ophelia

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

Kitchen of a winemaker

One of life's simple pleasures is a glass or two of wine after work.

Where we live, there are many small wineries scattered throughout the hills and it is so lovely to go driving around the vines on the weekend, sampling wine, meeting the winemakers and vignerons and buying a case here and there to drink or store for later (the storage part happens less often I must admit).

When you are married to a winemaker however, it isn't always a case of a simple glass of wine after work.

It often requires tasting barrel samples, blind tastings of varieties and vintages and comparing or scoring each one, based on nose, length, mouth feel, colour, etc etc.

Oh yes, there are definite advantages to being married to a wine maker, but I'm not sure if the kitchen being turned into a wine lab is one of them...

Happily, our own label is doing well and the 2009 Grenache is nearly ready for release.

I love seeing all the bottles snug in their boxes ready for their journey into shops, restaurants and peoples cellars.

I love too my husbands hands after he has been playing with the wine all day...

You can always spot a winemaker at this time of the year!

Hot!!!

Happy Summer Day. It is 42 degrees here today!

Any tips for staying cool?

Keep the clucking down!

My cat was most unimpressed yesterday with her 'sisters' distracting her movie watching.

Op shopping mistake

I've done some good op shopping these holidays. Some great stuff has been purchased for under $2 each including a 19502 cocktail book, a 70s childrens party book, a Louis Feraud velvet skirt, a Getaway board game and some other 'essentials'.

However today I saw a set of the above Alfred Meakin Marigold 1930's tea and dinnerware for $10 and didn't get it! Can you believe that?

Luckily it is only the next town over so I shall pop in my little car first thing and hope that no one else saw it and fell in love with it this afternoon.

So silly!

Looking for a Teepee, finding inspiration

Ever since I slept in my friends teepee, I have desperately wanted one of my own. They are jolly expensive though so I need a secondhandy to come my way I think.

We do often camp out, but I have to say, our tent is not usually this romantic looking. I just love these photos by andrew and carissa. Do yourself a favour and check out their blog. It is just so amazing and inspiring. Scroll through a few pages and see their last years christmas video. I adore, adore it. Also their one this year will bring a tear to the eye. Thanks rockstar diaries for the heads up!

PS Let me know if you see any teepees for sale!

Dressing like a flower

I picked my mum a bunch of flowers yesterday. I was feeling very pleased with my garden that day and wanted her to have a piece of it in her house.

I was looking at them whilst I picked each one, just sucking in the colours and vibrancy and almost wishing I could be one.

Then I came across Allanah Hill's latest collection and realised I could!

Happy Day!

Looking Australia in the eye

For the past few weeks we have been lucky enough to have 14 Swedes here visiting us over Summer. So delicious for them to escape the snow and minus degree weather and special for us to have a little more Sweden in our lives.

We had great fun sharing our family and friends with them, the feathered and furry ones included of course.

Unfortunately they werent with us yesterday when we went out in our little boat and swam with dolphins! They were all around our little boat and we dived in amongst them.

I think it's going to be a good year.

Calmed by a snail

My brain feels like this room at the moment. Chaotic and overwhelmed.

Oh well, Marcel always cheers me up. Don't you just adore him???

Happy Birthday, Happy me

This is how I felt on my birthday this week.

Drowning in Love. (In a good way!)

From here

New Year, New plans

After a gorgeous hot Christmas in the park with the family and our many Swedish visitors, it is nice to have a few days to relax and potter around the house and garden thinking of all of the plantings and projects for the New Year.
To have a bookshelf finally is such a treat as well and I can easily spend hours just staring at my old friends that I havent read in so long.
Little bits of Sweden scattered inside and out...

and the produce in the gardens are ready to prepare and share as more visitors stream through the doors.

Happy New Year everyone.

May it be happy and joyful and full of love and merryment.

Happy Boxing Day Everyone!

Image from abundance.

Merry Christmas to you all!

I hope your houses are feeling all cozy and Christmasy. This book is my absolute favourite Christmas book of all time.

Over the many years that I have had it, I have made several of the crafts. ( My favourite being the oh, so cute and easy mouse in a stocking.)

The Danish influenced crafts and recipes are superb, but the best part are the photos and feelings of family and love that it evokes. It always makes me feel so happy and safe.

Naughty Chickens

Our house looks so peaceful from a distance...

but I tell you what, our new chickens are so naughty, they are causing havoc.
Oh sure, they look innocent enough here, but the stories I could tell you.


Maybe it's because they nest in wine barrels.
We have mistakenly created an atmosphere of drunken debortuary, where anything goes.



Luckily the goat is an absolute angel.

Beautiful Victoria

This isn't where I am from and I haven't actually ever been to Daylesford, but oh, how I adore this advert/mini movie.

It is so lusciously shot and Isabel Lucas is just beautiful.

Home Sweet Home

It is always so good to be home sweet home.

Bicycle Rush Hour in Copenhagen

Good bye August.

You bought me sweet love, drives across Southern Sweden, bike rides through Copenhagen, plane rides to Poland, walks and feasts in forests, Swedish cakes and herring burgers, unfamiliar, yet friendly cat visitors, picnics on the Baltic, parties with friends and champagne in the garden.

I will never forget you.

September promises lazy weeks on the French Riviera, days exploring London, work and play in sweden and favourite smells and sights of Australia.

I am truly blessed.

I bike Copenhagen

I bike it, I bike it, I bike it!!!

I've said it before and I will say it again, I really, really, really do love this city.

Everything is beautiful or interesting.

There is always something happening, markets, festivals, concerts, spontanious street fiestas. The people are stunning, stunning, stunning, the architecture superb.

Even the money is beautiful. I mean any coin with a hole in the middle and love hearts surrounding is ok with me.

Thank you again Copenhagen for a great day.

Story book cottage

This really is a house of dreams to me. It is on a tiny crooked road with 10 or so other thatch roofed cottages, overlooking the Baltic Sea, a short drive from my village.

It has all the essential cottage flowers in its garden and I just know that hedgehogs and fairies roam freely.