A chilly start to the day this morning seen in my Beanie wearing husband as he went off to do an installation for Care Alert.

For myself I rugged up in a fleece jacket, checked Google Maps directions to pick up two child’s Booster Seats.
The local Buy, Sell and Swap Facebook site is marvellous for all sorts of great bargains at a fraction of the price.
Not current style but still with all the safety features like side impact protection and extendable height headrest with lock.

Having purchased my seats I decided to drive past Bunnings as I was in the area thereby saving myself another trip for buying potting mix which will be needed later.

Thus I found my treasure trove free for the picking , actually snapping.

Everywhere I turned plants, leaves, blooms glistened in the morning sun with sparkling refractions from the still present heavy morning Dew. It was like being let free in a candy store…which way shall I turn first.

The heavy-headed large Pansy flowers like the drunken butterflies in their silken Kimono robes but frozen in flight
Variegated elegant leaves of the Cyclamen like lily pads
Cyclamen flowers in all shapes showing off a promise of more to come

Dianthus miniature Carnations with a perfect spherical glass like orb at its centre
Indian and tropical inspired miniature Bougainvillea with its veined coloured leaf flowers inviting the passer-by to purchase…but not at that price…ahem… $39.-

So passed a pleasant and refreshing time amongst nature free for all to see if they choose….and yes I did buy potting mix plus four big punnets of Heartsease marked down to .50 cents. bARGAIN!

Another treasure found today was to visit and share some time with the little Grandsons, especially for Grandpa as he sometimes misses out when he is busy.
So whilst he admired origami paper planes of all shapes and sizes which the boys proudly showed off I swapped some plants around in to different pots.
Free
Enjoyable
Precious

The day is as you make it.

For us it was a Treasure Trove.

Look no further!
Go visit your local nursery for a free lift of spirits

Free you say!

Yes definitely because no money changed hands.

By letting my mind be refreshed and calmed on a hot hot day under the misting sprinkler.

I remembered …
Lavender cutting/slips growing under some greenery
Hibiscus cuttings/slips slowly growing roots in a glass jar
Red trumpet creeping vine cutting/slip started in a pot
Big Red geranium growing lushly from a cutting/slip

It was a stepping back in time of how old gardens were created.
Networking and sharing.

How to best utilise what I have at home in the garden…..just a moving round and swapping positions. Or repotting with large recycled pots from the neighbour’s hard rubbish clean out.

There was no instant gratification costing $$, just some methodical or random planning and a little patience.

Have you ever done this?

Blessed

Joining Through the Garden Gate

Joining Frontier Dreams

Happenings in the space of an hour

Plan to go out to run some errands

Discover it is raining a little but we head out anyway

Follow the iPhone Maps App lady’s voice to the recycling facility

Told, Oh sorry, we don’t collect these things.
You will have to wait for your Council Dangerous Goods Clean up day.

Hmmm…Council HAD advised us that the recyclers would take our old Fluero tubes

Note that now I have muddy shoes so place a large Aldi shopping bag on the car floor to rest my feet on

Stop at the Woolies shop because we are driving past. Might see if there are any reduced price goodies….found a few

Push shopping trolley and prepare to return to car…it’s raining properly now

Wait under cover til rain eases somewhat and discover a spider dropping down on a very fast and long web just where we are about to step. I try to swat it with the small rolled up shopping docket and step on it.

Hear Hubby’s comment, you missed the spider and it’s racing back up to the high ceiling…it was a plump red back spider .

Note to self. Keep an eye out for that rouge spider.

Load the car with rain dripping down our necks. Quickly slamming down the boot/trunk as we had forgotten we had fragile recycles in there.

Errand list remains very incomplete

But our Senses were rewarded

Extreme summer heat of yesterday and the days before
When all that the lawns wanted was water
So I gave them water

Today the air
Super charged with Ozone from the Thunder and Lightning

Hypnotic rhythmic rain gurgling down the drain pipes
Hills and mountains shrouded in secrecy by rain clouds

Our own Coffee Club enjoyed in the back verandah
Crackers and cheese and comfortable chairs
Savouring too the abounding greenery lit by that special light during rain

Then stillness as the rain passes and leaves droop silently
Not a movement
Silent

Now I can hear our clock ticking the seconds away

The birds too gradually come out celebrating a refreshed day

So too the garden
It breathes deeply

We see
But what do we see?

