chunkychooky

Do you know someone like this:

2012-01-30T09:39:00.002+11:00

Let's just say I didn't have to look too far for inspiration for this latest design......

In the shop ~~now~~. SOLD -Thanks Jane.

If you want one let me know- more will be ready next week.

(Birthday) Party Politics.

2012-01-27T09:58:00.000+11:00

Busy turned 5 yesterday. We escaped town early- as we are in the middle of a flood but the main road was open and we went to see the Muppets again so Grandma (who is visiting) and Daddy could see it too. We loved it again.

We came home and made a birthday cake and played with all the new toys. Busy got a new bike but obviously with the torrential rain.... she has a party planned for this Sunday which may have to be postponed with the torrential rain.... town is completely cut off....

ANYWAY I am getting to the point now:

The other night on twitter I was complaining about how RIDICULOUS Pass the Parcel has become. Since when does every child get a prize - as opposed to a red frog or something or NOTHING at all and the birthday child gets the big prize at the end??? I don't get this and I don't like what it teaches them. The birthday child already has loads of presents so then they win another one?

Games are about playing them, it is fun to play games, there is not always a winner isn't it about joining in??

Why are we constantly teaching them they need to get rewarded for everything? Like with kids' sport how they all get a trophy at the end? I think that is over the top. I think they should get something to acknowledge that they have played well and participated in a team etc - like a certificate but a trophy? I think it's too much.

I think we rely on it. I know this happens a lot in the first bit of school- with lots of rewards and stickers but I don't think it is necessary. Don't we want them to be well behaved because we ask them to be? Don't we want them to participate because its fun to play. Busy's preschool does not reward children for behaviour and the children are great. Their stance is we follow the rules end of story- I like this. I like that their are expectations and consequences for not following them but it's expected that you will.

By teaching them that everything gets a prize or all good behaviour is rewarded are we teaching them to constantly expect praise? I think we are. I do not like it.

So after much discussion from this this this and this clever mumma we came up with some great alternatives to pass the parcel- we are doing cake decorating which was Busy's idea and we are going to read some books and maybe do some other craft or word games...

But this clever cookie came up with the greatest tshirt slogan: SAY NO TO EGALITARIAN PASS THE PARCEL.

What do you think?? Do you think children are over -rewarded??Praised over EVERYTHING?? too much praise? how do you handle it at your house?

Last chance to enter the giveway scroll down!

BEAUTIFUL BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

2012-01-23T09:20:00.000+11:00

Those lovely folks of Penguin sent me the most pretty of books to giveaway. It is full of sweet pictures with lovely blue and grey backgrounds, very minimalist and oh so pretty fabrics and the sweetest and cutest little girls. It is called Girls Style Book by Yoshiko Tsukiori

It is full of beautiful clothes patterns for little girls from size 2 to 10.

The patterns are not for someone who hasn't sewn much before but there are a few things that I think would be quite straight forward. I will even give one a go! Look how cute these kids are!!

The clothing is very sweet and looks a little vintage. I like the clothing style a lot, its very pretty but not in a frilly over the top way. I like that. The instructions are very detailed and if you are a good instruction reader you will be able to make EVERYTHING in this book. It comes with an envelope in the back with all the patterns which we like.

I have 2 copies to giveaway!

If you would like one please leave a comment below.

Entries are open until Fri 27th January midnight.

Winners will be notified by email.

Only open to Australian residents- sorry.

Feel free to tweet, facebook link etc to this giveaway.

How can I be expected to work under theses conditions:

2012-01-21T16:35:00.002+11:00

I cannot even begin to express the pain I went through to get a certain almost 5 year old to pose nicely for these pictures. There was hurrumphing ....

and whining on a biblical scale.

There was face pulling and squinting and complaining of sun in eyes and I am tired and blah blah blah ....

It was only when I told her to say poo poo head and bum bum face and all those other words she finds HILARIOUS that she finally started smiling and laughing

Then we got the winner:

Available in the shop of course.

Again, with the Happiness Project.

2012-01-16T09:28:00.000+11:00

So I have got a few people onto this book now and they/ you are all loving it. One of the (many) things about the book that I love is how easily I was able to see parts of my own life reflected back to me. I have been on a quest of sorts to assess my own energy levels. This is the first thing Gretchen does in the book and I am not planning on living my year like hers but certain things really made me think.

One of the biggest things I learnt from the book that has increased my energy levels is this: GET MORE SLEEP. I know so simple right?? But for the last week I have NOT been getting up at 530-6am to try and get some Etsy work done before I either have to go to work or before Busy gets up. I have been waiting to get up when Busy does ( about 630-7am) and it has been great! I don't feel like I am running behind, I don't feel like there is so much to do still. I feel more rested. I feel less cranky. It was that simple. MORE SLEEP!

The other thing I have been doing is I have JUST started seeing a personal trainer. I initially thought "I shouldn't have to pay someone to motivate me I should just get off my own bum and start jogging again" ...but 3 months went by and I didn't. I didn't even get my trainers out of the cupboard. A good friend of mine has been seeing this personal trainer for a few months and is feeling great and looking great and I have sat on my bum for 3 months thinking I should just start jogging but not actually doing anything about it.

So I have started with the personal trainer -she is nice. She doesn't yell or scream in your face just encourages and pushes you to kep going push yourself a little harder. Of course in my inpatience-don't-do-anything -by halves mindset I want to immediately start going every day and be fit overnight. Obviously this is not going to happen. On Saturday afternoon I attempted to go for a run with disasterous results, it was demoralising to realise how far I COULDN'T run anymore- how unfit I have become. But on the flip side I have started - I am doing something about the fact that I cannot run anymore, and as I am fond of saying nothing motivates you more than starting!
Wish me luck.

The Muppet Movie.

2012-01-09T12:14:00.000+11:00

"Its time to play the music , it 's time to light the lights, its time to meet the Muppets...." do you remember hearing it on the TV and running to the (small rounded possibly black and white only screen- as their was only one) wondering who the very special guest star would be?? I remember being particulary excited when it was Liberance. I can remember so clearly. I loved it! We all did.

So I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was to go and see The Muppet Movie. Like lay- awake- the- night -before-excited.

When I first saw the trailer I was overwhelmed by the sense of nostalgia I felt at seeing The Muppets again. It was like seeing my very best childhood friends. Seeing Fozzie and Kermit and Miss Piggy and Gonzo again was too much for me clearly as I cried. Cried! Can you believe it?! I really did. I cried at The Muppet Movie trailer.

Busy and I were lucky enough to get tickets to an advanced screening of the new movie last Saturday. I think it comes out on the 12th January in Australia. After I showed Busy the trailer she was also excited. ( or perhaps she just started saying she was as I kept asking her in a leading the witness kind of way if she was soooooo excited to go and see The Muppets)

Verdict: Fantastically cheesy. Just as you expect it to be lovely and warm and full of puns, I laughed out loud more than a few times and their are some great songs- one in particular called Life's a Happy Song ( you can download it on i-Tunes and I DARE you to NOT get up and dance when you hear it) that stay with you. Yes Kermit sings that song and I cried again.

The cinema was filled with kids of course and their nostalgic parents and everyone left with a big smile. But the best bit? At the end of the movie when they played Life's a Happy Song again all the kids got up and started dancing. And yes I cried AGAIN!

You can watch the trailer here

MA- NA MA- NA

Secrets of Adulthood

2012-01-06T10:37:00.001+11:00

Sometimes a book keeps coming at you from all different directions. I kept seeing The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin everywhere. I would walk past a shop and see it, I would see it online, I would see it in the newspaper, I would over hear someone talking about it at a cafe. The universe trying to tell me to read it. I scoffed inwardly "I don't read self help books and I certainly don't need help to be happy." Cynical? Yes.

But yet it still kept jumping out at me. So I popped it on my kindle before we went to Thailand and I started reading it on the plane. I was immediately struck by the authors honesty it is hugely personal but so much of what she said rang true to me. Gretchen makes various commandments and personal truths for herself to keep her on track as she tackles different aspects of her life month by month. The research is comprehensive and explained in an easy to read way and there is a good mix of evidence as well as personal truths. I loved some of the great ideas she has like : don't delay a task that takes less than a minute. I have made this 5 minutes for me and I find if I just- for example put the washing away rather than be annoyed by the basket it really actually makes me feel lighter.

Probably my favourite part of book are The Secrets of Adulthood. You know those things you work out as you grow up that you can't believe took you so long to "get' which I loved as I often thought about these kind of things, when one would spring up I would immediately think - why didn't I work that out sooner?? What took me so long to work it out?

So I started writing mine down when I thought of them:

here they are:

When cranky assess last food and water intake.

Good food and exercise makes you feel good.

Sometimes it's easier to shut up

Ranting and raving and "venting" make you feel worse not better.

Always be nice to admin people, no matter how difficult that may sometimes be.

It's generally not the fault of the person who answers the phone.

It saves time if you read the instructions.

Friendship is not always forever.

It's nice to be nice.

No one will ever be as consistently excited to see you as your dog.

People who come across as snobby or rude may just be incredibly shy.

If you say the compliment out loud, it will make you both feel good.

Nothing ever turns out as you imagine it in your minds eye. Never ever.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.*

Being optimistic is a force of will.

Question professionals decisions and treatment plans. Ask about evidence.

Always have a wet weather plan.

The words "sorry" and "but" cancel each other out.

Wanting change means getting actively involved.

Feeling guilty is a choice you make.

People that tell you you are sensitive may have just been incredibly insensitive.

* this one is obviously not my own but it took me a while to get the concept

What are your secrets of adulthood? I would love to know, I bet you have lots of them.

New design-

2012-01-04T17:34:00.000+11:00

I have been looking at a beautiful cross stitch of a rose, its a tablecloth hanging over an ugly bookcase next to my computer, for a while now... I love the pattern of it and have wanted to use the design for something for ages but I didn't know what.... I wanted to give it a modern twist.

So it's pixels rather than cross stitches.

I am thrilled with how it has turned out.
What do you think?
It's in the shop here.

Really?? A package from who??

2012-01-04T08:22:00.002+11:00

Yesterday when I got home after a 4 hour round trip to see Angelina Ballerina perform a 45 minute ballet concert- it was cute but seriously mammoth drive. I was rewarded with some mail.

From Etsy.

Yep! Etsy sent me a present !

Many of you may remember a craft documentary that was shown here in Australia earlier in the year- I cannot remember what it was called but it was really going on about how Etsy is this big faceless corporation taking money from artists etc etc it annoyed me a lot so yesterday when I got this lovely mail I felt validated. I don't think it is a big faceless corporation. I have always had emails answered quickly and politely and this has been not only helpful but great customer service. I think it is what you make it. I love the people that buy things from me on Etsy- the little notes they leave telling why they are buying that specific cushion and the lovely thank you emails.

As I said when the craft documentary was discussed the next day on twitter Etsy has changed my families life. Literally. I could not have had the success I have had with My Bearded Pigeon without it. I think the small commission taken from each sale is very reasonable- considering bricks and mortar shops take about 50% ( I realise the costs are very different and it is comparing apples and oranges but in terms of where can I sell my craft when I am starting out?) and Etsy take 3%.

There are about 300 000 thousand shops on Etsy and so I am not exactly sure why I got a present, I did write a big forum post once about the do's and don'ts of etsy... maybe that was it? Its certainly not because my sales are huge compared to thousands of other people my sales have been small...

Anyway, all I know is it was completely nice and completely unexpected and it came with a lovely handwritten note.

Thanks Etsy and Thanks Danielle.

Additional note: It would appear SOME people think that this post is being boastful and intended to make other people feel bad that they didn't get anything. Really!! Why think like that? Why would I try to make other people feel bad?

this makes everything worth while

2012-01-02T09:01:00.002+11:00

A couple of days ago I opened an email from a lovely woman Michele with this picture and immediately burst into tears:

I remembered the story Michele had told me when she bought the cushion a few months ago. She bought it because her Mum and her mum's partner Geoff have been long term advocates of Asylum Seekers and they visit Villawood detention centre on a weekly basis to offer support to those illegally imprisoned there.

