OH-MY-LA

It's been swell

2011-05-28T15:34:00.007+10:00

... but the swelling's gone down

My first blog has been a really enjoyable learning experience (emphasis on the learning) - I was excited to share my thoughts on all of my many interests and to find a few new friends along the way. Now it's time to step away and let new ideas and directions emerge.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for my next adventure...

image: impawards

Just in time for winter

2011-05-23T15:33:00.003+10:00

It's been a while but I wanted to pop in and share with you the end to what has been a very exciting project. Do you remember the mantlepiece we installed at the end of last year?

This weekend we were finally able to cosy up next to our new fireplace - that's right, the painting has arrived!

Our good friend Matthew Ryan of Castlemaine spent the past few months painting and drying these works of art and we just couldn't be happier with how they turned out.

Here is the blazing fire...

Now for a close up...

And the reverse depicts the slowly fizzling and smouldering remains of a fire once burning bright...

We are just over the moon with these paintings and I know I can look forward to always having a cosy fireplace in our home - wherever we go. Now - where are the marshmallows?

febfast update: Week 4

2011-03-01T10:42:00.000+11:00

It's the 1st of March! You know what that means don't you - yeah yeah summer's over but what else? I made it through febfast!

I'd like to thank each and every one of you who's encouraged me with your words and donations - they all meant a lot to me. I faced a few challenges along the way but overall I appreciated the opportunity to enjoy a clear head and believe it or not - less temptations and distractions. I have discovered lots of delicious alternatives to alcohol which are here to stay although I do look forward to savoring a glass or two of mouth-watering Victorian wine one day soon.

If you had intended to donate (but wanted to see if I'd succeed first) you can still sponsor me until 31st March. And if you're considering a week or a month 'on the wagon' - I highly recommend it - you'll feel great and be so proud of yourself when you've achieved your goal!

febfast update: Week 3

2011-02-22T21:28:00.001+11:00

Apart from the conventional non-alcoholic beverages on the market today - I wanted to explore those that are not so conventional - can a de-alcoholised wine or beer taste anywhere near as nice as the real thing? Or is it just as disappointing as carob compared to chocolate?I decided to see what's available (in the name of research).

Maggie Beer's Sparkling Ruby Cabernet
This is a really pleasant, flavourful drink which might benefit even more from crushed ice and lime wedges. At about $15 it's a nice change from the usual bubbles and definitely not expensive.

Edenvale
Recommended by none other than Derryn Hinch, I found the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon at my local Coles supermarket for $7.99 per bottle. Upon opening each bottle - I got a distinct sweet aroma of grape juice and although there was definitely a hint of the real thing, I found that the red wine lacked body and finish - while the white had less 'grape juice' overtones and a bit more flavour. Interestingly - my non wine drinking husband enjoyed the red much more than any other wine he's tried.

Ariel
a Californian range whose Blanc achieved a Gold Medal against regular wines in LA many years ago. Thomas Dux carries this range and I purchased the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Brut Cuvee at about $17 each. I tried the red with a wine friend of mine and we both agreed that while it still had a sense of wine, it was lacking in body once again. I described it as 'empty'. I'd purchased the Brut Cuvee to enjoy on a weekend away with my mother and sister, and although it had the colour, fizz and smell of a standard sparkling, once again the flavour wasn't quite there. I didn't finish my second glass.

Aigua de Moritz
Our local wine store had a de-alcoholised beer for sale this month, so I grabbed a couple to share with my husband on a humid evening. It is made in XXX and the colour is similar to a Corona. The first taste is enjoyable and refreshing but the last taste in my mouth was something else.

The moral of the story
As with most things, an imitation is exactly that - an imitation (ie not quite the real thing). I would have enjoyed a lime & soda much more than any of these beverages and although I'm sure they have their place, my palate would prefer the real thing or nothing.

If you're looking for some more info about Non-Alcoholic beverages try these sites http://www.clearmind.com.au/
http://www.nonalcwines.com.au/

febfast update: Week 2

2011-02-22T12:11:00.003+11:00

When I began this challenge, I wanted to arm myself with lots of great ideas as well as have some ready to drinks to fall back on when time was short. I remembered my old favourite recipe book - Marie Claire Food & Drink by Michelle Cranston and wanted to share with you some of the great drinks I've tried over the month:

Moroccan Mint Tea
Place 4 springs of mint, 1 wedge of lemon, 1 star anise, 1/2 cinammon stick and 1 tsp caster sugar (optional) in a small glass and top with boiling water. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and drink while hot. Serves 1. Tip - this is just as delicious without the sugar!

Rose Petal Sherbet (adapted)
1 cup rose petal syrup
2 litres sparkling mineral water

Divide the rose petal syrup between 8 chilled glasses and to with sparkling mineral water. A beautiful choice for Sunday afternoon with the girls.

Mango Lassi
In a blender combine 3/4 cup of roughly chopped mango flesh, 11 tsp honey, 1 tsp lime juice, 1/2 cup natural yoghurt and 1 1/2 cups ice cubes. Blend until smooth and pour into chilled glasses. Serves 2.

Banana Cardamom Lassi
Remove the small seeds from 1 cardamom pod and place them in a blender aklong with 1 roughly chopped banana, 1/2 cup natural yoghurt and 1 1/2 cups of ice cubes. Blend until smooth and pour into chilled glasses. Serves 2.

Orange & Rosewater Ice Cubes
Combine 1 cup of rosepetal syup and 1 cup of water , pour into ice cubve trays and freeze. Place the ice cubes into chilled glasses and fill with freshly squeezed orange juice. Serves 6.

Fall Backs (always have these in the fridge)
Hepburn Springs sparkling mineral water
Bundaberg Ginger Beer
Cranberry Juice, Lime & Soda

See? Dry needn't mean Dull.

febfast update: Week 1

2011-02-09T23:19:00.001+11:00

One week is over and I haven't felt the slightest bit cheated. Hubs did offer me a beer but his embarrassed face told me it was definitely an accident! I ate out twice this week, contenting myself with Lime & Soda's, beware if you're not used to fizzy drinks - they fill you up fast!
I have been overwhelmed with the amount of support I've received from friends and family - my donations were at $120 before February has even started and since then they've risen to $140 - GO ME!

Last week we enjoyed a Moroccan inspired menu at home and I was thrilled to find some interesting and tasty Moroccan drinks courtesy of Cooking with Alia.
The Peach & Orange Blossom, Almond & Orange Blossom and Watermelon & Rosewater drinks were not only dead easy to make, they tasted just like summer in a glass! Moroccans often use these wonderful flavours and essences which can take any standard juice and whip it up into something far more exotic -they'll all be in my repertoire long after febfast is over.
Like any lifestyle change, the trick to making sure this isn't a drag is to be prepared. At the beginning of the week I hit up our local green grocer Pompello (Victoria Street Seddon - visit if you can!) for a great range of fruit and berries and went home to try out a few cordial recipes I'd found online...

Left to Right: Raspberry & Rosewater Cordial, Orange & Lemon Barley Cordial, Almond Sherbet

Raspberry & Rosewater Cordial from Taste.com.au

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 cups water
300g frozen or fresh raspberries
6-8 drops rosewater

Method: Place sugar, lime juice and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add raspberries and increase the heat to bring to a simmer. Simmer for 8-10 minutes then remove from heat and stir in rosewater. Allow to cool. Pour the raspberry mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Press mixture through a sieve to remove seeds. Store cordial in a clean, dry jar. To serve, add a little cordial to iced water, soda water or lemonade.

Verdict: What a delicious treat - not too sweet and the combination of Raspberry and Rosewater is a winner!

Lemon Barley Cordial from Aussies Living Simply
Makes approx 600ml. Keeps for 2 weeks, refrigerated.

Ingredients:

2 organic oranges
1 small organic lemon
85g pearl barley
200g caster sugar

Method: Pare the zest of 1 of the oranges and the lemon and place in a bowl. Squeeze the juice from all the fruit and strain to remove pips and flesh (you should have about 250ml juice).
Put the barley in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Then strain through a sieve and discard the water. return the barley to the pan. add 600ml of boiling water and the fruit rind and bring back to the boil.Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes. Strain the barley and return the liquid to the pan.
Add the sugar to the strained barley water, stir once then heat gently without stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2 min, stirring a couple of times, then add the strained fruit juice and bring back to the boil.
Pour immediately into warmed sterilized bottles using a funnel.
Seal, and leave to cool, then store in fridge Shake before use.

Verdict: I used a combination of oranges and lemons in this one and it's a beautifully refreshing drink - hint - add some fresh mint leaves to serve!

Almond Sherbet from Marie Claire Food & Drink
by Michelle Cranston
Place 200ml of water, 4 Tbs almond meal, 4 split cardamom pods and 1 cup of sugar. Boil until the mixture thickens. Cool, add 1 tsp rosewater and 2 drops almond essence. Top up with cold sparkling water. Serves 10.

Verdict: OK so my muddy brown syrup doesn't look like the photo in the book, but this is an amazing flavour and it's just perfect on a hot day - dare you to try it!

As far as my mini challenge of walking every morning went - Rossi and I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise on Tuesday but too many late nights meant that my well-meaning endeavours came to a grinding halt by Wednesday. Nevermind - this week I'll be aiming for a 10pm bedtime (where I should have started all along!)

Next week
Join me as I explore the unique world of non-alcoholic alcoholic beverages - beer or wine anyone?

febfast update: one sleep to go

2011-01-31T23:05:00.001+11:00

WOW! I'm already overwhelmed with the amount of support I've gotten since announcing my challenge a week ago. With $120 in the bank already I look forward to inspiring even more donations throughout the month.

Now for my Grand Plan. To make this an enjoyable month I've decided to explore some non-alcoholic alternatives for when I might get a hankering for a nice cold glass of wine. There are lots of refreshing ideas out there and tonight I'll be stocking up on citrus, ginger, berries, delish tropical fruits and yoghurt. I'm going to try out all sorts of yummy juices and cordials and I can't wait to share my favourite recipes with you!

So onto this week’s mini challenge – I’m going to make the most of this unseasonal summer weather (Melbourne joke) we’ve been having and rise at 6am each day for a morning walk with Rossi. The sun is set to rise at 6:33 am tomorrow – is anyone out there willing to offer me a $20 bonus for catching a photo of it from the stands at Whitten Oval?

February Forecast: Dry

2011-01-31T10:59:00.000+11:00

Febfast Update Hi Everyone,

Just popping in to let you know why I've decided to take on this seemingly crazy project ... and you know I love projects!

I came across the idea while reading the very inspiring work of Sarah Wilson and when I jumped onto the FebFast website I was really excited about the testimonials of past fasters and wanted to be in on the action.

I mean - a clearer mind, better sleep, being more productive, enjoying bright and early mornings, a stronger mind and body - who wouldn't want a piece of that??

Now it's not like I drink a LOT, in fact I enjoy several AFD free days a week but I'd just like to feel the difference going dry for a whole month will do for me. And of course, there's nothing better than setting a goal and achieving it!

'But, Christie - don't you work in the wine industry?'
Yes. Yes I do.
'Isn't this a bit, you know, not in the spirit of the industry?'
Well maybe, but I'm talking about MY best interests here - nothing else. And besides, although I love a nice drop of Victorian wine as much as the next gal, I'm under no illusions that I'm keeping the industry afloat all by myself. Got it? Good.

So if you understand what I'm trying to achieve here, and you want to lend a hand to young people battling alcohol and drug abuse, please donate to my worthy cause, it's good karma!

I'll update my blog weekly, and I'll set some little challenges along the way to see just how well this new and improved me can perform. Who knows - I might even pick up some great new habits...

This week's Haul

2011-01-30T13:36:00.000+11:00

Today's expedition to the Melbourne Showground's Farmers Market was an interesting one - and not only because I was on 2 wheels instead of 4.

It was about 9am as I was riding along the Maribyrnong, when just before the giant golden statue I heard the unmistakeable sounds of dance music pumping out over the river. Surley enough, there was a dance party happening in the bushes! Didn't they know the Big Day Out was on just a bit further up the river today?
Nevertheless it looked like this mob had been enjoying themselves for hours - and didn't seem to be packing up to head over to the racecourse any time soon.

Upon arriving at the market, I sat down to enjoy one of Chef Michael's burgers with the lot and some iced mint lemon water - how thoughtful on such a hot day! I had to shop carefully today, with only my basket and panniers to carry my goodies home. I've really been enjoying the lemon apple cucumbers from Yellow Box Rd Organics and couldn't go past those beautiful organic blueberries at 3 for $10! And yes - that is 2 dozen eggs you see there - I carried them safely in my basket - just for added difficulty.

2 dozen eggs for $7! 3 punnets of organic blueberries for $10!

Today's haul set me back $50 including a delicious breakfast - for that price why wouldn't you want to buy fresh, in season, locally grown, organic, free range food??

Mantle Mondays

2011-01-17T09:00:00.000+11:00

Welcome back Farmers!

2011-01-11T14:39:00.002+11:00

Finally! Our fridge is full of wonderful healthy treats after Sunday’s return of the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmer’s Market.

