Out and About!

Out and About! We're embarking on a very big weekend travelling all over visiting some beautiful places, Toowoomba, QLD, Tamworth NSW, Hamilton VIC, Brisbane QLD and Geelong VIC to exhibit our koolaman designs personalised jewellery range. The koolaman team is spreading out and our Mum (affectionately known as Mama) has jumped on board to help us.

It all starts at Toowoomba Bush Christmas. The Bush Christmas started 14 years ago as a way to showcase talent in outback QLD and NSW. We've been fortunate enough to be accepted into the exhibition this year. The exhibition is open from 18th  - 27th and Mama (Lisa and Stacey's Mum) and Stacey co founder of  koolaman designs will be there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Entry is gold coin donation.
We've had some great coverage from Lee and Lizzy at 3GR and they are giving away a koolaman designs Audrey pendant and William personalised cufflinks this week. If you're a Toowoomba local tune into 3GR and check out their facebook page for the "koolaman kodewords" and you kould win one yourself!

Recent display at the Henty Machinery Field Days with Kristie (koolaman customer service) and Mama (jack of all trades).

Our final Brisbane Mathilda's Market for 2011 will be a huge Christmas extravaganza held at Eagle Farm Racing Club. Tess will be there and can take your Christmas orders. It's all under cover and rain hail or shine the show will go on.

koolaman designs 9ct gold hand-stamped pendant VICTORIA with 9ct curb gold chain

Then it's down to Tamworth to the Brain Foundation Christmas Fair, held at the Tamworth Racecourse we'll be exhibiting Saturday 19th November 9.30 - 4pm. This is our first time taking koolaman designs to Tamworth and I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun! Look out for Stacey who will be taking orders.

koolaman designs sterling silver round pendants KATE with large ball sterling silver chain

Much further south we'll also be down to Hamilton to the Three French Hens at the Hamilton Racecourse. We had a great time last year purchasing some lovely christmas gifts, beer and proteas. Can't wait to see what they've got in store for us this year. The fair goes for two days Friday 18th and Saturday 19th 10am - 4pm.. koolaman designs will be exhibiting SATURDAY ONLY and Lisa will be able to take orders.

koolaman designs CHARLIE sterling silver cuff personalised childrens keepsake bracelet. This is a stunning gift for a baptism, christening or naming ceremony

 Sunday is the final Piccadilly Market for 2011. We've really enjoyed exhibiting here at this Geelong Market. Visit Janina's blog to see all of the stall holders and their beautiful wares.

Just  remember any orders placed at the fairs will be sent to you free of charge saving $15 postage fee. See you there!

The good things about living in the country! (and married to a farmer)

You can ring the pharmacist for medical advice (he's kind of like the local Dr anyway)  and he knows you and the kids. You can even ring the local DR and get to speak to them too!

That we can take Merv his lunch and enjoy a long picnic with him down in the paddock under a tree.

Take-Away food simply isn't an option.

When Merv's not busy he comes in for several cuppas a day and takes the kids with him to check on the sheep.... and I have a moment to catch up on the jobs of the day.

Stopping on the side of the road for a toilet stop for three children, people driving past slow down to check if everything is okay.

The lamb and pork we eat is grown on our own property. Chooks have free range and we have the most delicious eggs! 

When the mailman arrives, he calls us on the radio to say that the mail has arrived , the previous one used to drop the mail on the kitchen bench.

The day I developed mastitis with my newborn second child, after having previously having experienced it with my first child, I rang my Dr who is 200km away who faxed the script through to the pharmacist and my mother in law who was in town shopping brought the antibiotics home with her.

Taking things home on "appro" still happens in country towns. 

The mailman only comes two days a week, but our next door neighbour works in town every day, and when I need to post parcels and I'm not going into town, I ring my neighbour and hang the parcels on the grid and she picks them up on her way past.

Run out to the clothesline (yes, we still have room for a clothesline in the yard) after a shower covered in a towel and not worry about any neighbours popping over the fence.

Our kids can ride their bikes on the tracks and I don't have to worry about any traffic.

