one yellow jumpsuit

2012-02-03T19:42:00.011+10:00

I'm not sure how to start this post after being away for so long. This pregnancy has been emotionally draining. I seem to cry at the drop of a hat but Ava and Piper are so beautiful and kind. Piper constantly runs and grabs the tissues, while Ava climbs up into my lap for a cuddle. Even the dogs come over to me with these sad looks on their faces. They are all so sweet. We still have 10 weeks to go, but I am trying to break out of my bubble and get back into the things I love, like sewing and this blog. So, to start off, let me tell you what has been happening around here.

Ava started Prep in the most beautiful little school. Her teachers are so gentle, supportive and amazing. She doesn't particulary care for her uniform, but she loves her shoes (by the beautiful Chook Leaf) and gets upset if they get dirty.

Piper is still as cheeky as can be. She has started swimming lessons and developed a love of rainbow ice cream.

Baby number three is a very busy boy. He still has 10 weeks to go and currently spends most of his time kicking me. We are struggling to find the perfect name for him, but I'm ~~hoping~~ sure that when we meet him, we will know then. His nursery is no where near ready, but as soon as it is, I will post some photos for you and aren't these Roley Poley Pants by No Added Sugar just adorable. I'm pretty sure he needs these in the blue and the red. xx

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2012-01-02T13:28:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago, we went up the Sunshine Coast to Ash's Aunty Marg's beautiful property for a Christmas lunch. It is so amazing up there and a lot of fun. They lay down 50 metres of black plastic for a crazy slip and slide. Piper was so excited when she saw it and didn't have the patience to wait for Ash to take her down. We looked away for a second and the next thing we knew, Piper was going down the slide, squeeling with delight.

Ava however, was happy to just play with her turtles at the table.

Ash did eventually catch up with Piper on the slide, but by then...

Fred (Margie's gorgeous husband) arrived on the tractor with something fun for the kids to do...

which was to build a Scarecrow!!!

Fred then took all the kids for a tractor ride around the property.

After that, it was time to come inside for some ~~lunch~~ lollies, before getting dressed and heading out to ride some ponies with Ash's cousins' gorgeous little girl, Heidi.

It was such a beautiful day and I can't thank Fred and Margie enough for having us and for all the work they put into making the day so wonderful and special.

Props where props are due: Thank you Greg (Ash's Dad) for capturing the day and for letting me use your wonderful photos. xx

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2011-12-11T09:02:00.000+10:00

Well, I think it's time I shared some news with you. The reason I haven't been around much is because I am currently 20 weeks pregnant with a baby boy. Yikes. A boy.
I'm sorry I didn't share the news with you earlier. I've been really sick and an emotional wreck. I can't stop crying and my heart goes out to everyone who has lost a baby and those who are finding it difficult to fall pregnant. xxx

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2011-11-19T16:35:00.001+10:00

Ava finally had her cast removed on Wednesday and yesterday was my birthday, so today we decided to do something fun and go to my favourite place: GoMA and see the Yayoi Kusama exhibition. It involves a lot of dots and I love dots!! The first place we headed to was the Children's Art Centre where the girls got to play in "The obliteration room." They were each given a sheet of dots which they could place anywhere in the completely white room.

This was Ava's completed work of Art. Piper's was a little more all over the place. She liked to spread her dots out.

There was even a piano that the girls could play. xx

It's on until the 11 March 2012, so if you can, I would highly recommend going. It's a lot of fun. xx

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2011-11-05T18:39:00.054+10:00

I LOVE installation art, so I am very excited about taking the girls (and Ash ♥) to this exhibition by Pip & Pop at the Children's Art Centre in GoMA. It opens in a couple of weeks, but I'm not sure if I can wait that long. I guess I'll just have to patiently watch the installation process over here, which I find just as exciting. I know Ava and Piper will LOVE it and it's magical to be able to share something so special with them and as a family. xx

Props where props are due: Bing Bong, Big Bang by Pip & Pop 2011. Photo by Pip & Pop from GoMA website.

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2011-10-26T07:54:00.001+10:00

Piper has summed up perfectly how it is around here at the moment (upside down). It's very chaotic and my list of things to do is getting longer. I am still trying to put together a tutorial for how to make a small kite. I'm sorry its taken so long, but it is still on my list of things to share. xx

Other than that, we have been playing with a lot of Barbies, My Little Pony's, reading stories (our favourite being Pink and Squish Rabbit), colouring, making Playdoh snowmen and doing puzzles. It's actually been really nice to just dedicate all my time to the girls and not worry too much about the house. (Sorry Ash. I know it's messy, but we love you. xx)

Ava also has a new pink cast, which she prefers not to look at. So, it's always tucked under a blanket or a table. We are so proud of how well she is coping with it all and understand that she would rather not acknowledge it.

I also bought this amazing book. It was to be for my birthday (which is in November), but it arrived the day Ava broke her leg and I decided to open it early. It has wonderful projects in it and I am especially loving the knitted finger puppets. That's also Piper's cheeky little hand sneaking in to steal my knitting. xx

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2011-10-12T12:58:00.000+10:00

I often look at our daughters and think it's not possible to love them any more than I already do, but then something will happen and I fall even more in love with them. This happened on Monday afternoon when Ava broke her leg. She is such an amazing little girl with a beautiful heart. While Piper has this incredible amount of patience, kindness and love for Ava. It's so amazing to watch.
Anyway, I'm sorry that I may not be around much for a little while (still). As mentioned, Ava broke her leg on Monday and it's a little chaotic around here. I hope you are all well and I promise to pop back in as often as I can. xxx

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2011-10-01T12:50:00.003+10:00

