from a friend

How perfect is this basket! My lovely friend dropped it off to me last week, fulled with fragrant flowers, citrus and a freshly baked banana loaf, it made my day! I think we need to back to simple things like this, I really appreciate gifts like home baking and love, love, love garden picked flowers! 

sewing winter goodies

I've been busy sewing some cute winter pieces for my little clothing range Isla & Olive, using lots of thick woollen fabric for tunics and merino for long sleeve tops & pants. Who new winter sewing would be so much fun!

I found a bowl of fruit

I've been on the "look out" for some wooden fruit and vegetables for the girls play kitchen, I found these cute little  pieces at the play centre shop yesterday, only $2.5o each! The gorgeous wee colander was $8.oo. I've told the girls (if they're good for mummy) we can go back and pick out one each a week to build up their collection.

My waiting payed off, it might have been easier to purchase from a chain toy shop or on-line but sometimes it's pays to be patient, this way I got a good deal and I'm supporting a local shop with money going back into the community.

Whats on your list of "look outs"?

up-cycling clothing

I love sewing and re-inventing clothing and love merino for winter! Mum gave me some merino garments that she'd hardly worn, so I've been up-cycling them to make winter clothing for the girls. The cost of merino clothing for children blows me away, often being the same price (or more) than adults clothing!

I'm a big fan of up-cycling, it's so rewarding to get a finished garment in under half and hour! This was a women's cardigan (very short in length), I cut of the sleeves at the arm seam, cut about 5cm off the shoulders, took it in at the sides (about 15cm on each side, sewed and over locked), then reattached the arms (only using the bottom 25cm of each.) So easy and minimal work! 

Sometimes it can be a bit daunting the thought of sewing a whole garment, especially when you have limited time, so this is the perfect little winter project.

Happy sewing!

Jamie Oliver pizza dough

I used Jamie Olivers pizza base recipe in the weekend, so yummy! It's so thin, crispy and delicious! (nothing like the stodgy, thick pre-made supermarket ones!) I made mozzarella, ham and pineapple for the girls, for us a prawn, olive, mozzarella, portobello mushrooms. Strangely enough I preferred the girls one (and I'm normally a huge mushroom and seafood fan) I think with pizza less is more!

Jamie Oliver pizza dough:
Serves makes 6 to 8 medium-sized thin pizza bases
For the recipe go to JamieOliver.com

 

 

Home-made cream crackers

These are my first attempt at making home-made crackers, I never knew how easy they are to whip up!

455g Flour
half a teaspoon salt
85g butter
Milk to mix

Put flour, salt and butter into food processor, (I also added half a teaspoon of dried herbs and a pinch of chilli) blend until the butter is rubbed in. Slowly add milk to foam a stiff dough. Roll out thinly. Cut into squares, place on greased oven tray and prick with a fork. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for approximately 10 minutes (one tray at a time in the oven to insure an even bake.)

Happy baking!

A little green

To make up for the shortage of flowers this time of year I've been filling my house with loads of plants, even a indoor tree! Here's a few of the succulents I picked up from the market, quite happy in their vintage pots and a milk jug!

diy ring

I've recently spotted lots of over sized rings in magazines and designer shops lately, many with beautiful gemstones. This is my take on the ring, I brought this stone then attached it to a Stirling silver band, I'm very happy with how it turned out! Check out these beautiful Nga Waiata rings available from The family company

diy flower headband

You will need: fake flowers, white ribbon (enough to go around head & tie a bow at the back) and a hot glue gun. Simply cut the flowers as flat as you can then glue onto ribbon.
I've made one each for my girls to wear to a wedding in the weekend, they are very excited to wear their head band and new sparkly pink shoes!
 

diy ballet slippers

Some newly made ballet slippers for my beautiful ballerina

giving a room a new feel

We re-arranged the lounge furniture this afternoon, I love changing around furniture it gives the room a whole new feel! Isla ia wearing her flower girl dress (which still fits from a year ago!) It's my favourite dress ever, love the vintage lace cap on the sleeve. 

Two of my most loved pictures, the bird is a op-shop find and the lady is a post card from france (by the artist Mucha.)

The striped blue and white chair is my first ever attempt to reupholster, it was my $18 score from the red cross but desperately needed a lift! So I took it home, ripped off the old material and took to it with new fabric, scissors and my staple gun!

My latest venture, taking wedding photo's

Wow what a busy few months! Sorry for the lack of blogging, I was doing lots of sewing before Christmas for all the markets (which went really well, fantastic to see locals supporting locally made!) Then of course Christmas day, our seven year wedding anniversary, Neal birthday, mine and Isla's birthdays and at least ten other kids and family's party over the last two months! 

Photography is a hobby, I haven't done any training, I've been teaching myself (through watching 'you tube', it's an amazing way to learn manual settings!) During January I took photo's for my first wedding! I have to say I was a little nervous before hand but very excited at the same time! It's a lot of responsibility doing wedding photo's, no do overs! It was such a beautiful wedding, lovely to share the day and create lasting memory's for a friend!

Just a quick question, do you pay to blog??? Last time I tryed to post it said I had no memory space left and I would get charged, so I've gone through and deleted some posts to make room. Is this normal?

Baby expo

I haven't blogged for ages! Every spare minute for the last six weeks I've been sewing for the baby expo. I ended up with just under fifty pieces of clothing and twenty five accessories. I did sizes 3 months - 3 years, girls clothing and a few unisex bloomers.
I'm planning to branch out and do some boys clothing too, every second person asked if I had anything for boys! The expo went really well, I'll get some photo's up soon of our stall, until then here are a few pieces I made...