social commentary Sunday 'bad boys'

Greetings all,
Thinking of starting up a new meme for all who wish to join in, called Social Commentary Sunday.  My friends know i am loud with strong opinions, so why not make that into a weekly post??  Maybe just 'what's on your mind' or i could throw out a theme/ topic/ idea on Saturdays for us to post about on Sundays.  Want to join in, let me know!!
This weekend has seen me sewing up a storm, i have to constantly replace stock at the Shop & mass produce for markets, but after a heavy & emotional week, i've turned to quilting.  Love of colour, simple design & sew on autopilot.  So . . . Bad Boys might be a strange title subject for this housewife, mummy & patchwork quilter to pick or relate to??  Read on . . .

 While i sew, i have DVDs on in my studio to save me from day time or weekend sport, sport or sport on television.  The gorgeous SuperNatural brothers have been entertaining me.  Granted i'm focused on sewing with only one eye on these hunky boys, but there is something about them which reminds me of my choice of husband - handsome, broody & a bit of mystery - the bad boy action man??  I'd like to say Bear Grylls types, parachute jumping, rock climbing & in their spare time, fighting demons. 

 As i was watching Sunrise in my studio, the ads for Home&Away kept rolling . . . some 'bad boys' have moved to Summer Bay.  Typical story, the good girl has fallen for one (you can piece the story together from the ads of course) & da dah, the bad boy turns out to be quite nice, gentle with an easy smile that melts you & makes you weak at the knees.  

 Last time i watched Home&Away my cousin Alyssa was on, some story line of her tricking her on screen boyfriend that he was the father of her baby (bad girl, classy role Lyss).  The boyfriend = Chris Hemsworth (as in Miley Cyrus's boyfriend Liam Hemsworth's brother - OMG, i have a connection to Hannah Montanna, shame my children wouldn't care, OMG, i have a connection to Billy-Ray Cyrus, bit of sick just came up in my mouth) anyway . . . as i name drop & digress (Alyssa here with pals Alex & Gyton) . . . 

 Alyssa is my inside guru into Hollywood bad boys who are REALLY nice in real life.  If you've seen Ryan Kwanten in TruBlood (FYI while i was looking for a photo of him, there is a Jason Stackhouse workout) you'd never believe it, he's so bad on screen.  Sure he's totally hot but to me, Ryan still has that baby face from his Home&Away days, either that or i'm just 36 & acting my age??!!  The surfy angle reminds me of my husband in his early 20s, i know, as if i could resist.

 Ah, yes, Sam Worthington, hello ladies, he reminds me the most of my husband - very broody & has played a few military roles.  I did let out a yelp when Alyssa (who never name drops, i drag it out of her) said that she had dinner with Sam just after Avatar & he's still the same nice guy.  That broody face & work boot footwear just sucks me in.  You can add to my list the likes of Daniel Craig (James Bond), David Boreanez (Angel, Bones), Jon Hamm (Mad Men) & Wentworth Miller (Prison Break) who i find mesmerising, their eyes & fact they say so little - wow, i often say to my husband "what are you saving your words for??" as he just doesn't talk unless he has something really important to say.  Quite confronting to me, the blabber-oner.  I had to get used to comfortable silence very early on in our relationship.  I was never looking to 'save' a guy or mother one, i didn't want a damaged one with baggage either.  My husband had just a dash of conflict in his eyes.    

