Grateful #22: What are you thankful for this week?

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.

But in amongst some out-of-this-world temper tantrums (toddlers – sheesh!), was the loveliest, food and wine filled holiday spent in the company of the most wonderful people. It’s given me so much to be grateful for this week, including….

The comfort and contentment of home. We had the most delicious time away, and absolutely loved exploring and spending time with our beautiful family in Adelaide. But how nice is it to come home to familiar spaces, well loved things (and to a beloved husband who was lonely without two rambunctious children)?

We arrived home late, on a warm, clear night, and as soon as the bags were inside, I crawled into our bed with the smile of a happy traveller. In the morning, I couldn’t help but marvel at the growth in the garden (our tomatoes and snow peas are in bloom!), and even allowed Ella, our stinky mastiff, to lie smiling on my feet.

I baked, drunk tea, and pottered; did loads of laundry and watched a snake wind its way around a tree in the garden. I took up my needle and began to sew.

I like travelling, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a homebody at heart; and it made me even more grateful for our patch of the world, and all the love and life it contains.

Lyra. The littlest and loveliest of our family turned two a couple of days ago – Lyra (or Lou) spent the day in a sea of colourful balloons and pink wrapping paper, talked loudly, giggled and squealed, ate dreamy vanilla cakes with chocolate butterflies perched on top, drew all over her legs and face with new felt-tip pens, and was loved up by lots of people who think she’s just the bees knees (Judah, on the other hand was so distraught that it wasn’t his birthday that he spent most of the day crying, and/or stamping his feet with the injustice of it all; which is actually pretty funny).

But our sweet Lyra-Lou – goodness, I love her. She wakes with a smile on her face every morning, charms the socks off anyone who meets her, and is just the loveliest, most delightful little person. I spend all day thinking about how very, very fortunate we are to have this precious girl as our own, and how much light and love she’s given us in the two short, blink-of-an-eye years that she’s been here. And that she’s my child: my heart almost bursts with gratitude.

How about you? What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your grateful post back to Maxabella Loves, or write your grateful list in the comments section below x

Grateful #13 - What are you thankful for today?

I remember my beloved grandmother saying, a very long time ago, that life goes by in the blink of an eye once you’re an adult, and to never wish your young days away. At the time, I was in my early teens and impatient for the idea of what being a grown-up really meant; and I wished with all my might for a decade to hurry up and pass, so I could do all the wonderful things I’d been dreaming of.

My Grandmother, Renee, as a young mother in India

I’ve been remembering my grandmother a lot lately; small, wise, softly spoken woman that she was. And she was right – as she usually was – time does slip away from you when you’re a grown up; weeks turn into busy months, and months tumble into years, and things happen faster than you could ever imagine.

With that in mind, this week I’m grateful for:

Timeless-ness. I’ve had to explain to the kids quite a lot lately about doing things ‘tomorrow’ or ‘next week’ or ‘another time.’ It’s still such a tricky concept for them to grasp, because everything is NOW! or in an hour, and the prospect of waiting, even a day, is often met with wails of disapproval.

But goodness, I like their idea of ‘right now’ - it’s so wonderfully spontaneous, and it sometimes makes me wonderfully spontaneous too.

Old fashioned advice. How wonderful is it to be given a good piece of advice?

(Alright, I freely admit that I’m not always 100% receptive to it; but when it’s relevant, done with kindness and in the spirit of genuine sharing, I do love and welcome it)

My Grandma was very good at advising in the gentlest, most considerate way, and it’s something that I’d like to emulate in my own life. Sometimes, I manage quite well; other times I’m so far off and rambling and should just keep my random pieces of advice to myself, thank-you-very-much. But in spite of my bumbling advisory tactics, I’m so grateful for the small tidbits of advice I’m personally given on a week to week basis, from trusted friends, family, chance-met strangers, my partner and even my children (who know all about everything and anything), because most of the time, it’s done in love and given in kindness, which really is a wonderful thing.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your grateful post to the delightful Maxabella Loves, or write your list in the comments section below x

Grateful #4: What are you thankful for this week?

This week, we were fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with family – enjoying the ease, comfort and reassurance that comes with being with others who know us and love us the best. The kids and I have been wrapped up in a cocoon of warmth and love all week, and it’s made me truly thankful for the wonderful family we have.

But, in particular, this week I’m grateful for:

Cousins. They were our first childhood playmates, and now our most beloved friends as adults – both Kim and I are so fortunate to have such a wonderful group of talented, kind-hearted, ambitious, and beautiful cousins, who we both admire and respect so much.

