my upside down week

Greetings all,

Some weeks just get turned on their heads.  I have been excited about my 20 year school reunion . . . for 20 years . . . it's finally on this weekend.  I'm even making a speech.  I had booked to have my hair done, facial, pedicure, new dress & workout extra hard to look in a tiny bit better shape this week . . . then my darling daughter fractured her wrist.  I have spent hours in hospital mid week & just spent the whole day in an Orthopaedic clinic waiting for news . . . "it's a bad break" . . . the doctor rolled his chair across the room & said "if you can see the break from the other side of the room, it's bad, & this is bad."

She has taken it all in her stride.  Amazing.  Very little chance she can compete at the state or national finals for athletics now.  "That's Ok, there is always next year."  All volleyball season her team has been building & improving, preparing for the school championships in Melbourne at the end of the year . . . now she has possibly 8 weeks in a cast & 8 weeks rest.  No interstate trip.  "That's Ok, i'd rather get this fixed correctly now."  Impressive maturity.

 So while i was cancelling primping appointments & convincing myself i'd feel more comfortable in clothes i already own & go 'as is' to my reunion . . . my thoughts turned to . . . what can i throw together for the children tonight for dinner with zero preparation . . . my wonderful handsome soldier left a work conference early to collect our other children from school & presented us with a fruit platter from the function.  Clever man.  THEN told me "just go, get that pedicure, relax" & i jolly well did.  I came home to dinner on the table: BBQ lamb cutlets with lemon peas . . . gosh i love my husband, willing to pinch fruit from the Army!! 

 One thing i did manage to do was zip into Alannah Hill between the hospital & home for some shoes i spied earlier in the week.  These babies are suede, pink & glittery - the perfect attention grabber to distract my school girlfriends from the weight i've gained in 20 years.  They were reduced all the way down to $55 - practically free for glittery heels??!!

 So my weekend will turn this upside down week back to some version of normal - with the help of pink suede shoes, hot pink toes & a neon pink plaster cast . . . i am so excited about seeing my girlfriends, i expect to lose my voice squealing & laughing all night in Sydney.  Love Posie

If you're in Melbourne, my gorgeous gal pal Claire from Craft Schmaft will be at the 

Finders Keepers Market 

Royal Exhibition Building Carlton VIC 

Friday 6 - 10p.m. & Saturday 10a.m. - 5.p.m.  

Check out her softies & patterns via the side bar advertisement.

my creative space . . . 'craft retreat'

Greetings all,

I strongly believe the nicest community in blogland is we crafty folks.  Sure there are those protective of their images, patterns, products, & others who complain about people stealing their ideas . . . yet for most of us, we blog to share.  Even better, lots of us attend all manner of blog based events focused on craft, like Sew It Together.  It's positively the most pleasant way to meet fellow crafty bloggers, sitting at classes & around tables with our needles & fabrics, crochet & knitting, chattering away.  Shock horror, the average age is below 40!!

When SIT was in Canberra a weekend ago, i sat next to Julie from Relish, a fellow Canberra girl whom i'd met briefly at handmade markets - too busy to chat - so this was my chance to talk her ear off.  I couldn't help but covet this pretty hexagon pencil case which she received in a swap (craft swaps are amazing, they even involve a dance!!) 

 At the bigger craft retreats/ events, there are sponsored goodie bags & lucky door prizes.  Last year at SIT i was one of the last pulled out of the hat, yet thrilled to pick up a prize from pin-up-girl Gillian of Silly Gilly - vintage sewing goodies - this year i hit the jackpot & scored a 'Wendy' Polly Pratt dress ($176) which basically voided the cost of the craft weekend, as i was going to purchase a dress anyway.  

If you love a beautifully made dress in stunning fabrics, check out Anna's Polly Pratt blog & sale, with dresses at $100, starts Friday night: ends Sunday 8p.m.!!  Thank you Anna, love you & the generous pretty fabric donation to Aussie Hero Quilts for our girlie soldiers serving overseas.    

The Saturday night of SIT included more pop up shopping stalls (including a $2FQ clearance sale from me, that was like Boxing Day sales, thank you ladies!!) & i picked up fabrics from other stalls, sharing the love, along with more of Claire's Craft Schmaft patterns.  FYI Claire is looking for pattern testers right now!!

 The Sunday of the SIT weekend was a paint & stencil class.  I was so impressed with what Sheridan of Sew It Together had learned from Lotta Jansdotter herself, i quickly ordered the same Lotta hard plastic stencils on line & they have already arrived!! 

 I had a little stitching planned for today, however, i just did a big slip over at the shops this morning (while holding my husband's hand, i slid down his side, he let me go) in new ankle boots from the Trenery sale, damn new leather soles & jarred my tennis elbow.  He just stood there looking at me on the floor, trying to work out what happened . . . especially confused as i was laughing.  So it's an icepack, Mollie & Frankie for me instead.  

 So do consider joining in a blog event that suits your interests, you're guaranteed to meet lovely like minded folks & enjoy.  For more creative spaces, check out Village Voices My Creative Space today, love Posie

my creative space . . . 'first sewing project post surgery'

Greetings all,

A special extra welcome to my latest followers, hello!!  If you didn't know, i used to be a very busy handmade designer, in business full time for over a decade - until earlier this year - after 8 years of suffering carpal tunnel syndrome - i had surgery on both wrists.  Relief was immediate, however, swelling & stiffness is slowly repairing.  Anyway . . . hand sewing was my passion, it was how i fell in love with stitching when i was 5 years old . . . i didn't start using a sewing machine until i was 23 & pregnant with my first baby.  I have missed hand stitching, greatly, so when my gal pal Claire from Craft Schmaft offered a Sock Owl sewing class at Sew It Together on the weekend, i am pretty sure i was the first to sign up.  

Meet Lucy.

 I normally obsess over unfinished edges & whispy threads, but i think they add to her soft character.

Beautiful Claire allowed us to choose sock & fabric sets for the class, i made this for my son.

 I completed her wings on the afternoon school run today, where she sat waiting for her new keeper patiently, pondering the world.  How lovely are Winter days in Canberra??

 This boy gasped with glee (he LOVES handmade softies, they are all named & live in families on his bed, not all 8 year old boys are maniacs) & then proceeded to act like a maniac for the photo.

 Here is our sweet Claire, i adore catching up with her & talking raising boys.

 I wonder if she'll come up with a sock duck pattern one day??  I have muses.

So please enjoy my new found inspiration & ability to stitch again, i thank Claire.  For more crafty goodness, check out My Creative Space in Village Voices.  Love Posie 
PS last chance to enter & win a copy of the Best Ever Birthday story cook book here!!