My little Eloise turned two today. Two!!! It’s gone so very quickly (well except that first six months…that felt like one long blurry day!!). If you ask her how old she is she’ll say ‘two seconds’ …that would be my fault as I often tell her I will ‘just be two seconds’. Oh dear! I then tried to explain to her that it was ‘two years’ and she paused, looked at me and said ‘Ohhhh, two eeeaarrs’ and pointed to her ears. It’s so much fun getting to know her and watching this special, funny, happy, confident, kind, delightful little person emerge!

Anyone who sings about thrifting must be pretty good huh? We were lucky enough to catch Dan Zanes and Friends twice last week at the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Both shows were simply fantastic and Eloise was totally impressed! When Dan Zanes appeared she squealed ‘ring ring doorbell‘ pointing enthusiastically to make sure we had noticed (I think she thinks that’s his name….but anyway!).

Zanes appears to be gathering quite a steady following in Australia, especially since he started appearing on Playhouse Disney earlier in the year. At both shows he was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd who were kept singing and dancing for the entire show!

Eloise got right in there and danced up a storm at the front of the stage. For a not-quite-two-year-old she pulled off some impressive moves! So uninhibited and full of joy. It was lovely to watch her clapping with delight and singing along to the songs she knew. The band play many different instruments (ukulele, double bass, drums, piano accordion, banjo, guitars, mandolin) and Eloise was enthralled. After the show Dan and the band chatted with the audience and signed autographs. They were really generous with their time and it was really special for the kids.

To be honest I have become a bit of a Dan Zanes fan myself…even more so after seeing their impressive live performance. His music is infectious, well crafted and feel good. A rich combination of original tunes and traditional folk. Have a look at his website, it’s worth a visit and it’s beautifully designed. Donald Saafs illustrations are absolutely gorgeous (lots of whimsical insects and dancing animals!). How sweet is this alligator t-shirt!

If anyone’s interested there’s a great video interview with Dan Zanes {here} by Camp Jinx and for more about Eloise’s Dan Zanes adventures {click here}

Look at my little poppet. She looks so grown up!

Wowee, October already and the Christmas decorations are being set up in the shops! Maybe I can get onto my cards early this time instead of the last minute late nighter. I am really looking forward to Christmas this year. It’ll be different with a two year old in the house!

I’ve been very busy catching up over —-> here, but I am hopefully having a blogging day tomorrow of my very own! Lots of posts piling up and photos to upload — including my ‘Thrift Challenge’ update and other goodies…

While Eloise was busy refusing to nap for the first time in weeks, I decided to do something I have been wanting to do forever…make Lemon Butter (Lemon Curd). I was inspired after reading this entry on Melissa’s lovely blog Tiny Happy. I used a mix of lemons and limes and it turned out to be pretty delicious for a first attempt! By the time I had finished I took a peek around the corner into the loungeroom and this is what I found…

Ha! There’s a first time for everything. Even the blanket is her own doing! I just KNEW she was tired!

Eloise and I made cookies this morning. She doesn’t get many foodie treats because of the dairy thing. I feared these gingerbread cookies may be a bit too spicy, but no, sure enough she comes toddling over and drags me into the kitchen asking for ‘more star peaaseee, more star’. (this also explains why only one star made its way into the photo above!)

Cooking doesn’t come naturally to me, actually I’m not very good at it at all. So when I had to improvise and use a wine bottle as a rolling pin I freaked out a little. I think I also overcooked them a bit….but hey…my little customer isn’t complaining….although she did call my gingerbread man a bear!