it's only rain...

Some days I get annoyed that I can't go outside because the weather is so bad but today I am loving the rain. We are all inside in the cosy warmth with the sound of the rain pattering steadily on the windows. The plants all look extra green and my cup of tea is lovely and hot in my hands as I peruse my latest book.

Dymocks had a 20% off night last Thursday and I had a gift card ripe for the spending to get some wonderful new papery treats! My friend Bec from Things to make and do had recently shown me her copy of a cool book called Meet me at Mike's by Pip Lincolne.

I had drooled over this book in the bookshops but it was always reluctantly put back on the shelf, mentally filed away on a 'one day' list for when my wallet was feeling a bit healthier. Yay for gift cards!  The book is full of great crafty projects, perfect for rainy days (and avoiding the housework!) I haven't decided which project to do first yet. Maybe the yoga pants. Maybe the shoes. They're both so cute :)

insomni-lately

It's three twenty six in the morning. It was two fifty seven when I decided to get up because you can't trick yourself into thinking you're asleep with fake snores. This is ridiculous! I have a eleven month old baby who sleeps through the night while I do not. 

Just lately, in the last few weeks I just wake up around one thirty - two in the AM and I'm just totally awake. No, strike that, my body is awake and wanting to go dancing and my brain is begging to be turned off.  I've tried so many things to try and get the old Z's a'happening but to no avail so now I'm trying a new one - getting up. Well, getting up and making a hot drink of chamomile and peppermint tea courtesy of Celestial Seasonings. Let's hope it works. I never really liked chamomile tea but I love peppermint and so far the taste of the latter is overwhelming the former.  It's not too bad.

While I wait for the tea to do it's job I've been doodling and browsing blogs, two things that I love doing but haven't had much time for this last year having become a new Mama.  I just recently bought a new fine black felt tip pen. I love these pens for drawing. They make the best doodles :)

This was something I was thinking about in bed before I got up. 'A' is for awesome, is what was going through my head. No idea why. And no idea why I pictured it in a bird's nest. I also had images of the bird being made out of a hole punch with material behind it... so that's why it is round. My friend was recently given some scrap love from fabric designer Saffron Craig (oooh, so jealous!) Anyway, not one to be stingy, she shared her scrap love with me, Yay!  I think the scrap works really well as a birds body!

Zorro was one lucky bugger. He could create Z's whenever he needed :(

As I'm typing this I think I can feel the tea working. Please, please, please be working! One of the most annoying things about waking in the middle of the night is that when, inevitably, I do get tired enough to go back to sleep it's something like five o'clock so I have to get up a few hours later and then spend the day walking round like a zombie and being less than charming to hang out with. I mean, no one chooses to hang out with a zombie do they! Who wants someone gnawing at an errant limb, or worse cracking your skull and having a chew at your brain whilst pretending to be that fat Indian man from the Temple of Doom delighting in chilled monkey brains. I know I certainly don't!

I guess I should try going to sleep now. There's the Handmade market on tomorrow today to look forward to. Goodnight!

I heart giveaways!

I love browsing crafty blogs and coming across giveaways, it's the same feeling I used to get when I was young hunting for fossils, gems or shells. Mini treasures ripe for the picking! And just to prove I'm no greedy grumpling here's a few links to some treats and goodies :)

Here's a giveaway from Pretty Ditty where you can win a yard of fabric from her store PhatFabric.

This one from The Rikrak Studio is huge with many, MANY lovely things up from grabs and you can enter in many different ways to up your chances of winning.

Flea Market Fancy Freaks is having a giveaway where you can win one of 5 different prizes.

And finally, close to home, one of my most favouritest people in all the world is having a giveaway of some of her lovely hand made creations: cute piggy wigs from Notions!

 Good luck!

∆ My Collection(s) - My Place and Yours ∆

I haven't been playing along with Meet Me at Mikes meme lately, I've just been too disorganised. This weeks theme is My Collection suggested by Theme Queen Kate from Foxs Lane, pretty much the perfect theme for me, I collect so many things! 

My Mother often calls me a hoarder and God knows I drive Big V up the wall with my incessant need to keep every little thing, "Why do you always collect so much junk?" and I think it is these negative connotations of collecting that has recently led me to want to de-clutter and cull some of my surroundings.  This, I know, is not a bad thing. Sometimes things are junky and don't need to be kept, I just find it so hard to let go! 

