Bobishi and Suki La

Sorry... I've been so busy...

2011-10-17T19:35:00.000+11:00

I've been knitting this...

It was from a Sublime pattern book out of a Sublime 8 ply cashmere, merino and silk mix. Oh that sounds fancy! I think the pattern was called "Vintage Duffle Coat" and it wasn't too hard:) I haven't blocked it yet... but that's because I usually block using towels and pin the item into the carpet... but we don't have any carpet right now:( Except Suki's carpet mat... but after yesterday when she viciously bit me when I touched the rug she was smoothing I have decided against touching her carpet mat!

It should be ok though...

The duffle won't be needed for another 6 months or so...

Critter isn't cooked yet.... Finally an in-house tester for all my baby related crafting! hehe:)

Hope to visit more often now I'm feeling a bit better:) Just look at the coat some more and pretend like I was never missing:)

Suki la is famous world wide...

2011-07-20T00:00:00.000+10:00

I know you know about my Suki... I show you pics all the time:)
But today Suki had a whole blog post through lillyella's blog focus on etsy pets:)here is the link:)

Is it nearly time yet??

2011-07-17T16:19:00.001+10:00

We are waiting very patiently.... waiting for our new house. It will be about 3 weeks apparently.... we will see:)

But in the mean time I gave up on waiting for spring... I very much dislike winter... it's super cold here this year and rainy! Which is good because the drought is over now... but so cold!

So I decided to finish up with winter and start my own spring! I started growing seeds inside for our new garden! I am growing Pompom Dahlias, delphiniums, zinnias and poppies!

Super cute little seedlings:) I do so love my seedy babies:) Grow babies! Grow! :)

Sleepy moment with ball

2011-05-26T19:46:00.001+10:00

And random sock... On mat...

I call this move "beaning"... :)

Tell me this isn't just the cutest!

2011-05-17T21:53:00.000+10:00

How cute is this baby shower over at Beautiful Ordinary Day blog?
Perfect craft baby shower:)

They had a craft table making onesies for the new baby. As if that is not the best baby shower activity ever?? In my crafty opinion:)

Check out the lovely supplies to use!

A gorgeous result:)

The party looks pretty too!

What a lovely party:)

I think I am in love....

2011-05-11T16:34:00.000+10:00

with a jacket....

and toggles...

and hoods...

and magnetic clasps on jackets....

Maybe it is the super cute Oliver+S pattern?

May be it is just because its my favourite fabric? I hope my niece enjoys it as much as I do:)

Pettiskirts! Pettiskirts!Pettiskirts everywhere!

2011-05-06T23:28:00.000+10:00

So my niece started dance classes... not as structured as ballet - more 2 nearly 3 year old dance moves...

What do you wear to this dance class? Whatever you want apparently! Spider man costumes, PJs whatever takes your fancy! Well pettiskirts took my niece's fancy!

So what do you do when your favourite ever only niece wants a pettiskirt? You order the fabric in straight away and start making them! And if you're a small business owner what do you do? You order 4 skirts worth... especially if your super cute little lady can't decide between pink or purple....

Luckily for all of us she loved two skirts:) Two shades of light pink and one light purple (orchid) and light pink....

These are the two I have left!

Check out those ruffles! These will be available in my etsy store asap!

From a reformed semi-hoarder...

2011-04-27T18:46:00.000+10:00

I am not going to lie... I hoard craft items. I can't help it. I have so many crafty interests. I found out after religiously watching the TV show Hoarders...

I am lucky enough to have a craft room all to myself. The craft room where my problem began had cupboards where I could ~~put~~ hide all my lovely potential craft projects. In the Ghetto there is no storage... that along with moving my craft goods between to 4 different houses over 18 or so months I have realised I have too much! I have more boxes for my craft room than I do my bedroom - including ALL my clothes! I keep saying I am going to use it. I'm not going to buy any more until I use what I have... which I am being good at! But it's not happening quick enough... We will be moving again in a few months into our new house where my craft room will be included in my giant living room, so it needs to be much better looking to be part of our "on display" home...

So I started two weeks ago. My kindle clutch was in the "Shop til you Drop" magazine and I only had 5 in my etsy store. What bad organisation! So I decided. I has to be done. I am working through this (only a small portion of my fabric stash:).....

And turning it into these....

Please check out my new kindle clutches, because now it seems like I am hoarding clutches! hehe
Eventually I will show you a photo of my non-hoardy hoard craft room:)

Yes she uses the pillow.

2011-04-15T08:36:00.001+10:00

More new friends!

2011-03-17T19:21:00.000+11:00

All going to new homes:( Friend homes who will love them too! I hope.... :)

This lamb is going to the lovely Eve:)

This one went in the post to his/her new home! What an adventure.... This picture was snapped on a friends lap on the way to the post office.... hence unflattering lamb angle!

This one went to my super cute nephew! He loves him. His foot is now a strange colour due to it being delicious-ed after a particularly colourful dinner...

I think I love crochet.

Why hello friends.

2011-02-15T20:14:00.001+11:00

These are my first attempt at amigurumi:) I am learning to crochet... this is helping! I had always wanted to attempt some amigurumi but has always been intimidated! But on the school holidays I decided to work at it for the Queensland flood victim children:) Then when I got back to school I found that a fellow teacher had been flooded out and her children were not coping so well!:( So I decided to make all 4 of them a amigurumi each:) 3 boys and a girl:)

And as a bonus I am using up my wool stash!

This one is my favourite:) Unfortunately I run out of white so her top is a little long.... but its original:)

This little guy took quite a while but turned out cute I think:) Both the above patterns were from Luvlygurumi on etsy:)

These guys are super cute too! I liked learning how to do the alternating leg stripes on the guy from Rosieok on etsy:)

So on completion they all went in this box and off to their new home:) To make some kiddies smile:)

What is going on there??

2011-02-15T19:07:00.000+11:00

hmmm... something is happening at our block.... First a tap arrived... then the plumbing went in!

Then the builders sand arrived!... oh gets stuck on your shoes...

Today the concrete reinforcement arrived... and the power box! YAY!:)

Flat sand piles look more exciting from here:)

I am super excited to visit my new house everyday to see the progress:) Although obviously at some point it won't be quite as exciting:) But after more than a year of waiting we are super excited for even this progress! YAY!:)

Bah!

2011-01-31T07:34:00.000+11:00

Back to school... The end of the holidays really snuck up on me... Like a cat in the snow...

:)

Image from here:)

Suki- la naps.

2011-01-28T08:44:00.001+11:00

Full stretch.

Partial tuck.

Rear chicken, frontal sphinx.

Excuse me! I was enjoying dreams of Banana and ham!

Mmmm delicious cupcakes for my mum:)

2011-01-23T22:25:00.000+11:00

It was my Mum's birthday. Definately a time for special cupcakes. I am rarely given the chance to make delicious cupcakes for my family so I wanted to make something super special:) This is what I came up with after 3 hours of drooling over recipes on the internet....

Snickerdoodle Duo - not only a cupcake but also a cookie! From Bakerella :) You could make your own... they aren't particularly difficult... but are particularly yummy:) I didn't use the 7 minute frosting though... I used the marshmallow frosting from the next cupcake:)

http://www.bakerella.com/snickerdoodle-duo/

This cupcake, although not particularly attractive in these annoyingly see through wrappers, was delicious:) A confetti cupcake with marshmallow frosting for the kiddies:) Try this link for a look at the pretty insides -

http://bakingbites.com/2007/04/confetti-cupcakes/

They needed candles of course...

Marshmallow frosting isn't very supportive it seems... But they still worked well enough for a group candle blowing from Mum and her grand babies:) Always the helpful type:) And after that the eating!

Success! Give them a try! I recommend:)

More working on the cabinet....