Take a moment, be kind to yourself

Working in the Fashion industry
Recently I was directed to a sewing site which was more about professional sewing but it reminded me of my youth. My first ever job was working at a small boutique fashion knitwear place called Sigrid Styleknit….I did Google the name and got one photograph in some Australian migrant archives.

Working in that industry must run in the family as my mother ran her brother’s knitting mill in Germany when the “hired” help didn’t materialize and orders were piling in. More on that maybe on another occasion.

My job amongst other things was to write out the sequence of how the garment was put together. Basically a garment construction plan! Which machinist the said garment went to and in what order, the accessories used plus much more.

For example the material started at the steam pressing table straight from the knitting room with its order label tag swinging from the side…style 1347; size SSW; colour red; order Judells (I think they are still around). From here it proceeded to the cutting table and began its long journey through the work room being moved from one section to another. where most of the girls were from European counties…for example Italy, Greek, Polish, Czech. It went to an over locker girl to sew shoulders together and to neaten the side seams. Then the sewing machine girl to do side seams and sleeve seams. Back to over locker to set in sleeves. To the linker machine which I thankfully didn’t get to use as it is very fine eye straining work in the putting on of a knitted edging without missing a stitch. Like this one I had done on a favourite Cardigan of my husband many moons ago!

Then onto to a blind stitch hemmer for sleeves and bottom hem edge…plus a myriad other jobs to create the finished garment with unique buttons and hand sewn buttonholes to its final inspection for flaws and package into order boxes to be delivered by Comet Freight throughout Australia.

At the beginning of each new range, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring one job I remember doing was following a new garment right through each process. I had to time with a stop watch the different stages for the office to include in the costing.

Writing it like this makes me marvel what I actually learnt and did as I gained experience …me a young, shy, naive girl. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a job and it was only that my father had done some work on the big industrial knitting machines that I ended up there. That quite often happened I think as once you left school you just went to the first job available unless you were specialising or going to business college…for example my hubby just wanted to leave school and work. His first job ended up being what he then did most of his working life in International Airfreight with its myriad changes.

Thinking back, I was only young and straight out of school at sixteen. I did an apprenticeship, went to night school for three year doing examination courses in advanced dressmaking and tailoring. Also learning pattern making ( really hard ) where we had to draft patterns on blue paper in quarter scale. I left work when I was about 22 before our eldest was born. A lifetime ago. Later on I wished I’d been older to fully understand and appreciate the concepts of all this dressmaking.

My mother, my teacher

But it did serve me well through the years as I sewed for myself and our children when it was expensive to buy ready-made and have always mended. I have sewn curtains for our homes and made bags and know how to make do and repair. So in essence my first job set me up with Life Skills….what more could a girl ask for.

What about you.

Joining with Frontier Dreams, a Waldorf schooling creative mum

Some old photos I found taken between 1967-1970.
First one was the advert for my job and the second was a photo shoot for Sigrid Styleknit. Young blonde me in back and Sigrid the designer in black sunglasses in front. It was a Candid snap taken for Sigrid….the other ladies were well known Adelaide models whose names I cannot recall now.

Lavender is one of my favourite flowers and once established in a friendly spot is as tough as old boots, as you can see in my photo!

Lavender a symbol of an old worldy age, a simple life.

From Wikipedia…
“Lavandula (common name lavender) is a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, southern Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia to southeast …are cultivated extensively in temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for use as culinary herbs, and also commercially for the extraction of essential oils.”

It make me think of when times were slower, when seasons were followed, when thought was given how everything could be used wisely.

No waste and carelessness, but a time of learning , how to make do, work hard but enjoy the fruits of ones labours. Of helping and supporting one another. Of time to ponder instead of always having to race around or wanting to try something new. Of being content.

The story to my hedge stared over two years ago. My garden was and is getting to be like a very aged person who needs lots of loving care and rejuvenation, but with not too much time I wanted to spruce it up a bit…it is a slow work in progress.

Where I wanted to plant this hedge was a long bed which had a lot of overgrown old plants which needed ripping out and poisoning, a very slow process which I undertook over time. Then had to wait for the Nandina Bamboo and ivy to really die and with a pick dig out the roots…needless to say it was hard work. The soil needed to be enriched a little so I just dug and turned it over where each cutting was going in. Once everything was planted and watered I put down cane mulch of which I had a bale needing to be used up from the shed….it broke down beautifully to feed the soil over time. With sunshine and rain and day following day.