I just wanted to drop in to let you know that I am still here. I have just been really sick, but everything should be back to normal soon. I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I hope you're having a beautiful Saturday and thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post. They mean a lot to me. Love Hannah xx
(The bird and heart was designed by the beautiful Evie from Handmade Romance. He came with Piper's Bow Tie Boy and I put him on a crack in the wall, to make the crack look pretty. xx)

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2011-09-08T07:49:00.000+10:00

A couple of months ago, I received an email from Danielle at Ohdeedoh (via Cinti. x) asking if I would be interested in submitting Ava and Piper's rooms for a room tour on their amazing website! Of course, my answer was YES and today they are up!! So, if you would like to see what the girls rooms look like, please pop over and have a look. Thank you Danielle. They look beautiful. xx

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2011-08-22T08:27:00.009+10:00

A little while ago, I bought this tea towel from one of my favourite artists, Pretty Little Thieves. ♥ I knew when I bought it that I wouldn't be able to use it as a tea towel. So, it sat on my desk for a few weeks until I finally found the courage to cut it into a dress and it is just gorgeous and perfect. Thank you Nancy. We adore it. xx

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2011-08-08T12:46:00.003+10:00

We spend most of our day outside as Ava and Piper both love to paint and draw. Piper will paint anything from her face, to the dogs, to the garden gnomes and the trampoline. While Ava loves to get paint all over her hands and feet and walk it through the house.

This is actually a painting of Ava's family. It's a little more abstract than Piper's, but we know what it is.

The above picture was draw by Piper on Thursday afternoon while she was playing with her Grandma (Helen - Ash's Mum xx). She drew it all by herself and Helen and I were amazed. It is her first actual drawing and it's beautiful.

This is Piper's most recent work on the wall in the lounge room. She drew it last night and it's just so gorgeous. I don't think I could ever clean it off. xx

While I was trying to take the photo of Piper's drawing this morning, there were two cheeky little faces that popping up in front of the lens. One was already covered in chalk. ▲ While the other one kept saying, "Cheese." ▼ xx

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2011-07-28T08:29:00.002+10:00

I'm not sure why, but I'm really excited about today and all of it's possibilities. Piper is playing at my Mum's, Ash is at work, the dog's are asleep in front of the heater and Ava and I are getting ready to go for a run. Other than that, we don't have any other plans and I think that's what I love most about today. xx

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2011-07-26T05:36:00.002+10:00

Today I thought I would show you my desk. It's also our dining table and usually looks a little more like this.

I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday. xx

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2011-07-13T07:57:00.000+10:00

Yesterday, Piper I went to GoMA to play in Toddler Tuesday. It was such a beautiful day. I don't get to spend a lot of time alone with Piper, so it was wonderful to be able to give her all of my attention and time. She is such a beautiful little girl.

We learnt all about lines and made a beautiful collage. She was exhausted by the time we arrived home. Thank you for sharing your day with me Piper. I love you. xx

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2011-07-03T13:29:00.001+10:00

Today Piper turned 3, so last night I filled her room with balloons.

Your Daddy and I adore you Piper. You are gorgeous, creative, cheeky and far too adventurous for our liking. You are just perfect and we love you. xxxx

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2011-06-29T14:17:00.027+10:00

I really do love the Marimekko converse. Sadly, by the time I had decided to buy these limited edition sneakers, I discovered that almost everyone had sold out. Luckly, I managed to find some over here. Yay. xxx

Props where props are due: Photos via www.prikko.com

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2011-06-24T11:16:00.002+10:00

Piper turns three soon and since she is too young to read my blog, I thought I would share a few of her gifts with you.

A pair of adorable Yo Gabba Gabba Foofa kicks.

An irresistible kite (to match her invitations, which I promise I should have the tutorial for soon)

and this really cute three layered puzzle.

I hope you're having a wonderful Friday. xx

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2011-06-17T13:09:00.001+10:00

Ash has been away for the last two weeks, so I thought I would make an animation because it's cold and windy and we really miss him. xxx

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2011-06-07T18:13:00.002+10:00

We've been spending a lot of time at a local park lately. It's really small and quite, but the girls love it.

Piper loves to twirl her hair and often twirls it into a beautiful little knot that looks like a bow. Sometimes she twirls it so tightly that her finger turns blue. xx

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2011-05-25T13:54:00.005+10:00

Today is our 9th wedding anniversay and tonight we are having vegetable pad thai for dinner, while watching The Big Bang Theory. xx

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2011-05-23T13:44:00.003+10:00

The girls have had a huge day today. Ava went over to my Mum's to play and Piper and I set out for a date with my friend, Kerrie and her two gorgeous boys, Will and Tate. Piper had so much fun playing with the boys and I struggled to get her back into the car to go home. She was so upset about leaving and no one could sweet talk her into going, not even when Kerrie bought out some awesome sunglasses. When we eventually made it home, Ava instantly fell in love with her new glasses. So much so, that she insisted on wearing them while having a nap. Thank you Kerrie. xxx
Thank you also for all of your sweet and kind comments here and on Cinti's blog. They are all very special and mean a lot to me. xxx

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2011-05-21T17:47:00.000+10:00

This post is dedicated to my gregarious brother in law's beautiful girlfriend, Renee. xx

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2011-05-17T09:43:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago the beautiful Cinti from My Poppet asked if I'd like to be a part of her 'Getting To You...' section on her blog. Of course, I said yes and it's up today if you'd like to read it. Thank you Cinti, you have a gorgeous blog and shop and it was so much fun for me to be a part of it. xx

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2011-05-15T10:52:00.002+10:00

There's not much happening around here at the moment. Ash is away for the weekend, Ava is having a nap, Piper is tucked up in our bed watching My Little Pony, the boys are outside sitting in the sun and here is an animation that I made for Animation Friday. x

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2011-05-09T12:31:00.000+10:00

