If listening to me rabbit on about myself is about as interesting as watching paint dry, then look away now...

Paint drying by ian@m5j21

Or perhaps this post would be better named "I am unworthy". Because for some bizarre reason I have been the lucky recipient of a few blog awards lately. Which is weird because I always feel a bit guilty that I go too long between posts, and then when I finally get around to posting, it's often late and I'm tired and I end up doing some big long self-indulgent waffle....ahem...yes, much like this one...

But hey, I guess some people like waffles. Boom boom!!!

So anyway, I am very honored to have been given a Lovely Blog Award from Kate of One Flew Over, Rebecca of Edward and Lilly, and Amy from Grey Grid Paper. And a Love Ya award for being exceedingly charming by Helen from Ruby 2 Go Go and Ali from Charlie and Grace. Each one of these ladies writes an amazingly wonderful blog (check them out and you'll instantly see why I feel unworthy!)

However I'm going to be a wuss about passing these awards on (plus a list of 60+ blogs might get a bit overwhelming) and just direct you to my blog roll. In fact, this has been a reminder to update it, as my blog wanderings seem to be far and wide at present. There's just so many interesting, talented, creative and articulate people out there blogging these days. Totally inspiring!!!

I've also been tagged by the ever so lovely Steph from Bondville, with what might possibly be the longest tag-interview in the history of blogland!!! So I won't be at all offended if you would like to tune out now. Maybe just talk amongst yourselves or something. Otherwise, here's a little insight into some of the minutiae of my life:

Q. What's your favourite colour?
Red. Though it's not a colour I wear a whole lot, I love having little splashes of it around. I love our red tiles in the kitchen, and my latest fav red thing is our letterbox. Matt made it. All his own design and construction. He can be quite creative when he wants to be!


Q. What's your favourite clothing in your wardrobe?
My cotton summer dresses. They make me feel like I'm 7 years old.


Q. What's your dream job?
I'm livin' the dream baby! Actually, I really am. Although I never imagined my dream job would be to stay at home with the kids and run a hobby business that involves sewing!!! But it turns out it IS my dream job. I can't think of a single other thing I'd rather do every day. I love how even when the kids are having one of their feral moments and I give in to my inner fishwife (i.e. screeching at the kids), that they only have to say "sorry mum" and suddenly I'm on my knees hugging them and all is forgiven and we never think of it again. That NEVER happens in the corporate world :P

Q. What's the last thing you bought?
Er, petrol for the car. For me specifically, it was some gorgeous gift tags from the lovely Anastasia from Percival Road.

Q. What are you listening to right now?
Princess Natasha (kids cartoon) the washing machine humming, and a dog barking in the distance....If I had my ipod with me I'd be listening to Kate Miller Heidke.


Q. Whats your favourite ice cream?
Chocolate. And not the fancy type, like toblerone. Just plain chocolate.


Q. What's your favourite fruit?
A good juicy peach like the ones that used to grow on the tree in our front yard where I grew up. Very hard to find these days.


Q. What inspires you?
My kids' imagination, colour, stories, poems, zen, my veggie garden.


Q. Whats on the walls of your bedroom?
Lots of marks. It really needs painting....


Q. Who is your favourite artist?
Oh goodness. SO hard. I think Elsita is an amazing artist, and inspiring person. I love this little print of one of her drawings that we have at our front door.


I adore the customised art prints I bought from Amanda from Twinkle Star Art last year for the kids and their cousins.


I also think Tracy from Hey Harriet is an incredible artist, and I have quite a few of her little pieces now. This TTV photo I have of hers makes me giggle every time I look at it! For me good art is something that makes me smile every time I look at it, no matter how many times I've already seen it....



Q. Do you admire anyone's style?
Oooh, so so many people. Ranna from Only Shallow (so girly, so vintage, so quirky!!), Elly from Ellybeth on Flickr (oozes casual style and makes many of her own clothes), and oh, and I'm finding the Braid Wednesday group on Flickr really inspiring too . I've even been inspired to try out the Heidi Hair that was featured on the Meet Me At Mikes blog. Here's my very quick and rough attempt......


Q. Describe your personal style.
He he...mutton dressed as lamb :P

Q. What language would you like to learn?
Italian. I'd love to be able to say something more than "Dario non e sempre in ritardo..."

