Caffeinated musings

 my Saturday afternoon energy boost

"He was my cream, and I was his coffee -
And when you poured us together, it was something."
~Josephine Baker

Matt makes awesome coffee. He also makes an awesome husband, and last night we sat out on the deck and toasted each other with good red wine and earnest and enthusiastic discussion of the future. 

Things are a-changin'. And they're all good :)

Coming up for air...

Well it has been a record for me in terms of blog absences. I seemed to blink and suddenly almost two months have passed. In fairness though it has been two months of big stuff. Big family stuff. Busy stuff. Nothing terrible. Just difficulties, busyness, illness - lots of 'out of the ordinary' things to deal with. As Pip so eloquently put it on her own blog - "a bit of a rough trot".


But I am being cautiously optimistic that we are coming to the end of our spate of high hurdles. Still not ready to reopen the ol' Etsy shop, or pay daily visits to the sewing machine again. But hopeful that I can at least start to rebuild the relationship with the Janome sometime soon :)

And what exactly do a pair of frilly undies have to do with all this, you may rightly ask? Well not much, except that these are pretty much the last thing I sewed before things came to a screeching halt. I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester for Benita's (from Bettsy Kingston) adult frilly knickers pattern. You may already know that Benita makes the most breathtakingly beautiful ruffle bloomers for babies (so lovely I was actually sad when Kate toilet trained and no longer required nappy covers!!!!). So needless to say I jumped at this opportunity. And I was really happy with them - so totally burlesque I must say. So keep an eye out for Benita's MYO store for when she releases the pattern. They really were so fun to make (and fun to wear, but I'm certainly not going into that here..*cough cough*)!!!!

So that's it from me. Just felt the need to finally visit my blog and dip my toe in the waters again I guess. Still not ready to promise anything like regular blogging yet. Right now I'm dead keen on exercising my head off, making fresh juices, and listening to lots of new music (totally loving La Roux and Midnight Juggernauts at the moment). And playing with the kids. And smoochin' my lovely husband. And making homemade sushi and drinking green tea. All the good nurturing stuff. Stuff that's good to do after a bit of a rough trot!!

Hope you have all been taking care of yourselves too.

XXX
Bec

Timber and TVs and Trains, Oh My!!!

I grew up on the edge of a forest by the Murray River in remote country Victoria, back in the days when it was perfectly acceptable to wander around with a chainsaw, hack up any dead trees lying around, and take them home for firewood. I know!!!!! ANYWAY, where I'm going with this, is that my Dad is the kind of guy who hangs on to stuff. And some of that stuff was some redgum off-cuts (that came from that forest) that he'd had lying around for the last 20 years. And this is what those scraps have become. Ok, there's some cedar ones in there too, but I'm not sure where he got those scraps from...


I can't even begin to tell you how clever my dad is at making stuff (although once we were looking in an auto store and I saw a racing steering wheel made of steel and timber, which I mentioned was very cool. Dad picked it up, turned it over, then put it back on the shelf. The next time I saw him, about a week later, he had made a replica steering wheel. Which I must say, looked very cool on my 1974 mini cooper). For more stories about my generous and clever dad and more pics of the buttons used on our bags, check out Jade's post here.


As well as using these buttons on our new bags, Jade and I are also going to sell them at the BrisStyle market coming up in July. I know we're just a bit biased, but I really do think they are very beautiful...

A big thank-you should also be given to Alan from Trishalan Designs, for providing great wooden button inspiration (you can see one of Alan's buttons used on this coffee bag here, and his are also made from timber off-cuts) and for some online handmade timber button love and inspiration you can also visit The Button Bower, who also sell gorgeous hardwood buttons made from Tasmanian timer off-cuts (some of these are quite amazing!). Viva the handmade button revolution!!

Ok, moving on now to the TV part of the post title. In fact, this is just a really lame way to segue into my Watcha Wearing Wednesday pics, which I think is a record for me in tardiness - this time...THREE days late. In fairness, I did actually take these pics on Wednesday - just couldn't actually manage to keep my butt in front of the computer long enough to get the blog post done. Ah well, better late than never. Right?


