Calling a meeting of the Jess Appreciation Society...

Thank you, Jess...

xoxo

my creative space

I am often late with presents for my family, so I'm a bit chuffed that I'm already on track for Mother's Day next week...

I made a couple of these little handprint flowers for Grandma and Nanny - using this tutorial by Wild Olive, but using full size handprints - because I am lazy, but also because I think the recipients will like to know they are "really" her handprints (I just cut the second handprint a little way up the palm to make the smaller inner petals).

Now I just need to remember to get to the post office on time...

For more creative spaces ...

our today garden

I spent a good chunk of this sunny easter weekend outside, trying to clean up our garden (it always seems more like cleaning than gardening, as I sweep sand, dirt and possum poo off concrete), and doing a bit of thinking.


I've mentioned my dreams of our "one day" garden before, but, the truth is, that day is a way off, and in the meantime I am going to focus on improving what we've got.


I need some help though - I have some plans and ideas (less concrete, new steps, more garden!), and have started making some concept drawings, but I know we can't do it alone, and I'm still experiencing "tradie phobia" (after a bathroom renovation that still haunts us, and causes problems, years later).

(the new steps thing is something of a necessity)

Can you give me any advice on finding someone we can rely on, someone who won't laugh at our attempts to minimise costs / waste / environmental impact, and someone who will let me do the bits I can do on my own? Better still, do you know anyone who fits that description and works in SE Melbourne?

One day, one day...

(we might keep at least a bit of concrete...)

happy easter homebodies

(Our Easter Bunny slipped a note under the door...)

With both sets of grandparents living more than a daytrip away, our Easters and Christmases have always involved lots of travelling, and a fair bit of "fitting in" with other's expectations and routines (and also a fair bit of fun, too... occasionally balanced with the odd bout of crabbiness... well, you get the picture).

("Hey, why am I getting vegie seeds instead of eggs? Oh, so the eggs are in the garden...")

This Easter is our first one at home, and we've had a wonderfully relaxing time making things up on our own (borrowing a few family traditions and making some new ones too).

(Growing some leafy greens in case the Easter Bunny's friends want to visit)

Wishing you and yours a happy time, whatever you're doing, wherever you are...

(Anyone for pancakes?)

xx

avoiding the oppie - day 1

As I suspected, my daughter has taken my op-shop moratorium badly.

On the very first day, despite a clogged up nose, and a rather impressive sounding cough (well, if you are impressed by sickness), she insisted we needed to go to an Op shop to find a friend for Moby Dick, because he was lonely in the ocean...


(She also wanted me to tell her the story of Moby Dick - oh, maybe not quite the right story for a nearly 4 year old - so I told her to make up her own... sure enough, it was a story about Moby finding a whale friend...).

I started to have a "wants versus needs" conversation with her (all the time, thinking I was a pot talking to a kettle), but felt so sorry for my glazed eyed girl, and found myself saying "We don't need to go out for a whale, we could make one."


I took a rough pattern from Moby, cut into some old trackies from the rag pile, keeping away from the threadworn bits, and sewed - with one eye on the machine, and one eye on my little cheerleader dancing on the bed (amazing what a bit of toy anticipation can do...),


and made Teacle.




Teacle loves turning somersaults in the ocean, and eating shrimp, but mostly she loves spending time with her best friend Moby.


I wonder what I will resort to next time the op shop beckons? Christy and I are going to try and stay away for the rest of April - does anyone else want to / need to join us?

Enough. (flea market finds)

I'm a bit early for Flea Market Finds this week (or really late, perhaps), but needed to write this post before I changed my mind.

You see, I've decided to take a break from op-shopping for a while - well, at least 2 weeks.

Yesterday, I had a little bit of child-free time, and thought it would be fun to go treasure hunting... and it was.


I found some great things - this suitcase at a tip shop (I didn't even know we had a tip shop nearby until a week or so ago!), four (yes, FOUR) gorgeous aprons, a bit of orange tupperware and a "matching" teatowel, and a couple of nice sheets.

I also found, and bought, some other things that I didn't love or need, and that I put back in the car and redonated straight away...

I realised that, while my love of op-shopping has many benefits, it has started to take more of my time, and more of my thoughts (and more space in our home), than I'd like.

So a break it is. It will be hard to maintain - especially with a daughter who actively encourages my habit - but necessary.

Wish me luck!

PS: I'll be joining in with Sophie's Flea Market Finds this Sunday.

my creative space

This week, our space contains little snippets of creativity... I am thinking about big projects and plans, but so far haven't found the time (or energy or organisation or self belief) to get started...

...soon...

Until then, I am borrowing ideas...

(child embroidered hoop inspired by Soulemama)

taking inspiration from a challenge...

(made from sheet edges left over from making FQs for this swap)

and enjoying some early morning outdoor creative time with the girl...


For more than just snippets, pop over here.

the dangers of visiting fetes late in the day...

Do you ever visit fetes late in the day? When the stall holders announce "fill up a box/bag for $5, no, $2, no, just take it all, it's free..."?

Last Sunday, I did just that - and walked away with a box of 60+ books (because in announcing they were free, they mentioned that leftover books were thrown out because op-shops have refused them in the past! Seriously, that is sad). I did make a donation, because it seemed wrong not to.


I think I well and truly got my money's worth.

Some books have already been delivered to an op-shop (I'm delivering little bundles in the hope that it will increase their chances of being accepted). Others - new or practically new - have been stashed away to give to family and friends. Others we will be "auditioning" and treating almost like library books - try them out for a few weeks, and if we don't absolutely love them, we'll give them away.


Some will most definitely be staying with us - a Tove Jansson book (thank you, MMMC for the introduction to her work), a cat book that I remember from school, and a 1950 edition of Just So Stories (and a few others, but I thought you might get bored with picture after picture of books!).

I think our home is turning into a library... but perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

I'm sure Sophie would agree (and if you visit her later, I'm sure you'll see some lovely finds!)