Duke of Orleans Bay

We are just back from a week of camping at 'The Duke' Orleans Bay caravan park 88km's east of Esperence. We had planned on staying for 2 weeks but the Mr isn't a good sleeper at the best of times and our crappy mattresses just weren't cutting it. Even I, of the Sleep Anywhere Tribe wasn't enjoying their pathetic cushioning.

Despite less than refreshing sleep it was a good trip and we're glad we've finally seen Esperence and the beauty that is Cape Le Grand national park.

We had a couple of deliciously massive burgers at the Condingup Tavern and got a shock at our $20 two drink round. Great food and good service though.

And I committed to partaking of a cheesy cauliflower pie from the French Hot Bread Shop everytime we made the drive to Esperence. Delicious!

Condingup is the tiny town at the turn off to the caravan park, they have a nice community centre and a church I wonder if gets used.

I'm not sad about being home early, I'm hoping having the Mr at home and occupying Charlie some of the time helps me get on top of the house. If anyone has suggestions for camp mattresses please let me know.

Mx

Icecream for Breakfast

Not as bad as it sounds. I've been pushing frozen bananas through my Champion juicer and it spits it out banana icecream Mr Whippy style.

I like to add maca powder and healthy sprinkles for crunch. Maca is purportedly a superfood and I like the way it takes the edge off the sweetness of the bananas. This would be an all 'raw' breakfast if it wasn't for those chocolate sprinkles.

Speaking of superfoods, I've been listening to David Wolfe in the car, and I got to meet him after a lecture once. Charlie was a growing in my belly in this photo.

I've never felt better than when I was a raw foodist. I want to get back there, but you're weird enough being a vegetarian out here.

Mx

The Weekend

We headed off to Perth after the welcome new residents event at the pool on Friday night.

Every year, we have Shiraz Picking Day at Stakehill Estate Winery. We pick grapes and get paid in wine! It is great having a winery in the family. I love their Chilli Creme wine :)

We stopped to check out the Mr's old boarding house from high school on the way home. Beautiful grounds on the river but not a good experience for the Mr. Something we will have to think about in the future for Charlie.

We drove off out of the sunset.

Hope you had a lovely weekend.
Mx

Valentine's Day

Charlie wears his heart on his calf...

Happy Valentines Day, my gift to you is to send you over here and here for a couple of hilarious Ryan Gosling style hey girls.

Mx

The Weekend

Poker night - I won, about to hop on to Book Depository and spend my winnings...

Tennis - Inter Club Day, I sat on the sidelines with my embroidery (I didn't get picked for  a team and one of us has to watch Charlie anyway). I love being older, I would have been too worried about looking uncool when I was younger, now I craft it up in public all the time...

Charlie - has a mosquito problem not an acne problem. I normally put Charlie's cutest photos on here for Grandma, but these goofy ones just make me laugh...

[arggh, bread stick!!]

A couple more shots of Charlie's strange hair...

And ducky face...

Happy days...

Mx

The Weekend

[cafe window heart]

[river realestate]

Oh my we had fun!!

It was great to stay with a friend who is in her own place again, have breakfast at a cafe with a heart shaped smudge on the window mullion, walk to the river gawking at insanely expensive real estate, celebrate one of us architecture graduates being in their own architecturally designed pad and be surprised on the way home with an iPad :) which I am writing this post on sitting on the front porch. It was also nice having the time for an extended chat with the Mr on the drive home. I love him.

The Mr is ready for another baby and now I am ready (iPad in hand) to carry that baby. I remember the first trimester and just not wanting to do anything but sit on the couch. Now I'll be able to sit outside and watch Charlie play while I keep up with my favorite blogs and Internet fun. I still love my MacBook but its no so portable anymore (it needs a new battery so has to be plugged in and it's also plugged in to an external harddrive for photo storage).

Just so many good things this weekend. I hope yours was good too.

Mx

Evolution of hair

Charlie has been sporting some pretty funny hair ever since he was born. He used to have a mullet that would 'rats tail' when we dipped it in the pool the right way.

And it has been going dark in the back for quite some time now...

It looks like he has rubbed the hair out between the two dark patches, but the hair there is just really blonde like it is in the front. Anybody have this happen with their kids?

Maybe he was a hare krishna in a past life :)

Mx

Ribbon Bombed

 

Noticed our front fence has a sweet new detail. A post with a neckerchief...

Mx

Stormy Skies

Now that the record breaking harvest is in, I can pray to the weather gods and ask for more of this! I love a good summer storm (and winter ones to be honest). So exciting, and such beautiful, dramatic skies.

More please!!

Mx

Rag Rug

Jodie over at Ric Rac is making a rag rug and I am too. Well so far I'm making rag strips. I might just be the last person to finish their rug in this rug-a-long, but I've made a start.

I'm going with a 1.5 inch width for my strips and we'll see how that goes.

I like the neatness of the rugs Emily makes, so I'll be aiming in that direction (something my husband can live with). Here is a lovely example of her work.

[source: recyclingartistemily]

I hope I can be that neat!

Mx

2011 looking back

I know everyone else has already reflected and are forging on into 2012. I'm much more punctual than this in real life.

in 2011 I...

:: moved house twice
:: realized my dream of living in the country
:: made new friends
:: wore my jeans rolled up in one big cuff
:: had a fringe
:: met the ex missus
:: joined the CWA
:: ran for local council
:: gave up on having a clear blog reader
:: became more domesticated and slightly more organised.

I look forward to being able to repeat the last dot point again at the end of this year. It's my perpetual resolution.

Mx

Oatstraw Tea

A refreshing (and healthy) summer drink I'm enjoying at the moment is something my Mum came up with. It sounds strange, but stay with me... iced oatstraw tea with honey and apple cider vinegar, .

The first time Mum gave it to me I thought it was a soft drink, it had that kind of tang. I really loved it. I brew the oat straw overnight like the Wise Woman says to do, making a nourishing herbal infusion and then add a couple of tablespoons of Wescobee apple cider vinegar with honey to my cup.

I've tried making a jugful too instead of adding the vinegar cup by cup. I didn't have any of the vinegar with honey so I used straight acv and raw local honey.

Here is the recipe for a jugful:

1 Litre Oatstraw nourishing infusion
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey

by the cup:

1 glass of oat straw tea
2 - 4 Tbs of Wescobee apple cider vinegar with honey (depending on the size of your glass)

You will probably want to adjust the amount of vinegar to your taste, I like it pretty strong, and with plenty of ice.

Mx

Babewatch

I thought Charlie looked very "Hoff" in his red speedos at the beach last week. We made a special trip to the coast to make sure Charlie spends some time at the beach every summer.

Mx