2011-01-23T21:05:00.001+11:00

Such a project... who knew it would be such as epic task... well I did:) Here is the latest pics of the apothcary cabinet we have been working on:)

At this point I have a feeling it isn't going to be finished before I go back to work in a week... hmmm I guess that's ok right? right? :)

The top holes are open, the bottom ones are drawers and cupboards:) Tomorrow I will be patching up all the holes and making everything nice and smooth for the first primer coat:) Yay it should look super nice:)

This weeks projects... been a busy lady!

2011-01-16T22:11:00.001+11:00

This week has been a SUPER busy week!
I have been working hard up up to my sisters birthday because as a crazy lady I decided to make this....

(image from here)

From the So You Think You're Crafty blog tutorials, here is the linky link to part 1, from there you can get to part 2 to make your own knotty delight:) This was the winning entry from season 5 by KoJo designs:) Pretty awesome huh??

This one is the one I made for my sister:) As you might notice the squares are smaller, also my bed is smaller... yes that's my queen sized wearing king sized clothes... It would look different on my sisters bed:) Also although I enjoy this colour I think I would enjoy a gunmetal grey or latte colour... I was somewhat limited by the amount of fabric on the rolls at my favourite fabric store! So limited that there wasn't enough to make 56 large squares as instructed in the tutorial... I ended up making smaller ones... 80 smaller ones to be exact! That made it the right size:)

Here's a close up:) It was a bit time consuming, lucky my friend Chelsea helped me handsew some squares on a beach day:) The sewing together 80 squares took me nearly 2 days and attaching it to the backing and wadding by hand took a day too... I had to deviate a bit because my new sewing machine needed some service man love and my old one couldn't love a whole king size item!

I also received a custom order for a kindle cover for my sister - but not gifted by me! Hehe:) My sister requested any fabric I thought would be good, but she did enjoy birds! Hmmm well that's a big decision... I have a good stash of fabrics! So I chose my new favourite velveteen by Anna Maria Horner from her Innocent Crush collection. It's soooo soft and nice and lovely to sew with!

So I had to add some birds on the inside:) I can't remember who made this one... but I love it!

I have to include some super cute photos of my sisters lovely babies:) We had soooo many cuddles, a trip to the park and the boy didn't spew on me today! So that was a bonus!:)

So today we got on with making the apothecary cabinet... more pics to come for that one! I must reccommend the jersey quilt tutorial! It was so well written and quite simple! It did seem a bit weird as I was making it, but afterwards I seriously considered making my own! Unfortunately my furbaby is obsessed with smoothing and so that quilt would do her poor bunny brain in! I hope you can give it a try!

What else is going on at the ghetto??

2011-01-10T10:42:00.000+11:00

Well yes... you might ask this question... surely in the 6.5 weeks on holidays you are not just making your sister a birthday present! Especially when you have such a helpful bunny assistant.
No. The task today involved no bunnies.
But it is mainly due to a certain cord eating bunny that this project had to be pursued. Also a certain husband who believes that you can attach anything to the tv and leave it hanging out all over the place...

A new tv unit was in order! Bunny proof! Sufficient for all the TV things! Cord hiding! Pretty! Here is the plans... http://ana-white.com/2010/04/furniture-plans-apothecary-cabinet-console-part-1.html

We are going to go for a distressed look in neutral tones:) Kind of more like this picture...

So we started with a trip to bunnings and a particularly horrid drive home in the car with a full sheet of MDF because that bunnings doesn't cut MDF.... also must say terrible recommendation on particle board... Bunnings man you were wrong. Particle board is a terrible idea when the ends aren't capped... Use MDF or plywood!
But all the same we will sort it out with a thick primer or something!!

Here are a our materials for part 1 of the plans -

Didn't use all that much stuff... I was surprised... Next part of the plan only requires the ingredients for the drawers so almost a bargain!:)

This is the bits all cut up for the framework of the cabinet... not tooooo many bits... I'm pretty bad at cutting so if there are too many bits things can go very very wrong...

It was definately a two preson task without the appropriate workbench and clamps... but its nice to build with someone else anyway... as you can see... Alex was very "excited" about building with me... its not really his thing... at all... but when a lady needs building help!! Especially when he realised we would be customising it for easy cord access (for humans not bunnies) he was there!!

This is the first sticking everything together step... the frame now has a top and one side... the drill ran out of batteries so we had to stop for the day... Alex was somewhat concerned about the stability of the framework when combined with the giant tv and all his special items inside... but I believe it will be ok... We will have to investigate later:) When it has two legs...

I can't lie. I am super excited about it. I am imagining it finished right now. yes. nice. :)

I've been working on a few things....

2011-01-08T22:16:00.001+11:00

Including a super cool present for my sister... Which Suki is super helpful with....

A Creative Odyssey:)

2010-12-14T01:00:00.000+11:00

Image from here :)

Today I am participating in the Creative Odyssey blog hop run by the lovely Jess Van Den:) Today is day 9 of the blog hop and my turn to share my creative odyssey for 2011. You can catch up on the line up here or check out the other participant from today quiet paws:)

This year I followed the advice of the image above by Leah Rosenberg:) I embraced my inner granny. I practised my crochet. I painted my floor boards white. I learnt a little more about myself and the fact that I can just enjoy what I am doing without worrying about what other people think of my granny activities:)

My creative odyssey for 2011 stems from my need to streamline:) Next year I plan to creatively streamline my craft room so I can use the space more effectively! My odyssey involves using my lovely fabric stash and all the lovely bits and pieces I have stored all over house!:) At the end of this week I start 6 weeks of holidays and I can't wait to start my mission:) I want to use what I have rather than buy new fabrics for every new task. I want to make sure I am using up all my scraps and not wasting anything!

I plan to make lots of beautiful things for my family, friends and my etsy store:) Right now I have so many ideas and just no time to make them all! So next year I want to make the time and the space (in my craftroom, not on the couch) to take advantage of the opportunities I have to create beautiful things.

I also want to build things! Especially this....

Image from here:)

I love building furniture and this is my creative making goal for the year:)

I hope you have enjoyed hearing a few of my creative odyssey ideas for 2011, make sure you check in with the other bloggers following the Creative Odyssey blog hop:)

How to grow yourself a new collection:)

2010-11-08T22:17:00.000+11:00

Sometimes things are looking a little shabby in the old succulent department... These little bubbies haven't really been well loved in sometime... sitting under the eaves with no water and a lot of sun... mistake! They have become a little misformed and somewhat crispy!

So this is the perfect occasion to do some succulent maintainence... Now I must tell you, this is the way I've been doing this for nearly 2 years, so it may not be the most effective way but it is my way...

So first you need the things above -

- Succulent and cacti potting mix (this gives the best result... although i have used normal potting mix and at one point even straight compost...)

- Somewhat overgrown succulents

-Scissors

- Seed raising tray (Not always essential I guess... but I think it helps the process a bit)

The seed raising tray below is one of mine... it is a bunnings one... my friend got similar at aldi for 1/3 of the price so if you see them there snap up a couple! I have another one but it's just not as pretty... also from bunnings..

First step is to fill the little holes with the potting mix, usually nearly all the way up to the top!

Then find some weird looking succulents that need some maintainence...

This first one is not so weird, it just has some extra babies hanging off its side... Perfect!

This next one went weird and long... trim that back... will see what happens there... haven't ever cut the main stem off before.. usually I would take that extra little bubby one out of the middle...

This one also had long bits... and a flower coming! But the flower needs to be removed if the succulent is going to grow more successfully this season! Also I did some pruning...

Found this little selection on the footpath after someone tore it off a bush.

Next step is to snip off the babies and pruning bits so there is a little bit to stick in the dirt:) Luckily these ones have little roots as well. They could have probably just have gone straight in a pot with the root system, but they are very tiny for a pot!

(At this point better homes and gardens man would have left them in the sun to form a callous on the cut so they don't rot.. but i have never done this.. not sure how much more successful it would be..)

Then just pop them in the dirt!

Then after maintaining a couple of plants you will end up with a little tray of loveliness like this:) I have two trays of lovelies right now! And in about 6 weeks they will be ready for planting in pots or you could pop them in the garden... or whatever!:)

Goodluck with your future succulent garden collection!

