Melbourne Vintage

Thank You Note

2012-01-26T18:44:00.000+11:00

Thank you for responding with lots of interesting comments on my birth post. It appears that almost no one has a smooth ride. And that's ok, right? Just means the way we talk about birth needs to change and we need to acknowledge that it's a complex, often difficult process, involving all sorts of emotions from fear to elation. As far as I'm concerned, if I am ever doing it again, I will not pressure myself at all and just be honest about it if newly pregnant friends ask my opinion. And not everyone needs to have bad experience. I think mine would have been much better if I hadn't approached it as if I was preparing for a yoga retreat. Seriously.
For the moment I'm concentrating on the here and now.
Next time, I'll tell you all about my postnatal depression and how I spent 4 weeks in the psych mother baby unit. I am just bags of fun and joy, let me throw it around like confetti!
But look how far we've come!

No Birth Story

2012-01-25T10:29:00.000+11:00

This is not a birth story. I don't want to write what happened at the birth of my baby. I would rather forget.

People, I feel betrayed. I spent nine months reading nothing but birth stories. I couldn't wait to write down how I "birthed" my "babe". I read so many books on yoga birth poses, hypnobirthing and "breathing out the baby", and watched documentaries about arse-kicking feminist who give birth in the bathtub in the name female empowerment, and I could not wait to join them. I was obsessed with the many blogs detailing the lives of beautiful ladies birthing on yogaballs whilst muttering affirmations.
I wanted to be like them, and feel at one with the world, finally. This birthing experience was going to kick some arse.

Then I went to hospital, I somehow, I don't know how, gave birth to a 4,65 kilo baby, and I felt violated. Birth, people, was not my moment to experience self-realisation by means of connecting to mother earth in a powerful way. It was not empowering to feel the labour pains. I refuse to call them "waves". They were earth-shatteringly crippling pains that I was sure I'd not be able to handle for longer than 2 seconds. And I am no a wuss. I am built like a solid Germanic horse, and I could not believe my body was letting me down. I had gas, pain relief, and finally, thank you lord, the epidural. In my mind, I'd already failed. The yoga ball remained unused in the corner.

Then it was my moment to shine. Push! Push! I thought I'd experience the magic moment that I'd later remember - like a well of strength I'd be able to draw from for the rest of my life. Instead I thought I was going to die of fear. It is not empowering to be cut open like a christmas turkey and have a quarter pounder ripped out of you. And I don't think I'd say anything different if I'd given birth at home in a bathtub, to a normal-sized child.

And it was over, and she was out. Finally I was going to feel that giant rush of love when that wee wet bundle of joy would be chucked on my abdomen. Matilda was born, her heartrate had dropped and she was thrown in the emergency incubator and doctors were shoving oxygen on her face. I did not feel a rush of love. I felt my heart open wide when I saw her, briefly. I literally felt my heart open, and I heard myself screaming for the baby, I thought she was dead, and in that moment my newly open heart was torn into a million pieces.

Then the baby was fine, but I was bleeding, and medicated, and so, so sick. I felt like a tractor had been parked on me. I couldn't even hold the baby. I did not want to. I did not feel a rush of love. I did not feel empowered. I felt like a failure. And a bad mother. The world had suddenly become a terrifying place.
I felt I had let myself down, and the baby. And I kept looking at her, and urging myself to feel that joy that I'd read so much about, but for me it remained unreachable.

How sad for me that I spent nine months not following my own instincts, and believing that I needed to have not a birth, but a BIRTH EXPERIENCE. It needed to be calm, spiritual, amazing, and my favourite word of all time (not): NATURAL. A natural birth please, for me! I wanted to show it to the naysayers who'd tell me with that evil glint in their eyes that I'd scream for an epidural the second the contractions hit. Which I did (that doesn't make the naysayers any nicer though).
Well screw all that.

I wish that prior to giving birth, someone had told me that it's ok to be terrified, scared, upset. That birth isn't a concept that sits somewhere between yoga and discovering god.

Lucky for me, my friend Erin saved my life when I told her, in tears, that I did not feel a rush of love for my baby at all. I did not feel a huge "bond". I simply felt that the earth had stopped moving. All I could feel was extreme terror that something might happen to her, or me.

Then Erin said: "you didn't meet the baby at birth, and you didn't need to bond with her. You met her when she was in your belly, you bonded with her then, and you already knew her when she came out. You didn't need to fall in love with her. You were already in love with her".

And it was true. And we are ok, now.

PS: This is what a baby looks like just after birth. Not that pretty. Take note, movie makers.

Awkward Pause.

2012-01-23T14:46:00.001+11:00

Pretty good excuse though

Hello

Matilda Joy

17 September 2011

Seedling

2011-09-06T12:01:00.000+10:00

The mystery tree is starting to do stuff.

I started doing stuff. With all the growing around here it just made sense to plant seedlings while I'm waiting.

I got some lovely heirloom seeds and used easy-peasy Jiffy Pods to plant the seeds.

Now they are covered and sitting by the window waiting to sprout.

I am covered with a blanket sitting on the couch waiting as well.

39 weeks

2011-09-02T15:27:00.000+10:00

Some shots my photographer friend Laura took - I'm glad she talked me into it! x

2011-09-01T18:30:00.000+10:00

It's official - we are having a spring baby!

In between taking baths and naps and visiting the acupuncturist to needle the baby out, I've not been doing much. I have really gone into my quiet little cocoon space in my own head just waiting for the baby. I am noticeably impatient with others and have very little capacity to listen to anyone. I think it's just my brain and body focussing and the most important task that's coming up. Most fantastically everyone seems to understand (with the odd exception of course).

I have been watching this tree in our garden. I can't figure out what kind it is. It's in our yard and it's big and it has black buds. I'm waiting for the baby, and waiting for the buds of the tree to open so I can see!

{Been obsessively making things with my circular cutter and paper!}

Been watching old Friends and Season 2 of Parenthood.}

Been making this really delicious and easy Apple Streusel slice.}

Been reading this great blog!}

(My friend Laura came over to visit me and we had cake and tea and she took some belly shots. She is a photographer and they turned out amazing. I'm glad she talked me into it! She also explained my Canon 550D to me, I have been using the auto mode because I am technically so challenged, but I'm getting a bit more creative with it now I understand the basics and it's great fun!}

Yummy lamb mince and hummus flatbreads!

2011-08-30T18:53:00.000+10:00

This is a super quick and very delicious dinner that I've invented recently, using a recipe in the Moro Cookbook as inspiration. If you do not like lamb mince you can use beef mince too or a Vegetarian faux-mince!

You could also make the hummus yourself but I didn't - for the sake of speediness. Plus I reckon the hummus we get from the market is pretty delicious anyways.

what you need to make 4 serves

1 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped
250g minced lamb - or more if you like it meaty

hummus (about a 250g tub will be enough)

4-6 flatbreads

pinenuts

olive oil
black pepper
sea salt

2 tbs sweet paprika
chopped fresh parsley

chopped fresh mint

Serve with fresh lettuce leaves or make a salad with lettuce, red peppers and feta cheese!

how to make

Pop the flatbreads in the oven for about 10 minutes at 180 degrees to heat them.

Meanwhile heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small frying pan and fry the onions and garlic until tender. Add the lamb mince, season with salt, pepper and sweet paprika (also some dried coriander if you like it).

Use a fork to break the lamb up as it cooks. Take your flatbreads out of the oven and spread hummus on generously. Then sprinkle the cooked lamb mince mix over the hummus. Sprinkle pine nuts and a generous serving of parsley and mint over the top. Finish off with a bit of sweet paprika and serve with a lovely fresh salad!

Flatbread

Prints

2011-08-23T17:53:00.000+10:00

Can't get enough of prints at the moment. I love these glycee prints from CakeWithGiants.

Summer...

2011-08-18T14:11:00.000+10:00

I am a huge fan of UK fairtrade clothes company PeopleTree and I would totally like to buy all of these dresses immediately. Not that I could fit into them right now, but with the right lottery win, size reduction due to birth, and fake tan these would be a winner for summer don't you think! It's amazing the time you can waste online when you're on the couch with a huge baby belly... I think the phone rang three times and I am just too sleepy to answer, let alone have a conversation of the sense-making kind!

from Peopletree

Nursery Craft

2011-08-16T20:21:00.000+10:00

Here are some shots of the nursery! We did not really need to spend much money on the baby's room. We got the change table and crib as family hand me downs, and the cabinet I picked up second hand, same with the chair (it's an Ikea chair that was recommended to me for breastfeeding).
I made all the blankets and wraps. I also made the cute little fabric circles above the crib. I also made the curtains from Ikea fabric. All in all we spent about 200 dollars on the room I think. I am really in love with it and so happy how it turned out!

35 Weeks

2011-08-08T18:04:00.000+10:00

Yup, that's us.

I am totally out of sorts this week. Last week I went to hospital every single day. It was exhausting.
I finally got a diagnosis for my heart issue and it consists of fancy Latin words that essentially mean I have a form of tachicardia which can potentially be fixed after pregnancy with a small procedure. On my heart.
I do find that a bit frightening. I found it frightening to sit in a hospital so far away from home and be told in words I barely understand (I don't really get medical English) what they were going to potentially do, or not. It made me want to jump on a plane. I was just worried about the baby to be honest, but this condition I have is not that bad, and I have been assured by my sister I don't need to worry about it.

I am also increasingly irritable because I am now so huge and uncomfortable and the larger the size of the belly the more stupid advice I get and I really just don't want to have to listen... I am taking time out on the couch as a result of all of this. I don't even want to call anybody, I just want to sit on the couch and wait till the world spins at a very very slow speed, just like me.

