Hoot the Owl

Well hello out there! Yes I am still alive out here. I have been busy back at work and just being Mum. However, am up coming baby shower got me thinking of what I could make and so here is the finished product.


Meet "Hoot"the owl. The girls are quite fond of him and will be a bit sad to see him go.

I think he is quite cute myself. Was very happy with the way it turned out.

What I've Been Up To Today

Today I have finally finished the last pencil holder and notebook, all ready for the party tomorrow. I think this one is my favourite of the two. Might have something to do with my love affair with jeans.

I like the way the stitching on the notebook ties it all in together.

Bit sad to give this one away. I might have to make myself one!



This evening when all the cherubs were asleep, I had a little play around with some scraps and made this little owl. He didn't quite turn out how I wanted but I like him anyway.

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I think he might like to roost in Miss 5's room for a while, he can keep the babushka dolls company.

Well that's it for me! I am sewn out for now.

Crafty Wednesday

Yesterday was another crafty day here in Tassie. I have been wanting to try out a technique I saw here.

I found a website that said you could use Orange Power Goo and Stain Remover instead of the American Citrasolv, so after visiting 3 different supermarkets I finally found some at Coles.
So rushed home and gave it a try.

This is the effect that I got. Not too bad but seems to need to be printed with quite a bold pic.


I tried another pic of a french label. This did not really work as it was printed more with grey tones than black.

The fabric was pure linen. I think if you had a fabric with a tighter weave, you would get a clearer image.

I was happy anyway with the result. I think it looks charming shown here on Master 9 bed. Not sure if this will be it's final home. But for now it is fitting in with his transport cover.

Miss 7 wanted to try her hand at sewing. So after talking her out of all her grand sewing plans and giving her a quick lesson on the machine and over locker. We settled on these pyjama pants. She did very well. Although she does sew like she does everything else. Full Speed! Managed to curb this after a few close encounters and I learned to say stop a few inches before she actually needed to. She did the whole lot herself except for the elastic waist. I wonder what she will want to make today! (Oh Help!)

I also manged to finish the next pencil holder and notebook. I just need to get a button for it. Pictures to come.

Well happy sewing everyone. Let me know what you are working on.

Party Time!

It is holidays here in not so sunny Tassie. (Whistle, clap, cheer, shriek of delight, OK enough we get the picture.) Miss 7 has two little girls parties to go to during this break. Hence I decided that instead of buying yet another little pony or little pet shop or whatever the case may be, That I would be creative and make a gift for the little cherubs. So I went and borrowed my friends sewing machine. (Mine blew up would you believe!) and set to working sewing this matching pen holder and notebook.

I used some fabric I had and we bought some nice new pens to go inside. I think they turned out OK! Miss 7 has already put an order in for one of her own. She might get one one day. It would be good for church because there is no rummaging in the pencil case.

It is done up with a button and elastic and I did the notebook the same to match.

Just what any girl needs to write down all here secrets!

Well that's it from me. I had better get going on the next one now!

Happy partying everyone!

Cubby House Fun

A few months ago, the girls and I decided to paint the inside of the cubby house. It was rather dark in there. I thought it might encourage them to play out there a bit more. So we painted it and it sat there empty for a while. I mentioned to my sister thet it needed cheering up. I was excitied to recieve a lovely package with some bunting that she had made. Nice mix of boy and girls fabric. Thank you so much Aunty Dean.

My Mum was down a few weeks ago and when she took a look in the cubby and saw the rocking chair, she said it needed a nice cosy rug. So a few weeks later a package from her in the mail arrived with this lovely handmade rug. Thanks Mum!

Now all we need is a nice little blue vintage table I bought at a market in Geelong. It is at my sisters and so far no one who has visited has had a big enough suitcase to bring it. One day we might get it here.

So if anyone is heading to Tassie with a car and wants the company of a little table let me know. I assure you it would be nice and quiet for the whole trip.

Thank you so much guys! It looks nice and inviting. Shame it was a bout 10degrees and raining today or the girls would have been out there. Bring on summer!

Captain's Chair

Today I found myself with a small amount of free time. I know what your thinking. OK so I probably could have found some ironing or something boring to do, but I had already sorted Miss 5's room and vacuumed the house so I decided to have a rummage through the Recovery Shop just for fun!


While there I discovered, hidden by a layer of dust. This lovely old magazine rack. I was not sure where I was going to put it, but I just liked it. I also found an old basket, that is in the laundry at the moment awaiting final destination.(not sure where yet) and I picked up some clip together flooring which might make a top for my coffee table.


