It is only when I attempted to paint a camellia that I realised a flower like this was not just pink, but also purple and grey and white and blue and even orange. If you like camellias I have a board devoted to them on Pinterest.
I have been on a cleaning and sorting frenzy recently, mostly because nothing has been done in that department for at least a year. I have now done the linen press, the wine \ storage room, the Cupboard of Doom, the hallway bureau. Plenty still more to do like garden shed, garage roof storage, chests, etc. Anyway, I came across some old children's jumpers. All coincidentally in pink and green, my favourite combination. Like so:
(via Style Files)
(via Decorpad)
I can't bring myself to sell second hand clothes. I either keep them because they are tiny or sentimental, re-use them for something, or give to the Salvos.
I think I will make another patchwork blanket from them, like this one I did for my son:
It is a bit worse for the wear but he does love it. These blankets take a long time to put together, I think it is something to do with the stretchiness of the knits. Maybe I need an overlocker? Anyway, I expect it will be draping our dining room table for the next 6 months.
Autumn has been very late this year, too much chlorophyll in the leaves or something but finally the maples are beginning to turn orange.
I have been also doing a huge amount of new cooking. With ingredients I have not used much before, like farro, and freekah, and lentils, and millet flour, and red and black rice, and steel cut oats, and amaranth flour, and coconut oil and cacao nibs and spirulina and activated nuts and bee pollen and more - the list is endless. I have been completely inspired by these cookbooks:
Brilliant tip - you mix the kale and coconut and roast it for a bit and then add to your carbohydratey item like rice or couscous or farro. Divine.
MaAny of you will know that Supernatural is by Heidi Swanson, she of 101 Cookbooks blog, and the one above left by Beatrice Peltre of La Tartine Gourmande (see my side bar). I have a bit of a prejudice against cookbooks by bloggers don't ask me why I know it is irrational, but anyway these are both brilliant and highly recommended. It all started for me when I stopped eating sugar, which is about 12 months ago. Because when you stop eating something you have to fill the gap with other food products, like eggs and bacon and also some healthy things. I think I will do a little post on this at some point. I sound terribly pious and boring not eating sugar, but really truly, it has been No Problem At All. And has sorted out some real health issues for me. And given me very clear skin.
There was an article in the Age late last week about a deal a fashion distributor has done with some denim designers including Paige and AG Adriano Goldshmied. From now on, sites like Revolve will not be able to ship these jeans to Australia and we will have to pay double or triple the price from shops here. These are my two favourite jeans makers. This story got more than 900 comments, and I can assure you they were not in support of this move. I don't mind paying a bit more to buy in a shop around the corner, but double? Triple?
Just as well I bought these jeans a few months ago. They are a dark teal colour and I love them, Very comfortable and soft and strangely flattering, which is not something one can often say about 'cigarette' jeans. These are by Adriano Goldshmied.
I can't do bright pink jeans though. I just can't. I remember them last time round, in 1983.