Anyway, this gorgeous little retro TV brooch (sorry about the bad photo) is by the lovely Helen from Ruby 2 Go Go, and it goes perfectly with my seventies knit top refashion. I found it in an op shop ages ago, and it fit well, except that it was a bit midriffy. Not very seemly for a 30 something year old, so I chopped it a bit shorter and added some nice thick black knit fabric (I also found this remnant in an op shop).


It's a bit weird, I know. But for some reason I just really like it. And it's comfy. And that's important, ya know!

Lastly, the train thing is just something I thought was so sweet I had to share. Lee, Kate and I made play dough the other day, and the kids went nuts playing with it, making birthday cakes, sausages etc. Ok, it was actually Kate who made the pretend food. Lee, in keeping with the obsession which permeates all aspects of his life, made this.


A Thomas train. If you look closely, it even has a smiley face on it. And top marks for creative use of props :)

And now it's time for a hot milo and a snuggle with Matt in front of the telly. It's getting really chilly here, and we've had a big night. Our kids went to their first ever disco (organised by Lee's kindy). They had so much fun. I painted so many faces. We are all hoarse from talking over the top of loud music. I remember the days when this was caused by clubbing. Now it's caused by listening to 'Hot Potato' and squealing kids. And I won't have a hangover tomorrow :)

XX
Bec

I can sing a rainbow....

Mum's birthday cake. Made by me. Decorated by the kids.

"Red and yellow and pink and green
Purple and orange and blue
I can sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow too.

Citrus Tart - Girly Shoulder Bag

Listen with your eyes
Listen with your ears
And sing all there is to see

Miss Potts - Girly Shoulder Bag

You can sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow
Sing along with me"

Strawberry Freddo Frog - Girly Shoulder Bag

After all the rain and dark clouds I felt like I needed a burst of colour to feast my eyes upon. So here's some rainbow colours that have been bursting into our world lately.

My ric rac stash. Makes me smile every time I look at it.

Pipe cleaner and straws princess jewellery. For Grandma, by Lee and Kate.

And she had the good grace to wear them all at the restaurant where they were given to her. Even when she went out into the street to take a phone call. Good on ya mum :)

Lee has been singing the rainbow song lately. He sings it so beautifully it almost brings a tear to my eye. Kids, gotta love 'em. One day it's poo jokes, the next it is the warbling of angels.

Photo courtesy of Kipurnicus' photostream

And of course, I wouldn't change it for the world.

XXX
Bec

Poo Poo to the crotchety crocheter...

Thank-you oh Em the Brown Owl prefect and guru of all that is good about the granny.


While I'm still not sold on the granny square, I have taken all you have taught me and put it to use.


Not only that, but in doing these projects I have soothed my soul AND made an amazing discovery. I.e. A crochety disposition (usually caused by having a loud 'poo joke' shouted at me by the preschooler for the 50th time in the day - oh the joys of peer socialisation...) appears to be inversely proportional to the number of crochet rows (or rounds) accomplished.

Perhaps the symbolic logic lovers among us might like to see it presented as:

:( = 1/dc rows

Or put simply - the more I crochet the better I am at ignoring these things that by the end of the day are starting to really irritate me (and that's the nice way of saying it).


May I also say in my defense, that it is not the 'poo' subject matter per se that is really getting my goat at the moment. I must admit I'm not adverse to a bit of toilet humour at times. But hearing "hey, why don't you try some poo" followed by hysterical laughter and then repeated over and over throughout the day is just starting to wear really thin. He has even got his little sister in on the act, so their conversations go like this:

Lee: "I love you Kate"
Kate: "I love you Poo"

Collapse on the ground laughing. And repeat. Over. And over. And over. It's getting ridiculous. To the point that I have made a new house rule today. Every time the word 'poo' is used in a context unrelating to any actual need to do one, the 'poo sayer' will be made to go and sit on the toilet for a 'think about it'. Yep, we are no longer doing the 'time out corner'. We now have the 'time out toilet'. Which is funny really, because there are certain other members of the family who have been using this toilet as a 'time out' facility for quite some time....hmmmm...