Michele had found the cushions on Etsy on the same day the man in the picture who is a refugee from Sri Lanka was coming to stay with her mum and Geoff that night. He has been granted residency and is now waiting for his family to have theirs granted too.

To see this photo, to see a refugee from Sri Lanka and Michele and her wonderful supportive family holding my cushion makes me cry so much. To know that this man, who Michele describes as kind and caring from Sri Lanka and his family know that there are so many people here in Australia who welcome asylum seekers with understanding and compassion without discrimination, who understand what asylum seekers have fled from, the trauma they have been through and the anguish of being separated from family and loved ones, well it really does make me feel good.

I have mentioned before that I have got some pretty horrible emails in the past about this cushion but this just makes me determined to make more.

Last year I sold 11 of these and $110 went to the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre

this year I want to double that!

So to celebrate Michele and her family and their lovely photo if you would like your own cushion cover please use the coupon code ICARE at checkout for a 10% discount.

Thanks so much Michele.

Favourite.

2011-12-29T13:21:00.000+11:00

As 2011 draws to a close I will leave you with my favourite tweet of the year and the one that shocked me the most:

"Nevermind is 20 years old. Remember, how the Beatles

seemed old back in 1991? They broke up 21 years before.

You've become your parents."

Happy 2012 from all of us to all of you...

Let the shenanigans begin!

2011-12-22T11:13:00.001+11:00

Its been a crazy year.

On the business front My Bearded Pigeon the little business I started this time last year has done well, many of you were right in your very early predictions of success- and thank you to so many of you who have bought cushions some of you who have bought many many cushions. For those of you who have featured them on their blog leading to other people buying cushions, thank you.

On the personal front this year has been very sad. This year the world lost 3 magnificent women all in their early 40's way way way to young to leave us. One left us after a battle with cancer, leaving a young family and loving partner and close extended family. We miss her and are sad for those left behind.

In October many of you will remember the helicopter accident in New York? Our friends were on board. Helen had surprised Sonni for her 40th birthday with not only a trip to New York but she had arranged for Sonni's parents to meet them at the top of the Empire State building. The next day they all went on a helicopter ride over Manhattan. Tragically the helicopter crashed quickly after take off, Sonni was killed instantly. Helen died a few weeks later in hospital and Sonni's mother a few weeks after that. The shock and cumulative effect of this was overwhelming at times. Thank goodness for a little Busy who never lets you be sad for very long. My heart aches for their families at such loss at this time more than ever.

I have also decided to donate money from My Bearded Pigeon to a new cause. My Kiva loans are ticking over nicely and as the money can be re-loaned to someone new after it is repaid I feel as it it may be time to support something new as well as re-loan those loans coming back in. (If you would like to join the crafty bloggers Kiva team just send me an email.)

I have decided on Medecins San Frontier , Doctors Without Borders. Health workers go into places that are so dangerous they are risking their own lives by providing medical attention to people who need it most, it is so brave.

I will continue to support Asylum Seekers Resource Centre with the below cushion- that was once called "grossly irresponsible" as it "promotes Australia as a place where they should come to". Yes, as I am quite sure people fleeing from persecution are looking at my etsy shop on their i-pads deciding to go to Australia because they saw that their are cushions welcoming them. After the sickening and horrific events of the last few days now more than ever I feel like I want to support ASRC and the amazing work they do.

I think about this stuff a lot at Christmas and especially after yesterdays chuck out. We have so much. So so much and so many people have so little. We have a life that is so easy. We don't have to worry about bombs going off or if our loved ones will return from work. We don't have to worry about being killed for what we say or what we disagree with the government about. We have access to clean water never more than a few metres away. We don't have to worry about dying in child birth. We don't have to worry about our children dying of diseases fixed by a short hospital admission. We have access to good health care. We have access to good clean food. We have stable housing. We have jobs we like. We have a family we love. We have a healthy and vibrant child. We are lucky. I want to help those that aren't so lucky, and remember that at people are suffering in ways we cannot imagine and we need to remember and do even the smallest thing we can to pitch in.
Please tell me: why you are lucky?

Stay safe. x

2011-12-21T16:33:00.000+11:00

Today while Busy was at pre school I got busy in her room. Most of this has now been delivered to the oppy*. I was ruthless. So many clothes and so much other crap!

*second hand shop as in opportunity shop for those of us not in Australia.

And MUM: I found the wooden clogs!!

It always feels good to purge I reckon. My wardrobe is next!

Elevensies.

2011-12-12T12:01:00.000+11:00

I meant to schedule this post before I left -we were in Bangkok on our 11/11/11 and we were at a gemstone factory seeing how precious stones are made into jewellery and Chef bought me a diamond ring!! - and but I

I actually do have all my fingers it looks like I am missing a few bits

didn't want to not post it. So its late, (Kate reminded me because its her 12 today) he bought is because it perefectly matched my wedding/engagement rings - it has 9 diamionds- not 11. So this post is late but still very importnat.

Today, on the 11/11/11 at approximately 11pm exactly 11 years ago I fell in love with Chef.

Eleven years since "the declaration."
Eleven years since you stole my heart.
Eleven years of you cooking for me
Eleven years of me loving that you cook for me

Eleven years of cackles and hugs

Eleven years of dancing in the kitchen

Eleven years of in- jokes

Eleven years of morning coffees shared

Eleven years of friendship and love.

Eleven years of staying up late

Eleven years of river swimming

Eleven years of crossword agitation

Eleven years of silly names

Eleven years of growing older

Eleven years of waking up next to you.

Eleven years of coping with my impatience

Eleven years of picking up your dirty socks

Eleven years of fun love and laughter.

Eleven years since Zac and I fell in love with you.

Happy Anniversary Mr.

This may help:

2011-12-12T06:36:00.000+11:00

from here

Elephants- if you don't like elephants avert your eyes now

2011-12-07T17:11:00.000+11:00

You know that feeling when you wake in the morning and it is finally THE day? It is finally the day you have been looking forward to for months and their have been count downs and day dreams about this day and how exciting it will be. And it is finally no more sleeps. This was the feeling of excitement when we woke up only a week ago in Chiang Mai. It was finally the day we were going to the Elephant Nature Park

There is so much I could write about how great this place is. It is a couple of hours out of Chiang Mai and it is a huge National park where the rescued Elephants can roam around freely, swimming in the river and gorging themselves on fruit fed to them by volunteers from all over the world. It is indeed a very special place.

(I love their feet. )

The park rescues Elephants that have been mistreated or abused by buying from the owners and relocating them to the park. See this ( above) Elephant on the left- she has a broken hip and she drags her back right leg- you can see how it is dragging in the picture she was rescued after she was injured when she was working clearing the forest. The stories- which you can read on the website will break your heart but their is a silver lining for these lovely beasts.

they are loved deeply by their carers and and their sponsors from all over the world, the herd always welcomes new members and I think there are 37 Elephants living at the park now.

they line up for feeding more than a few times a day - look at their saggy bums:

After they have been fed they like to go for a swim- it was our job as volunteers to throw water on them with buckets- we all got very wet but it was so fun. Someone threw several hundred bucket loads of water on those elephants and was very determined to make sure that elephant was nice and wet and cooled down.

It was amazing that by the end of the day we were actually very comfortable with the Elephants and having such huge beasts around us. Busy who threw herself straight into it as soon as we arrived and was a huge hit with the our guide and the elephants carers was the first one to start feeding them and learnt quickly how to put the food in the curve of their trunk so they could literally toss it into their mouths.

This is Lek. She started the park in the early 90's. We watched her being interviewed and I took this photo as we watched in awe as all the Elephants hurried over when they saw her and started hugging her with their trunks - like she was their mumma- which she kind of is- it was quite a sight to see.

And see that gorgeous creature below: She is "our" Elephant! Her name is Sri Nuan and she is blind in one eye and she is enormous and lovely. We sponsored her, you can sponsor an elephant too ( would make a great Christmas present I reckon) your dollar goes a very long way in Thailand and this park relies on donations to keep it going.

This little lady had a lovely time too. In fact it was one of those days I don't think any of us will ever forget.

Home

2011-12-04T17:40:00.003+11:00

I don't even know where to start in telling you about our Thailand adventure. We had such a fabulous time. We did things we have never done before and we saw things that we have never seen before. We smelt things that we never want to smell again. We laughed and cackled and cried tears of joy. We were humbled by the generosity and kindness shown towards us- particularly to Busy and we had fun. So much fun. I will let the pictures do the talking:

Bangkok tuk tuk- I really want one.

about the only authentic thing about the floating markets was the people selling food to the stall holders selling tourist crap. So disappointing.

street food Bangkok style- did you know Bangkok was also known as the Big Mango?? The street food was fascinating to us, so much was served in a plastic bag.

street art- Bangkok- love it.

we went swimming every day and after about the first week Busy could swim! by herself!

Busy spent the first few days in Bangkok like this. I was mortified then later just let her do it.

The first few times we left the hotel in Bangkok Busy was not coping, it was hot and it did smell and she walked around like this a lot. She was much happier in a tuk tuk so we caught a lot of them.

Spanish architecture in Phuket (or as we called it Poo poo ket)

our hotel pool with swim up bar at Phuket- what a bloody great invention that is. I discovered Mojitos here. Love.

Phuket. Hmmmm. Lots of backpackers and parts of it had a very seedy feeling- even in the middle of the day. We didn't see it at night a lot as we were tucked up in bed with a sleeping Busy watching cheap DVDs but I shudder to think. I saw way too many dirty old men with young Thai girls and instantly assumed the worst and spent a lot of time scowling. Wondering how young they were? were they Ok?? It was too confronting.

feeding monkeys

they make me very nervous

they just look sinister to me!

sunset at Krabi- it doesn't get better than this

When we arrived in Krabi I felt like I was really really on holidays. We stayed at the most beautiful resort- we got a great deal - and the staff were so lovely and kind. I think seeing those big rocks jutting out of the water with my feet in the sand while we gorged on soft shell crab and watched the sun set was indeed a highlight. Busy was immediately adopted by all the staff and was greeted with great excitement every time they saw her she was given little presents allowed large servings of icecream and patted and adored by all - it was so luxurious this place- far beyond anywhere we had ever stayed. I did not want to leave.

long boats ready for the days fishing

millions of crabs on the sand

this island was all ours - for a few hours anyway...

cruising on our long boat - it was one of my favourite days

feeding tropical fish

deep fried bugs anyone?

our glorious room at Koh Samui with our own pool overlooking the beach. yes it was awesome.

beautiful rickety wharf at Koh Samui

Buddha was everywhere including a huge gold statue at Koh Samui. It was hard to explain all of this to busy as we have so far not gone there with religion.

13000 people die each year in road accidents in Thailand . I learnt this fact when we watched The Hangover 2, set in Thailand. We saw a woman breastfeeding on the back on a motorbike. It was not uncommon to see 3 people on a motorbike. No one seemed to hold on to the person driving. No one wore helmets. No car seats in cars. It gave me heart palpitations.

yes, Busy is really feeding a tiger cub. Koh Samui zoo

see that little baby elephant? It is one month old- it was so little when we were feeding him he couldn't yet use his trunk properly. the cuteness was too much for all of us. I cried! Koh Samui zoo

We were forced to make choices we didn't want to.The zoo one was most difficult. We had heard things about it that sounded pretty bad but we also knew you could pat a tiger and see Elephants and Busy was busting to see an elephant again. We had to weigh it all up and eventually we decided to go.... it was better than I thought and Busy loved it so much. The animals seemed well looked after but as if I would have a clue really. A few days prior to this we had seen some elephants on the side of the road near Krabi

But seeing this one month old baby elephant made it all worthwhile. He was so cute. Tears again. Lip tremble.

I realised very early on I am not a backpacker anymore. I want luxury with my adventure these days I work hard so I want to indulge when I am on holidays. I like coming home to a made up bed and clean towels, air con and room service if I want it. I think Chef could probably rough it easily but not me, I have been there and done that. It was interesting to see how not a lot had changed yet so much had. Backpackers have laptops these days and sit in cafes using free wifi posting pictures on facebook. But they still have golden tans, dirty feet and hangovers.

