So - in my lunchbreak today - cause thats where i had time today-i read some of Nicole M's blog - oh and she had some lovely fabric (2 i have been eyeing offf too!) that she bought online - i still cant find info on te customs website about what fabrics can be ordered online (or should i say volume) and if you have to pay import fees - on top of postal/delivery charge......its very frustrating. I found something about handmade items - but i dont think this material is made by hand somehow!
I will buy some of that lovely SALE fabric - the force is with me on this!
Ok - enough dreaming - gotta go slave away in the Front!

Wow - its almost 1 month since i last updated on here - how sad! Life has had some twists and turns lately and no time for me time - unfortunately! No new crafting, no anything - just the daily grinding wheel of work, home - and a toddler still waiting for a surgery she should have had, cancelled by THEM 4 times now. we have been given a 5th date - 1st of December and they better not fail or disappoint us again, thats all i can say! Or there will be one ANGRYANGRY mama!

on getting older...

So today being the 13th - only 1 day away from being another year older......i dont know how i feel about that actually!......

Its been a while between posts - just have so much on its a little hard to juggle at the moment!
Ive called the hospital - Monet is definately booked for 3rd November....thank the Lord!
Ive been making a few things here and there - mostly there! Ive made some quick quilts and thats really it - i wish i had more time to sit and sew at the moment - but its just not happening. What else....Have a visitor this weekend - and we are all off to Taronga Zoo! Will take some lovely photos and have a great day out im sure - Monet is going to love the animals!

By the way - im dreadfully envious, and equally admiring of this wonderful woman! She really does give inspiration to so many people - and i would love to create as many wonderful things that she does - her book Handmade Home is on my wishlist - if only i could get my hands on a copy i think i would bury myself away somewhere and read it front to back and all around!So - she is one of my most well read blogs i read - and i dont get to read too many, given i am always short on time. The wonderful Soule Mama - visit if you get the chance, you wont regret it.

Ive decided i too shall review all the wonderful and interesting things i see in the crafting world - to be able to broaden horizons (both mine and others) is one of my all time dreams - as is living in Europe for a while, visiting ancient ruins, owning my own business and having a large family. More of course but too many to mention just now.

So - saturday we held a little BBQ/birthday afternoon - was great to see some friends - drink some wine in the sunshine - and just have a really nice time. All the dust storms and previous asthma attacks did me in a little - i could only clean the house from 11am and gussts turned up 2 hours early - just as i was getting in the shower! Luckily they didnt mind, mum held court while i made myself feel human again - and they gave her a cute book. Monet recieved some lovely gifts - one beeing the See my agent shirt from Anty Jo (thats how she says their names!) and some beautiful hand made clothes from Nanna (of which she wore her pink dress to the dr yesterday - and vomited all over - its had ts first official workout!)

And OMG - i dont believe it - im sitting here typing and realised - our original pressie is still under the bed - must call Craigie right now and tell him! THE WOODEN KITCHEN!!!!!! Agggggghhhhh!

Its been a full on week - Mum came to visit for Monets 2nd birthday - was great to have her here and she was able to spend time with Monet - pity the inlaws havent the drive to come visit - who knows, one day.

Ive been home the last 3 days caring for Monet - she is unfortunately sick again and was a bit scary a few times there - but as always she is a fighter and is now on antibiotics and improving.

Ive managed to start getting some photos loaded - so will start attempting to add some here!Above - friends quilt......mmm - post pics FIRST - then blog - ok!

Today our Princess is 2!

happy Birthday Monet!
Gosh - i was saying to Craigie its hard to think - seems like it was yesterday i was screaming my lungs out for 30 hours and then we had a baby! where did it go?
We gave her a few little pressies this morning while she sat in bed with us - we are having a bbq on sat with a few friends over - we will do cake and big present then - we got her a cute little wooden kitchen!


We have been asked so much lately when we are having number 2 - why is it so hard for people to get their heads around the idea some people only want one? Not that we do - we'd love a tribe - but you need the finances to match! And a house larger than out fibro shack. Which it is - a fibro cottage - not big enough for a full time family - but big enough for me to do Family Daycare i hope!

Oh - and yet again Monets surgery has been changed - im getting pretty tired of waiting.

I got there first - for once!!!

Well what a coincidence - it seems i was on the money making my drawstring dance bags!
Soulemama

well for once i did it first - and mine were georgeous!

What?! Cancelled!

ARRRGGGGGHHHHH!

I was ever so NOT happy to get a phone call this morning - from the Childrens hospital - Monet has had her surgery moved back 1 month - not happy on her or our behalf - happy for the parents of the babies that were put ahead. I understand they are more urgent - so it cant be helped. I really hope Monet has no more choking episodes though - they are terribly scary and usually silent - i happened to see one last night because of Monets reflection in the train glass window.

