Monday, November 30, 2009

Black eyed softie.

Last night while sorting through the piles of stuff on the kitchen table, looking for the swimming notice, I came across the softie known as Blueberry Buttons.

Great I thought, I'll post her off in the morning, until I saw her face.

It appears she's either been in a fight and has the bruises to prove it or is baring the marks of a texta left with its lid off.

I had a quick try at cleaning her up with some warm soapy water but it seemed to make it worse.

With only days until the Softies for Mirabel deadline I have two choices;
  1. Get her gear off and try my luck with a pot of dark coloured dye.
  2. Start another softie.
Last night I made this Kokeshi doll but I am not thrilled with her. Perhaps if she had several different coloured friends in a pouch someone might love her.

I'm not sure what to do and I'm running out of time.

What do you think? Any advice is welcome.

Today is the last day for my giveaway. I was hoping to pick two winners and make the announcement today, but Miss Jazzy is so desperate to be the barrel girl that I'll have to wait until after swimming lessons to draw them, and make the announcment tomorrow morning.

If you would like a chance to have two of these Christmassy pot holders come to your house there's still time to enter.

Have a fabulous Monday and I'll see you back here tomorrow with the names of the winners.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

My place and yours - That's nice, that's different, that's unusual...

When I first read this week's My place and yours theme I thought I wouldn't be able to play. I had a quick walk around my house, nothing sprang to mind, so I lay down on my bed to call my Mum.

This is was the view from my bedroom door.

It took me a few seconds to realise that a trapeze inside the house is probably a bit unusual. A trapeze that can be swapped for a swing for Miss Pepper is probably not what you would find inside most houses, although I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Thanks heaps to this week's theme queen Little Suitcase, to see how other people interpret the theme pop on over to Ms Pip's place.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

My creative space.

In my creative space this week I am crocheting Christmassy potholders for my giveaway.

I am crocheting soap savers for swaps and sales.

I am screen printing t'shirts.

And I am staring at this wonderful birthday present from my lovely friend Beck.

To check out what all the other creative peeps are up to click on over to Kirsty's.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Steph's Birthday!

Miss Pepper and I took a trip to Ballarat this morning to sing Happy Birthday and eat cupcakes to and with the lovely Steph (aka Mrs Doily) and Kelly at Dear Prudence.

We bought some cottons.

And then we came home and I made a dress instead of hanging the washing on the line.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Christmas pot holder giveaway!

I had intended to respond individually to all the lovely and generous comments and emails I received in response to my nest post on the weekend. But by the time we had finished planting two kilometers of potatoes by hand, celebrating a family birthday, checking out so many of the wonderful my place and yours collections and all the fun and games that comes with living in a house of five, there was no more weekend.

So just to let you know how much I appreciate all your comments and emails and how much your honesty and empathy helped me in a tough time, I am going to hold a giveaway. Yay!

This is how it's going to work;

I am going to crochet up two very lovely and Christmassy potholders from patterns that the wonderful Laurel from Miss Muggins sent me and then two more that I have since found and they are going to be the prizes.

Two People will win two Christmassy potholders each.

Next Monday I will draw two winners from the names of everyone who commented or emailed me on my nest post (if you still have something to say over there, please do), everyone who comments on this post and just because I appreciate each and everyone who reads these words, if you follow my blog leave an extra comment and you will get an extra entry.

In theory one person could have three entries.

So thank you, thank you, thank you and let the crochet fun begin!

And a gigantic HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the lovely Cathie! I wish that the year ahead of you is as sweet and delicious as the cupcakes at your picnic today. XX

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Soap Savers.


So what do you do with the last little slivers at the end of a bar of soap?

Do you try to mould them onto the new big soap? Do you chuck them on the floor of the shower and try to squeeze them down the drain with your toe? Do you let them accumulate in the soap dish? Or do you throw them in the bin?

Recently Bren's Mum Rene told me she was sick of wasting all those tiny soap scraps and asked me to crochet her a little bag to put them in and wash herself with.