When I got home I looked around for a spot to put the magazine rack and thought it would be happy here with its friends (chair & desk) also from the recovery shop. Miss 7 was very pleased when she walked in after school. She said she bought lots of papers home from school and they will be able to go in there.

The chair is a captains chair I got a while back for her room and once I gave it a good scrub,it didn't look so sad. So it is sitting in place and maybe one day it will get painted. Until then happy drawing Miss 7

Friday Star & Lasagna

This week has been a busy one in our house hold and I think Miss 7 was craving a bit of attention. So she asked if she could make tea, with my help only. So I sent Hubby off with the other two cherubs and with a bit of 60's music in the background, we set to work. I was allowed to chop the onions but not much else.

Here is Miss 7 trying to master the can opener. Not the easiest for little hands.

(Maybe I should invest in a Tupperware one.)

Interesting chopping technique. Had to learn to step back and let her try things her way not my way.

Yummy cheese sauce.





This is after we have devoured some. It was delicious. Even Master 9 who hates lasagna asked for a piece to try and ate it all. So well done Miss 7 for accomplishing something I have not managed so far in his 9 years.

Here is Miss 5 who received the star plate this week for a major reduction in hissy fits (tantrums). She can throw a great one at times. But well done our house has been much more peaceful of late.

Well that is us for another Friday night. Hope you all enjoy your weekend. We will because we have more lasagna left over for tomorrows lunch. Yum mo!

Friday Star & Thai Food

This weeks winner of the star plate was Master 9. Here he is proudly accepting the honour. He received the plate for being ready for school on time each day this week with all his jobs done and time time to spare. No nagging needed. well done Master 9. Hope this rubs off on your sisters this week.

Another week has gone and sadly I have still managed to avoid the many things on my to do list. I seem to be too busy working to do the things I want at the moment. Shame how work seems to get in the way of pleasure.

This week hubby and I called in a babysitter and decided a night out was in order. So this done we headed out to try a new Thai restaurant. new to us that is not new, new. Well we were most impressed. so far we have been finding yummy Thai food, but usually the restaurant decor is themes around bamboo tables and chair. Not this place. It was in an old house in North Hobart that we have driven past many times and just thought it was a nice house. Actually it is a stylish Thai Restaurant called Mai Ake. Boy oh boy the food was so scrummy. What a shame we have lived here 5 yrs and only just found it. Be sure to try it next time your in Hobart. Check it out here!

Friday Star's & Daffodils

Hi all! It's Friday evening again in our house which means the honourable star plate is back in action back in action. I have decided to make this a feature of my Blog. Fridays I will try to have a spot to honour the star plate recipient.

This weeks lucky recipient was Miss 7. She received the star plate in recognition of her helpfulness this week in clearing the table without being asked. Well Done Miss Seven. She sure looks happy! I love the way this works because no sooner had we finished tea, and Master 9 and Miss 7 were both up clearing away. Love a bit of easy reinforcement.

One of the many flowers that I love are Daffodils. So imagine my surprise when stopping by the florist to buy a posy to brighten the table for the weekend, when I spotted these beauties. I was not aware that they were even in season. I love them also because they are not as pricey as some of the other floral variety.

I think the bright colours are just so cheerful. Especially next to those yummy meringues that we happily devoured for tea.

So if your feeling like you need some cheering up this weekend, just stop buy your local florist and see if they have some in store.

My florist is getting to know me now as I have been buying a bunch of some kind every Friday for the last few months. She was telling me about her poor husband who has a cold that he caught off her early in the week. It seems to have been a man flu she said cause he has been two days on the couch and on deaths door it would seem. Oh poor fellow. Maybe he needs a bunch of daffodils to help him recover quicker. LOL

Have a great weekend. xxx

Dreaming Of Fine Dining.!

Recently I have begun a renovation on my dinning room table. I have sanded and painted the legs and sanded the top back to wood, rubbed with some coffee grounds and varnished the top. I was very happy with the result and then in my excitement I proceeded to begin on a chair. This has been painted once and that is where it has sat for almost two weeks now. My momentum has been lost. Why oh why do I do this! I know it is going to look lovely when all six chairs are done and yet I travel on with life with the children fighting over who gets to sit on the one semi finished chair.

So I thought I would find some inspiration from others.

I just love the clean white lines of this lovely table. Mine is

much the same style, but I have left the top wood.

This one is not really like mine but I liked how different

the elements are and yet they all go together nicely.

This one is like mine with the natural top and painted legs.


I love this table. Would make a lovely summertime dinner party venue.


So know with all those tables for inspiration, lets see if I can free up some time or just get up and stop vegging and start painting.

