Holiday Eve...

So, we’re off on a Boeing 747 early in the morning, and I’ve packed, written lists, double checked, and talked to Judah for hours and hours about flying on a plane; done a last minute holiday clothes dash at the shops, bought us all new shoes (woot!), talked to lots of parents about flying with active kids, and wallowed in the deliciousness of anticipation, as we wait for this lovely long day to come to a close.

Oh goodness: I do love holiday eve.

Hoping that you have a wonderful week, wherever you are in the world…

Nat

Grateful #21: What are you thankful for today?

What a week!

My fingers are sore from so much hand sewing, but today I very proudly reached my market stock quota; which is a first, and pretty darn exciting! It means that all that careful planning has finally paid off, that I’m somehow staying motivated, and that I’m working consistently. Anyone who is self-employed will know how hard that is to do at times! My nook is alive with colour and material and bright spools of cotton thread, and I’m sketching new ideas and small things to try almost daily. It’s the most delicious thing, to be in a creative surge…

And aside from being very grateful and quietly chuffed with my new found creativity, this week I’m very grateful for:

Bananas. I’m not sure how the banana situation is in the southern states, but ever since the beginning of the year, Queensland bananas have been madly expensive, and for us, way, way too costly to buy.

So, as I’m driving home one afternoon, I see that our local fruit and veg shop started selling their ladyfinger bananas at $3.99 a kilo. I almost squealed, and very nearly had an accident in my haste to get there and bag up. They were tiny and green and in gorgeous bunches; and lucky us! We’ve all been wallowing in banana-ry-goodness this week. As silly as it sounds, I’m so grateful for the chance to eat one of my favourite fruits, whenever I like without worrying about the price. And sliced banana on fresh buttered toast is the best and most delicious start to the day.

Power-naps. I had a power nap for the first time yesterday. Set my alarm for 20 minutes, crawled into bed absolutely exhausted, and promptly fell asleep. And even though I did get a crazy fright when the alarm sounded, I jumped out of bed, and got back to work, feeling a bit dazed but refreshed none-the-less.

Questions. So, we’re firmly in the ‘but why, Mum?’ phase with Judah, who asks a million questions about every random thing that we see, hear, taste or do during the day. I’m getting better at answering his queries, but I do catch myself saying, ‘because that’s just the way it is,’ – after we’ve been harping on the same topic for what seems like hours and hours. He doesn’t seem to mind; it opens up another topic to ask hundreds of questions about. Lou’s jumped on the bandwagon, and has begun asking her own ‘why’ questions – but quickly loses interest and seems to like the way that why sounds when it’s said, more than the information that follows it.

I am so liking this new phase in their development, and I’m enjoying being a mini font of knowledge (even if some things are made up).

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Grateful? Want to join in too?

Kim and I are heading up the coast to prep for Mamma's market in the morning, so this post is scheduled. But if you visit the gorgeous Maxabella loves after around 9pm tonight, you'll be able to follow where to leave your grateful linky.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Right now...

It’s been a busy, flying-out-the-door, need-more-hours-in-the-day start to the week, as it usually is during the lead up to a new market. But I’m putting down my needle and thread this afternoon and stopping for a wee while, to appreciate what it is to be still - to stop, close my eyes, breathe, and relax.

I’m listening to some rainbow lorikeets fussing about in the banksias’ in our back garden, and can just see a baby bearded dragon sitting as still as stone in the fading sunlight. I baked the most moreish oat, honey and sultana slice late last night, and it’s sitting on a saucer before me, along side a fresh cup of coffee; and I’ve just picked up a book I ordered from the library – ‘Home made Vintage’ by the very clever gals at Cabbages and Roses. Perfect afternoon tea reading.

What are you doing right now?

Nat

All a-hummm and a-bloom...

I thought I was imagining it, when I opened up the house this morning – a hum so loud, that it sounded like some kind of machine running on idle.

But as I stepped out into the garden, I realised what it was – bees!

Standing underneath or tall trees all abloom with delicate white and pink flowers, the hum of our working bees is an amazing thing. I tried to take photos of them busily searching, but there were far too many whizzing around near my face and outstretched-camera-clad-hand, and I was too nervous – sorry!

But, best of all! I found them all over our carefully planted and tended plots, where small flowers are unfurling, turning their heads towards the light…

 

I’m hoping that the visiting bees may just mean a big, beautiful harvest of lots of spring and summer fruit and vegetables this year – they really are the most miraculous little creatures, don’t you think?

Do you have a garden in bloom at the moment? Or plans for a spring garden?

Nat

The Collectors...

I’ve never had a fabric stash.

I know how ridiculous that sounds, being someone who sews quite a lot; but it seems that whenever I have fabric, I tend to use it. I don’t save it, or keep it tucked away for that special project; it’s used – and used fast – on a random project, or on small something for a new baby, or on a last minute whipped-up-present for a friend. I guess that’s what it’s supposed to be for, in the end.

