WHERE have I BEEN all this time?!

Indeed you may ask. I apologise for my lengthy absence! I have been in South Gippsland, the very southern part of Victoria. It's where my Dad's side of the family are from. Just before Christmas, as some of you will know, my Dad had a stroke. He's on the mend now, but my family's plans of going down for a holiday were thrown into jeopardy when he was told he was not allowed to fly or drive. So I stepped in to share the driving with my Mum. I was so glad of the opportunity to go, spend some time with my parents, my aunt, and my brother, and really soak up the countryside.

You know you're in the country when you have to stop to let the cows across the road!

Trying my hand at hunting for strawberries




We built our own BBQ! Yum!

Swimming in Cake

Inspired by RubyJo and her memories of her Swimming Pool Cake for her 5th Birthday, I felt I should share my version of the cake with you.

When I was 5, I too had the swimming pool cake as my birthday cake, but as I was a Picky Young Lady, I didn't want jelly in the middle. Blue icing sufficed.

When I turned 25, I asked Mum to do the cake again, seeing it was such a hit the first time round. Now that I look closely, it was more of a desert island than a swimming pool!

For those that DID like jelly, we also had frog in a pond.

An Early Morning Visitor

This morning, I sat down at my sewing machine to make a dent in my sewing pile before I got online. No sooner had I opened the blinds when this little fellow joined me for about 20 minutes. I think he thought I had some friends of his - I was sewing up Pancho the Horse, who has remarkably similar colours!

You'll notice the photo I have sitting on my window sill. It is of my Mum, me, and my Grandma. It is one of my favourite photos - just the girls. Both my Mum and I have 2 brothers, so it is rare to see a family shot without a man! It would have been taken about 1983. I think it explains why I have such a love for denim overalls with red!

Round the World and Back

It's been a while, hasn't it, and I'm glad to say that I have been spending my time doing something I rate as highly worthwhile - travelling. I have been to Mexico, the USA and Germany in the past month - a whirlwind trip full of new family, yummy food, days packed with action and nights full of fun. Mexico saw me trying new foods and new languages and though I had been before, this time was family-oriented as I met Mr. Neverever's extended family for the first time.

The USA put on it's best weather and we had fun driving up the California coast and eating as many different brands of cheeseburger as we could (a feat not to be sneezed at, with so many fast food chains I lost count). The winner - In-and-Out burger. Yum.

Germany was a time to catch up with friends and drink our yearly quota of German beer at the Oktoberfest. We had our costumes ready and my dirndl (Germans out there, correct me if I'm wrong) got a good workout. The outfit was completed with a gingerbread heart bought for me... very sweet.

So now I'm back and ready to enjoy being at home and making some great stuff for NeverEver at Etsy. New ideas and inspiration abounds!