We've been feeling a litttttle under the weather....

2010-11-07T21:13:00.000+11:00

I have been absent from my blog... my sister reminded me... apparently she is no longer interested in my paint work lesson?

May be these will explain something? Our little Suki-La has been a little under the weather! She went to the special bunny vet and they were very very excellent! But unfortunately the antibiotics she was given didn't agree with her and she stopped eating or drinking:( Resulting in a number of vet visits, a cage to go in when in the car, force feeding every two hours and a day in bunny hospital!

Poor bunny! No wonder she felt like this ....

And then just as she was starting to feel a little more like this.....

She had to go back to the vet again to sort out her first issue! The sneezing! So she had to have her tear ducts flushed with antibiotics.... it made her very unhappy:(

Although now just to ease all your minds, the lovely Suki-La is feeling much better and is fine with getting cold antibiotic drops in her eyes twice a day, especially when broccoli follows! She is also enjoying her new delicious green diet:)

Super cute.

Suki sends her love and kisses:)

Painting stripes in the toilet:) You can too!:)

2010-10-06T19:21:00.000+11:00

You might like to have a look at my before toilet in the last post... ew. At one stage when we first moved in I preferred public toilets to my own... that is pretty bad right??

In an effort to remedy this earlier this winter I did one layer of the Antique White USA from Dulux in the toilet. I also did two layers of ceiling white. I then ran out of paint..

Of course it was a little boring... and I see so many nice blogs and images online with more exciting paint jobs... So I decided on stripes. But subtle stripes. It is a rental after all!

At this point I had already removed the less attractive gloss royal blue plastic toilet roll holder... just didn't think it would go with my super awesome paint look.

I also remembered the important things like - putty up the toilet roll holder holes before embarking on the epic paint spree.

I then did the second coat of the Antique White all over the walls - except the wet putty and left it over night to really dry well.

In the morning I started taping and fixed up the toilet roll holder putty:) This was so the Antique White could dry properly before I put tape on it! I started taping with a level and a metre long ruler, but I found that the ruler alone was enough:) Also I started on a mini wall section that seemed less daunting than the longer wall section. I measured at both the beginnings, ends and at many points in between to get the tape straight.

I measured two rows at a time for speed and accuracy... My wall took 5 taped lines - 4 Antique white and 3 contrast.

I wanted a super subtle effect - very non-offensive but still nice and interesting. I also wanted to reflect the beachy kind of simple aesthetic - we are in a 40 year old beach holiday house so gotta go with that... nothing super fancy!

My original ideas were either and gloss and matte paint contrast or two shades in the original Antique White USA that is all over the house.
But then why introduce new colours? And then I got to why introduce a new can of paint? So I ended up using ceiling white stripes.. I have excess ceiling white why not use it? And with my ceiling white it seems to be not fully opaque so it was perfect, especially with the future gloss white frame work.

I started at the bottom with a ceiling white line because I didn't want the ceiling white stripe touching the ceiling white roof... I used a roller, an edger and a brush to make sure I got into all the corners. I also kept a wet cloth handy to clean up any accidents over the tape lines.

I left the first coat to dry and then went over it with a second coat which fixed up most missed bits. There are still a few but we can go back and fix those up later!

I remember reading somewhere that after using the tape you should pull it off the wall before the paint dries? So I did that after the second coat.

I then gave all the trims a double coat in a gloss white to finish off:)

I left attaching the toilet roll holder until the next day because I wanted to give the ceiling white paint enough time to dry properly. It was a little IKEA holder (Lillholmen range $9.99), I needed a stainless steel look and a hangy one so no one gets stabbed by the toilet roll holder while at the toilet!
So excitedly my whole toilet renovation cost a grand total of about $14! Tape and the holder! Everything else I already had:) The whole process took about 4 hours of actual work but happened over 48 hours to get the drying time in for a better finish:)

What do you think? Have you done any bargain renovations lately?

Renovation update!

2010-10-05T22:15:00.000+11:00

What is this? Obviously it is my house... you can see my glass jar with the laundry powder... must be the laundry! Also you may notice I have been to IKEA... I need to go again. I need to get baskets for the top shelf...

But of course you may be more familiar with this look... the ghetto look of my house...

As you can see, things had to change. Dishwasher in the laundry is only the start of the ickiness! The lino was not my favourite floor surface either:) Neither was the unusual scent coming from the lino behind the toilet... But then after my father in law sorted out the lino and the strange scent, and then this lovely lady turned up!

The lovely Miss Luey. She is a tiling god. look at those skillz. I know she looks like she is going to the toilet.. she is not. She is just using the environment to enhance her tiling skills! And on her 1 day off of the WHOLE week!

Look... there it goes... a little tiling path...:) Its finished now... but I don't have a picture of that...
Soon I can show you how I painted the toilet! I know.. exciting... but its stripes! Its very lovely:)

When a girl has too much fabric...

2010-10-02T00:32:00.000+10:00

Who ever knew that could happen??
I have a fair stash, but currently my craft tables are hidden under a mountain of little bits of fabric! Still too big/useful to discard, I use them to make one of my favourite things. Mini bunting. Currently we have no mini bunting up. It is a self imposed ban. I may have previously "over bunted" at my last home... we are taking a bunting break, which means more bunting for you!

Here are two sets I prepared earlier...

The first one is a cute cotton set which literally made me smile while I was ironing it, the second is a longer vintage kimono fabric bunting (it's actually from the obi...). it is all metallic and silvery good:) Both available in my etsy store... if I don't get confused are try to keep them... and over bunt another house....

And they are my new laundry shelves... love a good floating shelf also:) I got a bit excited and put my Able and Game post card and Pocket Carnival gift card framed in my laundry... everyone has framed images in their laundry right? right?

Oooh nice treasuries!

2010-09-23T19:29:00.000+10:00

This lovely treasury is by KitKat Creations.. see my little mustard booties? I love that colour:)

And this lovely one is by Fullspiral... mine is the green clutch.. super springy:)

Click on the images to have a look at the treasuries!

This is problematic...

2010-09-21T22:51:00.000+10:00

So obviously this is a problem.... And due to the lack of wardrobe doors in the master bedroom this is what I get to look at when I wake up and go to sleep... Unfortunately our mini wardrobe does not allow for nice wooden coat hangers... they are tooooo bulky!

So I have been working on some of these....

I got the super cute pattern from here... dottie angel blog, one of my all time favourites! And of course when i realised they were called "happy hangers" I knew they would be perfect:)

So now I have a small section of this.....

And obviously that makes me a lot happier than the original! Now when I wake up in the morning and look at my happy hangers... ans it certainly makes me happy:) As does hanging up the washing... i know, you obviously need some too.

Oh I'm sorry did you say fresh?

2010-09-20T23:35:00.000+10:00

Yes. Mega fresh! Straight from the mushroom growing box! They tasted just as delicious as they looked! YUM YUM! As it was not originally my mushroom growing box I am unsure of the suppy of mushrooms that will happen... but these were so delicious that if I never get to try anymore that will be ok too:)

My precious fur baby deserves gifts. Handmade gifts.

2010-09-20T11:34:00.000+10:00

You've all met my beautiful bunny.... well she is fat. Too fat. She is looking at bit mangey as she is moulting and too fat to preen her own back. She doesn't reallllly enjoy a brush... and she told her dad that her mum plucking out her moulty fur is not only a little bit twingey but also a little demoralising.

So she is on a diet. As a result we feed very very sorry for her... her usual routine is disrupted! At bedtime at night she is waiting by her food bowl for some delicious grains.. and they do not arrive! Only hay! Oh the disappointment of the small round basketball-with-a-head mini lop...

To alleviate her feelings of unloved-ness I have started crocheting her a round rug to sit on.... this is the beginnings...

You can see as I have never ever crocheted anything round... it has gone a bit frilly... although it makes it better for my Suki-La who nuzzles the frillies...

