Eating Good Stuff and Fitting Nanny's Dresses

So for a little while now we've been eating "Paleo" style. Which means no wheat, legumes, dairy, rice, preservatives or sugar. In a nutshell the theory is that our bodies have only ever evolved to the point where they can digest the findings of a hunter/ gatherer lifestyle, not the "faux foods" that we put in our bodies that cause it to well, be unhealthy or at least on run at its optimum level. So far it's been awesome. We both have A LOT more energy, sleep better, are relaxed or deal with stress (both physically and mentally) with great results. AND the other day when I walked past Hungry Jacks (or Burger King depending on where you're from) the smell that used to make me want a chicken burger so badly I could sell my soul...made me want to be sick! Hooray! Good body! :)
Now we decided to do this based on Tim Ferris's blog post...http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/09/19/paleo-diet-solution/#comment_list
and we did some more research of our own.
It was to be an experiment but we both feel so good...Mr in Wonderland has achieved better performance in the gym, I lost 5kgs in just over the first week and don't retain water, plus PMS mood swings, GONE! and this is just the beginning...I think it will be staying :)

The food takes some thought but it is really yummy, lots of fruit and veg...I think fruit is under-rated in the "lollies of nature" department! I made strawberry sorbet that was to-die-for, stuffed chicken with basil off our bush and almonds, made salad dressings with tahini, lime and and mustard...oh-so good! We've eaten LOTS of eggs, plus eggs hold together all sorts of vege concoctions :) Coconut has been interesting, we ate a concoction of "coconut veges" which Mr in Wonderland said was like a "Vege Summer Roll" hehe but wow was it tasty! We've just had to get creative and it has been fun. When you go shopping and have to read the labels, it makes you realise how much crap is in everything, it's kind of scary to think of how much your poor liver has to work through before it even gets to doing it's "proper job".

Here's my first "Almond Milk" creation, 1 cup almonds to three parts water and then you sift it...it's yummy and VERY good in chai!

It tastes like almonds, funnily enough, but it's creamy and milky, much like cows milk. Plus you can cook with it too.

And I can also fit into my Great Grandmother's dresses that were passed on to me. The blue one has only ever fit after I had been sick for a week and even then only just, the brown one has never been able to be zipped up. My Nanny Bena was very little. I still think I'm a bit bigger than she was in the boob and butt department, but luckily the dresses are a little forgiving...Check this out..........................

Cool huh! Pretty chuffed about that! Especially as Ashliegh in Wonderland will have a 50's styled photo shoot next week, VERY excited! I've been sewing some 50's skirts and preparing and performing at the Vintage Vixens and Vamps Market...I'll show you once there's pictures in rotation as I didn't take any :( So yeah that's sorta life up to date. I'll show you the cool stuff soon!! :)

So much cuteness...

Look at the new hat I made today...isn't he SOOOOO cute and smiley?

"Wonderland-ing" the Garden

Now of course this is a work in progress but I've had to get my vintage garden-stuff collection into the garden to make space in the storage bit, for the stuff in the studio to go in...to have the studio all functioning beautifully and pretty...

These are awaiting their rejuvenation!

I like to collect those cast iron garden decorations from the 40's, 50's and 60's...I find them on eBay sometimes, but mostly I collect them from 'bring out your dead' (council verge side collection) all neglected and rusty and tangled and squeeze them into the back of my teeny little car! I have quite a collection, some you can see in these pictures and others are in the garden near the front door. I Killrust them and paint them and until now store them away waiting to figure out what on earth I will do with them. Some I find are too far gone and have to back out on the verge, that is a sad day.

Here's 2 old dressing table chairs,the one with the scrolling at the back, because the seat is long gone, holds the right sized pot beautifully...right now it's housing a giant Bromeliad that I found in the back of the garden. The second is like a table that displays Mr in Wonderlands bonsai (of which you can see the top of because of terrible photography :) The big white pot will have a pond lily in it, as soon as I find a pretty one in electric blue or purple, plus it seconds as a giant water bowl for Charlie who doesn't come in for water when it's hot. Just looks up the stairs panting at me and makes me come down to get him, silly bugger!

Don't know if my picture taking is very good in this first photo...at the front is The Mad Hatter, Alice and The Nurse(who puts pepper on the baby,that turns into a pig...it's in the book not the film). Up in the garden is a blue concrete table with tea-cup planters with pansies in and a Cheshire cat. There is a concrete rook chess piece with an African violet growing out of the top and down the side. The pots in  the frames have pansies in them and will be accompanied by many more to cover up that big plain wall as soon as I figure out how to attach them. I'm thinking old teapots too, to hang off the wall with plants in them, op shop will be the destination for these! The tea cups were originally yellow for some years but were starting to look very sad...a good primer and spray paint is my friend!

And my favourite art deco cast iron sink (another verge side find) filled with white daisies...the two blue pots below are filled with Margarite daisies. The daisies go CRAZY, the bulk up REALLY quickly, so if you have a sunny spot you want to fill fast, these are brilliant. Their flowers are really pretty, as you can see from all the buds they COVER the whole bush, though they do need a good drink they are well worth the effort because you just can't kill them :)

The tree is just starting to green up for spring...I''ll be getting some solar fairy lights to go in the tree, PRETTY!

NOW for my next project I am doing up an old 50's/60's fold away table...I am yet to find my chairs to match...but I will with patience, that's part of the joy of collecting.

Here it is after I had started unscrewing all the pieces off, it was this cacky yellow colour, but for $10 from the market, I saw it's lovely potential. Now I'm not doing the most fabulous job, I could strip all of the old paint off and replace the screws, which once my touch up job wears away, I will do. For now I'm going for cheap, instant gratification :)

Painting all my bits, spray cans...cherry red, sky blue, pink, lemon yellow, pale green...same colours as my Harlequin Canisters,coz they are my favourite.

Half done!

Just have to finish it...pretty chuffed so far!

Now I'm on the lookout for a bench seat and chairs to match...

if you know anybody wanting to part with a bench seat, even with slats missing or what-not (coz I'll fix those) give me a hoi, I'll be very grateful. Can't you imagine how 50's kitsch it will look in those colours, YAY!

Oh and for those of you that just think I just like painting things outrageous colours...they REALLY were those colours in the 50's see!!!...(and check out the cool sink! hehe)

Slatted bench seat and slatted chairs, don't need to be identical...just have slats for painting :)

So keep your eyes peeled for me...♥ Ash

Our Pretty Adventure to Araluen

On the lookout for a venue (plus a hint of boredom and sense of adventure) we decided to take a trip up to the very pretty "Araluen"...which if you don't know, is the most beautiful heritage garden in the hills of Roleystone. The gardens are run by volunteers and they restore the old grounds to their former glory of the 1930's. At this time of the year (August, September) is their annual tulip season (which I had forgotten all about until I looked it up) which means the grounds are filled with a sea of flowering tulips, bringing tourists and seniors from miles in big comfy coaches. We arrived about 4.30pm so it was cooling down and the droves of picnickers had packed up and gone home. We paid our $4 each to get in, grabbed a pack of prices for weddings and set off for a wander...

Make a Pretty Swing Dress from an Old Blouse

Whilst I was looking for the perfect skirt pattern online, I stumbled upon an AWESOME post from Grosgrain....she's made THIS pretty dress from a blouse she found at an op-shop for $1. It also shows you how to make this circle skirt without a pattern (easy peasy) and how to calculate your measurements...and we all love a good swirly circle skirt, don't we gals?

You'll find the post HERE

So now I'm off to dig out some tops from the drawers to whip up a few of these babies and stock up for the warm weather of SPRING!