There were lots of delicious things to entice us and I grabbed a Yapunyah chook before we sat down with our morning coffees (Yapunyah won't be back until April - we'll miss you guys!)

Other things in my new shopping trolley this week:

Eggs from Kaz's Googs
Rainbow Chard and parsley from Spring Creek Organics
MMMMM real butter from the Myrtleford Butter Factory
Thai basil, golden nugget pumpkin, ronde de nice zucchini, purple carrots, lemon apple cucumber from Yellow Box Rd Organics
Carrots, broccoli, cauli, zucchini, beans, plums pears and apples

Myrtleford Butter Factory are now on board

Herloom Varieties from Yellow Box Rd Organics

My favourite Christmas gift of them all

All for just $81.30 people!

Secret Crush

2011-01-09T19:00:00.002+11:00

Have you ever had a secret crush on some~~one~~-thing? And you haven't been able to shake it for years?

One of my old crushes has re-emerged this year - possibly since I've been dreaming up all sorts of lovely mantlescapes I'm looking forward to trying. Years ago, I purchased my very own copy of Vicki Archer's 'My French Life' and within it's pages was the most stunning vase I had ever seen...

Behold le Vase d'Avril Grand Modele

of Tse & Tse's Bazar

kaboodle.com

quelobjet.com

Isn't she glorious! She'd look equally stylish running along a mantlepiece - with every few tubes holding a tall tulip or crazy daisy to attention - as she would when wandering down the dining table, filled with roses for a special occasion. However good she looks, it's the 175 Euro price tag that stings and this is the one reason why I've only admired from afar.

I have used the as inspiration for my own creations - little Sanpellegrino or Moo Brew bottles lined up have a lovely effect, but they are still missing that certain je ne sais quoi that I believed I might only find in France.

After a long and desperate search over a year ago - I found the Flex Vase at Andy Designs in the US and even tried to order one through there for a fraction of the designer price - but alas, they were out of stock and I never heard from them again, nor did I try to follow it up. Maybe deep down I knew I wouldn't be satisfied with the affordable US substitute.

Maybe I just want a little piece of French Life in my life too. Will 2011 be the year? I'll happily keep drinking Sanpellegrino and Moo Brews to add to my other collections in the meantime...

Free as a bird (or 'My Saturday List')

2011-01-07T16:48:00.006+11:00

For the last 18 months I worked a weekend 'hobby' job. Partly for some extra cash and partly to keep myself out of mischief when Trav was out at the army or working. I loved it. My plan worked too well actually - I selected a place where I would enjoy working so much - I wouldn't regret giving up my Saturdays and it took about 4 months of deliberating to finally break away at the end of 2010. They'll always be there though - happy for a visit and to show me the latest delicious product.

Having missed out on lots of fun things I have a new-found appreciation of 2-day weekends and I'm not about to take them for granted so I've written up a Saturday List which holds all sorts of exciting plans. I hope it doesn't get out of control!

I'm especially looking forward to this Saturday as it's my first real one off since the Christmas break. I'm going for a leisurely walk with my close friend Tamra on the hunt for vintage frocks and we've already lined up 2 must-see shops.

Bam-Bam Vintage Clothing in Williamstown and recently reopened Diamond Dog in my own lovely Seddon. I popped my head in there last night and Sally assured me that she's just restocked with lots of beautiful frocks and shoes, all from television sets so barely worn. I'm already eyeing off a cute little red and white duck sundress in the window, I hope it's waiting for me on Saturday!

Got any other recommendations in the area? Keep in mind we're on foot for the day!

The language of flowers

2011-01-07T12:00:00.002+11:00

Back in the good old Victorian days when gentlemen carried handkerchiefs and wore top hats, and women's dresses sweeped the floor, a secret language was used to communicate between lovers. Floriography is the language of flowers, and the intention of the message was deciphered by the type of flower and its colour - as well as the way it was delivered.

I had selected shades of yellow and gold for our New Year's Eve dinner as I liked their cheerfulness and according to Chinese culture they would bring wealth and happiness. I guess you could say that I was embracing the local culture while I was shopping at Little Saigon in Footscray.

Not until afterwards did I think to sit down and decipher what I actually did set the table with that day. Generally yellow blooms can have quite negative connotations - relating to jealousy or disappointment, so I preferred to lean towards the positive explanations in this case (but let that be a warning to anyone handing out a bunch of yellow flowers!)

From Left Green Chrysanthemum cheerful and honest Yellow Rose friendship and freedom, the promise of a new beginning Yellow Alstromeria wealth, prosperity, fortune or friendship Yellow Chrysanthemum courage Yellow Calla Gratitude, also considered resurrection and rebirth (fitting for a new year don't you think?) Yellow Carnation friendship and a sweet smile.

Looks like 2011 is going to be a good one!

My sources
Carnations - here and here
Alstromeria
Rose
green and yellow chryssies
calla lilies here and here
Chinese culture

New Year idea: a pace for everything | Sarah Wilson

2011-01-06T16:16:00.000+11:00

New Year idea: a pace for everything | Sarah Wilson

The words in Sarah's post echo my own feelings about this coming year. They say that how we spend our day is how we spend our life so we decided to take our New Year's Day at a relaxed pace, with a flexible plan. We enjoyed a slow morning, a nice walk, a movie and a suprise treat. We also faced a difficult afternoon with our little dog Rossi succumbing to a round of seizures (not the first time). So we took the good with the bad, and will keep a positive mindset for 2011 - knowing that whatever happens and wherever we find ourselves, we are in exactly the right place - sometimes for reasons too big to understand.

My thoughts on 2011

2011-01-05T16:41:00.003+11:00

The time has come when we are given a fresh start. A blank canvas. A new chance. A new year. 365 days to do with whatever we see fit.

Or is it?

Someone once said

You decide every moment of every day who you are and what you believe in.

You get a second chance, every second.

I haven't tied myself to a long list of resolutions and I'm not starting out on an ambitions fitness plan either. 2010 was a big one for us, with really big highs at our wedding in June, to a couple of thumping lows with the passing of some loved ones. Everyone was bracing themselves for 2010 - we were promised be a big year and I don't think anyone was untouched.

We have our plans and goals for 2011, there are some things we hope to achieve by the end of they year, and the plan is in place, but my own 2011 intention is to take it slow and keep it simple. I'll be doing things because they make me happy this year, and won't be committing to too much or too many. If I feel that I'm starting to miss the little details that make life grand then I'll know it's time to take a step back and take my second chance. The beauty is this - we don't need a New Year to make a change or start something new - we get that second chance, every second of every day - take it if you need to.

Thanks to Me from iwrotethisforyou for the quote.

Stoking the fire

2011-01-05T15:17:00.000+11:00

Isn't it wonderful when everyone' imagination runs away with them for a moment! When visiting our friends Di and Matt (the artist) in Castlemaine recently, we all looked at pictures of the mantle and discussed the fire which would soon be burning inside it.
Our thoughts wandered to the warm weather outside as we considered what to do in summer - surely we don't need it burning 365 days a year and we definitely don't need to stare at a blazing fire during one of Melbourne's inevitable heatwaves.
Matt's words were 'we need a reversy!'. Yes! Why not - one side will have a fireplace and the other side can be an empty hearth - brilliance!
Now where do we find a double sided canvas? Do they even exist? Can someone make one? How will we attach it? Well Trav had the answer to that one straight away, two eye hooks on the inside bottom of the mantlepiece and 2 hooks along the top of the canvas will make 'putting the fire on' a breeze.

So I've started contacting some canvas and art suppliers to find out if it's something that needs to be custom made - and at what cost? Of course, we could also glue 2 canvases together ourselves, but I think this would end up quite bulky and the depth of the mantle walls is no more than an inch.

What's that? Have 2 separate canvases? Nah - I don't want to be worried about unnecessary storage and anyway this other idea is way to clever ... I'll be back soon with my findings!

Hello Mantle!

2011-01-04T18:29:00.002+11:00

Ta Da!

What a beauty! She finishes our little lounge off perfectly - and dare I say, even makes the space appear larger! She was definitely worth the princely sum of $41 and a few hours work - and I was rapt that we got it together before NYE!

And a few pretty shots all dolled up for NYE...

I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot more of her...

PS One of my goals this year is to take better photos!

Summer Project - Day 2

2011-01-04T12:14:00.002+11:00

After waiting 24 hours for the first coat to dry - we were ready to put the mantlepiece into position in our lounge room.

Using the original holes, we fixed the mantle into the wall using these plugs,

and then patched up the evidence with builders putty.
Before:

After:

When it was all attached, it was finally time for the 2nd coat of paint

Can you notice anything wrong with this picture? When measuring the height of the skirting board, we measured the one in the garage - not in the lounge, which was a bit shorter due to the tiles on the floor. So there is a small gap there but it's not something we're worried about, the mantlepiece is reinforced and securely fastened to the wall - but hopefully someone else might learn from this simple mistake!

Next up - the great unveiling.....

Summer Project Day 1

2011-01-02T12:56:00.002+11:00

(Or "How to transform your lounge room in 2 days")

I didn't get a chance to get my hands on my new project until after Christmas and I couldn't wait to get stuck into it in time for New Year's Eve dinner at our place.

First I had to sand back the glossy grey/green paint

As we wanted the mantle to stand on the floor, we had to cut into the back of the base to make room for the skirting boards. As you can see, the two side pieces are seperate to the front - so all we needed to do is shorten and remove these.

Trav measured and marked the height of the boards and moved the screws on the base to reinforce the backing.

Then he expertly sawed off the side pieces and using some metal from an old wine rack, reinforced the base.

Once the brackets were in place, we tested out our handiwork in the garage - looking good!

Our trusty site foreman

Finally it was time for the first coat of paint - we had a full tin of Dulux Napkin White which we'd used on all the trim when we moved in, so it's been a very affordable project so far...

Coming up... Day 2!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T22:13:00.001+11:00

How did you ring in the New Year?

Were you out and about - facing the throngs of people in town for fireworks? Or did you have tickets to one of the big parties? We took it easy and enjoyed an amazing meal with 4 close friends. We hosted, but everyone brought a course so the pressure was off...

I had more time to decorate the table

and our new mantle (the full story coming soon!)

I found every glass vase and jar in the house and filled them with a cheerful mix of blooms

Happy New Year to you all!

Cosy up next to the fire...

2010-12-26T16:22:00.004+11:00

That was my favourite activity when I grew up in Macedon - I'd even sit right next to it with a big bowl of ice cream in the dead of winter! So I'm sure you can imagine that I'm looking forward to many moments like this with our new fireplace - and although I know we won't be roasting marshmallows anytime soon, we'll definitely be able to soak up a little ambiance.
No no no - no fireplace dvd's around here, if we were loaded I'm sure we'd have a separate TV mounted inside the frame, just for this purpose (wait - if we were loaded I'm sure we'd have a real fireplace!).

Enter: Matt. My friend's fiancee is an amazing painter and he's looking forward to creating a stunning fire to light up our room. I thought I'd share some of my favourite fireplace images with you...

I always liked the DIY chalkboard idea from JaimeScott...

... but room is tight and I don't think I'd be changing it very often.

This is a very cool design - which you might recognise from my mock-ups...

xxxmassacre

lacking a name

Steve Weber @ Fine Art America

These last 2 are courtesy of Casa Sugar ...

I'm definitely leaning toward a more vibrant, abstract look, and can't wait to see what Matt has in mind when we visit this week!

I must have been good this year

2010-12-26T11:01:00.001+11:00

I was so excited when I unwrapped this gorgeous gift that I just had to share it with you! These 2 fellas have been on my own wishlist for a while - but funnily enough I had never mentioned them to anyone. My close friend D thought of me when she saw them. Here they are gracing our upcycled hutch...

Our hutch was originally the floor in an old department store in Melbourne. The numbers on top actually marked where a certain product would be placed! We found it second hand and have put in an order for a TV cabinet from the original maker.

We were hoping it would arrive before Christmas, but it's looking like early January at this stage. Well, good things are worth waiting for!

A new Addition...

2010-12-24T16:14:00.006+11:00

No - not that type of addition! Little Macs are still a few years off yet...

I'm talking about our brand old mantelpiece! We purchased this beauty for a steal and picked her up the other night - ready for next week's project.

She'll need a sand and we might need to use a router to cut out the bottoms so it fits neatly over the skirting board...

And the strange gray colour will have to go - we've got some Dulux Napkin White leftover from the skirting boards so this is becoming a very affordable project! Stay tuned for some DIY shots...

From us to you

2010-12-24T09:31:00.000+11:00

Mantle Hunting

2010-12-22T16:11:00.006+11:00

... she draws up some mock rooms of course!! Obsessed? Me? Mais non! Too much time on my hands? Perhaps.

After scouring second hand stores and eBay for my perfect mantelpiece, I corralled them all into Publisher (I know, serious stuff right?) so I could compare dimensions and the 'vibe'.

Mantelpiece 1 - Hughes Online in Oakleigh $210
For - Solid Timber, a real vintage piece
Against - Oakleigh is the other end of the earth for us - maybe if it was cheaper

Mantelpiece 2 - eBay Glen Waverley, starting bid $5

For - Brand new, never used, low starting price, deep enough to put candles or something inside

Against - Glen Waverley is the other side of the earth for us (can you tell we like to keep it local?), probably wouldn't do candles as our dog might get a bit close, takes up more space due to extra depth.

