Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Something for Hudson

I think it's typical at times to be so busy making product for customers, you sometimes forget to create for those who mean the most to you.

This was a very special order for my very special little man.

HUDSON

He LOVES, & I emphasise the LOVES Lightning McQueen.

He literally eats, breathes & sleeps the whole 'Cars' franchise.

It's pretty clear that he loves it, I just adore how something so simple lights up his eyes.
Pure pleasure xx

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Shopping at Mathilda's Market

Today I visited Mathilda's market in Melbourne as a shopper, instead of a stall holder. It was great being able to look around properly, as opposed to having a quick glance when crowds die down. Beside the heat outside & in the hall it was lovely to snap up some lovely goodies for the kids.

A gorgeous summer time bubble dress from Daisy & Moose for Miss C, in the most desirable voile, I know it's going to also make a perfect autumn winter piece teamed with long sleeve tees underneath, tights & boots.

I couldn't resist these pants. Also in voile the waist & leg opening is shirred with many rows of elastic. A little reminder of something I already own.

For my little man, master H a very cool Hoodie from the fabulous brand Furious Kingston.

As much as I love shopping for the kids, mamma here would have liked a purchase for herself. Oh well maybe next time.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Love for an old cult flick

I was packing some DVD's away the other day & was literally bouncing off the walls with excitement, just seeing what I have collected over the years.

I really need to sit down & watch them all again one day & relive so many memories. This will happen when my kids are not interested in my company, because I can't see a self absorbed day like this happening any time soon LOL.

Did you have movies that were almost cult like in your life? That you watched more times than you can remember? I thought I might do a few blasts from the pasts over the next few weeks & see what strikes a chord with some of you.

THE LOST BOYS

This was my first introduction to the world of Vampires....Yes True Blood & Twilight fans it was cool way back in 1987. Instead these guys were traditionally mean & bad Vamipires, ones that weren't broody & sexy (Eric Northman ahhh), vampires that wanted to hurt you. It was also a movie with my teenage crush....hello Corey Haim (yellow jacket). It was also the start of careers for the likes of Kiefer Sutherland, & Jason Patric. It also had a very cool soundtrack which I had on cassette.

A quick synopsis - A family moves to the city. The older brother Michael (Jason Patric), falls in with the wrong crowd. Who were.....wait for it...... actually vampires!! The gang was headed by leader David (Kiefer Sutherland). Michael's younger brother Sam (Corey Haim), finds out about the group of vampires, as all younger sticky nose brothers do & saves the day. Battles commenced only at night as vampires of course, slept through the day. The fight with the vampires commenced with the help of Sam's dog Nanook, his friend Lucas (Corey Feldman), & using the basic essentials of life to be rid of these guys. Nope no machine guns & bombs, but the use of holy water in water pistols, wearing garlic around their neck, & of course stakes.

OK it doesn't have the visual effects of True Blood (my favourite), or Twilight, but it was certainly the beginning of the new cool modern day vampire, in comparison to the stereo typical Dracula. I mean, what could be cooler than the studs worn by punks of the 80's, the mullets, long leather jackets, feathered sides, multiple earrings in one ear and eye-liner?

I absorbed every ounce of this movie growing up & it was more my first introduction to The Doors song "People are Strange", I played it over and over and over again.

It brings back many memories. My biggest was a sleep over with friends from my softball team, we all stayed up & watched it 3 times in a row, & danced in between each viewing to the sound track.

Simple pleasures xxx

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Not a great weekend

It all started Tuesday I had this headache I just couldn't shift. By Thursday I was feeling sick in the stomach, almost like a reminder of morning sickness, but I knew there was nothing to worry about :)

Friday came & the headache had gone, but the stomach ache & constant waves of nausea was worse. I had a heap of work to do as I had a home showing presentation on Saturday, & couldn't miss it. My sister in-law came by & collected the kids so I could work. As soon as she left it was if I had let my strong mummy guard down & I was sick constantly for hours on end. I hate vomiting there is nothing worse.
To top it off, later I had a call from my sister in-law telling me Charlotte was throwing up to!! All this was happening & hubby was on the other side of town. I tried to no be too over alarmed as I knew she was in good hand but I felt dreadful knowing my baby wasn't with me. Eventually hubby collected them to then let me know on the way home it was Hudson's turn....Yep all in the car!!! Could it get worse. It was one of those family sharing caring moments.....eeek it's just awful.