So anyway, it's wonky - there's mistakes. Nothing is turning out exactly like it's supposed to...


But hey, it's cheaper than therapy :P

WWW - On Grouse Thursday???

Has anyone else heard of Grouse Thursday (ie. the Thursday prior to Good Friday) or did my lovely husband make it up? He left this morning saying "Woo Hoo - Grouse Thursday"!!! Then proceeded to insist it is 'real' day. I have googled it. Nothing. Nadda. Thinking it may just be a Melbourne term my husband and his group of friends made up during one of their many drinking sessions as teenagers.....and it has just persisted into his adulthood.....hmmmm.....Anyway, regardless - I like it. And I do indeed plan on having a grouse Thursday!

Thinking I may be the slackest Watcha Wearing Wednesday player here? Check out Fi's blog for other more uh...punctual players. So sorry. Once again however, the photo itself WAS taken on Wednesday. Just before I hit the hay.


My favourite cosy bed attire - super-soft plaid flannelette pj bottoms, and a very old and comfortable maternity top (that I bought second-hand off ebay when I was pregnant with Kate).


Remembered to take the photo as I was waiting in the kitchen for my lavender wheat bag to heat up in the microwave.

We had all been out to the first ever Rocklea Twilight Markets (same farmers markets we go to every Saturday morning for our weekly shop and outdoor breakfast). It was great. All my efforts at getting my kids to both have a big sleep in the day paid off, and they were both bright and sparkly and SO excited about the mini ferris wheel with the coloured lights all over it. So we all had a lovely time buying fresh bread, fruit and veg, and eating wood fired pizza outside while listening to some live music (and of course, waving balloons in the air whilst having a ride on the colourful ferris wheel).

apples photo courtesy of Brisbane Markets

Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday night. And as always, the whole extended family came along, so all ten of us traipsed around saying 'hi' to all the stallholders (who I'm sure must think of us as the Beverly Hillbillies or something, as we tend to get around like a big loud tribe complete with whooping kids) and generally having a wonderful time.


I also bought home these lovelies, and am looking forward to watching all the blooms pop open over the long weekend.

Hope you all have a lovely Easter. And even more importantly - a Grouse Thursday!

XXX
Bec

Minty goodness!!!

So absolutely stoked to have a Beckybean bag featured in the current issue of Peppermint Magazine.


If you haven't check out Australia's first eco fashion mag then you really should hot-foot it to a newsagent now. It's full of fresh green fashion, and I'm still pinching myself to think that one of our bags is featured amongst such fabulous designers as Kara Smith. Wow!!!


There are also another two BrisStyle girls who have been featured in the magazine, so look out for Michelle's gorgeous Pedrosprout booties, and the wonderful feature of Ali's Jellygnite shop.

Have also had the pleasure of being featured on the Designer's Emporium blog as well, which is another fantastic online read, covering the works of new and independent designers, crafters and artists.

Ok, time to stop feeling fabulous now, and pull on the old swimmers for the kids swimming lessons. I'm such a wuss. The water is heated to 32 degrees and I still find it too cold. Eeekkk!

Bring on the weekend I say. Fresh coffee, fresh bread, fresh flowers, and a fresh new magazine to devour.

Hope you weekend is full of Autumnal bliss :D

XX
Bec

Hello New Year. Nice to meet you!

The start of a new year is such a lovely time. Full of promise. A clean slate. All that. And yet I still haven't said a bloggy goodbye to 2008 yet. I guess there's really no such thing as a completely clean slate - there will always be something on the 'to do' list to be carried over to the next day. Or the next year, as the case may be.

Christmas present from Matt - phone brooch by Betty Jo. Can't tell you how much I LOVE this.