Let’s start some new plants…by harvesting cuttings from my proud “Mother” plant. A large scruffy old bush which I had been tempted to rip out but kept. I have grown so new many plants from this one bush

In July last year I just took soft cuttings and stuck them straight in the ground. I put in excess cuttings knowing I would loose some. Water was applied to keep them moist over summer. A lot of going out everyday to cheer them on and watch as they grew from drooping cuttings. By September the cuttings had “taken” and were well growing with new shoots by October.

I cut off their first flower buds in sacrifice to give strength to the newly grown plants. Once the next flush of smallish flowers had finished I thought I’d better trim the whole hedge to make it even…after some days I thought I’d killed it and was so very upset. But by mid January there was re growth much to my joy.

Now in mid May which is the next year I have a lovely hedge which soon I must prune again to remove spent flowers and let the plants regenerate and so the process goes on. Time after time.

A beautiful sight for me every day out my back door and windows. A lesson in time and patience. To keep going even if it gets tough…hard work never killed anyone , except for the aches in muscles I forgot I had

I love my hedge bordering my herb garden as do the bees and can watch and admire it for an age standing with my back to the sun….and now the lavender is sheltering new cuttings which when a little bigger I will transplant for another type of hedge …a Japanese Box

….and in between loving the sprinkles of joy and sun shine some of our little grandsons bring when we visit their homes x

Courtesy mvictor@morgueFile free photo

Sharing can be an outright gift
Sharing can also be to barter
What does barter mean
A little example garden-wise

Get free plants
Share with each other
A glut for one is a need for another
Thinning out of plants or vegetables or herbs
What to do with the excess besides throwing into bin

I need a parsley plant
You have parsley growing in abundance in the hedging
I have a glut of rocket seedlings taking over my veggie patch
You love rocket
You need to thin out the spinach
I need spinach
You say that when you have to thin them out you’ll pass some on

You get a box of fresh herbs and vegetable delivered
You chop the coriander roots off to put herbs in fridge
I suggest you grow some from those roots, so we share the bounty with a smile
I’ve recently learnt how to grow basil from tender snippets of cuttings and discover you are doing the same

And on it goes without money changing hands, being resourceful, caring. Not being wasteful, practicing sustainable living without the big words.

This is but one tiny example of sharing. Life provides us with many avenues in which to share whether it be tangible or in support. Many times we do share, unknowingly.

Do you share?

Courtesy dharder@morgueFile free photos

Alexa

Joining in with Essentially Jess for #IBOT

Declutter…
Releasing the old to make way for new

…to renew
…to refresh

Declutter is a word for this modern word. Why?

We have so much
We are so busy,
We are too busy to deal with it
We want more, always more
Never satisfied with the today
We want tomorrow and more tomorrow
Instead of happy with what today brings
Instead of SEEING what today brings
…we create a vicious circle and a burden

We clutter our minds
Society clutters our minds
Our thoughts
Our children’s thoughts
Instead of slowing down and actually taking a moment to observe
Instead of doing, sit awhile

What have I
So so much
So much collected over time that it clutters the mind

What to do
What to do

Start one step at a time
A tiny sort out here…lots of memories!
Another clutter here
…not finished today, must continue tomorrow
Else my brain has another fit – of sorted clutter unfinished
Cull photos on my iPad
…there are so many to sort!
…and so to carry on.

But wasps…that was an unexpected sight…They definitely are going tonight when dark. Horrible things. I’m glad we didn’t bump into them when mowing the grass on Saturday!!!!

These thoughts came about because I have so many ideas racing round my mind today….
This would be a fabulous idea to write about to continue on from my last blog post…
But so would this on herbs. ….and round and round they go.

Off on a tangent there…
Outside to take some photos of this …
This would be so cool
And look at those leaves…a different slant on this idea.

Puff puff….STOP! Sit down and write.

Do you find your mind so racing at times.

Rest awhile with me and reflect.
Pause and wonder.
…Alexa

Photographs and article belong to Alexa-asimplelife

Home made

Inspiring …Inspired
Motivating …Motivated
Take it all in and ready to continue on…

Washing all done and packing all put away….

Isn’t that the best feeling after a weekend away.

We had to take linen and bedding, so took our trusty always pull out spare Doonas and not really matching sheets….pillow cases did sort of match though!

A good drive was had home from up the coast back to Sydney.

….It must be the rejuvenation of a refreshing break that gets one into into tidying up, and as seeing the temperature was really pleasant and it being not yet dark I piled sheets and quilt covers and towels etc in loads into that machine. All freshly laundered with a few drops of eucalyptus added to wash water the loads gradually filled the line as they got hung out in the fresh air…..hooray, now no washing to do in the morning…..isn’t that the best, especially for a Monday!