 In an effort to tie all this together with the gratuitous images of hunky guys . . . what really is a bad boy, on screen or in real life??  Is it a look, an attitude, the mystery, what's not said??  Sure there are some scary genuine bad boys out there, who beat their wives & deal drugs, horrible, yuck.  I'm talking about the ones you can't take your eyes off, they are captivating, mysterious & SO different from your life, they're an escape??  That is what i felt when i first laid eyes on my husband. 
He was loud, popular & from a very different world - the Inner West of Sydney (it was a bit rough in the mid 90s, now it's gentrified) with working class mates who drank, they were soldiers.  I was a strong minded teenager, a good girl from the safe & quiet North Shore of Sydney, studying at university, focused with goals, but attracted to him like an intense magnet.  We started dating immediately (ok, imagine me cute, blonde, slim, fun, smart - i was a catch & a mystery to him too).  I soon realised this apparent bad boy was completely adorable - he would drive me home & walk me to my door; called my father 'sir' when they first met; always helping cook with my mother; always phoned (this was before mobiles, SMS & email); never let me pay for anything; held doors open/ chairs out/ gave me his jacket if i was cold . . . OMG, he was the nicest bad boy ever!!  Um, we talked baby names on our first date & i was actually thinking he was going to be a fling as i was fresh out of my first serious relationship.   
Probably why, 17 years later i am still madly in love with him!!  He is still broody & mysterious, he has been to places & seen things in war i could never imagine.  He's protective, responsible & sensible, i feel safe.  I would never say i tamed him, i was just the right challenge & made the ideal military wife for him.  I still say to him, "if you never asked me out, i'd still have a crush on you & wonder about you".  Oh imagine if i didn't marry him, but someone boring & obvious, i'd still be thinking of my teen crush.  I have never doubted our relationship, perhaps because my parents didn't either - ok, after dating him for a few months they were off on a big trip around Australia . . . they asked him to move in (my parents were VERY conservative, this was jaw dropping stuff) to look after me & get this - put money into his bank account to buy groceries every week!!  Can you imagine in a million years doing that for your teen daugther's boyfriend??!!  I'll just state here & now, we won't be doing that for ANY of our children, what were my parents thinking??  He he he, they did expect us to sleep in different rooms, ha ha ha.

Right now, this is as wild as my bad boy experience gets - this cute little heart breaker is the son of Rosalind from Grace Designs who popped over on Friday, she makes gorgeous babies too!! 
So there you have it, my first offering for Social Commentary Sunday, let me know what you think & if you'd like to join in & i'll do a linky list next week.  Or do your own today, maybe your own take on Bad Boys or who you chose to marry too, love Posie

my first born has graduated, warning: proud mumma post

Greetings all,
You may have followed the last couple of posts about making my eldest daughter a dress for her year 6 graduation dinner/ dance . . . voila, here she is.  Yes, i'm at home doing a blog post about it while her preferred parent took her in to the event, i know my place (behind the scenes!!)  Handsome soldier just rang to say she's really excited, her dress is perfect, she's having photos & will be sitting next to her best boy-friend at the dinner. 
This afternoon i fled Shop Handmade to dash over to her graduation ceremony.  I was filled with pride & had camera in hand.  Just 6 years ago (she skipped a year) this little girl started primary school in NSW, then the NT & now ACT . . . she's ready for high school.  She also took out the Sport's Prize today!!  Looking very grown up, she got her ears peirced just for this occasion & no, my husband is NOT coping with his little girl growing up. 

Let's just say her 9y.o. twin sisters can not wait to grow up!!  They love dresses & accessories - i'm thinking this could get expensive??!!  Are boys cheaper, mine really likes fashion.

 She picked the style, fabric & accessories.

 She's actually wearing little kitten heels.

 A sash brings it all together & keeps it young & girlie.

 Dames & Divas vintage kimona clip, earrings from Katakolon in Greece on our cruise & Grace Designs organza hair slides.

My gorgeous husband helped her with the mask, why a mask in year 6??
So there you have it, she was happy, i didn't stab her once while hemming the dress & she went off excited & even rang me from the car to say thank you, again!!  Success!!
In the mean time, i'm far less glamorous in a nightie, madly tidying up the house & doing laundry - all things i neglected this week to get this dress right, run a 3 day P&C fundraiser + trip to Sydney for 2 days, it's been a busy week to say the least!!
Special hello to those of you out there in Queanbeyan, Dubbo & Wagga who are flooded out of your towns.  There are thousands of school children stranded in Canberra tonight who can't get home due to flooding in Queanbeyan.  Stay safe everyone, it's traffic chaos out there.  Love Posie

snippets of my living space - handmade makes it a home

Greetings all,

So while i find myself husbandless tonight, i thought i'd take a quick tour around my living area (kitchen/ dining/ lounge) & show snippets of the things i love.  Of course i should be pressing our funeral clothes but this was more colourful & less morbid. 
I was meant to do this kind of blog post with Tania McCartney ages ago, so here goes . . .

i won't shock you with my complete decade long Tupperware addiction/ collection, but i thought i might share with you the scary fact that i have a very large kitchen drawer dedicated to storing the lids not-in-use.  I once told a Tupperware lady i had a Tupperware storage cupboard & she scolded me for not using all my Tupperware all the time.  Geesh, i placed my smallest order ever at that party!!  The shame for me & well, lost commission for her!!

