I've Moved

I have decided to go with my own hosting and you can now find me over here at La Vie en Chic.

Drop by and say hi. :)

A Day to Remember : Mum

Today would have been my Mum's 66th birthday. She passed away nearly 5 years ago aged 61 and one month. I often wonder what it would have been like if she had lived - and not had Alzheimer's?

Each year I get older, and my children get older there are so many more things I understand - and so many more things I want to know and understand and would love to ask her. If she had lived then it is most likely that she would not have been able to remember me, let alone answer my questions.

So it is not to be.

Perhaps it is best this way, and I take today to remember her. Look back at old photo's and share her with my children.

It would also have been my parents 46th wedding anniversary. They celebrated their 40th in the year before she died. I know my Dad finds today very hard. Being married on her birthday is something I share with my Mum as I too married on my birthday.

It is also quite the coincidence that the precious little pooch we got 4 years ago, who has wiggled his way into all our hearts, was born on Mum's birthday. It just makes him extra special to us. I know she would have adored our toy poodle Max too!

Happy birthday Mum - and Max!

ps - my children are learning how to groom him - so sometimes he does not quite look like your typical poodle. :)

Celebrate Banner

Having made paper banners in the past for numerous celebrations I have been wanting to try making a more permanent one. De-cluttering and cleaning out for our yard sale last Thursday finally have me the momentum to get it done.

The evidence, when pulled out of storage, along with the realisation of how much stuff I was keeping just in case I could use it for projects and how little I missed it while things were packed away was enough for me to want to cull.

A lot went!!  :)

However the lace on this old Shabby Chic sheet set from Rachel Ashwell was too nice to toss just because the sheet was worn out.

 

After un-stitching, washing, ironing and starching the lace, yesterday I used it as the basis for the Celebrate banner I had in mind.

 

Bias binding, some burlap and Pink Paislee scrapbooking alphabet letters all came together nicely to create a base for a banner that can be decorated up and added to for various upcoming celebrations we will have around here.

 

Right now it fills the space underneath this portrait nicely. Simple but elegant and with loads more potential. It is due to play a roll in a party I am planning - but is a surprise for one of the members in my house. This way I can get it made at least this far and they don't have a clue.

 

I love the vintage french feel the lace and burlap evoke. 

Sorry about the shadows! No matter which way I took the photo's they could not be avoided. 

Watch this space for more on the Celebrate Banner - and secret party planning. 

Linking up here today.

Royal Icing Baby Cookies

Yesterday saw me spending the day in my kitchen with my youngest daughter. We were baking and decorating "onesie" and pram shaped cookies ready for a friends baby shower today.

First we had to make and bake the cookies and the way I do it takes a while forever, but the results are superb, creating smooth, fluffy, light, and airy cookies that melt in your mouth. Having a great base to proceed with goes such a long time towards a perfect finished product.

It's been quite some time since I had a go at piped icing cookies. Over 3 years in fact which was for a high tea party. Can't say I have ever done baby cookies. Whilst it took me some time to get into the swing of it the Wilton cookie cutters were a huge help. :)

Getting the colours right can be tricky but starting off with just a little on the tip of a toothick and adding more to build up the colour is much simpler with gel colours. I find liquid colours just water down the icing. The finish is nowhere near as nice with that type of colouring either. To get that real baby pastel colour these called for I just used one tiny dip in the gel.

I was sharing the steps with my youngest daughter who is a keen cook and wants to learn cake decorating. It's a long process but so much fun to see it all come together at the end. Very gratifying and also great for teaching a young one "patience"!

She had so much fun letting her creative nature have free reign and decorating the cookies, she had lined and flooded, with icing for the two older siblings of the blessing to come.

I am so grateful to be able to share these special times, watching the development of her skills and to see the enjoyment on her face at what she can accomplish!

Pots of Royal Icing all mixed up with sweet soft shabby baby colours ready for piping are just so pretty.

 

It took me far longer than I remember in the past. Mostly due to my favourite small piping bag, the one that fits all my piping tubes, going missing. I have not seen it since we moved and just hope it is in a box in the store room somewhere with all those other things I have not been able to find since moving. I have had that particular bag and coupler since - well, lets just say it could be considered vintage.

I ended up using zip lock bags for the edge lining, flooding with a palette knife and then decorating with the zippy bags to finish off.

All done and left to dry out and set.

