prairie mouse

a delightful surprise

yesterday i asked prairie to empty the washing machine into the basket and put the basket out by the line then i would hang it out. she was ages and when she came back in i said, jokingly, had she hung it out. no she replied, i was talking to the guineas. i believed her until i went out a bit later! i stood there and laughed and laughed. creativity at the line and note, that she even managed to match the pegs (one of those things that if i ever wrote 7 weird things about me that would be one of them - peg matching) she thought i was laughing at her and when i ran back in for the camera she begged me not to blog it but how could i not. its so sweet and i think i have convinced her that she touched my heart with her spontaneous act!

speaking of guineas - this is our new boy. we were out at my brothers a while ago and this little guy was 4 weeks old. such a little looker i just had to take him home. michael paled somewhat when we went to leave, at the sight of the cat cage loaded with hay. he is randy and earls little bro. i wanted to call him ringo star with that fine marking but he is the crabman.

prairie's pincushion

i was just looking in prairie's handwork bag from school and found this floating around the bottom. i knew she had started it but had no idea she had finished it. i'm hoping it will make its way to my work space! they are now making pencil cases and i see that has been brought home in the hope that mumsie will do a few crosses to move the project along. its bigger and a little daunting, to get get through it by christmas time (she wants to give it to tommy - he gave her the one he made at this age for christmas!)

yet another 'ghan

cannot help myself, no self control, had to make ripple 'ghan! had to have fresh new colours. and i'm loving it. i made a dolly blanket to practice then ripped into the biggie. after a couple of false starts (miscount of chain stitches then remembering after a few rows to do the initial chain row on a bigger size hook) i was away. it has worked out at 65" wide which was 274 chains on a 5mm hook. i then changed to a 4mm hook using 8 ply yarn. must do housework. who am i kidding? just one more row!!

finished!

and it was raining heavily when we left for the party. i took the candles and the goddess off and we managed to get to the car - me in heels, which i only ever wear for parties, sinking in the mud and michael with an umbrella. he sat in the back holding the tower and i drove oh so carefully.

chrissy was thrilled and loved her goddess. i was so tired that i sank into the couch with a beer and didn't get up till it was time to go home!

if you would like the recipe let me know. i don't know what the protocol is on publishing from a magazine. i got the recipe from a donna hay wedding issue and made the small and medium sizes. i have some great tins which have really high sides so they are tall because of the tins, and probably the mixture which has almond meal in it so they are quite solid and hold their height.

today has been spring cleaning as michael's parents are coming to visit and i do want to pull the wool over their eyes and make out i am a domestic goddess. i sure don't look like one as i have terrible hayfever from all the dust! back to it - happy weekend!

nearly there

the cakes are baked (muddy chocolate) and i am just about to start the whipped vanilla cream.

and the base is done. i used raw linen, rosemary and tiny shells as i wanted it to be elemental. and i got some pure beeswax tapers, five - one for every decade.

spring goddess

a dear friend of mine is turning the big hawaii five-o. as i made a cake for her darling other half last year i asked her if she too would like a cake. she nodded. so i set to thinking about the cake for her (a process i love) spring came and then the goddess. i googled some images and sketched up a pattern. once i started i couldn't put her down. (love that too!) now for the cake. i'll post that when its done but just had to show you this first!

when boredom strikes

it is school holidays here and the other day prairie uttered the words 'i'm bored'. a wise kindergarten teacher (what kindergarten teacher isn't wise!) once told me that boredom was an obstacle that children need to get past by themselves, if we come in and fill that void they will never be able to get past it on their own. i always love the results and this is one of them. i was amazed at her creativeness, she just dug around in her work basket and used what she had. the little felt circles are off a caterpillar she made once years ago and the buttons she collects everytime we go to our favourite store - salvage (vintage fabric and haberdashery) and the fur. i never would have thought to use it (fake as she is the arch vegetarian). she wore it out yesterday to a birthday party at an ice skating rink. ah she makes her mother proud!