Add Some Sparkle: Fairy Lights on the Patio

I finally convinced darling husband to let me put fairy lights up on our patio. Sparse, but pretty; a fair compromise.

Spring Cookies

We had a spring service at church so I made these cookies for the potluck lunch. I got the idea and recipe off this blog. They are so cute, and relatively easy.  I just found it a bit time consuming to make sure the flowers were perfect. They get a pretty awestruck reaction too (apart from the people like my Dad who aren't that keen on eating flowers! ;) ).  

The flowers were fresh from my garden. Of course, they need a quick rinse to make sure they are edible. And they mustn't have had any nasty chemicals etc that might make them poisonous. I used violas (with one or two pansies) as that was what I had. But pansies do work well because they are bigger and take up more of the cookie. 

Leave them out to dry.

Bake shortbread cookies. Any recipe will do, but I like the original from the linked blog above.

Brush the cookies with egg white, then put the flowers on. Top with another layer of egg white and a sprinkle of sugar. 

Bake them again for a few minutes to set the egg white. I only baked them for 2 minutes, as I was worried about the flowers shrivelling too much.

Gently spread the flowers back out with your finger. while they are still hot. 

Let cool, then serve and enjoy the reactions of your guests!

Zoo Time

We had a church family camp down the coast. It was a great weekend.

Okay, so I'm a mean aunty. But giving my nephew a tail was pretty funny! :D

The ducks were very friendly - clearly residents of the caravan park.

We spent Sunday at the zoo which the nephew loved. 

Floriade Nightfest

Hubby and I went to Floriade Nightfest. I've been a couple of times before and it's always really good. It has a different atmosphere at night - more like a festival, and the lights are gorgeous.

Any perfect evening starts by reading a book by the lake at sunset...

Space ballerinas - funky!

A giant rubber duck on the pond - as you do. Nah, it was to support the Yellow Van (who help feed homeless people) so a good cause.

See, there is a magical atmosphere at night.

Although sometimes you feel like you are walking through a suspenseful crime show scene! ;)

There was even a laser pathway through the trees. I could feel the lasers moving over my skin, which was creepy. It was really cool though.

Floriade

The annual Floriade trek to view the flowers, accompanied by a lovely picnic lunch in the park.

Mum broke her foot a few weeks before, so she had to get an electric wheelchair. We laughed at her a bit, but she secretly enjoyed 'zooming' around the park. (Mmm, top speed is about walking pace!)

Hubby and I amongst the flowers.

Lil' sis and I taking selfies!

The view from the ferris wheel.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I was prepping the veggies for pizza tonight, and admired the vibrant rainbow it made. Yum-yum!

Queen of the Skies

My first real-life encounter with the Creature/Queen/Artwork/Thing? That.

Flowers

On a beautiful spring day, I snapped some shots of happy blooms.

Prime Minister Jessica

Prime Minister Jessica!

We went to an open day at Parliament House where you could see the Speaker's office and stand behind the PM's podium. Fun times. :)

But no, I don't actually want to be PM.