Just like momma (didn't) make it

I made a cake tonight. Or at least, I made something that resembles a cake and smells pretty nice, but it might actually be a distant cousin of a lemon pudding. -Or an offspring of an illicit affair between a sponge cake and a lemon tart (hem hem).
And I intend to feed it to you.

Only if you're coming to the sewing bee set up by the wonderful Nikki on Saturday, Feb 14. She's got the space and the equipment to set a sewing bee buzzing, so I decided that a little sugar and comfort food would be in order. Lemon cake, that's happy food for the depressed soul. Mom's recipe.
If you haven't already heard, we're making bags for the individuals left homeless by the fires. Kids of all ages will need activity packs to keep them busy - games and books, pencils and paper. And probably something to hug will be top of the list. If you can come or you want to donate, check out these links:

• Rainbow Comfort Packs
• Art Fights Fire - from the Kaotic Kraft Kuties
• Handmade Help
  

The sharp-eyed amongst us will notice the two new buttons on the left-hand side of my blog. They take you to just two of the efforts the fantabulous crafty community are organising. Short-term help is needed, but this practical bunch know that this is rebuilding for the long haul. Community, counselling, closure -- those don't come in a week.

Come on down and help. If you can't sew, make tea -- it might be needed to accompany the lemon spongetart delicious mess I intend on pressing into your hand (hm. maybe I'll bring some plates....)

B

Ashes

Like so many of us, I'm sick to the heart by the news of the fires and the escalating death toll.

I was going to post this picture of the crafty bonanza checking out the weather conditions, halfway through Saturday afternoon. Meercats and all that. But it's hard to laugh. It's such a beautiful country here, and harsh, and home to many.

Several crafty ladies have posted about what you can do to help. Rather than repeating what they say, if you don't already know where your donation will go and what it will be, here are some links and information.

Now, they need money and blood donations - later, they'll want all the things that people will need, who've lost everything. I'll be stitching some donations for later, and popping down to the bank to donate for now.

Donate to the Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org.au

Donate to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief fund by calling 13 Salvos (137258) or at http://www.salvos.org.au. Monetary donations are preferred.

Just a few links:

Bits of a broken something: Bushfires
List of non-profit organisations in Victoria
Handmade Help
Silly Gilly: Ebay auction fundraiser
Meet me at Mikes - collecting donations

I almost felt guilty...

For cutting them all off the bush. But with the forecast for today sitting at a scary 46 degrees (which turned out to be true) - I knew they would never survive. So I cut them, every one - and we have them indoors to enjoy and admire.


The very natty mat is a lovely gift from Potty Mouth Mama. I won her de-cluttering blog giveaway, and last week a parcel of delights arrived: trim and ricrac, vintage tea napkins (love 'em) and this little tablecloth - just the right size for our outdoor tables. The lime green piping is from her stash, too - just-washed and bundled before this photo. Thank you, Ms. PMM!

It's funny how the weather predictions last night made me tense. All this talk about the 'Horror Day' of untold temperatures, and dire warnings not to go out unless it was absolutely necessary. It made me somewhat edgy, so I was out in the garden last night, fussing over the tomatoes and the basil, topping up the pots with water from the bathtub (now that summer's here, our last soap-free rinses sit in the bathtub, getting cool and awaiting re-use as footbaths, dog splashes, and garden water). The vine Mr Tacc gave me a few years ago for my birthday is scorched and the beautiful red flowers have all dropped off. Our lemon tree soldiers on, with one hard green little lemon on the way. Many other plants have turned up their toes. This season is harsh.

Where I grew up, it was winter that you hid from. Staying indoors until we were crotchety and got chucked out the back door, snowsuit to the eyeballs, big mittens on penguin-flipper hands. Crunching through the crust on the snow - will it hold me or will I fall in up to my.... oof. waist? Blizzard days of all white: no school, home to draw and listen to the radio, read good books and bake. Snow days.

Me, circa 1994 - New Brunswick, Canada.

Here, I'm beginning to get used to the fact that summer is the killing season: the sun scorches and kills the garden, and we stay in to avoid it. Keeping inside, in the dark and cool, reading books, watching movies. It's all the same things, just the layers of clothing are different.

