my love for roses

My love of roses I believe is inherited from my Mum and her Mum.

Growing up in tropical Darwin, roses weren't too prolific in the garden but regardless, every Winter (the Dry season), they'd be rewarded with beautiful blooms from their potted rose bushes.

Our garden here at Poppy Lane cottage is a big mish mash of so much, including fruit trees, vegetables, roses, lawn, Australian natives, weeds, lavender, herbs, trees, annuals, shrubs, and so much, much more.  If we like it and it grows, we'll have it.

These beautiful postcards from the beginning of the 1900's are little treasures in themselves.

Today is Mum's birthday.

It seems fitting that this little corner is adorned in a rose theme.  Since we are so far apart ... she in Australia's most northern capital city and I in Australia's most southern.  I dedicate this corner to her and wish her the happiest of Birthday's and personal year ahead.

Hobart - glimpses from a weekend exploring

Rain and blustery wind has been the order for this weekend's weather.  Needless to say, not much venturing out was to be had.

Last weekend was a different story for Mr Poppy Lane and I, as we took time out exploring and enjoying some out of the way places (for us) within our own city.
It's a favourite past time of ours.  Heading towards new areas, as I indulge in my photography, and he joins me as we walk around enjoying the surroundings.

We unexpectedly came across a rather dinky little heritage listed cottage by the seaside (complete with it's original outdoor loo), which sells antiques, but mainly specialising in Nautical pieces.  I can't wait to go back there to rummage some more.

my place and yours :: collections ::

A collection.

One of many I have unintentionally become the owner of.

This one is old tins...in all shapes and sizes. Dented. Scratched.

As long as they're beautiful, I can't help but want to bring them home with me.

I use them all, for all kinds of things in every room of our home.

Above is a small snapshot of my beloved collection.

Meme courtesy of Pip.

This week, the Theme Queen is the very industrious and talented Kate.

Coconut Lime Syrup Cake

Limes from the garden, and an empty cake tin were cause for some baking yesterday.

No fancy ingredients, just using what was available.  This was a recipe that I adapted, as I didn't have a few of the ingredients in the original version.

Moist and sweet, it's very simple to make.

Ingredients (Australian metric)
For The Cake
190g butter
1½ cups caster sugar
Zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 eggs
3 cups desiccated coconut
1 cup self-raising flour
½ cup cream

For The Syrup
½ cup caster sugar
Zest and juice of 2 limes
¼ cup water
Optional lime zest for garnish

Method
1. Grease a 28cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Beat the butter, sugar, essence and zest till pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in coconut,  sifted flour and cream. Combine well. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 45 - 60 minutes.
2. When the cake comes out of the oven, start the syrup. Combine syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. While the syrup is still hot, pour over warm cake. Allow to cool before slicing.

Slice when cool, and if desired serve with a dollop of cream.

Keep Calm and Carry On

This is my new, old retro war-time Keep Calm and Carry On Poster, which I purchased from Lark.

It's been at the Picture Framer's for over a month and I was so glad when they called to say it was ready to be picked up earlier this week.

It's been sitting on a shelf by the fire mantle, whilst I decide where I want to hang it.

I'm enjoying it here because I catch a glimpse of it throughout the day, and it makes me smile!

This mantle can be a bit of a hotspot for collecting bits and pieces as we come and go past it through to the kitchen. 

The wooden doll creeps me out a bit (which I kind of like), the old books are from the dump shop, as is the vintage little fan (I've got two now).

and roses from our garden.

A pot of gold

Not today though...there's not a single cloud in the sky and the smell of Summer is so heady in the garden, and wafting through the cottage.

The voices of beach-goers can be heard, all the way up here.

All I want to do is take myself outside, a long cold drink and my book for a spot of reading (and maybe a nap) under a tree.

ciao, xo

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photo taken last week, after a Spring time shower.

Typewriter love

Many years ago, about 4 and 20, I learnt to touch type.

Not on a word processor, computer or even an electric typewriter.

But a chunky manual old thing.

I still remember the whole class of girls plus 1 boy(!) sitting in rows and clacking away.

A determined, but noisy din.

I did quite well in that class, and not long after landed my first full time job as a very keen and eager Office Junior...Long story short, over the years and many life experiences, I worked my way up to middle management in an agency in the Australian Government and used all of the machines mentioned above.

But apart from learning to type on a manual typewriter, never used it again.

Until yesterday.

On Sunday I became the proud owner of a not so new, but immaculate Italian beauty.

A 1950's Olivetti Studio 44.

