flea market finds....

A box of cottons.....

....isn't the most interesting of items I know but the transaction was sweet.

I followed a lovely old lady into Vinnies who was proudly carrying this box which she left on the counter proclaiming 'I wont be using these anymore, I'll give them to you".

I was itching to see what was inside, and a bit pushy I know, but hopped straight onto it. When I saw all the cottons I felt so happy, but sad to think of the little old lady who had to part with her collection, and who no longer sews.

Old people make me cry.

The Vinnies lady said it would be $4 for the box. So I took it.

I bet that lady has kept her cottons in that old ice cream box for years and years. Well, I like to think so anyway.

So the cottons were saved, one sewer finishing, another just beginning.

my creative space....

I went and got myself all over excited when my brother told me he was getting married in October when I'm home, in this barn, and (this is when it got really fun) his fiancee wants a very low key country Cath Kidston inspired theme going on. Oh dear, my perfect wedding in a nutshell. And I'm allowed to make stuff!

Bunting was mentioned, so I sort of went and cut out a few flags. That's what I've been doing this week!

Fabric flower table decor, my ribbon mobiles hanging from the rafters, any colour ok, all colours even better, hearts, teacups and general all round loveliness. I think the next couple of months are going to be busy.

If anyone reading has been to a similar style wedding, please share any yumi ideas you came across!

Pop over to Kootoyoo for more crafty happenings.....

sugar n spice......

...n all things nice. I embroidered for the first time this week! I loved it, especially after having discovered 'lollihop' font. Lollihop! Love love love that name.

...and love this fabric from my all time favourite little local sewing shop. Super expensive but managed to grab it on sale.

...and I made another pocket organiser. Very Holly Hobbie-ish, a bit chintzy, super girlie, and a bit cute I think. Do you?

flea market finds....

This week I picked up some cute kids fabric-particularly love the little boy bending over emulating Kitty's favourite dance move!

Gingham animal fabric-old but great vibrant condition

BUT! - the find of the week is this Playmobil house. Complete with furniture. For $7. I was obsessed with Playmobil as a kid and love to relive this passion through my own kids! Joyous.

Pop over to Sophie to check out more bargain genius.

smiley squad

Smiley squad children's pocket organiser complete! Perfect for toys, crayons, hairbands, jewellery, stationary. Lots more styles to come!

my creative space...

I have always loved fabric organisers for kiddies, and fabric advent calenders, and fabric letter racks, and fabric everything. I've been wanting to make a pocket organiser for so long so decided at midnight on Tuesday to get started (like you do). I made the back, went to bed at stupid o'clock and then made the pockets yesterday from some fabric that my mother in law had bought to make a quilt 12 years ago! They are the smiley squad!
Decided to add a bit of ric rac along the way and this is the result so far:

....I still have to trim the wooden dowel and then the 'smiley squad pocket organiser' is complete!

I have some super cute and really girlie fabric to make my next one. With a bit of gingham. That will make next week's post!

Pop over to Kootoyoo for more crafty peeps.....

kitty's drawers

Kiddies can never have enough books can they? I recently joined the library and borrow 3 a week to mix it up a bit. I find they bore easily of the same ones at 20 months!

I'm a sucker for an old photo. This is daddy as probably Kitty's age now. Kitty can't really work out how daddy can be that small but she will still say 'daddy' when she sees it. The bookends were a dollar from Vinnies.

I always had a vision that my child would only own wooden toys. Until I realised that plastic things made in China that make lots of noise and flash lots of lights keep them quiet for a lot longer! Damn. Behind is mummy's token baby shot.

Babies receive way too many softies when they come into the world. But some you just fall in love with. Zelda (left) was made by big sister Ashley. I totally love Zelda's unnamed friend that my friend Taren bought for her first birthday. How cute is her crochet flower in hair/ear??

These crayons are the best! They are honeysticks and totally natural and actually fill the whole room with a honey scent! They draw well, and are super easy for little ones to grip.
The drawers were $30 from Vinnies. I painted them Olive by Nippon Paints and covered the knobs with fabric scraps. They were those nasty plastic things before that. The drawers were the off-est white!

my kitchen cupboard

I made a new mat for my kitchen cupboard yesterday. I really loved this fabric from Spotlight and thought it was quite kitcheny with some lovely retro tones put together. I sewed a double edge of rick rack around the edge so it looked like a mat, and not just a piece of material.

