Nellie Bligh

A Much Better Day and more Page a Day Layouts

2012-01-28T01:35:00.000-08:00

Today was a much better day. I think it always helps to have Daddy around to put things in perspective LOL

My big girl made meat pie with a pea floater for tea - so proud of her, she is becoming so competent in the kitchen now and I am even starting to let her stir things on the stove and cut onions with a proper knife. She is showing that she is up to the task and really shines under all the praise and the "master chef" scores that her family give her. I love that my kids love to cook.

I have enlisted Hubby's help with the bath/teeth/bed routine and tonight seemed much calmer. It is funny, we had a big storm here tonight and I realised that I had felt exactly like that - a big build up of stormy skies and rain clouds and negative energy and now I feel just like the calm after the storm, all washed new. I think I need to remember an old favourite quote that says "Life isn't an all out tug of war between misery and bliss, sometimes it is not the end of the earth, it is just one bad day"

I managed to get the 2nd coat of white paint onto the remaining walls in my craft space today and then realised that unfortunately it is going to need ANOTHER coat before it is done (Grrr!) I also did a bit of pottering around my sewing table and threw out a lot of junk and recycled other bits and pieces for Dan's classroom and the kindy. It felt liberating to throw some stuff that I know I will never finish and I found a few bits and pieces that really don't need much work at all to finish and then put in the present box. I also found a few half finished softies that really should be done and saved for Pip's Softies For Mirabel drive as I felt bad that I didn't get any finished for them in 2011.

Late last night I did a few more pages for my page a day layouts. I used mostly paper scraps. I love it when I can just use up bits and pieces and still be happy with the results.

So how about you? Are you having a productive weekend?

Scrap lifted from an old Scrapbooking Memories Magazine - I love the freehand /doodling look. Might have to do some more like this!

Using scraps that were left on my table

Very quick 2 minute page

Another scraplifted idea from Scrapbooking Memories

Scrap lifted from a Bo Bunny advert and modified to use CM products (the line through it is because I was too lazy to take it off the everyday display!)

Happy weekend,
keep smiling,
Nell

MEAN MEAN MUMMY!

2012-01-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

This feels like it has been the longest holidays. We have had SOOOO much fun. There have been playdates, trips to several playgrounds, beach days, family days, lots of baking, licking of spoons and bowls, lots of "making" - sewing and scrapping and papercrafts. There have been tea parties, water fights, sprinklers, wading pools and picnics. Yet as I write this my daughter is sobbing in her room because I won't put up the 7 person tent so that she can sleep in it tonight. My littlest has fallen asleep on the floor of her room after crying herself to sleep because mean, mean Mummy said that 3 days of no nap was 3 days too many. My son has just grudgingly put back a huge box of hand-me-downs that he emptied and threw about the room in a fit of rage. Despite a puppet show, a visit from a lovely friend, and a whole pack of chocolate biscuits, it has been a TOUGH day.

I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to write this here but you see, I don't keep a diary anymore, I blog instead and I like to hope that maybe there are others out there who know and understand my frustrations.

I adore my kids. I would do anything for them (well, almost anything, putting up a tent on a whim on the one night of the week that I selfishly reserve as my own is not one of them - wink) but I want to say this PARENTING IS A TOUGH GIG.
In lots of ways I find my paid job (teaching preschoolers) far easier than the 24/7 kid wrangling. Most of the time I have great kids, but put all 3 at loggerheads with each other and me and it can be hellish, and at the end of the day you rarely get any thanks or appreciation. I look around at the crumbs, and the sticky patch of I'm-not-sure-what near the fridge, and the shoes left wherever they were taken off and I am just a bit bewildered by it all. I have been a parent for 7 and a half years and somedays I still feel as powerless and as clueless as when they first placed that tiny newborn in my arms.

Please don't get me wrong. This is not a wallowing in self-pity or a woe-is-me lament, this is me saying "Is this normal?" Is there anyone else out there who sometimes feels like it is all too much, and like it might never get easier? Is anyone else fervently looking forward to Monday? It makes me so sad that I feel like this. I am hoping that the insane sibling rivalry stuff and the throwing/destructive stuff and the temper tantrums are all just a passing phase. Please tell me that you have been there too. Please tell me that you understand? Please tell me that this is a temporary gliche in an otherwise happy house.

Yours from the crumbs and chaos,
Nell

Simple Living Pledge

2012-01-26T02:22:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about this coming year a lot. Thinking about how I want our home to feel. Thinking about how much I love reading to my kids but hate the nagging and whining and meltdowns that precede our bedtime stories. Thinking about how much t.v. my kids watch and whether it is worthwhile. Thinking about how I will cope later this year, working 3 days a week. Thinking about how I tend to overcomplicate even the simple things. Thinking about how much joy we get from our garden, from eating things we have grown or made from scratch. Thinking LOTS.

When I saw thisI knew that I should get involved. I think taking the Simple Living Pledge can mean different things for different people. It certainly doesn't mean that I am planning on spending 3 weeks in the forest eating berries and foraging for edible weeds (not that I would judge you for that) but it does mean that for 3 weeks I might have an everyday reminder to consume less, to live more, to dream more, to turn off the telly and play with my kids, to blow the dust off the pasta maker, to maybe "make do and mend" more often. Hopefully it will be a reminder to declutter and simplify.

Bring it on.

p.s. to all you fellow Aussies, happy Australia Day! We had an awesome day eating woodfire pizzas and chocolate pav with great friends!

Chorizo and Spinach Fettucine

2012-01-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny how blogging actually changes your life? This was a thrown together tea but I had to stop eating half-way through to take a photo to go with the recipe because it was just so yummy!!!

This is basically like our usual fettucine recipe I just mixed it up a little. Just chop one largish onion and some bacon and fry it up in a glug of olive oil with a couple of chopped chorizos. Add in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach and some sundried tomatoes towards the end.

Mix together about a cup of grated parmesan, some cream, and an egg yolk. Stir through the rest of the ingredients and add to some cooked spinach fettucine.

YUMMO (oh, and I cooked the onion, bacon and spinach first and reserved some for the purists in our house before adding the chorizo and tomatoes - that kept everyone happy!)

And lastly I just had to share this photo because I love that children learn in so many different ways. This sweet boy is about to head off to Primary School. He has very set ideas of what he wants to learn, and of what he needs to know before he gets there. He asked Hannah to teach him to count by 2s, 4s and 10s because he thought it might be useful to know that before next Monday! We are doing lots of reassuring that he doesn't need to know it all - just to be willing to learn, and "have a go"

Zippo happening on the craft front. Hoping to finally get the craft room painting finished this weekend.
Happy Wednesday!

Monday-itis or February Funk?

2012-01-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the worse case of Monday-itis. I just couldn't start anything, or finish anything, or stick to anything! I have to make a Very Hungry Caterpillar Quilt for one of my dearest friends. I know that it is the perfect choice for the first child of 2 librarians but everytime I get the fabrics out I sigh, and shuffle, and rearrange, and scratch my head, and then put them away again. I just cannot seem to make a start. I even went to my friend Nic for help and inspiration!

I started so well with my January WIPs and now I seem to have just fallen into a hole. I seem to do this every year. Craft up a storm for a few weeks and then crash and burn in February. Maybe my February Funk has come early this year? Maybe I need to find a few smaller (more instantly gratifying) projects?

And in keeping with the attitude of gratitude stuff today I am grateful for quiet time, and hand-me-downs, and chocolate!

Making Me Happy This Week

2012-01-13T00:54:00.000-08:00

School holiday fun - these are pieces of corn packaging. If you wet them they stick together and you can make all sorts of things! Oh, and yes that dress is one from here foxslane.blogspot.com

More fun - tea parties on the lawn!

Trying out shades of aqua for my new crafting space (my scrappers are calling it the Scrap Studio, my quilty friends are calling it the Quilting Wing, I am privately thinking of calling it My Happy Place!)

First coat on my wall - I have worked out I am not a painter. I am far too clumsy to do an elegant job of it!

And tonight, my sweet cherubs are having a sleepover at Granny's and my boy and I are having takeaway Indian (from our local www.chingari.com.au ) and watching a movie and just enjoying some kid-free time. There will probably also be red wine, and some more knitting on my Shalom.

Happy, happy Friday!

YAY! Another Finish!

2012-01-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, whilst strictly not part of the 12 Projects Challenge (see my last post) at least I finally have this one off my WIP list. These are my first ever socks knitted on 2 circular needles. There was a little bit of chaos in our house this week when the small cherub wore the one finished sock around the house and lost it before I even had a chance to finish the pair. Thankfully, order has now been restored and today while the cherub was sleeping and the other two were having "Quiet Time" in Hannah's room (which I believe involved a fashion parade and lots of repeat renditions of Taylah Swift's Love Story LOL) I was able to do the toe decreases and say TA DAHHHH!

When I was binding Hannah's quilt I took the easy option and did it the way my friend Jill does a lot of her charity quilts (stitched the binding from the back and then used a small zigzag stitch to secure around the front) I was surprised by how easy and quick it was. It was so easy that then I decided to have a little play making a pot-mitt. I have seen similar in Amanda Blake Soule's book and also the Marla Dubrowsky book but this was my super-fast, not too precious take on it. With my walking foot still on the machine I took a bit of scrap batting, some leftover fabric for the backing and my box of strips. I just laid the strips out and stitched right through all 3 layers. I used my big scrapbooking circle as a template to cut it into a circle but you could easily use a plate. I used leftover binding from Hannah's cherry dress and bound it using the zigzag method described above. This little project took less than 15 minutes from start to finish and it felt good to just create using scraps! I'm thinking that these could make cute gifts with cooking equipment or even just a batch of muffins/scones?

There are lots of scrappy projects happening over at www.pleasant-home.com

Hope you are having a wonderful Monday. I'm off to purge and declutter in pig pen corner!
Oh, and today I am grateful for Quiet Time, and for children that don't complain about swimming even when the water is freezing!

WIP Challenge and 3 scraplifted pages

2012-01-04T01:54:00.000-08:00

So it appears that others are also needing to finish WIP so AJ has a Project Challenge going over on her blog ajsantics.blogspot.com.
The idea is to finish a quilty project each month.

I know I have already written a UFO post but I actually need to add to it. Some of these projects also have to have an end date so I am including that in brackets.

January - Nessie's baby quilt, Hannah's first quilt project, already finished the Katie Jean "ticker" dolls quilt
February- Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt
March (or before) Owl panel
March/April - Rabbit stitchery/wallhanging

Patchwork Apple BOM (started first 2 blocks)
Dr Seuss Quilt
Needleturn Applique Quilt (just needs borders)
Emmie Lou's Braids (started)
Bliss Quilt
Momo Charm Pack Quilt
Patchwork Apple Cot Quilt
Patchwork Apple Single Bed Quilt Kit
Lill and Will/Moda Bakeshop Quilt
French General Quilt
Jelly Roll in case quilt
Leanne's House BOM
Merry and Bright Stitchery Wallhanging (3/4 done)
Reindeer panel
Rosalie Quinlan Rebekah Amy quilt (started a very long time ago!)
A4 string piecing experiment (almost finished)
Bugs and Blossoms - do I just throw this out?
1 inch log cabins - ongoing project to use up scraps

Not quilts but still needing to be finished:
Union Jack table runner
Socks #1
Socks #2
Maddie's cardigan
Cait's cardigan
Smocked dress
Suzanne's scarf
Hannah's school scarf
Crocheted motif blanket

Whew! It looks scary like that! I guess the challenge is to NOT BUY ANYTHING ELSE until I get these WIP under control!!!

Only 3 pages to show today and 2 of them have been "scraplifted". I think it is okay to scraplift if you are feeling a bit blah/lacking motivation but you do need to acknowledge your original inspiration!
The first one comes straight from the cover of our Creative Memories Scraps Magazine.

This one is from an old Scrapbooking Memories Magazine by Belinda Venables (who incidently is also a fellow South Australian) and then the third one is using the leftovers from the above page.

Now I'm off to put binding on Nessie's quilt so that I can take it for our Apple Piecers Get together this weekend!
Oh, and today I am grateful for good red wine (Scarpantoni School Block - one of my favourites) and the cooler weather!
Keep smiling,
Nell

Page a Day Layouts and Learning New Tricks

2012-01-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

I think as a teacher I am very into the idea of life long learning, but I also think that sometimes I make things seem much bigger/more difficult than they actually are. I am particularly bad with technology. Which is why I find it quite amusing that after I wrote my to do list I went browsing on Pinterest and after reading the help tutorial learned how to "pin" things. Yes, two days into my to do list I can tick that one off!

I have also been wanting to learn how to Navaho ply for ages. My friend Kathy from kathysfibres.com does the most exquisite handpainted rovings that are just a delight to spin but often when I ply them I end up with "striping" or "barber pole" effect. Navaho plying gives you longer gradations of colour without as much barber poling. Anyway, I watched a few tutorials on You Tube and then this morning gave it a go...and it is easy...and fun...and now I can't wait to ply some more!!! Tick another new trick off the list!

This colourway is "Ivy" and it has a bit of nummy silk in it (which you can't see in the photo but it gives it such a nice sheen!)

Sorry, I just couldn't crop this one - look at those chubby little fingers and toes - she is growing so quickly that I have to hold on to any shred of babyness while I can!

I haven't counted how many pages I have done so far but I do know that I am going through page protectors at a rapid rate so my guess would be about 35?
Hubby goes back to work tomorrow after a four day break so I think that I will be slowing down somewhat.

I managed to get some nice wool at Spotlight on clearance for $1.50 a ball so hoping I might be able to begin a Shalom cardigan for myself once I finish the socks. The rule around here is always that you must finish two things before starting something new LOL. The kids are about to start Vac Swim so I will need something to knit as I sit beside the pool!

Happy Tuesday,
Keep smiling,
Nell
p.s. My friend Jac has started a Gratitude Journal on her blog - today I am grateful for fresh, sun-ripened, 100% organic nectarines from our tree, and for the joy of Navaho Plying, and for the squeals of laughter and delight that a paddling pool produces around here!

