Local Food, Eating & Living

I seem to go through stages. I go through stages in my studio; sometimes I'm painting a lot, then sometimes I'm obsessively making jewellery.

But aside from the creative side of my life, in normal life at the moment I'm in a bit of a stage where I'm being really mindful of the waste this household produces, where my food is coming from, trying to source local food, thinking about reducing time and effort in the garden, and growing some of our own food. (Doesn't help that it really hasn't properly rained for ages, and the forecast shows no rain for at least a week!) I even borrowed a book from the library on raising pigs for food. I would like to think we could do it, but it seems this idea is a little too traumatic for Miss 5. (I can just imagine her now, crying her eyes out whilst savouring a crispy piece of bacon at the same time...)

But first I'll try and focus on growing some veg. We've got the space but I just need to make it a priority. I like to buy organic, and we all know that can get a little crazy-expensive. But I have been scouring the neighbourhood for roadside food; after all, we do live in a farming area.

This roadside stall was a treat. Not only is the produce not treated with sprays, but it's so visually pleasing as well. So cute! The kids had a great time putting money in the tin and then proceeded to hide the veggies in all odd places in the car as a joke on me. Yes, I had cucumbers in my car bin! Lucky it was empty.

I found apples around the corner from me for SO cheap. And I found a Jackie French book in the local op shop. (I had a self sufficiency book from her but lent it to someone and can't remember who.) I love her way of thinking. As a weirdo thinker myself I love reading from other people who question the system. She doesn't believe in digging up the soil, that weeds are a bad thing, or that we can't eat guinea pigs. (Um, I won't be doing that last one but love her opportunistic view!) So I'm rethinking parts of the garden, especially when it comes to removing weeds. Rather than spraying them, can I plant something in their place to crowd them out? For instance, down the sides of the driveway. Otherwise they are great for mulch, compost for soil food, or you just need to mulch more to smother them.

And this is a friend's roadside stall. Lovely tasty tasty colourful tomatoes that didn't last long at all! You can tell she's an Op Shopper. Probably clearing out all the good finds before I get there ;)

I also found two items in my severely neglected garden beds.

We also went berry picking yesterday at our local organic berry farm and stocked up on berries. We spent a bit, but they are cheap in the long run and I won't have to buy any for a while.

We also get lamb from a friend and eggs from another friend (or when she runs out we drive 15 mins up the road to another organic egg farm and buy their seconds.)

It's extra work, but it's so satisfying knowing that you're supporting local people, and I know that our berries have come from up the road and not all the way from Chile. (Seriously!? I was buying frozen organic berries from Chile!)

And as usual I'm still cooking. My latest food goal is to remove all vegetable oils from our diets. It's difficult, but when you make your own snacks and food from scratch it's easier. 

I have broth on the stove using a lamb bone from my friend. I have made current & oat cookies sweetened with applesauce made from the apples I got from the lady around the corner (there's a place vegetable oil creeps in to the diet- it's in dried fruit). And last night we ate free range local pork sausages (Miss 5 was quite happy to eat a pig she hadn't met!). They were really yummy. And I could recognise all the ingredients. No numbers!

(I also made goats milk yoghurt which is fermenting on my bench right now, and mango- yogurt popsicles last night (using these moulds). Dates, mango and goats yoghurt. They are quite yummy if I do say so myself.)

Do you try to source any local food?

Now I'm back in the studio today- in jewellery making mode, now that all my cooking is done for the morning.

Jules :)

Cleaning, Clearing Out

With the onset of Spring and the sun beginning to shine it always makes me feel like getting things in order and decluttering. I've been blessed with a few hours to myself and have been spending them in the studio, not creating, but organising. My head feels clearer the more tasks I complete and I feel like I am making space not only for better storage of possessions, but making space for new opportunities, inspiration and creation to enter my life.

My small pieces of fabric, wool & wash tape storage.

I had a lunch break today eating food and devouring images of organising on Pinterest. (Man I love Pinterest. Do you follow me there?)

Decluttering info entered my life again recently when I listened to this podcast:
The Up For A Chat girls talking about Decluttering

It was a few weeks ago when I listened to it, but I loved the decluttering story from Cyndi O'Meara and how after she did it it brought new opportunities into her life.