I like this area as there are photos of my children when they were babies, trinkets from our travels, craft books, our only wedding photo & well, it's practically the only part of our home which doesn't look like a serviced apartment without a soul.  It's hard to decorated your 6th Army house with any passion, so it's all here in one IKEA bookcase with big doses of Handmade.  Sorry it's a night photo!! 

These fridge magnets are from Lark (hi Allison) & represent my love for Alice in Wonderful, Clint Eastwood, flying, Noddy & cricket, what a score!!  The Kikki-K mushroom purse holds the spare digital camera, a Prim&Pretty ribbon brooch & a wooden love spoon i bought in Wales 20 years ago ('tis a bit dusty). 

LOVE pears from Red Stitch Designs (hi Brenda) & a wooden crocodile from Darwin where my 4 babies were born. 

A stacking pinnocchio from Italy, Babushka dolls from My Poppet (hi Cintia), toadstall from Gifts Created (hi Sarah) & a Red Stitch Designs owl, he's called 'hooter'.
These little collections sit in the wooden shelves on the King Furniture Jasper lounge - we wanted one for 10 years & saved up forever to buy one, on sale.  It seats 10 & that is pure leather luxury & i condition it like a prize cow!!

Due to my over loaded luggage in Europe, my husband had to bring back the snowdomes (via Afghanistan) which i collected from Venice, Rome, Dubrovnik, Athens & Katakolon in July.  I wish i got one in Munich too.  The children LOVE them too, actually they keep going missing - into their rooms. 

I also love this little area of the lounge, i really enjoy television - although - can not sit & watch, must be doing something with my hands, i have craft ADD.  I don't like to waste money so when i buy the children hair accessories, i like quality ones & beg them not to lose them, from Grace Designs (hi Rosalind) & Plushka (hi Katia).  They also each have a Mason Pearson hair brush, i still have the one i got in the 1980's.  The children don't watch a lot of television but on cold Winter Canberra days, the Wii is a great substitute for outdoor place.  If you HAVE to have such things in your living space, don't they look nice & neat in baskets?? 
So i've shown you mine, will you show me yours??  Love Posie

My Creative Space 'markets are a funny thing'

Greetings all,
Well first of all, i have to announce the randomly drawn winner of the G I V E A W A Y from last week's My Creative Space post.  Congratulations Steph from Mon Petit Poppet.  Yippee, couldn't have gone to a sweeter blogger.  You win . . . Oh & the G I V E A W A Y - 2 pairs of Tasmanian Oak knitting needles, 2 sets of fabric hair clips, a dozen fabric covered buttons & 6 fat eighths of amazing Japanese printed fabrics??!! I can only imagine the magic you'll create with these!!

Now with Handmade Market exhaustion, busy work at Shop Handmade (have sold 3 Posie patchwork quilts this month!!), school assignments about year 3 camp + the usual spelling lists times 4 children & throw in the heart ache of losing two soldiers in Afghanistan this week, my nights have been, well, quiet & still.  Thank you all for your emails asking about my husband, no, he wasn't involved, alas, two other families have lost their special soldiers.
Anyway, hard up for an idea of what to do for this week's Creative Space, i thought i'd do a little behind the scenes of a market stall for you. 

 

Hiding behind people's stalls you might find giant Ikea bags with extra stock; small children who are actually fabulous help & company; handmade banners; their shopping - like a 3rd giraffe from Allana C; delicious cup cakes like pARTy cakes (more about Liz's cakes in another post, um, 2 dozen came home with me, hey, i have lots of children - this particular one was a hello gift from Plushka).  We listen & watch to find what makes customers smile/ where they spend their time/ what they chose & their comments (mercifully i don't hear too many "i could make that" which i can assure you, breaks a market designer's heart!!)  But markets are a funny thing, it is Winter & that means knitting season yet i sold dozens more knitting needles in Summer than i did on the weekend??  Look at all those beautiful Sheep's Clothing goodies, Stacey is now in Shop Handmade too!!  Recognise the gorgeous mummy in the last photo, well that is the lovely Ros from Grace Designs!!  With a new baby in her life, Ros hasn't been making much lately but it was great to see so many customers & other stall holders with her hair accessories adorning heads!! 
Happy Creative Spacing everyone, i'm off to steam mop the floors, clean the leather on the lounge (both MIGHTY jobs i assure you) & play with my little shelving units from Freedom.  Why, because i actually love housework, snore i know & we're off to Sydney for the Quilt Show tomorrow, stay tuned for a big post on Sunday.  Enjoy your long weekend, i'd best get sewing!!  Love Posie

