I Made Myself a Bag...

...and Monet liked it so much I offered to make her one too.  This one is going to be her 2013 Library Bag at school.

I used fabric which I had been holding on to for 18 months, left over from a skirt I made myself with material I had bought from a Japanese Fabric store in Barcelona.   I do anything to be walking through those doors again...  *heehee*

The Perfect Fabric

Ever since I made bunting for Monet's room, I had promised Lily I would make her some too.  That was a while ago now, but it had always been in the back of my mind... ...mustmakebunting... ...mustmakebunting...

On a trip to Spotlight a week or so ago, Monet and I both spotted some mermaid 'fat flats' (roughly pre-cut and folded squares).  Perfect.

It took a little motivation but I did get around to making some bunting for my baby.  And it turned out terrific. 

She loves it but I am sure I love it more.  Perfect for my Mermaid-loving three year old.

Angry Water

The wet season has hit the tropics in a big way.  It has basically been raining non stop since Saturday, bar a few lovely sunny hours on Sunday.  So the humidity doesn't give up along with the rain.  I am addicted to watching the rain radar on my phone...  The screen has been seeing a load of green with flecks of orange. 

Back at the start of September I had taken my parents up to see Barron Falls, not far up the road (about a 25 drive away).   This is what the Falls look like during most of the Dry Season.

Then the other week when the girls and I hit the Kuranda train, which stops at Barron Falls, I didn't even really bother to take a photo of the falls.  More like a little trickle.

Hard to believe that was only a few short weeks ago.

This was the Barron Falls today...

 As soon as the girls and I stepped out of the car in the carpark you could hear the mighty roar.  I couldn't wait to see the water!

Spectacular.  I have never witnessed the Falls like that as I have never driven up during 'the Wet' to see them.  Worth the drive up, that was for sure.

Have you ever made sushi before?

We hadn't.  We aren't even big eaters of sushi truth be told.  But Monet had been asking for a while if we could make some, and after sampling a few pieces at a friend's place before Christmas, I said "sure"

'Coles' sell kits for around $10 which include the seaweed, rice (which you cook), the vinegar for the rice, the rolling mat, wasabi and soy sauce.  Pretty good value.  I had a few extra chicken tenderloins left over from the previous evening's meal, so I cooked them and sliced them up, a tin of salmon slices, half an avocado, carrot and cucumber batons.  

After cooking and preparing the rice, they were really easy to make.  And fun too.  Monet got into the act.  One thing is to have a sharp knife to slice the rolls.  I could imagine having blunt knives would squash them.

The six sheets of seaweed was right amount for the cooked rice.  And it yielded a lot of sushi.  Too much for the three of us (Lily wasn't tempted).  Thank goodness they were fine to eat the next day too and they were just as good.

Up the Range on the Train

For a while now we've been wanting the girls to go on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, but have never done it.  MrL, Monet and I had been on the train when we initially moved to Cairns in 2006, so Lily had   never been on the train, which curves around the Ranges from Cairns to Kuranda.  MrL wasn't keen on going again (not really his thing) so he dropped the girls and I off at Freshwater Station (there are only two stations on the route) with the plan on him meeting us up at Kuranda, some 90 minutes later.  (A 25 minute drive as compared to a 90 minute train journey!)

Both girls were especially looking forward to going on the train....until Monet realised how long it took and Lily was constantly wanting to eat to pass the time.  *heehee*

As the train hauls out of Freshwater it passes through some cane fields, which look rather lovely at a height.  So lush and green...

You catch glimpses of the urban sprawl on the way up the range.  The city of Cairns is nestled behind that first hill in the photo below.

There are some 22 bridges on the rail way track and you pass through 15 tunnels, the longest being some 450 metres long, which Miss Lily quite enjoyed!  

The train makes a stop at Barron Falls Station, for 10 minutes, about 5 minutes away from the final destination of Kuranda.  I quickly stepped off as the girls stayed put.  The Falls were a trickle but when 'the wet' hits I will be sure to come up and visit.

True to his word, of course, MrL met us at the top of the stairs which lead to Kuranda's main drag.  With a quick scourer of the strip we headed to the Kuranda Pub, a traditional, old, rickety, touristy Queensland Pub for (a rather ordinary) lunch and a pint of beer.

And we caught up on the Cricket scores from our table whilst the girls amused themselves for a little in the playroom.

Luckily for us, being locals, we get a pretty good discount on the train and children aged three and under travel for free in allocated seating.  It is actually rather pricey to travel up and down (looking at around $250 for a family of four - one child travels for free) on the train but it is dedicated to tourists and I guess they think tourists have cash to splash.  It is the oldest Scenic Railway in Australia and it is good to go on.  At least once anyway.  I'm glad we did it.

After a self-imposed sewing break....

.... I started sewing again.  It had been a few weeks, but over that time I have been inspired to get back on the sewing machine and try a few new things.

Yesterday, following an online tutorial, I made a lined zippered pouch.  I was very excited to see that it actually worked out!

So, I sewed some more.

Top right one is for Monet to use as a school pencil case.

The bottom two pouches had to be zippered using invisible zips, due to me only having those type.  Not the best type to use in the pouches so I feel another trip to Spotlight is on the cards to purchase some 'normal' zips.

They're simple and fun to make so I suspect that I will be making many (many) more in the very near future.

Happiness...

...for Monet meant a new bed.  

