Sending you sunshine and flowers

Happy Monday morning to you all!

image from here

This morning I am busy freshening things up around the house, opening all windows, exploiting this perfect sunny, breezy day for washing linens.  Just general cleaning, and tidying - very cathartic.

This week has to be better!

x

A peek inside...

Ever since I won a copy of Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule, from ecoMILF, I have been day dreaming about what Amanda's home would be like inside. I have finally sucumbed to the virus that has hit our household, and have spent the better part of the last 36 hours sleeping, a little light reading/skimming, and daydreaming (you know the sort that you do when you are all virally?)


Now, my brain isn't at all in full gear, because I have just managed to lose this post, and am now re-writing it, and starting to feel a little sweaty...I need to finish up, before Earth Hour starts!

So here is the blog post link by Indie Fixx (apologies to those who have seen it all before!).
click here

(what is it with blogger not letting me load photos lately??!)

my creative space - bespoke bunting

Despite bouts of gastro with the kids this week, I gratefully managed to finish a custom order for the lovely Rita from Gone Rustic.  She is one talented lady, she makes amazing art quilts, and crochets like a rocket, so I felt quite humbled when she asked lil ol' me. 

This bunting features fabric of her own design called 'secrets' ~ it's quite an intricate design, (do click on the photo to see the detail), but she only had four small different coloured pieces to give me, which were a bit less than the size of a fat quarter.
After a bit of measuring and cutting, (tenaciously I might add!) in the end I managed to get 4 bunting flags from each piece, and this is the effect....

I think her beautiful fabric really sings, don't you?

There are 8 flags in each one.

I love doing custom orders, it's great to see the effect of a fabric or size, that I don't normally do.

Head over to Kirsty's for some creative spaces that may surprise you.

Hope you are having a great week.

x

Love ya 'Laura'

Back in the blogosphere! - I have been on a bit of a bunting making bender, and haven't had much time to 'spare' - to visit or post, but I really wanted to share these lovely pictures (I am trying to remember to pop the camera in my bag when I go out)....
The Laura Ashley shop window display when I was in Hobart the other day, captured and caught my attention once again.  They always display in a simple, elegant style that is classic Laura Ashley.   Love it!

I ventured sheepishly inside, and found a lovely item for my Happy Mail Exchange recipient through FatMumSlim.

I know she likes all things feminine, so I think something from Laura will be just the thing.

xx

my creative space - i heart rainbows

The rainbow to me is a wonderful symbol of hope...

A cloud of fogginess has lifted from my brain at last, some decisions have become clearer, 

so it seemed to me a befitting way was to celebrate this with a rainbow. 

 I was trying to think of an item to go into my Etsy store, that is due for a spruce and stock up, for Earth Day. 

The Natural Kids Team (which I am part of) through Etsy, will hopefully have a storque article on Etsy's blog very soon! (fingers crossed), about Earth Day (April 22).

Hope

 our Earth

rainbows

 my faith

it all melds together for me

So...

I chose some lovely rainbow fabric,

and 'little fire' came home with some beautiful bright paintings from her very first day

at family day care on Monday. 

 (It has been a big week, the lead up was taking a long time picking the right carer. Unsurprisingly she took it all in her stride - and loved it - hugh relief for mama! and I'm going to have one day a week now that I can sew!)

Too lovely not to hang up, and share.

Almost finished, just waiting on my order of heading tape (and guess what? it's just arrived, thanks courier man!)...

7 flag rainbow bunting ready for Earth Day.

I am thankful for clarity, and rainbows.

x

Now head over for a lovely assortment of creative space's over at Kirsty's place.

one of my favourite things - basket ware

Lucky me, I picked this up for a song, at a market a few weeks ago,

and then

I spotted an authentic English trug (massive it was) at this 'old wares' shop,

 but for $280, I thought they best keep it!

It was much larger, and more well made than this one....

My very woodsy capable brother-in-law is making some trugs from some recylced wood he had in his shed, and hopefully I might be able to take some to my next market to sell.

  He has fashioned the handles out of tea tree, and they are well made and sturdy. 

 I've also got some lovely wind wands in the works to go with the 'dance in my garden' theme, and am really keen to see how the children (and adults) respond to those.

My dream would be to open a small shop with a garden theme....oh maybe one day!

