Retro-spective

Remember when I said I was going to blog at least once a fortnight, and that it wouldn’t be that hard, because once upon a time I used to be able to blog four or five times a week? Yeah that.

How are you all? Good, I hope. It’s been seven weeks (not that I’ve been counting with increasingly escalating guilt) and winter is pretty much over, the trees are in bloom, the days are getting warmer, and daylight savings is just around the corner.

I’ve been busily head-down-bum-up at work, plus we had my darling sister to visit for a couple of weeks. That’s really the only excuse I have for myself though. Life. It gets in the way, y’know?

I’ve been unreasonably tired lately, too. I live for afternoon naps on the weekend, and early nights during the week. Possibly I’m turning into a cat. I’m really feeling this retro t-shirt which I bought from Teepublic a couple of months ago. Achieve Your Dreams, it says (the dream in question to be curled up asleep in bed)

At forty, I’m probably a bit too grown-up to be wearing novelty t-shirts, but stuff it. I bought this (and a second one featuring a nerd-tastic She-Ra that appeals to the 80’s child in me) ostensibly to wear during yoga, then promptly decided they needed to go into regular rotation.

Teamed with one of the always-excellent Breathtaking Tiger Lilies skirts from Modcloth (seriously, I want this skirt in every colour) it’s a casual, but still elegant look that doesn’t make me feel like I’m cosplaying a 12 year old.

I’m quite on board with TeePublic, actually – the site is full of fun designs, and it’s reasonably size-inclusive (the “curvy” range goes up to a size 28). I like that you get to pick what style and colour you want your t-shirt to be in. I bought the Dreams t-shirt in the tri-blend in the 2XL, and it’s snug, but the fabric’s soft and stretchy enough that it doesn’t cling. The arms aren’t baggy at all, which is a pet hate of mine. I got the She-Read tee in the slouchy style, again in the 2XL, and it’s probably just this side of too big, but I like the batwing sleeves, and slightly cropped and curved waistband.

So, apart from napping, working, and not writing on the blog, I’ve been doing some sewing (I learned how to make panties) and a bit of experimenting in the kitchen.

The lemon tree that I gave the Mister for his birthday a couple of years ago recovered beautifully from being razed by possums (twice) and actually put out some big juicy fruit. I’ve been hoarding them like a crazy person, saving them for Very Special Lemon Curd, and Very Special Lemon Slice, and after I discovered a big, prolific lavender bush down the road, Very Special Lemon and Lavender Cordial.

I think I’ve raved about how easy it is to make cordial, and why you should never buy the shop stuff again, but I thought you might like to try this recipe. It’s herby and not too sweet, and really refreshing, and you could add it to a cocktail as a mixer if you were so inclined, but I usually just add a splash to fizzy water.

Mint, Lemon & Lavender Cordial

Look, honestly it’s pretty straightforward. You need a lemon, about 12 lavender buds, 3/4 of a cup of sugar, 750ml water, and a handful of mint.

Start by giving the lavender a good rinse, then remove the heads. Zest the lemon, being careful not to get too much of the bitter pith.

Add the sugar and the water to a saucepan over low heat and stir it until the sugar is dissolved. Then increase the heat until the syrup begins to boil.

Once it’s boiling, take it off the heat and tip in the lavender and the lemon zest

Then give the mint leaves a good scrunch, and add those too.

Now pop a lid on the whole thing and go off and have a nap for an hour or something while the lavender steeps. Once the hour’s up, juice the zested lemon, and add it to the mix.

Next you’ll want to get some muslin, or a really fine sieve, and filter the mint, lavender and lemon zest out of the cordial.

Pour the strained syrup into a very clean bottle, and pop it in the fridge where it will keep for a couple of months (apparently – I always finish mine within a week or so)

Enjoy!

The Yellow Brick Road

Top: Uniqlo

Skirt: DIY

Tights: Heist

Shoes: Chie Mihara

So, it’s been a month…  I haven’t quite managed to keep up with my promise to post at least once a fortnight, but I’m afraid you’ll just have to forgive me!

It’s been a crazily busy month, but rewarding as well. I went up to Canberra to surprise my little sister for her birthday, kicked a few professional goals, caught up with some wonderful friends, and did some (a lot) of sewing.

The Mister and I are settling more and more into our wonderful little home. Suki’s beside herself with delight about the quantity of light she’s getting streaming in through the window, and I’ve been gradually adding to the bookshelves (and the picture wall) while C has been busily doing some home handyman type stuff and also creating a little inner-city oasis of plants on the balcony. I’ve been going to yoga down the road twice a week, and can touch my toes again without straining, which – let me tell you – is an achievement. The three and a half flights of stairs up to our little eyrie are still a slog – especially after a long day – but the pleasure of opening the door into my own home at the end of it never seems to get old. We’re very lucky.

I got an email from someone a couple of months ago that had me thinking about how much has changed in the past five years. It’s been a rollercoaster, huh? I kind of wish I could go back to 2013 me and just let her know it’s going to be OK. That, yeah, things are going to be pretty rough for a bit and there’s going to be a couple of hiccups, but her wonderful friends will be there every step of the way, and by 2018 she’s going to be engaged to the most lovely man, her sister will be well, she’ll be working in a job that she adores, and living in her own home. Also she’ll definitely be going grey pretty quickly, but it turns out it’s not the end of the world.

It’s a pretty low-key life, but it leaves a lot of room for reading, sewing, writing, and cooking. Spontaneous movie nights. Netflix binges. Farmer’s markets and design fairs and crafternoons. Eventually I might even start planning a wedding.

Anyhoo, that was a whole lot of a waffle and not a lot of wardrobe. Shall I tell you about my skirt now? I made it myself using the skirt part of the Fen Dress pattern from Fancy Tiger Crafts, and a fantastic Wizard of Oz themed fabric from Leah Duncan at Cloud9. I’m forty now. FOUR. OH. FORTY. And while I’m not wearing as many novelty prints and florals and bright colours as I did when I first started the blog (oh my god) ten years ago, my soul still ascends any time I see something Wizard of Oz themed.

This one’s particularly fun – a Where’s Wally-esque find-and-seek that takes its inspiration more from Baum’s book than the Hollywood film. Look closely and you can find the yellow brick road, the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow, a field of enchanted poppies, and – uh – a bunch of folks who seem to be cosplaying as a tea set (residents from China Country).

In totally unrelated news, my work is hosting a free event with Taryn Brumfitt in a couple of weeks. If you haven’t heard of Taryn before, she’s the writer and filmmaker behind the wonderful Embrace documentary, and a prominent voice in the body-pos movement. She’s going to be in conversation with paralympian Jessica Smith on Monday 3 September here in Melbourne, and it should be fun. I’ll definitely be there (in a work capacity) so make sure you say hi if you come along! You can find the details here.