Happy Mother's Day Mumsies

Greetings all,

I haven't had the chance to embrace my personal Mother's Day experience, since i had a baby in my belly.  That might sound shocking, as i LOVE being a mother & adore my mummy + mother-in-law . . . so let me take you back.  This is my reality, where Mother's Day is a work in progress.    

I love my mummy, i call her Barbie Doll, my siblings each have a special name for her too.  Together we'd celebrate Mother's Day with much gusto . . . treats (flowers, perfume, trinkets) present her with breakfast in bed (warming the teapot before making tea, she could tell the difference, she's English) & an enormous family dinner (she didn't have to cook herself).  Beautiful childhood & adult memories of worshipping our beloved mother, lead by our father - her biggest fan.  So you can imagine how Mother's Day is now, Alzheimer's has stolen the memory that she even has children, so we carry on as if she knows who we are, a harmless denial which is surprisingly easy to fudge, even the grandchildren play along.  The challenging thing is - you start so many conversations & stories saying "remember when . . ." or "Mum, you know . . ." it's crushing as you realise over & over again, she doesn't have a clue.

   I lost my mother-in-law to breast cancer while pregnant with my first baby.  I was excited about Mother-To-Be-Day, as my mummy called it - complete with gift hamper of everything you could possibly need as a new mother - the woman was a one stop baby shower, yet i remember so vividly chattering away to my own mother on the phone that Mother's Day, then looking up to my husband (constructing a cot) to see his eyes well up, he quietly said "i don't have a Mother anymore."  Of course my mother loves my husband to pieces (we joke she'd keep him in a divorce) but Mother's Day is still a brutal reminder for my husband, of the agony of losing his mother. 

Finally, in 13 years as a mummy, i've had 2 Mothers' Days with my husband around . . . it's not exactly a scene of mother-having-day-off-with-feet-up-while-being-pampered-&-showered-with-gifts.  I'm not ba humbug, but you get my drift.  You know i'm uber positive, just not about this chestnut Ok!!  I'm also patient, my time of Mother's Day glory will come, eventually.  I sent Barbie a card - we'll see them in a few weeks when handsome soldier is home.  That brings me much more happiness - giving to my mother, no matter how she responds - than my children giving to me.  This year i've turned the tables too, i'm only a mother because of my beautiful children, so instead, i'll accept their handmade cards & flowers from the neighbours garden, then . . . i'm giving them gifts!!  To me, that is joy.  I may have used my husband's credit card for a few magazine subscriptions, so don't feel too sorry for me!!

 This year, my siblings & i banded together to send Mum to the Ritz in London for High Tea & a suite for the night, a couple of weeks ago.  This photo captures it perfectly . . . my forever-proud-father & now-distant-mother.  She'd also die if she realised she was wearing a jumper to the Ritz, instead of a Chanel twin set with pearls.  Yes, they are still travelling the world, only with my brother as their 'private physician' as they can't get insurance anymore.

To lighten the mood . . . my proud children couldn't wait to show me how their chick is circus-ready, the mystique of a bird balancing on a pencil.  If you want to discover parental love in your children, get a baby animal!! 

I'll always remember, when one of my sister's-in-law was suffering depression & asked me "what kind of a mother will my children think i am??"  I don't think you have to have depression to ponder that thought!!  I was in high school & babysat her 2 young daughters every afternoon, watching them play with dolls - carefully dressing them, laying them gently in cots & singing to them softly . . . i told her "they have learned this from you, naturally, from your heart" & the relief that washed over her, that she'd done something right (depression is evil, harsh & critical of every thought.) 