They were a huge hit, and while not decorated with quite the finesse that a proper icing kit would have provided they were delicious and cute. Just perfect for a baby shower!

Linking up here...

Eighteenth Birthday

It hardly seems like yesterday that my eldest was born and yet already just this month he turned eighteen.  I’m not the first and won’t be the last as I know there are many of you out there who have experienced the same feelings.

But yikes!

At his request rather than gush about how wonderful he is, the fabulous relationship we have, and how proud he has made me, this is supposed to be short and sweet.

Maybe!

He asked for a quiet night without any hoopla. Bowling and a couple of friends over for Mum’s Fettuccine with Chicken, Bacon, and Almonds, were top of his list. Oh – and a carrot cake with lots of cream cheese icing. 

Now that I can do!

Or at least I thought I could. The cream cheese icing did not turn out very well. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted lovely and the cake was delicious. The icing just did not have the consistency I was after and my decorating efforts were less than stellar. Score on the cake, look for another icing recipe!

Short on party supplies stores here I was racking my brain on what to decorate it with to try and distract your eye enhance the icing. There are not many 18th birthday cake designs to be found online either. A little hand made banner with my scrapbooking supplies, twine and some wooden skewers sat nicely above some recycled bowling pins from a past birthday cake one of his siblings had years ago. Given we were going bowling it seemed like a good match

We had a short period of time before our friends arrived so we headed I dragged him outside in the humidity and still too strong sunlight to try and get some “seniors shots”. We had fun and a few of them are ok. I need to try a little later in the day next time.

Now I may have agreed not to gush, but did not say anything about sharing a photo.

(I didn’t really drag him – he went willingly. We had discussed it prior, he knew it was coming up and consequently had time to prepare. I find portrait photography works better this way with a couple of my sweet ones.) Rather than ruffle too many feathers at this "longer than it should have been gushy style" post I will leave you with this one he likes. A little attempt at a sun flare shot.

Happy birthday Son - I love you!

Dear Blog

Dear poor neglected Blog.

I know it has been a while, a very long while. Too long in fact - but life has just been so busy and involved. Travel, health challenges, lifestyle changes, everyday responsibilities and loads of decision making have all conspired to keep me from you.

That's everyday life, and I know that is OK. It is a journey with much to be learned and enjoyed.

Yes, I know I could have blogged my way through those things that have kept me away. But sometimes things are too personal, or too close, or just too plain boring, to talk about it - even with you.

But I do miss you, and I do want to blog. It just has to be worked out in what format and what about and to what intent and depth. It must have purpose, and I feel like it needs structure rather than just my disjointed blather and ramblings.

So dear blog, and friends, please hang in there with me a little while longer while I travel this current season and remember I do care!

In the words of Arnie - I'll be back! 

Soon.....

Canton Texas and Vintage Junk

Today was Thursday of First Monday Trade days at Canton. It has long been a dream of mine to visit this very fabulous, very large, and very fascinating, world famous flea market that is held in the city of Canton Texas.

As we were headed down from Dallas to New Orleans today we had to drive straight past Canton. Not that just happening planning to be there had anything to do with it of course.

It was 100f and about as humid, so the two munchkins I had with me sweated it out as we walked around for about 3 hours. Thankfully everyone was very friendly, we had got there early, and along with parking very close, there were no crowds.

I guess that is one positive with the heat. :)

We met some wonderful people with amazing talent and skills in all manner of things. One former Mayor of Canton took time out of his day to chat with us while we visited his daughters booth. It was obvious how very proud of her he was and it was lovely to see him so enthusiastic about it and the town he calls home.

Of course I made a few little purchases. Small things we can pack carefully and take home. As we continued to drive for another 7 hours after leaving Canton we arrived in New Orleans as the sun was setting so I have not managed any "staging" shots of my haul. That may have to wait till I am back home.

However - just to give you a little glimpse of the treasures I found, you might like to visit those friendly, and beautifully talented gals from Girls Gone Junkin for a tiny taste of the fabulous day I had. 

I have followed their blog for a long while and it was such a delight to meet them and spend time in their fabulous Canton booth. Talk about that dreamy, vintage, junk, bling, French inspired space all wrapped up with with linen and lace - altogether it was simply stunning. I must have walked around in circles for a while just soaking it all up.

Right now though I am ready for some sleep. It was a long day driving! Here's to dreaming about vintage junk shopping at Canton Texas.

