Did you see me?

This afternoon I retrieved a ladies' Puch bicycle from my FIL's garage. She's a very dark maroon with shiny handlebars. I gave her a wash and named her Priscilla. I told her that she needed a nice basket for the front and a bell that says, 'Ting, ting.' Then I took her out for a spin.

In my head, it looked like this.......

In reality?
Well, puffy, red faced and with jeans and a cardy and less pretty hair (with helmet of course). Fun though!

Can't wait for Moo to start riding so we can go out together with a thermos of hot chocolate and a baguette. *dream*

Add this to the list.....

... party dress by Oliver + S. Here is a lovely picture of how it can look made up..... *sigh*

... so pretty.... so glad I have a little girl! (nothing against boys, they just don't usually wear pretty dresses)

* NB - cheapest found on amazon.com!

Spooky tree necklace

I've been meaning to post about this for a long time. My lovely brother- and sister-in-law gave me this lovely necklace for my last birthday. So cute (and not really that spooky).

Another favorite (but not owned... yet!) is Girl on a swing......
...... I should add that to my wish list....

See these and more gorgeous accessories by Melbourne based Geneine Honey here.

Pay no heed....

... this post is for me and in no way a hint!
I find when it comes to birthday/Christmas time and people ask me what I want I can NEVER think of anything. I end up asking for a book voucher or the like. Right this very minute I have thought of a couple of things I'd like so I'm documenting it here for (my) future reference:

Coming Home to Eat - by Jude Blereau (I have 'Wholefood' and it is one of my favorite cook books)

Anything from Jurlique

Subscription to Ottobre kids (either in Swedish or English)

IKEA voucher (not particularly exciting but I can buy myself a nice cushion or something.....)

Hand knitted socks (not with itchy scratchy wool! I'm not fussy... much!)

The Creative Family and Handmade Home both by Amanda Blake Soule

And that's it for now but I will update as I think of things. At least I'll know where to find my list - not like any of those cheeky paper lists that gets lost...... (oops)

To do list....

Arghhhh. I really haven't made any time for sewing lately. Must. do. it.
So, as inspiration (or for future shaming when I haven't done it) I am making a little list:

• lazy days skirt x 3 (the easiest, speediest and loveliest free pattern around)
  
• Simplicity 9211 jumper and pants, sundress
  
• Draft some Enid Gilchrist patterns and sew them up (I mean it this time!!)
• Amy Butler skirt for moi

I also have 4 nephew birthdays coming in October with a new niece/nephew arriving too so I need to come up with gift ideas. I think the 4, 3 and 2 year old boys will get homemade play dough (red/blue/green/yellow) with some modeling tools. The one year old? Hmmmm, still thinking about that one. The baby? I think I'll make some more bibs (remembering the lessons I learnt from the last lot I made!) and some flannels along with some nice organic baby products. Still thinking about that one.... Any ideas? It's baby #3 in 3 years for these parents so they pretty much have everything they need. Tricky. Maybe I'll just buy a gift for Mum instead - she's gonna need it! ; )

Because I NEED it!

Do you NEEEEEED it? (As my daughter loves to say in her whiniest 2 year old voice..)
Head on over to Tea Pony Little Vintage and enter the competition to win this beautiful little dress........

Oh, it's just so perfect!

You may have heard me talk about chocolate....

... and may or may not have been interested. I'm more than a little excited to have just heard that a Lindt cafe has opened up in Melbourne. It opened less than a week ago and is located on Collins street between Swanston and Elizabeth streets. Mmmmmmm. Drool.

*hint hint* Mr Husband - a perfect place to take your lovely wife as a 'surprise.'