Q. What is your favourite quote (for now)?
Never trouble trouble 'till trouble troubles you.....no idea where it came from - I remember hearing it as a kid somewhere.

Q. What is your favourite magazine?
Peppermint Magazine - Fresh. Green. Fashion. Truly inspirational, and the only glossy (eco of course) I ever buy regularly.


But if we're talking 'zines', then I'd have to say MixTape - indie awesomeness at its best.


Q. If you had $100 what would you spend it on?
A lunch date with Matt. Or a hot stone massage - never had one before. Always wanted one...

Q. What is your current obsession?
Sweet and Salty popcorn. Seriously. Don't laugh until you've tried it.

Q. What are you wearing today?
Jeans, campers, singlet, t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, bomber jacket, crocheted beanie, scarflette, leather gloves. OK, I should put this in context and tell you I'm about to head out to the Rocklea Twilight market for some fruit & veggie shopping, and wood-fired pizza for dinner. The food will be great, the produce sensational, and the music live and atmospheric. But it'll be COLD!!!!!

Q. What's for dinner?
Oops, just answered this. Vegetarian wood fired pizza, and maybe a hot jam donut for dessert :)

Q. What would you eat for your last meal?
The best and freshest sushimi and sushi rolls I could get my hands on, with loads of wasabi. And an Asahi beer to go with it.

Sushi by Blue Lotus

Q. What do you think of the person who tagged you? Friendly, warm, humourous, sincere, ethical and enthusiastic.

Q. If you could have a house paid for and furnished anywhere in the world what/where would it be?
A huge property somewhere in the northern New South Wales hinterland, with multiple modest little eco-cottages on it, and one big communal pavillion with a huge table so that our extended family could all live nice and close and in walking (or riding) distance from each other, without actually living on top of each other, and the pavillion would be where we could have our family dinner parties. There would also be a big communal veggie garden, and an orchard, and a big mountain-biking track in the native bushland reserve (that would be part of the property). This would be for Matt and Kym's benefit of course....Oh and Jade and I would have a big separate sewing studio too, and we'd need a super big shed/workshop....and everything would be solar powered and ecologically sound. Ahhhhh.....ok, time to stop dreaming now. Sorry. Got a bit carried away there....

Q. Do you collect something? Buttons, fabric, books, crockery that takes my fancy....



Q. What is your pet peeve?
Being cold. Being cold just makes me cranky. Being cold can just go away and stand in the corner and have a good think about itself. It can came back out when it has warmed up a bit.

Q. What's the most important rule for life?
If you have lots of regrets then you're spending too much time in the past. If you have lots of worries, then you're spending too much time in the future. Staying in the here and now is the best way to happiness. Easier said than done though of course. Oh, and drink lots of tea. That's a pretty good rule too :)

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

Procrastination skirt!

Problem: One hanging wall pocket to be made for Kindy (a bit tedious and more work than I'd imagined), combined with one bored toddler who missed her big kindy brother.

Solution: Procrastination skirt! Drag out the scrap box, let said toddler pick out all her 'favourites' and turn them into a skirt to wear when we pick big brother up from Kindy.


Rating: A big A+ for a super fast project, and AA+ for the sweetness of a two year old walking around telling everyone that she made her own skirt (and mum helped).

In other sweet and scrappy news, some of my fabric bookmarks have been featured on the Sew Mama Sew website, along with some great fabric bookmark tutorials.


So if you're a bookworm (or know somehow who is) and you're in the mood to whip up a few bookmarks yourself, then check it out. Very fun, and there's something so nice about a special bookmark (great presents for teachers too!).

And speaking of all things schoolish (hello segue) do you remember the rhyme "ladybird ladybird fly away home..."


Well this gorgeous little ladybird has flown all the way to its new home with me. Yay!!! The gorgeous Lola Ladybird came from Lin at Paper Doll blog, as a Valentine giveaway. And I was the lucky lucky winner! Can you believe it!! If you don't already know that I have a thing for ladybirds, then check out the shoes at the bottom of this post!! And if you haven't visited Lin's beautiful blog I strongly suggest you do - it is full of beauty and creativity, and it is a real joy to spend time there!

Lastly, I have been very honored to have receive a Proximidade Award from Little Chrissy. Chrissy is an amazingly creative crafter who makes gorgeous brooches, jewellery and even lovely little booties! Thank-you Chrissy, I am really chuffed that you thought of me for this.


