Winter wander in the Park

We live in a country with a calendar full of days listed as beautiful one day, perfect the next. So when winter bites the idea of outdoor activities can be slightly less appealing on a cold and dreary day.

But a wander through the park in winter holds just as must interest as in summer. We don't mean a boring adult walk through the park either. We mean a proper child-like scavenge that tickles the senses. It's a different place during the colder winter months, perhaps not as many bright summer colours or sunshine-filled days, but jam packed with textures, sounds and typical winter visions.

You may need to chuck on a beanie or scarf but the crisp air will get your blood pumping in no time and you can be guaranteed the dog will love it no matter what the weather.

Things to keep an eye out for in the winter parklands:

FLOWERS - There are plenty of winter flowering blooms and they vary so much. From the dainty iris to the masses of camellias and the sophisticated magnolias you will see beauty everywhere. Touch them, smell them and most of all describe them like you would to a child - velvety, pastel shades, two-tone, faint aromas, lone rangers. Although manners say we shouldn't pick them, those that have fallen to the ground are definitely fair game.

SEED PODS - Where to start! There are heaps and they are each so very, very different. From the small wafer thin varieties to the round spikey ones and the soft velvety versions, you will run out of adjectives before you run out of interest here.

LEAVES - Winter is possibly the best time to wander through the leaves. All crunchy underfoot, they provide the best audio snippet for a walk in the park. There are heaps of plants that lose their leaves over these cooler months and it's so calming to spend a bit of time checking them out, feeling their dried delicacy, spinning them between your fingers and throwing/ kicking fistfuls into the air. But of course the best activity is mounding them up for the perfect resting spot. Go on, you know you want to.

STICKS - Think big, think twitchy, think walking stick, think sword. It's almost an unconscious act to pick up a stick and give it a twirl. So don't let us hold you back, get scavenging. Find yourself a good stick. Not only are they great for poking amongst the mulch with (to seek out other interesting things) but when combined with leaves and flowers they make amazing sculptural pieces.

We had a blast wandering and scavenging amongst the garden beds. So much so that we brought some of our finds home. There's nothing better than a free, self-made floral arrangement. We like to think it's on the modern art side of decorating.

Our First Market Stall

We recently held our first market stall at the Toowoomba Mummy Tree Markets. We're not going to lie, we were worried...scared even about the whole idea. What if nobody liked our stuff? What if our stall was rubbish? What if we were laughed out of town with stones hurled at our backs?? Ok so that might be a little melodramatic.
But none the less it was a really daunting concept. We'd been tossing it around for a while, lots of mates and family telling us we should, but not really certain if it'd work for us.
In the end we decided to just jump in and see what it was like. And what do ya know? We had a ball!

It's actually a lot harder than you think to display 30 odd cushions in sizes up to 65cm square! The usual table setup just didn't work. But we were stoked with the shelving stand that Dad knocked up for us...he's a real gem. And what do think of the fabric strip bunting strung across the back that Mum made?
We were going for a super cosy looking space and we couldn't have been happier with the end result! Some people told us they just wanted to come in and take a load off with a cuppa, that it felt really friendly and just like being at home. Awesome!! That's what we were after!

 

The cushions looked great and apparently we aren't the only ones that thought so as quite a few went wandering off to new homes. It's so gratifying to have other people like your things so much that they want them at their own home. Makes us all warm and smiley!

 

We set up a bit of a display to show off our crochet floor rugs.

 



Those super awesome little chairs were our Grandmother's, used by our Mother and Aunts when they were young, ourselves and our cousins when we were young and now by the latest lot of family whipper-snappers. And of course all the littlies that used them on the day to take a load off while Mum checked out our wares.
What do you think of the little wooden building blocks in the display? They got a heap of interest too, from small hands and big ones alike. We made them for our kids and just added them for show, but perhaps we'll have to knock up a few sets for everyone else as well.

On our Facebook Page there are a few more photos from the day. Included are some fabulous ones taken by Angela Hocking who was the official market photographer for the day on our page also.

At the end of a great market day, with family coming along to help us out throughout the day, we can now say that holding a market stall is not as scary as we first thought (no stone throwing of any kind). We had some amazing stall holders on either side of us - Me & Leigh Creations and Melody Designs - who helped us out with great advice, tips and tricks the whole day long.

So if you came to see us at the markets - THANKS! And if you'd like to see our wares in the flesh then stay tuned to the blog and our Facebook Page as we're super keen to keep it up and take part in more market days all around the country side. Of course you can check our stock out on our Etsy Shop any time you like.

We're OPEN!

Woohoo! We're all aflutter at the moment as we bring you the news that our Etsy Shop - MaggieAndBoyd is open!

