers, which I saw for the first time yesterday, but discovered after talking to the very friendly shop keeper that they have been there for over twenty odd years.

This store was a revelation. So much was crammed into this tiny space. Weirdy stuff. Gripe Water. Shampoo. Videos. And shelves and shelves of curry pastes, sambals, chutneys and spices. So many things that I had never heard of or seen.

And a cafe next door that I plan on returning to soon because I need to find out what String Hoppers are.

All down hill from here.

I have this song stuck in my head. God only knows why. It's been there all morning. I don't even like it, although I just watched the YouTube clip and can appreciate the campiness of the whole performance. As my son would say, I am so "Random."

I have just got back from my neglected morning swim, realising that I am becoming ranty person. A quiet ranty person. I don't say anything, just think ranty thoughts. Bouncy man was there with his weird arm flapping backstroke and the even more disturbing nude old lady was wandering around the changeroom wearing nothing but talc. Talking to herself. Usually I come across her in the pool giving herself pep talks at the end of each lap. You can do it, yes you can, that type of thing.

Anyway, it occurs to me that I am turning into my Dad. Frightening stuff. As long as I don't end up like my strange Aunt, living alone, feeding the dogs of homeless people. Reusing teabags. Telling people off.

Looky look, more felt food.

I thought these were great. Well, not in the way that my husband says.

Me: Look aren't they great!

Him: Yes.... Great....

Me: Aren't they life like!

Him: Not really. They are furry.

THEY ARE FELT. FELT.

Boys don't get cute, do they?

All good things....

I am mourning a loss. One of our favourite lunch spots has gone. Well not exactly gone, but snazzied. Repainted. Renamed. Not as we know it.

This place in it's previous incarnation was called by the fabulous name of "The Big Chopsticks". I suspect this thriving little restaurant has new owners, as it now has a new name, and a bright orange interior. New menus (with the same choices), new staff and at least one brand new vinyl tablecloth. Very swish.

But.

Nobody was there. Just us and our complimentary tea and prawn crackers.

To their credit, it is soooo cheap. The bill came to $12 for the two of us. A huge Wonton Soup and a serve of Szechwan Eggplant Hotpot.

The Hotpot is the reason we go. Or did go. It was so disappointingly average. Bizarely it wasn't in a hotpot and tasted quite different. Same menu, but obviously a different cook. So sad.

I took a photo, but haven't bothered because it wasn't really worth looking at. No longer pretty.

DVD night

Have to recommend two great movies we have seen on DVD. We rarely get to the movies due to work, kids etc etc, but we do seem to get through a few movies at home. Some from the local video shop, some downloaded via TIVO and some via itunes.

Last night we watched Garden State,with Natalie Portman and Zach Braff which was great, followed by a not so great movie, The Majestic. I am obviously approaching early onset dementia, because I had previously seen this and subsequently forgotton the plot until nearly the end.

2 Days in Paris was hilarious. Laugh out loud funny. Loved it. See it, you'll love it too.

Saturday Brunch

After trying to get us out the door unsuccessfully for days, we finally made it up in time to go out for breakfast with the kids. With only two days left of the school holidays, we wanted to take them out for breakfast before the grinding morning routine recommenced on Monday.

The two of us head out for breakfast every now and then, sans kids, but usually midweek when things are at a slower pace, and a LOT less people are out and about trying to do the same thing.

We went to two other spots before settling on Verb Cafe in Flemington.

This place has been here forever. I've walked past it so many times and never ventured in. But it had a table. A big table that would nicely fit the four of us, pencils and colouring-in book (Poppy), ipods (Oscar) and elbow room to spare. A rare thing in a cafe.

The menu was pretty standard, but the serves were HUGE. The staff were really friendly and even nice to the kids. Pop chose what was probablty the best, Berry Pancakes. I had baked eggs in a napoli sauce (a bit dried herby), Husband had Eggs Florentine and medium sized boy had the Big Breakfast.

A nice start to the weekend, and a good finish to the school holidays. Now it's time to change my night owly ways and get myself to bed at a decent hour so I have at least some hope of feeling awake and refreshed enough to swim after the school drop off.

Felt Doughnuts

Look what I made. Doughnuts. Felt doughnuts. I am so pleased with these. They were sooo easy to make. I used this template but put them together quite differently, not bothering with the turning out, sewing inside step, because a) I failed to actually read the instructions and b) am lazy. I hand sewed the sprinkles and icing last night and finished them off this morning. Only three so far, but they are certainly addictive.
One is for Poppy, and the other two are for some little friends of ours, hence the embroidery rather than the sewn on bling.

Off to play with my new phone now.
AN IPHONE. Yes shouty Caps Lock because I am very excited. The medium sized child is about to give me lessons in how to use it, because, yes, I am slightly thick and yes, a ten year old knows more than me when it comes to gadgetry.

Felt Cupcake Tutorial

I have felt food on the brain at the moment.

Slightly obsessed. Today I headed over to a lovely little felt shop with a crafty friend to stock up on some new colours with these in mind. And doughnuts. Maybe bananas. Possibly sushi. Definitely some teeny tiny pretend chocolates.

A quick search of the in-ter-net came up with many cool possibilities. But what I really wanted to start making were some cupcakes.

Having spent way too much at the felt shop, I felt (get it) disinclined to spend even more money on buying a pattern and they did seem like they would be pretty straight forward to make.

So here goes.

1. Trace around top of cupcake liner. Cut out.

2. Cut out a cupcake liner and pin side and base to felt. Cut out.

3. Using the magic of INVISIBLE THREAD (which I both love and hate) sew on sprinkles. I found mine in the craft shop near the sequins.

4. Sew your cupcake sides together with a running stitch.

5. Attach the side to the top with a Blanket Stitch. I love Blanket Stitch. It's strong, but allows for a bit of give. Make sure you use thread that matches the top.

6. With Blanket Stitch again, attach sides to the base, leaving a gap to insert stuffing.

7. Stuff.

8. Finish sewing around edge.

9. Done!