Proximidade is described as follows:

This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!

The only problem with this award is that it is supposed to be passed on to only eight people. And I've no idea how I could possibly narrow down my heaving bloglines AND Google subscriptions to my favourite eight!!!! EEEKKKKK!!! I just can't do it. So can I please just urge you to check out some of the blog links in my blog rolls. Have a peek at a blog you've never read before. You just might find something special :)

Lots of lovely things

Last weekend we had our first BrisStyle Christmas meet-up, which not only included drawing the winners of the BrisStyle blog giveaway but also a 'not-so-secret Santa swap'.

My 'secret' Santa was Helen from Ruby2GoGo and Ruby Red Studios and she gave me the most beautiful and thoughtful gifts.


My favourite item is the 'TV Temptress' bracelet, made from salvaged materials in my two favourite colours.


And the matching brooch is just perfect. Oh, and they also match so well with my two favourite rings, so I've been a well-accessorised girl lately :)

Not content with giving only beautiful handmade jewellery, Helen also gave me some gorgeous upholstery fabric samples, two absolutely beautiful huge vintage buttons (maybe bakelite??) and a block of my favourite chocolate!!! Thank-you so much Helen, I adore your gifts, and can't wait to catch up again at the BrisStyle Market!!!


Oh, and speaking of the BrisStyle market, I've been lying a bit low lately and just sew sew sewing my heart out. I've never done a maket before so I'm so excited and also nervous. I've just got everything crossed that I'm going to have enough stock. It's silly but every time I get a sale through etsy now my first thoughts are "oh no, now I have to make another bag to keep my market item numbers up..." Is this normal - does everyone who sells at markets get like this before a market. Or is it just me? I've an awful suspicion that everyone is now looking at their shoes, the ceiling...oh I think I just heard someone shuffle their foot and start whistling...

Anyway, back to lovely things. Another lovely thing is that my lovely sister has started blogging. Yay!!! She has recently been learning to sew (have I mentioned that my evil plan is to lure her into the world of crafting, sewing and blogging, so that she will then be addicted and we can both run a little handbag making business and we'll never have to go back to our old jobs when the kids go to school....EVER!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ok, that was an evil laugh as I threw my head back with my hands in the air....somehow I feel that nuance was lost in the literary translation. Sorry.) So back to Jade (my sister).


She is married to a very successful Brisbane chef, so her blog is a mixture of her new foray into sewing and craft, and also a foodie blog (with a measure of 'new mum' stuff thrown in as well - you know, feeding, sleeping, pooing. All that good kid stuff.) You might guess the foodie part by the name. Just Needs Salt. Being the blanderamo eaters that Matt and I are, we often kid Jade and Kym about their sodium intake. So check it out - she writes well (not that I'm biased) and may I say that she is making some AWESOME bags (ahem...again, not that I'm biased) and I'm sure that not only will it put a smile on your face, but I'm sure that if Jade actually gets a comment on her blog from someone other than me it will put a huge smile on her face too!!!

Oooh oooh oooh, last lovely thing (I promise). A while back I treated myself to a new knitting needle necklace from Liana Kabel, a local Brissy designer with gorgeous taste in recycled plastic. And while having the obligatory 'dress-up' session that one must have after purchasing something new (ie. working out which outfits said item looks best with etc). I realised that my favourite outfit was Brisbane through and through.


So I took a photo - necklace by Liana (Brissy jeweller), top by Dogstar (Brisbane clothing designer), bag by me (sleep-deprived Brissy mum), and jeans....well, unfortunately they were probably made in a sweatshop in China I guess, but they had worn out some time ago, and instead of throwing them away I decided to mend the knee, and keep on keeping on with them. And I'm really glad I did. Instead of being embarrassed by my darned knee, I am actually quite proud of it. And of course I've convinced myself that it is the height of fashion. I even asked my biggest critic, and he agreed with me. Hey don't laugh, my four year old has great taste!!!!

Secret Santa Elf Business

Yes, I've been giggling madly and working furiously and basically doing an all round impersonation of what I imagine one of Santa's elves to be like. Which is why I've been absent from blogland lately. But now it has all come together, I'd like to bring your attention to:

THE BIGGEST BLOG GIVEAWAY EVER!!!!!

Yes, there's been good reason for being away folks!

