A picture of true love

Possibly not what you were expecting?  But this right here is a prime demonstration of how much the LOML loves me.

Oh, he could have got me flowers and diamonds and wine (well, yes wine is always a good idea) but instead he got me a spider-web-duster thingy.  Unasked.  Of his own accord.

No doubt tired of hearing me moan and complain about the stupid spiders that have taken up residence in every corner of every ceiling in every room of the house and how I can't reach them to clear them out (12 foot ceilings, I think I have an excuse), the LOML took action and got me an extendable stick brush so that I could wreak spider-death on all and sundry [insert evil cackle here].

I think he was more excited that the sticker price said $6 but when scanned at the register it came up $5.  Bargain.

No more lace curtains in the corners for me.

I think I jinxed it

That's the risk with doing a post about the wonderful-ness of the recent weather.  There then exists the major potential for said wonderful weather to be immediately choked, kicked, punched and pushed out of the way by the bad guy weather you've been glad hasn't been around.

And so it happened.  

I think it began the moment I hit 'publish'.

Cold, blustery, artic like winds blowing through all layers of clothing dug from the depths of the wardrobe to be worn at one time joined by miserable, not-heavy-enough-to-drench-you-immediately-but-it-will-get-you-in-the-end rain and fog thick enough to drown out your hope and happiness.  Enough rain/mist to make my hair go frizzy and lank in varying degrees and at the same time (not a pretty look) and to make the whole house feel damp and musty.

I'm thinking of moving to the desert.

(haha I just typed dessert.  yep that's where I'm gonna move - dessert!)

The gorgeousness of the season

I am absolutely loving this time of year, this year.  It feels like a million years since we last had an Autumn.  I think the trees are feeling the same too.  They have shed their inhibitions in major ways and are flaunting their hidden sides for all to see.

While the colours of the trees are only just starting to change (some a whole lot more than others), I can't wait until they each stop me speechless in my tracks.

I only wish the photo did this tree justice.  A pale comparison to reality.

Beautiful.  Just beautiful.

In My Kitchen: April 2012

Joining Celia and her 'In My Kitchen' posts - head on over to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial and join the fun...

So technically, I've had this post ready for a couple of weeks now but it was the taking of the photos that let me down and has meant that yet again, April is almost over before I publish it.  Hmmmm need to work on that....!

To the point at hand....In My Kitchen this month...

.....some two dollar pumpkins picked up courtesy of a road-side honesty stall on the way back from Stanthorpe last weekend.  Three to be had in all - one for our neighbour-friends, one to our friend-friend and one for us.  Last night it made its miraculous transformation into an amazing pumpkin soup that will feed us for the rest of the week and then some!  I have saved some seeds because I plan to be eating this one again!

In My Kitchen....

....is some of my friend Mrs H's delish home-made, home-grown grape jelly.  We stopped in for wine, cheese and nibbles on our visit out her way last weekend and this was on offer.  I must say I was most unladylike in my hasty consumption!  Divine with my favourite camembert and water cracker, washed down with a glass of my favourite red.  She snuck me a jar to take home when we left and it has since been stored safely and securely in the pantry, somewhere towards the back, perhaps obscured from plain view by something unappetising like oats or pasta!

In My Kitchen...

...a bottle of Vincenzo's finest!  It has been a long time since I've had a bottle of heaven on my shelf.  A trip to Stanthorpe is not complete unless there is a bottle of this in the car on the way out!  How long I can last with rationing it remains to be seen but truly, good things in life are meant to be enjoyed aren't they?!  MMMMmmmmm chocolate!!!

In My Kitchen...

...are the spoils of a weekend away to the amazing fruit orchards of Stanthorpe.  A big box of seconds apples and mandarines, which taste so much more amazing than anything I could possibly buy at any shop here in town....

....some big, fat, juicy cloves of local garlic.  Some of these have been put into the veggie crisper in the fridge in anticipation of planting out and trying to grow my own crop.  Just need to look into when to actually plant them...!

And finally....In My Kitchen....

...is a raspberry cutting from my mum's partner's neighbour (you with me?), patiently biding its time and soaking up the beautiful autumn morning sunshine coming through the kitchen window until such time as I find the time and motivation to plant it into its chosen spot in the backyard.  My motivation is of course entirely dependent on the rusty, purely cosmetic tank currently in the chosen spot in the middle of the yard away from anything resembling a downpipe, being removed to another location!  I have high hopes for some form of action this weekend...!

