the super combo post so i can take some time out

Greetings all,

Phew, what a week of feeling lousy.  So this is a combination post to cover my regular blog link ups to wrap up the week . . . plenty of eye candy, enjoy . . .

Our Creative Space this Thursday . . . delicious handmade vintage bias binding by Cinti's mummy over at My Poppet - i can not wait to create with these . . .

Things I'm Loving with Paisley Jade on Friday . . . more from Cinit at My Poppet - her latest offerings from Japan, i'm a sucker for Bento boxes & anything in the cute & quirky category . . .

 Cinti has a cute blog too, with 'postcards' of her latest trip to Japan.

 After all the Tupperware my 4 have lost at school over the years, these will not be going in school bags but for kept special for cute picnics, heavily supervised by me!!

I love this squirrel series, just adorable & a matching spoon cover, glee!!  Check out Poppet in the Post now, lots of goodies on special & more Japanese joy-things-which-make-you-smile being added shortly.  I love that my children can speak Japanese, although, i can not, they plot against me, but they love all these knick knacks.

 For when Saturday rolls around, it's Maxabella Loves' I'm Grateful For . . . my children taking care of me.  So i had the world's most awful migraine ever, which left me home & unable to take the children to school yesterday, i could not stop throwing up, horrible, just the most awful feeling.  I came out of the shower to find my 3rd daughter had made me up a bed on the lounge. 

 The only thing i've been able to keep down for 48 hours, some avocado dip & whatever the hell those green crackers are - they are slime green & i can't even tell you what they taste like!!

 My middle girl here dressed as a waitress (how beautiful is the Em & Ei vintage apron??) & served me (topped up my glass of water) all day.  Such an doll, with a cute French accent.  Then i got her bill, including a $2 tip for every top up.

 It was rainy, gloomy & they should have been in school, but they entertained themselves around me . . . playing dress ups from their wardrobes - my son is pretending to be a ganster, 1940's style.  I think the Peter Alexander jammies make it, non??

 Here he is shooting me with his magic stick thingy my sister bought him.  Nice one.  I'd consider it a bit dark that my son was trying to shoot me, but he said his gun only shoots kisses, crisis of violence averted.

Thanks everyone, wishing you health & happiness this weekend, right back at me too!!  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

on line shopping for classic style

Greetings all,
Are you up for fabulous shopping on line for classic products, styles, colours, fun . . . i have two great finds from you, with awesome blogs to boot!! 
First up, My Poppet - 'wear play give' - who is closing the doors at the 717 Glenhuntly Road Caulfield South VIC premises but is cruising along on line.  Great for people like me who are interstate!!  When i found Cintia had the paper balloons back in stock in ALL varieties of animals, i had to buy more more more.  Shop on line, use the code POSIE & take 10% off your order!!  Thanks Cinti, great deal & i'm thrilled with today's haul.  A special friend is about to get a Panda too!!

Beach Vintage has a gorgeous NEW on line store, with a sweet 20% off 'launch' discount until 28th June.  Check out the blog & follow it, you'll love it, then trot along the links to the Shop. 

I went a bit nuts with some colour themes in mind, loving the oil cloth 2m of each, can you imagine cuter cup cakes wrappers & that lace trimmed bias binding??!!  Also a pretty vintage table cloth & these lanterns which my twins went totally silly with . . .

Speaking of silly, this was my boy after his first attempt at a pom pom on the weekend.  Just brings a smile to my face to think these children are so free, happy, fun & well, MINE!!  I consider them 'easy to love' & sure they have their moments, but gosh i love them!!

My eldest is busy with house captain duties today (no photo or time for being silly) for the annual fundraising WalkAThon, which i coordinated & also ran the fruit/ muffin recess & BBQ lunch.  Yes people, in my spare time i have 3 major roles on the P&C at school.  Doesn't stop other mothers from saying "i work full time, i can't help" & i wonder why i'm the idiot who works 7 days straight to midnight so i can take a day off to you know, cook 300 sausages & skewer a billion pieces of fruit!!  I figure the school has 4 of my children to guide & educate, i like to return the favour!!  Plus i got to bring home some left over fruit & eat it for dinner after a very long day which commenced at 7a.m. for the best fruit selection at the supermarket - i made them go & find me the good rock melon too. 

Phew, busy day & long drive home, returning water eskies to two different McDonalds outlets, i felt rather elated that after a weekend migraine i could pull off an all day P&C event.  Then i walked in the door to the news that we have lost 3 more soldiers.  What a shock, my sympathies to their families.  I'm really looking forward to a chat with my husband whenever he can call.  I can NOT wait to see him again, really, i'm growing quite desperate.  You can not rest your mind until they are in your arms.  Love Posie

for the love of giving . . .

Greetings all,

Well i love giving.  Be it babysitting your children, making a handmade token or baking my way to your heart.  My mother would NEVER attend a friend's house with empty hands, she was quite the queen of sewing & baking, plus happily had all the neighbours children over non stop, effortless & welcome.  I hope i replicate that same attitude, i certainly try.
I know my girls LOVE anything quirky from Japan & collect Babushka dolls so when i read a tip off over at Sheeps Clothing that My Poppet was having an instore closing down sale or 15% off on line, i had a peek.  Cintia has some gorgeous goodies, so i stocked up some pieces (to add to 'our' collection) including a set of Matryoshka dolls, a wooden plaque, pig fan & these super cool paper balloons (monkey, tiger & world globe).  Like the shelf, the children play from this shelf all the time.  Also got some 'jumping' elastics for the playground & a book, ace!!  A fun school holidays gift bonanza!!

Now tomorrow is awesome Rachel's birthday - she is one half of the fantastic Shop Handmade & simply full of love, happiness, creativity & kindness.  After playing around with ribbons today with her daughter, i had to incorporate one into her gift.  I picked these fabrics which i know she'll love (all from Retro Mummy) & instead of a Posie tag, added a pretty one which reads 'handmade', how perfect.  The back fabric has the recipe for chocolate cake & inside a cute strawberry cross stitch print.  Sealed up in tissue with a Dutch sticker.


How cool is this - Shop Handmade Staff get to nominate their pick of the month, voila!!  Loving this pendant from Danielle Kathleen, i already want another one, like her Victorian cuff which she's about to release!!  How on earth am i going to work there & not buy up the whole Shop??

Finally - notice the new badge over on the right??  As my knowledge & experience is growing with all things Handmade, i'm going to give a tip off each month as i have my eyes open ALL the time.  Check it out!!  Have a lovely day, i'm taking all 4 children to the dentist, they LOVE the dentist, weirdoes, love Posie