happy Australia day!!

Greetings all,

Happy Australia Day!!  

We're celebrating with banana smoothies, lamingtons & Australia-shaped watermelons - a surprisingly good taste combination.

 Looking through snaps on my phone - i found this quintessential Australian landscape shot, across Lake George, on the curve of the home stretch into Canberra.  To me, a Sydney girl, this is now very much my home, in my heart & my mind.  

 Of course, Canberra is the only inland capital city in Australia, so a trip to the beach isn't happening today, although it is scorching hot today.  Our Christmas holiday stay on the water in Yamba, North Coast NSW, is a memory, a very happy one.  We'll always have our Basil Bangs beach umbrella though, i could gaze at that fringing all day, actually i did!! 

Have a gorgeous long weekend Australians, love Posie

Australia Day . . . nom nom nom

Greetings all & happy Australia Day!!

We did the typical Australian things today . . . slipped on thongs & went swimming, bike riding & ate up a storm.

 One of my favourite things about Australia & Australians . . . is our sense of humour, even at the guarded entrances on military bases!!

 Our menu was a rolling brunch of multicultural delights - French croissants, Italian sausages, Greek salad, Kiwi Fruit & Canadian bacon (only joking, Darling Downs bacon!!)

 Here's a crowd pleaser for brunch, i've never made French toast before, so i gave it a go today - savoury sandwich style!! 

 Basic French toast . . . gently whisk eggs (1 egg per 2 slices of multigrain bread) coat bread generously & fry, then pop in the oven to keep warm; fry ham, bacon & eggs (both sides).  

 Composition . . . layer toast, ham, bacon, egg + fancy cheese if you have some, i didn't think that far ahead, gruyere would be perfection & i'd add sprouts or herbs too.  Slice into fingers!!

Serve with a Finnish napkin, da dah!!  How Australian was that??  Love Posie

Happy Australia Day & the Qld Flood Raffles end at midday

Raffle WINNER:  Congratulations # 96 . . . Anna from TillyTom Designs & Sew!Busy!Mama blog, you have an autographed copy of Handmade Living, a pencil roll, fabric & more crafty goodness coming to you!! 

Giveaway WINNER: Congratulations #45 . . . Bronwyn from Whippet Good blog, you have 4 Japanese printed FQ of fabric coming your way!!

Sorry for the delay in the annoucement & to leave 138 very generous entries hanging, my middle girl cut her foot open getting into the shower, i know, safer in the pool, bathrooms are the danger zone!!  Thanks for your patience!!

Greetings all,
Happy Australia Day everyone.  Still flat from my migraine but up for taking the children swimming & having a fun day.  In Canberra we have all sorts of free concerts to celebrate but i find them a bit of a mosh pit & with 4 children on my own, someone always needs the bathroom (um, me)!!  I think swimming, a BBQ, ANZAC biscuits & lamingtons is more our scene this year. 

Like the chalk flag my middle girl drew on the back of the house??  I'm sure Defence Housing will enjoy it too!!  She did it last week while they were playing cricket in the back garden, she was meant to be fielding at silly mid off.

 A happy shot of my 4 with some of their cousins in Balmoral (Mosman) 10 days ago.  Cousins are the best people in the world, my children have 19 of them, aged 4 to 21, all living in NSW.  We have a combination of cousins with Italian, Austrian, Hungarian, English, Irish, Scottish & French heritage, how typically Australian is that??!! 
Wondered why 3 of my children have olive skin??  Paternal northern Italian great grandparents - the genes are strong!!  My husband is very olive, with blue eyes, dimples, oh & his smile . . . sorry, got a bit carried away there . . . i miss him . . . anyway, in Italy everyone speaks Italian to him, he's just a tall sporty style Italian.  

 The iconic kangaroo, we have gazillions around our place & chat to them on our family bush walks.  They are pretty timid & some are enormous!!

 Thanks for a wonderful response to the auctions & raffles run by Make it Perfect (check out the master list!!) we're raising a whole tonne of money for the flood victims in Qld.  Today the raffles end at midday.  The grand total of money raised will be announced late this afternoon, what a wonderful way to show off our Australian spirit, helping our neighbours, on Australia Day!!
 

 I can't wait to draw my lucky raffle winner after lunch (for an autographed copy of Handmade Living, a pencil roll & fabric + craft goodies) & a runner up for 4 Japanese FQ fabrics.  Good luck everyone, over 100 125 entries & counting!!
ALSO, can't wait to see if i've won any raffles too??  Have you seen the competition over at Jodie's Ric Rac raffle for softies or Lisa's The Red Thread raffle for a sewing machine, fabric & patterns . . . i've entered both, several times, fingers crossed!!

Want more ways to support the Qld Flood Appeal??  Lots of designers at Shop Handmade in Canberra are donating 10% of January sales & . . . the amazing Rachel & Julie who own Shop Handmade are matching them dollar for dollar!!  Yahoo, imagine that mega donation??  When my children resume school, i go back to Shop Handmade - come & visit the most beautiful Shop in Canberra!!  Support Australian handmade, small business, local produce with excellent customer service (if i do say so myself). 

Thank you everyone for participating in any raffle, auction, donation, prizes, giveaways, shopping, baking, sandwich making & every other little thing you've done to support the Qld Flood Appeal, victims & volunteers.
Have yourself a wonderful Australia Day, love Posie

Amy Butler LOVE(s) Australia Day too . . .

Greetings all,
While i will not enter into the debate about our flag . . . which arcs up around every Australia Day . . . & no, this is not my proposed solution either.  Just saying that Amy Butler LOVE(s) Australia Day too, 'tis all.  For those of you who don't get the slight pun, Amy's latest gorgeous fabric collection is named 'love' with a heart for the letter 'o' in 'love' & all of the fabrics included here are from that pretty range.  Delightful don't you think?? 

Back off the union jack, my Mummy is British & you can't deny it's not a cool shape to play with.  Ever noticed how all the British blogs have fabulous & proudly displayed union jacks on them??  Not lost on me (right Mum??)

So this is going to be made into a large bed head style cushion for our eldest daughter, but i couldn't decide on the star combinations (cheating, they will be applique on in the morning after consultation) & it's late & we've been swimming all afternoon, after a morning meeting & never ending evening & not happy with my late night photography either . . . i'm leaving as is so as to not regret any late night sewing. 
Happy Australia Day everyone, we'll be eating lamingtons & having a BBQ.  Wishing everyone a safe public holiday with their loved ones.  Love Posie