In the Garden

Miss J is still sick. It didn't stop us getting out into the garden though. Miss J said "Look at all this weed", so my neighbours probably think we are growing drugs LOL.

First the weeding.

Then the planting. Broccoli, beetroot and sugar snap peas.
All done.

Cooking with Miss J

Miss J was home sick from school. Well... not that sick, but a cough that would have had her teachers send her home. We made a chocolate cake and muffins.
I think licking the bowl was Miss J's favourite part.
Then we had a tea party ready for when dad came home from work. Miss J chose the table cloth and accessories. We had a great time and Miss J was so proud of her table setting and cake.

My husbands new toy

This is my husbands pride and joy. With the price of petrol we are going down to one car. He says it is the only time he could afford a 2008 vehicle (if you can call a scooter a vehicle) So this is my darling doubling Miss J and Miss A (not that you can see Miss A). COOL FUN!!!!

Presents

I have been making presents (again). Above is a tag blanket. Apparently they are all the rage. Littlies can suck and play with the tags (ribbons). I gave this one to Jordyn today and he certainly got stuck into sucking the tags.
This year has been the year of homemade gifts. I have been making plain dishcloths (see below) for my friends birthdays and attaching some sort of accessory. Ususally I crochet a flower and make it into a brooch, but my lovely husband snapped my hook while using it for NOT the job intended. Hence a kind of yoyo flower brooch this time.

Another Ric Rac Bag

This bag I made for ME! I just love this oriental inspired material. I used Jodie's pattern (again) on her Ric Rac blog. If you are new to sewing (or not) please check out this tutorial as even I can do it.
I used some vintage buttons on the handle and you can just see a peek of the green satin lining.
I love it. I almost never make stuff for me, so I am pleased I took the time to do this.

Diaper Clutch

I have made this for my friend who is having her baby shower tomorrow. This is what is looks like closed up. I got the idea from here.
Inside the bag I made a little changing mat and included a nappy, wipes and a cylinder (like the ones you put beads into) of creams eg. nappy cream, sunscreen, handcream, hand sanatiser and plasters and panadol in the top.
This is what it looks like open with all the bits and pieces in it.
Along with the diaper clutch I made two bags for wet or dirty nappies/clothes.

I am going to try to do a tutorial on this in the coming week.

Lunch Bag

I made my nephew a food bag. He is only 8 months old, but you need something with style to put your pureed carrots into. I used this tutorial on Skip to my Lou's blog. I used cotton curtaining material that was on special for $2.00 per metre @ spotlight. I love it.
As you can see, I did make an adjustment and lined this lunch/food bag with waterproof parker material. I used Jodie's tutorial for making handbags and followed just the lining part of the tutorial.

Then out of the parker material ($5.99 per metre @ spotlight) I made two drawstring bags to hold his wets or dirties.

A good afternoon's sewing.

A months worth of shopping

Yes guys, this is what a months worth of groceries looks like.

I decided with the price of food to try shopping once a month like many of you do. I use to go every fortnight and that was cheaper than weekly. I can definately say that monthly is cheaper still. I think the checkout lady thought I had a tinned tomato fetish. What can I say? Tomatoes are so versatile and cheap in the canned form.

My BIG Win

What would make a grown women leave her unpacked groceries strewn on her bench with ice cream melting in total disregard?

A courier delivered package. That's what!

Oh! How exciting.... it's my win from Fat Orange Cat :)

Look at this tote. It is so absolutely DIVINE!

And... it has the most gorgeous lining. My first ever blog win.

Thank you so much Fat Orange Cat.

Dinner x2

I thought I'd share this as a money saving idea. I cooked chops in my slow cooker with veges and stock. We all had our fill but there was still a lot of stock and veg left. So I pureed it up and we had it as soup with homemade bread the second night. Anything to get out of a nights cooking :).

My Ric-Rac bag

This is my very first bag. Not only have I never made a bag before, I have never made a lined bag. I used the fantastic tutorial on Jodie's blog Ric-Rac. It was a great tutorial and because I am still learning I need a good tutorial. I then made the bag strap using this tutorial from Fat Orange Cat. I made it for Miss J's teacher. Apparently she likes cats (well, so my 5 yr old says). Hope she likes it.

Funky chore chart No:2

I wish I was better at photographing my creations. It honestly looks better in real life. This one is for Miss A aged 11. I know, you are thinking "why does an 11 yr old need a chore chart?". Well, my girl has ADHD and Aspergers and until the meds kick in, she just can't keep on track.
She thinks it's pretty cool too.

I Won

I am so excited. I have won this cool tote from Fat Orange Cat.

There was lots of hand clapping and whooping as I saw my name on her blog.

It is my first ever win. Yipee.

Funky daily chore chart

I wish I could take credit for this idea (of a fabric) chore chart. But I can't. I saw one that my friend Dee had made for her daughter. I thought "I can do that", and I did. This is for Miss J aged 5. As you can see I sewed velcro strips down the front and a little pocket for them to go in when the job is done. I am really hoping this will help keep her on task without my need for nagging.

Thrift store find

This is my latest thrift store find. It is a 100% leather skirt. I just love it and feel wonderful wearing it. It did cost more than I would normally spend on a 2nd hand item, $20.00!!! I stood there doing the 'do I, don't I' and my mum was saying "For goodness sake it's leather". I took her advice and brought it.

Hats and flowers

I love this hat (modeled by Miss A). If you want to crochet one you can find the pattern here.
This is an easy pattern for a beginner. And I loved making the flowers. On the back I sewed a safety pin so I can change the flower and wear them as a brooch. Happy crocheting.