Weekend warming

A new week is here and what a big one for us!  My sister's wedding is this weekend so the focus is on getting everything ready, finished and packed for that. My bridesmaid dress has been picked up and I'm making the final touches to the flower girl dresses for Sarah and Alice. The trick is to not get lost in the bodice between the lining and satin - it's a real maze in there. I pinned the under arm on one side last night and had great difficulty getting to the pin again five minutes later! Can't show them off yet - will definitely post photos next week.

We have two of the aunties staying overnight this week, on separate nights, so the girls will love having some time with them. Sarah has lots of excitement with her 8th birthday falling on the wedding day. Eight sounds so grown up!

The weekend saw some considerably colder weather, with wind and some rain (though I would like some more), so we enjoyed some indoor activities. The box of musical instruments came out so the girls did some jamming with Daddy.

Here Ruby is a little bit upset. She came in from the dining room to request that the music making in the lounge room stop - 'It is too noisy for my piaaaaaanowww playing'. Hard to keep everyone happy!!

The twins and I cooked another banana cake together on Sunday afternoon and this time we took a photo before cutting in to it for afternoon tea. I posted the recipe last week so be sure to try it out.

Sarah worked on her patchwork cushion cover from last week. It's nearly finished - only some hand sewing left to do to close up the gap for turning it in the right way. She is managing the machine so well and needs (and wants) my help less and less. Will post a photo of the finished product soon.

All the best for a good start to the week!

Knit 1, Sew 1

Over the last week we celebrated my birthday, enjoyed our 3 minute chocolate cake and a weekend date night for Mummy and Daddy with dinner and a movie. It's Complicated had the whole cinema laughing very loud from beginning to end! Best comedy we had seen in a long time. Without family in our town we have found a babysitting club to be the best thing for people in our situation. All mothers, we are happy to sit for one another and be paid with time tokens that we then use for our own nights out. Such a blessing.

I spent some birthday money on wool for a scarf for Mummy using some very big needles. The box stitch pattern was in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine last year and I've been wanting to make it for months. Thankfully it's knitting up very quickly.

and a sewing book for me to create A-line dresses for the girls - Absolutely A-Line by Wendy Gratz. This was in my local book shop a couple of months ago. I thought about it for a while and discovered that I was thinking about it quite a bit so decided I obviously needed to have it. One pattern with lots of different variations - how versatile for four girls! Thankfully it was still in stock for my birthday shopping.

Sarah began sorting through my fabric chest on Sunday afternoon wanting to make a quilt for her dolls. She chose three fabrics, one of which was some very old calico from my teenage crafting years, and then changed her mind and decided on a cushion cover for her room. I cut the squares and she sewed them together on the machine - all I had to do was sit beside her and keep a couple of fingers holding the fabric straight as she fed it through. What a way to spend an afternoon!

Hopefully we might be able to finish it on the weekend. She wants to decorate the calico squares with buttons, beads and other nice things. For a little girl who has not quite turned 8 she is doing very well. A pity that it was folded and a little crushed before I took this photo :-)

The lunch box fill

Have to share a great recipe - it has become a favourite of ours. Nothing feels better than making something nutritous, economical and tasty for filling the lunch boxes for school and work. I don't buy any packaged foods for school so lots of muffins and pikelets do the trick. I find at this time of year the energy levels are good and I'm keen to try new ideas and recipes every few days. Last week I found some discounted over ripe bananas at a local fruit shop and brought them home with some baking in mind.

I found a banana cake recipe I had used some time ago but forgotten about. With the help of Hannah and Ruby we whipped it together quickly between dinner and bedtime a couple of days ago and everyone enjoyed it. So moist and light, and although it didn't get the chance to see out the week, it would have stayed nice and fresh for at least a few more days.

Banana Cake

125g (4oz) butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups SR Flour
2 Tb milk
1 level tsp bicarb soda dissolved in the milk
3 ripe bananas
pinch salt

Cream butter and sugar, beat eggs, mash bananas well and add with eggs to butter. Add flour and lastly milk and soda. Mix well. Bake 1 hour in moderate oven in paper-lined tin.

Hope you like it as much as we did

A full day....and a holiday

Today has been one of those days where you achieve more than you thought you might. Rather rare but special when they come by! My bridesmaid dress for my sister's wedding needed taking up so off to a dressmaker first thing for a fitting. A chiffon overlay with a rolled hem is certainly not something I can do! Had an extra 3 year old for a play while his Mummy had appointments, did a fruit shop and planted two new trees that had been waiting for a fortnight since their initial adoption (is there anything better than planting out a new addition). Sarah had her first piano lesson for the new year this afternoon, during which the girls and I stocked up on a new batch of books from the library. Tonight there were lots of medical forms etc for school to fill out, I started knitting my first scarf for me and baked a Honey oat slice for morning teas tomorrow. Along with dinner and the normal washing, sweeping and tidying, it feels like progress was made. Ah, pleasure.