UFO Progress and Page a Day Layouts

2012-01-02T00:17:00.001-08:00

Another productive day here! First off: She Quilts! Hannah has finished her first quilt top (and I am just a little proud..wipes a tear from her eye..)

Then I finally cut and put together and quilted Nessie's quilt. Just simple cross hatching but my quilting is definitely improving and I find that I actually enjoy machine quilting now (not even any swearing and tearing of hair anymore LOL)

I think I like this little quilt a bit better now that it is together - it is a bit of a walk down memory lane as some of the squares are from Maddie's quilt, and Nessie's first baby quilt, and the blue spot I loved and used for everything, and the fabric I used for my niece's rag doll dress, and the fabric that became kangaroos to send to the UK cousins....

So there will need to be a trip to find some binding for both of these as nothing from the stash works.

Last night I found time to finish this one:
and as luck would have it, it fits Maddie's new doll bed perfectly (but first it needed a snuggle with a grumpy Dan and Teddy!) The binding on this is green on the short sides and pink on the long sides. We ran out and late last night I just couldn't be bothered.

You would think I would be feeling really good about all this progress but on the way to completing these I found a BOM that is no where near finished!!!

Sock number two (of the first pair) is now past the tricky heel turn and I have smooth sailing for the next 4 inches before the toe decreases.

Onto the layout a day challenges: The focus has been on simple, easy, get-it-done pages!

My favourite from this lot. I like the angle, and the use of old Wish paper with new Love paper!

Hope you are having a productive New Year too!
I'm off to take potato bake out of the oven and put the schnitzels on.
Keep smiling,
Nell

UFOS

2011-12-31T15:54:00.000-08:00

Julie over at narioka.blogspot.com threw down the challenge to share UFOs in the hope that it might provide the motivation to finish them. So while it feels a little scary to do so, here are my biggest UFOs:

Nessie's baby quilt which is in need of just a few squares stitched and then a border. The sweet little stitcheries are from Alicia Paulson's lovely book. I've decided to change the original quilt a bit and put a border - only problem is that I can't decide on what border and nothing in my stash seems to suit and a border is going to necessitate a pieced back. This little quilt is also suffering from second child syndrome in that I am feeling guilty that it is made from my scrap pile when Nessie's first quilt was one of my all time favourites and part of my obsession with red and white and the Feathered Friends stitcheries. Any suggestions welcome.

This was a Katie Jean knockoff and just a bit of fun on some old sheeting. Really should just spend a couple of hours playing and then give it to Maddie for her doll's bed (the whole thing only measures about 25x35cm)

Aarggghh! This began as a gift of someone else's half started applique project (all of the pieces were lovingly cut and basted) I took it on as a challenge as I had not really done hand applique before. It was a labour of love but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The friendship braids were orphans that seemed to match. The scrappy blocks are made up of some really old and ugly fabrics. The problem I have now is that I know it would look best with a wide border of the cream (in the bottom left corner) with some appliqued birds and vines/leaves in opposite corners. This is where it has just stalled because I need to learn how to use my bias maker, and mess around with arranging all the bits and I get to the point where I seriously can't be bothered!

Emmy Lou's Braids - started as a class to learn machine applique. I LOVE the fabrics in this quilt and to be honest, in my brain, this quilt was much further along than I thought. I was quite disappointed when I dragged the box out and found that I still had so much to do!!!

Not photographed are the 2 pairs of socks (each still missing a mate), a cardigan that Maddie will have outgrown by the time it is finished, a fluffy hot pink baby jumper that was started for my 11 year old niece when she was a baby, a smocked dress also started for the same niece when she was a toddler - if I finished it Maddie could wear it now, a Christmas wall hanging that was purchased at a craft fair when I lived in Melbourne a decade ago, a Leanne Beasely "Merry and Bright" stitchery, and my MIL's scarf which just needs the tassels.

On the "to do" list is a Very Hungry Caterpillar cot quilt for my other bestie, an owl panel for my soon to be new niece (her mother doesn't really appreciate quilting so I am quite happy to just quilt a panel) and I really want to make some more root babies (one rabbit for Maddie for next Easter and half a dozen as little pressies for when I need them!)

It really is scary when you list it all like that (and no doubt I've missed some out too!)

This year I am not writing formal resolutions because I never keep them anyway LOL. I heard on TV that over 80% of New Years Resolutions are broken within the first month and less than 2% actually see out the year!

Thinking about a "to do" list for 2012 I do want to spend more quality time with my small son (he really is suffering being squeezed between the bossy big sister and the adorable and charming baby sister)

I do want to worry less about inconsequential things and prioritize my life so that the things that are important get the most attention.

I want to continue to declutter and simplify.

I want to write more letters.

I want to teach myself to knit 2 socks on 1 circular needle (I have a book that was bought but not yet used)

I want to learn how to "pin" on pinterest

I want to use social media more for my Creative Memories business

I want to have an attitude of gratitude for the small things every day

I want to spend less time trawling crafty things on the computer and more time actually crafting

I'm sure there is more but I want to go play with my sewing machine before it gets too hot to be in the one room without air con (going to be another scorcher here today!)

Happy New Year!

Keep smiling,

Nell

Favourite glimpses of Christmas

2011-12-30T18:35:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all health, happiness, and peace for 2012. I know I should be listing my New Years Resolutions but I have a migraine and am feeling very bah humbug about New Years (think I will probably be in my jammies and snoring by 9pm!)

Layout a Day Challenge Pages

2011-12-29T23:29:00.000-08:00

New (January) double heart border maker. Odd colour combo but this is a page for our Sunsation workshop so I had to work in a limited palette.

Using "Think Pink" and the new zigzag trimmer blade.

Picket Fence border maker with Discover ribbon woven through. The cream stripe is the old Romance pack. I like to use old and new together!

Jumbo Scallop Circle and Fabulous paper

Birthday parties are always a challenge - too many photos LOL - this is busy but it works as a simple way to get lots of photos onto a page.

My favourite from this lot - Hummingbird paper and some of the new Love range. Helps that it is a great photo!

Oh it feels good to be getting caught up in my albums! I am finding it a challenge to sneak time with 3 little people underfoot but during the day the new room is a bit too hot to scrap in anyway!

Back soon with favourite Christmas shots!
keep smiling,
Nell

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T14:54:00.000-08:00

Well, that is it from us for the next few days as we celebrate Christmas with extended family. I will be back in the quiet lull between Christmas and New Year's to show you my layout a day pages. Ahh, the time between Christmas and New Years are some of my favourite days of the year - slow lazy pace, nothing that "has" to be done, thinking ahead to the New Year, reminiscing all the good memories of this year, and the dust might even get blown off the sewing machine LOL!

A bright and merry Christmas to you. May peace be in your heart.
Nell
xxxx

One handmade present

2011-12-21T15:56:00.000-08:00

This year I have not done nearly as much "handmade" for Christmas as I had hoped so I was really delighted to get this special present finished last night! Maddie will have her own special Steiner/Waldorf dolly under the tree this year.

Judging by the delight she was taking sticking pins into its face yesterday this dolly is sure to come in for some tough loving. I had to laugh that at one stage she nicked off with just the head and the disembodied limbs and when I went looking for them she had tucked them all safely up in bed and told me "Sshh! Dolly asleep!" Hopefully that means she will bond with dolly. Unfortunately Hannah and Daniel really don't play a lot with their Waldorf dolls at all.

We had a truly horrendous day here yesterday. I am thinking of an acquaintance who lost her battle with cancer and has left behind a little toddler so I am not in a very positive frame of mind. The kids were total terrorists - broken and drawn on books, drawn on walls, lots of tanties and fighting and nagging and dobbing. Last night I read a bit of Soule Mama and decided to adopt a slower pace today so we had a leisurely pancake breakfast and then some gardening.

Heart glad Mummy moment when a baby magpie showed up and started warbling. The seven year old " Hello Mr Magpie, thank you for singing us good morning"
The five year old "That is such a lovely song you're singing"
The two year old just stood in awe with her hands behind her back and a face full of wonder.

You've gotta love a garden!
Now we are off to wrap presents and make felt ornaments and rocky road!
Happy thursday!
Keep smiling,
Nell

Layout a Day Challenge

2011-12-19T22:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we all know how super organised I am this Christmas (eh hmm...not) which is why I can't believe I have come up with this hairbrained idea! I really need to catch up on my kids albums and I have noticed that I seem to feel like I have accomplished more (or something) on the days that I have a layout or two to show for it...so, over the school holidays I am committing to a layout a day. Because I rarely do a single page in a sitting I might sometimes have a few layouts to show. I am giving myself permission not to have to blog it every day, and I am recognising that over Christmas I might not get to scrap (so those extras can count for those days!) If you are into scrapping then feel free to play along (and you can leave a link to your pages in the comments if you like?)

I have been enjoying using up some old stuff like the Great Escapes paper and old chamois cardstock!

This is the new Nancy O'Dell "Love" series - which even works for boys stuff!

"Think Pink" and the Love series - seriously love this photo but not sure this page is "finished" yet!

First of three using the same photos and the Love series (which just fitted perfectly with these photos) Even if I have the same photos to scrap 3 times (once for our family album and once for each of the girls) I will still do different pages (coz I just don't like to have to do some things more than once!)

Layout adapted from December's CM crop talk. Still not sure if I like the white space on the left hand side but I think I will live with it!

LOVING the new Creative Memories scallop tearing tool! Such yummy dimension on the page. I also really like the ephemera effect on the Love paper.

Now I am off to try today's page before the two youngest wake up ;)

Special things

2011-12-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

In a world where there seems far too many lovely people suffering sometimes it is the totally unexpected things that can create sunshine in your day. You know my obsession with red and aqua? Well look what I got from a beautiful kindy mum (who also has this fabulous blog bananarunkin.blogspot.com )

Amy, your little owl will be treasured. I want you to know that you totally made my day!

New Layouts

2011-12-09T03:38:00.000-08:00

Some recent scrapping - using old bits of ribbon and mismatched stickers. Also returned to natural pages (which I haven't used for a while!)

Middle layout is using the new Autumn Additions pack and last month's Gratitude range with our classic farm stickers. The bottom one is my favourite - new Think Pink Paper Pack along with lots of old favourites like the blue from the Discover pack. This incorporates two of my favourite techniques - pen sketching and tearing. It also helps to have a cute little model! Tomorrow I hope to make a start on some Christmas preparations!

Two, and my new favourite photos

2011-12-07T01:25:00.000-08:00

I know I am wildly biased but how seriously damn cute is this 2 year old? Not sure if it is the piggies, or the soft lighting, or the soft pink cardi or just pure nepotism but this is my current favourite shot of the birthday girl.

And this one, well it is just my current favourite shot of my current favourite people!
Hope you are having a great week!
Keep smiling,
Nell
xxx
p.s. got my scrapping mojo back saturday night so will have some recent layouts to show you next time!

Doing Nothin'

2011-12-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

Sitting here feeling sorry for myself. Full of the 'flu. Not even going to my quilty friends Christmas breakup (and I LOVE those girls and the inspiration and support and fun and friendship that they provide!) I am 2 blocks away from finishing my bestie's baby quilt. I have a full box of new exciting Creative Memories products calling to me. And yet I am doin' nothin' !

I have not even contemplated handmade presents for anyone this year.
I am just hanging in there for kindy to finish, and school to finish and then maybe I will find my crafting mojo and my scrapping mojo!

Oh, and in the meantime, the baby girl turned 2 this week. TWO!!!! WHERE DID MY BABY GO?!?!

2011-11-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

Pinterest.com
Sigh....
So many lovely things
All in one spot...
No need to keep all of those magazine cutouts and scraps of paper anymore...
What if my computer crashes?
Dear oh dear - I can totally see me spending far too much time on Pinterest!

Loving...

2011-11-04T01:19:00.000-07:00

Today I am loving:

The taste of Summer!
The first rose from our back garden - the promise that one day it will be just as full of flowers as the front garden

The chaos of colour and fragrance of our front garden - roses that remind me of my wedding bouquet everytime I see them

A quiet morning at home with my little ones after a crazy busy week

Crafty time with a talented friend (and the promise of more crafty time with my quilty friends tomorrow)

A "free" Friday night with hubby's favourite tea and a bottle of good red

The possibilities presented by pinterest!

The arrival of doors, windows and kitchenette for the extension - it really is going to happen next week!

2 cards in the post from beautiful friends

Thinking about my gorgeous sis who is having a birthday tomorrow and my darling Nanny who is having her birthday Sunday

Life is so good!

Naughty but funny

2011-10-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

We are not a particularly high-brow family. 4 out of the 5 of us think farts are funny. 3 out of the 5 of us pick their noses. I thought about whether to blog this or not, but it was just so wierd, and funny that I had to. This was almost 2 year old Maddie's drawing while we were reading with Hannah's class yesterday:

I've suggested to James that he might want to shower with the door shut in future LOL

Have a great weekend!

My New Favourite Layout

2011-10-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

I am really happy with this double page layout completed at our Consultant Retreat on the weekend. I think it helps to have such adorable subject matter and the paper (although really old) is one of my favourites from our Cherish range.

So what are you doing today?
We are having a quiet pottering day at home.

Five!

2011-10-11T02:18:00.000-07:00

My Dream Baby

My Chubby Bubby

My Animal Lover

My Full of Joy Boy

My Little Truck Boy

My Groover

My Creatures and Critters Kid

My Little Nature Lover

and now My Five Year Old.

It happened way too fast but we have loved every moment. Happy Birthday dear boy! xxx

Finishing Stuff!

