Sneak peeks at my BOM and day to day doings...

Now that the rain has gone for the time being (it's the wet season after all) I've discovered everything in the garden has shot into growth mode. Truly, there is nothing like God's rain from the sky to boost a garden is there? Tap water just doesn't do the same thing.

I'll show you around the garden in a minute, but first I thought perhaps you may like to see a few progress sneak peeks at my 2019 Block of the Month, Phyllis May's Kitchen....

I won't have this ready for sign-ups until March or April because I'm designing along the way and it all depends on how much detail to add or how big I decide to make it. For now I'm just enjoying the process...

I have a fat quarter bundle of Tilda's next range, Apple Butter, and will be using all of it in this project, but I've also had to add in a few pieces from her basics (the spots) and the last range (Birdpond). 

"Phyllis May's Kitchen" is the perfect project for using your fabric scraps as there's loads of applique and small pieced blocks that will use up a variety of fabrics so if you want to grab some Apple Butter when it's released in January, great, BUT if you want to use what you already have then start gathering a box of pretty scraps now. 

This BOM will run for nine months and is not a freebie. 

I'll have subscription info available in March.

What are you planning for next year -

Finish some UFO's? 

Learn a new skill or craft? 

Travel?

Redecorate?

A couple of things on my to-do list are -

Crochet

I shall be joining a CAL (crochet-a-long) shared through Lucy's Attic 24 blog!

She assures her readers it is geared towards beginners and she shall show how it's done along the way so as I am a visual learner this was a great incentive to join in.

(I also have a wonderful crochet coach, Karyn, in our Tuesday sewing group should I get stuck)

I have purchased the yarn and just need to get a comfortable crochet hook. 

Funny thing, crochet does not hurt my hands yet knitting does. I had an operation on my right hand in 2010 and have struggled to knit without pain and cramping ever since.

No good wallowing in despair over the knitting...moving along to something which is doable seems the right remedy. Crochet pretties here I come.

This is the Sweet Pea blanket Lucy will be teaching/hosting through her CAL, which begins on Friday 4th January.

You can see why I fell in love and wanted to join in, right?

I love how all my yarn arrived in organza bags.

Baking/Cooking/Herbs

Next year I'm going to spread my wings a bit and try things I've not done before. Like make a pavlova and creme anglaise. I'd also like to cure my own olives and grow a super dooper herb garden right near the back door.

But today I pulled out my old recipe for chocolate brownies and as I'd not made them for two years thought Mr E might enjoy some for arvo tea.

I was reminded they'd not been baked in a while when Blossom sent me a photo of the batch she made for Ross the other day. A great savoury cook, she's really only just this month discovered she loves baking and has not stopped. Ross is a happy husband and Blossom is smiling a lot. 

Anyhow, Mr E licked his lips when I pulled this batch out of the oven so after he's finished working in the yard and had a swim we'll pop the kettle on and enjoy some chocolate heaven together.

Righto, here's those garden pics I promised.

I wake before dawn each day and always wander around the gardens as the sun comes over the horizon. Always there are birds around, butterflies coming to say good morning, and the odd carpenter bee buzzing over the pool and into the flowering trees.

This morning I peered out into the shadows from the house and saw a new visitor perched on the clothesline...

We've not had galahs come to the feeder before so it was lovely to watch them today.

Mr E and I were sitting out back having breakfast an hour later and they hadn't left, but were helping themselves to leftovers in the bird feeder after the cockatoos and rainbow lorikeets had taken their share...

I still pinch myself at the beauty of nature which surrounds us here and breakfast out back each morning has become a time of intense joy which hubby and I look forward to.

The rains really brought the gardens to life, more so than I'd hoped. With so much new growth, buds and flowers everywhere, it's hard to know where to look first.

Here's just a few lovelies - succulents, grevillea, mock orange, ixora, basil, thyme and others...

Our many pots of Aloe Vera have multiplied beyond belief along with a few other plants from the garden...

...so I separated them and began new little pots. Some can be given as gifts in a few months and the rest will be popped back into the garden.

Princess Sophie enjoys snooping under the ixora for lizards but they are very quick and usually evade her. The gorgeous flowing plant on the chair above her is Brahmi and about eight weeks ago was a tiny thing I could hold in the cup of my hand.

It has the most delicate little purple flowers and long flowing stems now...

This afternoon I shall be finishing a project to hang in my kitchen, but there's a story behind that so I'll share about it another day.

I pray that your own day overflows with delights which you could not have imagined when you woke this morning because days like that are a blessing which cannot be measured.

God bless and hugs,

OH - a pincushion and the rains came!

These past couple of nights we have celebrated the arrival of rain. 

After two weeks of out of control fires burning across our state I pray the rains have brought relief and a respite from fear and distress for those in affected areas. But my heart sorrows for the precious ones who lost all they had during the intense heatwave and fire conditions which late November and early December delivered.

The wet season rain here in the tropics has set me on a course of what feels like endless migraines, the barometric kind which cannot be avoided - but I rejoice that's all I'm contending with, after all, my home still stands unaffected by fire. When we compare our situation with that which others face it often dims in comparison. 