Something different to share tonight from the craft yesterday. These photos are from our trip to Melbourne. I love how they personify summer and holiday everytime I look at them.

The Yarra River and city skyline from the bridge between Crown Casino and the Aquarium.

My girls on the way to the Melbourne Aquarium: Alice, Ruby, Sarah and Hannah. We had just had lunch at the Crown food hall and sent Dad, Grandad and Uncle to the movies to see Avatar. My sister was taking all four girls to the aquarium, while Mum and I went searching for new sandals for Sarah (not a good idea in Melbourne CBD - a fruitless search). A lovely afternoon for everyone.

My sister was keen for the girls to see the Myer Christmas window display, so a day in the city was in order. It was the most delightful Christmas story of Olivia the little pig and her family. Each window told part of the story with moving sets and characters and audio played through speakers for each window. As each one finished, the story moved to the next window, as did the viewing public. Sarah and Alice, as you can see, were very taken by it. Something very different for them and it was so well done.

Show and tell

And now to share some of what we have been making over summer.



Knitting with a pattern is something I don't do alone. I need my mother, or knitting-grandmother extraordinaire, sitting right beside me to take me through the pattern. Anything in plain or purl and that looks like a scarf I can manage! I would like to venture into something more involved this year, but will need grandma's phone number on speed dial. I knitted this scarf for Sarah (that way it will be ready for day 1 of the cold!!) while enjoying the Australian Open, with wool bought for basic blanket squares years ago. She chose the buttons from my Nan's button tin I inherited. I love the tin and the collection of old buttons is gorgeous. I suggested little pink buttons from my craft stash but Sarah had her heart set on these gold ones of Nan's. Makes it all the more special I think.



While I was knitting Sarah asked to start a new project of her own. So we cast on 10 stitches and she set out to knit a scarf for her Tom Kitten toy. Beatrix Potter is a favourite of all my girls - there is no sign of Sarah growing tired of the Roly Poly Pudding or Jemima Puddleduck. They can recite sections of The Tale of Peter Rabbit with no effort! This week she finished it off, and with a 1940s press stud handed down to me from my Nan, and a Spotlight button, it was done. Rather cute I thought. She now has a pink one underway for her toy Mittens.



I recently spent Christmas money buying two books by Amanda Soule of Soulemama. They got me thinking of so many activities and projects for us to take on. Sarah has just started writing to penpals in America so I made her this lined fabric envelope for her letters, the pattern coming from The Handmade Home. That sweet fabric was purchased from Retro Mummy. Rarely have I seen such detailed fabrics in stores such as Spotlight. Buying on-line is also much easier than going to Spotlight in the city with two 3 year olds in tow! We have plans for a matching letter writing wallet, fitted out with felt pockets for her stamps, stationery and photos or bookmarks she wants to send away. A job for another day.

Happy summer days

Our summer is all about Christmas, long breaks from school and spending time with our extended family, none of which live near us. That means packing up and heading off for a holiday to visit them, or they visit us for a couple of weeks or so. Some years we enjoy a combination of both. Such was this summer and a full one it was! We spent two weeks in Melbourne with my sister, where my family all came to celebrate Christmas. Then we flew home where my in-laws were waiting for us, having come from interstate to house sit for 5 weeks for a colleague of my husband's. The girls had two months of Mum and Dad, aunts, uncles and grandparents - with all their cuddles, storytimes, french cricket, baking and BBQs. Wow, were they spoilt for attention! Not having family able to drop in, or to drop in on, means there are lots of quiet weekends with just the six of us. Our summer this year made up for that! Happy days.

And if you're wondering, no I didn't make the gingerbread house in its entirety. A dear friend of mine, also with 4 children, and I ordered the panels, then decorated and assembled the house. Can you imagine? 8 children aged 9 and under, lots of icing and lots of lollies. Our husbands were there but seemed to have lots to talk about in the lounge!! The kids had a ball.

Here we go....

Well, after much thought and false starts this is it - my first attempt at sharing with you our day to day life. My husband and I have four adorable daughters, we live in a wonderful place and follow a loving God. I can't wait to share stories, creations, thoughts and photos of what we get up to. Today saw the completion of my 7 year old's first knitting project - a scarf for her Tom Kitten. Not a hole in sight, I am so proud of her. Too late for a photo tonight but maybe one day soon. A little more work on my knitting - leg warmers for my 6 year old, but alas I didn't get to the flower girl dress I have to finish. This is often the case at the end of the day. I wonder how many of us have this happen? Till next time, Ginny