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Good Stuff Nice stuff Pip-Life

Some Good Things …

January 21, 2024
A back fence covered in lush green leaves and purple flowers + a tabletop cluttered with stickers, craft supplies, illustrations and card-making items.

Maybe some good things are a good idea? For no particular reason other than that I have been collecting them in my Notes app on my phone …

A stray ginger kitten + a tabletop featuring cheesy toast, a cup of coffee and some geraniums in vases

Two shelves of bottles of Hoyt's essence in a bunch of flavours.

A pink colander filled with rocket from the garden + a polka dot tin filled with homemade ANZAC cookiesA 60s house frontage with pink hydrangea bushes + a JAFFLE on a green plate beside a big cup of tea

(life lately)


1/ A new podcast – Small Ways to Live Well – from my favourite magazine The Simple Things. It’s all about … the good small things and might be an excellent way to make your life cosier and nicer.

2/ A cute perfect-for-the-weekend playlist I found during a Pinterest deep dive. I love Pinterest, still. I use it every day and file my pins by the month. It’s a great way to nurture creative thoughts and deeds, I think.

3/ Support women and children in Gaza through donating to the UNFPA.

4/ Bake something/s and put them in a tin to snack on at your house or gift to someone else – or both. I’ve been obsessively collecting tins from op shops for this very purpose and now the cupboards are clattering with them.

5/ If you’re not a vegetarian or vegan, you might like these meatballs a la Jill Dupleix. I made them on Saturday and they were so good. Even better (cold!) the next day with some bread and salad on the side.

6/ Perhaps too big for a tin, but this cake looks amazing, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t love a sponge?! Reminds me of my nan so very, very much.

Hand embroidery kit and hand embroidered design of sardines in a tin stitched in red and blue.

7/ Treat yourself to a sardines-in-a-tin embroidery kit?

8/ I want to make some of this sauerkraut and perhaps you might feel the same. Or not. That’s okay too!

9/ I read Lucy Treloar’s most recent novel Days of Innocence and Wonder late last year and I loved it so much. She’s such a beautiful writer and manages to capture Australian setting, homey retreats and lots of familiar-to-me feelings in her work (eg below). I really liked listening to her speaking about the book on The Garrett podcast, also.

10/ I just finished watching a not-new series – The Spanish Princess – and I enjoyed it so much. What head-y times (*titter*).

11/ This recipe makes the best lemon cake I have ever tasted. And it’s really, really easy!

12/ I cannot wait to watch the movie of The Outrun. The book was so good and got me through a rough patch.

Hope you are okey-doke, dear reader.

xx Pip

PS: Also? This Easy Cakes for Hard Times bundle seems pretty great. Straight to the wishlist!

PPS: The biscuits are this recipe!

A teatowel and a zine titled Easy Cakes for Hard Times, bundled together with twine.

 

 

  • Benita February 29, 2024 at 11:40 PM

    The Simple Things is just the best, as is listening to BBC Radio 4 to find one’s way to sleep, so many things you share on here are pleasures and comforts that I love as well.
    Oh, the heartbreak and devastation of Gaza…

    Keep writing when you have the energy and inclination, Pip.

    How happy I am that I found your blog, social media isn’t all dreadful is it?

  • Rachel January 22, 2024 at 9:18 AM

    Love this list! I’ve subbed to the pod you recommended, and also saved the playlist. Thanks for some fun finds on a Monday morning

  • Edie January 22, 2024 at 6:57 AM

    I loved The Outrun so much. It helped me through a rough time too. I ate a lot of toast and sometimes bawled. I had no idea there was a film coming!
    I must try baking the lemon cake and send it to work with Nonie. We never send a complete cake… we have one slice each and just send the rest but they are happy with that haha!
    Love to you dear Pippy xx

    • Pip February 3, 2024 at 8:34 AM

      But …. did you bake the cake?! Did you?!
      x

  • Reannon January 21, 2024 at 10:47 PM

    I have a new podcast to follow and a new blog to follow, thank you!

    Have you watched Boy Swallows Universe yet? That is a VERY good thing.

    I hope you are doing ok xx

    • Pip February 3, 2024 at 8:34 AM

      OMG how good was Boy Swallows Universe?! And also dark … very dark. I hope you have not melted in all that heat, petal. We are getting a snippet of it tomorrow, but generally it’s been a manageable Summer so far (TOUCH WOOD!)
      xx

  • Dee January 21, 2024 at 6:35 PM

    Oh , I missed reading these. Thank you!

  • kate January 21, 2024 at 5:13 PM

    love this, so many great ideas

  • Kerry January 21, 2024 at 2:30 PM

    Great ideas and suggestions!! Thank you!