I'm weaved out

2011-08-03T21:02:00.000+10:00

Weaved in all the ends. I do really, really hate weaving in ends.

I am loving this now it's finished. Based on the Super Easy Baby Blanket. Knitted in superwash Merino (very soft) from Morris&Sons. The colours may be crazy. But I like it a bit crazy.

34 Weeks

2011-08-01T08:59:00.000+10:00

Feeling ready. In the next weeks we will find out if there will be an early induction. Since the baby is on the 96 percentile in terms of her growth, I don't have a problem with coaxing her out early. She seems quite eager to emerge, I think the frantic kicking is her trying to find the exit. If she is like me, she will box her way out impatiently. If she is like her dad, she will hang on in there and just chill, induction hormones or not.

I have been reading parenting books and been thinking about what our baby needs and what it doesn't need. I have been discussing some things with other mothers and looking for parenting inspiration everywhere. I have found it disappointing that people who are already parents will delight in telling you that all your parenting ideals are snotty, unachievable and pretentious. I don't want to discuss my ideals and goals with anyone who is just waiting for me to fail so I can join them on the parental bottom of the pit with a glass of bourbon. So I have stuck to friends who will be celebrating our smaller and bigger successes and be kind about our failures without that "in your face" sentiment. I have really made a point to avoid people who give me that "just you wait" attitude, rather than support me in my decisions.

Pregnancy and having children is a minefield of opinion - I don't think I've ever even discussed any topic that people are so passionately opinionated about. That may be a good thing but it also means you have to stick to your guns and ideas even though you don't know what you're doing - yet and feel overwhelmed by so much advice and warnings and raised eyebrows. A friend of mine emailed me the the other day and said "all they need is food and nappies and lots of love in the beginning" and I felt tempted to reply "yes but do they also need a Sophie Le Giraffe teething toy?". That's when I realised I really have to stop worrying and start trusting my instincts. My instincts tell me that the baby needs me to chill the heck out. So I am. And also eat biscuits. Which I am also doing.

Baby Quilt

2011-07-27T16:59:00.001+10:00

... and a matching cushion too. I am really happy with the end result!

The pattern and quilting was very much inspired by this quilt - I fell in love with the zig zag lines. And I am saying inspired because I could never execute anything as amazingly as Rita. And while I am writing this odd Oscars thank you speech, may I say huge props go to my machine's trusty walking foot and thanks to my machine for not quitting on me and always believing in me. Well. Mostly.

The fabrics came mainly from scraps, except the lovely elephant fabric which I completely adore! I did not make the binding - I have lost my bias tape maker so popped into Amitie this afternoon to grab some binding there. It is very dangerous to live close to Amitie. I had to sit on the floor to rummage through the bias binding basket, and had difficulty getting up again, and I'm sure everyone in there thought I was going to go into labour clutching my bias tape and that my waters would break over all the lovely quilts. Now there's a scenario to have nightmares about.

I have been spending so much time at home resting and recovering and this was the perfect little project to keep me calm and trucking along on the machine. And what a glorious day today so I could photograph the quilt in the sunshine! I hope the baby will like her heirloom. She will probably say "but mum I want barbie sheets from Target". Bad luck dude, bad luck.

33 Weeks

2011-07-25T10:13:00.000+10:00

I think the first picture says it all.

Top Marks from the style department. Please not the grey woollen socks stuffed into leggins, in turn stuck into (ill-fitting) hiking boots. All my shoes are now too small due to my feet being swollen and huge (and somehow also very flat). I can no longer fit into my maternity jeans because they hurt my belly (and I've become obsessed thinking they cut circulation off to the baby) so these days I look like a deranged gypsy. This outfit isn't actually so bad. You should have seen what I tried on before I found this dress in the wash. But this dress I ironed on a high setting and due to the high polyester content, it started burning slightly so now I am constantly smelling like burnt plastic. Pregnancy is very glamorous.

On Friday night we had to call am ambulance because I had pretty severe heart palpitations - I am used to having these, but they wouldn't ease up and I felt nauseous and shaky. I wanted husband to drive me to the emergency but he had a few beers while he was out and so it had to be the ambulance. If our private health cover fails it will have been the most expensive few beers he's ever had. Anyhow this week I have to have check ups and get this all investigated. We spent most of the weekend recovering from the late night on the couch. We came home on Saturday morning around 6am completely shattered.

blogged from finland

2011-07-22T20:26:00.000+10:00

I am in love with THIS blog. I love all the colourful things they make for their house and their kids.

Yup I love it.

PS All images are from weekdaycarnival of course!

Love = Pegboards and Bloggyworld

2011-07-19T19:00:00.001+10:00

Now will you look at what this fabulous miss has sent in the mail for me. After days of blathering in a very boring way about my inability to find pegboard hooks on Twitter, I received a whole bag of them in the mail - plus the most gorgeous vintage fabric baby girl dress! I can't believe how generous fellow bloggy world friends are. I enthusiastically spent some hours hooking things to the pegboard and daydreaming about our baby girl playing in the grass wearing this supercute outfit.
And a lovely fellow Brown owl gave me this beautiful knitted baby hat.
Way to make a girl get emotional, ladies!

Thank you. x

PS: And in case you were wondering (I am sure you were not), the overlocker is still not playing nicely so I have put it in the naughty corner. The sewing machine is working again, though. Leading by example.

32 Weeks

2011-07-18T10:21:00.000+10:00

What a Papa can do is quite amazing. He can make me fear incontinence when he makes me laugh, and he makes me laugh a lot. He can also put together shelves and drill holes into the wall and sort all his tools into a toolbox with great care. He can also be a great forklift when I am stuck in the bath. He can patiently stare at my stomach to catch a glimpse of a little foot (but never long enough so he misses out, all the time).

He can make me tea and make me stay on the couch and pat my head when I am sobbing because I'm tired. He can also watch TV shows with dragons, dwarfs and medieval bosom ladies at a very annoying volume. He can make some very odd choices in reading material before childbirth - I mean, who would chose to read Orhan Pamuk and Cormack McCarthy 8 weeks before having a child... but that's just him. He has great hopes that you are a Timelord or that you will at least love watching Doctor Who with him and patiently listen to his explanations of how cricket works. Because I never do. We don't really mind if you are a Timelord or not but if you could somehow make time go quicker so we can meet you sooner we would appreciate it.

Finished!

2011-07-15T11:50:00.000+10:00

Fellow crafters who have seen my pitiful attempts at finishing the baby blanket of horror won't believe me but::: I finished this today. It's a cloud baby mobile made entirely from scrap fabric and felt, and two buttons, and some fishing wire. I think it's super cute. I stuck to fairly simple colours and lots of black and white because as a smart new mother who reads too many books on baby development, I know that babies can only really see black and white and some colours at the beginning. I hope she will like to look at this. The quilted change table cover is a UFO (unfinished object) that I found in a box. It has some very nice bamboo batting on the back so it can double up as a playmat.

PS: I had a long chat to my sewing machine and after rethreading, cleaning, oiling ~~and punching it~~
it decided to play nicely again so it will not need to be taken in to the machine hospital. Thank you, machine. That does however not resolve the issue of the unthreadable overlocker of doom.

31 Weeks

2011-07-13T11:49:00.000+10:00

1. Conversations in our house still go like this

"I am SO tired. I don't understand why I'm so tired."
"You're PREGNANT."
"Yes but why am I always so tired?"
"Because you're GROWING A HUMAN".
"Yes but I just don't understand why I'm so tired".

etc etc.

I still haven't quite figured it out yet. But it looks as though I have to slow things down a bit more, some days I'm ok and some days I'm just too tired to even go and get a glass of water. Coincidentally the baby is now moving more than ever, which is nice, but you know, at 3 in the morning I'd like her to be asleep, instead she is kicking me in the ribs as if to say "hey you boring lame peeps, entertain me". She is also digging her fingers into my sides, which feels really funny. Poke, poke.

2.This ginormous baby blanket will not finish itself. Just a note to self. Neither will the baby quilt, baby mobile, bassinet sheets and clothing. Cough. Cough.

3. From all my baby books I gather than my relationship will implode after the baby arrives - faster than I can say poopy nappy. I don't really think that's going to happen - after 10 years the boat isn't that easily rocked - but the dynamics will most certainly change. It's one of the things I've thought about the most in recent weeks. Just the fact that oddly this little creature is bonding us closer together than ever, and at the same we have to move apart to make room for her. So it's now pre-baby dating time and we are trying to get out for nice dinners, and I like getting nice native flowers occasionally, like these ones.

4. I do not understand how anyone can be of the opinion that having a baby does not require much preparation or thought. It does. And it's not that great when you can't remember any of the preparation necessary, let alone any thoughts. So I am making lists. They are everywhere. And still, I forget to take the lists to the shops, and then I stand there in Ikea, without a clue what I wanted there, and resolve the crisis by eating Ikea carrot cake and Applesinjus and staring into space. And kindly nod towards the other pregnany ladies who are also standing there with their carrot cakes staring into space, thinking exactly the same thoughts as me, I'm sure.

Favourite Bits

2011-07-11T16:58:00.000+10:00

We have almost moved in and I am in complete crazy nesting mode. I just took these shots to learn how to adjust the ISO on our camera, but they turned out pretty nice I think!

Nursery Prints

2011-07-07T15:08:00.000+10:00

Don't get me wrong, there is no nursery yet as such, there is a room which hosts spare mattresses, washing lines, and mountains of baby clothes (conveniently ALL in the same size - well done me!), as well as random items such as nasal extractors. Once we have some stuff that the baby actually needs in there, I am dreaming of putting all these prints on the walls.