Safe and snug in its original case, including a key!

And much like riding a bike, it all came back to me in happy little waves of memories.

The whole process from adding the ribbon, winding on the paper, pushing the carriage return lever and striking the keys 'briskly' and 'firmly'.

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I think I might type some letters soon and post them off with a pretty little stamp...just because.

Please don't mind my typing mistakes.

my place and yours :: through the front door ::

This week over at Pip's I'm joining in again for :: my place and yours ::
This week's Theme Queen is Shelley, and she chose the theme :: through the front door ::

Our higgledy piggledy home's current front entrance opens into a covered area, aka the conservatory.

Hah! sounds rather posh, but I can assure you it isn't.

Still it's lovely to have especially in the cooler climes of Tasmania.  It's a big area connecting the main house to Mark's office, my studio, and another door out to the side kitchen garden.  It gets used a lot throughout all the seasons (humans and cats included) and can also be a bit of a dumping ground unfortunately.  The hanging baskets, potted plants, windows and tinted clear sheeting roof definitely give it the outdoors feel.
Coming home is always a welcoming feeling.

Thanks so much for visiting. xo

I love Fridays

Hello, how has your week been?  Good I hope.

Well the weekend is upon us once again, and in my little corner I awoke to a hot cup of coffee brought up to me from my hubby.  It was a lovely drizzly and overcast morning, perfect for giving our Saturday morning a slower and less frantic feel to it.

I'd like to show you a couple of things I did yesterday whilst the sun was out shining and I was feeling much better than I have done in a while.  You see, my back has been very sore and tight, and has just started to slowly come good after three weeks.  It's been such a drag, and so hard to get on with even the simplest of tasks.

I made a drawstring bag from some new fabric I had picked up a while ago now.  Of course I have incorporated polka dots and pretty floral fabric together, always a winning combo in my mind.

Whilst the sun was shining and as we are heading into Summer, I have been washing and airing blankets to be stored away.  This lot looked rather pretty folded up and waiting to be put away by the back door.

So on that note, I wish you all a happy weekend.

Hope it's scrumptious!  xo

Collection collage

Inspired by the single poppy I was given for my tiny donation in support of Remembrance Day, I chose a variety of random bits and bobs from within my studio and took this photo.
A collection collage of sorts.

There was no real reason, other than me just wanting to play instead of work and procrastinating with my camera is always fun.

He brings me roses

It's late Spring.

All the hard work and love ploughed into the garden is certainly rewarding us here at Poppy Lane with all sorts of joy.

Dear husband, who spends most of his spare time creating a happy haven out there deserves a medal, but mostly gets rewarded with copious cups of tea, which at least keep him from getting too parched.

Lately he has been coming indoors with hands filled with the most beautiful rose blooms...much to my glee!

Bunches are now filling the rooms, with colourful happiness.

In my opinion, beauty from the garden is the best kind of home decor.

Whilst I'm at it I may as well kill two birds with one stone.

My entry in this weeks :: my place and yours :: my secret weapon ::

Not so much a secret weapon, but definitely my favourite gadget -

the camera above is my favourite toy.

It was a gift from my hubster and gives me hours worth of fun.

I lug it around and am forever putting it down somewhere, forgetting where, then needing it in a hurry...you get the gist.

Hope you all are having a happy week. xo

my place and yours :: blogging HQ ::

My blogging HQ is currently from my very old laptop which has seen better days. Still my PC is even more poorly and the trusty old laptop has been pulled out again to see me through. I'm able to work by the window in my office, which I love as it is nice and large, and enables me a tantalising peek outside to the side garden which is growing crazily this time of the year.  There is a Hydrangea laden with flower buds,  and a Bonfire Japanese Maple.

The light is constantly changing and the colours inside take on different shades.
Also as we are well into Spring with Summer around the corner I have used an old crocheted blanket which was a gift from my Mum as a curtain.  It's in beautiful condition and I want to enjoy it, so hanging it here is the perfect place.

My adored Phalaenopsis orchid has flowered prolifically for me, though I did drop it straight on its head a couple of weeks ago, but luckily didn't break its flower spikes...sadly however a couple of its leaves weren't so fortunate.

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More My Place and Yours, courtesy of Pip, here

This week's Theme Queen is Ninon.

Interview!

I must tell you Dear Readers, that I was very pleasantly surprised and chuffed when I received the most delightful email from the very lovely and resourceful Thrifty Mrs asking me to be her first participant in her new featured 'blog of the month' !