This is Suki's first introduction to her rug...

You can see the excitement building as she snuggles into the center... yes. this is my rug. yes. my mum still loves me even though she is starving me. (note: on a vet prescribed diet - don't call the rspcsa - my bunny is loved and cared for:)

And then finally as you can see. The rug is loved. It is continually growing... it needs to be wide enough for a fully length stretch... then it will go into our bedroom for little Suki-La to sit on while she protects us while we sleep... you think I lie... no. She is the night watch for our pack... In the day I am watching... In the night Suki is watching:) And cold painted floorboards aren't nice for the newly slimmed bunny bottom on a long lonely night watch shift!

I have since learnt that you are supposed to add 1 extra stitch in every 4... working on it:) The rug is now nearly done:)

Bit of Friday afternoon thrifting...

2010-09-03T17:04:00.000+10:00

I must say I am not a great thrifter.... I like to look but I don't often buy things, unless of course there is a purpose. I also don't go very often...

But today! I was on my way home and I remembered a new retro/antiques store opened about 5 minutes from my house, thought I should probably check it out!

This is what I came home with ....

Super cute right? I picked up a big piece of vintage cutey aqua spotty fabric and a vintage kokeshi doll! I wanted to start a kokeshi collection and this one just jumped out at me!:) I think she might need a little bit of love... I think her hair might need a sanding and a revarnish... and I need to find her a special new spot in my house!

Yay! Someone likes my things!

2010-09-01T17:28:00.000+10:00

It is always a bit of a little thrill when you see that someone likes the things you make:)

Today my clutch was featured here on Calico and Co. blog by Amanda Fuller. These are the lovely things she featured. (Mine is the top right... hehe just saying:))

[74 Lime Lane - NSW | Bobishi - VIC]

[My Studio - VIC | Milkwood - VIC]

[Finchbird - NSW | Two Crows - VIC]

[Hannah Faerie - SA | loved - VIC]

[Kylie Ward Creation - NSW | Mecino - VIC]

[Sweet William - VIC | twirling betty - VIC]

Yay! Smiley Happy Days:) Thanks Amanda!

Cutie Booties:)

2010-08-29T19:55:00.001+10:00

I decided today that I needed to use up some of the annoying bits of fabric you end up with after making big things! So I decided to have a look in some of my pattern books to find something super cute to make with all the bits and pieces...
And I made these!
I have decided that although i do enjoy this pattern and it was very easy to make, I need to redesign it... It is not how I want it.. I think I can make it better. I am going to take it to my sisters and get her to roadtest it... And then I am going to make it better.

Pattern making here I come!! hehe

I still like them though... I added the button. The original pattern had velcro... button may be a bad idea... I have limited experience with wiggly baby feet... road test will decide:)

New felt foods!

2010-08-28T18:33:00.000+10:00

I really like my new camera:) And I like to make felt food... and the combination of these two things is quite exciting!
Check these out!:)

I like the tortellini... i won't lie. its super cute:)

Hmmm not my style.

2010-08-26T21:58:00.000+10:00

It's a birdcage and its a handbag... it's so you can feel close to your bird. When out and about...

What about this one?

This lovely fashion helps you keep your small rodents closer... in your cable knits! hehe
Suki wouldn't fit. She wouldn't be impressed if i tried to encase her in the cables on my knits...

Pics from here xx.

YAY! New things!

2010-08-25T17:17:00.000+10:00

Yay! New kindle clutches! I love my kindle... I love my kindle clutch... I also love using up my fabric stash, I feel like it makes my craft room a little bit neater... hehe

All are available here at my etsy store... although you probably guessed that right?:)

Spring.. where have you gone?

2010-08-19T11:22:00.000+10:00

My mistake was that I got myself all excited when my hyacinth came out... I thought it was time... I thought the weather would be getting nicer... I was SEVERLY mistaken. It is still cold and yucky. Go away winter you are cold and make too much washing.

You can't tell me it's not the cutest thing in the world...

2010-08-18T12:57:00.000+10:00

This is my Suki-La. When she was a baby... 8 weeks. How could you not fall in love with her?? hehe Check out how tiny she was!! She had to be held in a towel.. she didn't have erm.. great bladder control - she was a teeny baby!
Now she is coming up to 4 years old!

My kitchen has handles!

2010-08-17T20:45:00.000+10:00

Check out mah handles! hehe I attached them:) They are GRIP handles from ikea and at a sweet $5 a pair how can you go wrong??
I picked them because they would not only be very neutral and simple but also because you can't really stuff up their installation... like i could with a handle on the front... I would probably make them all angley.. and not in a cool way...

With the grip handles I attached them using the width of a piece of sticky tape as my measurey guide, I then used my electric drill to put in some holes, using the actual handle as a guide and then screwed in the real screws... took me all of 10 minutes to do all 12 handles! yay! and so technical with my sticky tape... hehe

The new kitchen! Wellll almost...

2010-08-15T21:20:00.000+10:00

My first before and during pics from our ghetto! Its not finished but close enough to give you a sneak peek:) here we go....

These pics show the kitchen as we walked in after the tenant of 7 years left! It needed a mega clean! Cigarette smoke stained ceiling, ingrained mould, lovely peely lino tiles and stiff with grease and oil curtains! Of course a lot of this went that night with some hard cleaning and curtain removal...

More recently the lino tiles were pulled up and replaced with some neutral bunnings tiles installed by lovely sister in law and instructional father in law! She now has a new skill... she doesn't know yet but she is going to teach me how to tile the laundry and toilet... hi Luey! Wanna play tiles??:) hehe Might be another pizza in it? hehe

The cabinets were also removed and yesterday we installed these new ones from the lagan IKEA range. Super bargain at half the cost of their more advertised Faktum range. Since we were going for white anyways to maximise the amount of light in a fairly dark room.... They were pretty easy to install, except when we hit the 60 year old hardwood frame... Can you see our makeshift loungeroom kitchen in the background? Convenient right?

Then this is tonight! Currently no handles... that is a job for tomorrow! And no bench tops.. that is a job for the professionals! Luckily we got them from the same IKEA range for a mega bargain.
The tiles will be padded out with similar tiles in the missing spaces and then all painted to match up. I also need to do a bit of a touch up on the paint job to fix up all the bits that are now uncovered and bright yellow...

But even though it is unfinished we are still super excited to put all our stuff in the clean, fresh cupboards and have a oven that doesn't turn off mid-cooking!

All up this renovation has cost us approximately $1500 and a large amount of hardwork! Yay for bargain renovations to fix up the rental! YAY!

Um excuse me...

2010-08-15T12:13:00.000+10:00

But that is my pillow... And although you are a cute 2kg bunny and I am 6 foot 2 giant I would still like a little bit of pillow... Or even bed for that matter.. The general convention is parallel sleeping not at a 90 degree angle...
You can get away with it coz you are just so cute.

New Kitch!

2010-08-14T07:59:00.000+10:00

This is what we moved in to this house with.... OBVIOUSLY in need of soooooo much work... not only in the cleaning stakes.. also the cupboard door stakes!! See that bottle of bleach? It got used... On the kitchen... still not clean.
Luckily the kitchen is now COMPLETELY gone! And today the floors are tiled (thanks Luey and Ron!) and the cupboards and oven are all ready to go in! YAY! Today! YAY! Of course it won't be finished today... Don't get too excited... But it will be a lot closer than this! hehe

Of course the weird ugly oil and filth coated curtain went away straight after this picture...

It's nearly Spring!

2010-08-11T14:52:00.000+10:00

I hate winter... it is cold and dreary and generally yucky! But I can see the end! At my work new babies are starting too be born! Look at this goat cutey:) I love them. And it makes me so excited! Because it means Spring is coming! And Spring comes with the promise of Summer! Holidays... warm weather... shiney days... the beach! YAY!

(I also like to cuddle the new animals... )

Can't wait:) xx

More delicious ... felt food?