The giveaway is being run by BrisStyle, a Brisbane based Etsy Street team that I belong to. And I have been madly collecting goodies, making lists (don't worry, I've been checking them twice) and doing lots of other associated elfy things :P

Basically, as part of a big pre-Christmas promotional exercise, we at BrisStyle have put together 3 huge gift packs of handmade goodies from 17 of our members. Each pack is valued at over US $100, and is chockers full of great gifts including jewellery, softies, accessories, bags and artworks.

So what are you doing here? Get thee to the BrisStyle blog - you may win something very cool, and you'll make me feel like I've been a good little elf :P

Looking forward to taking off my pointy hat off now, and catching up with everyone around the bloggy traps again!

Cheers,
Bec

Gratefulness

Now this post could be huge. Of course there is always so much to be grateful for. But in the spirit of my last two posts I will try and keep it short(ish) and sweet. Firstly, I am once again grateful for the generous spirit of crafty bloggers, and in particular I want to say a HUGE thank-you to Net from Area Thrifty-One. A little while ago Net ran a giveaway on her blog, and the winner was a friend of mine (Ali) who belongs to BrisStyle, the Brisbane Etsy Street Team that we both belong to. When I mentioned to Net how pleased I was that Ali was the winner, she sent through a little pressie for me with Ali's giveaway pack. Isn't this little brooch just too gorgeous. I've been wearing it at every opportunity this weekend, and so far I've discovered it goes just as well with a plain black bonds t-shirt, as it does with a crisp white blouse. Thank-you so much Net - it is such a lovely and thoughtful gift and I really do adore it :)


In other bloggy gratefulness news, I have been very lucky to be honored with the Love Your Blog award from Ingrid of LottieLuLu, and also from Beccasaurus. The idea of passing the award on is kind of stressing me out though, as I have over (ok, well over) 100 blogs in my bloglines, and I really do love reading them all. I also know that many blogs I read have already received this award, and I'm worried about doubling up.....I know. Neurotic. I'm making steps though. I now accept my neuroticness (is that a word!!!) and I'm no longer neurotic about being neurotic :P So let me just say that if I have commented on your blog, then I can guarantee that I love it.

But I will leave you with some cool linky links, as there are some very sweet things going on in Blogland at the moment, and it would be simply remiss of me not to mention them:

• Amanda of Twinkle Star Art is doing another giveaway for one of her gorgeous children's prints. If you have a little boy, or know of one, who is into automobiles, then get ye to Amanda's blog asap. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. I have seen her prints in person and the quality of them is just superb!
  
  

• If you've been reading the Betty Ninja blog over the past 12 months, you will probably, like me, have been in awe of some of her beautiful viewfinder photographs. Not content to be an awesome quilter, sewer, thrifter, crafter and adventure girl, she also takes amazing photos. And she has finally set up an Etsy shop (lost in the woods - isn't that a lovely name!) selling prints of her work. To celebrate, she is currently hosting a giveaway, where you can win not one but three of her gorgeous prints. I think if I don't win I might have to just buy one of her beautifully etherial photos for myself.
  
  
  
• If you'd like to join in a festival of blogging in October, then you may want to consider participating in Blogtoberfest, hosted by Big Cat's Emporium, which involved a post a day for the month of October. Unfortunately I think I am just a little too sporadic in my postings to commit to something so ambitious, but it sure sounds like a lot of fun. The lovely Flossy-P has even produced a little button for it - how cool is that!

Now I'm truly sorry folks. I know I promised short punchy posts....and I tried...I really did....trust me, this could have been heaps heaps longer :P

Bird nests and deep breaths

We are very lucky to have two bird nests in our back yard at the moment. One big messy one up very high in the top of a big old gum tree at the back of the yard, and one little neat one at the top of a much smaller spindly tree near the kids' cubby house.

Whenever I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the lists of things to do I have floating around the place, I go out onto the deck and stop for a while to look at these bird nests and listen to the chirping. To come back into the moment I guess.

I had a good look at those nests before I sat down at this computer actually. Because I have so much to say and show and acknowledge, and it's been so long since I posted....you know how it is. I was going to try and say everything in one big post (yes, the mammoth posts seem to be a hallmark of mine) but then I thought I should maybe try breaking it all down into bite-sized portions. Manageable tasks, if you will.