2011-10-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this (the Patchwork Apple's Civil War and Repros exhibition) I went home and found the BOM medallion quilt that I started about 6 years ago. I just could not for the life of me get the centre square to work. I tried so many times and it just never fitted so I threw the whole lot in a cupboard and forgot about it. At the exhibition Jane had the original quilt on display and I still loved it (funny how some of the quilts I loved 6 years ago are now ho hum and others stand the test of time) Anyway, I came home and hunted for the pieces. Not an easy task amongst the mess. That is when I discovered that some parts from the first block were missing in action so I had to find similar fabric. After lots of hunting and searching I was about to press the replacement fabric when what should I find on the floor next to the ironing board... the pieces all ready to go in a zip lock bag - sometimes I seriously think the Big Guy Upstairs just loves to teach me a lesson and I guess that this time it was a lesson about keeping things a bit tidier and being a bit more organised! Anyway, to cut a long waffle short. I pieced this:

To give you a bit of an idea, the little red and cream half square triangles measure one inch across. I know it is not perfect but I am so proud of this block and so glad that 6 years later I can move on!!!

As I sorted through the mess I also found a little dress that I had started for Maddie. Knowing my reputation for not finishing things in a timely manner I had cut it as a size 4. I really wish I had known how ridiculously easy this pattern is! It is "Miss Madeline" by Samantha Coffey thehandmadedress.blogspot.com

The fabric was picked up on the trading table at Spinners and Weavers for next to nothing. Now I just have to wait a few years for Maddie to fit into it.

Oh, and just in case you needed a laugh. Guess what happens when you leave your sewing machine AND scrapbooking supplies unattended? This was taken post-event when the culprit was made to clean it up and as she scrubbed she kept saying "No! No! No! Ahh, pretty!" and shaking her head and then nodding!!! She certainly is our little clown and I think at least 3 times as cheeky as her siblings!

Happy Monday!

Keep smiling,

Nell

p.s. Creative Memories Pens are archival quality and won't run, bleed or fade. They are totally waterproof. My sewing machine is destined to be "Ahh Pretty" for a very long time!

New Inspiration

2011-10-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

I've just discovered this new blog treefalldesign.typepad.com and have enjoyed a pleasant half hour of oohing and ahhing over her beautiful children's clothes - I think it is mostly the colour combinations and patterns that I love, and that real sense of yesteryear simplicity. Whatever it is, Manda McGrory makes making children's clothes look effortless and between her and Toni Coward they have me itching to clean off the scrapping table and get busy sewing for my girls. WATCH THIS SPACE.

Oh, and I found it interesting that even someone that talented feels funny when they wear clothes they have made themself. I can totally relate to that (which is one reason why I hardly ever sew for my self!)

I am happily stitching at a farmyard quilt from Alicia Paulson's book (destined for my bestie's 2nd baby) and tonight while I read craft mags in the bath I found the perfect pattern to use my stash of Dr Seuss fabric. Now the big question is really what to work on next LOL

Tomorrow is The Patchwork Apple's Civil War Exhibition (at the Woodside Institute Hall) I have seen several of these quilts and they are STUNNING. Cannot wait to go and drool (and Jane will have the shop set up there too so if she happened to have the new Moda 3 Sisters Etchings in a Jelly Roll it might just have to come home with me) Oh the possibilities!

Happy weekend!

I think I need an intervention!

2011-10-07T04:24:00.000-07:00

I probably shouldn't be writing this. I am tired and grumpy and probably need an early night but I also know I won't sleep and I won't settle so I might as well write here and maybe, just maybe, be held a tiny bit accountable.

My house is currently a disaster zone. We have just been away for a few idyllic days down at my inlaws beach house. It seriously looks like a magazine house. Everything is sleek and glossy and clean and simple. It feels restful.

Coming home was not restful. There is "stuff" on every horizontal surface in our home. We have too much "stuff". Way too much "stuff". "Stuff" that might one day come in useful. "Stuff" that I might one day get around to fixing. "Stuff" that doesn't have a home. "Stuff" that we can't throw out because we don't know quite what it is (or belongs to - "is that the spare bolt from the dryer or the bit from the kids swing set?")

I really need to re-read Fly Lady. I really need to make next week Purge Week.
A room a day...
Wish me luck...

Oh, and if you happen to visit, don't let me pretend that the house isn't always this bad. We both know the truth!

Softies For Mirabel

2011-10-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

Just when I had privately decided it was time to stop doing so much for other people and start finishing some of my own projects!

The thing is, it makes me feel good to help others. You get that soft squishy self-gratifiying feeling inside. And these kids really need it!

I love the quote by Mother Theresa "We cannot all do great things, only small things with great love", and also the one that says "Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can"

So come on! Join in! If you're local and can get your softie to me I don't even mind posting it for you!
Keep smiling,
Nell

Loving Right Now..

2011-09-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

*That our holidays have started a day early (Hannah woke up with a sore throat so no school run for us today)
*Having all of my nearest and dearest together under one roof (James has holidays too)
*My grown up baby who insists on wearing piggy tails and dressing herself - is there seriously anything cuter than a not quite two year old in piggies?
*That her new favourite phrase is "but I LOVE you!" with a big smoochy kiss
*The prospect of a bit of sewing/quilting/mummy time with my gorgeous quilty friends tomorrow (and there might even be a little bit of good food and good wine and good coffee, and I know there will be lots of talking and projects shared)
*The feeling of satisfaction that comes with the end of a busy term and the prospect of two long, lazy weeks ahead
*The luxury of a second cup of coffee and catching up on favourite blogs while my children entertain each other
*The prospect of two new baby quilts for two of my dearest friends - the thought that maybe I will make a start this weekend
*Knowing that a friend who was going through a tough time will be receiving unexpected flowers
*Seeing my local community once again rise to the challenge when one of our little families experiences tragedy

We live in such a special place. Despite 3 days of rain and miserable weather I feel like I have such a lot to be thankful for this morning.
Have a fabulous weekend,
Keep smiling,
Nell
xxxxx

Too Busy to Scratch ...

2011-09-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Long time no blog... It has been crazy busy around here. Too crazy busy. Since last I blogged there has been a Creative Memories Conference in Sydney (with a flying catch up with my dear friend Ness) then a flying visit to my sister for some squishable time with this sweet little eskimo baby:

This was such a quick visit that there was no time to catch up with Brissie friends or extended family. I am trying really hard not to feel guilty about that (still love you Gerty and Jen and Helen and Katherine and Kylie-Anne I promise!) It was lovely for Mads to have some quality time with the grandies

And I finally got to play Auntie to that sweet little niece.

She is every bit as divine as she looks and living vicariously through my sis is truly the next best thing to having a fourth child which unfortunately is not likely to happen :(

In amongst all of this there has been school photos, preparations for a school concert and a Kindy Jungle Dance Party and I have been doing a few days of Temporary Teaching at kindy (3 days a week) while my dear friend Margot is unwell. There have also been quotes for the new scrapping studio (building in the garage LOL), a mammoth pile of mulch, 6 adult sized zebra costumes, a brief calzone cook-up and too many winter lurgies to mention. I have been dreaming of Spring, and a slower pace to life.

Maybe next year I will learn to find more of a balance. Maybe next year I will learn to say "no" a bit more (and maybe not open my mouth quite so much) Maybe next year I might even get back to my sewing machine?

May your September be full of Spring flowers and quiet days.

xxx

The Power of Words

2011-08-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

I love having an emergent writer in the house. I love the little notes that get left in unexpected places. I love the quirky spelling. Most of all I love that my own daughter is beginning her own love affair with literacy. Just like her Mum and her Author Auntie, she is a bookworm, and a writer, and she is coming to know the power of words.
p.s. if you can't quite read it the text says "you have to make this" with an arrow!

Weekend Sewing

2011-08-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

What a lovely, busy, sewing weekend. Last holidays my children began their first patchwork projects. Hannah decided on a quilt for her dolls and Dan began a tablerunner. It was great to see the projects developing through their eyes. Hannah, at 7, was more thoughtful and concerned about placement of colour and pattern. Dan, at 4, just went with what was pleasing to his eye. When Daniel's runner was pieced we put it on the table and I could see the disappointment in his face. "It doesn't fit!" he said indignantly. Clearly, in his mind, he was making a tablecloth, not a runner, so we had to find something to bulk it up a bit! A thrifted pillowcase (which had been earmarked as jammy bottoms for him but never gotten around to) had just enough fabric to make it big enough. As we had changed from runner to cloth I then just backed it with some tan coloured leftovers from another quilt backing without worrying about binding or batting. At 4, instant gratification is a good thing. My boy was so happy for us all to eat homemade pizza on HIS tablecloth last night!

Now Hannah will be keen to do the quilting on her project. I had a lovely afternoon with my Apple Piecers Quilty Friends on Saturday and managed to finish the binding on my "It's a Hoot" quilt. So now it is goodbye "Chooks in Clover"

and hello "It's a Hoot!"

"Chooks in Clover has been our couch quilt from the time Hannah was small. All of my babies have enjoyed looking at the chooks and flowers and tracing them with their chubby fat fingers. Not surprisingly, this quilt is now beyond repair - worn out with lots of snuggles and baby spit and impromptu cubby making. I am donating it to the dog but Maddie keeps dragging it back inside and putting it on the couch again LOL

I am already wondering about the practicality of having a quilt with so much white and light fabrics as our couch quilt? I think this quilt might quickly migrate to my workshop room as a Mummy only quilt and be replaced by something more practical (which is a shame because it just looks so good on our couch!)

I ducked off for a bit of Mummy time on Sunday and went to the Woodpatch Quilters Exhibition. Lots of lovely inspiration and I made a start on my Christmas shopping at their trading table too! I also found a lovely piece of pale purple fabric on the bargain table for $4 and came home and made this:

My version of the ubiquitous apron skirt. I love the detailing on this doiley - it is beautifully stitched. Because I used the full length of the fabric there were no messy seams and then I cut a bit off the top, sandwiched the apron edge inbetween the two cut pieces and stitched then turned the top edge over the stitched seam and top stitched so there are no messy raw edges anywhere and it was soooo easy and quick (maybe Dan gets the instant gratification thing from me LOL) This will be lovely for Hannah in summer with a yellow or green or white tshirt.

So see, a busy weekend!
Next time I'll show you my first ever sock knitted on two circular needles!
Happy Monday,
Keep smiling,
Nell

Upcycling Book Review

2011-07-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Two of my latest reads:

"Sewing Green" would be a good one for people with a limited craft library. It has a lot of projects in it that I already have plenty of patterns for (tote bags/market bags, napkins, and cushions and the ubiquitous pillowcase dress!) There is a VERY cute baby hat and puppy softie that is definitely on my "to make" list and some recycled sweater slippers that I would like to try. Unfortunately the author does have rather a thing for felting cashmere sweaters, and even more unfortunately, my local op shops don't often have an abundance of cheap cashmere sweaters. The book has quite a few "Eco Innovator' profiles on different designers and eco-friendly project groups like Alabama Chanin and Mors Bags which were an interesting read.

All in all quite a pretty, inspirational book but I am just a jaded old bookworm who already has a lot of patterns for similar projects!

One lovely surprise has been Pip Lincolne's "Sew, La, Tea, Do" which I borrowed from my local library. I have Pip's first book, and love it, but was reluctant to buy this one until I had first seen how many projects I liked in it. Not because it isn't a lovely, quality book, but because I do find that Australian titles can be pretty expensive (and that is a reflection on our publishing industry not on the wonderful authors that get a pittance for their work!) Once again, as with her first book, "Meet Me at Mikes" it has a lovely vintage, retro, nostalgic feel and quite a few simple reminds-me-of-childhood sewing patterns. Very suitable for beginners. It also has quite an "upcycled" feel to it as a lot of the projects use patchworky/scrappy bits and/or repurposed clothes. I like the shirt front cushion covers and the cute kids clothes. I like the simplicity and the unfussiness of this book, and I like Pip's learn and pass it on mentality. I now have my local patchwork store ordering it in for me!

Have you been following the artsy ants upcycle week? I liked their idea of lengthening t-shirts as I have quite a long torso and a flabby tummy and frequently tshirts seem just a bit too short to not show my flabby midriff!
I was thinking this morning about the amount of repurposing/upcycling my parents and grandparents did. As one of four adventurous little country kids, my track suits often wore out on elbows and knees and my Mum's solution to this was to "patch" the holes with applique. I remember a blue tracksuit with bunches of bright balloons on the knees, and one that had a kite with the kite string as little ribbon bows all down the leg. I remember feeling very special wearing my designer trackies!

My grandmother's garden was, and still is, an upcycling fantasy. She has planted into old boots, sinks, bathtubs, worn out teapots, and barrels from the inside of washing machines. Inside the house, potplants grow out of recycled port or sherry bottles (and I remember my Mum had a macrame hanger with plants in green wine bottles too!)

I wonder why we have lost the ability to repurpose and make do along the way? My dear friend brought me back a key ring from the Vic and Albert and it is a big metal button that says "Make Do and Mend" I love its constant reminder.

On a totally unrelated topic, I am hoping to bind two quilts this weekend. Emma from sampaguitaquilts.blogspot.com has just finished quilting three tops for me (she has them up on her website) Her work is just exquisite. Hannah is very excited that her quilt is so close to being finished (finally!)
Have a great weekend,
Keep smiling,
Nell

When is it an official addiction?

2011-07-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

I think I am officially a craft-book addict? This ikea cube storage was bought specifically to hide/store my Creative Memories albums and stock but I find that it is increasingly taken up with craft books. I just can't help myself. I love the inspiration that I get from my little book stash (even if I cannot actually say that I've made projects from each book!) Ooh, now that could be kind of a fun challenge...sort of like a Julie and Julia journey except with one project from each book? Oh come on, who am I kidding? Anyway, just wondered whether anyone else has it this bad?

I suppose it doesn't help to say that I am waiting on another instalment from the Book Depository? And after I had ordered them I remembered that I still didn't get the knitting one that http://www.retromummy.blogspot.com/ recommended! Doh!