Still on the Road and Polyface Farms Open Day 2011

Yes, we are still here and still on the road. We had little or no internet connection for a few days after my last post. Then the trip got very busy and we were having loads of fun. So much so that we were falling into bed exhilarated but exhausted at night without me even thinking about blogging.

By the time I could have got on here I was out of the blogging groove and decided just to enjoy the moment without trying to push myself to be on here.


Since my last post we have traveled up through Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland and into Pennsylvania where we stayed on a dairy farm in Lancaster County for a few days. We had a small apartment in an 1814 farm house and I must admit it was nice to have a kitchen again - albeit old. There was even had an interesting old built in cupboard with gorgeous original hardware that everyone is replicating currently.

Aside from having dinner in an Amish lady's home one night we cooked and ate at home. With so much choice of fresh food and wonderful raw milk right on the doorstep we would visit the roadside stalls, select something for dinner and enjoy the time together after being out doing the tourist thing in the morning. Then sit on the porch and enjoy the sunset to the clip clop of old order horse and buggies going up the road.

So you can understand why I could not bring myself to haul the laptop out there to the porch and blog. It would have killed the whole atmosphere watching the fireflys at dusk.

The down time did us all the world of good and the children enjoyed mucking out, learning how to milk a cow, feeding the baby calves and swimming in the creek with the farmers children.

The end of that week saw us drive down to High View in West Virginia to stay with friends. Quite near the town of Winchester just over the border into Virginia. We spent some time exploring the history of the area.

Being so close to Washington DC we took the opportunity and spent the 4th of July in the Nations capital where we saw the 2011 Independence Day parade outside the White House in the morning and the fabulous fireworks show in the evening. It was a long day but getting to hang out in many of the Smithsonian Museums again was good. We had been to DC in 2006 but not at night, and certainly we had not thought we would be back there. This I guess was the ultimate day to do it.

Friday saw us drive further south into Virginia to a place called Staunton. The trip though less than two hours was longer than that due to torrential rain all the way. It made for a harrowing drive. We ate dinner out in a nice restaurant for the first time since being on the trip. The Depot in Staunton is a wonderful place with a good atmospehre and is in the old train depot in Old Town Staunton. Food was just delicious and, as usual in the American style, very large portions. If you are ever by that way then make sure to try them out - and check out the fabulous white painted wood ceilings. Our waiter Shane was entertaining and made the experience all the more enjoyable.

Saturday saw us visit Polyface for their once in three years open day on the farm. Joel Salatin is someone whom I have read and studied for a number of years and the opportunity to visit the farm, see how he does things and meet the man was just too good to pass up. It is in fact the reason we headed east away from Texas and Oklahoma.

I want to talk a lot more about the Farm day but think I will leave that for another post as this one is getting a little long already - without even any pictures. My EHD is not accessible right now as I am blogging from the car as we drive West from Virginia across into Springfield Missouri where we will stop for 2 nights. I may add some in another time.

It is a long haul today but we are all doing well with the rest after being out for 11 hours at the farm yesterday. Right now it is bright sunshine as we drive through Illinois and we should make our destination before dark.

I have just one question - does anyone in the USA grow anything but corn? :)

Bayou Air Boat Swamp Tour in Louisiana

My husband has dreamed of going on an airboat since he was a young child watching Gentle Ben. As it was his birthday this week it seemed like the perfect birthday gift.

We chose Airboat Tours in Des Allemandes after much research on the internet. They have a web site, but like most places we needed to call and reserve a time.

It was raining with a black sky when we arrived and it looked like we might have to wait - or cancel. To our surprise the sky's cleared about 10 mins after we arrived. A quick check by Arthur and Chad on the android phone - yes they work fine down in the swamps - and we were set to go.

Our guide today was Chad, and we could not have enjoyed the tour as much as we did without him. He was funny, very engaging and full of educational insights to the swamp life and habits of the creatures and plants that live there.

We had some fast windblown moments, along with some fun manouvers before heading up and over the levee into private swampland of about 1700 acres.

Chad covered a lot of miles with us, sharing the lifecycles of the cypress trees, the root systems of swamp plants and talked about the positives and negatives of water in relation to the levee being broken or water rising due to hurricanes.

We saw varied water bird life including beautiful blue herons and white egrets.

There were also incredible scenes of water lilies, a cypress swamp and a massive Bald Eagles nest.