I love Blanca Gomez and I need more of her prints! This one would be so cute in the baby room!

Cute whale print found on Etsy

Alphabet Print by Finkastudio on Etsy

Still want this Wayne Pate print.. a lot!

Wintry

2011-07-04T17:19:00.000+10:00

30 Weeks

2011-07-03T22:14:00.000+10:00

It's all getting a bit too real... childbirth ed classes, getting things a ready as you can, chatting to other mums, ignoring most of the advice, learning to breathe with lungs at half their usual capacity... sleeping on a wedge pillow, eating magnesium supplements, feeling very tired and full of anticipation. Cramming as much time in together as we can, just the two of us, as it's been now for over 10 years. There's room for one more.

This week we put my iPhone on my belly while it was playing music and watched it being kicked from below.

I am a bit, no a lot, worried about going through the next months away from home. I'm sad to not be able to share them with close friends and family. It can feel completely overwhelming. But I'm just happy at the moment to be enjoying these last very precious weeks with my husband as we watch my belly grow.

I love my ring

2011-07-01T16:46:00.000+10:00

I had to take my wedding ring off due to completely unreasonable swelling of my extremities. But I won't take this off. It is my most treasured material "thing". I wish I could go back in time and get engaged again. We had such a lovely time that winter and I was only slightly irritated when I had to pay a strange UPS man a lot of money for import tax on something he was delivering from the States in a small box. It just so happened that my now husband had bought this ring in the US, where he found it at an ethical jewelery place, and shipped it to my parents' place where we were spending time over Christmas. He told me it was a present from his mum, but I secretly suspected he had bought something expensive and electronic (and was secretly getting a bit mad about it). It also just so happened that I had frequently shown him pictures of all the kinds of rings I didn't like - I'm not one for large rocks and most definitely not one for unethically sourced stones, that was the most important part to me. I couldn't really love this any more if I tried.

We went to Paris on the train and I was a bit concerned that my husband was constantly touching his nether regions. Turns out he was just checking the ring was still in his pocked. ALL the time. We slid around a very icy and snowy Paris, got sick and then got engaged in the lovely hotel room while I was sipping some tea from a toothbrush holder cup. There was champagne hidden outside the window which we drank, all of it, and then slid around the square we lived on (which contains the grave of Monsieur Saint-Exupery, this was the best part) a bit tipsily until we found some place to eat. I'll never forget a second of it. I love looking at the pictures from that holiday.

Skip to the End

2011-06-29T08:27:00.000+10:00

Ihave reached that point in my pregnancy where I am permanently a bit uncomfortable and very fatigued. I am not really happy about that. I asked my doctor to take more blood samples to check why I'm so tired. I am a doctor's daughter - I always think there must be some pill to fix me! She looked at me and said "um, it's because you are PREGNANT". It took another doctor and a midwife to give me the same answer until I caved in. Fair enough. I get it. I guess fighting it won't do much good at this point.

I really dislike being so lethargic. Pregnancy is not the same for everyone. My sister worked as a full time doctor right up to 6 weeks before birth. Somehow I had the idea that I would be similarly energetic! But not so. I have more of a struggle with hormones anyway, so it's no surprise that I am feeling sluggish, and particularly afternoons are hard, because I feel very tired and super hormonal and usually weep for no reason. Ok, sometimes I say things like "but ALL I WANTED was a POTATO" and cry dramatically. It's nice, being reduced to a stereotype by hormonal substances going bananas!

The baby is happy as Larry and loves water noises, particularly when I turn the tap on. There are some crazy times in utero - sometimes I think the baby might be rehearsing for So You Think You Can Dance, but she's probably just looking for the umbilical cord or getting mad that she has misplaced her thumb. She also nudges me and kicks me at night when I lie on the wrong side - I cave in and roll over. I am really very, very grateful that she is so healthy. I already have such a strong bond with her, and just the thought anything could happen to her reduces me to a complete mess.

Meanwhile, my feet are so huge that I can barely walk in my normal shoes, and I saw these boots on the internet and decided I really need to have them. Sadly we are very broke and I was looking for a way I could justify buying them (there isn't one). I came up with: "they will be handy when I have the baby and have to breastfeed". This doesn't even make sense to me. But yes - owning these boots will make be a better breastfeeder and mother I'm sure of that.

Behold! The Magic Breastfeeding Boot

Linea Nigra

2011-06-27T20:22:00.001+10:00

There are many fascinating things about pregnancy (unexplained foot growth, watching your fingers swell, crazy hair and piles for example) but I find the linea nigra truly amazing. Nobody knows why it's there....
it only occurs in about a third of pregnant women and it's a dark or black line that runs from your upper abdomen all the way along the rounded belly. Sort of like a symmetrical divider. The story goes that touching the linea nigra brings good luck... you can rub my belly with my permission!

Scenes from a Past Life

2011-06-24T11:08:00.000+10:00

Scenes from Wineglass Bay, New York, Washington, London, Paris, Sevilla, Munich, somewhere in the Alps, Planes, and Beaches (please note the youthful skin)

This week it's hit me: we have a little ankle biter coming out way. No more JoeyNomad, Joey Stayathome. No more spontaneous plane hopping, falafels in Paris, intoxicated Harry Potter in gold class, sliding down snowy hills in Prague. Also no more shedding old skin along with old furniture and starting new. Not for a while at least. It's going to happen someday.
That sounds ungrateful and snottily European. I know. Just let me say bubbye to my old life in my own way. It doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to the next one!

New Home

2011-06-20T11:14:00.001+10:00

We have moved! We have unpacked all the boxes and quiet corners are appearing in between all the mess. I love this wall decal which I bought last year as a present for my husband. Now it's got a special place in the bedroom. I am trying to turn the bedroom into a calm space because I will be spending a lot of time in there with the baby! At present, if you could see under this calm photograph you'd find piles of washing and dirty Ugg Boots.

The baby's room is full of stuff and I want to spend the next few weeks making a lovely nursery using as little money as possible. Expect some crafty solutions. If I can ever not be tired, and actually get off the couch to do it. I was not prepared for how tired pregnancy can make you. I do not really like being lethargic as I am usually more of a full of beans person, and this sluggishness is making me quite mad.

I am also working on my craft corner so I can resume private and professional sewing!

>> We had our first lovely visitors on the weekend and we made Jamie Oliver's lasagna which I love because it uses Creme Fraiche instead of Bechamel.

>> I had a lovely time at Brown Owls last week. We did some stitching and I managed to embroider something teensy - I got quite hooked on it! Magdalena had a copy of this printable stitch guide, which I will print as soon as I can find the printer cable!

29 weeks

2011-06-20T10:40:00.000+10:00

We moved house. We are so looking forward to making the nursery cute and making a home for you!
It's cold and most of the time I am struggling to fit into any kind of winter clothes. Sleeping is becoming pretty impossible. There are distinct "warning" kicks if I lie on the wrong side. Until I move I am being poked, kicked and prodded! I am already planning your first trip home to meet all your aunties, cousins, and step-aunties and step-uncles.

This week I am hiding.

2011-06-06T12:13:00.000+10:00

I am hiding behind my latest knitting project. This is a superwash Merino blanket for our little baby. Based on the idea of the super simple baby blanket, but I decided to mix the stripes up a bit and I made some pretty bold colour choices to. It's just knit back and forth so it's a simple and quite meditative project!
PS The reason I am hiding is because the rest of the house looks like this:

Yes, moving house is a wonderful experience.

Sleepy 26 weeks

2011-06-03T11:17:00.002+10:00

At 26 weeks we had Gastro and your great-grandma died at an impressive 95 years old. At 26 weeks you did not like it much when I sneezed (at least sneezing elicits a pretty strong kicking response). You also kicked your lovely papa in the face, which I secretly found incredibly amusing. Your papa continues to tell you you are either a timelord, or an explorer.

Oppy Baby

2011-06-02T11:16:00.000+10:00

Babies make a lot of dirt and produce a lot of landfill. Little polluters. This baby is going to be dressed in some very fine op shop gear and hand me down goodness. I picked up these cute things from the Save The Children oppy the other day. But I am not 100% good and I have bought new stuff. And had fun doing so. It's the nesting instinct kicking in!

I bought a Skip Hop nappy bag. I also bought an Ergo Carrier. I don't think I really needed the nappy bag. I just saw the one my friend had, and suddenly it became incredibly important to immediately make sure I'd have the appropriate carrying device to hand to carry nappies around in. I then also nearly bought a sheep toy that can make four different kinds of soothing music, including whale song. I wonder what's happened to my brain. Other than that it has been drowned in apple juice, which I can not get enough of. In the making department, things are progressing along. I've just gotten tired of taking "in progress" shots.

I am still very confused what to dress a newborn in when they sleep. I have bought a little sleeping sack thing but I'm scared of using it already. It comes with bizarre batwings that are apparently used to "swaddle". Everywhere I look there are warnings of SIDS and apparently you are not allowed to put a blanket in the baby cot at all anymore. Isn't that a bit overly dramatic?

Happy Weekend!

2011-05-27T21:20:00.000+10:00

now for something completely different

2011-05-25T12:38:00.002+10:00

finished and on its way to a new baby's home. Trebbled back and forth in cotton. Noone stop trebbling until the fat lady sings. I can honestly say I don't want to trebble again in the foreseeable future.

My Pre-Conception Body

2011-05-24T12:01:00.000+10:00

Well here is the image Babble has on their website anyway. Other than the disconcerting lack of arms, there are other things wrong with this image. But I don't want to go into that. I am not one to discuss how anyone could believe this represents a normal woman, why it is on a pregnancy website, or generally the use of "this is how you should look" photos on such websites, and how dangerous I find it.

