Homelea Instagram Happenings: Loving May
Posted on May 19, 2013
I love May, it’s my favourite month and it always seems to go so quickly! The weather turns from summer to winter, the country shows happen, the winter racing carnival gets underway and did I mention it’s my birthday month as well?
These are the May Homelea happenings from Instagram so far . . .
I found the most awesome duct tape at the supermarket – goodbye boring grey duct tape! I’m looking forward to sealing up boxes with this tape.
There’s been heaps and heaps of crochet happening. I’ve made a chevron rug that’s been entered into the Chinchilla Show – I’ll get to see it on display next weekend. I’m calling it the “Downton Chevron Rug” because the colours are a bit Downton Abbey-ish and I watched the full three seasons while making it! It’s made from 100% Australian merino wool and it’s oh so very soft. It smells lovely too.
I’m lovely coral colours at present, the colour of this notebook makes my heart sing.
I tried this Goat Curd from Woodside Cheese Wrights in the Adelaide Hills and it was so good! I’m avoiding dairy products at present so it’s good to have a yummy cheesy alternative.
I think this is the most awesome vintage sugar stick holder ever!
It’s been the perfect weather for fruit toast and coffee, and this fruit toast is fantastic. It’s wheat free and organic, and comes from Yummioh at the Eagle Farm Markets in Brisbane. The huge bits of fruit and the nuts make it so good.
I must admit I’ve got a soft spot for wood panelling and leafy green plants. I’ve also got a soft spot for retro tiles and old school “cloak” signs. I found these in the members area of the Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane, it was like stepping back in time.
Deck chairs alway make me think of beautiful summer days.
I’m loving the fresh, crisp air of the chilly May mornings. Oh, and I’m also loving playing with the A Beautiful Mess app as well!
Well that’s been May so far. I hoping the rest of May is full of fun and happiness as well.
Cheers,
Lynda oxo.
Yarn Love and a Crochet Cushion Cover
Posted on November 13, 2012
I have a secret to share – I love yarn and I have lots of it! Wool, cotton, silk, you name it, I love it if it’s a gorgeous or different yarn. I love all kinds of yarn, but as an Australian farmer I have a passion for supporting other local producers, which means I go crazy for a yarn that has Australian origins, or second to that New Zealand origins (our very important next door neighbours!). Oh, and I’m always on the hunt for organic yarns because it’s good for everyone in the “yarn chain” (kind of like a “food chain” for yarn).
Meadow Yarn by Nunnaba (image from http://www.etsy.com/shop/nunnaba)
Anyhow, I came across this gorgeous yarn called “Meadow” that is spun by the Sydney based Jenna Robinson from the Etsy shop Nunnaba. It’s colours and textures hooked me it – the yellow, pinks, browns and sparks of green and purple had me at the first sight. And I’m happy to report that when I started working with the yarn my imagination went into overdrive and it was like being transported into a meadow full of gypsies and flowers – the colours and textures took me into another world. I loved creating with this yarn.
After a bit of playing around, the meadow yarn has now been lovingly created into a ”flourish cushion” that will have a new home with a lovely lady on Christmas day. I hope it brings her as much happiness as it brought me when I created it.
Flourish Cushion in Meadow by Nunnaba
The flourish detail is one I came up to suit the yarn after a bit of trial and error. I was pretty pleased with the final product.
Flourish Cushion in Meadow by Nunnaba
I purchased some more yarn from Nunnaba over the weekend. The delicate colours and textures of the three skeins I purchased make them look soft and magical. I don’t know what they will become yet – I’ll decide what to do with them once I see them.
Do you have any yarn secrets to share? How about suggestions for fabulous Australia, New Zealand or organic yarns?
Love Lynda xox
Ange Cowl
Posted on May 21, 2013
Winter is well and truly making an appearance here is Southern Queensland, Australia with the onset of low temperatures and cool breezes. I’ve pulled my winter woolies out of their summer hiding place and am enjoying wearing them again.
