the massive, exciting & wonderful next chapter in our life & lifestyle . . .

 Greetings all,

Super exciting news . . . we bought a farm!! It's been a 20 year dream with my husband & only possible since he returned from his fifth deployment. We have lived all over Australia, deciding to settle in Canberra, a military & public service national capital city, surrounded by farmland.

Our must-have list was . . . 45 minutes from the CBD, cleared land, no dwelling, 100 acres & sobering things like 'affordable'. During our search, issues like . . . fencing/ rainfall/ school buses became important; power/ telephone/ sewerage did not - as we desire to be self sufficient. Finally we found the right property & much larger!!

This has given us the exciting potential of raising livestock, building a straw bale homestead & planting orchards. Could not be happier. Stay tuned for our exciting plans, we will build our home next year.  All the home building information will take place at my other blog, which has been waiting for this moment . . . b u i l d Z i l l a.  Love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'just enjoy YOUR life'

Greetings all,

I was going to do a social commentary on why are we so quick to get angry, hate & judge people we don't even know, other than how the media portrays them or they are classic celebrity disasters . . . i just can't get in the negative mood . . . so i'm just doing a post on 'just enjoy YOUR life.'  You get one life right, so why not just embrace what you have, adore who is around you, indulge mostly your needs . . . with a sprinkle of wants.

 How could i possibly get all bent out of shape when my day started with sweet fresh strawberries from the Farmer's Markets . . . 

 i have pink Stock prettiness on the dining table . . .

 my husband made butter to spread on delictable Italian bread . . . 

& we added a new chicken to our flock, a stunning Australian x Indian Game bird.  We planned to go with Indian Games as our table bird (meat) for when we have a farm, so to find one at the markets was a kick start to loving this breed.  I think i impressed the farmer with my knowledge too.  She is not pretty enough to show (not that we had planned to put her in pageants) but was ugly enough for a discount (imperfect beak.)  Like i said on Instagram, we love an under dog.  Welcome the enormousTrombone.

On to other blissful things . . . working through the 30 Days of Braids eBook with Hair Romance & loving every style.  Today we tried the French Side Sweep Braid, which i need to work more on sweeping, rather than swirling.  A happy 11 year old regardless.

 To wrap up the weekend, we took a drive to the country, that's about 10 minutes in any direction from Canberra, a very regional bush capital city . . . & spied some gorgeous properties (not all for sale) but farm-ideas-building.  No one in this family needs convincing that country life is the way to go for us.   

 So folks, just enjoy your life, it's so easy to make changes for good - focus on the positive & don't get bogged down by the negativity in the world which is so largely irrelevant to your own personal life.  Everything here was under $10 each - the strawberries, flowers, butter & eBook, except the discounted $25 chicken.  Money makes life easier yes, however it doesn't bring you happiness . . . you need to seek that out in every corner of your world, often in places you least expect it.  We never knew chickens would be so awesome, making our own butter would taste so good, or that i could do fancy braids in my daughters' hair.  We are planning a farm & a wholesome country life, yet are still living in suburban Army housing - that's not going to stop up practising how we want to live in the future, now.  Just open your heart & these good things will happen too, making the lovely out of the every-day-simple-needs.  Love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'our 2 year plan??'

Greetings all,

I am floundering.  My carpal tunnel ridden hands can no longer grasp things - i've gone down hill very fast - surgery is looming.  I type with flat hands & scoop things up to hold them.  Lately, i can only manage the basics . . . constantly dropping cutlery, keys & phones along the way . . . i have no sense of my grip.  Strange thing is, i'm Ok with this, my husband says i sound happy & relaxed.  I can't sew or design, so i'm taking a break with focus on our 2 year plan: finding a block in the country & building a homestead; getting my husband back home from Afghanistan/ then Brisbane; & having 3 children in high school.  Will i want to go back to designing??  Of course, it's my passion, but i will do business differently.      

