brrr it's cold in Canberra so i'm dreaming of Brisbane & beaches

Greetings all,
Thanks for all the head-cold-well-wishes, too sweet!!  Today i treated myself to some Peter Alexander knitted booties & flannel jammies, mmmm, cosy +.

 Dreaming of warmer places . . . i realised i hadn't done a post on our Easter holiday in Queensland!!  We dropped the puppy at 'doggy camp', then hit the road after a first-thing-in-the-morning-tyre-change (argh!!)  It took 3 attempts to leave the house, finally we were off, headed to . . . we'll see where we are at 4p.m. 'twas THAT kind of day!!  

 After an evening of fantastic Italian seafood in Taree, we got back on the Pacific Highway & headed to Coffs Harbour.  With my husband as the prize that afternoon, i was NOT stopping for family photos at the Big Banana.  My eldest daughter took this shot as we drove by (note: the family who DID bother to stop for family photos!!)

 Oh we do love our BIG things in Australia.  This is the Big Prawn in Ballina, in it's new location, i hope it's temporary??

 Yay, we made it to Brisbane.  My husband stood on the main road to 'wave' us in & much to everyone in the peak hour traffic & her parent's shock . . . our 3rd daughter leapt from the car at the red traffic light & ran to Daddy.  It was alarming & beautiful all at the same time, quite sure i looked like a kidnapper though. 

 The official first day of the Easter school holidays - we went to South Bank (remember seeing on the news - that man made lagoon area on the side of the Brisbane River that went under in the floods) & we worked out the parking machine.

 Just as the children announced they were starving, precisely 30 minutes after eating breakfast . . . we walked into an official opening of a refurbished-post-flood park at South Bank & da dah, fully catered marquee.  We assumed it was a private function, or at least for actual Queenslanders, but it didn't stop us from filling our bellies on delightful tastey treats. 

 Oh dear, like this shot of Anna Bligh, Qld Premier??  I don't think she would like it either.

 There were all sorts of clowns & entertainment - like bubblers??  We were quite impressed, within our first half hour of site seeing in Brisbane, the children had been filmed by news crews (so glad they didn't ask our children where they were from), we'd seen the state premier & we'd eaten a feast.  Thanks Queensland!! 

 Then handsome soldier took us on a tour of his current home town.  Clearly i had brought the chilly weather, sorry Brisbane, like you needed more rain.  This is Kangaroo Point, where the television stations set up to bring us views of the Brisbane River flooding. 

 Driving around Brisbane, i felt like i knew where i was going - from being glued to the news during the floods. 

 OMG, proof a man WILL read a map!!

 It wasn't very sunshiney at Easter but nothing stops my 4 children from swimming.  As Daddy was at work, we'd go swimming every day, rain or shine . . .

 or when soldiers are doing 'river crossing training' in full combat gear, packs, machine guns & boots!!  It's not every day your children are up that close to guns, at the pool??

 My husband LOVES his milkshakes & showed off his favourite milk-shake-shop.

My favourite place was the SunShine Coast, this is a water park at Kings Beach.

 As i lounge with a head cold under a blanket, it's nice to dream of the beach.

 We went past the GlassHouse Mountains a couple of times, on our way to the SunShine Coast & Australia Zoo (which deserves it's own post).

 Absolutely loved spending Easter Sunday at Dicky Beach.

 Our guys had a ball here, hours & hours playing by this wreck!!

 . . . discovering periwinkles . . .

 . . . being chased ashore by the waves . . .

  . . . collaborative sand castles . . .

 . . . ambitious plans . . .

 . . . while mummy relaxed . . . that is a great holiday Sunday!!

 Another day at South Bank, this time requiring emergency medical treatment!!

 You guessed it, our accident prone girl.

 Before we knew it, it was time to say farewell to handsome soldier & we left the eldest girl behind to spend a little more grown up time with Daddy & she flew home (lucky girl!!)  Must admit, the 1500km journey home, i wished i was flying not driving too.

