the winter garden

our new home brought with it a new garden. a lovely level block with a good few established fruit tress and plenty of shrubs and succulents (and the simply stunning Sturt Desert Peas sprouting under the Hills Hoist)
one of the first things on our 'to do' list was to get a few plants in the ground so they could get growing and producing.
we've popped 5 olives along the front fence and a grape vine to trellis along the front verandah for much needed summer shade and dappled sunshine in the cooler months.
vegie seeds are planted in a concrete sink topped with an old window.
we've fertilised, pruned and mulched the oranges, lemon, cumquot and fig.
next on the list is to build a chook shed.

what's happening in your garden?

a new home.

things have been a bit quiet here on the blog of late, but it's not been quiet in life's happenings.

we've just made the big (and exciting) leap and became first home owners. it's all gone pretty smoothly so far (thank goodness) without much trouble in our dealings with the bank, conveyancer and real estate agent. the whole house buying process was all new to us so there was a bit of stress with how to go about making an offer, building inspections, getting financial approval, the need for a conveyancer, taking out insurance.. the list goes on.

and today we got to pick up the keys and have a good look around.
the house is a simple 2 bedroom home with mostly original mint-coloured kitchen and bathroom and a quaint outdoor (part of the back verandah) laundry and second loo.
there's a mismatch of carpets, cream paint and a rather unsightly suspended ceiling but the bones are good and as I look around all I see is potential.
outside there's a pair of orange trees, a lemon, cumquat and fig tree... the startings of what I hope will become a very productive permaculture space. and chooks again... I can't wait.

I'm looking forward to updating as we go and have taken plenty of 'before' photos to share. x

reversible wear.

so remember this vest I shared back here...
a perfect combination of woollen blanket and vintage floral sheet in my opinion.
well I discovered that it's reversible. so I can wear it twice as much now.

stills: frosty paw prints

 

1. frosty mornings and kitty foot prints
2. said kitty
3. a new chicken tunnel (chunnel)
4. a bit of blanket repurposing
5. river cottage syrup cake... baking and eating. a favourite cookbook of mine

around home: the last days of winter

with the final days of winter here it's a flurry of activity around the house and garden. it really is a lovely time of the year for getting outside in the sunshine and for freshening and rearranging indoors.

the beautifully composted bottom tray of the worm farm has been added to the vegie beds all ready for spring planting. and the garden beds are full of worms too, with the mushroom compost beautifully rich and sweet smelling. there's grand plans for pumpkin and watermelon vines clambering over fences and the shed roof. tomatoes and basil and beans too.

an egg a day from the chooks is a very welcome addition to the menu (though two of the chooks appear to be a bit more rooster than chook so there may be some returns when the early morning crowing begins).

on the food front, there's a bit of a health kick happening. cutting out the bread and just simply sticking to the wholefood, back-to-basics idea. fresh juices and smoothies here I come.

on the bedside table at the moment are super grains: eat your way to great health by Chrissy Freer and the good life: four glorious seasons in my country garden by Sarah O'Neil; both of which I am enjoying.

as for sewing and setting up shop it's slow and steady progress. not much sewing this past week though I plan on getting stuck into it shortly. the whole shop idea can be a bit overwhelming at times.

how are you spending these final days of winter?

x

stills: blossom and Bowral

1. a little nest discovered on an afternoon walk
2. blossom everywhere
3. reading material
4. a trip to Bowral and a visit to this lovely store/café
5. lunch: pumpkin and goats cheese tart tatin

wearing: tea towel dress

 

   

the second dress post in a month... i’m on a roll. though i can’t claim this creation as my own work. this beauty was made by the lovely Annie of Pearl & Elspeth. with native flora and blue fairy wren covered linen tea towels, and doilies come pockets. i love this dress and can see it getting more and more wear as the weather warms up. and this pretty necklace, is from Christina's 'design your own' range with twenty colours to choose from.

dress: Pearl and Elspeth
necklace: Christina Lowry Designs
boots: the horse

 

joining in with Wardrobe Wednesday.

out-and-about: Berrima

 

 

 

 

our days off coincided this week so a little drive up the highway and we ended up at Berrima, a quaint little town with lovely old buildings lining the streets.

a visit to the lolly shop and the old preserves shop later and we had bags laden with fudge, chocolates, boiled sweets and jars of apricot and passionfruit jam.

a rather fancy lunch of lamb, smashed chats and caramelised celery made for a lovely sunny winters day out.

 

have you discovered any little nearby towns that you just love to visit?

wearing: vintage sheet dress

my newly constructed vintage sheet dress, complete with doily pocket (the best dresses always have a pocket or two, i think).
perfect for layering too. come spring I will be pairing this dress with a light cardigan and grey tights.
this shift style of dress is a new favourite of mine.. both easy to sew with only 4 pattern pieces, and easy to wear. all up this dress cost under $5 for the pattern and materials.

wearing:
dress: made by me from a polycotton floral sheet
coat: Myer (last years winter purchase, and has come in very handy in these cool climates)
tights: cotton on
boots: the softest leather, Elsie from The Horse. (i have these oxfords on my wish list too)
brooch: made by the lovely Melinda of Moose and Bird (shop and blog)
earrings: buttons from the collection
bracelet: Koolaman Designs (21st birthday gift)

x