Oh So Pretty…

I am writing this in eager anticipation of an imminent craft project. Yes, that’s right, I’m planning on making something! I know. I’m shocked too.

I’m going to make a bag, another Emma Day Bag – since I had to give my last one away & I am just a teensy bit excited about the fabric I have chosen for it. I’ve never really been one for favourite fabric or designer collections – while some people drool over the latest Heather Ross print or scratch each other’s eyes out for the last scrap of some exclusive Alexander Henry fabric, I have been happy to squirrel away old sheets from the opshop & the remnants of forgotten fabric stashes at garage sales. I appreciate pretty fabric as much as the next person, but I didn’t need it to make my crafting world complete… but…

I have found a fabric designer who is so unique to me that they seem like a genius mastermind! There is not a single print or colour-way that I don’t adore, so I wanted to share the love (or enable, if you will) & introduce those of you who, like me, are not particularly in the loop or designer fabric savvy, to Japanese designer Etsuko Furuya, and her Echino collection.

Her work & collections aren’t new, just new to me, but her designs are just… well… I’ll let them speak for themselves. I want to cover every surface with them, wear them, admire them & most importantly MAKE STUFF with them… & I will be making something, soon! As soon as my fabric arrives & I can wrangle an hour or two alone with my sewing machine.

So, if you are more into the funky fabric world than I, do you have a favourite designer? Share the love!

(Images & my pending fabric delivery from Kelani)

Zucchini fever.

After The Boy brought in a massive yarrow (look at me with my gardening knowledge… a massive zucchini is called a yarrow & probably tastes just as appetizing as it sounds…) from his garden last night I realised I haven’t shared it with you yet – so here are some pictures of his pride & joy.

Oohparently, zucchinis grow like weeds, & The Boy planted a lot of them. We eat quite a bit of zucchini, but not that much, so his peeps at work have been receiving bagfuls, as as his Mum, there are yellow ones, stripy ones, round ones – it really is zucchini fever over here!

Also thriving are potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, rainbow chard, spinach, silver beet, corn, lettuce, cabbage & probably some other stuff I’ve missed – he’s from the Jackie French school of gardening – throw everything in as close together as you can & see what happens.

I love going outside to the lush greenery of the garden & realising that it’s all for us! We don’t have a single flower-type plant in the garden – there were a few here but The Boy ripped them up quick smart – they were taking up valuable veggie room!

Punky takes great pride in declaring all the produce from the garden “Hers” & greater pleasure in snaffling tomatoes as soon as they’re ready. She also likes the “white butterflies”… Daddy; not so much.

One downside is our water bill has gone up quite a bit – The Boy had the audacity to blame it on Suspence’s lovely nappies!!

A new obsession.

Blythe is gone from my thoughts – pushed out by pretty nappies, but now the nappies have been replaced too… What the hell is wrong with me…?

Why do I always have a ‘thing’?

Psychoanalysis aside, I have a new obsession & it’s baby carriers. Looking back on past ‘carrier use’, I should have seen this new addiction coming. I should have seen the signs… I wanted to use from the very beginning. I spent hours thinking about how good it would be if I had one. I tried different kinds of them. I kept going back…

With Le Punk I tried a stretchy wrap, a baby bjorn, a sling & finally, happily, the ergo. When we first found the ergo & found it worked for us unlike all the others I was so very happy. That ergo was a life-saver, helping us to navigate around an unfamiliar city on decidedly pram-unfriendly public transport. Punk would sleep in it, laugh in it, eat in it, I found if comfortable for long wear & super sturdy, so when expecting Suspence I was again looking forward to wearing it, I purchased the infant insert & was content. Punk even has her own little ergo!

But then… Suspence hated it. He would have no part of the bloody infant insert… in desperation I bought another sling… no love there. Another second hand baby bjorn too – I hate them but know from Punk that even if I find them objectionable, tiny babies don't necessarily – we were able to use that for a grand total of 2 weeks before Mr Tubby was just too heavy for me to carry comfortably… Then, disheartened, I thought “I’ll wait.”.

I’ll wait until Suspence is big enough for the ergo on his own. I’ll bide my time. I’ll not carry him… impossible. This kid needs to be in arms most of the day! So, when the nappy group I am a part of started a swap event I offered up my brand-new ergo infant insert for swaps & received a ring sling in return; because, ooohparently, I never learn.

I loved the ring sling when it arrived, it fit better than other slings I’d tried & was comfy & easy to adjust – if only Suspence could have felt the love too…! No dice. But. The fact that I personally liked the ring sling when I never thought I would got me thinking; “What else am I missing…?”, so when a Baby Hawk Mei Tai came up for sale on a forum (nappies, again…), I snapped it up. I had never even given the Mei Tai much serious consideration – all that tying looked like a capital pain in the butt & it couldn’t be as comfortable or easy as my beloved ergo….

