the Wise Robin

small things

 

Our authenticity is found hidden in the small details of our daily round. We think that it is the big moments that define our lives. But really these big moments of happiness are just the punctuation marks. The narrative is written every day in the small and simple

Sarah Ban Breathnach

 

sunlight, leaves, nature's colours

gentle fabrics and stitches

collected treasures

rediscovering my dad's ink nibs

the post which finally delivered this book

inspiration in the pages

beginnings with drawing

river stones

 

warmly

Cxo

 

just in time

 

While our older girls were enjoying their annual well earned, but rather extended holiday from laying, our chickies were growing. Every so often we would count the weeks on the calendar to see how much longer we had to wait until they reached pullet and egg laying age. Right on cue, just in time for Easter egg decorating our two senior girls have returned to the nest, or rather pumpkin patch, to lay
and one of our not so little chickies has decided to follow. They're doing a great job moving their nest around, hiding the precious eggs from those sneaky crows that have been enjoying the odd, tasty, egg breakfast. And while Stella or Stripey, depending on whether you're talking to me or Zah, is enjoying more cuddles for her
well appreciated efforts, we are gratefully eating more Dutch babies and admiring the our subtle rainbow of neutral tones.

Now if only I could add an Easter Egger to our little flock.

Happy Days

~Cxo~

...and then there were five

 

 

While Zahra was busily felting some capes and hats for her latest entrepreneurial venture...peg dolls, I got down and made some felt, in this yummy aubergine colour.

 

 

I started dreaming about an aubergine and sage coloured bag for myself, but it was pre -destined for this little guy...

 

 

...introducing King Equals.

 

He's joined our recent math gnome collection.

happy creative learning

warmly

Cxo

sewing, sunshine and colours

 

With all the soft Autumn sunshine and beautiful temperatures we've been having, the pull to be outside, no matter what we're up to, is real and strong. Even if that means carting my sewing and embroidery out into that gorgeous Autumn light. A perfect place for it really. Look how the light makes all those floss colours shine. I love the many, many colours and shades you can buy. I linger a while in the store trying to choose, much to the frustration of Zahra who keeps tabs on what we actually came to buy and will not hesitate to drag me away by the hand when she knows all we've come for is a few buttons or some fabric. I keep our shopping list secret now just so I get a few more minutes to hover.

The stillness and quiet that comes with sitting in the sunshine and sewing is just where I want to be right now. I just can't seem to shake this lurgy that came a visiting over a week ago and feeling the sun warm my bones is just what my body is needing. It feels as though it's recharging my batteries. I've just started on this little project which I'll share with you later this week.

Hooray for sunshine, Autumn, sewing, warm days and good health

warmly

~Cxo~

this week

 

We finished off our week

with  some Autumn inspired wet on wet watercolour painting

digging out the woolens....brrr,  seven degrees tonight

following the sun from room to room soaking up its warmth

planting herbs

enjoying the first pumpkin soup for the season

drinking ginger tea and taking it slowly as we regain our health

collecting eggs from our newest layer

lying on the trampoline wrapped in wool gazing at the stars

thinking of the New Moon and all that the coming month and new season will bring

 

Enjoy your weekend friends

~Cxo~

a walk in the bush

 

 

Leaves are a permanent fixture in this house. They come and go but they are always there. In plant presses, under books, on the table and windowsills. My little bit of nature indoors, a connection that brightens the nooks and crannies of our home. While Zahra brings home rocks from our walks I bring in the leaves. My very most favourite is the heart shaped Red Box with their beautiful shapes, colours and delicate pattern of their veins.

I woke with the dark this morning and as I lay I realised that Autumn Equinox had come and gone. I felt a little sad that the true change of the seasons went unnoticed for us this year. Days seem to pass in a blur when my body forces me to bed. I rose and crept outside with the dog. It was still dark, stars overhead, the faintest line of light on the horizon. Chickens quietly murmuring in the apple tree, noises of the neighbourhood drifting by as the day began to stir. It was chilly, the ground damp. I could almost feel the lengthening fingers of night reaching into the day as we slowly turn toward Winter. It felt good waking early, wrapped in a blanket, standing in the yard, watching the sky, starting this new day slowly.

~Happy Equinox wherever you are~

warmly Chontelle 

 

picnic

 

Last weekend we headed out for a picnic and some bush walking in the gorgeous Autumn weather. While packing the basket, which I picked up for a few dollars at the local Sunday markets a while back, I was reminded how much cutlery we'd lost through the gaps in the weaving. I'd toyed with the idea of making a lining for the whole basket then figured making something to hold the cutlery would be a whole heap quicker and easier. With everyone all but ready to head out the door I grabbed a tea towel and switched on my machine.

