Write about a favourite summer night from your childhood

The days stretch on in summer and the evenings creep up on you with sticky fingers, casting shadows as long as the day. The heat plays tricks on your brain as you walk back up the street, hair dripping, boogie board under one arm. Feet drag on the bitumen, and you jump at every rattle in the grass. Snake? No, just grasshoppers and butterflies bending long, yellow stalks in the dying sun. There is a chorus of birds and cicadas in the background, mixed in with the gentle whoosh of the waves you've not long left behind. Your mind singles out the whoosh of the tide, focuses on it, and reflects…

Anticipation builds as you wait, board at the ready, head turned as you seek out the perfect wave. This one you say to yourself. You jump forward onto the board, kick-kick-kicking as a wet roar grows louder in your ears. You look back - it's coming! You look forward once more and feel your lips press together, your brows knitting in concentration and determination. Your legs are pounding up and down, and then the wave hits you, picks you up and carries you toward the shore! Your face widens in elation, butterflies do somersaults in your stomach and you feel free! You twist your body to the right, wrenching your board with you to follow the wave down the line. The shoreline looms closer as the wave begins to fizzle out. You awaken from your reflection, hair still dripping, board under one arm and look up at the dying sun. The birds and cicadas come back into focus. The rumble of the ocean is replaced with a rumble in your tummy. A smile spreads across your face as you continue onwards, homebound.

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Creative writing is something I've wanted to do a lot more of on the blog for quite some time, but I never seem to know just where to start. I recently found this prompt through Kate's new Write It Out series, which I came across on Tori's blog. With my new look, and desire for an update in blogging direction, it seemed like the perfect time to give something like this a go. If you're interested, head on over to Kate's blog to link up your own post, and find more like-minded, creative bloggers to follow. This is actually last month's prompt, but I will be posting this month's soon, in an effort to catch up!

This little reflection has me yearning for the long summer nights it describes. I'm sitting here in my big, fluffy dressing gown late at night with my skin tingling from an imaginary sun's touch. The summers here are long and dry and hot, but I wouldn't trade them for anything! I've recently swapped my boogie board for a surf board, but  ache too much in winter to head out into the deep blue, even with a wetsuit. Bring on summer, big, floppy hats and long days in the surf chasing the rush that only a roaring wave and a plank of fibreglass can give you. I'm craving the long awaited (our three months of cooler weather drags on forever) return to my second home, beyond the sand. 

Vlog: The Christmas Tag!

So, I did a (not so) little Christmas Tag video based on the one on Ella's blog. I hope you enjoy it. As you can tell, I'm still working on getting my videos short and sweet, and eliminating on screen cringe-worthy actions, but hey, practice makes perfect right? I'd love you to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos, and please let me know if you've done a Christmas Tag video or post, I'd love to have a sticky!

Summer lovin'

Summer lovin' by sunae-reilly featuring a floppy hat

It's not even halfway through spring in Australia right now, and already temperatures are above 30 degrees C. This means I am already trying to cover up my pale, freckly skin when I go outside and I'm in desperate need of fashionable, reasonably sun-safe outfits that can be thrown over swimmers this summer.

On Sunday while waiting for my fish and chips at The Bream Hole in Lennox Head, Jake and I decided to browse the surf shop next door. Neither of us seem to go in there often for some reason, so I was surprised at how much of the stuff in there I fell in love with! Originally I just wanted a simple black skirt which was on the sale rack outside for $30, but when I went in to try it on, I just fell in love with these high-waisted shorts! I've wanted some high-waisted denim for so long, and these are just perfect. The cross-stitch detail is so cute and adds the perfect vintage-style touch. I also found a gorgeous brown felt hat with feathers all around the base, but I can't find it anywhere online! Jake convinced me to lay-by them so I can spread out the investment (because it's obviously an investment buying $70 shorts) over a couple of weeks, so I should be able to get them out next weekend.

With these shorts, I've created two different summer looks which I think would be perfect for lazy summer days in Lennox Head, and which I know will translate perfectly from beach wear, to an outfit I can wear out to lunch, or browsing the local markets. The red saltwater shoes are an especially exciting addition to this wish list, as I've been coveting them for ages and they retail for about $110 in shops around Byron. The Iconic's price is a total bargain, and I'm pretty sure I could get an extra 10% off with Unidays as well.

The trend I am most excited about this summer is obviously hats, as I have always considered it important to shade my face while I'm outside (mostly in an attempt to fade my freckles) and the massive range available at the moment excited me so much! As well as the pretty, feathery hat I saw in the surf shop, I would love a plain black felt one, and a couple of straw ones as well for a little bit of choice when accessorising my summer outfits.

Are there any summer trends exciting you this year? Or even if it's Autumn where you are, what are you most excited about for the coming season? For me it's definitely 3 months off uni and lazy beach days!

Lately...

Summer is here and my days are being filled with all my favourite things...

Eating mustache-shaped summer fruits

Christmas light looking/kissing penguins

Scrubbing paint off my hands (okay, not really my favourite, but the DIY the paint is used for definitely is!)

Chilling at the beach and watching this little grommet (my bro) surf :)

What have you been up to lately? I have some great DIY's coming your way soon, and a little more lifestyle posting too since I'm in mega holiday mode already! In the meantime, I am sitting at my computer on a blog following spree. Care to join me? ;)

Molly's Christmas Present - The Finished Product!

