Day to Day

Style Studio!

Something very exciting is happening:

 

For the last month or so, I've been working on a super project (via Tarisota), Styling with Fabric.  I can't tell you how excited I am to be part of this!!!

It's a month long class that runs via a private blog and it's going to be so much fun!!  I hope you'll join us :) I wanted to type so much more about the class, but I really need to hop in the shower and get ready for my flight today.  But, you can find out all the information that you need about Style Studio and also sign up HERE.  The first project goes live this Saturday morning - I'm a little sad that I'll be away to miss out on the fun, but I'll be back on Monday for my first class and can't wait to chat with you then!

Have a lovely weekend and thanks for stopping by :)

Pieces of me

Today I'm heading out on a plane with my girl, Mum and sister to go and visit my brother and his family on the mainland.  I'll be back on Monday, but while I'm gone I wanted to share something with you:

The super lovely Janelle has just released her first book!!!  Above are the front and back covers of the book and it looks totally gorgeous.  The book includes 16 projects, all complete with step by step instructions and diagrams.  Aren't the Little Cottage Buckets on the front adorable??!!  

If you would like to preorder a signed copy of Janelle's book, pop over HERE to do so.  You can also peek at Janelle's beautiful blog HERE.

Amy Butler giveaway winner

Sorry for being a little quiet over the last week, I've been super busy,  Thank you to everyone that entered the give away and it was lovely to read all of your answers.  It was so hard to chose a winner, but this comment below (from Sherry Williams) really made me giggle!  I also keep buying those cheap umbrellas and they really suck when the wind starts blowing.  I am sending you an email now Sherry!

If you missed out on the pattern and are trying to track down a copy, it will be available soon at Quilt Fabric Delights.

My favorite thing about rain, is when I wake first thing to the sound of it hitting the window in the morning. I always know it will be a day full of adventure when I wake up to rain. First I let the doggies out and they run like nuts about the yard and when I call them in, they run past me as fast as possible to avoid the rag I use to wipe their lil paws. Next I get suckered into driving my girls 2 streets over to school, and thats after I spend the 30 mins doing my hair because rain or shine, I MUST pop up my hair and spray it before I leave the house. I then get to walk my son to the bus stop as the rain pours down and practically breaks my cheap black umbrella...I will not fork over any good money for a decent umbrella, so I keep buying the 3$ ones that break at the slightest wind. telling myself every rainy day that the next on e I will be wearing a raincoat, or have a nice working umbrella. I further enjoy the rain on the walk back home when I realize I get to redo my big flat hair. :) I spend the rest of the rainy day with a race to get the dogs feet wiped each time they run in and out- no less then 15 times by 3pm. I smile as the rain plays its music outside as I wipe the muddy prints off the kitchen floor and sofas many many times. At 3pm my favorite part of a rainy day continues...I get to redo the whole kid pickup, getting drenched, fix hair, and continue to chase dogs, and get in and out of trucks while I drop off kids at various activities. because rain or shine kids here will play lacrosse and not really care if I am wet while watching or going to and fro. :) Gosh, I LOVE the rain. Did I mention that it usually smears my eyeliner so as I run like a nut with half flat, half overhairsprayed poofed up hair, broken umbrellas and muddy dogs--I look like a stressed out wet zombie??? As silly as that sounds, it is also the truth, but the thing I love the most, is crafting at my table with my curtains open as the rain pours on my yard and replenishes the earth. We use to live in Washington state where it rains over 300 days a year...can you imagine seeing the crazed wet zombie with dogs trailing for that long?? lovely raincoat. good luck to the winner. :)

An Amy Butler giveaway

Today in my mailbox I received two beautiful new patterns from Amy Butler Designs (thank you so much Amy!!).  They are both totally gorgeous and I've already had a little one hinting for me to sew her up a raincoat for the upcoming winter months.

So, I thought it would be fun to have a giveaway!  This give away is for the adult sized pattern (rainy days hooded raincoat & runabout jacket).