We have a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on where my children find flowers in da 'hood.  I'm glad to accept flowers from anyone, anytime, anywhere.  Sorry neighbours!! 
I'm still inspired to design, but at my age - how often do you hear of someone discovering cancer/ husband leaving them/ a child has an issue??  I don't want to take my eye off the ball, especially with teenagers.  My hands are my little nudge to make changes, mind, body, soul & work on our family's future. 
I've realised i'm a rare demographic, the housewife private high school mum without plans to resume the workforce, regardless of qualifications & options.  My husband is a soldier, not highly paid, we've just been sensible with our deployment money & property investments.  When my husband goes to war, we make plans for every scenario, horrible but necessary.  Days like today - we discover on the news that 3 soldiers have been killed & 7 wounded in Afghanistan, where my husband is right now, i cling to our plans & focus on the future, lucky we have one.  I hear the news as quickly as you do, when incidents happen, there is a total communications block, my husband can't contact me.  Yes we have planned how i would be told if something happens to him.  Simply the most awful conversation you'll ever have with your beloved husband. 
War is completely different now to how it was 12 years ago - he would call once a fortnight between patrols, now he can email, Skype & phone almost daily.  We are both using the farm dream as a healthy distraction - sending links to properties back & forth, ideas, plans for a pool & a pony.  We are forced into breaking up our life into '2 year plans' to match our postings to different cities (my husband posted to Brisbane on his own 2 years ago, we stayed in Canberra for a smooth transition to high school) & he still has 1-2 years to go in Queensland (so does my free holiday house bachelor pad!!)  
I often wonder if people in the real world, plan in small 2 year chunks like this.  A 5 year plan sounds a bit communist to me, or like we're ploughing fields, which we might very well be doing in the future too!!  As for the families of the fallen soldiers, my heart goes out to them.  I have already had several people ask if my husband is Ok, but those boys were someone else's sons, brothers, husbands & fathers.  It's a reality check & i will sigh great relief when i finally speak to my handsome soldier.  Love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'how far would you go for your children??'

400km!!
Greetings all,

Yes indeedy, that is how far i went for my children, within 24 hours of party deliveries, pick ups & taxiing them to the next party this weekend.

For local folk, the suburbs & villages of Gungahlin, Bywong, Bungendore, Jerrabomberra & Belconnen are the areas which define the ACT & our state border neighbour NSW, i went to them all, twice. I had done 130km by 9a.m. on Sunday alone.

While i was touring around the 'hood we want to buy in, i checked out some farms. I now know Real Estate speak for 'frontage onto road' does not actually mean there is a driveway to the property. I kind of thought access to a block of land would be included??  I'm learning fast.

I appreciate every party invitation magnetised to our fridge. Parties come with great effort & expense to put on, i'm forever grateful my children get invited to them. This weekend my high schooler went off to the countryside, then a movie & dinner in the city, back to the property for a late night spa (all girls, oh the stories i could tell/ flash backs i've been listening too, "truth or dare") then horse riding the next day. Glorious. My son went to an all girls sleepover too, he was in his element. Then 3 went to a Laser Tag party, which was fantastic, the dads were teaming up with the children too. There was one consistent winner, the federal policeman daddy.  My guys would love to see how their soldier daddy would go. 

I got to spend Saturday night with just these 2 girls, it was so fun, eating strawberries, dinner from their favourite restaurant, watching a movie & camping out in the lounge with the puppy at their feet (worked out well, there was quite the storm last night).
So this is more of a community announcement for those of you who live 'out of area' like us or a warning for high school . . . where children come from far & wide, so will the birthday invitations - you could be travelling a very long way for the party deliveries. Love Posie

does a house need a style or a theme or a mood or an era??

Greetings all,

As i have the exciting task of planning a homestead for my family . . . what i do know after 15 years of marriage & living in Army housing - is what i don't want!!  Seeing we've lived all over Australia & gathered 4 children along the way + left the concept of building a house for ourselves for so long . . . we're now planning/ building a homestead for where we will be in a few years time . . . regional Canberra with almost 4 teenagers, a retired soldier & my sewing will become a hobby again!!

Oh we've had some weird aspects to our Army houses - a cyclone shelter in the bathroom, orange/ brown shower screens & the first 4 houses all had the same lino??  Add to that some bizarre colour combinations - like butter yellow walls with red carpet & sky blue doors with grey walls.  In true rental property style, they all have vertical blinds, crappy gardens & zero storage.  