Both of the girls are sleeping at the moment, so I thought I would pop in and show you the little kites that I made for Piper's party. She turns 3 in July. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out and after I made them, I realised that I should have photographed them as a tutorial, so you could make them too. They are so cute and it's the perfect excuse for me to make some more. I hope you're having a wonderful sunny Monday. xxx

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2011-04-23T18:25:00.001+10:00

This is Piper and she loves painting, chasing bubbles, her bottle, tutu's (especially pink ones with sparkles), ponies, dancing, Miffy and a new little fellow called Bow Tie Boy #13. Thank you Evie. He is just gorgeous. We haven't named him yet, but he often comes to the shops and shares a banana milkshake with Piper. xx

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2011-04-08T06:02:00.002+10:00

Firstly, thank you for all your love and sweet comments. We are okay, just a little shocked and sad. We are very blessed to have the two gorgeous little girls that we have and would still love to add a third (and maybe a fourth) baby to our family. So hopefully, we will have some wonderful news to share with you soon. xxx

So today, in order to distract myself (and you) from the sadness, I thought I would clean out my handbag and share its contents with you. Ash is often too scared to go into my handbag. He seems to think that he might get sucked into a vortex. Anyway, here are its contents.
1. My favourite Kristina Klarin necklace
2. My iPhone with a photo of Piper's shoes (yellow converse, of course)
3. A collection of 'pretty stones' and a button from Ava
4. Keys
5. My purse
6. A small Mooks purse that contains the girls identity bracelets from when they were born and from when Ava was in hospital
7. My camera
8. Pencils for the girls (there is also paper curled up inside)
9. A small collection of toys from Piper
10. Lolly pops for Ava
11. A cute purse from here
12. Piper's bangle

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2011-04-07T06:18:00.000+10:00

It is with a great deal of sadness that I write this post to let you know that sadly we have lost the baby. For whatever reason, this pregnancy just wasn't meant to be. xxx

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2011-03-24T09:45:00.001+10:00

I just wanted to say hello and to tell you that I am still here. We live in a fairly small house and as there is a new arrival coming later in the year, I am in a pickle trying to organise a space (in our room) for the little one. We still have plans for this, but it won't be ready in time for baby #3. So today, while Piper is playing at my Mum's and Ava Lilli is at school for the morning, I should be tiding all my junk out of my cupboard to make some room for baby #3, but instead I am writing this post. I am also wishing to make an animation for over here, but sadly I am surrounded by a huge mess and I really need to clean it up. Hopefully, I can play next week. xx

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2011-03-18T07:17:00.001+10:00

Sorry I haven't been around much. I'm really sensitive and teary, especially with what has happened in Japan. My thoughts, love and prayers are with you. xx

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2011-03-10T09:38:00.002+10:00

I don't feel so good. xx

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2011-03-09T15:50:00.000+10:00

Today I, ate organic free range eggs on soy and linseed toast for breakfast. (I keep the crusts for the boys and yes, that is tomato sauce. Sorry.) Went for a walk with the girls and on the way home, Piper drank a banana milkshake while watching My Little Pony on her Barbie DVD player. Ava also had a banana milkshake and a nap.

I then tidied the house, while Piper made a new mess in every room that I had just tidied, ordered my new watch, got frustrated with the computer and cut out some triangles for a paper bunting flag in Piper's room. All in all, it was a pretty good day. xx

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2011-03-03T19:48:00.001+10:00

Ash and I rarely eat dinner (or any type of meal) together and tonight was no different, except that he bought me two vegetable curry puffs with an adorable message. Isn't he just gorgeous? He's the sweetest, kindest and most ~~annoying~~ amazing husband in the whole wide world. xxox

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2011-03-01T12:53:00.001+10:00

Four. xxx. Happy Birthday Ava Lilli. I adore you. xxx

Gifts in photo include: Ava's gorgeous dress which was made by her wonderful Auntie Jo. It has a cute as a button bat softie that hangs upside down when out of the pocket. It's super cute and I believe it will be very loved. Thank you. xx
: 'Owen' the doll which was a gift from Ava's Grandma, but Piper has managed to adopt him. xx
: Two ice creams which are from Ash and I to go with Ava's new kitchen.

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2011-02-25T06:32:00.001+10:00

It's animation friday again and I made mine yesterday, with Ava and Piper. My original plan, was to have one (or both) of the girls knock it down, but Piper was only interested in pressing her cute as a button nose against the camera lens. While Ava was far too busy creating her own gorgeous tower, so she had no interest in mine. Hence the use of Ava's caterpillar to knock it down. I hope your friday is just as colourful and fun as ours. xx

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2011-02-22T12:33:00.003+10:00

Yesterday was a somewhat super day. Not only did I pick up two new pairs of sneakers from Hype DC, but the first addition of papier mache magazine was waiting for me in the letter box when we arrived home. I'm also doing Nat's cleanse and had an awful headache. So, it was the perfect excuse to stay inside, do some yoga and read my new magazine (of which I adore every page). xx

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2011-02-21T11:59:00.002+10:00

It Ava's birthday next week and a couple of weeks ago I made her party invitations with invisible ink. The amazing idea came from mini-eco. I love everything over there. It is so much fun. I am slowly gathering our craft supplies to make all sorts of fun things from Kate's blog.
I made our invitations using really cheap salt and pepper shakers, wooden heart and pom poms from a local cheap shop. They were so much fun to make.

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2011-02-17T19:40:00.002+10:00

Today we played outside, danced with our shadows, chased butterflies around the garden, blew bubbles, giggled, took Beagle to the vet (he has a sore paw, but he's okay), swung on the swings and then had a nap.

