The ones that didn't make the cut...

Here are some out takes of a crazy photo shoot I did with the kids today.  I can't really explain why we were doing these yet as it's a surprise for a special someone (I'll share in a few days).  Minty was really getting her inner 'zoolander' on but Turi was not having a bar of it, so I ended up having to take about one hundred shots in order to get the two I really needed.  I hope you enjoy them!

Little T...

Mint...

Just pictures today.  I don't have the energy for words.

Bomboloni

Lately I've been obsessing over bomboloni… more specifically chocolate ganache filled bomboloni (Italian style doughnuts) from Sugardough.  Since I don't live anywhere near Sugardough and I have no idea when I'll next be able to make a pilgrimage to Melbourne, I decided I'd try to recreate the experience at home.  We haven't found the perfect recipe yet but we're all enjoying the experimentation process!

In which I stick a doily on it...

I made Mint a bubble skirt out of some thrifted (vintage?) fabric.  She loved the fabric but something about the bubble shape offended her aesthetic sensibility.  Lately she's been really butting heads with me about what she will and won't wear.  It's extremely frustrating, since almost all her clothes have recently been deemed unacceptable.  I was on the verge of donating this skirt to the op shop when, as a last ditch attempt at pleasing her, I decided to sew a doily on one of her (most hated grey) shirts.  Suddenly the entire outfit had newfound appeal.  If only all dislike could be solved so easily… Don't like this pumpkin soup?  Don't worry I'll stir a doily through it… Don't want to brush your teeth?  Hang on a minute, I'll just wrap your tooth brush in a doily… Julia Gillard?  Just stick a doily on her.

Conversations with Minty and Turi...

On vertebrates in fiction... 

Me [with disdain]: This book is terrible.

Minty: Why?

Me: There's no plot tension or character development.  It's all so saccharine, stereotyped and cliche.  I'm all for stories about unicorns and fairies but these just don't have any backbone.

Minty: they have lots of backbones in them.  The bunnies have backbones, and the puppy and the unicorn has a backbone.

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Turi: Can I have a snack?

Me: Do you want some nuts… almonds, walnuts?

Turi: I want a different kind of nuts… I want doughnuts.

Conversations with Minty and Turi...

Playing pregnancy/ birth games

Minty: has yours come out yet?

Turi [jolly feigning surprise]: ooh mine fell out! … the doctor's cleaning him.

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Turi [singing a little chant over breakfast] : I love my life and my shoes!

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Me: you get what you get and you don't get upset

Minty: I don't say that

Me: what do you say?

Minty: I get what I want and I don't get upset

In which we are evicted...

 I haven't been blogging much lately because we've been very busy making the last push to finish the house.  The kids and I were homeless refugees for most of last week, bouncing between friend's houses so that the plumber, the Mr and the builder could get some work done.  

Since we had to be out of the house by 7:30am (seriously why do trades people start so ridiculously early??) and I thought it might be really stretching our friendships to turn up on people's doorsteps at that ungodly hour, we found ourselves on some VERY early morning bike rides!!  These photos were taken in Koonwarra just after the sun came up.  It was foggy and freezing but still loads of fun!!

Hopefully I'll have a house update for you soon!

Spreading the love...

 I took some photos for my friend Adrienne's Umbrella Prints trimmings competition entry (that's a mouthful!!) this week.  She's made some gorgeous circle scarves for herself and the her kids (so she can have a Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise matching moment if she feels inclined!!!) I really love the textural juxtaposition of the creamy crocheted alpaca combined with colourful pops from the fabric.

If you've got time I know she'd love it if you stopped by her blog and said hello.  She's relatively new to the blogging game and it's always nice to know you're not speaking into a void!!

It's also worth stopping by the Umbrella Prints pinterest competition board to check out all the entries.  It's inspiring to see all the different ways people have created with these tiny little scrappy pieces as a starting point.