On My Worktable - Yellow

Nothing like some yellow to add a little cheer. 

I decided to make a pair of sunny yellow flower shoes and a yellow hottie cover last week.  The perfect colour to ward off the gray and rainy day we had.

The hottie cover went off to someone rather dear to me in Christchurch, and the little shoes will be for soon-to-be-born baby girl within the New Zealand bloggy community.  Ooohh who could it be?

x

Op Shop Finds - Teapot

An old silvery teapot for our little girl's play kitchen and some interesting printed fabric.


Linking up with The Op Shop Showoff,  The Nifty Thrifty at A Living Space, Coastal Charm, Magpie Monday and Sirthiftalot.

An Autumn Series - Rainforest Beach Walk

A few minutes past our tree-house is a path that winds through the forest and down onto a little beach.

The walk is so lovely at this time of year.  A little bit crisp in the shade of the trees, but always incredibly still, green and quiet.  

It is a such a magical place.  Hard to believe there are houses nearby nestled into the bush.

After only a few minutes walk, it opens out to our lovely bay.  

Autumn is the perfect time for a bare foot stroll - the beach is often empty although a little on the chilly side now for me to be putting my feet in the water.  Our little girl doesn't seem to have quite the same cold sensitivities as I though...

We love seeing the ducks, seagulls, and beach-loving dogs.  Often we take treats.

On our way home, at the edge of the forest path are some exotic trees; oak, maple, elm and liquid amber.  Poppet had a great time gathering up a bunch of beautifully coloured autumn leaves, and together we toted them all home.

I might make her a little foraging bag soon, as she is at the stage where she loves to collect "treasures" on our walks.

I have just the autumn project in mind for the leaves which I will share very soon...
Today was an amazing day.  I hope yours was too.

xx

20/52

A portrait of our little girl, once a week, every week in 2013

Making chestnut soup and button tea in her new play-stand house, built by Mummy, Daddy and Grandpa.

My favourite from last week was this beautiful woodland scene.
Joining in with Jodi and the 52 Project

On My Worktable

On my worktable this week:

• Hottie covers in a bunch of happy colours
• A small selection of teeny-tiny shoes.
• Purses made from recycled wool and hand embroidered with wildflowers
• 
  

• Warm, sweet vests made from recycled wool and lined in soft cotton.  I really enjoy hand embroidering them quietly in the evenings, then sewing them up the next afternoon while our little girl naps.

• A pair of toadstool indoor shoes for a little boy.

What 's on your worktable this week?

xx


PS:  You still have some time to enter the giveaway for my Mr Bear Branches Winter Coat right here!

Linking up with Leonie's Show & Tell, and My Creative Space

Op-Shop Finds - Woodland Plaid

How beautiful are the colours in this blanket!   My favourite from this weeks op-shop finds.

With the rain last week came thoughts of autumn.  

Time to make our little girl a few new winter warmers.  

Will this woodland plaid become her coat or cape?  Or maybe even a little vest?

I'll see where my scissors take me :)

xx

Linking up with The Op Shop Showoff,  The Nifty Thrifty at A Living Space, Coastal Charm, Magpie Monday and Sirthiftalot.

An Autumn Series - Walnut Gathering

Walnut gathering has been a wonderful family tradition of ours since I can remember.

My Nanna was the driving force behind our family's gathering outings.  She had this natural instinct for foraging any kind of food straight from nature's table.  Nuts, mushrooms, mussels, fruit and whitebait were her favourites.

As a child I would go with my brothers, parents and grand-parents to a little known reserve, and together as a family we would gather.

I feel so proud to continue this tradition with our family.  Today saw my brother, my parents, my honey and our little girl all helping out.  Such an enjoyable, relaxed and meditative process - filling baskets with nutrient rich, organic, free, goodness which will help to nourish us during the winter.

Nuts are laid out into trays, maturing, drying, eradicating any bitterness. 

Little hands love to help with this.  Moving piles of nuts from baskets to trays (and back again at one point) had her happily and purposefully entertained for ages.  I love the delight in her eyes when she knows she is helping and feels part of something.  I love that it brings us all together.

We find a wheelbarrow ideal for ease of moving during the drying process.  Our bounty is wheeled out to soak up the sun then stored safely undercover at night or a chance of rain.

Eagerly I await the day when they are ready for consuming.  Packed full of incredible goodness, rich in protein, high in fibre and full of essential amino acids.

So what to do with all these nuts?

I am planning to make this walnut pesto for a start...
Do you have any great walnut recipes you would like to share?   We would love a few new ones :)

xx

PS:  You still have some time to enter the giveaway for my Mr Bear Branches Winter Coat right here!