& the school holidays continue . . .

Greetings all,

I'm all about free fun for children during school holidays.  I guess it stems back to when we first had children we didn't have cash to throw around, so we made the most of free activities or hanging at home.  Personally i use school holidays to clean out the children's rooms & they need them to relax from going hard at school all term.  Staying home is not a chore, it's a pleasure.

So here is a typical free fun day at our place . . . 

starting with a dose of home juiced goodness.  I did wash these celery sticks again!!

 Nothing wrong with window shopping & not spending, my children are largely unspoilt with stuff, this Santa falls under the category of unnecessary stuff, no dropped lips or tantrums, she completely understands the word 'no'.

 This is our 3rd school holidays now with chickens, they are the pet that doesn't get old.  Chickens have so much personality.  Pets are the ultimate school holiday activity, to feed, play & nurture.  Dare i suggest our chickens have a fabulous diet.

 I have always found that my children naturally pair up, or enjoy a good dose of solitude in their own rooms during the break.  I have strived to make their rooms inviting & cosy, so they want to be in them.  Actually my twins have talked about moving back in together. 

School holidays are the perfect time to exploit child labour - gardening, cleaning, tidying, baking & cooking.  My guys make a mean chicken schnitzel.  As a housewife, these jobs are normally mine during the day, so i trade with them . . . i unpacked the dishwasher!!

 Then there are the not-a-school-night treats like sleeping out in the lounge or siblings bedrooms.  This is still a huge hit with my son, he's 8 & will bring half his bedroom with him too.  He got a bit cold one night so slept with ear muffs on.  I cannot get enough of this little fella.

So we've stayed home these holidays, one trip to the cinema - with $6.50 tickets - it was hard to resist while i was recovering from a migraine, in the dark with quiet children.  This is how we roll almost every school holidays.  We're not massive must-go-away people, it's too expensive for a family of 6 on a single income, we remain realistic & homey.  Love Posie

OMG my sisters are playing with me

Greetings all,

Oh school holidays - they reveal children at their raw sibling elements.  I'm thrilled to discover the girls are playing with their little brother & making him the star in games they create.  It aint easy being the only one of your gender in a family (just ask my husband, he'll tell the hell of having big sisters who excluded him from everything, spitfully) so we're determined to not have our son exeprience the same - in turn he's not allowed to 'be a victim' OR an annoying little brother.  Harmony, ahhh.   

Look at this face, who wouldn't want to include this sweet boy in their games?? 

 So i found my boy reading this note with sister 3.  These two possibly clash the most, they rival for 'baby of the family', even though she's a twin & he's the actual baby.  I'm the baby of the family, so is my husband, it's a great position.  If i ever went back to do Honours in Pyschology i'd study birth order!! 

 Oh this boy needs a hair cut.

The note is a treasure hunt clue, created by sister 2 & it reads:
"Please lend me a helping hand,
To find the key you must search the land,
First hunt high,
Then close under the seas,
If you want to find the key,
Enter the silver cage,
There i will be."
I thought it was a brilliant piece of writing.  She said when they had a relief teacher they had to do poetry & she wrote pages of pirate treasure rhyming clues.  So me hearties, he did find her & they played poker all afternoon, gambling (??) um, it's good for their maths.  Love Posie

our creative space . . . 'glamping'

Greetings all,

It's just not a real school holidays without a sleepover - my children swap rooms, have friends over & build cubby houses all the time, but i thought we'd upscale & go a little more ladylike, dainty & mummy take over styled. . .

 one bedroom was transformed into glamping . . .

 glamorous camping calls for lots of cushions . . .

 bunting flags & lanterns . . .

 special teddies were invited . . .

 any excuse to plug in the flamingo lights!!

 These gnome & toadstool lanterns are permanently strung here . . . 

 tiny pegs are holding the temporary ones in place . . .

 layers of tulle netting form a canopy . . .

 the girls absolutely loved it & slept like babies.