I must confess that I nearly declined.  Surely, who'd be interested in reading an interview by Moi, rattling on about myself and my efforts in creating on a tight budget, a simple but cosy little home and garden on a rather beautiful island near the bottom of the world?
But I only faltered for about a second.

It's such a joy for me and a bit of fun to share with other like minded souls, and if only one person gets some inspiration from anything I ever have to show or say, bonus!

So if you feel the inclination to read the chat I had with The Thrifty Mrs, you are very welcome to pop on over to hers.

Simply beautiful

Tiny old bottles, with single stemmed Seaside Daisies.
Here they're sitting on wee crochet doilies.

Understated yet beautiful.

I adore the simplicity of this arrangement.

It makes me smile!

Erigeron karvinskianus

Common name :: Seaside Daisy

Bottles : : salvaged from underneath the cottage

Daisies :: from the garden

Doilies :: from Kylie

Thrifted Love

The quintessential Spring time weekend has been enjoyed by Mrs & Mr Poppy Lane.

We've visited various markets; including a favourite in old historical church grounds, where I went dizzy with delight at all my little finds.  Unperturbed, the Mr relaxed in the warm sunshine and very pretty garden.  I walked up to the homemade cake stall a few times, before deciding on a very aromatic orange cake to take home.  It didn't disappoint.

A growers' market, where we treated ourselves to gourmet delights of neighbouring Bruny Island cheeses, hardwood smoked ham, mini braised lamb pies, quince jelly and mustard greens...oh, and a few tomato and zucchini plants for the garden and a bag of pink eye potatoes for Sunday's dinner.

We've enjoyed being out and about in the warm sunshine and cool chrisp air, and so have many others by the look of it.

We managed to fit in a trip to the recycling tip shop, were we pottered around the junk yard, before eventually leaving with a few hard covered books for me and some metal for the Mr.

Upon returning home, the garden was set upon.  A few hours out there seem to pass in the blink of an eye...and all the hardwork throughout the winter months and early spring have certainly been worth it.

So for now the grass has been mowed, the paths have been swept and the tomatoes and zucchinis planted, and it's time to enjoy a lunch of all the delicious morsels we purchased earlier...alfresco of course.

But before I go, I thought you might enjoy a look at the new display on my little shelf.  Everything you see has been thrifted, including the shelf.
The thrifted pieces from this weekend are:
2 vintage Redoute framed rose prints
an old small pink rectangular dish
3 light blue cups & saucers
3 small white crochet doilies
a couple of old beaded necklaces
and
a pair of green and pink tulip candle holders.
I like how everything has come together.

Wishing you a happy week ahead Everyone, xo.

Never canoodle a stranger in a canoe

Yes my Dears, indeed !  For this and many more marvellous snippets of advice, be sure to have a read here !!
It's a good laugh.

working outdoors

There has been a distinct turn in the weather these last couple of days, as we head head further into Spring.  Glorious sunshine, and the fragrant aroma of Eucalyptus is so wonderful.

It's simply too lovely to be cooped up inside, if it can be helped.

So I eagerly gather up some working supplies into a basket and make a bee line for the back deck.

The ocean looks bluer than it has for a while and there are lucky folk enjoying walks on the beach.

Still I have some work I need to be getting on with, but I can't help but lazy around admiring the views a little bit longer.

The basket remains unpacked.  I almost fall asleep soaking up the sunshine and dream about swinging on the neighbours tyre swing, before making an executive decision about heading to a shadier spot.

I did knuckle down eventually and I can say that some work was completed.  It felt decadent to be out in the garden whilst working, and very inspiring.  I came up with some new ideas for some future designs...bonus!

Whilst outdoors, I took delivery of a favourite mag from the postie, which remained unread until later in the evening.

my place and yours :: bedside ::

Welcome to my bedroom! 

I'm once again joining in with 'My Place And Yours', over at Meet Me At Mikes. This week's Theme Queen is Pottymouthmama, and the theme is 'Bedside'.
Our bedroom is the only room in our cottage that is upstairs, well technically there is the landing and an ensuite as well.  It's a very big room with a huge window on one side, and on two other walls, sliding glass doors onto decking either side...this makes it pretty hard to place furniture.
Back to this week's post.  My bedside.

The bedside table is wooden with a couple of basket drawers.  On top I have;

 a bedside lamp from Target and a very old fine crochet doily my adored Grandma made.  A tiny picture of my first born son, who passed away at 8 weeks old sits in its original pewter teddy frame; a couple of books waiting to be read, and an old rusty windup clock.  A small jam jar with a posy from the garden always brightens my day...i like these placed in nooks and corners throughout our home.

