New bedhead

It's taken me some time to find a bedhead for our bedroom...in fact it's taken me some time to actually finish the bedroom altogether. What has it been now...2, 3 years?

Well, it's still not finished completely, but that's OK.

Anyway, a bedhead I bought on eBay a while back just wasn't doing it for me...even after it was painted

So I kept searching and came across this one...

It's simple and plain and cost me the princely sum of $17. I knew I could spruce it up with a bit of paint.

First sanding and undercoat

Second undercoat

...and now all finished. It's not strictly plain white. I did the first top coat in white and it was looking a bit stark, so toned it down a little with a couple of dribbles of Bristol's South Pole, which is not dissimilar to Benjamin Moore's Gray Owl.  At least that's how it looked when we put the two colour samples together in the store

It goes into the bedroom this weekend.

I finished painting the other old bedhead and it's been sold on...

I applied the three R's: Re-use, Re-paint and Re-sell.

How they get us in

I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of the way our major supermarkets operate...it's one of the reasons I don't shop at them very much any more.

It's also why I refuse to have one of their store loyalty cards, which are just another tool for them to gather data about me and my shopping habits and therefore, market their products to me...

Anyway, I was looking over the Saturday Age newspaper at the weekend and came across this.

The Drive section of the paper isn't one I normally look at, but this article got my attention

If you have a couple of minutes....check it out

It sort of backs up what I've thought about our large supermarkets for some time

If you're having trouble reading it, you can see it here

Twinkle toes

I like nothing better than treating myself to a little pampering, to be precise, I love a pedicure...you can keep facials, manicures and massages, for me a pedicure is the best

But recently my experiences with pedicures and alleged beauty therapists has been less than perfect

In fact, the last two pedicures I've had drew blood !!

So, while watching TV the other day I saw an add for this little beauty ....so I bought myself one

It was on sale for $29.99 at a certain discount chemist... so thought why not pay $30 for this instead of the local pedicurist who

1. Doesn't use any form of moisturiser or cuticle cream
2. Looks amazed when you flinch, then squeezes the toe she just gouged until blood shows
and 3... tells you to take a Nurofen, if the pain persists!!

The joys of pampering huh?

Anyway, I've used this "machine" once and it was amazing!! It really works and I'm so, so glad I got one. I can't recommend it highly enough

Thanks Scholl..

This post is NOT sponsored and I purchased this item with my own money 

I've never met a fairy light I didn't like

Number 10 has two Christmas trees this year.

The rustic, earthy one, still with foliage connected...

 ...and the all new improved, super-beaut illuminated version

Now, the plan was to have this one inside and the earthy gum tree one on the back deck...but...

...this one was SO bright, it made our small living room look like we had a spotlight directed right at us...so it was moved to the back deck...and I have to say it looks fantastic out there.

It illuminates the deck so well we don't need any other lighting out there, except of course another string of fairy lights.
I gave it a test run on Friday night when we had our neighbours in for a Christmas get together...and it was perfect.

I think the kids will love them both when they're here for the annual "festival of meat" the Saturday night before Christmas...

Pale and hopefully, interesting

So the Number 10 Christmas tree is again non-traditional. Just a few sticks thrown together

MONT had a trip to Kinglake last week and brought me home some lovely branches..

I started with this to make sure it was going to "work"

Then took to it with a couple of cans of spray paint...white undercoat to be exact.

I didn't want it to be saturated with the white paint, I wanted more of a white-washed look

...and I think I achieved that

The decorations are all neutral too....just a slight hint of pale pink on a couple

...and plenty of crystals and baubles...

Then I added a couple of lights...not too many, but maybe it needs a few more

Almost there...

Limoncello time again

Bottles? - check

Vodka? - check

Sugar syrup? - check

Lemons? - check, check, check!!

...and you'll need about 6 weeks and some patience to transform these little beauties, 

Into these...

Which eventually become this.

Take my word for it...it's a mighty tasty drop

Spring

Spring certainly was in the air today

The sun was shining and the bees were buzzing..

The Wisteria's bursting

...and the Banksia Rose is blooming.

Everything is lush and green and the air smells heavenly.

What more could you want?

Looking ahead

I know it's only September, but I'm already thinking ahead to Christmas.

Many shops  already have their Christmas decorations in and I noticed my local supermarket also has a lot of Chrissy type stuff...although they seem to have had Christmas mince tarts in all year round. No doubt the price will go up when we get nearer to the December 25.

Anyway..... Christmas is a toy free zone at our place. I don't buy the kidlets toys or 'rubbish" at Christmas, or for their Birthdays for that matter... there's so much "crap" out there and I stay right away from it.

But I do like to make a bit of an effort for them, so this year I thought I'd kick things off with special bottles for their drinks

I bought some little bottles from my local $2 shop and some Pebeo porcelain paint from Spotlight and used the end of a bamboo skewer to make the polka dots. I filled this one with milk so the dots were distinct

I made a blue one as well....

The store I went to had a very limited colour range, so I'll head to another branch this week to check out their colours because I also want some green.