 How pretty is driving through Tenterfield??  On to my brother's house 100km further down the New England Highway where i caught up with his family - all 4 of his children were home from University & boarding school, yay.  Oh, i got breath tested for the first time EVER!!   

 My sister-in-law had bought some wigs on eBay (99c) & my guys went kind of nuts playing with them, like totally crazy, possessed even!!  Oh that shiner my son is sporting was from their insane Boxer puppies who got a tad overexcited & jumpy.

 On the way back to Sydney we passed the 'Cloud Factory' near Newcastle.

Poof, another school holiday over, almost time for the next one.  My husband has been living in Brisbane for 18 months, so we're officially half way through our living-apart-situation.  His bachelor pad is fabulous, so close to the city & in lieu of our visit, he purchased a fridge/ freezer, washing machine & vacuum (don't ask how he lived 15 months without these basic appliances, but he's just never home!!)  Until then he had the basic man needs of bed, lounge, television & a small bar fridge.  No point in investing in anything else, he'll be home with us before we know it, yippee. 
Stay tuned for a post on Australia Zoo & some Brisbane shopping too.  I did a post on all the lovely bloggers we met on our holiday here.  Love Posie

slow sewing kind of Sunday

Greetings all,

Oh my aching body!!  My head feels like it has a tight swimming cap on it, eyes streaming, blocked ears, my throat tickles & the roof of my mouth itches.  You guessed it, a head cold.  Argh!!    

But that's nothing compared to a dear friend who had to drop off her daughter with me yesterday as her son had a concussion from rugby (like . . . no idea why he was in football gear or who he was) & race to hospital.   All i had was the produce from the morning Farmer's Market & empty cupboards, so i scratched together something to make us all feel better + freshly squeezed orange juice (with lemon & lime!!)

 I set myself a very basic sewing task today (in my sneezey haze) - wheat & lavendar heat packs/ bags.  I purchased 10kg of wheat on Friday & made up 10 bags today, for Shop Handmade tomorrow.  The lavender is grown locally, purchased from the markets too.

 I like my wheat bags large thanks, so i made square & rectangle versions, all neatly lined & quadruple stitched, as you don't want a kilo of wheat spilling out the sides.

 A range from my Japanese lovely heavy linens . . .

 & some in Australian screen prints - Thea & Sami, PippiJoe & Kristen Doran.

 Much to my surprise, my sweet 3rd born presented me with a picnic lunch on the floor of my studio.  It was a bit woody for a high tea but such a lovely feast & kind thought.

 So i'm spending the evening tucked up on the lounge, ready for a night of good television (seeing i rarely sit down, i have no idea what Sunday night offers) sipping orange juice & nibbling wooden painted cup cakes, while under new heat packs.  I'm not hungry eventhough my tummy feels empty, oh it aches & cramps.

Ok so i stalk my children at night & sometimes take photos of them sleeping - my little fella fell alseep on the lounge last night, i could just eat him up.  Look at that lucky complexion & i adore how he & our middle girl still sleep with their hands tucked under their heads.  Also note my son has poked his head through an arm hole on my camel wool wrap, surely there is a brooch pricking him in the back??  I hope i sleep like him tonight, love Posie
PS I have a cute paper bag giveaway too, due to it's unexpected popularity, i've increased it to a main prize & 5 runners up, you bloggie types really do like your paper, stickers & twine!!

i'm grateful for 'thinking outside the square'

Greetings all,

I'm really grateful i can think 'outside the square'.  As a scientist, wife, mother, designer, really-bad-cook - all my different roles in my life so far, i've had to draw on creativity to get results, find answers, problem solving if you will.  I'm going to show off a simple example here . . . how oh how to display my new little paper bags??  Why not in a paper bag 'basket' which looks cool, stays on trend & shows off the durability of just how awesome my new paper bags are & other ways to use them. 