I have a love of using mismatched bed linen.

The sheets were new Egyptian cotton.

These pillowcases are Rosali, a Sheridan floral with velvet trim from an op shop and an old embroidered lovely, which was a gift from my Mum.  The handmade quilt was a 'treasure' find at a garage sale, and I'm pretty sure I only paid $5.00.  It's huge and fits our king size bed well.

So if you want to see some more 'bedsides', come and visit here.

a day of leisure

It's a rather magnificent Spring day, the sun is shining and there is a light sea breeze.  To top it off it's a public holiday for Show Day!

After a bit of a lazy start to the day, I treated Mark to one of his favourite breakfast (the other one is a full English) of eggs, spinach and local smoked salmon on toasted English muffins, topped with hollandaise sauce.  He's rather contented right now, and after I finish posting this I will join him out in the garden for some pottering around.  There are no other plans for the day other than relaxing and letting it all unfold.  And for dinner, I'll make a couple of salads and Mark will fire up the bbq.

bliss...

These photos were taken first thing, and those two little munchkins are so cheeky but I can never manage to capture their shennanigans on camera.

Have a lovely day everyone!

bake a cake

Some baking was on the cards today, and a triple flavoured marble cake was the choice of recipe.

I pulled out an oldy but a goody cookbook, "The Love of Cooking".

Gathered my ingredients. 

(please note, I had run out of the proper vanilla essence and had to use a teaspoon of the backup imitation essence). What's a girl to do?

Cranked up my trusty red kitchenaid mixer!

Divided the mixture into three bowls, and played with pretty colours.

Lounged around sipping refreshing cocktails cleaned up the mess in the kitchen whilst the cake was baking, and about an hour later, voila ... a delicious home baked cake, just in time for afternoon tea time!

(the first picture is from my photo archives, but of the same cake and recipe)

my place and yours :: on the shelf ::

I'm not a big meme player here in blogland, and definitely not part of any groovy gal loop, so in an effort to be a bit more sociable in blogland, I'm jumping right into this new and clever idea from lovely Pip. She's also this week's Theme Queen, and chose :: on the shelf ::

My :: on the shelf :: contribution is from the top shelf of my kitchen dresser. 

The dresser I picked up at a local auction, a few years ago when Mark was back on the mainland, and when I picked him up from the airport on his return, took the 'scenic' route home and got him to help me load it into the car for the trip home.  Getting the heavy lump down our steep block and into the house was a real challenge!

I then went to work overcrowding as much of my beloved collection of bits and pieces onto it. yayyy.

So from left to right:

3 flasks (2 oldies + a repro)

old biscuit tin and cake tin

beautiful old 'rose' tin

old kitchen scales

local handmade salt and pepper grinders

(plus a layer of dust)

So if this meme seems like a bit of fun, come and join in here.

cheap & cheerful

Feelings of melancholy can strike me at times, often out of the blue and without any 'obvious' reason.  Making me feel glum.  Over time I have learnt that emotions are real, but transient, and even though I do not believe it's wise to ignore such feelings...I also don't want to wallow in them and make them 'bigger' than they are.  I acknowledge them, and then treat myself to something I enjoy.
Potting flowers is always good, especially since it forces me outside and by doing so outside of myself.
Soon I am breathing deeper, enjoying the process and forgetting myself.
This box of pansies helped me today.
Some cheap and cheeful therapy, which I can enjoy, long after today.

Refreshing the cottage

Spring cleaning has begun in earnest at the Poppy lane cottage.  It's never planned, but is just left to happen when the timing is right.  We've had lots of rain this winter and early spring.  It seems to be settling down now, just the odd shower or so, and of course there is much more daylight!  So naturally, I have been feeling like sprucing up around the place as we head into the warmer months.

These are some quick snapshots taken in the kitchen, after I'd finished cleaning in there and had brought in a bunch of daisies from the garden.

It all looked very fresh and pretty.

a.d.c.

Some unexpected weekend sewing managed to get started and completed in the Poppy Lane studio.
An a.d.c. (applique, denim & crochet)  tote with various pretties adorning the front.
Perfect for all ones little knick knacks!

I find it all a bit nature inspired, and looking at the ocean and spring time greenery out and beyond certainly gives me copious amounts of daily inspiration.

It's currently early Sunday evening, and we are slowing down as we head into another working week.  I hope you've had a very pleasant weekend, with moments of bliss!



