Given that it is Easter and I am confined to barracks - I spent yesterday afternoon, doing up some very yummy sesame seed snaps.  It is a different option for Easter or for that matter, just having fun in the kitchen with the children. 
Happy Easter!  

​Pottering about in the garden is one of those things, most people have come to enjoy and appreciate, with the hope of getting back to nature.  However, being confined to barracks or living in an apartment does not mean you can’t get into the garden.  You just have to get creative.

​So this week, in my downtime of not working on Term 2 planning for school, I have potted up a few vegetables that will do well living inside the home.  

​A sunny position on a windowsill, in a bedroom or on the veranda – closed in or not, can be a great way to keep the veggies coming and keeping it fresh.  The crop might be a little smaller than you’d see in a regular garden, but it is also a great way to get productive, to keep the kids entertained and educated, and will add a touch of green around the house.  

​Potted plants are a great air-cleaner, and a ripe tomato from the windowsill is a good nibble that doesn’t need to clutter up your refrigerator.  Basil, spinach and lettuce are my favourites, as well as cucumbers.

​A couple of weeks ago, I also raised seedling tomatoes.  Today, I potted them out, ready for the windowsill.  They look pretty awesome, don’t they?  You should give it a try. Now, I just have to wait a month or so, for them to crop.  Maybe, I should get some indoor bees – what do you think?  Just joking – I was having a ‘Trump’ moment. 😊

When the introduction of hand sanitiser became available to the world; it was said it would solve all our unseen germ problems and the world would definitely be a safer place.

​Over the years, the selection of products have grown, each purporting the ability to knock those little nasties on the head, and then the family could sleep easier.

But gradually over time, we have come to know they are not all they were cracked up to be -  some with nothing more than water and no alcohol content what-so-ever.  And no, they can’t resolve all our problems.  Now with the new CoVID19 lurking around every corner, good old soap and water appears to be winning hands down (excuse the pun)on this war against this lecherous virus, or at least preventing it from staying around too long. 

​Although this might be the case, it is our duty to make sure we are on the right track in selecting the right cleaning products and hand sanitisers.  Keeping the home and family safe has never been more important and the practise of thorough hygiene, imperative.  So, how does one get rid of buggy blighters and how can you be sure they work?

For me, I have a few favourites that have stood the test of time.  They suit my needs and so far so good.  All are well known reliable brands, have all the stated ingredients to stop bugs in their tracks and at the end of the day, will be there when you need them most.  I don’t get sponsored by any of these companies, but I am cool with sharing what works for me.

​Dettol is a biggie for me.  It has been around forever and has kept its bargain producing top of the range medical products and hand sanitisers for global use.  I use it as a pocket/handbag go to after all sensitive interactions, if I can’t wash my hands.  I have used it for years, while in Korea during other similar epidemics and I hope it keeps me equally as safe.

Palmolive has moved from bar soap to liquid over the years, but the product and its effectiveness is much the same – great!  I also pick up glycerine soap from the Body Shop – one’s face can be particularly delicate. 

When it comes to bathrooms, toilets, floors etc, I have two.  Glen 20 and one I always come back to and that is good, old-fashioned bleach – in hospital grade strength.  For the latter, it doesn’t matter what label, just so long as it is bleach. 

​Well,  they’re some of my tricks of the trade for home and family maintenance.  What about you guys – do you have any favourites that work wonders for you? 

​Stay safe and keep smiling! :)

This Christmas, I have challenged myself not to tackle doing any animals at all and have returned my hand to more traditional, botanical art-forms.  Actually, it was in response to someone asking me, if I ever did botanical works.  

A weekend filled with glassing, framing, matting with the odd coffee or two, proved to be quite successful this October. Time seems to have got away over the years and catching up on the odd, artistic job that should have and could have been done years ago, was on my list of things to do.

I don’t tend to outsource any of these jobs, as many of you realise; keeping a firm hand on quality control until the very end is important. Especially, if the the job is close to one’s heart and has significant meaning.

I grew up being part of the framing process, when my Dad was alive. He would mat and frame all sorts of things - from greyhound prints to wedding and informal photographic prints that seemed to forever multiply on the workshop bench. As a young kid, there was always something for me to do - glueing or measuring- being careful to line-up all the markings to just right spot.

Dad was a perfectionist and a great teacher, and I guess over the years of me being a great watcher - for all things ‘workshop’, I would like to think I became a great disciple.

Dad was a great tinker and could put his hands to just about anything and miraculously, it would be fixed or made into something one would never expect. Yes, it was a great privilege being an observer in my father’s workshop - filled with magic. There was always something to learn from those gnarled, skilled and caring hands.

I am all in for re-vamping old things that have stood the test of time and have served one well over the years.  Sometimes, they are really hard to replace because they are particularly unique or just because they remind us of things that have occurred in ones life, or they mark a turning point in our lives.  Either way, giving them a major overhaul keeps the cherished item in one's home, but allows it to continue being memorable, but also useful.

So out came the screws, off came the seat - with a bit of grunt and grind - and away I tossed the inner dead foam to reveal a tired old piece of hardboard.  What to do with it was a challenge and how was I not going to waste, but not going to buy anything new...?   

I wanted to make the covers washable and I also needed to still protect the board.  I had a few old cushions lying around and decided to clip them into a new round shape by removing the white piping and zipper.  Yes, I need to put the zipper back again, once I changed the shape and had to  insert the new foam from the original square cushions.   

The board I re-glued, sanded back and covered with mounting board because I had surplus of that lying around.  Then, I edged the circumference with good-looking, but used braid that I had collected over the years.  

Once I finished the seating, I repainted the chairs with gold enamel paint and the job was done!  Yes, it did take a couple of days, some sewing and a bit of clever thinking, but now I have a brand new setting that will last me - quite a while longer.