Flashback Friday

Rewind......My bedroom 1985!
Check this out! 'Clutter Free' was far from the agenda in these days. Note artifacts of interest:
Brian Mannix poster, garfield postcard, cabbabge patch doll (Zacharay) macrame wall hanging, little paper parasols from large eateries such as 'Dennys', china doll, old style camera, clip on koala....

Owen's pirate party!

My son had his big '03' party yesterday. There were party pies and cheezles all round, while the kiddies played pass the parcel, pin the bones on the pirate ship flag and a good old fashioned hunt for treasure. I don't advise doing BLACK buttercream icing though, one of the kids thought it might be licorice. It's also a bit messy; but hey, it's how it looks that counts. In typical, high strung pre-party fashion, I finished the cake 5 minutes before everyone arrived! I made Owen a little t-shirt out of a ladies stripey top. I couldn't convince him to wear his pirate hat though!

Cut and Paste in great haste!

My boy did this this morning. This big piece of silver card is one of a pile of old smoked salmon boards I saved from my days in the kitchen several years ago. How's that for recycling!! This is hanging quite proudly in the hallway entrance.

Christmas Cheer!

This advent calendar came over from England. It came from my boy's Nan, I think it has been made in Germany. Anyway, I love the idea of an advent calendar you can use over and over again. To be honest, as you might be able to see, we haven't been regular with our days. The bags are big enough to put in generous sized treats. So far he has had a feather, money, stickers, the odd lolly and a rather large marble.

A hot day at the market...

My very first day with my newly made childrens clothes (made by yours truly and my mum). Arrived all ready for action. Unfortunately, there wasn't much action in the spot I was in. A few people poked and prodded. The sun was sooooo hot, and it seemed that I was in the only spot with NO SHADE whatsoever. I ended up packing up everything by 11am (the market was due to finish at 1pm). The good thing,however, is that I had no expectations of how the day would pan out. I spent the next two hours wandering around and chatting to some wonderful people.

PS. Note to self- need umbrella

Is anyone out there?

Sometimes I get the feeling that NOT ONE PERSON has read my blog. Anyway, it's been a hot hills weekend and I have enjoyed going to bed late and waking early. This is a great time of year for me energy wise. Thinking about getting some chickens. I have wanted to get some for quite a while. I don't know why I have been hesitant for so long and haven't just taken the plunge. It has to happen. Watch this space... If there is anyone out there, please comment!

Sewing Frenzy...

I made the coolest dress yesterday(photo soon). It is a size 8 girls dress I copied from a cute dress I bought at an opp shop. It was really easy peasy. It has no facing. I simply ironed and sewed round a hem because the material is really heavy anyway.
I tried it on my friends daughter yesterday who is 8 and it fits perfectly! Although, it is kind of more like a dress over pants or a skirt as it's a little bit short. I I bought 3 paisley curtains from an opp shop at about 2 bucks each. I will make pants, skirts and dresses!
I have also been propagating tomato seeds which are ready to transplant. My son loves eating the lettuce which is VERY exciting!

Last years seeds...

Here are the lettuces I propagated from last years seeds. They grow beautifully in heavily composted soil in these old asparagus boxes. Beautiful!

Oct 27- Spud Stamps

I'd almost forgotten about good old spud stamps! I was about to compost my old potatoes when I thought about these. Luckily with a quick manoeuvre of the knife I managed to carve some simple designs for my eager boy. It adds a whole new dimension to the painting experience. You just need a very sharp knife!

Great Grandma's chest

The latest of many projects is the complete makeover of my Great grandma's rusty tin chest. This apparently came over (with her) from America to Australia in the late 1800's. This poor forgotten relic was stored under my parents house for at least thirty years doing nothing. That is, until I came along! As I get older, I seem to appreciate these family artifacts more and more. Each year, my Nana will pass something on to my mum, who in turn will pass it to me. Anyway, here is a picture of the chest. As you can see the initials are still in full view.

Here I am

Hello Everyone,

Firstly, I'd like to formally welcome myself to the wide world of blogging.
"Hi there...".
Ok, that's done.
Second, I'd like to tell you a liitle about what I hope to achieve with this space:

1. A forum to celebrate the best and worst of everyday living. Pretty simple really.
2.To share my views on collecting and resurrecting little treasures (and sometimes big ones).
3. A mish mash of bits and pieces on sustainable living, being thrifty (just like Nana) and creations of the fabric and food kind.
4. Relaxation. Don't we all need more! I'm planning to do as much relaxing as possible without feeling guilt ridden!
5. Thoughtful Contemplation. Ok, now I'm just sounding repetitive...

Anyway, I think that's about as much as I'd like to reveal for the moment!