Feeling like a big cup of Royal Tea

Check out my Royal Wedding pin board on pinterest - it's pretty!

Am definitely excited to be watching the Royal Wedding tonight.
A friend is having us over and sent me this lovely message,

"Many years ago a beautiful young girl married a not so handsome prince. It didn't end so well but it was a fairly seminal moment in another little girl's life - she had the melamine plate and the ladybird reader and even her barbie had the puffy sleeved dress. This Friday it's happening again and I think I should celebrate the occasion with a little gathering... get frocked up, drink some pimms and eat some suitably British food..."

I felt the same as a little girl. 

At school the next day I was delighted to be told that I looked 

like India Hicks and to this day it is amazing how similar our lives are, haha.

Oh well, tonight will be fun and I am looking forward to a watching a 

new era of the monarchy unfold. We are each to bring a plate and the lolly shop at 

Carindale sells packets of barbecue hula hoops so I am sorted!

happiness is pinterest

Finally getting my head around pinterest! 
After feeling a little down in the glumps I thought why not find something a bit happy to share.

the week that was

I started off the week with a very successful movie night held at my work all in the aid of a bit of fundraising and fun at the same time - these are some tickets we printed out from a free vector download - beautiful colours! Speaking of doughnuts... my little sixer and I were delighted to find these doughnut eggs at a local coffee shop and I came across these doughnut seeds on a blog {but I've forgotten where!}  and thought they were equally delightful. If only it were real. Doughnut seeds image by Jason Fulford

{really, really yummy} white chocolate and hazelnut ball

*250 gm block philly cheese, softened

100gm white chocolate, melted

1 tbsp caster sugar,

1 cup roasted hazelnuts

* combine philly, chocolate and sugar in small bowl, chill for 1 hour or until firm.

form into 2 balls and coat in hazelnuts, then chill again till firm.

* I served mine with ginger thins and apple, pear and some fig & multigrain crackers. 

The book suggests also serving with choc chip bread which lead me to thinking... how about 

some choc chip hot cross buns....

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Today we had a Good Friday morning tea with the crew from work and the epic egg hunt for the kids. Was a fantastic morning, we sure know how to picnic. My "plate" is pictured above and I have included the recipe because I got so many requests for it. It's from the the phillidelphia cookbook that was out at woolies last year - you know - buy 3 philly products and get this awesome free cookbook - yeah, I'm pretty sure I can manage that. Was totally well worth it and it looks like a new one is out soon. Site is pretty rad too. Sooo not ashamed to love philly! And the surprise end for today - a rainbow - ahhh! 

Seen from my sister's back verandah and from where I was standing I was pretty sure the end must have been right about where my house is only a couple of streets away. Pot o Gold - I think so!

happy looooong weekend!

Free Easter Tags Download

I am very pleased to share my very first ever free download! 

I have made up some easter gift tags which you can print out or download via here
There are four variations with two of each on an A4 sheet 

{I recommend using the thickest card that is suitable for your printer}. 

I have left a space to the right of each tag for you to punch a hole and thread your ribbon 

through as pictured below.

♥ Please feel free to share the link via suburbansider - hope you enjoy!

Rabbiting on

Here's what I've been working on over the weekend, some cute easter guys - available for free download very soon!

Thank you deer!

So exciting to get a lovely package in the mail!

My dark little house delivers photos that don't quite do this lovely print justice. A better photo here.

I love the effect though when I held it to the window and the sunshine peeking through the holes in my curtain has reflected in the glass. I received this a couple of weeks ago from Creature Comfort's etsy shop Wren and Chickadee.

Ez very kindly contributed all proceeds to Earthquake and Tsunami relief.

This deer reminds me of when I was in Japan for a study trip during high school. We were slightly overwhelmed by some very tame deer, trying to steal our lunch when we were visiting Kyoto. That trip to Japan when I was 14 will always stand out as one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Since then all of my family has travelled there and over the years hosted many Japanese exchange students. My 13 year old has been begging me for years to take him there too so... one day... 

we look forward to visiting again.

Salad Days

I was absolutely fanging for lunch when I got home after gym and doing the groceries.
This salad was so yummy and looks good too I think. Such a beautiful, beautiful sunny day today and was feeling motivated after loosing some kilos and a couple of freebie personal training sessions, thanks Jay!! I saw one of my friends, Renae, Hourglass Fitness, describe her salad on facebook and I couldn't wait to stock up on more fresh veges today so I could make something similar.
It's got spinach, mushrooms, red capsicum, 5 bean mix, lebanese cucumber, celery and tuna and LOTS of lemon juice and pepper, oh and danish feta crumbled over the top. So awes. I had some swiss cheese and pumpernickel bread on the side and had to take a bite whilst I was making the salad.
I have collected a few lovely salad books and this one below, from my "salad days" back when I was a teenager is an absolute favourite. Mainly for the pictures!