Hope you have a terrific week!

xx

This regular Monday post is now going to be monthly, I hope you don't mind.

i am completely in love with...

pilosale

xx

my creative space - creative constraints

I have been pondering these interesting thoughts from http://www.mnmlist.com/ on how constraints force us to be creative.
They can produce positive results, if we are willing to work with them.
On a personal level, I've had a bit of an off week to be honest, and I'm looking for inspiration.
I've lost my Big E.   I'm off to find it.

'Often, constraints, limitations, are seen as a negative. They might restrict freedom and force sacrifices, sure, but they also force us to choose. And to work within and around the constraints.'

kitchen sink in China - image from here

'When we must work within limits, we have to figure out how to make those work. This forces us to think outside our normal mode of thinking, to think of new ways to make things work.'

Consider:

•'When we have a small home, we must find new ways of living within that small space, instead of being lazy and doing whatever we want with lots of space.'

•'When we must use fewer words, we must choose them wisely, instead of spilling them out carelessly.'

•'When we eat fewer calories, we must choose more nutritious and yet tasteful foods, to make them count.'

•'When we have less storage space, we must choose only the most important things, and make do with less.'

image from here

•'When we limit ourselves to four sentences per email, we must say the essential, creatively.'
   

'Consider what you give your attention to each day.

 It's a precious resource, & determines the shape of your life.'

Head over to a variety of lovely creative spaces at Kootoyoo
xx

   

My favourite bookshop in Hobart

What is a girl supposed to do on a very balmy day in Hobart, with only a couple of hours to escape relish from the family? 

{Don't we all need those times?}

 It's too hot to go walking, and because I needed some quality me time, I decided to visit my favourite bookstore in Hobart, Fullers.  

on my way in...

as you know, I love colour coding...

a closer look perhaps?...

well, I may as well stay for lunch, my tummy's rumbling, and I've been here a while..it's lucky for me they have the 'afterword cafe' in the bookstore.

For lunch I choose a tuna with capers salad sandwich, made with sourdough bread, (healthy), but offset by a creamy cold iced coffee!

nice private spot by the booth, and I can peak over at....

I need to confess now, I did succumb to a book, {only one, how did I do that?} perhaps in the name of 'research'?

here's a little peak of  "Handmade Melbourne"...

I had to steele myself away from all the craft and gardening books, I could have spent hours there...

I come home not at all refreshed (it's still too stinky hot!), but at least I have had a repreive!

Huz is still very much out of picking up anything heavy (which obviously includes our little girl). 

 So that basically means he can't do her 'putting to bed and picking up after sleep duty', 'washing up / drying duty', oh...and 'buttering toast, and making tea duty'...and it's been a long week...but I am grateful for small and even tiny mercies. 

His arm and leg are still quite sore, and need lots of resting, but we are hoping he heals well {and soon!}.

 Hope you enjoyed my little saunter into one of my favourite spots...I'm thinking maybe this could be a regular feature - 'my favourite......'

Any escape spots you would like to share?

xx

my creative space - fabric stackaholic

This was going to be a rambly post, but since blogger 'lost' half of my draft last night, you have been spared!

I think instead I will show you some of my fabric stash...most of this pile here will be destined for bunting.

Some fabric lies waiting in a meat safe, which resides along my 'sewing wall' (in the lounge room), and some in a bedroom....

it seems to me impossible to have it all in the one place.

This pile waiting patiently in wooden boxes I have been collecting.

The boxes sit quite happily on my dining table (which is also up against a wall).

{ah, now you are getting an idea of how tiny eenie meenie my house is}

And my lovely hubbie hasn't even complained, can you imagine that?

I can't believe it's lasted here as long as it has, but I really like it, I can sit and stare, and imagine colour combos, and it's all at eye level.

What's more, it does give a pop of colour, and people always 'comment' when they come in and see it!

Now I am going to head over to Kirsty's place and see what other lovely creative spaces people have conjured up there.

x

Handmade Home Give-away

The inspiring earthy mama herself of ecoMILF is giving away a copy of this most covetable book,

Handmade Home, by Amanda Blake Soule. 

Be quick, there is one day left to enter, the winner is drawn Friday morning...

head over to this post and enter.  Easy peasy.

International entries accepted.  Woohoo!

x

1st day of Autumn

Goodbye Summer.

Hello Autumn...

Perhaps I need to invest in a little crafty kit from Miss Millas, to get me over the change of season blues?

Hope your weekend was happy.

x