I like holidays with lots of markets and lots of good food and a bit of street chaos. This had all of that. It really was something for everyone. It was easy to get around and we had a few hilarious moments where there was major communication breakdowns - it was so funny- as it almost always involved Chef. We got use to saying things like 'lets get a tuk tuk' and bargaining with people about the price of everything. I bought Busy a beautifully embroidered skirt and when the people at the hotel saw it and asked how much I paid they said " too much"-in a nice way. But when I explained it cost me less than I pay for a coffee they couldn't believe it! I didn't barter for a lot of things as I was completely happy to pay $3 for a dress for Busy etc. We had amazing massages and I had my first ever pedicure- I am converted- loved it - and manicure.

We started talking in broken English to each other which was weird but were surprised how many people spoke English and how well they did. We learnt to say hello and thank you in Thai and this was appreciated especially when the small blonde curly one did it. Busy was happy to swim every day and just be with us. It really is the land of Smiles.

I have lots more pictures. I haven't even got to our favourite place yet.

Outta here....

2011-11-09T06:27:00.000+11:00

We are going to Thailand tomorrow.

For 3 weeks.

We are going to lay on beaches, and get massages and look after elephants in a welfare park. We are going to eat spicy food and not wash up for three weeks. And not vacuum.

We are going to go shopping in busy markets and swim in our private pool.

We are going to go in rickety old boats and we are going to take hundreds of photos. We are going to go to beautiful islands and swim in clear blue water. We are going to experience a new culture and learn lots of new words. We are going to feel culture shock. We are going to have our senses aroused and assaulted. We are going to do a cooking course (not me) and maybe even learn some local craft. (me)

We are going to hang out as 3. No one else just us. We are not going to be rushed with getting to work and preschool. We are going to have fun and learn.

We are very excited.

After the last month we need this.

See you on the other side.

(yes we know about the awful floods but have spoken to those in the know)

On being a Working Mother

2011-11-04T14:25:00.000+11:00

Firstly the disclaimer: this is not a blog post about if you should stay at home, work outside the home or not work outside the home or any combination of the above. This is a blog post about me. So the person who felt the need to write me a long email last time I wrote about work about how they "are living on the poverty line" and so she "can stay at home with her kids" and I am "selfish" and am "only working so I can buy expensive pairs of shoes" and that I am "making a huge mistake giving my children to someone else to raise" please don't bother writing in.

This post was prompted by a tweet from Chrissie Swan that said "being a working mother sucks ar*e sometimes" It really does.

So it's 140pm on Friday I should be at work. I have no sick leave left. I have no FACS leave left ( leave you can take if your child is sick or if there is a family crisis etc) I have a chid with a suspected case of whooping cough ( currently asleep on the lounge) I have clients who need to see more as I am going away for three weeks next week and they want an appointment before I go. I have thankfully an incredibly understanding manager who never makes me feel bad about taking time off. So I am home feeling guilty about cancelled appointments and letting people down.

I feel as if I spend my life racing between home and work ( I work 3 days a week outside the home) and constantly thinking about the other one. We all race around in the morning Busy eat your breakfast, brush your teeth, brush your hair, wipe your face, get dressed, put your shoes on, get your bag, hat ( where is it??) drink bottle (where is it??) please get in the car, drive to daycare, stay to draw a picture but feel incredibly stressed as each moment is ticking away meaning I will be late, please mummy please stay for a bit, please don't go yet, just 5 more minutes, try not to speed to work, find a car space and fly into work exhausted. Client client client client, nod, nod, nod, then back in the car to drive home. Get home feel torn between needing to do etsy stuff and hanging out with Busy. Hang out with her, play a game, feed her and get ready for bed, read a story have a chat, laugh at her delaying tactics, have dinner with Chef then do etsy stuff or chat on twitter while I watch TV and hang with Chef.

Obviously I don't do this alone and Chef is awesome he cooks dinner and picks Busy up and does more than his fair share around here. But any working parent knows when you are at work and you check your phone and see that your childs' day care has phoned there is a horrible sinking feeling that comes over you. Because they only ring you if it's bad news. And you ring them back heart in mouth knowing that your child is either sick or have hurt themselves but at the same time thinking - I can't come - I can't leave work again to get her. I can't let people down but also I have to be with her if she is sick as I want to cuddle and kiss her and make it all better. We have no family here. We can't ring anyone to get her for us. We can't drop her at Grandma's for the day for a play. If we need a babysitter we have to pay for one.

But the problem is I like my job. I did a degree so I could do it and I really enjoy it. I like using that part of my brain, I like being challenged and I like being in a professional environment. I like going to work. Of course I do think about her all the time and wonder what she is doing, who she is playing with. I am lucky I have great childcare. I absolutely love the centre she is in and the staff are so great. I like the people I work with too. I like what I do.

I also like staying at home with Busy. I like taking her to friends places to play. I like making things with her. I like getting a big pile of books and hopping into bed and reading them to her. I like hearing her sing to herself. I like being here with her. I like her ideas.

So what do I do?? Constantly feel like I should be somewhere else?

I don't know the answer all I know is that sometimes it is really hard and I know I am not the only one that thinks so.

My Place and Yours - where I sleep - better late than never right Vic?

2011-11-01T08:24:00.000+11:00

This is where I sleep. With Chef beside me or not really beside me as the bed is so huge. I like the bed to be made. I will make it 2 seconds before going to bed if needed. The doona needs to be the right way around the pillows need to be straight and the curtain needs to be closed without one crack of light being able to shine though in the morning. The bed sometimes looks like this. I like it to look like this.

The chook was from a swap I did. He is handsome don't you think? I made the log from my all time favourite fabric. We have a king size bed because we are both long.

See the wall hanging? I nearly died getting it. True.

I love our bed. I love our latex mattress and latex pillows. we had a crap bed for years. Two years ago we bought this one and now I sleep like a baby.

I am playing My place and Yours at Vics place. You can play too.

Or you can enter the Hop Skip Jump book giveaway ( scroll down) or both.

Hop Skip Jump GIVEAWAY

2011-10-31T09:06:00.000+11:00

Do you know the blog Hop Skip Jump? Perhaps you have seen Fiona's beautiful softies before? I have long been a huge fan of her work. When I first started looking at softies why back in the days when I was dedicated to chunkychooky- before My Bearded Pigeon hatched and I was first thinking about something I wanted to make I found Fiona's softies pretty quickly and I was hooked. I love the fabric she uses, the lovely neutral tones and the unisex nature of the toys. Nothing frilly! I love the simplicity of the faces and the great little outfits her toys have. She inspired me to have a go and although I would never dare compare anything chunkychooky to her brilliance I do love love love everything she makes!!! ( alright enough gushing)

So imagine my high pitched squeal when this arrived in the post:

With three of my favourite words in the byline- ECO FRIENDLY TOYS! Woop!! This is full of fantastic projects all beautifully photographed and lots of wonderful organic fabrics used. The patterns all come in a little envelope in the back of the book- which I love - no photocopying, it's also really easy to find which pattern you want. There are some great ideas about where to source eco friendly fabrics too.There is a range of projects in here from easy-peasy to a little bit harder but nothing hugely complicated.

here is a peek inside:

photo used with permission

photo used with permission

*sigh* I had all these great plans to make something from the book to show you with this review as Busy is desperate for the kangaroo - with joey in the book- but it will have to wait until Christmas now I think...

Do you love it?? Do you want one of your own?? Do you think its about the right time to make some softies for Christmas?
If you answered YES then I have some good news! Penguin have given me ONE copy to giveaway to Australian residents only. All you have to do is be a follower of this blog, have a little look around and leave a comment below before the 3rd November at midnight. You can tweet it or facebook it (??) or mention it on your blog if you like.
The book is released on the 31st October if you can't wait.

River Fest.

2011-10-30T17:45:00.000+11:00

Yesterday was the first ever River Fest in our little town. The festival was organised by the committed and dedicated team from Transition Bellingen. Bellingen is a transition town meaning: it is a town that is part of a global transition network that aims to build resilience so local communities can survive and even thrive in the face of global challenges like peak oil and Climate change. (source) Not only was this a free event it was also alcohol free- I did like that about it- but it was so well organised. The sun shone and it was a glorious day. What festival would be complete without some face painting!

The river, which quite often floods, cuts the town in half and it is a great spot in Summer as the water is quite shallow on one side great for the little ones. The riverbank has recently been given a lot of love so the river and the bridge area is looking really lovely. Everyone kept saying why hasn't this been done before? Why hasn't there been a festival here!

The bridge linked the festival with the north side more like a kids area with jumping castles etc.

And the South side had a stage with music all day and very late into the night. There was dancing with friends:

The local businesses all competed in a canoe race. There was a tent where story telling was on all day and lots workshops, like one to make a Krathrong.

....and at dusk Krathongs were floated into the water.

Naturally - in this town- that loves a Middle Eastern or African drum we were told to meet at the northside when we heard drums and gather with our laterns. ( Busy and I had made one earlier at the lantern making workshop) ready for a grand parade across the (closed to traffic) bridge.

Busy took her job as a lantern holder very seriously as we danced across the bridge to the beats of the drums ever so carefully so her candle didn't go out. We saw so many friends lining the bridge who yelled and screamed and clapped at Busy and her lantern - it was so lovely. When we got to the end we turned around and saw what felt like the whole town ( population 2000 people) behind us.

It was one of those wonderful community events that reminds me about what I love about living in a small vibrant town like this one.
Way to go Bellingen.

Greys and why I love them

2011-10-29T15:45:00.000+11:00

I love grey. I wear a lot of grey. I use to live in a house painted grey. I love it in all its forms. So here are the latest from My Bearded Pigeon.

In grey.

Or silver.

Its grey outside today but that's ok. We are having a festival break as our little town celebrates the first ever River Festival -which is such a wonderful idea and so long overdue. There is a lantern parade tonight and Busy and I made her lantern this morning. The bridge that divides town will be closed while all the children walk across with the lanterns they have made. How pretty is it going to be??!! Then we will be floating candles across the water. Its all very exciting and everyone in town is joining in.

I chose this colour scheme of yellow and grey as I kept seeing it over at this clever ladies place and I kept loving it. Thanks for the inspiration Kylie

Hope you are having a fun weekend.

Swing past on Monday I am hosting the most excellent of giveaways!!

New Favourite Toy

2011-10-23T09:27:00.001+11:00

Are you on instagram? I love instagram. ( I am there under mybeardedpigeon if you want to find me) If you don't know what I am talking about it is an iphone app. instagram allows you to easily add great effects to the photo's you take with your iphone then you load them onto instagram and people can comment on them or like them. I really love this new medium, I love that I can take photos and make them look really old and square with the few clicks. I love seeing the fantastic photos people take just with their phones. No photoshop no fancy lens just with their phone and an app or two. So when Kellie tweeted about stickygram where you can turn your instagram photos into magnets...here are mine:

Do you love them? I do. I love that this kind of photography is the square photos. I think they make every picture look better. So being in love with making my photos look like they were taken in the 70's led me to Lomography.

I have been looking at these little cameras that look like toys and use FILM for a while but have not been able to justify buying another camera. Lucky for me some friends of mine gave me a voucher for my birthday to a very trendy clothes shop. I keep going in there admiring the clothes and shoes but not feeling anywhere near cool enough to wear any of them. When I was near this shop yesterday I saw the LOMOGRAPHY cameras. One of only a handful of stockists in Australia. The lovely woman working there was very excited about them and knew the person who bought the voucher for me etc etc and well, I had the voucher which pretty much paid for the camera and some film and so this is my new little buddy. She is the Diana mini and I think I love her!

Lomography is exciting me! You get 36 photos from a role of film or 72 half frames. So you can set it to half then take 2 shots one after the other and they become one photo like this:

flickr

You can also use a tripod and long exposures and get this kind of stuff:

flickr

The possibilities are endless of course... and you can also not wind it on and get double exposures and all kinds of great stuff. I am playing with it at the moment but I will show you when I get my first role of film developed!

Do you miss film? the not knowing what the photos will look like? The look of old photos from your childhood?