Mantelpiece 3 - eBay Yarraville, starting bid $200

For - so close! We might even be able to walk it home! Brand new, gorgeous design.

Against - High starting price

Mantelpiece 4 - eBay Northcote, starting bid $0.99
For - Low starting price, there are 2 identical ones being sold individually, brand new, nice design. Northcote isn't really that far.
Against - ?

Do you like the wedding photos? Nice touch! Hubby rolled his eyes but I think he was secretly pleased xxx

The auctions all finish up early this week... fingers crossed!

Finally Festive

2010-12-22T10:25:00.001+11:00

It's taken a while to get our house into the festive spirit - I wonder if working 6 days a week coupled with a busy social calendar has something to do with it? To be honest, I think it's just because we won't be spending any time at home over Christmas, we'll be staying with family so no one but us will get to see any of my creative decorating. But that's just why I got into gear - I appreciate it when our house smells of pine and the Christmas stockings are hanging up - I love that festive feeling and I think you might too....

We haven't had a proper Christmas tree in this place - it's just too small. We've decorated the conifer that my parents had given me when I was 10 years old, and it happily sat in an old wine barrel in our courtyard up until a few years ago when it started to go backwards - not enough sun for either of us out there I guess.
Last year I decided there was no reason we couldn't have a little tree, it just wasn't allowed to be plastic - behold our wooden Christmas Tree....

This year I made an Advent Calendar for my husband (well actually my sister did all the hard work a few years ago, I just filled it!)

- here are the Nice & Naughty notes he's received so far...

Our wedding cake stand does double duty with the pinecones we collected from Lauriston a few years ago.
I scored all the pine branches from our local fruit shop- these are the offcuts from their customer's trees.

I sequinned our stockings many years ago and have never had a place to put them without them being in the way of cupboards or drawers - next year they'll have a spot of their own on our new mantlepiece.

Rossi has his very own stocking too...

Our wedding gift graces our entryway - perfectly fitting the Christmas theme...

And what would Christmas be without carols?

Mantle Inspiration

2010-12-21T15:47:00.002+11:00

After I got a feel for the sizes, colours and shapes of mantelpieces I knew we'd definitely go for a white/cream one in our living space, we definitely don't need to darken our south-facing room.

I headed to the net and discovered I wasn't the first one to think up this brilliant idea (again)! 2nd Floor Living got my creativity flowing as did The Grower's Daughter and I soon found myself dreaming of some forgotten old country manor full of treasure to breathe new life into.
The Little Apartment detailed how a pile of old fence palings turned into a beautiful faux fireplace and Jaime Scott over at Caught in Grace described her Faux Fireplace Transformation - this definitely my favourite so far!

I LOVE the chalkboard fireplace!

Little Loveables showed how well a simple raised shelf can work as a mantlepiece and I am prepared to fall back on this idea if needed...

Little Loveables

Your home only Better was another good resource and so was Apartment Therapy - here and here and somewhere along the way I got distracted by another brilliant idea.

I was prepared to resort to wall art if I couldn't quite get the whole faux fireplace idea past the husband...

thisnext

totsntales

Coming up - what does a type A do when faced with many decisions?

Mantle Dreaming

2010-12-17T12:11:00.002+11:00

I think I've got me a Christmas break project. Last year it was an overhaul of our guest bedroom, and just wait till you see what I'm dragging us into this year...

We visited a good friend's new cafe in Geelong a few weeks ago (Ginger Biscuit Cafe, Highton if you feel like a drive it's definitely worth the trip!). Appealing to the older generations who live nearby, the cafe has lots of retro touches - Lynne has lined the walls with all sorts gorgeous vintage finds, from mirrors, teapots, to salt'n'pepper shakers and old cookbooks. She even gets donations to add to her quirky collections from her faithful clientele.
What stood out most to me though, was the faux-fireplace surrounded by couches near the entrance.

Lynne's husband is a builder and he knocked up an Art Deco period style mantelpiece frame and with a vintage screen in front, you wouldn't know it wasn't the real deal! It absolutely adds to the atmosphere and it popped a brilliant idea into my head straight away!

I'm always drooling over mantelpiece shots from Young House Love, Apartment Therapy, A Beach Cottage et al - especially this time of year as the festive decor comes out of the closet. Since we've rearranged things in our living area, I knew we have a perfect spot to put our faux fireplace - the blank area has been giving me the creeps for a while now.

As soon as we got home I raced to eBay to see what was up for grabs in our local area - I was pleasantly suprised with these couple of beauties starting at around $10:

eBay Timber Mantle

eBay Blackwood Mantle

... so am I the proud owner of a new old mantelpiece yet? Stay tuned....

Can Portland do nothing wrong??

2010-12-09T22:25:00.023+11:00

OK. I confess. I am an etsy fiend! I need to stay away from the site as I am bound to get stuck there for ages, scrolling through all the handmade and vintage goodies. Recently I started on a quest for lots of quirky brooches and as always happens, got sidetracked and bumped into this absolutely stunning camisole by CLF Claire la Faye - of Portland Oregon. Her beautiful range of frocks, gowns and camisoles can be found in her etsy store, and at her website.

Clair's creations have been worn by those glamour queens, Dita Von Teese, Courtney Love and Christina Aguilera and now I have my own beautiful piece of her imagination! I can't wait to wear this coral camisole with vintage lace out on the town - might need to plan a hot date out with my husband before Christmas!

I already think if I was to move to America, I'd want to live in Portland Oregon - imagine being surrounded by inspired people like Clair and the girls from Queen Bee Creations - and the fact that it's such a bicycle friendly city is a bonus too!

Are you Fitted for Work?

2010-12-08T14:53:00.000+11:00

Today I copped a drenching as I headed into town to deliver a very special Christmas gift. A few months ago I came across a volunteer organisation called Fitted for Work. Based in Melbourne, they are a dedicated bunch of ladies whose mission is to help long term unemployed or disadvantaged women back into the workforce. They do this by running workshops on interview and presentation skills and providing these women with clothing donated by us.
I had a few items of gently work office clothing I no longer wear, as well as a few unopened gifts of bath and shower gel, perfume and candles waiting around for someone else to make use of them. Kim from Fitted for Work was very happy to hear from me and she said they love to be able to include a little Christmas gift as a suprise for their clients.

I just love the feeling of fulfillment that comes from focusing on others instead of myself during Christmas. If you have any professional clothing (old suits, shirts etc) that still have plenty of life in them, please get in touch with Fitted for Work, items can be dropped off at Northcote and the CBD.

Give a little this Christmas.

Farewell Spring

2010-12-07T19:25:00.000+11:00

After we entered what looks to be quite a tropical summer - I ventured out into the garden to see what was happening, and found some very interesting suprises...

Our beetroot is nearly 4 months old now and I can see it crowning above the soil - might be time to pull one out and see how big they are - I can't wait to taste the homegrown difference!

Two random seedlings that look like tomatoes have made themselves a new home in my garden beds, only time will tell what they actually are so I'll leave them to do their best, they must have come up from the compost! You can see my heirloom carrots sprouting in the background.

I found a very sneaky Mary Rose shooting up amongst the peas, we'd pulled the rose out months ago but I had a feeling I'd left some roots deep down in the soil. With all this rain she's decided to give it another go!

Adventures with Artichokes

2010-12-07T16:20:00.002+11:00

I've only had one attempt at cooking artichokes before this week - a few years ago I was helping a friend prepare Christmas in July and we diligently followed every step in the Gourmet Traveller to be rewarded with some delicious stuffed artichokes. We got a good result but really felt out of our depth.

Now I'm doing it on my own - I want to know how I can prepare every single vegetable that comes into season and this looks like a good place to start. It's a great adventure adding a new dish or two to the repertoire! I guess I've always assumed that there would be a lot of waste when cooking with artichokes - but as I discovered as I began my research, even those stiff green outer leaves can be used to dip into a creamy sauce.

I'd like to include stuffed, fried and crumbed artichokes and yesterday I started with a simple Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad that I found over at tastespace.

It was quick and easy to prepare the artichokes, although I should have removed more of the outer leaves as they were still a bit tough to eat. The salad was a hearty meal for the warm night and it was full of flavour. I could almost imagine myself in a little restaurant somewhere near the mediterranean ocean, and yes the husband was impressed too. I'm already looking forward to our Garlic Sauteed Artichokes on Friday's menu!

Thumbs up for our Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

Ingredients from our garden: parsley

I have to apologise for picture quality for the next week or so - I'm relying on an iphone just at the moment!

Another glorious market morning...

2010-12-07T13:47:00.001+11:00

I pulled out my trusty Put Victoria on your Table bags and picked Tamra up on the way - this was her first farmers market and I was thrilled to be showing her around. We arrived early and did the customary lap before starting our shopping - Mornington Peninsula Organics were there with their beautiful range of vegies - including some heirloom carrots which we pounced on. We were lucky enough to taste the new Vanilla & Honey flavoured ice cream from Bella Pasta & Dolci and the Goat's Milk Body Butter from Seven Hills Tallarook.

I learned that the summer oranges are Valencia and the winter ones are Navels and the cherries were out again and freshly picked garlic graced many stalls too. My haul included another yummy chicken from Yapunyah Meadow Graze Chicken and I was devastated to hear that they'd planned to have a break until April anticipating a hot, dry summer - but could have possibly continued through considering the crazy weather we've been having. Some amazing organic broccoli, basil, carrots, beetroot, asparagus and fennel also made it into my bags. My pick of the week was 4 beautifully artichokes - I finally stopped avoiding them and grilled the Italian gentleman at the stall about how to prepare and cook them. There's no time like the present to try something new!
I've realised I'm missing something in my weekly market trip - a notepad and pen to jot down my spending and any recipe tips I pick up on the way - I'll be more prepared next week.

Did you know that the original carrots weren't orange? After some digging around in the Garden of Google I also found out that each coloured carrot has different health benefits:

White Carrots:
White carrots lack any significant pigment or color, but contain health-promoting substance called phytochemicals.
These are natural bioactive compounds,that work with nutrients and dietary fibre we eat, to protect our body against disease.
Purple Carrots:
These carrots, are usually orange inside, and actually, contain more beta carotene than orange carrots, but, they get their pigment from an entirely different source of pigments called, the anthocyanin.
These pigments act as powerful antioxidants, grabbing and holding on to harmful free radicals in the body and preventing them from doing any damage.
Anthocyanin, also help prevent heart disease by slowing blood clotting in the arteries and have good anti inflammatory properties.
Red Carrots:
The extraordinary color of these carrots is due to the concentration of the anti-oxidant pigment, called lycopene.
The red carrots contain as much lycopene as a tomato, and so share many of the same health benefits.
Nutritional studies suggest that eating at least one serving of a lycopene-rich food daily is believed to help prevent prostate cancer and other cancers.
Orange Carrots:
The orange pigment is from beta carotene and alpha-carotene. Both of these pigments give the carrot significant health benefits, such as antioxidant, antiseptic and antibacterial properties.
Orange carrots are also high in Vitamin A, which is essential for healthy eyes, so what your Grandmother used to tell you was right!
Yellow Carrots:
Yellow carrots contain xanthophylls and lutene, these pigments are similar to beta carotene, which help develop healthy eyes, help in the fight against macular degeneration.
They also have properties, which help prevent lung and other cancers and also help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

Information from feedfury.com

Coming up next - what did I do with those artichokes?

Spring Challenge Day 28 - I did it!!!

2010-12-03T13:17:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:25am
Arrival: 9:05am
Conditions: sunny, humid with a nice breeze, 21
Attire: skirt, tshirt, heels

I was greeted with a bright blue sky when I peeked hesitantly out of the window this morning. Yes! The heavens had decided to back me on my last challenge day. It was a beautiful sunny morning as I headed out of our street, and I could feel the humidity in the air. I decided to make my final challenge trip in style and felt pretty good as I pulled up at the lights with my lycra-clad counterparts. It really was a beautiful morning ride to work and I'm already looking forward to my riding days long after this challenge is finished.

Looking back I'd say this is exactly what I needed to do - starting up a regular routine to make things habits - like packing my panniers, planning my wardrobe and handling different weather conditions. I know I'll be rewarded in so many ways now that I'll be incorporating my bicycle into my weekly commute.

November Trading Up

2010-12-02T16:23:00.000+11:00

We did a big trade up in November...

Out: Our Anolon cookware set
In: Shiny new Essteele copper based stainless steel pots and pans! It was a big investment but the money from the sale of our 2 year old set on eBay went towards it and afterall it's an investment in ourselves for the long term. I'm looking forward to having these for decades!

Out: Disposable cotton make-up pads - use once and throw out? No there must be a better solution!
In: These clever flannel reusable make-up pads - just thrown them in you delicates bag with the washing once a week! I know I know, I was going to make some but have to save my energy for Christmas creations!

Spring Challenge Day 27 (1 day to go!)

