birthday dessert ideas

You've got stars in your eyes

Adoro o Natal. E acho que, nos próximos tempos, esse será o principal tema aqui no blog. Tenho juntado algumas bolas para a decoração da árvore (e não só) e ando fascinada com tantas outras... enfim, é só brilho na minha cabeça! :-)

Algumas delas já estão penduradas no tecto (bem, não são estas, que tenho medo que caiam e partam), outras vou equilibrar num prato (espero!) e ainda não decidi em que usar as restantes. Se quiserem dar ideias, já sabem - são muito bem vindas!

I love Christmas. And I guess this will be the main subject here at the blog for the next times! These are a few of the vintage ornaments that I have been gathering over the times and that I'll be using in my decorations. All I can think of is glitter! :-)

Some of the baubles are hanging from the ceiling (well, not these ones, as I'm afraid they might fall and break, but I hope to show you later which ones) and I'm also planning to put some in a stand. I still haven't decided on what to do with the others. If someone wants to share some of your ideas, you're more than welcome!

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A Tip for Managing the Lego Monster

Please accept my apology if this was your idea. I saw this tip somewhere in the last week or two and can't, for the life of me, remember where I saw it. I can't even remember whether I saw it on the internet or in a book or newspaper.

The tip is this. Pour all your Lego blocks out on an old bed sheet. Tell your children that they can spread the Lego out, but it must stay on the sheet. When it comes time to clean up you wrap the Lego in the sheet and tip it back into its storage container. This idea would work for any kind of toy with many small parts.

I wish I had thought of this years ago. At very least it would have saved my bare feet from painful midnight contact with stray bricks.

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Essential Edibles Food Swap November 2010

Today was the third Essential Edibles Food Swap organised by Sustainable Communities SA.

I love this monthly food swap. People bring along anything they have grown themselves, such as fruit, vegetables, herbs, seeds and seedlings, flowers, and even occasionally some home-made preserves. Running from 9 until 11 on the first Sunday of each month, the food swap builds community, cuts down on food miles, encourages generosity - and not a cent changes hands.

This month I contributed yellow roses, radishes, broad beans, rosemary, and lettuce, coriander and geranium seedlings.

I was thrilled to bring home a couple more tomato seedlings (you can never have enough!), an aloe vera seedling, a couple of globe artichoke seedlings and a jar of preserved lemons.

If you live in Adelaide we'd love to see you at the next food swap, which will be held on December 5th at Joslin Reserve, between 3rd and 4th Avenues. If you don't live locally but enjoy growing things, why not start your own food swap? They are lots of fun and you meet the most interesting people.

PS. I discovered tonight that there is a photo of me at the last food swap on my local state member of parliament's website here.

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I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

Christmas is coming... e é nisto que tenho andado a pensar! Adoro o brilho do Natal e é realmente uma época em que há tantas possibilidades de decoração que se torna difícil escolher aquela de que mais gostamos.

Quais são as cores que mais gostam nas decorações de Natal? O tradicional verde e vermelho? Preferem os ambientes mais vintage? Ou os modernos?

Adorava ouvir a vossa opinião!

Christmas is coming... and that's what I've been thinking about lately! I love the sparkle of Christmas and there are always so many decoration options that it's hard to choose the one we love the most.

What are your favorite colors for Christmas decor? Traditional red and green? Do you prefer vintage decorations or modern ones?

Well, I would LOVE to hear your opinion!

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Gold and Chocolate

I finally brought some of our yellow roses into the house. They look just right in a chocolate bowl against the deep gold of the walls in our hallway.

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Our L'il Aussie Halloween

Although I didn't grow up celebrating Halloween, I like it more and more each year. I know Halloween is often criticised for being over-commercial and too American. But it's just so much fun.

For the third year in a row we went to a Halloween party at our friends the Holmeses' house. It was great fun and the kids had a marvellous time eating way too many lollies with their friends. It was so cold I could almost imagine it was autumn, although the roses in all the gardens were a reminder that we are actually in spring.

This year for the first time many stores were selling those round, orange American pumpkins that are so different from the blueish-grey ones we have here. They do seem to make a superior Jack o' lantern although at about $4 a kilo they were very pricey.