Our kids at koolaman are fortunate to have their grandparents living next door and can ride their bikes or walk between the houses. 

You can still get driveway service at fuel stations

We know everyone in our street (road), in the district...

Very rarely, does someone just pop in and surprise us in our pj's.

It's a long way to come to Koolaman  for a visit and I love how visitors always stay longer than just for a cuppa.

These are some of the advantages of living in the country, on a farm and married to a farmer! There are plenty of negative but we're looking at the glass half full!

What are the good things where you live?

Life down on the farm

koolaman wool

Stacey and I grew up on a farm, and although it was a small distance from town, and we sometimes felt isolated, it's nothing in comparison to living at Koolaman. Koolaman is 50km from the nearest town and 70km from Balranald.  Today, as I negotiated (I wouldn't say drove - because that would infer I was in control)  the 40km stretch of dirt road into town, I wished that we lived a little closer to town, that we had a bitumen road from our front door which led us there. The deep boggy muddy stretch that in dry times would be described as a road took us twice as long as normal to negotiate. I also then thought of some of the things that we've done in the past week and how fortunate our children are growing up on a farm and the things they are able to experience.

It's been shearing time at Koolaman this week. The culmination of a years hard work, nurturing the sheep to grow a fine wool, to have it shorn off the sheep and sold at auction. It's a rewarding time and it's also one which creates a buzz around the property. There are ten staff on the shearing team who stay in the quarters at Koolaman during shearing, consisting of the cook, shearers, rouseabouts, wool roller, classer and a presser.

The kids have loved interacting with these visitors and dare I say the team have enjoyed having young kids interested in what they're doing. I love that our kids know where the wool for their jumpers come from as well as their roast lamb!

Lulu

And, as well as one of the busiest times of the year with shearing we had a visitor in the form of a 'crop duster'.  A most unusual sight in this Mallee/Riverina area. This year due to the substantial rainfall that has fallen, the crops at koolaman are looking the best they ever have. With high yields, (provided the locusts are contained - that's another blog to come) predicted, robust grain prices this year is something farmers have been hoping for ever since the drought began.

The reason for the visit from the crop duster is that although the rains have created these monster crops, it's also created problems with stripe rust which is a fungal disease and it loves this wet rainy weather. There is only way to remove it and that's to spray it with a fungicide and to do so by ground would mean that we'd knock down too much of the crop. The only option was to call in the 'crop duster'. If you've never seen these pilots in action you're missing out.... dodging trees and powerlines all the time spraying the crop from a few metres above it. Here is a photo of the plane negotiating a tree in the paddock.

Crop duster spraying fungicide on the koolaman wheat crop

The people we meet.....

We've met some wonderful people during our time with koolaman designs. We often wonder where we'd be if we weren't working with some of the most beautiful silver jewellery and making something so sweet and personal for our clients.



two ISOBEL pendants on an extra large ball chain



Among the delightful people we've met along our journey is the gorgeous Kristy from Sisken... this graphic designer turned bag fashionista creates the most beautiful leather bags for every purpose in colours that you'll be drooling over.  We were very excited when Kristy asked us earlier in the year if she could use some koolaman designs in the photo shoot for her latest look book. We were even more excited when we saw the results of her hard work. These bags are a must have in any girls wardrobe... And except for a piece from from koolaman designs, these would have to be the perfect christmas present.

Montgomery tote and the koolaman FINN pendant

 Pictured here is the Sisken, Large Montgomery tote $349 which has a convenient cross body strap, perfect for the times when you need a free hand, I love it when I've got my toddler on my hip and my pre-schooler holding my other hand. Model is wearing the sterling silver hand stamped  FINN pendant on the 80cm large ball chain.

Sisken Bronte Clutch with the koolaman Stella pendant

And here is the Bronte Clutch Bag $220 which is a secure zip around clutch bag with a detachable strap. And the gorgoeus model is wearing the hand stamped sterling silver STELLA pendant on the 80cm large ball chain from koolaman designs.
The SISKEN bags are available in 9 colours including espresso, milk, licorice, stone, cherry, honey, blueberry, pomegranate and plum. With names this delicious you may even need two! 