 

nothing extraordinary

I ponder about what i can come here and write about, to share with you.  But all I do is draw a blank.  Just the ordinary is happening, so that's what i will share.  Glimpses of my ordinary.

A little pot of porridge, with banana and a drizzling of honey...

rummaging through old loved tapestries, linens and crocheted goodness...

and lunch in a sunny spot, marvelling at the remarkable new growth springing forth this time of the year.

Tulip festival

A visit to the Hobart botanical garden for their Tulip Festival on a quintessential Spring day was on the cards for us yesterday.  I got so excited about all the amazing colours, it certainly was a feast for all the senses!  I'm sharing a small selection of the pics in today's post.

little squares of love

In my previous post I mentioned my current (well one of them anyway) work in progress. In between my usual busy-ness, I managed to steal away and finish it, along with an extra one for luck.

All those lovely little squares turned into a couple of rather pretty and useful drawstring bags.

Any long term reader here at Poppy Lane, will know that I have held a long term passion for patchwork. I am not a quilter, but I adore using patchwork in many of my projects. Another passion of mine are Japanese sewing books, and making items from small pieces of fabric that are simplistic, beautiful and functional.

So off to work I got. I gave my sewing room a very good spruce up. Folded away fabrics, cleared and wiped down work surfaces, vacuumed the floor and even washed the windows. When that was all done, I started cutting and sewing to my hearts content, losing myself in my own little world. When I get my focus, it's all rather an adrenalin rush, and I feel quite exhilarated.

Weird? I'm sure some of you get what I mean.
Anyway, back to the post at hand.

Both bags each feature a single linen square with a wee hand embroidered motif. This one is a cupcake.

And this one an owl.

Fully lined, and made with love.

Cupcake & creating

Hello my lovelies, how are you today?  All good and well I hope.  It's a Monday morning again and I am feeling eager to get going and create some more goodies for Poppy Lane.  But first things first... I haven't stopped by in a while and wanted to say hello.

Yesterday was a very wet and windy day!  Unfortunately approximately 40,000 homes in the State lost their electricity, and I still know of people who haven't had it reconnected.  Fortunately we escaped any damage or power cuts.  Looking down at the beach from home, it looked really wild and we decided to go for a walk down towards the river and beach.  It certainly was very churned up and combined with the high tide, made for an awesome nature show.

After getting very windswept we headed back home for a warm cuppa and cupcake!  Being such a day for staying indoors, it rather leant itself to a stint in the sewing room....just a w.i.p. to show for it today...lovely patchwork.  Afterall I do have a rather big soft spot for it.  Creating something out of scrumptious little pieces of scrap fabric makes my day.

Oh and by the way, the cupcake was delicious!

Weekend peek

And what a lovely weekend I've just had. Nothing to taxing or tiring.

I enjoyed a visit to Salamanca markets, where it was a quick visit to the Fairy shop to purchase some fairy wings and fairy dust to send to the UK. It was a lovely Spring day with a wonderful Spring-y vibe. I dropped into a couple of yarn shops later that day, and indulged in some delicious balls of cotton for crocheting...it still is something I am yearning to practise more of.

I also received this beautiful soft corduroy and natural linen which I purchased online.  I always love that period of anticipation for an online purchase, and then receiving something wonderful in the post which isn't a bill!

Sunday, the English husband made us both a scrumptious breakfast to share, before we headed south for a leisurely Sunday drive to a Daffodil farm.  We strolled around admiring their happy faces, before racing to the car when a Spring shower arrived unexpectedly ... it happened so suddenly that I didn't take many photos.  I was switching off after all.

I hope you all had a happy weekend!

Tea cosie mania

Tea cosie madness seems to have taken hold in the Poppy Lane studio.   I've been whipping up these quirky and functional cosies every chance I get. 

They certainly add a bit of fun and colour to any tea time table.

dotty red

dotty blue

dotty green

My mania isn't over just yet, I've got a few more I'd like to make.  Though not as spotty.
I'm thinking florals with linen, and maybe even some patchwork too.

Weekend whip up

Hello. I hope you all had a really good weekend. Thankfully mine was. A little bit of this and a little bit of that, and I even managed to whip up these fabric covered coat hangers. It always feels good when I get to spend some time with my sewing machine...especially unexpectedly.



The teenager's friend was looking through old photos of "Poppy lane" goodies and she remarked how she loved the coat hangers I had made in the past. Being her birthday soon, I asked her what colours she liked; pinks & browns, and hence this set was made for her.

Whipping up these pretties has reminded me how much fun they are, so I will be sure to make more for the shop, to be available for sale online and at markets!