Joining in with Our Creative Spaces, love Posie

hello Decorating Forum, how do you do??

Greetings all,
This week the lovely Julie-Ann is featuring my little creative blog over at her Decorating Forum.  It's a great site, take a peek, you'll find lots of familiar designers & bloggers chatting over there.

 . . . Posie.
Welcome new readers, how do you do??
I've been sewing full time in my design business for over a decade, inspired by my grandmothers, Edna & Alice + my mummy, Barbie.  I'm passing on my skills to my enthusiastic children - who share my passion for handmade.  I love old fashioned values & home baking; i decorate with vintage fabrics & restored furniture.  I blog about these craft adventures, along with my beloved handsome soldier & our 4 smart, sporty & social children + our country lifestyle plans as we settle in Canberra. 
With my husband away at war, a house filled with children & a cottage industry, i could have been born 100 years ago!! 

 How about some fake-it-until-you-make-it outdoor decorating?? 
I dream of next year when we purchase a farm & build a spacious homestead, with perfect green lawns spotted with a dozen Adirondack chairs . . . in the mean time, we live in Army housing in the suburbs with an unmanicured tiny patch of grass. 

 Gather up 8 crates from a dark alley, lay down a thick beach towel, plonk 2 large floor cushions on top & da dah, instant day bed, cost: $0!!  Just add a good book & glorious sunshine.  I cannot tell you how comfortable & pleasant this is, freshly washed puppy entertainment included. 

 Not exactly the Hamptons, but close your eyes & soak up that holiday atmosphere . . .

 my middle girls were born for comfort & relaxation, with the addition of an umbrella, it's like another version of a cubby house to them.

 I have half a dozen of these glorious Donna Hay huge floor cushions, they make a great bed for children's sleepovers too.  The towels are old Country Road ones, when they made them really thick & luxurious, always with tassels please.

 We wrapped up the school holidays in Canberra, with a massive dose of Spring sunshine, ready to tackle the final term of school for the year.

 Now the children are have resumed primary & high school today, it's back to . . .

for the next 10 weeks!!  Love Posie
PS Embroidery photographed from the Dottie Angel book, dainty, doily, stitchy & clever.

i'm grateful for . . . 'allowed to be sad'

Greetings all,

I've been doing fluffy posts all week to cover up the huge hole in my heart.  This is not a sympathy seeking post, i just have to let my emotions out.  It's not dirty laundry, more a lesson in how lucky you are if you have your family close in your heart, healthy & home.

I’ve had possibly the saddest week of my life . . . farewelling my husband, that is always tough, but when my father rang to say my mother (suffering Alzheimer’s) woke up one morning this week & said she didn’t know who he was, I’m heart broken.  56 years of marriage, this is how their love story is going to end??  I’m shattered.  It's the moment i've been dreading.  Alzheimer's Disease can leave the patient with the blur of feeling like they should know the people around them, only they can't put it together, they feel stupid & often scared.

This year I have done many posts on things I’ve given up, paused or postponed, from the P&C to my website, small markets to working at Shop Handmade, all things I loved but I knew how this year was going to run (husband away & elderly parents) + high school is as full on & involved as expected, especially if your child has missed 2 weeks due to a virus & suddenly assignments for every subject are due to wrap up the term & vital school work is missing.  Pressure & stress, she likes to give her best. 

I like to have everything in order in my house so we can enjoy school holidays, not use that non-school-run-time-savings on sorting the cupboards.  Alas, I have a big double Handmade Market on next weekend, fabulous & that is where every spare moment is going next week, sewing!!  Oh throw in another teacher’s strike too & regional athletics carnival.  One more week of school, then we can all catch our breath . . . & visit my parents, the cupboards can wait. 