We want to build on 100 acres/ 40 ha - not to farm it, but for the space & privacy, with animals, a barn, swimming pool & running track.  We need 5 bedrooms, an open study, an adult-sized bath in our ensuite & serious walk in pantry. 
We don't necessarily have a style, theme, mood or an era in mind . . . does it matter??  I think it would work in an established home or neighbourhood but we're building from scratch in the middle of a paddock, so plan a classic style, a modest theme, a welcoming mood & uncomplicated era.  I like plain & neutral, allowing art & furniture to do the talking, or as the television experts would say "the hero of the room" by way of colour/ interest/ feature.  I think if you're planning an Early Settler unadorned style homestead for a large family, swanky period features can look a bit . . . wanky.      

 Last night i was kicking myself that my husband was on a plane & not watching Grand Designs with me, as i think they featuered my favourite house EVER!!  The simple elegance of it all, attention to detail = clean lines & a sheer joy of a home!!

 It wasn't a challenging castle restoration, or a whacky cliff side renovation; it was a mix of new millenium eco cleverness, Scandinavian lightness & mid century perfection.  The interior designer/ owner Kathryn Tyler has an amazing eye for classic styling - putting years of thrifted finds into storage while she dreamed up the most fabulous home for them. 

 Many fixtures were from hardware stores or DIY, then built over by the carpenter, making them look a million dollars & custom made.  Kathryn designed the most incredible shelves in line with the stairs & clever storage/ seating/ table concepts!!  You could see the television show host & architect Kevin McCloud was extremely impressed (Series 7, Episode 29).

 My inspiration is blue, grey & white throughout with art on the walls & fabric on the soft furnishings providing the colour.  Soaking up building tips from friends who are in the midst of creating their homes . . . grab supplies from hardware stores or on line, if you're flexible & can stomach the fact an internal door is merely a-rectangle-piece-of-wood & you need 20 of them, then $40 doors will do instead of purchasing 20 x $200 doors.  Ditto for taps.  I'm not after the latest award winning Italian tap - so long as water comes out of it, i'll be happy.  Ok i'm not that easy, i want recessed sinks & taps fixed to the walls not the benches (kitchen, bathroom, laundry) as i loathe water pooling around tap bases or sink edge.  I married the son of a plumber who embraces my passion for simple plumbing design. 

So while my husband is busy soldiering & i plan the next Lego giveaway on this blog . . . i am flicking through homey magazines sourcing ideas & starting debates . . . like curtains versus shutters.  I can absolutely see us living in the house in my mind, i could quite easily fill our garage with ornaments & reconditioned furniture as pieces of the future homestead puzzle.
Do you have a style, theme, mood or an era for your home/ dreams??  Love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'do you share your hopes & dreams, outloud??'

Greetings all,

As you can probably tell, i don't suffer from lack of confidence, ditto for my children.  Like them, i was filled with hopes & dreams, the world was my oyster, perhaps more than our fair share of compliments, but . . . why not??  I was chatting away to some unsuspecting listener about our plans to buy 100 acres, build a homestead & start a farm . . . she said "but what if it doesn't happen??  Oh, gosh, i'm pretty focused on it actually happening, but if it doesn't, well, what is the harm in dreaming for it anyway, or telling the world about my hopes & dreams??  It's my life anyway, is it going to affect yours??  

My world view is pretty much 'bigger picture', i have a bunch of children to raise, elderly parents & a husband who goes to war, my farm dream is nice, it's in a safe happy place in my heart & it's a beautifully positive family experience we really want.  Not to mention budget/ affordable & clean/ healthy/ simple living.  What a lovely place to retire to. 

Do you ever take your children somewhere that feels SO RIGHT??  We know this is the best decision - our children never stop running, they want farm animals & lots of space.  We pulled up at the farm block we're interested in & they all leapt out of the car & started running up the hill, like it was so familiar & natural.

