Best picnic ever

Today was such a beautiful example of spring in this corner of the world, and we took a picnic to Brownhill Creek with some extended family. So long as we choose to ignore the fact that pretty much all the vegetation in these photos is introduced and spread as weeds along the creekline (buttercups! blackberries! Salvation Jane! figs! willowy things!), well, this was simply the most perfect spot on the most perfect day for a picnic.

It's all still so green and there was even a decent amount of water in the creek.

 There was space for cricket, and Jasper declared that he would like to have a go at cricket this summer, which simultaneously makes me thrilled and also a bit weary thinking about adding something else into our schedule. Is that bad of me?

 Can you spot the boys? (Clem, his cousin and cousin's friend, as seen from the other side of the creek.)

  This small man had an absolute ball and got bumped, scratched and filthy, which is all a bit outside his usual comfort zone, and I was so proud of how he bounced back and kept up with his older cousin and even older friend.

 This is a water skink that the boys discovered in the creek (and let go again). I didn't even know there was such a thing. Even Andy's sister who identified this for us, and has a creek at the bottom of her hills garden, hadn't seen one in real life before. What a beauty.

  We brought Skylar, who could barely believe her eyes, ears and nose with all the wonders of this place. Since she was raised in a kennel, many things are very exciting new experiences for her. She explored and explored and explored but finally gave in to the pleasure of a Sunday afternoon nap on the grass. Ahem yes, she's wearing a Liberty kerchief.

 Being dragged down a slope by your feet is apparently all kinds of awesome. And back for more.

  Sliding down the dirt slope by himself: "Watch this one, it's going to be really really really really really really really really hardcore!" (Clem also told me the other day when we were throwing and catching his soft toy Miffy that it was 'hardcore' so I'm not entirely sure of his definition.)

 Big dead tree across the creek. Charlie thrilled at being in photo for scale.

"I didn't realise it was going to be this much fun," Clem said.
Those clothes and shoes will never be the same again.
One hundred percent worth it.

I hope you've had a happy weekend too!

- Jane x

Monday at The Block

It's raining, it's pouring
it's getting somewhat boring
we mustn't complain
about the rain
even in school holidays and hey at least we got out on Monday and anyway the kids have been taking it in turns to succumb to some fever sore throat thing and lie on the couch lah dee dah something ending with 'oring'.

Yes. At least we got out on Monday to my parents' block!

 My dad recently had this huge fire pit thing fashioned by an engineer.

 Fungi aplenty in various shapes and colours.

 My favourites, the sundews.

 Echidna diggings - there was a heap along one of the paths, perhaps they like the soft ground after lots of rain. Look, nose holes!

 Clem making a strange face (this hardly looks like him) but he thought these hakea nuts looked like ducks.

 'Bug words' inside bark. (Clem said they are writing 'yum'.)

 Can you spot the red, red robin below?

 Clem and Grandpa found this old jar.

 Cleaned up a bit, it had cup and pint measurements on the sides. (Can't be too old since I assume that is metric cups, but it felt like treasure.)

We had sausages and potatoes and damper for lunch and spent a lot of time wandering about picking up fallen branches and putting them on the fire to help reduce the summer bushfire risk. Honestly I can look at the world with a vastly improved attitude after a day like this. And I'm trying to hang onto that feeling this grey, grey week! Is it grey where you are?

- Jane x

A pair of Plantains

I have joined the Deer and Doe Plantain party, a little later than many but very pleased!

First, this one in Australian-made 100% organic cotton jersey - a plain basic that I think I will wear rather a lot. When we were in New Zealand I survived on a very minimalist wardrobe, which was quite satisfying. I felt quite liberated and had a substantial wardrobe clearout when we got home. But I did realise I could use a few new long-sleeve tops for winter, to replace some old faves that had seen better days.

The Plantain is just what I needed, and seems to really suit my 'pear shape' with fitted sleeves and upper body, and ease over the hips so it won't do that annoying creepy thing where it all ends up bunched around my waist.

As the pattern suggested, I graded out from my size 42 bust to size 44 hips, although a straight 42 probably would have been fine. It was quite long on me so I made a deep hem.

On a high from the success of this one, I nabbed a bit of Birch 'Elk Grove' organic interlock from the shop, washed it and dried it by the fire overnight so I could launch straight into another one. And here it is!

I could perhaps have thought a bit more about the print placement on the neck band but, eh, who really cares? I'll wear a bit of strange chopped up deer (elk) body, no worries.

Here's me 'directing' Jasper as photographer:

(This was after a series of shots where he neglected to notice - okay so he's an 11 year old boy - that I had Visible Bra Strap.) Ah, the joys of blog photography... awkward at the best of times.

Aside from my denim Moss skirt that you see here, the other staple I wore to bits on our holiday was a a very plain A-line denim version of Stylish Dress Book Dress A, that you can vaguely see here:

(This is my Cate Blanchett as Galadriel in Lord of the Rings impersonation, in case that is not entirely obvious. She stood by this exact tree.)

Anyway this photo is pretty representative of my holiday 'uniform'. I love the layer-able shift dress, all year around. And being half-owner of a fabric store and all, and if the perks don't currently include drawing an actual wage, y'know, well surely I can make the most of the fabric at hand. So....

Brumby Frock! In the ridiculously simple Dress D from Stylish Dress Book 2, without the sleeves and with different pockets. In stunning eco-friendly, hand-printed fabric by Cloth, from Sydney. Great as-is and supremely layerific for cooler weather. Yay!

And let's round off this blog post with a bit of special stylin' by Clem, with his beloved Pillow, and back-to-front pyjama top.

- Jane xx

Skywhale

Warning: ridiculously picture-heavy post! Also, giant inflatable whale boobs.

Artist Patricia Piccinini's Skywhale came to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens for the Adelaide Festival - it was about a month ago now and I'm only just getting around to posting about this beautiful day.

The Skywhale was a massive, gorgeous, peaceful presence and the weather seemed to embrace her with mild sun and stillness. When we could tear ourselves away from the giant air-mammal, we set off to explore the new wetlands that have been built in a reclaimed piece of land right next to the gardens. Here, stormwater is being collected and filtered and stored as a resource to supply the water needs of the gardens; it is hoped that within a few years, it will be enough to water the whole gardens.

These are the kinds of things that make me hopeful for my children's future. Heaven knows there's enough to feel sad and angry about in our country right now. Sorry to wax political. I Marched in March. But I want to keep my eyes, and my heart, on the positive things, too.

Hmm... that ended up being a bit more than pretty pictures and hot-air boobies, didn't it?

- Jane x