I’m grateful I’m allowed to be sad, take it all in, compartmentalise what I can help with & make changes to, along with that I can’t do anything about, only wish for the best – like my darling Dad’s daily dealings with the cruel Alzheimer’s which is stealing my mother from him.  They have moved to live closer to my doctor brother & his incredibly dedicated wife, for 'supervision', a very sensible move.  I have my mental health, i can deal with this, absorb, slow & calm.  I throw myself into positive pursuits like sewing & the gym, i walk the dog a bit further each day, he knows all my worries.  Pets as therapy anyone??  I'm also very grateful i don't have to be anything other than a daughter, wife & mother, focus on family, that is my only goal to wrap up this emotional year.  More Gratefuls here with sweet Sonia from Lioness Lady.  Love Posie

things i'm loving 'relaxing with my husband'

Greetings all,

Oh, relaxation . . . as my our school holidays melt away, so do the dreamy moments with my husband.  We were very lucky to have 2 whole weeks with him, now it's back to reality - him in Brisbane soldiering, us in Canberra schooling.  I love this image, it's in my heart forever, handsome soldier resting his head on my lap at the park while the children play.

With a hot chocolate . . .  

 shared with the children . . . how BIG is my baby boy getting??  Notice the tear at the knee of his new jeans, argh??  Oh well, he's been having a ball running around.  He did ask if one of his sisters could crochet him a patch, from yesterday's crochet class - ha!!

 Then a round of milkshakes (this only happens when Daddy is around).

 How cute is this cafe, by a huge park + attached to a gift shop = perfection (with completely delightful service too!!)  More on this beautiful place shortly.

 Can you spy my 3rd girl climbing & my other 2 on the ariel see saw??

Thank you dreamy PaisleyJade with Things I'm Loving this week, i miss my husband & these carefree relaxing days already.  Love Posie

our creative space 'hooking & knitting'

Greetings all,

Wow, what a fantastic lesson with Kylie from Mealy&i - i can officially crochet a Granny Square!!  I have a lot to master - tension, shape, consistency . . . but how exciting, it's so much fun & we made good use of my new selection of hooks & bundles of yarn.

Look at these cute 'stage' examples Kylie made for the lesson demonstration & my very first square, glee!!

 It's so darn magical how a circle becomes a square!!

 Kylie had to teach us to knit before i finished my square, so i am not 100% certain i finished it off properly, might have to consult a tutorial + it's a great excuse to catch up with Kylie again & build on my crochet skill set??

 Pretty pleased with myself, it was so much fun!!

 The purpley one is Kylie's handy work, note tension perfection & man she's speedy!!

 All the children got involved, some stopping at chain stitch & making bracelets as their current crochet lesson limit for the school holidays. 

 Then the knitting lesson commenced in the early afternoon - yes, middle daughter declared it a pyjama day & remained in her Peter Alexanders, knitting in comfort.

 My keen French knitting 3rd daughter was very excited to learn knitting too.  Children really only need those 20cm long needles, the ones i brought along were way too long, she's not knitting a blanket, just learning!!

I soon discovered, even after a good 20 years of zero knitting to my name, i picked it up like riding a bike!!  I'm just playing, i want the skills to share with my children, not to knit commercially.  I was thrilled with how quickly it came back to me, even casting on with my hands (Kylie showed me how to cast on with my thumb & 1 needle, which i excelled at, handy when i have to cast on for 4 children too!!)   
Thank you Kylie, you are a delightful teacher & dear patient friend, i'm loving my new lounge craft hobby.  No doubt there is more crochet & knitting action over at Kootoyoo & Our Creative Space this Thursday.  Special mention to Kirsty at Kootoyoo (Queen of tiny crochet perfection) - my youngest daughter wanted to start crochet with a 2mm hook & i said "oh, you're aiming at Kootoyoo dizzy heights already".  Love Posie   

i'm grateful for 'parks & playgrounds'

Greetings all,

In holiday mode & loving it.  When the children say "can we go the park" i say "sure".  I'll take ANY free entertainment in the school holidays thanks . . . so Maxabella Loves, 'I'm Grateful For' the endless free entertainment of local parks.  Strangely enough, they are usually empty of any children, where are they??  In that childless town in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, hiding from the Child Collector (creepiest children's movie character EVER)??  Don't we all know 97% of kidnappings happen by someone you know??  Is it that awful to hang at the park with your children??  Healthy free fun, get out of the house!! 