Here are just a few pages. Each chapter has a delightful title page. The one above for the vegetarian chapter reads, 

"If you peep into the SPC garden very early on a misty morning, you might just spy the olive-spotted tomato ladybird nestling amongst the sprouting mushrooms on the edge of a magical fairy ring"

 I used to love looking through this book, has anyone else come across this one?

I Have A Dream...

I have this dream where little elves come and clean my house whilst I sleep and organize my boxes of fabric into something like this

Oh wow!

No it was me + an ironing board + 2 hours in front of Bridget Fonda in the Assassin.
*Interesting fact - Harvey Keitel pops up for his second time as "a cleaner" Mr Wolf {one of my fave small part characters in a movie} in Pulp Fiction,  after appearing as Victor the Cleaner in the Assassin.
I hadn't seen the Assassin since it first came out and  got a surprise to see Harvey walking in to this movie in the same role and wondered which one came first?

       

In order of appearance; ♥ little owl pincushion by Tiddliwink Toys found at The Collective Store,

♥ one of my favourite fabrics from Amy Butler, ♥ collection of buttons inherited from my Mum,

♥ more buttons in tins and a little friend that's almost as old as I am, ♥ "A" initial from Reverse Garbage and can you see my little red suitcase at the top? It is from my kindy days and was referred to as a port! It still has my name dymo labeled on to it. Did anyone else have one of those in the 70's? My Story Bridge hanky is now living in a frame. 

Much easier to get on with the sewing projects now, however still have a couple of boxes of fabric to sort which will live in the drawers below - anytime you want to jump in evles...

Hope you have all had a good weekend and are making the most of this gorgeous weather!

Teeny Tiny Changes

Hey there,
I have made some teeny tiny changes to my blog.
I've just discovered blogger now has more fonts to choose from! My banner was annoying me too so I have finally tweaked it a little. Just a little FYI ~ the little picture in my banner is taken from a hanky once belonging to my Nan. It's pink, it's got the Story Bridge, it's got Jacarandas, it has sentimental value because I love all of the things inherited from my family and it's a little bit vintage so I couldn't think of anything more fitting to be used as an identity for Surbansider.

And for those of you wondering where the name comes from ~ it's like Sydney-sider or East-sider. It's about where I live as a resident of the suburbs and what that means to me. After lots of traveling and living in lots of different places overseas and in Australia, I value more and more the most wonderful place that is Brisbane and all of her suburbs. I like to celebrate all of the little, everyday things that sometimes get overlooked, yet are most important and should be valued, especially when times are hard and it's easy to forget how very simple it is to find joy.

The Mt Tamborine Markets

 I loved these markets, heaps of vintagey stuff and crisp, autumny morning air.
They are on the last Sunday of every month, corner of Curtis and Long Roads, North Tamborine

 you can just see a corner of a basket I bought reflected in the mirror!

         

The beautiful blue church where my sister got married!

The Decline of Youth

take off all your colours!, originally uploaded by hawkington.

I was shocked the other day when I saw some cut-off jean shorts all ripped up and distressed hanging in a "fashion boutique's" window in a suburban shopping centre.
Um.. I'm pretty sure, back in my day {the early 90's} we cut off, tore off and ripped up our jeans ourselves and did our own bleaching, distressing and artistically fraying and shredding ~ all in an afternoon's work.
We took pride in our efforts!
What is this world coming to!

Frills, Thrills and Bellyaches

If for some strange reason you don't like pretty vintage you'd best click yourself outta here before reading any further......

On our trip to Mt Tamborine, Kirstin took us to visit her sister's shop, which I have been in several times before but not knowing to whom it belonged to. And I was allowed to take lots and lots of photos without feeling like a creepy person! Which was a good thing ~ it's so gorgeous! Every inch of this shop and it's verandah is beautifully arranged with pretty vintage pieces and lots of unusual quirky things too. I love how Amanda has displayed everything. I had such a great time looking at it all, the china cabinets reminded me of my Nan's as did the jewelry.  The joy I had as a child, sitting on her bed, carefully sifting through her glittering beads and rings and being allowed to try them on has never left me. That's one of the reasons I love places like this. So many treasures waiting to be found. The swan below magically found his way back to my house because I just couldn't walk away... I blame Kirstin ~ she really shouldn't have brought me to this den of iniquity.

and do you know I saw a very similar swan sitting on Tom and Barbara's coffee table in
"The Good Life" last night on the telly!

                            

                                

       

                      

If you haven't already discovered the delights.....Vintage Frills is at North Tamborine, Main Rd. 

So. Totally. Gorgeous.

*if anyone knows what album I am referencing in the title of my post, without googling ~ 
you will get a prize {not the swan!}