 

Folding the bottom of the tea towel about one third of the way up, I simple sewed a seam on each side, attached some ribbon in the middle up the top and stamped on a little bon appetit.

 

 

Pop in the cutlery...

 

 

...roll up, tie a bow...

 

...and off a picnicking we go.

 The tea towel pouch is wide enough for BBQ utensils like tongs and deep enough for a generous amount of cutlery. And the best bit is that once home it can be tossed in the wash for next time. Simple is good.

Happy Picnicking

~Cxo~

 

goodness

Seeing as the change in seasons has brought with it fever and aches to our little part of the world I thought I'd keep it short today and link you to some of that goodness out there that has been tickling my fancy of late...

delicious food and beautiful, beautiful, melt in your mouth pics over at Roost

inspiring colours and fibre art from lilfish studios

Dear Golden gorgeous vintage threads

yummy little treats from our local wholefoods store

this lovely lady's little space, amazing art and uplifting words...and her book which I'm looking forward to every day in the post

our oh so helpful online remedy finders, ABC and Simillimum for moments of illness such as these

and this amazing balm from Trilogy which as its says does everything. My nose has been loving this the past few days

And now it's back to bed for me

I hope your seasonal change is bringing you good health

~Cxo~

Friday

 

It's Friday and I've just pulled on my slippers and thrown on a cardi. Rain has been falling all day and it's chilly. I love rain and it's certainly lifted my spirits after the slump I found myself in yesterday. My grumps have gone and we've had a lovely day indoors and out. So here's what I was going to share with you all yesterday...our little foray into making Zahra her first set of knitting needles.

 We've spent the past few weeks catching moments here and there for sawing, sanding, sharpening and gluing. This project took me right back to  high school woodwork class. I remember the little white cottage, tools and well worn workbenches, the smell of wood and varnish, but most of all I remember my impatience at being told week after week that the dove jointed, hinge lidded, velvet lined box needed more sanding. It seemed to drag on class after class for what seemed like an eternity. The process was lost on me. I was only eager for the finished product, just like Zahra with her needles. The sanding tested Zahra's will and patience, just as her Mama was all those years ago, but this week the needles were finally ready.

 

 

 

So off to our local wool store we went. Zahra chose her Sirdar within two minutes of walking through the door but I like to linger, even when I only need a couple of balls. I must admit I have a little confession to make...I've been secretly wondering if we embarked on this project just so I had an excuse to spend more time lingering at the wool shop, taking in all that alpaca and merino. I always find it so hard to choose. With names like Asparagus, Autumn and Wintergrass  I just want to take them all home.

I'm Mama proud of Zah with her cast on. She was all fingers at first, but with a little patience I'm hopeful, ulterior motives aside, that this process of tying knots with needles will become something she falls in love with.

 

And if you're curious...I left the store with only enough Silkroad DK Tweed in Blaze
to cast on for this Winter's first hat.

Happy Knitting

Cxo

Thursday

Today is Thursday and I had a little story about knitting for you, but seeing as Thursdays seems to be the day when my patience pockets begin to empty, I find myself here, about to tell you all about the little niggly things that make my brow crease. Here goes...

It bothers me that technology can swallow up something that I've created, twice, in less than twenty four hours, in the blink of an eye without emotion

I get frustrated when I want to go straight through a busy two lane intersection and the car in front indicates after the lights change

I get grumpy when our 'man -hen' crows at sparrows fart and I have to go outside sleepy eyed to shush her. Your a hen, you're not supposed to crow. Sort it out.

I really don't like it when I stay up waaaay past my bedtime looking at all the amazing things out in internet land. Makes for a grumpy Mummy. Not a pretty sight.

I get annoyed when I have to drop my voice and hassle the dog to get off the deck and go out back to do things like, oh I don't know, pee and lie in the sun like other dogs do. Oh, I'm a cruel dog owner.

I sigh when I realise these two hands of mine are sometimes just not enough to multi-task as much as I'd like.

I frown at dresses whose straps break on the way to weddings in thick city traffic and forget to take themselves to the dry cleaner when I squirt hot, greasy, stuffed zucchini juice on them.

I find clothes that need dry cleaning, and lets add ironing to that, a nuisance....