So to all the mummies out there, i wish you a very happy Mother's Day this Sunday.  To those struggling with what Mother's Day means to you . . . you are not alone.  Let's hope it keeps developing & evolving into something beautiful with new traditions & happiness.  I know mine will, it's just going to take a little more time.  It's an awful lot of pressure for one day.  Yelling & begging your children "please behave, it's Mother's Day" is not exactly a Hallmark moment.  I like to consider every unsolicited hug & kiss, random note left on my pillow & SMS starting with "Mumsie, can you . . .", that's Mother's Day to me - everyday.  Love Posie

Mother's Day - the truth in our household

Greetings all,

Anyone else completely ready to konk out by May each year??  I am, i think it's a combination of post-Easter-holiday-back-to-school mania & the chill in the Canberra air which makes my body scream for a cosy place to run & hide.  It's going to be single digits tomorrow, 9C, but still beautiful & sunshiney, that is what a love about Canberra Winter, icey cold but still looks like Summer with blue skies & beaming sun rays.  

Ok, so i thought i might share how my Mother's Day really went - especially seeing i had dinner with Julie from Handmade & i said "well, it's Mother's Day & i cried into the washing basket as the children didn't sort & put away the washing when it was the ONLY thing i wanted them to do for me all day" & she said "like you're going to blog about that".  Ha, called your bluff madam.  Not everyone has a glorious Mother's Day & having spent 10 of my 12 mothers' days with my husband away & not home ordering the children to be my enthustiastic slaves . . . it's really just like any other day - i cook, clean & care for my family. 

My Mother's Day started with my 3rd daughter saying "you really want to make pancakes, don't you" & batted those dinner plate blue eyes at me.  Then she presented me with her handmade card from school which had a poem inside . . . "Felice madri giorno mummia, amore si mumma. Non come buora cuoco come papa. Ma che e’ ok mi ancora sie grazie si" (FYI she's teaching herself Italian on the internet, hand wrote this translation into the card, then emailed it to me for good measure, as you do when you're 9 years old).  English translation . . . "Happy Mother's Day Mummy, love you Mum. Not as good cook as Daddy. But that’s ok i still love you. Thank you."  Nice touch, being told i'm a bad cook in two languages!!

My eldest daughter wrote a lovely card with some joke about housework & that i was the number one mother in the world, but her boyfriend's mother was the second best mother in the world.  She's keeping her options open.  

The middle girl had made some crepe paper flowers with straws & dug them up from the bottom of her school bag, squashed, along with a dozen school notes to sign.  At least she considers me useful.

My boy, well he made a beautiful card which read "Happy Mum's Day, why are there twice as many girls in this family as boys.  I love you anyway" complete with diagrams of boy & girl stick figures to emphasize his point.  Um, sorry mate.

So in a nut shell, i got 4 unsolicited opinions of what kind of mother, breeder & cook i am.  Did you fare better than me, be honest (or lie to make me feel better), love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'celebrating Mother's Day' & IKEA giveaway winners

Greetings all,

EDIT: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: IKEA GIVEAWAY WINNERS . . .

chosen by me - Jill at deux chiens et un garcon who wrote:
"as an old ikea employee(mid 80's) i still feel connected to those cheery sheets and doonas.  so lovely for you to offer as a giveaway.  I love sun dried sheets, warm bath to get all nice and crispy clean and then rubbing my feet along the goodness and snuggling down. Little man still loves his ealry moring visit/breast feed to begin our days.  Wishing you lots of man cuddles in the near future and for all your dreams to come true.  xo jill"

chosen by my husband - Laurel at Miss Muggins who wrote:
"I desperately need a new doona cover. I foolishly let my 16 year old borrow it (we did a swap for a week)and she got fake tan, blue pen and nailpolish all over it!  I can visualise Mr M and I snuggling in clean new bedlinen - and Miss A can keep her grubby mitts off it! ha ha!"

& chosen by the gadget, 1-93, comment 22, Mikaela at Mikaela Made who wrote:
"At the moment I'm sleeping with a coverless doona, so this would be perfect for me =P What keeps me warm? Like you Posie, hubs is good, but we also have the two labs and kitty cat snuggle with us on a weekend morn under the covers in our big bed, it is bliss! We are savouring these moments now as I guess it will all change in 4.5 months when baby #1 comes along..."