And Kristy is going to be giving away one of her very special Tarlee tote in Milk ($299). All you need to do is pop on over to the SISKEN site and select your favourite SISKEN item and then tell us which one and why in the comments box. Giveaway is open to Aussie residents only and closes at 8pm on Friday 15th October. Winner drawn at random. One entry per person please. If you don't have a Google ID just leave it as anonymous and your contact details.

Winter Holidays @ koolaman

School holidays are over. On the last day of the holidays it rained for most of the day today and the girls and I were looking for fun things to do inside. Lulu's idea was to paint our nails, a beautician in the making.... It looks like it might have been torturous and bloody but there was far too much laughter happening while the toes were being murdered. Lulu & Belle might need a bit more practice of painting the nails and less of the toes!

We had a couple of days in Melbourne, where we went to a footy match to see Gus' beloved Hawks... Melbourne turned on the cold weather and despite our best efforts we had to duck out at three quarter time and watch the last quarter of the "best game of the year" from our hotel.

 Watching the players warm up... and getting a bit of practice in for when the Hawks score a goal....

We can highly recommend dinner at Carltons Bistro Two Dozen. A beautiful restaurant we'll visit again, next time without the kids. Not because kids aren't welcome, that's not the case at all, we arrived early and we were all waited on by the staff, all delighted to be able to help us out. No, the reason I want to go again, is to enjoy a drink in the wine room downstairs, before dinner and then be able to sit back and take my time  digesting the  delicious meal. It's situated at 180 Rathdowne street and is easy to find, I'm looking forward to another date with bistro two dozen...

Gus in the wine cellar at Bistro Two Dozen

Gus Lulu and Belle loved the Disneyland on Ice show...

And, don't forget Father's Day will soon be upon us... We've got some new things to show you soon but in the meantime you can admire the Henry cufflinks here.  Pop the 30th August into your diaries. This is the last date for orders to ensure delivery for Fathers Day.

Frosty outside but it's warm and toasty on the inside.....

Brrrrrr, it was cold in Canberra on Sunday, but the Mathilda's Market at the  Federation Ballroom at the Hyatt Hotel  was warm and toasty. There were lots of beautiful products on display. Sunday morning in Canberra was a frosty -3 degrees, but the ballroom was warm and toasty, causing all the Canberrians who visited  to peel off their coats, hats and mittens.

Corrie from RetroMummy was there with her gorgeous crochet hats, and fine frocks all made from the cutest coloured fabrics. We met Corrie at our first Canberra Mathildas in February. There is a picture of her 'hat tree' exploding in the finest crochet hats. 

Anastasia from Cheeky Textiles had her display of wall art, I loved the robin red breast screen printed artwork. Helen from Ensparkle and her personalised ceramics and they look even better in real life... The brooches are the perfect gift or even one for your winter coat. 

Sarah from Gifts Created have the cutest little birds in a cage that you've ever seen! Can't wait to get back to Mathilda's and get one for the girls room. And Justine from Baldi Bear Art with her beautiful illustrations and custom portraits, this is one clever Mama! Justine's daughter was helping out on Sunday and she even has her own portrait on display.. I did a double take when I saw the  pretty image and then the real thing! 

Koolaman is a sheep and wheat station, we grow wheat and we also grow sheep for meat and wool. I especially  love seeing wool made into beautiful pieces of clothing and these stylish, yet simple childrens vests from Katherine at Little Blue Children's clothing are the perfect thing for winter. 

 a snippet of some of the retailers from the market. 

Look out for 
Michelle from Poppy, Bean and Bloss and her handmade toys and more was there. It's school holiday time and she has the perfect craft activity to keep the kids entertained...

Another appearance at the Canberra Mathilda's Market, and we're constantly amazed by the beautiful historical building of the Canberra Hyatt. The Market operates in the Federation Ballroom and is an absolute delight to  visit and exhibit.  We can recommend the delicious hot chocolates from the Hyatt too, worth the eight hour drive..

 A little nook at the Hyatt in the wide hallways...The Canberra Hyatt Hotel at night....The black baby grand.....