Tomorrow, we will do it all over again. xx

Ash has also been away in Victoria this week and we miss him. xx

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2011-02-01T19:15:00.001+10:00

This morning Ava and I went to see her Paediatrician, which is nothing unusual, but what I did find surprising was how much she had grown. The last time we went (which was only four weeks ago) she looked so tiny sitting in the waiting room chairs and this time, she looked like a gorgeous little girl. She steals my heart everyday and I am so proud of her and everything that she achieves.

We then stopped in at the local shopping centre to buy some new Thomas and Miffy books and yes, that is the same lolly pop from earlier in the day. She's a really slow eater. I hope your day was as cute as mine. xx

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2011-01-28T13:05:00.000+10:00

Please excuse my absence for the past week. I've managed to hurt my back in three different places on three different occasions in the past week.
Anyway, before all of that, I turned my remaining fabric scraps into a picnic rug. I actually had quite a bit of fabric left over and managed to make two double sided rugs.
I'm sorry the photo is really grainy. Piper ate* the USB cord that uploads the photos from my camera, so I've had to use Ash's camera and it's a little more technical than what I'm use to. I'm still trying to work it out. Sorry. I promise I will take a better photo soon. xx

*When I say 'ate' I mean she just chewed the silver end that plugs into the computer, but don't worry, it wasn't plugged in.

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2011-01-19T16:24:00.002+10:00

Today, I browsed through my two new books, went to the gym, did some gardening, got really excited about finding this new website and made a little photo book to send to someone special . While Piper, danced with her shadow, locked herself in the dogs room/laundry (above), had a nap, drew all over the TV with her new crayons and then ate some more playdoh.

Ava's day however, involved mostly playing with Nannie, napping, drawing with Piper and their new crayons and watching Lisa Mitchell flim clips on my iPhone. All in all, it was a pretty awesome day. xxx

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2011-01-18T16:55:00.000+10:00

Ash is away in Canberra this week. He left on Sunday, so we just wanted to say...
"Good night Daddy. I (we) love you. I'll (we'll) see you in the morning (friday). xx"

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2011-01-16T09:44:00.002+10:00

Sunday Morning.

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2011-01-13T21:04:00.004+10:00

Props where props are due

The girls are fast asleep and I just went around to tidy their toys. We are so blessed to be able to put our daughters and pets to bed in their own beds tonight and sleep peacefully and safely.

Our thoughts, prayers and love are with all of those that cannot do this, those that have lost loved ones and pets and anyone that is affected by these floods. My heart goes out to you. xxox

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2011-01-07T17:28:00.000+10:00

There's not much happening around here at the moment. xx

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2011-01-04T05:52:00.025+10:00

Good bye Matt and Jo. We love you. xx

The above animation is a cheeky sign that Jo created with the girls blocks at my Mum's place where they stayed. As soon as Piper saw it, she knocked it down and turned it into a tower.

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2011-01-02T12:13:00.003+10:00

I finally got around to buying some photo frames (part of #6) to hang the pictures up on the wall. I still have a few more to put up. I just haven't decided where yet. I also bought a new lamp shade for the dining room (top of photo). It's similar to the first shade that we had in there (which fell apart when I cleaned it) and so much nicer than the awful, 'It'll do for now' shade.

I also did a little bit of rearranging and made the girls a play area, complete with fairy lights.

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2010-12-30T20:23:00.004+10:00

I often wonder where she went and how on earth did I possibly managed to lose her.

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2010-12-29T17:36:00.009+10:00

This morning we went into GoMA to see the 21st Century Exhibition. It was soooo busy. We really only saw the first floor (roughly) and then did a quick skim over the other two floors. Ava got a little bit upset as she doesn't particularly care for crowds or noise. She also couldn't understand why she wasn't allowed to ride the slide, go for a swim or keep a balloon. She's such a gorgeous a little thing. What we did see though was amazing, even if Ash did spend most of his time running after Piper, trying to stop her from touching everything.

We did manage to get to the extremely crowded 'I Wish Your Wish' wall and select two wishes — "I wish everyone in the world would be happy and own unicorns" for Piper and "I wish I had a collection of rocks and coins" for Ava. Ava collects rocks or 'pretty stones,' so I think she will be a good ambassador for that wish.

We then went outside for some lunch before heading home.

I also bought two new books which Ava and I love. The 'Art for Kids' book has articles about different artists in the exhibition and some little art projects to do. Ava is a bit young for the projects but she seems to love all the colour inside. xx

We are also planning a trip back, but it won't be until after the school holidays. So, I will post some more exciting things then. I hope you can be patient. I know I can't.

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2010-12-27T14:25:00.003+10:00

Today, I finally finished Piper's quilt (#20). It wasn't easy trying to piece together a quilt that measured 250x140cm on our tiny 90x90cm dining table. I often just had to trust my instincts that the pieces I was about to sew together would work. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I think Piper is somewhat okay with it. She had just finished jumping up and down on it.

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2010-12-23T13:08:00.002+10:00

I'm a little lost at the moment. Please bear with me.

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2010-12-21T09:15:00.002+10:00

This morning I finished and delivered the last of my Intensive Care quilts. They were good to make, but they were also really good to finish. It's sad that they have to be made, but hopefully they will mean as much to someone else as what Ava's does to us.
Piper and Ava came with me, but they weren't really much help. That's okay, they looked adorable and that always makes me happy, so I guess that's sort of helping.
Sorry the photo is blurry. It was taken on my iPhone.

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2010-12-18T08:13:00.001+10:00

It has been 15 weeks since my hair all snapped off and I really miss my hair. I still haven't found the courage to go to my hairdresser. I have thought about getting extensions, however I really don't think they are me. I just really miss my hair.