I could go on, but it's no fun being grumpy at computers or dresses, zucchini flowers or traffic. When I started this blog nearly a year ago  I was having a tough time and needed to look to the small and beautiful things in my day to day, find some gratitude to help me through. I never intended to include annoyances or negativity, but I'm human and getting frustrated, angry or frowning just a little is bound to happen along the way.

On the flipside, without these small inconveniences I think I'd find it harder to be grateful for the beauty in my day to day. Kind of like Pollyanna and the game she plays finding the good in the seemingly bad. Without technology I wouldn't be here in this space and I wouldn't be able to see all the amazing things out there that are a constant source of inspiration, without our man-hen we wouldn't have eggs right now and without the two hands that I do have I wouldn't be able to do half as much as I do. Dresses are replaceable, traffic teaches patience and disappearing blog posts can be re- written. Take a deep breath and let it go. In this moment I am alive and healthy, and that makes me smile. Think I'll go and do some knitting. Thanks for listening.

    ~Chontelle~

P.S I will be back tomorrow with that knitting story for you.

Wednesday

Well Wednesday is already here. The spaciousness of Tuesday has given way to lists, a small sense of urgency for those things that need to get done and a little letting go of things that probably won't get done before the week ends. One of those small but ever present jobs that needs doing is filing. I loathe it. In fact, whole, unopened, letters have been known to be, um, recycled around here just because I can't stand the thought of filing paperwork. Opened mail tends to gather in little piles which turn into great big piles that make the thought of filing even more unbearable. And then inevitably it all ends in a great big Spring clean type scenario with me surrounded by paperwork, maybe the occasional ..ahem, fire and clear bench space once more. In recent times this problem of mine has been downgraded to a minor fault due to the fact that there is now a professional mail handler in the house. All I have to do is leave the mail on his desk and it magically disappears into another world, for which I'm eternally grateful.

Just recently I decided to make a clean break and a new start on the filing front. Surely filing can be fun and creative, no? While all the important bits of paper are still magically disappearing  all the unwanted paperwork and old local rags have been making their way into my blender (which technically speaking is not really classified as filing, more like recycling really, but I like to think that I'm contributing in some small way to the reshuffling of paperwork in our home).

The result... a foamy, sludge that when rolled flat and dried turns into more paper.

It's just that this time my hands were making and the paper is transformed into something beautiful and useful.

We didn't use a kit or a deckle, just the instructions from this book which I picked up in the op shop.

We've a few more gift tags and sheets of letter writing paper in the stationary draw now and I do believe I'm actually looking forward to the next round of filing.

Happy Tuesday to you

~Cxo~

 

 

 

Tuesday

Hello. Hi! Today is Tuesday, the day after Monday and the day before Wednesday. The day when the week still feels spacious and full of promise. It is warm here, really warm. That delicious kind of warm when you can soak up the sunshine like a cat, eyes closed to the golden light, until you are driven into the shade. It's Autumn. The sunlight is softening, the suns arc is lowering and there is a hint of chill in the morning air. I love this time of year and the calm, busy energy it brings. It's like waking up, stepping out and taking a deep, full breath after the hot Summer days inside.

 We are spending more time outdoors, walking around our neighbourhood and in the bush, bringing home  treasures that we found along the way. Invariably there are always leaves, which find their home on windowsills, the nature table, in between the pages of books, on bedsides and the dining table. Although the gums stay green there are patches of orange, deep russet and browns appearing on the street trees. 

The Tibetan prayer flags we hung in the trees when we moved into this home have long since blown away on the wind and I've been thinking up something to flutter in their place. So we decided to celebrate Autumn with her beautiful colours, light and breezes .

Inspired by pinterest, what an amazing place that is, and Amber's lovely little blog (which sent me on one of those marvellous blogland tangents and ended with me signing up for Crafting On... looks like fun) we ended up with a simple watercolour, plain old calico and op-shopped flannelette line of Autumn leaves. I'm feeling a little guilty that no gum leaves made their way onto our bunting. They certainly find their way home with us and we did try them, but their subtle design simply left a splodge of paint with little detail. They will have to remain admired from their windowsills.

These too will fade and fly away on the breezes with time, but right now they'll flutter and sway to the tune of the season.

Happy Tuesday friends

~warmly Cxo~

Monday

 

 

Some last minute sewing was on the agenda late last night after returning from Sydney. Something simple and quick that would do the trick for the tooth fairy and my little who it appears is not so little anymore. She is growing up. She told me so herself. I know it and I can see it but sometimes as a Mama you just want to hold them in your arms and keep them little for that wee bit longer.

