Where have I been the last 6 weeks

Not home...

The last 6 weeks has seen me out and about

a lot.

First I spent a couple of days with my Mum.

We went to the open gardens in Maleny. This was a feast for a gardeners eyes.

All these photos were taken in the one garden, after that I was so busy looking I forgot to take some photos.

Then we headed out to visit the girls out west.

First a overnight stop at Alanah & Cams in Dalby

And Charlie of course...This one is so cheeky, and look at those 

Blue eyes..

Then we moved on to Glen Morgan to Cassie and Ben's...

To what is my dream house....hahah.

We took over Ben's saddle making studio.

To the scapbooking studio... I took all my supplies out and Cassie and I had a great time getting some much needed scrapbooking done. I just happened to leave it all out there when I left, guess I will have to go back.

We got the old wood stove working as it was cold and wet out there.

I taught Cassie how to cook on the stove and it has been going since..

 Love these old stoves for cooking.

Jessica came for a visit to Cassie's as well.

Henry

Henry is growing so fast as are the girls.

Abby

Abby and Grace doing some painting like there Mum.

Grace

Hid and seek is always a favorite game with Uncle Will in the old homestead as there is so many places to hide.

Hide & seek

 Soon it was time to say goodbye to Cassie and head back home.

Another stop at Dalby on the way home for a couple of nights.

Charlie

Morning cuddles 

then back home for a little while...

Before long I got the phone call 

That number 8 grand child was here...

William & David

But you will have to wait to meet her until the next post.

Blessings

Mandy

Food Forest...

I woke up to the sound of rain last night.

Not a lot but still better than none. It is so dry here that there isn't even any green pick for my chickens. Each morning I go out and weed and take them down so that they are getting there greens. We get 10 eggs a day from our 14 girls so I need to keep them happy.

We sell 3 cartons a week which pays for the grain so our eggs are free.

I am thinking we have to fence of the food forest and let them go in there where it is still green.

Well greener..

This area is slowly coming along and the trees getting some height on them.

We have at last count I think 36 different fruit trees/vines...The passion fruit has fruit on it and the citrus trees are loaded.

This is our 1 lonely pumpkin from a self set vine....we have already had 2 frosts so the vine isn't in good shape.

This mandarin tree has never done well, this year the fruit is dying on the tree..

Any suggestions at all? I think we may have to cut it down..

I can't wait till the day when we won't have to buy any fruit at all....The fruit I do buy I get from our farmers market each Thursday when I'm there....At the moment we can't get enough of the Stanthorpe apples. Plus our bananas, which are the best of coarse....

Well I better be going and packing for the markets.....

Blessings

Mandy

Decluttering and Recycling...

I feel free, liberated even let me share why.

I cleaned my closet!!!!

  It was full, 

full of shoes, clothes, blankets, hats and  crap no one else wanted

arghhh

Before clean out

Took me all of 15mins...

In a crazed like state I just through things out with out thinking about it.

I have NEVER done a clothes cleansing like this. You know that skirt and dress you paid a fortune for 10 years ago...GONE. What about all the clothes from the op shops that you bought in a frenzy when you lost your weight AND have not worn!!!!! GONE. Then theirs the shoes 23 pairs I have thrown out, GONE.

Not to mention the hats....I don't even like hats! All the handbags I have collected over the years GONE....They were falling apart.

After crazed throwing

Much better.

Do I regret throwing 5 very large wheelie bin bags of clothes away? No... what I feel is embarrassed, embarrassed that I owned so much stuff....stuff that doesn't make me happy ...most of it I didn't like..

Now I love the items that I have kept they were the ones I wore all the time....I mean i don't go out that much any way.

After

I love my bedroom and am thank full for a my walk in robe that Bruce built me, now I'm not afraid to go in there.

Do you like my chair? a love seat I think you would call it.

My cleaver Bruce made it for our room from 2 old chairs, I need to make

some cushions for it yet but I love it.

I have been busy in the sewing room fighting the cat, I mean sewing haha

I made Charlie some clothes for his birthday with a Indian theme material.

They were a hit.

I needed to run to town on Monday and buy a new iron, ummmm came home with a over locker.

I have really wanted one for years and always been scared to use one, while I was in spotlight they were on sale for a crazy price...I knew if I didn't get one I would regret it....

Well I love it...

Went back through those bags of clothes looking for some I could refashion.

This dress was too high in the neck and choked me when I sat down, but I love the material...So I turned it into a skirt. The top I will hem and put back in the bag.

This top was a little short so I added some lace to the bottom of it, perfect now.

Have you ever had a major clothing breakdown? Or just me?

I want you too know I have no intentions of going out and buying new clothes to replace the ones I got rid of, that would defeat the purpose. No, now I will wear what I have and what I have, I love..

Blessings 

Mandy

Birthday Time................

Birthday time around here.

This is my brother Tyson who now lives here

in The Old Dairy.

Saturday was his birthday.

Happy Birthday Ty.

Sunday was Charlie's Birthday.

 Yes he is 1

How fast this year has gone...

Charlie is the happiest little boy and always has a smile for you.

Charlie had a great birthday party that his cousins had lots of fun at. There was face painting, which Abby and Grace loved.

The pinata was a real hit....

 and whats a birthday party with out a jumping castle.

Charlie and Alanh got feathers on there face to match the Little Indian theme of the party.

See the cake in the back ground it was a teepee....the kids loved it...

Happy Birthday Charlie

And Today is 

Alanah's Birthday

Happy birthday beautiful girl...

                                                BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS EVERY ONE..
                                                                        Mandy

Chop chop in the Garden.....

Autumn

In the garden is a great time to get in and clean up as 

every thing slows down and I get a chance to do some maintenance.

I have been out in the vege garden getting the last of the summer veges out and planing the winter ones.

Over Summer the glass house gets used as a storage area, so I had to get in and give it a good clean out and weed.

It is now ready to grow tomatoes and lettuce in over winter and raise seedlings.

From the vege garden I moved into the back garden..

Looking very over grown out here, so I decided to get in and do some pruning.

Wow I may have got a little carried away..hahaha

The budlia I had out here is chopped right back as was a big bush rose.

The Mulberry tree got a trim  as well. The sun will be able to get in here now over winter and by Spring everything will be grown back.

The front garden got a good hair cut and mulching as well.

It is so dry at the moment, I cut down two trees as well out here as they are taking all the moisture out of the gardens.

I have planted lots of  low maintenance plants in here now as well as climbing roses on the fence.

Robbie trimmed all the hedges for me as well.

The garden is all ready for winter now...

How is all your gardens going????