The appearance of winter has me thinking about crochetting wraps, cowls and scarfs. I’ve succeeded in crocheting another cowl, this time as a birthday present for a lovely lady. The lovely lady is a funky mum with a 3 year old, so I wanted the cowl to be fun, warm and low maintenance.
The beauty of a cowl is that it can’t slip off your neck like a scarf or wrap can, which is perfect for a busy mum. It can also be worn loose around your neck, or when it’s really cold wrapped close to your neck.
I carefully selected the yarn, Knitsch sock yarn in the Odelay colourway to suit the birthday girl. The Knitsch sock yarn feels lovely. The yarn is 100% New Zealand merino wool that is also hand dyed in New Zealand. I love the colours of Odelay and how they combine. For some reason the colours remind me of orchids. Strange but true.
The Ange cowl is a Homelea Lass original design, and I must admit there was plenty of pulling stitches out as I was developing the pattern. I started out using the same pattern as the baby alpaca cowl I made, but I added ribbing onto the ends to stop any crochet growth that can be a tad unsightly. Because the Knitsch sock yarn is a fingerling (4ply) yarn I worked with 2 strands together so the cowl would be lovely and warm.
The thing I love about the Ange cowl is that the two sides of the cowl are completely different, and each one is lovely in it’s own way. In places the Odelay yarn reminds me of a retro carpet.
I’m happy to report that the cowl feels lovely to wear (I had to sneak a try to check it was perfect). I really liked it and have ordered some green Knitsch yarn to make one for myself. The cowl was a success because the birthday girl wants another one as well, so I’ve got two Ange Cowl’s on my making list.
To find out more about this cowl you can have a look at it on Ravelry here.
Cheers,
Lynda oxo.
A Pastel Chevron Scarf
Posted on May 17, 2013
I’ve been busy of late making winter woolies, it’s the perfect time of year for doing it!
I made this pastel chevron scarf as a 3rd birthday present for a lovely little girl. The organic cotton yarn by Heirloom is lovely and soft, and is Australian grown and processed. The pastel pink and purple are the favourite colours of the lovely little girl, so I hope she likes it. I love the raised chevron pattern of this scarf.
Cheers,
Lynda oxo.
My Homelea Week: Autumn Blue and Green
Posted on May 5, 2013
Hi and welcome to “my homelea week”. Last week I got a teeny tiny bit of a shock when I looked at my Instagram feed for the week and saw a lot of red and yellow. This week I got another teeny tiny shock because this week was blue and green. I must be subconsciously inspired by the beautiful autumn outdoors.
So my homelea week involved more photos from our Marburg visit . . . .
My entry for the National Wool Museum’s Scarf Festival . . .
A highly anticipated coffee delivery (I love the geometric pattern) . . .
And this organic rosemary that got added to a Shepard’s Pie. The rosemary smelt and felt devine.
I hope your coming week is homelea!
Cheers,
Lynda oxo.
A Vintage Road Trip to Marburg
Posted on May 3, 2013
Aren’t autumn mornings lovely? Especially when you wake up on a Saturday morning and the sun is shining, with a hint of cool in the air. I think that these days are great for going for a road trip.
If you’ve been following HomeleaLass on Instagram or read the last My Homelea Week blog post, you would have noticed that last Saturday we were road tripping from Brisbane to Chinchilla and we did a not-so-brief stop off at Marburg. Marburg is a charming town not far from the Warrego Highway, and is about 60km west of Brisbane.
If we’re driving along the Warrego Highway Hubby and I quite often we toss up whether we should stop off and pop into Scotland Yard Antiques. This time we did and we had a great time looking at all the vintage treasures, I really could have taken some of them home with me. There are little cards dotted around the shop with what is know about the history of the treasures, these are really interesting to read.
Even Little Min came along for a look.
We were lucky enough that the local show was on, so we popped in for a look at this too. We looked at horses, cows, handicrafts, chickens, ducks, fairy floss and hubby had a “Marburger” – it was a hamburger with the lot plus more! If you’ve never been to a country show before you should put it on your bucket list – they are great fun and there’s heaps on at this time of year.