First up, this photo made my husband & i cry with laughter, talk about odd one out.  My mother would never take us to a park with swings, there were NEVER enough swings, or the right swings & it never ended well.  I can see why . . .

Somehow my children always have to take parks to the extreme - swing the highest . . . 

 swing out over the slippery dip . . .

 climb up over the enclosed safety slippery dip . . .

 spin themselves into a stupor . . .

 ok so this is possibly what the park designers intended, to go up the rope, but then he abseiled down it, upsidedown??!!

I should have known, when they were little they'd climb over the sun shade canopy above the play ground equipment, shimmy down poles, all of them, like monkeys.  Ditto for the tallest trees.  My high schooler still loves tearing up a playground.  They are climbers & jumpers, choosing to go down the slippery dip head first on their backs, even as 1 year olds.  My sister (an overprotective/ sensible mother) could not watch my children in a park, they gave her a heart attack & her children would look on with that "why would they think to do that" expression on their faces (similiar to mine, only i'd be pretending they weren't my children).  Well, her children have broken how many bones compared to my guys - still 100% unbroken??  Anyway, long live the local park!!  Or if you're adventurous, a park in the next suburb over or beyond.  Love Posie

school holiday antics & the latest giveaway winner

Greetings all,
Ok, so it's been raining non stop for days, actually since the school holidays started (typical) & things have taken a turn for the worse . . . kidnapping.  Only not in the low tech fashion of my childhood, where i'd find my favourite toys missing & a hand written ransom note under my bedroom door or maybe an EtchASketch mystery message from my siblings . . . today's children photograph & SMS their siblings instructions on what to do if they want their toy's safe return, or email each other vital clues on where they might find their favourite giraffe, monster or rabbit.   

Upon downloading the latest images on my camera (always cause for concern with my cheeky children) i found some rather confusing images of Raffy Giraffe in all sorts of life threatening scenarios (no 'proof of life' though).  The images were to be emailed to Raffy's owner, our middle daughter, for her to find when she next logged on to her email.  Now just for reference & dramatic effect, this is the child voted by her siblings "Most Likely To Over React About Absolutely Every Single Thing" (especially anyone touching her beloved giraffes) i was thrilled i was able to intercept this evil plot, give stern warnings to the kidnappers to put Raffy exactly back where they found him & she'll never know/ implode/ explode/ over react.  I try to get through large family life by avoiding drama - seeing the train wreck coming & putting on the brakes, stop, deep breath & avert the crisis. 
So why upload this image to the internet??  The damage had already been done, the boy, the youngest, the child voted "Most Likely To Crack Under Pressure/ Dibber Dob" (especially if it involves anything untoward happening to his beloved middle sister) had already run off & told her all about the kidnapping. 

 How did i take my eye off the ball & let this kidnapping plot happen on my watch??

 Oh i don't know, maybe all the gorgeous sewing projects in my new Cath Kidston craft book??

 Reading the background story to the recipes in my new Collected cookbook??

 Wondering/ wishing/ dreaming why my vegetables never look as lush as Jamie's??

Do people really like doughnuts so much, that they'd bother to make them at home??  We're not a doughnut loving family but after seeing the Italian ones those fabulous cooking twins made in Junior MasterChef & now in this month's Donna Hay magazine, maybe they are a homemade taste sensation worth the messy, sticky effort??

So sorry, forgot to publicly announce the 300th Post Hot Pink Giveaway winner - it was lucky comment number 89 who is . . . Rebecca from Sewing Belle blog, a super sweet mummy of 3 all the way at the bottom of Western Australia.  Congratulations Bec & happy travels with your family for your big holiday.
Thanks everyone for entering, i have a couple of new giveaways coming up, from IKEA & Lego - you won't want to miss them, follow & stay tuned, love Posie