2010-12-02T16:12:00.001+11:00

Departure: 8:20am
Arrival: 9:05am
Conditions: grey, cloudy, humid, 20
Attire: skirt, tshirt, sneakers

It was a muggy morning, as I neared the city I felt the odd drop of rain on my cheek, which turned into more than the odd drop and I found myself pedalling in heavy drizzle most of the way to work. Didn't get really wet and I didn't really mind riding in it either - I just really hope that tomorrow is a good day to ride - it's the last day of my challenge and this isn't the summer weather I've had in mind!

Spring Challenge day 26 (2 days to go)

2010-11-30T09:26:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:15am
Arrival: 8:55am
Conditions: sunny and fresh, 15
Attire: jeans, tshirt, sneakers

Another wonderful, easy ride to work. I left home much earlier than usual so that made me smile too! It feels like second nature to pack my panniers and put on my helmet each morning and my commute is now a highlight of my day - especially with a beautiful morning like this one!

Farmer's Market Sunday 28th Nov

2010-11-29T11:37:00.001+11:00

my apologies for the fuzzy foto

The weather deterred a few buyers and sellers at the Showgrounds this Sunday, speaking to some of the producers I learned that there was quite a bit of damage from the storm and hail that went through parts of regional Victoria which mean big setbacks for our growers.

I spent less than $80 on this week's haul which included wine, meat and some absolutely beautiful Seville cherries, - finally they're in season again! Rather than waiting 30 minutes for the bus I decided to take the leisurely 50 minute walk home among the drizzle and the wind.This gave me the opportunity to explore some lovely little streets around Footscray and admire their front gardens along the way.

Spring Challenge Day 25 (3 days to go)

2010-11-29T11:23:00.002+11:00

Departure: 8:35am
Arrival: 9:20am
Conditions: cloudy and a bit of a breeze
Attire: jeans, tshirt, sneakers

'3 days to go? But there's only one day of spring left!' I hear you cry. Back at the start of this challenge I decided to include all 14 weeks which gave me a few extra days at either end. This is all about creating a new habit and lifestyle - not getting wrapped up in the details!
I've got 3 days to finish my challenge which I'll be doing this week, weather permitting of course. Tuesday and Wednesday are looking OK - maybe a shower or 2 but the timing could work in my favour.
I felt really strong and fast on my ride this morning - but it was still a 45 minute journey, I'll be looking forward to when they've completed the Docklands Highway upgrade, it's a bit of a mess down there at the moment.

Spring Challenge Day 24 (4 days to go)

2010-11-26T16:04:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:25am
Arrival: 9:10am
Conditions: cloudy and still
Attire: black 3/4 pants, tshirt, sandals

The radar gave me the go-ahead this morning and I happily jumped on my bicycle for another adventure. I actually felt a bit jumpy when I reached Lorimer street for the first time in ages - I actually even slowed down behind parked traffic so I wouldn't have to compete for space with the cars and trucks that were whooshing by - one of them got so close I could feel the heat from the engine!

Spring Challenge Day 23 (5 days to go)

2010-11-24T10:13:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:30am
Arrival: 9:10am
Conditions: cloudy and warm, breezy
Attire: 3/4 pants, singlet, sneakers

Aaah, back on the bike. We've had a rough start to the week but I was really looking forward to soaking up this nice weather. I've definitely learned my lesson about leaving too late though - it was pedestrian peak hour at Docklands and even though I'd ring my bell for the people walking straight towards me and staring at me - they still didn't move over an inch and I almost found myself in the gutter twice! That wasn't the pleasant part of the journey - I think the highlight was when I crossed paths with a Michael Buble look-a-like!

Farmer's Market to you

2010-11-23T19:43:00.001+11:00

Knowing that we wouldn't be around for our weekly pilgrimage to the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmer's Market, I called for back-up from Miss Organic.
Our Vitality Box was delivered to work yesterday morning and was full of healthy, organic fruit and vegies to ensure we'd still be eating well, even though the only shopping we did on the weekend was at cellar doors!

Vitality Box from Miss Organic

What you can't see is the mushrooms, salad mix and baby spinach that were safely stored in paper bags. The Vitality Box is designed to feed 2 for a week, depending on how often we eat out - so let's see how far this gets us...

Monday dinner - yummy salad made with our new 3-in-1 spiral slicer - I finally convinced the hubby while they were on special, and when I got home there were curly carrots all over the bench and he had a big grin on his face!

Tuesday - breakfast and lunch I put some fresh vegies in our frittata and for dinner we enjoyed another interesting, curly salad...

Spring Challenge Day 22 (6 days to go)

2010-11-18T15:00:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:08am
Arrival: 8:53am
Conditions: cloudy and mild
Attire: camos, t shirt, sneakers

Another lovely, cruisy ride to work. That's 3 days in a row for this week and guess what - I'm still loving it! Yep I'm officially hooked now!It's such great thinking time for me as I roll along the bike paths, allowing every other cyclist to overtake me.
Today I came up behind a family of four, both parents were each carrying daughters on their racks. When I stopped at the lights one of the little angels said 'You aren't as fast as us because we got here first' she then went on to ask her mum to smell her thumb because it doesn't smell like anything. Precious!

You see I would have missed pearls of wisdom like that if I'd been driving today!

Spring Challenge Day 21 (7 days to go)

2010-11-17T14:02:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:05am
Arrival: 8:52am
Conditions: Sunny, warmish, mild
Attire: Jeans, t shirt, sneakers

After a quick stop off at the drycleaners I was on my way, last night I realised that I actually prefer to ride to work. I got up early this morning determined to make the most of the sunshine and felt positively radiant as I zoomed along. It's not even hard work anymore, I sail along happily and can't imagine starting my day any other way. Is this it? Has the transformation occurred?

A look around my garden

2010-11-16T20:14:00.001+11:00

There are lots of lovely things popping up in my garden - thanks to the endless cycle of downpours and sunshine!

Beyond the thyme and beetroot there is basil, chives, spring onions and my treasured watering can

Some might regard this strange creature as a pest, but we know better!

Zucchini Black Beauty and Zucchini Tromboncino - heriloom varieties courtesy of Diggers Club.
They won't all fit in my little plot so I'm bringing some over to Kat's place this week!
Behind the pots are the new shoots of heirloom carrots - they can have a photo when they're bigger!

Aaaah Alium Christophi! Mum potted some up for me to enjoy

I like to call it The Fireworks Plant

Our new little upcycled mate.
A gift from friends, this guy was found at the Gisborne Market
what a beautiful example of trash to treasure!

Spring Challenge Day 20 (8 days to go)

2010-11-16T09:45:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:30am
Arrival: 9:10am
Conditions: Cloudy, dry, warmish
Attire: Jeans, t shirt, sneakers

Yesterday I drove to work and felt sleepy all day. Today I rode and hit the ground running (so to speak) when I got to work). What a great difference - I almost feel backwards if I don't ride.

And here's some free advice for all those drivers trying to make sense of the road closures on Docklands Hwy last night- leave the car at home and take the bike! There's still bike access the whole way alongside the roadworks so you can avoid the headache altogether. I won't stress myself any more than necessary so you'll see me on the bike for the rest of this week!

MADE IT love

2010-11-14T20:44:00.000+11:00

I just love receiving goodies in the mail. Last week I ordered some cute little designs from my new friend Bec of RadishandRuth at MadeIt.com.au. She designs and creates gorgeous little felt and fabric based pieces and my heart got stuck on the Kokka Musical and Red Apple Upcycled fabric brooches.

Apart from the thrill of getting one-of-a-kind items, the other thing I love about purchasing from markets is the care the seller takes in presenting their wares. Look at what I saw when I opened my parcel....

I could hardly bear to open these beautiful packages -

which were completed with sweet little felted bobby pins.

But of course - the best was yet to come, I received these on Friday and have already worn both of them!

You can check out Bec's Madeit store and her RadishandRuth blog for lots of felted and fabric treasures (you might see some familiar packaging on one of her recent posts!)

Spring Challenge Day 19 (9 days to go!)

2010-11-12T10:45:00.001+11:00

Departure: 8:25am
Arrival: 9:15am (hey it was windy alright!)
Conditions: Cloudy, windy, with a light sprinkle of rain
Attire: Shorts, t shirt, sneakers

It was a bit blowy this morning but the temperature was mild so it was still really enjoyable. I even enjoyed the odd drop of rain. Haven't things changed? I never thought I'd choose to take a 40 minute ride to work if there was even the slightest chance of getting wet!
The countdown's really on now! Only 9 days to go - Spring finishes on Tuesday 30th November, so I think I'll do 3 days, then 4 days, then 2 days. I'm feeling great - I really feel like I've started to change my thinking around riding to work. I've actually ridden 3 times this week and 2 days in a row! There's always a reason not to - but it's not that hard to pack a spare top, jump on the bike and pedal into town, in fact, it's really enjoyable and all the positives outweigh the negatives! I can't see myself falling back into the old pattern of excuses - I really look forward to my ride these days!

Spring Challenge Day 18 (10 days to go)

2010-11-11T14:40:00.001+11:00

Departure: 8:35am
Arrival: 9:20am
Conditions: Cloudy but warm and still
Attire: t shirt, jeans, sneakers NOTE TO SELF: Do not bother wearing jeans for temps above 25!!!

It's always nice to bump into a friendly face on my way to work - this morning I saw Marissa and Rohan strolling along with their breakfast as I began my journey. What a great start to the day!

On the way home:
I had the nicest suprise ever another friendly face! You know when sometimes you have a regular daydream, then the day it comes true you think you're going mad? Well it happened on my way home yesterday - I was taking it slow, cursing the fact that I wore jeans on a 29 degree day and a familiar face on a familiar bike appeared as I approached Costco - Trav had ridden down to accompany me home! I was just thrilled - it made the trip home a lot more fun and we stopped at Hello Gelo in Yarraville for an ice cream on the way home! I couldn't stop grinning all day - and I'll always remember that moment each time I ride past that spot now.

Spring Challenge Day 17 (11 days to go)

2010-11-09T11:41:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:20am
Arrival: 9:00am
Conditions: Big blue sky, lots of sunny-shine
Attire: Skirt, tshirt and sandals

Oh what a glorious morning! Over the last week I've noticed that third gear, where I spend most of my time seems to be feeling a little easy. I wonder if I'm actually getting fitter?
Anyway it was such a pleasure again to ride to work this morning, maybe spring is finally settling in now!

Spring Challenge Day 16 (12 days to go)

2010-11-08T10:36:00.003+11:00

Departure: 6:50am
Arrival: 7:25am
Conditions: Big blue sky
Attire: Jeans, top, work shoes

Ahhh I truly love it when I get up early enough to enjoy the morning. On my way to South Melbourne for my weekend job the air was still crisp but full of promise for a beautiful sunny day. Riding home in all that sunshine was a wonderful way to relax at the end of a busy day!

Oh and although we had a lovely morning at the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmer's Market on Sunday, there's no piccy to drool over this week as everything went straight into the fridge before we ran off to the pub for an afternoon of birthday festivities with our friends and family. I was so excited to pick up another one of those succulent Yapunhay Meadow chickens again, can't wait to roast that baby tonight!

Spring Challenge Day 15 (13 days to go)

2010-11-05T12:15:00.000+11:00

Departure: 8:30am
Arrival: 9:15am
Conditions: warm, sunny and still

Attire: jeans, t shirt and sneakers

Over the hump now, and another beautiful morning. The last few days I've been rushing around, not getting to bed early and generally feeling low, but this morning the sun on my face took all that away. It's truly amazing what a positive difference exercise can have on our mind and body.

Second rule of Farmers Markets

2010-11-03T13:43:00.001+11:00

It's so much easier when there's 2 of you!

This week at the market my trusty ~~mule~~ husband finally joined me again. Before you take offense - he was the one saying 'Eeyore' each time I loaded him up. Although we haven't got it down to a fine art just yet, it definitely makes a big difference when there's someone to share the load. And speaking of loads - this week was a big one!

So here's this week's loot:

This is what $125 of fresh, local, organic produce looks like

I'm really looking forward to picking up another juicy Yapunhay Meadow chicken next week!

After we'd filled all our bags, we sat down to enjoy one of those delicious breakfast burgers with egg, beetroot, fennel and watercress, inspiring me for one of this week's salads, it will be a perfect match for our King Valley Pork Scotch Steaks!

October Trading Up

2010-10-31T12:46:00.000+11:00

October has been a great month for trading up...

Out: Natio Eye Cream
In: Trilogy Eye Contour Cream

Out: Artistry Essentials Soothing Crème
In: Trilogy Age Proof Replenishing Night Cream

Out: Mr Sheen, Windex, Spray & Wipe
In: Project Green cleaning kit, I purchased the Glass & Stainless cleaner, Shower & Bathroom Cleaner and Disinfectant - each came as a concentrate with an empty spray bottle for mixing my own. Best thing - it's made right here in Seddon! I went to work on my stainless steel oven and stove straight away with brilliant results - I think this stuff makes me actually want to clean!

Out: Lots of plastic containers, silicone bakeware and our old non stick wok
In: Saving my glass jars for food storage and a new carbon steel wok!

