And Monday nights are supposed to be quiet! A very quick post as I get ready to host book club here tonight...I mean last night...

via elements at home

A quick whip around is in order...so no words, just pictures :)

via elements at home

until you get to the recipe of course, then there are words as well as pictures...

via the decorista

well, one picture...

via pink patent mary janes

by the lovely and talented Erin of Erin's Art and Gardens

but I digress...

pretty space

...as usual! You can see I still have my white painted wall thing going on can't you...painters are here next week, yippee! But I like to throw you off every now and again!

via if the lampshade fits

via interiors

via oeke design 

via wicker and stitch

Now for the quickest, easiest, tastiest finger food recipe...mini quiche ...you need the following (I cheat and use ready made):

• 2 sheets of shortcrust pastry
• about 1/4 of a jar of caramelised onion or whatever looks equivalent to one onion (or make your own if you're a smarty pants)
• 3 teaspoons grainy mustard
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup of milk
• 2 eggs
• 125g bacon

Cook the bacon in a little bit of oil until it's crispy, fling in the caramelised onion and mustard and a bit of pepper, and take off the heat.

Cut circles of pastry to fit your tin and put a small amount of the bacon mixture in each case. Pour over the milk and egg mixture, pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees C, and voila!

via me and my kitchen

And I have to apologise for not doing much commenting lately. My internet connection is playing silly buggers and taking an age to do anything...it's driving me batty!
p.s. the bookmarks were a big hit!
...and there may have been a drink or two in memory of Rose as well...'twas only fitting :)

I'm writing this on Sunday evening...totally knackered after a very full on weekend. Much of Saturday was spent at the Canberra Handmade Markets where I met the lovely Jennie, aka Posie of Posie Patchwork. She is even nicer in person than she is in the bloggy world :)
And I managed to get a bit of Christmas shopping done...if only I'd taken the camera!
And yesterday was spent completing these bookmarks...

One for each book club member...the last book club of the year at my place tonight!

As usual, something that was easy enough in my head took much longer to execute than I'd planned...still, I loved making them for special people...and it is Christmas after all :) 
But can someone please steer me in the direction of a quick and simple craft!!

And...you'll be pleased to know that the chandeliers were dropped off for rewiring as well in preparation for them to go up next week...the same day the painters start! That's only taken me six months...no point rushing these things now is there :)

I had a very interesting day yesterday. I woke up after my day off and really didn't want to go to work. I actually had to talk myself into it...and that's unusual...and not a good thing. No, not good at all.
As I was driving to work I tried to figure out why I was feeling that way. And once I allowed myself to think about it...because really...who wants to think about these things...it was actually pretty clear. I was feeling disconnected. From my work, from the people I work with, from my ability to be creative there. I have a great job. I work with clever, lovely, fun people in a beautiful environment. And yet...I couldn't shake the glooms. And I didn't think it was because it was the end of a long, tough year or days and days of rain.
I talked it through with a colleague at lunchtime...in our communal kitchen. And as I talked about my feelings of disconnection, the solution became very clear to me. I needed to move. Not away from the company, but away from my office. And into the open plan. Towards my colleagues.

Having an office of your own is a bit of a status thing isn't it? I've had a lot of them. But the 'geography' of this one kept me away from everyone else. A corner office (everyone's dream!), but a corner office around a corner...if you can imagine that. I could hear people but I couldn't see them, and they couldn't see me. I wasn't connected. So I moved my stuff out on to the main floor late yesterday. And already I feel better...and it was also lovely to have people say that they thought it was great. They might not think that this time next week though!

And that one, simple act...that on-the-spot decision, will make a huge difference...of that I'm sure. I'm an extrovert...mostly. I know there will be times when I wish I was back in my office (which we're going to use as a library and meeting room) but I know it's the right thing for me to do. Amazing how a simple physical change can create a mental change as well.

Being connected is essential to a happy life don't you think? And it's what the blogging world does so brilliantly. We reach out over the ether. We get concerned when someone is going through a rough time. We sympathise.  We encourage. We say 'bravo' when someone does something great, or even just has a go. We ask for advice and we get it. If we're lucky we make wonderful friendships. We find people we get to meet in real life and a whole lot more we'd love to meet. We discover people who are on our wavelength (I'm not the only knitted dishcloth nut out there...am I??). A lot of you give me the best laughs with your priceless, kind, witty, cheeky comments. People might disappoint us; we might disappoint them. But the bottom line for me is this...we connect.