Hope you are enjoying the school holidays as much as we are. Today was Spinning and Weaving with a play in the park and hot chips for lunch. Yesterday was quesadillas for lunch (homebrand tortilla in frying pan with corn, ham, sundried tomatoes and cheese, another tortilla on top, fry, flip, cut in wedges -yum!), caramel popcorn (not using that recipe again as it was more like toffee and took 2 goes and far too much time to get it right and then I had toffee from one end of the kitchen to the other LOL) with the neighbourhood kids as a footpath picnic for afternoon tea, and wooden castle painting and making (would have been easier had someone not lost the instructions!!!)

Tomorrow will be catching up with Mum's group friends - it is definitely easier to keep the cherubs busy!
Happy thursday,
Keep smiling,
Nell

Upcycling!

2011-07-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

I have just recently discovered this blog artsyants.blogspot.com and was excited to learn that they are having an "Upcycling" week.

I really love the idea of repurposing and reusing and quite a lot of my kid's wardrobes are "upcycled" (normally from opshop finds!) Because I am not particularly good at the finer points of sewing (zips, facings, plackets, etc) I find upcycling a great way of not having to deal with the fiddly bits.

Probably my 2 favourite ways to upcycle are:

1. My girls are both fans of cute strappy summer sundresses (the kind with the ribbon ties on the shoulders and maximum twirl factor skirts) When they outgrow the top bit, or the dresses get a bit too short, I cut the top bit off, turn over a casing, thread through elastic, and, ta da, one maximum twirl factor skirt and one very happy little girl who gets a few more years out of her favourites!

2. I look out for adult summer dresses or skirts that can just be taken in at the sides and the sleeves to become lovely dresses for my tall 7 year old.

The best thing about upcycling is that when the kids rip it, or stain it, or outgrow it, I don't feel like it is the end of the world. I also LOVE that it is that real something-from-nothing, make-do and mend feeling!

If you are looking for books with an upcycling message I can recommend Amanda Blake Soule's and also "Craft Challenge - Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase" - and I really should hunt down some more for inspiration too!

So go on, I dare you, have an upcycling week!

Keep smiling,

Nell

p.s you may have noticed that we are fans of the unironed, slightly wrinkled look LOL but I hope you didn't notice the crumbs on the floor next to the skirt LOL

Beautiful Darwin

2011-07-11T00:19:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from a fabulous Darwin getaway. We went to Darwin for James' cousin's wedding, and while the wedding was just beautiful, we found that there were lots of other exciting things to do in Darwin too! The kids were very excited to hold a snake and a baby crocodile at the Crocosaurus Cove Centre. Later in our holiday they even got to eat crocodile!

Darwin's waterfront precinct is stunning and very family friendly so we spent quite a few hours in the Wave Pool.

The wedding was at the Darwin Sailing Club - the perfect venue for looking for crocodiles..and pirates...

the perfect spot for playing on the beach... and for watching the sunset over the water..

The very best thing about Darwin? The weather was perfect! Between 19-30 degrees the whole time. Just what I needed to break the long, wet, Adelaide Winter.

And now we are home, and it is Day One of the school holidays. We have lots of plans (most involving cooking or crafting) but today has been slow paced and lazy!

happy Monday,

Keep smiling,

Nell

xxx

Fireman Dan and a bit of crafting

2011-06-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

Today Dan and I went to the Metropolitan Fire Station for his kindy excursion. I think the look on his face says it all. Lovely to have this day with just my boy (and the upside has been the snuggles and cuddles I have had since we have been home; he even said to me "Mummy, you are just my treasure" - heart melting)

Life has been busy (even busier than usual LOL) here so not a whole heap of crafty stuff happening. There has been this school hat for Hannah. The pattern is from Ann Budd's "Knitted Gifts" book. I am a bit disappointed that the cable just kind of disappears in the mottled wool. The wool is pre-dyed Romney tops that I have spun up into a thickish 8 ply. After the hat there are matching mittens and a scarf (which I will have to make up to match as the pattern is only for a hat and mittens!)

Hannah has also been invited to a spate of birthday parties lately so I made these to go with a little gift. Quick and easy - 15 minutes in front of the telly and I think they are kind of fun.

I did manage to finish 3 quilt tops on the long weekend so I've also been busy organising backing and binding for them so that I can send them down to Emma for quilting!
Happy Friday!
Keep smiling,
Nell

Toy Society

2011-06-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

These two little folk are off to Brisbane as part of the Toy Society Drop. Sad but true story: their bodies were knitted at least a decade ago and moved interstate with us in a zip lock bag. In fact, when I thought about it, I don't remember ever knitting these dolls with my husband around (so I think they may have been knit pre 1995 LOL) When I was in highschool and first year uni I knitted HUNDREDS of these dolls. They were mostly commissions for friends and family and also sold through a craft shop (and I am also sad to say that as a nieve teenager I had no idea about the copyright issue - although I think Jean Greenhowe patterns have been around so long that you are allowed to sell limited numbers? ) Certainly I have seen many of them at fetes and fairs and op shops over the years!

Anyway, I think I knitted so many of them that I just kind of burnt myself out and lost interest! I am very glad that these two have finally made it out of the UFO pile and will hopefully find a good home. They have already passed the cuddle and squeeze test conducted by a very excited small boy who has named them "John" and "Londa". The same small boy WILL be posting them this afternoon and I am keeping fingers crossed that he doesn't ask for his own set of them LOL

On a totally unrelated topic, I have thoroughly enjoyed the guest blog series on "mothering" over at http://www.soulemama.typepad.com/ Some seriously beautiful writing. I've been thinking about mothering a lot lately as my dear sis takes her first steps into the mothering jungle, as a beautiful friend undertakes a second precarious pregnancy, as my extended family (in Queensland) celebrate milestones and special days without me, and as my own little family close the chapter on "babyhood" forever and I move into mindfully mothering a toddler, a preschooler, and a tween. I don't think any mother can ever get it right all of the time. At my best I am an above average mother - I feel this way in the midst of sleepovers, successful birthday cakes, time spent at the park, and days when they find something special and handmade on their bed as a surprise or something hot and home-made for afternoon tea. At my worst I wonder whether I should ever have been a mother at all - I look at the crumbs and the piles of laundry and I hear the cross, exasperated, frustrated words hurled out of my mouth and I cringe. Most days we are a happy compromise, somewhere between the two extremes. It is a tough gig, but also one of the most rewarding.
Happy Friday to all Mothers!
keep smiling,
Nell

More than one way to chase the Winter Blues...

2011-06-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

You might be forgiven for thinking that I like shoe shopping, and red...
I do really love red but I hate shoe shopping. The thought of buying 3 pairs of shoes in one day is ludicrous, but they were so cheap, and so cheerful, and I might actually feel like feeding the chooks in the muddy chookpen in those red wellies!

Something else making me happy right now is that tomorrow is Tuesday and I get to pick up the Melly and Me "Sewn Toy Tales" book from the Patchwork Apple. I am hoping to whip up some softies from it for my friend Catherine madebymaisie.typepad.com as she has been doing Toy Society drops in the areas of Brisbane most affected by the floods.

There are also two little knitted softies that have been UFOs for far too long and a few doll bodies that just need faces and clothes so I really should commit to finishing those before I start anything new LOL

If you like making softies and want to get involved I am happy to post your toys up to Catherine!

Now it is time to set the kitchen timer and declutter, purge and otherwise tidy this messy house!
Happy Monday,
Nell
xxxx

And now my Princess is 7

2011-06-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

7 years ago they placed this little bundle into my arms.

Before I knew it the cheeky, chubby baby was walking. Then that baby became one of the most stubborn, delightful, chatty toddlers I have ever known.

She NEVER stopped talking and always wanted to know WHY?

She brought more joy and laughter to our lives than I had ever imagined possible. She lived in a fairytale world all of her own.

She really DOES have a princess complex. We have enjoyed watching her grow and change. She is helpful, happy, imaginative and creative. Today she is seven. I have enjoyed the journey with her so much and I adore the little person she is becoming. Love you, my baby bear, my Princess Hannah! Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Learning to Live In the Moment

2011-05-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

I am learning from my friend. I am learning (slowly) to live in the moment more. To recognise and make time for what is important. To strategically quit things that aren't.
Monday: A sewing day. Four Kindy Space Suits mended. One dress converted to a skirt for Maddie. One pair of pants mended. One small girls nightie started. Two sewn through fingers and a black eye...

Maddie had a run in with Jazz and the sliding door (it does look worse than it is - it didn't slow her down for a minute!)

I managed to sew right through 2 fingers (2 separate incidents) on the sewing machine. Do not try this at home. After the second time (when the needle broke in spectacular style and blood poured forth and poor Nic was required to extricate bits of broken needle from my finger) Nic (not surprisingly) unplugged my sewing machine.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the sunshine in Nic's warm lounge room by the glow of the wood fire, with my children coming over for regular snuggles while I knitted, drank great coffee (Nic has real beans and real froth and it is just another small reason why I love visiting her!) and ate too much beesting from the Lobethal Bakery (which is popularly believed to be the BEST bakery in the Hills) Such a hard way to spend a Monday really! I am practising my sock knitting on two needles. This is the easy part. It is the heel turning that makes me tear my hair out.

Tuesday: My day got hijacked when Hannah woke up at 5a.m. crying with a sore ear. Kindy run for Dan. Quick trip to the accountant to sign last year's tax return (not enough of a refund for an air conditioner - sigh) Doctor's appointment, trip to the chemist etc etc. but at least the sun was shining and I managed some odd jobs at home (including a bit of decluttering) In the afternoon Dan and I got out into the front garden while the girl's napped. It was bliss. I forget how much I enjoy gardening until I am out there with the sights and smells of the last days of Autumn all around. I cleared a little patch for some lawn and hacked back the overgrown garden beds and deadheaded roses and pruned the lower branches of the birch trees.

When I turned around and saw my boy sitting like this my heart was so glad. James' Aunt Yvonne gave Dan this birch when he was born. She said what she wanted most for us in our then very new, just beginning, garden was to have a tree to sit beneath. Yvonne lost her battle with cancer not long afterwards. I think of this tree as her legacy. It is a reminder of her beautiful garden and the earth guardian that she was. Here we are not quite five years later and her dream for us is becoming a reality. One of the things I love most about gardening is that a garden is always evolving and changing. It is one of the best ways I know of measuring and marking time.

It is also one of the best places I know to get a mental health adjustment. Half an hour in the garden and all your cares melt away! We stayed out until it got dark. "It's a beautiful sunset, isn't it Mummy?" Precious time with my precious boy.

Chicken and cashews for tea (my big boy's favourite) and then Dan and I made apple muffins with two of the enormous apples from the tree in our chookpen. Eaten warm, just out of the oven, they were delicious!

And now it is Wednesday. Hannah is not yet back at school. Already this morning we have had dominoes, Lego, drawing, and Little People. There has been spilt cereal. There has been snot on the couch. There has been at least a few episodes of sibling discord. Do I care? Not a bit. The sun is shining. 3 loads of washing are on the line. I have lots of spring bulbs to plant. I can watch the green grass in our backyard grow (I am such a farmer's daughter - the sight of green grass makes me smile and because our lawn has been such a long time coming it is now extra good at making me smile!) No doubt this afternoon there will be more sibling discord, probably tears, and lots of crumbs but I am just being. Enjoying being home with them all. Appreciating what we have got. If I can sneak in a little bit of crafting then I will be a happy camper indeed!

Happy Wednesday!
Nell

xxx

Feel like a bit of crafty retail therapy?

2011-05-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

If you are local (ie Adelaide) and feel like some crafty inspiration this Saturday Mathilda's Markets is on at the Burnside Ballroom (exquisite clothes, accessories and crafty things for little people) and the Adelaide Hills Spinners and Weavers have their annual Open Day at Littlehampton Peace Hall - lots of handknits, felting and homespun wool (even some of my little hats) and they normally have complimentary mulled wine too! Definitely good for a bit of crafty inspiration!
Have a great weekend,
Keep smiling,
Nell

I don't do Winter...

2011-05-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

There is a good reason why bears hibernate.
The airconditioner here is stuffed (yes, our 5 year old airconditioner is obsolete and non-functional and has required 2 different repairmen, 1 electrician, 1 trying-to-be-handy husband, 2 very hard to get fuses, a fortnights worth of patience, goodness knows how many phone calls and a whole wad of cash and is STILL non-functional)
It is cold.
It is rainy.
It is grey.
I am grumpy.
Hope your Wednesday is an improvement on mine.

Felting Fun (or not?)

2011-05-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

This post has been waiting for a photo of the finished projects but because this hasn't happened I thought I would share the photos now. In the school holidays my crafty friend Lea-Anne and her delightful daughter came over for a day felting. I recently made a felted bag at Spinners and Weavers and foolishly thought it would be a great project to keep three children entertained over the holidays LOL.

Let me first state categorically that I am NOT a felter. I still see it as a bit of a waste of good spinning fleece (yes, I know this is upsetting to all good felters and I apologise if this offends) Despite this, I seem to feel compelled to indulge in little felty experiences from time to time (there is even a 100% lambswool striped jumper waiting for the next felty experience LOL) The day started out okay given that our plans to felt outside were changed when the workmen turned up to put up our new pergola. Undeterred we set up a trestle and prepared to get wet and felty. The kids enjoyed the initial process but found the actually felting a bit too time consuming. The fleece Lea-Anne had brought with refused to felt and kept springing back up! Eventually we ended up with three more-or-less felted bags that just require a bit of work on handles and embellishments. Highlights of the day were definitely Lea-Anne's wonderful parmesan meatballs (we would love the recipe - maybe she will even let us blog it?!) and the impromptu concert that the kids put on afterwards (complete with costumes and original songs with repetitive lyrics)

I think this could definitely become a school holiday tradition (minus the felting!) Maybe next time we will just stick to spinning! Anyway, at least the company was good. I feel really blessed to have crafty friends like Nic and Leanne and Karen and my Apple Piecers friends to share crafty adventures with!