In other chocolate cafe news, I wanted to mention the fantastic service I received at Koko Black in Doncaster a few weeks back. Moo was being a real pain so hubby and I decided to get a couple of take away hot chocolates. Cue perfect toddler behaviour and stupid parents who believed it to be true. We sat down and started to relex. Moo went wild and started jumping on the chairs and throwing sugar packets (God how I hate how cafes leave salt, pepper and sugar packets on the table!) We went to leave and Moo knocked my hot chocolate onto the floor (that I hadn't even started to drink) causing it to explode like a chocolate volcano. Cue red hot face and mother rage.
The lovely waitress rushed over and checked that both Moo and I were alright. Then she talked nicely to Moo, cleaned up our horrid mess and came back with a replacement hot chocolate on the house. I left with a red face but a warm heart. It's not always you get good service - smile included gratis. Kudos to you Koko Black.
Can the Lindt cafe beat that?

On the up!

I went back to the doctors and swapped antibiotics because the first lot wasn't doing diddly squat. I have a lovely case of suspected 'walking pneumonia' which doesn't respond to the kind of drugs I got the first time. A blood test will confirm the diagnosis but all I can say is 'WOO HOO' the new meds are working a treat and I'm starting to feel like myself again after 2 whole weeks in bed!!
It's made me so thankful that most of the time I am really quite healthy. Yay!

Brain fuzz

I feel like I'm finally coming out the other side of this horrible 2 week (so far) lurgy. I wanted to post but my brain is still fuzzy so here is a random selection of pics. No real theme. Kind of like my thoughts.....

Our little Swiss Miss at the Cuckoo.

Blowing out birthday candles!

Oppy find. A whole dollar! Still in the original packet.

My favourite hard rubbish find. I'm thinking of re-covering it. The daisy pattern is from about 1994 - I loved it at the time but not so much now. Time for an update methinkeths.
I picked up another great find from the side of the road last week but you'll have to wait until I take a photo...... Let's just say, it's big, it's red and wasn't easy to wash in our bathtub..... Can you guess?

The letter

Last week we got a letter. I looked at the sender and saw it was from the preschool where we tried to enrol Moo. My stomach flipped. It was just like getting my exam results in the mail! I was afraid to open it....... and considered asking my hubby to do it. Then I could see the text through the envelope.... I peeked..... it said..... ' We are pleased...!' ~~PHEW~~ Big sigh of relief.
So, Moo is starting school in January, three days a week for three hours each time. I am soooo happy! She loved the school when we visited and no where else has these kind of hours for kids her age. Plus, all the other preschools won't accept her until April 28 because she doesn't turn three until then (but we would still be expected to pay fees).
Now all I have to do is get my license because it's impossible to walk there and back three times a week (over an hour walk each way is my guess). I'm booked in for September so I've got to practice, practice, practive.
Yay!

Wintry Holiday pics

I've been really sick for a couple of weeks. *blah* But, we went on holiday (despite lack of motivation) for a few days (at my parents lake retreat ; ) I borrowed my Dad's camera and took poor Moo out for a walk. She's been house bound with her poor feeble sick mother.......

And here's the sunshine!

Oooo, and one more!

Jade, Moo, Pa and Jade's big brother Eric.
Moo's loving Jade. 'You're beautiful,' she says to her and kisses her gently. So cute.

Welcome, Jade!

My freshly baked little niece, Jade Lee. She's about 30 mins old in these pics.....

Not so sure how Mamma managed to deliver a 3.44kg (7lb 9ozs) babe so fast..... good luck to her!

Oh, loveliness.

I got a phone call this morning at 6 am from my brother saying his wife 'thought' it was time and I should meet them at the hospital for back rubbing and midwife calling duty. (Last time I had to run out and find a midwife because the baby was crowning and there was no one in sight! First time Mum and an hour in, I guess they thought they had some time......) I got there at 6.30 and little Jade had already arrived! A sweet little bundle of joy. Good thing they live literally 5 mins away from The Mercy or my brother might have been in for more than he bargained for!
I'm soooooooooo excited!!!!!

Pics to follow......

This looks like fun

Recycling goodness.....

We are definitely lacking in storage in this house. The one thing we don't have a lack of is used newspapers. Besides, I'm not a fan of plastic. 'The Australian' and 'The Age' would be the perfect size for making these baskets methinkeths. I like the idea someone added about using spray lacquer to seal. You don't want newsprint on anything..... and I think I might just skip the bow - a little too flouncy for moi. Ooooo, and you could maybe make it using some cool wrapping paper - perhaps the cheap but cool stuff from our favorite conglomerate, IKEA.