2010-08-08T19:35:00.000+10:00

It's soooo fun to make!

Perfect for a tea pary or .... sushi fix? hehe:)

My first ever apartment....

2010-08-06T13:01:00.000+10:00

The first time I moved out of home I moved internationally... This is our first ever apartment in Osaka:) Actually Uehonmachi... 6 floors up in the elevator with a wind-up shower. See those gorgerous shoji screens behind the bed? Cute huh? Until the hallway light on the other side of them is on 24/7. And the guy next door? He enjoyed techno. Loud techno...
Still I liked it:) I like shoji screens and tatami....

I have achieved a dream...

2010-08-05T19:34:00.000+10:00

And that dream is to have my laundry powder in a glass jar... simple things...

(eclectic laundry room design by housetohome.co.uk)

Cup of sugar?

2010-08-02T20:23:00.001+10:00

2 cups actually...

Making these home made oreos from Smitten Kitchen... of course I don't have enough sugar for the insides... guess I will be at the shops tomorrow!

Heres the recipe, may be you can make it... may be you have all the ingredients!

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (135gm) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (copha)
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C).
In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

I am only just finishing step 3.... step 4 and 5 tomorrow!

Make sure you watch the time... just burnt the second batch!

I like it best!

2010-08-01T21:14:00.001+10:00

But I'm not sure Al would like bunk beds or my birdhouse/birdcage obsession getting this exciting...:)

Image from here. xx

Hey check it out!

2010-07-31T19:15:00.000+10:00

It's my lovely niece and her lovely new brother born on Monday! Yay for new little people! I love them:) I had a lovely time babysitting my lovely niece during the week:) She is a cutey!

Yes ideal.

2010-07-30T13:05:00.000+10:00

Sometimes I wish I could hang this sign up at my work! hehe but then there is a rather large difference between a large highschool and a ukiyoe small museum..
I love finding old photos! This one was from when I lived in Japan in 2005, on a day trip to Kyoto:)

Delicious birthday present... but don't actually eat it...

2010-07-18T19:43:00.000+10:00

It was my beautiful niece's 2nd birthday on Friday! She got a new play kitchen so making a present was easy! Felt food!
I must say... i did run out of time... i had planned to make her favourite felt sushi also... oh well, next week!
But these are some of the bits I made for her:)

Another delicious night time cook up - Jam Donut Muffins:)

2010-06-19T21:36:00.000+10:00

Another late night cooking time... hence bad pictures...

This is a delicious yum yum that the "Cafe" at school makes sometimes... although may be not this exact recipe...

Jam Donut Muffins:)

Makes 8

Ingredients

300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
1 large egg
175ml/6 fl oz buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 teaspoons good-quality strawberry jam

To brush on top and then roll

100g/3.52 ozs unsalted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a cupcake tray.

2. Sift the flour into a medium bowl, then add a pinch of salt and the caster sugar. In a jug, combine the vegetable oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add to the dry mixture and stir to only just combine. It will be thick and puffy. Place a tablespoonful of the mixture in each muffin hole and make an indent in the centre. Fill each indent with a teaspoon of the strawberry jam.

3. Cover the jam with the remaining cupcake batter. I found that these slightly overflowed and that the tops stuck together but then after taking it out, it contributed to the puffy donut look. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

4. Meanwhile, melt the butter and cool slightly. Combine the extra sugar and the cinnamon in a large bowl. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, brush each muffin lightly with the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Serve while still a little warm.

http://www.taste.com.au/

I did find that I should have put less muffin mix in the bottom and more on top of the jam. Twas a little dry at the very bottom, would have been better with the jam further down.. and less clean up because the jam came out on the tray a bit... i hate dishes!

YUM YUM YUM Mug Brownie

2010-06-18T21:02:00.000+10:00

I made this. I twas delicious. I'm not sure if you understand how delicious compared to easy it was... so exciting.

Ingredients - Makes 1 mug (my mugs are massive troughs... normal mug would be perfect size)

4 Tablespoons of plain flour
4 Tablespoons of Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons of water

Measure your dry ingredients into the mug, add the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly in your mug. Make sure you mix it well otherwise you might get lumpies at the bottom!
Pop it in the microwave on high for 1.5 minutes (times will vary but thats how long was perfect in my microwave).
Take it out. Let it cool. Eat. YUM YUM YUM!

I got my recipe from here but I omitted the salt.

This is mine. On my lap. Ready to eat. YUM!

I think I'm in love....

2010-06-18T19:03:00.000+10:00

I love working with ink & spindle fabric this one is exclusive to Kelani fabric by Lara Cameron Birch Branch in Olive. And I love making this clutch too so it is all exciting with this one!!

It is listed in my etsy store right now... well I hope so... otherwise it will be in my hand and out and about... no! can't keep. can't keep. can't keep.

Nice memories:)

2010-06-16T18:22:00.000+10:00

I remember these flowers outside Alex's windows... so pretty in the sun! I would like to grow some... what are they??

Pic from here. xx

Sunday night already...

2010-05-30T23:48:00.000+10:00

Never enough time in the day....

Pic from here. xx

How nice is this! I want this...

2010-05-24T20:04:00.001+10:00

Love a chandelier.. and love a good ladder... especially with a big window!

Pic from here. xx

More ghetto fabulous!

2010-05-22T21:19:00.000+10:00

More of my ghetto not yet fabulous... hehe this will be my future craftroom... there is Al cleaning the walls... good job Al! hehe They don't look like this anymore...

Al's nerd room! No those are not his Winnie the Pooh curtains... they are now gone too... hehe

Master bedroom... you can tell by the built in wardrobe with no doors... That is now a different colour and no weird blue curtains...

How nice is this bathroom... hehe hmmm.... it looks very similar to this still... although I am now the proud owner of a shower curtain... first ever...

Laundry/ Toilet! Dishwasher in laundry? For sure!

Ghetto Fabulous!

2010-05-21T17:35:00.000+10:00

I have moved yet again! Currently we are half in half out all over the place! But this house needs some Bobishi love... it is a beach house built in the early sixties and a man with a 'crazy colour' scheme has been living here for 8 years... I thought you guys might like to come on my redecorating/renovating mission? It is my first painting and renovating experience and as Al isn't particularly excited by painting I am working super hard with ever trusty Luetsy assistant (Al's sister:) ).This is what we are working with....
The entrancey/living/dining room....

Just the hot tip... that is no longer red... and the ceiling is no longer navy... and there are no pelmets and no weirdly scented curtains that at some stage appear to have been on fire.....

Then we go into the kitchen.... which looks the same... but cleaner... but it didn't really help... still looks a bit yucky... of course the curtain set up was the first thing to go... hehe

More tomorrow?
You can see my ghetto bathroom, bedrooms and craft room!:)

I miss....

2010-05-03T22:48:00.000+10:00

Cherry blossom seson in Japan... although secretly i prefer plum blossom.... just as pretty and smells way more yummy:)

Pic from here :)

I knitted a WHOLE dress...

2010-05-03T09:22:00.001+10:00

I started this dress last year... but was discouraged by the excessive amount of knitting in what appears to be 4ply or even smaller.... But last weekend I decided. It has to be done. It is only size 1-2 and my lovely niece is only going to be 1-2 for a few more months! So if she is going to wear it in winter it has to be done now! Plus as I pack up my house for the next move I decided I realllly need to finish some of these projects. So knitting knitting knitting! Until I finished last night!

I used this pattern from pear tree yarn, Mila. But i changed the straps - because it said I could sew them either crossed or uncrossed which would change the length... so I added some length and button holes to the straps and some hand covered buttons:)

I like it.
Excuse the cardboard box background... moving house.

I love plants.

2010-05-02T19:52:00.001+10:00

Today I went to the market with some lovely ladies and I got MANY plants:) I wish they looked like these right now... but they don't..... yet:)

Pic from here:)

Building furniture.. YAY!

