b-r-e-a-t-h-e-

Hullo cupcakes!

Don't that word just make you wanna smile!!

No stories, no adventures, just a cupcake moment. 

Have a fan-tabulous weekend at your place.

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.  

P.s. taking a moment is early, but sometimes early is good.

Especially when it's cupcakes.

Go on say it with me, just once more. . . . . cupcakes.  

See, made you smile just now huh!!  

Feels good too huh!!  

xx

'round and 'round

Another busy week ahead.

So busy.

This week will go fast.

I want to savour it.

I want to enjoy the kids I get to spend my time with.

I want to enjoy my own kids too.

I feel like I am going 'round in circles.

They are happy circles, but I still get dizzy.

Sometimes I like being dizzy.

But just for a little while.

I noticed there are lots of circles in my kitchen tonight.

Lots of circles.

They are round you know!

Yes, circles are round!

You just keep going, and going and going. . . . . . . 

around.

Thanks so much for stopping by my place tonight.  

Are you a little dizzy this week too?

map it out.

With our little caravan, two travelling adventures behind us and two little boys that are now into how far and where they have been . . . . . . . 

we decided to pin our stopovers onto our beautiful Map of Australia, which we purchased on the very last day of our most recent trip here.  

Each trip will have its own colour, and we have pinned only at the places where we have stopped overnight.  There are just not enough pins to do the day trips as well.  

This is now hanging on the wall.

Such a fabulous reminder of the memories we have created together.

Such inspiration to plan the next one.

Thanks for stopping by our place today,

here's cheers to a great week.

*clink* *clink*

sock it to me baby!

I know its my Friday b-r-e-a-t-h-e moment, however that was this morning.  

and now is now (8.45pm Friday evening).  It's a long time since my 'take a moment', and besides I am so excited I just HAVE to share.  

Fingers cold and stiff, current gloves too cumbersome and slows down my typing big time, so frustrating I ended up just not bothering to try and keep my fingers warm whilst typing my assignment today.

Study break from the cold depths of the cold part of the house, 

to the warm end of the house to thaw out and fold washing, 

*sniff* a fave pair of my socks, almost on their 'last leg' - will be sad to say goodbye to these. . . . . . . 

as I turned them in the right way, possibly for the last time, I stopped. . . . . . 

I grabbed my scissors. . . . . . . . 

I opened up my machine and set the stitch to zig zag and I stitched around where I had cut. . . . . . . . .

within about 2 minuties - *pffffft* cold hands - Not I says Joyce!  

 

 oh my wrists just loves these, they are so so soft and so so warm.  I can type faster than the leaves scuttling up the street in the howling wind, I can roll them back when I hang the next lot of washing, I can look at the flowers that now adorn my wrist and I can smile.

Hello sock hands, how are you today?

b.r.e.a.t.h.e. . . .

You can complain because roses have thorns, 

or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.

-Ziggy-

No stories, no adventures, just a quiet moment.

It's a bit earlier today, I have to remind myself of my own advice.

b-r-e-a-t-h-e- Joyce, just b-r-e-a-t-h-e- - - - -  

Thanks for stopping by my place today,

many blessings to your and yours this weekend.  

p.s. all photos taken by me, unless stated otherwise.

This was taken in May 2011 at Cockington Green, Canberra.

Neck warmers

Still loving this scarf pattern.  

This is the scarf completed from this post.  It was super quick to hook up, and I just love it, especially with this dark purple top.

This can be either a scarf or . . . . . . 

one of my loop-a-liscious lushness' by stitching the ends together.  

These are all for sale.  I am not scared about taking the leap for these, cause if they don't sell, then they get to live with me.  When I tried each one on to photograph, I was rather quite tempted to not put it up for sale, and the next one and the next one.  

Please forgive the 'model' if you can call her that.  It's scary hair day, as in washed it, and head banded it 'cause it was my day off and that's just how it is.  Also my study books don't seem to mind if my hair is done or not.  

Thanks for stopping by my place today.

I hope you are having a lovely week at your place.

School Holidays Wrap Up

Trains. . . . 

long lazy breakies. . . . 

cupcakes. . . . 

preparing to socialise with friends. . . . 

puzzles. . . .

puzzle helpers. . . . 

snuggling with new books. . . . 

the very odd quiet beachy moment. . . .

living here. . . . 

It's been a wonderful second week of the school holidays for us.

Caught up for lunches with friends, walks, play dates, snuggling, eating, games.  What clocks, what schedules, who cares!  It's the way we like it - kids just being kids, you gotta love that!

