Little Autumn Gifts

It's getting chilly around here but boy is it pretty outside! I always feel like I live in the Northern Hemisphere for about 2 weeks a year when the leaves change colour on the trees around the farm and  hide the messy looking Australian Natives. The Kids went back to School yesterday after the final week of holidays just pottering around the house and Flynn and I took a stroll around the Botonical Gardens to soak up all the Autumn colour. He looked so snuggly in his Autumn Granny blanket I made him a whole 2 years ago. Time is whizzing past so fast. I also think it's time to get over my fear of "weaving-in-the-ends" and pick up the crochet hook again. Crochet has definitely been playing second fiddle to knitting these days.

The Gardens were looking sensational and the new Community Food Garden has been completed too and looks fantastic. Every time I visit, Tino from ABC's Gardening Australia is in there beavering away in the veggie patches. He's such a nice man and is always up for a chat. I usually check out the plant stands and bring something home - the plants are very reasonably priced compared to other nurseries and it's nice to support the Gardens as they are sorely under-funded. I picked out the plant above for $10 and covered the ugly black pot with piece of hessian I cut out of a hessian bag I picked up from the Pet Supply shop for $6.00.  It is keeping me company on my bedside table.

We've been getting back to basics around here while I slowly get on top of the household situation I found myself in a month or so ago. I've been revisiting Rhonda Hetzel's "Down to Earth" book that I received as a gift for my birthday 2 years ago and am loving it all over again. I tend to flick through it when life or Blogland and social media start feeling a bit 'noisy'. The book is always reassuring and full of simple inspiration. To that end I decided to knit some humble Log Cabin Washcloths to send off as simple little gifts for Mother's Day. The Log Cabin design is addictive I tell you and I love how imperfect and homemade they look. I chose Autumn-y colours in luscious 10ply Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton and packaged them up with homemade Tasmanian Goat's Milk soap and then sent my little brown paper packages tied up with string to my Mum, Mother-In-Law and my Dad's partner. It's only a small gift but considering my efforts in recent years I think they will be well received. 

Oh, and I just had to include the photo of the boys who both lost their first tooth just a week apart. After Noah lost his, it was hoped the toothy gap would provide a way to differentiate them at School but it was not to be. Their friends and Teachers are just going to have to keep looking at their shoes to tell them apart!

I'm joining in with Ginny again this week, sharing what we are making and reading.

Hope you are having a lovely week!

Mel xxx