my me day

One day a week I have both the kids in kindy/childcare. It's usually the day when I run around like a crazy woman trying to achieve a to-do list the length of my arm. Most times I get to the end of the day and feel deflated - only managing to cross 1 or 2 things off my impossible list of expectations.

Yesterday was not one of those days. Instead I wrote the day off to Mummy well being. It went like this.

• Drop kids off to kindy & childcare.
• Haircut (also involving coffee, trashy magazine reading & plenty of child-free chit chat)
• Leave salon feeling polished & presentable
• Pop into vintage clothing store & try on retro frocks (almost purchase but still wearing sensible hat at this stage)
• Head to favourite cafe for leisurely lunch & cappuccino while reading the local paper front to back
• Pop into 2 favourite op shops (thrift stores) and find a few gems

• Feeling like a million bucks with new hair cut decide to ramp it up at the end of the day and hit the shops. After a 15 minute power shop exit the store with 2 dresses & 2 orange cardigans... woo hoo!
• Pick up the kids a new Mum. Happy. Refreshed. Recharged. Bit more spunky :)

This is a highly recommended way to occasionally spend your child free day!

elsie marley's kids clothes week challenge

Elsie Marley is running a week of sewing for the little chaps, starting May 10th. The challenge is to put one hour in every night for a week and see what you can accomplish. It can be new projects or something that has been sitting in the half finished pile for a little too long.

I'm going to attempt to make a pair of these Hipsters for Slimsters pants for Sachin in an effort to find a style he can wear with no belt (he has no bum). I also have this this this and this on the wish list so we'll see how productive the week can be.

I have a pinafore/smock in mind for Ruby - just need to find the right pattern. In the meantime I do have this this this and this as back-ups. I'm absolutely loving this dress pattern but..dang! ...it's sold out. Will be keeping my eye on that one.

Actually as I have been writing this post and checking out the links I have made a last minute online purchase. I have wanted to buy this book for a long time - now I have the perfect excuse!

It will be a week of much learning for me as I have a very basic understanding of how to follow a pattern. Much more of a make it up as you go kind of girl. Perhaps I will be doing a bit of both??

calendar photo project

We started a photography project in January this year after purchasing these from Picky Sticky back in March 2009.

Each month we take a photo (or several in my case) of the kids then file them in our 2011 Calendar file on Flickr. At the end of the year we will hopefully have a photo from each month to choose from.

Look out family! I don't want to give anything away... but there may be a calendar or two finding their way into Christmas stockings..... just a guess...

keeping up with the joneses

Finally caved in to peer pressure (hey... everyone's doin' it) and created my Facebook Fan Page.

I'll admit at this moment in time I currently have 0 fans - that's OK - I've got broad shoulders!

If you'd like to become a friend of fede and hear about new designs, shop updates & other worldly , life changing news then please don't hesitate to pop over and take a look. Hey, you might even want to become my first fan :)

a tea party minus the mad hatter

Ruby is not a lover of milk chocolate (something my mind can't figure, being the chocoholic that I am) however she will settle for white chocolate rather than miss out. Easter Bunny met these requirements and satisfied her desires with white chocolate & marshmallow. Having said this, the fridge is currently filled with a lot of white chocolate & marshmallow. She is also not so keen on any type of cake so it is always a challenge to find a recipe that might tempt her taste buds.

Yesterday I had SUCCESS.... Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins

The tea party is so much better when there is something yummy to eat for all partakers.

We've been watching Alice in Wonderland (the 1999 Gene Wilder version) in the school holidays and feeling the tea party influence.

I used this recipe minus a few selective ingredients, however I'm sure they'd probably taste even better with the lot.

1/2 cup (95g) white chocolate (we used broken easter eggs)

3/4 cup (155g) caster sugar

2 cups (300g) self-raising flour

1/2 cup (80g) coarsely chopped macadamias (we skipped - not popular with little people)

1 cup (125g) frozen raspberries

1 egg, lightly whisked

1/2 cup (125ml) macadamia oil (we used vegetable oil)

3/4 cup (185ml) buttermilk (we used cow's milk)

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line six muffin pans with paper cases. Combine the white chocolate, sugar, flour and macadamias in a large bowl. Coarsely chop half the raspberries. Add all the raspberries to the mixture. Stir to combine. Make a well in the centre.Whisk the egg, oil and buttermilk in a jug. Pour into the flour mixture. Gently stir until just combined. Spoon evenly among the pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from oven, set aside for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

easter is in da house : coloured eggs & bunny ears

Happy Easter! We're off to the park for our annual Easter Picnic - hope you have yourselves a relaxing day.

This years Easter crafting included new bunny ears (next year if I get myself organised I'll put together a tutorial on how to make them) and colouring boiled eggs. One project for me & one for the kids. Typically left to the last minute - yesterday. Aaah I wouldn't know myself if it was any other way!

Good Friday: Cleland Wildlife Park

Yesterday was family outing day. Perfect weather for an afternoon stroll through the Cleland Wildlife Park . The last time I visited I was a child myself - so many fond memories that I am now able to share with my own children.

We started with a packed lunch - Ruby started with a lippy touch-up!

We tried feeding the Roos but they were in afternoon snooze mode

Getting up close with the koala is my fondest childhood memory - infact this photo is a little deja vu - I think I had my hair in plaits that day too! Is it bringing back memories Mum??

This duck had beautiful markings - the patterns & textures could inspire a handful of design ideas...mmmm

little legs were getting weary....

heading home with some new friends

printspace

I recently purchased these prints for our children's room from Printspace while at the Bowerbird Bazaar. Created and produced by Mara & Nicolas Girling in Melbourne, Australia.

"Inspired by the design scene of the mid 20th Century and the world around us today, Printspace art prints are created to spark the imagination and make us smile".

Aren't they just delightful! Take a look at their online shop here

my lovely bluestone

I've been planning and dreaming about this wall for about a year now. Today it came to life & I'm totally smitten. It's just a stone wall you may say - but to me it is a work of art. I suspect I may be having a love affair with it for quite some time.

Renovating can be trying at times when you don't have the right people on board, but when you get lucky it can be an utter joy. We are thankful to have found the diversely skilled Neil - a trusty man of many trades. He has almost been a permanent fixture here over the last 6 months, doing everything from building brick walls to paving and now the stone book leaf walling, followed by laying irrigation & turf.

The curved wall will step down into a grassed lawn area. It will be so nice to see some life and greenery in our dry dusty back yard. Given we are using roll out cut turf it will be instant colour. Another week and a bit to wait but it's all action and great to see so much production happening outside. With a 4 day weekend ahead of us for Easter it should mean lots of time spent in the great outdoors.

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter and enjoy lots & lots of yummy chocolate. I know I will!

fede in the press

HERALD SUN HOME MAGAZINE MARCH 13 2010

This is the first time my mug has appeared in the printed press which made it a very exciting experience for this little maker. The telephone interview was quite nerve wrecking and I'm sure I waffled and waffled.... and then waffled some more!! Nervous energy makes me babble. Lucky for me the ears of a professional waffle sifter were at the other end to make sense of it all.

I am very grateful to all of you folk from Victoria (home of the Herald Sun) who have made contact with me and/or purchased toys from my online shop. Your response has been overwhelming and very flattering.

Thankyou to Louise and Joanne at the Herald Sun Home Magazine for putting it all together.

I will be uploading new toys and a hand full of new cushions into the shop over the next few days - products of my recent "making" frenzy!!

Also to come are photos of last weekends fabulous Bowerbird Bazaar......