Such a simple and clever idea. Love it!

So I have crocheted her a few of these draw string bags out of soft, thick cotton.

The tie cord can hang on the tap to drain and dry and I crocheted them in a thick, moss stitch pattern so they can double as luxurious face washers. In fact they would probably fit a whole bar of soap in them if you wanted.

These were so easy and quick to crochet and would make great prezzies I think.

I followed this pattern for the body and this pattern for the top.

Happy, happy birthday Rene!
I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with your beautiful family.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

My place and yours - Our collections.

I love collections!
I love the way having a few of something together changes the way it looks as a single thing.

I have so many collections, mostly craft related but for this post I am limiting myself to one and have chosen my rubber duck collection.

This collection sits in the kid's bathroom on the window ledge (too dark in there today). The ducks I have bought are always second hand but I have been given some gorgeous new ones over the years. The ducks are pulled down and dragged around the house, but I don't like them in the bath because some of them are a bit old and used. I haven't bought a new one to add to the collection for ages because the window ledge is quite full, but I have considered building them their own shelf so I can.

Bren collects tools. No rules about where they come from or new or used, just lots and lot of tools. A while ago he had a dream that he was driving around the back streets of Daylesford and came across a new hardware shop hidden away. Somewhere only the locals knew about. He was disappointed when he woke up.

Indi collects owls.

Jazzy collects Barbies.

And Pepper collects words. I can't remember what the other two were like at this age but her language and sense of humour astounds me. She calls her toy turtle Armpit, she told me last night that she wanted to sleep in a huge bed (not a cot) in Indi's house (room), and she calls Bren Brenny, 'Bye Brenny, I taking the big girls to school now'.

Thanks so much for playing along this week and letting us have a look at your collection and thanks so much Pip for letting me choose and wear the crown for the week.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Announcing the theme!

I am thrilled to be this week's theme queen for the My Place and Yours game over at Pip's lovely blog.

After a week of changing my mind and deciding and then redeciding, I have come up with a theme that really excites me and I hope it really excites you too.

My theme is MY COLLECTION!

I want to see a photo or photos of what it is that you collect.

Then if you feel like it you could let us know what your collection rules are;

Does it have to be green? Does it have to be from another country? Does it have to be second hand or a gift? Does it have to be old or complete?...

What constitutes a collection for you? Is it more than three of the same thing? Is it rare things?

Is your collection ongoing or is it complete?

...what's your story?

I am so excited to come and see.

For those that have never played along, this is how it works.
  1. Sometime over the next few days post on your blog your personal interpretation of this week's theme My collection. At the bottom of your post link back here to my blog, as this week's theme queen, and to Pip's blog, Meet me at Mikes, so other people who read your blog can see what it is all about and play too. Here is my last week's entry so you can see what it looks like.
  2. Tomorrow morning Miss Pip will post a blog over at Meet Me At Mikes announcing the week's theme, My collection.
  3. At the bottom of her post will be a list of all the people playing this week.
  4. At the bottom of the list, next to the last number, it will say You are next. Click here to enter your link.
  5. Once you have clicked there, you will find a space to fill in your name. You can put your blog name or your real name it really doesn't matter.
  6. Under this is a space for your blog URL.
  7. Click on the enter your link button and you are officially playing.
  8. Pour yourself a cuppa and click on some of the other links to have a sticky beak into the homes of other people all around the world and at their collections.
Does this all make sense?
Are you excited?
I am!
I really hope you can play along so I can come and visit you sometime over the weekend.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

My creative Space.

In my creative space this Thursday I am putting the finishing touches on my softie for Mirabel. Because the temperature is going to be in the high 30's today, she thinks she needs a hat.

I am thinking of creative things to do with broad beans. We are having felafel for dinner tonight.

I am planning and dreaming about all the wonderful places these shoes are going to take me. I found them in the children's shoe pile at the local op shop for 60 cents yesterday.