All weekend she twisted, pushed, pulled and played with her loose front tooth until it was hanging by a thread. I couldn't look...loose teeth gives me the heeby geebies. FInally in the car on the way home the tooth came loose and there was much talk about what the tooth fairy would bring.

 A few years back I made a tooth fairy pillow for tooth treasures, but a rummage through the dress up box, the doll's clothes basket, the wardrobe and the doll drawer failed to produce said pillow. So to the fabric stash we headed. There were some big decisions to be made but finally Zahra chose this cute, blue, floral for the pocket and spots for the back. A little embroidering whilst watching Great Expectations (is that Scully playing Miss Haversham?), a couple of layers of batting, some top stitching and Bob's your uncle... some simple and satisfying sewing after sitting in a car for five hours and one happy, toothless girl.  

 

 

I feel so much older, she tells me.

It's amazing how such a small thing can be so big...for her and her Mama. Time moves so fast.

Happy Monday friends

~

Cxo

 

 

 

today

 

 

Our day started slowly this morning, just how I like it with hot dutch babies (ours are a tad on the flat side due to the gluten free flour, nothing like Amy's light and fluffy ones, but delicious nonetheless), and then a morning on the trampoline. Oh yes, trampoline days are back and we're getting our groove on early. Drawing for my gal and a little last minute birthday gift stitching for me. The sun has lost it's bite and it's perfect outdoors weather again. Even though the trees are still lush and green it really felt like Autumn today with all the blustery wind. It came and went all day, and left me feeling somewhat scattered and a little nutty. I wasn't the only one.  Zahra was prancing around me all day with the excitement of it all. I admit that I had one of those moments today wondering how I could get a minutes solitude in amongst the mayhem. It's a little precious I know with only one child demanding my attention. I am amazed, humbled and filled with respect when I think of other Mamas out there doing it all with two ore more kids.I didn't lock myself in the bathroom with a book, which I have been known to do with the refrain of... "I'll be out in a minute"  (does anyone else do this ?) instead we kept moving to get that crazy energy out... hopscotch and gardening...and then Zahra found my kite. The one I've had since I was seven. Well that settled it we headed off up the hill. Then the sun finally sank and the wind died down leaving an exhausted 6 year old.

I finally got my moment of solitude. I've just now finished packing the star light lanterns I made on the weekend ready for tomorrow nights Twilight Markets here in town. The lovely Bec, with her stall of handmade goodies , was in need of some lighting and very kindly asked if I'd like to have some of my lanterns on display. I'm feeling a little vulnerable and excited putting
something I've made out there. I'm always telling Zahra that just like green eggs and ham, you'll never know unless you give it a go.

With one lantern left to wrap and no bags left, I rummaged through our bag stash and found the perfect thing. A carry bag with a Red Capped Robin sticker.It made me smile. This exhausted Mama is off to bed

To exhausted Mama's everywhere

Happy Autumn

~

Cxo

 

 

 

sunny Sunday

 

A week of braving swimming lessons in the non stop rain led to a general sogginess that meant our weekend was destined to be filled with indoor time and cosiness. Yay, I say. Nothing like wet weather to create an opportunity for hot chocolate, snuggling with a good book and getting one's hands busy with paper and paint.

The result...a rainbow of tealight lanterns and an afternoon in the studio.

A young girl came in with her Grandmother. They watched , talked and looked around. The Grandmother spoke of how she dreams of having a space at home just for painting. Her eyes shone as she spoke of her art and dreams. It's a privilege to meet those that come through the studios and to listen to their stories.

I showed them how to lino-cut and sent the young girl home with a small heart in her pocket.

I cut, folded, oiled and unfolded while listening to a little Dirt Music, Be Good Tanyas and Paul Kelly (after showing Zahra the story of Vincent Lingiari earlier this week, Mr.Kelly's voice and these lyrics have been getting a lot of airtime round here). By the afternoon the lanterns were drying, the rainclouds had all but vanished and the sun was shining.

Happy sushiny Sunday friends

~

Cxo

 

 

 

patchwork and paint

 

two old, wooden chairs in need of some love

a little pondering over colours

 the last sunny day of Summer

 a quick visit to the hardware store

followed by some light sanding

 one sample pot of Grey Dawn

and helpful hands

led to

A bagful of remnants

This book

one late night of sewing

a match for the bird watching cushion

and a brighter place to sit

 

Happy Days

~

Cxo