So here comes a series of little posts - I hope. I do have trouble with conciseness sometimes. But I will try. It is Spring after all. A good time for new things. Hurrah!

PS. If you look closely in this last shot, you can see a little head and beak poking out of the nest. Sorry my nature photography skills are not great - plus I was balancing on the edge of the cubby house holding my arm above my head and trying to use the zoom function on my little happy-snaps camera....

The generosity of bloggers

Sometimes the generosity of bloggers astounds me. This week I received the most wonderful parcel in the mail from Jess (from Button Beauty), filled with goodies. Not just any old goodies either - but thoughtful, considered gifts, that were just so perfect. And all because the winner of Jess' giveaway had found her via my blog. How is that for generous!!! And as an example of her thoughtfulness, Jess had remembered from a previous post of mine that I loved nasturtiums, especially the way water beads on their leaves, so she included some nasturtium seeds!!! She also gave me three gorgeous pieces of fabric, the most beautifully soft and well made cotton bamboo face washer (it really has to be touched to understand just how soft it is), some lovely fabric covered buttons, and the best vintage sewing book ever. In fact, I spent quite some time showing my husband some of the classic pictures in this, and reading out various parts to him (such as 'I had no idea there were so many types of sleeves, or that there is a sleeve design called 'the leg of mutton'...he he he...).

In fact, the book is such a cracker, that I just have to share some of it here. For example, how cool is this little sewing corner. The holders on the wall are actually straw hats!!!!


My husband says he would be quite happy for me to whip up this cheerleader outfit for myself...ahem...don't think so!!!


Although he wasn't so enthusiastic about me kitting myself out in this nightie :P



There are just so many great pics in this sewing book, and so much great fashion. I LOVE the shirt on the girl on the left, and how cool is her hat!


And lastly, as this IS a sewing book for 'teens', of course it includes the obligatory 'checklist' so you can work out exactly where your wardrobe is lacking, and what items you need to sew for yourself (click on the image for a closer look at what your wardrobe might be missing). Hmmmmm, looks like I need to start sewing myself some 'pants and jeans, from knock-about casual to party-timers....' Guess I'd better get cracking!!!


Thanks again Jess, it really was such a lovely package to receive :)
Cheers, Bec X

Oh, and as an edit to this, I almost forgot to add, that while I was having my bloggy break, I also received a Brilliante Weblog Award from Jess, which I somehow completely missed (which really goes to prove my unworthiness I guess). But can I also say once again Thank-you Jess!!!! And I am hereby passing this award onto anyone who suffers from 'Blogging Guilt' over tags or awards that they have received that they either accidently missed, or haven't gotten around to posting about yet.....please say I'm not the only one????

Chocolate - the biggest vice of all????

I need to admit here and now that my single biggest vice is chocolate. I LOVE it, and I love that I love it. And I know that it can be bad for the waistline, bad for the skin...blah blah blah....but I had never really thought of it as being bad for my karma. Let me explain...

I recently heard the tail end of a radio show that talked about general exploitation in the cocoa industry, and there was mention that the cheap brands of chocolate were the worst offenders. It was at that point I started only buying Green and Black's chocolate for my own scoffing (and a nice reason to justify the expense of a nicer chocolate than Cadburys), but I still bought Freddo Frogs for the kids as special treats, and didn't think much more of it.

Then yesterday I read a post from one of my favourite blogs - Great Stories. It is one of the few non-crafty blogs I love to read regularly. And the post has been playing on my mind. Over and over actually. It is both a review of the book Bitter Chocolate: Investigating the Dark Side of The World’s Most Seductive Sweet by Carol Off, a former war correspondent. It's also a discussion of the power of a story to change your habits – or at least your mindset – as a consumer. Well I think we could add to that the power of a blog to change habits and mindsets too, as you will see.

While reading Paula's post, I discovered that the exploitation I'd heard only briefly about on the radio actually involves child slavery and human trafficking....and the idea that my kids' chocolate covered grins can come at the expense of the lives of children across the world, makes me feel sick. I've spent the last two days trying to find out what I can do, and what I can actually eat without feeling nauseous from guilt. And the Dont Trade Lives website says that boycotting your favourite chocolate won't help either - it will just hurt poor farming families. So what to do???? It's been doing my head in. So anyway, I've decided this is what I can do:

1. I have signed the online petition which will send a message to the Australian chocolate industry that I want them to make a genuine attempt to tackle the root causes of child labour in cocoa production.