Hoping to get back into blogging more regularly - it just feels like the work/life balance has been a bit out of whack here lately!

Keep smiling,

Nell

Scrappin and Quiltin and enjoying the weekend

2011-04-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I shared any scrapping on here. This is the beautiful new "Rugged" Power Palette that was released for May.

Yesterday my friend Nic and I went for coffee and a play at the playground with Emma from http://www.sampaguitaquilts.blogspot.com/ (we had 7 kids under 7 between us hence the playground once they were all sugared up!) Emma did such a beautiful job quilting Caitie's quilt. Today I sorted out the binding for it and hopefully will get it finished over the next week. Emma has put some great photos of Caitie's quilt up on her blog and I can totally recommend her if you want your quilt professionally quilted (well-priced, very quick turnaround and BEAUTIFUL stitching)

I have also been putting sashings on the Quilts For Queensland project I have been working on. Unfortunately I have a problem with this quilt. It once again has red spotty fabric (I know - you would think I had outgrown the addiction by now?!?) and it looks sooooo good draped over our couch (in fact I'm thinking that with the same aqua blue fabric I used to border Caitie's quilt it could be pretty near perfect as our lounge quilt) You can see where I am going with this can't you? Now I will need to make ANOTHER quilt for Queensland and this quilt might have to live here? And all this time poor Darling Daughter is patiently waiting for her quilt to be finished too!

Anyway, along with the quilting and the scrapping and the outing with Nic, add in a birthday tea (lasagne and the special occasions chocolate cherry cheesecake) a sleep in, and the fact that our pergola is up and nearly finished and it has been a lovely weekend!
Keep smiling,
Nell

The Silent Journey

2011-04-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

I am always in awe of ordinary people that do amazing, selfless things with their lives. One of the greatest joys I have had through my contact with Creative Memories is the many beautiful stories and the many amazing things some consultants are doing. One such special person is a consultant in my team, Felicity Stanway.

Felicity has just finished riding her horse, Rascal, from Kapunda to Willunga, a distance of about 270 kilometres, over nine days, on the Kidman Trail. She called her ride "The Silent Journey" as she was riding to raise awareness for those bereaved by suicide. Felicity's ride marked the 10 year anniversary of her Dad's death by suicide. Such a gutsy, determined and difficult thing to do. I am in awe.

If you feel the need to get involved please look up "The Silent Journey" on facebook or the Silent Ripples Support Group.

Whilst my own children are still too young to understand, I took them down to meet Felicity and Rascal when they were stopped overnight in our home town. We foolishly took carrot and apple for Rascal (forgetting that he recently had a freak accident which has resulted in his jaw being wired) Luckily Felicity was able to cut the pieces small enough and the kids could feed him!

Congratulations Felicity - what a wonderful adventure!

Just kickin back

2011-04-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

I am LOVE, LOVE, LOVING the holidays. It is so blissful to not have to do the school run. This morning Hannah made pancake mix while I read one more chapter of my book before getting up. We use Cousin Caitie's mix which is essentially 1 cup of SR Flour, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, vanilla and salt. We double it if we are hungry. This morning Hannah made double (by herself) I forget that she is capable of doing things like that now. She even put everything back in the cupboard and wiped the bench when she finished. A bit too grown-up really. Anyway, for everyday use these pancakes are very kid friendly and a great vehicle for lashings of butter and maple syrup or far too much sugar and lemon juice. For really decadent, special day, a-bit-more-time-in-the-kitchen pancakes we use Molly Wizenberg's recipe from "A Homemade Life" I think I have raved about this book before. It is full of wonderful recipes and achingly beautiful writing. I can't decide whether my copy should live with the recipe books or my favourite stories so it tends to float between the two categories and often lives on the couch.

No photos with this post but if I was motivated enough I could show you:
a backyard full of cream-painted planks waiting for pergola building
a backyard full of dying weeds waiting for landscaping and turfing
a boy still in his pyjamas watching more kids tv than usually acceptable
a girl drawing her own map of Australia (as you do?!?)
a girl who wrote her first "novel" on 2 sheets of foolscap yesterday (and yes the heroines were named after herself and two school friends LOL)
a house in dire need of a really good clean
a small person who insists on taking her nappy off and leaving puddles and er...presents... around the house (anyone want to buy a brand new but slightly wee-ed on sweetheart punch?)
children who have managed to have 3 playground plays in 3 days
a contented if messy mummy who is just enjoying chilling with the cherubs!
Happy Wednesday!

Is there anything cuter...

2011-04-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

There is nothing cuter than teeny tiny baby toes and little soft baby feet, but given that I've not been able to go to Queensland and smooch and smoosh Selena's feet yet here is the next best thing!

I used Saartje's pattern from http://www.saartjeknits/. James is thinking he has a bright future as a hand model LOL.

And just because yesterday was 8 years of wedded bliss and we are still like a couple of love-struck teenagers:

I love that he still makes me laugh.

Happy wednesday,

Nell

xxx

Just a few books....

2011-04-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember I have been a bookworm.

This is my birthday haul! LOVELY! LOVELY! LOVELY! So much inspiration and so little time. I guess the housework won't get done again today (sigh)

If you are looking for a good read I can thoroughly recommend anything by Geraldine Brooks or Sara Gruen.

I am off to finish Selena's rainbow bootees and her birth sampler. Last week was a rough week - I'm looking forward to a better week. Be kind to one another, keep smiling,

Nell

Selena's presents (Sneak Peak)

2011-04-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

I am an Auntie again. My darling new niece, Selena Willow Rosenveld, was born this morning. I am sad that I can't be in Queensland to give her new baby cuddles. Newborns are so special. It has actually been a lovely thing to share in my sister's first pregnancy.

We are so different, my sister and I. As children we were not all that close. As teenagers we were downright hateful, and hurtful, to each other. As we "matured" we have grown closer and I can honestly say that I now know just how special it is to have a sister. I see my two girls together, how smitten they are with each other, and I hope that they will always know the special bond of sisterhood.

Today I am not focussed on much at all, just thinking about my sis and her gorgeous newborn.

I hope to have pictures to share, but until I do here are a few of Selena's first presents from us (KAZ LOOK AWAY NOW!!!)

Selena shares a birthday with my dear friend Naomi (which is why Dan has chocolate all over his face - he was licking the bowl from the birthday cake we are taking to Mum's group!) No pastel baby pinks for my sister. She has decorated Selena's room in a jungle theme.This is the little dress made from the "stained glass" sock yarn (wool/silk mix) that I got through kathysfibres.com The pattern is from Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders. It was just a dream project to knit (thoroughly enjoyable and so quick - I relished every stitch!) Can't wait to see little Selena in this!

I'm off to help Hannah's class make Easter cards (bunnies from my Creative Memories punches)

Happy Tuesday (and welcome to the world Selena sweetie!)

Keep smiling,

Nell

Doing the shopping...

2011-03-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

I recently tried something new. I am in the habit of doing a HUGE grocery shop once a month. We get our fruit and veg home delivered each week by a gorgeous local family "Just the Freshest" and then I do a bread and milk run a few times a week. The grocery shopping is, quite frankly, a pain and I look forward to it about as much as having a tooth pulled. I'm sure the kids look forward to it even more than that LOL!

Anyway, to cut my ramblings short, this month for the first time ever we did our grocery shopping on line. It was delivered the next day for the exorbitant sum of $5.00. The kids ENJOYED the delight of a big truck pulling into our driveway and unloading mystery bags of groceries. They were so excited that they even helped me put it all away and then with the time we saved shopping we went outside and played! You've gotta love that!

I am now a true convert!
Have a great week,
Keep smiling,
Nell

Inspired?

2011-03-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

How could you not get excited about issues one and two of vignette arriving in your letterbox on the same day?
How could you not get excited about Kathy's new wool/cotton sock yarn in the most rainbow-est of colours (which she tempted me with the very day after I promised my sister I would not knit the divine Miss S. anymore clothes) I can see the sweetest little rainbow dress... I had to cast on within an hour of bringing this yummy skein home and now I am just up to the armholes on the front bodice LOL.

There has been crafting happening in amongst school open nights, Creative Memories parties and workshops, kindy fundraisers, and quite a few TRT days. BUSY but fun. I've been creating blog posts in my mind but just not gone beyond that!

We are off to the beach house for the long weekend. Think I'll take my knitting...

Rain! Rain!

2011-02-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

It is raining here today. Great big fat drops that squidge down the windows. My chooks are huddled in a corner of their coop shaking wet feathers. The rabbit is droopy and bedraggled. The lemon tree is vibrant and cheerful. The snails are partying in the front garden.
It is a day for cocoa with marshmallows and toasted hot cross buns.
It is a day for snuggling with my little ones and reading and re-reading favourite stories.

It is a day for red wine casserole slowly bubbling in the oven spreading warm garlicky smells through the house.

It is a day for diving into baskets of luscious fibre and setting my wheel in motion.

It is a day just for being, enjoying, relishing.

There is something so delightful about a rainy almost-Winter day in amongst the Summer.

Happy rainy day,

Keep smiling,

Nell

p.s. giveaway winners will have parcels in the mail in the next few days :)

Giveaway!

2011-02-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,
As I missed my 100th post this a Happy February Giveaway instead.

First giveaway is a Lobethal Community Kindergarten Cookbook (featuring my infamous biscuit recipe and lots of amazing food from my amazing teaching partner - her jelly cakes, scones, and lemon nut bread are all much sought after and appear in this book!) It is also illustrated by the kindy kids so my son's artwork appears on the dips and sauces page LOL! Lobethal Kindergarten is possibly the best kindy in the southern hemisphere. We are selling these cookbooks as fundraisers for $15.

Second giveaway is Shannon Honeybloom's book "Making a Family Home". I enjoyed reading it but it is not a book I need to have on my go-to-again-and-again list so it is being re-homed.

For a chance to win simply leave either a tip on parenting/homemaking for the Shannon Honeybloom book or a quick and easy recipe idea for the cookbook (or one of each to be in both draws)
I will draw this next wednesday.

I am off to Melbourne for five days child free at a Creative Memories Conference. My friend Meredith and I won an incentive package where we will be treated like princesses for 2 days before Summit starts. So I am off to pack for my glam girly experience.
Have a great week,
Keep smiling,
Nell

I could be.....

2011-01-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

I could be cleaning the house (it has got beyond crumbs to the sticky stage LOL) I could be doing some more quilting for Queensland, or playing with all of the fibre that I bought as my school holiday supplies (and sadly didn't even take out of the cellophane). I could be baking some yummy things to eat with my crafty friend tomorrow. I could be doing a super-mummy thing with the t.v. addict four year old.
I could be taking photos so that I can finally do the blog give-away that was supposed to be for my 100th post but now will just have to be "because".
Instead I am just vege-ing checking other people's bloggy crafty endeavours ...vege-ing and thinking whether we have any chocolate in the house? Mmm?
Anyone else feeling unproductive today?

Happy Tuesday
(Oh, and I swear to you that was not me doing the happy dance in the car park at Kindy yesterday - I would never feel like that after dropping my precious ones to school and preschool!) BAD BAD MUMMY!

She colours our world...

2011-01-27T15:26:00.000-08:00

So much joy and delight wrapped up in one little girl - just a few of my current favourites - Happy Friday!

Happy Australia Day!

2011-01-26T03:21:00.000-08:00

I hope you celebrated in whatever way works for you. We had a lovely BBQ brekkie with one of my dearest friends and her gorgeous little daughter. They have been staying for a few days. It has been so great to catch up again. I feel so blessed to have friends like that in my life! We were talking today about friends coming into your life for "a reason, a season, or a lifetime" I am incredibly grateful for the amount of "lifetime" friends I have. I still struggle with letting go of "seasonal" friends and even years later wonder what happened to them and where they are now. One of the joys of blogland has been finding friends "lurking" LOL!

Congratulations to Esther Pollard who was the successful bidder in our auction for Queensland Flood Relief.

How awesome is that! Pretty amazing for a group of crafty chicks! I like to think that my little bit helped (and I know that I certainly ran a few bids up higher as there were so many yummy things up for auction LOL!)

Despite being quite busy I have actually had a bit of productive sewing time lately.

This, for my niece's birthday out of the beautiful Hoot range, and this which has been a very long time UFO. Nothing like having your local and very favourite patchwork shop closing to make you rush projects through to completion! I've also been making some blocks for the Quilts for Queensland appeal and I notice that Pip over at meetmeatmikes has found a lady collecting granny squares to help too so if you can crochet maybe you could get involved. I love to see so many people helping in so many ways! Makes you feel good about humanity hey!

Anyway, I am off to bed! Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!

Keep smiling,

Nell

xxxx

Flood Relief Auction

2011-01-16T03:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so remember I said I would be back with details of what I was auctioning for the Flood Relief Appeal?

I am auctioning 3 little hand-dyed, handspun, handknitted children's caps.

First is "Autumn" - 100% dyed Australian wool with a wool felt and button embellishment.

Second is "Leaf" - Alpaca and wool blend with a needlefelted leaf.

Third is "Strawberries and Cream" - dyed Australian wool with slivers of mohair.

Auction is open now and will close on January 24th. Just leave a comment with the name of the hat you want and your bid. For more details and to look at all the awesome crafty things being auctioned on other blogs please click on the Flood Relief button.

Any questions please leave a comment.
Also happy to spin some 100g hand-dyed wool skeins in your choice of colourways for the highest donation above $22 AUS.
I could probably also be convinced to knit these caps in custom order colourways for the Flood Appeal too (if you twist my arm enough and give me a bit of time!)

Just desperate to help out a good cause.
Keep smiling,
Nell

Quilts for Queensland

2011-01-15T02:01:00.000-08:00

I am so blessed that of all the family and friends I have in Queensland all (as far as I know) are safe and have not lost property. Watching the footage of the flooding is breaking my heart. I have been trying to think of ways to help and stumbled on Retro Mummy's "Quilts for Queensland" post and also Toni Coward's auction idea so I will be putting up the Auction post tomorrow.