I haven't used this paint before, but the instructions say after applying it and allowing it to dry for 24 hours, you just put it into a preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. That way it'll be dishwasher safe. Bonus!

Add a couple of colourful straws and you have a nice little drink bottle

Books, pencils, crayons, sketch pads, paints and some nice clothes will be in their Christmas stockings this year....

Have you started thinking about Christmas yet? and...what special things do you do for the kids?

Holiday

I've been on a bit of a break...as you can tell by my lack of posts on this here bloggy

MONT and I headed to Thailand for a little get away...Phuket to be exact.

It was wonderful! Not long enough as per usual, but well worth it and oh so restful

This is where we stayed...the arrow indicates where are room was

It's Angsana Laguna Resort and I have to say it was AMAZING!
We'd catch that little boat if we wanted to head to the small, local supermarket to pick up a few things...it motored right past our room

The pool winds its way around the resort so you can actually swim from one end of the complex to the other...

We'd walk over these little bridges each day to get to the area just in front of that tower, which is where we met in the bar for Happy Hour each afternoon.

It was a large family holiday...14 of us in all, including all the kids, who loved every minute of it

The resort is right on the beach and as you can see in this photo, there are some buildings on the left, just behind the blue umbrellas...they are small shops and an area where you can get a massage for 400 Baht (about $14)

You can also get a pedicure or manicure from some lovely Thai ladies.

MONT and I were at Angsana last October and thought it was so good, we'd head back there again

I can't recommend this place highly enough

*This is not a sponsored post and all opinions expressed are my own

Forever changing

We've been hard at work here..or at least MONT has.

The old corrugated laser-lite roof on the back deck wasn't cutting it any more. We'd get condensation dripping down and almost flooding the deck each morning and there were a couple of leaks in it so when it rained we'd have to move around so as not to get dripped on.

So...down it came

MONT put some extra battens up to help support the weight of the new roof

...and this is what we have now...

An insulated tin roof with a proper a ceiling of lining boards.

Once the cafe blind comes down it's like having another room off the dining room

LOVE. IT. .

For Millie

Our young gorgeous chickens, who are still ravenous and romping around the yard eating us out of house and home, had to start earning their keep ... eventually,.

Well now they have...and here are the results..

Gorgeous aren't they? 

...and cake

Banana cake this week, two of them. One for Mont to take to "The Doon"

...and one for home

But it's these little beauties that always make me smile

So, Millie....here's a recipe for my banana cake, which includes our gorgeous googies..

Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs (I used three) one at a time and beat well in between each one
Add mashed bananas, (I used 5 for 2 cakes) If the batter curdles a little, add a teaspoon of flour
Then add flour and mix together. I used about half plain flour and half self raising flour. Maybe a cup of each

Add a teaspoon of bi-carb soda to a splash of milk and a large dollop of yogurt. mix until it doubles in froths a bit and expands, then add to the cake batter. Mix through then put into prepared baking tins and back at 160-180, depending on your oven, for about 40 minutes

I can't be any more specific than that with the quantities because I've been making this cake for as long as I can remember and I just go by "feel".

happy happy

New additions to the family

Time to get some new "girls" so we can have fresh eggs again.

We paid a visit to the Research Poultry Farm...to get our new girls

That's "RESEARCH" as in suburb, not the activity

We still have our ol' girl Val...but we thought it was time she had some new friends to keep her company, especially seeing she is getting on in years

So far, so good...there's been no agro trying to work out the "pecking order" and no flapping of wings....yet

Oranges AND lemons

It turns out this cake is even better if you use oranges AND lemons. Who'da thunk it?

Substitute one of the oranges for a couple of lemons. It gives the cake a bit of "tang"  

Still pretty moist 

.......and still pretty delicious

You'll need...

1 orange 

2 lemons 
250 g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
5 eggs
200 g almond meal
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup olive oil
icing sugar 
Margarine or oil spray (for greasing the pan)

Boil the orange and lemons in some water for about an hour, then let them cool completely

Once they're cool process them until they are pulp

Preheat the oven to 160 deg fan forced and grease and line a 20cm cake tin

Beat the eggs, oil and the sugar until it's light and creamy, then add the pulped oranges, almond meal, flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly.

Pour it into the prepared cake tin, sprinkle a little castor sugar over the top and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown

Let it cool a little before taking it out of the tin and it's best to let it sit for a while before you cut it.

That's it.

Enjoy!

Cleaning out the fridge

I hate wasting food. Most of us do, but I've seen friends throw out perfectly good food simply because it was classified as a "leftover"....and it's happened after I've offered to take it to feed our chhoks

Nothing at Number 10 goes to waste. Even wilted old spring onions at the bottom of the fridge...or some "seen better days" mushrooms

So when I'm cleaning out the fridge, this is the sort of thing I make

Pasta with the lot!

Sundried tomatoes, a small tin of tuna, anchovies, spring onions, mushrooms, peas, bocconcini left over from last weeks  pizza...

....a jar of fire roasted sweet red peppers.....whatever you have you can throw into the pasta

In the end you just grate some cheese over the top...I think the one I had was parmigiano reggiano, but use whatever you like.