Goodbye Oven, Hello Ice-Cream Maker

Summer temps on a winter's day. Winter temps on the eve of spring (in Sunny Queensland). It's crazy. But this I know for sure... The smell of cookies or bread baking on a cold day can only be topped by that dreamy creaminess of a cold ice cream on a sweltering summer day. In fact I must have been subconsciously anticipating summer when I baked these 'cookies in cones' just a a few weeks back! If you have an ice-cream maker you can be just as creative as you are in your baking recipes! Over the past few years I've made some sublime sorbets (think blueberry, lychee, coconut even), and glorious gelatos (double choc, lemon butter, or peppermint). First new flavour this summer was strawberry and musk (pink on pink...the girls loved it!). I just used my regular vanilla ice cream recipe, traded the vanilla extract for strawberry flavour, and added some finely chopped musk sticks to the mix!

My sewing spot

I can't believe that I have had a sewing machine for over 10 years and have never, until now, had a permanent place to store it and sew! About 4 months ago, I found this old desk, painted purple and apricot (blah!), by the side of the road.

So I added a few coats of pale blue paint, some stripey paper for the drawers, and found some space to put it in our new place...and here it is!

I tried it out today and I love it. So liberating to NOT have to put your gear away after every stint of sewing... So wonderful to have a space dedicated to creativity... So can't wait to sew there as much as I can!

For Aven and Macy

"Birds find nooks and crannies in (His) house,

sparrows and swallows make nests there...

singing their songs in the place where we worship.

God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!

How blessed they are to live and sing there!"

Psalm 84:3

My sister...an adult!

My lovely sister Lauren celebrated her 21st birthday on Sunday. She invited all her friends and family to dress in lace, hats, braces, flowers and all things vintage, and enjoy some lunch in the park. I think our rowdy young family managed to fit in quite nicely with all the pretty ladies and dapper gentlemen!

Lauren... Tim and India...Elara... Our family...

Elara's prizes...new pirate clothes

Aargh! We be loving pirates lately at our place, but we be a bit low on clothes enough for a capt'n and a little shipmate too. Have a look at this 'ere costume, made from some riches from the treasure chest of fabrics. Corduroy pants won't fray when we be raisin' the anchor or hoistin' the mainsail, and a stretchy bandanna will be sure to keep yer dirty hands off me golden locks.
Goodbye landlubbers!

Albert

Ahhh. This week I finally ignored the i-have-to-sew thoughts, and delighted my desire for some fun and (mostly) purposeless projects! Hence Albert the monkey, who is modeled on a pattern by Fiona at Hop Skip Jump, and also found in the first softies book . I must say, though I've used the template of the pattern, I have not kept the original gentlemanly personality of Fiona's lovely Albert. My Albert is a little more rambunctious! Strong, beige fur gave way for super stretchy red and white stripes. Pants and braces gave way for a tail just right for swinging. And after two days of being thrown around, danced with (wildly), swung, sung about, and cuddled, I don't think I could say the Albert project was purposeless after all!