Sometimes it feels like we're running round in circles, headless chook style, with mad and crazy dreams popping up all over the place and on various tangents. So it's great to finally be able to show off some of our hard work to you. We really hope you like it and would love to hear your feedback so feel free to leave a comment or drop us a line at any time.

For the present we've got all our bright, kid-channelling cushions available...

They range in size from 45cm square to a super large 65cm square.

We rebel against mass production, its often questionable quality and its high level of wastage - what happens to all those 200+ same-same cushions in the local super store??
What sets our fabulous cushions apart is their uniqueness. We only choose small amounts of fabric to work with not just to reduce our waste but also to ensure you are receiving something special that won't be found in every Tom, Dick and Harry's living room. We try to use up any previous leftover fabrics and buttons on the next just-right project. So every cushion is completely individual and as such would be perfect as a one-off statement piece but even better in a stack.
It also really ticks us off when we get that new gizmo out of it's wrapping just to find it needs batteries. So our cushions come with the inner. None of this cover only business, our cushions are ready to go as soon as the postman drops it off! And to top it off our inners are made of recycled PET fibre from recycled water bottles.

Coming up shortly will be some more grown-up cushions...

...as well as our gorgeous crochet floor rugs...

...and something for the outdoor area - our metal screens...

It's a mad house in our heads, dreaming, scheming and creating. We love it!

Anyway, head on over to the SHOP and let us know what you think.

Preparations for the Show



There's something wonderfully Australian about a home town Agricultural Show.

It's a place where flannelettes, tweed coats, driza-bones, akubras, steak burgers and a slow Aussie drawl are considered the norm.

But anybody can go to the Show and we reckon everybody should. If not to learn a bit more about your local farmers then to engage with your wider community. And perhaps while you're there you'll find a way of participating with both by taking part in next year's Show.

As you know, we have a pretty big family here at maggie+boyd and this weekend will see quite a few of the clan coming together to help at our home town Show - the Maleny Agricultural Show.

It all started for us back in 1946 when Grandad began competing in horse events.

Grandad on Jewel at a local Horse Show

Gran soon started a food stall to feed the hungry competitors and their judges, keeping them sufficiently full over the 2 day event. It's this horse stall that draws the family home each and every year to lend a hand. Some help in the ring setting up horse jumps and stewarding for the judges, others run the stall and everyone cooks food to bring.



Grandad and Gran with a few of their horses



Gran in her current consultative capacity



There are a few general rules about going to the Maleny Show -

It will always be cold

It will generally rain at some stage

You should be prepared to work all day and then trot off for a beverage or four at the bar once dark has fallen.

Keeping this in mind we thought we'd help you out with a few fashion essentials if you decide to head out to the Show this winter. Whether you're a seasoned Show goer or new to the day it's a good idea to grab a couple of key pieces that will see you right no matter if you're up hill, down dale or in the city. Back in the day tweed coats, hats and wonderfully paired accessories were all the rage...nothing's really changed. 

Check it out

1. A twist on the traditional tweed coat that will move you from posh pub to windy hillside and back - Ariat Blaine Parker

2. Another jacket option that'll see you through town and country - RM Williams Bellambi Jacket

3. A classic pair of boots is a country staple that's perfect for stomping city streets too - Zensu Harvest

4. Puddles will become your friend with a pair of these hot gum-boots - Original Tall

5. This splash of colour will work wonders even on a rainy day, not to mention keeping you warm - Mint Knitted Scarf

6. Don't forget the little things. Paired with the tan boots you really can't go wrong - Textured Cuff Bracelet

Sadly we are seeing more and more Ag Shows getting smaller and smaller. It's a real shame to lose that connection to our local farmers, and even more so to lose what to many small towns is one fo the few whole of community gatherings. So we'd like to take the opportunity to tell you how you can get involved and keep your local Show on the up and up.

Most Shows feature Sections for Cattle and Horses and many include Sections for Goats, Angoras, Sheep, Poultry, Pigeons, Caged Birds and Pigs where appropriate and in accordance with local trends. Pavilion exhibits are enormous and include Cut Flowers, Floral Art, Potted Plants, Craft, Cookery, Needlework, Photography and Fine Arts to name but a few. Growing up we entered things each year from chooks to pikelets and artwork. For this show we've entered some crochet items and cut flowers.

It's not really about winning or even about competing, it's more about making sure there are things on display. As kids it was always awesome to wander round with your mates and point out to each other all your different entries, sometimes getting a surprise to see an award certificate sitting next to it! As adults with the next generation under-foot it seems even more important to continue these events and encourage them to take part as well.

So why not slick back your pooch's hair, dig out Granny's knitting needles or bake a batch of scones with the kids and put an entry of your own in your local Show. Better yet get your mates involved and see who can knock out the best chocolate cake - we even have a Men's Only Packet Cake Section at our Show!! Or offer your sevices for an hour at the cake stall, help before the event to set up the arena or pop in afterwards and stack up the chairs.