Spring Challenge Day 14 (14 days to go)

2010-10-29T10:40:00.001+11:00

Departure: 8:15am
Arrival: 8:55am
Conditions: warm, sunny and still

Attire: black capris, t shirt and sandals

Did you see the numbers? I'm at the halfway mark!
What a stunning morning, I find myself breaking into a huge smile on Pashley these days - what's not to love? The air is filled with the scent of spring and there's just nothing to worry about. I had some precious cargo on board today - a bottle of Sparking Salmon by Geoff Hardy - all ready for our Friday night drinks. I had my camera with me but absolutely forgot to use it on my journey! Darn it! I'll make sure I' snap a few shots on my way to Bakerlite this evening...

Carpe Diem: To Seize the Day: Birthday Skirt

2010-10-29T10:00:00.000+11:00

Carpe Diem: To Seize the Day: Birthday Skirt: "For my brithday last weekend I wanted a skirt that was both stylish and comfortable. I did a little inspiration searching and grabbed a few ..."

Megan over at Carpe Diem: To Seize the Day recently inspired my own little refashion project. Her philosophy is simple - refashion pre-owned and pre-loved clothing into new designs, saving the earth and enjoying a unique garment at the same time.

I sadly broke the lid of my glass teapot a few weeks ago and thought my only options were to find a new lid (not an easy feat considering I couldn't remember where it came from and it was a few years old) or cut my losses and throw the whole thing out.
But wait! Isn't there something else I could use it for? Wouldn't it be a sweet little ..... vase?

Following in Gavin's footsteps, I took to the neighbouring streets and 'pruned' some stunning jasmine and English lavender from the empty back lanes and this is what I'm now enjoying on our coffee table. The perfect accompaniment to a cosy afternoon tea don't you think?

Thanks Gavin and Megan for reminding us to look a little harder and appreciate what's already around us!

Happy Birthday Pashley!

2010-10-28T11:24:00.042+11:00

This time one year ago I couldn't wait to get home so I could catch the bus down to Yarraville and pick up my precious new wheels. I remember the weeks of saving, and months of waiting as the shipment was forever delayed.Good things are worth waiting for aren't they!
Fast forward to today and I've got so many happy memories of life with Pashley, she is as strong as an Ox and so comfortable to ride. I feel free and safe when we coast along on our journeys together. Today marks our 1st anniversary but unfortunately we'll miss our ride together. Still, I'm very content that I've been sticking to my Spring Challenge, and glad that this habit is now a part of my life.

Another thing that's been well and truly worth the wait is the grand opening of the new Bakerlite Trading store in Bay Street Port Melbourne - this is the only Melbourne importer of the Pashley range and I've been invited along to attend the launch tomorrow evening. I intend to arrive with Pashley and I hear that Stephen has some more exciting brands up his sleeve, can't wait to fill you in!

Have you met Miss Organic?

2010-10-27T14:33:00.001+11:00

I bumped into Miss Organic on one of my many travels through the vast land of the interwebs and identified with her immediately - you see, she also has learned everything she knows about health from her dog, who was diagnosed with cancer and not expected to live. After Rocky's diet was changed over to a completely organic, natural raw diet some amazing transformations took place - and the rest as they say is history. Apart from her offerings of fresh, organic fruit and vegies delivered to your door, Nicci's online store also offers a range wholefoods, home products and gifts.
Last night I was fortunate enough to attend a free presentation by Sherry Strong, presented by Miss Organic at the Tivoli Club in Windsor. The presentation was titled A Return to Food: How Going Back is the Way Forward. Sherry is a truly charismatic speaker, and she kept us all enthralled with her philosophies on food and health for about 2 hours. Sherry's approach isn't the typical 'You Must...' but she presents the information, tells us what is in the food we eat and what it does to our health - then asks us to make our own minds up.
There were so many wonderful things to take away from the evening but here are some main things that have stuck in my mind,

The most toxic thing you can give to someone else is Judgement - and it reminds me of a quote I've heard: 'Don’t Judge others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.' This sounds so basic but it's so important, when we judge someone we compare them with ourselves, and decide how much we value them and the things they say and do. This is so often done without knowing the whole picture and is so often hurtful to others.
China are pursuing the Western lifestyle but it would actually take 3 more planets of resources for them to achieve a European lifestyle, and 5 more to achieve an American/Australian lifestyle, the fact that humans are the only species on Earth that create waste and landfill only contributes to part of this problem - how many products in your house were made in China?
'What's good for your body is good for the planet, and what's good for the planet is good for your body' - this resonated with me so much - you would have heard me say that when I've improved one thing for myself, this has also had positive effects on the planet - take bicycling to work as one perfect example!
Stick to Seasonal, Local, Organic produce as much as possible - and if you can even grow just one thing in your own garden, this really will have a profound impact on not only yourself but also the planet. Take our tasty Backyard Salad that accompanied our fabulous breakfast this morning, filled with snow peas, wild rocket, beetroot leaves, radicchio, peas and pea shoots, parsley and spring onions and topped off with a superbly ripe red pepper - this is as fresh as it comes, picked minutes before eating it has held onto most of its nutrients, unlike those limp vegies you'll see in your local supermarket that have been sitting there for who-knows-how-long? I'm halfway through reading 'Never be Sick Again' by Raymond Francis and when he wrote that vegetables lose a significant percentage of their nutrients just by slicing them up for a salad I recognised the true value of starting with the freshest, healthiest organic food you can find.

Mmmm our Backyard Salad

Sherry's philosophy focuses on Love as the other Absolute in this world. She is confident that love can be just as nourishing as food and some relationships actually have an unhealthy effect on our bodies. I agree with this completely and have felt the draining effects of 'toxic' relationships. Sherry would rather eat a greasy hamburger with her closest friends and family than the most nutritionally rich meal with a group of angry people. She recited a French Proverb that is now firmly in place on my fridge at home 'When a table is set with love, food will taste its best'.

Thank you so much Sherry and Nicci for such a fantastic evening! Opportunities like this remind me how far I've already come on my journey to a Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability, my 30th birthday gift is going to be the biggest lifechanger ever!

My Leading Man

2010-10-27T10:24:00.002+11:00

Hi Trav!

For the man who has everything the only option was to push the boundaries.

So I created a special 30th Anniversary Issue of Leading Man magazine

and asked our friends and family to honour you within its pages.

It's been so much fun putting this together and everyone has been really excited about it.

I hope you find it full of great memories and reminders of how much you mean to all of us.

Happy 30th Birthday Babe!

Love Christie xxx

Last night I was so excited I couldn't sleep - I felt like it was my birthday the next morning! I'd prepared a very special gift for my leading man and I'm really excited to share it today...

This morning as I was creating a delicious birthday breakfast of Pacdon Park Apple & Cider Pork Sausages, goose egg omelettes and our own Backyard Salad I nervously kept one eye on Trav opening each birthday card that had been building up on the table over the last few days.

Eventually he got to the bottom of the pile and picked up the plastic wrapped magazine with interest - it looked just like any other magazine subscription and he ripped it open and turned it over to see the cover. And he stared. And stared. The he started to chuckle. He flicked through the magazine, looking at the pictures and stopped. 'That's not really Mr Bellchambers is it?' I promised him it was. He cackled until tears ran down his face when reading our friend Daniel's account of growing up with Trav at school, and Kim & Anthony's Southern 80 memories.

His face went red with laughter as he read Rossi's thoughts and his own secret interview and couldn't keep a straight face when he found out what animal his mates likened him to. He looked at all the photos in awe and slowly turned through the pages, taking it all in with a look of amazement on his face. This was just what I'd been looking forward to! The priceless look on his face when he recognised the guy on the cover, his eyes widening in excitement as he realised each and every page was dedicated to him! I just wanted to sit with him all day and read through it page by page - watching his face at every moment!

Special Delivery

As it happened - doesn't quite believe it yet

Who's that hot guy on the cover?

Trav & Dan grew up together at school

Breakfast can wait - I'm reading 'A Sporting Chance'!

To market, to market

2010-10-25T14:19:00.004+11:00

This week's market day held another lot of surprises - I learned my 'no list' lesson last week, and this week I got to exercise my 'open mind' as some of the producers on the list weren't there - nevermind - my King Valley Pork bacon became Pacdon Park Apple & Cider Sausages and the Chai Teacake became Plum Brioche and Apple Turnovers. Can't go wrong really!

The sweets were for afternoon tea with our friend Jeannine and I had no idea what to do with the rest of the food yet!

Total spend this week $108.87

Spring Challenge BONUS Day 13 (15 days to go)

2010-10-25T13:44:00.004+11:00

It was Sunday morning and without a car I had to take Pashley along to the Farmers Market. It was such a good ride that I thought it definitely counts towards my Spring Challenge.

Departure: 9:15am
Arrival: 10:45am
Conditions: warm, sunny and mild

Attire: jeans, t shirt, cardi & sneakers - it's all about comfort on Sunday!

I rode along the Maribyrnong River which I haven;t had the chance to do until last summer, it was really peaceful and then my journey lead me up Smithfield Rd (bike paths) and along Epsom Road and Langs Rd to the market. It was a suprisingly quick trip - even with the slight incline up into Ascot Vale. I knew it would be a lot slower on the way home!

After 40 minutes I'd loaded up my 2 panniers and basket and wobbled my way out of the gate and down Langs road towards VU. I rejoined the river path and took the long way through Yarraville home so I could stop in at Chalk and Wattlebank Nursery So it was a 50 minute trip home and after carefully unpacking all my goodies I actually weighed them to see just how much I'd carried all this way...6.5kg in total!

Anyway I'd happily do the ride to the market again, it's just a shame you get limited to how much you can carry - I wonder if I could convince Trav to bring Rossi's trailer next week?

Everybody has a dream car...

2010-10-22T19:39:00.002+11:00

... except me! Until this year...

Tamra's got her eyes on a green mustang...

The motor of a GTR-XU1 Torana rev's Trav up...

And now I too long for a big, strong, 'real metal' beauty, behold the 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline! I first spotted my baby when I was doing research at the Ruffled blog. The red suits me just fine but I also like the look of this gunmetal grey, I wonder if it's because that's the colour it was the first time I laid eyes on it - and it gives that impression of living in the age when everything was black and white.

Spring Challenge Day 12 (16 days to go)

2010-10-22T12:14:00.001+11:00

Departure: 8:00am
Arrival: 8:40am
Conditions: 16 and a BIG BLUE SKY!

Attire: 3/4 pants, t shirt, sneakers

Today was just beautiful! I found myself pushing quite hard and decided to take it a bit easier - afterall this bike was made for cruising! There were so many delicious scents in the air from gardens beginning to bloom. I managed to leave 10 minutes earlier today, and if I can leave a further 10 minutes earlier on each of my rides next week - I'll be at my goal of 7:30am! Nothing like a new challenge...

On the way home... ahhhh Friday afternoon. We enjoyed some wine and cheese at the end of the day and although the temperature read 27.9, it was slightly cloudy with a breeze. I was in no hurry to get home tonight and left at 5:20. I quickly got into my speedy pace until I resolved to cruise the whole way home, even if it took an extra half an hour. I had to check myself a few times - and I also had to push against the headwind from time to time, but I still conquered both inclines and arrived at home in 45 minutes. I distracted myself all the way with my plans for the evening, and my little sister's wedding plans...

Spring Challenge Day 11 (17 days to go)

2010-10-21T09:32:00.001+11:00

Departure: 8:10am
Arrival: 8:50am
Conditions: 11 , mild, still.

Attire: 3/4 pants, t shirt, sneakers

After a week of illness and another week of inclement (OK normal Melbourne Spring) weather, I'm back on the bike! And not a moment too soon. With a lingering cough I saddled up and really enjoyed my ride in. It was nice to be in short sleeves and sans gloves. Pashley felt a bit heavier initially but soon I was gliding along like I'd never stopped.

Now I need to play catch ups so I can achieve my spring goal - 6 weeks and 17 days to go.

Let's make it happen!

This week - 2 rides

Mon 25th week - 3 rides

Mon 1st week - 2 rides - remember it's Melbourne Cup week so Tuesday is out of the question!

Mon 8th week - 3 rides

Mon 15th - 2 rides - day off on Friday for La Dolce Vita!

Mon 22th - 3 rides

Mon 29th - 3 rides

It's going to be a good Spring!

On the way home... it was a brilliant 25 degrees with a nice breeze! It felt a lot harder so that's my 2 week break catching up with me, by the time I got home I remembered the hot sticky days of last summer - bring it on!

First rule of farmers markets...

2010-10-18T23:24:00.001+11:00

... don't make a list. Whatever you do! I had the best intentions and a very well thought out menu plan but of course half of the things I bought last week weren't there this week! So - budget yes, list no. This week I spent over $40 on meat, $7 on sorbets and about $30 on vegies and considering I'm still on my own this week it seems a bit much but some of it was for making Rossi's food - and I'm not touching those yummy sorbets until Trav gets home. There, that's better.
Bella Pasta & Dolci are from Rosebud, they bring along a delicious selection of fresh pastas - so fresh they're even making them at the market and an amazing range of sorbets and ice cream. Almost everything was gone by the time I got there so I snapped up little Lavender & Strawberry and Orange & Basil cups to hide in the freezer. Their other flavours include Chocolate & Strawberry, Apple & Honey and Lemon & Mint. And on top of their fantastic range of products they are just wonderful people too!
Another new face was Peninsula Fresh Organics, apart from the gorgeous little breakfast radishes I picked up, they have a wide range of other vegies including heirloom cabbage and baby kohlrabi - but again - you've gotta be quick!