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2010-12-17T12:32:00.002+10:00

This morning Ava, Piper and I went to the shops to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Ava loves to sit in the pram and read her books with Jessie, but Piper doesn't care for it. She likes to run around which is a lot of fun (for her). I have learnt to just relax, breathe and not get stressed about her. She often stands in the way of other people and I had one elderly man tell me to put her in a harness. What??!! Anyway, most people were super lovely about her and it was just nice to see people being really nice. So, my animation for this Friday is really simple. I know it could be better, but I keep running out of time. Maybe, that could be a new years resolution. xx

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2010-12-16T20:03:00.001+10:00

Today (as promised in #36) we went down to the Redcliffe Lagoon and it was so lovely. Ava and Piper love it there. We went last week and it was a little cold in the water, but this week it was just perfect. Matt and Jo met us there and Ava was delighted with aeroplane rides in the water from Uncle Matt and from being bounced up and down with Aunty Jo (Sorry Jo. I hope your arms aren't too sore.)

We then came home, had a big nap and did some painting while watching a Summer afternoon storm. xx

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2010-12-12T13:59:00.006+10:00

Piper is sleeping, Ash and Ava have gone to the shops for some ice cream and supplies, the boys are outside chasing birds in the rain and one of my brothers now has a blog. It's a perfect Sunday afternoon. xx

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2010-12-05T04:56:00.005+10:00

Swanrider 2004 by Parastou Forouhar
There is an amazing new exhibition opening soon at GoMA. It's called 21st Century: Art in the First Decade and it's basically a collection of art pieces they have obtained between 2000 and 2010.
It's going to be magical and I can't wait to take the girls, especially to the kids programs. I am also really enjoying reading their blog. I love seeing how pieces are put together.

This is called 'Left/Right Slide' by Carsten Holler and I find it fascinating. When I first saw it, I had a feeling of, "Oh. That's a bit steep, but it looks kind of fun." Then I read that he describes them as *devices for eliciting 'an emotional state that is a unique condition somewhere between delight and madness.'
*21cblog.com

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2010-12-04T04:59:00.001+10:00

I first saw this over on the beauitful and creative blog by Handmade Romance. It really touched my heart and feels very special to me, so I thought I would also share it with you.

It is about Yokoo and it can be found over in the Handmade Portriats by Etsy. I hope you like it as much as me.

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2010-12-03T05:24:00.001+10:00

I cheated a little bit on this Animation Friday. These photos were taken a couple of years ago while on our first family holiday together. Ava loves the water and I can't wait to go swimming again with her. xx

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2010-12-02T12:54:00.003+10:00

My brother, Matt and my beautiful, beautiful friend, Jo (who is also Matt's fiancee) came home on Tuesday. They are here for five weeks and it's just really nice to have them here.

Jo also has an exhibition in at Myrtle Street Studio. It's her first exhibition, so if you can, you really should go. I did bake her some biscuits this morning to celebrate, but the Beagle somehow knocked them off the kitchen bench and ate them. This was also while Piper was sitting in front of the dogs water bowl taking shots of their water with a small part from a Russian Doll.

He's not as innocent as he looks.

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2010-11-29T09:40:00.013+10:00

I know I'm about 1.5 weeks late, but here are 36 things I would like to do before turning 37. Most items are pretty lame, but a goal is a goal.
1. Stop using face wash from the supermarket
~~2. Declutter the house~~
~~3. Down scale the toys~~
~~4. Delete lots of photos on the computer~~ - this was soooooo boring
5. Build our new home
~~6. (but) Don't give up on our current home - decorate it more~~
7. Do yoga at least 4 times a week
~~8. Fix the gardens - plant more colourful flowers~~
9. Buy new sunglasses
10. Give more handmade gifts
11. Find a dance class for Piper - I have found one. I just haven't taken her there yet. xx
~~12. Hang pictures up~~
~~13. Find three artists that I really love and inspiring~~ - I'm starting to realise that finding just three artists is almost impossible. There are so many amazing and inspiring artists out there. I will need to do a post to share them with you soon. xx
14. Go on 12 dates with Ash (~~1 2 3~~ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
15. Run in Bridge To Brisbane
16. Screen print more
~~17. Finish decorating Piper's room~~
18. Change my eating habits
19. Lose 24kgs
~~20. Finish Piper's quilt~~
~~21. Finish Intensive Care quilts~~
22. Have orthodontic braces removed - They are offically coming off on 27 June!!!
23. Grow back my natural hair colour
24. Grow my hair back to how is used to be - all one length with a fringe
25. Take Ava and Piper to the Art Gallery more to play in the kids programs
~~26. Think up another ten items for this list~~
27. Fit back into my favourite Dogstar jeans
28. Go on a holiday, somewhere, anywhere, with Ash and the girls, even if it's just up the coast
29. Buy new bed linen
~~30. Clean out the garden sheds~~
31. Make cute photo books to send to Ash's Grandad - I've sent one away, but I'd like to send one each month.
32. Make cute photo books to send to Matt and Jo
~~33. Get Motivated and start this list!!~~
34. Bake a raspberry brownie ice-cream cake
35. Go out for ice-cream more
~~36. Take Ava and Piper for a swim at the Redcliffe Lagoon once a week in Summer~~ - We did this as much as we could. xx
Also, just in case you were wondering, the above photo is of a garland that I made for Ava's room. xx

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2010-11-27T07:05:00.001+10:00

I've been looking for a teachers gift for the amazing teachers in Ava's class and I believe I've found them. They are from Third Drawer Down and it's a Christmas card that grows Watercress. You just add the seeds and a little bit of water and voila... you have watercress. I love it.

While I was there, I also picked up this little guy. It's so adorable.

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2010-11-23T19:38:00.002+10:00

I love signing to Ava. She gets this really cheeky grin on her face when you sign to her. She is so gorgeous. She thinks it's really funny, but if she doesn't want to talk to you, she will refuse to look at you. She is just so cheeky.