Our local Shows' successes are due to strong community support, so go on, get involved, have a laugh and don't forget your gum-boots.

We're off now to get into baking mode - pumpkin cakes, sausage rolls, pea and ham soup. It's all on the menu for this year's Maleny Show. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks as we bring you more happenings, pics and tips that we pick up along the way.

It's more like a Farmers' Market than a posh Food Festival

Over the weekend we took a drive up to the hills. To the Hampton High Country Food & Arts Festival. Never been? Oh? Well you should!

You know there are those Food Festivals that are all about the large-scale commercial food brands and the 3 hatted chefs cooking for you and the fancy foodistas? Yeah, those ones that charge an arm and a leg and give you wee morsels of food on fancy plates accompanied by polished glasses of champagne... this isn't like that.

This Festival had me at the front gate. It's more like a Farmers' Market in the sense that great quality, organically grown food in it's raw awesomeness along with the local people (and I mean LOCAL, the majority being from around the Hampton region) that grow it, are being celebrated.





We grabbed a seat and hunkered down against the biting wind to watch a cooking demonstration by Poh Ling Yeow. She used local persimmons from the Perseverance Farming Co. and kale from Homegrown Health. Col Seccombe and Darrin Pateman were on hand to chat with her and us, about their produce, how they grow it and tips on how we could at home too.

Surrounding the event area were no less than 40 odd market stalls (both food and beverage - what would a food festival be without a wine tasting or three) where we could speak to each and every grower, sample their produce and purchase items to take home for cooking, growing or admiring ourselves.
We caught up with friends and family there and between us had a grocery collection of chilli chocolate, coconut ice, blueberry gourmet dessert sauce, verjuice, jerky, sourdough bread, cupcakes, relish, peanuts, dried pasta, persimmons, cider, ground coffee and Verdelho.


It was all a bit much for the littlest foodie on our crew.

Throughout the day we were lured by some of the most amazing smells past the various restaurant stalls where we pretty much ate ourselves silly. With both hands full of Turkish char-grilled chicken kebab, we settled down for a break on a hay bale, relaxing to the tunes coming from The Mill Stage.
Ok so we may have relaxed by the The Mill Stage a few times. There were plates of Filipino and Indian samplings, not to mention the vanilla bean icecream with blueberry sauce or the coffees and vino. But hey, we were at a food festival, as if we could say no.

Apparently it was the largest crowd they've had to date. Approx. 4500 people!



yummmmmmmm!



Double yum!
We had to get one of each (raspberry coulis and blueberry sauce) to try them both.

On the drive home a few more tastings occurred...


...I'm hungry.

These persimmons were delicious.
So much so that the once full bag only had 2 left by
the time we got home! 

Some Mother's Day Hugs

We got a bit side-tracked last week and over the weekend by Mother's Day.
This time we worked with a few of the youngest members of the clan to make some super sweet Grandmother's and Great-Grandmother's Day presents. With two of each there was a lot of crafting to be done.
Some time back we'd seen these awesome hugs over at Super Mom Moments and it seemed the perfect thing to send to our special ladies.

5 metres of kraft paper later and we had ourselves four hug outlines for each child (each Grandmother and Great-Grandmother received an outline of each child), ready to be painted and cut out.
Here's a shot of the finished product!!

Woohoo!! It's just the beginning...

Well we're here, with our own blog!

We are maggie+boyd, a daydream emporium.

Daydreaming is pretty much a fulltime hobby for us.
We dream about creating fantastic things from our favourite materials - Textiles, Paper, Wood and Metal.
We've got ourselves a Facebook Page and that's where you'll find our ONLINE SHOP - maggie+boyd SHOP.

We're a product of our eclectic and wonderfully creative family. With four generations to draw inspiration from, maggie+boyd is a small homage to their love, influence and tremendous generosity.
We grew up appreciating the love, time, effort and thought that went in to the many handmade items that we received...a crochet pair of baby booties, wooden cars and trucks, delicious preserves and chutneys, artworks in crayon and in acrylic, plants grown from cuttings and many, many hands-on lessons. These things often became our treasures, kept in special places, conjuring memories to this day. And more importantly many of them have been handed down through the generations, from grandmother to son, father to daughter, cousin to cousin, uncle to nephew...continuing on the love, lessons and memories.

It's that idea of making things that capture the imagination of multiple generations that really drives us. We want to create special things that will become your future heirlooms. Things that you will have passed down through the generations with stories both old and new being told about them.

This is where we'll bring you our dreamings. Some will be good, some will be disasters and a few pearlers will knock your socks off!