These days. Gone before you know it.

 

Okay, so I'm decluttering tonight. It's all part of my Tidy Up June effort (more on that later). Sitting in the loungeroom literally surrounded by boxes and boxes of baby boy clothes, now all outgrown by all of our three boys. Ugh. All of a sudden, I started feeling giddy, feeling the boys' childhoods hurtling away from us. It's all too fast! (And yet, every day goes so slowly). Have to remember this feeling when tomorrow afternoon (probably around half past four) they are starting to go slightly bonkies and I am dreaming of that teleporter again.

We have had a rough old few weeks in this house. Ear infections, conjunctivitis, bronchiolitis, impetigo, the 'flu, gastro, three weeks of sleeping on the floor of a little one's room or sitting up on the lounge holding baby pickles. But still, the thought that their babyhoods have (almost) gone, that we are planning no more babies, that this phase of our life is ending... well, I just want to have a good ol' fashioned cry.

Ugh. Feeling nostalgic, sorting through all of these baby clothes... [Breathe in, breath out]

Chat later xx

trackie thursday!

Yay! Another week, another trackie thursday.

For those of you just tuning in, trackie thursday is our slow day. No preschool, no playdates, no swimming lessons, no reason to leave the house, or even get dressed. trackie thursday is our day of rest.

Today we did have some friends pop in in the morning, but then all was quiet, it clouded over and got seriously cold. We braved the cold for our daily walk, and then got home with still 90 minutes to go until bathtime and the nighttime chaos/rituals.

So, remembering a fine idea I had seen recently on pinterest we set out to try to make one of these:

Now, I don't know about your kids, but my kids just don't make stuff that looks like this (perhaps they may one day). Instead, we made something that looked a little more like this:

So theatre designers we may not be, but it seems panto performers we are! We all happily whiled away nearly two hours on the making and then the performing and watching. What great fun! And of course, the dinos had to be in the audience, too.

Have a happy week! xx

What Madeline's wearing this Wednesday

Hi there!

Introducing Madeline, my fabulous dress form (and friend, of sorts). Madeline is often used for sewing, but is used just as often for me to hatch and test ideas about outfits, accessories, ideas to sew. I was looking at her this morning thinking just how gorgeous she looked, and decided she deserved a photo. And perhaps even a blog post!

So, this is what Madeline is wearing this Wednesday:

Singlet, so old I just do not know where this one came from, or when.
Cardigan, old (now too small, read: tight) JAG jumper split up the middle
Vintage lace trims, opped for $2 for a huge bag
Skirt (yet to be stitched), vintage tablecloth
Necklace, braided tshirt strips from opped tshirt
Flower from miss rose and sister violet

Thanks Madeline!

How do you organise your creative thoughts? Are you a pinner on pinterest? Do you have a mood board? A journal? What helps you pull ideas together and know what's next?

Chat soon xx

{this moment} - mummy sandwich cuddle

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

This moment was inspired by Soulemama. If you’re tempted to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. 

xx

trackie thursday!

Little's effort - a dolls house rocking horse

Yay! Another week, another trackie thursday.

For those of you just tuning in, trackie thursday is our slooow day. No preschool, no playdates, no swimming lessons, no reason to leave the house, or even get dressed. trackie thursday is our day of rest.

It is also typically the day that we do cool stuff at home. We play, we bake, we make.

Today, we painted our dolls house furniture. The boys really, really loved this activity. Not quite sure what the attraction was - the new paints, the new surfaces to paint, or the fact that it all felt a little bit like vandalism (!).

The Gherkin, concentrating (by some miracle the tongue is in xo)

Little stuck with it for a good twenty minutes, before he started painting his arms and face (with craft acrylics - excellent!), and The Gherkin was there for much longer. And, this mummy is learning - I remembered to ask the boys to paint with paper and placemats under their work. Last time we painted on the kitchen table we stained the timber...

The Gherkin, still concentrating, but clearly very happy

The boys are keen for me to "makeover" their dolls house. I think now after their great start I need to put some effort in, too!

Chat soon xx

things i hope to sew soon...

So, over the past few weeks...

I have made 13 dinosaur tails.
Done monster patching on The Gherkin's jeans.
Made a cover/holder for my ergo baby carrier.
Finished replacement seatbelt covers for the kids' carseats (and in cute fabrics too - have to take some pics).

Now, it's time for some sewing for me. Here's a glimpse of some of the inspiring projects catching my attention at the moment:

by sloppop YEAH - have a lovely rose-coloured corduroy...

burdastyle casual dress 05 2012 pattern - in a wool or sweatshirt fabric?

 

marimekko MANTU - no words, really. lovely.

 nani-iro - I just know how good this would feel in one of our highland winters..
I may be able to refashion something opped/thrifted into something like this?

Now I just have to decide what's first on the list! What would you choose first? I have a whole pinterest board dedicated to sewing for me, which I rarely get to - I think I have done well to narrow it down to four projects!

Those of you in the southern hemisphere - what's on your sewing list for the cold months ahead?
And those of you seasons ahead, what was your go-to wear for your winter just passed?

I would love to beg, borrow and steal your great ideas!

Chat soon! xx

 

 

 

for those who believe in fairies...

 

Do you believe in fairies? The highlands do!

 

Autumn has arrived, and with it fog, moss, and fairy mushrooms! The boys are enchanted by autumn, by far the best and most beautiful season in our part of the country.

 

But, please, don't eat these mushrooms! These are a type of poisonous toadstool called fly agaric (amanita muscaria). Oh, and if you eat them, the fairies will have to move out ;)

 

Chat soon xx