So goodbye 2008. You were great. You were the year I decided to stop thinking and start doing. I have a great habit of thinking myself out of doing things. And last year I just stopped. And great things happened. I met some truly wonderful people, I had fun making stuff. I did my first market and my first exhibition, and got my first bit of media attention. In addition, I had lots of fun with my family, made some great birthday cakes and yummy treats, and had lots of big extended family get-togethers.

And the ending of the year was no disappointment either. During our Melbourne holiday I was lucky to finally meet Sherrin from Starashan in person, and she was every bit as nice, interesting and lovely to talk to in person as she is online. Thank-you Sherrin, I had such a fabulous time wondering around Fitzroy with you. Very cool that I recognised you by the brooch you were wearing, and that you recognised this gorgeous piece of fabric you sent me so long ago.


I totally love the purse I bought from Meet Me at Mikes (by Haruka)


and really, it was so nice to see Mikes in person, when I have been reading about it for so long.


Our Christmas was a fantastic affair with the Melbourne contingent of the extended family, and we even managed a ride on Puffing Billy on New Year's Day.


The weather could have been a little kinder (it was FREEZING) but it was a lovely day out.


And I was SO glad that it was me who was the designated driver at the New Year's Eve BBQ we attended the night before (even though at the time I was not so happy about it). Somehow I think riding on a stinky steam train in the freezing cold with a hangover might have been a less than smashing experience!

Lastly, I'm leave you my favourite pic of the holidays. Taken on Christmas day. Kate in one of the many dress-up costumes she received, and desperately trying to ride her older cousin's bike.....of course she had to ride it...it had streamers, and it was PINK!!!


Looking forward now to settling into the new year. It will be a whole new world with Lee starting Kindy, BrisStyle really starting to happen, and (hopefully) my sister joining me in my bag making adventures. Whheeeee what fun. Bring it on!

Productive

I have actually been pretty productive lately. I have a whole heap of new bags that I can't show yet because I still haven't taken photos of them, but I do have photos of a little gift pack I sent off recently to my Sister-in-law and Brother-in-law and their new little baby Angus. I really wanted to try and do a completely handmade pack of goodies to send them. Unfortunately with illness hitting the household at the time of the birth, it took me a little longer to finish everything, but I got there eventually. The pack included:

* reversible bibs for little Angus - made with a mixture of reclaimed vintage and new japanese fabrics.
* cloth ball rattle - pattern found here. It was so super easy, and lots of fun (although I used felt for the circles on the end, which made it even easier!). I can't remember where I got the idea of using a cat toy for the rattle bit inside (i'm sure I read about it on a craft blog somewhere), but it worked a treat.
* casual market tote - just a little pressie for the new mum, whose favourite colour is purple (fabrics used are reclaimed purple linen, reclaimed wool fabric, and new Hollabee linen/cotton blend fabric with hand screenprinted rubine swirls. Strap was a recycled fabric belt, with vintage buttons for detail).

(reverse side of bibs)
OK, so this is one short post (for me!). Look out everyone. I'm on fire!!!

This is...what makes me happy

Thanks so much to Jacinta from One Little Acorn for a brilliant This is... theme this week. So. What makes me happy? My goodness, so many things from the huge stuff to the tiny little things I am lucky enough to take for granted every day. But to keep things simple, here are just a few things that have made me feel very happy lately:


Kate's second birthday. With eighteen extended family members. Watching my kids feel so happy and loved, surrounded by both sets of grandparents, and all the people who love them best. Oh, and seeing both Granddads wearing birthday tiaras to please the birthday girl - now you don't get much more happy than that :P


Yummy pudding made by my sister, with beautiful crispy-on-top meringue...


Followed by gooey meringue underneath, with lemon curd, blueberries and custardy filling....mmmmmm..... happiness in a bowl!


Making puppets of our family with the kids (the puffy white-haired person is apparently 'Dad'...he he he... and for some reason, the 'Kate' puppet had to be a 'superhero baby', complete with a cape!).


And then, of course, sitting back and enjoying the puppet show. Kate and I were the audience, and Kate sung along and clapped with gusto. And at the end the puppeteer came out and took a bow. And that was ear-to-ear happiness my friends.


