oh wow

I SO want to make one of these from the Martha Stewart website!! Plus a thousand other things lol!!

cranky mama

Man it bugs me when I finish praying (especially this morning) and then I get up and walk out of my room and the FIRST encounter i have with one of my children results in a 'cranky mama' outburst.

It especially bugged me this morning because I'm up to 1 Corinthians 13 in my bible...and I was particularly convicted by verses 4-7 which is really well known and not new to me, but you know how God just hits you with a scripture sometimes? Well, I got a good dose of conviction from this one this morning...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

...not easily angered...mmm...not to mention the rest of it.

To change the topic, my shoulder/neck seems to be responding well to resting. Despite the fact that I'm being naughty and sewing a little something I've been dying to make (and kinda has a deadline for when it needs to be finished). I'll try and post a pic when I'm done :) which will be in a while cause I'm trying to make it in 15min chunks of time in an effort not to void all the 'resting' I'm doing lol.

Still researching the homeschool option...leaning towards not doing it now!! But that's why I'm researching and praying and really wanting to get God's leading on this one, cause it's not a small decision...

Better go do 15mins of sewing before the kids wake from their naps :)
Have an awesome friday - spring is on it's way!!! I see blossoms and daffodils despite the cranky weather. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Oh - duh! One of the main reasons I wanted to post today was cause I saw this embroidery and was so inspired!! It's amazing how a little inspiration can change you from never wanting to do embroidery again, to wanting to break out the sewing hoop right away lol.

project finished :)

I just finished making this folio for Josh this afternoon :) LOVE that feeling of accomplishment when you get something finished!

I got the pattern from my friend who makes it all look so easy! Unfortunately I didn't find it all that easy. This was the first time I'd ever sewed with binding, and while the outside looks ok, the inside is a little messy.

But overall, I'm really happy with it. I'd love to make a matching church bag, but that will have to wait til I finish some other projects I have going. I also need to get him the right sized notepad :)


thanks for visiting!

a bit of this and that...

I feel a certain amount of frustration at myself because my taste in decorating tends to change a bit...it's for this reason that I am in a state of uncertainty about where to go with decorating this house. I love simplicity - which is why I've leant towards a modern-ish style lately. But also I love the charm and welcoming feel of (modern) country styles. I also thing having chooks and the smell of lucerne hay around here is calling me back to my farming roots lol!!

I love white, and mostly pastel colours. Lots of people tell me I'm such a girly girl, but I actually take that as a compliment! I love feminine styles (altho can't go too far cause Aaron's not so keen lol).

So at the moment I'm just looking at different ideas and trying to find exactly what I like. It bugs me like crazy when I end up buying/making something and then don't like it within six months. I told mum I get that from her! She's constantly moving things and changing things around lol. I try not to envy people who seem to be able to pull a look together that is amazing as well as using their space well.

On a slightly different topic, I was talking to Aaron the other day about how I'm not into hoarding. There was possibly a slight edge of pride in my tone cause when he said that I don't hoard...except when it comes to craft things...I was a little miffed! But I thought about it and realised just how right he is. Then I decided that I would do something about it.

So I told him anything I don't use this year, I am going to get rid of. CAN YOU BELIEVE I SAID THAT?!! Of course my disclaimer was that it couldn't include basics, like tools and cardstock and albums I've got waiting for layouts. But everything else is fair game.

The best thing about this? I've become motivated to use things and just get stuff done. It's helped me overcome a certain amount of perfectionism as I just use what I have on hand and do the best with it. I'm really loving it.


I made these as thank you's for Ella's 1st birthday party

I'm right in the middle of making these bean bags. They're for a friend's little girl's birthday tomorrow. I used the fabric stack I bought from RetroMummy. I am planning on making some for Ariella too. There's 10 of them but I haven't finished putting its number on yet.

The back of the bean bags. I got the idea from this tutorial. I used felt for the numbers tho cause I didn't have any fusible webbing lol. trying to use what I have on hand is making me THINK!