Today I finished Molly's Christmas present! Remember how I showed you the top and skirt last week? Well now the dress is done as well and all I have to do of my Christmas sewing is Nan and Mum's hand towels!

I used the criss-cross tunic pattern by Whimsy Couture for the dress and I love the way it turned out! Whimsy Couture have a way with making super hard looking patterns actually be so easy to sew! The tutorials they include in their patterns are great - they have so much detail and nice big pictures to follow so you know you're doing it right. I absolutely love their patterns!

I love that these tunics are reversible and I think the two fabrics I chose for it look perfect together for summer!

My only regret with this present has been listening to mum when she said to use puff paints to draw the edge of the bird on the top I appliqued for Molly. Look at the poor thing!

Puff paints are not easy to use - or at least not if you have unsteady hands! I struggled to make the stream of paint even, and at one stage it wouldn't come out, so I shook it a bit, and that's how I made such a mess of the birdy's beak! Oh well, I guess for the sake of a $2 target shirt and some scrap heat n bond and fabric, it's not going to be too hard to make a new one!

Are you making any of the gifts you're giving this Christmas? If so, what is it that you are making and who is the special person you are giving it to? I'm kind of worried Molly's mum won't like her present or won't appreciate all the thought and hard work I put in to making it. I tried to make it look as professional as I possibly could. There's nothing worse that handmade clothes that look handmade.

Christmas Sewing: Molly's Present

I've been super busy today trying (and failing) at Christmas shopping. I spent hours at the shopping centre looking at toys and books for my niece, DVD's for my dad and my sister and brother and random crap for my boyfriend who has everything and wants nothing, but who I'm still required to buy a gift for. In the end I walked out with nothing, headed to the nearest fabric store and decided to make some presents for people because crap these days is too expensive and things like present shopping give me major anxiety!

After wasting heaps more time looking at all the pretty colours and patterns at Spotlight I came out with a few pretty good things :)

Unfortunately, the fabric for Molly's present which I meticulously planned in my head before going into the store was quite expensive, but I didn't like any of the other fabrics for what I was making and by this stage I was getting really hungry because I stayed at Jakes house last night and he didn't have any good breakfast foods, so I just payed the ridiculous price and left.

Here is one half of Molly's present. The other half is cut out on my ping pong table ready to be sewn, but I've had enough of doing things for now so it's not getting done til Friday. I love the summer colours of the fabrics - can you see why nothing else would do? Plus, the other half of the present is a reversible dress and these two fabrics look so perfect together! I still have to stitch around the bird and give him an eye but I'm really happy with how these have turned out so far :)

Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? Or are you planning on making gifts for your family and friends like I am?

Last minute holiday! YAY!

So, I have just been informed by my lovely and handsome boyfriend that he has next week off... I have also been informed that he wants to go on a last minute, mini holiday! YAY! I absolutely love it when Jake surprises me like this, especially when it's his shout ;)

The only question now is, where to go on such short notice for such a short amount of time? Jake wants to go south since we basically live at the Gold Coast lately, and will literally be living there soon, but I just can't make up my mind with all the pretty beaches south to where we live to choose from. What do you think?

  Yamba?

Minnie Water?

Woody Head?

These places are all quite close to home and quite beautiful, but for some reason I'm always drawn to the north? Maybe it's my impending excitement about moving there? Maybe its just cos I think it will be warmer? (as if it needs to be! It's 6pm here and still a sweltering 28 degrees!)

Anyway, the place I'd really like to go is Cabarita beach, or maybe Fingal Head? They're both north and both lovely! I don't know why, but they're always my first port of call when an opportunity like this arises!

Of course, I do have a custom order lingering over my head waiting to be done, a handmade gift exchange present to finish and absolutely zero stock for the impending relocation of The Corner Store, but that can all wait right? I mean I can take my crochet with me to do at night time, and the gift exchange present is nearly done - I can't help that I ran out of white cotton for my overlocker!

With all this in hand though, I am still excited for some time away, just me and Jake. Living with parents can be so restricting to a relationship sometimes and it's nice when we get alone time together :) Besides, the gift exchange present is almost done, and I'm starting to wish I could keep it for myself because its turning out so nice! I will have no troubles getting cotton and finishing it over the weekend and I have all the time in the world to get stock made.

Well, someone help me decide where to go next week. Where would you go if you got to have a spur-of-the-moment, mini holiday? Do you know of any other nice places on the Far North Coast of NSW that Jake and I could go to?

Hopefully I will have some more posts about craft and sewing for you soon, I'm very busy trying new things so if they all work out, I should have quite a wealth of things to show you! Bye for now, I'm off to lie in front of a fan somewhere... xx

Berry Iced Tea Recipe

With summer fast approaching, there is nothing I love more than laying in the sun with a good book, whilst sipping iced tea. Here is a quick and simple recipe for a mixed berry iced tea which is absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, black currants)

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

6 cups tea, brewed (hot)

 

 

Method:

1. Simmer berries with 3/4 cup water and sugar until berries break apart.
2. Add hot tea; steep until cool. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, pressing only lightly on the solids to keep the liquid clear.
3. Serve in a tall glass with ice cubes.

 

This recipe is to serve 6, but you can easily adjust itfor smaller or larger portions. Usually, if I am making it just for me, I just guess the amounts of berries and sugar to use :)