I wanted to post a few of these photos if i can - lets see how they go. They are of Us 3 - at the beach with Monet and Craigs brother and girlfriend - a few weeks before he passed away. I love Monets dress - Nanna made it for her - yellow cotton with bee print and bee buttons! Oh - its not working - will doi it when i get home......if i dont fall asleep in the lovely sun! Good day sun - nice to see you at last!

You know - first read about this a few months ago - even though at this point Embroidery etc isnt a passion - i really feel for Jenny and her struggle - and i hope to God this never happens to me. Ive also pasted here the original msg i read. I wish Jenny all the love and luck - she shouldnt have to work hard only to realise that apparantly it looks like she has been ripped of and had all her ideas stolen. I for one would not voluntarily buy anything from Urban Threads and would like to know of any affiliates/supporters of the company and not buy from them either. Id wonder if the people working in their ' embroidery library' (pft - i work in a library - they should call that something else too!) feel good about themselves and their workplace? Guess money can buy some pleasure.....

The Annual Christmas Holiday Camping trip!

All i can say is - bring it on!!!
This is where we go - for 1 week - initially i wasnt too happy about camping - i mean i love camping - in the bush though - not at a ground - id rather be in a villa with my comforts - not hiking to a amenities block while im bursting to go!. Also its noisy and we had bogans at an adjoining site who had no manners what so ever.... But given certain financial restrictions now - we, no, i - have had to re-prioritise.....given i now only have 1 holiday per year - im going to make the most of it.

The bad thing is - at our last holiday - at the same place - i became ill. I woke the 2nd morning there to look like the michelline man - every joint in my body sore and very swollen and basically spent the whole time there in their coldest pool - over the next few months it became progressively worse til i saw a Rheumatologist - who despite being one of the best in his field - and myself undergoing every test known to man - has been unable to determine what i have. It mostly makes my joints swollen - and all my ligaments shorten and all joints fill with fluid - its incredibly painfull and debilitating. And makes life very hard at work too......And i now seem to have been having a relapse for the last month - despite being on prednisone to treat it. So i really hope by christmas im ok - i hate not being able to go to karate or run around wth Craig or Monet. And being on the coast and just sitting around - would be awful! Didnt want this to be a big sob blog - but just a bit of background info - for if you ever see me bemoaning the lack of crafting because my hands have turned into The Claw!

Rain - i love you and i welcome you - cause we really need you!
But - have i mentioned how much i have been dying for spring to arrive and all the summer adventures we hope to get up to?! for some reason this year - probably because Monet has been so ill, i have really struggled - with the cold (i run on hot and am always overheated - work in winter is unbearably hot inside usually s0 this year i had to buy a floor heater....go figure) i struggled with the dark - leaving work in the dark to pick up my child from daycare - and arriving home on the train 2 or more hours later is not fun. Getting home to a cold dark empty house - and the massive heating bill we had this year!

So i love that spring has sprung, and even though today its raining - its still a beautiful day.

Am loving this dress - but when to find time to make it?!

One thing i have managed to do is finish the drawstring dance bag - plus 2 little separate bags inside, all drawstring and im really hoping their little recipient loves them! Just have to go up to Spotlight (so dangerous - one near my work!) to get some different drawstring material or ribbon - cant decide.
I also decided last minute id like to put her name on the bag - not being the most capable at the moment given my dodgy fingers - i wasnt able to applique her name on as i wanted - so thought id do iron on transfer - but dont know if Spotlight has printer paper for these projects?

Mmmm - i am at work - better control my need to blog blog blog today!

So sorry! I have had such a hectic week of running around, working, worrying that i havent had the chance to get anything on here! All of my plans of prettying up my blog, posting photos and random info and figuring out just how to use my blog has fallen along the wayside - with the news contained in a simple sheet of paper we recieved in the mailbox thursday night - Monet is to have her much awaited operation on the 8th September - yes, we were given less than 2 weeks notice! Imagine having to quickly organise 2 weeks off work - and fulfill all the instructions set out in the letter!. She is having her tonsils and adenoids removed and grommets put in both ears. Im very happy this is all happening - she has been such a sick little chicken since i went back to work.......i am however worried a little about any reactions to general anasthetic as i have quite a reaction to it. She is such a trooper though - even staying in a night or two will do her good. BUT - all this before her 2nd birthday......so sad - so young!

Calling all donations! Shameless call out.

Ok - im having troubles getting my hands on material/fabric at the moment - for many reasons. So if you have any you no longer want or need - send it to me! Email me if you can help.

Oh i've been soooo naughty today! I just cant seem to get my head totally into work - im doing what needs to be done - anything more - im too tired! So i have been surfing around, looking at all the the crafty people online. I recently had the joy of getting some items lent to me from another library - one of these being Anna Marie Horners Seams to Me . I really do love it - very 'me'! there is actually a project in it very much like a few i have done - covered/framed button frame pictures! Its so amazing how many books have been published in the last year with simple, beautiful ideas that i pretty much want to make every project in every book!