So as I reconnect with my workplace I want to thank you for the connections you've given me...so very generously...and I want to tell you how much I appreciate them. You're a top lot :)

It's been a looooong time since I've made a toy!

I started this a few weeks ago thinking I'd whip it up in no time...but the embroidery took a little longer than I expected (why are all of my projects like this I wonder ??)

Instead of a button on his bottom I made a little pom pom! Please note that I made this from a kit I found at Spotlight. I'm not that clever!

Anyway, finished now and in the post today for the Softies for Mirabel appeal. Look at all the toys in the window at Meet me at Mikes...awesome

Go here to find out more...it's not to late to get a toy in...and when you've done that head over to Kootoyoo for a bunch of creatives...and someone please make it stop raining!! So over it.

I was in such a funk this morning that I wasn't even going to turn on the laptop. I know!

But of course I did. And I found these and that put a smile on my face, so I thought it was only fair to share just in case you're in a mood too. Cat haters can look away now and come back tomorrow...it's ok...I understand :)

That lot up there were from here...and this lot down below are from here (the first born's tumblr Chasing Satellites...cool name huh?)...crazy cat people!

Ok, thanks...I feel better now. 
So I suppose I'd better include one of the vampire slayer...can't have her feeling left out....still with her attractive plastic tag :)

I have no idea what I've been doing or where I've been since the last top ten...

I opened my file for this week to find that I'd only collected three pictures...

Slack...that's all I can say...

So last night, a very brisk run around the blogs I follow resulted in this week's top ten...

Slack...but still pretty :)

In my defence, I did have to go to the 22 year old's exhibition and then head off to Sydney...

and prepare a dinner party...

...and even worse...clean up after it!

So that's probably why there were only three pics...

...my blog, my excuses!!

...but something for everyone nonetheless don't you think?
images this week snaffled from: a diary of lovely; beautifulism; brabourne farm; color outside the lines; colour me happy; cowparsley; the diversion project

There was a dinner party here on Saturday night...boy they're a lot of work aren't they! 'Twas fun though :)

This is the dining part of my living room...the tiniest kitchen in the southern hemisphere is where I took this photo from...it drives me batty but I have a cunning plan for some extra storage...once I find a carpenter. I've edited out all the ugly bits...the wall colour, the brown woodwork, the dodgy, boxy fireplace...that will all be gone come 17 December...can't wait!

And because cooking for a dinner party takes so much time and effort I thought I'd get some bloggy mileage out of it! The makings of the marinade for the baked lemon grass and chilli chicken (I used chicken thigh fillets with the skin on...they were delicious). Do you grate your garlic...I never crush...I'm a bit like Nigella that way...but only in that way. More's the pity.

I used recipes from my Annabel Langbein cookbook [The Free Range Cook] that I won at Amanda's blog for the mains and dessert (thank you Amanda...I love this book to bits).  And look, my blueberry cake is just like the one in the book!! I don't think Annabel is quite as messy as me though.

The lovely teatowel is from Thea and Sami...
Richard made the entree...delicious deep fried prawn wonton dumplings with dipping sauce...but because he made them at his place I have no photos...but they looked a bit like this...

There was no way I was going to take photos once people were at my house...they already think my blogging is a bit odd :)
These little potato stacks are from a copy of MindFood...a fabulous NZ magazine...such clever people those kiwis. Mine didn't look quite as good as the photo, but they were very tasty.

The table setting was very simple...bamboo runner and table mats..but the good china and crystal got a run. Actually I use those glasses all the time. The entrée plates are very old Royal Albert, given to me by my friend Chris. Loving my new dining chairs too...and they passed their first dinner party test with flying colours!

The flowers were also very simple...mostly from the garden and some leftovers from work! Small vases, a soy sauce bottle and a water bottle...I would never have done this before blogging began...but I'll certainly be doing it again!

So there you go...it could only have been nicer if you'd been there :)

I hope the week ahead is good to you...I'm going to enjoy looking at the flowers on my dining table...because I sure won't be going outside much...rain forecast all week...sigh.