I'm already looking forward to next week - I'm learning so much!

il dolce far niente

2010-10-12T15:24:00.001+11:00

Well. It's been a hell of a month and I've been in hibernation for the last week. But the sunshine this weekend has restored my energy levels and I had the opportunity to take some more happy snaps, you know I only get to do this when I'm enjoying the sweetness of doing nothing...

My trip to the friendly Melbourne Showgrounds Farmers Market - $56 plus $3 parking for all this lovely goodness (and the smiles are free!).

Maureen's orchid doing it's thing

The beetroot are now 7 weeks old and looking nice and strong.

Soon I'll snap off some of those gorgeous leaves to add to a salad

and allow the stronger beets to keep growing.

Peas are happily climbing up towards the sun

My wild thyme

Spring's Bounty...

2010-10-04T15:03:00.002+11:00

Aaah finally a proper spring weekend, more than anything I appreciated two full days of sunshine in a row!
Yesterday was the much anticipated return of the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmers Market - let's see how simple it really is to make a healthy difference in you life...

This bounty of goodness cost $125 (inc $3 parking) and I received one of the silver beet and cauliflowers for free! All the vegies you see are organic except the cos lettuce, the eggs are from free range hens courtesy of Kaz's Googs, the chicken is from Yapunyah Meadow Graze Chicken (a whole lot better than free-ranged) and the beef is all Victorian grass fed from Family Farmed Meats. That's excellent value and my weekly shop was done in less than an hour. I love the fact that you're face to face with the producers and they're ready to answer any questions you might think of - try that out in your local supermarket and see how far you get!

My point is that it doesn't cost the earth to eat organic and well, and like so many other things I'm discovering, it not only benefits yourself, but the greater community and environment as well.

My final thought for the day is yet another thing I learned from my dog. His diet has changed dramatically over the past year - and in recent months as we improve our own diet we keep bumping into his! This time it's the benefits of Celtic Sea Salt over regular salt - it's a good salt that helps carry minerals throughout your body and can prevent cramps among other things - so from now on we're going Celtic too!

Early Bird Challenge Day 5

2010-10-01T10:37:00.000+10:00

The plan

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress: hand-sew hem. Done!
make lunch
shower
dress
Ride to work: 7:30

Well you might have noticed that this didn't happen. It went more like this

6:20 alarm
7:15 up, shower, dressed
7:40 breakfast
8:00 chatted to Trav, fed rossi, packed bag
8:25 left for work.

This week has been a very strange one, I realise that I could have put all other pressures aside and kept to my plan but it just didn't to bother me very much. Not a habit yet. Next week I'll be aiming for a short walk with Rossi each morning, no other extra tasks.

Spring Challenge Day 10 (18 days to go)

2010-10-01T10:27:00.002+10:00

Departure: 8:25am (WHOOOPS!!)
Arrival: 9:00am (only 35 minutes!)
Conditions: 11 , sunny, mild, still. Spring is here!
Attire: skinny jeans, sneakers, t shirt, hoody

Can only attribute this to a complete drop in motivation. Not only did I sleep in until 7, but I was in no rush to get to work. It's a shame as it was a beautiful morning and that would usually do the trick. Well next week I'm aiming for Mon-Wed-Fri rides and will make sure I have renewed energy to make it happen.
I have to say that as soon as I got on my bike I felt great, and a bonus was seeing Tamra on her morning walk as I glided down Pilgrim Street.

Early Bird Challenge Day 4

2010-09-30T10:50:00.000+10:00

The plan:

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
make lunch
shower
dress
Drive to work: 7:30

This is how it went in real life
6:20 Alarm
6:46 up, shower
7:00 breakfast and emptied dishwasher
7:15 dressed, make up, teeth
7:40 chatted to Trav
8:10 took phone call from close friend
8:25 left for work

OK. Let me start by saying it's been a rough week. A combination of Trav being home ill and major work issues have resulted in a complete drop of motivation. I slept in a bit this morning and dragged my feet, partly because I didn't feel a particular rush to get to work and partly because as Trav has been sick, I wanted to catch up on things and clean the house up before I left. I could have easily ridden but found myself with the same problem of something to wear. I'll ride tomorrow and will have my outfit ready to go tonight. I've allowed myself this lapse but there's no sense dwelling on things. I'll do a better job tomorrow :-)

Early Bird Challenge Day 3

2010-09-29T12:20:00.001+10:00

The plan:

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress
make lunch
shower
dress
Drive to work: 7:30

This is how it went in real life
6:20 Alarm
6:35 up, shower, dressed
6:50 chatted to Trav about my extrarordinary day yesterday
7:10 breakfast, made lunch
7:30 back upstairs, dried my hair, makeup, teeth, shoes
7:45 left for work (drove)
8:08 arrived at work.

Once again I didn't do my dress as I'd worked on it last night, it felt like a rushed morning but I still arrived at work 20 minutes early. On a good note - Mum mentioned last night that she (already an early bird) was inspired by my mention of my change of habit to also get a head start on her day - the ripple effect!
I think I'll stick to my 6:30 am plan for the rest of the week (with no extra tasks) and next week I'll make it earlier and include a walk with Rossi each morning, he'll like that!

Early Bird Challenge Day 2

2010-09-28T22:35:00.000+10:00

The plan:

Rise: 6:15
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress
Bakery
make lunch
shower
dress
Drive to work: 7:30

Yesterday I decided I'd need an extra 15 minutes if I wanted to do any 'extra tasks' so my alarm was set for 6:10 and after an 11pm bedtime I snoozed until 6:25. Still an improvement on yesterday.
6:25 up: shower, dressed, makeup
6:55 walked to bakery - rolls just went into oven, come back in 15m.
7:00 Breakfast, wrote 2 thank you letters and updated our fridge-board.
7:30 Back to bakery, picked up hot rolls!
7:35 brushed my teeth, grabbed some fruit.
7:40 left for work (driving today)
8:00 arrived at work 30 minutes early!

So I didn't work on my dress as I'd unpicked and pinned it the night before. This morning felt quite relaxed, as I was fully dressed and ready I could linger at the table and ease into the day.

Trading Up: September

2010-09-28T08:28:00.000+10:00

Out: Plastic toothbrushes replaced seasonally
In: Bamboo toothbrushes, replaced monthly but completely compostable!

Out: Tupperware Rock'n'Serve containers (plastic code 7 - containing BPA)
In: Pyrex No Leak microwave, fridge, freezer and dishwasher friendly.

Early Bird Challenge Day 1

2010-09-27T13:36:00.000+10:00

Well after two 4:30 am starts in a row on the weekend I definitely felt ready to begin my 6:30am challenge this week. Let's have a look at what today's plan was and how I did

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress: unpick collar & tidy top edges
make lunch
shower
dress
Ride to work: 7:30

My alarm was set for 6:25am and I was up at 6:35 after the news and washed my hair.
6:50 breakfast
7:05 I looked at the time and consciously knew that to leave by 7:30 I'd need to be upstairs drying my hair and dressing but I unpicked half of the collar instead.
7:25 dried my hair and stood in front of the wardrobe for 10 minutes deciding what to wear. Packed my bags.

7:45 I was downstairs ready to go, forgot something - back upstairs then downstairs chatting to Trav.

7:55 Left for work on my bike.

What went wrong?

I saved time by not making my lunch but rather than sticking to my ultimate goal of leaving by 7:30, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to work on my dress. After all I'd gotten up early to do that hadn't I? Well, no - my main goal was to have more time for myself and to prepare in the morning and to leave by 7:30. I added little tasks to keep me motivated and getting more things done. I definitely did waste time (could have picked my clothes out the night before) so I can improve a bit but I don't really have the time for the extra tasks just by getting up at 6:30. Tomorrow I'll try a 6:15am start - then I'll be able to use that extra 15 minutes for whatever I like, while not rushing the rest of my morning.
On an exciting achievement note - I was really pleased that I rode this morning, it's a first for me on a Monday and I felt it gave me a great start to the week.

See you bright and early tomorrow!

Spring Challenge Day 9 (19 days to go)

2010-09-27T10:24:00.000+10:00

Departure: 7:55am
Arrival: 8:35am
Conditions: 14 , cloudy and dry but with a warm breeze
Attire: navy wide leg pants, burgundy heels, t shirt and knitted hoody

It's a Monday! I did it! Still didn't leave when I'd wanted to but it was such a beautiful ride in. I could smell so many delicious scents from Seddon's gardens and the traffic wasn't too bad. I felt really fortunate that I could enjoy my ride to work, instead of being stuck inside a car. It didn't take long for me to ditch the long sleeves and I loved riding past pedestrians buttoned up in jackets, knowing I was keeping myself so warm that my arms didn't even have goosebumps on them.What a way to start the day!

Early to rise...Morning Goal for Sept 27 - Oct 1

2010-09-23T15:52:00.003+10:00

I've been thinking a lot about my early-rising goal for next week, and with the help of zenhabits, I've decided to set a weekly goal which will give me another pressing reason to actually get out of bed when the alarm goes off.

Goal for next week is - finish that Red Dress! I lost interest in this sewing project months ago after it needed multiple adjustments, and it soon fell off my radar. Well it wasn't ready for last summer but it certainly will be for this one- breaking the tasks into small daily chunks should also make the goal feel more achievable so I'm looking forward to having a new dress in my wardrobe next weekend!

Here's my very specific plan (just to help get started)

Next week's goal: Complete RED DRESS

Monday 27th

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress: unpick collar & tidy top edges
make lunch
shower
dress
Ride to work: 7:30

Tuesday 28th

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress: resew collar matching up to edge of button-hole side
make lunch
shower
dress
Drive to work: 7:30

Wednesday 29th

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress: sew press-stud on
make lunch
shower
dress
Ride to work: 7:30

Thursday 30th

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress: measure and pin hem
make lunch
shower
dress
Ride to work: 7:30

Friday 1st

Rise: 6:30
make tea & breakfast
Red Dress: hand-sew hem. Done!
make lunch
shower
dress
Ride to work: 7:30

Can't wait for Monday!

Spring Challenge Day 8 (20 days to go)

2010-09-23T12:50:00.001+10:00

Departure: 8:02am
Arrival: 9:50am
Conditions: 11 (no gloves!), still, cloudy, dry
Attire: black jeans, brown colorado ankle boots and riding tops

I found that these boots slipped a little bit on the pedals. I'll have to remember that.
My big mouth got me into trouble again - I was just complaining to Trav this morning that my legs were no longer feeling the results of my 160 minutes of riding each week. Well I haven't done 3 days in a row before - about half way through I could already feel the muscles burning. Good!
Today's ride caught me up on my challenge - and it was so easy to just jump back on the bike, I didn't even consider the car. I think I'll be able to pull off a few more 3 day rides this season!
I woke up again to my alarm at 6 this morning. And thought I'd just get up at 6:30 after a bit of a snooze. Well that didn't happen and I was bolting out of bed at 7am again. I really really really want to make the most of the quiet, peaceful mornings, maybe taking Rossi for a walk and definitely getting off to work by 7:30 so I'm setting myself a challenge to be up at 6:30 am every work day next week - I'll start with this and if I need to go earlier I'll make a new challenge the week after. It's all about new habits - and I look forward to reaping the rewards.

On the bandwagon...

2010-09-22T14:31:00.000+10:00

My darling husband has also caught the green bug. Maybe it's been my obsessive recycling and avoidance of plastic bags. Perhaps it was my relentless search for the most local of each product on the shopping list? Nah - he was pretty green to begin with.

Together we've watched An Inconvenient Truth (though I think it's time for a refresher) and the Story of Stuff. Last week he suprised me with a copy of Food Inc. This was one I'd been busting to see but none of the libraries had it and I didn't know where else to look. It just blew me away - and needless to say I'll have to watch it again before providing any comments as I was cursing alot so I missed half of it. All I can say is - why don't they show a double feature of this and An Inconvenient Truth in every school in Australia? Stay tuned for my thoughts on Food Inc.

And another suprise - while I was investigating the Green Power through our electricity supplier TRUenergy, Travis was taking a bigger step by speaking to one of his colleagues about the suitability of our house for solar panels. And it's looking good folks! We're planning to rent our place out when we expand in a few years time so it's important to understand that not only will we benefit from the switch now - but from next year not only will all properties for sale require a minimum energy rating, but so will the rentals.