2. I will purchase organic and/or fair trade chocolate wherever possible, but will let my kids still have the occasional cheapo chocolate (ie. Freddo Frogs) and hope I am somehow walking that middle ground between not wholeheartedly supporting a disgusting industry, but not hurting innocent farmers either.

So Paula, when you read this, I guess I am answering your question of whether a story can change you habits as a consumer. Yes indeed - even a story about a story can do it. And this is where my habits change....thank-you.

*pic above by Jeff Carlson

One for the boys, one for me, and one for Sharon!

This is my latest new creation. After making a few 'Little Lady bags' for little girls, I decided it would only be fair to have a crack at doing some boy bags too...or as I like to term them - 'Little Man bags'. He he he, always makes me think of Kel from Kath and Kim.


So here is Jack. A mini-messenger bag with a velcro flap closure, made with vintage denim and vintage airplane fabric, and he's currently sitting in my shop.

On an entirely different note, and with no groany segue whatsoever (and as sighs of disappointment echo all over the bloggersphere...) I have a lovely award to pick up. Just let me sashay down red carpet and pull my speech out of my cleavage (yeah right...as if I have cleavage)...


"Ahem...the lovely Sharon from Iris and Lily has very generously bestowed upon me a lovely blog award, which is very flattering coming from such a talented sewer, crafter and blog-writer. So firstly, I'd like to thank my Mum and Dad..and oh I just can't believe I'm standing here...and oh my goodness I'm so not prepared for this, um....oh yes to my husband, thank-you...and oh oh, the wind-up music already..just one more thing...um my kids ....um....can you shut that damned music up?...."

Sorry about that - I think I fell into a 'Scrubs'-like daydream sequence there...

OK, so I am in turn passing this award to the following blogs:

1. Charlie and Grace - because I love reading about all the wonderful creative things Ali has been up to. And she has just done a great tutorial on making a book/journal which has me all inspired.

2. Hey Harriet - because it is always an entertaining read, and Tracy is the founder of 'Shadow Shot Sunday' which is a very inspiring meme where participants take photos of cool shadows.

3. Great stories - because it always takes me at least two days to compose my comment for each of Paula's posts. This girl really makes me think....and I like it!

4. Hot Fudge - because her blog is so full of colour and beautiful things...and I don't just mean the photos. Robyn describes her sewing exploits (which are stunning) and her family life so well - everything is always so vivid. And she makes me look forward to one day being a grandma!

5. Kimono Reincarnate - Not only does Melanie's creative talents appear to know no bounds (her bags, her jewellery, her paper/fabric folding - all beautiful) but she writes as an Aussie living in Japan, soaking up all the cultural goodness that is to be had there. Always inspiring!

6. Stripy Sock Studio - Helen's posts are honest, raw, and ridiculously beautiful. She is a writer and poet who also knits and crafts, making endless beautiful things. I like that I feel transported to a different world when reading her blog.

7. Fabric Fantastic - Kara Smith is an amazing designer, and also a really nice person to boot. I always love reading about how her business is going (and booming) and about her idyllic life in the Blue Mountains. And of course, her design aesthetic is to die for!!!

8. Leni and Rose - If you haven't checked out Michelle's posts on technical bloggy tips and tricks then you are definitely missing out. Not only that, but you are missing a whole lotta crafty inspiration too, as Michelle knows her way around a sewing machine as artfully as she does a computer!


Whew!!! OK, now lastly.....these were baked a long time ago, so I'm sorry Sharon, they may be a bit stale by now - but these are for you :) In honor of the gorgeous apron you sent me the kids and I whipped up these yummy afghan biscuits, and the aprons are all nicely christened with butter and chocolate stickiness.

And for everyone else - if you got to the end of this long post and you're still awake - then you deserve a bikkie too! Oh go on, have two. The ARE really yummy :)

Some happy things...

First on the happy list...


Reading the new edition of MixTape. Such a satisfying read, and a great review of one of my favourite non-fiction books, Buddhism for Mothers: a calm approach to caring for yourself and your children, by Sarah Napthali (which almost made it into my last post, but was finally left out when I decided it would be just too hard to explain in one post why it is so good, and why I like it so much. Basically - the review in MixTape says everything I would like to have said (if I was more articulate).