Hugs. Don’t they just make things seem more manageable and easier to bear? Hugs encourage, congratulate, welcome, comfort, and hearten; they cheer, calm, reassure, and delight. Hugs say, ‘you belong here: you belong with me.’

Image from We Heart It

Sweets. I am currently in possession of the sweetest tooth ever created. Give me a tart, cookie, pie, slice, muffin, or something caramel, custard or chocolate filled, and I’m yours.  But this week I learnt that Banoffie pie and/or raspberry almond tart can be so much more delicious when shared with someone you care about (and even better when it’s eaten in place of lunch).

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? You can join in by linking your Grateful post back to the gorgeous Maxabella Loves, or feel free to write your list in the comments section below.

1,000 Cranes = 1 wish

I loved the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes as a child.

For those who don’t know it, it is the devastating and heartbreaking tale of Sadako Sasaki, who was just two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped near her home in Hiroshima, Japan.  At 12 years old, she was diagnosed with leukaemia, and given a year to live. But an ancient Japanese story, narrated to her by her best friend Chizuko, gives her hope: A promise that whoever should fold 1,000 origami paper cranes would be granted one wish by a crane.

Sadly, Sadako never reached her goal, dying within eight months of diagnosis, with still more than 300 cranes still to fold; but the simplicity and beauty of her story has become a symbol for hope for thousands all over the world.

Today, I found New Zealand blogger and Mum, Maddie, from Lil Magoolie, who has a mission on her hands – to make 2,000 origami cranes for two healing wishes: one for a shaken Christchurch, and one for a devastated Japan.

I’ve been watching as our world is turned upside down, my heart breaking for our brothers and sisters across the sea. I believe in the childlike magic of wishes, and in the power of prayers for healing and restoration. And I can make paper cranes.

So today, I’m folding cranes to contribute towards Maddie’s grand total. The kids have been helping by drawing all kinds of things this morning, and I'm folding up their stories and scribbles (for lack of ornate origami paper).

 Will you help too?

Nat

Ps. Don’t know how to make a crane? You’ll find a link to an origami tutorial here.

Please send your handmade cranes to:

1000 Cranes / One wish
c/o 3C Design
14 Marion Street
Hoon Hay  Christchurch  8025
New Zealand

I'll remember you...

Make loving memories wherever you can - That’s what I think every time I look into the sweet little faces of my niece Lou and nephew Judah.  Often, all Lou says to me is ‘no,’ and  I’ll watch Judah bite his lower lip when he’s about to crash tackle me out of frustration, but it’s all those little things and a million more that I don’t want to ever forget. 

    

It’s also one of the reasons why I started a memory book – so that all those quirky things they do wouldn’t be lost in the daily hustle and bustle of our lives; so that we’ll be able to look back in the years to come and remember the funny little people they once were.

The old cliché of ‘time flying’ really is true. After Lou came along, I began to see how many funny, heart-warming little moments with Judah I’d already forgotten; so, to make amends, every time I saw them, I began to write down short anecdotes – something that made my heart melt, something silly we’d had a conversation about, or something that made us all laugh out loud. It’s a record of the memory, of the day, of their age and their very distinctive personalities, and a way to keep it all close to my heart.

(Like this: I remember the day I held Judah in my arms for the first time; I was stunned firstly that he was a boy (as we had all convinced ourselves that a little girl was on her way), and then completely amazed that this little person had in an instant become such a huge part of my life - and I knew absolutely nothing about him yet)

These two little souls (and hopefully some more in the future) have taught me how important it is that we smile, giggle, and love each other, growing closer all the time - and my little memory book helps me document that journey.

How do you remember and celebrate family?  

Kim

All the world in a book...

I have a weakness for children’s picture books.

When I was pregnant with Judah, my eldest, I had already amassed a stack of best-loved books, and read to him daily, in utero. I don’t actually know if it made any difference, but Judah does love to listen to stories, and will (sometimes) stop mid-tantrum, or during a particularly boisterous outburst, to sit quietly and hear me read to him. I love this, and I hope it's the beginning of a life-long love of the printed word. 

His favourite books at the moment are The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, and much to my delight – Tikki Tikki Tembo, by Arlene Mosel (it was my favourite book as a child).

Little Lou can’t quite manage to sit still through a whole story yet, unless it’s past her bedtime and she’s exhausted. Then she’ll lean in, thumb in her mouth, dolly under her arm, and I can read to her without having to call her back one hundred times. Her favourite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle – much loved by children and parents all over the world. 