....and thanks to everyone who has bought cushions in the last few days! the voucher still works- until 8th November 2011 use the coupon code FRIENDOFMSCHOOKY for a 10% discount. You can only use the coupon code at checkout - you will see where it says add a coupon code.

More.

2011-10-19T15:03:00.001+11:00

So, last night, for those of you not on twitter, I reached 1000 cushion sales on etsy. Yep 1000. I always wanted to make it to 1000 and last night I finally did. I was helped over the line by lovely Carley who bought number 998, and Cindy who bought 999 and 1000. Thank you ever so much. I was determined not to go to bed last night until I did it! It was another ray of much needed sunshine and it has made me feel a lot less weighed down by the heavy blankets. So to celebrate... hold on wait, keep reading....

I also have some new ones to show you.

I have talked about being hangry before. Hunger + Anger= Hangry. You know when you get cranky when your blood sugars drop? It is one of my favourite words.....

I thought other people might like it too...

And type- I love typography... do you love type? AND IF YOU BUY THIS ONE YOU GET A GIFT A REALLY GOOD ONE LOOK HERE!!!

and Stockholm

And Sicily

and Finland...

And now something for you. To celebrate my 1000th sale I am having a sale. Until the 7th November ( just before we go on holidays) you can use the coupon code at checkout on etsy FRIENDOFMSCHOOKY for a 10% discount! Woot!!! On everything in my shop- everything really!!!

Now think about who a cushion might be good for as a Christmas present... your Dad with Irish heritage.... your Mum from Italy, perhaps you met your husband on Safari in Africa- great anniversary present, maybe you had a fabulous holiday in Bali, maybe you really want to go to New York and this will inspire you to save some money....? maybe you live in Melbourne but you grew up in Sydney? Maybe you need some rules for life and would like a little poem.... maybe what you want is out of stock?? let me know and I can reserve one for you and have it ready before I go. I am not doing any more new places for a while now but I am sure with over 100 different maps I can find something you like....

And let me know what you think about the new ones....

Thank you.

2011-10-17T14:53:00.000+11:00

Thank you so much for all the lovely emails and comments left after the last 2 posts. Lots of people who told me they have never commented on a blog have sent such lovely emails to me and lots of people who buy regularly from My Bearded Pigeon too. Thank you ever so much.

We have felt very supported by some lovely friends who are unfazed by my sudden bursting into tears and have offered so many wonderful things. I know it is hard to know what to say and I don't expect anyone to have any answers. I have felt this way before and sadly I will probably feel it again. I know we will get through this, we have each other and we have a little Busy who refuses to allow us to be too sad for very long.

Craft will some resume. I have some new cushions coming up!

(make a library catalog card here, via Tinniegirl. )

Heavy blankets.

2011-10-14T12:05:00.000+11:00

Sometimes life can be very awful. Still reeling with the horror of our friend's death last week we found out on Wednesday H her partner, who has been battling to stay alive since the accident died. Loosing both of them is just unfathomable. How can we lose two friends in one week? We feel as if they have vanished from the earth, been plucked from thin air never to be seen again, without warning and with no chance to say goodbye.When S died their was so much hope that H would make it, we were scared for her as they had been together so long and we wondered how she would ever cope with the death of her partner. But we also know she is a tough as nails Kiwi Woman and she has so many friends and family members wanting to support her and love her and give her everything.

The thing about this kind of grief is the shock of it, there was no warning, no build up, no crisis leading to it. Just loss. It feels as if I have the heaviest of blankets across my shoulders and I feel like I am almost bent over. I have no appetite and when I do eat everything just tastes the same. It gets worse at night when I dream about accidents and funerals and people dying, and when I lay awake in the darkness crying everything just feels worse. I feel unable to make the simplest of decisions and am easily startled. Waves of sadness pass over me where all I can do is cry. I feel like I am breathing from my throat not my chest. I am hearing voices of those around me crying and it makes my heart hurt so much I feel as if it may stop beating for a moment. I think about their parents and families and it hurts so much..... And then I am laughing at a work colleague in an afro and fake beard, at a funny story and feeling completely fine and really not surprised and how I feel ok and that I feel I am talking myself into feeling this awful and maybe I should make myself feel better by trying not to think about it so much, but then I feel like I need to think about it to process what I am trying to understand.

It scares me to think about what would happen to Busy if something were to happen to us. We have written Wills and made arrangements for her but when your mind goes to that place its sometimes hard to bring it back. We talk about funeral arrangements for ourselves and that we need to be clear about everything and make sure other people know these details.

I know death is part of life. I know it is not fair. But I don't understand the indiscriminate nature of our lives. Who gets to live who gets to die. Who gets to have a baby , who doesn't. Who gets to live a long happy life, who has a life filled with tragedy, who gets a healthy baby, who gets a sick one, who has a fast death and who has a slow death. Who has happiness and who has sadness. Who finds the partner they were always meant to be with and who never does? I know it is indiscriminate and I have always spent far to much time thinking about this indiscriminate way we live but the events of the last week have left me confused about why this happened to them and why now. There is no reason, there is no "everything happens for a reason" which would have to be one of the most annoying and frustrating things anyone could ever say to me- there is no reason why two happy healthy loving women died far from home during a birthday celebration. There is no reason.... so why did it happen? I am haunted by the Why?

The News.

2011-10-10T11:48:00.001+11:00

You know when you watch the news and you see an awful news story and you think about how horrible it is for that poor family and friends but then you kind of forget about it? Not in a heartless way just because. Last week it wasn't just an awful tragedy that made headlines around the world - it was our lovely friend who died in a horrible accident, and her lovely partner and mother are in a critical condition in hospital. Seeing it all over the news felt like it was such an invasion of our privacy ( this is not the first time I have thought this), we were experiencing this horrible news and it became a story. It has all turned into a continuing nightmare. This is all happening on the other side of the world on a surprise holiday and it is all just awful. It still doesn't seem real as it is all such a horrible shock like it cannot be really happening. I am watching those around me crumble and it is breaking my heart...I was wondering if I should blog about it and am doing so only for explaining my absence and possibly delays in replying to emails rather than having to explain it each time. I may be gone for a little while, I feel like I cannot think of anything nice to blog about. See you on the other side of this horrible time. xx

NEW in the shop today...

2011-10-02T12:25:00.004+11:00

Atlantic Ocean, Queensland, Solar System 1850
London, Tasmania, Glasgow

5 Things most unlikely.

2011-09-30T13:27:00.003+10:00

You know how you have things that you would never do? Big things. Small things? Not obvious things like go to the local shopping centre and fire a gun around, you wouldn't do that but what else?What would you never do. What can't you do. What are you incapable of doing? I want to know. I think it says a lot about who you are and says a lot about your personality.
I want to know. I find this stuff fascinating.

I will start so you can clearly see that your little idiosyncrasies are what make you who you are. And I want to know yours.

I will start so your will seem quite normal in comparison I think.

So the things it would be most unlikely for me to ever do are:

Wear a sports club jersey/ tshirt of any kind. No club colours. Nothing. I don't *get* sport.
Walk past a rug that is wrinkled or flicked over on one side and NOT straighten it. Never. I cannot do this. (Apparently this is a genetic trait as a certain Ms 4 cannot do this either)
Sit without fidgeting. ( this seriously drive Chef mental but I can't help it! Unlike my friend T who is like a log. We use to sit in work meetings together and I just can't get over how she would sit back straight hands on lap and not move. Like a log. If I am trying not to fidget I try to channel her)
Eat McDonald's, KFC, Hungry Jacks or other similar. never. ever.
Wear Pj's with Teddy bear's on them. In fact wear anything withTeddy's on it.

What are your 5 things? Tell me!!!
By the way. Still doing no sugar although did make a choice to have apple pie last weekend, it wasn't to give into a craving, I just decided I wanted it, we had people over. It was nice. Nothing since. Feeling good.

When Men had it so good.

2011-09-26T11:43:00.002+10:00

So we have been watching Mad Men (actually watching it on this thing we have that hooks up our hard drive to our TV- I don't really get it but I love it, plus it has a very small remote with hardly any buttons and I like that) . We haven't been this obsessive about a series since The Wire -we love it. In case you are even later than me to discover it , Mad Men is set in the 1960s, at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City.

If you are trying to give up smoking do not watch it. Lordy I think am getting lung cancer from all that passive smoke I am being exposed too! And if you are trying to curb your drinking don't watch it either. They are not impartial to a scotch at any time and often. What shocks me about the show is it really highlights how far we have come. Seriously the sexism is absolutely mindblowing. seeing this as part of the show not what the show is about fascinates me. The little things the wives say about there husbands and the way the characters interact with each other is fascinating.

No wonder we had to burn our bras and get violent and angry. Men had it so good. No wonder they didn't want to let go of that power and control. It was a time when men made every decision and women obeyed. There place was in the home serving their men. *Hurumph*

The point of this post is basically to have a good excuse to search google images for pictures of the main character Mr Don Draper.

What is not to love about Mr Draper. I know I know, he is completely f*cked up and treats women in an appalling manner but he is so handsome he makes me swoon. Swoon! Swoon I tell ya. I am not normally one to swoon but swoon I am. Apparently I am not alone and the mere mention of the words Mad and Men had several women I know get a faraway misty looks in their eyes as they muttered the words Donald Draper...

Just one more...

And then there is Joan. She makes me swoon too. She is smokin'. Can you imagine walking around the earth looking like that? I can't.

She is beautiful beyond beautiful. She has a beautiful voice and she is smart and clever and great.

So if you haven't checked it out now is a great time to catch up as apparently they are making series 5 now. It is worth it for the clothes and shoes alone. ( and of course Mr Draper.)

Teaching Little Girls.

2011-09-23T10:21:00.001+10:00

I often wonder how to teach Busy to be confident and have good self esteem?
How can I teach her to feel good about herself, feel that she is worthy, smart, funny, creative, caring... that her looks aren't the most important thing about her?

I have noticed that the first thing everyone who greets her does is comment on hair or her dress or in some way her looks. I know people are being kind and it is nice but it is often the only way people know how to break the ice with little girls, I know I have been guilty of it too. I feel like I have to counter act this with some other ways of making her feel good about herself that aren't based purely on what she looks like.

Busy herself has noticed this too and said to me this morning "do I look cute?" I don't know how to to teach her that yes it is important to make an effort with how you look, for your own self but that in doing so it is not the most important thing about you. She watches me get ready in the morning and wants to do the same. I don't wear makeup- other than mascara but she wants to do that too. I pretend to put it on her when she has her eyes closed... I know this is just mimicking and normal at this age, she puts my shoes on when I get home from work and walks around the house with a handbag talking into her her toy phone.

source

The messages she gets from society are all about growing up quickly. It is important to me that she remains a little girl for as long as possible. No sleepovers yet, no clothes that are similar to anything I would wear! (Trying to find a swimming costume for her that didn't have something bra- like in the top was an exercise in self control. Or didn't have a logo on it- It took me 2 hours! Two hours of looking in every shop to find something that was appropriate for 4 year old. Finally found something but I was appalled at what I was faced with.)

I have been reading a bit about this and I guess I work on this self esteem stuff with her by teaching her new things and allowing her to try everything. Pointing out to her how she has improved and what she has learnt Praising her for trying rather than focusing on if she succeeded or not. But is this enough?

As she gets older and I know what is around the corner... very soon she will be worrying about things that happen in the playground... and I know the body image stuff starts sooner rather than later. I worry about this. Busy is pretty adaptable, she is often shy at first and if anyone comes over or we go somewhere new she will cling to me for the first 20 minutes then she is fine but I wonder what I can do to make her feel confident and secure.

What do you think you do to boost your children's self esteem? I would love to know.

2011-09-20T15:08:00.001+10:00

I may have been missing in action but I have been busy. I have been sick with a horrible flu thing ( BORING!!) and the shop has been crazy. Normal programming will resume soon.

Forgiveness?

2011-09-12T10:32:00.000+10:00

Forgiveness. I have often struggled with how this word is used.

It is a word that is often pushed upon victims as something they "have to do," "a process" they "must go through", "a stage", that until they do the will "never truly heal." There is an obsession with forgiveness.