Congratulations ladies, all very special mummies & a mum-to-be, Happy Mother's Day!!  All worthy winners - a former IKEA employee; a mummy whose teenager ruined her linen; & a school teacher sleeping under a coverless donna!!  Please email me your postal address & your IKEA bedlinen will be at your place via courier shortly.
Thanks to IKEA & One Green Bean for this lovely giveaway, pleasure as always.

It's Mother's Day in Australia, yay for we mummies!!  Ever noticed that people poo poo Valentine's Day & similar "unnecessary commercial greed" occasions, yet no one messes with the day we worship our mothers & shower them with cards, gifts, jewels & flowers. 

I'm celebrating Mother's Day without the prompts, pomp or ceremony of my husband guiding the children to present breakfast in bed & behave flawlessly, but . . . some lovely mummies are taking me in for dinner tonight.  I have flowers ready for 3 super gorgeous mummies - mother of Handmade Market, mother of Shop Handmade & mother of my eldest daughter's friend-who-is-a-boy . . . this extra special lady has 4 sons, is living in a barn while they build a house in the country (this is her 4th Canberra Winter, brrrr, she has stamina & oozes positivity) + this week her number 3 son broke his arm, so she's been sleeping in a hospital bed - ONLY a mother could handle all that with grace & a smile. 

 I just adore these women, i'm talking wet-my-pants depth of laughter & our children have sleep overs kind of friendship!!  We're all mums, thrown together here in Canberra, mostly through our husband's work, left to create a community & network for ourselves.  You never know when amazing people are going to drop into your adult life, even when you're not advertising.

Wishing you all sunshine & happy memories today, a bunch of flowers (??), a day off the have-to & swap it with the love-to.  I'm off to Pilates, then bake dessert (meringue mousse), curl up with a magazine on the lounge & hear my children playing happily in the garden (read: away from me, tee hee).  Then jump in the car which has magically filled with fuel & head out to dinner.  I really find fuelling up the car such a chore, it's always so windy at service stations!! 

Remember my measure of motherhood is a full fruit bowl, mmmm, look at this seasonal goodness from the Farmer's Market.  I'm doing better already (thanks for yesterdays comments - you are the best cheerleaders in blogland, i love you!!) 

Finally, last chance to win this IKEA bedlinen, 3 sets to giveaway, drawn at 9p.m. tonight/ when i get home from dinner, just in case, i might be late, can you believe i'm a talker??!!  I should press the school uniforms & organise Monday lunch boxes now, humph.

Just because it's mother's day, please help yourself to an extra entry, to celebrate yourself or a mummy in your world.  Don't be shy or feel greedy!!  Leave a comment at the giveaway post & come back tonight to see if you're one of the lucky 3 winners at this post!!  Love Posie

PS 'twas carbonara for dinner (egg yolks) so i had the egg whites for the meringue - clear & clever thinking, i feel so alive, Autumn air, fresh produce, sewing, i'm giddy with calm.

i'm grateful for 'knowing my breaking point'

Greetings all,

Oh boy, am i grateful for knowing my breaking point.  Let me use this bed break as a metaphor for my week . . . snap.  No, i didn't snap, i'm very patient & calm under pressure, but a child's bed snapped (the children all got new-expensive-to-last-to-adult-investment-beds & mattresses only 6 months ago, argh!!)  I've had a few niggles of annoyance building so i've taken action & struck another job off my list-of-committments . . . the P&C . . . farewell volunteer work, meetings & fundraisers.  I've always enjoyed the P&C, but it's time for a break. 

Previous breaking points/ wake up calls have included . . . hitting a huge kangaroo at midnight between a must-attend-family-event in Sydney & a must-attend-Tournament of the Minds contest in Canberra the next morning; parking tickets; being burgled; & most recently . . . the neighbour's wall jumped out to clip & blow my tyre, so a creepy tyre repairman could announce in front of my children "you really f***ed the rim, i'll have to bash the s*** out of it to fix it, that's $400".  When i lose focus, crap happens, expensive crap, often insured but still crappy!!  I loathe being distracted, unfocused, over committed & rushed.  This week we almost lost a fish as i forgot to clean the tank, not on my watch little fishy!!