And I am trying to be creative with their hair styles.

Indi, Jazzy and sometimes Pepper are making Fimo shapes.

How divine is that purple crochet hook?

And Bren has been creative with this irrigation system. I'll try to explain it on my other blog at some stage if I can ever understand it.

Now you've seen ours, why don't you pop on over to Kootoyoo to see what everyone else is doing.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

My nest.

Now that I've been less emotional for a week, I have found myself revisiting that time and slowly going through all the issues that came up and trying to acknowledge them in a happier space.

One of the biggest issues for me at this stage in my life is babies. For the past ten years I have been pregnant or breastfeeding and now I am neither with no plans to do either ever again.

When Pepper weaned herself a few months ago it didn't really worry me, but for some reason her second birthday did. I no longer have a baby and wont again.

I always thought I would know when it was time to move on to the next stage in life. My four pregnancies (one miscarriage) resulted in three healthy, wonderful children. So why on earth am I struggling right now?

The practical truth is that I got really sick during my last pregnancy and don't think our family could cope at the moment with me spending months and months on the couch or over the toilet. Also the farm has really kicked up a notch over the past two years and managing it is more than a full time job for Bren.

But none of this matters because these feelings are in my heart and body not in my head. My biological clock has a strong grip on me at the moment.

Over the last week when I have questioned other women about these issues I have learnt that most women don't definitely know. I have been met with tears on more than one occasion and sadness in many.

Perhaps moving on to the next stage is confronting. The other day I was at a cafe with some friends when a group of girls came in and sat at another table. These girls are similar ages to us but they had all recently had babies, while we had all finished having ours. Until recently they would have sat with us, but not anymore or for a while. I will never sit at that table again.

Maybe I am scared of having to become who I want to be now I am grown up. When you are pregnant or breastfeeding people are interested in the belly or the baby. I could always stand behind, happy as my role as their Mum. Now I need to stand alone and it is a bit scary. Who on earth am I anymore?

I have no answers just lots of questions.

I do know though how blessed I am to have three amazing daughters and be in the incredibly fortunate position to be able to spend lots of time with them.

I adore my family and know that it is complete, my body clock is just taking a while to catch up.

Funny, this morning I was wondering about what photos to publish with this post when Bren came in with this nest the boys had found in a tree they cut down yesterday. This nest is such a perfect metaphor for a mother preparing and nurturing her babies. This nest is also a perfect symbol for my role in my family, as it is woven from bits and pieces found around our farm, my home. That clever bird dragged twigs, cable ties, bits of wire, blackberry, hawthorn, willow, hay band and anything else it found to make the best, cosiest nest for its chicks.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Today.

Today my house is a tip.

Today there is slumber party residue every place I look.

Today my friend's Dad is so sick in hospital and I need to make her and her family a lasagna.

Today I really have to work on my softie. I'm not good at these long projects, I'd be a terrible quilter.

Today I need to do the week's lunch box baking.

Today there is constant chainsaw noise as the trees too close to the house are being cut down.

Today I have not yet seen Bren who woke up and went to work before I opened my eyes.

Today I need to wash the school uniforms as I never got to them on the weekend.

Today I had a lovey coffee with my Mum and Dad and Bren's Mum before they all headed back home to Melbourne.

Today I need to heat set and label more clothes to go to Dear Prudence.

Today I need to food shop for the week and to shop to set up Bren's parents' house across the road which will be our bush fire refuge.

Today I have to pick up the big girls at 3.20 so realistically a lot of this list will be seen again on tomorrow's list. Isn't it funny how some days you feel overwhelmed, where on other days the same list feels ok? Luckily I am having an all is ok week.

The top two washers are the ones I sent to my swap partner in Jodie's wash cloth swap. They are; It's a spring thing and Garden swan.

I made the Little garden girl for our house.

And the Knitted baby feet cloth I made for a beautiful friend who is making Indi's best friend a sister.

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