Then I found these definitions:

a : to give up resentment of or claim to requital

: to cease to feel resentment against (an offender) : source

Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. ( wikipedia)

The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt'.

So if forgiveness is the act of letting go of reprisal? This obviously varies in it's degree of difficulty.... forgiving someone for breaking a wine glass? Easy... forgiving someone for hitting your dog with their car? Maybe not as easy. Forgiving someone for perpetrating a violent crime against you? Difficult.

So how do people do that? How do victims of violent crimes forgive the perpetrator? How do people do this and still remain empowered? How do you forgive and still feel like you haven't "given in"? How do you do this and still demand court proceedings and charges?

I often get asked this at work, and for a long time I struggled with it. Why should you not demand punishment? It is your right to have the perpetrator charged. It is your right to feel safe.... so how do you forgive someone and continue to send the message that it is not ok?

I think it is difficult but possible. It is mixture of assertiveness, and support. It is saying what you did is wrong but rather than being fuelled by anger being empowered by assertiveness and strength? So is forgiveness, in this context, saying this is wrong because you did it to me and I deserve better? In my mind that is how I see it. You are still allowed to be angry about it, but not fuelled by it, rather fuelled by strength.

On the flip side of forgiveness is the dismissive "Get over it".The language we ( as a society) use can be so harsh. To me when someone says "get over it" what they mean is "I cannot understand or cope with your feelings".

I think it is much more useful to go through it rather than "over" it. Going through involves immersing yourself in it, wading in its horribleness and thinking about it, looking at it, searching, feeling, crying, screaming... wondering, concluding and wading out the other side. "Get over it" implies something done quickly which usually means just try to forget about it.

I spend my work days dealing with people trying to "forget it". They have spent years pushing things down with large amounts of alcohol and drugs, basically trying to "get over it", to forget it. Obviously this is not working and I often wonder about the amount of energy used to push things down and how that energy and skill could be traits used to go through it. Painful and heart wrenching short term- absolutely. Like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders in the long term- almost always.

what do you think forgiveness means? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Animals in the womb

2011-09-09T21:18:00.001+10:00

Thank you for the kind words on my last post. Thought I would flick things around and concentrate on the start of life not the end.

I saw this link on twitter and honestly cannot stop looking at it- neither can a certain 4 year old I have shown who is now obsessed with it.

"National Geographic documentary, producer Peter Chinn used a combination of dimensional ultrasound scans, tiny cameras, and computer graphics to create the following images of baby animals.

The special will document the progress of growth inside the womb, from conception to birth. Mother nature at its finest. I must say, I have a great new appreciation for female elephants — who'd have guessed that an elephant would be so fully formed inside of its mother?" Source.

Elephant inside the womb

Dolphin inside the womb

Rhino inside the womb

Penguin inside the egg.

heaps more here and a little video about it too.
And if you are in NSW tomorrow, and you grab the ~~Saturday Telegraph my cushions are going to be in the HOME lift out. Yay!~~ or they were suppose to be anyway.....

E.

2011-09-09T10:17:00.002+10:00

Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, turn off the telephone

prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone

silence the pianos and with muffled drum

bring out the coffin, let the mourners come

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

scribble the sky the message she is dead

put crepe bows around the white necks of public doves

let the traffic police wear black cotton gloves

She was our North, our South, our East, and West

our working week and our Sunday rest

our noon our midnight our talk our song

We thought that love would last forever;

We were wrong

The stars are not wanted now; put out everyone;

pack up the moon and dismantle the sun

pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;

for nothing now can come to any good.

W.H Audin.

How can a wonderful mother, a beautiful sister to my very special friend and a funny and loving woman die so young? These children need their mother, like all children do. It makes me question everything.

The world is quieter now without her. She fought hard like we knew she would. I cry not for my own loss which is small in comparison but for her sister who I love so very much and her young children and husband. I made this cross stitch for her when she was first diagnosed. She loved it, it was so her.

So in her honour, I am making this cross stitch pattern available to all to download and use, in the hope that many of you will never have too. You can download it here.

Hug your loved ones tighter today.

Big School.

2011-09-06T16:05:00.001+10:00

source

Busy started kindergarten orientation today, getting ready for starting school early next year. The parents went into the hall and the principal and a few teachers talked about the school. The children went into the classroom and made things and sang songs and generally had 2 hours of fun!

However, I, cannot stop crying. I fought hard the whole 2 hours to stop from crying- I kept welling up and then later on this afternoon when I was alone in the car I cried, my heart feels like it will break in two.

I am not ready for her to go to school but I know she is ready and wants to. I know she has to go but I am barely coping.

Friday : rage and love

2011-09-02T15:27:00.000+10:00

What a mixed bag this week was. The ups and downs of parenting , running a business working part time and trying to be A Good Wife.

It will be funny on Sunday as Busy made Chef a Father's Day present that she is so going to insist he wear all day Sunday and that will make me laugh!
I was annoyed to see some mature women flirting with a barrista, to the point where he was so beetroot red and embarrassed I get annoyed with them. Can't they see that a) they are making fools of themselves and b) he doesn't like it, it is mean to make someone that embarrassed.Then, these same women when I asked for a weak coffee made a point of saying how strong they wanted theres' in an attempt to belittle me? And were sniggerly snidely at my order.Why do that?

sometimes I miss sugar, lucky it doesn't come like this anywhere 'round here.

It was rude that people were harrumphing and sighing and making noises in the queue behind me at the Post Office when I was mailing a big pile of orders. It wasn't during lunch time or anything but honestly you should have heard the noises of annoyance! It IS a post office and I was posting things!
I got a tick on the neck, got me twice the little mongrel of a thing. itch itch itch all week.
Their is always washing. Always. Every time I look. It will never end.
It is annoying that some people when they are told by preschool that there child has nits don't do anything about it so they spread.
It is exciting that next week that my cushions are going to be in the Newspaper!! these two- Canberra and New Orleans- next Saturday! ( don't worry i will be sure to remind you!)

It is hard when people get annoyed because I don't know how things that I have no business in knowing work. For example I parked in the wrong place when I was doing some work at a high school and the gate was locked. the admin woman was so rude to me- there was no sign telling me not to park there, she got so annoyed with me??? How am I suppose to know they lock the gate. The caretaker was "in the middle of a cup of tea" and everything when he had to come and unlock the gate for me.
It is exciting that lovely Master S who made my i-phone app. told me it has had 4300 downloads. WOWEEEEE!!!
It is also mind blowing to me that this week I hit 800 sales on Etsy!!
It was annoying that I felt blackmailed by a customer on Etsy because of the feedback system.

All in all a mixed bag. How has your week been? Hope all your Mr's have a great Fathers Day on Sunday and they get spoilt rotten!

Not to late to enter the giveaway- scroll down- I AM EXTENDING THE DEADLINE : I will notify the winners by email on Sunday night!

Monday Giveaway

2011-08-29T09:54:00.002+10:00

I hope everyone had a good weekend. I thought it might be nice to start the week off with a giveaway!
You may have seen this book around the blogs you read, and thought it looked pretty good. Well I can tell you I think it is great. Little Things for Busy hands by Kate Evans (click the link to see inside the book) is great because it's craft without the sewing machine. Lots of great projects that you can do at home, a lot with supplies you already have, that is what it great about it.

The instructions are easy to read and understand and there are so many really simple and pretty things to make with fabric and glue and paper and string. This book would also be great for ideas for a preschool or for a child's party.

If you would like to win one of 3 copies I have to giveaway please leave a comment below.
Entries close Friday 2nd September 2011, winners will be notified by email so make sure I can track you down easily. Australia only- sorry!
Good Luck!

FRANKIE!!

2011-08-27T12:28:00.001+10:00

I am a bit excited. My Antarctica cushion is in Frankie. That is exciting, but probably more exciting is that I am in a line up with other makers who really admire.

This also means increased credibility to the girls who babysit for us.
Thanks Frankie!

2011-08-24T13:08:00.000+10:00

Rev. Fred Nile

George W

John Howard

Shane Warne

Bob Katter

All these men are products of heterosexual marriages.

Sign the petition to support Gay Marriage now!

Taming the Sweet Tooth

2011-08-22T13:04:00.002+10:00

Today is Day 22 without sugar. No cakes, no biscuits, no lollies, no chocolate, no sauces with loads of sugar- like in the jar mayo, tomato sauce, no grown up cordial, no teaspoons of sugar in my tea or coffee, no teaspoons of honey, no sharing of a Saturday morning post Ballet croissant with Busy. For a little while there was NO visiting over here, one of my fave blogs but the cake images were driving me wild.

No licking of the cake batter bowl, no freshly baked banana bread, no sharing of cakes with Busy, no gelato bar trips, no sugar in my tea no sugar in my coffee, no honey, and did I mention no chocolate no chocolate no chocolate. I never ate a lot of processed foods insofar as things from packets so I wasn't eating loads of hidden sugar, I knew the sugar I was eating, but a few cups of tea a day and some grown up cordial at night and the odd biscuit, chocolate after dinner - well it adds up.

So what have I learnt? What has changed? Well, I am glad you asked:

1. it is easier for me to say no all the time to sweet things rather than go through the should I? should I? -the internal battle that rages when I am offered something.

2. it is easier to not have 1 biscuit/ piece of chocolate/ slice of cake at all than to have one then try to not have another one. I am now so use to just saying no I don't even think about if I should anymore. This is great.

3. I really think I was addicted to sugar in that I had cravings for it and I definitely experienced some withdrawal symptoms but I don't feel like it is the problem for me like it may be for others in so far as every time they eat it it caused mood swings and ups and downs and general grumpiness afterwards.

What I have NOW realised, with my PHD in Hindsight, is that working, running My Bearded Pigeon, renovating, being the president of a management committee of a place with some long standing issues that were keeping me awake at night as I tried- stupidly- to please everyone, and dealing with someone being cranky with me at work was actually what has been stressful and causing me to feel this at times, awfulness -not sugar. Of course this all meant I was eating more sugar as a way of (not) dealing with this added stress. So sugar was not the issue at all. (Have since received an apology from cranky work colleague and resigned from the management committee-PHEW! and the renovations are done insoafar as Chef is doing the finishing touches and the builders are gone.)

4. However, I have lost a few kgs (always good) and am feeling a sense of freedom from trying not to have it. I still sometimes feel like chocolate- and at one point early on started saying hello to the Lindt chocolate in the fridge, but it is a passing feeling and I turn to my other friend SALT and eat some nuts. There is also a packet of chocolate covered almonds in the house too, but I am not wanting to eat them, they actually don't have the magical powers of fixing things I previously thought they had. And I am still eating fruit.

I said to a friend of mine at work "I wonder how long I will be able to do this?" she said, so annoyingly right and so counselling 101 "It sounds like you feel like you don't have nay control over that" (the Counsellor does not like being counselled but her words are ringing in my head all the time) I have repeated the same back to her ( also a counsellor) on more than one occasion as she is on a fitness regime and we both agree it makes sense and we have both said it to our clients about 100 times each.

I wonder should I test the waters? Should I have a piece of chocolate to see that it is not as amazing as I thought so? Not yet. I want to do this zero tolerance approach for a bit longer yet. I am just past three weeks. The magic it- takes -3 -weeks -to- change- a -habit time. I feel like I am over the hump. Here's hoping.

Best Buddy Birthday

2011-08-10T10:29:00.000+10:00

Zac is 11 today. I cannot believe he is 11. People are often shocked that he is 11.

He is pretty good for his age, as we live in a huge steep hill and he runs up and down it every time someone arrives at our house, his heart is strong.

When he wakes from his many naps in the sun , he is a bit stiff and slow, he is going deaf and we know he has lost a bit of his eye sight, but he is still spritely.

He is going a little grey under his chin- but still so very handsome.

He will chase a ball until he is panting so hard that I think he is going to have a heart attack.

He is clever, he remembers a ball/ stick thrower for years. He has learnt when people arrive if you are waiting with a ball of stick and you drop it inside their car they will pick it up every time and throw it.

He first dropped a ball in Busys lap when she was 2 weeks old- she started throwing it ( dropping it) at about 5 months old.

