magazine weather

Greetings all,

Where did Summer go??  This is midday, frowny face. 

 "Grey skies are gonna clear up . . . put on a happy face!!"

 Or detour to the newsagency for some magazine candy, add a little pink bowl of sweet chilli chippies (yummy treat) & it's a lazy school holiday afternoon.

 Yes, i bought Dolly, yay, with free jammies.  I buy the odd teen magazine for my teenager - you heard it here first, earth shattering revelation!!  I remember my mum wasn't cool enough to buy glossy teen magazines when i was 13 & my big sister wouldn't share . . . so i relied on my best girlfriend's supply.  We'd giggle, gasp & hypothesise 'what would we do??'  I'd rather my daughters read these magazines at home so they can ask me questions, rather than their equally ill informed peers.  Sure you can google facts - but where is the emotion or specific-to-you information?? 

 The most offensive thing i found was an image of Suri Cruise in heels??!! Oh that girl has attitude, look at her, spoilt much?? This is why i don't comment on celebrities often, i end up sounding righteous about them living in unrealistic bubbles . . . however, i'll take this opportunity to ask if anyone else thought Angelina Jolie looked like she had period cramps at the Golden Globes, she looked uncomfortable.  Anyway, i rated my flick through Dolly as pretty decent, good fashion & accessories (not trashy & very affordable) with articles on overcoming girl bullies, boy crushes & other mainstream topics. 

 Oh & look at gorgeous Dianna Agron from Glee & her super pretty hair do.  I'll be taking that picture to the salon in 6 weeks, i'm growing out my boy band hair to be cut level/ even/ bob length again.  Of course i'm blessed with her beauty too, life has been good to me, ha!!

 As for the rainbow . . . i've not been sleeping well, but i cannot recall a day my children have woken me up (i'm not a sloth, they just never wake before 7a.m. even as new born babies, ever, times 4 children, lucky me) . . . so one of my girls treated herself to this for breakfast - the smell from the oven was delicious + a drizzle of chocolate melted properly, she knows how to live & lick a bowl of melted chocolate clean too!!

How is the weather in your hood??  I know it looks like Northern Hemisphere Winter in these shots, but it's actually 30C & i'm reading magazines in a tank top, not snuggled under a cosy blanket.  I'm still taking the children to the local military pool in the rain, we have it all to ourselves - other mums must think swimming in the rain - children might get wet??!!  I have laps to do & children to wear out!!  Love Posie

a spooky weekend . . .

Greetings all,

Many thanks for the heart warming comments yesterday, i finally heard from my husband last night, he couldn't say much other than he's Ok (physically).  I can not imagine the horror of being machine gunned by a soldier you are training to help protect his country, on your own base.  It has happened before to British & American troops, it's my greatest fear for my husband who doesn't patrol outside the wire as often as he used to.  War is war.  I went to the doctor this morning to start my carpal tunnel surgery journey - the lady ahead of me, hysterical, her nephew was one of the soldiers killed.  I felt like crying through my whole appointment, being painfully poked & prodded aside.
Halloween is not widely celebrated here in Australia but we enjoy a pagan festival.  My late mother-in-law was born on Halloween, but i can't say she was a witch, far from it, never heard her say an ill word about anyone. 

 The owl image above is borrowed from The Polka Dot Petticoat blog in Alaska, thanks Heidi.  I blew a few dollars on some treats, including these 3 new ceramic bowls from the 'imperfect' table at Bison.

 Mwahahahaha.

 Saturday night, these two maniacs went to a Halloween disco, as a witch & a rag doll.

 This patient boy ran around the car park before the party started, for an hour!!

 We were early as we had to buy new Nike waffles (like spikes) before the store closed at 5p.m.  She's trying to drown out the singing from the hyped up twin sisters. 

 A basic pre-party snack . . . everything looks better served with flowers. 

 Saturday was wet, athletics cancelled, but it ended with a rainbow.

Enjoy Halloween if it's your thing.  Tomorrow i'm going to stock up on spooky goodies in the sales as my eldest would like a Friday the 13th Party next year, love Posie

i can sing a rainbow, um, i can make a rainbow

Greetings all,

Well i can't sing a rainbow, i have an awful singing voice (tone deaf & fortunately i know it) but i can see all the colours of the rainbow around me right now . . . which is handy as it's ONE stressful week with major production for Handmade Market on Saturday.  An impressive list of bloggers are coming as new stall holders or visitors, including Maxabella Loves - thanks for your support!! 