Finishing a project.This particular one is for the shop, but really, it doesn't matter if a project is for the shop, for myself, or for someone else - just 'finishing' something always feels so great. There are not a lot of jobs involved in a stay-at-home mum's role that ever get 'completed'. Raising happy, healthy, beautiful kids, doing housework, cooking food....these things are always 'works in progress'. Which is fine. But it's also nice to be able to tick things off a list sometimes and get that short-term sense of achievement. It makes me feel happy :)

Thanks again Jacinta for reminding me to walk down happy lane and appreciate all the good things along it. And now I'm off to enjoy more happy moments from everyone else's blogs. Cheers!

This is ... what scrambles my brain when I try to understand it

Thanks to Juddie from Flightless Boyds for this week's This Is... theme (and to Angela from Three Buttons for hosting). This week's theme was easy (and it was great to have two to choose from). Whenever anyone asks me what my husband does for work, I have an awful time trying to explain. I basically have a spiel that I recite, that I have learnt by rote, and which I really don't actually understand. Or sometimes I just pop a few words like 'Ethernet' 'D Slams' and 'dark fibre' into my sentences, and once I see the eyes glaze over I know I've explained enough. According to Matt apparently I get a bit overexcited and start throwing in other terms that are not actually anything to do with what he does....but I really like saying 'fibre to the node'. I always feel like pulling a gangsta pose after I've said that one.

It is a running joke at Matt's work that they should just put this sign on their office door and be done with it.


I gotta tell ya, if this cat came to my door selling his internets - I'd buy two!!

* data centre image by Wirenine
** cat image from lolcats.com

Gone fishin'....

This is what Lee and I did during Kate's nap today.


We made some water, some fish, an octopus and some starfish. We then put paperclips on everything and went fishing...with cranes, as you do. I didn't have any spare little magnets around to make fishing rods out of, so I figured Lee's two Cranky Cranes would like to do a spot of fishing.


Apparently they both enjoyed it!


I feel so behind on blogging. I've got bags, poems, tags, knitting, pay it forwards, and probably other things I'll remember later, all of which are yet to be blogged. Just feeling a bit swamped at the moment. But I'll get to it all. I will. Really...

This is...Mother's Day

This is...what we did for Mother's Day. We had a lovely big family day with the extended family, which included five mothers and one mother-to-be, a nearly four-year-old, two nearly two-year-olds, a six week old, and two works-in-progress!!

It was lovely. We found a quiet park,


and had it all to ourselves!

We drank sparkly wine. We feasted on homemade finger food including egg and bacon pies, roast vegetable sandwhiches, crumbed chicken,


scotch eggs mmmmmmm,

mini banana loaves, oaty chocolate and almond cookies, and...



the best chocolate caramel slice I've eaten in years (thanks Jade).

We also filled the afternoon in with frisbees, football,


boule (...ahem...I do believe Dad and I were the champions!!)

and knitting. Could there be a better way to spend a Mother's Day? I think not.

And whose idea was this fantastic day?

My mums! As usual Mum, you always come through with the goods. Thanks for being such an inspiration to me.

XXXXXXXX

I'll leave you with the Mother's Day cards my kids made for my Mum and my Aunty (who is really like a third Grandma to them). They are all pictures made from a fantastic book called Hand Art (KLUTZ - Chicken Socks) where each page shows the child how to hold their hand (shadow puppet style) so that you can draw around it, and then you turn it into an animal. It is perfect for Lee's age group. He works out how to hold his hand, then I draw around it and put in the details, then he colours it in as per the picture, and glues on the eyes etc. This book has kept us all so well occupied over the last week, and our house is filled with creatures from Aliens and Elephants to Peacocks and Frogs. My lovely mum also bought Lee the Superhero Starter Kit in this series yesterday, and it is also really great. Not a big price tag either which is nice. Whew, that turned into a mini-book review for kids didn't it! Oh well, it's a mother's prerogative to waffle on isn't it??????

Kate's Art


Chicken


Octopus

Lee's Art

Butterfly


Cat