With a little help from my kin...

...I've been a busy little bee

this last weekend

making an apartment in the city

into a homely place

where every place you look 

is inviting,

 is delicious,

is beautiful.

Shell xx

ps: may this be my second installment of indoor posies?  Please?

New is the year...

New is the year!

And we have celebrated the season-

With the company of beautiful family, who are our very best friends!

We wore silly masks and sat outside Green House Cottage under a blue moon.

Danced, and sang, ate, chatted and played-

Last year, I wrote a poem to my love, we sat quietly and pondered what the new year might bring. It delivered much joy, and growth between us... I think we love more each passing year.

Jamie's parents celebrate their own wedding anniversary on the eve of each new year, and we all talked about our own weddings, over scrumptious homemade delights - what we loved and remembered...

Happiness is all these things. The balance of serious thoughts, spiritual strength, undying love - in everything - and even when you don't feel like it - happiness with loved ones is on the other side of all this - when you can be silly, and dance, and sing, and play, in a freedom, which I have learned is born only through obedience in Him.

New is the year, high are my hopes, deep is my love, and love never fails.

Love to you, and yours at the dawn of such a season!

Shell xx

Of red and green...

There have been rainstorms on my cherry trees, and gift gathering in my mind as the first of festive December arrives at Hillview - on rather a cool and unseasonably un-summery day.

I bought the Green House door a present!

And it sort of was for me too... Looks so magnificent to my eyes that I get a Christmassy smile on my head every time I see it!

And in-of-doors I am vasing up all of the fresh December blooms from my garden so that a new floral discovery can be made around every corner.

And while I wait out the cool change inside with my ornaments and things of red and green, I have the perfect Diva/Christmas slippers to warm, and charm me before the heat hits hard, the rains desert us and the Aussie summer delivers it's usual harshness and sunburnt beauty.

Hope you're enjoying the beginning of the Advent month, where ever you be!

Shell xx

The apron to brighten any household chores!

I know I may look a bit of a dork - but I had to have it! And I had to be photographed in it, to show off to my discerning - and now jealous - readers! {I have also purchased several more, tucked away for christmas presents!}

Here I'm thinking 1960's New Idea magazine pose!

And I'm wearing this to brighten spirits which have been recently trailing near floor boards.

Onward and upward for me lovelies! For it is nearly Christmas!!! And I intend, from this moment, to enjoy every moment of the good cheer!

Shell xx

Antique inspiration...

Just a quick post to tell you that I am a sucker for a cute antique shop! We went to my favourite music shop to get a "popper stopper" for my little Sharp Frog Studio not more than a day ago, and upon returning to the car I spotted an antique shop across the road {which I had been in before but somehow forgotten was there until this moment!} I was powerless to deny myself from a hunter/gathering opportunity, so we made for the door!

Not more than twenty minutes later we emerged with this adorable footstool! Ain't it pretty?!

Set me back only $25 which I thought a small price to pay for such an adorable addition to my modest but steadily growing collection of collectable beauties from antiquey emporiums!

And Delilah the cat, liked it too.

I'm off to put my feet up and plan another visit soon!

Shell xx

A crafty afternoon...

Shell xx

Gentle Hum...

Doesn't the gentle hum of a new kettle 

change the sound of the house at tea time?

Shell xx

Time Capsule

Another beautiful Sunday is here!  Hope all you Eastern Australian friends remembered to put your clocks back...  Anna is organising a family time capsule for everyone to contribute something that represents them.  It is to be opened in five years, I think it should be ten, give things a chance to really change...

Anyway, this is my contribution -

A purple shawl - very me;

A copy of some new music for my new album - hopefully this will be a well loved, old favourite by the time we reopen it;

A 'Fall Too Hard' EP and Tullys business cards!

And of course, a pair of my BIG earrings!

I feel well represented by this little collection, and besides, I am not putting my iPhone in there, so that lot will have to do!

Shell xx

Fact:

Green frosting tastes better!

And purple shoes make you smile while walking! 

Shell xx

Ooh!

Today I got a new washing machine.  It's a huge 7.5kg one, which will be very different from my little 4.5kg that we've had since we got married twelve years ago.  I was a little bit sorry for it when I had it taken outside, but it's being put on Freecycle and will hopefully go to someone else in need, may they be as happy with it as I have been!

Shell xx 

Purple Frosting...

Mixing colours is not just something to do with paint.  I conducted an art lesson today in our flour covered kitchen, where I attempted to show the children that red and blue make purple...  It's not the nicest shade, but it is a bit lavender-ish which is nice!

My subsequent attempts will be better, but they all will be tasty!

Shell xx