 These photos are all of the one & only property we looked at, 100 acres & a bonus, huge hill - i wasn't sure if my husband wanted flat or hilly, he loves the hill!!  There is a fantastic flat spot for a house, pool & pony, yay!!

 Huge windbreak & 2 dams, this property is broken into 2 paddocks.

 I really love this part of Australia, i really want to live out here.

 When my husband said he saw turtles, i never thought we'd get the children back in the car!!

 We plan on going 100% solar but with power there, we could put electricity back into the grid.  I keep saying "we're not greenies, or environ-mental, it's simple budget sense".

 Each time we stopped (every few hundred metres) the children would hop back in the car with all their enthusiastic plans for tree houses, animals & quad bikes.

 It was so windy, i did a wonderful impersonation of the Queen with my scarf over my head to protect my ears & wave to my subjects.

 I think we'll be putting in some wind power too??

 Whether we buy this block, or another in the 'hood, we like this area & it feels so right.  Thing is, with another 18 months of my husband living interstate & overseas, we're just not ready to buy right now.

 It's fun dreaming, planning & i'm pretty sure we'll put our money where our mouth is & buy a farm in the next 6-12 months so i can start planting, getting the homestead drafted & all those fun approvals for the barn & pool through council. 

 As for the car trip - we let them come with jammie tops on under their overcoats, with jeans & gum boots over the top.  Look at my middle daughter's hair all blown apart!!  A few toys, fruit & books made for a calm journey.  We will need a more economical car though, it will be a whole lot of driving (well twice as far as i'm doing now).

So, do you dare to share??  Do you keep things to yourself until they are absolutely, positively, penned in, definitely, set in stone going to happen??  I don't exactly wear my heart on my sleeve, but i am so surprised when things don't go right, but i have no shame in hoping & dreaming outloud!!  Love Posie

i'm grateful for . . . 'pretend farming'

Greetings all,

This week along with Maxabella's I'm Grateful For . . . me, i'm 'pretend farming'.  Yes, we are still keeping eyes & ears open for the right farm in the right location (120-150 acres outside Canberra) but we won't be ready to buy for another 12-18 months (kind of need my husband in the territory/ country to help chose & pay for it) so in the mean time, i'm playing at growing herbs & vegetables.  I'm grateful for discovering over the past decade or so, that i have a bit of a green thumb.  Of course pretend farming success is easy over Summer, but here we are in March . . .

So love this calendar, it sits next to the fruit bowl.

 

 Basil, Thyme, Chives & Parsley all healthy & strong.

 Planted celery 4 weeks ago, looking good & the fireworks chillies lost a bit of sunlight for growth due to enormously successful lettuce.

 Behold the mighty (single) capsicum!!

 More celery, tomatoes & basil with a little onion in the centre.

The pumpkins are going wonderfully, with carrots shooting up through the centre.  Particulary excited about my pumpkin patch for Wintery soups.

Gardening brings me such joy, like sewing - i'm completely self taught (i can read a packet but while i'm still in faux farming mode, i'm not researching anything) & trying carrots, potatoes, basil, celery, mint in different spots, soils, mixed varieties to see where it grows best.  My grandfather was a professional gardener in England, i think he'd be proud of my efforts & enthusiasm.  It's fun, inexpensive, fresh & involves the children & puppy too.  Our big plan is to be as self subsistant as possible, growing as much as we can ourselves to feed our big family.  If i can take care of the fruit, herbs & vegetables, i'll leave handsome soldier to take care of the animals (eekk). 
Now back to my studio - huge progress in the tidy up/ space reduction/ makeover/ new bedroom addition.  Just long & slow, 6 garbage bags of junk to toss & counting.  Have happy weekends everyone, love Posie

accepting the Stylish Blogger award & happy 400 followers . . .

Greetings all,
I've seen lots of blogs accepting their Stylish Blogger awards, it's really fun to read their '7 things'.  I have been nominated half a dozen times (that is not meant as 'good GOD i'm stylish') but i wasn't speedy enough to accept the first couple a month ago.  In the past week Tammi Little Poppa & Me, Brenda Hoo Are You Lookin' At, Bianca Bigwords & Heidi Bord & Butik have nominated my blog . . . thanks ladies, i wonder if they were just being kind, like i'd been left out??  It's also great timing as a 'next 100 follower' hello like i did when i reached 200 followers, then 300 followers.  Welcome new folk, i'll bring you up to speed with what i'm about . . .   