I went along to another lesson at Ava's school today, where we learnt some more basic signs, sentences and nursery rhymes. It's wonderful to see adults giggling together while signing and singing. I think my favourite part of today's class (aside from the nursey rhymes) was learning the sign for Dinosaur.

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2010-11-22T17:53:00.002+10:00

Today while Ava was at Playgroup, Piper and I went over to see my friend, Kerrie and her two gorgeous boys: Will and Tate.

While Kerrie and I ate chocolate cake and biscuits, Piper fell out of a swing (This was actually my fault. I'm sorry Piper. xx) and rode bikes with Will.

Will shared his lollies with Piper.

And Tate, who is 8 months old, spent his time looking gorgeous and smiling.

I promised Kerrie the recipe for the biscuits and I thought I should also share it with you.

They are called 'Frosted Cherry Rings' but I cut mine into hearts and they are from the recipe book 'Frame>By>Frame Baking'

ingredients

115g butter

85g caster sugar

1 egg yolk

finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon

200g plain flour

55g glazed cherries, finely chopped

icing

85g icing sugar, sifted

1.5 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 200 deg cel. Lightly grease two baking trays.

2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and lemon rind.

3. Sift in the flour, stir, then add the glazed cherries, mixing with your hands to make a soft dough.

4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick. Stamp out each biscuit with a cookie cutter. They have used two round cutters, but I used a heart.

5. The book then says to "Bake in the oven for 12-15 mins or until firm and golden." We have a really old oven and I found that I only needed to bake them for 5 mins. My biscuits were still soft when I took them out, but I didn't want them crunchy. I guess it just depends on your oven and how you like your biscuits.

6. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

8. For the frosting, mix the icing sugar to a smooth paste with the lemon juice. Drizzle over the biscuits and leave until set.

It makes about 12 biscuits, but you won't really want to share them.

Also, if you're wondering, yes, I am still detoxing and no, I couldn't resist the chocolate cake or the biscuits. xx

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2010-11-19T12:36:00.004+10:00

Today is my first official day of being 36. I tend to like the day after my birthday, rather than the actual day. The actual day always feels too fussy. Anyway, I have a new list of goals and dreams and I've started them off with a really tough fruit detox and a nap.

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2010-11-18T19:57:00.001+10:00

Today I turned 36.

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2010-11-17T15:42:00.000+10:00

Ash is on holidays this week and today we decided to travel into the city to look at sneakers and to have morning tea with the girls Grandad (Ash's Dad). I'm pretty fussy when it comes to buying sneakers and didn't end up buying any, but it still a really nice morning.

Piper and I were exhausted, so we had a nap when we came home. She is actually still sleeping now.

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2010-11-16T18:50:00.001+10:00

I really love Marimekko and I could happily live in this outfit. So, if anyone is looking for a special gift for me for no particular reason, I believe they can be found here.

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2010-11-11T08:35:00.006+10:00

Things that I am currently obsessed with include:
1. Finishing my quilts for babies in Intensive Care. I have pieced together 20 quilts in total from my scraps and have completed seven of them. I also have a list of clothes to make the girls, but I just can't seem to get past my quilts. I think I'll be sad when they're all finished. I guess I'll just have to keep collecting 'scraps' of fabric for my haberdashery so I can keep making them. (Sorry Ash. xx)

2. My hair. This actually isn't a new obsession. I'm always obsessed with it.
3. The TV series The Office.

4. Dogstar's new summer range. Again, this is not a new obsession. It's just a new range to be obsessed with.

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2010-11-10T07:08:00.005+10:00

This is Kitsch'n. It's pronounced Kitchen, but he is also know as 'Bird-dog' because he thinks he's a cat (even though we don't own a cat), 'The Furry Slinky' because he is just like a slinky when you pick him up (only furry) and 'Not Beagle', because he's Not a Beagle. Our friend John named him that because he couldn't remember their names.

He's my best friend and follows me everywhere. He is so beautiful. It doesn't matter where I am during the day, he is always right there beside me. Even if he's fast asleep, he will get up and follow me. He politely waits at the sofa until he is invited up at night, and patiently sits under my feet while I sew or cook dinner. He's just a really good dog.

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2010-11-09T12:47:00.003+10:00

Ava is learning how to sign at her School and they are holding classes for the parents to learn as well. Today was our first lesson. Ash is away this week and couldn't go, but I went along and it was so much fun. I'm quite surprised at how easy it is. You just need to think a little differently. Ava is having a nap at the moment, but has had two amazing days at her Playgroup. Her teachers are magical and it's wonderful to see her so happy.

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2010-11-05T13:44:00.001+10:00

I have lots of things I should be doing and that really do need to be done, but it's Friday and every Friday needs and animation. xx

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2010-11-01T16:30:00.005+10:00

I'm on a mission to simplify our life and our home. The girls have soooo many toys and most aren't played with. Part of my mission is to eliminate these unwanted toys and to buy and make the girls more handmade items.

I don't mind (and understand) that they will cost more, but I would rather have fewer, more expensive toys that are loved and played with, then buckets of toys that are only touched when the girls tip them all out so they can sit in the bucket.

Today, I found these two dolls (via Kenziepoo) who are made by Jess Brown. I think they are gorgeous and just perfect for Christmas. Plus, they're wearing Wovenplay and I love Wovenplay.

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2010-10-29T06:24:00.006+10:00

This week I was prepared for Animation Friday and I actually made mine yesterday. Yeah!
I hope you feel better soon Cintia. xx

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2010-10-27T15:38:00.001+10:00

Not much is really happening over here, but if you travel to here, here, here and here. You can see what all the cool people are doing.