He is patient and tolerant of children and other dogs.

He loves Busy and she loves him, she loves nothing more than him falling asleep with his head on her lap.

he loves it when we dress him up- he gets very excited!

He knows when I am sad and he looks at me with his head on the side with a look of such genuine concern that only other dog owners can understand.

He can make me feel better, when sometimes nothing else can.

When you scratch him under the chin, he puts his paw up to push your hand down to his chest where likes scratches and rubs best of all.

He drives me crazy sometimes with his constant need to be under my feet and he does the most horrific whizpoppers you have ever smelt, honestly, I have no hair left on the inside of my nostrils.

The last big sigh he makes before he goes to sleep at night is one of my favourite sounds.

The middle of the night chchchchchch ( his nails on the wooden floor) down the hallway sound as he creeps into our room and lays on the floor beside me.

He has the ability to hear a chip packet open from several acres away.

He has a love of dairy- cream in particular, like I have never seen before.

He still gets scared during storms.

I could not imagne my life without him.

Happy Birthday Zac. We all love you so.

( Zac ate three pieces of this cake, had 2 lamb shanks for dinner and new toys to play with)

Feeling grown up.

2011-08-05T11:35:00.000+10:00

What makes you feel grown up? Was it when you bought a house? Bought a car? had a child? When did it happen?

For me it's the little things I do now that remind me that I have grown up like:

having a "lady appointment" as soon as you get the reminder
going to the dentist every year for a check up.
putting your car in for a service every 10 000kms. ( mine generally needs some love quite regularly but sometimes I am good!)

Sometimes I am struck by the feeling that this is me. As a grown up... this is how I turned out (at this age.) This is who I married and this is my child, this is our house and this is our dog. These are my friends and this is what we do together. This is what is important to me and that is not. This is who I have chosen to have in my life. This is how I love.

ET - Drew Barrymore is now 36

I am reminded of my grown- upness by our family friends- now in their late teens and early 20's who were kids or babies when I met their parents, who are now living in faraway lands and they are being grown up. The kids I use to babysit now finishing uni...

Yesterday Chef was talking to the new work experience girl at his work and she new some friends of ours and said she was friends with there son she asked chef how long he had known them and he said "I use to feed him dates when he was in nappies" ( Chef worked in their cafe is Sydney) she gasped "but he is as old as me."

I don't think I feel any older than I did at say 27- but seeing those around me age makes me realise I am getting older. See Busy get bigger everyday makes me feel grown up. Seeing her want to be like me makes me realise I am teaching her how to be a woman and that scares me to death sometimes.

What makes you feel grown up?
When do you notice it?

Serenity without sugar

2011-08-03T12:53:00.000+10:00

Despite the busy-ness of the shop and the fact that we are renovating (I will show you when it is finished) things seemed to have calmed down to a steady roar... we are all working hard at home and work but we have a carrot swaying at the end of the stick now, a holiday overseas in November. To a relaxing place. A place that we have convinced Busy will mean she must eat rice and more vegetables before we go as they may not have other foods she likes. She has been reluctant but is motivated by the elephants.

The renovations are somewhat complete insofar as we can use the new space and I already feel like our house has grown and that we can all spread our wings a little. Also a massive tidy up of the sewing room, to make way for the computer (see previous post) and I am feeling organised and calmer.

My immediate family may argue about the alleged serenity as I have decided to give up sugar and just may be a little agitated (it is day 3). People who know me probably just fell off their chair with shock - but I feel like I am a slave to it and am sick of getting cravings for it, eating it and then feeling bad because I ate so much ( mainly chocolate). It hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought but I have been feeling a little tense at times... reminding myself I am in withdrawal and need to be nice to myself. I have been reading a bit about it and although I don't eat much processed food I do add it to lots of cups of tea/ coffee etc,and well, need to remind myself it is not actually good for me. I don't know how long this will last but I am giving it a go. I have been travelling to some new places too:

Serbia, LasVegas
WA/NT, Zambia
Mereweather Ocean Baths, Brazil

What have you been up to?

A big Birthday surprise for me!!

2011-07-30T08:42:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was my birthday. Not a big birthday just a run of the mill one.

Perhaps he felt the need to try to out do me on the gift being front after this

I reckon he has.

This is the lap top I do everything on. Its quite a big lap top. Its quite nice.

but yesterday I got this!

I just can't get over how big the screen is, - its not much smaller than out TV. It is almost comical in its hugeness... I am excited and overwhelmed. He also bought me photoshop elements. I think I need photoshop for dummies....

Thanks Chef, you are the best husband in the world.

THE BEST!!

Our Creative Space

2011-07-28T08:50:00.002+10:00

I just got a call from my mate LC wondering why I haven't written on my blog for a while. So here I am, back on my blog with a news filled post. We just did a very quick trip to Sydney (500kms away). Busy did not love the car trip as in "are we there yet?' when we were not even on the highway from here ( less than 10kms) she lost it about an hour before we arrived saying 'you told me this was going to be fun and it is not and I am angry and next time I am going to fly in an aeroplane to see grandma' and on and on the abuse went.

We went to visit old friends and their new arrival. This old friend of ours- has met the woman of his dreams and had a baby and everyone is a bit excited, cos we thought he might never get 'round to it. We call him Dork. Apparently he has been Dork since high school. I try not to call him Dork anymore- now that he is a grown up but it is hard when someone has a nickname? Busy calls him Dork. EVERYONE calls him Dork. His partner calls him by his name unless we are around then she finds herself calling him Dork too. He is Dork.

So when they had a baby of course I knew she would be ADORKABLE so I made some fabric just for her and sewed it into a little blanket. Its a bit wonky, as is my way, but most certainly made with love and one- of- a- kindness. How cute is she? I made the beanie as soon as they told me they were pregnant....I did not make the cardi but I wish I could have!
She is four months old and we all love her so much. She is so smiley and lovely.
When I got home I was met with 10metres + of black organic cotton, several hundred zippers and a huge stack of map fabric ready to be cut and sewn............

It was almost confronting in its enormity.

LUCKILY, lovely Alisa also sent me a package of her beautiful fox cards and some other goodness... have you seen Alisa's blog inkcaravan ?- it is very lovely.

Thank you for making my mail not all "work" related Alisa.
More spaces here

What have you been making if anything?

2011-07-16T09:49:00.000+10:00

Have you noticed bad things happen quickly? The good things are happening slowly around you, be sure to notice them today. Have a lovely Saturday.

Want to win something???

2011-07-15T11:44:00.001+10:00

So you want to win something right??? Pop over to Pips house and click on Giveaway::Holy Hooray (click on the words not the picture) and enter her fab giveaway! All you have to do is sponsor Pips Dry July team for $2 or more and you could win- amongst other things one of these stunning gorgeous Antarctica cushion from My Bearded Pigeon (because the little bearded pigeon is starting to breathe again after his busy month but is still actually dreaming about maps, cutting fabric, and the people that work at the post office)

So really you could get this cushion for $2!!! $2!!! Plus a whole truck load of other goodness!!!

Some body in my house who loves beer is also doing DryJuly although not officially with sponsors and he is doing really well, making his Mrs very proud of his efforts. He has succeeded even in spite of participation in acts requiring beer like helping with house renovations and chopping firewood. He is doing great, half way today babes. Very proud. mwah!

Please come and join us on twitter -I am so converted now talk about a complete turnaround because now I GET it!! It is not just people telling you what they are eating which is what I thought it is hilarious!!! the commentary during masterchef (from pottymouthmama amongst others is HILARIOUS as in laughing so hard that couldn't speak, plus the turmoil faced when Nina was deciding between Patrick and Chris ( der- so obviously Patrick Nina!!!) and people talking the carbon tax when Julia Guillard was on Qand A. And ABC news says good morning to me everymorning. I like that.

Confused.

2011-07-11T18:33:00.001+10:00

So today, I get this email from a PR company:

We’d like to invite you to… ************* has just been appointed to promote a press conference tomorrow 12th July from 11am – 1pm for ******** to celebrate the FIRST Sydney appearance of newly crowned Miss Universe Australia 2011, Scherrie-Lee Biggs. ********* is the official make up sponsor of the Pageant. We realise that at this short notice it may be difficult for you to attend, so please see this email two fold; an invitation (we’d love to see you and introduce you to Australia’s new beauty), and to see if you would be interested in interviewing Scherrie-Lee about her beauty tips and beauty philosophy.

Scherrie-Lee is a natural born beauty, who indulges in a healthy diet and lifestyle. Embracing a healthy philosophy on life, Scherrie-Lee adapts the same beliefs to her beauty regime; “I never thought that when doing something as glamorous as the Miss Universe Australia Pageant that the beautiful makeup I got from ***************** could ever have been natural,” she says. ***********has quickly become Australia’s favourite mineral makeup range which have a no inclusion policy, removing toxic chemicals such as parabens, talc or bismuth from all products. ******** products remove blemishes, redness, pigmentation and uneven skin tone, on even the most sensitive skin. It’s no wonder Scherrie-Lee has enjoyed using it during the Miss Universe Australia 2011 search.

Below you will find an invitation. Please let me know if you or anyone from your team would like to attend. If you would like to set up a time to speak with Scherrie-Lee on the phone or send through some questions via email (to answer prior to her jetting off for the international finals in Brazil in September), I would be happy to arrange this.

I know!! have they even read my blog??? Clearly not!

So of course I jumped straight onto twitter to report to those around at the time and see if I should do it or not!!! Vic, Cindy and Cam offered a variety of responses... what should I ask?? what do you think??
Tell me!!! Cindy said to ask you what I should ask Scherrie-Lee?

New stuff and a giveaway!

2011-07-06T19:30:00.001+10:00

Hello! I just wanted to say hello and show you some new cushions, and then I have a giveaway!

my new wood cushion here

It has been a little crazy around here. Crazy. I have missed your blogs- please fill me in on anything absolutely stupendous? has anyone had a baby or anything? Crafted up something that I cannot miss??

I just listed these latest cushions. What do you think? The above is a closeup of some wood and the below is a photo of a boardwalk. It is in a little town near here called Urunga, I love the boardwalk. I remember taking this photo involved laying in very cold sand fully clothed and I remember thinking I am really getting serious with this wanting to get a good photo thing. So here it is.

my new Board Walk cushion here

The Giveaway is this: I have three tickets to Organic Expo and Green Show happening in Sydney in August.

The double pass will be valid for EITHER Saturday August 6 or Sunday August 7. You can collect your tickets from the Trade Registration & Ticket Collection Booth next to the entrance to the show. The Show is held at Hall 3, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. Opening times are Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm.
Have you ever been? It is great. We went a couple of years ago and the food was AMAZING!!! The ideas and the amount of nice stuff you can get that is organic now is great. It is on in Melbourne too. Kylie Kwong will be doing cooking demonstrations- YUM - and their are loads of talks about how to live a healthier life. All good stuff!

Want to go? To enter:
Leave a comment below telling me what you did today to make the earth kinder? Or you can just leave a comment to say hello so I know someone is still out there...

*sigh* back to the sweat shop! ( sound of whip cracking)

because...

2011-06-28T08:07:00.001+10:00

You know how on the news they fill the gap after the weather with a cute animal story? ( plus now I will have an easy way of showing Busy these pictures I showed her once and she is obsessed with) Here is my version.

I am having a small blog break... not sure how long for.... maybe only a few days but wanted to say I may not visit for a little while.

Cushion crazy. I am not complaining at all, it is great, but it has all been so quick. Please don't tell me "be careful what you wish for", I keep saying it to myself as does everyone else and it is making me feel like I am not allowed to feel a little overwhelmed. Which I do. Just a tiny bit. Maybe more.
Did I also mention we are renovating and Chef is helping the builders, and Busy has been sick with colds, ear infections and , my personal favourite, gastro for the last five weeks?

See you soon.

New -ness

2011-06-25T13:52:00.001+10:00

While you were all asleep last night I was off flying around the universe taking pictures of the moon for a new cushion. What do you think? I am really happy with how this one turned out!

