Mathilda's Market this Sunday in Canberra - back in the swing of it . . .

Greetings all,
Well it's time to dust off my market skills, warm up my smiling muscles & pack for my first market of 2010.  As the decorator of Mathilda's Market Canberra, i put together a welcome display . . . here's a little taste of what it will look like . . .

My Betty Jo (Lino Forest) Babushka necklace will hang around my neck & i have 9 of those large blue IKEA bags filled with products!! 

Making sure baskets still have tags & are topped up with stock!!
  We have to bring the whole family so we're using the trailer.  My husband's car is in Brisbane & the children have parties during the market, not sure who is working harder tomorrow??!!

I try to take new product ranges to each market to keep things interesting, like my Euro screen printed dresses; new range of children's suitcases (will be available in various colours, sold as singles or sets of 4); something for boys & those who love to bake!! 
These images went to the Canberra Times for a promotion too!!

Of course lots of pink products as i can't help myself after lots of girls!!

Posie is a founder stall holder at Mathilda's Canberra!! 

Mathilda's Market Canberra in it's new home - the Hyatt Hotel on Commonwealth Avenue Yarralumla (next to Albert Hall) with free parking, free entry, EFTPOS & almost 50 beautiful stalls packed with lovely things for babies & children.  Always a gorgeous shopping experience, 9a.m. to 1p.m. Sunday 28th February.  Love Posie

My Creative Space 'market preparation for the family'

Greetings all,

Phew, another Thursday & round of the Creative Space game as sponsored by kootoyoo . . . & nice prompt for my quiet blogging since my husband's surprise return (after 7 weeks in the wilderness).  He couldn't have come home early, at a busier time for me!!  Inbetween looking longingly into his eyes i have been in the studio preparing for Mathilda's Market this Sunday here in Canberra.  With lots of interstate stalls coming, it's really made me up my game & get super productive & creative. 
It has been a big week for the family too.  Our eldest met the Elisabeth Blackburn, Nobel Laureate in Physiology and Medicine; the Prime Minister (he has soft lady hands) & became House Captain at school - just in time for the swimming carnival where i'll rehash my pom pom making skills.  Also, keep everything in the household a float has been a test of my organisation skills . . . read on . . .

a few more quilts for the market

to be quilted tomorrow

some folk stickers; & penny wheels which need buttons for headbands

magnets for the Elleni May shop

some hair clips for ChildPlay

remembering to take knitting needles to the market

turning all this research, images, snow flakes & flags into . . .

O Canada O Canada &

Whistler Mountain (Olympic assignments for year 3 twins)

in my spare time, i'll make homemade pasta

my husband made the sauces for lasagne

it tasted as good as it looked & half for the freezer

look at those layers . . . & the salad cancels out the calories

also made a double batch of pasta dough, now who rolls the better tagliatelle??
(top left corner, was NOT my effort!!) 

all so i can be here on Sunday!!

Have great weeks everyone, love Posie

Tropfest short film festival in Sydney - go Alyssa!!

Greetings all,
Well seeing my cousin Alyssa is so incredibly busy, modest & fabulous, i had to find out on the news tonight - in a channel 10 interview with Angela Bishop - that she is finalist in Tropfest tonight!!  She's one of only two female directors in the finals & has her own production company too (Pickled Films).  Her short film is a comedy which stars Pia Miranda, who i think everyone in Australia adores, she's so gorgeous, funny & sweet.
Now Alyssa is eerily similar to our middle daughter with the same colouring, personality & features (nose, eyes, long limbs, athletics) only they're born 20 years apart.  Alyssa's mummy is a twin, our daughter is a twin, they're both super smart, she's a wonderful role model for our children . . . Alyssa went through school on academic scholorships, she was school captain & dux, got honours in her UTS Communications degree - most sort after degree in the country, while tripping to Hollywood for movies & winning international acting scholorships plus the coveted job as a Jan Logan Jewellery model!!  Not to mention she's rather beautiful too!!  We saw her a Christmas lunch & i was like a 5y.o. asking a million questions about Sam Worthington, Holly Valance etc & she's like "here are some pictures of them in my phone" & i was giggling & totally star struck.  To some, that world is normal, it's work . . . not to this housewife!!  Ah, good luck gorgeous girl!!