Crazy Week

Well what a busy week we have had here. It all started with a lovely visit from my Mum. We spent the weekend, relaxing, shopping and spoiling the kids. Monday morning after packing Miss 7 and Master 9 off to school, we bundled Miss 5 into the car and took a trip up to the local Recovery shop to see what treasures we could uncover.
While there sifting through the dust and numerous unwanted items, we discovered an old Captains chair which really wanted to come home and tuck its shapely legs under Miss 7 newly acquired desk. We hoisted this into the car and were once again on our way.

Next stop was the Salvo's store where I acquired this lovely assortment of vintage bread and butter plates, or cake plates not sure of the correct term. They just sound devine when clinked together. On exiting this premises we had an encounter with I'm sure the worlds slowest parker. Did I mention a P Plater. Nearly crashed into the said car because of the amazing slowness. Then waited to appologise for nearly crashing and while waiting for the lady to finish parking so I could talk to her, my hair all but turned grey from the long wait. LOL

Traveled further into downtown Hobart for some retail therapy. Just approaching the door way to the first shop when my poor mother tripped and nearly caught her balance before plummeting to the ground and at the last minute, scrapped all the skin off her nose. Spent some time in a coffee shop while I ran for bandaids and of course coffee to calm the nerves. Nervously carried on with a patched up Nana, Miss 5 promising "I will always look after you Nana"

Did manage to spend a bit in Pumpkin Patch and bought some new PJ's for me also, then headed off to try a nice new restuarant in town. Having a loevly time until Miss 5 empties her grape juice everywhere. Get all cleaned up from that and manage to finish our food. We decided we had better head home before we had anymore disasters. Did have a lovely time and much laughs despite all this.

The next few days were followed with, school, then me home sick, then school, then school reports outs, kids did well so got take out and a DVD and had a family evening in, next day Hubby was sick, then school and now finally the weekend is here. I think it will be a full one. Anyhow that was our crazy, eventful week. What have you been up to?

Thank-you!!

A big thank-you to my friend from Tomas & Jones for your help in creating my header. You are a true photo shop wizz. Thanks again.

Friday Nights

In our family, Friday night tea is a special meal. This meal marks the beginning of Sabbath for us and we like to have candles and nice glasses. We hold hands and sing a special grace, so should you ever happen to visit on Fri evening you will be part of this special treat.


Another special part of this meal is our family "Star" plate. This is given each Fri to a family member who has done something special during the week that we want to acknowledge. This weeks happy recipient was Master 9, in recognition for extra effort each morning in making his bed. Usually it looks somewhat like a herd of elepahnts have wrestled on his bed, even after his attempts at "making" it. But after a few words about this last week, I was pleasantly surprised to notice a nice smoothly made bed with neat cushions, almost everyday this week. Naturally being a sceptic, I asked my husband if he had been making it for him. Turns out Master 9 must have actually taken on board mypassing comment and has made an improvement. Well Done!

So we had an enjoyable meal, caught up on the days happenings. Heard an interesting story from Miss5. Something about, what if there were no matchboxes and we had to get a toy tyre to strike the match on so we could light our rockets made of wine glasses and send them shooting up into the sky. R U confused? We were. This I might add is the abridged and interpreted version. During the lengthy telling, Miss7 leant over and said to me "I don't know what she is talking about, do you?". To which I mumbled, "Just nod."

We enjoyed our meals of Capsicum and bean hotpot, followed by strawberries and icecream. Kids not into hotpot so had mini pizzas. Must work on widening there range of foods.

Well have a great weekend and Happy Sabbath!

A Blog is Born

Hi all out there in Blogland.

This blogging is a very new experience for me. Inspired by my lovely sister to follow some blogs of others, I have now decided that I shall have a go myself.

My sister and a friend of hers were recently visiting us here in Tassie and while driving home from a good forrage at the local market, talking excitedly about blogging, I jokingly said I could call mine "to buy a fat pig". Later that day while rummaging through the recycle shop at the tip her friend excitedly called me over and said she was buying me a book to inspire me towards my blog. It was a childrens book with all different nursery rhymes about pigs and cute illustrations. We had a good laugh and the book has been sitting on my shelf for a few weeks now, gathering dust. Well long story short. last night while trying to avoid the football in the living room, I decided to give it a go. So here we are. Hope you enjoy! Hope I enjoy!

The pictures above are of an old cupboard I bought at secondhand sale. Gave it a coat of white and a bit of shabby treatment and now it sits proudly in our lounge room, hiding magazines in the cupboard and the girls hairbands and brushes. This was my first ever attempt at restoration.

What do you think??