Tales of an Ordinary Life

Isabella's version of a cup cake recipe.....notice the emphasis on the icing and toppings. And the bookmarks even I had a go.

Today was a gorgeous Brisbane sunny winter afternoon, so of course the vegie garden was beckoning. Brisbane winters are unlike winter anywhere else the days are beautiful and warm and the nights cool. So you can grow things in the vegie garden you can't usually grow in winter. This is the first time Ant and I have done a vegie garden on any major scale so much of it is trial and error. We were talking today and saying that even though both our parents were gardeners how little we know about planting vegetables. It has made us a bit more determined to impart to our kids the results of our gardening experiments. Experiments you may ask.....well many of the plants we may have planted too close together or with non companion plants but it is all learning. Today we had two main tasks to create a compost bin and to plant out some strawberry runners. Do you know most average families throw out 50kg of compostable waste and that is what has prompted me to do a compost bin. We made it from ...

Well I have finished creative boot camp today and throughly enjoyed the experience. It was great to put my brain into that creative gear. Although I did not get into the journalling side of the experience as I would have liked just thing through the prompts was an enjoyment in itself. I am hoping to do a similar thing in July so we will see the path that leads me on. This afternoon the kids and I went to Spotlight (A warehouse type store for craft and fabric) not a good move as every man and his dog was there as they had 20% off but we had things to get- things to make bookmarks for the kids and wool for me. We managed to get out unscathed but my wallet was considerably lighter. First task getting home was to make vanilla cupcakes - Isabella made up a recipe it was good but needed a few adjustments. So off to the net to seek out a recipe - done. The kids helped and made a mountain of mess - that is still waiting to be cleaned (I am not a domestic goddess). Whilst they were in the oven...

Hush Drizzle Full bodied Fly Fluid Grow Heavy Metal It has been nearly a week since I posted anything from my creativity boot camp. With being away and then going straight back to work I think I have finally caught up. Much as I have loved doing this finding time has been my biggest enemy. This is the biggest killer for any creativity as it is the thing you do when you have time.

I have just spent the most amazing weekend staying on a farm near Murwillumbah in Northern New South Wales. I was also fortunate to spend this weekend with some of my dear friends from home group. All up there was 8 adults and 13 kids so it made for quite noisy meal times. The most refreshing thing about this place was there were no rules just common sense. Even though it was freezing cold to be camping in the middle of winter just being so close to the elements is refreshment for the soul. Anthony did not come with me as he was working all weekend so it was just myself, kids and Xena the Wonder Dog (She always has as much fun as the rest of us sometimes more). That in itself is very stretching as there is no one to hand a child when they get so upset and you cannot fix the problem....gives me a greater appreciation of single parents. The kids loved the farm especially being able to get up and personal with some of the farm animals. When asking what some of their favourite experiences...

There are 2 days of themes here picnic and multilayered. Both exciting and challenging for me. I can see how far I have to go but at the same time I am becoming more intune with my camera and light. The only hassle I am finding is the lack of time to think through the processes.

What is this you may ask? Well it is fabulous exercise I stumbled upon whilst reading a blog. Over 2 weeks we are given a theme daily and we are to use an artistic medium to portray the theme. At the same time we are given some thoughts to journal through the process. So far it has made me dive into areas of my brain that have been stagnant pools for quite some time. My chosen medium is photography. I have often felt very inadequate in this area as I have some amazing and talented friends who are stunning photographers. I find that I am drawn to the Australian Landscape so this is the area I want to grow in. So I hope the next 2 week will help this. So day 1 has the theme Ivory. So what does a carved wooden camel have to do with ivory? Well it start off with ivory comes from elephants that is often carved so then I thought of carving and this wood is beautifully carved. But I also came at it from another angle as well that elephants are found in the far East/ India and this gorgeous ca...

Well this is my very first post. Why am I writing this you may ask....well I feel as if I am on the edge of the unknown and about to take a step off. I want to write about my journey. Also I am beginning to get in touch with my long dormant creative side so there will be many adventures as I seek to find that again. This photo perfectly describes winter in Brisbane, perfect light, perfect weather and a chance to do things that you can't do in summer because it is too hot. Which is a good reason to make changes in ones life. Looking forward to the Journey......