Just tell me what you love most about rainy days and my most favourite answer will win the pattern.  I'm happy to post world wide.  I'll leave the give away open for a couple of days and close off the comments when I'm ready to announce the winner.

Good luck :-)

Little Miss Britain

This week Bella's school is having a world dress up day.  She desperately wanted to go as a little British girl, so I dug out some yummy fabric that I had stashed (purchased from the lovely Corrie at Retro Mummy) and whipped her up this skirt.  

 

Bella has had a real obsession with this country for a quite a while now. It started when her cousin (Kate) came to visit last year and they spent half their time talking to each other in a made up British accent.  One of her most loved possessions at the moment is the flag postcard that she's holding in the photos (thanks to the lovely Carly for mailing it to her).

She spends a lot of time dreaming about double decker buses, red phone boxes and all other things British, hoping one day she might make it over there to visit.

Oh, and she was very happy with the skirt.  In her words -  "It's AWESOME Mummy!!!" 
  

Typing, soup & cookies

HA! Did you imagine that I could squeeze in another desk photo for a blog post?!  Here's Bella sitting at her regular station (in Daddy's jumper) busily typing up a story.  She spent over an hour here working on it.

Lunch was homemade roasted vegetable soup and french stick, but it had to be reheated because a little someone was too busy working on a 'stick and grass' bed for a tiny toy.

 

And James, cooking us the best ever batch of choc-chip & peanut cookies!

I hope your weekend is turning out to be a nice one.

 

Writing

I can't help myself......I'm still feeling the need to take photos of the new desk and post them to my blog.  This is Bella straight after school today.  The first thing she does is walk through the door, fling her school bag into position, pull up the stool and get to work.  Re-organising, re-sorting, playing with all the things on the desk, opening and shutting the drawers and writing postcards to people.  It's just so stinking cute!

Distracting

 

A bit of creative painting was needed today to distract this little one from her tears.  She really didn't want to stay at Auntie Lissa's this morning.  It worked and she churned out about 10 green masterpieces, insisting on wiping her hands, table and anything else that the paint accidentally made it onto while she was painting.  I love this age (3.5 years) as I can happily leave the room if needed and know that the paint will remain where it is supposed to be, without covering my entire lounge room with little droppings of green!

I also sorted out some of my yarn.  This could be the millionth time that I've de-tangled the basket full.  I'm not imagining it will stay this cute for long either!

And a yummy (seriously yummy!!) postcard book arrived in our mail box.  The cards are amazing and such good quality.  Here's a peek at two of my favourite cards from inside:

 

Good things

Amid the sickness that was lurking in our house today, there were also some happy moments:

 

Rearranging the new desk top.  Prepare for the overdose of vintage desk photos that will no doubt follow over the next few weeks ;-)

Postcard writing. James had a day home today because he came off his bike yesterday (over the handle bars) and took a whole heap of skin off his back, taking quite a pounding when he hit the road.  He was still asleep this morning at 8.30, which is completely unheard of him (he usually rises at 6.30am) and wandered out looking more like a robot with super stiff joints than a normal 14 year old.  Rich was home today too sporting a sore throat that I passed on - oops.  I lazed around feeling yucky most of the day too and have been dosing up on olive leaf to try and shake this cold.  I think it's working.

 
Happy mail.  Bella's first postcard arrived from Postcrossing and a lovely present from Kyoto General Store. You can read about what was inside the sweet gift HERE.

Letter writing.  On the new desk, ofcourse. 

Vintage desk goodness

Ta-da! Vintage desk goodness:

 

Vintage globe goodness:

 

I'm still so in love with it!  Bella is too and spent all of last night filling drawers and the sections inside with her stationery, cards, pens and other yummy supplies.  Tonight she has been busy sitting up there writing postcards and penfriend letters.

 

The globe is from Denmark and it's in such lovely condition - and a bargain at $10!! I'd really like to come across a few more of these and add to the collection, in all different sizes.  Um, not sure Rich really gets my vintage globe fascination, but he's very patient with these crazy ideas that I have.

Thank you Rich xoxo