Since returning to Australia, Monet's bed had been our spare Queen sized one.  Her UAE bed went to her little sister.  Going from a five bedroom villa and then eventually into a three bedroom apartment has meant a lot of purging and donating of goods to the Salvos or Red Cross.  And because Monet had spent a good three years in bedrooms the size of our whole living area in our apartment, she couldn't get around her head that she had an Australian 'normal to large sized' bedroom.  Not enough room for her with the Queen-sized bed hogging near half of her floor space.  

MrL and I bit the bullet and went through with a promise we made her, in getting a new bed.  After a few weekends of both MrL and Monet doing the rounds of furniture stores in Cairns (there are not many but we had to try and work out suitable cost for a bed and mattress etc.,) we all settled on one from Snooze.  We went to PillowTalk and bought a new doona and she choose a new cover.   

Next step in the bedroom transformation was the purchase of these wall stickers we spied in a store.

And bunting.  Every eight year old girl should have bunting.  I had never made bunting before but gave it a go.  I went to Spotlight and choose three colours.  I didn't have the doona cover with me at the time but was rapt when I got home to see I had chosen very well...

Of course since this has all happened Monet has changed her room around half a dozen times, 'cause that's how she rolls.

We've noticed a more happier Monet since her new bed came into her life and the old bed was removed.

Happiness came in the form of a new bed.  Who knew?

Fratelli

When MrL's parents were up over Christmas we all visited a particular little restaurant that I had been eyeing off since our return but hadn't set foot in the place.  After our dining experience I had wished we had been there previously.  

Fratelli opened up on the Esplanade of our beach-side suburb when we were living in the UAE.  After a little research we have found out that the current owners and chefs of the place were the original owners of Lunico's, which we frequent a lot (see previous post!)  During the day, when closed and shut up shop, this restaurant looks like an old run down marquee.  But when they sides of the marquee open and the 'Open' sign is turned on the gate, you see that it isn't run down, but it is rustic.  In a comfortable way.  

The food ordered was delicious.  

And I love a good kiddies menu.  Lily (and the rest of us!!) loved the spaghetti and meatballs.  Delicious.

I've been dreaming of this ricotta and spinach gnocchi, baked in the oven in a tomato sauce, since I had it!

I don't usually do desserts but when the in-laws do, I do too.  Vanilla-bean panacotta thank you.

Can you see that lady waving?  No, I don't know her.  But we were sitting on the table behind them.

Frantelli.  Definitely a restaurant to put on your list to visit if you're in my neck of the woods.

Two days before Christmas...

...we celebrated MrL's birthday.  My in-laws had arrived the day previously for a handful of nights so it was nice to have them here to help celebrate.  It was also nice of them to have the girls for the afternoon.  *heehee*

I was actually pretty organised this year and MrL scored well with pressies.  

The six of us headed to Palm Cove for lunch.  We had decided (after deliberation) to eat at the Far Horizon's Restaurant, located within the Angsana Resort of the Palm Cove foreshore.  It was actually the same restaurant that MrL and I had our little wedding celebration at, back in 2008.  

With hesitation we ordered off the menu but no one could fault their food.  I must note that the kid's menu was great and different from everywhere else which offer the same thing.  Monet had chosen a platter of bread, ham, cheese, cucumber, ham and lettuce and Lily had a toasted cheese sandwich with apple slices on the side.  Mine was Peri-peri chicken on a light salad.  Washed down with a James Boag beers or two, was lovely....

After lunch Nanna and Poppy took the girls home....ahh....

After another drink we made our way along the Esplanade and ended up at a bar we had wanted to visit but never had.  The Rising Sun.  It didn't feel like Palm Cove, had a very Mediterranean feel about it.  Was lovely.  And as a bonus we spied a kid's corner located under one of the stain glassed windows.  I'd love a nook like this in my dream home...

We should have stayed there for the remainder of the afternoon but instead we moved on to a couple more places.

MrL's dad picked us up and back to the apartment they were staying at.  They were happy to look after the girls a little longer so we went to Lunico's for dinner.

A lovely way to end a birthday.

Happy Birthday MrL xx

MrL's meal - those sweet potato chips were to die for.

Habits

After a few months of not blogging, I can still report that my three year old Lily is still a girl with habits.  

Like dummy sucking.

Like lots of Mummy cuddles.

And the constant putting her hand down my top....

...or up my sleeve.

And if she insists that I sit beside her on the couch, it isn't long before she's lounging and trying to get her foot up my sleeve.

*sigh*

One night on the run up to Christmas...

...I took the girls into Cairns City.  MrL was having some Christmas drinks at work and both Monet and Lily were keen to see some of the lights around the traps.  I wanted to see the giant Christmas tree the council had set up at the Lagoon, so that was our first port of call.  

After a McDonalds dinner (as you do) and a mandatory Baskin Robbin's ice cream, it was time to pose next to the beautiful tree.

We drove home, the long way, via a couple of suburbs which I had read on the internet, that had some cool Christmas lights.  Both girls oohed and ahhed at particular homes.

And then we came to this house.

Rhonda and Barry had done a spectacular job on their yard.  (And no, I do not know Rhonda nor Barry but I had heard it took a good three months to set it all up!  Heck!!)  The lights all flashed in time to particular music and was pretty special, truth be told.  The girls loved it and Lily's face seriously lit up and she didn't want to leave.  It was nice to see some Christmas Spirit after spending previous Christmases in a Muslim country.