But I do admit, I had a case of serious fabric envy over at Kim’s yesterday – she’s got this hefty box of colour coordinated material in micro-prints, spots, stripes and solids, and is, at the moment, trying to match clothing for a couple of new dolls she’s working on. The box was stuffed full, neat as a pin, and there were random fat quarters strewn almost artfully all over the table; I stood over it and thought of all the lovely things that could be made with such a stash, but also how beautiful such a collection can be.

And it got me thinking about how some people are just born collectors.

And, how I’d quite like to be one of those people (but not in a crazy, obsessive, hording kind of way).

So, this is a very roundabout way of saying to you, that if I had all the money and time in the world to be a collector of things, this is probably what I’d start off collecting:

   

Most definitely, I’d start by amassing a beautiful stash of fabric and buttons...

...I’d also add to my collection of photographs and daguerreotypes – and may even splash out to find some turn of the century mourning photographs (because even though the idea of them is a bit morbid, the actual images are so peaceful).

I’d then build a collection of ink pots and ink bottles....

And I love the idea of collecting old newspaper advertisements – the things they’re often peddling are wonderful and strange…

(This is from a small collection of “Lloyd’s Sixpenny Dickens” which I found by accident and snapped up posthaste – it contains the original stories written by Dickens and published in the newspapers, which have then been bound into paper books. My favourite is the advert for Coles’ Ointment, which is a cure-all for abscesses, boils, poisoned wounds, eczema, as well as sore throats, croup and chesty coughs. What a miracle!)

What about you? Are you a collector?

Or do you have a list of things that you’d love to collect too, if money and time weren’t a factor?

Nat

Lyra-Lou is turning Two!

A little lady is having a birthday in our house soon.

I actually think that this is more exciting for me as a parent, than it is for Lou; because at almost two, the concept of a birthday is lots of fun, but something that seems to happen to everyone else. And even though I’ve been telling her that it’s her very own birthday soon - which means balloons, and cake, and hugs and presents - she looks at me with a ‘So what, mum?’ kind of face, and wanders off, leaving me to explain to Judah exactly why he can’t have a birthday and a cake of his own (on the same day, with hundreds of colourful balloons to-boot), and why we only have one birthday a year and not as many as we want (thank goodness for that).

So, I was keen to make as many of her presents as I could, and because our Lou loves to pretend, cook and force-feed her dolls, this week I started making her some felt food to play with.

Think: A sunshiny pretend-picnic, with lovely salad sandwiches, some delicious doughnuts and cakes, a couple of sweet red apples, fruit salad, and a cheerful red and white cherry-print sheet to sit on. Who wouldn’t want to join in?

Nat

Ps. It’s totally fun sewing something new!

On with the show!

    

Lovely Mille dons her hat, and gathers up a posie,

she’s draped in scarves and beads and brooches,

with sweet cheeks, oh so rosy.

It’s almost time - she checks the clock – a few more minutes to go;

noise is gathering, butterflies brewing -

it’s nearly time for the show.

She walks down the stairs, her entrance grand,

The crowd thunders in applause;

Marvellous Millie - delightful diva - the best in all the land.

Got an enthusiastic performer in your house?

Our gorgeous new doll, Marvellous Millie, is now available in our Etsy store!

(Take her home today for just $25 AU + postage)

Nat

A spring in my step...

No more bitingly cold air when I’m pulled out of bed at stupid-o’clock in the morning; no more warming hands on steaming mugs of coffee, or that horrid pins and needles feeling when I step into a hot shower. No more midnight blanket clad checkups on the kids, to make sure they’re still cosy and tucked up in their beds. And no more comfort food (alright then: less comfort food than I’m currently eating).

Spring is really here - and aside from being my all time favourite season, it seems as though it’s everyone else’s as well. In the 24 hours since spring officially launched (for want of a better word) in Australia, social media hubs have gone berserk – have you noticed? There seems to be a collective sigh of relief that the greyness of winter is finally over, and an optimistic lilt in the status updates of hundreds and hundreds, as they all dream of the loveliness of the warmer months ahead of us.

I so love the start of spring for this reason; the promise of balmy afternoons, late night swims in the pool and the gardens alive with sounds and scents and beautiful, tender new things that have lay dormant for months. I’m grateful for the longer days, the mozzie-slapping barbeques, the lightness of meals, surreal blue afternoon skies, and the fact that Ella (our sad-faced Mastiff) will soon stop her painful arthritic limp, and run again like a pup.

There are always plans made in early spring, and energy found or renewed. All those projects that seemed too hard to tackle during the winter months are revisited with enthusiasm, and added onto a blossoming list. Our renovations screeched to a halt once it started to get cooler, but I’m quietly gathering steam to begin again. It all seems much easier, now that spring is here.

What do you love about the change of season?

Nat

Image from here.