2010-04-26T15:47:00.000+10:00

So..... I found an AWESOME website http://www.knock-offwood.com/ . When i found it I tried to call everyone I knew who would care... no one answered... but that was ok! I got busy choosing the first thing I would build!

After buying a station wagon it was the perfect opportunity to fold down the seats and put wood in the back! Unfortunately the bunnings man cut the wood incorrectly! But its all good... just meant my shelves were a little bit longer and a little bit shorter...
Here is Suki checking out the supplies... she is intrigued...

So there was some man help... Al's Dad instructed us on the first set of shelves... the amount of wood made two! So I made the second set on my own!

Suki was impressed. She had a go of sitting on both levels. You can see here we added a cross bar thingy to stop the wibble wobbles... The next set I had a go at not using the cross brace... it seems ok... Father in law may be doesn't agree...

And finished! Sanded filled, primed and painted! And already it has gone to my sister's new bubby's room:) And she is filling them with fabric boxes to keep stuff in:) And my second set... is still nude of paint... but in use.. so that is ok:)

Easter holidays.... ahhhh

2010-04-26T15:10:00.000+10:00

I had lazy holidays over easter.... only 1 night camping! And the rest just organising my world (moving again...) and baby sitting my lovely niece... and playing with my lovely bunny:)

I like to think I am a good aunty... not only do we go to the park, we go in our raincoat and gumboots and I will wear funny costumes for photos.

Bunny... she has been having a lovely time in our current accomodation... lots of lay down time in various locations... You can see her smiling in the second from the bottom right picture... hehe... nice toothy pegs!

When you know you have over crafted...

2010-04-09T09:37:00.000+10:00

Pic form here.

I never knew i could do it... I have over crafted my new house room... I got a bit over excited... pics later today:)

This is what I wake up to every morning....

2010-04-08T23:06:00.000+10:00

Pic from here.

My bun bun, Suki-La, is in a particularly high state of neediness today and is being quite the rat bag... but this morning started off like any other... with a little face EXTREMELY similar to the one above.... a little face that has been waiting all night and couldn't cope any more with the waiting for pats. Waking up her family with a touch of whisker face and head butting for pats...
My favourite bunny view:)

This is my type of party...

2010-04-01T18:45:00.000+11:00

I love eating outside in the garden:) I would love to put fariy lights in a tree and have a lovely table set underneath:)

Holiday plans...

2010-03-26T15:10:00.000+11:00

My holiday plans consist of many of these things.. in my craft nest... :)
I love making things:)

Pic from here.

I am excited....

2010-03-25T17:58:00.000+11:00

Image from here.

Tomorrow is the last day of school for the term! And I will be making.... CUPCAKES! I hope mine are as pretty as these... :)

I wish....

2010-03-18T17:32:00.000+11:00

...i had more time to make things....

Pic from here.

I love....

2010-03-16T19:11:00.001+11:00

Wearing feature shoes. Particularly sparkley ones....

Pic from here.

I love...

2010-03-15T16:02:00.001+11:00

Mini Bunting!!! This isn't my mini bunting.... I will have to show you mine later!:) I love them... such a pretty way to use up your scrappy fabrics bits:)

Collections.... and mini pegs... ohh the best of things.

2010-03-14T00:04:00.000+11:00

I love mini pegs. But mine have little felt clouds on them... from Osaka... I know, too cool for school.

Pic from here.

Veggie patch idea for my sister:)

2010-03-11T22:32:00.000+11:00

So it turns out that my big sister is a little disappointed that she talked me up on facebook and then I didn't do anything on my blog for like weeks. I imagine that was me being back at work?...
Anyway. I found these lovely pics of veggie patches.
My sister is starting one. It looks like it could be the beginnings of this first one... hehe but I don't think hers has any veggies yet!

I enjoy this next one... this could be cute... but also susceptible to bunnies (hop hops), sausage dogs and particularly bouncy staffies.

May be you can grow some lovely garlic flowers?

To grow garlic you need to plant them in April. That is coming up... may be you should get on it? And then....

• Separate the garlic heads into individual cloves. Each clove that you plant will grow
into a new garlic head.

• Plant the cloves on top of the surface (pointy end up), pressing down firmly until the
bottom is 5 – 10 mm into the soil. If you have lighter soils, plant the clove 30 – 40 mm
below the surface.

• Shallow planting ensures the whole garlic, and not just the snapped-off stem, gets
pulled from summer-dry ground!

• Plant garlic 15 cm apart within a row and 40 - 50 cm between the rows.

• Mulch with straw after planting to keep the weeds down. If you don’t mind weeding
there is no need to mulch.

• Harvest when about half the leaves have dried off and started to brown,which is usually in early to mid-December. Harvesting times vary depending on the season and different locations.

• Garlic is fairly susceptible to mould and fungus, which will shorten its keeping life
or rot them out all together. For this reason it is important not to water your
garlic for 2-3 weeks prior to harvest (and hope it does not rain too much).

• Garlic left in the ground too long tends to split, allowing soil, moisture and
potentially disease to get in.

• Pull the garlic out by the stem (or with a garden fork if your soil is hard, but be
careful not to damage the garlic).

• Bunch the garlic into groups of 10 – 15 and loosely tie together with twine. Hang
to cure in a dry and well ventilated shed or room.

• Do not harvest your garlic if it has recently rained, drizzled or there’s been a
heavy dew; it is best to wait a few days for the weather to dry it off naturally.
Curing/hanging damp garlic is a sure way to invite mould.

• If you wish to plait your garlic, leave it to hang for two weeks, plait while the
necks have not hardened off and then hang again for another 2 – 4 weeks.

• Once the garlic has cured, clip off the root and the tops about 30mm above the
garlic head and store in a dry, well-ventilated area, in the way you store onions..

• The garlic should stay firm for 8 – 10 months (if stored properly). The medium to
smaller sized garlic keeps much longer than the larger garlic heads, so eat your
larger garlic first.

Garlic growing information from here.
Photos from here.

How helpful am i??

Winner of the Vintage Kimono Clutch!

2010-02-10T19:06:00.000+11:00

YAY! The day has finally come!! The winner was Angelene! YAY! hehe:) The vintage kimono clutch will go in the post for you tomorrow lovely Angelene!

Unfortunately Miss Suki-La was not happy to do the draw. She was napping and then someon rudely thrust a smelly old hat full of paper bit and expected her to nibble! "This is not delicious banana!" She exclaimed and ran off to investigate the felt fortune cookie that had fallen on the floor behind the couch... May be it was a reaction to the crazy orange towel replacing her normal rug that is getting a wash?
Therefore I had to do the draw... which isn't nearly as excting I must admit.

YAY for Ange:)

I would like to live here please!

2010-02-07T10:13:00.001+11:00

From here.
From here.

Any of those would do my treehouse dream well... hehe I don't think Suki would like it though... oh well I can dream...

Oh my. That is sweet :)

2010-02-07T01:30:00.000+11:00

Ohhh my favourite item! Bunnies! Suki is having a big drink as we speak.

And vintage cameras. I have a collection, did you know? It is only 3... but they all work...can't wait to get my darkroom back!:) All three are a bit similar to this one but they are of course all completely different! May be I will show you one day:) Right now all my camera babies are packed away!

Both pics from here.

I made some new pj pants:)

2010-02-06T15:34:00.000+11:00

I love pyjamas. I made some for me. I have had the fabric waiting for months and last night i decided it was time. So here they are. They are the MOST comfy pj pants ever... I am not going to lie. I am wearing them right now at 3.28 in the afternoon. It's not even close to get up or go to sleep time.

3 other people have experienced the joy of my pj pants... as in they tried them on! Every single person now needs a pair, men and lady! They are so swishy and comfy! And perfect for the tall people! Look they cover my feet! Keep the ankles warm! I must make more!!:)

PJ pants. I want to wear you to work.

Birthday in the city:) Nice view huh?

