secret's out.... it's a

. . . . . G I R L . . . . .

Sorry boys, but you will be out numbered!

Thankyou so much to those of you who have left well wishes and comments for me over the last few weeks. I can happily say that I'm finally out the other side of the nausea & snoozeness - yes, hello energy! I suspect it may be a small window of productiveness so it's now all systems go go go. This little lady is due on April 15th 2011 - nothing like a baby deadline to get you motivated. It would seem that this has happened with all of our children. With Ruby, we were repairing the wood rot in all of our timber windows & painting the house. With Sachin, a carport & pergola were being built as he was being delivered. With this little one, there seem to be an arms list of things to be finished on the house. Hey, if it get's stuff done maybe we should just keep making babies..... now that's a thought :)

#20 softies for mirabel

There's not been a whole lot of toy making going on at the moment, but these guys took priority. It was getting closer and closer to the "Softies for Mirabel" end of November deadline, so I think I've managed to allow just enough time to package and post them over to Pip in Melbourne. She will be displaying all of the donated creations in her shopfront window from Dec 1 - Dec 7, so if you're in Melbourne pop by for a gander. Don't worry, if you're not, you can check them out here.

The Mirabel Foundation is an organization that provides help to kids who have been orphaned or abandoned due to their Mum or Dad's drug addiction. All of the donated handmade toys will be thoughtfully matched up with the children and gifted for Christmas. Yay! 

(another item completed on the 40 before 40 list...)

2010 Christmas Pageant

early morning.
5:45am start.
threatening weather.
first pageant.
excited children.
prepared for rain.
mega crowds.
pancakes for breakfast.
great company (thanks nanny & grandma).
gold position.
smiling faces.
mesmerized faces.
energetic clowns.
delighted children.
jam packed tram.
tired children.
tired mum.
memorable day.
ready for 2011.

( old school ) library bag

There was no way I was heading to the school shop and buying one of those plastic library bags... no sirree... it had to be "old school" like my Mum made me. A little modern twist is fine but definitely gotta be home made.

Ruby announced last week that her new favourite colour is purple - thank goodness for that I muttered under my breath, as I am totally pinked out! Heading into my sewing room to check out the fabric stash this lovely old floral pillow case jumped out at me again. Purple requirement met.

The RUBY on the front is applied using an iron on transfer with a simple graphic I made in Photoshop, but you could use any software programme that enables you to make an image and print it. I had great success with these iron on transfers when I made Sachin's birthday t-shirt in December 2009, and after many many washes it is still going strong. I used this paper product which I found at my local Big W or Kmart - can't remember which one.

I fiddled with the drawstring a bit and created 4 button holes before hemming the top and threading the ribbon through. Time consuming yes (I hate doing button holes) but makes for a better finish that will last longer and won't fray. All made in under a couple of hours.

#10. The new sideboard.

Number 10 Find a low line sideboard for the Lobby on the 40 before 40 list has been completed and I couldn't be more chuffed with the outcome! But it was a long time coming.

Sometimes finding a piece of furniture that matches the image you have in your mind can be an impossible task - especially when the budget if tight. I've scoured the second hand and op shops for months on end and found nothing. Zip. Problem is, everyone is looking for the very same thing at the moment as retro furniture is so in demand. I was looking for a 1960s teak timber low-line sideboard which seems to be popular for flat screen TVs. Apparently they are going off at the auction houses which is all good and fine if you have a few hundred dollars. I've been watching them go on eBay for months, ranging from $300 - $1100 depending on the size and condition.

So my brief was to find a sideboard for our Lobby which can hold all the day to day stuff. Bags, keys, phones, umbrellas - you know, the things you dump as you enter the house and then can't find when you leave. We currently have this lovely buffet which is slightly the wrong decade for our house. The 60s styling and darker teak colour is not true to our 1950s decor and it feels too big and heavy in a space that already has a lot of timber. Not to be parted with, it will be relocated downstairs into the kids playroom and used as the art/craft storage cupboard.

before- the too big 1960s buffet

after - the new 1950s sideboard

Finally last week I found something different on eBay. It jumped out at me - 1950s blondewood - great legs and not too big. Higher than the low-line I had been imagining but ample storage for what we needed. The 2 supplied photos looked a little dodgy and I really couldn't tell what state it was in but hey, the bidding was only at $14. Much to my surprise I placed the winning bid a few days later at $37. I waited in anticipation on Monday night as Dean picked it up after work and bought it home. Much to our surprise it's not nasty at all. It's brilliant. Perfect size for the space. It comes with a few scratches and dings but that just adds character and matches the rest of our loved but not-so-perfect house :)