Nono. Instead here's a picture I will send to the babble editors in a moment. They might want to replace the one they have.

My Pre-Conception Body

HUGE.

2011-05-19T12:01:00.000+10:00

OK. I am big. My belly is big. I am not. My baby is a normal size. But my belly is a large one.

Is it normal to get very anxious and upset about this? I guess not. But I am not sure how to cope with literally everyone I meet saying "oh my god you're HUGE", "are you sure it's not twins", or "are you due next month?". I worry what will happen to me in the next 4 remaining months of pregnancy.

Will I be able to get out of bed? Will my favourite mode of transport be rolling along the street? Will the hip and back pain get even worse? Will people run and seek shelter when they see the ueber-large whale sized me dinosaur-walk along the footpath?

What do people want to achieve with these comments?

And I am not talking one comment a day. I am talking 30. The next person I'll meet who won't say "YOU'RE HUGE" will get a hug and a kiss. And probably some emotional hormone-tears.

What We Don't Need

2011-05-18T18:27:00.000+10:00

are more high rise real estate developments and the destruction of beautiful old buildings that house creative communities.

Head over to the Ink & Spindle blog and help the ladies save the Younghusband building!

Stupid Cowl.

2011-05-16T08:33:00.000+10:00

Here's the bobbled cowl in all its finished bobbly glory. Sadly it is of an annoying size. I can't wrap it around my neck twice, and it is a bit too wide to offer snug winter comfort. I'm sure this is because I didn't really go by the wool recommendations in the pattern, and because I am a lose knitter and didn't do a swatch. I must applaud myself for taking such good preparatory measures with my knitting to make sure it turns out right.

I have never knitted a sample swatch in my life. Shame, shame, shame on me! If I am a fan of anything, it would have to be cutting corners. Even if it means producing more fails than any whale in the ocean ever could.

I suppose I could find other creative uses for the cowl.

A belly warmer?

Emily Green

2011-05-14T10:25:00.001+10:00

I found out about Emily Green from the Harvest girls. I couldn't resist this one.

PS: What are your favourite baby knit patterns? I'm going mad on Ravelry trying to decide!

I am really enjoying THIS blog at the moment

And because I love Maggie Beer we will cook the roast chicken she made on Masterchef tomorrow.

Happy Birthday

2011-05-11T14:55:00.000+10:00

Today would have been my dad's birthday. This is the first of his birthdays we have to celebrate without him.
My dad was born 3 days after VE day in Berlin in 1945. My grandma had to feed him soup made from grass. He always had an issue with me not finishing my food when I was little. My dad was a great doctor. In all the 31 years I got to spend with him he never once failed to fake enthusiasm at the terrible gifts he received for his birthday. Even the bizarre Irish wax cloth golf hat I gave him, and the entirely useless Chinese back massager last year. My dad could speak old Greek and in the days before he died we sat on his bed and listened to the Iliad on audiotape. As much as I'd much rather have him here with me, I hope the sun is shining wherever he is celebrating his birthday today.

Goings-On

2011-05-10T20:11:00.000+10:00

1. Sometime ages ago I made these and they were delicious!
2. I took my mum to Daylesford for mother's day.
3. I am knitting 12 things at a time, and not making progress with a single one.
4.The bump and me went with some friends to have a lovely relaxed weekend away.
5. Is it just me, or is this the most attractive dude to have a baby with.
6. I am getting things for the baby that it actually needs!
7. And of course every baby needs an Enid.

Baby Essentials

2011-05-02T14:51:00.000+10:00

Screenprinted Scandinavian Flowers

Screenprinted Owl

When you are overwhelmed by life in general and also by what kind of carseat to by for your newborn, and facing all kinds of other debilitating decisions on nursery equipment on a shoestring budget, then the best thing to do is clearly to stick to the essentials. In my case, I went forth to purchase these prints and this owl. The baby won't need a crib if it can play with this owl. Please do not disapprove of my logic.

Ps: We have started buying proper things for the baby. We also have to move house and my mum is here on an extended visit, so it's not been a calm and peaceful time! I got very overwhelmed with what to buy for this baby. We have lots of offers of second-hand things that are so much appreciated I can't tell you. We have picked out a pram and my mum bought us an ErgoCarrier (did you know that baby bjorns are bad for your baby's hip joints. I didn't either. But my sister knows everything). At the moment I'm working out on how babies sleep. In bags, it turns out. What kind of sleeping bag to buy is a whole different story...

Finished

2011-04-18T17:53:00.000+10:00

Wow. I finished something! These photos are attempts at snapping my own head.
I made up this pattern for a friend, whose pretty head I could picture in this mega chunky beanie. It turned out a little large and has some little mistakes in it, so I might just need to keep this one or give it to the husband to wear.

I still have not been back into the sewing room - I struggle calling it studio because it looks a lot more like a primary school craft enclosure. Everytime I go in there I just feel foggy brained and overwhelmed. Turns out I am rather anaemic so that might explain the general fogginess. The good thing about having to go to the doctors so much is listening to the little heart beat at every visit. I just love lying there listening to the little heart sounds. I felt some little kicks the other day too. I want more of those, but this baby is a snoozer. Just like its mother it's taking things slowly.

Holiday with Extra Baggage

2011-04-12T11:17:00.000+10:00

I was laughing all the way to New Zealand and back. Except when I had to walk miles down to a cove, the bottom of the path had been torn off my a tornado, and I had to lower myself down some muddy cliffs hanging on to a piece of rope.

Important fact: When taking boat trips, and you usually don't get seasick, you are likely to get seasick when pregnant. When approaching this "world famous hole in the rock" on the boat, I had just eaten a Kit Kat and also had a ginger beer.

By the time the (insane) person steering the boat approached the world famous hole in the rock and drove us right through it, the Kit Kat and ginger beer re-emerged unpleasantly.

But dolphins!

It is not really advisable to fly when pregnant when flying is something you hate doing when not pregnant.

On the way back, I started feeling very nauseous and woozy, and the nice flight attendant put me on some oxygen and told me that "every pregnant woman gets like this" and that "I probably shouldn't travel". I replied: "Actually it was the smell of your plane food that made me feel sick".

True story. It was the lamb my husband was eating merrily that to me smelled like microwaved feet. It tipped me over the edge.

Ah it's so nice to be home.

Belly

2011-04-11T11:37:00.000+10:00

it likes to eat smarties, pickles, coffee, cheese sticks, hot potato chips, apple juice, apples, sparkling water, plum jam.

nomnom

2011-03-29T08:14:00.000+11:00

via Slow Noodle

How gorgeous are these baby blankets!!! Available as kits at Purl Soho. I want them all.

I wanted to post about these yesterday, but I forgot. It's a recurring theme, forgetting things.

Just in case you thought I was slacking off, I have nearly finished my bobble cowl. Just ran out of Debbie Bliss so need to run to the shop today. Which I will probably also forget to do.

Things are looking up - I am no longer nauseous 24/7, but the medications I'm on have messed with my system so I'm seeing a lot more of my doctor than I'd like! I am suffering from bad pregnancy brain - yesterday I went to see Michelle and managed to forget her address in the 7 minutes it took to drive to her house. Then I stopped to get some flowers, and forgot my pin number. I did not realise that I would lose control of my cognitive skills!

Michelle donated an entire bag of maternity clothes to me. That's just about the nicest thing I've ever heard of! We had a lovely chat and some tea in her backyard and I marvelled at the results of her digital printing work. I seriously just love bloggy world. Now that I know a little bit about Michelle's style I will set to craft her a present - I should probably write that down so I don't forget. I know I have somewhere to go today but I can't remember where.

Happy Weekend

2011-03-27T20:22:00.001+11:00

Enjoying the view of the sea and of my feet - I can still seem them, just!
Hope you had a lovely weekend and lots of fun at Finders Keepers. xx

Pho.

2011-03-18T14:10:00.000+11:00

via 16 house

See this is why I am looking forward to having kids so much. I can't wait to find notes like these in my house.

When we were little my sister and I used to go to this shop that a friend of my mum's owned called La Maison, and we used to leave a note saying "we have gone to lar moesjoe". That's how we spelled it. The note is still on my mum's mirror. I also once drew her a picture that said "heppi boerste" which was my way of spelling happy birthday.

This week has been hard - writing cards and condolence letters and funeral speeches. But on the upside, I spoke and emailed with very close friends, and as always when there's a tragedy happening, it feels like we're all huddling together and waiting out the storm. I got a text message from my best friend back home just as I was in Myer looking for some very urgently needed maternity tights. So I texted her back, saying that going to a department store asking for maternity tights in extra large seemed a bit mundane in the circumstances, but nevertheless it was quite humiliating.

I am fairly broke so I can't afford to shop for maternity clothes much, plus I refuse to go into stores called Pea in a Pod and Egg. I think I will survive in my Just Jeans maternity jeans and the couple of Tshirts I got on Ebay.

Today I had a lovely lunch with my friend at Mekong on Swanston and managed to eat a Pho soup. Wow!

I am so pleased that the cortisone seems to be working and I am getting a bit of an appetite back. Last night I ate an entire pack of sour gummy bears.

The craft posts are far and few between here now that I'm temporarily couched. I did do some knitting and I am looking forward to presenting the finished cowl soon!

And I have been working on a strip quilt for my niece (who rocks her baby English and can say epple and elefent) and been checking out helpful hints on Film in the Fridge. I adore how this lady is not afraid of colour.

And finally, thanks for your thoughtful comments on my last post.

I forgot my camera...