It was hard to find a picture of our girl NOT smiling or posing!!  Couldn't find any images of Alyssa with her, which would have been a much better comparison.  Check out more here . . . love Posie

wordless weekend . . . that would be impossible for me!!

Greetings all,
I often marvel at 'wordless weekend' posts other bloggers manage to produce with beautiful photography & ideas, no words required.  Me, i'm a talker & none of these images can express the super suprise i had this morning!!  After a lovely customer left my studio, i was vacuuming & about to start an ordinary Saturday of birthday parties & sewing, when . . . my husband turned up on my doorstep!!  I hadn't seen my husband for 7 weeks & wasn't expecting him until next Saturday, so emotions of excitement, joy, love & freedom are all whirling around our house today.
Back to the post i had planned on doing today which was a 'last weekend vs this weekend' set of images showing how we roll in different weather in this family.  Our children were all born in the tropics of Tiwi NT & seem to be very attached to the seasons.  They don't feel the cold & hanker to be outdoors at all times!!  Fine by me, keeps them very fit & healthy.  But when it rains, we get crafty . . .

coloured paper chatter boxes on the studio floor . . .

because the skies looked like this . . .

& i had to dry my screen prints like this . . .

our sleep over guest playing board games & loving her new Posie purse.

Then sunshine allowed me to mow the lawns & run over the solar powered electric fence, ooppss . . .

& a spot of gardening - look, a Jacaranda tree has suddenly sprouted by the tomatoes . . .

painting by the front door while the middle sisters are at a party . . .

& a new bright fruit bowl patchwork cloth - needs to be lined & pressed.

Now back to that husband who i've missed so much!!  Have happy weekends everyone, love Posie

My Creative Space 'what's in my front door way'

Greetings all,
Don't you love peeking into people's doorways??  Well if you were nosey & walked past my front door, this is what you'd find this week . . .

cushions for baby Chloe to be collected by daddy Tom . . .

Chloe's mum Corinne requested buttons on the back . . .

it wasn't until i bought this Brother Innovis 600 sewing machine that i was ever confident with my button holes (machine recommended by Corrie from Retro Mummy - she knows her stuff, we both got them for Mother's Day last year, thanks husbands!!) 

goodies returned from Cosmo Pregnancy magazine shoot . . .

was a busy week & everything got piled up . . .

with samples spilling out onto the floor . . .

Indeed a busy week . . . i picked up two new stores/ stockists for my wholesale label Edna&AliceMay, wrote P&C reports, drafted Winter Olympic assignment x 2 for twins, hosted 3 sleep overs, as well as sewing up a storm for upcoming markets.  Does your front door way look like a mini shop too??  FYI my studio is just in the front doorway to the left!!  Must sort it all . . . tomorrow.  Was fun playing My Creative Space this week kootoyoo!!  Love Posie

i've been tagged to reveal 'my 3 top travel tips with children'

Greetings all,

Tania McCartney has tagged me to reveal my top secret tips of "have children, will travel" to actually be fabulous & fun.  Tania gave wonderful tips on destinations on her blog & that girl has travelled, but i'm going to take a different approach.
1. ATTITUDE: so you're parents, deal with it, make your holidays family orientated or hire a babysitter & pretend you're just a couple again.  Blunt enough for you??  Make it a great holiday & find your inner child.  I'm a very relaxed parent who is happy to devote my holidays to children's activities & my husband is thrilled to see us all having a great time & pays the bills.  Know your children & your husband - when do they get tired, will Daddy want to have an afternoon nap??  Will he get annoyed at your shopping??  Will you need to have a place to hide shopping in an unmarked suitcase??  Will you be happy to spend a morning alone with the children so he goes off to the city & does his own shopping??  Realise that it's a holiday for everyone.  Finally deal with the fact you may only get one ace holiday every few years.  We actually make our 'moving' interstate a holiday & rarely take a trip inbetween. 