 I wouldn't use such a huge vintage dolly peg in real life but getting a smaller peg would have required walking to the next room.  Today has been very mellow - i took myself to see Water For Elephants.  Reese & Robert did not fail me??  It was beautifully shot, she was exquisite & he so handsome, i cried, it was magic, i loved this movie - not the theme or darkness, but the dream quality.   
Back to paper bags . . . why paper bags anyway??  Well i've been in this handmade craft game full time for over a decade.  Back then, to work from home with small children & an on line shop was almost unheard of, but i did it.  I get asked this question by journalists, customers & fellow small business owners all the time "what do you do when people copy or compete with you??"  As i have zero plans for world domination or keeping an eye on the opposition + those children are approaching teen-age, keeping me busier than ever . . . so how to stay ahead of the game??  Think outside the square, constantly like . . . adding fresh products & offering the best attitude, presentation & service.  Paper bags are something i just love + twine & stickers, it appears you love them too.

 Selling is so much more than just plonking your products on a table - it's visual merchandising with height & creative use of props.  At markets I hang hair clips on tree branches, offer knitting needles in spaghetti jars, fill tool boxes with buttons, display twine in crates, spread badges in vintage suitcases, pile fabric in huge French baskets, sell books from mini book cases & hang bloomers in picnic baskets.  It's makes a difference!!

 Inspiration is everywhere, from a pyjama catalogue to a glossy magazine.  Donna Hay always styles her food with gorgeous, simple accents & i'm a sucker for a timeless country look - baskets with a mix of metal, linen, wood & glass. 

 Some ladies/ sisters at the last Handmade Market who had a gorgeous stall display were Mookah - they rocked.  All the way from country Victoria, they didn't use travel as an excuse to not make their stall look amazing.  Thinking outside the square too - with ladders & planks, shelves, hanging racks & tables.  By the end of the market they had so little stock left, i noticed they kept spreading products to fill the gaps until some shelves were completely empty (like when every single ottoman/ floor cushion had sold out!!)

 I wasn't fast enough to grab an ottoman on the day, so went home to order one on line (my level of thinking outside the square when exhausted).  Better yet, my favourite fabric design was on sale & when it arrived today, they popped in some screen printed Moose samples, yes please!!  Thanks Leisa & Nicole.  Now to think outside the square on how to use these Moose prints, a cushion for my son is a no brainer starter?? 

 So if you love to think outside the square & fancy some of these paper bags in your hot little creative hands too, enter my giveaway at this post.

 The GIVEAWAY is gaining such momentum, i'm throwing in 5 runner up prizes, so hoping the random selector picks you for one of them!!

For more Grateful posts, check out Maxabella Loves - to think i met her only a week ago at Handmade Market - what a big week i've had indeedy.  Love Posie

things i'm loving 'girlie accessories'

Greetings all,

Yay, it's Friday, love it, i'm taking the day off from life.  That's right, i'm dropping the children at school, heading to the gym, then a movie with my free Nuffnang ticket for doing a survey, bliss, might even treat myself to lunch!!  Weekends are long (& unexciting) when my husband is away, the housework can wait, until Saturday morning.  Fridays are also time to go play with Paisley Jade & reveal what we're loving.
Well on top of all the crazy sales going on, i'm loving . . . girlie accessories.  I trotted off to Seed to visit my gal pal who works there & stock up on pretty things for my girls (read: anything i can get away with wearing aged 36, i will borrow).  For years i've used my daughters as an excuse to buy extra girlie accessories, even better when on sale.

 Flowers & butterflies, pinks & metallics, ahhhh.  That lovely silvery large butterfly is the second in our collection, such a hit as a brooch or in the hair, especially love the 2nd one was half price.  My eldest daughter is into 'shiney' hair pieces as that is her 'thing' & how she's 'known' at high school.  Happy to indulge, better than heavy eye make up i guess. 

 The little strawberry purse is from Kikki-K, 30% off sale & a great place to stock up on pens & stationery, i mean a girl's desk has to look as pretty as her hair, right??!!

 Love the fabric in this bow, i think it was $2.95 on sale, completely adorable.

Loving accessories, pretty things & stationery too . . . why not enter my paper packaging giveaway at the previous post.  Love your Friday people & have gorgeous weekends, love Posie