My Humble Apologies

I've been the crappest blogger this month. Too much .. too ill .. back too sore .. too busy .. sorry.

While a lot of my friends are blogging Feists *new* music video .. I'm as usual a bit far behind in the Groover stakes, so here is Geordie's and my new favourite tune.

Back from Bali

Oh what a busy crazy beautiful delicious friendly island it is! She spoiled us last night as we had our final swim in the hotel pool with this astonishing sunset, the best of our holiday. We are all back home and I'll share some more snaps with you over the coming week. If only we'd gone for a longer journey, there was so much to see and do and I feel like we only just touched the sides.

All Hallows Eve

Miss Nine

Miss Six

Master Three

Our Welcome Gate - Dead roses and Skellies

B.I.T.

Well the good news is that the Rounded Square Wooden Brooches are back in stock on Facebook and in the Etsy store, Hooray!
The first batch sold so quickly, I was super dooper thrilled, and finally I have everything ready to go again!

and you can not only wear them as a brooch,

but also as a necklace, 

and I'll include a memory wire choker in either silver or black, with a funky magnetic clasp with every order. 

Here are a few of my favourite designs, I'll be making some new ones later on today (once I've had my super sore back fixed!) and I'll add them to this post. 

A New Friend

This is Asha, my beautiful first born child. She recently turned nine years old. And on Sunday while our studio was being demolished (did I mention we were renovating?) she found some geckos in the roof. They are named Liz and Ed. A boy and a girl, she googled, nine year olds can do that, and she worked out their genders, and made them a home. It has rocks for sleeping under, sand for burrowing, water for drinking, and each night she and her brother and sister go outside and find bugs for them to eat. 

Last night Liz and Ed both lost their tails. I think the children need to be a little more gentle with them. They are soft friendly little creatures. I hope that my kids don't love them to death. 

Oh the Pretty!

Look at this blossom which is falling over our fence from next door!! Utterly gorgeous! Could it be any prettier? The little pom poms of pink which are waiting to open, then the soft fluttery flowers once they are .. this tree hangs over our gate, what a lovely welcome!

It reminds me of the soft pretties in my store and how much I love making them in gentle whispery light tones .. like this one: 

and another old favourite. 

Makes me realise how much I really love pink, and that happy feeling it gives you. I especially love it against black (I think that's the 80s girl in me) and with light blue. 

And here's a flashback watch and listen XX

Fred loves Liberty

I was very impressed to see that one of my favourite children's clothing brands, Fred Bare have used Liberty of London fabrics in their summer collection. I've dressed all of my children in 'Fred' over the years, rarely have anything they have made let me down, superb quality, interesting fabrics and a great mix of quirky and classic styles. The pricing can be a bit 'Eeek!' but you can often find them at great prices in sales and on eBay, I have been buying online from Helen at The Kids Room  for many years too and she has I'm sure one of the best ranges in Australia, if not the world!

Here are some of FB's summer pieces, makes me wish my girls were small again .. *sigh*

I have had gorgeous classic fabric in Liberty's amazing soft fine Tana Lawn cotton for years, and have made up a range of hair ties to match these pieces, here is Lulu blending perfectly with our magnolia tree, wearing my Super Large Hair Button Tie ...

I've made this fabric up in medium and mini pairs,

and in this gorgeous aqua version of the same fabric,

mini pairs modelled by Lulu!

Please head over to my Facebook page if you are interested in purchasing any of these gorgeous fabric ties - I can also make them into clips in sizes of Super, Medium and Toddler. Just contact me via my Facebook page or email dusty plum@gmail.com anytime!  

Colour Blast

I just love that Spring is here and I'm quickly shedding my winter wardrobe of black black and oh .. light black ;) and out come the colours again.

I've made up some new necklaces - well, chokers really! and added them to my Etsy store. These look so gorgeous with a simple summer frock .. or for those who dare and do it well (I don't!) clash patterns and colours for an amazing look.

I loooooove these fabrics, particularly top left .. I only have one of these and I'm thinking of keeping it for myself :)

For a little extra colour *POP* on this weird windy hot day check out Kimbra, she's cute quirky and just gorgeous. I love the Kiwis as you all know!

Kimbra - Cameo Lover (Official Music Video) from Kimbra on Vimeo.