2010-02-06T15:20:00.000+11:00

My friends and I went up to the city for a night for Ty's birthday! We stayed in a big 3 bedroom apartment in the Docklands and this was our view:) I couldn't stand near the edge.... 19th floor freaks my out!And yummy chinese for tea:)

Goodluck with the chopstick learning Ty and Chel! hehe:)

Valentines felt fortune cookies:) Awwww:)

2010-02-06T14:54:00.000+11:00

Using a tutorial found here, I made some felt fortune cookies! Although i did adjust the materials and pattern a little... and my version could do with some more refining I think, but how many felt fortune cookies does a girl need? 2 jars? Probably enough:) I am going to make some more for my workmates to brighten up their valentines day:) And my sister. Because I found out she reads my blog. She asked me if I realised how many spelling mistakes there was. Suggested I should read my posts before I post them... hmm hehe:) Now I am all nervous.

Anyway super quick and easy valentines day project if you are feeling up to it! hehe Make sure your cotton is the right colour. They look much better with the correct cotton colour... as do most things...:)

Valentines day is coming up..

2010-02-03T17:50:00.000+11:00

Usually I don't celebrate it at all... but I really like making yummy things and if I give them to Al he will let me eat them too. hehe:) AND on a non-selfish note I found this super cute printable card! You can get it here and the envelope as well!

Super organised. And print it on the day if you forget!

Summer night at the beach...

2010-02-02T21:50:00.000+11:00

From here:)

I love summer. I love going to the beach after work. Makes me feel like I am on holidays all the time.

My favourite after work past time:)

2010-02-01T17:16:00.000+11:00

I like to sit here... with Suki running in the garden, on my chair... with a table... and on the table....

My granny square rug.. in progress...
It is my first ever try at crochet:) Eventually it will be a giant rug... give me a few years... because if you are going to make a rug you might as well make a good sized rug!:)
And one of my succulent babies all dressed up in her tea cup:)

Vintage Kimono Clutch Giveaway:)

2010-01-27T20:44:00.000+11:00

So this week I have a vintage kimono clutch sample to giveaway!

Breakfast friends Clutch is made of gorgeous metallic vintage obi fabric. The obi is the part that goes around the middle of the kimono.
The clutch has two pockets and a magnetic clasp. It is perfect of a night out or if you can travel light, everyday use!
The clutch can easily fit a phone, lip gloss, cards, cash and more! It measures 18cm(approx 7.5in) by 10cm(4in). It is made of vintage repurposed fabric and so may have small areas of age or wear. This clutch was one of the samples I made while perfecting the final product, this one is not padded.

Super cute and super limited quanitities are made in each fabric:)

I use my clutch everyday! Super useful:)

So if you would like to enter leave a post for each of these!

- Go to my etsy store, bobishi, and tell me what your most favourite item is!
- Spread the word about the giveaway, twitter, blog, facebook.... whatever!
- Follow my blog! Or if you already follow it you count it too!:)

Then leave me a comment, a separate one for each entry and Suki will draw the winner out of a hat on the 11th of February! Make sure there is a way for me to contact you so I can tell you that you have won!

Goodluck!

iPhone cozy WINNER!:)

2010-01-27T18:16:00.001+11:00

And the winner as chosen by the honourable chooser Suki-La - Inkie-Mumma! YAY!!!:)
Here is the super professional and totally random process! Only made possible by the rabbit drawing the winner out of a hat... who can not read.. and therefore is best! hehe See the nibble marks??

The Judge.... looking all judgey chooser.

Judgey chooser behaving in a not entirely interested manner... more interested in napping in afternoon sun...

Judgey Chooser indulges in snuffling in hat.

Winner is chosen!!

Judgey Chooser Suki-La presenting the winner! YAY! Success! hehe

Australia day!

2010-01-26T21:15:00.000+11:00

From here.

Happy Australia day! I must say I don't enjoy this Australia-wide public holiday celebration quite as much as most people... because every year it symbolises the end of my summer holidays.... 5 weeks of lovely time off is over:( Especially this year! Back at work the day after Australia day! Bah! But all the same. Happy Australia Day! I hope you had a lovely day off:)

Last week of the holidays...

2010-01-24T17:31:00.000+11:00

Oh what a lovely week. Starting off with seeing a brand new foal, only 4 days old! And then the giant horse Justice who was quite stampy... but also quite the licker. Can you see his tongue?? Trying to lick Al.. hehe
Then I made clutches out of vintage Japanese Obi material. Obis are the thing that goes around the middle of the kimono. They are stronger fabric:) I got lots of metallic obis to make clutches out of:)
Of course we went to Barleycorn Brewery again to bottle Al's birthday beer. Which has been deemed a success! And they will do it again! What fun hehe:)
I spent today eating delicious blueberries and replanting my succulent babies into bigger pots and growing new roots on little baby succulents!
I also found a flower on my strawberry plants! My friend Lenny showed us how to pollenate the flower and now we are super excited for a strawberry to grow! I also repotted my tomatoes, so hopefully they will be way happier in their new home!

And of course I hung out with my bunny:) Suki-la! Chillaxing on the couch. What a dag. She thinks she is human.

Nap.

2010-01-23T07:59:00.000+11:00

Sometimes you can just be super sleepy.

My recent purchase...

2010-01-21T20:00:00.000+11:00

I love these posters. I need one at work nearly every day! And when I saw one of my lovely etsy friends had purchased one from the Hearts for Haiti etsy store I thought I would support the lovely seller poshpixels by purchasing one from them:) It's printable. I can put them everywhere. All over the house. All over my desk... everywhere.

Bobishi iPhone cozy giveaway!

2010-01-20T22:09:00.000+11:00

So. I made many iPhone covers!
I though one of you guys might like this one? So frilly:)

To enter my giveaway you can do any or all of these!

- Go to my etsy store, bobishi, and tell me what your most favourite item is!
- Spread the word about the giveaway, twitter, blog, facebook.... whatever!
- Follow my blog! Or if you already follow it you count it too!:)

Then leave me a comment, a separate one for each entry and I will draw the winner out of a hat on the 27th of January! Make sure there is a way for me to contact you so I can tell you that you have won!

Goodluck!

I had a lovely day:)

2010-01-19T00:40:00.000+11:00

Pic from here.

Thanks for taking me to Kyo and to see the foal Nerd al! And for feeding bunny it made her happy.

p.s. That big horse licked you and it made me laugh.

Potato Salad with Caramelised Onion

2010-01-18T00:03:00.000+11:00

Ok:) You can have the recipe! hehe it is yum:) We just ate the rest...

So you will need -

6 Red Onions
1.2kg of washed potatoes
5 slices of rindless bacon
About 1 tablespoon ish of fresh chives plus some to garnish
2 Tablespoons of dijon mustard
250mls of whole egg mayonaise
2 Tablespoons of Sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons of oil

1. Slice onions thinishly. Heat up oil in a heavy based pan on lowish medium heat then pop in the oinions for about 40minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelised.
2. Chop potatos into chunks and put into boiling water for about 10 minutes or until they are squishy enough to poke your fork in but still firm.
3. Put bacon slices in the griller to crisp up and cook- I put mine on baking paper on a baking tray to saving scrubbing the griller or the tray too much! After the bacon is cooked and is cooling, just rip it up into smallish bits.
4. Combine the cooked potato and caramelised onion in a big bowl with your chopped fresh chives. I cut these with scissors in to the bowl.
5. Whisk the mayo, mustard, sour cream and lemon juice in another bowl until smoothly mixed. Combine this with the potato and onion mix.
6. Pour into your serving bowl and top with bacon bits and then scissor chopped bits of chives.

Eat it all! hehe Yum.

What have you been up to?

2010-01-16T23:42:00.000+11:00

It has been very hot. So we spent 4 nights down at the boat shed... unfortunately tourism is up 25% on the Mornington Peninsula and I believe all of the extra 25% have decided to park their beach selves infront of the boatshed.... and then at the fish and chip shop at dinner time...