This year i've reduced my work load by culling my on line website, closing my wholesale label Edna&AliceMay (i had products in 50 stores around the world, did you know, i didn't until i counted) & only scheduling 6 markets in 2011. Working at Shop Handmade makes me happy, especially with my husband away (read: adult contact) & doing big markets are a blast. I've been going to the gym & increasing my cooking skills - i want to spend more time doing these positive things, which benefit me & my family.

 I don't have time to hunt down facts & figures for reports or begging volunteers to stand behind a school BBQ.  I don't have the need to please & i do say "no", i find the work easy, but dealing with negativity for free??  If this bed didn't break, i think i would have banged my head against it - it's how i felt last weekend, a new term looming with unresolved P&C stress. 

 I need more time up my sleeve to put out 'fires'.  I actually don't like being busy - there is a difference to being a high energy person who gets a lot done each day . . . i like to do things properly & enjoy them, not rushed or half hearted.  I also believe there is a big difference between responsibility of committments (self imposed have to type things to keep a family running) & stress (beyond your control).

First 'fire' . . . this Charlie&theChocolateFactory grandparent style bed sharing situation . . . i'll undo the bed frame & march it into Harvey Norman to demand a new one.  That's this weekend, i wonder what 'fire' i'll have to 'put out' next weekend??  Please not the washing machine, car, fridge, vacuum or dishwasher, they are my lifelines.  But if there is something, i'm available.

I marched into Shop Handmade on Monday & declared my plans to reduce my committments, to find Rachel had made us curried egg & cucumber sandwiches for lunch, glee!!  Then Julie invited me to Mother's Day dinner so i didn't have to make my own, joy!!  True friends, they read your mind, they know when to deliver & help before you do. 

So this weekend i will finish my P&C reports; tax; buy groceries; cook & bake; housework; yoga & pump; write letters; answer emails; press uniforms & sew market stock.  This is an 8-day-weekend right??  I feel so much better when my life is up to date, under control & smooth, just saying outloud "i'm at breaking point" it's not failure, i think it's success: identify what needs to change.  I don't like losing my sparkle, i'm sure i'm not alone in my desire to take control of my time & energy.  More Gratefuls at Maxabella Loves.  Love Posie

EDIT: Woke up feeling energised & stress free.  This time next week handsome soldier will be here for a whole 9 day holiday (yahoo).  Don't miss this IKEA giveaway either, drawn tomorrow, ah, Mother's Day!!

for the love of flowers & little girls' potions

Greetings all,

Well knowing these are possibly the ONLY bunches of flowers i will get all year (last Sunday's Mother's Day!!) i am forcing them to live beyond their days.  So i've refashioned them into one new large bouquet, revived their stems & super fresh water.  Naturally my middle girls could NOT resist the opportunity to make potions from the disgarded flower petals.  Let's just say, it got ugly after this fresh, dry & looks-good-enough-to-eat stage (think slops of water & food colouring, eekk).

 All this gorgeous green foliage went straight from sink to compost - it is among friends now - it was really starting to smell like compost!!

This lovely pot of pansies came from our school Mother's Day stall & so far, remains alive & well on the window sill above the sink.  Please avert your eyes from unclean windows - it's bare dirt outside that particular window with a galloping German Shepherd flicking up all sorts of mud about & well, short of cleaning those windows daily, they never look great!!  The pretty purple flowers however, are a sweet distraction.  Have lovely weeks everyone, 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