2011-03-15T17:01:00.000+11:00

... so I stole a picture from Craft Victoria. The edge of my stall. It was fairly shambolic!
The market was quiet which suited me well as I was exhausted and nauseated. My favourite thing about markets is getting positive feedback on my stuff. It really means the world. And catching up with other makers is great. It was so nice to meet Jess from TeddyBearsWednesday and we may have bought the first ever present for baby from her!

I am still on steroids to deal with the evils of hyperemesis and it appears this week is dealing out more blows to the world. I have lost my oldest childhood friend to suicide just a few days ago and the shock won't leave my body. It was a reminder that if you ever even get the slightest inkling that something isn't right in someone's world, you need to act on it immediately. This is another experience that won't ever leave me and that has already changed the way I view the world. It is odd being so far away, keeping the phone line free and waiting for 6pm so I can ring people back home. Distance is a hard.

But life goes on, I have 3 market boxes to unpack, and take shots of my new prints, and finish a quilt.
And on Thursday night I will attempt to drag myself to the Brown Owls meeting at the Windsor Deli.
Who else is coming?

Bobbled Cowl

2011-03-04T13:12:00.000+11:00

Image and pattern on Ravelry

I started this last year before my dad got sick and then attempted to finish it while I was in Europe, in the sveltering heat, mostly on the sticky train travelling between Zurich and Munich. Needless to say I did not manage to finish it, but unraveled it when we got back home because it reminded me too much of some very unhappy hours and made me quite furious. I still have the crunched up ball of yarn somewhere but I can't even bring myself to look at it. But since my husband recently said 'I don't like quitters' (he said it to the TV, not to me, he gets a bit too much involved in reality TV programmes but the upside is he will watch Project Runway with me!) I am willing to try it again. Also since my dad would have found the idea of knitting a bobbled cowl more than a bit odd, and who am I not to continue to amuse my father.
As far as I remember it wasn't too hard to knit, once I figured out how to make the bobbles. I think I will even treat myself to some yummy golden Peartree Yarn for it. If you want to bobble along let me know - I am an expert bobbler and can get you bobbling in no time!

I hope your weekend will be full of sunshine!

PS: My belly is so itchy. I really don't care about stretchmarks, but I'd love to trade the itchiness in for something a bit less embarrassing in public...

My Creative Space

2011-03-03T15:40:00.000+11:00

I finished my other bag project! I get asked about these so much I think I started in the wrong trade.
I do love making bags.

I do however wonder if the constant nausea combined with feeling seasick from the vigorous shaking of the overlocker and the industrial-type noises will make our unborn think it's going to grow up on an old pirate ship.

Thank you for all your sweet comments on my last post. I've had so many helpful tips from lovely mums who've been through extreme morning sickness, or suckness as I call it, and I really appreciate it. It's a nice change from people telling me to just "distract myself" or saying things like "but you don't look that bad".
Ho. Hum. KAPOW. I think by now I am so iron deficient I've got something like cold sores on my mouth. Extra-revolting!

For more creative, but less retchy spaces click here

2011-03-01T10:26:00.000+11:00

It's been quite quiet around these parts because I have been poorly for the last three months.
Baby number 1 is on the way! Needless to say we are super thrilled.

The last months have been quite hellish - I've had to battle hyperemesis which is basically when you are sick as a dog all day long. It's been a real struggle. It's hard to convey just how debilitating full-on all day long nausea can be. I have barely left the house. It's been very boring.

I am taking my hat off to all my fellow ladies who've been through this successfully! Congrats for making it!

I have had lovely help from lovely people. So I am not going to complain too much. I am looking forward to being all glowy and radiant and showing my bump off to the world. Until then sadly me and my bump have to stay indoors and retch a bit more!

My Creative Space

2011-02-24T10:21:00.000+11:00

Something new and exciting I've been working on! It's mentally challenging to cut into the glorious Ink and Spindle Rooftops fabric and even harder to iron interfacing onto it but it's worth it in the end. Of all things sewing related I like making bags most so that's what I've been doing, when I've not been on the couch snoozing. There has also been some dude crafting going on in my house - it was so much fun teaching my husband how to use the sewing machine. He is making manbags. I make ladybags.

Sustainable Clothing Article in Choice Magazine

2011-02-15T11:09:00.000+11:00

Image via

There is a great article in this month's Choice about sustainable clothing. Some really interesting points I thought were

- The greatest consumption of energy and water in a garment's life actually occurs in product-care, not production: use cold water and biodegradable detergent and line-dry your clothing
- Eco-fibres and apparel can be beneficial to the environment in some part of their life cycle, but not across their entire life cycle
- Manufacturers need to provide clear and credible information so consumers can make informed choices.

Choice highlighted a lack of immediate and credible information available on labelling to assist consumers in their search for environmentally preferable products. This is an interesting point because even terms such as "certified" does not mean a product has been certified by government, industry or mandatory standards, it can mean that it has been certified against voluntary standards, too. Plus there is the ever-confusing and growing number of labels to certify products as green, and a growing number of brands who write "eco" and "green" on their labels without any proof that their product is in any way environmentally friendly.

Some reliable labels to go by are:

Eco-Textile Standards:
- Oeko-Tex
- MADE-BY

Ethical Textile Standards:
- Ethical Clothing Australia
- Fairtrade Labelling Association

Organic Textile Standards:
- Global Organic Textile Standard

I ironically find it easier to run my own business "green", because I can choose suppliers according to their credentials. It's somewhat harder as a consumer when you are bombarded with confusing labels and green claims. I would really love it if all brands had to clearly state where they produce their items and who produces them in what conditions. I think we're a long way away from that though!

These are two of my favourite things!

2011-02-14T09:18:00.000+11:00

Converse + Marimekko Collection! Via DesignBoom.

So Tired

2011-02-09T12:35:00.000+11:00

But I love my Blanca Gomez Print...

and I managed to sew up some pants...

and went for a walk and found this by the side of the road, but it was too heavy to carry back home.

So sleepy.

My Birthday

2011-02-06T19:53:00.000+11:00

... and then I watched Antiques Roadshow while my husband made fish and chips for tea.

Yum!

2011-02-02T14:46:00.000+11:00

I love these natural quilt on Hi + Low. Aren't they deliiiicious!

time out

2011-01-31T21:20:00.000+11:00

reporting from phillip island stop to hot to craft stop

Things and Thoughts on Siblings

2011-01-26T17:42:00.001+11:00

Me: "Melbourne's weather is bewildering to the average immigrant - hence the seasonally confused outfit!"
My husband: "I am just going to stand here and look cute and these baby pants will sell like hot cakes"

The lovely ladies at Harvest have blogged a profile and interview featuring me and my nose in profile today. I think they are lovely to feature ex-students! I am kind of slowly wilting away on the inside because I can't do the Harvest workshop with Dylan Martorell - I love him! But if you can, you should!!! Book at the link above!

And how cool is Dylan's name anyway. His surname reminds me of dark chocolate.

For various reasons I've been thinking about siblings lately. I have an older sister and the older I get, the more grateful I am for our relationship. We have evolved from two kids who were at each other's throats 24/7 (I nearly bit her boob off once - that's the kind of fighting we're talking here) to the best of friends we are now. We talk almost every day and seek each other's guidance in all our life choices. It's such a gift to have such a great relationship with a sister or a brother. I think having a sibling is so important. It sets you up with a healthy base for forming relationships I think, and having a healthy attitude to competition (and learning when and where competitiveness is inappropriate too). I also have my cousin who is like a bonus older sister as well. I have friends who are disappointed in their siblings or can't seem to find access to them. I wonder how and why this happens. I think being an older sibling comes with responsibilities - my sister was very good at meeting them and used to very patiently let me sleep in her bed for years when I was little. She did really look after me. I like being the young one. I used to think it was the worst thing in the world, but I've grown to like it. How bout choo?

PS: I hope your Australia Day was nice. I like having a day off. I am watching too much Tennis. Glad I'm not the only one.

Edit: The Dylan Martorell class was already held - it just goes to show that I am clearly out of it and should go back to hibernate!

Musings

2011-01-20T16:18:00.000+11:00

1. Sewing on interfacing is not for me. Presumably you are supposed to cut out your fabric shapes, then pin onto interfacing, cut interfacing, then iron on. I usually place the pattern pieces or shapes I cut out of fabric right side down onto my ironing board, lay interfacing right side down on top, iron liberally, then spent remainder of afternoon peeling and picking gluey bits of ironing board. It probably saves no time at all.

2. I am channeling my inner Lotta Jansdotter (who is my all time hero) and printing with tape. I made a few stripey things as I am going through a stripey phase (and still have not gotten my act together to actually get some screens exposed).

3. I am in a creative funk and I turn my very own nose up and most of the things I come up with. I think it's because I spend too much time overthinking and less time mingling and getting inspiration from the real world. I just feel a little too cruddy to do anything about it.

4. I am so loving reading this awesome blog by a lovely lady who is currently living in my lovely hometown of Munich. It is making me homesick, but happy! I do very much miss the seasons at home -
I love spring and autumn in particular because they bring amazing smells and light and colours that you don't get here. But then again I can stand on my balcony and sniff the sea air and feel less like complaining. But home is where the heart is, so little pangs of homesickness never go away.

Slow

2011-01-17T14:40:00.000+11:00

I'm slowing things down over here - spent most of my weekend playing around in the kitchen and spent a lovely Sunday picnicking in the park. I have been making blackberry pancakes with vanilla yoghurt all the time. So yum! I just use 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk and 2 eggs and then sprinkle the blackberries on to the batter as it's frying in the pan. Yummy yum!

I was officially accepted to take part in Craft Hatch in March this year. I am so excited.

It means I have to put my working boots back on and go make!

Wishing you a dry and happy week!