I babysat my lovely niece. Who is just starting toilet training. Of course this means she gets new undies. 7 Pairs. These must alllll be worn at once!

Nerd Al and his friends went brew their own beer at Barleycorn Brewery. They have made the "Asapi (yes that is correct) Super Dry" which they can bottle next week end! ... After brewing their beer they went go karting! Nerd Al won the fastest lap... he was proud. I was the designated driver.... and still had a lovely time:)

And I cut up many onions to make a delicious caramelised onion, bacon and potato salad for my sisters 30th birthday dinner:) Happy OLD lady birthday! hehe!

Other than that... there has been some sitting down... and some working and my new project! May be I will show you that tomorrow:)

Oh my gosh. What service! Look at my chairs!

2010-01-07T16:56:00.000+11:00

I purchased these chairs this morning on ebay from a local store .... Rustique - their website is here and their ebay is here, and the man delivered them for me this afternoon! I went to visit their store about lunch time because I was just so excited and I explained I couldn't get them today without my trailor so he drove them down! YAY! In 3 hours later no less!

My chairs are locally made and SUPER comfy! I have tried them both!

And this is the next thing I will be doing in my chairs... reading Frankie and Peppermint. I am excited! hehe

And look at those flowers! My sister in law is a florist and she works at BalFlower in Balnarring. After a fruitless search for some nice flowers yesterday (the only ones i found were all skanky) I rang her yesterday to check if she was working and could I buy some lovely flowers. She bought these lovely ones home for me! Hehe so cute:) She even chose them for me! She said that at the moment most florists have skanky flowers at the moment because the growers are on holidays, but at BalFlower the boss man goes to the flower market twice a week so they have lovely fresh! And as you can see - always interesting - as well as standard flowers!

My life is practically complete. Good chairs, good reading and nice flowers. What more could a girl want?:)

Yay! New chairs!

2010-01-07T08:44:00.000+11:00

I have been saving all my coins in my savings owl money box for outdoor chairs. Today I found on ebay my favourite shop in Mornington which is closed right now selling the exact chairs I wanted at an excellent price! And i can pick them up from 15 minutes away! It is great.

So I bought them. hehe

I probably won't put mine on the beach like this with the table and the vases because they would be a bit heavy to carry down there... but I definately think they might need me to make some cute cushions for them!:) Yay! For outdoor chairs!

I would like to put cushions like this on them ....

Which are available at dedeestsyshop, and she has so many other gorgeous cushions!

But unfortunately this house has a small issue with spiders and I can just see myself sitting on the chair and a lovely nasty spider crawling over my shoulder. AAAAAHHHHH! hehe

So! I may be I will screen print some cushions in a nice thick canvasy fabric. Yes. I think that is definately what I will do!

Now to arrange a trailor to pick up my chairs!:)

Have a lovely day!

New House Plans

2010-01-06T21:13:00.000+11:00

We are building a new house. This is our second house plan for the block the first was a one storey. But because it is a wee bit slopey it is better to go for a two story so we aren't living 2metres underground... literally.

We also have to bring the front of the house bit forward 1.2metres to meet the rules of the development we are building in. So the Living room and possibly the ensuite will be 1.2m bigger! MASSIVE. Who is going to clean this house?

Despite the giant McMansion house I want to create a nicer feeling inside. This is not actually our dream house - we who love to buy a little old house and renovate it. But unfortunately not possible down here on the Mornington Peninsula! Beach houses are just way tooooo cool to be in our price range! So McMansion here we go! These images show the type of feeling I would like to create in our new house!

I love flowers.... hehe all those images are from here. WHich is an awesome place to look at beautiful images! I put print them all out and gaze at them all day!

Do you have a favourite one?

Love Love LOVE IT!

2010-01-06T08:05:00.001+11:00

This comes from Houzz, here.

I love this craft room. Look at that fabric storage. Beautiful. Look the dress form is dressed. My dress form, Patsy, is in storage... she is nude....

From here.

May be I just need to fold it better?

From here.

Hehe one of my favourite ever studios!

From here..

What about this one?? May be a bit neat for me:)

Hmmmm must go and work on my own craft room... will try to make it look more like these... less like the picture of my fabric stash in the last post!

Which is your favourite?

:)

Today was a lovely day:)

2010-01-05T20:54:00.000+11:00

Today I woke up to a message inviting me out for a hot chocolate at my favourite local hot chocolate location Biscottini. It has what I would descibe as the BEST hot chocolate in Mornington. Which is quite the cafe town!:)

Then I went for a walk along the Marina with my Mum and Dad. Then straight to the cafe! I caved in the hot weather and had a delicious iced chocolate! Yum.

I came home and made this bag and popped it in my etsy store.

I am trying to get through my stash of special fabrics before I buy anymore fabrics! And of course..... I must buy more... more fabric... i want it. i must have it. But this is my exploding fabric stash... exploding out into the room. I wish i had my normal fabric storage which is much neater and nicer looking than my bookshelf stuffed with fabric!

New cutey booties!

2010-01-04T21:12:00.000+11:00

I love making booties:) They make me super happy when I line them up in a row! hehe these are some new fuzzy and non-fuzzy booties I have just listed in my etsy store. I have a new batch to pop up on etsy tomorrow! It is a happy day!

Developing a Green Thumb...

2010-01-03T19:13:00.000+11:00

It's true. It's very strange. I have developed somewhat of a green thumb. Mum says it runs in the family... I don't know about this! I think you just want what you can't have! hehe because we are renting I can't really plant anything and the garden consists of some grasses and a fig tree and some palm type tree! And a lot of lovely decking and a shed and some gravel.

So I seem to have taken up putting stuff in pots and growing things! I have taken a few pictures because i am ridiculously excited about the lettuce, basil and coriander seeds i planted on Christmas day which are ALREADY coming out! The chives are a little slower and haven't come out....

Mixed Lettuce...
Basil...
Coriander (nerd al hates coriander!)

And my beautiful strawberries in their special hangy planter thingy... 9 plants. All still living.

I scored these baby tomato plants at the end of the year from school. The school where I teach has a farm where the kids learn about agriculture and horticulture. Someone didn't want their tomato plants so I got them!! I haven't replanted them yet.. but one is growing 3 tomatoes! YAY! They are supposed to be Roma tomatoes.

And my succulents:) My babies. These are some I have replanted in some vintage teacups!:)

And that is some of my garden!

Goodbye 2009! Hello 2010! I hope you are just as friendly!

2010-01-01T21:00:00.000+11:00

Some of the exciting things from 2009... a big year for the people in my house!
- Nerd Al and I got married after 13 years together,
- My beautiful bunny Suki La turned 4 and handed out loads of kisses and cuddles
- We went on our honeymoon to Thailand (with friends - did i mention Nerd Al and I have been together for 13 years and are quite excited to hang out with our friends too?? hehe I heard this trend of meeting friends on your honeymoon is becoming more popular!)
- We adopted a beautiful gibon for rehabilitation, our gibon's name is "Songkran"... i'm sure many others have also sponsored Songkran... as long as the money is going to gibons its all good:)
- I discovered the world of towel art. See if you can spot two sets of swans and a pair of elephants!
- We went to the island of Phi Phi in Thailand (lovely for photos... not so lovely for fresh water)
- I knitted a lot of booties....
- I crafted... I crafted so much i got to be in "Handmade in Melbourne" with lots of my lovely etsy friends:)
- I rediscovered Melbourne's grafitti... and how much i like to take pictures of it... and doors... pretty doors....
- We sold our first house! And bought a new block which we are trying to build on!
- My only niece turned 1, learnt to walk and has possibly said my name! But she could have said banana... not entirely sure... so similar...
- I started an obsession with Japanese maples... I now have 3... and they are very excitedly growing!
- I started growing succulent babies:))
- I found the joy of edging hole punches that make your paper look lacey. And hence... new packaging! hehe

These are only some of my excitements... what a big year! Hopefully 2010 will be just as exciting!:)