Happy Mother's Day Australia & Mums around the world

Greetings all, my favourite of days, even better than my birthday, is Mother's Day. As cliche as it sounds, i do think some of us were just born to be mothers, be it broad hips or incredible patience, (i tick both categories) but when i think about my children, it makes my stomach butterfly. Sure i have great ones, happy, healthy, funny, sporty & bright. They are easy children to love. I feel so lucky to have 4 of them too, all clones of my favourite person in the world, my husband. I'll blog about my gift later . . . blame Retro Mummy for making it happen, you know when you get a thought into your head (be it a fabric, dress, toy) that you just HAVE to have . . . well my husband considered it an investment in the business, bless him. I'm not normally up for gifts at birthdays. Christmas etc, but this is my 10th Mother's Day so why not & tax deductable at that, yeah for everyone from me to the tax man.
Tomorrow is our school's Mother's Day stall which is always sweet & with my access to wholesalers, we have a fantastic range of goods & my dear husband made 20 bags of rocky road to go with brownies & cookies for the $3 table. We also have a fantastic Handmade Market raffle (thanks Julie & Tania) valued over $100 on offer, includes Handmade apron, badge, bag, goodies from Peggy-Jean, Edna&AliceMay plus Posie - it's who you know ladies!! The money generated from ticket sales has paid for any overheads for the 300 odd gifts we require for the market. Kudos!! It never hurts to ask for donations & bam, every ticket sale is pure profit. Give it a try for any event. Handmade Canberra's UpMarket was a great fit for our school's raffle as it's motherly goodness, cross promotion with the upcomign event & Tania McCartney's new book Beijing Tai Tai, which i can't put down!! Tania is so glam, honest, frank & very funny about her 4 years living in China with 2 young children as the 'wife'. I added an autographed copy of her book to our raffle & can't wait to see who wins so i can talk their ear off about Tania to yet another person. My husband wants to meet Tania & thank her for having to put up with the back of my head as i read & read & read on. FYI, i'm NOT a reader at all, i'm a scientist remember, not into humanities at all, so reading anything more than a magazine or parenting book since university, it's just not heard of, even on holidays for me!!
If you're in Canberra, come along to Glebe Park next to Civic Shopping Centre & join in the fun on Sunday!! There is free entertainment, market stalls (me me me) & a great play ground to boot. Sure my family will come too, help me pack up would be handy . . . 'many hands' . . . Happy Mother's Day, love Posie

Posie Market Stall upcoming events

Greetings all, just a crazy month with new products, a book feature, press releases & bolts of fabric arriving at the Posie studio. Finally had a chance to update the blog. It's ANZAC Day, so thank you to all the soldiers, sailors & airmen out there who proudly call themselves ANZACs. My husband is among you, however, with freezing weather & rain, decided not to march, but go fishing with old Army mates instead. Equally therapeutic i think.

RightyO, this is where i'll be in May, another MASSIVE market month for me. All are outdoors so please come along & warm me up with your smiles.

Monday 27th April Race&Taste at Thoroughbred Park, free entry, 9 to 5
Saturday 2nd May MOCCA at Manuka, free entry, 9 to 2
Sunday 3rd May - i'm actulally not attending Hall Markets, going to a Tupperware Party instead
Sunday 10th May Mother's Day in the Park at Glebe Park Civic, free entry, 11 to 3
Saturday 16th May Handmade Show Case at Civic Shopping Centre, free entry, 9 to 5
Saturday 23rd May Handmade Canberra's UpMarket at Albert Hall, free entry, 10 to 4
i only do a super duper massive market stall at Handmade each quarter, very worth the effort!!

Full details are on the Posie website Market & Special Events pages, check them out today!! They also list other markets & events you might have seen me at, plus further afield. My last event was Mathilda's Market in Manuka (ACT launch), that was fun, furious, fast, four hours. Highly recommend it to anyone who has a child, knows a child, wants a child.

Support handmade, so many of these businesses are mummies sewing, designing or crafting so they can continue to stay at home with their children, buy lovely, locally.

I will be selling copies of Tania's McCartney's two fabulous new books (her book launch for Bejing Tai Tai on Wednesday night was fabulous). Tania will be doing book signings at Handmade on 23rd May in the morning, you have to see this gorgeous lady in action, she is so entertaining, clever, whitty & fun. She's my favourite author now & awesome mother too. Check out Tania's blog & links to the side. Love Posie