Also, in the post yesterday received a copy of Parenting magazine. It is a US magazine, I have no idea how popular it is or how many places it is sold in. They were kind enough to feature my world map cushion. ( price shown is in $US)

....And if that wasn't all exciting enough, I won a prize in Cathies raffle. I won this gorgeous doll made by the insanely talented Jennie. Look at her!!! My first thought when I opened it was "I want to be her', followed by "I want you all to myself for a while." Busy doesn't know about her yet. I get her out when she is asleep and pat her fur stole. I love her.

jennie took this picture.

She is so chic!

Hope you are all having a lovely Saturday. Busy had a little buddy sleep over last night. They were so cute in their little pink flannel PJs tucked into the bed. At 430am they were not as cute when they both decided they needed to go to the toilet, and bring 5 toys each for the journey. They have giggled and squealed with delight all day.

Shame.

2011-06-23T07:05:00.001+10:00

Are you watching the SBS documentry Go Back to Where You Came From? The premise of the show is explained here.
I am watching and burning with shame. My heart breaks for people living in such horrific conditions. People who have been tortured and traumatised beyond belief. What are we doing? What as human beings sharing an earth are we doing? Why are we allowing this to continue?? This horrifies me on so many levels. It makes me want to scream with frustration at governments the world over who know this is happening and do nothing. Our government who wants to send people to Malaysia? To be tortured!!! Sending children to be tortured. It makes me sick. It makes me ashamed to live a life of such privilege while others suffer in so many ways.
I will be watching the last installment tonight, with a heavy heart.

THE FRONT COVER!

2011-06-20T12:45:00.001+10:00

Can you believe it??? My cushions on the front cover of Real Living Magazine.

I was beside myself when I found out last week!!

I am still excited and cannot stop looking at it.

What a week!!!
Also, even though I said I never would jump on Twitter I have. Its Kate's fault. If you are that way inclined you can find me as mybeardedpigeon.
Thanks Susie for the above file help.

New ones.

2011-06-19T16:50:00.001+10:00

I took some photos. I printed them onto fabric. I made them into cushions:

I listed them in the shop.

What do you think?
The top one is a pile of wood at home, the second one is beautiful Morton Bay Fig Tree in World Heritage Dorrigo National Park, about 30 minutes drive away from here. I am pretty happy with how these ones turned out.

And I, only moments ago, sold my 500th cushion. YAY!!Thank you to everyone who bought one or two along the way. We are celebrating here tonight!!!

My Creative Space

2011-06-16T11:48:00.002+10:00

The thing with floods is you get lots of inside things done. Like almost overdue wholesale orders. Two bears and 12 rattles.

I always feel a bit bad when I put them in the bag to post, like I should put airholes in it or something....

My embroidery poem cushion was on the front page of etsy twice the other day which meant I got lots of hits and now have two of them to make. The always sell in twos. Always.

This is issue 2 of Mollie Makes a new UK magazine that you would have seen around blogland. My cushions are in but I cannot show you the page as they kindly send it to me as a PDF and blogger does not like pdfs. They featured this cushion.

***** Thank you Susie for making the below a jpg so I could show you!!and also thankyou to Nic yesterday who tried to help me but I am a bit crap with stuff like this *****

I DESPERATELY want to get my hands on a copy but do not want to subsrcibe to it- for about $100. I also don't want the digitial version which I know you can download. If ANYONE wants to pick me up a copy of issue 2 if they see it not only will I be eternally grateful I will pay for their issue 2 as well AND of course the postage to get it here, and will also provide chocolate of thanks.... *and a new car... a holiday to the Carribean....

For more creative spaces pop over here.

*or maybe not

Noticing the flood

2011-06-15T13:14:00.001+10:00

I noticed over the last few days of being flooded in, the house feels like it is shrinking by the hour

I noticed that at some point we all loose it over nothing and can get cranky.
I noticed that Chef , when bored, cooks carbs.
I noticed I cannot stop eating ( carbs) when I am flooded in.
I noticed that at least 5 times a day Chef or I will exclaim "STOP RAINING"

I noticed this starts as soon as our water tank is full (it was full three day ago)
I noticed that I feel like smoking when it rains. (I gave up 7 years ago)
I noticed that I sigh a lot and stare out the window

I noticed that we don't have a clothes dryer and wish we had one we could use a few times a year
I noticed that I let Busy eat loads of food I wouldn't normally let her eat.
I noticed that as soon as it stops raining Busy and I jump into our gum boots and go for a walk with Zac and it is so nice to be outside in the sun until it starts raining again.
I noticed Busy watches a lot of TV when we are flooded in.
I noticed there seems to be a lot more ( of Chefs) empty beer bottles when it floods.
I noticed that our gutters need cleaning out
I noticed we don't have a dry place to store firewood near the house

But the thing I notice the most, in fact more than anything, is that it absolutely SUCKS having an outside toilet when the rain is torrential. It really does.

What have you noticed today?

Leave those Kiwis alone!!!!

2011-06-14T21:00:00.000+10:00

Poor Christchurch! 8 months since the first earthquake. Over 6000 aftershocks, some huge ones today. It's so awful. Thinking of our family there, and sending love to them all. Thinking of bloggy friends and others mates there too. Stay safe. And to Nanna and Grandad Busy and all of us can't wait for you to come and stay soon so we can spoil you. X

New Little Buddy.

2011-06-13T09:10:00.001+10:00

Earlier in the year I made some foolish declaration about not buying magazines anymore. That didn't last as I have an addiction. This is my excuse. A pathetic one I know. One I should certainly be able to address.

However, I have made some steps towards *reducing the paper waste in our family. I have bought a Kindle. I got it a while ago and I love it. Now I know many of you are going to poo poo this e-reader saying it signifies the loss of the written word and the death of books etc etc and to some extent I agree. I am not saying I am going to stop buying books. (When I was in Melbourne Mich took me to Artisan books on Gertrude street where I had to buy a book about the history of Colour- such a beautiful book shop, and just down the road was another book shop called Books for Cooks which I could absolutely recommend and of course I bought Chef a book too. ) In fact quite the opposite but I am only going to buy books that are like reference books, like I have written about before. But all those disposable books, you know the crime kind of ones that you sometimes read when you don't want to use your brain too much, that you read in a few days?? that you pick up on a whim? I am not going to buy them anymore. I just have an image ( Mich has hear this spiel before) of a book factory pumping out Jodi Picoult books by the thousands and just think about ALL THAT PAPER. Think about it....it's not like her books are life changing novels? ( sorry to pick on Jodi, but you get what I mean) so these can be downloaded onto my kindle, if I feel that way inclined, for a fraction of the price. ( about $8)

Which brings me to the kindle. It is not like reading a computer screen at all. Nothing like it. I have tried to show you the screen, this is Fantastic Mr Fox which I have a real copy of but wanted to see if it showed the pictures when I downloaded it- which as you can see it does.

You turn the page on by the little button on the side. You can change the font size and type -this was hugely important to me- what if it was in comic sans - *shudder*. (I know you don't think it is that bad LC and you cannot comprehend the enormity of my contempt for it )The keyboard at the bottom is so you when you dial up Amazon you can type in the name of the book you want, they are downloaded onto your kindle in about one minute. This is great for someone like me who is not always good at delaying gratification. It is instant.

Because I am a rampant consumer I had to buy a nifty cover for it. I take it everywhere. It is great for holidays, as it is light as a feather. The battery lasts for ages too. It is my new little buddy and I have already converted a few friends too.

* this is how I am justifying this purchase.

maintaining the rage

2011-06-09T19:14:00.000+10:00

So everyone goes frickin berserk over transporting cows to be inhumanely slaughtered in Indonesia. The law gets changed overnight! ( I agree that it was inhumane and live exports are horrific)

Yet MANY people are quite happy to allow CHILDREN who have arrived in Australia LEGALLY seeking asylum -( it is not illegal to arrive in a country and ask for asylum ) to be transported ALONE to Malaysia where we know their human rights will be abused in the form of caning and whipping them. Children. Human children. We are sending them to be abused.

The cows have been saved.
The children have not.

Rant number... I don't know at least 7, 8 maybe???

2011-06-06T14:27:00.000+10:00

Why does society tolerate violence against Women? Why do we hear about it and do nothing?
When we hear men justify violence? Why do we allow this? When we hear them blame alcohol why is this ok? Not everyone who drinks becomes violent, in fact most people don't so therefore alcohol can not be blamed. Or this: She was asking for it- look at what she was wearing? If a man is walking around without a shirt on is he asking to be sexually assaulted? Can't we wear what we like?

image

How can we , as a society continue to allow this to happen? Before the age of 25, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5-6 boys will be sexually assaulted in Australia. These are reported assaults, the ones we know about . This doesn't include the ones where the victim was drunk and feels embarrassed, ashamed, intimidated, scared to report etc etc etc.

In Australia it would appear that when you report being directly involved in the sexual assault of a woman with your team mates, you just go on TV look regretful- but never actually say sorry to the victim, and then you get your own TV Show? Or you smash a glass in the face of your girlfriend and three years later you are inducted into the Football Hall of Fame? Or you and your teams mates sexually assault a young woman but because there is not enough "evidence" you just walk free?

Why does this continue? What are we teaching young people about violence, when footballers in particular , seem to get away with it?
Am I the only person outraged by this?

Help!!!

2011-06-02T13:58:00.001+10:00

I need your help.
I have an idea. You see the chunkychooky iphone app has had, over 2000 downloads. Yes 2000. I was shocked too! I don't really know if that means 2000 extra people are reading my blog but I do know that people are downloading the app. So my wonderful genius app. developer Master S and I have hatched a plan for an update. See under my header I have a new page called Make Something!!! this new page is going to link directly from my app. ( you can see it up there you don't need the app to have a look- its under my header) so I want to make it a huge list of resources and this is where I need your help.

It will be divided into sections:

Tutorials: which will be divided into sewing, knitting and crochet, embroidery, and other crafty goodness. ( and other categories as they come up) I want you to send me the best tutorials you have found, they can be on blogs, on YOUR OWN blog, on YouTube wherever. If you have a link on your side bar that just links to say a google doc could you please send me a link to the post where you mention the new tutorial so I can link from that. For example: How to sew an easy pair of kids pants, how to sew bias binding, how to make a simple bag etc. If you think this is a good tutorial with EASY TO FOLLOW instructions- Send me the link!

Craft Books I am going to link all of the reviews I have done, but what other books could you recommend and if you are recommending them maybe you could even write a little blurb about the book and I will link to your blog as the reviewer!

There is also going to be another page linked from the Make Something page with a list of SUPPLIERS Suppliers of fabric, ( they can, for example, be shops on etsy that sell supplies, just send me the link to the shop) paper, blank cards, deco tape, wool, lino cutting, fabric printing, business card printing, screen printing, blank t-shirts anything you have used yourself and were really happy about. Anything and everything will be considered but they must sell online.

There will be a little prize for being the most ace helper!!It will be a really good prize! Promise!!
Please don't just send me a link to a page full of tutorials- I want them tried and tested by you as being really good.

Leave the links here as comments and I will start adding them.

Melbourne- Notice

2011-06-01T14:02:00.002+10:00

After a looong journey home involving late flights, running between terminals like a mad person only to discover the next flight was delayed, plus a long drive home a lovely "welcome home, I love you mummy" sign and a bowl of curry was waiting for me. Plus a sleeping Busy a smiling Chef and an excited dog.

On the 1388km journey home I had time to reflect about the previous four days and what I had discovered. I had stayed in the most fabulously charming of places- Brooklyn Arts Hotel just off Gertrude st. It was full of eccentric old women who were always up for a cup of tea and a chat by the fire. I loved them! I discovered that Gertrude St is so good and every coffee, meal and snack I ate on there was divine. I also noticed LOTS of beards and combed slicked to the side short hair- a bit of a 1900's look. I noticed this look only in the Fitzroy area but there was a lot of it. I liked it. I noticed everyone looked cool. I noticed not for the first time- that I didn't. I noticed that didn't bother me much.