I like to think of it as the universe only has so much for you, and you clear some stuff away then something else has space to enter you life, whether that's a new opportunity, venture, person...

I also read about this phenomenon in The Magic Art of Tidying Up. (Have you read this best selling book? I have started utilising her methods in other areas of my home too..)

So I will keep going with my cleaning & clearing and see what magic it can bring into my life.

I love to store items in tins, baskets, wooden crates or the like rather than plastic. I still have some plastic tubs, and I used to have a lot more, but when I come across a prettier item for the task the plastic gets demoted. 

There were a couple of really daggy magazine holders there on the shelf too, So I covered them with pretty paper :)

Another example of housing tools in containers other than plastic.

I also had some peg board installed in my studio. The thought here being when I'm working on a series I can hang them all up to see if they're all working together in a cohesive manner. 

I recently also had a bigger and better inboard installed. My light box for taking product photos has also moved off my desk and has it's own allocated space.

So there you have it. Far from finished,  but I feel good about progress I've made so far. My studio and headspace already feels lighter.

Jules.

Quick Craft: 'Washi Tape' Magnets

Yay for quick crafts, especially when you're time poor with young sick kids! I was sitting in the studio with Miss 5 1/2, keeping her company whilst she was working on a project. I got fidgety and felt the urge to make something. I was flicking through an old Frankie Magazine, and got the idea to cut out some pictures and patterns and stick them onto some self- adhesive magnet sheets.

Here they are adorning our fridge. The kids have fun using them to stick up their own masterpieces- when they are not adorning the floor.

Pretty easy really, get your images, press onto the magnet sheet, and cut out. So easy and so fun. 

I got a pack of cheap self adhesive magnet sheets from eBay, but you might be lucky enough to pick some up at a craft store. Another idea is to save (hoard) all of those promotional magnets, peel as much of the top paper off as you can (because usually the top layer is too shiny), and glue your preferred images/ fabric/ kids drawings on top. (We've also done that- give them to your kids to glue stuff all over them and they can be proud that they made a real, practical, awesome magnet!)

Here are some of my "washi tape" magnets cut out. Scrap booking paper would also be great to use. There's a style for everyone with the selections of scrap booking paper out there.

Kids in this house have been sick for weeks and are almost better. I have been getting quite down with the lack of time here as I have not had a day to myself in over a month, and it's really getting to me! I have started getting a little bit obsessed with reading organisational blogs with plans and tips, but I'm afraid that's not doing much other than making me fell really guilty! But it's fun to dream.. 

To finish this post I'm adding a couple of Instagram pics from last week, my fave photo wall (with a couple of blank frames, I thought I needed to keep a couple free for future photos- it wasn't that I hadn't finished the job, although I am really good at half finishing projects!)

And here's a chair I scored from an Op Shop thanks to a thoughtful friend who rang me up for an "Op Shop emergency!!" It certainly was! $25 each (I got two of them) and my eyes are feasting on their aqua goodness every time I pass them. I am a colour addict. More colour, MORE!!! Never enough.

Here's hoping for some more art time soon and I can show you some more here soon. X

New in My Etsy Shop

Just listed in the Etsy shop today, made by myself. A hand painted then embroidered and beaded artwork in an upcycled vintage frame. I'm loving upcycling frames at the moment. I have five more of these little metal frames that I found in an op shop. All painted and ready to go. 

Can't wait to start working on the other ones. 

Decorating My Home

I love my home.

My aim is to fill it with colour. I constantly, and I mean constantly, dream up new ideas for decorating my home. Little projects (such as decorating my kitchen chalkboard) or bigger projects like painting walls or painting murals. And it's nice to think I can just take my time with this kind of thing. I think of this house as my forever house, so it's a lifetime project, not something I have to finish in a hurry. I think of my home like a big art project. To tweak and change and observe and dream. And I want it to inspire me. And with every addition that I do or every change I make it becomes more like the arty home I have always dreamt of having.

Apparently 'boho' is so in right now! I have loved the eclectic- bohemian- hippy- op-shop style for as long as I can remember. And I can't see that changing. Check my open kitchen shelves, see, told you I love colour!