In the meantime, if you can sew even a little why not make a 12 1/2inch block or two (finished 12") and help out a great cause.

Keep smiling,
Nell

p.s. if you are local and want to get blocks to me by the first week of February then I will get them to Corrie.

Summer Stitching

2011-01-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was such a blissful Friday. We didn't even have any temper tantrums and the house still looked tidy at the end of the day. We even ALL had a little nap after lunch!!!
One of my great delights was some quiet time stitching with the kids in the afternoon. I gave the two big ones "sewing kits" for Christmas. They came with precut felt shapes and thick needles and thread. I was impressed by how capable my kids are becoming with their stitching. I even managed to draw up and start an embroidery design for my diary. Hannah was so interested in the whole process and promptly demanded her own piece of fabric to design with - lots of hearts and birds and flowers and sunshine and she is doing a fine job on it.

I used my tripod to get the photo with me in it. I plan to use my tripod a whole heap more this year :)

Hope there was happy stitching in your house too!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T18:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!
We had a very wet Christmas at my parents farm (in "sunny" Queensland) Our stay was extended because of the flooding so we arrived home late on New Years Eve too tired to do anything but go to bed!

I can't tell you how much I have missed not having the quiet days between Christmas and New Years - this is usually my pondering, pottering, reflecting and wondering time and I feel strangely like I am not yet in the right head space for it to be 2011.

I haven't even written my New Years Resolutions yet! I think that is partly because each year I seem to make the same ones - which means I am obviously not keeping them! Perhaps it is because they have not been measurable/accountable enough?

The reason my Creative Memories business has been so successful in 2010 is that I kept my goals measurable and they had a definite timeline so maybe I need to do the same thing for my New Years Resolutions?

In 2011 I will:
* Be a Better Friend which means I will send birthday cards and presents on time - and try to be a better present giver and each week I will call/email/write/contact a friend I haven't talked to in a while (need to diarise this!)
* Be a Better Parent - which means I will set aside more time for 1:1 time for my children and I will try to develop some better strategies for the days they drive me crazy
*Keep a tidier house - which means getting back into fly lady routines and continuing the purge and declutter regime.
* Get more efficient with paperwork (I have bought an accordian file for CM paperwork and another for the kindy Governing Council stuff)
* Shop more from my stash (being forced into this one thanks to Jane closing the doors of my local patchwork shop!) I am already trying not to bring more un-necessary items into this house but I really want to think more about what I buy as a consumer this year too.
* Finish a project before I start a new one (trying to keep the UFOs under control)
*Go to bed (lights out - that means no reading in bed either) before 10.45pm

I am sure that there are lots of others too but the kids are hassling me for lunch so now is not the time to concentrate! I will be back soon with some favourite Christmas shots and a New Year's Giveaway.

Wishing you a New Year full of promise and possibilities!
keep smiling,
Nell

on the 12th day of Christmas...

2010-12-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

On the 12th day of Christmas the crazy lady said "Let's make a gingerbread house" (clearly delusional as that is really not the priority the day before you fly to Qld for Christmas!)

The kids had an absolute ball with this and the gingerbread is sensational!

What you see: one finished gingerbread house (entirely decorated by children), two very happy children!
What you don't see: the mother realising that we don't have pure icing sugar for the royal icing, and that the icing sugar we have is half a cup short for the recipe, the four cans of tomatoes and one can of baked beans holding the house upright, the thin veneer of royal icing coating the kitchen chairs, the couch, and the baby, and the pile of washing that didn't get put away while we were making this instead!

Wishing you and yours a truly blessed Christmas,
I will be back in the New Year with a giveaway!
Keep smiling,
Nell

On the eleventh day of Christmas....

2010-12-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

Remember I said I would tell you what to do with an over-active imagination and a Christmas tea towel? I bought cheesy aussie animal tea towels as part of my expat SIL's present and then realised that they came with a plain striped dobby-look tea-towel too. They were kind of cute and a bit like what I had imagined the girls' Christmas skirts to look like so I cut them in half, sewed up the side seams (and because they are already hemmed I left a little split at the bottom as a feature) Run an elastic casing around the top - done! I cut about 10 cm out of the middle part of Maddie's tea towel and used it for the top of Hannah's to give it a bit of extra length. Even doing that I had two skirts in less than 15 minutes. I had visions of showing the girls wearing them but I think I said tea towel once too often in Hannah's hearing and now she is refusing to model it!

I also whipped up some more rocky road last night - macadamia and ginger for my Grandfather and a more traditional one for my Dad (although Dad has considerably less now that my poor forgotten husband started moaning that he was being left behind in the house all alone without proper rocky road sustenance!

On the 10th Day of Christmas....

2010-12-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

Last night was the last meeting of our "Christmas Club". We have been meeting once a month at The Patchwork Apple for the last few years; like-minded ladies who stitch and eat and share stories. I will miss this little group (and heaven knows how I will ever get my Christmas projects done now!)

On the 9th day of Christmas...

2010-12-14T03:48:00.000-08:00

Last night it was our turn to participate in the Lobethal Live Nativity. This has become a cherished tradition that the kids really look forward to. I was so proud of my two kidlets! We had such a great night! Scary to think that this time last year Maddie was a tiny baby Jesus and this time next year she will be old enough to be a sweet little angel!

on the 8th day of Christmas

2010-12-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

On the 8th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me ....a really easy rumball recipe!

Throw a packet of milk arrowroot or milk coffee biscuits into the food processor. Pulse. Add 1 can condensed milk, 3 tablespoons of rum, a big dollop of cocoa, a cup of coconut and a cup of sultanas (you can use less sultanas and some nuts but we know too many little people with nut allergies). Hit pulse again and mix until very well combined.

Roll mixture into little balls and get the kids to roll in coconut.

These freeze well in a tupperware container so you can start getting festive in October and look super-organised in December!

on the 7th day of Christmas

2010-12-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

These are the gifts that the kids gave their teachers this year. Rumballs or White Rocky Road (recipe courtesy of Retro Mummy) in cello bags with handmade photo ornaments. The little Christmas trees looked so sweet with glitter and sequins but I am still finding bits of glitter EVERYWHERE all over the house (even in Maddie's nappy LOL!)

This is one of our Christmas corners with lots of Christmas kitsch that has been collected over the years.
The two big kids and I are off to the Lobethal Live Nativity tonight. My little angel and shepherd love this tradition. I am hoping we will get to check out the Christmas Tree festival and some of the Lobethal Lights too.

On the 6th Day of Christmas...

2010-12-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

I have been busily making up these sweet little gift bags from http://www.modabakeshop.com/ I am trying to reduce the amount of wrapping paper we use this year so these are perfect for my nieces' presents. They have appliqued t-shirts and I have used some of the same fabric from the appliques so they can use the gift bags as an accesory. The girls have also got sweet little hair accesories from a local crafty mum who has a business called "Unicorns and Fairies" on facebook.

Made up in Christmas fabric these bags are perfect for a little bit of Christmas baking - and I'm thinking they could be easily "themed" into a gardener's bag (with seeds and a trowel), a writer's bag (with nice stationery and stamps), a crafter's bag (now what sort of goodies could be put in there!?) ooh, the ideas are endless; maybe I need to make a few more of them?

White Christmas - on the 5th day of Christmas

2010-12-11T03:59:00.000-08:00

This is one of our favourite Christmas treats - not least because it is perfect to cook with kids, requires no special ingredients and is so quick and easy!

Mix together:
2 cups of rice bubbles
1 cup mixed fruit
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 cup coconut
1cup powdered milk

Melt 250g of copha and throw it in the dry ingredients and stir. Pour into a lamington/slice tray and cut into squares when set.

On the fourth day of Christmas....

2010-12-11T03:51:00.000-08:00

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas....my little niece and nephew live in the UK and it is snowing there at the moment so this was the Christmas gift I sent back with their Daddy this week:

"Heath" (so named for my nephew) - beautiful roving hand-dyed by kathysfibres.com and spun and knitted by me.

Ruby's hat and mittens are in Kathy's "Happy" colourway. This is the first time I have knitted mittens. Thankfully Kathryn from our Spinners Group found an easy pattern for me.

I like this colourway so much that I am imagining a little winter dress for Maddie in the same yarn.

Expect to be totally swamped by Christmas posts over the next few days as I am way behind on Nic's 12 Days of Crafty Christmas challenge and we leave for Qld later this week!

Kitchen Chemistry and Mental Health Day

2010-12-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

On Monday Maddie and I left the washing, the cleaning, the crumbs and the chaos and went to our friend Nic's house for a spot of crafting! It was exactly what I needed! My teaching mentor used to call these kind of days "mental health days" and despite feeling a little guilty about the state of the house it was just so good to be in the company of my crafty friend.

First up was the soap making (you have to make the lye first and then leave it to cool) As a kid I always wanted a chemistry set for Christmas (but I never got one because my Mum was worried my sister would use it to blow the house up LOL!) Soap-making is kitchen chemistry at its best. If you look at all the disparate ingredients you would never imagine that mixing them would make soap!

While we waited for the lye to cool we did a spot of crafting. Nic worked on some beautiful journal covers and I hemmed hubby's work pants (the guilt factor - I figured 3 trouser alterations gave me a few hours of non-suzie-homemaker time!) and then got cracking on my nephew's quilt. It is a bit too mustard coloured for my liking but you have gotta love the fact that the only material I bought for it was the backing and the binding (and that was from The Patchwork Apple's $10 rack)

The girls were so good while we were sewing. I wish I had taken a photo. Jazz had her own ironing board set up and contentedly "sewed" with some fabric scraps and a small pair of scissors (all the while chattering away to Maddie!)

After lunch we added goat's milk, coconut oil and olive oil to the lye and mixed....and mixed.... and mixed...

Then we added some honey, and poured into silicon moulds. Nic turned the soaps out and trimmed them a few days later and now we just have to wait about 6 weeks for them to cure. I found the whole process quite fascinating and I am thinking that the soaps would be a lovely gift with a nice hand-knitted cotton/bamboo face washer. I'm also thinking that we could play with the recipe to use some of the lavender from my garden (mmm...lavender and honey!)

Thanks Nic for a wonderful day (hoping we have plenty more like it in the new year!)

12 Days of Christmas day 3 - Decorating the tree

2010-12-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

My little Christmas elf has been itching to put the tree up but I wanted to wait until after Maddie's birthday. On the first of December out came the decorations and up went the tree. Hannah is very much of the stand-back-and-chuck school of decorating so our tree would never feature in a magazine anywhere but the kids had a ball and even Maddie joined in the fun (and surprisingly has "touched" but not destroyed the lower branches!) One thing I do love about our tree is the memories that are evoked every year - plastic cup bells from a preschooler who is now a big grade 7 girl; a salt dough baby jesus that weighs so much the branch tips to one side, countless paper angels and stars from playgroup and kindy; and all of the treasured ornaments from friends and students collected over the years. Every year I treat myself to a porcelain photo ornament of my cherubs too so decorating the tree is a reminder of how our family has grown and changed each year. It might never win a decorating award but this tree is special for the lovely memories and the many small acts of kindness hanging from every branch.

12 Days of Christmas day 2...

2010-12-07T02:10:00.000-08:00

The problem with Creative Memories Storybook software is that it is so easy to use that I just couldn't stop at one Christmas card design!
So which one do you like best?

I have to say that I am really very impressed that this was accomplished with a single photo shoot with 3 tired children after school about 10 minutes before it poured with rain!

I have lots of ideas for more Christmas posts (and a few other things to share - like a wonderful crafty day at Nic's yesterday, and photos of Missy Moo's first birthday but alas they have to wait!)
happy tuesday!
Keep smiling,
Nell

On the first day of Christmas...

2010-11-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

My friend Nic over at nicolewood.blogspot.com is hosting a 12 days of Blogging Christmas Goodness so I thought I would join in (and I told her that I would only start on the first day of December after the baby girl's birthday celebrations) but yesterday Maddie and I had a very good oppy shoppy day (my local, Nairne Market is having a half price sale) For the princely sum of $6.50 I got a crane truck for the sandpit, 2 school shirts for Hannah, 2 summer tops for me and this kind of kitsch but cute Christmas plate (haven't decided yet whether to give it away with Christmas treats on it or keep it for us) But the real steal for the day was these:

4 vintage linen tablecloths from John Martins. I love the poppy one and was seriously thinking of keeping it for myself but I know a very special lady who is turning 90 before Christmas and these will just make her day (and keep those hands busy for a while yet!)

Last night was our Creative Memories Unit Meeting Christmas Dinner so I whipped these up for the girls as a bit of a thankyou - wish I had thought to take a picture of all of them before they went as these are the "leftovers". You basically just wrap some nice scrapping paper around a block of chocolate and decorate with whatever embellishments you have handy (I used our "Very Merry" Embellishments kit and paper ribbon for some and the new Reminisce range for the rest. They looked great piled on the table with bon bons and I think it would be handy to have a few spare for those last minute "oops I forgot about the neighbours/postman/babysitter" Christmas gifts. So there you have it; bloggy Christmas idea number one. Stay tuned for next time when I show you what to do with an overactive imagination and two christmas tea-towels! Oh, and if you are thinking of visiting, don't do it today - Dan and I are far too busy crafting and pottering to be bothered about the crumbs and the washing!

Right at this moment I'm loving...

2010-11-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

The cheekiness of this wee one - the joy she gets from peek-a-boo, pantry raids, stacking and unstacking absolutely everything/anything, and her food philosophy that everything tastes better if you throw it on the floor (we have coined a new phrase here; "floor toast" as in, "Maddie, what have you got in your mouth??? Oh, only a bit of floor toast!")

Playing with some felt embellishment and needle felting (except I broke my last two needle felting needles yesterday - thankfully it is Spinners and Weavers tomorrow so I can get more then!)