2010-10-22T14:34:00.006+10:00

I know I promised last week that I would come up with something special for Animation Friday, but I went for a reaaalllly long walk this morning with the girls and I hurt my foot and got a blister.
So, here is a really cute photo of Ava and Jessie.
I also don't know why my photo is really grainy. I took it with Ash's fancy camera and I'm not sure what I did wrong. It's okay though, I still had lots of fun. xx

2010-10-18T05:18:00.003+10:00

Yesterday while Ava had a nap, Piper and I watched the 1966 Audrey Hepburn film "How To Steal a Million." Piper loved it or perhaps it was the cuddle and the time alone with me that she really loved. Either way, I loved it too.

2010-10-17T08:42:00.002+10:00

It has been six weeks since my hair snapped off in an unfortunate bleaching incident. Every six weeks for the past 10 years, I have dyed the roots of my hair. This will be the first time that I haven't, as I am wishing to grow it out. Hopefully, in a few more weeks, I will have found enough courage to make an appointment with my hairdresser (who I haven't seen for 2 years and is not responsible in any way for the above incident) to get a nice cut. But to honest though, I will probably chicken out and go up to my local Just Cuts.

2010-10-16T07:29:00.002+10:00

Non-edible items that were eaten this week include:

1. 1/4 tub of Playdoh. Yes, they do actually eat it. Ava and Piper have eaten several tubs, but have only eaten 1/4 of this tub. It must have been a slow week.

2. Assorted flash cards and books. This is all Piper.

3. My Georg Jensen key ring which is now being held together with some pretty MT tape. Thanks again to Piper. xx

4. My new knitting brooch that Ash bought for me while in Tasmania. This was eaten by Beagle.

Piper loves to eat cardboard. This an assortment of books she has eaten over the past year. The blue book at the back was eaten on a recent trip to Ikea while the purple book in front of it was eaten on the way home. I did have assorted snacks for them, but Piper preferred the books.

2010-10-15T12:36:00.006+10:00

It's Animation Friday again. I really wish I would stop doing things at the last moment. I thought of this idea a few days ago when I watched Ava rip the original cloud off the wall. I wanted to make it yesterday, but I ran out of time. We have also been super busy this morning with a doctors appointment at Ava's Paediatrician, then a quick trip into Medicare. After that, we were on a mission to buy Daddy a gift to say sorry for being so cranky at the Peadiatricians. We then drove aaalllll the way into the city to deliver Daddy's gift and then aaallll the way back to collect Piper from my Mum's. Hhaaa.
If I was clever and had a little more time, Mr Fish would be moving, but I'm running late again and I really wanted to play. Thank you Cintia. They are so much fun. I promise to put more effort in next week. xx

2010-10-14T06:33:00.002+10:00

Ava loves to look through my Fruits books. So, I thought I'd share some of her favourite photos with you.

2010-10-13T13:13:00.001+10:00

It's been raining really heavily here for the past week and today is the first day that we have been able to go outside. The first thing Ava wished to do, was blow bubbles and then tend to her little garden.

It's so nice to be outside again.

Lost

2010-10-12T13:42:00.001+10:00

I just wanted to write you a quick note to let you know that I have lost my way. My blog has lost its direction and I need to take a moment to delete some posts and make some changes.
My "goals" posts and probably this post will be deleted. It's not because I'm not achieving my goals, but when I look at my blog, I want to feel inspired and at the moment, it makes me feel flat. So if things go missing, you will now know why. xx

Too Delish

2010-10-06T14:52:00.019+10:00

Both of our girls are really fussy eaters. Ava refuses to eat anything that isn't cream in colour and Piper likes to carefully examine her food before deciding that it isn't macaroni and cheese and therefore, not worth her time.
I would love to tell you that they both ate and loved the yummy cereal in the above photo, but I can't. I can tell you that Ava said, "Finished" before she even tried it and Piper did exactly as I described above. Anyway, it really is delicious and I hope you will try it.

The recipe comes from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook called Healthy Babies.
Fruit and Cereal Snack

Preheat oven to 180 deg cel
Combine 1/2 cup rice bubbles, 1/2 cup cornflakes and 1 cup flaked coconut in a large shallow baking dish
Roast, uncovered for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally
Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool.
Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped dried pear, 1/3 cup finely chopped dried apple, 1/4 cup finely chopped seeded prunes (I left these out as I have a thing about prunes) and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.

That's it. You can have it with your favourite yoghurt or just with milk.

A Delicious Animation

2010-10-01T12:26:00.005+10:00

Jo sent us another delicious batch of cookies today. I could smell them as soon as I opened the parcel and they are sooooo yummy. I just had to eat one for Animation Friday. Thank you Jo. You are just too sweet. xx

I need a lot more practice at animating photos. I don't know why I have a black line under each photo. Sorry. At least it was delicious and fun to make.

Ava's Day

2010-09-30T15:48:00.010+10:00

Ava isn't feeling the best today. She has spent most of it sitting in her swing reading Miffy and Waybuloo books.

Every now and then, Piper will interrupt her by running in and swinging her around. She then waits for the swing to come back to hit and knock her over. The room is then filled with laughter from both girls and it is the most beautiful sound you could ever hear.

I hope your day is just as special as ours. xx

My Original Hair Colour?

2010-09-22T12:34:00.004+10:00

I have been thinking about this for a while now and I have decided to give my hair a break from all the bleaching it entails and go back to my own natural hair colour. I haven't seen it for about ten years, so I think it's the same as Ava's which is a dark blonde.

It currently looks a lot darker, but I'm hoping it's just because it's up against my current colour - white.

I would show you a current, today photo of my hair, but three weeks ago, I had a small incident with a few boxes of bleach and my hair came out a little worse for wear. (It all snapped off)

So, as I learn my lessons and slowly recover from the above said incident, I will use the below photo of Tennessee Thomas as my inspiration.