Such a simple thing to rejoice over.

Two more loads to go….but look at that young Lavender hedge in the night light!

My always on hand pre-wash that I use is as follows…

As you can see by the photo, I use my recycled and repurpose the Cloudy Ammonia bottles. I mark my empty bottle into thirds with permanent marker.

1/3 water…in first so you don’t get an overflow of bubbles …I’ve learnt the hard way and have found that if I don’t concentrate I tend to put liquids in the wrong order….ahhh

1/3 Cloudy Ammonia

1/3 Dish washing detergent…can be less…I’m going to try the Home Brand Laundry liquid for my next batch.

Sometimes if I have enough Eucalyptus I add about a small Half TEAspoon.

When I make a batch my measurements are not accurate. Also I make a few bottles at a time.

Home made Pre Wash Spray

So here’s to clean washing and not having to buy preWash Spray.

A little thing you say….but it’s the little things that can add up.

Anyway, have a good day all even if you have to do a spot of washing.

Find the simple joy in -

…clean fresh smelling washing
…fresh water and ready access to abundant supply
…that you are able to hang it in the breeze here in Australia
…thereby you save on power and stressing about the bill
…clothes not wearing out through having to use the dryer constantly
…having a huge variety of clothing etc in the first place
…reducing your Carbon footprint
…by “being green”
…and what else- can YOU think of more
…being thankful that we have the climate so we CAN choose to not use the dryer. Many climates and parts of the world do not have this luxury especially at this moment in their winter.

Just think, an everyday chore we do without thinking and sometimes groan about yet all of the above!

Till later
Alexa

Photographs and content belong to- http://www.Alexa-asimplelife.com

Also on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Alexaasimplelife

Photo courtesy from {click} at morgueFile free photos

Sustainability …what does it mean for you and me.

What about …How to live a joyful and abundant life by observation, example and Attitude…or changing our Attitude!

So many different things to different people and depending on your circumstance.

Sustainability in suburbia, sustainable living in suburbs, sustainable living in the city, sustainable living in the country, apartment sustainable living, high-rise sustainable living, single person household sustainable living, rental sustainable living, sustainable living garden, sustainable living with communal garden. Endless list here.

I Googled to find the meaning and was met with a vast array of discussions. Then I found a site for children which made it so much easier for me

http://www.googolpower.com/content/free-learning-resources/environmental-education/definitions-of-sustainability-for-children

“Like a circle it goes round and all is reused” ….

Now this I can understand because in a way many of us already use this principle without even giving it a name.

An example could be that we are trying to make a recipe and don’t have all the ingredients, so instead we Google to see what substitute we can use. Easy, we do it all the time without thought. Then instead of going to the shop, or because we can’t spend any money on petrol to drive to shop and anyway our grocery budget is already shot and we can’t juggle the money any other way we use what we have. Stew those wrinkled apples that otherwise would go bad and into landfill and use that instead of oil in a muffin recipe. Find that recipe! Or make a Dairy free and egg free cake. Simple again.

I’m sure you have done the same in some other way without even realising it!

Thinking back to my childhood I fondly recall mother doing so many of these things. It was not because it was fashionable or had a name or that everyone was discussing it on talk back Radio, but because it was a way of life for many people to survive by making do.

….toothpaste tube rolled up and squeezed and squeezed to get the last bits out but I really did want to start a new one …No!

….all the kitchen scraps were saved in the kitchen bin and then had to be emptied in the garden. Us girls put it off for as long as possible till not a scrap more of vegetable peelings could be squashed in ….mum was patient, but we still had to do it!

….clothes were remade -

Mum was given a woollen skirt which was showing some wear in the weave. So she washed it and then unpicked and pressed it. No steam irons then. Just a damp cloth and hot iron. Every piece was reused. So by turning the material inside out there was a new looking skirt which lasted for many long years and looked classy.

When I was asked to be Flower-girl (now called junior bridesmaid) mum was given a pale pink cotton dress from neighbouring ladies. This also she took apart and remade into a pretty dress for me.

Inspirations for us today….for us to pass on to the next generation and live joyful content lives. Teaching by example and our attitude.

So now as a grandmother just doing a little looking back to my mother’s days I am so thankful for the many things I have learnt and have been able to implement into my own and my family’s life. It’s just the simple observations of the everyday life that can unconsciously work its way into our routines.

