I have been busy....

After making the paper bag party bags (which I need to show you... another time) I thought how nice it would be to have fabric ones!

Hmmm... I had the piece of material in mind... a long time ago I discovered the frill from a vintage bed cover in a dear little op shop in Yamba. Half of it was used to cover my wooden ironing board (also an op shop find) and the other half has been sitting there waiting for the perfect project.

Voila! Gorgeous party bags!

I would love to go to a party and get a loot bag that is keepable, reusable AND gorgeous!

Visit our etsy shop to buy online.

Snail Mail

When I was a kid, I loved getting mail. And sending mail. We lived in the country, we had a huge big mailbox that I passed each day to go to the bus, and getting the mail was the highlight of my day. I had penpals from all over the world. 

I remember one time I entered a competition with the local telephone company and WON! The prize was to speak (on the telephone... no skype or ichat in those days!) to a nominated person overseas. I chose my penpal of 5 or so years from Sweden. We chatted for about 20 minutes... It was hard going, her English was good, but not that good... parts of the conversation were very stilted and it didn't help that the phone was connected to the wall in the kitchen and the privacy was non existent. Ahhh... life is so different now... (oooh I sound old now!)

Anyway, I tried to track her down a year or so ago... never found her. We wrote to each other for 21 years... so amazing... Somewhere amongst all my stuff is the box of all her letters... 

But what I am getting to... even though it's taking me a looooong time, is this:

our new beautiful handmade envelopes! They are very lovely. On a lovely parchment type stock, we lovingly designed them, handcut and they come with a set of sticky dots to seal them when you post.

The back of the envelopes say "Words have wings"

I wrote this because I believe that words have the ability to give our spirits wings... we are happy to recieve words of love, encouragement, praise... kind words lift our spirits... and they are so very easy to share.

I still, to this very day, LOVE to get snail mail. It is sooo much nicer than an email. I love the speed of emails and the simplicity of it, but the old fashioned surprise in the letterbox is definitely something I will always love.

How about you?

New things

It's always so exciting when we make new things...

Pippy really is the brains behind this one... and the patience to create them all so lovingly.

Not only are they all different, right down to their skin colour and hair colour, they are so lovely to look at, I just wish I had a girly whirl of my own to share her with. The boys said "Oh wow Mum! They are fantastic! Really nice. I like her, no... I like her the best... oh it is soooo hard to choose..." but then they turned around and ran away to play with a ball.

I don't really understand about balls and boys. It is so strange how they can kick and throw and catch and kick and throw and catch and kick and throw and catch all bleeding day. I can't do it! I really can't. I tried once, but it completely does my head in... I am constantly having conversations with myself about what I should be doing right now. It is so hard to stay on task with a ball...

Anyway, these lovely little dollies were a hit at the markets and I can understand why... I remember my paper dolls... In fact, I still have my paper dolls... I will take a photo of them this weekend and post a picture of a REAL VINTAGE paper doll... fancy that... I had not made the connection between mine and these... wow.

Kingscliff Market

We had two little helpers at last weekend’s market at Kingscliff.

Here are the feet of one . . .

The early, early morning (out of bed at 3:15 am)

and all the excitement were just too much by lunchtime,

so they made up a bed under the table and attempted to have a sleep!

It was a breezy warm day and we were lucky enough to be placed under the shade of a tree.

We ventured over to the beach

and collected pebbles and shells and waded in the water.

There were holes in the sand where the sand crabs were seeking refuge.

We found a heart shaped rock, smoothed by the waves.

Back at the market a large cat was playing a violin dancing on his back legs.  

There was a lot to see and do.

If we saw you there – Hello again

and THANKS for stopping by!

Keep your fingers crossed for us – we have our name on
the Casual Stallholder List and would love to go back!

Until then,
be sure to keep checking our etsy site
for new goodies we’ve made!

Who's Counting ?

32

days

until . . .

Christmas Day !

dreams...

I found this beautiful blog...  Lissy Lou and the 2 Little Boys

and this:

which is a great way to keep a track of what you like... it's amazing. 

I thought I liked a wide variety of things, 

but very quickly I noticed that there is a theme in what I like...

anyway...

I always seem to find the ones offshore... 

far away in other lands... 

and I fall in love with them

and I daydream 

and I wissssshhhhh ...

and I waste time surfing, surfing, surfing... 

and I think,

if only I had a girl, 

I could have fluff
and pink and flowers 

and dreamy white rooms with ribbons 

and teddy bears who watch the world go by
through wood framed windows... 

(sigh)

but alas I have an army of boys in my life 

and so happy I am here where I am...

but 
still determined to get my fill of pink fluff and blurred dreamy edges 

one way or another through the virtual world of another's eyes.

But seriously, LissyLou is lovely. 

I love it. 

It's pretty and quirky and within the first few posts it 

got me with this:

There is a fine line between

'hobby' and 'mental illness'.

Halloween at our House

My goodness Halloween this year was interesting!

Most times we go to my friend's house and the kids 'work' their street. 

This year I decided it was 

TIME 

to DO IT IN

OUR STREET!

The Little Man (9) got all dressed up. We straightened his CURLY CURLY hair so he looked like a fright night creature, he donned his velveteen cape and hood. The Big Man (11) was too cool to dress up this year, so he and his mate, Hazza, went off trick or treating in civilian clothes. (He won't do that again! He didn't believe me that people wouldn't be impressed! but he believed THEM when they said "You haven't made much of an effort mate!" Tee hee... one point to Mum!)

My two nieces arrived to escort the motley crew around the streets,
dressed as none other than 

WONDER WOMAN and

 Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

Off they all trotted at the very civilised hour of 5.15pm!
(So cute, it was still daylight!)

And then the stream began... 

approximately 50 little people knocked at my door, 

some with excited...
"Trick or Treeeeeeat?"

others with dull and monotonous

"Triiiick orrrr Treeeat?"

Those who sounded the happiest to be in my yard got the best lollies. 

Those who noticed Sydney (our resident skeleton) got extra again.
I told the children who cared that he was my husband...
some of them laughed.
Some of them didn't.
Some of them backed out of the gate never letting their eyes leave mine.... oops!

After about 90 minutes my babies burst through the door, 

talking ten to the dozen (what does that mean?) 

and heaving great big lumpy bags in their arms... oh dear! 

The Little Man goes straight to the cupboard, grabs the kitchen scales and starts weighing his loot. Imagine my surprise when he comes up with 650g!

650g of lollies!!!!

What!?!?!?!

"Oh! Oh"" says The Big Man who is always better 

than The Little Man or trying to be, "Let me weigh mine!" 

950g!

I am shocked! So shocked! Completely shocked! Outraged even!

One kilo of lollies simply for walking the streets and 

having the gaul to walk up to a strangers door and ask for lollies? 

It is ludicrous! Absolutely, positively ludicrous! 

But of course, next year will come and I will do the same again 

and I will be shocked and horrified and entertained 

and love it all again until ...

of course...

 I try and get my gremlins into bed but the sugar rush has taken hold

 and they don't sleep for hours 

and hours 

and my patience is wearing thinner 

and thinner 

and I am starting to tear at my hair 

and my clothes and my skin...

Happy Halloween!