Australian Disaster Relief on Etsy

2011-01-16T08:25:00.000+11:00

I have donated a pair of baby pants to the Australian Disaster Relief on Etsy. You can view the spectacular kangaroo pants that are up for grabs here. I think this Etsy store is a great idea for smaller makers to contribute something! There are some delectable things in the store so go on and have a look - if I wasn't so broke there is a a pair of earrings in there I'd snap up immediately!

2011-01-14T08:03:00.002+11:00

Just holding on to happy thoughts and hoping for a dry spell up North. What a terrible start to the new year for so many poor people. Fantastic to see blog land is coming together to help - there are auctions and raffles going on everywhere. You can donate to the Red Cross here
Have a lovely weekend!

Website and Shop are open!

2011-01-10T09:16:00.000+11:00

My Website

My Etsy Shop

I am so excited to tell you that both my website and Etsy shop are online!

I spent a lot of time doing the photography and struggled a bit with it but it's turned out nice!

I also made the website and I hope you like it. I really have a very deep dislike for Wordpress now I can tell you. Oh my.

I hope you like it and I'm looking forward to your feedback as always!

And please spread the word if you fancy it too! xx

Dance like nobody's watching

2011-01-09T09:14:00.000+11:00

When we went to Venice last year we got lost one evening and ended up at this festival on a square. Lots of Italians, eating sausages and drinking vino out of giant plastic Evian bottles. There was one couple, they must have been around 70, dancing to every single song. They were wearing their Sunday best and I bet you they have been going to the exact same festival for all their lives, dancing together. You can see them in this video, spinning around.
I thought they were amazing. I wanted my new husband to grab me and take me for a perfect dance too. Sadly I only had 9 toenails at the time and couldn't move much and he was busy anyway sourcing more Evian-bottled vino. Maybe when we're 70 we'll enroll in a salsa class.

Baby Sitting Gus

2011-01-07T09:07:00.000+11:00

Carnage in the backyard.

Banana in Pyjama assaulted.

It's fun babysitting Gus.

We do love him heaps.

Except for when we had to apply cold face washers to his belly last night to stop one of his panic attacks.

And when he attacked the leather couch. Or when he won't release the tennis ball unless we step on the squeaky toy. That's when we wish he was a bit more normal, really.

We love you Gus.

Your devoted babysitters.

2011-01-02T19:31:00.000+11:00

Of all the things I love about Australia the wide sky is number one.

happy nancy bird dance

2011-01-02T19:28:00.000+11:00

look what my husband got me for christmas. for this he deserves the metal for the best present purchaser in the world. i can now stop patting other people's bags in the street! hurrah!

Win for 2011

2010-12-31T16:40:00.000+11:00

Hello from the beach! I have a Optus Dongle internet connection for about 5 minutes so I thought I'd quickly draw the winner of my wee giveaway - I did this simply by shouting "say a number between 1 and 16" at my husband and he said "8" and so the lucky winner is Tania of Myrtle and Eunice!

Thank you all very much for your comments and bloggy lurve over the last year. I am not even going to start explaining how much I am looking forward to the next one. Let's make it a good one!

I personally really can not stand new year's eve, but let's all have some fun anyway. I am going to learn how to make coleslaw and let the old year move on as we, 6 adults 3 kids and 2 dogs, squeeze onto one couch, watching BBC documentaries. xxx

2010-12-23T08:49:00.000+11:00

Give it away now

2010-12-20T10:52:00.000+11:00

T'is the season for a giveaway!

Leave a comment to enter - and why not enter on behalf of a friend

so they can get a surprise sent in the mail?

You don't need to say anything specific in your comment. Maybe just "waddup dude".

Here's what I would like to send you as a special gift:

One of my "Pedal to the Metal" prints

A pair of JoeyNomad handprinted baby pants size 0

Three lovely Japanese linen fat quarters

And an extra surprise! Meeeheerry Christmas.

Three cheers!

The end.

PS: It is cold outside. Just like christmas back home!

Harvest Christmas Market 2010

2010-12-20T10:43:00.000+11:00

My mini stall looking cute

I spy Emma

The Harvest stall and past students stall in all its glory

Buntings!

2 of the 3 cool Harvest bananas Emma and Jess

So many lovely things!

Screen loveliness

Pretty Shopfront

Me and my nose in profile

Setting up and looking nervous

And more nervous.

Little helpers

Yay!

Thanks to Harvest for everything. What a year it's been for them! They have now created this wonderful space - it feels like an energetic, creative living room.

The market was great - I did heaps better than expected and managed to NOT crawl under the table and hide and lots of people commented on my stuff. Many people did not understand the idea behind making things out of repurposed fabric. So I have some work to do in that department. One lady bought two of my Drooly Baby scarves and said "I wish these had been around when I had my kids". High five! And when I made my first ever sale I did jump around heaps.

Most importantly I learned so much just from being there. And I met lots of ace people, for example my brilliantly talented fellow students Mizu Designs and Unit Tshirts (I bought two - sorry bank account) and One Night in June and many others.

And the music was ace, provided by Super Melody.

Thank you all for coming and thanks to les ladies of Harvest for being inclusive, friendly, innovative, crazy and lovely!

gifty gifty giveaway

2010-12-19T14:42:00.000+11:00

I survived my first market and it was ace. My feet are sore and I am tired. There is banana bread in the oven, odd ladies dressed in white are singing carols on the telly, and I am surrounded by lots of nicety in general. And I will do a post on the market tomorrow but I want to show you things that are making me happy this Sunday. Look at this amazing blanket my friend Eleanor KNITTED for us for our wedding. It is the softest, most beautiful blanket in the world. I am still completely floored that she knitted this for us!

Then there was another great gift in the form of participating in the amazing Harvest Market - not only was it fun, ace, and brilliant, but I love that I've met the Harvest girls and that I'm involved in what they are doing and that they are so brilliant. And look at the Harvest tea towels Lara gave me - will I wash any dishes or dry any dishes with these? NO. They are displayed nicely. No one touch my Harvest towels please.

And I made myself this cushion from some Japanese linen just for the heck of it.

And to celebrate the niceness tomorrow I am hosting a little giveaway on here! Hurrah!

Have a happy Sunday!

PS: Sadly our christmas bush Norman is no more. He has been over-watered and is currently sulking on the balcony.

To Market, To Market

2010-12-17T08:56:00.002+11:00

Right. Here we go! Here are my market goodies! Most of this is made from old Tshirts. I can hardly believe how many Tshirts I have hacked up and repurposed but the bin tells me: quite a lot. There are lots of little teensy bits of Tshirt all over the house! Any other material is either organic and fair-trade, sourced in Australia. Or it's a remnant I had in my stash. I plan to reduce the stash to zero and restock with oppy and organic and Tshirt fabric only. I am exhausted! But happy!

Tshirt/Organic Cotton baby quilt screen printed by me

little screenprinted nursery decorations

Organic cotton and remnant jersey baby pants, screenprinted by me

Organic cotton screenprinted dress and nursery print designed by me!

Packing the car. Trying to remember to take a chair and a hip flask! I am so excited. And a bit nervous too! Thanks for all your sweet comments - I've printed them all out and stuck over my desk for encouragement!

Bear with me as I redesign my blog a bit to match my JoeyNomad site. It will be a bit messy for a while there, but it doesn't really matter. xx

My Pants My Pants My Lovely Baby Pants

2010-12-16T08:55:00.000+11:00

My Pattern! It works! Beautifully.

And these are made from 100% recycled material and organic material.

2010-12-15T08:01:00.000+11:00

Some shots I took last night when we went for a walk along the beach and the neighbourhood.
I took one of my framed prints along and photographed it hanging in a tree. I wanted to leave it there!
It looked happy. I am still hoping to spot a whale one day in the water, but I don't think they will swim to Elwood beach just to say hello to me.

Yippie Yay

2010-12-14T15:20:00.000+11:00

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my scary market and product shots freakout post! I keep reminding myself that it's important to have fun with this, so this afternoon I'm going to get my Gocco out and have a crack at some more mini prints while I wait for my bigger screens to come back from the clever screenmakers. I have befriended the girls at Eckersleighs in Prahran and they keep ringing me to tell me they have more Gocco lamps for me. So cute. I do love Melbourne.

Meanwhile here is a reminder of the ace market I will be at on Saturday. I can't do maths at all - I will be the lady with the calculator and the grandma shoes! I wonder if I need to bring a chair to sit on?
I am really excited to meet all the other makers. I love Ask Alice so I will bring some Santa money to spend!

Getting a bit serious

2010-12-13T08:38:00.000+11:00

Did you have a good weekend? I did, but it was spent working, superhard.
I am excited to show you some pictures of what I've been making for my business. I have tested and trialled and errored but I'm finally coming up trumps! It's been a bit hard but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As I told you all on Friday my little label is called Joey Nomad, and it is called Joey Nomad for two reasons:
Joe was the name of my late dad, whose simple message 'just do it' gave me the kick up the butt to go and see if I can make a more creative life for myself. He got very excited about some pants I made out of old Tshirts for my niece, and urged me to try and do something with the idea. So this venture is a small and fitting tribute to him. And I am a bit nomadic - me and my husband have lived all over the place before we ended up in Australia, and I can often be found snoozing in an economy class seat flying back home. So that's how the name came about!

My work has a lot to do with re-thinking clothing and textiles. I screen-print children's clothes and I make children's clothes out of recycled materials. And there are also some bits and bobs for grown up people. I use recycled, organic and remnant materials wherever I can. I am slowly working towards a bigger goal, and once that's a bit clearer in my own head I will share it! It's all a bit scary. I am quite freaked out my first market this week - more on that later!
I hope you like my little bits and bobs.