I avoided today's dire predictions - did go out - went to sit in the cool and craft with lovely new bloggy friends (hello!) and to stay in, out of the harsh weather, crafting in the cool.

Some things don't change much, but at least I didn't have to shovel my car out before I could drive back home. (And there wasn't a mountain lion under someone's car, which there was one memorable Canadian winter crafting day .... but that's another story).

My dog doesn't like it when...

Peppercorn
Originally uploaded by AMagill
I drop peppercorns on the floor.

He thinks they're food and he crunches them up, and then his ears go -- whoosh - flat back as the bite hits.

Sorry, dog.

PS: Flickr up to its old tricks: Photo originally uploaded by AMagill

All the girls like Senor Foxito....

Gosh, he's a popular fox. I've been told he likes jazz, and plays the saxophone.

Apparently he wears stovepipe trousers and cordouroy, and he mixes a mean mojito. And of course (but we knew this), he can shake it on the dance floor.

He's quite the lad.

Thanks for your emails and comments, it absolutely tickles me pink that you like him.

Sorry Franco Cozzo, we recovered it

This weekend was a pretty busy and exciting affair. (No, not that kind of affair, although if there was any falling in love to be had, it was with the fabric on N's new chair!)

Saturday morning I answered a plea for help. As in, 'Help, help, I don't know how to re-cover this chair!' - This from my friend N (recipient of the slouchy scooters bag), whose chair in question was scooped up off the nature strip some time before Christmas.

Makeover required: old walnutty wood, nice carving, upright dining-room chair. Eek! What is this shiny slippery Franco Cozzo covering on the cushion? And this one underneath! And this one, too. Cough-cough -- the dust smells very -- well, dusty.

Rip, shred, measure, bash etc. and theres a lovely chair all long-legged and bold. N - send me those photos! Or I won't go for coffee with you again.... (likely.)


Saturday afternoon's delight was the Mixtogether! Thank you to those lovely girls, Justine and Nichola, we had a lovely time. I met many gorgeous bloggers whose names I've seen 'round the traps online, but it was such fun to sit and sew and chat and munch on strawberries. (Reports of me snarfing TimTams are exaggerated). And a few little things lept into my bag, courtesy of the addictive nature of the Amitie fabric hoard. Ahhh.

I was also stoked to win a prize - thanks to Blog Portion for the world's most amazing bag of goodies, fabric and ribbon - even incense to keep me nice and calm as I rip out my seams. I was a bit overwhelmed by the generosity, and then I won a doorprize, too - $10 at Amitie. I promise you, that will be gone before I'm 6 feet inside the door next weekend for the Thornbury Craft Bonanza (which meets in Bentleigh, on the other side of the city, but nevermind).

So is it any surprise that not much happened for the rest of the weekend? A little snoozing, a lot of reading, some photos and more.... Maybe I knocked myself out with all that craft goodness. Time for a little slow time in the garden, stitching in pretty colours and looking up into the tree.

Ah.

TomaToes

We interrupt today's scheduled blogpost to bring you news from the garden. Salad is in. And the tomatoes are popping off the vines - ripening at a rate of ten or so per day.


Lucky, they're little sweet bombs of juice, coddled through the heat with shade of their own and every saved scrap of soap-free water I had.

No, I didn't go out with such a huge bucket, expecting to fill it with tomatoes! It's the laundry basket, emptied onto the line - returning with mint and basil, fresh oregano. I made a yogourty garlicy tsatziki, with salt and cucumbers and a dash of lemon juice, and we had big plates of salad with cold poached chicken, tiny slivers of chorizo, tsatziki and basil on top. Yummy? You bet.

I have load of things to blog about, and pictures to show you. Sadly, they are all on the laptop, and the scheduled crafty photo post is interrupted by the imminence of a paid-for article deadline. There's no way I'll ask for the laptop now.

So, with the main computer downloading images one..... at........a...........time.........zzz.......... my pickings from the garden are greater than my harvest from the camera. Maybe tomorrow.

B