Find the instructions here.

Fun and games

Moo makes 'a snate.' (That's snake to you and I)

I thought I would share our play dough recipe with you. Previously when I've made it there has been way too much (in volume) so here is a version that is just enough for one (plus mummy).


1 cup of plain flour (I buy cheap flour especially for this purpose)
1/4 cup of salt
1 tblsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp oil
1 cup of hot water
For this lot we also used: green food dye (1 tsp), coconut essence (1 tsp) and green glitter. You can't see the sparkles in the photos but trust me, it's got sparkly goodness!

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients in another, making sure the salt dissolves completely.
Pour the wet mix into the dry in a microwave safe bowl and give it a good stir until it is blended. Cook in the microwave on high for 30 secs.
Stir.
Cook for a further 30 secs. Stir.
(Repeat until the dough is cooked through.)
Please take care when removing the play dough because it will be hot!
Give it a bit of a knead and wait for it too cool down before giving to your little one to play with.

** update** The next time I used this recipe the dough was not 'cooked' enough after 1 min in the microwave. The mixture starts off very sloppy and thickens when it's cooked. Keep cooking the dough until it is translucent and thickened. If you take it out before it's done it is way too sticky and gooey.

Last time we used red food dye and strawberry essence which made a lovely 'bubble gum' play dough. : )
I'm wondering what 'flavours' we will do next. I have found recipes for chocolate and also edible play dough (providing your child isn't allergic to nuts!) Now I just have to wait for our 'suntan lotion' play dough to expire.

I spy..... if I could create anything.....

.... now that's a hard one!!!

Should I go for something like a peace maker, a famine solver or a rain maker? Hmmmm *thinking*
I'm gonna say that if I could invent anything it would be the cure for cancer.

I think we have all been touched by cancer at some time in our lives.
A friend. A parent. A loved one.
My Aunt lost her battle with a brain tumor last year and God knows I wish she was still here.
My MIL and another Aunt are currently fighting breast cancer.
The list could go on and on......
Seriously, there are people out there who have a lot more expertise than me on inventing the cure for cancer. You can donate money here at the Cancer Council Australia and it might just help a clever scientist do what I can't.

This weeks theme comes from Cindy via Amanda at L-plates.

As promised - hats!

I finally charged the batteries for my camera and took a photo of the hat I made for Moo on the knitting loom. I have also just completed a grey one for hubby (sorry about the blurry pic) which was done in a couple of hours in front of my evening TV fix of Masterchef.
I'm totally in love with how easy it is to 'knit' on the loom. I have a severe problem with tension when I try to knit with needles - in more ways than one.
The adult sized hat was made on a 36 peg loom and the child's hat on a 31 peg loom. Instructions for making the hats were found on Youtube as the instructions that came with the loom looked like they had been translated from English to Chinese and then back again..... *grrrrrr*

Unfortunately, I didn't knit the ladybird hat Moo is wearing in the photo below. It was found at Paynesville market by my Mum and was a birthday present. I just had to share it because it is soooooo cute. Moo's cardy was an oppy find (Bairnsdale) and was brand new. I paid a grand sum of $5 for this lovely Nanna knit! Woo hoo~

And just because I lurve ladybirds...... the stickers off our apples! : )

More karoke

After the post on my favorite Korean karaoke song I saw Bret from Flight of the Conchords singing a Korean song. Nearly wet my pants with laughter! (And, yes, he is actually singing in Korean and the translation, although a bit weird is literal and not made up!)



God I love those guys!

Just a little friendly advice......

Before you go running to the ER because your wee is red/pink you might want to think about what you ate in the hours prior......
Whole packet of beetroot chips?
That'll do it.
Medical emergency averted : ) D'oh!

NB - I have a family history of kidney disease so although it might seem a bit hypochondriac like, it isn't in the realm of impossibility.......