The lovely Liana tagged me to reveal six things not yet mentioned about myself, i was so relieved that it wasn't the weird things meme and that i wouldn't have to discuss the matching pegs...
So here goes (apologies to those of you who already know these things.)
#1 I used to sing in a band, fleetingly, seems like such a long time ago now. I have always loved to sing and one of my greatest childhood experiences was being part of a school choir. Our teacher was so wonderful and she imparted such a love of music to us all, it was a great gift.
#2 On the rare occasions that I am home on my own, I like to listen to my favourite music really really loud. The last time it was Stereolab "Mars Audiac Quintet"
#3 We have a fledgling collection of Dinosaur Designs pieces. I've always been a fan, stamp-boy was convinced after we visited the retrospective together a few years ago.
#4 I'm not a morning person. 3191 makes me wish I was.
#5 Last year I was on the local news in a story about the benefits of counselling for young women with breast cancer. I can't say enough about how counselling sessions helped me to cope with my experiences in the last year. I have learned things that will guide me for the rest of my life.
#6 One of the reasons the blog has been so quiet of late is that we are quite busy toilet training Miss A. It's going very well but I feel like I'm at the potty every five minutes! The big-girl bed is next, our baby is growing up!
You can see that I got some of Liana's wonderful vintage knitting needle bracelets for Christmas, love love wearing these!
Happy weekend friends!
it's summer!
days stretch into weeks, stretch into months... almost! i've been enjoying an unscheduled break from this space, taking life slowly and relishing the promise of the new year...
taking time for baking & nests for clothes-peg birds...
playing with buttons & making lamingtons (messy, messy)
and do you remember the lime tree?
this is our first harvest...
Thank-you for all your kind words after my last post. There are lots of things I should write about today, wonderful playdates, lovely mail and melodies... still no baking or bon-bons, maybe tonight. Life is such a precious gift and it feels good to be moving forward to a new year. Wishing you all sweetness and light in this most beautiful of seasons.
I come from a family of shopkeepers and for a long time I was determined not to be one too. Then one day I woke up and it was all I wanted to do. It was as simple as that. Fourteen years ago my family opened a little gift store in an old house with a shop front. Back then our dream was to create a place where people felt comfortable. A place where even if they only had a little to spend, they would find that special something. It would of course be beautifully wrapped. Years later our little shop has grown and changed but I think we have managed to stay true to our vision. Along the way we have made some wonderful friends and hopefully made a few people happy. We have watched children grow and have had the privelege of sharing a little part of peoples lives. 
I know a lot is said about the commercialisation of this season. It's certainly the busiest time of the year for us, but it's still a thrill for me to see people taking pleasure in the simple things... writing cards and letters, buying a box for handmade biscuits, choosing an ornament for a favourite teacher, taking the time to travel across town to find the perfect treat for someone they hold dear. We have worked really hard over the years to build relationships with our suppliers, a mixture of importers and smaller local companies. Selecting a collection of goods for each season is such fun. Of course a great deal of hard work goes in to making it seem effortless, but it's a challenge that I love. And then there's that great moment when it all comes together, when someone gets what we are trying to say and it just works. Those moments are really special.
For me, blogging has primarily been about own my personal journey into motherhood and finding my creativity within that realm. One of the most powerful things about this community is it's the ability to foster connection among people. I spent a lot of time thinking about this post. Revealing things about myself doesn't come easily to me but recently I have found myself wanting to write about my experiences as a shopgirl. This might be a one off post or maybe one day I'll write some more. I guess what it comes down to is that I've realised again how lucky I am to do something that I really love, something that allows me to connect with others on a daily basis. That our little shop still exists is testament to the support of many people over many years, testament to the power of the smallest exchanges. It's something for which I'm incredibly grateful.
miss a and i have been having a lovely time at our local playgroup, this week it was our turn to prepare the craft activity...
miss a loves stickers at the moment, so we made red spotty star garlands...
and angels,
that ended up covered in glitter...
my first bag...
perfect for a quick jaunt, just big enough for a japanese craft book,
might have visit yesasia to celebrate :)
is it really friday already?
wip's for me this week are all about packaging...
i'm thrilled to be taking part in a show in november with some very talented friends, lots to be done but we are taking one step at a time in these parts... posting might be a little sporadic in the next month as i prepare but i'm sure i won't be able to resist popping in to keep you updated with my progress...
happy weekend friends!
i love the sense of possibility that hangs in the air,
the weekend is just a step way...
crafting with kids: creative fun for children aged 3-10 by catherine woram with photography by vanessa davies, (ryland, peters & small, isbn1845972511)
there are some really sweet projects in this book, a great "all-in-one place" reference, especially for those of us without a full set of MSkids...
i'm looking forward to working on some of these activities with miss a, it's becoming clear that despite my best intentions, a compromise will have to be reached regarding the pink...
this project has given me some ideas about how that might work...
i also wanted to mention that you can see some of miss j's beautiful festive decorations on page 144 of the latest inside out magazine...
right,
red (and pink) paper is calling me...
chasing my tail, so just a quick post...
wrapping is finished and fabric awaits me...
i'm excited about exploring paper again...
just not enough moments in the day,
we really must do something about that :)
my sewing machine is back and i've actually completed a work in progress...
i can't show you any more than this because it's a surprise...
for petite...
it's late...
but i'm in good company!
more next week, have a happy weekend...
well friends the spring-cleaning is progressing slowly but surely... i'm really trying to give thought to how we live and to organise our space accordingly... the book has been a great help and the website has some excellent resources too... oh and i want a chalkboard like blair's, just the thing for our kitchen...
the herb garden is looking lovely, complete with a little lime tree...
thanks dad!
right by the back door so i won't forget to water them...
works-in-progress remain just that, my machine has been out for repairs so it's been hand-sewing only... which is alright because it's that time of year...
i'm hoping it will ready tomorrow because i have a lot to finish this week, fingers crossed... happy weekend to you all...