I just felt like this cloud was hanging over my head & I couldn't help.


Yesterday was a day of quiet slumber for the 3 of us as we all layed on the couch soaking up lots of Disney movies drifting in & out of sleep.

Today we're soldiering on & all seeming well & in high spirits. It's a semi warm day, very overcast & borderline muggy. The kids have had a swim, which I think has freshened them up & livened them up a tad. As for me, well I was doing what all post sick mothers do clean....clean....clean.....

Yep the toilets, the bathrooms, the sheets, the kitchen, you name it anything where I think this nasty bug may have touched. My hands feel so dry, yet I feel so much better, knowing I have made our home a cleaner space. To be honest not the best was to spend a Sunday morning, as I usually clean during the week, but what can you do? Excect enjoy whats left, try to catch up on some work & keep thinking tomorrow is another day.

I hope you're weekend has been nothing like mine.

all images by Kylie Loy

Friday, February 17, 2012

Cushion Love on Friday - 9

Once again Melbourne was hit with a doozy of a storm yesterday. Thankfully my suburb didn't cop the brunt of it, but it was still certainly dark, humid, wet, thundery, & windy.

As long as they are not dangerous I will admit to loving a good storm. Something intrigues me how weather can go from sunny bright & cheerful to dark & stormy. I love to see dark clouds rolling around & the grumble of some thunder.....Except of course those unexpected claps of thunder than scare the bageezas out of me.

Her are some cloudy cushions for this Friday.



Have a great weekend :)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

NEW : Home Decor for all the family

A new area of my business is a home decor range for all of the family, not just for the kiddies. I want to introduce new designs slowly, piece by piece. For a while now I have had customers ask when can I create cushions, especially doorstops, for them & their houses. I am still trying to get my head around exactly what I want it to look like. It is hard trying to cater to everyone, & not design for one particular style. Especially colour as everyone's home is so unique to them. I know I love bright colours, but I also want to keep it neutral with pops of colour.

It's definitely a work in motion project, & today I am sharing my first piece.

I am a fan of flowers & adore this saying by Jane Austen, which I have been wanting to use it somehow for a while, but I felt the right opportunity hadn't come up for it. This first design I have created is something I would definitely put in my house. My house is fairly neutral with bold highlight colours of magenta & lots of turquoise.

A generous size 40x30cm, but not by any means domineering.

The back is finished with an oatmeal coloured cotton, based on the oatmeal & white stripe I have used in the design.

I have also created a doorstop of course! This design is now sitting happily at my front doors, & my internal door that opens straight to my garage.


Everything is now available in my online stores.


Monday, February 13, 2012

My weekend

How was your weekend? Mine always come and do so fast, & before I know it here we are again Monday.

My Saturday always starts, well for the last 3 weeks anyway, with a workout at the gym. I am really making an effort to make this wonderful feeling of exercise part of my life again & it feels great. I am not feeling half as sluggish & its nice to be slowly losing some weight.

Then off to the supermarket, my poor old cupboards were bare. I know I am not the first person to do that, it's terrible when you're scratching around for something to eat. Then unpacking groceries is such an ordeal for me & takes forever, mainly because I chop all my fresh veggies into pieces which are placed in the fridge smarts from Tupperware. Why do it you ask? When I have to get dinner made in a flash & the kids are cranky all I have to do is pull them out & throw what I need in the steamer, wok or post. It's done & it's fast!

Then after an hour or so hanging out with the kids we head off to zoo twilights. Snacks were made, dips were packed, fruit was cut & a few chocolate chip cookies were snuck in as a later treat.The band playing was Beautiful girls, which I later found out were men!! I can't recall hearing much of the band as I was with a friend & didn't stop talking. The weather was weird, warm, wet, damp & windy, but it didn't change my mood.

Here are my kids on the picnic rug munching on crackers.

Melbourne's weird weather, sunny, damp, cloudy & stormy.

My gorgeous friend Kim. It was great hanging out having a few wines, in my world there is nothing better. Her adorable daughter Allie was there keeping my babies amused as they played chasey & danced all together. If you have never experience zoo twilights in Melbourne I highly recommend it. I have been going for years, even before I had kids & generally go to see Kate Cebrano as I love her. But thought this year might be nice for a change. It's such a relaxed atmosphere sitting on your picnic rug, creating a delicious spread of food, drinking some wine, & if you're up to it you can watch some of the animals being fed, elephants, seals, baboons & lions. Hudson got to hear the lions raw last night....Scared the pants off him!!!