Second on the happy list...


Slippers for Kate knitted by my Aunty, with bells sewn on by my mum. They are SOOOOOOO cute, and the bells make such a gorgeous tinkling noise. And Kate really really loves them...except....


BOY are they slippery suckers. I have had to hide them until I can get my hands on some puffy paint (unless anyone else has any ideas for non-slip soles????) because baby alpaca wool and polished floorboards really don't mix!

Third on the happy list...

The Lovely Flossy-P has tagged me for a blogging meme, so here goes:

1. Why did you start your blog?



For fun! I had just started sewing, and I wanted to be able to track my progress. I also thought it would help me stay inspired and motivated to make things. Oh, and I liked how reading blogs helped me to notice all the small and mundane things that were inspiring, or pretty. I remember reading a whole post about someone who had been having a terrible morning with kids fighting etc, then she opened a kitchen cupboard and noticed a rainbow of light shining across the opening. So she took a photo of it and blogged it. It was her reminder to slow down. It also reminded me of how often I am so busy worrying about what comes next that I miss noticing good stuff that is happening right now. So yeah, I am definitely more open to noticing the colour and wonder in the world, now that I am viewing it though a blogger's eyes. And plus, I like to write. It's a fun gig!

2. How did you come up with your blog name?

I wanted an open name that would leave me free to write about anything, and include all the things I was interested in - sewing, baking, gardening, kids, and being a more calm, and 'present' person.

3. Do your friends and family know about your blog? What do they think about it?


Yes they do, and they're not very excited about it. I have some relatives in Melbourne that go in and read occasionally to catch up with what I'm doing. But usually I have to bully my family into reading stuff...eg. THEM: "oh, you'll have to email me the photos you took of the dinner we made the other night"... ME: Well I BLOGGED it - I'll send you a link. Again!!!" My husband actively avoids reading it in case he finds something cringe-worthy in it. We are exact opposites in that I am very earnest and tend to share everything (in terms of my thoughts) with everyone, whereas Matt likes to keep himself to himself. Actually, this is the sort of thing he would find cringe-worthy :P.

4. How do you write posts?


I sit at the kitchen bench with a cup of tea and I type like blazes. Doesn't take long really. But then I edit. And that can take about five times as long! That's why the less time I have, the longer and more rambling my posts are.

5. Have you ever had a troll or had to delete unkind comments?


No. Not so far. I do mostly try and stay away from controversial topics and keep this blog as my happy place, so I guess so far there has been not too much opportunity for people to get upset about anything I have written. And as for viruses and trolls, I guess I've just been lucky. Or more likely my blog is just not popular enough to be a worthwhile target. And I'm very cool with that.

6. Do you check your stats? Do you care how many people read your blog? If you do care, how do you increase traffic?

I probably last checked my stats about 3 weeks ago. I probably check them monthly, out of interest. I am interested to see how this all evolves organically. So no, I don't try and increase traffic - somehow I feel it would put a bad vibe into my happy place.

7. What kind of blogs/posts interest you?


Boy this is hard. Blogs that are well-written. Blogs with beautiful photography (although I must like the written content too). Blogs about sewing and crafting. Blogs that make me laugh. Blogs that introduce me to new things. Get the picture???
Actually, if I really really think about it, my all-time favourite blogs, are those that convey the personality of the writer to me, and through that I've made a connection with that person. There are many bloggers now that I feel are kind of 'blogger friends' and these are always the first blogs I read in my bloglines, and the ones that make me happiest when I see new posts.

8. What do you like and dislike about blogging?

LIKE - the people I have met through blogging, the creative inspiration it provides me, the ability to see progress I am making in my crafty endeavors, and the way it reminds me to notice little things around me and not take them for granted.

DISLIKE - the time it takes up. The pressure I put on myself to write something when I can't be bothered. The stress of trying to decide who to tag for a meme - crazy really because I like being tagged myself, but actually feel very uncomfortable tagging others (for fear that they might in turn feel pressure to do something they don't want to do).

SO WHO TO TAG NEXT?
Well, in light of my last little revelation (which was actually something I hadn't really realised myself until I wrote it down) I'm going to tag no-one. Nada. Or rather - I am making it an open invitation. Most blogs I read have been getting tagged quite a lot for different memes at the moment. So no pressure anyone. Just play if you want! Peace, love and all that jazz.