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

Children at Play

Oh the sweetness of this new range!

Pinwheels and balloons, aqua and pink, floating bunnies .. squee!!

 New SUPER large Hair Ties - BIG 45mm Buttons on super strong snagless chocolate brown elastics!

$7

Medium Pairs in co-ordinating fabrics 

$8

Try a Combo Set - choose your own fabrics

$12

Two Super Large Hair Ties - Special Price

$12

It's party season, that mad rush of birthday parties which start in August and continue through until Christmas, stock up your pressie drawer now!

Flying Fox

Asha and I have just returned from a long weekend in Auckland, catching up with old friends and visiting places which have a lot of memories for us. You see, for those who don't know, we moved to Auckland in January 2005 when Asha was two and Lulu was two months old, then returned to Melbourne in September 2008, with our little souvenir, Geordie, who was then six months old.

So for almost four years it was our home, where my little ones grew up, went to kindergarten, started school, where we brought our son home from hospital. We made the most wonderful friends, caring supportive fun friendly people, and it was a wrench to leave that beautiful country. This past weekend was the first time back after almost three years. And of course, not too much had changed, it was as amazing and beautiful as always, the harbour and Rangitoto Island, the gorgeous villas, the wonderful people. They really turned the weather on for us too.

Anyhoo .. I will stop there and share a special place to us all, Little Rangitoto Reserve, or Upland Road Park as we called it .. and the amazing Flying Fox. We couldn't imagine anything like this in Australia - tell me if I'm wrong! - and Asha started on it at the age of two! I wasn't there of course, Matt decided it was a good idea, when I found out I was horrified! But Kiwis are courageous cool cucumbers, and I had to fit in with culture didn't I? Lulu started on it before she turned two, and kids are always standing on the platform in line awaiting their turn. Parents sit babies and toddlers on their laps and have a go, parents have a go on their own! It's all fun.

Below you can see images of Asha as she grew, in the first pics she is two, Matt running by her under my instruction to catch her if she fell! - second lot of pics she is three, and in the last video aged eight, just this last Saturday.

Untitled from Jo Beveridge on Vimeo.

The Cure for Grey Days

The BIG Clip

These single Mega Clips are on 68mm strong metal snaps, wired to 45mm buttons. 

They will be available on my Etsy tonight. 

Please visit my Facebook page and 'like' to be in the running for special offers and giveaways!

Magnficent Magnolia

There is a magnolia tree in our front garden. It's only wee by magnolia standards, but it's coming into bloom at the moment. Deep purple buds are forming, and they are taking me back to a very special time in my life. There are huge magnolia trees further up the hill, higher than the homes they belong to, cluttered with petals, leaving carpets of colour below them already, but our little tree belongs in our garden, at the bottom of the hill, shadowed and cold and moist, and the buds are only forming now.

There are a few friends of mine who know how meaningful the magnolia is to me. When we lived in our second home in Auckland, from 2006 to 2008, there was the most beautiful magnolia you could imagine in our rear garden, it was the hub of the home in many ways, it sheltered us, cheered us, the kids climbed it, swung from it, it was adorned with balloons at parties, pinatas hung from it,  it dropped it's leaves in winter to allow us to bathe in the sunlight through the living room window, then grew them again to shade us in summer. And in Spring, the most amazing blooms. It was the backdrop to almost every family photo for those two years, however unfortunately I've lost a lot of photos due to computer hard drive crashes, but wanted to share a few remaining ones with you, from our home in Benson Road, Remuera. It was the home where we lived when my firstborn started school, where we brought our baby boy home to when he was born, where we had parties and friendships and love and lots of laughter. I miss that house, and I really miss that tree. 

Just arrived, 2006

New Gumboots :)

Christmas Elf 2007

Blythe Backdrop

My view from the couch, morning sickness to the Max. 

Fathers Day 2008

New Spectacles for Lulu

A Quickie about Clippies.

I realised it's been a WEEK since I blogged, so I'm going to post a super quickie .. then back later with a proper post. Home with sickies today, middle and small .. big girl off to school on her own (well, it is only across the road) ..

.. this week I've been experimenting with hair clips, I have sold a few through my DP Facebook page (do go and 'Like' if you wish!) and I'm going to trial a few pairs on Etsy. They are hard to make! But I will endeavour! If you like any of my fabrics on Etsy or in my DP Facebook  photo galleries, do not be shy, just ask and I shall make some up for you!

Here are the three pairs I have sitting on my desk, which I'm going to put on Etsy this morning, pretty little pretties that they are, all Liberty of London of course, my true fabric love!! They are medium sized 23mm covered buttons wired to 50mm strong silver hair clips. $8 per pair, free shipping if you enter the code DOLLY at checkout!

Toodle Pip!

Two Song Tuesday

Ok I originally wanted to call this post 'I like country AND western' but I didn't want to turn off any potential readers. Country and Western can be seen as dirty words, but not to me, oh no, and not to my friends. We like our men in cowboy shirts, we wear cowboy boots, we love Lucinda Williams and Patsy Cline,  Wilco and Johnny Cash and of course, of COURSE ...

Dolly.

To celebrate Dolly's Australian Tour (to which I have a ticket, Yee-HAW!) I'm getting into the right mood, and have made up a small selection of C&W style hair ties and brooches. They will make it onto the Etsy store later today, and the fabric is from Heather Ross's latest gorgeous collection, Far Far Away 3, Playing with Horses.

Horse Ties are $5 or 3 for $12

Brooches are $7

Another favourite track for you on this beautiful sunny 20 degree (!) Melbourne day, here's Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, kick up your heels kids!