from new babies & beautiful felt to hand stitching & toilet humour for boys

Greetings all,
So what do you get a second time round mummy for her new baby - something for her of course!!  I did the cute gifts for her big girl & new baby boy, but wanted to focus on mummy, the hero of the family.  Considering Rosalind of Grace Designs can do the MOST beautiful things with felt & her stock is flying out the door at Shop Handmade, i ordered the best felt i could find (from Joggles USA) & was so excited to bundle up her lot as a bouquet.  She loved!! 

A lovely repeat customer/ gal pal from school ordered yet another baby blanket for yet another niece/ nephew.  This is for Amelie, who has big brothers, & a mother who has been overwhelmed with PINK, so Kate requested something girlie but not pink . . . so white Babushka polar fleece it is, with a little bit of pink on the applique A & red Tshirt jersery to pull it all together.  I love hand stitching the edges, they can be washed & tossed in the dryer, never fail, pull or mis-shape.  Must do more . . . & yes, i do have the pink Babushka polar fleece too, all from Retro Mummy, i bought her bolts as she wasn't sure what to do with it.  I had a vision . . .

Ever have those days wandering your house calling a child's name??  Well this was my son, pretending to be asleep & apparently couldn't hear me??!!  All foiled by his giggles & i thought i was pretty hilarious!!

Have a lovely day, i have 3 girls at the dentist, this is how i spend my day off from Shop Handmade . . . love Posie

what i don't know about Alligator Snapping Turtles isn't worth knowing . . .

Greetings all,
Now that is a blog post title you don't see every day!!  Let me explain.  I am raising my girls with exposure to . . . a work environment like this with beautiful handmade dolls from Tiny Concept, who keep following me home . . . gorgeous new born babies like Josiah from Grace Designs . . .

we love girlie accessories like Little Slave bangles & lovely potions from Highland Habitat . . .

my girls can run like the wind or at least chase other girls running faster than the wind . . . as seen at yesterday's regional Cross Country where my 3 girls all ran so well, like ladies . . .

Ok, so the boy isn't that into it, bless his 6 year old-ness, not yet eligible to compete in any representational athletics . . . anyway, this is a post about my girls . . .

& biggest princess of them all had to catch up on beauty sleep after all that ferocious exercise . . .

our house is filled with flowers - this lot from my parents who felt sorry for me being alone with 4 children on Mother's Day (sounds like a punishment, actually it's my 8th one without father of said children around to spoil me, but may i refer you back to the previous post, he also sent huge bouquet of flowers this year in his absense) . . . my parents felt even more sorry for me when i said i was mopping the floors in my nightie when the young man delivered the flowers to me early Sunday morning . . . anyway, my point is . . . my girls are growing up in this lovely lady like environment, so tell me why they chose the following topics for this year's Rostrum Speeches . . . Guinness Book of World Records; Alligator Snapping Turtles & da dah Crocodile Jaws.  What??  Why not the origin of fairy tales, who shot Versace or the history of polka dots . . . no, they went for alarmingly boyish butch scary themes.  Or as my husband would say "they'll make great girlfriends".  He thinks that is funny until i remind him a boyfriend would be invovled!!
For the uninitiated, Rostrum is a speech competition when children make 2-3 minute speeches (in round one stage) to go onto state/ territory finals, by which stage they are putting on English accents, making wide eye excitement & pompus hand gestures Bindi Irwin style.  No, i didn't like the girls who did public speaking at school much either.  Just wondering, when given the choice, do your children pick wildly bizarre topics to research??  Or do you surrender, go with their happy choices & learn something??  FYI Did you know crocodiles have the stongest jaws of all animals??  You probably did, yes, 12 times stronger bite than a Great White Shark.  But did you know you can hold their jaws closed with your finger tips??  Crocodiles' jaw opening muscles are so weak, they won't be able to overpower you, even the big 7m salties (see my Darwin NT speak there??)  Why yes!!  Just useful information like when i learned last year while studying 12 different types of horrifying spiders, that Funnel Web Spiders actually can't jump, what a relief!!  Love Posie