Who visits the Op shop or also called Thrift store? Isn’t that part of sustainable living. What one person has decluttered is something that is useful for you….and vice versa, don’t you put things in the Op bins or take to the thrift store? I found a new looking beautiful fine knit red woollen dress that is hand washable. Great again cause it doesn’t need to be Dry cleaned and especially, saves me money.

…sew that button on, redo that hem, fix that tiny undone seam, put funky patches on little trousers worn at the knee, fix worn bottom of trousers….and if we don’t know how to just ask someone for a helping hand or Google ” How to…” , there are myriad sites which will give you info. Just be willing to learn. Slowly.

I am sure that if we stopped and thought about it, we would find there are many ways in which we ARE living richly by reusing or making things go around…and that also includes how we deal with or treat each other.

Busy little cousin fun, “How to…”

So have a great day all and remember it’s in the little things that changes can happen.

Alexa x

Title photograph courtesy {click} morgueFile free photos

Also came across a tiny kernel of an idea for this article whilst having stumbled upon an article on microfiber cloths in a Blog called Sustainable suburbia….

http://sustainablesuburbia.net/the-pros-and-cons-of-cleaning-with-microfiber-is-it-really-eco-friendly/

All other Photographs and writing belong to Alexa from

http://www.Alexa-asimplelife.com

Courtesy curlsdiva at MorgueFile free photos

What happens when you have time…

Unusual title?

Just like that, and without conscious thought it surfaced. I had been thinking back on some of the last few days and what I had accomplished.

There had been no need to rush out doing myriad errands watching the clock. Not worrying about being caught in peak hour traffic or be on time to pick up somebody. Instead, a refreshing pace which is good for the soul.

So what was one thing that was good for the soul….taking my time and discovering.

I had purchased a sweet cheap dress at Kmart because the material was strong and appealing and the basic lines were right. Except that I am tall and the dress too short for me.

So on and off over the space of a few weeks I was able to muse on how I could adapt this dress for me.. I thought of this or that and then acted. I enjoyed working out the strategies and in which order I would proceed…some hand sewing and some machine sewing..and all at no cost, which was a bonus!

Tried dress on again. …ok, I’ll add a double thickness band to bottom in the plain black poplin from my linen press/cupboard as a block colour. Pinned, tried on, sewed, pressed , tried on again.

OH!!.. Still not quite long enough when I move. OK…what now. Another band the same and it looks as if it’s meant to be so.
GOOD. Wait…now it’s a bit too bouffant round the waist. OK!…a belt. Like this? Or like that.

Another day…Show daughter and granddaughter. AHAH…a wider belt and pull up the shoulders so the underarm does not gape as much. Teen Granddaughter likes it….cool

Again…another day I find a link for an Obi belt tutorial by Mimi G on YouTube.

I had never heard of Obi belt till I read it on Deby’s blog

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxlYutzNBa4&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZxlYutzNBa4q  (there must be a shorter link for this… hmm)

http://so-sew-easy.com/poppy-skirt-easy-elastic-waist-skirt/

Anyway back to story . I made the belt from same black poplin and by watching the YouTube link, downloaded and printed the easy pattern. I made belt longer as I’m bigger than the petite presenter. I also saw how the lady fashioned a small tight rose with the ends of the ties to sit at the waist. It was so easy and classy.

Obi Belt

Ok, to the last bit. Taking up the shoulders on this sleeveless dress. Tacked it together how it should go and tried on again.

Unpicked and unraveled the salmon coloured overlock thread and removed clear plastic/nylon tape for reuse. I did this as I had no matching cotton in that shade. Now I had plenty of thread to handsew in tiny backstitch the shoulder seams….hand-sew you say…well there wasn’t enough thread to wind on a bobbin/spool. Instead of overlocking the seam I blended one thread of near match cotton with the ration size recycled thread and blanket stitched the raw inside shoulder seam. Just enough thread. Perfect!

So what are some popular words being used at the moment…. Reuse, recycle, repurpose, redesign, thrifty, make do, be inventive.

All I did though was to take time, enjoy and use the skills that I have, learn some new ways of doing things, be inspired by others when all I wanted to do was to chop the top off this dress and turn it into a skirt!

Instead I finished up with a really nice and oh so comfortable summer dress. Please excuse my amateur photography styling skills won’t you. Also thanks to Deby from Sew So Easy for asking me for a photograph of the finished dress….

Brave me feeling inspired.

What are your inspiration moments?

They don’t have to be earth shattering.

Courtesy smartpc at morgueFree photos

…but do give a gift of time

…to yourself

…to another

Till later ~ Alexa