This morning I woke to a wonderful sight.....My new pool!!
It was finished yesterday & we were filling it over night. We have been building it since last November & I am a little disappointed it's completed so late, but I am sure we will still have some hot summer days soon....Fingers crossed.

I hope you had a lovely week & have an inspired week ahead of you xx

Friday, February 10, 2012

Cushion Love on Friday - 9

Valentines day - It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished - Wikipedia

Valentines is in the air, whether you embrace this day of lurve or not there is no escaping it.

Today I was out to find some lovely heart designed cushions that represented style, colour, prettiness and love of course. But most important designs that would co-ordinate in your home or bedroom, should you be a lucky recipient, and of course something that you would want to keep forever.

You see I can't stand the commercial bright red designs that almost scratch your skin they're so revolting.

Happy Valentines for next week xx
If you celebrate this day I hope your hear flutters.



Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Some heart for the home

I wanted to share this set of gorgeous heart strings I bought from Set Adrift. I found them on the home page of Madeit & they grabbed my eye instantly.

I had been looking for something to hang near my front door that would look really pretty, but something that wasn't too domineering. While on holiday in Phillip Island I saw many of these styles of work in the beautiful boutiques, in different designs & in similar shapes & thought how I would love to buy some.

They are so detailed & I just love the texture.

The best part about them is that you can buy them in lots of different colours including red, which would be gorgeous for those who celebrate valentines day.

Monday, February 6, 2012

First day at kinder...

Today was Hudson's first day at 3yr old kinder. I just can't believe my babies school journey has begun. He is such a great kid full of enthusiasm & so inquisitive I know he is just going to absorb everything he is taught. He is also like me....a chatterbox......& I just hope he sits & listens to what is happening around him haha!

After a weekend of preparations which start Friday at orientation I believe he was as prepared as I could possible make him. He chose his school back pack & lunch box himself which was blazoned with who else? But Lightning McQueen. We bought his pre-school tee, jumper & some shorts & all weekend we talk about how much fun it was going to be.

This morning when I woke him I said guess where you're going today? He grabbed my hand & squeezed it & said kinder with such a huge smile. I was relieved but still thought it may change.
Here we are at the gate ready & waiting. It was really hard getting these photo's as he was such an eager beaver to get inside.

With his baby sitter who had to be in the photo's. She is always 1 step behind him.
A quick bit of play before it was time.

When we arrive we have to hang our bag up first, which by the way Hudson's picture recognition is a banana. The beginning of class is the sound of a bell ringing, the old school style which I just adore. The children have been told that's the sign to go in say goodbye & join the other kiddies on the mat. After hearing the bell Hudson just left, no goodbye, no kiss, no I love you, no nothing he just bolted for the mat. I was heart broken, I wanted to kiss my baby goodbye & tell him I loved him, the whole event just felt incomplete, I felt incomplete.
Luckily the teacher came out & said that we could come in & say goodbye & take the very important photo of the kids on the mat. So I have my photo & was waved goodbye but that tiny toosh of his, did not leave the floor. As heartbroken as I felt, I had a warming sense of pride & happiness, knowing that I know he is ready.

Day 1 down, I hope that Friday is just as positive.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Cushion Love on Friday - 8

I love colour!
I know you know that!
Today I wanted to search for some stunning bright & bold cushion designs.
I am positive the gorgeous cushions I have found would definitely brighten up any dull space you may have at home.
Oh I love this crochet design & could see myself sitting on that outside.
A fellow madeit store "Henrietta and Morty" cushion....I LOVE how simple this is, I am a fan of stripes so this sings straight to me.
What a great twist on a classic argyle which generally are more monotone or quite subtle.
So simple & bright.

Have a bright and happy Friday everybody xx



Thursday, February 2, 2012

Custom Orders - Buntings

I just posted off the other day some new buntings I created for a customer, & wanted to share them with you. They are both for this weekend.

A Happy Birthday bunting that will become an investment. She wanted something that can be used in years to come, something that was unisex, that was not too designed, or in any particular theme. I went along with her colour palette requested, & I kept the design in each colour classic by just using simple patterns like polka dots, stripe, stars etc.

The result...everything she asked for, very bright happy & unisex.

The next a personalised bunting for her daughters room. This was based off one of my very first cushions ever design that still sells well today


LOVING custom orders :)