My Creative Space 'fundraising'

Greetings all,

Welcome to this week's My Creative Space . . . school fundraising style.  I'm running the Mother's Day stall at school again this year & well, it's Who You Know when it comes to awesome handmade local products for mummies at pocket money prices!!  I asked the boys at My Indulgence Time to do up some soaps, well they even went so far as to make up signature range for our little primary school!!  Love you boys!! 
We have the usual mix of candles, lavendar bags, soaps, chocolates, mirrors, beauty accessories, home baked slices & an incredible range of 'faux designer' jewellery including genuine pearls from Shanghai, thanks to one flight attendant mummy at school who brought back the literal 'mother load' of Pandora/ Tiffany/ Links of London back with her.  Wow wee, i know i love, promote & support handmade, but this is a children's shopping experience with a limit of $15. 

I have managed some sewing between shifts at Shop Handmade, P&C work & running a family . . . my industrial machine is back from the doctor . . . how well did this bag turn out - i mean, matching the pattern at the sides, unintentional but wow, looks ace!! 

Ok, back to doing up 3 dozen more mugs filled with chocolates in cellophane, 3 batches of brownies & a zillion little chocolate bags.  Do you have 300 gifts to lay out & sell to excited children tomorrow??  No doubt you have offered up a much more crafty post this week!!  For the sweetest My Creative Space this week, check out Rosalind over at Grace Designs, she wins, she made a beautiful baby boy this week!!  Welcome to the world handsome little man!!
Finally - if you're in the Canberra area, HUGE VIP shopping night at Shop Handmade FRIDAY night 5-8p.m. perfect for last minute Mother's Day/ self indulgence gifts!!  I'll be behind the counter as the check out chick as i've farmed out all 4 children for a night out (at work).  The Shop is constantly busy, which many of you with stock at Shop would know, as you're making lots of cash there!!  Love Posie

Maeve Magazine on line launch & Shop love

Greetings all,
Who else had signed up in advance to receive alovely sunshiney email & link inviting you to Maeve Magazine, launched at midday today??  I had already heard about it before Allison Jones from Lark interviewed me for her Women's Business section . . . check out my clued-in-reality after 10 years of being a mother in small business . . . thanks Allison, it's a great read & hi to our gal pal Anne Lewis from Mathilda's Market who was also interviewed.  Also Stav Hatchett who runs My Messy Room in my husband's home town, must get to that store next time we visit Grandpa in the school holidays!!

So i've been working at Shop Handmade this week, it's just a beautiful place to be, the excitement from the customers, they love the ambience & prices too - imagine market prices on goods in a stunning high end retail space in the city, as designers get 100% of the sale of their products, there is no price tag inflation!!  It's just a feel good vibe all round.  It's a one stop Shop for everything from olives & organic chocolate to handmade stitching perfection & books. 

Tables filled with stunning products like this, who doesn't love a good pear design??  Red Stitch (talking pears & journals) & Yardage Design (tea towels) are rocking the shop, wow ladies, gorgeous work & dare i say, these goodies are from their 3rd delivery of goods to the Shop & we just celebrated the 2 week anniversary!!

Exquisite Ros from Grace Designs was back in with her 3rd load of more stock too, over 9 months pregnant now, but look at the bounty of her nesting habits . . . so pretty for girls young & grown up too!!  All the best with your next baby - we're all so keen to meet him or her . . .

Stealing style . . . from the counter of Shop Handmade, via the local home decor store, to my garden!!  These bird cages open up from the door or roof flip top action - i can see them filled with softie birds, simple in design, let the fabric do the talking!!

Finally just 6 more days to get applications in for Handmade Living.  The book of style. whimsy. simplicity. inspiration.  Met with Tania today (sans migraine) & here's a sneak peek at my How To idea (shhhh patchwork pencil rolls anyone??).  She loves.  Now what to do with all my ribbons from the last post??
Have lovely weekends everyone, if you're in the ACT or Queanbeyan area, i'm doing a little quilt fair at Jerrabomberra Primary School Hall on Sunday, i'll be there say 10a.m.-1p.m. just a casual affair but i'm bringing a whole lot of new gorgeous fabrics . . . enjoy, love Posie