Screenprinted toddler dress, organic cotton/linen

Screenprinted canvas

My labels are cute!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Launching in 3..2..1...

2010-12-10T19:07:00.000+11:00

Ahoy! So my filling came out and now my tooth hurts and the prints got messed up and I forgot to take money out and it's all a bit of a mess over here. So without great further ado I fancy telling you about the name for my label and the little logo I designed.

I hope you like it. It is all designed by me, and I'm proud of my silly self. And I made a website too, but then I broke it. As aforementioned it is all a hot bothered mess.

I am looking forward to share more with you in the next few days. Really it's all about playful things, made mainly out of recycled materials, and also organic fairtrade cotton and merino wool from Noo Zooland. And it will in the future be about getting kids involved in the making-of-clothing process. Oh yes. But for now I need an ice pack on my cheek.

Thank you for your lovely comments on my wedding photos. You are kind as.

Who's Bad

2010-12-09T08:55:00.000+11:00

And so it continues. Infantile high-five! Luckily there are some nice ones.

These were taken when we somehow managed to blab ourselves onto the Langham's roof terrace pool area where it was humid as all hell and our friends nearly dropped their photography equipment into the spa pool (and I exclaimed: "oh no! it's wet". DUH woman. DUH. )

And then we decorated.

And then some.

And now I get to unsubscribe from all the wedding blogs.

Win!

Slow A'Cookin

2010-12-06T20:10:00.000+11:00

Working hard. But found some time to sample the new slow cooker, one of my favourite wedding gifts.
I make Caponata quite a lot, a delicious summery dish from Sicily. I made it in the slow cooker and it worked quite well but the vegetables were a bit mushy. I think I need to use the slow setting instead.
But it was nice to have the vegies bubbling away and enjoy a cup of tea! And then back to the sewing room.

PS: I don't use the Cook and the Chef recipe but it looks yum! I make my caponata by heart and I always add cinnamon and some pine nuts. Yum!

Fit To Print?

2010-12-06T13:50:00.000+11:00

http://www.no-vacancy.com.au/fit.html

Here's something groovy happening on the weekend on QV square in Melbourne. I will definitely try and go along!

NO VACANCY GALLERY & QV PRESENTS: FIT TO PRINT!

This December, No Vacancy Gallery and QV Melbourne present FIT TO PRINT a one-off exhibition and weekend printmaking demonstrations to be held in QV Square that showcase Australia's finest emerged and emerging printmaking artists. In total more than 40 artists' will present different print techniques and processes including - Screen- Printing, Linocut Printing and Gocco Printing - with featured works making for the perfect gift this Christmas.
FIT TO PRINT the exhibition will open on Thursday December 9 and run to December 23, 2010 in the No Vacancy
Gallery, Jane Bell Lane, QV Melbourne.

The FIT TO PRINT printmaking demonstrations will take place on Saturday December 11, Sunday December 12 and
Saturday December 18 from 2.00pm to 4.00pm in QV Square.
On Saturday December 11, QV Square will host an interactive Screen-printing Demonstration. Exhibitors from the FIT
TO PRINT exhibition will demonstrate the screen-printing process in a marquee in QV Square. Screen-printing pushes
inks through a blocked out stencil imposed on fine woven mesh to create a sharp clean image onto a chosen material
such fabric and paper. Works of art will be on sale and are priced from $20 to $200. (See image from Robot Academy)
The following day,
Sunday December 12, QV Square will host an interactive Linocut Printing Demonstration. Exhibitors
from the FIT TO PRINT exhibition will demonstrate the linocut process in a marquee in QV Square. Linocut is a
printmaking technique where a design is cut into the linoleum surface with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a
reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller and then impressed onto
paper or fabric. Works of art will be on sale and are priced from $20 to $200.

Saturday December 18, QV Square will host an interactive Gocco Printing Demonstration. Exhibitors from
the FIT TO PRINT exhibition will demonstrate the Gocco printing process in QV Square. Gocco printing uses the
exposure of flash bulbs to thermally transfer an image onto a screen where inks are then pushed through to leave the
stenciled design on a chosen material. Again, works of art will be on sale and are priced from $20 to $200. (

Two dollars from every print sold over $20 from December 9 to December 23, will be donated to the Asylum Seekers
Resource Centre.

ARTISTS INVOLVED:
Adriana Bernardo | Andrea Innocent | Ann Gee Neo | Aramas Ridge | Belinda Kemp | Ben Carollo | Bonsai | Beastman | Brooke Williams |Caitlin Sherwood | Cat Rabbit | Cat Macinnes | Catherine Campbell | Charotte Lance | Cougar Flashy | Edouard Mouy | Elise Hurst | Emma Leonard | Eugenia Tsimiklis | Eveline Tarunadjaja | Fee Harding aka Burntfeather | Gary Seaman | Gemma Jones | George Whelan | ghostpatrol | Glen Smith | Hayley O'Connor | Heesco | Jake Stollery | Jennifer Cossins aka Red Parka | Jeremy Ley | Jessica Tremp | Jessica Charlotte | Jessica McCausland | Joel Zika | Kaitlin Beckett | Katherine Hepworth | Katie Houghton-Ward | Katja Mouvlin | Keren Dobia | Lashna Tuschewski | Lauz Rigbye | Lazerfist | Leif Podhajsky | Leigh Rubin | Liesl Pfeffer | Mark Silipo | Max Plumley | Michael Fikaris | Michael Hawkins | Miso | Natasha Sim | Nathaniel Kiwi | Niels Oeljten | Noah Seldom | Raph Banks | Ria Green |Robot Academy | Ruby Aitken | Sally Shand aka Ragdoll Illustrations | Sarah Mair | Sarah Hankinson | Scizzorface | Sera Hocquard |Simon Attwooll | Steph Pryor | Sylvia Jeffriess | Tom Vincent | Toni-Anne Dowd | TWOONE | Vidad Narayan

Send a little love to strangers around you

2010-12-02T12:18:00.000+11:00

The other week I sent this to Pip. I have never met Pip because I feel if I did meet her I'd do the usual thing where I rant incoherently and hug inappropriately. And I would like her to not think I'm a strange person with a weird accent. Even though I probably am. It would be like the first time me and my friend Lucy met the Ink and Spindle girls and I stood awkwardly and patted the fabric and Lucy said "I want your life! If I didn't have a baby!" and it was all very odd. However, I did send Pip a gift, and I sent her a card telling her how much I love her blog, and how reading her blog really did sort of change my life. Sounds crazy, but it's true!
There isn't a hell of a lot of craftiness in my family and so I am an unnatural born knitter and have no innate nanna skills. So Pip really filled that gap in my life and I am really very grateful for that. She even inspired me to ask for a slow cooker for my wedding.

So why don't you go and send your favourite blogger a gift in the mail too. I personally think it's a great thing to do. But because everyone is very clever and I'm the last to catch on you are probably already doing that all the time.

PS: The image is from Pip's blog and the gift I sent her is a Figgjo candle stick holder or it may also be used as a flower vase I think
PPS: I recently found out that my great-grandmother was a dressmaker and hatmaker and had a store in a fancy street in Moscow until she had to flee because of the revolution. So I think I do have some innate craftiness! *high five*

I can do heaps of stuff in one weekend!

2010-11-29T19:59:00.000+11:00

We had a wedding - the third wedding - the only one we had in Australia after we had two back home.

My mum helping with flower decorations

Purty with lace

Watching sporty people in the morning at Southbank before getting ready

The wedding was a very fun wash out! The weather was terrible. I spent most day in my hotel slippers. Who am I to wear my slippery heels when I can wear warm shlippery hotel slippers? We also had a final before-bed drink with our friends in a terrible Irish pub at Southbank - I remember dancing to "Love Shack" in my dress and slippers and someone poured beer over me and I thought, that's the end of this dress then.

Stylish Wedding Shoes

The wedding excitement squeals are nothing compared to the amount of shrieking I did when I got my patterns back graded this morning. How pretty - how exciting - I love looking at them. I made them! Oh my goodness how exciting. I'm sure you won't think these photos of brown paper are that exciting but I do.

Yesterday I hungoverly popped into the Markit market at fed square to visit the lovely Ink and Spindle and lovely Harvest to have a wee chat. I forgot to take pictures but it was a nice and busy market.
And now I need to eat leftover chocolate wedding cake and enjoy the last days with my mum before she heads back home!

TA-DAAAA

2010-11-25T09:28:00.000+11:00

I will be there! SELLING STUFF. Looking awkward. Bits of loo roll on my shoe. Chocolate on my face. No doubt about that.

I will be at a stall for past students organised by the Harvest ladies. I am sorry to go on about this but how enormously nice is that??? It's SO good for me because it means I can dip my 9.5 toes into the market water and see if I can handle it. Oh and if anyone likes my things. I do. Like it.

Harvest are the great givers backers. And what a year they've had too. I can't believe it. It's very inspirational *round of applause*. I will also be in charge of the student market. Obviously this thrills me. Because I do love a clip board and biro pens and crossing things and making lists. If you perchance happen to be available on the 18th of December please do come. It looks like an amazing line up of peeps. And food! And things for children! The full details are here!

I have been blind

2010-11-24T13:28:00.000+11:00

EZ Knitting Patterns via Ravelry

via Ravelry

I have never heard about Elizabeth Zimmermann until yesterday. HOW? Years of pain and crying could have been avoided. Elizabeth Zimmermann, or EZ as she is know on amongst knitty types, was the only knitter to ever receive a full page obituary in the New York Times. And she totally deserved it because she pretty much revolutionized knitting. This woman could knit while riding on the back of her husbands motorcycle. She made knitting a whole heap easier and came up with clever ways to take the pain out of complicated patterns.