I noticed the difference in light. The light was less glarey in Melbourne, even on overcast days here, it is glarey and sunglasses are needed. I noticed not wearing sunglasses all the time. Despite living in London for 2 years in my 20's I forgot what cities that get cold are like. That as soon as you walk into any shop cafe etc it is 10 degrees warmer. I learned this on day one and learnt about layers. I noticed that lots of people thought I said I was from Belgium not Bellingen and I couldn't be bothered to correct them. I noticed that people were always friendly and the service was good. I noticed that Melbourne hasn't completely replaced the old yellow and green trams- the nice old ones thank-fully. I noticed a family friend of mine who is now almost 20 is growing into a beautiful young woman before my very eyes and it was so lovely to take her out to dinner and hang out with her as a grown up.

I noticed the excited feeling of seeing hundreds and thousands of new faces I had never seen before day after day after day. Of seeing hundreds of pieces of art and sculpture and mediums on which to do things ( more on THAT later!!)

I bought a few pieces home from Rose st Markets and and a kiss for Chef from Industria. I noticed that I never felt lonely and that I missed Chef and Busy but not to the point of tears (actually maybe just a little tear on one night after I got off the phone) I noticed that I had to quickly rush to sit down and write an idea that was at risk of falling out of my head a lot. I noticed that I felt so inspired and full of new ideas and things I want to do and that lots of the time my head was spinning taking so much in. I noticed that when you get together with women who's blogs your read its like catching up with old friends and not awkward at all. And it's funny. And fun. I noticed how good it was to actually talk about my blog to other people who "get" it. I noticed a suburb of Melbourne that I would have probably not ventured into otherwise had the most delicious Turkish Pide and that as painful and hard as it was I did manage to get it home for Chef to taste and resisted eating it on the plane.(and he loved in thanks Beci)

I noticed that some people are shy and I that maybe I didn't get to chat to them as much as I wanted to to but that next time I will. I am sorry!

I noticed not for the first time that I often think about how to move to Melbourne just for a little while.

I noticed how good it is to be home amongst the trees and the forest and the warmth.

Scroll down for a great giveaway!

Mel- born

2011-05-31T15:30:00.000+10:00

Massive weekend. To tired to post. Will write more later. Brimming with ideas. Too many. Don't know where to start.
Just wanted to remind you about the giveaway. Scroll down and enter. Back with more later.

Another Craft Book Giveaway!!!

2011-05-26T17:59:00.000+10:00

I have been waiting for this book to come out. Before I even knew it was coming I thought it would be so good if there was a book about what to do with your children's art as I had seen some great ideas on other peoples blogs. Then what should arrive in my letterbox but this book! Little Artist Handmade by Carly Schwerdt, who many of you will know as part of the fabric dynamic duo that is Umbrella Prints. Carly wrote this book and I tell ya' it is fabulous!!! Gorgeous photos and beautifully laid out.

It starts off with some great information about art theory, about children and drawing and colour principles and then it has lots of step by step project ideas. It has given me hundreds of ideas of things to do with Busy's pictures.

I immediately wanted to make something from the book. Busy drew a fairy ( note the wings!!) and we made it into a toy. She is thrilled to bits with it and I am too. I love the way kids draw people- everyone has huge heads and long legs!

You can have a look inside the book here. The book will be in the shops from Monday 30th May.

And guess what? I have THREE copies to give away. SORRY to anyone overseas I feel bad that you always miss out (so I have something planned for you all later) but this giveaway is only for Australian residents.

To enter please: ( PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

1. be a follower of this blog if you aren't already

2. Tell me what art a little person has made for you that you really loved.

entries will be open until FRIDAY 3rd June at midnight.

Good luck!!

Winners!

2011-05-25T07:13:00.000+10:00

The lucky winners of You Sew Girl by Nicole Millalieu are:

Ange_Moore

Vic

ClaireyH

for those of you who missed out and have the means to do so you can buy a copy at Nikkis blog shop or ABC books, or any good book shop! If you are overseas Nikki suggets ABC books or Fishpond.
For those of you having one of those *sigh* I never win anything moments I have another giveaway this week, it is another absolutely fabulous book! So come back and have a look-see!

not a knitting clock, a knitting windmill!

2011-05-23T20:28:00.001+10:00

Many of us, positively wet ourselves when we saw this:

over at Kylies blog. It is a clock that you turn the wheel everyday and over a year it knits a scarf. I know. I was excited by it too. It's so good. I love it so much in fact such was my obsession with owning one I would have bought it on the spot for stupid amount. But I have found something almost as good, maybe even better.

A windmill that knits a scarf. FOR REAL! A wind powered knitting machine!!

Be still my beating heart. I love this. Love!! The genius behind this, Merel Karhof, lives in the UK but is originally from The Netherlands. I love it. I want one. I want one outside my window. I want several of them.

People are so clever.

Speaking of clever, Nikki has written an ace craft book. You can win one, scroll down to enter.

And if you don't win one, or even if you do, stay tuned, Penguin Publishing has sent me another great book to giveaway later in the week! Wait until you see it!!

Want to win a craft book?OF COURSE you do!!

2011-05-20T10:52:00.004+10:00

We all know that Nikki has written a book right? Well she has, it is called YOU SEW GIRL. But have you actually seen the book? Have you looked inside it? Well I have. It teaches you how to sew! It really does! It has so much great information and as a completely self taught sewer ( ie google taught me) it has been great to have all those questions answered, that, to be honest I was to embarrassed to ask!!! Here is a little look inside:

Nikki has been sewing for years and everything is explained in a simple way. The start of the book has lots of great information about all the sewing basics, like how to cut patterns, how to make bias binding and then the rest of the book has patterns so you can put your new skills into practice.

It is a great book and I am thrilled and honoured to be able to give away three copies!!

Sorry this is only open to Australian residents.

Leave a comment below to enter, make sure you leave an email address if you don't have a blog.

Entries close Tuesday24th May at midnight.

Good Luck!

Addition info: for those of you who are new to this space I would love it if you had a little look around.

Our Creative Space: Admin and whatnot

2011-05-19T08:59:00.055+10:00

Admin. Lately I seem to be spending a lot of time doing admin. Punching holes and threading strings, cutting out labels and printing off tags, addressing envelopes, wrapping orders, answering emails. But that is what running a business is I guess. I did not know this before. Chef has been helping me and that has been great.

The thing I like about etsy ( one of the many many many things) is the way parcels are wrapped when they arrive. I take special care to make sure mine look nice too and often people comment on the packaging in my feedback. I just fold the cushion cover and tie red and white twine and add a few tags and a little thank you note.

I also seal the envelope with some lovely tape. The bottom one is the New York subway- love it!

These are the latest cushions.
Top row: Haiti, Washington DC, New Zealand
Middle row: NSW coast, Maldives, United Kingdom
Bottom row: The Arctic Circle, Greece, Germany

One lovely lady snapped up Germany about two minutes after I put it online. I really like the Arctic Circle one. If anyone wants one that is currently sold out just send me an email, AND until Sunday night at midnight you can use the coupon code: IREADCHUNKYCHOOKY at checkout for a 10% discount.
More of our creative spaces over here

Cushion swap- YAY!!!

2011-05-17T13:03:00.000+10:00

We got our cushion yesterday! We were very excited. I say "we" because someone keeps taking into their bedroom and I keep moving it back into the lounge room. Rachel was lovely enough to send a little present, a brooch, for Busy which she absolutely loves!

Thank you Rachel so much for our lovely patchwork cushion with beautiful velvet back and excellent zipper neatly sewn in! We love it. Thank also to Vic for organising the swap.

My Creative Space : dealing with uninvited guests of the evil variety

2011-05-14T17:24:00.000+10:00

A while ago a dark gloom settled over our house, albeit a brief one but for this lone crafter, a tragedy. A tragedy all of you who love fabric will empathise with, on a deep level.

Rats and Mice and fabric do not mix. Yes, rats in the stash.

Not only had rats/ mice got into my fabric stash, they had poo'd wee'd fornicated and birthed. Amongst my fabric. They had treated it like a cheap hotel. It was not just any fabric, not the pieces from the bargain bin at Spotters, no no no. The maps. Hundreds of dollars worth of fabric potentially ruined.

And so began more swearing than I think Busy has heard in her short life, shrieking, screaming and general hysteria not only at the poo but also at finding baby rats squeaking between layers of fabric. Sorry, I hope you aren't eating you lunch.

Thankfully Chef was home to help deal with 1. rat search, recovery and drowning and 2. to apply hugs, tea and sympathy to me. It was a dark day. Not only did I have to throw out a huge amount of fabric they also ruined an almost completed one of these. And it's not like I whip one of those ones up in ten minutes!

All of this fabric was in a cupboard, I still can't work out not only how they got in but how quickly they trashed it!

So since then there has been just a small amount of paranoia about " the maps". Windows to the sewing room have remained shut, doors remained closed, fabric has been placed inside about 15 plastic bags in a drawer that I check compulsively.

I had in mind a solution but I needed to find it. It had to be metal but not heavy, have wheels and preferably be upright.
And here it is:
My Craft Trolley. I love it. I love that it is red. ( a bonus)

I love that all the made maps fit inside ready for orders.

It even has loads of drawers for stationary on top.

And drawers for works in progress.

Chef is jealous, after all it is suppose to be for tools.

These are my tools. If you look closely you can see my lady hammer.

For more Creative Spaces pop over to Kirstys.

Shedding skins

2011-05-06T14:38:00.000+10:00

Do we shed our skins?

from weheartit

Do we change completely who we are every few years or are we basically the same as we have always been? Do we change when we become a wife? When we become a mother?

What does it mean to change?

When people say you have changed, what do they mean ? Maybe they mean they have changed and you don't have so much in common anymore? Did you ever have much in common or was it just shared history? Do some people live in the way it was? Always looking back? Reminiscing? Do some people live in now, in the moment? How it is now? Or others who are always planning for the future?

Do animals that shed their skin feel good with their new skin? Do they feel like it is a new beginning? How do we get a new beginning? Do we move to a new place where no one knows us? What if the past catches up with us? Can we ever escape it? Can we change who we really are? Can we change from good to bad? Is anyone really bad? Are they made bad by other people?

How do we get a new skin?
Do some days you feel like you might like one?
Mine would have wings attached. What would your new skin be like?

Mother's Day is on Sunday!!

2011-05-02T11:35:00.000+10:00

I thought this could be one of the posts you could oh- so- casually flick over to your husbands email....

Lovely bag for up-coming holidays from hoakonhelga

Birdfeeder from Studiolicious (great if you are just about to get a big new huge deck)

I Love Clouds print from EloiseRenouf

Black clutch from urbanheirlooms

Brooch from nervoussystem ( or any of the other lovelies)

Season by Yellena

And as it is too late for most of these to get here by Sunday, its not to late if you have a birthday coming up in a couple of months!

My Creative Space: chickens are clever.

2011-04-28T08:38:00.001+10:00

I have always been impressed by the way chooks make the yolks so perfectly round. Every. Single. Time.

I have wanted to do another little embroidery in a small hoop for ages but have felt quite uninspired. But the other day, when I was cooking an egg, I was watching it and was inspired to stitch one. It has been too long since I picked up the hoop and I was reminded how much I love it. How much I missed it.

Just a little something for the kitchen. To make you smile. Did it make you smile?

I have plans for two more.... can you guess what?

For more creative spaces pop over to Kirstys house.

Blogger!!!!

2011-04-27T18:17:00.000+10:00

Had you noticed that my posts never showed in your reader and that you had to click over here to read more than the title? I did not know that it was like that. Someone lovely pointed this out to me today and she also helped me fix it. Thanks Claire! You are ace!!! Cam also responded to my plea for Help. Thanks Cam. So this is to say sorry to everyone for what a pain that was and secondly to assure you it was not a ploy to get you to click over. I am not that clever!

So this is a test post about that to make sure this works.

I would also like to to take this moment to apologise for the many many many grammatical errors and typos I have in blog posts and leave in comments, it's just that I move through life quickly.... so here is my sorry. Sorry.

Below is a picture of our new letterbox that I asked the universe for. Ours fell apart after someone backed into it! ( we do not know who!) and I asked the universe to provide a new one. The same day I went into the oppy and there it was. Dirt cheap, and now painted red.

Life is good.