My new blue suitcases - an impulse buy from Mathilda's markets on the weekend - I'm thinking these will be so good for WIP in my scrapping/quilting room.

That these two will be going to find good homes in Pip's Softies for Mirabel drive (and yes, I deliberately parked them in front of my new red spotty suitcases which I also LOVE)

Reading more crafty goodness (business has been so good the last two months that I am afraid I have spent cosiderable profits on online bookstores and craft patterns and impulse buys!)

Really not loving that I am procrastinating big time over writing my two upcoming public speeches, and that the floor needs sweeping (again - sigh) and that Mt Washmore is getting taller every day (go away rain!)
Happy Wednesday!
Keep smiling,
Nell

Saturday sewing

2010-10-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

After such a busy month it felt so good to get stuck into some sewing yesterday. I was determined to clear a little space off the sewing table so UFOs and mending were a priority. Aside from the boring and thankless task of repairing two pairs of boy's trousers and Hannah's skirt I refashioned Dan's worn out jeans into a pair of shorts and then finished a bit of suffolk fun on this little blue smock for Maddie.

Then there was a big pink and white smocked maternity top that came in a gifted bag of maternity clothes when I was pregnant with Maddie. Hannah had clapped eyes on it and declared it perfect for her! It has been sitting on my sewing table for most of the pregnancy and then the 10 months since. It did actually only take half an hour to remove the cap sleeves, sew up the sides,, refashion the sleeves and add a little pocket. She loves the result (and Daddy couldn't believe it when I explained to him that it started life as an ugly maternity top - I swear that Boy still has no idea of the unknown quantity/qualities of the woman he married LOL)

Hannah has given it the whirl and twirl of approval.

I also finished a softie horse for the Softies For Mirabel campaign. Unfortunately the sewing table is still groaning under the weight of UFOs. You would swear I hadn't even made a dent! The girl and I are planning a quick trip down to Mathilda's market today so maybe I'll come home inspired to do some more later!

It's not you...it's me...

2010-10-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

I know we've had some good times together. And the age difference never really worried me before. But I've moved on you see? Life is different with 3 small children and you have to admit that you have been getting increasingly fractious and unreliable in your old age. It never worried me that you weren't pretty. You were always so practical....and dependable... and I do still love you...but it is time to say goodbye. Thank you for the good memories.

And as for YOU, well I never really liked you anyway!

Oh Yeah, Mama's got a new set of wheels!

New Bibs

2010-10-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

In the muse of Amanda Blake Soule or Alicia Paulson the kids and I did a spot of creating for Maddie in the second week of the holidays. What do you think of her new bibs?

I had forgotten just how gross bibs get when munchkins eat solids (and my girl has some less than desirable table manners LOL) I just used the applique stitch on my sewing machine (not even any vliesofix) and so far they have been washed about a half dozen times and are holding up well. The bibs were a bargain pack from Spotlight. The pens are Crayola Fabric Markers and ours are going strong after several large projects (gotta love Crayola!)

I'm thinking we might even have to do one of these to put in with the new nephew's welcome present and maybe one for my next-year-to-be niece or nephew?

There is something very gratifying about working with your children on a project (especially when they can then give it to someone else)

I'm in a creating kind of mood this morning so I am off to make a few softies for Mirabel (details at http://www.meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/ ) and make a start on some things for the wee one's birthday - yes, I know....one at the end of next month....how did that happen?!

Accidental Tulips - a little bit of spring

2010-10-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Last year Hannah chose tulips from the bulb catalogue; dutch yellow and red parrot tulips. We put them in the vegie crisper for the required length of time, we bought bulb potting mix and special bulb food. The tulips were duly planted, watered, watched....all for a miserable display of one straggly little flower. We left the pot in the garden, disappointed and forgotten. About a fortnight ago a spot of yellow caught my eye as we came up the driveway. Can there be anything happier than an accidental crop of tulips? Happy Spring!

A Little Bit of Steiner Inspired Joy!

2010-10-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

I recently did a swap with the lovely Kel from http://www.thehandmaden.blogspot.com/. Kel has been experimenting with dyeing fabrics and playsilks. I swapped her some hand-dyed, handspun wool for some exquisite playsilks. Kel has lovely clear photos of the swap over on her blog but I wanted to show you her gorgeous creations being played with. A real surprise was the dear little dolly that she sent for Maddie. It was love at first sight - Maddie was so excited she kept wanting to "show" me her baby (which made it difficult to get a good photo!) "Baby" now sleeps with Maddie and is also popping up all over the house as Maddie takes her exploring!

Thank you so much Kel for such a precious gift.

Of course my beautiful playsilks have to have a beautiful home so yesterday Maddie and I checked out a local second hand shop and found a nice little wooden bookshelf to put all of our natural/Steiner inspired toys on. It is not exactly the dream Steiner playroom but we will at least have a lovely little corner full of natural and handmade goodness. I wanted to pick the shelf up today but alas my stationwagon has a dead battery so it will have to wait. It is actually one of those nothing-going-right kind of days where the baby won't settle and the Preschooler wants undivided attention and inanimate objects (car, toaster, and washing machine) are all giving grief. I think I might try Maddie with a sleep again and go and play in the front room? Maybe I should throw a playsilk over my head and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist!

Who knew vacuuming could be this much fun?!?

2010-09-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the sun is shining brightly and there is lovely Spring breeze here today so we have thrown open all the windows and aired all the mattresses and generally banished any leftover lurgy germs that might be lingering. With us all down with the virus I'm afraid the house looked a bit of a tip (as is wont to do when the kidlets spend too much time on the couch in a lethargy of very average childrens television while their parents heave and snuffle - yes I know BAD MOTHER ALERT but this was not a normal week LOL)

Anyway, even the kids must have sensed how great it felt to be up and doing stuff because this spot of vacuuming turned into a great play opportunity.

My two girlies are so alike. I have a similar photo of Hannah at about the same age sitting on the vacuum cleaner! The funny thing is that my small son, even as a baby, would go into hysterics the minute the vacuum cleaner came out. He was TOTALLY freaked out by it and it got so bad that I could only vacuum when he wasn't around. This photo reminds me of just how much he is growing up - even 6 months ago this would have been his worst nightmare!

Last photo is more of Hannah's block art. This was what she got up to before breakfast this morning. Anyway, gotta go, more washing to hang and sunshine to enjoy!
Keep smiling,

Nell

p.s. anyone else having trouble getting photos to go in the right spots at the moment?

September... the month that was....

2010-09-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it feels like September has passed by in a bit of a blur really! Hard to believe I've not blogged at all! The last week has been spent in a gastro/flu bug haze of washing and mothering. I'm hoping that we are all on the mend now!

Before that September was about waiting on a winter that never ends, dreaming of Spring:

Picture courtesy of my children who crept away to play quietly one rainy day - I love it when they produce something so exquisite without any adult intervention!

September was surprising; Father's Day (Dan was so chuffed to surprise Daddy with his handmade tie!), Maddie surprised us with more teeth, and we had a HUGE Creative Memories month where we added 5 team members, promoted my dear friend Meredith to Unit Leader, and I had my best sales month in a long time!

September was also a little bit silly: Hannah had her school concert and had to dress as a sheep (would have loved to show you photos of the whole flock of sheep as they looked too darn cute but I am funny about putting photos of other people's children on my blog)

We also had a lovely lunch out with our dear Mum's group friends - the bigger kids have known one another since they were 6-`10 weeks old, the littlies have known one another all their lives. This is such a special group of friends and we always have so much fun together!September was also a little bit scary as I had my first public speaking gig in way too many years (and have been asked to speak again at our Christmas Luncheon so I must have done alright!)

September was largely craftless (unless you count 5 sheep costumes!) September was also thriftless (the only time I got to the opp shop was to find a basket to fill with pressies for a friend)

Let's hope for a crafty/thrifty/bloggy October (with at least a hint of Spring sunshine!!!)

Keep smiling,

Nell

Loving these moments!

2010-08-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today I am loving the sunshine (after SOOOO much rain!)
I am loving:

this little one's current enthusiasm for cooking (and that he is becoming more capable and responsible in the kitchen!)

the gorgeous randomness of notes left by our emergent writer; I had such a "treasure forever" mummy moment when I found this note with a fistful of flowers left on my pillow! And I'm still in shock that she actually apologised to her brother LOL!

I am loving the delightful chortle/chuckle/squeal that accompanies this little one up the hallway as she sets out to find someone; the closer she gets the more she laughs until at last she is so hysterical that she almost can't crawl - such fun! Since she has been crawling properly Maddie is just a little ray of sunshine - not quite so frustrated and ever so proud of herself! I am learning just how unbabyproof our house is LOL

Cleaning beckons, paperwork beckons, my garden is singing to me "come out and play in the sunshine" and there is washing to hang...
Happy Monday!
Keep smiling,
Nell
xxxx

Perspective

2010-08-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny how a little distance can give you a whole new perspective? I spent the weekend in Brisbane having a super time with these girls at our annual Creative Memories Conference;

While I was there Maddie got to hang out with Auntie Kaz (my gorgeous sister) and wouldn't you know it she was the model child - going four hours (sometimes more) between feeds and having several decent sleeps each day LOLThe conference was three full on days and by the time I returned last night I was missing my little people and my man SOOOO much. When I saw my two sweet cherubs waiting at the top of the gangplank for me it was all I could do not to break into a run and shamelessly mow down anyone in front of me! We have had so much wet weather lately and I confess that I have been feeling run down and not altogether happy with the piles of washing and crumbs that come with SAHM status. A little break away and a bit of vitamin D does wonders for your perspective. Like Leanne Beasley from http://www.leanneshouse.typepad.com/ states in her book I am "Living the Dream - being surrounded by family and friends and screaming three year olds" - sometimes when you are immersed in the dream day in day out it can turn a little like a nightmare so it was refreshing to come back with a new perspective and renewed enthusiasm.

I LOVE my Creative Memories business for the unexpected opportunities it gives me to step out of my Mummy shoes. Each year I get two trips away (Showcase and Summit) and I have been given opportunities that I never would have thought of - things like living it up in a 5 star luxury heritage hotel in Cairns, cruising Sydney Harbour on a private yacht, seeing Vanessa Amorossi close our conference, spending time at Sanctuary Cove with one of my best friends and my sister (both got to meet my new Maddie when she was only 8 weeks old) Silver Service feels so good when you're used to sausages and vege - and to have a turn down service with no crumbs or duplo bits in your bed can be a little slice of heaven LOL! I feel so blessed to have opportunities with this amazing company and always enjoy time spent with my beautiful, fun-loving team. I know I don't often talk about my business much here but if you would like to know more please check out www.mycmsite.com.au/nellward

This trip Maddie and I got to catch up with my parents too - such a special time!

So now I am back to an Adelaide winter and guess what? When we got home late last night I noticed that one single daffodil had decided to show its sunny face - which means that Spring can't be too far away!!!

Leaving you with my most recently finished quilt - a dresden plate friendship quilt that was started in the days before children LOL! The scalloped edges were a class with Sara from the Patchwork Apple.

Have a happy week!

Keep smiling,

Nell

Tyranny of Distance

2010-08-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

I spent Sunday feeling very sorry for myself (not least because this Queensland gal is over the horrible SA Winter!) I was grumpy because Thursday my lovely SIL had her birthday (and I was missing her and wanting to be back in the UK sunshine!) Then Saturday my bestest buddy in Sydney had her birthday (and her sweet cherub turns one this week too) It feels like it has been far too long since we caught up. Sunday was my Mum's birthday - and we haven't seen her since February. Sunday I also decided to call my friend Judy in Melbourne only to find that she was just back from the Lacemakers Retreat that I used to go on with Melbourne friends. I moved out of home almost 20 years ago. I moved interstate (Melbourne) in 1997. I moved to SA in 2001. When am I going to stop missing people and places? Distance sucks. Don't tell me the world is getting smaller. Skype and email and facebook ...none of them even come close to a real hug.
I promise to be back with a happy chatty post soon but for now I just want to grump!

Finally some finishes!!!

2010-07-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Finally I have some finished projects to show. This is the Gail Pan Free Christmas Block of the Month Quilt. She has lots of these in her gallery and I am amazed by how different they all look just by using different fabrics and different finishing techniques. It looks kind of ordinary in this photo but it is really quite pretty in real life and I am just so glad to finally be finished something!

Next up is Dan's strippy quilt - a kit from TPA with my own little applique twist. This means that I am only one quilt away from achieving my long term goal of a handmade quilt on every bed!

I've also been "spinning my wheel" lots lately - the minute Winter hits I find an irresistable urge to spin and knit. My nephew was in need of a new beanie and his mum requested blue and brown so Kathy from http://www.kathysfibres.com/ made up some beautiful dyed merino for me - she has even called it "Heath" after my nephew! When I knitted the first beanie from it Dan claimed it so I have had to knit another and then request more wool so he can have a scarf to match. I used my new wooden circular needles to knit these - lovely to work with! Next up is a purple crocheted beanie for Hannah - my kids so need more hats like a hole in the head but they've both turned into little fibre junkies and when they see something they like they casually suggest another hat! In this case it kind of feels good to be taken for granted - I love that they don't see it as unusual that Mum can spin and knit and make stuff and I find my spun projects just so satisfying - a real "something from nothing" kind of experience.

Anyway, enough blathering, I'm off to hang washing and clean mushed banana off the wee one's face; starting solids is so much fun!
Happy Tuesday,
Keep smiling,
Nell

p.s. guess which very excited boy starts kindy tomorrow?

24 Hours in Paris

2010-07-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

The whirlwind trip of a lifetime: LOVED IT! LOVED IT! LOVED IT! Went over on the Eurostar one day and came back the next.

Next time James and I will go back and do the romantic stuff; this time it was so short and sweet and kid friendly - and did I mention beautiful and glorious and so wonderful?