Ive slowly been writing my plan/sketching for selling my products - i still get a little nervous - many a time ive made a design up and felt so excited and alive, only for a few months later to see one very similar - if not the same and im so disappointed - thinking to myself 'damn - im not that original after all'! I will get there how ever. Im not a fan of ripping of other peoples intellectual property and dont like others doing it so i have to be selective in what i do, id be heartbroken if someone said i was a copycat.

Back to AMH - what a georgeous family! So - i have two fave fams now - soulemamma and AMH clan!

Since the other half and i were talking babies last night - we have come to a number we like - but only if we can financially do it! It makes me so sad to feel that - but we both want our kids and us to not feel like everything is a struggle - so if its at all possible - we will have more.
At the moment its soooo hard to imagine any more than Monet though! Every day she becomes more of a character and last night we found out we have an operation date for her. 8th September. Double whammy of both ears grommets, adenoids removed and tonsils removed. And they will be able to see if her throat is scarred or damaged from all the infectios she has had in her short life. She will be 2 on Sept 24!

Ok - so no joy in getting technical help - just a msg to relax and enjoy - which im already doing!

Its been so difficult to blog, or sew at the moment - we have a family situation that isnt too unique to Sydneysiders - at least families with 2 full time working parents! We leave at 7.30am and dont get home til 7.30pm. Its a long day - then night time routine takes you til about midnight!

BUT i do have a project i have set myself, a dancing/shoe bag for a friends daughter - i would love to make a fantastic intricate one - but as im still what i class myself as - a very beginner sewer - i will keep it sweet and simple, probably just a draw string bag with a soft lining. I do have some cute fairy ballerina material too!

I seem to be falling in love with some beautiful materials at the moment - this one and this one, oh and this and this!

Hope to start adding some pics of my small starts at crafting....i have all these pictures of things in my head - patterns cuts and shapes - but just have to learn how to get them out and onto paper.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me - how smart, creative and talented so many online crafters are - sometimes it feels a little overwhelming!

Bring on Spring!

Ok - so i emailed someone today - a fellow crafting/sewing blogger who has a blogger blog - as i am still struggling with why im not appearing on search engines when searching for sewing blogs. Its starting to get me a little annoyed, especially as i seem to have all the correct settings. So i sit here talking to myself...woe is me. Bloggity blog.

Mmmm ive just seen a rather bizarre car marketing message out my office window - Benny and the Vets - mobile vet. Took me a minute to get the name. Very catchy. Wonder if his name is actually Ben!
Looks like i will have to ask the much more technically minded Craigie to help me figure out what im doing wrong! Since i cant find any immediate friends living near us who have a blog!

Almost Friday!

Ok - so this week i havent had the time i really needed to devote to styling my new blog - but tomorrow i hope to have an hour or two! I have to teach myself how to add some photos in here, see if i can write a quick tutorial - for making this sweet little hat that has been a fashion statement at M's daycare - everyone wants one! Actually i think the staff would rather i cooked them a slowcooker roast - if the hints are anything to go by!

Even though today is overcast and not particularly warm - im just about bursting waiting for spring to come - i can smell it, its almost arrived!

Also - i have to start thinking if we are going to have a party for the little turtle - she will be turning 2 and i really would prefer a little close family BBQ at home - or in the park. Will have to have a chat with Mr Boss and see what he wants too.

Oooh - i even managed to change my URL name - thank goodness the other was not so great - wonder of all wonders this one wasnt taken!

Oooh - look at me! I figured out how to get that picture in there - wish i could have cropped the time stamp out! You guys dont care though do you? Lets you know its my photo too - not one i lifted from someone!

Today our little Miss Monet was a treat - as we got to daycare she screams 'Oh Yayyyyyyyyy', procedes to run inside and scream 'Hi everybody' runs to the pit and starts dancing to Hi5! She's a wild one! I added last night that she will be 2yrs old in 5 weeks - and was shocked as i cant for the life of me remember where all that time inbetween went!

Well - i think im getting there ....slowly. I still cant figure out why i cant be found by Googling....oh where is my computer Genie?

Life really is a library!

Gosh - the mind definately isnt on work today - as much as im a heads down get what has to be done..done kinda girl - i just want to keep learning how to blog!

Creation Day

Well - the day has come! I have decided to start my Handmade goodness blog - at the insistance of many. I have much to learn about blogging, you will have to bear with me in these beginner stages. Most of my blogging will take place where i can find snatches of time - between working full time, caring for the little one - and the big one! I promise you will get to learn some more of me soon - and i hope in the near future to learn more about you!