Crimson or scarlet or ruby?

It's my favourite colour, and lately it's been popping up in everything I do! Maybe it's the winter rolling in... thoughts of warm red earth, and hot chocolate with chilli.

I repainted this book stand for the playroom.

Birthday bag and shoes. Yay!

Baking attire.

Cookies for state of origin.

Love-ly cupcakes

Birthday Bhaji

I made these cupcakes for my bollywood bash, but would quite happily have enjoyed some vegetable bhaji for my birthday cake as well as for an entree...so yummy! I didn't take a photo of mine on the night but found this almost-as-good-looking bhaji here.

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups (250g) chickpea (besan) flour

1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
100g carrots, cut into thin sticks

100g snowpeas, cut into thin sticks

50g thin eggplants, cut into thin sticks
Oil, to deep-fry
4 Curry leaves

Method
Place the chickpea flour, chilli powder, ground turmeric, curry leaves and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup (80ml) water to make a thick batter, then stir in the vegetables.

Half-fill a large saucepan with oil and heat until a cube of bread turns golden in 20 seconds.
In 3 batches, fry heaped tablespoons of bhaji batter for 3-4 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden. Carefully remove the bhaji with tongs and drain on paper towel.

Bollywood Brilliance

I had always planned to have a HUGE Bollywood bash for my 30th. But, after just moving house, I settled on the scaled down version!

Some family and friends...

Some colour and bling...
Some curry and halva...
Some watching and laughing...

And some Jai ho!

Music of the Storm (A most difficult week)

"Rain, rain

Beating against the pane!

How endlessly it pours

Out of doors

From the blackened sky

I wonder why!

Flowers, flowers,

Upspringing after showers,

Blossoming fresh and fair,

Everywhere!

Ah, God has explained

Why it rained!"

Charles E. Cowman

Anniversary

8 years yesterday.
Still love Tim.
Why?
He loves and serves God.
He is honest and authentic.
He is a critical thinker.
He plays great guitar.
He protects me.
He doesn’t have back hair.
He has style and chooses his own clothes!
He encourages my interests and growth (not physical growth so much…more personal!!!).
He is a bit ‘green’
He ‘kisses noses’ with the girls and taught them the “Let’s go fly a kite” song.
He likes my cooking but loves his Mum’s tuna mornay.
He dreams. And so do I, of me growing old, with him.

Pink Magnolia

I hope the small, tired looking magnolia tree in our garden is a symbol of things to come at our new home. Over the past three weeks we have ripped up nauseating carpet, cut away overgrown bushes, repainted yellowing walls, cleaned stinking toilets, replaced unbecoming lights, and moved in. And these delicate, gorgeous blooms flowered on the day we arrived. Now the most beautiful changes can happen in this unheeded house... the laughter in the backyard, the hiding in the cupboards, running up the hallway, finger painting on the walls (not yet though... please!), twirling in the lounge room, cupcake baking in the kitchen, splashing in the bathroom, and cuddles in the bedrooms. Come sun and watch us grow!

Letter to a true friend

Dear Big Box,
Thankyou.
For the one hour that you held the attention of my daughters this morning, so that I could do some more packing, I am truly grateful.
Sincerely,
Katherine

P.S. Do you have any friends who might be available for an hour tomorrow? Mr Ball of Wool, or Ms Jar of Bubbles perhaps? Please give them my number.