On a totally unrelated craft note. Hannah and I are having a MAKE, PLAY, CLEAN school holiday, which means that every day we need to make something, play something, and clean something. Today's make, play, clean is supposed to be chocolate crackles, kite flying, and her room :) Considering that I am now 2 projects behind in my quest to finish things I probably need to dust off the sewing machine and finish Dan's quilt.
Keep smiling,
Nell

Friday Night

2010-06-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

To me Friday night doesn't get much better than this! After the kids are in bed this is the way I kick off my weekend; a glass of red, chocolate, Better Homes and Gardens on the telly (followed by a movie or Moving to the Country); a bit of knitting with my new favourite needles (bought from Kathysfibres.com) and some playing with new CM product. If I'm lucky I can normally sneak in a bubble bath too :)
Sometimes it is the simple things that make us happy (and yes I know it is Wednesday but I'm already looking forward to Friday!)

Hangin with the Cousins

2010-06-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

What a difference a bit of sunshine makes. Yesterday was grey and horrible and I got NOTHING done and I was GRUMPY all day. Today (with a little one back at school and a big one back at work) and the sun shining I have done 5 loads of washing, changed all the kids sheets, let the bunny and chooks out for a run, made a nummy casserole/beef stew for tea, played puzzles with Dan, cleaned Dan's room, answered essential emails and paid bills, tried Maddie with yoghurt for the first time (not a success LOL) and it is only just midday! At this rate I might even get some crafting in!!!

I promised to post trip photos in a few different groupings and whilst I will get to the specky scenery shots I wanted to share these first because our trip was also about catching up with dear family members that we don't see nearly often enough. So here we are just hanging out with the UK cousins!

Till next time,

Keep smiling,

Nell

While we were O/S...

2010-06-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

While we were away this breathtakingly beautiful child turned 6, and while I love the age she is at and the wonderful conversations we are having I still struggle to see her growing up so quickly.

And then, to really add insult to injury this sweet piece of enchantment turned 6 months old! Now where did THAT time go?!?!

Till next time,

Keep smiling,

Nell

Best of British Countryside : Travel shots part 1

2010-06-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

We're back after a glorious two weeks in Britain (with 24 hours in Paris). Between us Hannah and I took close to 1000 photos so I will share some of the favourites in a few random groupings over the next few posts.

First up: quintessential English countryside; brambles, hedgerows, thickets, lakes. I felt like Beatrix Potter!

Lower Mill Estate, the CotswaldsSomerford Lake Thames Path (public walking track that goes all the way to London)

What a heavenly week surrounded by Beautiful English countryside!

While Daddy is away...

2010-05-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

James spent Friday night and Saturday of last week in the Barossa for work (insert coughing snorting sound and a roll of the eyes here - lots of red wine and golf me thinks LOL) Anyway, for the first time in a long time I was solo parenting. I feel incredibly blessed to have a husband that works close to home and only has one night meeting once a month. On the nights/times when he isn't around I find that it is best to slow our pace and let the day/night unfold in its own way. Tea is sometimes unconventional. Bath time usually involves bubbles and deep water and ALL of us crammed in the tub. Sometimes there is even splashing and driplets of water on the walls and ceiling. And if I snuggle and cuddle and read and reread a little longer then it is all okay.

Saturday morning unfolded with Hannah's favourite breakfast - pancakes and because I just cannot put down Molly Wisenberg's achingly beautiful book "A Homemade Life" we tried her pancake recipe (subsitituting buttermilk for regular milk and a teaspoon of vinegar, and buck wheat flour for regular) The result were the best pancakes I have ever eaten. Hannah had 7! How do you like your pancakes? We load up the table with cream and maple syrup and golden syrup and honey and jam and sugar and lemon and everyone picks and chooses their own combinations.

So you see, I think the solo parent thing was okay as a change. Wouldn't want to make a habit of it though!

It was "Sweet" while it lasted...

2010-05-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this? This quilt started a serious affair with that red spot fabric and the Moda "Sweet" range by Urban Chiks. It started harmlessly with a charm pack and Bronwyn Hayes "Little Chicken Feathers" book and ended with this quilt for my darling niece Ruby (born in September of 2008) I LOVED making this quilt.

When my bestest buddy Nessie announced she was pregnant something insane in the back of my brain knew that I wasn't finished with this fabric, or the stitcheries...so there was a layer cake, and more red spot, and with a little inspiration from Leanne Beasley's "Living the Dream" book this became Olivia's quilt in August 2009. I LOVED this quilt just as much as the first.

There is a lot of fabric in a layer cake. When you add off-white homespun (and red spot fabric!) there is enough for at least one more cot quilt AND leftovers to make this:So of course it was logical when our own baby number three was on the way (and she will be our last) to do something with the leftovers.

I finished binding this quilt last night. It turned out bigger than I'd anticipated. A happy accident which means Maddie might get more use out of it as she grows. I have LOVED making this quilt and I think that maybe this is where the "Sweet" story stops. Everyone knows that too many sweets aren't good for you?! I do still have enough leftovers for a stitchery name plaque for Maddie's room but for now I think 3 quilts is enough.

"Sweet" huh?

p.s. Loved the Little Chicken Feathers stitcheries so much that I bought a copy for my grandmother and she embroidered the designs on 33 pillowcases for the great grandies between September and Christmas of 2009. I wonder what Bronwyn Hayes would think about that?

Spring Swap

2010-04-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

The delightful Corrie from over at http://www.dutch-blue.blogspot.com/ organised a Spring Swap. Here in the Southern hemisphere the leaves are turning and an Autumn chill is in the air but it was actually really nice to be thinking of others enjoying Spring a world away! Now I haven't blogged about this before now because I was worried that I might spoil the surprise for my lovely partner Inge. Hopefully by now she has received her package and I can blog about them both.

Do you remember the sneak peak of this:

Well, it became this (using Rosalie Quinlan's stitchery pattern in "A Stitch In Time" and fabric from her Grandma's flower garden range):Which travelled to the Netherlands in this (made quickly from a block repurposed from my UFOs)

I hope Inge liked it!

Now Inge is very talented and also very lucky (she has an island "crafting" holiday away with her mother each year - I am just a bit jealous!!!) For the Spring Swap she stitched this:Her stitching is exquisite. Have a look at the label:and the pieces in the blocks are teeny tiny:Inge packed it all up with a lovely Spring bag, a beautiful tulip card and two gorgeous flower fabrics. Thank you so much Inge. It was just a beautiful swap present!

I was really so glad when my partner was from the Netherlands. I travelled there many years ago (to visit a pen friend that I had since high school through until a few years ago) It is such a beautiful country.

Thanks Corrie for hosting, and Inge for my lovely presents. Time to go now before the two bigger kids do serious damage to each other. Have to say that I am convinced (after only a few days of school holidays) that I definitely don't have the patience to home school! The two of them have had their Easter baskets confiscated, along with several favourite toys, and are about to be banished to their rooms for an hour. Gotta love kids LOL!

Easter and the Beach

2010-04-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

We had such a lovely Easter, complete with copious amounts of chocolate, lots of extended family, and some joyous time at the beach.

Maddie girl tasted sand, salt,and sea air for the first time - and proved to be quite the little beach babe!

The light down on the beach on Friday evening was just beautiful and the sunset so fitting as a gentle reminder of what Easter is truly about.

Blessings and Easter wishes to you,

Nell

Happy Easter!

2010-04-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I've been admiring fabric banners for a while and dreaming of making one in lovely Easter pastels but I don't have any in my stash and time was of the essence so I whipped this one up with scraps of paper from my Creative Memories stash (mostly the Pastel Power Palette) and 3 metres of premade bias binding from http://www.patchworkapple.com/ It doesn't technically belong in my front room but it looked so nice on the blue wall that I couldn't take it down!

We are now almost packed for our few days at the beach house. Here was Hannah's own packing: Could this girl get anymore like her Auntie Kaz? 4 pairs of shoes for a two day stint?!?! I love that the treasured new red sight words got included too!!!

I have grand plans of finishing an easter hat for Maddie and a stitchery too but I know that our time at the beach will probably be anything but relaxing. This was Wednesday's crafting effort:Op Shopped brown corduroy skirt in her size: $1.50

Ric rac: pinched from the stash (is it just me or does everything look better with ricrac at the moment?)

Flower embellishment: Made from Emma Hardy's book "Making Children's Clothes"

Watching her whirl and twirl in it this winter: priceless!

From our family to yours, Happy Easter!

Let's Talk About Crumbs!

2010-03-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, so at the risk of sounding negative, I want to stop and talk about crumbs for a minute. Have you noticed that blogland is full of beautiful projects, amazing mothers, and gorgeous, polished, peaceful homes? I am a particular fan of the Steiner/Waldorf blogs but at times they overwhelm me. You see, much as I might try, my home rarely looks like that (even on a good day AFTER I've cleaned!) Our home is normally a chaotic mess, and we are generally running late for being somewhere, and most often one or the other of the small ones has misplaced a shoe? Today is HARMONY DAY - things were quite harmonious in our household and we even looked like being early to school when Hannah announced (sotto voce as she exited the front door) that she needed to wear something orange or a chinese hat (we have SOOOOO many of those lying around LOL!) And so then of course by the time we had raided the dress up box and tried to find her orange t-shirt in the infinite abyss that is her room things were less than harmonious :(

I love that we use blogs to celebrate our achievements ("Look I made this" or "The kids did that") but maybe sometimes we need to expose our lily white underbellies and let others know that the wheels sometimes fall off. thehandmaden.blogspot.com was having a bad day yesterday and it was actually really nice to be able to sympathise and relate! Thank you Kellie for keeping it real!

Despite my grumbles I am quite prepared to live with the perpetual crumbs and chaos just for the precious SAHM moments like yesterday when Dan proudly brought in two feathers from the chookpen and stuck them in a glass of water "so that we can watch them grow". At the moment that dear boy just cracks me up. He is teaching himself to read from Hannah's readers and the words he makes up or misappropriates are just too funny. He said to me "Mummy, what noise does a lamington make?" I was puzzled until I realised he was looking at a picture of a flamingo!

While we are talking SAHM/domestic stuff. Does anyone have ideas for integrating Waldorf type toys into a not strictly Steiner/Waldorf setting? I LOVE our Waldorf toys - the feel of them, the look of them, knowing that they have been handmade and not mass produced but I have to say that Hannah enjoys her pink plastic little people castle much more than the beautiful wooden dolls house. I frequently find our little root babies taking trips in the Tonka trucks or cohabitating with barbie and I just don't feel quite right about it! Thinking of maybe rearranging so that all of the Waldorf stuff is in one spot - but I know that the kids will still end up moving things around to suit themselves? In a perfect world I would love a proper Waldorf Playroom (and a lot less plastic toys) but that might have to wait.

BIG excitement in our house yesterday as the Schoolgirl progressed from Level One (golden words) to Level Two (red words) We have begun our own little special way of celebrating small things - baby icecream cones at the Lobethal Bakery. A lovely and affordable way of saying "YAY!" on a semi regular basis!

Hope you are having a wonderful week. We are off to Granny and Grandpa' new beach house to celebrate Easter.

Keep smiling,

Nell

Some Crafting, and some Scrapping, and some more baby Gazing!

2010-03-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well although I have still not finished Maddie's quilt I did get the chance to do a bit of sewing, and even to teach a bit of sewing to my very keen friend Karen (thanks for a lovely day Karen!) While Karen was learning the basics with her new sewing machine I made up this apron for Hannah's friend (given as a birthday present with a kids cook book and wooden spoon) I dipped into my 6 metres of opshop gingham for this project and like it so much that Hannah might score a matching apron someday soon!

Then on the weekend I began an Easter project (more details soon) and quickly whipped up this pencil roll for the kids - the wool is a felted cream blanket that I dyed and cut up to use for smaller projects.
I've also been busy scrapping:

So you see, it was quite a productive week!

And just in case you were wondering, we've also spent a bit of time baby gazing and waiting for news from 3 expectant mothers. Maddie can roll over now - she has done it a few times but frequently forgets that she can and wails for help!
Have a great week,
Keep smiling,
Nell

Biscuits and Miscellaneous Activities

2010-03-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been given to countless people over the years; they started as my uni flatmate's "Auntie Barbs Brownies" and were then known in our uni years as "PMT biscuits"; when I started with Creative Memories they became my "Workshop Biscuits". I think of them as my 8 minute always-on-standby biscuits. Call them what you like; they are GOOD and they never last long in our house!

Melt 1 large tablespoon of REAL BUTTER in a pot or in the microwave then into the pot add:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup SR flour
pinch of salt
1 cup of choc chips and peanuts, or sultanas, or apricots, or whatever takes your fancy
1 egg

Mix, roll into balls, place on greased baking tray with a fair bit of space between them as they spread out. bake 180 degrees for about 8 minutes. Leave to cool a few minutes then slide off with a butter knife.

The combinations are endless. Our favourites are apricot, almond and chocolate chunks but even just sultanas are good!

We hit pay dirt at our local op shop last week when we stumbled on a two dollar basket sale. I ended up with a lovely skirt for Hannah, a heap of new china, another little jug to add to my ever growing collection, a couple of balls of crafty wool, a lovely 70s style bowl, a pretty old doiley, and a stack of pillowcases perfect for upcycling into some smaller projects - $2 well spent!

Hannah is loving school and the flurry of activities that go with it. Last week was Crazy Hair Day:Today was Sports Day. As an athletically challenged super nerd I was a little apprehensive about Sports Day. I am pleased to say that the emphasis was clearly on participation and having fun - so far our little school is just coming up trumps every single time!

A very hot, tiring, but happy day was had by all!

Yesterday I finally spent a crafty day with a good friend. You can read all about it here http://www.nicolewood.blogspot.com/ (I forgot to take photos but I am really just directing you here because Nic said such nice things about me LOL!)

And lastly, a photo of the sweet girl and her newest accomplishment - she has found her thumb!

And no, I still haven't done my tax ARRRGGGHHHH!

Happy Wednesday,

Keep smiling,

Nell