Spring Challenge Day 7 (21 days to go)

2010-09-22T10:06:00.002+10:00

Departure: 8:15am (ooops!)
Arrival: 9:00am
Conditions: 12 (no gloves!), still, partly cloudy, dry
Attire: jeans, brown kitten heels and riding tops

What a nice morning. I blame the sleep-in on the gorgeous massage from Brooke last night! It's starting to feel like a habit, and it was easier to leave this morning as all my things were already in my pannier. That's true with most things, it's actually 10 times harder to stop doing something and then restart - than just continuing to do it. A perfect bicycling example is intersections - it's best to slow down well before an intersection if the light is red so hopefully by the time you get there it's green and you can keep your momentum. Momentum - that's my word for the day.

Happy World Car Free Day everybody - how did you celebrate?

World Car Free Day tomorrow

2010-09-21T13:07:00.000+10:00

Yes folks, get on your bikes, trains, trams, water taxis - just get out of the car! Tomorrow is World Car Free Day and it's the perfect excuse you need to get your spring exercise started. I'll be out there riding to work whatever the weather!

Although we only share one car between us, Trav rides every day as he's so close to work, there's always more we could do - I've started riding 2 days per week but I can slowly increase this, and there are other more fuel efficient options out there for when you can't avoid the car - diesel and hybrid electric cars are becoming more widely available and perform just as well - if not better (just check out the new Subaru Forester turbo diesel!!! - but of course an Australian made vehicle would be even more sustainable) and you could try car-pooling too. Vancouver is one city which has improved its carpooling incredibly - and you can find carpools all over the world at Carpool World.

The Victorian government's Resource Smart website also offers lots of tips on how and why to reduce vehicle dependency so what are you waiting for?

Spring Challenge Day 6 (22 days to go)

2010-09-21T10:16:00.003+10:00

Departure: 7:50am
Arrival: 8:34am
Conditions: 11, wet roads and drizzle but not cold
Attire: fishtail skirt, stockings, black heels and riding tops

It was drizzling for about the first half of my trip, I took extra care as all the roads were wet and by the second half of the trip the breeze was drying me off. There were so many courteous people around today, an older gent (pedestrian) stopped and allowed me to pass through a narrow spot at Yarra's Edge, then the council workers paused their whipper-snippering as I rode past on Lorimer, and finally the bus driver waited for me to turn into a street before pulling out. Definitely made up for the weather. I'm pleased to report that by the time I got to work there was not a speck of dirt or mud on any of my clothes, and my stockings were nearly dry. It says a lot for the skirt guard, enclosed chain and mudguards - so may cyclists passed me with a strip of mud up their back and inside their legs. I'm so glad I can ride in my work clothes!

Also, I'd attached one of my eBay bargain mirrors but it'll need some adjustment - all I can see is my arm at this stage.

On the way home I was rewarded with a beautiful big sunshine, making everything golden and mysterious. It was a still evening and it felt so peaceful. That's my favourite time of day (when the sun's out).

When I arrived home I received the news that a close member of our family had passed away, and couldn't help thinking she'd had something to do with it. We'll miss you Maureen. xxx

Spring Challenge Day 5 (23 days to go)

2010-09-16T09:16:00.001+10:00

Departure: 8:05am (ooops!)
Arrival: 8:48am
Conditions: 10, sunny, warm and still
Attire: Jeans, riding tops and lacoste sneakers

My blind trick worked again - seeing the blue sky out of the window helps a lot but it was still cosier in bed. Damn flannelette sheets! Anyway it was a beautiful ride - I catch whiffs of different blossoms as I sail through Seddon and spent most of my time in 4th gear on Footscray road - was still in 3rd going up the bridge! I thought I must have entered a new phase of fitness until I rounded the bend onto Lorimer Street where suddenly it was grey with a strong headwind - maybe it was the tail wind helping me along before, or my freshly pumped tyres?

Whatever it was, the fitness and environmental benefits are just nice side effects - I'm doing this for the pleasure and nothing else. I think this is the key to a lot of things - do it because you enjoy it - not because you feel like you should do it - should improve your fitness or should reduce your carbon emissions. Like so many things in life, when you do what you enjoy a host of other benefits naturally follow.

On the way home it was raining lightly - but enough to sting my face. An unmarked police car passed within inches of me on Lorimer street and I just wanted to get home. I considered waiting under a bridge for the rain to subside but decided I'd rather be wet but home sooner, than standing outside waiting for who knows how long? At least it wasn't a cold day.

Sustainable House Day Part #2 - Peter & Natasha's Straw Bale Home

2010-09-15T13:22:00.002+10:00

From Melton we headed into Merrimu - to visit Peter & Natasha's strawbale home. Perfect timing! Peter had just begun his house tour so we eagerly joined the group. It cost about $150K to build the 21 square house, including drafting, engineering plans and application fees. After 2 years of building, the family moved in with a provisional COO this March and are still finishing off some areas. Peter was very upfront about mentioning that they could have saved considerable funds and time if they'd done a few things different - isn't hindsight a beautiful thing?

Walking into the house gave me such a feeling of calm. The gently undulating walls create such a cosy, grounded space that you just don't get in a typical home these days. As we were shown through the house we learned that the louvre windows - which most people remember as draughty old things- seal 100% and are a product called Comfort Plus Glass. Two 6mm sheets of glass are toughened by a plastic sheet in the centre.
Peter and Natasha utilised some ideas from a book called Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander - such as having 2 light sources for each room where possible and the addition of the zen window in the studio. They scoured eBay for lots of reusable items - such as the kitchen, all doors, bathroom vanity and lots of other things. Their double sinks in the kitchen and laundry are drained to grey water and black water which will be useful once the irrigation is set up outside. Speaking of irrigation - their 22,000 litre rainwater tank has been full ever since it was hooked up.

Their solar hot water is an evacuated system, which takes no more than 30 minutes of sunshine to reach the day's requirements, and their wood fire has a wet back that can link to the solar system during winter and cloudy days. The composting toilets (Nature-Loo) were another interesting sustainable feature.

It was really interesting to see the west wing of the house, in various stages of completion - the bathroom and one of the bedrooms had only one or two coats of render on in some areas. Inside their WIR, the back wall was painted with Bio Paint, which was important to the couple as they didn't want the off-gassing from normal paints to affect their little son. When I asked about hanging pictures on the walls, Peter said they had considered running a length of timber along the inside frame of the house, before rendering but they'll probably hang the invisible picture cord from the wooden frame at the tops of the walls.

Some things are yet to be finished, including laying the recycled Tasmanaian Oak over their chipboard floors, and working out if/how to finish the rooms with skirting boards etc. They have begun lining their ceilings with calico, but are still working out how to hide the staples. Being quite new, the walls do shed some loose sand but Peter said this would stop over time, and is thinking about using a clear mineral silicate product to further seal the walls.
At the end of the tour we were so excited that we called Trav's folks to see if they'd come down and have a look - so we got to tour the house twice! It will be so exciting to see their progress as they continue to work on the house, all their photos and information can be found here.

On the way home we took a detour down Maidstone street in Altona to see some strawbale workers cottages that are still standing after being built in 1940 - you could easily miss them as you drive past - they look like any other cement rendered places along the same stretch, but they stand there as testament to the strength and endurance of strawbale building.

Thank you to both families for so generously opening your houses up on Sustainable House Day so the rest of us could learn a thing or two!

Spring Challenge: Day 4 (24 days to go)

2010-09-14T13:05:00.004+10:00

Departure: 7:47am
Arrival: 8:33am
Conditions: 8, sunny and still
Attire: Riding tops, wide leg denim trousers, red may jane wedges

I left the blind half open last night to give me a sense of what the weather was like when I woke up. I still slept in but got my act together and didn't leave as late as usual. It was such a pleasant morning - I'm looking forward to the ride home already!
On the way home I was overtaken by a red bullet! It was one of those very low bicycles that look like they'd give you the biggest neckache after a few minutes - this one had a plastic red shell, I never caught him to ask him what it's called. And then I got a nice strong scent of blossoms from the wattles that border Moonee Ponds Creek, spring is here - we made it!

Sustainable House Day Part #1 - Gavin's place

2010-09-13T15:55:00.001+10:00

Our first stop was to visit Gavin and Kim Webber in Melton. We've been avid followers of Gavin's blog and what he manages to fit onto a suburban size block is really amazing - well it's actually just all about how you want to use your space really. Their family began a huge journey since first viewing 'An Inconvenient Truth' in September 2006 - now instead of cottage gardens they nurture a fruit orchard, vegetable gardens, compost bin and work farm as well as running a hybrid Honda Civic and photovoltaic solar panels and installed water tanks.
We were welcomed by Amy and Kim - and Kim took us on a fantastic tour around the gardens starting with the four 'grave' vegie beds. We talked about how they find vegetables popping up in different beds from the composting, the garlic and broad beans that were doing so well and warned us off the white beetroot - apparently they are an acquired taste. Through to the compost area and we checked out the wicking potato garden bed before visting the worm farm. Lightbulb - I asked Kim if she had any suggestions for all the flies around our wormfarm and she suggested covering the top layer with wet newspaper or an old cotton towel seems to do the trick. Can't wait to try it. Kim also said they prepare seedlings for sale at the annual Djerriwarrh Festival on Saturday 6th November.

We wandered past the hybrid car and solar inverter, the citrus in pots by the pool and to the pergola - with raised beds of cabbage and a newly planted bed of salad greens and herbs. The orchard is in the front garden with some young trees already blossoming. Kim is already planning where they could fit in more dwarf trees - she hasn't run out of room or inspiration yet! We got to meet Gavin as well - and I picked his brain on how to get more producers to use the Local Food Map, about his cheesemaking hobby and we looked at the charts following their main grid energy consumption before and after solar was installed. He suggested Cheese Links as a good place to start for information and courses and the guys at Energy Matters for his solar system supplier. What strikes me most about this family is that once they were just like any other consumption-driven family and now they are on new path - after one small change at a time, they are living proof that anyone can make a postive change.

Gavin also founded the Melton Sustainable Living Group - you can check out their blog right here.

I decided not to take any photos at either of the houses we visited - apart from the reason that they have a stack of photos on their own websites, I just felt it was kind enough of them to open their homes for us to visit, and I didn't want to impose any further.

Next up - the one we've been waiting for.....

Another glorious half-a-weekend...

2010-09-13T15:49:00.003+10:00

What a fantastic weekend - at the end I felt my batteries had actually started to recharge again, I think I might be splitting it into a few posts...

Friday night - we headed into town to see Powderfinger's Sunset Farewell tour and they were fantastic - as expected! They played 2 songs from my favourite album - Double Allergic. Even better we can buy a copy of their live performance that night through the website. As we're in the process of digitalising our cd collection - it's nice to have this option.

After work on Saturday I did another whirlwind of the garden to find that my beetroot seeds have sprouted! We then enjoyed dinner at the Bank Restaurant in Yarraville for the first time - with my Godparents all the way from WA! The atmosphere is cosy, and my Moroccan Lamb Shanks went down a treat, as did the Rosewater Pannacotta with Baklava - YUM!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of what's happening in my little plot of earth this week...

My beetroot is sprouting

Calendula

About to burst

Lots of new growth on Pierre de Ronsard

BOM got me this time

2010-09-10T11:25:00.002+10:00

I was prepared to ride in today - I prepared to leave by 7:30am and if the skies were threatening I'd back out. According to the BOM radar a big storm was approaching, to be right above Melbourne during my 40 minute commute and as I looked out the window over breakfast a strong wind was blowing rain everywhere. So of course on the way in to work a dark cloud soon disappeared and we drove along under blue skies. Of course.
Can't even rely on a mixture of BOM and looking out the window I guess.

I wouldn't mind getting a little wet - I just don't like the idea of riding for 40 minutes in the rain.

Anyway last night we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at African Taste on Victoria Street. We were all looking forward to trying out this bright green African cafe and we weren't disappointed. It was quiet when we arrived but soon people started streaming through the door and the place was full! Everyone seemed to know about this little place.
Our waitress was very friendly - pointing out her recommendations and offering us a range of African beer. We chose enough dishes to share, starting with Katega - a flat bread topped with garlic and lots of spices and Cramped (Crumbed?) Cauliflower, which was deep fried in breadcrumbs and we all agreed this was the best cauliflower we'd ever had!
Mains were the highly recommended Fu Fu (Gnocchi) made with barley flour and topped with spinach and ricotta, an African Enchilada (melting pot of cheesy chicken goodness!), Molokia (lamb and spinach stew) and Doro Tibes (chicken and spice stew). The Doro Tibes came with Injera - a strange rolled up spongy flatbread. Everything about the place was wonderful and the prices are extremely reasonable, I think we'll be regulars at African Taste!

I'll leave you with this scene from Charles street - it's been up for about 5 weeks so far, I wonder they'd answer my call about the new 3 story development going up on top of the marine shop? Please be careful with our little village council!

Disappointment

2010-09-09T16:53:00.000+10:00

It was going to be Day 4 today. Instead when I woke at 6am the wind sounded so fierce that I didn't even want to peek out the window. We were expecting rain and it sounded horrible out there. Instead I dozed off again and when I opened the blinds I saw a bright sunny blue sky day. I was so disappointed! I could have gotten up - seen that it was dry and allowed myself extra time to ride to work.

And of course now, when I'd be thinking about my ride home, there is no rain in sight although the wind is still up. Lesson learned. Never miss an opportunity!