I absolutely love finding picture book treasures online or in second hand bookstores. How wonderful it is to find an iconic childhood favourite buried in a box at a garage sale or hidden in the shelves at an op shop? My favourite find so far has been an old hardcover edition of The Magic Pudding, written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay. I adore that bad-tempered pudding, the simple drawings and the beautifully expressed Australiana theme – and I can’t wait to start reading it to the kids when they’re old enough.   

The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay, pg 22-23

What are your favourite children's picture books?

Nat

Ps. Linking up with the lovely Multiple Mum over at And then there were four for the Weekend Rewind. Thanks for stopping by! x

Putting love into every stitch...

My mum, Nanette, made my youngest, Lou, a beautiful handmade cot quilt for her first birthday. To me, it’s a little work of art, in peaches and pinks, hand-stitched hearts, and small floral prints. And even though I helped Mum pick out the fabric, the first time I saw it all made up and beautiful, I couldn’t help but be emotional. I just loved the time and the care that had gone into it, and I could see her love for Lou in every stitch.

What I didn’t expect was how much Lou would love it too. She holds one corner in her small hand as she falls asleep – the corner that Mum had sweetly hand-stitched “Love Mama” onto. When she feels unwell or needs comfort, she will pull the quilt through the bars of her cot, and tuck it up under her arm, the rest trailing behind her on the floor. It’s been a constant companion for the first few uncertain weeks at day care, goes with us on long car trips, and needs to be checked-up-upon while drying on the line after a wash.

There’s just something so lovely about a handmade quilt. They’re soft, warm, traditional, and comforting, yes - but they also speak to me of rest, of a safe place, of family.

I also love the quilts that take pride of place in the home. You know the ones – draped over the arm of a couch, like an old companion; the more intricate ones, with months and months of work, hung with delight on a lonely wall.

A friend of mine has a beautiful marriage quilt hanging in her home – it’s a mismatched collection of decorated squares (each family had their own square to adorn), all sewn together. Nothing matches, and the individual styles are so varied - but it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen; it shows the devotion of an entire family and their shared marriage blessings of longevity, lifelong happiness, and the sweetest of love for the newly wedded couple.

Do you have a favourite / comforting quilting story? 

Nat

Ps. Nanette’s beautiful handmade cot quilts will be available at our stall at Mathilda’s market on Saturday, 12th March.

In the beginning...

The quest for a new doll starts out as just a pile of oddly cut but beautiful fabric, threads of all colours and sizes, and the noisy whirr of my 20 year old sewing machine; but, it isn’t until I attach the two wee shiny buttons for eyes, and a wide, deep pink smile that these little treasures come to life for me. Add to that a cute pair of shorts or a high waisted skirt, their hair neatly done, and a beautiful old-fashioned name, and look – they’re alive!

Old fashioned names have always evoked a sense of nostalgia and charm for me, so all of the dolls I make get a specially selected, carefully matched name. But, like a new parent, sometimes the hunt for the perfect name can be a long one. Does he look like a handsome little Hudson who can’t resist jumping off the sofa in an attempt to fly? Or does she look like a carefree Collette, who would love nothing more than to spend a hot afternoon jumping over a cool sprinkler in the backyard with her dog? 

You see my predicament?

What is never hard is finding absolutely mouth-watering fabrics from our local and interstate suppliers.  My heart beats a little faster, and my eyes get a little wider when I step into their stores, or go to a bustling fabric fare. I must admit, I have bought fabric for no project or purpose other than the fact that it is so beautiful - but, more often than not, a little red headed boy with a cheeky smile, or a daintily and perfectly dressed blonde girl slips into mind - and I can’t wait to make them, name them, and see them with a special little someone I know - being hugged tightly, or curled up for bed with their new best friend.

Sleeping Lou and Bonny Bea

The first doll I made was for my darling niece, Lou, for her first Christmas. As I made it, I hoped that little Bea would be a perfectly-sized friend for her, and something she would love and treasure for years to come. I hoped that she remembered Bea fondly as she grew older, and I put my heart into the making of her.

I’m pleased to say, that she is still a favourite – she’s been chewed on, hugged, tossed and washed more times that I can count, but Lou still loves her, and won’t sleep without her (and the rest of the entourage – Bea was joined by Charlie, Audrey and Millie all before her first birthday).

Lou also tends to claim every doll that enters the house as her own ‘Bubba,’ and it warms my heart to see her take one wherever she goes - tucked under her little arm as she waddles about.

 Kim

Ps. Bea, Charlie, and Audrey are all available in our Etsy shop now. Millie is in production and will be available online soon.