2. PLANNING: So i've previously confessed i'm a planner, well guess what, forewarned is forearmed - whether you are flying overnight long haul with small children OR going to war.  I do the hard work in advance, finding the best rates, read the small print & find failsafe activities - but we have children who travel well & are very easy to please - especially if you take them to . . . Disneyland!! Ok, seems indulgent but our 4 children went 9 long months without a Daddy & with Army travel allowances thrown in, we made a trip as a family of 6 to Hong Kong Disneyland in 2007.  Out of Darwin, it cost us personally about $6K for all flights, taxes, meals, 2 rooms at the Disneyland Hotel on Lantau Island, shopping & entry to the park for a week.  I read the fine print - if you bought annual passes (cost less than 2 days entry anyway) you got 30% off breakfast & 35% off week day room rates.  We had to book 2 rooms, we made it 5 week nights & booked in low season (shorter queues too & we went to Disneyland 5 times - morning, all day, night for fireworks, you name it).  Easy!!  Plus you get to feel like the BEST parents in the world because you're taking your children to Disneyland!!  I like baths, so always book a room with a big bath (also convenient for hand washing) & my husband is tall & loves huge beds, so we book a room with a king size bed when available.  Local knowledge is also useful - as a blonde child travelling to Asia i found people would pull my hair & grab me for photos, so taking a set of 4 fair haired children to Singapore, Macau, China & Hong Kong, we knew what to expect.  I'm talking tour buses stopping to have shots with the children!!  Blonde twins sent them wild (Asians have the lowest incidence of twins)!!  Let's just say, hundreds of Chinese have photos of our children in their albums & the girls would smile but the boy, well he had enough & would cross his arms & frown, you know, vampire angry kind of frown!! 
3. KNOW YOUR FAMILY: do they like swimming at home??  If not, don't take them to a tropical island holiday & expect them to suddenly love swimming!!  If they are terrified of people dressed up in suits, i don't recommend them finding their confidence at theme parks either.  You've probably spent a lot of money, time, energy & annual leave organising this holiday, so make sure you're taking the kind of holiday which will leave you with happy memories & experiences, not pent up stress & resentment.  I feel ill when i see children on holiday or at a restaurant with an iPod, DVD player or game boy & their parents let them use them!!  Oh the horror, why bother bringing them if you don't plan on engaging with them??  I believe pencils, books & activities, even iPods are fine for travelling long distances when there is nothing to see & to keep them from nagging.  Know what they like - my children love swimming, tropical weather, pirates, princesses, international food, rides, running free - so for us, Hong Kong Disneyland was a perfect focus for a holiday.  The children were aged 3 to 8 when we went, so we informed our little fella that he might not be tall enough for some rides & we'd take turns revisiting rides he could do or sat out with him.  He was fine.  Also, little ones might need a pram, favourite toy, snacks, rest spots & a day off from all the excitement.  Splitting children up also gives them a break from each other - girls with Daddy, boys with Mum or vice versa.  Finally - if you wear them out during the day, they'll collapse in a heap & sleep so THEN you can feel like a couple again & have the evening to yourselves.  Love Posie

Boxing Day sale bootie rediscovered

Greetings all,

Ooopppsss - i bought all these ribbons & lovely bootie in the Boxing Day sale at Kikki-K & promptly forgot about them.  In a month when i'm revisiting old favourite products, styles & designs which for some reason have fallen off my market stall . . . i plan to make my sweet tiny totes again for little girls & boys using these ribbons for handles.  They are just a tad prettier than the regular woven tapes i used to use.  I think the standard of Mathilda's & Handmade Canberra's UpMarket just demand a little extra, that attention to detail & stylish touch.  