I. Was. Wrong.

The Baby Hawk arrived yesterday & I am IN. LOVE. It was cute for a start, but most of all it was EASY. Easy to put on, easy to get the perfect fit, easy to wear & according to Suspence; easy to fall asleep in. This thing is so much more comfortable than the ergo that I find it a little hard to believe…

…& now that I know how fabulous Mei Tais are… well… I want another one. Or two. I want a prettier one. With a hood. Or a pocket. Or both.

A quick Google found me a plethora of free Mei Tai patterns & tutes – but I really am kidding myself if I think I am going to get the time to sit down & sew my own any time soon, as much as I’d like to, so now I am going to save up for something special… something like this, or one of these.

Do you baby wear? Have you tried but failed? Do you intend to? What on earth is my next ‘thing’ going to be (because you have just about as much of an idea as I do!)?!

Isn’t it Ironic…

…that I am probably “online” more than I have ever been – one handed via the iPod while Suspence is feeding or sleeping or crying in my arms – yet am blogging less than ever?!

(*please note that the following pictures have absolutely nothing to do with anything, they’re just some favourites taken recently…)

It is very near impossible to blog from my iPod kids, & just as hard to keep up with the blogs I read – commenting on them is quite the pain in the proverbial… but as I keep saying; I MISS YOU! Really & truly & would like to “hang out” with you again – but until Suspence is, oh, I don’t know… 12, My blog is going to be verrrrrrry quiet…

…so, I may have a temporary answer at the very least – I’ve just this moment, while Suspence is looking at me accusingly & starting to whimper – created a facebook page for the blog here.

Come & ‘like’ it & we can chat! Share your blog posts with me there if you like, or photos, links to your own fb pages or cute things to buy or make or tricks to get babies to sleep on their own… whatever you like & I will be there… A LOT. Like even at 3am. I might not make much sense then, but it’s the sleep deprived thought that counts.

…and if you don’t “do” facebook (because you have stronger resolve than I!), I will, eventually be back… but damn I can’t see when. I am so very crap at being a mother of two!

Finally….

My friend random.org has picked a winner of the lovely little tea zine;

Numero 8: Zofia!

Email me your address My Dear & I will endeavour to post it off to you…  soonish.

You can enjoy it with Chai or English Breakfast, both excellent choices in my humble opinion….

Can’t buy me love…

But thanks to some lovely, generous people, you can buy a bit of comfort & assistance to go towards the QLD flood relief efforts.

We have been in tears this morning, hearing about the devastation that is unfolding at the top of our country; the loss of life is shocking – The Boy was telling me earlier about a little four year old boy who was actually IN the rescue boat yet was still swept away… it doesn’t bare thinking about, my heart aches for him, his parents, the rescuers, everyone that has been lost & who has lost.

Show your support by supporting some of the fabulous people that have been organising fundraising auctions on facebook & around blogland; just some of the auctions I have found so far;

• Flick Will Fix It is holding an auction on facebook, donations so far range from Pettiskirts to web design.
• Possum Pouches are continuing with their fundraising efforts here.
• A fabulous nappy maker has set up an auction page here, nappies & baby items are pouring in.
• Handmade Kids are compiling their generous donations right now, for the auction beginning on the 14th.
• Oz Material Girls are gearing up for a big auction too.
• Blogger auctions & raffles co-ordinated via Make It Perfect.

Of course you don’t need to buy anything to donate, you can do so directly right here.

This is the second time I have posted this today – in the first I was musing about whether to auction a drawing or something to raise funds too, but somehow I felt a bit uncomfortable with that option the more I thought about it. Instead I just want to put the spotlight on all of the other people who have already done so much; Please support any or all of the above fundraisers, donate what you can & please, keep everyone who is affected in your thoughts; they are going to need all of our strength to get through this.

Stay safe. xo

Now you are 3!

It was Le Punk’s birthday yesterday, I can’t believe how quickly 3 years have flown by – especially since these last weeks with Suspense seem to have gone by rather slowly!

She had a wonderful day, full of presents, an indoor playground visit with her nanny, surprises (the dummy fairy came, took away her dummy & brought her a fairy!) & way too much sugar. I totally stole the birthday pancakes idea… thanks Kate!

My cake making efforts were dismal this year, I knew they would be & hoped to get away with an easy option – a giant cupcake using a silicone baking mould… not such a great idea when one has never used such a contraption before, or when one has an incredibly dodgey oven… Cake fail. Thankfully, for a Punk, lashings of pink icing & handfuls of M&Ms fix all problems…

Happy Birthday again to my precious Punky, I love you more than ice-cream & surprise kisses!

xoxo

PS, Lola, I think we need to put in an order for a couple more of these fabulous dresses, in the next size up…!