So here goes my 7 things, i'm going to make them all about style . . .

1. i love style, classic fashion, accessories & try to keep my look interesting not trendy

2. i dress my husband like a catalogue model for fun, nice change from his uniform

3. i am really fussy with the clothes i buy my children & let them decide how to wear them

4. i love sets of things, matching Nigella Lawson mixing bowls, KitchenAid red appliances & endless Tupperware

5. my dream car is a cute Audi A3 in yellow (middle aged lady car which screams no-more-school-runs, i'll be 46 when my last child finishes high school & be at the Audi dealership that afternoon) & i can retire my 8 seater 4WD which screams 'large family + extras'

6. we are planning to build a homestead on a farm near Canberra in a couple of years, we're designing a simple spacious home in blues & neutrals, with verandah around the whole house, pool, green house, barn/ garage & grow all our own vegetables in high garden beds - i'm practising now, my lastest addition . . . pumpkins, onions & carrots

7. my husband only had big sisters so when i met him, he had style beaten into him already, we rarely clash on choosing things for our home, we still have the original furniture from when we married in 1997 (we've updated lounges to King Furniture & obviously added 4 single beds) but we still have the same daggy-pine-young-newly-wed bedroom furniture . . . so we can start a fresh when we move into our OWN home & out of Army housing!!
Thanks for reading, following, giggling & sharing with my blog journey so far.  Love Posie
EDIT: we have collected KitchenAid since we got married, first the blender, then mixer, saucepans & mega stock pot, the toaster 3 years ago & most recently at Christmas, the food processor (which is like using a power tool, scary until you know how!!)  My kitchen ideas are accented with reds with a black & white tiled floor (i've had 4 Army houses with the same grey speckled lino on the kitchen floor, a girl has to dream) & we have cherry red Le Crueset cast iron saucepans, love & collect them too.  As for King Furniture, it's the best, we saved up 10 years for the Jasper, then got a Delta II.

Happy New Year & bring it on 2011 . . .

Greetings all,

“it’s another year over & a new one just begun” . . . Happy New Year!! 

This week marks 1 year into 3 years of living interstate from my husband.  Yes, shock horror, me, who loves her husband more than anything on earth . . . chose Canberra schools, Handmade & stability over moving to Brisbane with handsome soldier.  If we were actually living in Brisbane, we wouldn’t see him for about 22-24 months anyway due to deployments, exercises, courses & training.  Now we're going to buy a farm & build, we're never leaving Canberra!!   
This brings my solo parenting of 4 smart, sporty & social children into a new focus as we venture to high school – a whole new set of fun, fees & fashion.  Our sweet twin girls start year 4 & the boy goes into year 2.  After 3 long years in the junior corridor changing readers, canteen duty & helping with class craft, I’m out of there!!  I will still help with creative clubs & costumes for performances + P&C.

How do I get through a whole year without a husband??  That little business I started back in 1999 has grown beyond a full time job & welcome distraction so I’m streamlining, focusing on Shop Handmade where I absolutely love working giggling supporting small businesses + the Handmade Market.  I’m going to take time while the children do homework to focus on fitness (Yoga & running), plan my hand sewing for relaxing evening lounge craft & treat myself with foot spas & candles. 
I have to be hyper organised, a dedicated housewife, present at both schools & if/ when my husband calls/ turns up on the doorstep – i'm able to drop everything & pretend he’s the only person in my world.  Pressure & stress don’t agree with me (migraines) so i wander around in a bubble that is free of worry.   
Some family highlights in 2010 . . .

 This amazing brainiac made it to state level in sports, was house captain & won the school's sports prize.  She met the prime minister, governor general & more at special events she was nominated for.  She's starting at a lovely private girl's high school & continue Japanese.