Our garden is certainly glad of a respite from the harsh 45c (115f) conditions of late, with rain producing new life very quickly, so I thought I'd take some new photos. They're a bit dark but the skies are cloudy and will be for a while with more needed rain coming over the next week and probably (hopefully) throughout the new wet season.

I planted this Mock Orange tree just days before the heat wave and have been hand watering a few times each day to keep it going. We had one of these trees at a previous house and I knew if we ever bought a home of our own I'd plant one. So I did. 

Mr E had to dig up and around the garden bed which sits outside the back undercover area as it was riddled with termites. After treatment and disposal of the wood chip and affected soil (the previous owners had wood chip everywhere, a termites menu) he added our own compost and good soil around all the plants and covered the garden with sugar cane mulch which our pest control friend suggested because termites hate it. 

I asked hubby to remove a few plants from that garden bed because quite frankly I did not like them, and by doing so we were able to plant the mock orange in their now vacant space. The fragrance is simply beautiful as it's a type of Jasmine. You can see it just behind the terracotta pot where it will grow lush and tall over time.

Early yesterday morning after a night of wind and rain I went up to check the pool as after windy weather there's often leaves across the surface which need to be scooped out. Instead of green leaves a third of the surface was covered in a red blanket of poinciana flowers!

It was beautiful!  But they still needed to be removed so before Mr E awoke, in the cooling silence of dawn, I scooped them all out and piled their wet soggy petals nearby for him to see later. It never occurred to me to grab my camera to take a photo, but believe me that red carpet across blue water was gorgeous.

The poinciana tree belongs to our neighbour but it flows over the side fence beside the pool and as I find such joy in the vivid red/orange flowers and lime green buds and leaves Mr E has not trimmed it back...though he has suggested it a few times whilst scooping red petals from the pool. 

As I scour the various garden beds I'm finding many plants offering up 'babies' that I can propagate and plant out front when Mr E completes his garden preparations over the summer school holidays.

Our potted aloe vera plants are showing themselves to be quite prolific breeders too!

A trip to Bunnings this weekend for more pots has been scheduled...

Two green 'bulbous' plants literally popped up near the side front fence overnight and the following day opened into beautiful orange globes. 

We've no idea what they are but we welcome them.

I showed one of these recently but more blooms are now in play so I must ask if you know what the plant is? Is it some form of lily?

Most of the potted herbs are doing very well indeed, especially the oregano and parsley... 

...but the basil which is planted in the garden is doing better than the potted one. In fact, the potted basil bolted quickly but the garden bed basil has not. 

This time next year we'll have created more garden beds just for herbs and vegetables, but for now we use what we have with delight.

Our first pineapple is thriving still...

...and the pink kalanchoe has decided to bring forth a second flush of  blooms.

Last May dear Blossom gave me a purple tin planter and lavender seeds. I did not plant them at the time as I wanted to wait until we had a home of our own.

Just after we moved here I unpacked her gift and following the instructions planted the seeds in their tin. Now I am fairly patient with gardening but did think 20-40 days for a lavender seed to germinate was a long time to wait, however, my heart decided to hope on the 20 day option.

Not so.

It has now been 60 days and guess what I saw on Tuesday morning?

Blossom was here with the girls so it was doubly special to find her lavender gift making it's way out of the soil and into the world above.

We still get a LOT of birds at the feeder and generally all around the yard so the Australian Field Guide for Birds lives permanently on the outside table where we have breakfast each day...

It's such a lovely spot to sit and watch feathered visitors come and go, though Bob the dog would rather sleep now the weather has cooled a little...

...whereas Sophie follows me all around the gardens each morning.

Hubby is busy each afternoon when he comes home from school, digging up more of the road-based front yard, composting, cleaning the pool, cleaning leaves from the guttering and moving down pipes away from the house slab. 

There's so much to do here and many gardens yet to build (along with a rock wall garden out front) but what joy we have planning it all.

The four cuttings of frangipani I took continue to flourish and will be planted out once the front yard has been cleared of road base and soil put down. Probably two out front and two in the back yard...

As I look around at the unexpected blooms and those that simply last and last, the gratitude in my heart expands. God has blessed us, beyond what we had dared hope.

AND NOW...I'm sure you're waiting for this week's Alphabet Pincushion?

I had my friend Ondrea in mind with this one. The O is featured inside a little window...

You can follow how I make a cameo window to sit over a stitchery in these two tutorials.

This one is for a pincushion and this one is for displaying a stitchery in a frame.

'O' has been embroidered onto a white cotton/linen blend background fabric and the beautiful window fabric is a Lecien linen print from 2013 which I use sparingly for special projects.

Download the pattern for 'O' here or here

This pattern will be free to download until January 3rd.

The pattern sets for A-E, F-I and J-N are now a $2 purchase here in my shop. 

Next week I shall remove the veil of secrecy and tell you what's happening in Elefantz for 2019.

There are changes, and I'm excited about them.

God bless you and keep you close to His heart. 

May He fill your mind with His peace, your sleep with His rest, your attitude with His kindness and your needs with His provision - for every good gift is from God above.

hugs