Edited 16.1.10: Finished bean bags front...

...and finished bean bags back

I also made Ariella a canvas for her hair clips but I haven't taken a picture of that. And a very simple mini album of the fishing/camping trips Aaron and his dad take the boys on. I haven't made this much in ages and I'm so excited to be getting back into it :)

crazy smiles and crafty business...

doesn't she look like she just wants to harm you? Believe it or not, that's her smile ;) looks a little cuter in person!

Kai is doing quite well with his smile :) this was his shaggy 'do' before Aaron took the boys and got them haircuts. I always wait too long to take them for his liking lol.

I've been having fun looking up flowers on the internet for hairclips/bands to sell at our sunday school fun day next month (I don't teach sunday school at the moment, but mum's running the stall and roped me in of course - it's actually been really inspiring) so far I've made a couple out of ribbon and one that I saw at the handmade market and really liked but kept thinking, 'I could make that myself' :)

I'll have to make quite a few of these cause I really like them and they'd match ella's new red dress ;)

not sure what I'm going to do with this one...probably make another one the same and layer them.

This one was my test run for this type, so I'm going to keep it and make some other ones for the stall. I adjusted the assembly of it from the instructions and I don't think I'll cut into the petals of the rest of them...but I'm happy with it otherwise.

I got some fabric squares the other day...I have no idea why. I happened upon retromummy and saw this pack and before I knew it I had ordered it! I love it so much I don't want to cut into it...which kinda defeats the purpose?! I seem to be experiencing a fabric obsession at the moment...very strange.

a few pics

Ariella and I at Potoroo Palace

I love her curly hair!! Josh saw a baby girl with a ponytail sticking straight up off the top of her head today and wants me to do Ariella's hair like that now :) we'll see how I go!

Malakai and Josh at Potoroo Palace. Kai will occasionally let me take his picture now, and even throw in a smile every now and then (yes, that's his smile!).


Josh and Kai on the boardwalk at Merimbula. Another smile! Aaron took them out for the morning before the rain came back again.

Josh and Olivia after their ride down to the mailbox and back. Once Kai had his turn he wouldn't take the helmet off for anything!

Don't they look adorable!!

I think we have a break through, Kai actually asked me to take his picture AND smiled tonight while I had the camera out! I don't believe it. He cut his cheek on something in the yard this afternoon too poor fella...Josh comes to the back door telling me 'he's bleeding'...not my favourite words! He's fine tho, praise God :)


And a little creativity. I love cotton and knitted dish cloths, and always thought one day I'd make my own...well, thanks to a friend posting a link to a nice pattern for them this week (and a sale at spotlight!) I've just about finished my first one! I'm really excited - mostly because I'd stagnated on the cardi I'm making Ella cause I had to use 2 colours and didn't know how to join...well now I do! Plus I love the colours :) I almost don't want to use it to wash the dishes!

Edited to add: I just finished it! It took me 1 day to complete (not knitting the whole time of course, I wish!! lol) and aside from one dropped stitch that I had to get mum's help with, I did the whole thing myself! YAY!!!

I'm also getting into making some mini albums. For some weird reason I've always thought they were a waste of time (?) but thankfully I've seen the light and have got a lot of fun stuff together and now just need to get busy creating.

creative bliss

as I've mentioned, Ella has inspired me to get a little more creative lately :)

(nothing like being able to go nuts with pink to get me inspired!)

so I made this picture for her wall. it will be a part of a series of three...when I finish the other two ;)

while I was out today I found this birdie for her room as well

cause I'm a pretty simple-lovin person, I actually liked it just the way it was...but then I got to thinking that a little bling might be nice...on the crown...and maybe just a little ribbon...so I attacked the poor little birdie:

I really love the bling, and the ribbon on the stand...but am not so sure of the bow on the tail. What do you think - should it stay or go?