School Run: Half-Marathon
It's Wednesday afternoon and I'm on the tools.
School Pick-up.
Pram wheels whizzing in front, six kids trailing behind; a slow caravan of feet-dragging, backpack-heaving, high-spirited blue. And a Euphonium.
Keep up Slowest Boy in the World, don't make me come back there.
No we can't play in the playground, Flygirl's got to get to art class.
Hold onto the pram, Cappers, we're crossing in a minute. Yes, you do need to hold onto the pram. No, you're not old enough to cross by yourself even if I watch you very carefully and you look right and left and left again. And, by the way, it's left then right then left again - that's why you can't cross the road by yourself.
No you can't come out of the pram, Badoo. You wanted the pram, you got the pram, I hate the pram, I'm not pushing an empty pram. And a Euphonium.
Okay, I'll carry your heavy bag, Sambochips. Load it on top of the pram. Really, Cappers? I have to carry yours too? And Max - okay, just put all the bags onto the pram and I'll put these two on my back and, okay, Badoo, you can get out of the pram now. Please, Badoo, you wanted to get out and now I need you to... oh, forget it. Maxi, just balance yours on top of the Euphonium. Just call me 'pack horse', no problems.
Well, honey, a pack horse is usually a donkey or mule or, oh, just forget it. Forget I said anything.
Maxi, leave the birds alone, we're about to cross.
Slowest Boy in the World, leave the birds alone, we're about to cross.
No, really, Cappers, don't worry about what a mule is. Really. Don't. Worry.
We cross. Six kids, six backpacks, a pram, a sagging mumma. And a Euphonium.
Okay, everyone into the car. Seat belts on. There you go, Badoo. Forgodsakes, bend, Badoo, BEND. Yes, you have to wear a seat belt. Yes, you have to wear a seat belt. Yes, you have to wear a seat belt. Just put the seat belt on, Badoo.
Everyone else got their seat belts on? Seat belts? Put your seat belts on. Seat belts! Cappers? Flygirl? Sambochips? Maxi? Slowest Boy in the World? Oh come on, SBITW. Maxi, help the kid out would ya?
I'll explain what a mule is later, Cappers. Don't worry about it right now. Just forget about it. You can, you really, really can.
Right. Six bags into the boot. Pram into the boot. And a Euphonium.
FuckmedeadthisbloodyEuphoniumhowthehelldoIgetthisintothecar. @#%$^ beep &$%* ^&%$$# beep beep #$%!$@!
Right.
Okay.
We're in. I can drive with half a Euphonium on my lap, no problem. What do you mean you're hungry and thirsty? You're not the ones who've just lugged six kids, a pram, six backpacks and a freakin' Euphonium up the goddamn hill. Here, share this mouthful of water amongst yourselves and here's six crumbs left over from this morning's toast. Enjoy.
And, seriously, Flygirl. Seriously. What in god's name is wrong with the flute?
What's 'pick-up' like for you?
Do you love it as much as I do?
Do you hang around the gate and chat to the other mums?
Do you get there early or are you always running late?
Cape Henley
Before I visited the Country Living Spring Fair I loved Cape Henley. They love France and New England so they've combined the two and put together a range of home and garden accessories, and furniture that captures the essence of this style. They have lots of whitewashed wooden furniture, distressed rattan and the prettiest vintage floral and check cushions.
I love their weathered rattan trunks, which would make really good laundry baskets and the ceramic bird napkin holders are the cutest!
Have a sweet day!
Vintage + tulle + lace = puuuuuurty!
Happy hump day to you! This evening I thought I would share with you a glimpse of a new little collection I have been working on... I've been inspired by the softness and textures and pastels of Spring (yes yes, I know its almost Winter but in my head, Spring is but a breath away...). I've been ransacking the thrift stores for vintage laces and embroideries. And I've been creating a little range for little girls... a range of sweet whimsy and unabashed girly gorgeousness! Think fairy princesses. Tea parties. Dressing up in your grandmothers pearls...
