For the past few weeks I have been very busy with work and it’s been hard to find some breathing space (read: blogging time). It’s wonderful that my freelance business is going so well, but fitting in anything else in between Eloise and work is sometimes very difficult.

I have also had family visiting from interstate for the best part of the month. First my little sister who I miss dearly (Kelly you HAVE to start a blog), and then my wonderful folks. We’ve had a brilliant time and Eloise has had an absolute ball getting up to mischief with Aunty Kel and being thoroughly spoiled by Nanny and PaPa. I hate living so far away from them all and yearn for the day we live closer again. Without the internet, instant messenger and ichat I don’t know how we’d survive living so far apart! I am incredibly lucky we get on so well, share interests, love creativie pursuits, love a good coffee and chit chat session, love shopping and hunting down a bargain…the list is long and we often try and cram too much into our visits together. It sure gets tough sometimes without family close and the phone gets a good workout to try and make up for that.

I have a lot of blogging to catch-up on. New images to post, postcard swaps to show and tell, thrifting/op shopping finds galore. It’s great my family enjoy these pursuits. Lots of laughter. We fitted in a LOT of shopping and we encourage each other terribly! My Mum is great at tempting me: ‘You can’t leave it there for 10c!’ she’d say. Hmmmm how else would I have ended up with this…

For those interested it was published in 1979 by Gaylemot Publishing.

Rohan and I were married three years ago today at Montsalvat in Eltham. I could not have imagined a more perfect day and it holds many cherished memories shared with family and friends.

The last three years have been magical. Without a doubt the highlight has been the start of our little family with the birth of our precious daughter Eloise. Life is better than good!

Happy Anniversary Rohan. I love you! xx

We’ve had a lovely Easter break. Here’s my girl enjoying her first ever Easter choccie whilst playing with the pinwheels that live out on the front verandah. She’s allergic to milk protein so I had to track down some Sweet William, but as you can see she loved it!

I’m just lamenting the fact that I didn’t get my act together and make this cute bunny in time for Easter! I have been so busy these past few weeks with ‘real’ work and Eloise, that the list of things I want to do is getting longer by the minute. I am trying not to feel frustrated and overwhelmed. I confess to being a procrastinator so it’s too easy to cruise blogland instead of getting stuck into it! You know how one site leads to another, leads to another that leads to another and before you know it it is midnight!

I am in the midst of a few swaps (Dani I haven’t forgotten you, honest!) and I have some ideas brewing that I am very excited about for the postcard swap organised by Nikki-Shell, due to be posted soon. I have already received a gorgeous postcard from the very talented Kristen. I was very excited to find it in my post office box hidden amongst my usually boring junk mail! I will give it a full online ‘review’ and showing off when the others trickle in.

It’s been a very strange and unsettling week, and as a result I am feeling so behind in everything. Yesterday I felt the need to cheer us all up, so I decided to bake a cake! I was fully in ‘domestic goddess’ mode yesterday—not sure what was with that!

Miss Eloise has a dairy allergy so I have to do a bit of creative cooking (yes no cheese and no chocolate *gasp*!!). I have been finding many good cake and cookie recipes for those with special dietary needs on VegWeb. My first non-dairy cake attempt was her first birthday cake in December which I must admit was a deeeeelicious chocolate and raspberry cake topped with mauve coloured icing. Last night’s Pineapple and Carrot Cake has both fruit and veg in it, so it’s lulled us into believing it’s healthier.

Pineapple and Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups wholemeal self raising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup finely grated carrot
3/4 cup pineapple pieces with juice
1 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn vanilla
3/4 cup apple sauce
2 eggs

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes or until cooked through. NB: Would be perfect with cream cheese frosting, but I didn’t have the ingredients to do a dairy free version. Next time I might try and get rid of the sugar by upping the fruit…