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.

If you have been on holidays, we hope you had a wonderful time too.

you and me.

How are you weekending?

Soccer is done for us for the weekend, we managed an early marathon of both boys playing at 9am seemingly at opposite ends of the earth.  Hubbie collecting and dropping off of various friends and offspring, then picking them all back up and dropping/collecting them back to where they belonged.  Thanks to wonderful friends, and an awesome Hubbie, all our kids and their mates got to their required games in record time.  As for me, I was dropped off at our local sports store who very generously donated to our club to raffle, a treadmill and they offered us a table outside their store to sell the raffle tickets this morning.  

*phew* all turned out rather quite well, we are all home and snug and warm out of the cold and wet and I am about to sink my teeth into one very cosy Saturday afternoon.  

I am very aware that holidays are almost over, I gave myself one week off the study books, I thought that was fair.  I am cramming in the crochet while I can.  

This is a lovely little pattern from my 200 crochet blocks book.  I love it.

This is a sample square, I am going to undo it and turn it into a scarf, using this lovely pale blue cotton yarn.  It really is a very pretty pale blue, despite the cloudy, rainy shade of grey that is photographed here, which perfectly matches our weather today.

I am also loving, and finally starting, a granny stripes pram/cot rug.  

Do you have a few crafty things going at once?

Yes?

That's ok then, 'cause I do too.  

Let's multi craft together!  

I like that!

You over there, me over here, together!

Thanks for stopping by my place today, and have a most wonderful weekend at your place.

b.r.e.a.t.h.e. . . .

Focus on the journey, not the destination.  

Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.

- Greg Anderson -

Thanks for stopping by my place today.  

Have a wonderful weekend at your place.

nb. Joyce is wearing her hooked raspberry latte loop-a-liscious lushness.  

A Blanket for Lumar

The overseeing of the squares, apparently I am doing ok, and will not be blasted into outer space  -  yet.

As promised, Lumar can now be snuggly warm too.

Lumar likes the camera!

Thanks for stopping by my place today.

Have a wonderful day at your place.  

Today's post has been brought to you by the letter 'L' - L is for Lumar.  

Lumar comes from Dubbo Zoo, but lives with us now.  

Granny Squares for Jacky

'Mum, Jacky told me he gets cold at night, he needs a blanket.'

Minnie chose the colours and Joyce got busy.

Finished product - a blanket for Jacky.

Jacky loves it.  

Minnie loves that Jacky loves it.

Joyce loves that Minnie loves that Jacky loves it.

Eggy has requested same for Lumar.  

I promise to share when done.

What do you love right now?

Thanks for stopping by my place today.

Have a wonderful day at your place.

Tangy Canteen Slice

Due to our soccer clinic last week, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing goodies each afternoon for the next day for our kids and coaches.  This particular slice is a heavily modified version of an old fruit slice that has been changed and changed again over the many years that I have been making it.  It was an absolute hit and I ended up making three batches for the coaches as they loved it *that* much.  

One of the Mum's commented to me that I obviously love being in the kitchen.  I didn't answer her at the time, but thought about her comment and wondered if she was having a go at me.  Anyways, the comment stuck in my head and I saw her the following day.  I told her that I didn't answer her at the time, because I really hadn't thought about it until she said it.  

After some consideration, my answer was this to her.  It's not so much that I love being in the kitchen, but that I love food.  In our family, with my hubbie the main income earner, it is my duty to provide nutritious meals for our family - it's my job as wife and Mum, it's life.  Whether it be a main meal or sweets or a savoury platter with a glass of wine and a bunch of friends, we all gotta eat, and there's nothing nicer than being surrounded by the ones you love feasting on all that is good.

I compared cooking to knitting and crochet and told her that if someone was to come into my house and tell me they were going to cook our food and sort out the whole kitchen department of our home, then I probably would introduce them to our kitchen.  On the other hand, if someone was going to take over my kitchen, would I get to choose what I would like to eat, or will that person take over all of that as well, and then maybe I might not like it oh so much after all. . . . . . . and being able to make the odd cake or slice now and then if the fancy were to take me over. . . . . .   

However, if someone was to come into our house and tell me they were going to do all my knitting and crochet, then I would make them a cup of tea, offer them a piece of slice, explain to them gently but firmly that this most certainly will not be happening, but welcome them back for more cups of tea and slice, and for them to bring their own knitting and crochet and we can create together.