Yes - we did see some alligators too.

Isn't he beautiful!

 At at 12 feet 3inches this large alligator  is called Big Al.

This fellow by comparison is a paltry 8.5'.

Not that I would want to tangle with either of them. One of us got to feed him though!

We also saw a nest.

With eggs!

All in all we had a wonderful time and would love to do it again. After dark is apparently better! We did a lot of research and had heard some negatives about airboat tours. Every aspect of Arthurs Airboat Tours impressed us and we would recommend them to anyone thinking about experiencing the Louisiana swamps in a fun and exciting way.

Another travel tip for today. Mix it up a little. Keep the munchkins and the hubby happy. If you have done something historical and old world, throw something else into the travel plans.

Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana

Yesterday, after leaving Shreveport around 1.30 pm, we drove to Vacherie, headed for Oak Alley Plantation. I had booked Cottage #6 at this well know plantation home, used in many TV shows and movies, for an overnight stay.

As we arrived around 6 pm the sun was just going down and everyone was overwhelmed with the beauty of the place. Son #2 was asking when we drove in if he could get out and run around. There were so many large tree's and vast expanses of lawn that he just wanted to be out of the car amongst them.

Suddenly in the car there was this sense of peace. After the busyness of the last week it was incredible to stop in such a quiet peaceful place. The crickets were just starting to chirp and you could hear the occasional frog croak.

We grabbed the camera's and headed for the plantation home and Oak Alley, hoping to capture some photo's before the sun set. Given we were staying the night we had free access to the grounds for as long as we liked. As a family we wandered the grounds together, enjoying the scenery as we made our way to the front of the property which sits along the Mississippi River behind a levee bank.

It truly is a stunning site looking back up Oak Alley to the house. Considering the trees at app 300 years old are only halfway through their lifespan they sure are magnificent with many of the massive branches reaching the ground.

After walking back to the cutest little cottage, complete with a spa bath, it was decided we should jump in the car and head back out onto the levee so we could watch the sunset over the Mississippi River.

Then it was time for dinner. After researching the area I knew there was nowhere nearby to get a meal easily, let alone something good. Which meant that our Creole dinner was pre-ordered and waiting in our cottage to be warmed and eaten when we chose. After being it the car all day it was so nice to have it already done, especially as the sun didn't set till about 9pm. Imagine having to turn around then and make dinner.

We enjoyed eating Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage along with Crawfish Etouffee. It was finished off with delicious deserts such as Bread Pudding, Pecan Pie and Buttermilk Pie. To keep the cost down and allow us all to taste everything I just ordered one of each of 3 dishes and we all had a little along with a good plate of salad.

Which brings me to my travel trip for this post - think about having a meal pre-arranged at your destination accommodation. It's a nice break for Mum and makes life that little bit easier not having to find somewhere to eat at the last minute when you are tired and hungry - easier to make better food choices too. Try to experience the local cuisine that way - and enjoy the time you have there without the "what are we going to have for dinner" issue.

Everything there was from the Oak Alley Plantation restaurant, which is where we also had a plantation breakfast this morning.

Before we got to breakfast though we went back outside late, after it got dark, and walked the grounds again.

Green Oaks at night - lighting effect through camera though not the naked eye.

Just as well after that dinner!

Going out after dark was another wonderful adventure. The girls volunteered to stay home and do the dishes. Not because it was dark but because they were enjoying the fun of the little cottage and spending time together.

In the meantime the boys, hubby and I enjoyed the nightlife critters and the torches supplied with the cottage.

We were encouraged to wander around the grounds and I am so glad we did it more than once. The boys too got a kick out of pulling funny faces with the torches and trying to scare us.

Then we all slept like logs. The cottage is very, very comfortable.

After breakfast this morning of eggs, ham, and biscuits or beignets, we did the house tour which was very informative and well delivered. The house is amazing and the view from the outside gallery on the second floor made it worth taking the tour for that alone.

This is one place I would love to come and stay again - perhaps for longer. When I told my youngest daughter we needed to leave she sighed and said "I love this place". She did not want to leave and I can understand why. We all felt our spirits renewed and refreshed by the slower pace of life here, and the beauty that surrounded us.

Now we are heading south to Des Allemandes for an air boat tour. What a change of pace from the wonderful peaceful atmosphere of Oak Alley Plantation!