Weekend interlude.

For Mother's Day I asked for a pair of slippers and a DVD. I got both and was extremely pleased. I also got a surprise weekend away! I hate surprises, so I must admit I wasn't very gracious when I received a note to say I needed to be waiting with my bag packed on Friday afternoon. I still hate surprises, but it was a good one. My husband had organised a 'girls' weekend in Wildes Meadow (near Bowral) – no boys, 3 or 30. He booked a cottage and arranged for my lovely friend and sister to pick me up. We spent the weekend eating, shopping, talking and planning. We explored the Southern Highlands and bought homemade jam and antiques, ate beer flavoured ice cream and built a fire without the help of boys. The slippers and DVD are great, but the gift of time and memories is precious.

In the kitchen.

What is better than Sunday afternoon cooking? I find it so relaxing. Today I decided to make a tomato relish from some over ripe tomatoes I had in the fridge. I searched for a recipe online, and ended up combining a few to come up with a relish to suit me, and suit me it does! Not only did it make the house smell delicious while it was cooking, it will be the perfect sauce to go with our turkish bread mushroom burgers. I also think it would be wonderful on a bacon and scrambled egg roll. Oh the possibilities. Here is the recipe:

Spicy Tomato Relish
1 tbs olive oil
1 small brown onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp hot chilli flakes (you can add more if you want it hotter)
1/2 tsp all spice
Pinch of dried herbs (I used oregano)
500g tomatoes, diced
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs white vinegar
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for five minutes, stirring regularly. Add garlic, chilli, all spice and dried herbs and cook for 2 mins or until aromatic. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until they break down. Add the sugar and vinegar and cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until it has thickened a bit. Remove from heat and cool in saucepan. Add the fresh thyme.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Sewing and such.

It's been a long time since I've put the ole' sewing machine to use, so when we got our new 'big' bed on Saturday I decided it was time to get it out and make some new cushions. 
We have recently painted our bedroom black, so I'm all about decorating to match the new colour. I made one cushion out of lovely checked wool and another out of hessian. I stitched a wool cross on the hessian one to make it a little more interesting. Both the cushions were super easy – I made envelope cushions, so they don't have any buttons or zips in them. I was a little rusty, so I did a search on YouTube for a tutorial. It took me a bout an hour to make both.
I think they look lovely with my favourite Pony Rider cushion.

The days gone by.

It's been a while. Autumn is well and truly here. The nights are cold and the mornings crisp. April has been full of birthdays and moving and changing rooms. We've pulled up carpet and painted walls black. We've lay on picnic rugs, eaten chocolate and laughed until its ached. Life is wonderful.

Sunday.

Images via ffffound.

Drive.

"You give me a time and a place, I give you a five minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that and you're on your own. Do you understand?"

I have never felt more anxious watching a movie. At one point the anticipation was so much that I felt physically ill. I was sitting on the edge of my seat saying 'I can't take it'.

It's a dark and brooding movie and you're never at ease while watching it. Ryan Gosling is of course glorious. On one hand I was worried about his character, and on the other I was totally freaked out by him.

If you love a good indie thriller this movie is for you. Don't expect a lot of talking though.

I loved the way it was made and the weird sort of 80s vibe the titles and music had.

*Mum, this movie isn't for you – there's a scene involving a hammer that I don't think you'd enjoy.

Ohana.

'Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind'*.

We laugh together and cry together. We yell and get angry. We sit quietly together. We talk and share together. We dream together. We support and encourage each other. We love each other.

My Family = my everything.

*Quote from Lilo and Stitch

Etsy love: In Haus Press.

Oh my. I'm in love with these letterpressed 'Mojave' coasters by In Haus Press! I need them. That is all.