A Spring Surprise

It's lovely spending our first Spring in this house (a temporary home we're renting while we renovate our own home), as the owners over the years have planted some gorgeous and unusual plants, each season something else blooms or pops up out of nowhere. Aside from the previously mentioned beautiful magnolia, and along with freesias, camellias and roses, we're also enjoying, (click the photographs to view larger if you wish) ..

Pink Blossom in the front garden ... 

Bluebells popping up by the side fence ... 

Masses of Birds of Paradise which grow along the driveway ...

And Apple Blossom in the back garden. 

There is also a massive jasmine which has slithered up the wall and blooms only on top of the roof, too high to pick any, but the gorgeous overwhelming scent fills the backyard .. just gorgeous!

In honour of this beautiful season, I'm adding a Special Surprise to every order made through my Etsy store until September 30. 

Happy September Everyone!! 

XX

Rania

I love Rania, so pretty, delicate, great colouring. No, not this one, though she's quite lovely too.

The Rania to which I refer is the range of tiny floral fabrics made by Liberty of London. I like them for all the right reasons - they're pretty, they match a lot of clothing, lovely colour combinations, great for kids and adults .. and for slightly less 'right' reasons, they're darn easy to make into a button because you don't have to line anything up or centre anything .. yay! For all of those reasons, I love making things from this fabric. 

Things like earrings,

hair ties,

clips,

you know, all that stuff that I make. If I can, I'll use Rania. 

So I made a bunch of little sets that I'm selling over on Etsy and from my Facebook page, including this new version of the material (top pic) which I've not used before, which is a softer pink/grey/olive combination, divine! These sets are available for $10 per set. 

and while searching for more 'Rania' images on the net I also found this awesome Korean band. Hold onto your hats girls and boys, I wasn't offended by the raunchy dance moves, but I was offended by the awful lyrics!

Rania - Dr. Feel Good from KE TV on Vimeo.

Dad's Day

We picked up the grandparents and drove up the mountain all together, lookit my pretty girl. Aww.

How could you walk past this without a photo?

We all ate dessert first because the savoury queue was so long, nobody complained about that!

The world's biggest Cuckoo clock .. wow!

Burning off the sugar in the playground. 

Cuzzies and Grandparents and Aunties and Uncles oh My!

Cranky boy putting on a pretend frown. 

Then out comes the tongue, again.  Happy Fathers Day XX

Ended the day with a Chess Battle between Lulu and Di. 

Lovely, lovely family day. 

These things, I love.

You know, it's tough times. People are not spending a lot of money. I've noticed in my Etsy, things have slowed down, and that's okay.  I'm not spending a lot of money lately either, I haven't really analysed why - is it the season, my mood, our financial commitments, other priorities?  I guess it's a number of things. I don't feel pressured by the banks, or the government to buy! spend! shop! 'for the good of the economy' but I do feel the need to support my friends, those who are doing small home based business like I am, who make pretty things, on a small scale, where you can add some beauty and creativity to your life and spread some happiness in the world for a few dollars. I like that.

I'd like to share with you some loveliness that some clever people I know are making. These are things you can buy for a few bucks, which you can display in your home or pass on as a gift, to add some beauty. You may not be saving the world economy, but you will be supporting a home business and treating yourself (or a friend or loved one) to something special. I'd also love to see your ideas on low cost ways to give you and your friends a boost.

Visit Kinderland, Sophia's lovely new Etsy store selling gorgeously printed photographs of her beautiful Blythe collection. She sure knows how to dress, style, photograph and collect the most gorgeous Blythe dolls. And her prices are amazing. This is my favourite, I bought a large print of this which I'm going to frame for Asha for her 9th birthday (shhhhhhh!).

And then there is Fourteen Times. Catherine is a friend from my daughter's school. She makes amazing origami stars from the most beautiful papers. I have bought one as a special gift for a friend but I'm not saying which one until after I've given it to her. Until then I will share this photo of another which I love (and may purchase in the future!) made from quality paper featuring New York, somewhere I am dying to visit.

Lastly but not leastly is PaperSky Photography. Jo (great name!) has honed her photography skills over the years and is now challenging herself in new and fabulous ways. Her Blythe photographs are something to behold, and I love how she views the small things in life through her lens and makes them interesting and quirky. I'm yet to decide which photograph will be my first purchase, most likely this one but I don't want to inundate you with Blythe photographs, so in this instance I'll share another favourite.

Thanks if you made it this far through this post and please share your low cost gorgeous finds (under $20?). I'm not one for reckless spending, but I am one for finding the pretty things in life, and passing on ideas to others, and I hope that you are too! XX