Last night i picked up my girls from a sleep over at a friend's farm in Murrumbateman (thanks for all the lovely comments about the last post on twins, yes, i embrace my good fortune!!) & look what they have been busy picking . . .

crabapples in varying degrees of ripeness & . . .  

 quinces, my nightime photography not doing their greeness justice.

 Then home to finish off a rainbow of products for the market, like children's necklaces.

 Just in time, a shipment of amazing craft-enabling Tasmanian Oak knitting needles.

 Lounge craft = hand stitching penny wheels & buttons onto headbands.

 A splash of pastel, i'm thinking of doing up lucky dip jars with pom poms, bias, ric, rac, ribbon & other trim, plus buttons for a basket of fun on my stall.  Brilliant way to share the love & offer up cost price haberdashery i can finally part with.

 Today was spent making . . . 300 Liberty of London badges.  I cut the fabric sitting in the car park outside school each afternoon last week & now i've sorted them into sets, plus some singles.  I have this fabulous 1950s travel case to display all my Liberty printed goodies in, including hair clips, hair slides & buttons too.  Kind of hoping it will be a show stopper. 

 I've made 16 tulle ruffled bottom bloomers, they took ALL Saturday & i'll thread the elastic in the carpark outside school this week (you safety pin the ends together, then do a mega elastic sewing session in one hit when you're next at a machine).  Pricing these is difficult, they use expensive materials & take at least an hour a pair to create (as i restitch the tulle ruffles to the actual fabric).  I've done 3 sizes but want to try to do another dozen, especially in the larger sizes.

 Last market i didn't take headbands, new hair clips, coin purses or cosmetic purses - um, 4 of my biggest sellers, so this time i've come prepared with a tonne of each.  The Hello Kitty fabrics sell well at Shop Handmade & the new hair clips will all be in Liberty prints!!

Another no brainer product i've managed to neglect for a while are simple gift tags, i normally have them with fabric but this time i'm doing stamps - vintage, Euro & quirky - in an 8 for $5 pack, mixed up colours & styles.
Phew, yes, exhausting & a very busy week ahead, but making the most of my rainbowy outlook, or i'd crack under the pressure i put myself under.  I need to cut about 100m of fabric to feel like i have filled up my baskets from the last market.  Have a beautiful & colourful week too, love Posie
PS the winner of the Handmade Business Summit All Inclusive Pass for this Friday in Canberra is Fiona, who is just starting up a small business now, Congratulations, you were randomly selected by Julie, Queen of Handmade, thank you to everyone for entering!!

EDIT: just found this drawing on my sewing machine from my rainbow boy!!  The children were drawing & painting up a storm today.  Bliss. 

little rainbow bursts everywhere i look

Greetings all,

I love colour in my life & clearly it steers my shopping habits - i have a taste for colour in the craft supplies i buy.  There are little rainbow busts of colour everywhere i look in my studio.

 I think this is my full collection of washi tape.

 Deal of the year, yes, already . . . festive rainbow paper chain, $1 from Typo, hell yeah!!

 Colourful pins in a Lark knitted toadstool.

 Love some colourful coordinating bias detail.

 Fabric covered buttons, a huge success for my business!!

 So easy to stitch up a rainbow.

 Subtle colours on pretty woven ribbons.

 Hand painted colourful knitting needle ends.

 Ever need an excuse to buy more coloured twine??

 Disturbing??  Serial killer sewing maniac!!

 All happy rainbows in my studio prison - yes - that's the attractive grill which was put up after the burglary.  Amazing what $1 in festive rainbow paperchains can do to make it better.

Add some colour to your life, it's so easy & more often than not, tasteful!!  Oh imagine what i'll do after living in Army Housing & not being able to paint a wall for like 15 years, when we build our own home??  Fear not, i'm a blue & white girl, the house will be tame, you can always add colour with accessories like cushions, art & vases. 
Today i'm back at Shop Handmade, very excited, i know EXCITED to go back to work, but it's only a couple of days in the Shop for me these school holidays (while my husband does the dutiful Tuesday movie trips with the children) until school goes back on 7th & 8th of February!!
Speaking of movies, if you want some free tickets, Tangled giveaway still going!!  The lucky 10 IKEA lifestyle book giveaway winners of the book to be announced a.s.a.p.  Love Posie