So no, not overly do I love being in the kitchen, but I do prefer the kitchen to cleaning the bathrooms (der Joyce!), just not so much as I love knitting and crochet and reading a good book, and jigsaw puzzles, and cuddles and gatherings of family and friends.  

In the end, it wasn't really a 'yes' / 'no' answer, *giggle* it never is with this Libran.   Sometimes people can easily confuse me, I know, perhaps I am being too honest here, but she really did, it was more her tone of voice than her actual comment that confused me.  I did consider her comment and did not wish for her to be misled in her assumptions of me.  I just wanted her to know that I am probably your regular Mum, who loves her family and likes to provide good food for them, but in my round-a-bout explanation way.  

So how would you feel if someone were to come into your home and offer to take over your grocery shop, pantry sorting, weekly cooking and all things kitchen related at your place?  Would you hand over your spare bedroom to them and welcome them in, or would you pour them a cuppa, share your slice, and after a chat, send them on their way?  I would love to know your thoughts and why.  If you post on your own blog, please share your link and let me know in the comments, or just post in the comments.  

I am calling it 'Tangy Canteen Slice'.  I think I like that name.  

1 cup s.r. flour

 3/4 cup castor sugar

1 tsp mixed spice (optional)

1/2 cup coconut

3/4 cup sultanas

1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)

1/2 cup dark choc bits

2 eggs lightly beaten

90g butter, melted

ICING

2 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice, approximately

1tsp milk, approximately (optional)

**

Grease and line lamington/slice tin.

Combine first seven ingredients.

Stir in eggs and butter.

Press mixture evenly into prepared tin.

Bake in moderate oven for about 24 minutes.

Insert skewer to check slice is cooked through.

Stand approximately 10 minutes before spreading with icing.

Cool in tin before cutting.

ICING

Sift icing sugar into bowl.

Depending on level of tanginess you desire, you can leave the milk out altogether and just use the lime juice, or you can soften the tang by using milk.  It's up to you and your taste buds.  

You can use lemon instead of lime if you prefer too.

Again depending on your level of tang, you can swap the quantities of sultanas and craisins around as well, or do half of each.  It's totally up to you, the slice is yours, make it your way.  

Let me know how you like your tang and if you made this one and was it a hit at your place.  

Thanks for stopping by my place today, enjoy weekending at your place.

xx

b.r.e.a.t.h.e. . . .

Set your goals high enough to inspire you and low enough to encourage you.

- Anon -

We are still in soccer mode here, but winding down. . . . . 

ever so gently. . . . . . 

winding d.o.w.n. . . . . . . 

No stories, no adventures, just a gentle moment. . . . just 'be'.

Thanks for stopping by my place today.

Have a wonderful weekend at your place.

xx

Soccer Mum

140 cup cakes,

3 slabs of fruit slice,

95 face biscuits,

 4 banana cakes,

2 batches of rocky road,

62 chocolate crackles,

36 loaves of bread,

580 sausages,

3 boxes of apples,

2 boxes of bananas,

1 box of oranges,

6 watermelons,

3 pineapples,

9 coaches,

2 bbq-ers,

3 on canteen

  

1 bowl-licker

and dry socks.

All adds up to soccer clinic week for 62 odd little champions.

I have been pumped and motivated all week, madly cooking each afternoon in readiness for the next day.  Tomorrow is world cup clash, currently New Zealand and Antarctica are at the top of the table.  (The team names were all chosen by the kids.)  It's close, the cup is anyones at this stage, the pressure is on.  I am nervous. I am excited. I am a little bit sad that I am going to miss these kids after tomorrow. I am a little bit concerned that perhaps I really do have a very small head because I am going to miss these kids after tomorrow.  I am happy that the Mum's and Dad's that come to collect their kids each day are so happy for us to have them for the week and are telling us how early they are going to bed at night because their kids are just *pooped*.  I am so proud of these kids, their manners, their enthusiasm for the game they love so much, the friendships they have made.  

I am going to miss these kids next week, but then I am so looking forward to a holiday.  A holiday at home with my own little boys before they head back to school for term 3.  I will put the study books away for next week.  I don't feel bad doing that.  I have managed to complete another unit, working on it at night.  The end is near, I can almost feel it.  But not for next week, there is time enough, there just has to be.  

Next week I am going to be Mum.

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.

I hope you have had a good week at your place.  I hope you see lots of smiling faces around you this week.  I hope you get to hear the sweet laughter and joy of children this week.