To me, a lot of my bits and bobs are like mental post it notes. Little tags that evoke memories by association, and I love that association. I have boxes filled with memory tags that I love to get out from the top shelf of the cupboard and sift through, reminiscing as I go.  Some of the more junk-y things I collect and store are movie ticket stubs, pretty beer tops, funky coasters from travels, nicely printed paper bags, old postcards... I keep thinking if I put them all in one great scrap book that they'll be organised and less bothersome to those others in the household! 

I  also collect boxes, buttons, fabric, books, coloured pencils, beautiful cards, old keys, things with bugs or bees, funny Buddhas, lovely coloured cottons, tiny birds, good luck kittys and so many other knick knacks...

But it's not like it can just be any old bottle top or any old Buddha, bird or bug. Quite a few times when friends have been aware of a 'current' collecting fad they think they're on a winner for a present idea and sadly it's just not always the case. I'm not saying I don't appreciate their thoughtfulness, it's completely lovely, it's just that collecting can be so personal. Just because I love tiny birds does not mean that every time I see a thing with a bird in it, I want it. It has to speak to me in just the right way. Crazy? Maybe, but that's just the way it is :)

One of my latest collections is the letter 'V' (did I miss my calling working for Sesame Street?) I had previously blogged about it for the first of Meet Me at Mike's meme's 'On the Shelf' and since then I have found a few more V's that have taken my fancy.

The two wooden V's I think I'll paint and I have a very cute small shadow box which I'll put the little brass v in, it'll be a perfect fit! My favourite one at the moment is the orange card V. It has pictures on the back of 'V' things. I love both sides so much I think I'll have to buy another and frame them side by side, which will work well as I am planning yet another collection of wall art! Can anyone say lost cause?

One small comfort is that I know I'm not alone. In this months Inside Out magazine there was an article written by Sibella Court where she mentions that her " ...maternal Grandmother was labelled a hoarder; it was always said with disdain. So I call myself a keeper of collections - or a bowerbird. I, too, get fixated on things" This makes me feel much better about my stash of treasures :)

Pippit's first day at the beach

Today was such fantastic weather, the sort that just demands that you go to the beach... so we did! Rosie, Pippy and I all bundled up in the car and drove down to seven mile beach for a walk and a paddle.  I haven't been to seven mile in such a long time I'd forgotten what a nice beach it actually is.

Rosie managed to save a little fishy that was stranded by the tide. I didn't get a great photo of it as we were obviously rushing to get him back in the water... he kinda looks like a mini jaws!

I collected a bunch of chinese fingernail shells (not sure of their real name but that's what I've always called them), talk about a witchy poo!

 

and Rosie found me the most beautiful shell, the photo doesn't do the colour justice at all. It's the most amazing coral pink, I've never seen a shell coloured like it - love it :)

Little Pippit absolutely loved the water, not afraid one little jot! (that's my girl!) I think she would play in water all day if she was allowed.  I used to spend nearly all day, every day at the beach when I was younger.  A friend and I used to take her doughnut ring, chuck our towels in the middle and each hold a side as we walked down about a block to the beach.  We'd paddle out till we couldn't touch the bottom and freak ourselves out and then paddle back in again.  We would've only been about nine or ten, I can't believe our parents were cool with us going off by ourselves like that!  I guess they were just different times.

 

Mamatoto

Sent this scan from a book called Mamatoto to a friend who is over their due date for birth in the hopes that it will make them laugh so hard and bring on labour.

I wonder if it'll work :)

guru swarmy bugger the rest of you I'm alright thanks jack G

For some reason I have that phrase on the brain, no idea why. It hasn't been on the radio for years, can't even remember if it was TTT or Triple J! Another sign of the recent bout of scattiness I've had lately I'm sure.  I need to do a MASSIVE Spring clean in my house and perhaps my brain is doing the same.  After all, do I really need random quotes spoken in a fake Indian accent floating around in my head? No, I don't think so!

I came to realise whilst watching Big V sneeze for the tenth time in a row the other day and thinking how lucky I was that I don't get hay fever the way he does, that while I may not sneeze, cough or get ragingly itchy eyes I DO GET SCATTY!  I suddenly lose all ability to focus and organise my days leading to many things being left undone. Great big piles of washing, mail on every surface of the kitchen table, half started projects and their paraphernalia lying around everywhere - I'm like that funny bag lady from the Labyrinth that collects everything on her back.  I need to buy a pair of footy boots just to give myself a good swift kick up the backside!

Maybe Big V is the lucky one.  I mean, he can take an antihistamine for his affliction but what can I take? What remedy is there for an unorganised clutter bug?