My kitchen bay window (need more plants):

My bathroom wall in it's unfinished state: (need more mirrors- which I have but they need a revamp with paint, and I am going to paint in those plants on the wall beside the main mirror one day.)

And my studio. My studio is a part of my home, a little small for all of the stuff I have in there and my messy ways, but I am very grateful to have a studio at all. I love it. It's the heart of my home! My kids are (mostly) welcome in there and they have there own space and supplies. I can assure you I contend with many tiny pieces of wayward glitter in that room.

I don't spend a lot on home furnishings. Most of my stuff comes from trawling op shops. My studio desk is an old one my uncle rescued for me, and my computer is sitting on a cheap trestle table. Most of my things on the kitchen shelves display op shop finds or even target which surprises me sometimes with their cute dinner ware. I got one of my sewing machine desks for $2. Of course there are things I'd love to own that are pricey. Like this rug.. please universe, send me this rug! In the biggest size you've got! From Eco Chic. Totally in love with this rug.

We've only lived in this house for 4 short years, and have mainly been raising our young kids in that time. When we moved in our little misses were 2 years old and two months old. Now that they are getting bigger & more independent I am getting more done. And very much enjoying the process. We have lots of unfinished rooms.

I could take lots more photos of my house, but perhaps I'll save that for another post. Let me know if you'd like to see more! x

In Art & Life...

Hello, it's been a while... again! I do so much wish to get back into blogging more, but it will take me a bit of time to get some more time as my little kiddies grow. Little Miss Isla has been having trouble separating from me at kinder, and so I have been hanging around there playing with three year olds. So my plan of her starting kinder and me getting a bit more art time hasn't really panned out just yet. But we'll get there, I am not worried :) I have waited five and a half years! What's a little more?

Here's a little peek at some art I have done recently. I did post these on my facebook page recently, but I know everyone's not on it so I will post piccies here too. The top one is called "Startled", and it's pencil and acrylic on paper. The second one is a painting I started recently at the Warragul Arts Market. I am happy with what I've done so far, but the momentum kind of slowed for me and I need to take some time to look at it and figure out where I'm going with this. I like to follow a natural path with my work, and if it feels forced, well, it's just going to look forced and unnatural. I like how these guys are so content and relaxed. They are happy with themselves, to just 'be'. There's no need for chit-chat; their meditative stroll & their thoughts are all that is needed.

In other areas of my life I've recently been thinking about how I can save money... OP SHOPPING!!! I need a few new clothes and I'm trying to find cheap items that I can upcycle myself. I have been on the look out for a jacket, as winter is coming up, and SCORE!! I found one, so happy. But first, here's a skirt that was too small, so I pulled off the original waistband and sewed on a stretchy one. Done! Easy.

Here are some items I've picked up op shopping.. the top left has some serious ruffles going on that accentuates my pin head, so I will just tuck and hand stitch bits down until it looks better. The two square bits were fabric I found, I soooo love the yellow fabric there, what a find! The green top on the top right needs whizzing in at the sides, that will be quick. The top under it fits ok except for the tight waistband. I will take that off and make it a bit bigger before sewing it back on. The retro-y dress in the middle needs a neckline and sleeve update, the other top at the bottom left needs nothing done and the scarf will go in my studio square scarves collection, and one day I will start sewing them all together to make a curtain for somewhere in the house. 

And this jacket!!! It's all wool! $8. And in one of my favourite colours :) I got eager and started messing around with it before I took the photos.. so here it's already been pinned in, and shoulder pads have been removed. It was really square with no shape, and a tad big. 

To make it easier, it has no lining. Which is ok, I guess you wear jackets over long sleeve tops anyway.  I have started safety pinning it in at the seams, to give it a more fitted look. I will straight sew these seams before overlocking, so I can unpick if needed and make sure I'm happy with the new seams before I commit. I'm up for a challenge!

So I'm proud that I have been finding some cheaper and environmentally friendly ways of updating my wardrobe. And even though I'm not looking forward to cold weather, I am starting to look forward to layers of clothes, warm comfort foods, cuddles with my kiddies, and watching them stomp about in gumboots, raincoats & beanies. :)