Marburg is a great spot for a road trip, especially if you’re a lover of all things vintage. Have you ever popped into Marburg before? Where is your favourite place to road trip too?
Cheers,
Lynda oxo.
My Homelea Week: Red and Yellow
Posted on April 28, 2013
Hi! It’s lovely to see you at “my homelea week”. I love sharing the homelea-ness of my week with you.
When I looked back over my images from the last week it appears I’ve developed a subconscious love of yellow and red together. And I do like it! Perhaps this will become the inspiration for a crochet creation, it would look good in a chevron, perhaps matching cushions – one yellow and white and the other red and white . . . .
On Saturday morning we popped into Marburg to visit a favourite homelea store “Scotland Yard Antiques”. Hubby and I have been popping in now for a year or so, after deciding to drop by on a whim on a trip from Brisbane to Chinchilla. We’ve picked up some fabulous vintage things for our home. Out the front of the store there was a gorgeous yellow chair sitting beside an old style red telephone box – it made for a gorgeous colour combo.
I would have loved to have taken this chair home with me, I love it’s colour and design, and it would look funky and smart with a white cushion (or perhaps one of those red and white chevron cushions I’m dreaming about). This beauty would have fit into the back of the Prado for it’s trip to Homelea but unfortunately I’ve got no where to put it, Homelea is a little bit full of furniture at present. Oh well.
Did you see the dog in the background? He’s not a real dog, and he’s got a label around his neck that says “sorry I’m not for sale”. He is a cutie, and very lifelike.
After visiting Scotland Yard we popped by the Marburg Show, and it was a glorious day for the show! The sunny autumn skies make for beautiful photos. The bird pavilion with it’s red doors was striking against the blue sky. Watch out for a blog post during the week on our Marburg adventures, I’ve got some more fantastic images to share with you.
At present I’m finishing off a couple of crochet projects I’ve got on the go. This means I was sewing in ends left, right and centre. Even though it’s a time consuming task I still enjoy sewing in the loose ends. Seeing a project completed is satisfying, as is the repetitiveness of the task. This scarf is so lovely and soft, the organic cotton is lovely to feel and work with.
Once upon a time I used to cook stir-fries and noodles all the time, but I haven’t made one of these meals for ages. During the week I cooked up a vegie and prawn combo with flat egg noodles and it was healthy and tasty. I have vowed to cook this more often.
Ops, I almost forgot to tell you about Little Min’s newest discovery. This little dog has been a tv watcher ever since we got her and she’s now found her favourite show – Bondi Vet. A chilly evening snuggled up on the lounge watching Bondi Vet makes this little dog content.
Have a lovely homelea week.
Cheers,
Lynda
Anzac Day and the Ultimate Sacrifice
Posted on April 25, 2013
Today is Anzac Day. It’s the day that Aussie’s remember those that lost their lives fighting for our freedom. In the words of the Australian War Memorial:
“It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War . . . the meaning of the day has been further broadened to include Australians killed in all the military operations in which Australia has been involved.”
I don’t fully understand all the different wars that Australia has been involved in and the losses and victories, but I am thankful for those that have fought for Australia, and the lifestyle we’re able to enjoy today.
In my “pre debilitating fatigue” days I was a firm believer of pulling my body out of bed in the morning darkness and attending the dawn service to pay my respects. The uncomfortableness of standing in the cold darkness is nothing compared to what the troops experienced in the trenches on the battlefield. Unfortunately my body won’t allow me to attend a dawn service tomorrow, but I am thankful, and I will remember those that paid the ultimate sacrifice in my own way.
As the sun sets on Anzac Day, will you have paid your respects to those that fought for you?
My Instagram Week: Sweet Treats and Study
Posted on April 22, 2013
My post is a day late – woops! Yesterday, and the whole week, just seemed to disappear in a blur. Do you ever have days like that?
Last week has been all about study and sweet treats – both have been big accomplishments! I baked my first batch of macarons and they were good (So good that I blogged about them here. Go and have a look at my blooper photo – he he).