This is actually how my hair was quite a few years ago, before I started dying and cutting it.

The challenge in this goal will all be in the styling and especially, the careful placement of the Alice Band.

Happy

2010-09-21T05:08:00.009+10:00

On Sunday, Piper, Ava and I drove out to Ikea to buy a hanging swing for Ava.
Last night, Ash installed in her room and the first thing she said when we popped her inside it was..."Happy."

The Days Not Over Yet

2010-09-14T16:39:00.002+10:00

Both of the girls are watching Miffy at the moment, so I thought I would give you a quick update (as promised, last night) on today's progress. I did go to the gym, but I didn't get as much sewing done as I would of liked. When I came home the house was a mess and I couldn't think straight, so I cleaned it instead. Anyway, I did manage to make two little things when the girls had a nap.
One, was a pair of summer pyjama pants for Ava.

And the other, was a little pair of bloomers for Piper. Isn't she gorgeous. I love those little legs.

Ash won't be home until late tonight. So hopefully, I will be able to get a little more sewing in later.

Seven Things

2010-09-11T16:03:00.005+10:00

A little while ago, Jessi awarded me a Sunshine Award. Thank you Jessi.
It has taken me a little while to respond to it, but I needed to write seven random things about me. I'm not a very exciting person, so mine are pretty boring, but here they are:
1. My favourite food is breakfast cereal. I could (and often do) eat it for breakfast, lunch and tea.
2. I am obsessed with hair, especially my own.
3. My favourite artists are Hazel Dooney and Andy Warhol.
4. I'm actually quite shy.
5. I'm not good with things like this and will probably change this list several times after posting it.
6. My secret shame is that, I could (and may or may not have in the past) happily eat an entire jar of Nutella.
7. One of my goals is to run in the Bridge to Brisbane 2011.

An Animation For Matt and Jo

2010-08-27T13:17:00.002+10:00

Ash has gone down to Tasmania to visit my brother, Matt and his gorgeous fiancee, Jo. Sadly, we couldn't all go, so I made Matt and Jo an animation to let them know that we miss them and we're sorry we couldn't come. xxx

My animation was made with the help from My Poppet. I'm so excited about it. It's not perfect as it was done quickly and under pressure. (You can only distract a 2 and 3 year old for so long) I hope you like it. xxx

For The Love of Quilts

2010-08-26T16:19:00.002+10:00

I was looking for a pair of shoes in my wardrobe (where I also store my fabric) a few weeks ago and Ash looked in and said, "Wow! You've got a whole haberdashery in there."
I do and I felt a little bit guilty about it. It consists of a lot of small pieces of fabric that I have "plans" for, but I have no idea of what that "plan" is.
So, I made a decision and I started turning all of my fabric bits and pieces into beautiful quilts for babies in Intensive Care Units.

Ava received a quilt while she was in Intensive Care and it is a wonderfully sweet thing to be given. I hope my quilts will help brighten someone's day and keep their special little bubble warm.

Ava and I

2010-08-23T10:35:00.003+10:00

This morning Ash and I had a meeting with Ava's beautiful and amazing Playgroup teacher to set some goals for her.

So, in support of Ava, I have decided to set two more goals for myself and they are:

1. Learn basic sign language with Ava
2. Lose 20kgs
I'm so excited about these goals. I'll let you know how we go along the way.

Shop Talk

2010-08-17T17:48:00.000+10:00

Item #2 has been taped to the wall, photographed and listed in the shop.
I hope you like it. xx

Too Many "To Do's" To Be Done

2010-08-14T09:59:00.001+10:00

Do you ever get tired of writing the same things down on your "To Do" list? I am. I am sooo tired of seeing the same things there. So, in honour of my last post, here is my first tick for my overgrown, tired list.

I know there is only one item in there, but I do have more to come. I just needed to start. xx

There are also many more items to complete on my list and I will share them all with you as they are either started or finished.
I hope you're having a beautiful Saturday. xx

A New Breeze In The Air

2010-08-07T07:54:00.000+10:00

Today is a new amazing day for me. There are new, neat piles of things to be done, sew, drawn and created. I'm so excited about today and the potential that it brings. xx

Blueberry Muffins

2010-08-06T14:59:00.010+10:00

250g plain flour (I use organic)
a large pinch of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
180g caster sugar
125g blueberries (but I usually use about 200g)
2 eggs (I use organic free range)
180ml sunflower oil
180ml soured cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
juice and zest of 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 190 deg Cel
2. Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and blueberries
3. Whisk together the eggs, oil, soured cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest (it will look a little curdled)
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and spoon into 12 muffin cases until about three-quarters full
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked.

They are from Annabel Karmel The Fussy Eaters' Recipe Book. It is such a fantastic book.
I think Piper ate nearly every muffin. They are her little hands with her plate. xxx
Note: Just a quick note to let you know that if you do ever make them, please don't put in too many extra blueberries. I did this this morning and found that they just won't cook. x

Piper Style

2010-07-29T09:48:00.000+10:00

Two days ago, Piper wore this.

Red and white dot bat wing top, made and designed by me

White long sleeve top, by Target

Denim skirt, by Minti

Bumble Bee gumboots (not shown, but chosen by Piper), from Ebay

Sunday Morning

2010-07-25T14:52:00.000+10:00

This morning we decided to take the girls to GoMA. Not to see anything, just to let them run around. It's such a beautiful place with big grassy hills that Piper loves to run up and down.

I hope your Sunday is as pretty as ours. xxx

Home

2010-07-05T09:10:00.000+10:00

He's finally home. xx

(You might not of noticed, but if you did, the reason there is silver tape holding a telephone socket to the wall is because Piper ripped the socket out of the wall a few months ago and we haven't fixed it yet.)