So that's it for what's happening In My Kitchen this month.  Hopefully next month I will be better organised and get a post out earlier, though I'm sure I said the same thing last month!

Pop on over to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial and see what's happening in the kitchens of other bloggers....you won't be disappointed and you'll meet some lovely people!

Uniformity (workday attire for the deep pocketed)

It's the hardest part of my day.

That twenty minutes after the 15minute wake-up period after the alarm has gone off (it takes that long to get my eyes open).  Twenty minutes spent mentally perusing my wardrobe in a vain attempt to work out what the heck I'm going to wear today.

I have attempted to be organised and make the decision the night before.  Even to the point of ironing and setting out in readiness.  But I've since determined that it's a waste time because, without fail, what I have selected the night before, in the morning becomes too hot, too cold, too tight, too dress-up, too something.  Unfortunately for me my new job doesn't have a uniform so I've been facing these mental dilemmas every morning for four weeks. 

I give up.

Well, actually no I don't.  I didn't.  I instead got uniformed.

Over the weekend I went shopping and bought myself my own uniform.  Five of exactly the same shirt.  One for every weekday.  Easy.

I must admit that this sounded a whole lot easier to do than it turned out.  I mean, how hard could it be to find a nice shirt (collared, 3/4 sleeves, subtle colours, good fabric, good fit) and then get five of them?  Clearly harder than I was expecting it to be.  I know I was limiting myself with my stipulations that said shirts must be under $30 each - I'm tight, I rarely pay more than $20 for a shirt (and truly, that's a dressup one) - but I figured with a $30 limit I was guaranteed to find something suitable for work.  Right? Wrong.

I first went to Kmart.  I was sure they had a 'business' attire section....wrong.  Not out here they don't.  'Business attire' doesn't seem to be a market that needs targetting.  If I was in the market for cheap and skanky I would have had it covered and then some!  


I then braved Target.  They had some nice shirts but my purse was clammed shut too tight to pay their prices (tight, I'm tight!).  I was by then getting a little discouraged by then and decided to head to one of those workwear places.  Bad move.  Really bad move.  The cheapest shirt I could find (top quality mind you and beautiful colour/pattern) was $55.  I think I may have gasped out loud.  Or sworn.  I do know I stopped touching things and clasped my hands tightly behind my back in a 'look-with-your-eyes-not-with-your-hands' fashion before making my hasty retreat ("just doing some research - I'll be back later" - yeah right).

Finally, when I was about to give up on the whole shenanigan and stick with my morning mental anguish, I ventured into Big W (on a Saturday morning - God help me!).  Bingo.  Five shirts, good fit, nice fabric, uniform-y colour, GREAT price!  $14.98 each - my kind of shopping!!

And then, because I had scored such a bargain  on each shirt and was well under my $30-each budget, I then proceeded to spend the remaining $15-per-shirt-budget surplus on more clothes for me.  Just cos I could.  

Dressing for work this week is going to be a breeze!!

A new month, a new look...

For quite a while now I have been reading Fiona's blog with a rather serious case of blog-header-envy.  Not only does she take the most beautiful photos and write in a way that hooks me, but her header catches my attention every time and has made me try and try in vain for way too long on way too many nights to attempt to replicate my own version....

...until just now!  Playing around with a few thingys and whatsits, pressing a button here, losing an image there, and then suddenly I made it work!  Hooray!!!  Best of all, I think I knew what I did so that I can do it all again.  Magic!

So Fiona, in a modest attempt at imitation (it is the biggest form of flattery after all), I'm going to steal replicate your wonderful monthly changing header.  It's like having a big spring clean every month, moving the furniture, cleaning the windows, even wiping the top of the ceiling fan blades!

I think I may have started a new addiction for myself.  I am loving the collage look....I also just found photos buried on the hard drive that I forgot I had...it's like Christmas!!

If you haven't seen Fiona's headers, pop on over and have a look....I love them....and then, best of all, at the end of the year they make up a post of their very own - a photo gallery of sorts of the year that was...(http://cattle-kids-chaos.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/2011-year-in-blog-headers.html)....fantastic!

Thanks Fiona for the inspiration!