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.

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

This little piggy ..

went to market.*

Yes I'm having my first stall at a handmade market at the end of this month. Let me be honest, I'm very nervous! It's easy to hide behind a computer screen and put my little handmade goodies up on a website but to stand behind a table while people walk past, pick up, then walk on by will be nerve wracking to say the least!  I have a few weeks now to think about ways to display my items, to decorate the table, to get together everything I need.

Here is the flyer for this market, please if you are local, lock it into your diaries and come on by, say hello, have a chat, offer me words of encouragement!

I love that this market is so local to me, it is at the end of our street (of the home we are renovating), it is run by the Thornbury Women's Neighbourhood House which as been a huge support to me over the years, the little kinder at the back has been wonderful for all three children over the years, I took classes, and made friends through the centre. 

I decided to make some special little sets for the market alongside the items which you can find in my Dusty Plum Etsy store. These sets will include a single large (29mm) hair tie and a medium pair (23mm each) in matching fabrics, for the special price of $10 per set. I would like to offer them first to my blog and facebook readers HERE. Postage for one set will be $1.60 and for two or more sets will be free. A great chance to nab a special deal, and to add to your gift drawer for the upcoming birthday party season! 

Fabrics include:

Just Dandy - in Chocolate and Turquoise - Dandelion Starburst!

Dotty Spots including Glistening Gold!

Alice in Wonderland Set in Lime and Chocolate, Keys and Pocket Watch. 

and the sweet Sherbet Pips, Hedgehogs, Toadstools and Cherry Trees. Too cute. 

* I refer to myself as a piggy only in the context that I was born in the Chinese Year of the Pig. 

Liberty Rocks!

The exciting new range from Liberty of London AW11 was released on July 1, and what an eclectic, bizarre, beautiful and .. weird range it is.

Unfortunately there are not a great deal of fabrics in the range which suit the small scale of my hair ties, but still fascinating to see the new designs and to read about the inspiration of their creation.

The digital range above is a first for Liberty, how INCREDIBLE is the one on the far right!

(click to see it larger)

The above were chosen or designed by musicians, from left the Renaissance style print was chosen by Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine, the far right which I ADORE was created by Swedish super pop star Emilia de Poret, inspired by microphones!

The image above features the two fabrics I have used so far for my hair ties, the magical starry Adelajda which represents the 1940's with it's dazzling 'All that Jazz' pattern ...

... and 'Mike' the Pop Art stripe which was inspired by Bridget Riley's paintings and the Op Art Movement. Vibrant in a geometric style, I love it!  

Available in my Etsy store.

The First Half of 2011 - Highlights

Delicate Nobby
1 January 2011 we awoke in the beautiful campground at Delicate Nobby. This was a little piece of heaven on earth that we all needed after a stressful Christmas. Sun, sand, surf, peace and quiet, goannas, pythons in the toilet block, isolation, wine and books, surfing, swimming and rockpools. Heaven.

The Nobby!

Breaky on the 'van steps

Surfin' .. the girls were great, Lulu is a natural. 

Dusty Plum 
My first ever business venture launched in February. Can I tell you how much pleasure it has given me? To make things, to play with beautiful fabrics, to find that I have ideas of my own, to find that friends can offer so much support and positivity, it's been incredibly wonderful experience. Warms my heart I tell ya!

20th of March - My 40th EEK!
I was a nervous wreck leading up to it as is my style, but it was fun, the food and wine were great, beautiful friends travelled from far and wide and it was a huge success. That said it was a huge relief to make it past that 'Magic Number' so it was no longer looming in front of me.  It is a time of reflection as well and I realise that I have lived a full and happy life and I that I am absolutely fortunate and blessed.

Other Highlights
Easter camping at Wye River, a divine dinner with friends at Cutler and Co, Lulu started Martial Arts and is doing REALLY well, Gman turned three and had a lovely little family party, the girl's school reports were spectacular, Mish had her longed for baby Gus, and Beck is finally pregnant after a horror run. My 'girls trip' to Sydney and the ensuing traffic jam and Jodi's dodgy bladder, haven't laughed so much in years. Last but not least of course our whirlwind trip to Vietnam and seeing our home renovations starting to take shape.

I'm looking forward to seeing what takes shape in the next six months. XX