garden

McGains … with green on trend

You know we have been going to Airey’s Inlet for holidays like forever, and thus Anglesea (which is right next door and hosts the supermarket and the op shop).

And … in all these years I have never followed the sign into the industrial estate to check out McGains Nursery and Cafe.  With a bit of an organic shop to boot.  And a gift shop.  Which is a shame.  Because it is actually super fabulous.  And I can’t believe I have never been there before.  

Look how ace it is!


See! Old stuff and plants.  


Yummy food on old plates with old spoons,decorated with plants.


Magazines to read and yummy food and old stuff and plants.

And it is all built under pergolas extending out from portable site offices (check out the gift shop building if you go there) but disguised with great doors and windows and old stuff and plants…. oh man …. I ❤️ it!

CAPtivting creations – recycled art

At Art4All this year we decided to do a recycled plastic lid project.  

We were inspired by Choi Jeong Hwa’s Mandela Of Flowers 2015 at the Queensland Art Gallery that enabled people to immerse themselves in plastic lids, see?

But … we wanted something permanent from our Community Art Project this year.  On Pinteret I found lots of great things made from recycled plastic lids.
Like this.

And this.

But we all (the Art4All Committee) agreed we were most inspired by this.


So we put the call out and everyone at school started collecting.  Over 2 months we filled 4 wheelie bins with lids.

And then we got a parent to weld 6 frames like this.

And we cut about 600 branches from wire and bent one end over (to avoid eye injuries).  And then we had a ‘drilling-bee’ and drilled holes in all the lids.

Finally we let the kids start threading …


Our tree branches are a combination of plastic lids and wooden beads, with a few CDs thrown in for good measure.


We made a lot of progress over the weekend.



The project appealed to kids young and old.  And lots of adults helped wind the branches on to the frames.


Great huh?  Our 6 beautiful plastic trees are now being tidied up, with all poky wire being rewound so the trees are safe.  Then they are going to be planted with concrete in pots and placed in our school grounds.  

What a great legacy of Art4All 2016!  Don’t you think?

upgrading via ebay

We found Elise’s teak outdoor table in hard rubbish.  Back in the days when Boroondara had hard rubbish (the glory days).  

I recall driving home with it and a similar teak table for my friend Myf on the roof of my car.  

And then Elise found teak chairs on EBay.  10 for $100 from Clifton Hill.  She kept 6 and gave 4 to Nick’s brother (I think).

But last week she found a newer looking teak outdoor setting on EBay, just in Coburg.  And upgraded for just $60 or something crazy like that.  That’s a pretty great price for a teak octagonal table and four chairs don’t you think?  

The lesson, buy off-season on EBay.  You might pick up a bargain like this too.