The baking helped with writing and submitting 2 assignments for my masters (yep, I’m certain it helped deep down inside). This was a pretty big achievement and I’m feeling pretty good about completing something that I wasn’t sure I could do. Remember, it’s all about taking a good deep breathe every once in awhile.
In between sweet treats and study I played around with taking photos of the city skyline at night. I didn’t succeed at capturing a really crisp photo, but I did play around the blurring the colours. It gives an interesting effect.
Winter has let us know that it’s well and truly on it’s way with winter temperatures on the weekend at Homelea. This meant the days were cool and clear. It was so lovely to be out in the cool fresh air, in the peace and quiet. Ahhhhhhhh.
Cheers,
Lynda oxo.
Baking Adriano Zumbo’s Macarons (and a beautiful vintage dish)
Posted on April 19, 2013
I love macarons. I love salted caramel. I love vintage dishes. Ohhhhh lots of love going on here today!
I might absolutely love biting into a macaron, but I’d never made them before. Just googled at their pretty colours in shop windows, and maybe taken a few home with me. I was a little bit scared of making them, they looked tricky.
Then I came across a box of Adriano Zumbo’s Salted Caramel Macarons in Woolworths that I could make for myself. Yep, it’s a macaron packet mix. I quickly read the instructions, it looked relatively easy, so I popped the box into my shopping basket and headed off home. I did stop by the cash register on the way out though!
And do you know what? It was pretty easy, but only because the instructions are fabulous. And there’s a video online you can watch to show you what to do.
I was pretty happy with my first attempt at baking macarons. They look so pretty in my vintage blue dish, I’ll just have to keep making more!
And here’s a photo of the end of the batch that didn’t turn out so well. I do reccomend putting baking paper down on your non-stick tray, apparently the tray forgot it was non-stick!
Cheers,
Lynda
PS- this post was sponsored by no one, but I can recommend (from the bottom of my heart) that the Adriano Zumbo “bake at home” range is good, and they will make you look like a domestic goodess!
My Instagram Week: flow and balance
Posted on April 14, 2013
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been craving routine. With the move, unpacking, getting used to a new lifestyle – I didn’t have a routine and I felt like I was all over the shop. Deep down inside me I was a little bit lost. I didn’t know my place in this new world.
This week I found a routine. Life has had flow and balance to it. It feels so good. I know that the balance that routine gives will change, that’s the fun of life! But for now, after months of change, I’m enjoying the stability.
And of course I’ve been Instagramming! I love being part of a global, social media community. So here’s what my Instagram week has been like.
Do you read Gathered? (I blogged about it here). I was doing some late night Gathered reading (unfortunately my routine hasn’t involved sleeping well) and I found my photo smack-bang in the middle of the “show & tell” page. Yay! This photo is full of happy cheerfulness, and it it combines three of my favourite things – colour, crochet and coffee (the 3 c’s of goodness).
And I’ve been doing some crochet. I’ve almost finished this pastel chevron scarf. The organic cotton I’m making it with is so soft and gorgeous to work with (and it’s Australian organic cotton, which makes it even better).
I made a gluten and dairy free chocolate cake and it was so good, that there were only crumbs left.
Brisbane was gifted with the most glorious sunset this week, it was breathtaking.
The glorious sunset was followed by an old fashioned wet day.
The old fashioned wet day was followed by a beautiful sunny autumn morning! Bliss!
On the wet and cloudy morning we ventured out to La Loopa at Hamilton for a lazy weekend breakfast, and I’m so glad we did because it was great. The food was devine, the setting comfortable and quiet. It was perfect for relaxing and watching the rain. The cabinet is full of gourmet treats that made my mouth water. The coffee was good, and the biscotti that it came with was delicious. I selected scrambled eggs with some baked ham of the menu, and it was a good choice.
Here’s some more La Loopa breaky photos that didn’t make it to Instagram.
Well I’m planning on continuing with my flow and balance in the coming week. What are you planning for the upcoming week?
Cheers,
Lynda oxo.
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