Unintentionally, it matches everything that lived on top of the cupboard anyway! I think it all looks good together.

This little Pinocchio hangs from one of the handles. I picked him up on a family holiday to Sorrento in Italy when I was 8! Like me, he's getting on a bit. But his hair stayed black, mine turned grey. Wish I was made of wood and looked the same 26 years later!
The cupboard is a roadside find. It weighs a ton and was a mission getting in the back of the car but I fell in love with it and had to have it. I painted it blue and was going to sand down the wood bits and paint them a different colour but haven't got round to it yet. Maybe one day....

flea market finds...

Not sure if Sophie is playing this week but I am still!......

Finding these was an exciting moment. Sat on the counter with their $5 'Sold As Is' Vinnies 'impossible to remove' sticker, patiently waiting for me!
Starting to get a yellow theme running through my kitchen now. Bout time I had some sort of style coordination in this wee house of mine!
Anyway, the reason finding these was so exciting was that I saw the chips dish with lid which I would have totally snapped up for a fiver, and then took the lid off and found Pretzels and Nuts hiding inside!
It was too much excitement in the day of a stay at home mum with toddler.
Now, I need to get to the supermarket and buy the aforementioned goodies to fill up the corresponding dish. I'm matching again!- things are looking up!

my creative space...

I've been sitting on this London fabric for a long time. Having no idea what to make with it. Then, my girlfriend in NZ just moved in to a new place, plus she's from London, so I squeezed a lil' bit of her old home into her new and made some drinks coasters! The Japanese prints are divine but the translations are a little off -
"Various the one was able to be seen and it was very good there were a lot of traditional buildings".
Kind of adds to the charm actually!

I also have the above Paris print fabric which is equally as cute. The colours are lovely together; oatmeal/mauve/lime green/chocolate brown.

I speak a bit of French-

"Paris is 7pm?" "France is nice! Thanks for life? "

Is that what it says?!?

Pop over to Kootoyoo for some more crafty happenings.......

baby space

I was really chuffed when Bron at Baby Space featured my smurf flags in her 'my favourite and my best' post yesterday. Mainly because after checking out her blog, I'm so in love with her taste that I consider it a HUGE compliment that she likes my stuff!

She focuses on interior design for children and I particularly loved the fabric filled embroidery hoops in the above room created by Amy from the b-line . I think the grey and yellow colour scheme is divine and so not pink. Or blue.

I also fell in love with this bed. Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen! It was made by Lori Danelle. Here's the link for a step by step guide on how to make it. She made the quilt too. I want it all. Including the floor.

flea market finds...

Had a lovely little trip to Allies Attic children's market over the weekend. It was, unfortunately, a little short lived due to me self inflicting a hangover/overtired toddler combo which does not offer itself up for pleasant market browsing. I did however, love meeting Xena from JazyJae's. Her card illustrations are ridiculously cute, see above and at $2 a card, I wish I had bought the lot!

I revived the 70's and invested in these trousers for Kitty too. Also by Xena. I think she puts some great fabrics together and I really enjoyed her stall.

Looking forward to checking out your fabulous finds last week over at Sophies too!

missing pubs (sad face)

When it's cold here, I really miss pubs there.

I rarely feel homesick, but when I do, I think of pubs. On a cold day, perhaps not AS cold as the one above, I can think of nothing I'd rather be doing that sitting in an English pub, drinking Speckled Hen, by the fire, with my dog at my feet (which is OK over there).

The pub pictured is The Hare Arms, mum and dad's local. It is so sweet, very old, has a white picket fence and is known for having peacocks in the garden and delicious home cooked dinners. It also has a resident cat named Roger and a resident ghost, believed to be a landlord from centuries past that took a liking to me when I worked there, and used to play lots of tricks on me, we think because I looked like his wife, or something like that!

When I go home in October I am so looking forward to a beer by the fire, in my favourite spot, right up there behind that bottom window on the right.