Now, time to get back to my arm chair Winter Olympics expert judgement.  I have never skiied & last time i strapped on ice skates was maybe year 10 at school, ouch, 20 years ago.  Doesn't turning 35 make you suddenly start judging things by decades??!!  That also means it was 10 years ago that i ran in the Sydney Olympic torch relay, so exciting - me, a little mummy was running with the Olympic flame!!  Now that was a cool experience!!
Oh, still think that cute Canadian born Australian Dale Begg-Smith is pretty fabulous & yippee for him, another medal.  If you had to come 2nd to someone, why not do it to the host country's first ever gold medallist on their own soil, i mean, snow!!  My son is completely captivated by all the events as he rides a pretty mean toboggan & Canberra gets snow!!  He also loves all the numbers & it's a great way to teach a 6 year old all about time - right down to milliseconds (or blinking).  He keeps repeating the times which flash up & working out who is coming first before the commentators.  Impressive, has my mind for maths & figures.  He can't wait to watch the snow boarding, it's a little differen to the Wii. 
Have lovely weeks everyone, love Posie

be my Valentine - how are you spending the 14th February??

Greetings all,
So how are you spending Valentine's Day??  With a loved one??  Me, no, my husband is 'out field', we have an extra child for a sleep over, i have a pile of sewing for Mathilda's in 2 weeks plus orders so i'll be in the studio. 
Alas, i had forecast a dull day; so yesterday i invited the ladies over for a special morning tea with heart shaped brownies & strawberry cup cakes with whipped cream, sandwiches & fruit.  The children had 'samples' in their lunch boxes & this is what my son did with his special treat before school & mouthed the words "i love you mum".  I cried but composed myself enough to take this shot!!  Who needs their husband when he's trained his son to be so gorgeous to you??  Ahhh . . . & is the spitting image of his father too, dimples & all.  Love you boys!!

To brighten my Valentine's Day i'll be sewing with these pretty threads

& using bright colourful paints!!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! 

On MARKET news: I heard Allie's Attic was great in Mosman NSW today, well done those who had stalls or went as customers, wonderful news.  Next stop Mathilda's Market - all over the country!!  Handmade Canberra's UpMarket applications are closing soon, so get in as you don't want to miss this awesome quarterly market experience with a consistent crowd of 10000 customers, fabulous ambience & handmade goodness.  Love Posie

i've been tagged to reveal '25 Random Things About Me'

Greetings all,

The fabulous Julie from Handmade Market & Shop Handmade tagged me to reveal ’25 Random Things About Me’ . . . so here goes nothing (in random order) . . .

1 I still have a crush on my husband, from when I was a teenager, i still get butterflies

2 I am terrified of clowns & monkeys

3 I am so proud of my family, I cry at every parade, assembly & award ceremony

4 I have never smoked & don’t drink tea, coffee or alcohol

5 I can type around 80 words per minute, self taught

6 I can see maths, the numbers, the equations & the answers

7 I love love love anything to do with Babushka Dolls

8 I have had very bad carpal tunnel syndrome since I was 28 & pregnant with my 4th child

9 I majored in pharmacology & psychology at Sydney Uni & have never used either degrees

10 I am a natural blonde, now on the mousey side but blonde common sense (or lack of)

11 I really enjoy good television but loathe reality shows 

12 I have been around the world 13 times on holidays

13 I think beetroots are like vegetable lollies

14 I am not spiritual, just believe in family

15 I love real action men like Bear Grylls (ex special forces soldier in Man vs Wild)

16 I have only just started to enjoy cooking for my family

17 I didn’t doubt getting married young for a second

18 I appear very calm, but have trouble switching off at night & sleep with hand splints & a mouth splint

19 I am a very low maintenance loyal friend & easily entertained

20 My favourite food is Japanese

21 My childhood was a fairy tale & I try to replicate that happiness, love & security with my children

22 My sister & I are chalk & cheese, I’m much more like my brothers

23 My father reckons I can talk under water with my mouth full of marbles

24 My favourite patchwork combination involves spots, stripes, florals & plaid

25 My earliest memory is swimming in our family pool aged 2 or 3

Julie also tagged Rachel from Little Angel Little Devil & Shop Handmade too!!
I'd like to tag my dear Stacey from Sheep's Clothing & Rosalind Grace from Grace Designs.  These are two super ladies, gorgeous mummies & very clever crafters!!  Tell me more ladies, don't hold back!!

Which trouble maker started all this?? Tania McCartney who we all love, adore & is all round gorgeous!!  I have ALL her books, she's a brilliant writer.  Have lovely weekends everyone, love Posie