Two of the pieces are instore now... with much more to come!
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| US $9.99 from here |
Oh, the fun things I have discovered you can do with tulle! Perhaps I was inspired by the royal wedding? More tops, some tulle skirts, headpieces and more to come!
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| US $14 from here |
ps. Don't forget to check my sale section -- onesies on sale til Friday! Don't miss out! x
wordless Wednesday
please enter your wordless blog post in the link up below, link back to here & enjoy visiting the community of bloggers who meet here every wednesday to share precious images
thank you ♥
This post has the wrong title
My post is supposed to be called "Win a New Ford Territory for a Year and $5,000." I really, really wanted to call it that because that's the rules in the Kidspot Top 50, but something in me drove me to say
No.
I don't want to call it that.
This is my problem, you see. I can't do the rules. You say go left, I instantly want to go right. They say do this and, you betcha, I'm doing that. Most of the time I wake up to myself and manage to tow the line, but sometimes...
I think I think too much. I don't want to be a wolf, but I'm not too keen on being a sheep either.
I can't just accept things at face value, I have to ask a million questions and run a few thousand scenarios through my head. It drives LOML to distraction at the best of times and dunks me in some hot water at the worst.
Outwardly I must seem like a nice, normal sort of person, but inwardly I'm a kind of anti-establishment, boot-wearing F You Mo Fo kind of gal. I'm not sure why that is, but it is.
So that's why I'm saying that as much as I'd love to drive around in the latest Ford Terror for a year with a tasty 5K in my back pocket, I just can't have a headline like that on my blog. It's just not what I do around here.
Don't hate me, Ford and Kidspot.
And, pretty please with maple syrup on top, vote for me if you haven't already. I clearly need all the help I can get!
With thanks to Kidspot and Ford for supporting the somewhat-unhinged Australian blogging community.
* Disclaimer: Just so you know (and not that I couldn't use a free one!), I am already the driver of a seven seater Terror. See, I'm just soooo anti-establishment! It's the only car that would fit three car seats across the back seat when Badoo was born. It's easy to clean (number one important car criteria), has lots of storage (number two) and comfort-wise (number three) it's like driving around town in your Jason Recliner. On the not-so-sucky-up-to-Ford side, it guzzles fuel like Charlie Sheen AND his two girlfriends on a bender. That $5K would definitely come in handy for the winner... x
[Image from here]
[Image from here]
Gluten-free mint choc chip cupcakes
Gluten-free mint choc chip cupcakes (makes 12 muffin size cakes)
Ingredients
- 90g butter, softened
- 80g Hotel Chocolat dark chocolate buttons
- 160 ml (2/3 cup) semi-skimmed milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint essence
- 220g (1 cup) brown sugar
- 100g (2/3 cup) gluten free self-raising flour, sieved
- 2 tablespoons Hotel Chocolat organic cocoa powder, sieved
Cooking instructions
- Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C (325-350 deg F)
- Line muffin tray with paper cases
- Place chocolate and milk in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth
- Beat butter, eggs, peppermint essence and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour
- Stir in flour, cocoa, and warm chocolate mix until mixed thoroughly
- Divide mixture among cases
- Bake for 25-30 minutes
- Place cakes on a wire rack to cool
To decorate (24 cupcake size cakes)
What you will need
- 24 fondant blue butterflies
- 56 small fondant flowers
- Vanilla buttercream
- Grass icing tube no.233
- Icing bag or bottle
Instructions
- Spoon green buttercream into a piping bag or bottle fitted with a nozzle attached
- On top of the cakes, starting at outside edge and working in circles, pipe buttercream by squeezing a small amount onto cake at 90 degree angle, pulling up and away when icing strand is long enough (about 3 cm) stop squeezing and pull tip away at various angles (see pics for how-to)
- Push fondant flowers and butterfly lightly into iced grass
Have a sweet day!
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