Slow Death by Rubber Duck

2010-09-08T15:13:00.001+10:00

I just finished reading a very interesting book called Slow Death by Rubber Duck. Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie are a couple of well known Canadian environmentalists who decided to go about testing a range of household goods on themselves (in a way that we would normally be exposed to them) to try to measure the effects they have on their bodies. They also bring up the history and prior studies of Teflon Town, triclosan, mercury and many other commonly used ingredients in our day to day lives. I have to say I was a bit reluctant to read the book as I wondered whether it might feel like a hopeless cause to try to improve anything - but the book is easy too read without too much technical jargon and the last chapter is devoted to detoxing - and simple ways to make a difference in your own life today. I highly recommend it - you will never look at non-stick frypans and tuna the same way again!

Now if you'll excuse me - I'm off to trade in my old plastic food containers for some glass ones...

Spring Challenge: Day 3 (25 days to go)

2010-09-08T11:58:00.000+10:00

Departure: 7:55am
Arrival: 8:40am
Conditions: 8, sunny and still
Attire: Singlet, Knitted hoodie, navy wide-leg work pants, black mary jane heels

I didn't get up to my alarm but still cooked French Toast for breakfast - this along with not knowing what to wear were my undoing. The grass was glistening in the sun this morning and it was a beautiful calm day. A guy was A guy was riding on Footscray with his dog faithfully trotting alongside him. It was an easy ride, I even got up to 4th gear a few times. I enjoyed my ride.

Dig it

2010-09-06T12:21:00.000+10:00

Another lightning fast gardening effort on Saturday - I topped up the worm farm with some shredded paper as I think all the rain has left things a bit mouldy. I also planted my 2 different peas and the parsley mum potted up for me. Just need to decide on a spot for the sage to go - would I sacrifice the red pepper which is still producing in the sunniest corner of the garden?

Spring Challenge: Day 2 (26 days to go)

2010-09-03T09:17:00.005+10:00

Departure: 7:47am (much better but still 17 minutes late)
Arrival: 8:35am
Conditions: 8, mild, still, partly sunny, but I could still see my breath.
Attire: Cuffed wide leg jeans, red wedge heel mary james, merino t shirt, zip top, gloves.

Another beautiful but slightly chilly morning. I'd part-packed the night before (sandwich, purse , security pass and I'd put my clothes and make up bag aside, but not packed). Forgot my earrings. Instantly I noticed that even this slightly earlier start time meant there was less traffic, getting onto Hyde street then immediately switching lanes to turn right wasn't as scary as normal, but the lack of traffic meant that I had to wait longer for a break to cross Whitehall. I enjoyed the breeze when my jeans flapped around. They didn't get caught on anything while riding, just once when I picked my foot up to ride off, the cuff caught the pedal. No biggy.

I enjoyed my ride a lot more - not feeling rushed or stressed and I'm really looking forward to the ride home. This feels better already...

Coming Home
The ride hope was a bit chillier - but still so pleasant. I rode right up the Footscray Rd bridge and Alp de Seddon without stopping once. I felt so good! It's a shame I'm not getting that second-day-burning in my legs anymore, but I'm sure it's still working!

Gratitude

2010-09-02T14:13:00.001+10:00

I spent some time with a good friend last night, she is having a hard time dealing with the anniversary of her father's death. She reminds me to love our parents for who they are, regardless of their faults, because you just don't know how long they'll be around. Perfectly said.

Spring Challenge: Day 1 (27 days to go)

2010-08-31T11:07:00.006+10:00

This Spring will span 14 weeks, I decided to set myself a worthwhile challenge - I'm going to ride my bike to work for 2 days each week, and by then not only will the weather have improved, so will my fitness and timeliness! I hope this will become a habit and I'll aim to record each day's ride - so here we go...

Day 1

Departure: 8:05am (35 minutes too late)
Conditions: 10, mild, partly sunny, slight wind.
Attire: Black mary janes, stockings, navy pinstripe asymetrical skirt, merino t shirt, zip top.

Wow, it was so pleasant today. There was no bite in the air as I jumped on my bicycle, no gloves, scarf or goose bumps! I was late because I didn’t plan my outfit or pack last night. So when I realized I’d overpacked my basket bag, I then repacked half of my stuff into a pannier, then when I went to put the pannier onto the bike I had to run back to the kitchen to get the hook. Lots of silly little things. When I ride in on Thursday I’ll be preparing the night before, and relaxing on my way to work in the morning.

Coming Home

The wind had picked up a lot and the temp had just pushed 13 (not the anticipated 17). I added another layer and gloves for the ride home and the wind seemed to push me sideways more than backwards, there were a few spots where I felt like it would have been faster to walk - but that didn't stop me having a big grin on my face all the way home! I rode up Footscray Rd Bridge and almost all of Pilgrim street! Success on Day 1!

What do you do for fun?

2010-08-30T17:03:00.000+10:00

And how much fun do you fit in every day? I think this question can really help put our busy lives into perspective, it's a really good one to ask yourself when you're feeling overwhelmed. So often we're exhausted after just getting all our daily jobs out of the way that we don't have any time or energy to give back to ourselves. We could fall into the dreaded trap of Up - Work - home - dinner - bed - Up ....

For fun I garden, cook, sew, catch up with friends, read for pleasure, ride my bicycle, research my latest interest (right now it's all about sustainable living) and I'd like to think I get to do at least one of these things every day - but if I don't make the time, it won't happen.

Yes, we all have the power to make time.

Working 6 days a week means that any 'spare' time is very precious to me, and I've noticed just how refreshed I feel after doing something that I was really looking forward to - just for me.

The trick is to remember why you enjoy doing these things - because I enjoy cooking I won't allow it to become a mundane job - I'll give it just as much importance as any other commitment by making sure I allow enough time to enjoy the experience. I don't look forward to or enjoy my ride to work when I know I'm running late, but I do enjoy it when I'm zooming around without a clock ticking. So if I don't prepare well I won't be able to make the most of these activities. If you have a problem getting started - it might be helpful to remember how you feel while you're doing it and when you've finished. All this becomes easier with priorities and good time management. Things I continue to work on.

As spring approaches and the social calendar starts to fill up, I'll be prioritising my own wellbeing at the top of my list, it's not selfish - I'm no good to others if I haven't looked after myself first.

All last week I looked forward to the sunshine that was promised for Sunday - hoping to spend the afternoon outside just soaking it up. Under grey skies I still managed a quick ride to the shops but it was then perfect weather to spend all afternoon and evening in the kitchen and I didn't feel slighted in the least!

Lately I've really enjoyed preparing lots of meals in advance - I just love looking at a freezer and fridge full of delicious, healthy meals, it means there's more time to spend on ourselves during the week. Following from last week's successive meal planning (the chicken stock worked a treat in Friday's risotto by the way!) yesterday we made:

Tagliatelle
Basil Pesto
Tomato, Eggplant and Olive pasta sauce
Pea & Ham Soup
Scones

I think all the pasta will be gone after tonight's family dinner, there's 9 of us so it will be a good opportunity to see just how far 1kg flour and 9 eggs really goes! I'm looking forward to opening a bottle of Sisley Estate Merlot to share!

Call me converted...

2010-08-27T10:54:00.003+10:00

In the days before I was trying to simplify my life, my husband bugged me about getting a breadmaker. I resisted for a couple of reasons - I enjoy making bread from time to time and didn't want to be replaced by a machine. I saw a breadmaker as another gadget to add to the kitchen (after clearing out so much useless stuff!) and one that also uses quite a lot of electricity.

So about a month ago we brought one back from his parent's house to test it out. I still wasn't convinced - even the sheer size of the thing is a turnoff in our small but very efficient kitchen. Now I think I'm starting to see the light - we've enjoyed homemade bread for the last few weeks (except for an odd indulgence from the farmers market) and it certainly is convenient, like most households we'll tend to run out of milk or bread more than anything else so at least one of these is now covered (until we get a cow!). The breadmaker sits on the laundry bench (not taking up any valuable kitchen space) and we awake to the smell of warm fresh bread every few mornings. I haven't tallied up the exact cost comparison - but I'd say the homemade bread definitely comes out in front.

Keeping it local

2010-08-27T10:35:00.000+10:00

I think I'm pretty good at buying local where possible, but when I started to investigate the labels on all the food in our pantry I realised that I have a long way to go. Inspired by Gavin and many others endeavours to stick to their 100 mile (160km) diet - I've decided to begin by aiming for as local as possible with as many products as I can.

Enter Paul at Yarraville's Old Style Butcher. When I dropped in yesterday for my fortnightly shop, I quizzed him on where his products come from. As usual he happily obliged with a big a smile on his face.
I didn't know what to expect but was thrilled to hear that not only does he try to buy Victorian, he prefers it to be as local to Yarraville as possible! The beef is from Inverloch (down Gippsland way), Pork is from the Otways, Lamb is from Corio (out near Geelong) and the free-roaming chicken is from La Ionica in Thomastown - in fact the only non-Victorian meat is the kangaroo.

Old Style Butcher has recently opened their online store - and although it would be a time-saver, I quite enjoy the experience when I visit the Old Style Butcher.

Scanning the supermarket shelves last night I had a few wins - I needed tomato passata (no longer purchasing tinned tomatoes) and was lucky enough to find one brand offering an Australian product. My second win was Warrnambool Vintage Cheddar cheese (no more plastic cheese on our lunches and a Victorian replacement too!) and finally a block of parmesan cheese made in Tullamarine.

They are out there people - you just have to look!

I am waiting to hear from Laucke Flour Mill who offer breadmixes from their Strathalbyn SA and Bridgewater on Loddon VIC sites - our local Yarraville IGA are very interested in stocking their items. I'll also be finding out if the Warrnambool butter is available closer to home too.

The Greening of Gavin: My House

2010-08-27T10:04:00.000+10:00

What a week!

I was thrilled to be spending every single evening at home this week! We cooked a succulent roast beef for friends on Sunday night and enjoyed the leftovers for 3 more meals.
Then on Monday I made Rossi food, sausage rolls (first time!) and 2 flavours of ice cream (again - a first!)
On Tuesday we enjoyed the sausage rolls as a quick dinner and the ice cream as a late night snack when Trav returned from the Reserves. I also made herbed breadcrumbs using an unsuccessful loaf from the breadmaker - planning to use it the next night.
On Wednesday we had roast chicken - stuffed with those delicious breadcrumbs - and then made a basic stock from the chicken carcass. The chicken lasted 3 meals in total and on Thursday after a trip to the butcher I crumbed and froze some chicken and wiener schnitzels all ready for several meals in the future.

We'll be using the stock in tonight's risotto. What I've learned this week is how much can be saved rather than thrown out. Almost from every meal we were able to reuse some food to create the next meal, and this has helped our menu-planning greatly.

Although all of this probably makes complete common sense to many of you - I must mention that my latest source of inspiration is Gavin of The Greening of Gavin over in Melton - his blog recounts his journey over the past to years - from his initial 'A-Ha' response to the Inconvenient Truth, through purchasing a hybrid vehicle, installing rain water tanks, solar panels, a chicken coop, to upgrading to edible gardens and making his own cheeses (and everything in between). Gavin and his family live on 0.19 of an acre in the outer suburb and they have a version of my dream home. Each corner of the yard is put to fantastic use and virtually nothing is wasted. Oh to have enough chilli's that they need to be pickled! Oh to enjoy fresh eggs every day! Gavin we're looking forward to visiting you on Sustainable House Day and I challenge anyone living in the suburbs who says 'I just don't have room' to check out Gavin's blog.

Sunny-Day

2010-08-23T10:50:00.003+10:00

WOW.

From a week of running here and there - and hardly spending any quality time at home - I rose this morning earlier than normal, cooked breakfast and coffees, made lunches and was even able to sit around for a few minutes with Trav before heading off to work early, and arriving early.

What a difference a bit of me time makes. All week long I'd just been looking forward to Sunday - it was promising to be a sunny-day and I had some gardening to do. After returning from the farmers market with food to fill our empty fridge, I raced straight outside to dig out some roses, plant my camelias, move a variegated jasmine, divide and replant some rock lilies, move some climbing structures and plant beetroot and broccoli seeds! It was such a beautiful afternoon and I think it really reenergised me.

Did I mention that I christened my new little shovel - a Christmas present from Mum? Unfortunately the Bunnings special was no match for the well established roses I was digging out. After bending it backwards and forwards so much that I expected it to snap - I resorted to christening another shovel - the one in Trav's army pack! It has remained unsoiled for about 2 years until I pulled it out and I tell you it's a nice tough one! I wonder if he'll let me keep in in the shed?

Of course this afternoon of pleasure was complimented by dinner with friends on Saturday night at Kelly's Restaurant and visiting the Tim Burton Exhibition on Sunday afternoon and enjoying a homecooked dinner and a bath Sunday night. Bliss!

Here's my very exciting birthday gift from Deborah - Babushka Doll just like my Babcia's except these ones are measuring cups for cooking. And still embracing the cooking theme - this beautiful apron which Deborah made just for me, finishing it with a cute ruffle! Can't wait to cook!

Doesn't it go to show just how useless we are to others if we don't look after ourselves first?