Her patterns are gorgeous. And all this time I had no idea. I don't know how that's even possible. And most of her designs are SEAMLESS. Do you know how much I hate joining pieces? I can't begin to explain how much I hate it. I once ran some sweater pieces through my overlocker because I couldn't bring myself to join them. That's how bad my aversion to joining seams is. I ordered the Knitter's Almanac today. I don't care it's summer I have some flexible, pain-free knitting to catch up on!

My Creative Space

2010-11-18T17:05:00.000+11:00

Supposed to pick fabric colours. Scared.

So decided to make something from old wooly jumpers instead.

Displacement activity of the crafty kind!

More spaces chez Mrs K

Hej Pippi Langstrumpf

2010-11-18T15:05:00.000+11:00

I love Astrid Lindgren. I may even be a bit obsessed with her. I love all her books and I know my favourites by heart. I read and reread them all the time when I was little. My top favourite is The Brothers Lionheart closely followed by Six Bullerby Children. I last read Brothers Lionheart a few years ago with a friend of mine at the Lake Garda in Italy. It was really fun, and easy to read after a few glasses of vino. I was convinced I was going to marry a Swedish boy named Lasse and move to a little red house when I first read Bullerby. I also wanted very badly to have long brown hair so I could braid it and I tried to convince my friends to call me Lisa too.

One of my favourite things about the books is the food. There are all these delicious sounding things on the table - cinnamon buns and meat parcels and meatballs and pickled herring and fresh yabbies and pineapple pudding. There are also scary things like rolled sausages and blood pudding.

This year I've decided to host a Pippi Longstocking dinner with all those delicacies. Did you know that Pippi had a special pea that prevented people from growing up? All you had to do is eat this pea and say the magical word "Krumulus". I tried this but it didn't work. Maybe it did. I will serve special Krumulus peas for dinner for sure.

Here's a beautiful Swedish cooking blog, with amazing illustrations. Look how beautiful these are!

Here's a recipe for Kannelbullar, or cinnamon rolls Swedish-style!

Here's a recipe for Swedish meatballs! And Swedish Pineapple Cake!

Woo Hoo

2010-11-17T09:18:00.000+11:00

I had a not so good day yesterday. Wonky seams, mishappen designs, ripped up patterns, no one to talk to, holed up in the sewing room, all in all not good. But the mail came and I love getting mail. A christmas pressie for my sister arrived from America via Etsy and my CUT arrived. God I love that magazine. It's in German so it's only available there. It's FANTASTIC. This one has a whole lot of articles on knitting. There is a knitting bar in Berlin! Shall we start one in Melbourne? It also has a pattern by Swedish designer sisters Minimarket which I shall make in the first available free time slot.

I have tried hiring someone to do a little bit of Wordpress coding via a new website called Freelancer.
I was very disheartened by the process. I felt like an evil corporation outsourcing something and I didn't get any bids on my job from Australia. I think I'm not a good business woman. If you know anyone who can do Wordpress coding and lives in Aussieland please let me know!

Music On Toast

2010-11-15T18:12:00.002+11:00

What a great video.

Busy Making Stuff

2010-11-13T16:14:00.000+11:00

Wow I have been busy! Whenever I get a quiet moment I feel like blogging so I can recall the few productive moments I've had. I am getting a bit overwhelmed with the business side of things but trying to stay calm. I'm very excited - I will be at this market selling some things! Wow! There will no doubt be an extra special post about it before it happens.

Luckily there has been some time for a bit of this

And I made this - I haven't sewn anything for myself in ages so it felt nice!

I been enjoying my new rug. And wearing my Birkies in the sun.

Made some christmassy decorations with the hook! I crocheted this glued to the West Wing and half asleep but looking at it I think I can retrace my steps and work out what I did.

And working on a dress pattern - very exciting.

And we went to Bar Idda which I love and I really love their lemonade bottles too so I took it.

I always love reading what peeps have been up to on the weekend so if you'll excuse me I'll go sniff around my blog reader now before heading off to dinner!

Everyone's a winner!

2010-11-11T13:31:00.000+11:00

Hey I got an award. Dee gave it to me! It's pretty exciting for me - I never win anything. Not the lotto. And when I was 9 I wanted to win this bike at the local fair really badly and my best friend Julia won it instead.
Since then I have not won much. This may be connected to the fact that I just cannot be bothered to try very hard either. Also there is a German saying "win at love lose at gambling" and since I won the best husband in the lotto I suppose fair enough about the bike. But it was nice to be awarded a beautiful blogger award.

In keeping with the rules I hereby award the following 10 blogs with the Beautiful Blogger Award :

http://harvesttextilestudio.blogspot.com/
- I'm a devoted fan. Where's my fan badge ladies. -
http://clutterpunk.blogspot.com/
- I love Gina! -
http://schorlemaedchen.blogspot.com/
- A lovely fellow expat -
http://ann-meer.blogspot.com/
- Full of inspiration -
http://rachelredlips.blogspot.com/
- Full of style -
http://lenacorwin-weetextile.blogspot.com/
- Full of small people textile design loveliness-
http://soozs.blogspot.com/
- So much advice. I read her entire blog in one afternoon and felt better about everything afterwards -
http://www.nicolekellmann.de/
- This is my favourite German blog -
http://blog.paperama.de/
- Paper! -
http://milchzentrale.blogspot.com/
- I like the images on here heaps -

I also need to tell you 10 things about me:

1. I don't like to drink milk
2. My favourite food is pasta
3. I am scared of horses
4. I am the only crafter in my immediate family so they all think I'm strange
5. My favourite craft is sewing. Or printing. And knitting.
6. I used to ride my unicycle to school when I was little
7. I also used to tap dance and was on a TV show once where I tapdanced and looked angry
8. I am clumsy and frequently visit the hospital with my injuries
9. My home town is Munich, Germany
10. I am a fan of vegemite and milo.

Tribe Home

2010-11-09T18:56:00.000+11:00

I took my mum and auntie to Healesville today to look at some Koalabaeren. We stopped at the Harvest Cafe and also at Morris Brown, where I usually just touch everything and um and ah and then leave, but today I found a lovely screenprinted cotton rug in there that I had to buy. Isn't it lovely? It is so lovely. It was 55 shmollars. That's not bad right? Even for a brokeass lady. It's made by a company called Tribe Home. It was the last one available at Morris Brown but it's also available online here.

PS: We also stopped at the Healesville Sanctuary giftshop to purchase a platypus earring for my mum's friend. We have been looking all over Melbourne for such a platypus earring. It had to be a sterling silver dangling platypus. My mum finally found one in said gift shop, then lost the Platypus earring somewhere between the giftshop and the coffee shop. They are circa 10 metres apart. After carefully scanning the space, we couldn't find it. So I left my number with the Sanctuary staff. They rang just as we turned into Balaclava Road to tell us that they had found the Platypus earring. I guess I will be driving to Healesville tomorrow to pick it up. Amen. Also I need a drink. I hate gift shops. Except for the one at the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne.

cards

2010-11-08T11:17:00.012+11:00

I made these collage cards from old scraps of paper - three in total - and I really love them. I looked into having them printed but it seems that unless I go for the "chemical toxic cheap paper printed in China" option I can't get it done. So I tried to print one of the designs on the Gocco - and I have mixed feelings about the result. Not sure the collage translates properly when printed in black on white. And some of the print is clearly too small for the screen and gets messy when printed. But maybe I like them a little bit? I printed these on "green" bamboo cardstock, which is actually quite lovely to print on. I am so in love with printing and I would do it all day long if I could.

I am also in love with this apartment.

Finally

2010-11-05T14:14:00.000+11:00

I have been knitting this Debbie Bliss baby shrug for almost a year now. I can say with all honesty that this is the most confusing knitting pattern I've ever come across. I developed some deranged stubbornness about this one so I knitted and unravelled, knitted and unravelled, until I finally googled the pattern and came across many blog posts about it - most of the cries for help (satisfying to read that I'm not alone) and one that actually explained it in more detail. I'm not even sure I love the result that much. But I do love that hand dyed wool, it reminds me of the smurf ice-cream and blood orange ice-cream I used to eat as a child.

Enjoy your weekend!

What an exellently named Cafe

2010-11-04T14:16:00.000+11:00

http://tinawesaluteyou.com

and I love the decor too. Sadly it's back in Dalston, England.

Been eyeing it for a while

2010-11-03T21:52:00.002+11:00

... caved in today and bought it.

Wrapped Fox Tshirt by Dandyrions on Etsy

Listening to: Mr. Tabu Ley - he sounds like summer
Eating: Lindt Sea Salt chocolate... so very good!
Making: a cute christmas card project!
Learning: joining seams on my knitted baby shrug

Wedding Graduate

2010-10-29T07:17:00.000+11:00

Today Meg over at A Practical Wedding posted something I wrote about our wedding - it's not a post on DIY wedding craft, but something I wrote for her on how we celebrated our wedding just after my dad died of pancreatic cancer this year. It was really hard to write this, and I wrote it for no other reason than that it may help others who are in the same situation. I found it really hard to face a wedding celebration in the light of what had just happened, in fact I wasn't sure I would be able to celebrate at all. Rather than a blushing radiant bride, I felt like a quivering depressed mess. And I'm sure there are others who are going through the same. And sometimes it helps just to know others have been riding the same wave, I think!

I am a big fan of Meg's and have been reading her blog ever since we got engaged, and it helped keeping me sane during a year of intense pressure. It's really a blog that advocates that being a "bride" doesn't mean being perfect. Hoooorray for Meg!

If you are interested in the post you can read it here.