 This gorgeous girl made it to state level for athletics, continues to excel in every aspect of academics & her wonderful teacher taught her to Zumba.  She wants to grow up & join the Air Force as a doctor.  She made it through a whole year without a concussion!!

 This quirky one, not so lucky in the trip & graze department!!  She excels in all arts, crafts & sports, making it to state for cross country.  She loves her friends & plans to move to Italy for University (in 9 years).  She also wants to be a chef, a model, a vet, a mummy & a farmer.

 This little fellow was lucky not to be kidnapped by his teacher this year, she loved him & his dimples!!  He blew us away with an amazing school report of academics, behaviour, sports & extra credits for caring about his class mates.  What more can i say, he's my only son!! 

C'est moi!!  Biggest highlight of the year . . . personally - meeting up with my husband on war leave & going on a 2nd European honeymoon, including a Greek Island cruise, glorious!!  Professionally, anything & everything to do with Handmade Canberra.  Family - no broken bones, happy healthy children who did not have a single sick day between them all year!!

Back to reality . . .

so while being organised sounds as boring as a night in on NYE, it honestly leads to the most stress free happy family life.  I never fail to get the children to school on time if I’ve been up exercising before they wake up, we always have all the ingredients for dinner when I plan & write them on a shopping list, I’m always prepared for markets when I pace myself making stock & I just know I’ll sleep better, be healthier.  It’s time to stop sabotaging myself & my success by letting my studio get messy, pretending the clock is mysteriously 10 minutes fast & thinking that skipping a meal will make me lose weight!!  Now you can see the trained psychologist in me, I know my demons!!  I’m turning 36 this year which sounds very grown up & sensible age to start taking serious accountability. 

I start the new year with a tidy studio, organised laundry & storage for things like Christmas decorations, a new collection of recipes, the best intentions to do my tax, my only credit card at a $0 balance, even a new dog lead!!  I have to be my own cheer leader for 2 more years, so here goes nothing, bring it on 2011, I’m ready!!
Thanks for reading/ following/ stalking/ supporting my blog - if you're up for some freebies, check out these two giveaways, both open for a few more days.  Just follow this blog & comment at the post here for an IKEA lifestyle book &/ or here for chance to win Tangled movie tickets!!  Good luck & Happy 2011 everyone, love Posie

i'm grateful for . . . things that make me happy

Greetings all,
I'm joining in with Maxabella Loves I'm Grateful For today . . . all the things that make me happy.  I'm pretty easy to please & today, even a $79 parking ticket i found on my windscreen for spending 6 minutes in a 5 minute zone while helping a friend out this morning, can't bring me down!!  Merry Christmas parking dude, you're clearly excellent at your job!!
Last night the Handmade Living. launch at the Shop was fabulous, today we're using the book for recipes & styling ideas for tomorrow's Handmade Living High Tea.

 Cake decorations make me happy!!  Thanks Donna Hay, you are also excellent at your job, in a much sweeter way than a parking bully.

 Love the relationship between my husband & our eldest, she's even starting to forgive him for buying her a massively baggy large Little Athletics shirt!!  My husband isn't trying to be cool with his hood up, he has horrible hayfever & we went to a Christmas Tree Farm today straight after athletics.

 My twins are best buddies, i love it, they are so different, they barely ever clash & their love for stationery & little desk projects makes for a happy weekend.

 At the Handmade Living. book launch, guess who won the Kellie Christie headbands lucky door prize??!!  How perfect, especially as i only took these two children with me.  Thanks Kellie, i can assure you they went to a good home.

 This girl, number 3, always stops to pick flowers, she lives in her own world, truly.

 Handsome soldier vacuumed today, without any request, true happiness!!

 Then he told me the shoes i chose to wear to a tree farm were ridiculous.  I tripped & slipped a few times, especially while fleeing the 3 spiders' webs i walked into.  He is always right!!

 Boys . . . do rocks & dirt ever fail to make them happy??

There you have it, so many simple things to put a smile on my face.  More on the Handmade Living launch later (when i can steal someone else's photos seeing the camera i took didn't have a battery in, d'oh) & lots of shots of our Christmas tree in all it's birdy wonder.  Love Posie