Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Good Things Autumn 2012

Our garden is mostly a winter garden, due to all the camellia trees, and they are just coming into flower now:


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.

19 comments:

Faux Fuchsia said...

Pink jeans are the Bees knees!

I hear you re this Price Fixing Revolve/ASOS/Shopbop Debacle. I am sick of paying hand over fist for stuff the rest of the world gets for 1/3 of the price.

Love the patch work blanket and love the camellia. I cannot grow them, but I do luff them and they always remind me of my late Grandmother. Good for you Decluttering. So soothing and Calming x

Littlemissairgap said...

I think I spy several Seed & Country Road jumpers in that pile :-) What a great idea regarding the blanket. You can have those warm snuggle ups all over again.

Elsa May said...

thank you for the cookbook recommendations - the kale salad looks and sounds delicious.

Glamour Drops said...

My camellias are still thinking about whether they want to be buds forever or not. Yours are WAY ahead of mine. And yes, how late the autumn leaves are this year. Only coming into glory now, in May - yikes.

I also read that article in the age about the imports. Grumble, grumble. Outrageous. It's fascinating to see that some bricks and mortar stores are thriving, while others are stagnating.

Your blanket looks fabulous! A delightful way to hold onto sentimental items.

Sarah B said...

What a beautiful camellia. I must look at mine and see if I'm lucky enough to have buds.
I love the idea of a jumper quilt. If the jumpers are wool you could felt them a bit in the washing machine on a hot cycle. They'd be easier to cut into patches then.
I am always in awe of people who don't eat sugar. I'm just not strong enough to do it :)

Natalie said...

HI Jane, You have been a busy bee. I was just talking the other day about pink jeans. I can vividly remember buying a pair of bright pink jeans in a shop called EastCoast. Do you remember that jean shop. If you bought your jeans there then you were hip and happening. The jeans had a small padlock on the side - groovy. I love thinking of these times - so happy and carefree. Love Nataliexx
t hen you were trendy

Makeminemidcentury said...

You really do push the envelope food-wise.

I have a sentimental attachment to some of my children's clothes, particularly the more expensive ones. But then one day I saw a truck at the Salvos that was packed-full of clothes for Africa, and I thought 'why am I keeping these clothes in plastic storage boxes when there are genuinely impoverished children who would benefit from them?', so I've started giving them away and not keeping them.

I don't think Africans need jumpers, having said that.

I do like camellias. We used to grow them in Toowoomba where the temperature and soil were spot-on. Yours looks beautiful.

annie said...

Since the last child I have become much better at giving clothes away for the last time as I had already practiced with the last child before. Making something new though is a lovely way of holding onto them usefully.
Our previous neighbor, darling Bob, who is long gone now, hated everything that grew in his yard and swore he put salt on the grass to stop it growing. He was quite the card. He did however walk out to his camellia bush every morning with his used tea leaves and sprinkle them round the roots of that magnificent bush. He would also secretly water it when the water police were happening. It had been his wife's tree and he cherished it. It stopped flowering for three years when he was put into aged care but came back in a glorious burst the autumn he died at 84 and still flowers every year.

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

I can't do pink jeans anymore than I could buy an artificial Christmas Tree Jane !!
I bet your son adores his patchwork blanket and it will be a memmory that he will carry with him all of his life so, I think that another one should be made.....a nice little project for you to takle through the winter !! XXXX

Heidi said...

I absolutely love ditching the old children's clothes. I have cupboards stuffed full of children's clothes and love when my youngest (and final) outgrows a set and they can go to Charity.

I've used old jumpers to make cushion covers before, but a blanket would be lovely - so cosy.

I'm having a Kale moment too - lots of home made Kale Chips, Kale in quiche, salads, roasted veg mix, and I'll definitely try the salad you posted, it looks so yummy.

I can't do coloured denim. When something becomes the "thing" I tend to run a mile from the trend. Apparently floral are now all the go overseas.....

Jane said...

Oh Jane, camellias really are delightful creations. We have one in bud I'm just waiting on to burst forth into bloom. I adore your blanket idea. Not to mention your decluttering - a woman after my own heart! J x

Paula said...

LOVE camellias - and that image is just stunning! great idea for using old clothes - I have a pile currently sitting in a bag on my landing. I'm finding it VERY difficult to give them away - for sentimental reasons and also, because some of them are just so darned gorgeous. Making them into a keepsake patchwork blanket is an inspired idea that i hadn't thought of. It may take me a year and a day to do it, but I think I'll give it a try.
Pink jeans + MY over 40 body - no, No, NOOOOO!!!!!!!
Paula x
p.s. You cookery books and new recipes sound DELICIOUS!

jules @ The Diversion Project said...

but darl, the 80's are back. didnt you get the fax??

i'm trying to convince myself to get some neon pinks, or at least some cobalt blue ones.

The camelias at my new place have come out too and i'm loving them. will go check out your pinterest page - they're such a perfect shaped flower arent they.

your diet is inspiring, i feel like i'm getting to a tipping point on this stuff. thanks for pushing me a little bit closer xxx

JMW said...

Love the patchwork blanket you made for your son!

Aussie New Yorker said...

Janie, let me know if you want me to bring any clothes home with me in June. I'm back 24th. You can ship them to my NY address . We'll beat those price colluders!

Millie said...

Hello Gorgeous, it's been too long, my fault not yours! I have one sad, measly bloom on my gardenias at the moment, so I'm spewing seeing your beauties. Must be a Melbourne thing, just like coffee & BMW's. I would love to open the door here at The Hedge & see you getting out of the BMW with coffee & gardenias!!
Millie xxxxx

Slim Paley said...

ah yes- the pink jeans- I had them too. I just them on a girl today and I must say they looked gorgeous on her!
It took me back...

PS. Weird to think you're preparing for Autumn as we head towards our summer!

Crack You Whip said...

I love patchwork quilts made from old clothing. Not a lot of people do that anymore.

♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys said...

Thank you so much for your FAQ s can't comment there. They are immensely helpful to me just about to begin a similar journey , I just last week had a double mastectomy and axilliary clearance on L side .
Mel , Coal Valley View re directed me back to your site .

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